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Bushwacka’s first release for Radio Slave’s Rekids, the ‘Heaven On Earth’ EP, is out on October 11th 2024 and sees the UK House and Breakbeat innovator deliver two tracks complete with versions.

Title track ‘Heaven On Earth’ is a slice of low-slung House in which a drawling spoken-word vocal about love for music dominates. It’s a track with the sort of cast-iron, funky groove that has permeated Bushwacka’s music since day one. The ‘Instadub’ dubs out the vocals and takes ‘Heaven On Earth’ in a heady direction.

On the flip, Version One and Version Two of ‘Roger That’ see Bushwacka drop finely tuned funk-infused Deep House, with the former treading an earthy heads-down path while the latter ups the melody, chord and vocal sample prominence, creating a restrained euphoria throughout.

Bushwacka, aka Matthew Benjamin or Matthew B/Just Be/Makesome Breaksome and countless other aliases, has been a pivotal part of the electronic music scene for over 30 years. While his wildly successful project with Layo Paskin as Layo & Bushwacka! is his most prominent, this former London School Symphony Orchestra percussionist’s roots go much deeper. A pioneer of the nascent Rave and Acid House scenes who went on to be one of the progenitors of Tech House and UK Breakbeat scenes, Bushwacka’s influence is huge but far from static, with releases on the likes of Classic, Aus and NuGroove in the past few years alone.

Fresh and direct from Toronto, Pacific Rhythm is pleased to welcome Emissive (aka Evan Vincent) for a solo cruise on the label. While Vincent has appeared on the label twice as part of house music duo Active Surplus (alongside Ian Syrett), this new EP entitled Wave Science sees the young musician push his sound into warmer and more melodic waters.

Vincent says the new tracks pay tribute to the Black American roots of electronic music; a historical fact the producer says is an ongoing source of motivation and inspiration in his work.

Indeed, this new four-tracker sees Emissive bring in a pinch of futuristic boogie and cosmic funk to his dancefloor recipe—versatile flavours that should go down quite well at a variety of Dance Opportunities in the very near future! All of the tunes were composed and mixed at Vincent’s home studio in Canada’s largest city, with the tracks getting a warm, Hi-Fi mixdown via Syrett’s Nagra IV reel-to-reel. Tech talk aside, Vincent says he wanted to avoid over-analyzing the production and instead summon the spirits of dance, love and seasonal warmth.

Or as the artist himself says: “Less thinking, more feeling.” Check it out and we’re sure you’ll agree his approach paid off!

A gas generator, a hi-fi system, a semi-abandoned house, and 20 hastily printed flyers. That's how, almost without realizing it, Lapsus was born in 2004. Over the course of two decades, we've ridden a rollercoaster of emotions: from soaring epiphanies, convinced that nothing could stop us, to moments of near defeat when we almost threw in the towel. Let's be honestMaking a career out of music is not exactly choosing the easy path. But epic tales aside, today we look back with pride at having created something that, in our humble view, is genuine. To celebrate Lapsus' journey and what lies ahead--and also keeping an eye on what is yet to come--we've gathered some of the artists who have joined us along the way, musicians we consider friends and for whom we have the deepest admiration. In a way, VINT (Catalan for ''twenty'') is like a sonic photo album, a tracklist that tells our story better than we could ourselves, a collection of unreleased music that celebrates the fact that we've made it this far. Leading this outstanding compilation are forward-thinking producers, with contributions from some of the most respected names in cutting-edge electronic music (A-Z): CLARAGUILAR, GAZZI, Kettel, Kode9, Le Motel, Lord Of The Isles, Marina Herlop, naemi, Nueen, Pepe, Plaid, Seph, Simo Cell, Suzanne Ciani, Wordcolour, and u-Ziq. VINT is our way of thanking you for your unwavering support over these 20 years. We hope you enjoy it!

Twin Color - Vol 1 marks the grand return of Murcof to producing a full-length album in all its glory and generosity, nearly two decades after the release of Cosmos in 2007. Celebrated for his classical, minimalist textures and unique soundscapes, Murcof has established himself as a master of modern ambient music alongside Tim Hecker, Alva Noto, and Johann Johannsson. With this new album, Murcof takes a bold step forward, embracing a distinctly cinematic and dystopian narrative influenced by the great science fiction films of the 1980s. This new direction immerses the listener in atmospheres that are at times dark, at times filled with nostalgic brightness, drawing inspiration from post-punk and synth-wave, while partially reconnecting with his early experiments with the Nortec Collective.

Premiered at Mutek Montréal in August 2024, Twin Color is also an unprecedented audiovisual performance, created in collaboration with Simon Geilfus, based in Brussels, who has nourished and colored the album’s production. This immersive performance, conceived in the IRCAM studios in Paris in 2022, unfolds the album's tracks against a backdrop of moving natural landscapes, as mysterious as they are fascinating, highlighted in the album's visual elements.

Twin Color - Vol 1 will be available in vinyl, CD, and digital formats, each with track listings adapted to the listening experience. This album reaffirms Murcof’s unique sonic signature, blending analog synthesizers with modern production techniques to create a multisensory experience, propelling Murcof into an exciting new decade.

'Cupar Grain Silo' is Sam Annand's first release on the Blackford Hill label. Its nine tracks blur the lines between ambient electronica and sonic history, as synthesised melodies and rhythms reverberate through the extreme acoustics of the disused Cupar Grain Silo in Scotland. Built in 1964 as a sugar store, the silo towers 60 metres above the surrounding Fife countryside. Its industrial life was short: in 1971 it was closed, and barring a short period as a grain store, remained empty for decades.

In 2014, Sam Annand was given access to the silo as part of the Resono project, set up to study a series of highly reverberant locations across Scotland. The ambitious industrial architecture of the Cupar Grain Silo has given the space a reverberation time of 36.5 seconds. This measurement describes the time a sound takes to decay or 'fade away' in a closed space. To put this in perspective, the Cupar Grain Silo reverb time is around three times longer than that in cathedrals like York Minster and St Paul's.

