Search:b soul

James Brown would be proud of this one just like Maceo. Killer version of "Superbad" on the A-side and a soulful funk instrumental titled "Ma(r)l Sehen" on the flip make this one a must have for any funk djs' record bag. For the first time on 45, it sounds BAAAAD!

Lascelle 'Lascelles' Gordon - the driving force behind Vibration Black Finger – astonishes us yet again with a magnificent second album. Once more his inspiration is drawn from the obscure spiritual jazz collectives of the 1970s where he employs a vast array of like-minded collaborators to create a listening experience infused with an ever-present undercurrent of personal expression and cultural empowerment that's as enriched with ideas as it is progressive in its form.

Having earned his chops as founding member of the Brand New Heavies, Campag Velocet and Heliocentric World, Lascelle's latest album Can You See What I'm Trying to Say bursts with energy and vivid contrasts, flowing effortlessly between beat-laden grooves, oscillating improvisations, soulful recitations, audio verité and moody atmospherics. The album drops like a post-hip-hop reimagining of foundational genres, with a prayer to the future.

''Can You See What I'm Trying to Say' is a quote from Marion Brown, the great alto saxophonist' explains Gordon. 'The album was put together over the last three years, not in the conventional way of going into the recording studio with musicians, but starting from ideas I had on various formats (cassettes, mini disc, DATs & reel to reel). I also used field recordings. I did a lot of home recording with long time musical friends Ben Cowen & Diana Gutkind, some of them going back 20 years. The voices of my nieces (heard on Law of the Universe) were recorded 25 years ago. 'Only in a Dream' and 'Empty Streets' are the only songs that were recorded live in the studio.'

'I was blown away by the New Life Trio 'Empty Streets' (from 1978) and was fascinated by the vocals' continues Lascelles. 'I always thought it would be great to cover this tune'. Such is the power of this song, it's used to open the album, with vocalist Ebony Rose turning in a thoroughly haunting vocal performance. While not a concept album as such, Lascelles has nonetheless conceived and presented Can You See What I'm Trying to Say to be heard as a complete listening experience, with each track blending into the next, resulting in a seamless expression of music.

Following 'Empty Streets', some instrumental interludes segue into a dimensional drift of beats, space synths, horns and electronics; there's a vocal reprise of 'Acting For Liberation', sung with gusto by Maggie Nichols, and then there's the album's momentous finale, 'Only In A Dream', which takes off as an ominous drone before a delicious bassline from the late Ken Kambayashi transforms it into an intense, soaring epic which finally descends onto another world.

In a career spanning several decades, Lascelle Gordon remains an omnivorous musical force, whether as DJ, collaborator or radio broadcaster. As amply demonstrated on Can You See What I'm Trying to Say, he refuses to rest on his laurels and continues to impress with music that is as rich, vital and contemporary as anything he's done before, covering an incredible amount of musical ground in the process.

The premise for Quindi Records is simple – to represent music with a universality at its core.
Without adhering to specific genre tropes, the releases are intended to have a meaning and purpose in all kinds of situations – a social soundtrack as much as a stimulating experience,
feeding emotions and the psyche with a sentimental palette of sounds. Lovers’ music, loners’ music, music for friends and family alike.
Woo makes for a perfect choice to meet this loose concept head-on – the music of Clive and Mark Ives straddles disparate worlds and finds its own peculiar balance. On one hand it’s delicate synthesizer music with a minimalist bent, while on the other their joyous, twinkling harmonies have an immediacy that speaks to the soul. You can detect privacy in their craft – the brothers originally recorded their music in relative isolation in London in the 70s, 80s and early 90s. It’s only in recent years their sublime work has enjoyed a wider audience through an extensive run of reissues.
Arcturian Corridor ? presents a rare, previously unreleased piece of music from Woo – the expansive suite of the title track that unfurls across five parts. It’s an enchanting listen that shows a new breadth and depth to the duo – detailed drum programming and a broader palette of synth tones cascading in elegant unison. The name refers to Arcturus, the fourth brighteststar in the night sky. As Woo themselves explain, “The Arcturian Corridor is said to be a channel of light that brings unconditional love and wisdom from Arcturus to Earth.”
In addition to the 20-minute A-side piece, Woo also presents a new version of “Love On Other Planets”, a standout piece from their 1990 album ?Into The Heart of Love? . The fragile subtlety of the original has been embellished here with rich new passages that turn it into a kind of electronica epic, although still marked out with the sensitivity one expects from a Woo record.
Two remixes complete the set, both furthering Quindi’s modus operandi as a genre-agnostic force for cosmically charged music. Dublin’s Wah Wah Wino collective present their Wino Wagon manifestation for a tastefully strange house version of the fifth part of “Arcturian Corridor” that channels the freakiness of Pepe Bradock, the robo-funk of Metro Area and a soupcon of pop nous. British duo Ultramarine maintain the stylistic ambiguity as they channel decades of expressive experimentation between live band dynamics and machine soul on their version of the title track’s second chapter.

Outta Sight’s collectable ‘Real Side’ series continues with two stunning sides from Ted Jarrett’s Nashville based ‘ref-o-ree’ label. Jarrett was a hugely successful songwriter and producer for a number of Tennessee labels before he formed Poncello and Spar ahead of the harder Soul sounding ‘ref-o-ree’ that was home to our star turn Wendell Watts. Little is known about Wendell Watts other than he recorded and released two 45s for the ‘ref-o-ree’ label in 1969. According to some sources he hailed from Detroit but these recordings are certainly Nashville based and were produced by label owner Ted Jarrett and arranged by his long-time collaborator Bob (Robert) Holmes. The 45s are highly collectable with “Kiss A Good Thing Goodbye” rarely seen for sale and available as a reissue for the very first time. Incredibly, both of our featured spins were originally released as B-sides. “You Girl” on the back of Watts’ soul-cover of the Peppermint Rainbow hit “Will You Be Staying After Sunday”, whilst “Kiss A Good Thing Goodbye” played second fiddle to the novelty Bob Holmes song “The Love Bug”. The latter was reissued in 1972 coupled with “Grooviest Thing Side Of Heaven” on the tiny Jiminie logo. Watts also released a chidren’s Christmas album in 1972, for which he wrote most of the songs, before bowing out of the music industry.

Ella is the most celebrated of divas, and she dominated the jazz scene for over fifty years, from her first hit A-Tisket, A-Tasket in 1938 to her gradual retirement from the stage in 1989 due to illness. She left her signature on every jazz universe to which she contributed.

The Essential Works 1956-1959 throw light on her talents as a performer of the greatest standards, with songs written by Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin and Rodgers & Hart. Ella succeeded in making popular melodies her own, most often songs taken from musicals that she transformed into as many pearls of vocal jazz.

The four sides of this album bring together the indispensable inner soul of Ella Fitzgerald's recorded work.

