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Taking a turn to some of its roots, Emotional Rescue offers a reissue of Ramjac Corporation's UK house/breaks anthem Cameroon Massif!. First released on the increasingly cult-status Irdial Discs in 1990, this was very much the sound of the big bang explosion of Acid House morphing and splintering, as subsequent multi-genres developed, formed, imploded and reformed in new ways that still subsists today.

Within the melting pot of anything goes, chemically-enhanced optimism that spread across the UK during that return to the summers of love from 1987 onwards, the nascent sounds coming from Chicago and Detroit were mixed with a hybrid of 80s British influences, taking in European synth pop, US electro, new beat, hip hop and reggae. Out of this appeared a new sound, mixing that love of techno and house with dub bass and break beats into a proto-jungle swirl.

Like many growing up through the ever-evolving 60, 70s & 80s British music scene, Paul Chivers' early years of learning piano and guitar, moved from Beatles era pop to take in punk, jazz and anything an eager musical mind could explore. Developing a long-term interest and study of Cuban and Afro-drumming, his acquisition of an Atari and sampler soon moved to programming of both drum machines and TB303 and with that, Ramjac Corporation was born.

Playing live at some of the earliest raves in 1988, as often through luck and "right time, right place", including the infamous Back To The Future and Energy parties, Ramjac went from playing from 50 to 10,000 ravers in a matter of months, as the nation was gripped, depending on your cultural standing, by either a mixture of drug apocalypse paranoia or ecstatic celebration.

It was a meeting with Akin Fernandez, founder of Irdial Discs, that led some of the first studio experiments and creation of Cameroon Massif!. Utlising Akin's in-house studio and production skills, alongside Chivers' jazz influenced outlook of improvisation over arrangement, the track took shape, mixing the live programmed percussion, heavy doses of phase, delay and reverb and Sun Ra inspired keys that resulted in a number of mixes of Massif!.

Collected here are the original 12" "Massive" and "Massing" mixes, plus a special live version taken from the "Live At The Brain" reunion gig of 2009. The sought after 1990 versions and original Live mix are taken a step further with this 13 mins + mix, in essence a resampling and remixing reversion with didgeridoo and live on mic MCing, that gives a real glimpse of those early live sets. With more Ramjac Corporation material upcoming and a live reel-to-reel show appearing soon, the return of Cameroon Massif! is now.

"Manchester has produced some of the world's most loved artists and bands - from indie to acid house - listened to by millions around the world.
Ad Hoc Records continues this musical tradition, as a record label dedicated to showcasing the very best of Manchester's music scene - with a firm 21st century, 'post-everything' mentality. First, Banana Hill's very own: Cervo (Black Acre/Lumberjacks in Hell); with its pulsing beat and bassline, Hesse Groove makes you want to discover a new part of town late at night. Next, is Taurtollo with an outstanding, universal composition that will be sure to delight ears and dancefloors. Penultimately, Paul Chamber's brings a raw, Fela Kuti sampling afro-house cut sure to get your head bobbing. Lastly, Ad Hoc regular Yadava (Church/Banoffee Pies/So Flute) brings the relaxing jazz-funk number Kadampa 125. If this doesn't get you moving whilst simultaneously achieving a zen state of mind, nothing will."

Producer Okzharp and vocalist-artist-dancer Manthe Ribane both hail from South Africa, where Manthe still resides, while Okzharp lives in the London where he is a DJ and producer, initially cutting his teeth in LV, who in 2007 were one of the very first acts signed to Hyperdub. Manthe has been at the forefront of South Africa's cutting edge fashion, art and dance worlds for over a decade. After leaving LV, Okzharp and Manthe started collaborating, going on to release two well-received EPs on Hyperdub, 'Dumella 113' and 'Tell Your Vision', recorded in Joburg and London respectively. The recording of 'Closer Apart' reflects the title. Okzharp says 'Most of the music came out of headphone moments in hotel rooms, planes and airports in the brief periods of time that we spent together.' Describing Manthe as a co -producer, he continues 'She selected instrumental sketches and we developed them together, sometimes just keeping the bare bones or a melody or rhythm, or trying different elements or sounds.' Even though the album was built long distance, the short periods they spent together were the ground zero for creativity. Okzharp recalls 'One particular moment in Milan last year, we had a whole free day before our flight so we visited the Salone di Mobile design show. We were so inspired by an installation there just walking around, listening to the amazing soundtrack. That evening our flight was delayed, so we sat on the floor of the airport terminal putting musical ideas down for 'Time Machine' on the laptop speakers and writing the lyrics. "Tic Toc time, we'll be fine / Airport queues, cerulean blues / Viper trails cross the skies / Lights reflect in your eyes...' ' 'Closer Apart' has a softness and openness that contrasts the tougher sound of the EPs. Manthe explains, 'The new music is a 360 turn, an expression of my 'Lady' side. I grew up listening to Jazz, Classic and Gospel, I am a very soft spoken person, and it resonates with being confident with that. It's been crazy finding balance and finding a smart way to strengthen my weaknesses, I had to trust the process.'

