Search:overlook

Bristol-based provider of tough and sinewy drum & bass, Holsten has proved himself one to watch with successes on UVB-76 Music, Hotline and Rupture, not to mention a clutch of releases on the essential label, Droogs. This EP sees him offering up four battle weapons that lean towards the glory days of techstep. Opener 'Burn' goes for apocalyptic bass and a hardstepping outer shell, finished off with nicely unsettling sonics. 'Service Kru 2' is the roasting Amen-led roller, with Dillinja-esque sidewinding edits, kung fu samples and ravey stabs. Flip it over for 'Twisted Music', tense and edgy rather than full on blasting, while closer 'Projectiles', remixed by Overlook, steams its way to the run out groove with the kind of dystopian intensity that fans of classic No U-Turn will be very comfortable with. Producer and label alike are both on the rise, so get on it.

Quartz is a respected drum & bass head with a precise and minimalist - but always cinematic - production style and that's clear again on this new one for Droogs. The A-side features solo cut 'Duplicity', which is a stark and electrifying trip into drum & bass darkness with tight basslines and subtle shifts that prove less is more. The B-side, 'Black Prism,' sees Quartz team up with Overlook for a throwback to raw 90s techstep and all the tight but manic breakbeat action that comes with it. It's a tune of unrelenting tension that resolves into an unexpectedly serene close. Sophisticated stuff from all.

Fresh after remixing Exhausted Modern, Overlook returns to the label with BT76.

On the A-side, Soft Focus delivers his trademark sound, dripping urgency and dread. 7 minutes of restrained, rolling claustrophobia.

On the flip, Barking slows down the tempo with a noir illbient-informed rework.

Repress

After various collaborations on some big dnb labels Overlook has his first own 2track EP out on 31 Recordings.

Since 2020, 12 Inch Lovers have been releasing new samplers every year, eagerly anticipated by collectors. These samplers have now become a staple and are easily added to vinyl collections across Europe. They offer timeless classics and rare tracks that are often hard to find elsewhere.

With Samplers 11 & 12, they surprise again with a mix of modern classics and tracks that have never been released on vinyl or are difficult to find. By adding unique and exclusive tracks, the 12 Inch Lovers samplers remain innovative and high-quality. They are a must-have for DJs, collectors, and fans of contemporary classics!

SAMPLER 12

A1) Borai & Denham Audio - Make Me (original release 2023)

Released in 2023 on the British label Room Two Records (catalogue R212001) on twelve inch vinyl, Make Me combines breakbeat, house and speed garage with high energy, featuring clear use of Amen breaks, rumbling sub bass and sharp rave sounds. At the heart of the track lies an instantly recognisable vocal hook from the mid eighties, a sample taken from Donna Allen - Serious (1986). The result feels like a long forgotten rave anthem from the nineties wrapped in a modern sound.

The original twelve inch pressing quickly became a highly sought after collector's item and received a limited pink vinyl repress in 2025. This track, first issued only on orange vinyl in 2023, was officially re released once all samples were cleared. It has every ingredient of a future classic, a true underground anthem for fans of modern UK rave and jungle energy.

A2) Smoke City - Mr. Gorgeous (and Miss Curvaceous) (Mood II Swing Vocal Mix) (original release 1997)

Originally released in 1997 on the album Flying Away by Smoke City. The Mood II Swing Remix, produced by New York house duo John Ciafone and Lem Springsteen (also the producers behind Ultra Naté - Free), takes the song straight to the dance floor with a smooth groove, soulful vocals and a deep, hypnotic flow.

The iconic line "Cool and calm, Mr Gorgeous..." remains untouched, while the remix enriches the original Latin and trip hop influences of the band with that distinctive late nineties house atmosphere. The result is a timeless club favourite, almost nine minutes of pure vibe (the Mood II Swing Vocal Mix runs 9minutes and 20 seconds), adored by DJs who like to bring a touch of soul to their house sets.

Released on Jive Records, the track received great praise. Music Week highlighted its "tight ay ay ay hook" and noted that the Mood II Swing and Hyperspace mixes made it a real standout. The original version reached number one in Italy in 1997, and the Mood II Swing Remix has since gained cult status in the Belgian club scene and beyond as the perfect marriage between soul and dance floor energy.

B1) Chris Raven - I Know You Love Me Too (Bruce Norris Remix) (original release 1997)

Christian Raabe, better known as Chris Raven, is a German producer who made his name in the late nineties progressive trance scene.

The Bruce Norris Remix of I Know You Love Me Too (Additive Records, catalogue 12AD 027) first appeared in late 1997 and was officially released in early 1998. The remix builds an euphoric atmosphere witha beautiful melody, dreamy pads and powerful drums, all typical of the progressive trance sound of that period.

The track gained extra attention when it appeared on Northern Exposure 3: Expeditions by Sasha and John Digweed in 1999. Many fans first discovered it there (especially the Van Bellen Remix version), helping to cement the cult status of I Know You Love Me Too within the progressive and trance community.

B2) Grooveyard - Mary Go Wild (original release 1996)

One of the most recognisable and iconic club tracks in Belgian and Dutch underground house history is without a doubt Mary Go Wild, released in 1996 on EC Records. The track quickly became the defining anthem of the rave scene in the Low Countries.

With a raw groove around 133 BPM, pumping four to the floor drums and the hypnotic vocal sample "Mary... go wild!", the record set dance floors ablaze in the nineties. Producer Jeroen Verheij, also known as Secret Cinema (from the classic Timeless Attitude), perfectly captured the raw energy of the European house movement of that era.

To this day Mary Go Wild stands as a symbol of pure rave power, a timeless anthem that, as one Discogs collector put it, "still works on any dance floor." Original twelve inch pressings on EC Records and later issues on Blanco Y Negro are highly sought after, and the track remains a staple in retro house and classic DJ sets.

C1) Dave Swayze - Last Flight To Paris (original release 2000)

Dave Swayze, best known for his classic Goldwave, has several hidden gems to his name, and Last Flight To Paris is certainly one of them. Released in November 2000 on the Belgian label Yeti Records, the track is a subtle blend of trance and progressive house. It is known for its emotional melody, dreamy build up and strong percussion, built on the foundation of progressive trance but with thewarmth and groove of house.

At the time, Last Flight To Paris was frequently played by progressive trance DJs and soon became a cult favourite among vinyl collectors within the genre. Original pressings on Yeti Records are now extremely rare and much sought after. The mix of emotion, euphoria and timeless club energy makes Last Flight To Paris a hidden treasure from the late trance era of 1999 and 2000.

C2) Joe Goddard - Music Is The Answer (Hot Since 82 Remix) (original release 2017)

This remix by Hot Since 82 (Daley Padley, from Barnsley in the north of England) for Music Is The Answer by Joe Goddard is partly based on the original classic Celeda - Music Is The Answer (in the Danny Tenaglia Remix). It was released in February 2017 as a digital exclusive through Domino Records.

Hot Since 82 reworked the original, a vocal house track by Hot Chip member Joe Goddard, into a deep, grooving house track with a warm rolling bass line. The soulful vocals of Joe Goddard (featuring SLO) take on a subtle melancholic tone in his remix, creating a modern house classic filled with emotion and drive.

The remix became a major club favourite in 2017 and 2018, supported by leading names in the tech house scene and heard at festivals around the world. Interestingly, this popular version had never been released on vinyl, which only increased its cult status among collectors. Music Is The Answer (Hot Since 82 Remix) remained a digital classic for years, until now, finally available in this long awaited vinyl edition.

D1) Just A Man - I'm Sorry (Original Club Mix) (original release early 2000s)

The French project Just A Man consists of brothers Hervé and Nicolas Subrechicot. Their track I'm Sorry is an emotionally charged house record that perfectly captures the early 2000s club atmosphere.

Released in 2003, the song combines soulful male vocals with a warm, rhythmic production that blends UK garage and classic club house influences. The Original Club Mix (6 minutes and 14 seconds) builds gradually towards a powerful, uplifting climax, carried by rich chords and an irresistible groove.

Although I'm Sorry stayed somewhat under the radar at the time, it is regarded by connoisseurs as a hidden gem, a perfect balance of melody and groove. The twelve inch vinyl release (on RKG / Motor Music, 2003) is now hard to find and highly prized among vinyl and house collectors, which only adds to its appeal.

I'm Sorry embodies the pure sound of early 2000s vocal house: sincere, funky and danceable, with that unmistakable UK garage touch, even more evident in the G Box Garage Club Remix on the same EP. An unfairly overlooked track that has always remained a true timeless classic since the very beginning of 12 Inch Lovers.

D2) Teddy Pendergrass -Life Is A Song Worth Singing (Jamie Jones Remix) (original release 2019)

In 2019 Jamie Jones breathed new life into the classic soul song by Teddy Pendergrass with a contemporary house rework. The remix was released in March 2019 as part of the digital EP Mixmag Presents: Teddy Pendergrass - The Remixes, issued in honour of the documentary If You Don't Know Me, a film about the rise of Teddy Pendergrass, the first African American male artist to achieve five consecutive platinum albums in the United States during the seventies.

Jamie Jones stayed true to the feel good essence of the 1978 original but wrapped it in a modern club sound, with pulsing synths, a warm rolling groove and a tight four to the floor beat providing the perfect base for Teddy's powerful and instantly recognisable voice.

The result is a captivating, soulful house track that effortlessly bridges past and present without losing the emotional power of Pendergrass's vocal delivery.

Despite its widespread popularity in the international club scene, where it became a favourite among DJs who love to blend soul with house, this remix never had a physical vinyl release. Until now, with its long awaited appearance on 12 Inch Lovers Sampler 12.

Bahamadia’s 1996 debut album Kollage is rightly regarded as one of the greatest rap albums of the 1990s. For the first time ever, Be With present the definitive double LP version of this eternal hip-hop classic, including the legendary "Path To Rhythm" which never appeared on the original LP or on vinyl, anywhere. An indelible VIBE from start-to-finish, Kollage presents Bahamadia's swirling rhymes delivered with an irresistibly butter flow and razor-sharp assuredness over a steady slew of smoothed-out, jazzed-up, blunted beats. Achingly cool and effortlessly funky throughout, it's an absolute must for true 90s hip-hop fanatics.

The entire Kollage project was recorded at D&D Studios and the ties to Gang Starr are keenly felt, with DJ Premier producing five tracks in addition to the killer songs Guru had already produced with her. Working with the cream of the mid-90s East Coast sound, Kollage is, accordingly, a record that demonstrates a varied musical taste with disparate influences, as Bahamadia has previously stated: “The title Kollage was a reflection of my state of mind. I first got interested in music from playing my parents’ and grandparents’ records, as well what I heard on the radio. I wanted Kollage to reflect that diversity both lyrically and sonically."

With intelligent, poetic lyricism and a laconic verbal style bursting with both warm texture and deceptive energy, Bahamadia’s flow was as inspired by Aretha and Nancy Wilson as it was Q-Tip, Schoolly D and Lady B. Swaggering out the gate, "WordPlay" finds Bahamadia confidently showcasing her considerable old-school battle-rhyme skills over a Guru beat that utilises an infectiously bouncy bassline with splashes of sultry jazz horns and a Jeru vocal snatch for the hook. Up next, the quietly shimmering and ruggedly beautiful "Spontaneity" is one of the most alluring on the record, Da Beatminerz crafting a brilliantly soulful and jazzy soundscape for Bahamadia's effortless vocals to float across. It's followed by "Rugged Ruff", where the rapper carefully constructs a swift off-beat flow over Premier's raw jazzy fire.

With smooth spacey synth vibes overseen by former Geto Boys producer N.O. Joe, "I Confess" is, without question, a fly love song and soothing (p)-funk groove. "UKNOWHOWWEDU" is an airy, chilled tribute to her hometown. Produced by Ski Beatz & DJ Redhanded, it rides a gloriously mellow break. It's a true Philly anthem, shouting out a who’s who of the entire city’s scene. Early banger "Total Wreck" follows, presenting a murky Guru instrumental elevated by jazzy horns. Bahamadia invokes the title's suggestion, firing her brilliant bars more aggressively than we’re accustomed to. More Beatminerz-brilliance comes in the way of "Innovation", an opportunity for the MC to invoke Freestyle Fellowship in her forward-thinking and literary verses. "Da Jawn" features hometown buddies The Roots, with Black Thought gliding into a back-and-forth with Bahamadia over ?uestlove’s warm, snapping percussion. With the strut club banger "True Honey Buns (Dat Freak Sh*t)", DJ Premier provides some laidback vibrant boom bap for Bahamadia to share a wild, cautionary tale about a night out with her girl, Kia.

Fan favourite "3 Tha Hard Way" is a hypnotically sinister cut, with Bahamadia, K-Swift and Mecca Star taking star turns to coast over DJ Premier’s raw beat whilst the tender "Biggest Part Of Me" is a heartfelt stunner dedicated to her son. Incredibly, only the European and Japanese CD versions of Kollage was released with the brilliantly breezy “Path To Rhythm”, featuring Ursula Rucker. Whilst ostensibly a "bonus track", it's anything but, to our ears. Very much in sonic conversation with KRS-One's stretched-out sleeper classic "Higher Level", it's absolutely essential so we had to include it, appearing on wax for the first time here, exclusively. Quite a coup.

Somewhat predictably, whilst Kollage was released to significant critical acclaim, it suffered from disappointing sales. In the intervening years - and for far too long - it was a criminally underrated record, an increasingly hidden gem. We hope this double LP reissue - which looks and sounds amazing - will go some way to correct this. This 2024 Be With double LP re-issue has been mastered for vinyl by Simon Francis, cut by Cicely Balston and pressed at Record Industry. It's too bold and beautiful to remain overlooked and underserved.

After a moment of calm, De Lichting returns with the fourth instalment in its double LP album series, Vier.



Never losing touch with its roots in emotional dance music, Vier is a tribute to the electronic soul, something increasingly overlooked on today’s dancefloors. queniv’s Frequency Match opens the album as a gentle invitation, built on minimal drum work and long, stretched pads. RDS’s Aerial Reflections continues in the same vein, leaning into a more serious mood with old school flavoured rhythms.

The first heavier club moment comes from Human Space Machine with Test Rec. A more tense, primetime leaning, proggy groove unfolds, washed in nostalgic strings and trippy elements for both body and mind. Nathan Kofi follows with Kinesis, a proper Detroit infused techno track that pushes the experimental edge further, darker and more driving.

On the second record, the mood shifts into deeper melancholy with Eversines’ Lift The Veil, featuring classic deep house textures of Rhodes chords and FM basses. Nearing the end of the album, Proxyan’s Another delivers pure credits rolling, emotion drenched analogue funk electro, a track the rest of the group had to beg Robbert to include. We are glad we did.

As a kind of bonus track, RDS and Eversines close Vier with a tech house rework of their earlier track Missing. Released on vinyl for the first time, it was previously available only in digital form via Kalahari Oyster Cult.

Folklorist Derek Piotr continues to excavate North Carolina mountain songs, presenting an assortment of archival recordings taking in Child Ballads, bawdy songs, play-party tunes, and old-time family singing - with a further focus on overlooked star Mrs. Lena Bare Turbyfill, of Elk Park, NC.

Tracks 1 and 9 recorded by Herbert Halpert near Morganton, North Carolina, April 19, 1939.
Tracks 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 recorded by Herbert Halpert in Elk Park, North Carolina, April 12, 1939.
Track 4 recorded by Marshall Ward in Banner Elk, ca. 1979, transferred from analogue tape by Derek Piotr.
Curated by Derek Piotr.
Photograph of Mrs. Lena Bare Turbyfill courtesy of Elizabeth Gwyn.

Introspection is a 1972 cult-favorite solo guitar album by Brazilian composer and guitarist Luiz Bonfà. Unlike his more famous bossa nova recordings, this album presents Bonfá in a deeply personal, almost meditative setting. Recorded primarily as a set of intimate solo guitar pieces, Introspection showcases Bonfà’s signature combination of classical technique, Brazilian rhythm and emotive melodic phrasing. Initially overlooked, Introspection later gained recognition as one of Bonfà’s most admired and distinctive works outside the mainstream bossa nova canon. This reissue is the first ever on vinyl after 1972.