"The acoustics are immediately noticeable when climbing the ladder into the main chamber", Sam says. "The sound of your voice begins to circle around and above you, inviting you to shout, clap and bang objects to excite the space into revealing its intimidating architectural voice."

Sam began to experiment with musical compositions which responded to the unique acoustics of the silo space. He used impulse responses – a short, sharp sound like a gunshot – to record these acoustics, allowing him to experiment with the silo's reverb in his production. Sam's compositions were performed using a modular synth system, a Roland Juno-6 polyphonic synthesizer and a bowed ride cymbal.

"Chords can be constructed in time by hanging successive single notes in the air," Sam describes, "The flutter echoes from the immediate cylindrical walls can be used to create bursts of scattering spatial imagery and harmonic blooms, following short percussive moments."

Originally recorded on 21st May 2016, 'Cupar Grain Silo' is now released on 12" vinyl with an accompanying booklet of imagery and essays. The compositions are at once true to the unique architectural acoustics of the silo whilst also being playful and experimental with the creative possibilities it offered. Arpeggiated melodies ebb and fall across extended call-and-response shapes formed by the silo's reverb; modular drum patterns crackle like dying machinery; whilst bowed drones waver and wash over.

"We all love reverberation," reflects Prof. Peter Stollery, Professor of Composition and Electroacoustic Music at the University of Aberdeen, on the project. "As kids, we play in it – yelling in forests and caves, surreptitiously dropping objects in huge churches – mouths wide open at the lingering smears of sound which come back to us."

In 'Cupar Grain Silo', Sam Annand has harnessed the extraordinary acoustics of the disused silo to tap into this sense of joy and amazement that reverberation can bring.

ADE is just around the corner which means it’s time for the annual Vega Records 5 Pack Unreleased limited vinyl release.

Unreleased V is ready for you to play at your vinyl parties with a lineup of super talented individuals including Bebe Winans, Msaki, NV, Funki Cadets, Axel Tosca, Boddhi Satva, Tommy Bones, Johnny Dangerous, Dj Erv, Natasha Watts, Mobi Dixon, and Josh Milan. This year we hit you with 18 Unreleased tracks, special versions, dubs, and more for your dance floors and house parties. With 5 new reworks by Dj Erv to new young talent NV, to seasoned songwriter and genius talented artist Msaki, to the incomparable Bebe Winans, to Brooklyn producer Tommy Bones, to the maestro on keyboards Axel Tosca and more, this 5 pack brings you around the world within 18 tracks from Brazil to Africa to Cuba and back to New York City ! The pressing is pristine mastered by Herb “Pump” Powers and vinyl manufactured at Optimal Germany assuring you top quality excellence! This is a limited edition so get yours asap before they sell out! Available soon at a record store near you!

Published: 21st October 2024

Originally scheduled for release way back in March 1996, "The Raw Factor" by North Carolina native Omniscence is one of the last of the unreleased mid-90's albums to see the light of day. Despite being awarded The Source's coveted "Hip Hop Quotable" and dropping two well-received singles ("Amazin" and "Touch Y'all"), record label politics meant the full-length "The Raw Factor" album was never released and fans were left wondering what might have been.

28 years later, "The Raw Factor" is finally being released on vinyl, CD and digital stores. Featuring punchline-driven lyrics from Omniscence delivered in his unmistakable cadence, and backed by head-nodding production from Fanatic, the album is a must-own for fans of 90's Hip Hop.

Omniscence haunted the same early 90's cyphers and stages that many lyrical greats from the era had to cross. With a gruff delivery and equal adeptness with punchlines and metaphors, his high finish at the 1994 edition Battle For World Supremacy at the New Music Seminar assured heads across the culture were watching. After this, Omniscence locked in with producer Fanatic (who also laced tracks for Notorious B.I.G., Ma$e and Michael Jackson). The result was "The Raw Factor" album, fifteen plus tracks of jazzed out boom-bap, replete with crackin' drums.

Now Below System Records has not only given the album its first deluxe physical release (including 2xLP, CD and digital) as well as a slew of bonus/unreleased tracks.
















p Touch Y'all (Remix) feat. Sadat X
















p Touch Y'all (Remix) feat. Sadat X
















p Touch Y'all (Remix) [feat. Sadat X]

Girolle takes listeners on a dynamic journey through dark, atmospheric landscapes, blending deep basslines, cinematic inspirations, and nostalgic nods to the 90s rave scene. From shadowy depths to uplifting grooves, the EP embodies a fusion of past and present influences, delivering a cohesive yet diverse sonic experience that is as introspective as it is dancefloor-ready."