Repress!

First Word Records is very proud to present the debut album by Children of Zeus - 'Travel Light'. It's been a long road leading to this album for Tyler Daley and Konny Kon.

They first embarked on their expedition into the music game two decades back - Tyler entered the scene as a songwriter, producer and vocalist, originally under the moniker Hoodman, whilst Konny began MCing, DJing and beat-making for hip hop crews The Microdisiacs and Broke'n'£nglish, along with DRS & Strategy.

To date, Children of Zeus have released three sell-out singles on First Word ('Still Standing', 'I Can't Wait' and 'Slow Down') and a compilation EP comprised of tracks made by the duo over the last decade entitled 'The Story So Far...'. Children of Zeus are finally at the stage where they are releasing their debut album proper, the over-riding ethos of which is about keeping their eyes on the road ahead, whilst shedding the baggage they've accumulated over the years - 'Travel Light'.

Features mainly come from Manny family, ( K S R ), LayFullStop, Metrodome (Levelz) and former Broke 'n' £nglish spar DRS. Guest production comes in the form of Switzerland's Sebb Bash, Nottingham's Juga-Naut, and London's Beat Butcha, and there's your favourite DJ's favourite DJ,

Mr Thing, slicing up the turntables on two tracks too. There's a few extra special ingredients on this album, along with their trademark sub-heavy, rhodes-laden hip hop soul hybrid. Reggae music has always been an integral piece of the CoZ sound-system ethic, so we see Tyler putting on his lover's rock hat for 'Hard Work', and they invite soul queen Terri Walker to join them on the fierce 'Sling Shot Riddim', while the album closes with the epic K15-produced jazz-bruk opus, 'Vibrations', on which Konny breaks it down quite simply: "high frequency means that you travel light, so get lifted yo, we'll live gifted".

Long as the journey has been, the time for looking back is over. This is about the present and future of Children of Zeus. A shining light in Manchester's now-school, and rightly heralded by many as the best new act to emerge in British soul music in the past decade. Aside from the above features, this project is written, performed and produced entirely by Tyler and Konny.
Since the crew first took flight, the end destination has never changed, the aim remains the same - to create timeless music, in their own unique style, without compromise, irrespective of industry and life distractions. The moral being this - travel light.

At last, the vinyl reissue of this masterwork, adding two hitherto unreleased gems recorded solo for Charles Fox's Radio 3 programme Jazz in Britain, in the same few months of 1980 as the stunning Aida performances.The phrase 'in the moment' is often bandied about with reference to free improvisation, and indeed there's no better way to describe Derek Bailey's playing. The acoustic guitar is notoriously lacking in natural reverberation — notes barely hang in the air for a couple of seconds before they disappear — which explains the almost non-stop flow of new material in these stellar performances. Bailey knew from one split-second to the next exactly where to find the same pitch on different strings, either as a stopped tone or a ringing harmonic, and there's never a note out of place. 'He who kisses the joy as it flies,' in the words of William Blake, 'Lives in eternity's sunrise' — and this music is forever in the moment, constantly active but never gabby, kissing the joy.One of the special pleasures of the BBC set is the guitarist's own laconic commentary, a deliciously deadpan description of what he's doing while he's doing it — 'I like to think of it... as a kind of music' — and the interaction between words and music is a particular delight. 'You may have noticed a certain lack of variety,' he quips, while unleashing a furiously complex volley. Is it a coincidence that the final seconds recall the famous cycling fifths of the coda to Thelonious Monk's Round Midnight Surely not — for Bailey, like Monk, was a note man par excellence. And they're both still alive and well in eternity's sunrise.