Essential comp of rare funk 45’s from the 70’s – original 1994 LP’s in pic sleeve

LTD. BLUE SEAFOAM WAVE VINYL

Holy Hive ist ein Folk-Soul-Trio aus Brooklyn, bestehend aus Folksänger/Gitarrist Paul Spring, dem begehrten Soul-Schlagzeuger Homer Steinweiss und dem Bassisten Joe Harrison. Die Band hat sich durch fast schon legendäre Konzerte und ihre EP "Harping" einen Namen gemacht. Als Holy Hive erforschen sie die Beziehung zwischen den lyrischen Traditionen des Folk mit dem Rhythmus und der Ästhetik des Soul. Das Debütalbum "Float Back To You", aufgenommen in Queens im Studio Diamond Mine (von dem Steinweiss Mitbesitzer ist), besteht aus 10 eigenen Songs, einem Cover von "Be Thou By My Side" (ursprünglich von der britischen Gruppe Honeybus aus den Sechzigern) und einer Adaption des irischen Folksongs "Red Is The Rose". Steinweiss hat das Album produziert, als Gäste treten die Harfenistin Mary Lattimore, Leon Michels (El Michels Affair) am Saxofon und Keyboard, Shannon Wise (The Shacks) als Backgroundsängerin, Dave Guy (The Roots) an der Trompete, Nick Movshon am Bass und Paul Springs Ehefrau Sophia Heymans am Klavier auf. Homer Steinweiss arbeitet seit zwanzig Jahren als professioneller Schlagzeuger und hat in dieser Zeit den Beat zu Hits von Amy Winehouse, Bruno Mars, den Jonas Brothers, St. Vincent und Charles Bradley beigesteuert - um nur einige zu nennen. Als Gründungsmitglied von Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings ist er mit der legendären Gruppe durch die ganze Welt getourt, bis er sich für eine Karriere im Studio entschieden hat. Paul Spring hat als Solokünstler sieben Alben mit eigenen Songs veröffentlicht, darunter, "Home of Song", eine von Kritikern sehr gelobte Platte mit Kinderliedern. Der Multiinstrumentalist Joe Harrison hat unter anderem mit Frank Dukes und Charles Bradley gespielt. Die symbiotische Beziehung zwischen Steinweiss und Spring ist wie die eines Spechts, der auf dem Rücken eines Nashorns sitzt. Springs zarter Gesang und seine flatternde Gitarre schweben in perfekter Harmonie über Homers bulligem Schlagzeug. Holy Hive sind eine vielschichtige Band: Manches an ihnen erschließt sich sofort, anderes erst später. Wie der Titelsong des Albums, der sich zuerst wie ein wunderschöner klassischer Liebessong anhört und sich dann als die Gefühle einer Frau entpuppt, die sich auf ihre Katze freut. Dafür steht Holy Hive: Die Musik geht verführerisch einfach ins Ohr und entfaltet sich dann sehr langsam - bis sie ganz aufblüht.

A soul-funk studio project for the Italian label S.P.Q.R. (Sound Production Quality Record) featuring vocals by Nathaniel Bush and arranged by Marco Colucci (aka Mark Owen). Comes on a 2020 re-edition of 300 copies!

Producer and multi-instrumentalist J-Felix returns with his
future blend of boogie, p-funk, disco and soul on his
sophomore album ‘Whole Again Hooligan’. Influenced by the
musicianship of Roy Hargrove’s The RH Factor, James
Brown and George Clinton, Joe elaborates on the concept of
the record: "My mum used to call me a hooligan when I was
growing up which was probably quite accurate, but there's
something about finishing a creative project as a musician that
makes you feel whole again”.
‘Whole Again Hooligan’ features a plethora of guest talent
including Brighton producer El Train, vocal flair Jerry Clavier
aka Sol Goodman, soul veteran and stellar DJ – Emeson,
and classically trained musician Afua. The records magic
moments are catalysed through a collaborative ethos, a skill
honed on J-Felix’s debut LP '101 Reasons'.
Constantly soaking up a mind-boggling array of influences –
through touring internationally as Alice Russell and Swindle's
guitarist, being an in-demand DJ (holding residencies at
Patterns, Brighton and Queen of Hoxton, London), hosting
a radio show on 1BTN, supporting the likes of Roy Ayers and
George Clinton, the list is endless... through which J-Felix's
penchant for all things funk has been perfected.


“The spirit of disco is more than alive and well for this” – Mixmag
“This guy’s got it going on!” - Huey Morgan (BBC 6Music)
“A sublime journey through squelchy electro-funk, tripped-out neo-soul and woozy hip-hop beats” - NME
“J-Felix aka Joe Newman crafts a solid tune with smooth gliding funk guitars, an undeniable bassline that magnetizes the eardrums and hard-hitting groove to match.” – EARMILK
“Excellent.. So many reasons to listen to J-Felix’ music” – FIP
“Tru Thoughts’ rising talent” – The Telegraph

"WOLF Music" offer up something a little different to their usual tip, enlisting the warm dusty reverberations of four-piece, jazz-not-jazz collective Velour for a 7" of hazy, genre traversing rhythms. Alongside being producer for the Velour project, long-standing member of the WOLF pack Mr. Fries gives his own distinctive house touch to the flip side remix.

Perfectly capturing the new school of jazz, Essen-based Velour crisscross genres drawing on elements from each yet anchoring their roots in the richness of jazz’s deft melodies and percussive touches. Head-nodding down the open road, ‘Pose’ is that undeniably soulful, first swig of summer many tracks strive to be. Morphing into a woozy affair as the sun sets midway through, Velour’s songwriting talent well outstrips their years. Throw WOLF pack member Mr. Fries into the mix, kneading in his signature production style and the freshly baked result straddles the intersection between jazz, broken beat, house and soul.

Fries then takes on remix duties for the flip, maintaining that dusty demeanour yet going for a full frontal Moodymann-esque house interpretation. The smokey jazz bar sax, background hustle and weighty beat make for a summertime heater served straight from
the grill, garnished just right with Mr. Fries own vocals over the top.

Jazz funk and gritty rare grooves ensemble from down under - Kerbside Collection - return with their third record "Smoke Signals"! Continuing in a down home, instrumental approach, but this time crafting newer ideas and flavours into their spectrum of warm, analogue, dusty grooves from much more Fender Rhodes electric jazz elements, to New Orleans sprinklings alongside their 60's inspired West Coast style.

"Smoke Signals" continues the wilder tones, textures and 'library' sounds of extra instrumentation found on their last output "Trash or Treasure", whilst introducing hints of fusion and cinematic analogue electric colours into the mix bringing things into early 70s territory. Opening with the lush, analogue synth and keys palate of "Waiting Game", reminiscent of some classic Air "Moon Safari" grooves, before the album properly begins with a fresh rendition of the Rhodes heavy Cedar Walton 70's jazz funk classic "Jacob's Ladder".

Then straight into the street-styled jazz bongo breaks and funky flute of "Traffic", a skankin' New Orleans reggae homage to one of its finest Creole dishes, featuring funky Hammond organ courtesy of guest Jake Mason (Cookin' on 3 Burners) and tasty piano work from multi instrumentalist Andrew Fincher who handles both guitar and keys on the whole record.

The middle of the record comes with a steaming afro funk workout, and a low slung N'awlins styled blues 'n' soul groove, both featuring the fruity, low-end brass action of Papa Jo on the big baritone sax, before taking a gentle emotional breather with a delightful, soft, soulful, Rhodes ballad, and a 'waltz-jazz-wig-out' attributed to their label's A&R Mr Mellow (reminiscent of some humorous UK acid jazz à la Corduroy and James Taylor Quartet) featuring some beautiful jazzy Flugelhorn, and acoustic double bass.

The album wraps up with another cover - a grittier reinterpretation and arrangement of a Bob James 80s jazz funk classic "Westchester Lady" complete with funky flute and soaring guitar solo, before finishing with the explosive rock funk workout and title track "Smoke Signals", rounding out a record with a full spectrum of handmade jazz funk, reggae, soul, library and gritty rare grooves all recorded to tape machine.

"Lost Ark Music" proudly present to you another labour of passion "Praying for the Angels" by Pura Vida. 'The heart of the Last Ark' is beating on the riddim of the drums" ... Play it loud!