Hiriketiya is a small, enclosed bay on Sri Lanka's southern coast, where jungle leans toward the water and the days unfold without urgency.
Passing through in early 2025 on the way to Europe, Alex Albrecht spent a week here at MOND's artist residency, allowing the rhythms of the place to quietly shape the work that followed.
During the residency, Albrecht recorded and exchanged ideas with Sri Lankan musicians Dhyan Basho on sitar, Dinelka Liyanage on electronics, Uvindu Perera on double bass and Pasindu Herath on saxophone.
Their performances appear throughout the album, sampled and re-contextualised, influencing its melodic language, pacing and emotional tone.

Much of the music was shaped directly by its surroundings. Field recordings were gathered across Hiriketiya, and instruments were played wherever it felt necessary. This included rocks beside the ocean where waves set irregular rhythms, tall grasslands where wind and insects blend into the recordings, and open decks overlooking the sea. 'Round Table' captures this approach most clearly. Recorded while sitting together overlooking the ocean, a large steel table in front of the group gradually became part of the composition, used instinctively as an unplanned percussive element.

Not everything could be captured. Some of the most meaningful moments occurred before recording was possible. Those sounds exist only in memory, and the album is shaped in part by an attempt to hold onto their feelings.

Rather than documenting the residency in a linear way, the album gathers fragments, recordings, electronic sketches and field sounds, assembling them into a continuous listening experience shaped by place and recollection. MOND owners Jess and Renato foster an environment that supports artists without directing them, creating space for focus, trust and connection.

The result is a record shaped by Hiriketiya's enclosed bay, dense vegetation, heat and night air. Music formed through listening, restraint, missed recordings and the sensation of being temporarily held by a place.

For the first time in more than a decade, Paul St. Hilaire (AKA Tikiman) presents a solo album – 100% Tiki.

Over his 30-plus year career, St. Hilaire has become one of dance music’s quietly legendary figures. Born and raised in Dominica, he moved to Berlin in 1994 and has lent both his voice and his musicianship to some of the most iconic electronic music from the German capital – and beyond. Renowned for his collaborations with Moritz von Oswald and Mark Ernestus (AKA Rhythm & Sound), he has also appeared on records with Deadbeat, Rhauder, Larry Heard aka Mr. Fingers and Stereotyp (G-Stone Recordings), amongst others.

However, few know the extent of St. Hilaire’s compositional and technical mastery. From his home studio in Kreuzberg, which includes an extensive collection of vintage hardware, self-built instruments and notebooks scribbled with endless lyrics, he has created a vast archive of material spanning ambient dub, avant-jazz, lush techno and lovers rock.

Tikiman Vol. 1 is a heady, downtempo tour de force of patois metaphors on education, displacement and personal vs. global histories, as is evident on slippy album opener “Bedroom in My Bag”: Mister, mister / Where are you going? / I’m heading for a faraway land / What are you having in the bag in your hand? / Help us to understand / He said, I’ve got my bedroom in my bag.

Overall, the album’s lyrics reflect on life between Berlin and Dominica, specifically St. Hilaire’s hometown of Grand Bay, where he has worked with various musicians famous for the island’s different genres of carnival music. St. Hilaire himself always favoured the island’s more “discrete” music, developing a sonic synergy between two different geographical strains of groove and minimalism, and combining them with foundational Caribbean mixing techniques, which provide the basis for his songwriting and distinct
baritone.

Tikiman Vol.1 offers a rare insight into St. Hilaire’s complex artistry, from the eyes-down grooves of “Little Way” and the guitar-heavy digi dancehall experiment “Keep Safe,” to the subtle hypnosis of “Ten to One” and the softly crashing synth waves of closer “Three And A Half”, evoking not only beaches but also coasts and borders. It’s a fitting expression of both the breadth of St. Hilaire’s work, as well as his history as one of the few black, Berlin-based artists who, despite remaining largely overlooked, has influenced the city’s electronic music culture since its beginnings.


Credits
Written & Produced by Paul St. Hilaire
Mastered by Stefan Betke
Artwork by Grant Gibson

Kynant Records was founded in 2015 by Richard Akingbehin, a British-Nigerian radio programmer (Refuge Worldwide), music writer and DJ. Originally specialising in deep techno and featuring artists such as Cio D’Or, Terrence Dixon and Donato Dozzy, Kynant has since launched a sub-label Kynant EX which focuses on ambient, dub and experimental electronics.

NO “ORDINARY JOE”!!! Our finest double-hearder ever… TERRY CALLIER was born in Chicago in the shadows of Curtis Mayfield, Major Lance,Ramsey Lewis and his mentor Jerry Butler. He would become one of the greatest Soul/Jazz voices of all time, although he barely new it in his own lifetime. Both his debut album, ‘The New Folk Sound’, and single, “Look At Me Now” had failed commercially when he was contracted by JERRY BUTLER to his Songwriters Workshop. It was here that he wrote his timeless masterpiece “Ordinary Joe” which first appeared on Butler’s 1970 Mercury album ‘You & Me’. Butler’s version of the song has been largely overlooked, underrated and undervalued, until now, 50 years on when it finally makes its 7-inch single debut! Callier’s definitive rendition of “Ordinary Joe” appeared a couple of years later, in 1972, on the second of his three critically acclaimed Cadet albums ‘Occasional Rain’. The ’72 single was taken from the album and now commands a hefty £700+ price tag.

May 2026 marks the arrival of TYGAPAW (aka Dion McKenzie)’s first full-length album on Tresor Records, entitled Together You Gather All Power Applied Worldwide. An acronym of its creator’s name, TYGAPAW’s third studio album is a deeply personal collection of music building worlds where Black queer and trans siblings can thrive, while unifying dancefloors worldwide. A proposition that collective wisdom liberates us from the matrix of domination we live within. The album unfolds as the latest chapter in TYGAPAW’s ongoing techno opera opus, continuing to center the voices of Black women, which surface as layered incantations rather than lyrics - powerful, haunting, sensual, activating.
With the process of creating the album starting in 2023, as TYGAPAW (Dion McKenzie) was in the first year of their transition, the music reflects the intensity of that period, where they were experiencing deplatforming as a response to the shift in their physical appearance: Tracks like ‘M32 Riddim’ and ‘Helicopter hovers over my Crown Heights Apartment’ feature high-paced rhythms intersecting with intense siren-like synths to form demanding compositions echoing a heightened sense of alert. Yet throughout the album, relief comes in the form of TYGAPAW’s vocal features, co-conspirators, and chosen family, whose voices are treated with reverb and echo, a sonic fingerprint that leads back to the pioneers in the legendary studios of TYGAPAW’s native land, Jamaica, an important reminder that the past will always inform the future. It is an album for dancers first and foremost, where joy, defiance, and integration with the natural body coexist, and every drop feels less like a climax than a transformation. Expect a bass that permeates your soul and melodic synthesized sequenced phrases echoing the dancehall eras of TYGAPAW’s youth, reshaped into hypnotic melodies that glow over industrial kicks designed to command attention, reasserting Jamaica's pioneering yet often overlooked contribution to electronic music.
In the opening track, ‘Can I Live’, Precious Okoyomon’s words feel like the beginning of a ritual; setting the intentions for the rest of the proceedings. As McKenzie puts it, their “work is about regeneration, resetting, getting integrated into nature, and about rebirth. That’s the tone I wanted to set at the outset of the album.” Ms Carrie Stacks continues this thread of support in ‘Don’t Panic’ with heavily processed vocals on top of a beat that takes inspiration from another important ingredient in the antidote to the oppression of isolation: Ballroom culture. “ I feel like I found my queerness in Ballroom, that’s why this track is very important to me.”
Echoes of NYC Black queer nightlife scene also permeate in the energetic drums of ‘Exorcise the Language of Domination’, in which Julianna Huxtable’s spoken performance complements the various movements and tones of the music. “My producer brain thought this was the one that Juliana’s vocals would be best suited for. I hinted: ‘what do you think of this one?’ She just went into her notes and picked some passages to go with the first section of the track. From there, it was a year-long process of development. It required time and space for this thing to evolve, but I think it’s one of the most powerful tracks on the album.” London’s SUUTOO contributes the album’s only musical collaboration on ‘B2B’, a track that emerged from sessions in McKenzie’s New York studio where the real objective was to connect and have fun; a time out from the demands of life outside.
The album closes out with a double hit of emotion in the form of ‘Effects of Resistance and Black Trans Masculine Experience’. The former features South African scholar Khanyisile Mbongwa drawing connections that exist between Africa and the Black diaspora, whilst looking to the future and calling for a shared sense of community.
The latter piece, an instrumental version of the piece which featured on the IMMIGRANT E.P. of 2025 is a gentle and deeply affecting end to the record, a place of peace and acceptance. This end-of-cycle tone is mirrored in the sleeve photography, which also ties back to IMMIGRANT by finally revealing what was hidden: a portrait of the artist fully self-actualized; a step towards true inner liberation. TYGAPAW is sonically defiant across this album; bass frequencies feel tactile — less heard than inhabited — infectious lead synth melodies remain with you long after the track ends. An overall sound that leaves asserting an urgent need for connection. From Detroit to New York to Berlin to Jamaica, despite geographic distance, this album reminds us that we remain in solidarity, recognising that meaningful world-building requires collective input and action, both personal and communal, if we are to move toward liberation.

A Chicago legend who paved way in the underground with his Mr. Peabody record shop, the one and only, Mr. Mark Grusane steps up to L.I.E.S. with his "Angry Birds" lp. On this six tracker Grusane locks in and demonstrates an important facet of the Chicago sound that is often overlooked with a nod to the infamous "Reactor" sound pioneered by DJ RUSH. A rare style mostly shunned by jocks (and producers) on the modern floor, this record is full of straight up circle pit rx-7 programmed madness, chaos of the highest order...This is for the ones who know, the ones who have been obsessed, and the ones who need to know...this record sets it all off. Full on referee whistle chippin, neck snappers for those who dare to step into the real jackin zone. Hi octane, full swerve, blowing through red lights all nite long!

Back on PANORAMA Records, we turn to a beautiful slice of under-the-radar Jamaican reggae with Horace Martin – “Me Rule.”

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Horace Martin was just 20 years old when he stepped into Channel One Studio to record the track in 1974. At the time he was building his name locally, performing in clubs and talent shows around the city while cutting sides in Kingston’s vibrant studio scene. “Me Rule” captures that moment perfectly — youthful confidence over a deep, steady rhythm.

This record earned its place among the deepest collectors: Proper rootsy dancefloor reggae that feels just as good today as it did when it first came out of Kingston.

On the flip, things open up with a dubbed-out version of the rhythm titled “Rule,” credited to Prince Huntly. Stripped back, the dub extends the track — echo, percussion, and bass doing the work.

As always, PANORAMA Records continues its search for overlooked gems from across the globe — records with history, character, and real musical weight. Carefully remastered and brought back on 7inch, PAN013 is another example of these records finding their way back to the turntable.

The new recordings from The Dengie Hundred unfurl on Tain Records after a busy year releasing a solo tape on Sagome and a collaborative LP and tape with Japan Blues on Demdike Stare's DDS imprint.

Lammas Land is an album which meditates on the Walthamstow Marshes, an ever-changing watery landscape, rich with history and wildlife. The Dengie Hundred writes:

"I am sitting at my table overlooking the marshes listening to Lammas Land in November 2023, watching crows fight a never-ending aerial battle with the gulls. In summer, you can see bats from here every evening, fluttering around the windows as the light begins to fade, but today it is colder so there is smoke rising from the boats on the River Lea and the dog walkers are wrapped up tight against the wind.
Most of Lammas Land was made sitting right here, playing guitar and recording the sounds passing by. I would hang a microphone out of the window to capture the ‘putput’ boat which delivers provisions, or the trains that rattle along the tracks that cut across the marshes and up to Stanstead, carrying passengers to the airport and away.
I wonder what tourists make of the marshes as they cross them, the landscape opening up for a moment between the urban sprawl of the East End and the rampant development of Tottenham. They offer a jarring pause of green and sky. I feel very lucky to be living in that pause, a resident, for now…

The album contains a whole year of found sounds recorded from the window and while out walking. It is full of bird song and radio sounds, singing, life.

Many others have been inspired by this space, this pause. The author Esther Kinsky who wrote River, published by Fitzcarraldo Editions, captures this area so perfectly. I borrowed the two track names for this album from her book. I hope she doesn’t mind.

Also, the photographer Paul Fuller whose work reflects the atmosphere I feel here precisely. On hearing the music he wanted to collaborate on the Lammas Land project, He spent a year filming the marsh through the seasons. Some of his images are included with the vinyl release, and there is an accompanying film close to completion. I am so pleased this project is continuing in new forms.

The vinyl also contains a piece of writing, ‘Sound Fishing’, by Gemma Blackshaw, an author, art historian and curator who in a twist of fate also found herself spending time on the marshes, but that is her story, for another day."




The Dengie Hundred
Lammas Land
LP, with essay insert + five photographic prints
Cat No: TAIN02
Price: £14.49
Due next week

A: A hand full of ever thickening twilight
(Sample clips 1 / 2 / 3)

B: A string of pearls pulling
the night away
(Sample clips 1 / 2 / 3)

'Honesty Flowers' is the fourth studio album from Italian multi-instrumentalist Alessio Ferarri under the Upupayāma moniker. An epic double album set due for release May 29th 2026 on Fuzz Club, 'Honesty Flowers' finds Upupayāma's ever mind-blowing brew of organic psychedelic rock meets global grooves at its most percussive, lively and distorted. Equally hedonistic and heady, it courses through rhythmic funk grooves, doubled-down scorched fuzz riffing, winding motorik jams, tranquil drones and pastoral acid-folk across its seventy minute run time. A six-piece band live, where things take a more ever-evolving improvisation-based approach (see their recent 'Live At Fuzz Club Festival '25' LP), on the recordings Ferarri writes, plays and records everything himself – guitars, keys, flute, sitar, and an arsenal of percussion all feature. Never not working on new music, Ferarri started laying down these new tracks in his home barn studio in a small mountain village overlooking the city of Parma before its 2024 predecessor 'Mount Elephant' even hit the racks. The result was mixed by Chris Smith at Kluster Sounds (Kikagaku Moyo, Wax Machine) and mastered by Joseph Carra (King Gizzard, Babe Rainbow, ORB) On the new record, Ferarri says: "Honesty Flowers was born from listening to lots of funk music from all over the world, lots and lots of African music, and from listening to myself as I spent whole nights playing all kinds of percussion instruments. I would fall into a sort of trance and play the same rhythm for hours on congas or on a djembe. It's an album that was born above all from the beauty of being able to narrate the unknown and recognise yourself in it, which could translate into telling stories and bringing them to life.

2x12" 2024 Repress

In the early 1990s, Frankfurt stood at the forefront of a rapidly evolving electronic music landscape, where the raw energy of EBM and New Beat was mutating into the earliest forms of techno. Emerging from this fertile environment, Noise Control delivered “Modulator E.P.” in 1992—an overlooked yet striking document of that transitional moment.

Following their earlier releases, “Operation S.B.” (1989, New Zone) and “My Flight” (1989, Zoth Ommog), “Modulator E.P.” marked the project's return and a clear progression towards a more stripped-down, club-oriented sound. Originally issued as the first release on the short-lived Neo Ego label, the EP captures a style in flux, moving between industrial body rhythms, early techno structures and acid-inflected sequences, reflecting the hybrid character of the German electronic underground at the time.

Limited to 300 copies on black vinyl and 200 copies on violet transparent vinyl, this reissue presents all four original tracks in full, alongside the highly sought-after Razormaid remix of “Tehniska Musika”.

In the early 1990s, Frankfurt stood at the forefront of a rapidly evolving electronic music landscape, where the raw energy of EBM and New Beat was mutating into the earliest forms of techno. Emerging from this fertile environment, Noise Control delivered “Modulator E.P.” in 1992—an overlooked yet striking document of that transitional moment.