“Raggamuffin Soldier” was recorded at Channel One Recording Studio in 1983 with Soldgie as engineer and a rhythm track played by Jolly Stewart and Daniel “Axeman” Thompson. Growing up in the Waterhouse neighborhood of Kingston, Jolly Stewart obviously developed this singing style and gave us a killer early digital dancehall missile with pure conscious lyrics “Raggamuffin soldier, big ina your area...me no deal with badness, me nah deal inna war, me is a raggamuffin soldier...mi raggamuffin ina foreign, raggamuffin sit down pon di riddim...how you know the raggamuffin? Me no wear no gold chain, me no wear no gold ring...”. “Raggamuffin Soldier” was produced by Fitzroy Peterkin who also produced the digital lover tune "Angie".
The Waterhouse style is a particular style of singing that emerged in the late seventies and early eighties within the Jamaican reggae scene. The Waterhouse style is commonly described as a plaintive, groaning and fluctuating vocal style, often nasal and strident, characteristics that will give it a sound that is distinct from the rest of the reggae singers. The commonly recognized founders of the Waterhouse style are the singers Michael "Mykal" Rose, Junior Reid and Don Carlos. The name derives from the famous neighborhood of the same name in Kingston, the capital of Jamaica, the place where the three pioneers were born and emerged. The Waterhouse style influenced many dancehall reggae artists of the eightiesvsuch as Tenor Saw, Half Pint, Nitty Gritty, Anthony Red Rose, King Kong, Yami Bolo, Andrew Bees...
Vincent Stewart aka “Jolly Man” is a reggae singer from Kingston 11, born december 16 1960 at Hunts Bay Lane, 4 Miles, Jamaica. Jolly started singing at age 13, he was placed in an approve School for 3 years and at the age of 16 he was released.
He started his musical career in the late 70's with Ossie Thomas, Phllip Morgan and Tristan Palmer from Black Solidarity label. Jolly Stewart recorded his first song entitled "Money Pyaka" on the classic "Pretty Looks" riddim which was recorded for Oswald Thomas on Ganja Farm label and released in 1979. Tristan Palmer who has another tune "Disappointed Lover" on the same riddim backed by The Soul Syndicate made the link with Jolly Stewart because he liked his style of song writting.
Jolly Stewart wrote three songs for Black Solidarity label: "Collie Man", "Bad Minded" and "Symbol Of Justice". All three tracks were covered by Triston Palmer. As a song writter, Jolly Stewart is behind Yami Bolo's hit on Stalag riddim “When A Man Is In Love” released on Winston Riley's label Techniques.
Jolly Stewart then decided to move on with his singjay career. He ventured to Tuff Gong studio where he met two producers. One was Prince Jazzbo from Ujama label, and the other was John John who owned the Bun Fi Bun label. He recorded "Praise jah" for Ujama and "Poverty Rush" for Bun Fi Bun. Still not satisfied with how his career was heading, he moved on to Lannaman's Preparatory School. There he learned to play guitar from a man named Fred McMurray aka Faf and Donald Jackson. Later he learned to play the keyboards by watching other musicians.
In the late 80's and early 90's, Jolly Stewart recorded many songs for various labels such as “Do Me Like So” for Bunny Gemini's label “Bun Gem Records” in 1987, “Late Last Night” and “War” for producer Zelma Rust and his label Myotta Ruff.
He also recorded for Augustus Pablo on his label Rockers International just before he died in the late 90's but we never heard about this release so probably Addis Pablo have it on old master tapes in the Rockers International archives....only Jah knows!

Crystal Green Coloured Repress !

Recut & Represed!

As always Kling Klong gives space for new artists and supports upcoming talents. This time Martin Eyerer & Rainer Weichhold had no doubts signing this debut release from Stuttgart's dj/producer Ninetoes as 'Finder' is obviously a massive stand-out track which has the words 'summer hit' written all over it. So it was just easy to convince Leon and Re-UP from Italy to do the remixes and help to make this release even more oustanding.

Support from:

Matthias Tanzmann, Loco Dice, Adam Beyer, Nick Curly, Butch, Riva Starr, Popof, Kaiserdisco

DJ Feedbacks:
Adam Beyer: like the leon mix!
Loco Dice: Will try. Please send me the WAV. Thanks
Nick Curly: schöner release....leon remix gefällt mir am besten, danke!
Matthias Tanzmann: woher kenne ich denn die Melodie Coole Tracks auf jeden Fall.
Davide Squillace: Nice one..
Monika Kruse: der leon remix rockt.
Tiefschwarz (Ali): nice nice :) re-up rmx is my favorite.
Butch: leon rocks
Riva Starr: leon rmx for me thx
Claptone: supersonniger tune das original
Ramon Tapia: Leon mix is cewl !
Gregor Tresher: Leon mix sounds cool.
Chus: Leon and Re-Up mixes for me.
Popof: Great remix from re up ! love it
Kaiserdisco: Original mix is nice, will try it out.
Wally Lopez: Leon remix are huge!! Support
Shinedoe: I'll try it out.

FINALLY! What an honour it is to share this one to the masses in the style of a fresh brand series that I teamed up with Bushman to bring a new label called 'Spiritual Vibes' where we will be bringing dubs that bring the vibes, the whole vibes and nothing but the vibes! Yet to launch it all off we are starting with a special project-build we had started over 2 years ago with a tune from Bushman's 90s archives; re-vamped and re-stamped with inspiration from the original track 'Return to Jah' aka Souljah Step as played by none-other than the mighty Aba Shanti-I as a themed closing anthem at many dances. Once we had played this version to Aba he had resurrected the original dubplates cuts in order so he could start running these new cuts alongside as a remix cut!

Orlando Voorn Is Set to Release His First Ep on Syncrophone Records. Each Track Captures Voorn's Unique Ability to Blend Cutting-Edge Sounds With Deep, Rhythmic Grooves, Offering a Fresh and Innovative Take on Electronic Music. This Release Is Not to Be Missed, as It Highlights Voorn's Continued Influence and Syncrophone's Commitment to Bringing Exceptional Music to the Forefront....

Mark Broom and CJ Baker team up as Kingpin Cartel on Rekids for the The ‘Long Dark Soul Of The Night’ EP

Kingpin Cartel, Mark Broom and CJ Baker’s joint House alias debuts on Rekids this November with the ‘Long Dark Soul Of The Night’ four-tracker. The EP starts with the title track, a playful, funk-fuelled cut with squelchy licks and soulful keys. Next, Kingpin Cartel’s ‘Moonrise’ leads with strong percussion that lay underneath a smooth swinging piano riff. ‘You Are’ then dives deep, perfectly blending emotive synth chords with an undeniably weighty house beat before ‘Shakedown’ closes the ‘Long Dark Soul Of The Night’ EP with a quirky synth line and an infectious bassline that firmly keeps it old-school.

Mark Broom is a UK dance music legend with releases on labels like Warp, M-Plant, and Hardgroove. He returns to Rekids as one of its core artists, joining CJ Baker, a producer known for EPs on Innervisions, Emissions Lo-Fi, Well Rounded, and many more. Founded in 2005, their Kingpin Cartel alias has released on Nic Fanciuli’s Saved Records as well as Mark Broom’s Rewired, Pure Plastic, and Beardman imprints, now landing on Radio Slave’s flagship label with the ‘Long Dark Soul Of The Night’ EP.

“I've collaborated with Polychrome for quite some time. I performed at their one-year anniversary at Sexyland and, along with Eversines, played at their ADE 2022 party. Additionally, I contributed to their recent "Reflection EP." Throughout this collaboration, we became friends. Hervé, one of the core members of the group, asked me numerous times to create an EP together. It wasn't until his wedding that I finally said yes (how fitting!).