"Crawling" is about Puraman's personal struggle in life (...) trying to blend a stepping, jazzy reggae groove with some psychedelic stuff, Pieter De Naegel & Mathieu Vilain provide some "Last Ark Fyah Horns". "Song to Bob" is Puraman's tribute to Bob Marley, with a haunting Bassline provide by Aston "Familyman" Barrett, Orginal Wailer (...) His son Aston Barrett Junior hits the drums like Lightening!

"When the right time come" was recorded in an oldschool fashion, Recording the riddim in one take (...) Puraman on Vocals and Guitar, Boris Perck on the bass, Xan Albrecht on the drums, Wouter Rosseel on Lead Guitar. Bos Debusscher provides a wicked synthline!
Are you ready?

"Pretty Stranger I wrote this song for you... You shurely look like danger but that's what I like about you". Pura Vida goes Psychedelic Rock (...) "Les Eaux Sauvages" is a Love-Song with the Wonderfull voice of Nina "Vitalia" Schelfthout!

"O sopro de Inae" features the warm voice of Alessandra De Queiroz...Straight from Brazil she came to the Mare Altar forest under the guidance of Maarten Rosa in search for the "Arka Perdida".
This song has Portugese Lyrics, praying for the Spirits of Iemanja and Inae (...) The Spirits of the Ocean! "Find a way Home" is a Soultune features Alessandra De Queiroz!

The Title Track "Praying for the Angels" is another combination of Puraman & Alessandra's voice. In a Sixties Psychedelic Spirit (...) Singing about the Lost Souls dwelling the streets of the Ancient City! It was recorded on Puraman's Birthday (...)

"And the lights of the city, drive them crazy. And there's nowhere to run (...) And they're praying, hear them praying for the Angels...".

"Blessings from the Last Ark" features the amazing voices of Roydel "Ashanti Roy" Johnson, Derrick "Watty" Burnett & Kenroy "Tallash" Fyffe from 'The Congos'. Ashanti Roy provides the Bassline and Percussion. Watty & Tallash provide extra magic percussion. Puraman on Vocals, Melodica & Guitar. Pieter De Naegel & Mathieu Vilain play humble and bright on this Deep Roots Tune. Blessings from the Ark. Beyond Time & Space (...)

"Ancestor Spirit Dance" is an Afrobeat inspired tune features the voice of Puraman's Great-Grand-Mother Mathilde Spruytte, who
was a local folk singer.

LIMITED TO 300 COPIES. NOT TO BE REPRESSED.

Raw and wild soul-funk-r&b-garage from 1970, recorded and released only in Algeria! Imagine JAMES BROWN fronting THE SONICS!

Born in Puerto Rico, Bob Destiny grew up in Harlem (USA) and has a fascinating story: from starting playing piano as a child (self-taught) and tap dancing with the Five Chocolate Drops when he was 6 years old, to meeting Billie Holliday and playing with her; from appearing in a film with Shirley Temple to musicals in Broadway, dancing at Mankiewicz’s movie “Cleopatra”, singing at the San Remo Festival...

In 1969, Bob went to Algeria to teach music at the Algerian National Theater. He also continued with his singing career while living there. In 1970, he released a couple of 45s featuring “Wang Dang” and “Mahna (Troubles)” on the Freedom Musique label. He was also involved with the creation of the first Pan African Festival with Mahboud Bati and Frank Pourcel.

These 45s are very rare and were first discovered by the great Habibi Funk label a few years ago, who included “Wang Dang” on one of their compilations. For our Pharaway Sounds 45, we’ve selected one track from his first 45 and another from his second one.

After playing in Morocco with Hahmed Maraki and forming bands like The Fingers, Bob arrived to Spain in the 80s. He created a jazz school in Zaragoza and was involved with the famous “Jazz en la Margen” festival. In the 90's, Bob move to France, focusing in composition, gospel, musicals and soundtracks. Sadly, he passed away on March 31, 2016.

Last summer Liam Gallagher joined the list of all-time greats (Paul McCartney, Page and Plant, Nirvana and many more) who have filmed a prestigious MTV Unplugged session. Having missed Oasis’s 1996 session through illness, the show at Hull’s City Hall found Liam fulfilling some unfinished business entirely on his own terms.

Now Liam is set to release the ‘MTV Unplugged’ live album of the show on April 24th.

The show’s electrifying atmosphere is palpable from the very beginning with a phenomenal reaction as Liam takes to the stage with ‘Wall of Glass’. Material from Liam’s solo career such as his personal favourite ‘Once’ and the joyous ‘Now That I’ve Found You’ resonates in this stripped-back format, with his vocal shining alongside a trio of backing singers and string arrangements performed by the 24-piece Urban Soul Orchestra.

Oasis guitarist Bonehead features on performances of ‘Some Might Say’, ‘Stand By Me’, ‘Cast No Shadow’ and Liam’s first ever live vocal performance of the ‘Definitely Maybe’ bonus track ‘Sad Song’. The show concludes on a crowd-pleasing high with an emotive take on the classic ‘Champagne Supernova’.

Liam launches the ‘MTV Unplugged’ album by sharing the new version of ‘Gone’, which was one of the strongest performances of the night. Stripped of the force of the studio recording, ‘Gone’ instead reveals new-found bombastic dynamics and an evocative cinematic atmosphere.

White vinyl, picture sleeve, limited pressing of 500 copies, includes Peaking Lights remix

Montaine’s “Mount Nod” is a delicate, shimmering slice of DIY pop music. The lo-fi charm sits on that knife-edge between happy and sad, its repeated “I’m on the bottom line but I’m doing fine” changing meaning as the song goes on, plotting the course of Mr Montaine’s sensitivity. What starts out small gently unfolds into an understated English confidence by the end. On the B side Peaking Lights dive into the mysterious undercurrents beneath the surface of Montaine’s worldview. Like all good remixes it sets the artist in a parallel universe, this one a utopian disco slowscape, complete with bubbling clouds and dayglow fountains. We have to sincerely thank Sam Potter of 00s band Late of the Pier for coming to Be With with the story of February Montaine back in the spring of 2017. When we first heard “Mount Nod” our jaws dropped. We immediately thought of all the people that would love it. Of friends and family, far and wide. Of fans of timeless, soulful pop music everywhere. Championed by Trevor Jackson and Efficient Space, it’s perfect, addicitve pop which generously gifts the listener eternal goosebumps. Three years later, we are absolutely delighted to finally bring this out as the second release in our Be Pop series of 12″s. In Be Pop fashion it’s pressed on white vinyl and this time limited to 500 copies for the World.

Uniting cosmic tones and lovely notes, unique sound collages and electronic noises, Muzak pour ascenseurs en panne ("Muzak for Broken Lifts"), Brigitte Barbu's first album, explores a dreamy universe, at the crossroads of electronica and the 70s’ post-tune-in/drop-out, echoing shadows of the peculiar doppelgänger; Pépé Bradock. Ça Plane pour Brigitte Barbu…

Resonant guitar notes, odd sounds, electronic hallucinations, and unexpected warm synth layers all gather together in Brigitte Barbu's first enigmatic album. Recorded and mixed during a reclusive one-week residency in a very special studio, under the benevolent cubic radiation of "Our Lady of the Ark of the Covenant,” using a computer, synthesizers, and various string instruments, giving birth to this resolutely unique album. The guitars were sharply disciplined, propelling strings into strange and hypnotic limbos, somewhere between a weightless journey through time and a fresh science lab experiment.