Following their earlier releases, “Operation S.B.” (1989, New Zone) and “My Flight” (1989, Zoth Ommog), “Modulator E.P.” marked the project's return and a clear progression towards a more stripped-down, club-oriented sound. Originally issued as the first release on the short-lived Neo Ego label, the EP captures a style in flux, moving between industrial body rhythms, early techno structures and acid-inflected sequences, reflecting the hybrid character of the German electronic underground at the time.

Limited to 300 copies on black vinyl and 200 copies on violet transparent vinyl, this reissue presents all four original tracks in full, alongside the highly sought-after Razormaid remix of “Tehniska Musika”.

7 Inch Vinyl in Label Generic Sleeve

A powerful two-sider from the incomparable Rhetta Hughes, whose rich vocal work includes singing backing vocals on Roberta Flack’s “Feel Like Makin’ Love.” Her version of “Light My Fire” — a rare, fiery soul cover of The Doors classic — brings raw emotion, driving rhythm, and Hughes’ unmistakable vocal authority to the forefront. Paired with the deep, dramatic “You’re Doing It With Her,” this beautifully remastered reissue returns two tracks from her album "Re-Light My Fire" and brings them to 7-inch for the first time. An essential RSD 2026 pick that highlights a remarkable voice too often overlooked and celebrates the soulful reinterpretation of a rock classic. Remastered, Redesigned Artwork.

LP Red Vinyl in Picture Sleeve

A criminally overlooked P-Funk treasure from 1981, Tighten It Up captures Chicago’s funk underground at its raw, electric best — with none other than Frankie Knuckles contributing as mixing consultant, giving the record an unmistakable dance-floor edge ahead of the house era. Long out of print and increasingly hard to find, this beautifully remastered RSD edition brings the Gold Coast classic back into circulation, this time on a Transparent red vinyl with restored artwork. An essential 2026 pick that shines a light on a missing link between P-Funk, disco, and early Chicago club culture — exactly the kind of deep, collector-grade rediscovery Record Store Day was made for. 1xLP, Picture Sleeve, Remastered, Transparent Red Vinyl.

LP in Picture Sleeve

Following his acclaimed gospel compilations, Greg Belson digs deeper into the private soul and R&B world with The House of Beauty — a stunning new compilation focused on independent releases tied to chicago’s HOB label. Beautifully remastered, this Celestial Echo release tells a story of DIY soul at its purest and Carmen Murphy’s legendary work. An RSD 2026 special that embodies the day’s spirit — discovering overlooked voices and celebrating the communities that brought us some of the best gospel soul. 1xLP, Picture Sleeve, Remastered.

A raw, groove-driven selection of previously overlooked 1990s recordings by legendary Turkish jazz impresario Okay Temiz, compiled here for the first time.



As the story goes, throughout the 1990s, Okay Temiz roamed the nights of İstanbul in search of rhythm — moving through its far corners, from the seedy underbelly to gypsy neighborhoods, from the outskirts of the city to smoke-filled taverns where cigarette haze turns into a living cloud atlas — capturing a largely unknown and maverick period of his work.



Compiled by long-time producers Haluk Damar and Erinç Güzel, the album brings together Turkish folk textures, İstanbul tavern sound, spiritual jazz, raw street groove, and flashes of Turkish psychedelia — with moments shaped by Temiz’s own distinctive vocals. The result is a deep, percussive, and highly playable set.



Positioned between global jazz, rare groove, and dancefloor material, İstanbul Groove is a strong crossover release with appeal across both listening and DJ set contexts.

From the coastal city of Paramonga, three hours north of Lima, comes one of Peru's most electrifying and unjustly overlooked stories. Victor Ramirez and his band forged a sound that fused cumbia with guaracha, salsa and guaguanco - psychedelic guitars, wah-wah pedals and Fender amplifiers driving rhythms that conquered first northern Peru, then the capital itself. Spread across four sides, this lovingly assembled compilation draws from their two landmark albums and their 45 singles catalogue, so it is a full colour capture of Los Orientales at their peak. A complete portrait of a band that helped define modern cumbia is long overdue.

Ribe & Roll Dann serve up potent techno on Mutual Rytm with 'Virtus Occulta'.

Built around concepts of unacknowledged work and enduring merit, the release marks their first EP on SHDW's widely
respected label.

Based in Toledo and Madrid, Ribe & Roll Dann are exciting residents at Laster Madrid and Lanna Club, two of Spain's leading venues. Emerging as driving forces in their national techno scene, they have also made an impact on the global landscape, making wider moves through collaborative releases on Klockworks, and individual outings on a number of other influential labels. Having previously featured in the label's Federation of Rytm IV compilation, the pair make their full EP label on SHDW's Mutual Rytm imprint to open March with a deep dive into their expansive sound.

Opener 'Sub Terra' is a pure club tool that is direct, physical and rooted in the underground with a seriously heavy low end. 'Extra Lumen' is more restrained but still built on a steady, forceful rhythm with controlled energy that prefers to operate in the shadows. 'Ars Non Placens' stays true to the idea that music is not made to please, but to exist on its own terms with hunched drums and dubby undercurrents. Next, 'Meritum Negatum' fizzes with static electrical charge and minimal drum funk and is a direct reflection on overlooked skill and unacknowledged work, before closer 'Virtus Persistens' delivers a continuity and a steady pulse rather than an explosive ending, keeping you locked throughout.

In addition, three digital bonus cuts come alongside the vinyl package. 'Labor Inauditus' speaks to hours of technique, production and booth experience that remain invisible. Next come the taught, rubbery rhythms and unrelenting atmosphere of 'Silentium Testium', while 'Sine Aplausu' - which means without applause - brings a ghostly late night vibe that you will never want to end.

Released in 1973 on Motown’s label, Share My Love is a richly layered and deeply expressive record that captures Gloria Jones at a creative crossroads. After years working behind the scenes as a songwriter and session vocalist, penning material for The Tams, The Marvellettes, and others, Jones finally takes center stage with a collection that radiates confidence, vulnerability, and undeniable soul.
Known to many for her original 1964 version of “Tainted Love,” later immortalized by Soft Cell, Jones brought to Share My Love a seasoned understanding of both the heartbreak and hope that lie at the core of great soul music.
More than just a product of its time, Share My Love feels like a declaration, a turning point where one of soul’s great, often-overlooked voices stepped into her own light. It remains a moving document of artistic self-assurance and one of the most heartfelt releases to emerge from Motown’s early ’70s era.

nagoyaka na kaze / 和やかな風 (quiet wind): a collection of forward-thinking electronic experiments sourced from central Japan - co-curated by Nagoya artist abentis for Facta & K-LONE’s Wisdom Teeth imprint.

The project profiles a close-knit community of music makers operating in and around the Japanese city of Nagoya: one of the country’s most populous and industrial cities, but one all too often overlooked in terms of its cultural significance.

Curated in close collaboration with local scene organiser Yuya Abe - aka abentis - the record seeks to capture the creative energy of a community of artists making hard-to-define, future-facing electronic music away from the clamour of the bigger cities. “In Nagoya, there’s a strong culture of supporting artists. Even if you pursue music in your own way, as long as it’s good, you’re encouraged to keep doing what you want”, explains abentis. “Within that environment, my generation has been able to freely bring in elements we like from all kinds of genres, combine them in our own way, and express ourselves individually. If you go to Tokyo or Osaka, that kind of freedom isn’t something you can take for granted.” Spiritually, Nagoya fits the mould of cultural hotbeds like Bristol, Detroit or Melbourne, showing that some of the most innovative creative communities form away from the glare of the capital cities. Like Detroit, Nagoya is principally known for being a major auto manufacturing hub, famous for being the home of Toyota Motors - but behind the scenes, it is quietly harbouring one of Japan’s most vibrant and forward-thinking electronic music scenes. “In a good way, Nagoya is a bit removed from the cutting edge, so you find people making all kinds of music”, explains Karnage. “If you’re making music, you feel like part of the crew, and people of different ages mix together without much hierarchy.” The city’s music scene is characterised by a freedom to mix genres and an open-door approach to creatives of all disciplines. The artists featured come from a diverse set of backgrounds, ranging from hip-hop to noise music, but have found a common collective identity in their omnivorous approach to genre. As such, the record moves fluidly between shimmering ambient and new age (Am Shhara, DHYAN, daiki hayakawa), psychedelic minimal house (Methodd, abentis), abstract, low-slung downtempo (baptisma, Nasty Soupman) and spaceage steppas (Karnage). “I’d say the way ambient, new age and that kind of sound design are blending nicely with dance music feels somewhat new”, says baptisma, the crew’s eldest member and de-facto scene leader. Responsible for bringing artists like Basic Channel, Mala and Jan Jelinek to the city, baptisma has been crucial in establishing underground electronic music in Nagoya since the 90s, and now helps cultivate the next generation of local talent. “Artists and DJs are seamlessly mixing ambient and new age with techno, house and bass music. I think that’s a really interesting development.” nagoyaka na kaze has its roots in a one-off event held in October 2024 as part of the 10 Years of Wisdom Teeth Japan tour. Curated by abentis in collaboration with Facta & K-LONE, the showcase featured live sets from eight artists based in and around Nagoya at one of the city’s key dance music hubs, Club JB’s. Each of the artists features again here, on record, presenting an original commission produced especially for the project. The record’s art direction was led by Yudai Osawa - in-house designer for Kankyō Records, the much-loved Tokyo record shop run by H. Takahashi - and features original photos by Hayato Watanabe.

CER009 finally brings Pumphouse Gang – “Welcome Back Into My Life” back to the 7inch format, a killer slice of Irish modern soul perfection from 1979. Originally pressed in tiny quantities and barely escaping dublin, it’s one of those records that rarely becomes available. A favourite of label boss miche, it’s in his words “an unbeatable soul track, that really fills a dancefloor with smiles”

On the flip, Medlar steps up once again, this time sending his mix straight from the Cayman Islands — a dubbed-out, Part 2-style reprise that stretches the groove, teases the rhythm, and gives the track a second life for late-night dancefloors.

As always, Celestial Echo digs deep into the overlooked corners of soul and disco, unearthing some of the best soul records and giving them a new lease of life. Each release is remastered with care and presented with the respect these recordings deserve.

Indiana Jones never dug this deep.
Church – the brainchild of Joe Washington – were a band both lucky and cursed to come up in the seventies. Lucky, because they rode a wave of community activism, uplifting messages and a moment when music truly mattered. Cursed, because those same times meant their tight, heartfelt output went overlooked.
Mid-sixties to circa 1980 soul and funk were extraordinarily rich. The era’s big releases have aged like fine wine, yet countless hidden gems remain buried. Church’s only single was one of them. Their hypnotic 1976 release “How Long” b/w “Da Da Song” arrived the same year as Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life, Marvin Gaye’s I Want You, Diana Ross’s Diana, and at a time when Black mainstream music was shifting toward disco. Church, however, sounded like Sly & The Family Stone in an alternate timeline — gritty, focused, stripped of additives.
“Da Da Song” is pure grits and gravy: furious, tight drums and lyrics that sound like both a plea to DJs to play their record and an insistence to keep the party alive, noticed or not. It cooks from start to finish in just two and a half minutes.
“How Long” is its own universe. Where “Da Da Song” is skeletal, “How Long” blends key strands of Black music in under three minutes: touches of spiritual jazz with a Gary Bartz-like sax, gospel-blues undertones, and echoes of the era’s flower-power-tinged Black creativity — The Undisputed Truth, The Family Stone, even the poetic freedom of Nikki Giovanni. The lyrics are a timeless plea for love.
Church formed in the Bay Area in the early seventies, shaped by the movement, culture and activism of the time. Joseph Washington, based in San Jose, never chased a music career — for him, music was a way to bring people together. Before Church, he led a backing band called Wash, then added gospel singer Linda Williams (née Stephens) and New York–born Joel Como on xylophone to complete the group.
They rehearsed in Joe’s garage, spread through word of mouth and played every gig they could: Black colleges, opening slots for The Whispers, neighbourhood house parties. Some members studied at Nairobi Junior College in East Palo Alto, then a hotbed of Black community activism, with revolution in the air and messages woven naturally into the music.
This single is a message from that era, resurfacing at last — ready to be sampled just as another Joe Washington track, “Look Me in the Eyes”, was on Drake and J. Cole’s “First Person Shooter”. These rare, spirited tunes are begging for new life through samplers, again and again.

We’re proud to present the first-ever official reissue of Rold Lebo - "Dansez Otiere" — a folk-jazz treasure from 1986, originally released in the Republic of Congo on vinyl and cassette (self-released on small quantities). This vinyl gem revives the energy and elegance of a rare record, now brought back into the light — a timeless work, finally restored to its full glory.

This album alternates between the call to celebrate the ancestral homeland and cultural identity and poignant ballads about love, exile and homesickness. It is a work that is both intimate and cosmic. Finally restored to its full glory, it returns on vinyl for the first time since its initial release.

This is an essential restoration — a sophisticated synthesis of Congolese Folk-Jazz, subtle soul, and deeply introspective rhythms. Recorded in the 80s, the album channels a timeless spirit, exploring multilingual themes of ancestral identity, the melancholy of exile and the delicate games of love.

Rold Lebo’s music is a profound emotional capsule — once overlooked, now revived for a new generation of listeners eager to explore the sophisticated sounds and resonant stories of the Republic of Congo.

Focusing on bringing people some fresh air from the island that we produced with its own unique character. Our artists provide an escape to somewhere full of energy to drag you back from the so-called chaotic world. There are plenty of spaces, it’s a sharing for everyone!

As you may know, Koh is a word in Thai that means ‘island’. We want to represent the sound of our characterized island and tell the story through it. For this collection, we want to present the island under the ground which represents the different perspective of life reflecting our music scene in reality.

We gave the word “Clockmaker” as a hint to the artists.
It’s a simple, even mundane concept—something easily overlooked and not immediately eye-catching. It also suggests waiting, as it often takes time for people to return to the shop. But time itself holds meaning, and the clockmaker always has something hidden beneath the surface.

With that in mind, “The Photo Sticker Machine” and “Chucheewa” present their first original track: “Galactic Love.”

Alongside it are five vibrant remixes by artists we deeply admire—from Mogwaa (Korea) and Retromigration (Germany) to three incredible talents from Thailand’s local scene: Kova O’ Sarin, Chalo, and Saranmy.

Overlooked 2018 cali funk which has been steady creepin over here for awhile now. Lyrics by Mic (Microphone) and Ricky (Moses Constable). Previously released as a digi demo only... but PPU got you with this single sided 7".. thanks to manny from pushers avenue

For the first EP on his new label, Planet Strangelove, Job Jobse brings new life to an overlooked balearic house gem: "Pasion," an early '90s deep cut by the Leeds artist Pianoman, inspired by Tangerine Dream's "Love On A Real Train,” aka the most breathtaking synth arp of all time. Alex Kassian, whose sprawling take on Manuel Göttschings's "E2-E4" already showed his fine touch for the kosmische vibe Tangerine Dream embodied, delivers a "Dance Mix" and a "Dream Mix," one packing a club-ready beat, the other drifting weightlessly. London duo The Trip, of the label and party Tesselate, deliver a remix as breezy as it is thumping, all wailing divas, sunkissed pads and shimmering pianos. As for Pianoman's "Analysis" remix, it's a dazzling artifact of the balearic era at its peak, touched by the ineffable essence of its time but sounding just as fresh as its modern reinterpretations.

Fra Lippo Lippi released six studio albums between 1981 and 1992, two of them on Virgin Records, namely "Songs" in 1986 and "Light And Shade" in 1987. All the original releases were deleted many years ago. There are two previous The Best Of Fra Lippo Lippi releases on CD (1995 and 2003), but this is the first on vinyl. With the limited playing time of vinyl, we had to make some tough decisions, but in the end the song selection very much gave itself. The dark horse here is "Stitches and Burns", an overlooked gem from the final studio album "Dreams" (1992) that didn't make the previous 15 track collection, but in mysterious ways gained new life through organic streaming, with over 70 million streams on Spotify at the time of writing. Included is also the international hit "Shouldn't Have To Be Like That" and "Angel", featuring the late, great Walter Becker on guitar and production duties. The duo is still very popular in various parts of the world and now has 1,2 mill monthly listeners on Spotify. This 2025 reissue is pressed on clear vinyl (500 ww copies).