The first track of the EP is "Laak," a tune I created the day after playing at the club in Den Haag. I thoroughly enjoyed DJing at this venue with its impressive sound system. It inspired me to work on the low reese-bass that forms the core foundation of the track. Hervé and I decided to dedicate the entire A-side to this tune, as we had discussed how nice it would be to have a 45-side on this EP.

The second side focuses more on the emotional aspects we appreciate. "Underwater (Dream Mix)" opens this side with an uptempo techno-ish foundation and trancy melodies, fitting the label's aesthetic perfectly. The track's name stems from my unintentional creation of very "underwater" sounding pads during the recording session (note to self: next time double-check if the mix is alright). The EP concludes with "Reassociate," a tune heavily inspired by the early 2000s IDM gems we adore.”

Rein

Its been an incredible journey so far for the Austrian label Fortunea Records. Founded in 2014 by Vienna-based dj and producer Klaus Benedek it was originally launched to release his own productions. But over time many of his friends and colleagues from the scene send him demos. And since then it grow exponential and is now an embodiment of the capitols house and electronic music scene.

Now they are celebrating the labels 10 year anniversary with a 2x12“ vinyl compilation called ‚Down The Danube River‘. This package features 9 tracks by already established figureheads (Peletronic, Dzc., Moff & Tarkin, Jakobin, Nick Hanzo etc.) aswell stunning new productions by new faces (gutinstinct) and projects (SXP). Ranging from bass dub heavy broken beats, deep and funky house tunes to experimental cosmic downtempo trips.

Available soon in a record store near you!

Twenty-four strikes on Exarde with Parchi Pubblici, the hardware analog act from Italy who records his songs in one take and have been laying it heavily and steadily for a while, henceforth we can hear the result of it with our own ears. The release consists of four original works by the man himself with first three ready for peak time club cuts with the help of roaring analog machines. They are produced to ready to sweat the dance floor, these stories are followed by a great outro track to conclude this EP. “Pressed Trouble” which is the name of this disc describes the content of it perfectly, because sure as hell this body of work is on the mission to create trouble and trouble sometimes needed to construct the top-level audio trips. Having produced digital contents for the respected labels that you can look up, this is a debut physical vinyl release by the artist and it is a great honour to host him on the label and hopefully to many more to come in the future.

We are excited to announce the release of the Complete James Brown Christmas Collection, a three-LP set featuring music from 1966-1970.

You absolutely don’t need to be a holiday music lover to fall in love with the music spilling out over these James Brown records, as most of the tracks are original compositions that hold their own against many of the grooves that Brown was recording during this high-water mark of his career.

With bonus tracks galore and fantastic liner notes by Alan Leeds (former James Brown publicist and tour manager), and mastered/cut by legendary mastering engineer Kevin Gray, this is a must-have even if you have to give yourself a well-earned, early musical present this year!

Berlin based artist TWINS debut album of home produced, world infused
Lo-FI Soul / Psychedelic Pop / Devotional tape recordings
The wide array of sounds pulsing through The Human Jazz reflect the diversity of
Neukölln as well as Denck's extensive library. Tracks like "Some Kind of Space"
wobble and groove, vintage '60s Philicorda organ vamping over the top a la
Zamrock and other East African styles. The sleigh bells and droning keys of
"Anatman", meanwhile, are pulled from the vibes of another African music
explorer: "Alice Coltrane is a goddess to me," Denck says. "I spend so much of my
time listening to spiritual, modal, and free jazz." And as the track ends on a bit of
warped tape, a smoky purple portal rips open, pulling a new world into focus..

‘The Gods We Can Touch’ is an elegant and celestial but provocative album about shame, desire and morality, all seen through the narrative prism of Greek mythology. In each of the album’s fifteen songs we meet a different god. In AURORA’s own words, “With every album I try to figure out what music means to people and why it’s so important,” she says. “I ask myself: ‘What would people wish to hear right now? What words do they need to hear? What could do good?’” In answering that question, she’s recorded an album that celebrates how spectacular each of us can be, by reminding us how unspectacular we also are.

Introducing Access All Areas - FLO’s debut album. A body of work imbued with the girls unapologetic, contagious force.

Blending the rich tones and luscious melodies of R&B and soul with pitched up original samples, futuristic production,

contagious hooks and candid, relatable lyricism, the project feels like yet another arrival for the group.
Featuring songs such as ‘Walk Like This’ and new single ‘Check’, plus many more.

1 x 140g Crystal Clear Vinyl.

ncoming for the second release on House Music label Ascension on Wax, AoW's co-founder Lavan is dropping his 'For The Love EP.' This raw, authentic, party-ready release is arguably his best to date and pushes the purity of the old-school house music sound, whilst bringing it into the present. Lavans notorious usage of MPC sampling and borrowed synthesisers is flowing throughout the release alongside gorgeous jazz elements. Hydro-trip specialist Black Eyes closes the EP with a subterranean, downtempo roller of a remix which gives a nod to the iconic Detroit sound championed by the late Mike Huckaby amongst many others.

'For The Love EP' follows Lavan's 'It's Happening EP' on SlothBoogie released earlier in 2024 and his feature in DJ Mag's emerging artists section. This is a gentleman who is proving his dedication to his craft.

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.

Roberto Musci, born in Milan in 1956, studied guitar, music and electronic instruments. From 1974 to 1985 he traveled the world studying African, Indian, Arabic and Oriental music, recording ethnic music “in the field,” studying and collecting ethnic musical instruments from all over the world. His self-produced debut album, “The Loa of Music,” is a seminal work of staggering originality and extraordinary beauty in which field recordings, musique concrète, electronics, synthesis and instrumentation are interwoven, drawing on the countless musics from around the world that he has recorded. The subsequent “Water messages on desert sand,” composed with Giovanni Venosta, was nominated for a Grammy in the UK in 1987. In the 1980s and 1990s he broadcast ethnic and electronic-experimental music from Rai and Radio Popolare radio stations. He has also composed and played music for videos, commercials, dance, poetry, theater, composed soundtracks and accompanied silent films live. From 1980 to the present, he has played with many Italian and European musicians: Giovanni Venosta, Claudio Gabbiani, Walter Prati, Giorgio Magnanensi, Massimo Cavallaro, Massimo Mariani, Moni Ovadia, Roberto Zorzi, Chris Cutler, Jon Rose David Moss, Steve Piccolo, Elliott Sharp, Keith Tippett and the Third Ear Band.