Salvador Font studied violin, clarinet, composition and harmony at the Conservatori Municipal de Barcelona, but very soon started to gain notoriety as a saxophonist in the rich jazz scene of 1940s Barcelona. Font would soon be playing tenor sax and clarinet in the Orquesta Gran Casino. He was in his early twenties and his hot swing technique was already praised through the citiy's scene, he would grow to be considered the best saxophonist in Spain by playing in many orchestras and combos, among them: José Puertas', Antonio Vilá's Virgina, Bonet de San Pedro's band, Pierre Michel, El Lirio Campestre, Los Marios, Luis Rovira y su orquesta, Orquesta brasileña Fon-Fon, Jaime Camino, Los Embajadores, Italo Leone's... With these and others, Font toured constantly, visiting many countries and even staying on some for long seasons: Mexico, Morocco, Switzerland, Egypt... Hungarian violinst of Turkish ancestry Kurt Dogan gave him the "Mantequilla" surname - he felt "Mantequilla" (which means "butter") fit Font's mellow yet swinging improvisation style.

Mantequilla y su conjunto

In the early sixties, "Mantequilla" had the chance to lead his own combo, Mantequilla y su conjunto, with which he was to record the three splendid EPs that are compiled on the present album. All these 7" have become elusive collector pieces in the record market, with sellers demanding from 200 to as much as 950 euros per copy.

In 1961 "Mantequilla" was at his best moment, his gigs at the Jamboree Jazz Cava had brought him back to the first line of Barcelona's jazzmen after he had been working abroad for a long time, and was approached by the Belter label to record an EP. On the sessions he was accompanied by Manolo Mercedes on trumpet, Pedro Ferré on piano, Rafael Lizandra on double bass and Rafael Verdura on Drums. The material chosen for the disc were four original compositions by Salvador Font which had a high West Coast flavour all over: "La Tuna Club", "Whisky Jazz" and "Jamboree" named after famous jazz clubs and "Azul Trompeta", dedicated to Manolo Mercedes.

In late 1962, after spending some time in Madrid working as members of the Italo Leone combo, "Mantequilla" and pianist Manuel Gas came back to Barcelona for the recording of the second "Mantequilla" EP, also on Belter. We find again Manolo Mercedes on trumpet, Pedro Ferré on piano and Rafael Lizandra on double bass, the drummer this time was José Farreras. Another news is that Manuel Gas also sat on piano and vibraphone. The songs chosen for the occasion were two tunes from the Art Blakey Jazz Messengers repertoire: Bobby Timmons' classic "Moanin'" and the Jacques Marray track "No Problem" from the soundtrack of the Les liaisons dangereuses film (mispelled "Not Problem" on the sleeve and label), plus the Salvador Font penned "Blue Note" and "Full de ases" - on "Full de ases" "Mantequilla" trades his sax for the violin, which he also mastered under high influence from Stephane Grapelli. The record was released on Belter in early 1963 and showed "Mantequilla" adding a certain aggressivity to his sound, in a soloist style which has been compared to that of tenor saxophonists Barney Wilen or Benny Golson.

1965 was the year of release of Mantequilla y su conjunto's third EP, now on the Discophon label. Mercedes and Farreras are again present in the recording sessions, joined by Ricardo Miralles on piano and Enrique Ponsa on double bass. Four original Font compositions make up the fantastic EP: "Blues 3/4", "Atmósfera", "Vat 69" and "Balada".

There would be a further EP on Belter, released in 1971 as Mantequilla Group it was a cash-in operation to take some redits of the ye-yé discothèque phenomenon, it gets quite afar in style from the jazz works of Mantequilla y su conjunto, so we just left it aside for the present edition.

"Mantequilla"'s career would continue, in 1968 he would settle in Majorca and form a swing band with Bonet de San Pedro and Manuel Bolao. He played in local orquestras and also with first class world acts like Gerry Mulligan, Tete Montoliu, Errol Gardner, a.o. He was even approached by Henry Mancini to play sax on The Pink Panther Theme in a gig Mancini did with his orchestra in Palma de Mallorca in 1975, He also joined his son Salvador Font (a demanded drummer himself who has played with Máquina!, Orquestra Mirasol, Música Urbana, Gary Burton Quartet, Georgie Fame, and many others) and his peers Carles Benavent, Emili Baleriola, Josep Mas 'Kitflus' and Jordi Bonell with whom he recorded his acclaimed "Mantequilla" album in 1987.

Now, for the first time ever, the legendary three ultra rare and imposible to find EPs by Mantequilla y su conjunto are compiled in a lavish vinyl LP with remastered sound, featuring liner notes and photos and a fantastic period inspired, three backflaped, front laminated sleeve. It is a stricly limited edition of only 500 copies and they are expected to sell out very soon, do not miss your chance of getting yours - it may be the last chance of chasing the Mantequilla sound on vinyl at a reasonable price!