A perky cosmic album running away from rules and gravity.

"I wanted to compose an ethereal abstract Hip-Hop LP" says Brigitte, "with guitar as a brainwashed instrument, mirroring machines and computers, even if surely far from being unplugged". So much for that… With a real introspective dimension, the record stands out for its pure whimsical mood. The artist had strict rules for composing: “Each track is based on the association between a title chosen for its consonances, an open tuning, a random tempo and frequencies chosen for their supposed effects, real or imagined, on the mind, body & soul.” For example: Taro Patch -> Whale -> 93,75 BPM or Dobro -> Bear-> 118,125 BPM, Air Resistance -> Open Em -> Panther-> 480 BPM etc.

Brigitte surgically framed an electro-acoustic compendium, finding its atmospheric mothership… Brigitte Barbu, referring to a special interlude from a vintage release "Escalope de Dingue” (Fool’s Cutlet), explains that Muzak pour Ascenseurs en Panne is in fact a custom tribute to family, friends, triggered cosmonauts, René Clément and the card game where the winner is the bearded monarch nonchalantly stabbing himself in the head. It’s a lot!

Long-time collaborators, longer-time best friends, lifelong analog appreciators; the German duo Iron Curtis & Johannes Albert join cosmic forces once again for another LP mission 'Moon II', a heartfelt voyage through the sounds, movements, styles and machines that created this music in the first place.
Think late 80s New York, early 90s Sheffield and the perennial sounds of Italo and Detroit, 'Moon II' is a lunar safari that celebrates the deepest foundations of house, techno and electronic soul while resolutely refusing to get nostalgic. Written and recorded during an intense two-and-a-half month session in Berlin last autumn, there's a consistency and tangible narrative running throughout as the pair play inspiration ping-pong over the course of 10 tracks.
A little Drexcyian glacial nod here, a hazy Boards Of Canada wink there. The Other People Place, Kerrier District, Environ Records, the Hacienda, Sub Club, Heaven 17, classic electro… All these ingredients are constantly bubbling in the mix for both Curtis and Albert (as individuals and even more so as a duo) and the end result is an album that works as a proper album should. Peaks, troughs, dreamy departures and all beautiful things in between.
Taking off where their debut collaborative album 'Industrie & Zärtlichkeit' (soon to be retitled 'Moon I') left us three years ago, the opening modem sounds on the intro track 'Canggu Laundry Club' dial us into a special sense of time and space.
It's a space where anything feels possible; Visual-inspired acid lines on 'Tiger Trek', lino-spinning body pops and windmills to the street sounds electro style of 'The Ultimate Seduction', the club-focused, Traxx-style Cutie Schamuthie collaboration 'Hurting', the melancholy plucks and struts of 'Feingold', the provocative, slinky, smoky finale piece 'Nektar'… The list of intergenerational and cross-genre landmarks on this adventurous body of work go and on, each track complementing the last as they fuse to create a bigger collective picture. A picture that's charmed together through the consistent use of key classic studio machines.
They call it Introverted Electronic Body Music, we call it warm, free-spirited and ultimately timeless. Perfect for your sets, your afterhours or your headphones alike; it's time to let Iron Curtis and Johannes Albert take you to the Moon and back… Once again.

Dievegge emerges again in the darkest hours for the second
instalment. Ouvrijster returns with three soulful house tracks
on the Amsterdam based label and comes back with a definite
improvement in production skills. The first track “Make Me
Move” is a deep disco groover that levitates you with vocals
longing for body movement. The deeper sounds empower the
desire to escape everyday life. “Konkelfoezen” then funks
things up with a groovy baseline and rich sounding stabs. It
yearns for bringing back the modern take on the 70’s sound
into the clubs of today. The slow burner “Sleazy Saints” rounds
up the record with an ode to the sleazy sounds, pleading for
the return of these saints. By its slower pace and unfolding
atmosphere it moves away from the easy heaters and
enriches the messages of these tracks. This second Dievegge
Recordings vinyl only release shows again the goal of this
project and the sound that Dievegge cherishes.

Joyce Cooling is known for being one of the dynamic jazz guitarists in the world. She has recorded for over two decades and had No.1 radio hits in the USA where she has performed with such musical giants as Joe Henderson, Stan Getz, Charlie Byrd, Al Jarreau, and Lee Ritenour. The vocal track "It's You" comes from her debut album "Cameo" in 1988 and was adopted by the jazz dance and soul scene in the mid 90s. It has been on CD compilations since that time but never before on vinyl. "Dori" is also one of her finest works from that time, only previously a bonus track on one edition of the "Cameo" CD

New fresh release on Rye Records by The Robinson. The 3
tracks' on this record are each a perfect representation of the
different facets of the duo: Soulful, self-reflective and pulsating.
Together the decisive sounds accompany melodies that take
you on a journey far away...

The classiest of deep spiritual soul on 45 for the first time. These tracks were previously unreleased until I found Avelino Pitts when working at jazzman a few years back who has since sadly passed away, but we are working with his wife Deborah to keep his wonderful music alive. Ocean of tears was always here to be a vanity project for my love of deep soul and slowys, so when listening to the LP in my car a few months back I was like WTF, why did i never do these on 45? So here we are, two sides of deep and well-produced soul, Rotary Connection comes to mind but it has its own sound. I have done 500 of these only, no repress. End of nighter, warm-up, radio, one to enjoy on your own with a glass of whisky at 2am.




a A1 You Are So Wonderful clip
b B1 Without You clip

Control is the incredible debut album from Sydney based vocalist Natalie Slade, produced by Hiatus Kaiyote's Simon Mavin and featuring contributions from other members of the Grammy Nominated group.

Combining Soul, Jazz, Folk and RnB, Natalie's timeless vocals dazzle across 10 stunning tracks, perfectly complimented by rich, live instrumentation and Mavin's vibrant production. The album is classic to its core, whilst taking a fresh and energetic approach to a long tradition of Soul/RnB long players. Familiar broken rhythms and jazz heavy motifs, notorious with Hiatus Kaiyote's writing and arrangement style are present, reminding us throughout that we are in the hands of true masters. The result is a kaleidoscopic reimagining of sounds and styles from an exciting new vocal talent.

Recording began after a chance encounter between Natalie and the Hiatus keys player Simon Mavin, resulting in a writing session that quickly escalated into a full blown album project. The chemistry was clear and the creativity flowed. Spontaneous recording sessions ensued, with visitors to the studio jumping in to play on tracks, the levels of musicianship on the album never fall short of stunning and Natalie's poetic and enchanting song writing shines throughout.

The album kicks off with an energetic flash on 'Cloud Cover', an arpeggiating bass line bubbles over skipping drums and aquatic synths. The title track 'Control' puts it's foot on the gas with a driving synth bass, broken beats and soaring vocals. 'Colour' see's Natalie pouring out her heart to the universe over a fluttering mellotron whilst the beautiful 'There Is Light In Everything' gives her a chance to show off her vocal prowess. Control is a truly unique and dynamic debut album from two masters of their craft, we hope you enjoy it just as much as we do

Recommend for fans of Hiatus Kaiyote, Rosin Murphy, Fatima, Yasmin Lacey, Khadja Bonet.

Dark-Side Electro Conjurations- and Gnashing EBM from Medellin, Colombia, Seething with Raw-Punk Energy & Foamy Blood around the Mouth. No nonsense Body Music!

2020 sees the release of Smoove & Turrell's 6th studio album Stratos Bleu – a slightly different direction for the boys as they take influences from their infamous DJ sets where they fuse northern soul with funk and electronica.