The theme of travel, ethnicities and mysticism are a pivotal point in this new album of his as well, demonstrating once again how music needs absolutely no sharp lines of demarcation. The music is one.

It goes from the search for deep meanings in a time spent in a Hindu monastery (Ashram) listening to mantras and studying Buddhist philosophy (The Principle Of Things) to space explorations and human settlements on the Moon or Mars wondering how man will live and what he will bring to the new worlds imagining that Sufism, an Islamic mystical religion, will accompany him in the discovery of new worlds (Derviches On Mars). In Goodbye Monsters, harmony and peace are sought. Memories Of A Piano Player is a tribute to Keith Tippett, a great pianist (King Crimson , Centipede, Mujician) with whom he played in several concerts and with whom I spent evenings talking about music, food and Italian wine. Quantum State focuses on how quantum mechanics is creating a revolution in the way of thinking and dividing reality into infinite Parallel Worlds. Panthalassa is the vast ocean that surrounded Pangea and blends South American marimba music and traditional Chinese music. Burn The Shadows is a tribute to the fascinating Indonesian shadow theater, from the stories told and the atmosphere created during the long plays told in the sacred Indian texts of Ramayana or Mahabharata. Shadows are also more or less pleasant memories to which one is attached, and to burn them is still to move on with one's life.

Torajan Funeral Chant: The Toraja are a people living in Sulawesi (Indonesia) who have a special worship of the dead. Funerals are festivals that last several days, the corpses are protected by Tau-Tau (small dolls that watch over cemeteries), and over the years, they exhume the corpses of their relatives and keep them in their homes with them for a time to remember them.

The experimentation goes all the way to modern Artificial Intelligence that 'interrogated' to create something new by inserting conflicting inputs joins them together but nonsensically creating interesting insights; hence A.I. In Confusion. Pangea, named after the continent that contained all the land that emerged between 540 and 200 million years ago, in the Paleozoic and Mesozoic periods, imagined as inhabited by man without divisions created by borders, wars, religions or ethnic groups, is also a tribute to Steve Reich, one of the fathers and a great musician of minimal music. Prophecies, a reading of sacred texts and religious songs from evangelical sects in the United States filtered into granular synthesis with percussion music from South India, closes.

Gospel melts into Soul in this dazzling collection of sides originally released by the Chess subsidiary.


Devised by the same team supporting the likes of Muddy Waters and Etta James at Chess, the vintage of Checker Gospel celebrated here is distinguished by its expertly raw, rugged, live feel — thumping bass and pounding drums, bluesy guitar and horns — and its keen engagement with contemporary realities and politics, with an underlying, unwavering commitment to the Civil Rights movement. Not forgetting its sheer, startling, richly diverse soulfulness.

Key architects of the Chicago Sound and Motown are amongst the scores of contributors: Charles Stepney, Gene Barge, Eddie Kendricks, and Leonard Caston Jr. are in the house… Morris Jennings, drummer on Curtis’ Superfly and Terry Callier’s What Color Is Love… Louis Satterfield from The Pharaohs and Earth Wind & Fire… Ramsey Lewis’ guitarist Byron Gregory… Phil Upchurch… Laura Lee…

Producer Monk Higgins joined Checker in 1967, bringing his experience of R&B and Gospel hit-making for the labels One-derful and Satellite, together with a loyal cohort of musicians. A protege of Willie Dixon, engineer Malcolm Chisholm set up the Ter Mar studio as if preparing for a live gig, carefully teasing measures of bleed into the microphones. With Ralph Bass from King Records running A&R, they knew exactly what they were after. ‘I’m using horns and an R&B sound in gospel recordings,’ said Bass. ‘We have no charts. All the musicians are given the chord changes. I want the cats to think when we’re cutting. I want spontaneity, and that’s what we’re getting.’ And: ‘There is more to gospel than just finding solace in the church. This follows the same message of Martin King, who was fighting for a new way of life. Kids are tired of hearing Jesus Give Us Help. They want a positive message.’

Focussed on the late sixties and early seventies, the twenty-five recordings here are all killer no filler, but try these four, random entry points: the heavy funk ostinato of the Violinaires’ Groovin’ With Jesus, working itself up into a post-James-Brown brass frenzy, sure to knock your socks off; Cleo Jackson Randle’s title track, for those who like their Gospel straight-up and hard-core; Eddie Kendricks’ achingly timely choral call-to-arms, Stand Up America, Don’t Be Afraid; the East St Louis Gospelettes’ heart-stopping, fathoms-deep rendition of Bobby Bland’s I’ll Take Care Of You.
A beautiful gatefold sleeve; a full-colour booklet with excellent notes by Robert Marovich; top-notch sound. Another knockout selection by Greg Belson and David Hill.

A shoo-in for soul compilation of the year.

Repress
Patience is a virtue well-rewarded in techno; finding the right groove to build on then holding your nerve long enough to pay off the wait at the optimum moment is a much more skillful endeavour than it would seem for such a minimalistic style. And few display this talent better than Detroit originals Scan 7. Part of the hallowed Underground Resistance family, Scan 7 first broke out in the mid-90s with a series of jacking machine funk 12”s that showcased their savvy for self-control - a faculty they have demonstrated in releases year-on-year since.
Highlighting this continuous font of vitality, Tresor Records has returned to the source and is proud to announce the reissue of Scan 7’s debut LP, Dark Territory. First unleashed on the label in 1996, the album has been remastered from the original DATs by Mike Grinser, augmenting already powerful tracks such as the snake-like, teasing Unusual Channel (mixed by the master Blake Baxter), and the harder-edged VII resulting in music that will, without doubt, provoke an enhanced response when the pressure is finally released.
Repressed on vinyl with updated artwork, these tracks still sound like a blueprint for the future, testament to the prescience and assurance Scan 7’s leader, Trackmaster Lou, clearly had when writing “I hope you enjoy my records in the phuture to come” in the sleeve notes nearly 30 years ago.