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Lloyd Miller, Jahrgang 1938, ist ein US-amerikanischer Musikethnologe, Arrangeur, Komponist und Multiinstrumentalist. Millers Karriere begann in den 1950ern mit Dixieland. Aufenthalte im Nahen und Mittleren Osten weckten sein Interesse an orientalischer und speziell persischer Musik. Das machte aus Miller einen Pionier des Oriental-Jazz. Während der Siebziger hatte er als Kurosh Ali Khan sogar eine eigene Fernsehshow im Iran. Die Sendung lief sieben Jahre und brachte dem Musiker eine große Popularität ein Neben diversen erkussionsinstrumenten spielt Miller Bass, Flöten, Kamantsche, Klarinette, Oud, Piano, Santur, Sehtar, Tabla und Zarb. 2010 veröffentlichte Miller mit der britischen, vom Afrofuturismus angehauchten Spiritual-Jazz-Band The Heliocentrics ein gemeinsames Album, das Strut nun in einer limitierten Auflage von 1000 Exemplaren als Doppel-LP neu auflegt. Hier beweist das Londoner Musikerkollektiv, das im Jahr zuvor (2009) mit Mulatu Astatke, dem großen Ethio-Jazz-Veteran aus Äthiopien, ein viel beachtetes Werk in Umlauf gebracht hatte, einmal mehr seine musikalische und instrumentale Vielseitigkeit

As The Title Suggests, Joakim Recorded This New Album Last Year At Studio Venezia, The Installation/sculptural Ensemble/recording Studio Created By Xavier Veilhan For The Prestigious 2017 Venice Art Biennale. Built Inside The French Pavilion & Inspired By The Grotto-like Merzbau By Kurt Schwitters, Studio Venezia Had Dozens Of Artists Create And Record There Over The 6 Months Of The Biennale (from Chassol To Brian Eno, From Joakim To Sebastien Tellier), Invited By Xavier Veilhan Himself With The Help Of Co-curator Christian Marclay.

With An Impressive Collection Of Rare Instruments From Medieval Horns To Rare Modular Synths (baschet Crystals And Percussions, A Buchla, A Clavinet...), Studio Venezia Was An Amazing Creative Playground For The Adventurous Musician. Those Instruments Were Captured By A Team Of Sound Engineers In The Best Possible Way Thanks To Nigel Godrich's (beck, Radiohead...) Mobile Studio Loaded With State Of The Art Vintage Recording Gear.

Before Going There In May 2017, Joakim Examined The Instrument List And The Specific Context Of A Studio Open To The Public Within An International Contemporary Art Exhibition To Anticipate His Creative Process. Instead Of Drafting Compositions And Demos Ahead Of The Recording Session, He Decided To Have An in-situ' Approach By Creating A System Involving The Visitors Of The Studio In The Composition Phase. Joakim Asked Random Visitors Of The Pavilion To Pick A Word, A Letter (between A And G), Tap A Tempo And Sometimes Choose The Instruments That He Would Play For Each Piece. The Word Was Translated Into A Chord Using A Transcription Table Joakim Invented. Hence The Song Titles Made Of The Given Word Plus The Name And Origin Of The Contributor. The Music Was Then Mostly Improvised, Based On Those Chords, Scales And Tempi. The Recordings Were Then Taken Back To New York Where Joakim Made Some Light Editing And Mixed The Pieces.

In Terms Of Influences, Joakim Tried To Channel The Spirit Of Proto-ambient German Heroes Cluster, 60s And 70s Modal Jazz, Japanese Evocative Minimalism And Drone Composers' Hypnotic Transcendence.

One Can Hear The Studio Through These Recordings, Which Was The Point, To Use The Studio As An Instrument, Like The Kraut Rock Pioneers Did. You May Hear The Floor Cracking, People Talking Or Coughing, And The Peculiar Quality Of Music Recorded In A Large Space With Its Acoustic Properties, A Rare Occurrence When Everyone Is Now Working From Small Home Studios And Major Large Studios Are Closing Down. This Album Also Marks A Return For Joakim To His Musical Education As A Classically Trained Pianist As You Can Hear Him Improvise On The Piano ( arms', air', dream'), Fender Rhodes ( trust') Or Harpsichord ( absense').