We keep the fire burning with PAN009, a scorching slice of Latin soul from Puerto Rico’s own Nacho Sanabria, better known as El Sabor De Nacho. Originally released in 1973, his version of “Que Se Sepa” takes the Roberto Roena classic and injects it with a new energy — fiery brass, driving percussion, and that unmistakable swagger that defines the golden age of salsa.

Born in Cataño, Puerto Rico in 1929, Nacho Sanabria grew up surrounded by the rhythms of bomba and plena, performing on stage as early as age nine. After relocating to New York in the late 1940s, he became a key figure in the Latin dance scene, performing with groups like Sonora Boricua, Orquesta Panamericana, and later Rafael Cortijo’s Combo. By the mid-1960s, Sanabria formed his own band, El Sabor De Nacho, combining tight horn arrangements, sharp percussion, and his signature charismatic delivery. His 1970s recordings — including Alma Primitiva and Salsa Caliente — stand as shining examples of Puerto Rican salsa at its peak.

Sanabria’s version isn’t a straight cover — it’s his own Puerto Rican interpretation, full of character and swing. The rhythm section stays tight and earthy, the horns punch with intent, and his vocal delivery brings that effortless charm only a seasoned bandleader could deliver. A proper Latin soul mover that sits somewhere between the barrio and the dancefloor, perfect for warm evenings and deeper DJ sets.

Rescued from obscurity and lovingly restored for today’s floors, PANORAMA Records continues its mission to reintroduce rare and essential music to new generations. From deep funk, jazz and global grooves to Latin dancefloor heat, the label’s 45s series shines a light on overlooked gems that still sound fresh today. Supported by tastemakers like Gilles Peterson, Patrick Forge, and the Mr Bongo DJs, this one’s destined to move both hips and feet.

Blue note / Schema / Far Out recordings artist shares a new compilation of golden age italian library music.

Following his acclaimed five-part Viagem compilation series celebrating Brazil's forgotten bossa nova and samba jazz, Far Out, Blue Note and Schema recording artist and international DJ Nicola Conte turns his curatorial attention homeward with Viaggio, an extraordinary exploration of Italy's library music renaissance 1970-79.

The 12-track compilation spotlights the remarkable creative explosion that occurred during the seventies: when some of the greatest yet most historically overlooked composers, including Amedeo Tommasi, Alessandro Alessandroni and Max Rocci, were composing and recording huge amounts of original music for film and television libraries.

Unlike commercial releases designed for mass consumption, library music was created specifically to accompany images on screen. This meant creative freedom for composers who imagined scenarios, feelings and worlds to soundtrack. Pressed in limited quantities, these recordings were distributed only to internal circles of music supervisors, journalists, and television professionals – making them virtually invisible to the general public for decades.

"This is a journey through a largely forgotten world," explains Conte. "While major jazz recording opportunities were scarce, an incredible network of small labels owned by publishing companies – often created by the composers themselves – began to flourish. This created an open space where musicians could express more experimental and free thinking sounds."

At the heart of Viaggio stands Amedeo Tommasi, the sophisticated jazz pianist who emerged in 1960 backing international stars like Chet Baker, Bobby Jaspar, and Jacques Pelzer. Tommasi was among Italy's earliest artists to introduce Black US modal jazz influences, and when traditional recording opportunities dwindled, he pivoted to soundtrack and library music, helping define a distinctly Italian sound that bridged experimental jazz with the emerging possibilities afforded by developments in synthesizer and recording technologies.

The compilation features rare gems from small label outputs, namely the Cenacolo and Rotary label catalogs. Tommasi's contemporaries include the great Alessandro Alessandroni and his vocalist wife Giulia De Mutiis (Kema), Stefano Torrosi (under the alias Farlocco - meaning fake/phony), and Belgian composer Joël Vandroogenbroeck. The recordings capture the technological evolution of the era as beguiling synthesis often combines with global influences spanning Brazilian rhythms, jazz-funk explorations, and Middle Eastern scales.

"You can hear both the haunting melodies and sun-kissed atmospheres so typical of Italian culture from that era," Conte observes. "Some of these albums could have been proper artist releases, while others were specifically designed for accompanying images on screen, yet all were crafted with exploratory creativity that still resonates powerfully today."

A surefire Salsoul classic and comfortably one of the label's finest moments, the self-titled LP from The Strangers was originally released in that golden year of 1983 and is one of the greatest albums of the post-disco era. It’s one of Be With's favourite ever LPs and it's a complete honour to be giving it our reissue treatment.

Still strangely overlooked but not for much longer, The Strangers contains flawless tracks with truly top tier production and includes the eternal Paradise Garage favourite "Step Into My Dream."

Are they Strangers to us? Well, no, they shouldn't be. The Strangers were a US electronic-funk studio concept group comprising Edward "Tree" Moore, Howard King and Hubert Eaves III, all key members of Mtume and Gary Bartz NTU Troop and, in the case of Eaves, one half of D-Train.

Now I KNOW you're gonna dig this!

We kick off with the dope electro-funk of "Wanna Take Your Body" which features Gary Bartz on sax (!) and becomes more sensational and irresistible the longer it plays. The wonky super-bomb "Let Me Take You Home" has a punk-funk, post-Prince feel, driving and delicate all at the same time while "Show Me How You Like It" is pure FUNK, the groove just pure fire.

Side B is perfection. It kicks off with the NTS favourite "Love Rescue", a track so slick it positively SLAPS out the gate and, while it bangs throughout, the vocals and melodies elevate this to the status of EMOTIONAL POP.

Next up, "Step Out Of My Dream" swaggers forth, the undisputed masterpiece that was huge with the London DJs and UK Soul fraternity; it's not hard to see why. It's a gliding, smooth, soulful piece of once-in-a-lifetime magic.

The album delivers masterful arrangements, inventive rhythms, rich harmonies, and a perfect balance of flute and saxophone interplay. Funk, Jazz, Gospel, Afro, and traditional elements all merge seamlessly into something unique and timeless.
Joshua Sithole (1947–1999) was a self-taught multi-instrumentalist and vocalist from South Africa who first started busking with the Kwela kids in 1959 and then went solo in 1978. He became popular in the 80’s, performing widely in Durban and Cape Town.

Originally released in 1975, this overlooked masterpiece is now reissued for the first time by Voom Voom Records — the first 500 copies include a poster of Vladimir Tretchikoff's painting, "The Pennywhistlers" which captures the beauty of Joshua's playing.

“Joshua Sithole, Errol Dyers, and Jonathan Butler come from some of the most influential and esteemed musical families in South Africa. You cannot write about Jazz in Cape Town and not mention some of these families and their contributions to the art form.” — Fanie Jason (Music Photographer - Cape Town)

"South African spiritual funk gem. slick guitar, banks of horns" - Chris Albertyn (Matsuli Records)
"Dynamic South African funk. An album that will make you want to dance from start to finish" - Franck Descollonges (Heavenly Sweetness)

After a busy summer on the road, Silverlining launches Forgotten Chorus, a new imprint for deep, hypnotic and abstract body music. The idea was born at a festival, where low frequencies drifting through the natural filter of English woods prompted him to mentally fill the gaps of the higher registers. Three weeks later, he wrote ‘Salvaged Chimes (From the Rubble of Sound)’, an almost verbatim recreation of the track he’d imagined. For Silverlining, this moment of embracing discarded sound became emblematic of how overlooked voices, such as those of the oppressed and forgotten, can still resonate if we choose to listen differently.

This concept led to experimentation with flint-knapper John Lord and conceptual artist Antonia Beard, whose recordings he sampled of the ancient practice of striking flint, humanity's first technology. Those sounds were then cut and made into all the instruments, save for the TR-909, that comprise 'Attuned To Detune'. The EP’s lead track, ‘Folk Dust’, pushes high-tempo breakbeats through Silverlining’s own lens on UK broken techno, balancing raw energy with ethereal melodies.

Forgotten Chorus seeks to celebrate the beauty in sounds and stories that fall outside the dominant narrative. Its debut release, a fast-paced, three-track techno EP by Silverlining, embodies this spirit and marks another step in his evolving exploration of new sonic ground.

When people think of Yacht Rock-those smooth, sun-drenched sounds that once drifted from Californian radio stations in the late '70s and early '80s-they rarely imagine it echoing through rehearsal rooms in Hamburg or Linz. Yet even far from the Pacific coastline, the appeal of shimmering chords, laid-back grooves, and polished production found fertile ground.
This compilation gathers rare and overlooked tracks from Germany and Austria. These artists embraced West Coast aesthetics with sincerity and subtle twists, resulting in music that feels both familiar and refreshingly new-smooth sounds for cloudy skies. So drop anchor, pour something cool, and enjoy this unexpected cruise through the lesser-charted waters of Euro Yacht Rock.

Our journey begins in Austria, where Reflection's Because (1981) set the tone with blue-eyed soul and analogue warmth-a sunlit blend of Doobie Brothers polish and local charm. Its creator, Dieter Heyduk, reappears with Austrian Sky, a heartfelt nod to his homeland that fuses mountain calm with oceanic longing.
From the North Sea island of Föhr, Ara Pacis dreamed of California on their 1979 self-release To the Westcoast. Inspired by Steely Dan and Lake, they turned German rock precision into breezy, melodic sophistication. Meanwhile, in Düsseldorf, Mainpoint fused funk and jazz-rock on Frisbee, their 1980 single bursting with rhythmic drive and optimism before the tide of the Neue Deutsche Welle swept such grooves aside.
Bremerhaven's Nuages offered the compilation's only instrumental gem, Strange Weekend (1985)-a gentle blend of jazz-funk and rock and largely lost to time. Its cool restraint captures the European interpretation of Californian ease.
Around the same period, British traveler Gavin James recorded River of Laughter in southern Germany, backed by the blues-rock band Black Cat Bone. His acoustic reflections on water and flow mirrored the soft, meditative pulse at Yacht Rock's core.
Berlin's Top Spin kept things playful with Bikin (1985), a funk-fusion snapshot of urban joy that showcased the city's finest session players. From the Ruhr area, the Jan Pack Band is up next. While not a typical Yacht Rock track, Cable Dance is driven by an effortless, groovy '80s vibe.
Peter Seiler's Goldfinger project reimagined Walkin' in the Sand as a relaxed reggae-tinged track, while Munich's Major Seven closed the voyage with Silverboat, a wistful soft rock ballad gliding between melancholy and light.

Across these hidden harbors of German and Austrian pop, the West Coast dream took on new forms-reflected in rivers, skies, and studio lights half a world away from L.A. Under and Above the Clouds celebrates that spirit: the enduring pull of smooth music, wherever it's made.

Celebrated DJ, producer, and sonic explorer Auntie Flo (aka Brian d’Souza) — described by The Guardian as “one of global club culture’s most vital voices” — returns this autumn with ‘Birds of Paradise’: a rhythmically rich, emotionally resonant, and ecologically grounded new album, out 23 October via his A State of Flo imprint. The album will be launched with a special live show at London’s Jazz Caféon the same day.

‘Birds of Paradise’ draws on d’Souza’s global club experience while deepening his connection with the natural world. Built around classic Roland drum machines and iconic vintage synths, the record is a joyful, body-driven celebration of rhythm and movement, but one grounded in ecology and place. The album’s spiritual centre lies in Saligao, Goa, near d’Souza’s maternal homeland where his Auntie Florie (where the name is derived from) is buried. Where he found his ‘paradise’ nearby, staying in a converted fisherman’s hut and recorded dawn choruses from a riverside studio overlooking mangrove-lined waters. Environmental textures from Japan also make their way into the music, creating a sonic map rooted in lived experience.

“Birds of Paradise is about finding beauty and rhythm in a chaotic world. It’s about listening, to nature, to our bodies, to what’s real. It’s a reminder that dance music can be both joyful and grounded.” The album blends Afro-Latin polyrhythms with Western 4/4 patterns, fusing instinctive, dancefloor energy with field recordings that anchor the music in the earth. Described by d’Souza as “tropical with a few deeper edges, a balance of light and dark.”

The new record follows the acclaimed ‘In My Dreams, I’m A Bird and I’m Free’, which earned 4 stars and Global Album of the Month from The Guardian, featured in Disco Pogo’s Albums of the Year, and received support from Luke Una, Resident Advisor, Juno, Bandcamp, Mixmag, DJ Mag, Electronic Sound, The Skinny, Beatport, Ban Ban Ton Ton, and more. The album’s launch show at Omeara London sold out. Other recent projects include the ‘Outernational Dance’ EP on cult label Multi Culti, event series ‘Plants Can Dance (and Mushroom’s Sing)’ which explore plant and fungi bioelectricity as a means of live composition, and ‘Black Beacon’, a haunting cassette release and soundwalk series recorded on the abandoned military island of Orford Ness. There, d’Souza explored the eerie intersection of nature, decay, and deep time, gaining special access to restricted buildings to capture long-form soundscape compositions.

Alongside his production work, d’Souza has emerged as a leading voice at the intersection of sound and science. He curated music for Imperial College’s groundbreaking psychedelic therapy trials, developing six-phase playlists to guide participants through psilocybin-assisted sessions treating conditions such as fibromyalgia and gambling addiction. His five-hour ambient set at Watching Trees Festival, selected as Resident Advisor’s Mix of the Day, continued this exploration into the therapeutic potential of sound in altered states. He also spent six months collaborating with BBC producer Tom Raine on a documentary for BBC World Service, centred on a two-week journey through Kenya and Goa. There, he performed live, led plant music workshops, and joined a deep listening retreat rooted in field recording. “I realised my studio isn’t just four soundproofed walls filled with instruments — it’s the journey itself. It’s the people I meet, the natural world I listen to, and the connections I feel.”

This same commitment to deep listening fuels his live concept Plants Can Dance, a project that combines the biosonification of plants and fungi with modular synthesis. The next event, on 14 September at Hideout Hackney Wick, will feature performances by Stella Z and Lapalace, with d’Souza and resident Lamine playing live alongside responsive plants in collaboration with Repot Hackney Wick and the label Music To Watch Seeds Grow By. “I’ve spent years exploring how electronic music can connect us, not just to each other, but to the natural world. Whether it’s translating mushroom data into melody or capturing birdsong at dawn, it’s about finding resonance across bodies, ecosystems, and machines.”

Rooted in his Goan and Kenyan heritage and shaped by years of travel and collaboration, d’Souza’s creative mission is simple: to reconnect the electronic world with the natural one. Through A State of Flo, he continues to blur the boundaries between club culture, sound art, and ecological awareness.

a long-awaited reissue of an ultra-rare 7-inch single, originally released as a promo-only item from handsome boy, the 1990 masterpiece by inoue yosui—widely regarded as one of the greatest singer-songwriters in japanese music history.

“pi po pa,” arranged by haruomi hosono and used in a tv commercial at the time, was featured on heisei no oto, a compilation released by music from memory. the album’s standout track, “shonen jidai,” remains one of japan’s most iconic and beloved songs.
also included on this 7-inch is “yume migokochi,” a pinnacle of japanese balearic sound, arranged by yuji kawashima—keyboardist of ep-4, a kyoto-based band essential to the history of japanese new wave.

and exclusive to this release is “kurenai suberi,” an overlooked gem that might best be described as inoue’s take on cold-funk.

remastered from the original master tapes by kuniyuki takahashi, and housed in the ori-ginal artwork.

Since his earliest days, Ben Frost has been fascinated by the cinematic qualities of the guitar. His output to this point has hinted at this, but with »Steel Wound« he makes a bold statement of intent.