True Sneaker Social die-hard Etch returns with a monumental new album. Scream of the Butterfly shows the depth and breadth of one of the illest producers operating across the many spheres of club music with a distinct “you ‘kay?” slant.

From the moment the low-end pressure and loaded samples rear their heads on the opening track, Zak Brashill demonstrates his intent to sculpt Scream Of The Butterfly as a proper album — an end-to-end listening experience full of peaks and troughs which focus on sonic storytelling much more than club functionality. Throughout his imperious output to date, the man like Etch has displayed an affinity for sound design to match his instinct for what bangs on the spectrum of dubstep, garage, jungle and hip-hop, but now he’s gone postal on soundworld-building, with a grip of heavyweights drafted in to help set the scene.

Fellow Sneaker alumnus J-Shadow lends his maverick footwork science to ‘Star Fallen’, while UK rap anti-royalty Lee Scott brings his unmistakable Runcorn drawl to dusky head-nodder ‘Not Surprised’. UK bass-synth-ambient enigma E.M.M.A drops in for the moody, meandering midpoint ‘Stepford Lives’, and Killa P and Emz deliver blazing bars to the double dose of ‘Prayer Wheel (Left You Fi Dead)’ and ‘Heat Map’ respectively.

Elsewhere Brashill follows his own razor-sharp instincts into warping stop-start drum science, widescreen downtempo with teeth, seasick synth studies, moody-but-cosy 140 and lots more besides. Nothing comes as standard, but Scream of the Butterfly is ruff when it wants to be, subtle and spacious if the vibe demands it, and consistently packed full of the detail and intrigue that we’ve come to expect from one of the most inventive and reliably sick producers in the contemporary bassweight firmament.

Colombian-born artist Juan Carlos Torres Alonso, aka OKRAA, presents his third sonic exploration on A Strangely Isolated Place titled, La Gran Corriente. This album marks a profound shift in Juan's creative journey, where themes of portals, the illusion of time, and the paradoxes of self-discovery converge into a powerful auditory experience.
Following a transformative visit to Bogotá in May 2023, Juan underwent an introspective journey that inspired a new direction in his music. This experience, which he describes as an encounter with "an infinite current behind or inside of everything," led to a complete reimagining of his work. Abandoning previous demos, Juan embraced a liberated creative process that was both challenging and exhilarating. 
La Gran Corriente is characterized by its innovative production techniques, eschewing fixed grids and BPMs in favor of fluid, organic structures and combining influences from Juan’s other production alias, ‘Laudrup’. This approach not only opened up new creative possibilities but also led to numerous "happy accidents," resulting in a body of work that is as unpredictable as it is cohesive.
At the heart of the album lies a poem written by Juan during production, a text that echoes the themes woven throughout the music. Translated loosely to English, the poem reflects on the nature of reality and time, with lines like "the land of oblivion is not real" and "the great current reminisces; time is an illusion." These words serve as both a guide and a reflection of the album’s deeper meaning.
La Gran Corriente is a record that invites the listener to unlearn and to immerse themselves in a sonic current that is both infinite and transformative. It’s a testament to the power of creative reinvention and the relentless pursuit of deeper truths through music.
Featuring artwork by Peter Skwiot Smith, La Gran Corriente is available on gatefold colored vinyl 2LP, mastered by Taylor Deupree / 12k Mastering.

This Summer The Florentian Cabaret showcases his sound once more as he explores new creative avenues with the launch of his own eponymous label. The label will give the thriving Italian talent a chance to showcase the full spectrum of his sound with no boundaries, sharing all of his refined tastes, and influences he has absorbed over the years. The “Space. Time. Gravity.” EP features four classy cuts, timeless trips inside the mind of The Florentian Cabaret.

Playful drum patterns lead the way in the title track, conversing in harmony with the nostalgic 80s synths, teasing you down an animated path of disco leaning house energy. Emotional textures crafted for the dance floor moments. “Stairs On Mars” is built upon an underground energy of time gone by, slick hi-hats drive the track in combination with a raw and rugged bass, nodding towards the heydays of rave. Distinct and progressive peak time movements steering the release into an alternative direction.
“Rocket’90 leads you down a pacey path of low end paradise, in combination with spaced infused acid tones. A transition track for when you want to switch things up, and steer the dance floor to new heights. Hypnotic as it moves, progressing into classy peak time action as the atmosphere continues to simmer. Next up we have the aptly named “Stars”, as this pulsating and driven track will take you exactly there. Nostalgic drums maintain a steady and transcending groove, conversing with the mechanical pads and synths which spiral around the heart of the track. Constructed for the rave, and the tastemakers of modern dance music!

The machinic rapture of Van Boom’s debut album, ‘Prosthetics’, firmly planted the Kuwaiti artist in the underground of critical producers that stoke grisly and inhuman themes. Set against the backdrop of the Gulf Region, these themes remain exceptionally nefarious. His latest release, the ‘NUBORNE’ EP, mounts wider explorations of the eviscerating sonic grounds that he began to depict with his first long-playing document.

Gestured with the EP’s title, ‘NUBORNE’ stakes its significance on regeneration and permutation, clearly relishing in the aftermath of ‘Prosthetics’. Across four tracks, Van Boom crafts precisely to forge a set of works that are attached to their live performance state. It’s here that the EP is at home, for this is where unknowns come into play, this is where distortion leads to novel structures. Featuring collaborations with whiterose, Safety Trance, and Evita Manji, ‘NUBORNE’ is rendered evermore atypical. Accompanying the shift in design, there’s an unnerving ambience that’s given free reign across the EP, too. Snapshots of solitude prick the focal points amongst rhythmic tics, as if these shards deform the tracks in real time. With sheer relentless momentum, Van Boom seizes a new path wielding his familiar forces.

Favorite Recordings proudly presents this new 7inch single release, filled with 2 beautiful tracks previously compiled on the famous and now almost sold-out, AOR Global Sounds series.