Following The Release Of The Studio Venezia Sessions, Joakim Will Create A Live Performance Based On His Experience In Venice. The Premiere Of This New Solo Performance Is Commissioned By The Villa Medicis In Rome For Their Villa Aperta Festival Early June. More Shows Will Follow.

Phil Gerus is a natural musical talent who oozes sound from every pore. Fusing together cassette pop, disco, soul, r&b and funk, his sounds are effortless but hugely emotive and have come out on labels like Sonar Kolkektiv, ManMakeMusic (George Fitzgerald's label), Futureboogie and True Romance. Growing up in Moscow, Phil studied classical piano and was heavily influenced by his parents' music tastes, including jazz records of Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, and Keith Jarrett, it is these classy vibes that permeate his own creations. Phil has played around the world at leading clubs like Japan's Dommune, Studio 80 (Amsterdam), Mojo Club (Hamburg) and various hotspots in Europe and Russia. Phil is also a regular guest on radio shows around the planet and is considered as an artist on the rise.

Funky DL steps into the arena with his highly demanded album 'Blackcurrent Jazz 3'. Seamlessly weaving his boom-bap style with jazz breaks throughout every track and topped with his smooth and often intense flow, his lyrical ability is top shelf and the beats are at an unequalled standard of excellence. The album showcases some of the finest Jazz Hip-Hop in the scene as it shifts through varied styles of Jazz and Jazz moods. With features from the Nujabes collaboratives Cise Starr and Substantial, the entire set oozes with golden droplets of musical magic moment after moment. The tone is set immediately as the album starts and continues an incomparable and superb standard of quality music right up until the final track.

'syncho Sound System & Power' Features The Music Of Nigeria Fuji Machine,
Which Includes Some Of The Country's Finest 'fuji' Master Drummers And Singers, And Is Newly Recorded By Soul Jazz Records In Lagos, Nigeria. Fuji Is The Heavily Percussive And Improvisational Style Of Nigerian Popular Music, At Once Modern And Yet Deeply Rooted In The Traditional Islamic Yoruba Culture Of Nigeria.
Here On This Album Nigeria Fuji Machine's Striking And Powerful Lead Vocalist Taofik Yemi Fagbenro Soars Above A Wild And Energetic Backdrop Of Polyrhythms Played On Traditional Talking Drums, Trap Drums, Electronic And Street Percussion To Create A Powerful Wall Of Intense Sound. Fuji Is A Hi-energy Street Music, Heavily Percussive Which Evolved Out Of The Islamic Celebration Of Ramadan, Which Became A Major Event In Mid-20th Century Lagos. Groups Of Young Men Walked Through Muslim Neighbourhoods At Night Singing Improvised 'wéré' Music To The Accompaniment Of Pots, Pans, Drums, Bells
And Anything Else Available, Waking Believers For The Early Morning Prayer. By The Early 1970s This Music Had Crossed-over Into Popular Nigerian Culture Where It Came To Be Known As Fuji, First Made Popular By The Artist Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, As The Music Began To Be Performed Commonly At Parties And Social Events. In The 1970s And 1980s Three Nigerian Artists - King Sunny Adé, Chief Ebonezer Obey And Fela Kuti - All Secured International Major Record Deals Bringing Popularity To The Nigerian Musical Styles Of Juju (adé And Obey) And Afro-beat (fela Kuti's Unique Mixture Of Highlife, Funk And Jazz) Abroad, But In The Process Ignoring Much Of Nigeria's Rich Musical Landscape. Fuji Is, Alongside Highlife, Juju, Afro-beat, Sakara, Afro-reggae, Waka, Igbo Rap, Apala And Numerous Others - One Of These Central Styles Of Nigerian Music. The Singer Barrister Described The Music As Follows: 'fuji Music Is A Combination Of Music Consisting Of Sakara, Apala, Juju, Aro, Afro, Gudugudu, And Possibly Highlife.' Juju Performer King Sunny Adé Described The Difference Between The Two
Styles Of Fuji And Juju Somewhat Competitively Thus: 'fuji Music Is More Or Less Like My Music Without Guitars. It's Like I'm Singing In A Major Key And They Are Singing In A Minor. The Music Itself Is The Music Of Juju Music.' Today Fuji Remains A Powerful Popular Music With Deep And Powerful Islamic Roots
Which Continues To Modernise And Attract New Generations Of Young Nigerians And Nigeria Fuji Machine's 'syncho Sound System & Power' Is A Powerful And Intense Musical Experience. This Album Is Released As A Limited-edition Heavyweight Vinyl Edition (+free Download Code), Deluxe Cd And Digital Format.