Finding his way to a deserted stretch of Johanna Beach along the Great Ocean Road (Victoria, Australia) in early 2003 Frost set up a remote studio at a derelict cabin overlooking the icy waters of Bass Strait. With a constant wind flowing off the sea his only companion, Frost started work on a series of improvisations that would eventually become »Steel Wound«. A few months go by and Frost has made his way back to civilization. He begins editing the masses of treated guitar from the Johanna Beach improvisations and before long a theme takes hold - one that very much reflects the isolation of the environment where the tracks were created.

Each of the pieces on »Steel Wound« is a epic journey, coloured with a deep sense of filmic narrative and suggested dialogues. The textural quality of the works, laced with field recordings and lost vocal fragments, sketches out the emotional soundscapes Frost had unwittingly gathered during his time at Johanna Beach. Each piece is a splintered fragment in time – a forgotten memory beautifully rediscovered in a moment of introspection.

File under house, breakbeat, techno and warehouse rave music. The Mental Groove Classic series returns with a treasure trove of rare and hard to find tracks plucked from the personal collection of label founder Olivier Ducret, a pivotal figure in Switzerland's acid house and rave-era party scene.



The compilation is inspired by a moment in time when musical boundaries were being redrawn in a wave of carefree optimism and the freedom that fueled new rave scenes across Europe and beyond.

The Mental Groove Classics series returns with a treasure trove of rare and hard-to-find tracks plucked from the personal collection of label founder Olivier Ducret, a pivotal figure in Switzerland's acid house and rave-era party scene.



On Volumes Two and Three of the series released last year, Olivier Ducret (founder of Mental Groove and Musique Pour La Danse, half of WRWTFWW) takes us back to the turn of the '90s. It was a time when he was promoting parties in fields, squats, forests, warehouses and former factoriesin and around Geneva, all while working behind the counter of a record shop called Mental Groove. While others in Switzerland's emerging dance music scene gravitated towards trance and garage, Olivier and his crew opted for a sound focused on bass, breaks, and techno. This unique approach was inspired by their regular trips to clubs, raves, and record shops in the UK. Drawing directly from his own record box and a memory bank full of euphoric dancefloor moments, this fourth installment sees Olivier reaching for more cuts of near-mythical rarity, genuinely overlooked gems, and undeniably brilliant classics - each selection has left a long-lasting impression on the local raving landscape. It's an autobiographical audio document, a historical archive, and a personal musical statement all rolled into one. The compilation is inspired by a moment in time when musical boundaries were being redrawn, if not exploded, in a wave of carefree optimism and thefreedom that fueled new rave scenes across Europe and far beyond.



Original artwork by Mark Wigan, co-owner of Soho's Brain Club and an artist of early British club culture.

Barking-born Jane Fitz, and Transmigration label founder David Fogarty, curate a collection of tracks from East London and Essex’s rich but largely overlooked constellation of independent record labels and distributors operating from London’s E16 to the edges of the Thames estuary during the 1990s.

Mysterious Vastness documents a hidden and largely detached scene that only forms into something coherent with hindsight. From a time when record labels could press and hand-distribute 1000 copies locally, the late 80s acid house and outdoor rave scenes were moving from the fields to the clubs of London and DJs such as Colin Dale, Colin Faver and Darren Emerson were dominating the airwaves and parties with a distinct mix of other-worldly techno, trance and out-there house music. Among the seemingly bland post-war housing estates and factories, a scattered handful of producers were experimenting with early versions of music production software to create an exotic, end-of-the-century soundtrack to the suburban-meets-industrial landscape.

The compilation features a selection of finds from East London’s second hand record or charity shops over a period of 15 years. Many of which have featured in Jane’s sets over the years, most notably the “Beyond The A13" Podcast for Furthur Electronix. A mix she described at the time as the soundtrack to an area of London “totally bereft of natural beauty, but to me, somehow always full of mystery and wonder.”

Archeo Recordings is a record label. Old, lost, obscure and forgotten gems and a boundless focus on the new Balearic scene for a wider audience of collectors, DJs and music lovers. All releases are limited edition. This release is the second in a series of EPs on which the label's favourite contemporaries pay homage to past masters for ‘10 Year Anniversary’. 4 new Remixes: limited edition on black vinyl (AR032). With the first volume still singing out both in our ears and on our turntables, Archeo Recordings lifts the veil on the second chapter of its celebratory EP series - another shimmering tribute to the timeless and the timely. Once again, the torch is passed to a new ensemble of sonic sculptors, who delve into the archives and emerge with reimagined treasures, equal parts reverence and reinvention. Philosopher and musical polymath Riccardo Giagni made his name as a cultural curator for RAI TV and radio, before lending his expertise in ethnomusicology as a studio musician and songwriter. Originally released to little fanfare and long overlooked until its Archeo reissue in 2019, his 1988 debut LP Kaunis Maa is a masterwork of Balearic ethno-jazz - a guitar-led journey through imagined geographies and dreamt-up dialects. Its closing track, Passeggera, pairs Mediterranean nylon with synth halos, sampled percussion, and the unplaceable vocals of Matia Bazar’s Antonella Ruggiero, singing not in language but in emotion. Now, Claremont 56’s Paul Murphy aka Mudd lends his gentle hand to the piece, reworking its al fresco fusion into something even more languorous. Highlighting the South American sway hinted at in the original, Mudd introduces jazzy synth flourishes, airy percussion, and occasional organ bass, casting the piece anew as a hammock-swung hymn - less a remix than a relocation, from the hills of Lazio to the lush gardens of Mudd’s imagination.

Archeo Recordings is a record label. Old, lost, obscure and forgotten gems and a boundless focus on the new Balearic scene for a wider audience of collectors, DJs and music lovers. All releases are limited edition. This release is the second in a series of EPs on which the label's favourite contemporaries pay homage to past masters for ‘10 Year Anniversary’. 4 new Remixes: limited edition on black vinyl (AR032). With the first volume still singing out both in our ears and on our turntables, Archeo Recordings lifts the veil on the second chapter of its celebratory EP series - another shimmering tribute to the timeless and the timely. Once again, the torch is passed to a new ensemble of sonic sculptors, who delve into the archives and emerge with reimagined treasures, equal parts reverence and reinvention. Philosopher and musical polymath Riccardo Giagni made his name as a cultural curator for RAI TV and radio, before lending his expertise in ethnomusicology as a studio musician and songwriter. Originally released to little fanfare and long overlooked until its Archeo reissue in 2019, his 1988 debut LP Kaunis Maa is a masterwork of Balearic ethno-jazz - a guitar-led journey through imagined geographies and dreamt-up dialects. Its closing track, Passeggera, pairs Mediterranean nylon with synth halos, sampled percussion, and the unplaceable vocals of Matia Bazar’s Antonella Ruggiero, singing not in language but in emotion. Now, Claremont 56’s Paul Murphy aka Mudd lends his gentle hand to the piece, reworking its al fresco fusion into something even more languorous. Highlighting the South American sway hinted at in the original, Mudd introduces jazzy synth flourishes, airy percussion, and occasional organ bass, casting the piece anew as a hammock-swung hymn - less a remix than a relocation, from the hills of Lazio to the lush gardens of Mudd’s imagination.

2025 Repress


Australian music devotees András and Instant Peterson hold a candle to overlooked avant-pop and electronic works by antipodean artists and outsiders working through the 80s and 90s. Through co-presenting weekly radio show Strange Holiday, the duo slowly upturned their locale for inspiration - archives, country bookstores, private collections and convenience stores, searching for a place to anchor their own identities in the oceans of the island continent. The 10 tracks acknowledge a minor history, passed on via a network of friends, friends of friends, the libraries of radio station 3RRR and more often than not, the artists themselves. Renowned mixed media artist Maria Kozic enters with the mysterious downbeat of Trust Me, her husband Philip Brophy responsible for digital and analogue sonic construction. A recurring character in András and Instant Peterson's investigations, Brophy reappears with a score piece from his divisive feature film Salt, Saliva, Sperm and Sweat, recorded as (pronounced 'Tch Tch Tch"). Other links are thread under the surface. Melbourne inner north experimentalist David Chesworth explores his Australiana songcraft leading Whadya Want. The short lived project also featured Philip Jackson, whose husband-wife duo The Couch is restored from Fast Forward's dance issue - a pioneering cassette fanzine published by early-80s 3RRR personality Bruce Milne.

First time vinyl reissue, expanded and deluxe double gatefold 140g double vinyl, remastered audio with restored artwork and fresh liners written by Paul Hillery (Folk Funk & Trippy Troubadours)
Alan James Eastwood's glorious Seeds is a certified folk-funk lost-classic.

But who was Alan James Eastwood? He had never hit the big time and commercial success eluded him. By the mid-1970s, his musical career was pretty much over and he was almost unknown except among deep heads, amongst whom he would gain cult status.

Original copies of the 1971 vinyl release of Seeds exchange hands for high sums, if you can find one. This expanded 2LP contains an extra record, collecting 9 rare non-album singles and is presented in a gatefold sleeve complete with freshly commissioned liner notes courtesy of Paul Hillery (Folk Funk & Trippy Troubadours).

With the long overdue deluxe reissue of this prized artefact, we hope to finally shine a light on the unheralded genius of Alan James Eastwood. RIYL Nick Drake, Rodriguez, Richie Havens.

Alan James ‘Bugsy’ Eastwood was a renowned musician and singer who came to prominence in the late 1960s with The Exception, an unsung but excellent band from Birmingham. The Exception released many singles, the first featuring friend Robert Plant on tambourine, before an album, The Exceptional Exception. However, by this time, Bugsy was feeling constrained and restless; he left the band within weeks of the release.

Having vanished from the scene, he was honing a deeper, introspective edge to his songwriting. His demos found their way to the sound engineer and producer Mike Cooper at Pan Music Studios in Denmark Street. Loving what he heard, Eastwood soon entered a recording session with Cooper. The session was just Alan, his guitar and harmonica and - by all accounts - it was remarkable. With the songs, the voice and such an exceptional talent, it was hard to go wrong. Says Mike: "We had John Hawkins do the big string arrangements and Richard Hewson arranged the string quartet. We overdubbed the orchestrations on Alan's original session recordings, adding Chris Karan on tabla and various percussion. We considered re-recording the vocals but found that the magic on that original session was so exceptional overdubbing would not be as good as the atmospheric 'live' performance."

Mike and Alan viewed each track as a different entity, giving the album a diverse sonic palette. Assessing each song individually, they decided which would be suitable for each arranger. Top-flight session musicians were added to the roster to complete the sound, with Byron Lye Fook (father of musician Omar) on drums, bassist Mike Ward, Brian Pickles on marimba and jazz drummer Chris Karan on tabla and percussion. Recorded in a matter of days in Pan's small 8-track studio, they carefully added overdubs, rhythm sections and four string sessions arranged by Hawkins, with Hewson's arrangements recorded at Trident Studios.

Seeds was Alan James Eastwood's debut solo album – indeed, his only solo album - and was originally issued on President in 1971. It melded Eastwood’s impressive rock sensibilities with a folk thread to superb effect. His arresting voice - its deep, rough-hewn soulfulness - coupled with gorgeous string-drenched backing, make this a phenomenal listen. It really is a great 70s singer-songwriter record - with touches of acid-folk and folk-funk throughout.

It opens with "She's Getting Married In August", a mellow tune with Richard Hewson's strings arranged around Alan's straightforward guitar structure. Up next, the joyous, sun-dappled guitar and strings workout "Evenin' Rain" glides by before the fragile, accordion-enhanced "Les Papillons" breezes out of the speakers. The bluesy "Zeena" follows, featuring vocals and acoustic guitar and showcasing Eastwood's effortless harmonica. Starting out as a ballad, "Virgin Morn" builds with soaring strings and gospel-tinged backing vocals from Marilyn Powell and jazz singer Josephine Stahl. The A-side closes with the title track, "Seeds". With a chugging mid-tempo beat, soulful vocals and a beautiful Bacharach-esque string arrangement, it truly is stop-you-in-your-tracks spectacular.

Side B opens with "Crystal Blue", gilded by Lye Fook's marimba, lush gospel-esque backing vocals and handclaps. Eastwood's acoustic guitar begins "Lady Carole", which starts as a bluesy ballad and builds with more string arrangement, lifting the track to another height. A towering highlight of epic proportions, "Lotus Child" is a true masterpiece of arrangement. It opens with simple yet stunning do-do-dah vocal harmonies blended with John Hawkins's strings, bass lines and rhythmic beats, forming a vibe very much in conversation with the sounds coming from LA's Laurel Canyon. Next up, the heartwarming "Last Prayer", dedicated to Alan's first and last love, contains a melancholic vocal with a wistful string-drenched arrangement that would sit comfortably in a Federico Fellini score. Bringing the album to a close, "Hymn For Today" is a melodic raga with tabla, strings and a soft-psych feel. Eastwood's prophetic whisper - "I am real. At last, I am real" - profoundly hits home.

Kicking off the extra disc is the sparsely funky and country-tinged "Boston", released as the flip to the astonishing "Seeds". Next up are the two tracks that comprised Alan’s debut solo 7" single from 1968. The laconic, Bobby Charles-esque "Blackbird Charlie" evidences a real depth and charm in Eastwood's songwriting whilst the starkly brilliant flip, "My Sun", was a horizontal, atmospheric folk-tinged soundtracky precursor to his later work on Seeds.

In 1972, two further standalone singles followed. The first was the evergreen flute-driven folk-funk bomb, "Closer To The Truth", backed by the funky blues of "Strange News". The second, a deeply moving Havens-inspired "Moonchild" - rightly fawned over to this day - was flipped with "Red Shoe Truckin'", a groove-infused track. Eastwood also paired up with Marilyn Powell for a single produced by Powell's partner, Mike Cooper. Under the name Eastwood & Powell, they released their staggering rendition of "Beautiful", a rock-blues-pop song arranged by Ivor Raymonde and written by Carole King. Over on the flip, a funky Eastwood original "Opal Blue Sunday" lurked. This is not to be overlooked.

Over the years, Alan remained active on the music scene, but problems with alcohol and health complications from diabetes severely impacted his career. He spent his latter years living in London until his untimely death from heart failure on 25 October 2007, just one day before his 62nd birthday and without his music having received the real acclaim it so dearly deserved.

This deluxe reissue, spellbinding from beginning to end, should hopefully go some way to rectifying this tragic fact. Mastering for this special double vinyl edition was overseen by Be With regular Simon Francis and it was cut by the esteemed Cicely Balston at Abbey Road Studios to be pressed in the Netherlands by Record Industry. The original artwork has been lovingly brought back to life at Be With HQ, with the addition of passionately written liner notes specially for this landmark reissue by none other than Paul Hillery.

Released during the late 1970's Disco era, Milton Wright's sophomore long player has always stood out as a singular, innovative example of the deepest, rarest grooves known to underground Soul lovers all over the globe. This often overlooked body of work has found a whole new audience who revisited the man's work retrospectively, pushing the LP into the domain of "holy grail" status amongst Black music lovers and Funk fanatics. "Spaced" has been at the top of the wants lists of serious music lovers for decades, often unattainable and commanding stellar collectors prices on-line, sometimes fetching amounts of upwards of £400. This unique LP could be perceived as being Wright's most personal work, tragically overshadowed by the burgeoning successes of his then label mates on Miami's Alston Records imprint. The sheer craftsmanship and songwriting prowess on show is undeniable, as is the top level musicianship and production, sounding ridiculously fresh almost some 40 years later. Above Board distribution has collaborated with Alston / TK Records to ensure the quality of this fully legitimate repress of this long lost Soul / Funk classic has been maintained. Remastered, reissued and represented with the full cooperation of the license holders for 2016. Do not pass up the chance to own a true gem, a pivotal, lost LP like "Spaced", now made available again to be enjoyed by all. "Magic Music".

Organic Analogue returns with a rediscovery of Beppu's rare dubbed-out electronica and circuit-bent techno. Andrew Hargreaves is the Manchester-based producer behind this alias which was first making waves back in the late-2000s. Back then it was three limited CDr EPs in 2009, which came with just 50 copies each, that made a stir and still stand up today. As such, the sought-after recordings receive a proper vinyl pressing and have been mastered by Miles Whittaker. Two distinct remixes from Demdike Stare also add further quality and contemporary context to the origins, which blend dub techno and braindance with textured noise. IPOP continues Organic Analogue's tradition of spotlighting overlooked talent having already done so with names like DJ Guy and Jean-Louis Huhta.