The production is a marriage of everything that they grew up on fused with elements of modern music, taking influences from Chicago House to Massive Attack, Inner City to Kruder & Dorfmeister but with the distinctive drum heavy dancefloor production Smoove is famous for.

For lyricist Turrell the album is a throwback to the rose-tinted halcyon days of his youth, from stealing his Dad's aftershave to hearing house music for the first time. The challenge for both was about finding the right balance between the Smoove & Turrell sound that has brought them such a fanatical following and the raw dance music they grew up on, while always striving to be original.

Do It - the first single from the album is recognizably a Smoove & Turrell dancefloor destroyer and leads into the glorious analogue bubbler It Ain't Working – slated as their second single.
The tougher electronic sound will be a surprise to some but those denizens of the night who have seen these guys work a crowd from the DJ booth will know what to expect – extraordinary lyricism and tight beats.

The ecstatic breakbeat fueled This Time keeps the album peaking but of course there is always shade with the blinding light on a Smoove & Turrell album and downbeat tracks like Never Wanted You More and Talk About Nothing bring you back to a balearic heyday for vocal electronic dance music

Carving out an enviable reputation across the globe for his distinctive and highly personal brand of House music, Kiko Navarro's voyage of sonic discovery has been going strong for almost three decades now. From London to the Far East, Kiko has travelled far and wide with his music, embracing sounds from each continent as he goes. Kiko's new album, Afroterraneo- also named after his music label- defines the sound of his home. The album incorporates sounds touched by the Mediterranean Sea, drawing influences from Europe, Africa and his roots in the Balearic Islands. Afroterraneo is all about fusion. It includes Afro-Cuban songs like "Okere", "Karabali" and "Ekobio Monina", Midwest-African flavour on "Ihabogi Rawaly" and "Beréde", Flamenco with "La Fatiga", Balearic emotions with maestro Joan Bibiloni on "El Salto Del Martin" and "Vida", South African vibes on "Olwakhuthando", Afro Mbira lines with European TB303 acid blips on "Cacao Ceremony" and it all ends with his own tribute to his mother on "Para Mama". Born on Mallorca, Kiko's sound reflects the sun-drenched, slow living atmosphere of the Balearic island he still calls home. Obsessed from an early age with the more soulful side of US House music, Navarro's DJ skills soon attracted the attention of nightlife behemoth Pacha who offered him club residencies both in Palma and in Ibiza. Next came a monthly gig at Space Ibiza and the rest, as they say, is history. A true Renaissance Man; now also a family man, today's Kiko Navarro is perhaps even more focused and dedicated to his life in music than ever before. An album tour this year will see him play DJ sets in Italy, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Greece, Japan, South Korea, China with many more to be confirmed. Whether in the studio crafting records or in the club controlling the dance-floor, Kiko's musical mission has become the habit of a lifetime.

THE JUST BROTHERS were Jimmy and Frank Bryant and are best known for their throw-away instrumental 'Sliced Tomatoes' that first graced the scene at Blackpool Mecca. 'Carlena' is a different beast altogether, a powerful slice of gritty up-tempo soul propelled by various members of Motown's Funk Brothers. A collector's item that was first picked up by Wigan Casino DJ Richard Searling on a visit to Soul Bowl circa 1976-7, a trip that also produced the first copy of The Honey Bees' 'Let's Get Back Together', both on the Garrison label, reputedly part-owned by Mike Terry, and both incredibly rare, approaching a combined $5,000 in today's market!
THE HONEY BEES were an in demand, for-hire, backing vocal group working the New York circuit in the mid-Sixties and can be heard, in fine voice, supporting Jack Montgomery (real name Marvin Jones) on his superb Barracuda 45 'Don't Turn Your Back on Me'. Here they deliver their own, much deserved, recording, co-written by Don Mancha and Wigan's adopted son, the late, great Edwin Starr.

Our second release this year yet again explores the deep side genres of electronic music and deep house.
The man SMBD aka Simbad has been on our wish list for quite a while now and we are super delighted that It finally worked out to welcome him for a full release on our label after his contribution to the first Dampé Ep we did last year. After a string of releases on labels like Apron, Freerange and BBE there is not much introduction needed for this house veteran.
These five tracks range from soulful house to darker break beat material and ambient soundscapes. Especially the great title track “Purple Winds” is a beautiful emotional piece of music. The closing track “Man Madol” for us is very reminiscent to early Detroit electronic music. “Piano Lick” and “Glory” are packed with soul, funk, disco and basically just good times on the dancefloor while the moody and acid break beat excursion “ – 8 – “ is winding deeper and deeper and deeper …
Not much more needed to be said here, we will let the music speak and let you enjoy these excellent tunes!

Big Crown Records is proud to present Adult Themes, the latest full length offering from El Michels Affair. This album takes the band's "Cinematic Soul" aesthetic literally and sends the listener on a journey through a whirlwind of moods and energies. With their 2005 debut album Sounding Out The City, EMA spearheaded an instrumental funk / soul movement that inspired a slew of bands and even lead to the creation of a few independent record labels. El Michels has since lent his signature sound to artists from Adele to Dr John, Lana Del Rey to Aloe Blacc, and a who's who list of others. In 2016 he co-founded Big Crown Records and has since produced the lion's share of its output. A short stint as the touring band for Wu Tang Clan in 2007 led to the cult classics Enter The 37th Chamber (2009) and Return To The 37th Chamber (2017). Adult Themes marks the long awaited, highly anticipated return to an album of original compositions from El Michels Affair. In 2017 in between producing, playing, and recording on other artists' records Leon Michels began creating compilations of short interludes intended to be sampled by hip hop producers. Some of these wound up becoming songs by Jay Z & Beyonce, Travis Scott, and Don Toliver. These minute-long snippets were inspired by the dense moody work of `60s composers like David Axelrod, and Francois de Roubaix, as well as Moondog's brand of classical jazz. Michels was having so much fun creating these instrumental / orchestral nuggets that he decided to expand on some of the ideas and create what would become the soundtrack for a movie that has yet to be made, an imaginary film entitled "Adult Themes." The album plays like the colors on an artists pallet. Songs like "Rubix" and "Villa" are densely orchestrated with the hard-hitting drums that El Michels Affair is known for. On "Life of Pablo", Leon's son makes his first appearance on record and intros a song with an epic arrangement and a moving mood. "Hipps" is a drum heavy ballad that could've easily fit on EMA's debut record, Sounding Out the City. Other compositions like "The Difference" and "Kill The Lights" are bare, melodic mood pieces with sparse drums and sophisticated chord movement. All of these tunes come together to make perfect backgrounds for dialogue and action. One of the beautiful things about instrumental music is that the listener can decide what the narrative is. With Adult Themes El Michels Affair has created a "choose your own adventure" in musical form.

In times of trouble and uncertainty music can provide relief for the soul, and DAVIE’s triumphant Defected debut ‘Testify’ does exactly that. A joyous introduction to the Brooklyn artist, this special 7” release demonstrates an ability to strike the balance between classic and contemporary sounds seamlessly. Steeped in music from a young age, DAVIE followed the path many soul greats did before him, joining the choir in a local church where his father was a pastor. Describing ‘Testify’ as “a dance song, not a gospel song”, the record remains inspired by his upbringing up in the church, radiating all the energy and atmosphere of worship in full flow. On the A-Side rich instrumentation provides the backdrop for DAVIE’s flawless vocals, along with a serious dose of funk, making this label debut nothing short of a future classic. The B-Side features the Accapella, an essential DJ tool.