This Is The Second Installment Of Deep Roots Rastafarian Reggae At Studio One And Features Classic Music From Some Of The Most Important Figures In Reggae Music - Alton Ellis, The Heptones, Jackie Mittoo, The Gladiators - Alongside A Host Of Rarities And Little-known Recordings, Such As A Truly Rare Mystic Revelation Of Rastafari Seven-inch Single, Willie William's First Ever Recording 'calling' And Horace Andy's Righteous (and Equally Rare) Masterpiece 'illiteracy. Black Man's Pride 2 Extends The Legacy Of Studio One's Ground-breaking Path In Roots Reggae Which Began At The End Of The 1960s And Continued Throughout The 1970s. The Album Tells The Story Of How The Rise Of Studio One Records And The Rastafari Movement Were Interconnected, Through The Adoption Of The Rastafari Faith By Key Reggae Artists - Everyone From The Skatalites And Wailers In The 1960s, Major Singers Such As Alton Ellis And Horace Andy At The End Of The Decade, Through To Major Roots Artists Such As The Gladiators In The 1970s - And How Clement Dodd Consistently Recorded This Heavyweight Roots Music Throughout Studio One's History.
The Sleeve-notes To This Album Also Discuss The Links Between Rastafari And Studio One In Time And Place, Noting How Both The Religion And Clement Dodd's Musical Empire Had Their Roots In The Intense Period Of Pre-independence Jamaica In Kingston, Expanded In The 1960s Following The Visit Of Haile Selassie In 1966, And How Roots Music Then Came To Dominate Reggae Music In The Early 1970s. Also Discussed Is How The Outsider Stance Of Both Reggae Music And The Rastafari Movement Relate Back Many Hundreds Of Years To The Original Rebel Stance Of The Maroons, Escaped Slaves Who Set Up Self-sufficient Enclaves In The Hills Of The Jamaican Countryside.

Betty Harris' The Lost Queen of New Orleans Soul collects together the steady stream of amazing soul and funk singles issued by Betty Harris from 1964 to 1969, under the musical guidance of legendary composer, musician and producer extraordinaire Allen Toussaint, a collection which truly captures the heart and soul of the city of New Orleans during this era.
Betty Harris's powerful, fiery soulful vocals found a perfect accompaniment with the New Orleans' players that Toussaint put together to back her, which by the time of her funk classic 'There's A Break In The Road' were the legendary super-tight, super-funk New Orleans group The Meters.
With the extraordinary song-writing skills of Allen Toussaint alongside the powerful, soaring, confident and emotive singer and the groove of The Meters, you have an unbeatable combination. That Harris never in fact lived in New Orleans (she flew in from Florida for all her sessions with Toussaint's local in-house players) seems almost an irrelevance, a geographical aside to the defining New Orleans sound captured on the recordings featured here.
All of these singles featured here were released on Allen Toussaint and his business partner Marshal Sehorn's local New Orleans label Sansu, widely distributed in the southern city but in only limited quantities elsewhere. As a consequence, Betty Harris' music failed to achieve the commercial success of other New Orleans artists such as Lee Dorsey (who she recorded with) and The Meters (who backed her). And so at the end of the decade she stopped recording, retired from the music business to raise her family in Florida.
This is no reflection of the stunning musical quality of all these songs which encompass everything from southern soul, heavy funk, deep soul ballads and northern soul. Betty Harris has been a cornerstone of Soul Jazz Records' New Orleans Funk and New Orleans Soul compilations. Always soulful and always funky, Betty Harris' music contains the essence of New Orleans music. She is the Lost Soul Queen of New Orleans.
This collection is released on CD, heavyweight gatefold double LP vinyl (+ download code) and digital and comes complete with full biography, original label artwork.

When Ann Arbor's Tadd Mullinix began exploring hip-hop under the name Dabrye 20 years ago, he soon honed in on a startling vision of what the genre could be: ingenious, refined, daring. This vision came to life across two albums for Ghostly International — 2001's One/Three and its 2006 follow-up Two/Three— with each record further positioning the quiet Michigan producer as one of his generation's best, equally comfortable creating minimalist instrumental meditations or sharp rap salvos. In the late 2000s, following critical acclaim and accolades from both peers and inspirations (including the late Jay Dee with whom Mullinix collaborated before his untimely passing), Mullinix put the Dabrye moniker on ice and dedicated himself to other genres and ideas. All the while the influence of his work on a new generation of electronic musicians continued to make itself felt in subtle but meaningful ways.