DJ Feedback

dBridge:
"A moment in time."

Ben UFO:
"This is gorgeous, thank you."

Tolouse Low Trax:
"Very much my start into Electronic Music back in the days. Cool Reminder!"

Stonecirclesampler:
"All time Manchester classic from one of the best in the city, incredible project and so so so happy for it to be reissued and on vinyl, original and Demdike remixes are all beyond incredible and absolutely nail the sound of the late 2000s early 2010s post-Sandwell District/Berghain techno and pre-noise/techno/post-punk - an absolute snapshot of a city and sound moving FWD, brilliant cant wait for the wax!!!"

Eric Cloutier (Palinoia, Tresor | Detroit):
"Well god damn. I mean...god damn."

Yu Su:
"These are so good. Demdike Stare's remix also!!"

Ruf Dug:
"Next level even almost 20 years later."

Silent Era (Of Paradise) :
"Great project. What a gem."

To mark a decade as one of Ibiza's most iconic musical sanctuaries, Hostal La Torre announces 'La Torre Ibiza Volumen Cinco', a new compilation curated by long-standing residents Pete Gooding and Mark Barrott. Released June 27 on CD and double vinyl, the 15-track collection captures the spirit of the venue that has come to define the golden-hour soundtrack ofthe island's west coast.

Since opening in 2015, La Torre has established itself as a bastion of Balearic culture-set high on the cliffs overlooking the sea, where music flows with the sun rather than the clock. The fifth volume in the celebrated La Torre series is a journey through Brazilian soul, ambient electronica, classic deep house, orchestral minimalism, and dusk-lit Detroit techno-an emotional arc designed to mirror the progression of an evening at the venue.

From timeless icons like Nina Simone, Mazzy Star, Talk Talk (with their Spirit of Eden closer "Wealth"), and Boards of Canada, to boundary-pushers like Auntie Flo, Eden Burns, and µ-Ziq (aka Mike Paradinas), Volumen Cinco weaves together deep-rooted classics and leftfield discoveries. Mark Barrott contributes a brand-new exclusive, 'When Devils Become Gods', while the compilation closes on a rare gem from Yellow Magic Orchestra's Yukihiro Takahashi. Also includedis Software's 'Present Voice', a quietly powerful tribute to the late José Padilla, the spiritual architect of Ibiza's sunset sound.

Volumen Cinco is more than just a listening experience-it's a tribute to La Torre's ethos: open-hearted, genre-fluid, rooted in place and time. Each track is carefully sequenced to evoke a feeling, a shift in light, or a shared memory beneath the fading sun.

Over the years, La Torre has welcomed some of the most influential names in Balearic and electronic music, from José Padilla, Alfredo, and Jon Sa Trinxa to DJ Harvey, David Holmes, Lovefingers, Heidi Lawden, Wolf Müller, Don Carlos, and Phil Mison. With each summer season and each release, the venue continues to build a musical legacy that has earned critical acclaim from Resident Advisor, Phonica Records, Juno, and Piccadilly Records, regularly featuring in their year-end lists.

As Test Pressing once wrote, "La Torre is not a party, it's a place of pilgrimage. It feels almost sacred." That spirit resonates deeply in this anniversary compilation-a celebration of music, community, and connection that spans a decade.

La Torre Ibiza Volumen Cinco is dedicated to the artists, friends, collaborators, and guests who've shaped its story so far-and to everyone who continues to gather, listen, and lose track of time as the sun slips beneath the horizon.

Leng Records proudly presents Everything You’re About to Hear Is True: Volume 1, a compilation carefully curated by Rotation Soundsystem. Brought together by Rotation founders Dean Meredith and Ben Shenton, alongside the Wrekin Havoc trio of Rob J, Stuart Robinson, and Rich Hall, this debut volume captures the collective’s shared vision – shaped by decades of crate-digging.

Founded in 2013, Rotation has grown from a modest gathering in Staffordshire into a thriving community of like-minded music lovers, attracting heads and partygoers from across the UK – and well beyond. What began as an intimate affair has evolved into a full-scale, three-day celebration, now held in a grand yurt and powered by a bespoke six-way sound system. The rig features four Klipschorns, two JBLs with twin 18” and 15” sub reinforcements, compression horns, and an Isonoe 420 mixer.

Meredith explains: “With the help of my brother, Martin, I’m constantly looking at ways to improve the setup. I love the way Larry Levan did that at The Paradise Garage. We have a few things that are custom-made. I want our system to be unique to us.”

According to regular attendee, DJ and writer Steve KIW: “In the right hands, the sound system at Rotation – very much Dean’s labour of love – is untouchable. The comparisons with Mancuso’s Loft come easily because they are deserved. There isn’t a bad spot in the yurt. Wherever you are, it sounds incredible.”

As the dancing continues through the weekend, the DJ line-up has grown to match the occasion. Guests and headliners have included a roll call of legendary selectors: Bill Brewster, Colleen “Cosmo” Murphy, Phil Mison, Nick The Record, Ruf Dug, Mark Seven, and The Idjut Boys — the latter playing a marathon 10-hour set in 2024. The parties have also featured live performances from Emperor Machine, Quinn Lamont Luke, Reuben Vaun Smith, and Orbs of Light.

Presented on gatefold double vinyl, this lovingly assembled collection is the result of decades spent digging through dusty crates, reflecting the selectors’ deep-rooted passion for uncovering rare gems and overlooked treasures. Decidedly European in spirit, the album brings together 14 rarities with standout selections from Belgium, Sweden, Italy, Germany, and France. The vast majority of tracks are true obscurities, and nearly every one is a mid-tempo bumper.

“This has been a long time coming – something we’ve always dreamed of doing. We’re incredibly thankful to Leng Records, who understand our vision and what we’re trying to build. This compilation pulls together some of our favourite tracks from over the years. It’s not just a playlist – it’s a journey, a window into the sound of Rotation,” says Meredith.

(3*12”, silver vinyl) We’re thrilled to announce the release of “The Mackenzie - Classics EP 2”, the long-awaited follow-up to the popular EP 1 everyone was excited about. This limited edition pressing comes on stunning silver-colored vinyl, with only 500 copies available worldwide. Housed in a deluxe threefold sleeve, this release is a true collector’s item.

The Mackenzie name is legendary in the Belgian trance scene, and this EP brings together some of their most sought-after classics and overlooked masterpieces. Each track has been carefully remastered for 2025, breathing new life into these timeless anthems. This EP 2 is spanning over more than 2 decades of hit releases, amongst of them are “Falling In Love”, “Walk Away”, “All I Need” and “You Got To Get Up”.

Expect rich melodies, mesmerizing builds, enchanting vocals, and that unmistakable 90s spirit that made “The Mackenzie” iconic in trance. This is not just the successor of EP 1 – it’s the final chapter in a tribute to the golden era of Belgian quality trance music.

Disco Segreta is incredibly excited to introduce you a truly astonishing disco treasure from the vaults of Mario Baldoni aka Miro (Pat & Pats, Phil Sun, Govindo).

Originally recorded in June 1979 and previously unreleased, “Lucky Guy” was a demo track recorded by Miro in two versions (italian and english) with the creme de la creme of the session musicians of the era: Derek Wilson (drums), Ken Stage (guitar), Mike Logan (keyboards), plus the heavenly backing vocals of Nora Orlandi e i 4+4, to be considered for a release which was then mysteriously cancelled.

“Lucky Guy” is a display of the incredibly overlooked talent of Miro and a perfect time capsule of the 1979 “rosko” sound, when disco was mutating to incorporate rock elements, in the same vein of coeval productions such as Mauro Malavasi’s “Revanche” or Daniele Besquet’s Giants “Backdoor Man” projects.

The first-ever release of “Lucky Guy” will feature the English and Italian original demo versions plus a contemporary remix of “Lucky Guy” by italian mastermind Marcello Giordani (Italo Deviance, Circle Point Circle / Marvin & Guy, Maurizio & Dandolo, Marcelo).

Continuing its authenticly deep italian disco archaeology work, Disco Segreta offers you the incredible opportunity to own an authentic piece of the true Italian disco sound, exactly 45 years after its original recording! Don’t miss this thermonuclear dancefloor bomb!

Black Hole Superette, the latest album from Aesop Rock, delves into the invisible forces that shape our lives and psyches. It's about the small, often overlooked moments_the everyday experiences that blur the lines between the real and the unreal, waking and sleeping. Aesop's signature gift for transforming the mundane into something dreamlike gives the album a surreal quality, leaving listeners questioning what's truly real as they navigate its vivid, half-remembered imagery. Entirely self-produced, Black Hole Superette is one of Aesop Rock's most technically accomplished works to date. The album's intricate beats and complex structures provide the perfect backdrop for his expansive lyricism, balancing cerebral exploration with emotional depth. From the reflective 'Movie Night' and the eccentric 'Send Help' to the wistful 'Black Plums,' Aesop channels the spirit of a mad scientist, experimenting with sound and concept in ways that defy the ordinary. With a stellar lineup of collaborators that includes Lupe Fiasco, Armand Hammer, Hanni El Khatib, Open Mike Eagle and Homeboy Sandman, Black Hole Superette is dense and kinetic, an album that deftly navigates between complexity and instinct. It's clear this project stands as one of Aesop Rock's most multifaceted and ambitious works yet.

Glossy Mistakes Reissues Resonance 001, a Proto-House & Trance Milestone from Belgium from 1992
Glossy Mistakes is proud to announce the reissue of Resonance 001, the groundbreaking debut EP by Belgian producer Fabrice Lagrange, created in collaboration with Frank Beekman and originally released in 1992. Long overlooked, this forward-thinking record captures a pivotal moment in the early European evolution of house and trance-melding minimalism, emotion, and club-oriented experimentation into a sound that remains strikingly fresh over three decades later.
Resonance 001 stands among the earliest European records to explore the fertile intersection of hypnotic house rhythms and atmospheric trance. The A-side, featuring The Awakening Earth and Pure Self, channels a stripped-down yet euphoric energy-deeply inspired by the spirit of Detroit techno but undeniably forward-looking. As Frank Beekman recalls: "This record was recorded in a very simple studio, with minimal gear, inspired by the Detroit techno sound."
On the B-side, the EP ventures further into experimental territory. Paris By Night offers a dreamy, tech-tinged house excursion, leading into Redondanz, a meditative downtempo closer that perfectly encapsulates the release's subtle charm.
The enduring appeal of Resonance 001 lies in its restraint: crafted with minimal tools, it delivers maximum emotional depth. It seamlessly blends hazy trance atmospheres, early house grooves, and ambient-inflected textures, capturing the open-minded, exploratory ethos of early '90s electronic music.
Now remastered for vinyl by Wouter Brandenburg, Resonance 001 returns in pristine form-faithfully preserving its original character while bringing new clarity to its timeless sound.

Archeo Recordings is a record label. Old, lost, obscure and forgotten gems and a boundless focus on the new Balearic scene for a wider audience of collectors, DJs and music lovers. All releases are limited edition. This release is a Limited Edition EP (250 on black vinyl). New life and an expanded treatment of Quiroga's epic Electronic/Future Jazz/House Snaporaz (Really Swing 2020), from none other than L.U.C.A. (AR029). Archeo delights us with this luscious and limited release featuring Quiroga's sleek jazz-house UFO "Snaporaz". This edition includes an exclusive extended version, a brand-new cut from the Neapolitan groover, and a completely cosmic overhaul from the mighty L.U.C.A. Operating at the nexus of future jazz, beatific electronics and deft house, Quiroga (Walter Del Vecchio to his nearest and dearest) has carved his own irresistible niche over the past two decades, gracing countless labels with nuanced body movers and forging his impressive Really Swing imprint, the original home to this melodic masterpiece. Tucked away on Del Vecchio's 2020 EP "Chords and Desire", the sunny and sultry Snaporaz fell foul of our communal pandemic preoccupation, missing out on the widespread acclaim, appreciation and ass-shaking it so richly deserves. Archeo steps in as patron, giving this Rhodes-led jazz-house heater the full 12" treatment it was born for. On the A1, Quiroga's extends the ecstasy of "Snaporaz", stretching its original elements into a loosely grooving, dopamine-deep delight. Sunkissed keys and tender pads ride the rhythm of a bubbling bassline while the sophisticated percussion snaps, crackles and pops in the background - the perfect environment for the P&P leadline to flourish. If that wasn't enough to have you slipping straight into your party pumps, Walter makes the most of the extra runtime with a HOT hand drum freakout down the final stretch, adding the most enticing icing to an already heady cake. A comparative cooldown follows in A2 offering "Escorpião", a fusion-tinged flirtation for aperitivo everywhere. Cutting back on the kick to save space for the swing, Quiroga leads us through a sublime sequence of hooks, riffs and solos, without ever overwhelming the ears but keeping the groove alive. It's a dizzying delight from start to finish and features one of the finest keytar and cowbell interplays you're likely to hear. The B-side belongs to the frankly legendary Francesco de Bellis, a house, disco, Italo and electro hero, appearing here under his deliciously downbeat alias L.U.C.A. Imbuing Quiroga's original with the atmospheric stylings of his Edizioni Mondo oeuvre, the Roman producer delivers a radical rework, slowing the tempo by 20 bpm and translating those jazzy tones into a drifting new age dancer for the cosmic crowd. Zero gravity rhythms meet mystical melodies uptown as the house hippies get down. Lest we overlook the batshit brilliance of the drum programming, L.U.C.A. caps it off with a bonus beats version sure to delight DJs and dancers alike in its otherworldly oddness.

Art Of Tones returns to GAMM after the success of his '3 Woman EP' with the '3 Men EP', an record where the male vocals come into focus.

We're starting off with 'International Truth', a huge soulful and uplifting disco/soul jam with big vocals and a large dose of feel-good vibes...a proper peak-time tune!

The B-side offers a rework of a rare and much sought after afro-disco cut and an amazing rework of one of those Stevie Wonder under-the-radar tracks that most of us probably have overlooked.

The A-side puts the fun in a funky psychedelic disco stomper complete with sing-along chants and breakbeats. Imagine an overlooked KID CREOLE garage dub cut. The B-side is a fresh take on classic Italo disco with analog percussion, vintage synths and his own guitar and bass.

At this point, Southern Italy's Giovanni Damico is basically an honorary Windy City Native. I don't think he's ever been to Chicago
but he certainly has status on all sides of the City. Damico's collaborations with Chicago's Star Creature kicked have spanned the
better part of the last decade with just as many vinyl releases during that time spanning 2 LPs, 2 EPs, a handful of 7's and an appearance on the 2020's Star Creature Vibes label compilation not to mention the over 20+ 12's and a dozen appearances on labels ranging from MCDE, Lumberjacks in Hell to Kalakuta Soul, Bordelllo A Parigi, his own White Rabbit Recordings and more.
That perfect blend of Tracky Italo Early Drum Machine, Bang the Box type of Proto House Electro Soul with adventurous and ambitious beats and melody combos pulled from a range of global influencers, mixing of electronic and acoustic instruments giving some of the most full body unique compositions in dance music, each being accomplished, evolving and truly unique.

Colemine Records is excited to put out their first 45 with The Charities, a sweet-soul band out of sunny California. The group's sound is a melting pot of cultures, exhibiting a mix of soul, r&b, rock, and funk. The A-side of this 45, 'Fatal Attraction,' explores just that. In some relationships, the very qualities that draw you in can also lead to your destruction. She's captivating_beautiful, intelligent, and charming_but beneath the surface, she's narcissistic and self-centered, with no regard for the pain she causes. When you're lost in the intensity of love, it's easy to overlook these darker traits. But when the time comes for her to move on, she'll strike without hesitation, delivering a blow that cuts deep. Her words, sharp as a knife, tear through your heart with cold precision. As you bleed out, she offers nothing but a final, indifferent goodbye...."It's Not Our Time," on the B, tells the story of two lovers who find themselves at a crossroads, torn apart by the struggles they face in this chapter of their lives. Perhaps in the future, they'll rekindle their love and spark a new flame_one that burns even brighter then before. It's a bittersweet goodbye, with the belief that the distance and time apart will only strengthen their bond when the moment is right.The tracks are produced by Anthony Masino and were recorded at Penrose Recordings in Riverside, CA.