The vinyl edition is limited to 300 copies and comes in a sealed heavy old-fashioned cardboard sleeve. A free download code plus a BJINT logo sticker round up the packaging.

Paris-based producers Alcynoos & Parental (of Kalhex) present their collaborative effort "Shapes" on Beat Jazz International. Expect some super mellow tunes with producer guests like Remulak, Parental's brother Lex (de Kalhex), Ødyssee, Aywee Tha Seed and others. Scratches are provided by Debonair P. and DJ Soul Intellect.

The third release from Night Dreamer’s essential “Direct-to-Disc” sessions sees an incredible meeting between legendary US saxophonist Gary Bartz and leading UK spiritual jazz ensemble, Maisha, featuring two Bartz classics and three brand new joint songs written by both Bartz & Maisha in close collaboration. Having cut his teeth playing with the likes of Charles Mingus, Max Roach, Art Blakey and finally in 1970, Miles Davis at the peak of his electric period, Gary Bartz became a leading figure of the early-to-mid 70s spiritual jazz movement, releasing a string of ground-breaking albums on legendary NYC jazz label Prestige Records with his NTU Troop, featuring classics such as “Celestial Blues”, “Uhuru Dance” and “I’ve Known Rivers”, before collaborating on Blue Note Records with the Mizell Brothers on the anthemic jazz funk of “Music Is My Sanctuary”. An oeuvre much loved by soul jazzers and hip hop fans alike. Led by drummer Jake Long, Maisha have been central to the UK’s jazz explosion, and have fast become the UK’s most exciting and in-demand young spiritual jazz ensemble, from steller shows at Jazz re:freshed, Total Refreshment Centre & Church of Sound and supporting the Sun Ra Arkestra, to releasing their critically acclaimed debut LP, “There Is A Place” on Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Recordings in 2018. Theirs is an organic & explosive sound that blends influences from afrobeat and broken beat to Persian music, with a deep love and understanding of jazz, particularly the heritage of spiritual jazz led by titans such as Pharoah Sanders, Alice Coltrane and of course, Gary Bartz. Which makes this collaboration even more special. Bartz was first invited to share a stage with Maisha by Gilles Peterson to headline the inaugural We Out Here festival. Their chemistry was rich and instantaneous, certainly a two-way street, with the young musicians reinvigorating the legend’s performance and wowing the intergenerational festival audience. A European tour followed, including a London Jazz Festival highlight at the Royal Festival Hall, celebrating the 50th anniversary of his album “Another Earth”, originally featuring fellow legends, Pharoah Sanders, Charles Tolliver, Stanley Cowell, and John Coltrane’s own bassist, Reggie Workman. Now the relationship has evolved into a special straight-to-disc recording for Night Dreamer Records, that captures the vitality of their collaboration. Whilst Bartz and Maisha reinvent classic Bartz compositions “Uhuru Sasa” and “Dr Follows Dance”, extending the pieces into long piece improvised grooves, their recording session gave birth to three brand new joint compositions, written the very same day. These include the propulsive “Leta’s Dance” that magically combines the Bartz’ soulful musical lyricism with Maisha’s African-jazz influences, and the organic jazz funk of “Harlem to Haarlem”, featuring a hot solo from guest trumpeter Axel Kaner-Lidstrom of Cykada & Levitation Orchestra fame. Like previous Night Dreamer efforts from afrobeat star Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, and the beautiful
collaboration between Brazilian stars Seu Jorge & Rogê, the album was recorded in Haarlem’s Artone Studio, a stones throw from Amsterdam, in just one-take, straight-to-disc, avoiding postproduction embellishments and retaining the purity of the performance lost in modern recording techniques. This record really is an event, in and of itself, a meeting of talents, minds, generations and zeitgeist moments, captured in a unique and pure manner. The music does not disappoint, as Maisha have been inspired to reach new heights whilst we find Bartz truly reinvigorated, and both artists in tune to the spirit of the other.

Fronted by creative lynchpin Billy Sullivan, this startling three-piece – augmented by three other musicians when playing live - have cemented a loyal fanbase since their inception some five years ago and alongside Sam Long, bassist and drummer Matt Johnson whilst initiating album sales in excess of 20k and a tour itinerary approaching nearly three hundred gigs.
Life Worth Living is a contrasting melting pot of unadulterated joy and melancholy, laughter, tears, frustration and peacefulness. Quiet and introspective moments collide with loud and angry times and no less powerful. At its heart is a sense of hope that things can be better, the title reflects that aspiration. Produced by Simon Dine, who was behind the desk for Paul Weller’s 22 Dreams and Wake Up The Nation amongst a varied CV - has harnessed the undoubted vibrancy and swagger of the band’s live show helping create an ambitious album – a vehicle for the talents of Sullivan, Long and Johnson.
From the infectious brass-infused opener, Start All Over Again, the Nutty Boys-esque title track Life Worth Living to Tear This Place Right Down bathed in soul overtones, the ballad-like wonder of How Could I Lie To You? to the ska riffage of single (Just Won’t) Keep You Down and the magnificent finale of Make It Through Each Day.

When people talk about Italian dance music, they tend to focus on Rome and Napoli rather than Bologna. Yet the city in Northern Italy not only played a key role in the development of “Italo-house” in the late 1980s and early ‘90s, but also boasts a vibrant contemporary scene. To prove the point, Boogie Café has put together “Bologna On The Move”, a four-track selection of sizzling hot cuts from some of the city’s latest wave of deep and soulful dance music talents.

Leading the charge is Sam Ruffillo, a producer who first appeared on Boogie Café last year following an impressive 2018 debut on Irma Dance floor. He kicks off proceedings with the infectious “U Make Me Sing”, a heavyweight slab of rolling breakbeat goodness rich in tight vocal samples, jazzy guitar licks and wonderfully warm and weighty bass.

Later in the EP Ruffilo returns to action alongside Brine, another rising star with links to legendary Italian label Irma. “Request Line” is a fine slab of chunky, U.S garage-influenced deep house that sees the duo pepper swinging drums and toasty bass with heady organ stabs, cut-up vocal samples and trippy electronics.

Fittingly, Brine gets a chance to showcase his skills as a solo producer via “Star Chaser”, a looser and jazzier house excursion that doffs a cap to the glory years of jazz-funk whilst championing rich deep house synth riffs, jaunty bass and more spaced-out vocal snippets.

You’ll hear a similar jazz-funk influence at the heart of the EP’s only contribution from Red Rooster founder and former House of Disco artist D’Arabia. The most experienced of the three artists on show, he offers up “Straight Outta Fire”, a bouncy, deep and percussive affair that wraps drowsy male vocals, sustained chords and harmonica samples around disco-influenced house beats and what may well be the squelchiest bassline ever to emerge from Bologna.


DJ Support:

Bedmo Disco, Lord leopard, Melon Bomb, Dave Harvey, Haze City, Aroop Roy, Lay Far , Danvers, Kassian, Dave Jarvis,
Jimmy The Twin & Cengiz.