First comes “What Its Meant to Me” by Jonathon Hansen. Self-produced and self-released in 1978 by Jonathon, this is another perfect recipe of AOR soulful style. Jonathon Hansen told us a bit about its story: “’What Its' Meant To Me’ was a song I wrote about the breakup of a band. As with a lot of my songs, I always write them to be about more than one thing. Primarily relationships. The song was recorded in Costa Mesa, CA at Sunwood Sound Studios. It was recorded with fellow bandmates and other musician friends.”

Another top track from the series comes next, with “It’s Always Something With You” by Jeff Silna. Originally only released on a promotional radio compilation, it was reissued by Favorite Recordings in 2017 on the 3rd edition of the AOR Global Sounds series and is still now in high demand. Here again Jeff Silna reminds: “This track was recorded at TK Studios, credited with the inception of disco music and pumping out what were considered the first Disco hits. TK created what’s known as the Miami sound. I was fortunate to work with some amazing musicians like guitarist Sheldon Stauber and players from the U of M Jazz Band, which was tops in the country at the time. My influences were funk and soul bands like Earth Wind & Fire and Average White Band.”

Inedited tracks recorded at Kracklite Studio (Alessandria, IT) in 1998, without mistreating any DAW, only Macintosh and midi instruments mixed live.

Urbanatribù is a project born in 1994 by Flavio Gemma and Massimiliano Bocchio, both based in Alessandria (IT).
They started producing for the Minus Habens/Disturbance label in 1994/95, debuting in the compilation "Outer Space Communications V.3.01-T1". Their first self-titled album was released immediately after and in '96 "The Mix" with a remix by Francesco Zappalà. In the same year they were contacted by Digital Boy, releasing their second CD "Mondotondo". Also for D-Boy Records, two E.P.s were released under the name "Biomontana", dedicated only to DJs and fans of the goa genre. Since '97 they have been under SONY Edizioni, doing many gigs in that period in the best Italian clubs, including: Maffia, Lustando, Casalone, Leoncavallo, and remixing, together with Roberto Vernetti of Aereoplanitaliani, Elisa's first success "Labyrinth".
They continue to work on new unreleased songs, moving with Vernetti's mobile studio from London to Bologna with Maurizio Liguori of Technogod. In that period a song is released for Easy Tempo together with DJ Lele Sacchi. Their tour continues in 2001 performing live in historic clubs such as Cocoricó and Jaisse with their new project "Selenita", which sees them together with Francesco Zappalà. They also participated with him in "Planet Rock", RAI radio program with Luca De Gennaro.

Matthew Dear's Black City Can't Be Found On Any Map. It's A Composite, An Imaginary Metropolis Peopled By Desperate Cases, Lovelorn Souls, And Amoral Motives. Like Most Literary Gothams, Black City Is A Place To Love And Hate, As Seedy As A Nightclub's Back Room And As Seductive As The Promise Of Power. Matthew Dear, The Musician, May Live In New York City, But The Matthew Dear Of Black City Inhabits A Sound-world Unlike Any Other: A Monument To The Shadowy Side Of Urban Life That Bumps And Creaks, Shudders And Wakes Up Screaming In The Middle Of The Night. Black City Is Matthew Dear's Third Album On Ghostly International, And It's His Darkest And Most Engrossing Work To Date.

From The rst Notes Of Album Opener "honey", It's Clear That The Love-obsessed Matthew Dear Of 2007's Asa Breed Has Given Way To A More Existentially Paranoid Entity, As Creeping Tempos Dominate, Cavernous Atmospherics Envelop The Listener, And Strange Distortions Crackle On The Horizon. In Black City, Nothing Is At It Seems: Leadoff Single "little People (black City)" Is A Nine-and-a-half Minute Disco odyssey, subverting its gleaming electronic lead with eerily giddy backing vocals and cryptic, ominous lyrics ("a frozen wasted heart / has died", "love me like a clown"); "You Put a Smell on Me" is a sordid sex romp set to hysterically chattering percussion and a serrated synth line that will set your teeth on edge; "More Surgery" at rst recalls the barely-there Krautrock of Harmonia in its burbling minimalism, until Dear's chanted chorus of "Alter genetics / to make my body glow / I need more surgery / there's so much more to know" sends the track hurtling into a dystopian future.

And yet, for all the foreboding moods on Black City, it's the album's sweeter moments that illustrate Matthew Dear's growing maturity as a songwriter. "Slowdance" is a futuristic lullaby in which Dear articulates a lover's helplessness ("I can't be the one to tell you everything's wrong") over breathy, Arthur Russell-esque cello swishes; the album-closing "Gem" is an achingly simple, reverb-drenched piano ballad that ends with a long, slow fade. Even in Matthew Dear's Black City, there is hope.

Take cover! It's impossible to get rid of the now legendary Stupeflip Crou (="crew"). Like a two-taste chewing-gum that's been stuck under your trainers since 1994, King Ju is back in force with Sons2ouf!!, an album meticulously selected from hundreds of unreleased tracks and alternative versions accumulated over the years. Always on the fringes of a bloated Game, Ju takes us on a tour of his strange cabinet of curiosities. Far from being a simple collection of sounds, the album is a real creation in its own right in the Stup discography. 'Mock-ups are often better than the final sound, like a sketch that's always more alive than a finished painting,' he explains. Here we find that first draft, bits of stuff not yet digested by the industry. Some of the nuggets are antediluvian, but they sound extremely lively, as if they had been written the day before. In Stupeflip's parallel world, time doesn't exist. We find the themes dear to Crou: childhood, rage, non- violence, the passage of time, a passion for music and nostalgia. As usual, the beat is cut with a meticulous flow, there's no time to take a breath, the Stup just does what it wants, churning out one bullet after another in a fusion of genres and styles that's as distinctive as ever. Specially dedicated to aficionados, the album celebrates 30 years of Le Crou! The Holy Grail for every Stup fan!

An appetite for the unknown" - Daniel Lanois

No collaboration is unlikely when the end goals are the same. A meeting of two artists who illustrate different corners of the musical landscape, come together to create a new statement that takes their collective strengths to higher elevations and encompasses new terrains.