Mr Bongo proudly presents an official reissue of an iconic, exploratory album by Indian maestro of the sitar, Ananda Shankar, aptly titled 'Ananda Shankar And His Music'.

Released on His Master's Voice in 1976, the album is a sublime collage of sitar-funk, traditional Indian classical music and psychedelic grooves, from the Indian sitarist, composer and musician. Nephew to India’s legendary sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar, Ananda’s musical family and upbringing led to a deep respect and love of the wealth of music that emanated from his birthplace. His travels to the west coast of America in the late ‘60s though, saw Shankar immersed in the full swing of psychedelic rock. The collision of these two musical worlds with a whole range of other Eastern and Western influences on 'Ananda Shankar And His Music', is a truly entrancing combination.

First big in the UK in the mid-‘90s jazz/rare groove club scene, when it was unearthed by adventurous DJs and crate diggers, the sensational Indian-funk tracks 'Streets Of Calcutta' and 'Dancing Drums' became firm dancefloor favourites. The mixture of drum-heavy funk with Indian music and psychedelia is the perfect melting pot. Flavourful and balanced, it still feels fresh and exciting 40 years on.

Like a fine wine, this album keeps getting better with age and once-overlooked tracks are now seen in a new light. Aside from the main 'club' cuts that many have praised and loved, 'The River' is a part blissed-out, Balearic gem, part cosmic wild west soundtrack, that would provide the perfect complement to any sunset session. Elsewhere, 'Dawn' is a spiritual and meditative journey into Indian classical music, with ‘Cyrus’ floating you away to heavenly heights. On a different tip, 'Back Home' fuses styles and themes via an organ and Moog-infused, tripped-out excursion, whilst 'Renunciation' hits with a psych-rock sentiment to its sitar-soaked grooves.

A beautiful time capsule of Eastern culture meets Western influence, where experimentation and intrigue produced a fusion of sounds that still sound as vibrant and alluring as they have ever been.

Source of an all-time 'Breaks and Beats' classic, Mr Bongo reissue Herman Kelly’s timeless 1978 album Percussion Explosion!. Immortalised in hip-hop folklore, when the anthemic 'Dance To The Drummer's Beat’ was featured on the influential Ultimate Breaks & Beats compilation series in 1986.

Percussion Explosion! was the brainchild of drummer, percussionist, producer and arranger, Herman Kelly and his percussive disco-funk group from Miami, 'Life', that featured Aaron McCarthy, Oliver Well, John DeMonica, Michal Cordoza and Travis Biggs. The album houses a collection of disco, funk and Latin-inspired cuts that were destined for greatness. Nestled within the grooves is the B-Boy and B-Girl’s anthem, 'Dance To The Drummer's Beat’, which contains a now legendary break. A cursory glance at Whosampled will show that it has been sampled in over 125+ songs. These include Double Dee & Steinski on their groundbreaking 1985 production 'Lesson 3 (History Of Hip Hop Mix)', as well as by DJ Shadow, N.W.A, Masters At Work, Run D.M.C. and a whole host of heavyweights across hip-hop, dance and pop music.

When the album was released in 1978 it came out on two different labels, Alston Records and Electric Cat. Each label pressed different versions of 'Dance To The Drummer's Beat’, with the former featuring a 4:12 version and the latter a longer 5:09 version that has a different structure, crowd noise at the start and overdubbed percussion.

For this Mr Bongo reissue, we have chosen the classic 4:12 version from the Alston Records release, which would later find its way on to the illustrious Ultimate Breaks & Beats compilation. To make matters even more confusing the Alston version art on the back cover also states the track length as 5:09, whilst the centre label lists it correctly as 4:12.

Aside from the much celebrated 'Dance To The Drummer's Beat’, the album includes a range of other fantastic overlooked cuts. From the percussive soul stepper 'Share Your Love', to the beautiful Latin-flavoured 'A Refreshing Love' or the party disco-funk groover 'Who's The Funky D.J.?'.

This wonderful and inspirational record features an important piece of hip-hop heritage and deserves a place in every collection.

Brochure is a new collaboration between Gee Dee, Miles Felix, and Nick Stropko. For their debut release, they opted to cover Joking by Celine Lomez, originally featured in Soft Rock for Hard Times Vol. 7. Drenching the arrangement with synthesizers and opting to record the tune half-time, Brochure recontextualizes the song into a longing ballad.

Osprey 2 is the latest nom de guerre of Ryan M Todd aka Paul Atreides, Tom Guycot, Darklord Disco, half of Private Sea, founder of Going Home Records and an instrumental part of Universal Cave productions and parties for well over a decade. Osprey 2's Version Verrückt flips the longing ballad into a funky, driving krautrock number for Side B.

The Universal Cave crew offers their Terrace Mix as a digital only bonus track. A stripped-down strummer for the summer, the Terrace mix is scenic overlook gear for the mind's eye.

Here is our Hot Sauce Volume 5 showcasing some seriously groovy and rare Rocksteady,
Boss and Reggay tracks mixed expertly for yet another thrilling early Reggae experience on vinyl.


Here is the much anticipated volume 5 of the HOT SAUCE compilation LPs dedicated to the Trojan related labels between 1965 and 1975.
HOT SAUCE volume 5 features outstanding original Rocksteady, Boss Reggae and early Reggae (“Reggay”) tracks including rare songs, overlooked gems, hidden treasures and a couple of hits. The record labels showcased on this fourth volume are Amalgamated, Bread, Downtown, Duke, Explosion, Grape, Harry J Records , JJ Records, Rio, Splash, Upsetter and Techniques.

The tracks here have been selected according to their musical interest firstly, their rarity, and their complementarity.
These tracks are all outstanding tracks, “killer tracks”, there is no “filler” whatsoever.

Particular attention has been paid to the way the songs are sequenced (or “mixed”) so that the album builds up nicely and gradually, generally starting
with the Rocksteady songs on the A side and the 70s songs on the B side.
The HOT SAUCE series is a musical journey across Trojan and its labels showcasing early Jamaican Reggae’s diverse musical genres and outstanding artists.
Since the early 70s’ “Tighten Up” and “Club Reggae” series, no compilations have really explored these labels in depth on vinyl.
It might be the last volume of the series as we know it so we wanted to make a splash for volume 5.
It is a nod to self-censored lewd Reggae covers from Trojan and Pama in early 70s. So don't fret,
a collectible yellow sticker has been strategically applied on the shrink-wrap to cover Miss Rocksteady's bottom!!
With its striking cover and its thrilling Reggay selection, volume 5 is bound to become another successful album in the Hot Sauce series...

Repress!

Mint Condition - A brand new record label focussed on excavating the outer fringes of classic House and Techno. Unreleased mixes, classics and overlooked gems mined from the last 20+ of contemporary dance music are the order of the day. From Chicago, Detroit and New York to London and beyond, Mint Condition have got their expert digging hats on to bring you exclusive heat and those rarer than rare jams that have been on your wants list for years! Dig in.... Another dyed-in-the-wool house classic here, from all the way back in the golden mists of 1987 on the tiny, cult Danica label. Don't forget, Mint Condition's mission is to bring you the classics too, a nice, new copy to play out in the club so you can keep your original nice and fresh! We care about these things. That's why we're happy to present this monumental slab of Chicago house history from one of the absolute gods of this culture - Mr. Frankie Knuckles - this time operating under his Night Writers alias. We're not sure too much needs to be said about this one, it's all here really, that classic Knuckles deep touch, the musicality, the vibe... Ricky Dillard's vocals encapsulating that feeling when the music takes over, pure abandon. The pairing of these two talents results in what would eventually become a bona-fide house CLASSIC. No arguments. If you're not familiar you're in for a treat, if you already know then you're nodding your head and agreeing with everything you've just read. Simple really - YOU NEED THIS ONE ! 'Let The Music Use You' has been legitimately re-released with the full involvement of all license holders for 2017 and remastered by London's Curve Pusher from the original sources especially for Mint Condition. 100% legit, licensed and released. Dug, remastered, repackaged and brought to you by the caring folks at your new favourite reissue label - Mint Condition!

Repress!

Mint Condition - A record label focused on excavating the outer fringes of classic House and Techno. Unreleased mixes, classics, overlooked gems and never heard before material, mined from the last 30+ years of contemporary dance music are the order of the day. From Chicago, Detroit and New York to London and beyond. Mint Condition have got their digging hats on to bring you exclusive heat and those rarer than rare jams that have been in your wants list for years. Dig in....

Tobias Menguser, AKA Leon De Winter, was a very influential figure in the 90's Frankfurt techno scene, releasing around 100 records under various aliases, including collaborations with Ricardo Villalobos, but it was his Leon De Winter alias that really caught the ears of legendary London label Eukahouse, who originally releases this 12" all the way back in 1997. A one-off, it is not only unique in its sound design but also genre defying, spanning deep house, tech-house, techno, electro and breaks.
A-Side 'Apollo Jazz' is truly that, sounding like it was composed from a freeform jam on a trip to the Moon. Opening with emotive chords, the track lifts off and builds, melodies effortlessly twist and turn, superbly pulling together a variety of well crafted synths, bass and percussion whilst keeping the energy to the fore. Over to the B-Side, 'Metamat', is bold and more playful in its execution, more sonic trickery abounds as the opening riffs and breakbeat percussion give way to a solid 4/4. The bass is as memorable as it is quirky, but again it's the strength in the way all the elements build and combine that creates some real tripped-out musical moments without ever losing its dance floor appeal.

This is one of Tobias's most sought after releases and it's no wonder his collaborative work with Ricardo Villalobos is legendary. The tracks themselves have remained exciting and relevant, achieving cult status amongst the most discerning DJs, record collectors and music heads alike. Legitimately re-released with the full involvement of Tobias Menguser, lovingly remastered by London's Curve Pusher from the original DATs especially for Mint Condition. 100% legit, licensed and released. Dug, remastered, repackaged and brought to you by the caring folks at your favourite reissue label - Mint Condition!

Pressed in red and white split colored run just in time for the holidays. Re-issue of the 1987 Profile Records holiday compilation in a red and white split colored pressing, with songs by Run-DMC, Dana Dane, Sweet Tee, The Showboys, The Surf M.C.s, Spyder-D, and more. Leading off with the Run-DMC smash, "Christmas In Hollis," this classic Christmas compilation features some of the hottest rap artists of the era, celebrating the holidays, hip-hop style. Highlights include Dana Dane’s "Dana Dane Is Coming To Town," Sweet Tee’s "Let The Jingle Bells Rock" and even the Surf MC's' "A Surf MC New Year," adding a California surfer (and, ahem, Beastie Boys rip-off) twist to the proceedings. Not to be overlooked is the classic front and back cover artwork, featuring a gift-wrapped B-Boy. It remains an essential, evergreen (pun intended) holiday album to this day.

As the tenth candle flickers atop the torta alla panna, Archeo Recordings play the Uno reverse card, breaking with tradition to give us a gift in celebration of its birthday: the first in a series of exquisite EPs on which the label's favourite contemporaries pay homage to past masters. Each re-polished gem is plucked either directly from the beatific back catalogue of the fine Florentine label or is at least Archeo-adjacent, perhaps a sign of future wonders to come. Like a musical version of Janus, who can be found at the heart of Bertoldo di Giovanni's frieze in the Medici villa, Archeo Recordings will continue to look forwards and backwards to provide sublime sounds for us all.
Pepe Maina officially joined the Archeo family in 2019 with the much-needed reissue of his 1979 masterpiece Scerizza (AR015), but his astounding music has been a constant companion to label head Manu for much longer. An inter-dimensional, multi-instrumental maverick, Maina weaves the frayed edges of prog rock, new age, organic jazz and global minimalism into a shimmering tapestry all of his own. The results are spread across fifty years and almost as many albums, largely self-released and always absolutely untarnished by commercial concerns.
Based in a small village in the hills of Brianza, just north of Milan, Maina translates the beauty of his surroundings into transformative tone poems, and the folkloric fusion of "The Infinite", originally released on his 2014 CD Tales From The Hill, is the perfect example of his practice. It opens with a recitation of Giacomo Leopardi's 1825s poem "L'Infinito" by famed Italian actor Vittorio Gassman. A leading figure in the romantic movement, Leopardi explores the idea of time and space within the natural world, and the peace that comes with an appreciation of the immensity of eternity. Manu, longtime digger and now a burgeoning producer, expands upon the original with tribal percussion, chirping electronics and a spheric bassline, folding Maina's elegant strings and gossamer pads into a new arrangement suited for a slow dance under the stars.
Unless you had a well-trained ear tuned to Italy's avant-jazz scene, chances are your first encounter with innovative flautist Roberto Aglieri came via the 2017 Archeo reissue of hisalmost untraceable LP Ragapadani (AR011). It's a true testament to Manu's digging credentials that he snatched this masterpiece out of the esoteric atmosphere and brought it attention it so richly deserved. A delicate union of digital synthesis and versatile flute - be it soft and silvery or
brilliant and clear - the 1987 album was a shapeshifting masterpiece, replaying scenes from Virgil, Verdi, Visconti and Pasolini with a neon glow. Quintessentially Italian, but uncanny and previously unimagined - Penthouse and Portico perhaps. Powered by a percolating prototechno sequence, cascading keys, hallucinogenic vocal snippets and a variety of tonal timbres from Roberto's reed, "Danza N. 1" long deserved the praise reserved for Jean-Luc Ponty's pinnacle, so many thanks to Manu for our collective introduction. The tall task of reinterpreting this particular paragon falls to Perugian polymath Daniele Tomassini AKA Feel Fly, whose peerless skills as both producer and musician have delighted DJs and dancers alike. Hot on the heels of his diverse and definitive remixes of Tony Esposito for AR027, Daniele delivers a radical rework of "Danza N. 1" perfect for both day rave sunshine and full moon party alike. Enhanced by snapping breaks and a rattling kick, the bassline gurgle emerges as a progressive powerhouse, laying the foundation for the trilling flute and circular keys to cast a psychedelic spell. As the slow-Goa revival picks up pace, this one is way ahead of the pack.
Archeo take us all the way back to the start of its story here - well almost. Though it bore the stamp AR001 (2015), this Radio Band reissue actually hit shelves months after Tony Esposito's "Je-Na' / Pagaia"; a false start perhaps but a true classic all the same. Radio Band were a group of DJs from Florence who all sailed the airways of Radio Fantasy in 1984 and whose one and only release was this super groovy slice of Italo-boogie. Following the example of Milanese DJs Band of Jocks but far surpassing their formulaic funk fizzle, Radio Band employed an intergalactic bassline, cosmic keys and that undeniably Italian style of rapping to deliver a sophisticated party-starter which even found its way to disco deity Ron Hardy. Back to the here and now, and if you've found yourself pumping an ecstatic fist to a supercharged Italian epic of late, chances are its from the mind of the mysterious Radiomarc. Operating on the ascendent Popcorn Groove imprint, this shadowy figure steers his country's lost classics into peaktime territories, finding a sweet spot between late Italo-disco, early Italo-house and contemporary cool. Pushing the tempo with a club-ready 4/4, setting the sequencer to stun and supplementing the original melodies with a series of synth riffs, the mystery producer send this one into orbit. Radio Band - Radio Rap - Radiomarc, the circle is complete.
Few have done more to develop cross-cultural musical exchange than Futuro Antico. A collaborative venture from musician, archeologist and ethnomusicologist Walter Maioli, keyboardist and tonal theoretician Riccardo Sinigaglia and multi-disciplinary artist and composer Gabin Dabiré, Futuro Antico formed in Milan in 1979, combining ancient international folkloric traditions with otherworldly electronics. The result is an arresting melange of Mediterranean, African and Asian instrumentation, mimicked by esoteric synth tones and hypnotic minimalism, which the group perfected on their acclaimed 1990 LP Dai Primitivi All'Elettronica. The meditative and transportive "Pan Tuning" belongs to their largely overlooked 2005 CD only release Intonazioni Archetipe, and has been amongst Manu's most loved tracks from the first moment he heard it. Who else is better placed to reshape this evocative opus into an immersive, transcendental dance floor journey than label favourites Mushrooms Project? The duo sows the original elements into a sprawling fifteen minute fusion of séance and science, at times propulsive with a ritualist rhythm of tuned percussion and crunching drum machine at others drifting off into ethereal ambience. Mushrooms Project continue to push the boundaries of the Afro-cosmic style, and this remix marks a new zenith.