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since long, chilean/swiss producer and dj luciano is a prominent figure in the global electron-ic club music circle. already from a young age on he was exposed to music profoundly, as his father worked as a jukebox repairman and possessed a large record collection.

when he was twelve, his mother gifted him a guitar, that turned luciano shortly into a mem-ber of a school punk rock band. soon after, his passion for electronic music rose. infected by detroit techno and engaged by close friends like producer dandy jack, he started to play rec-ords in local santiago de chile dance clubs and became involved in the minimal techno scene around friends like ricardo villalobos.

when luciano moved back from chile to switzerland in 2000, he established a residency at weetamix club in geneva, started releasing his own productions on labels like mental groove and joining the cocoon team in ibiza to play at the famous monday night at club amnesia.

since then he is a regular on the balearic island, holding residencies at clubs like dc10 or, with his “vagabundos” serial, at ushuaïa. besides playing around the globe with the likes of carl craig, richie hawtin or loco dice, he is releasing groundbreaking minimal techno and house on his label cadenza since 2003, featuring music by artists like nsi, ricardo villalobos, pikaya, reboot, maayan nidam and himself.

his very own music, so far issued on three albums and countless eps, was always ambiguous. there is his club leaning creativity that can dance slightly into pop spheres while never for-getting the power of precise sliced rhythms and subtle bass sensations.

and then there is a calmer luciano, that displays his love for “music to listen at home, done for a spiritual travel, an inner universe and a moment paralyzed in ether”, as he describes it.

on his first ever mule musiq album release “luci neu house”, luciano now delivers meditative journey music full of repetitive patterns that slowly playing tricks on the listeners subcon-sciousness. “i love music that has a dimension more than music designed for the radio or tv format. mu-sic, that is designed to bring you a higher level of energy and creativity.

so, there is no pretentious things in it ... more just sounds and dimension that will lead your head into the fall of jupiter” he reveals about the one-hour long composition “luci neu house”, whose esoteric deepness reminds on the intensely meditative class of his older pro-ductions like “behind my soul” from 2010.

an epic tune cut on vinyl into four 15-minute long pieces, who shift slowly, almost unper-ceived, whilst absorbing the mind of close observers into a micro-sliced world of moving gen-tleness.

maelstrom magnetism against the gravity of time, that also can be found on the additional mule musiq 257 12inch, which functions as a soothing footnote to luciano’s album.

the almost 13 minutes long trip “flags of himalaya” opens with restful percussions that unhur-riedly start to dance with soft string, piano and horn melodies. on the opposite, the nine-minute long “the evasion of the spiritual soldier” grooves laidback with jazzy rhythms and italo leaning melodies.

a perfect tune for slow dance sensations and endless sunset seaside drives. at a total length of almost 90 minutes, all new mule musiq music composed by luciano distributes a mesmer-izing healing spirit, that grounds organically, even if it is totally rooted in the digital, soft-ware driven world of composing music. “check your buddha” tunes, that somehow sound novel during each new listening circle.

Legendary Detroit Techno collective, Scan 7's 'Burdens Down' release from 2017 was a true testament to their brilliant ability to merge the soulful house textures with the analogue mechanics. The addition of Maurice Jackson's outstanding vocal stylings topped off the original with a perfect human element. Following the global success of the original version, Elypsia Records has enlisted some of the scene's top tastemakers to deliver a remix package worthy of the original, featuring that same calculated combination of soul and steel.

Leaders of the Parisian underground, DJ Deep & Roman Poncet, provide the first remix which is all about building incredible tension. A tightly squeezed kick drum, short synth chops and cleverly placed vocal samples drive the groove. As the track grows, additional hats and synths arrive, leading up to a quick break before all the floor-rocking energy bursts free. Big!

Dutch Techno legend Orlando Voorn steps up next for his first of two remixes, this one leaning towards a very House-centric shuffle with warm, friendly key stabs and the full use of Maurice's vocals. A truly joyful work of dance music magic here, with a relentless rhythmic drive keeping the party happening at full force.

Underground Resistance's very own Mark Flash takes the remix responsibilities for the B1 with his gorgeous synth-saturated rework of the original. An energetic and stomping kick drum powers perfectly alongside future-facing melodies which shine brightly on top of the tune. This one is guaranteed to serve as an earworm for days after the party has ended.

Rounding out the EP is the 2nd remix from Orlando Voorn, this time peering into the underground with a stripped back jackin' track utilizing a looped key melody on top of carefully placed vocal samples and claps. Some unexpected synths appear at the second half of the tune, putting a bit of new-age funk into the party stomper.

At last, another chance to get a classic soul masterpiece on 7” vinyl, even if you can score an original copy for about £800.

Timeless Legend were Jackie Hogg, Allen B. Burney, Donald Harmon, and Michael Harmon from Columbus, Ohio. Their music is among the most elusive on the rare funk/soul scene with the 7” of “I Was Born To Love You” a huge crossover club. Few have actually ever set eyes on this album either, and those who own one have paid £2,000 for the privilege.

Our next release on Visions Recordings, is a Swiss Duo of extremely talented musicians producing as KEYS of LYNX and we are happy to release their first ever record on Visions. These two future boogie jazz funk tracks were sent by KOL a few months back and straight away we fell in love with the freshness and the grooves. Influenced by jazz, funk, boogie and soul from the past and the broken beat sounds ok Kaidi Tatham and the likes, KEYS OF LYNX deliver here some well needed grooves for the Soulful music lovers. On the remix duties its an in-house version “Visions Remix” by label partners Alex & Stephane Attias, taking us on an 8 minutes dancefloor journey.

At Visions we like various styles of music’s, soulful and deep. Another great release for us in 2020.

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It’s taken Yotam Avni a little while to get to his debut album; almost a decade, really, since his debut 12”, “That’s What The World Needs”, on California’s Seasons Limited imprint. During that time, the Tel-Aviv based producer has refined his productions, tightening the groove and paring everything back to bare essentials; the power in an Avni cut is its combination of piston-pulse propulsion and a deep, but gently applied, musicality. This combination gives his techno productions added heft on the dance floor, but also a lyrical sensibility that places him squarely in a tradition of techno legends who somehow manage to make the four-to-the-floor a space of poetic intensity, of rigorous joy.

Avni’s been on Kompakt’s radar for a while, first appearing on the label last year, with his Speicher contribution, “Mañana Mañana”. (“Track For Agoria”, from that EP, also appeared on Total 19.) The connection immediately made sense – dance music that managed to feel both lush and streamlined across the same great gasp of late-night energy. But with Yotam Avni Was Here, he’s taken a huge leap. After a brief intro, Avni sets his stall with “Beyond The Dance”, which features slow-moving vocal melisma over sculptural, melting tonalities, a tintinnabulating, harpsichord-like two-note phrase pacing out the track. Then “It Was What It Was” comes into view, its strip-light textures suddenly placed into sharp relief by a muted trumpet figure that hangs in the air, melancholy and pensive.

It’s no surprise, at this point, to discover that Avni’s inspirations for Was Here took in the histories of both techno and jazz. “I wanted to try something more around Detroit Techno meets ECM,” he reflects, when explaining the motivating forces behind the album. “Carl Craig’s Just Another Day EP and Kenny Larkin’s Keys, Strings, Tambourines came out during my high school years and had huge impact on me.” Avni’s also appeared on Transmat compilations, and remixed artists like the Midwest’s Titonton Duvanté, and Orlando Voorn – the latter particularly important for the way he connected the Detroit and Amsterdam techno scenes – his career path is marked by ongoing connections, direct and indirect, to Detroit’s storied history.