So it is on the first collaborative journey of Canadian musicians Venetian Snares and Daniel Lanois. What started as mutual respect for one another's work, led to several years of a creative germination resulting in an eight-track full-length exploration released May 4th on Timesig/Planet Mu.

The path began in 2014, after Lanois reached out to Venetian Snares (Aaron Funk) as a fan of his work. The project started to take root in Summer of 2016, after Funk hung around Toronto between shows. Taking his gear to Lanois' studio, the two began to play for the first time together in what would prove to be a formative moment in their creative journey together.

I love making music with Dan, he has a real understanding of how to create a world and build what may exist within that world. Bassdrums are trombones and they are a colossal whale which floats on clouds of leaves speaking to the blast furnace feeding the mammoth. A small painting of forest horses hangs in the cranium of the sea horse.' - Aaron Funk

Recorded live in a former Buddhist temple-turned-studio in Toronto,
'Venetian Snares x Daniel Lanois' travels to new zones in what Lanois describes as a body of work driven by exploration'. Like all the best collaborations, it's brought something new out of both musicians. Equipped with their production acuity, they let their natural workflow guide them through uncharted waters. Funk laid the groundwork with drums while Lanois rode the pedal steel, weaving their sounds together in a new sonic tapestry. The two ultimately landed at their destination, their work ready to be shared with those willing to explore.

In Daniel Lanois 'own words:
"To come upon a new form reassures the head that frontier lives on The unlikely pairing of Venetian Snares and Daniel Lanois may very well have provided us with a nice new pair of shoes to walk to new sonic frontier A melange of gospel and electronics As madness of the world trips over its heels these Canadian sonic innovators prepare for travel A body of work driven by exploration, brings to us in our modern times what we remember and admire from the Jazz explorations of the 50s A splintering An appetite for the unknown"

Here at Mr Bongo we have been inundated with people asking us to reissue this release. Ana Frango Elétrico's petit cult classic masterpiece 'Little Electric Chicken Heart' from 2019, which was only ever released on vinyl and CD in Brazil and Japan, has fast become a collector's item.

Well received by fans, DJs, and reviewers on release, The Needle Drop expressed "Ana Frango Elétrico's authentically vintage fusion of chamber pop, rock, samba and jazz is a real blast!" listing it as one of its Top 50 Albums of 2019. The album's reputation has been slowly building ever since, gaining a Latin Grammy nomination in 2020, and now solidly cementing itself as a gem of contemporary Brazilian music.

Across the albums nine tracks, Ana blends elements and influences from MPB, Tropicália, indie rock, punk and pop, forging them together with a sumptuous dose of her signature style. The finesse of 'Saudade' kicks off the LP, one of Ana's most known tracks to a non-Brazilian audience. A sublime opener, beginning with a spellbinding piano solo before transcending into a beautiful dream-laden slice of warmth, complete with luscious jazzy horns and deft vocal delivery. ‘Promessa e previsões’ follows, the only track on the album not to be written by Ana, instead being penned by Chico França. It’s a swelling and sweeping twilight groover, building and breaking across absorbing peaks.

Other highlights on the album include the anthemic 'Chocolate', which was a firm favourite with a packed sing-along crowd when we heard Ana perform it live. Elsewhere, 'Se No Cinema' hits with its quirky allure, charm and catchy melodies before transforming into a carnival spirit.

Tapping into the richness of Brazil’s new wave of musical energy, the album also includes a heavyweight lineup of collaborations with artists such as Dora Morelenbaum (Bala Desejo), Tim Bernardes, Antonio Neves and Guilherme Lirio to name but a few.

A short, sweet and refreshing record, that leaves nothing to waste, marrying playful ideas with poignant themes. 'Little Electric Chicken Heart' is a future classic and will beguile fans of ‘70s Brazilian recordings, Gal Costa, Mac DeMarco, Stereolab, Superorganism, Caetano Veloso and more.

Proudly presenting, ‘Калі ты запытаеш (If You Ask)’, a brand new, blissed-out pop production with a ‘70s AOR touch, by the ever-on-point SOYUZ (СОЮЗ). Coming at a period between albums, the single features guest appearances from the sensational musicians, Biel Basile (O Terno, Sessa) and Anthony Ferraro (Toro Y Moi, Astronauts, Etc.). Friends of the band, they add their signature touch on the drums and synth respectively. To complete the package, SOYUZ back the title track with a short but sweet, Wurlitzer-laden, MPB-tinged number, ‘Tenório’.

‘Калі ты запытаеш (If You Ask)’ tells the story of lost dreams. A track that can be interpreted either as a bittersweet longing for childhood times, or for a native place you can’t return to. For the writer Alex Chumak he suggests, "In my case, as in the case of many Belarusians, it’s both".

For this song, Alex chose to sing in his native Belarusian tongue. As he explains this language "to me feels underrepresented in pop music, also it’s a beautiful legacy and sonority that I wanted to share with the listeners of our project around the world". One of the key inspirations was a Belarusian band “Песняры” (“Pesniary”), who produced a host of great progressive folk, jazz fusion and AOR, from the ‘70s to the ‘90s, predominantly sung in Belarusian.

Another key influence was the music coming out of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais in the ‘70s, drawing inspiration from the sentimental and harmonious music of Beto Guedes, Lô Borges, Fernando Oly and Wagner Tiso.

Having parted ways with their drummer Anton, SOYUZ needed to find a new way to produce songs. The answer was to go remotely. Alex contacted the brilliant Biel Basile, who had recorded Sessa's contemporary classic ‘Estrela Acesa’, in which Alex also participated. Utilising Biel and Sessa’s newly built studio in São Paulo, SOYUZ had Biel record the drums directly to tape to get the rich sound they were after. Adding the final magic into the mix, California’s Anthony Ferraro provided a beautiful Solina String Ensemble synth arrangement, with drummer/recording engineer Albert Karch expertly assisting with the production.

To capture the essence of the single visually, Alex and the Brazilian one-man-industry visual artist Gabriel Rolim, spent a blazing sunny May day in Berlin shooting film and stills – one of which became the perfect cover image. We hope you enjoy this little nugget of SOYUZ mastery, a sweet taster to savour while the new album is recorded.