All this changes in 2017 as Dabrye makes his long-awaited return with Three/Three, a razor-sharp rap album that brings to completion a prophetic trilogy. Mullinix's incisive productions provide the backdrop for equally acute rhymes that run the gamut from intergenerational observations and being your best self to back alley deals and having fun in the ride. Guests include indie rap legend DOOM, whose previous collaboration with Dabrye remains a point of reference for many, Wu Tang storyteller Ghostface Killah, L.A word fanatic Jonwayne, and Long Island's rugged surrealist Roc Marciano. Most importantly Three/Three is, much like its predecessor, an unfettered celebration of Detroit-area talent with Guilty Simpson, Phat Kat, Kadence, Quelle Chris, Danny Brown, Shigeto, Clear Soul Forces and more all lending their touch to Dabrye's return.

The blend of American and British dance music, hip-hop sampling, and Jamaican sound clash energy that underpinned Two/Three remains a quiet, guiding principle. At the same time Mullinix rejoices in a refreshed perspective, having had time to incubate ideas and find clarity in the distance between albums and the evolution of scenes.The beats are looser and less angular, more embracing of repetition. Organic techniques inspired by soul and jazz round off some of the harsher sonics. The resulting broad palette of tracks reflects both this evolution and the range of the Dabrye persona: relaxed headnod ("Tunnel Vision"), nervous, slow-motion electro ("The Appetite"), glacial motifs ("Emancipated"), jazzy, cut-up funk ("Sunset"), minimal brutalism ("Electrocutor"), intricate layering ("Culture Shuffle").

Three/Three marks the return of an innovator after close to a decade of silence. Despite what the title might imply, the album isn't the end of the story but rather the completion of a creative arc. Expect more Dabrye in the near future. The game is far from over.

- Final installment of the /Three series, started in 2001
- Guests include Ghostface Killah, Jonwayne, Doom, Danny Brown, Shigeto, and more.
- Media support from: The Wire, FACT Magazine, The Detroit Free Press, Pitchfork, XLR8R
- Past collabs with Jay Dee (J Dilla), MF DOOM, Beans & more
- Vinyl is housed in a matte jacket with black hot foil and includes 24-page zine designed by Michael Cina.

One of our humble imprint's closest allies and a longstanding pillar of Philadelphia's electronic music community, Billy Werner has been a constant presence in the booth at parties throughout the Northeast Corridor since 1998. We debuted his M//R alias in 2014 with the 'Gathering Response Data' 12" . Since he's been busy bringing the grit to points beyond the City of Brotherly Love, putting in work for the likes of DetailsSound, L.I.E.S. and JackDept. Most recently, he turned out a remix of Karen Gwyer's 'Why Does Your Father Look So Nervous' for the 'Rembo' remixes on Don't Be Afraid, as well as another for Chaperone's 'Grit Neglect' on the aforementioned 'SnapbackBalaclava'EP.

Written, recorded, and mixed over a period of 15 months,'Among The Methods' is in no small part a reflection of the affinities and sensibilities Billy holds as both selector and producer. Referencing a variety of influences from jazz to dub to electro, the album's allure stems from his deft ability to recontextualize those genres' disparate aspects into a familiar-yet fiercely idiosyncratic-musical context.The end result is at once wildly fractured and precision-focused as 'Among the Methods' finds its own seductive rhythm within a matrix of dub echoes and modulated low-end. It's heady ground,to be sure;as well as the most declarative aesthetic statement fromM//R to date.
Presented without further comment. The music is the message








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One of Australia's most dynamic up & coming acts acts, The Goods have become vital members of Sydney's rising soul/electronic scene in just a few short years. With word spreading internationally and the band recently joining forces with Brooklyn-based label Bastard Jazz Recordings, The Goods are gearing up to release their hotly anticipatedMake Your MoveEP as they put the finishing touches on their debut album out later this year.

Consisting of founding members Badmandela and Rosario, along with the more recent addition of vocalist Black Tree, The Goods first burst onto the scene in 2016 with the release of their self-titled double EP rooted in a steady stream of hip-hop, space funk, low slung house and soul. Recognised by outlets such as Complex, MTV, VICE and Indie Shuffle, The Goods have also been heralded for their smashing live sets, sharing stages with the likes of Oddisee and Onra, in addition to highlight performances at various music festivals.