Soul, funk, jazz, Brazilian, Latin music... P-VINE's Groove-Diggers series has unearthed quality records that transcend genres, nationalities and ages since the series was launched in 2006. Now, we have decided to release a compilation album containing a selection of great sound sources from our vast collection. It is no exaggeration to say that this compilation, which includes a wide selection of previously overlooked finds and popular tracks that everyone has probably heard at least once, would not have been possible without the Groove Diggers team.

Multi-award-winning singer-songwriter and leading UK jazz vocalist Zara McFarlane releases Sweet Whispers – Celebrating Sarah Vaughan on 14th June. The album honours the jazz great who inspired her on her own artistic journey and whose centenary year is marked in 2024.

‘Sweet Whispers’ is more than a run-through of some of Vaughan’s most popular songs. It’s not hard to imagine the immense task in selecting those songs, after all, Vaughan’s recording career spanned 50 years notching up almost 60 albums (plus nearly 30 again in compilations and box sets). Through a thoughtfully chosen selection of songs, formed across months in collaboration with producer, and the album’s clarinettist and saxman, Giacomo Smith – Zara journeys through the musical life of Sarah Vaughan, from her first to last recording, bringing to life and breathing new life into some of her best and less familiar songs. But importantly, the songs that mean the most to Zara.

Zara McFarlane said “It was when I started to listen to Sarah Vaughan that I really began to appreciate jazz vocals. She had such control across her range and a vocal command that was cheeky, playful and fun yet sophisticated and articulate. I really wanted to pay homage to her as I feel she has been somewhat overlooked amongst the jazz singers. Although I do love Ella and Billie, it's all about Sarah for me.”

‘Sweet Whispers – Celebrating Sarah Vaughan’ was recorded analogue at Durham Studios, London. Giacomo assembled a stellar cast of musicians - Joe Webb on piano, Ferg Ireland on double bass, Jas Kayser on drums, Marlon Hibbert on Steel Pan and Gabriella Swallow on cello – to record 11 tracks live to tape; with minimal overdubs, the recording has retained a live, vintage feel. A celebration of Sarah Vaughan could be in no better hands than that of Zara McFarlane, who makes an inspired homage to the ‘Divine One’. Beautifully performed in Zara’s own inimitable style, with her own playful swoops and slides, she has added her own
touch to the music. With a silken voice and timbre that bring emotional depth, attitude and personality to this collection of SaraH Vaughan songs, this is a masterful celebration

It is 1983 and you've just stepped into your Ford Capri with your girlfriend Julie. You live in Harlow, but in your head you're really somewhere near Salou in Spain, next to your yacht. But the thing you really love is soul and they play nothing but at Sups in Loughton. OK, so It's not 1983 at all. It's 2014, but listening to this electrofied soul, will put you back in the zone. Tom Findlay, one half of Grammy-nominated Groove Armada, has put this collection together: a stamp of authenticity in itself. Tom has also put a few of these through the edit wringer, reworking many of the tunes for maximum towelling sockability.

You'll probably recognise a few tunes. There's Mtume's incredible 'Juicy Fruit', still sounding advanced and modern, while 'I Specialize In Love, mixed by disco legend Tee Scott, is even older yet sounds equally perky.

The 1980s was a period that was pretty much owned by Minneapolis thanks to Prince and former cohorts Jam & Lewis and the latter weigh in with a pair of killer productions, Thelma Houston's 'You Used To Hold Me So Tight' and Alexander O'Neal's 'What's Missing'. And since this is Late Night Tales, there is always our exclusive cover version, this time done by Findlay and Tim Hutton's Sugardaddy, who've delivered an ace version of 'Don't Look Any Further'.

Grab yourself a bar stool, order a cocktail, take a sip and make believe you're lying on a shagpile carpet with the soul star of your dreams.

Bill Brewster

Automatic Soul, like my previously compiled Late Night Tales Music For Pleasure, is based very much on a sound. It's a sound that I feel has been overlooked: 80s R&B-infused music, with drum machines, synths and invariably brilliant vocals. It's formed the bedrock of my rare groove sets for all the years I've played. It's not the most fashionable, but to me it's the perfect marriage of technology and soul, hence the title for this album, Automatic Soul. There are plenty of songs I could have included, and no doubt some that I shouldn't, but I've tried to represent what's best to me from this era. It's not a classic Late Night Tales. It's a pretty personal journey, which I hope some of you might be willing to share... Tom Findlay Groove Armada September 2014.

The Mental Groove Classic series returns with a treasure trove of rare and hard to find tracks plucked from the personal collection of label founder Olivier Ducret, a pivotal figure in Switzerland's acid house and rave-era party scene.

On Volumes Two and Three of the series - the first installment hit stores in 2017 - the Mental Groove and Musique Pour La Danse label founder takes us back to the turn of the '90s, a time he spent promoting parties in fields, squats, forests, warehouses and former factories in and around Geneva and behind the counter of a record shopof the same name. While others in Switzerland's emerging dance music scene gravitated towards US house and garage, Olivier and his crew opted for a bass, breaks and techno-focused sound inspired by regular trips to clubs, raves and record shops in the UK.

Drawing directly from his own record box and a memory bank full of snapshots of euphoric dancefloor moments, Mental Groove Classics volumes Two and Three sees Olivier reaching for cuts of near-mythical rarity, genuinely overlooked gems, and undeniably brilliant tracks that have left a long-lasting impression on the local raving landscape. It's an autobiographical audio document, historical archive and personal musical statement all rolled into one, inspired by a moment in time where musical boundaries were being redrawn in a wave of carefree optimism and freedom inspired new rave scenes across Europe and far beyond.



Matt Anniss

Original artwork by Soho's Brain Club co-owner and artist of early British club culture Mark Wigan.

File under house, breakbeat, techno and warehouse rave music

The Mental Groove Classic series returns with a treasure trove of rare and hard to find tracks plucked from the personal collection of label founder Olivier Ducret, a pivotal figure in Switzerland's acid house and rave-era party scene.

On Volumes Two and Three of the series - the first installment hit stores in 2017 - the Mental Groove and Musique Pour La Danse label founder takes us back to the turn of the '90s, a time he spent promoting parties in fields, squats, forests, warehouses and former factories in and around Geneva and behind the counter of a record shop of the same name. While others in Switzerland's emerging dance music scene gravitated towards US house and garage, Olivier and his crew opted for a bass, breaks and techno-focused sound inspired by regular trips to clubs, raves and record shops in the UK.

Drawing directly from his own record box and a memory bank full of snapshots of euphoric dancefloor moments, Mental Groove Classics volumes Two and Three sees Olivier reaching for cuts of near-mythical rarity, genuinely overlooked gems, and undeniably brilliant tracks that have left a long-lasting impression on the local raving landscape. It's an autobiographical audio document, historical archive and personal musical statement all rolled into one, inspired by a moment in time where musical boundaries were being redrawn in a wave of carefree optimism and freedom inspired new rave scenes across Europe and far beyond.



Matt Anniss

Original artwork by Soho's Brain Club co-owner and artist of early British club culture Mark Wigan.

File under house, breakbeat, techno and warehouse rave music

Mint Condition - A record label focused on excavating the outer fringes of classic House and Techno. Unreleased mixes, classics, overlooked gems and never heard before material, mined from the last 30+ years of contemporary dance music are the order of the day. From Chicago, Detroit and New York to London, San Francisco and beyond. Mint Condition have got their digging hats on to bring you exclusive heat and those rarer than rare jams that have been in your wants list for years. Dig in!

A serendipitous encounter at an SF record store in the early 90s brought together local music aficionados DJ Dan and Jim Hopkins. Their collaboration birthed the legendary Electroliners project, channeling their shared passion for underground and funky sounds into the iconic left-coast rave anthem, 'Loose Caboose', now firmly nestled in your hands. Pooling their musical prowess, Dan and Jim embarked on a journey of sonic exploration, meticulously crafting their signature sound by dissecting samples and breakbeats, infusing the musical landscape with a revitalizing energy. As their reputation grew within the local scene, they found themselves tasked with supplying a track for a promotional CD-ROM by a burgeoning software company.

Through marathon sessions of digging, slicing, sequencing, and exchanging snippets over phone calls, Electroliners hit their creative stride. It was only natural to unveil their creation in the raw intensity of a live rave setting. Thanks to a connection with DJ DRC, they seized the opportunity, and the rest is history. Copies of the record flew off the shelves by the thousands locally, and its overseas acclaim, spearheaded by licensing through XL Recordings in the UK, cemented its status as a bona fide underground classic. But what exactly is an Electroliner you might ask? Jim sheds light on the inspiration: “I delved into books on trains at the public library,” he reveals. “Among them, 'Electroliner' caught my eye, a train line in the Midwest. Given the track's pulsating train horn, 'Electroliner' and 'Loose Caboose' simply clicked.”

'Loose Caboose' is an all-time classic, and still causes much damage on the dancefloor today. Yet another unmissable addition to the MC reissue catalogue, fully licensed from the artists, mastered and cut by Curve Pusher, and available once again available for purchase. Do not sleep.

Mint Condition - A record label focused on excavating the outer fringes of classic House and Techno. Unreleased mixes, classics, overlooked gems and never heard before material, mined from the last 30+ years of contemporary dance music are the order of the day. From Chicago, Detroit and New York to Manchester, London and beyond. Mint Condition have got their digging hats on to bring you exclusive heat and those rarer than rare jams that have been in your wants list for years. Dig in......

MC065 presents a highly anticipated reissue of Kilowatt's 'The Last EP' – a coveted 4-track compilation featuring a blend of technoid electro-funk and Detroit-inspired house grooves. Originally unleashed on Rob Gretton's legendary Manchester label 'Rob's Records', this EP seamlessly meshes with contemporary sounds and promises an immersive experience on a powerful sound system. Catering to aficionados of the more intricate and funk-infused facets of electronic music, Kilowatt unleashed this underground gem in 1995, earning it a well-deserved cult status among dedicated music explorers and DJs alike. Secure your copy of this exceptionally rare piece of UK musical brilliance now, courtesy of your friends at MC.

All tracks have been lovingly remastered by London's Curve Pusher from the original sources especially for Mint Condition. 100% legit, licensed and released. Dug, remastered, repackaged and brought to you by the caring folks at your favourite reissue label - Mint Condition.

Long Beach legend Scotty Coats links the West Coast eclecticism of Stones Throw to the NYC cool of DFA and Rong to the Balearic gods of DJ Harvey et al. He personally introduced Be With to Ned Doheny 10 years ago and he was immortalised on Smith & Mudd's last LP. And he's the main man behind the mysteriously titled duo Todd Russell & The Dangerous Coats, alongside Erick "Todd" Coomes (Lettuce founder/bassist).

In very real danger of being lost forever, we unearthed two of their private recordings and present them as a double A-Side 12", adorned with S-T-U-N-N-I-N-G artwork, courtesy of Arizona artist Frank Gonzales.

"Playa Larga" is a melodic, mellow masterpiece and is quintessentially Balearic. It's stretched out, low slung, guitar-soaked drum-machine soul music. It's multi-layered and contains multitudes: it builds and builds and builds and mesmerises as it does so. On the flip, "1900 Ocean Avenue" is a super slo-mo, sunbaked drug-chug which is already blowing minds thanks to early leaks of this cosmic, psychedelic detonation.

On first listen back, Erick said to Scotty: “So wait, nothing really happens, I mean nothing bad happens but nothing really happens”. Apparently these tracks were a bit foreign for Erick, musically, because of the lack of structure in the songs.

One morning, years later, Erick called Scotty and excitedly declared: “dude, I get it now!”. He was listening to random music with a lady friend while watching the sunrise in his 1900 Ocean Ave apartment and "Playa Larga" came on randomly. He'd forgotten all about it and said he had to get up and see what song it was because "it was the perfect soundtrack for a psychedelic sunrise over the ocean."

And that's exactly how we came across it, circa 2018, randomly popping up on a playlist while we were busy doing other things. It stopped us in our tracks but, when trying to find any info on iTunes, we were out of luck. It was only years later that we worked out Scotty had sent it to us. Ever since, we've been working on getting this out to you all. It's finally time.

We've only 500 pressed for the world, with many of them spoken for by those lucky enough to be already ITK, so these are gonna fly: be warned!

Scotty is a world class raconteur so we'll hand over to him to explain how these songs came about and why they mean so much to him in the context of his wider raison d'être:

"These were made 13 years ago when I was a new dad and left my job at Ubiquity Records to provide security for my newborn son, Nolan Liam Chai Coats. I became miserable working a job outside of music for the first time in my life and I was laid off 4 months into it. I was left wondering how the fuck am I going to provide for my family?

I lived in Long Beach and Erick lived a few blocks away. I would walk to his house when Jen finally got Nolan to sleep so I could escape my panic, drink some beers (is it beerlearic?) and make some music. He lived overlooking the ocean with the Queen Mary on the horizon, so I guess mellow Long Beach nights unintentionally inspired the music. These songs were the first two songs we ever made and they embody the desperation and hope I really needed at that time. 12 years later, when Rob at Be With expressed an interest in releasing it, we had Erick's brother Tyler Tycoon Coomes play drums on it at Jazzcats Studio in LBC, with Jonny Bell.

Shortly after I was laid off, I discovered The Stepkids. I was blown away by "Shadows On Behalf" and sent it on to Gilles Peterson. He played it on Worldwide the next day. The Stepkids pulled me back into music and made me realize I wasn't prepared to do anything but be involved with music. After I heard their unreleased album, I knew there was something there so I sent it to my good friend Jamie Strong who was at Stones Throw at the time. Jamie passed it along to Peanut Butter Wolf and the band asked me to be their manager. I didn't think I was the right guy for the job but wanted to see them do well so I told them I would help shop their album. Jamie suggested I take his place at Stones Throw, just as he did when he left Ubiquity Records. I always joke that Jamie can call me Scotty Coat Tails because I had been riding his for years.

Wolf told him that "Scotty is a nice guy but has horrible taste in music", which was ironic because he was literally trying to sign the band that I brought him. The Stepkids signed with Stones Throw and found a real manager. 6 or so months later Jamie sent me a note saying "Stones Throw is hiring and you should apply lol". I told him I was going to send my resume and the subject of the email was to read I HAVE GREAT FUCKING TASTE IN MUSIC. I did just that and got a call the next day from their new GM asking me to come in for an interview. When I walked in I was in Wolf's office where I had been 6 months before, signing The Stepkids
deal. Wolf and Jason McGuire were asking me some questions and wanted to introduce me to Jeff Jank. Jank walked in and said "Isn't this the guy that Jamie wanted to bring on 6 months ago?" They confirmed and he threw his hands up and walked out saying "I've seen enough". I got the job. I worked there for 2 or 3 years until I left to join forces with Jamie Strong at his label and stayed there for almost 7 years."

Scotty wanted to use a painting by his good friend, Frank Gonzales, for the front cover image. Frank was incredibly generous in letting us use this one, and Scotty was completely honoured. We think you'll agree, it's pretty striking. Simon Francis carefully mastered the original audio for both tracks and Cicely Balston's precise cut for Alchemy at AIR Studios ensures this double A-side 12" sounds appropriately outstanding. The immaculate Record Industry pressing will ensure these previously unheard, recently discovered recordings finally get a chance to shine.