TheMake Your Move EPdocuments The Goods' exploration into faster tempos and broken rhythms, and was created in a much more collaborative spirit than their previous work. With Black Tree now an official member, the trio has tapped back into their roots as improvising musicians, with experimentations and ideas developed during their live shows making their way back into the studio, and fine-tuned into the tracks on this new EP.

Led by the bumping, soulful vibes of singles "Make Your Move" and "Glow", the new EP is an exciting taste of what's to come from The Goods in 2018.

Out-ER sub-label Pregnant Void is proud to announce the release of hi.mo's debut album Urtiis. Landing on double vinyl in June 2018, it is a fantastically absorbing showcase of the Italian's weird and wonderful fusion of various strains of sound from jazz to hip hop to classical. "The alteration of conventional musical patterns thrills me," says the artist who is classically trained in piano and uses that knowledge to play with rules, structures and forms. Influenced by IDM, African drums, jazz and the interplay of chords, rhythm and harmony, hi.mo infuses his electro-acoustic productions with found sound samples and analogue and digital tools. This is a spelling-binding and intimate album that is filled with invention, but never at the expense of the overall experience, which is beautiful and beguiling throughout.

Sfetsas formed GFO in 1976, in order to accomplish an ambition dating back to his 1960's Avant-garde period in Paris: to create a piece of work that would expand the boundaries of Greek traditional music. The result is a Progressive-Jazz Fusion masterpiece comprising complex and intriguing compositions, and performed by Athens' best musicians of the day.
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Sfetsas grew up on the island of Lefkada where he studied classical music from an early age at the local conservatory. At the same
time he was genuinely connected to traditional music and especially to the sound of the clarinet, the lead instrument in the region's
folk music. From a young age Sfetsas would perform with Gypsy orchestras in local feasts. It was this experience that inspired him
to create the GFO after his return from Paris in 1975. Sfetsas founded the orchestra while working at the National Radio, an orchestra comprised mostly of members of the Variety Music Orchestra, who had a solid background in both classical and traditional music. In that way, he was able to realise his ambition. Something he could not do in Paris, since it was impossible to find musicians trained
in both musical cultures.

The recordings on this album, forming only a small part of his overall body of work with GFO, are previously unreleased. The music
was recorded Stereo on Reel Tape and with high standards for the time, with the current mastering process highlighting even more
the quality of the recordings. The result is a truly impressive and pure audiophile album.

Second Circle is proud to announce it's tenth release to date with a new EP from L.A. producer Benedek. 'Earlyman Dance' was recorded at Benedek's studio in Koreatown, Los Angeles and fuses mechanistic rhythms and synth work as well as live percussion and trumpet played by friends Chris Parise and Anthony Calonico.
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With five vibed out compositions of coyote jazz, dance floor fusion and canyon bangers, 'Earlyman Dance' is an ode to the urban and natural landscapes of LA, late night noir and early morning sunrises, accented with Benedek's signature chord progressions, bouncing bass lines, meticulous drum programming and dubbed out trumpet.

Following his R&S debut, Afriqua (aka Adam Longman Parker) presents Vice/Principle, his second release for the renowned Belgian label.

Recorded in the summer of 2017, Vice/Principle began as one of Afriqua's seasonal music packs, a quarterly offering of original tracks shared privately with a small cohort of friends and collaborators. R&S quickly picked up the collection, which expands on the melodicism and textural depth explored on his previous release for the label, Aleph.

The extended EP sees Parker veering into psychedelic territory, inspired by the cosmic departures of '70s krautrock and jazz. The title, Vice/Principle, more a coy bit of humor than a philosophical statement, reflects a wittiness that Parker often embeds into even the brawniest of his productions. This offbeatness is active in the music as well, which makes use of his voice, and edges past familiar four-on-the-floor patterns with interwoven polyrhythms and modality. Vice/Principle is confident in its curiosity, harnessing a wealth of artistic threads into a tightly knit, futuristic vision.

Parker currently resides in Berlin, Germany, where he works from his home studio in the city's quiet Charlottenburg neighborhood. Born and raised in Hampton, Virginia, Parker developed his craft as a producer while studying classical piano and practicing hip-hop turntablism from a young age.

After several years developing a hefty catalog of releases, Parker has embraced his R&S signing as an opportunity to dive deeper into his signature, yet versatile sound. His successful winter 2017 tour through the U.S. was a career first, and preceded international events at Comunité in Mexico, Concrete in Paris, and The Block in Tel Aviv.