“I always wanted to go back to those hi-tek soul roots on a full album,” he continues, and he’s definitely exploring that terrain here, with the sky-strafing brass on “Free Darius Now”, morse-code keys on “Vortex” and glitchy, microhouse tickles of “Know Hope” all contributing to an oblique narrative that seems to arc across Was Here – one fleshed out by guest musicians, who include dop and Gerog Levin on vocals, and trumpets by Greg Paulus (of Beirut and No Regular Play). The cover art makes the jazz connection explicit, riffing on the text-based, minimal design of The Modern Jazz Quartet’s 1955 album for Prestige, Concorde. But the way Avni has gathered around him both inspiring musicians and intriguing reference points makes me think of his broader career as well, the collectivism behind his AVADON nights in Tel-Aviv, his many and wide-ranging releases on labels like Innervisions, Hotflush and Stroboscopic Artefacts, and the openness of his productions, which seem to be all about the multiple, the possibilities of cross-pollination, of fusing this with that, of adding and subtracting, all under the pulsating thumbprint of techno.

Good things, after all, are worth waiting for.

Once more we're ready to take flight on Africa Airways, for this sixth journey we're taking you above 5280 feet and laying on the funk.

The flight opens with the punchy horns, afro rhythms & groovy bass of Eko Roosevelt's "Ndolo Embe Mulema". Keeping the tempo high we usher in fellow Cameroonians JM Tim & Foty for another punch of brass with the funky "More And More (Ye-Male)". We stay in Cameroon with Ngalle Jojo, here he lays down another funktastic bass heavy stomper with "Ngigna Loko". Jude Bondeze hails from Bangui, Central African Republic and is probably best known for his more traditional Tene Sango album... but his debut 1981 release saw him in a very funky mood indeed!

Next up, Nigerian Vicky Edimo gets his thumb out and lays down some glorious slabs of deep funk... along with a rather splendid bass solo! JK Mandengue played bass off & on for the British Afrobeat band "Osibisa", playing on the uber funky "Super Fly TNT" Motion Picture Soundtrack album.. Certainly putting him on a path to the Wahahwah'tastic "Kosa Mba" taken from his 1979 self-titled album.

Slow percussive classic raw street funk from Nigeria's Akwassa, who's line up is the same as "Heads Funk Band", are up next. Another outing for Vicky Edimo on this 1978 beauty from Mike Kounou. Also on guitar duties for Mike Kounou is Francois Amadou Corea, who's funky chops can be heard on "Ngigna Loko" & "Njonjo Mukambe".

Hi-Octane funk from Airto Fogo, percussion, rhodes & horns aplenty on this 1974 instrumental cut "Black Soul". As we prepare to start our decent Francois Misse Ngoh drops in some filth with this 1980 bass face monster "Njonjo Mukambe"... head nodding isn't essential, but it's best to brace yourself for impact.

Your next Africa Airways departure will be ready for boarding soon,
so keep your passports at the ready!

Disco divas, Funky queens and Glam ladies in 70's and early 80's Taiwan!

Due to it's extremely complex history, Taiwan in the 70´s saw the creation of some incredibly special music in which the sounds coming at the moment from the west collided with the special sensitivity of Taiwanese musicians, creating a delicious mixture you´ll need to hear to believe.

"Taiwan Disco" shines a light on the music created by Taiwanese women during those years (70´s & early 80´s) to present a mind-blowing collection of songs with sounds ranging from wild Funk to Space Glam, exotic Disco or fuzzed out Soul. Here´s the ticket to some crazy Taiwan nights, get those dancing shoes ready, it´s time to shake it!

Exciting new producer Yves Tomas releases on Rekids with ‘Pilot EP’ this May - a bold and versatile debut release exhibiting the artist’s broad range of influences.

Hailing from London but with roots in Bristol, Yves Tomas is a producer, vocalist and DJ brought up in the centre of UK club music. Since experimenting with music through his childhood and early teens he’s gone on to become an engineer, working in studios alongside some of the biggest names in grime and pop music. This has led to him developing his own unique style of electronic music as a reactionary expression to working in the meat grinder culture of mainstream music. He now joins Radio Slave
Rekids - a label known and respected for discovering many luminary figures in electronic music.

With its otherworldly melody and echoing effects, ‘Braindead’ is a downtempo track that remains beatless until the halfway mark, moving onto the beautifully arranged ‘MA1’ with its reverb-drenched breaks, quivering synths, and ever-evolving chopped and looped vocals. ‘River’ then incorporates elements of grime and jungle courtesy of its lively stabs, soulful chords and compelling rhythm built on punchy percussion. Taking things into a spiritual direction, Elephant & Snake’ meanders forward using
syncopated drums, washy chants and elevating organ keys before ‘Callout FM’ follows with its rattling snares, twisted arpeggios, and crystalline pads.

Nearing the end, ‘Pilot’ is a stripped-back affair with sporadic kicks, a fuzzy bassline, and vocoder vocals until digital bonus track ‘Birds Of The Barbican’ ties everything together by generating an uplifting atmosphere destined to elevate revellers for many years to come.

If Galaxy Lane’s first EP didn’t send the portals of time and space upside down, then the second EP will throw you down a vortex of hypnotic grooves juxtaposed with eerily erratic rhythms built in outer space.
The first of two EP’s to be trusted in the hands of Lone Romantic, ‘Night’ and ‘Later That Night’ will explore the concept of capturing moments in time.
Maybe Galaxy Lane can best summarise…

“I want people to really feel the mistakes in this music, the dirt, the rough and raw approach, the ‘sitting on the floor surrounded by wires at 3am messing with synths’ approach. That to me is the magic of this music, the interaction of man and machine, to hear the nuances, the tweaking of knobs and pushes of faders. I think we have lost that somewhat with digital technology, and have lost a lot of feeling in the process”

‘Night’ will propel the listener into ethereal textures layered over rough and raw beats, as outlined on opening track ‘Deep Space Nine’. If that sets you up for thinking this will be a dreamy ride, ‘Communication’ hits hard at the rear of the spaceship, coming at you with intergalactic bleeps, zaps and back cracking rhythms made for getting down.

Side 2 sets off on an exploration of wild eyed boundary flexing in the shape of ‘Enter The Light’. Pushing the machines to near breaking point whilst just hanging on, it’s a track that shows what can be done when the spaceship is left to drive itself, you can do nothing more than go with it and and see what happens.
‘Snow Day’ is perhaps the perfect way to round us back in. A more calmer, smoother ride, it’s unmistakable polyrhythms soothing the soul and setting us up for the next chapter…

The classic album of Germany's funk champions reissued on surf blue colour vinyl.

Original press release note from 2011:

After almost twenty 45's under various pseudonyms, their thrilling and hugely successful debut album with London-based singer Gizelle Smith and a tour with concerts throughout Europe, Germany's most prolific deep funk formation is ready to step further into the spotlight with their second longplayer.

The aptly titled THE FUTURE IS HERE sees the group explore new territories with features by hiphop legends Afrika Bambaataa and Charlie Funk, French singer Caroline Lacaze and German rare groove queen Su Kramer, while manifesting their unique raw funk sound and refining their unmistakable instrumental style that has long gained international reputation.

Producer legend Kenny Dope (Masters at Work, Bucketheads) picked up the Mighty Mocambos's re-interpretation of the Furious Five classic "The Message" (released under a pseudonym on an obscure phantasy label without proper distribution), remixed it and re-released it on his own imprint Kay Dee Records. This album includes the original version of the "Next Message" – a message that apparently got heard and answered.

Afrika Bambaataa (the Godfather of Hip-Hop) and Charlie Funk (aka Afrika Islam, Grammy- and Oscar-decorated producer of Ice-T and original member of the Zulu Nation) loved the Mocambo vibe and joined the group on stage and in the studio to record "Zulu Walk" and "Battle", two stunning tracks of organic Funk that take Hip-Hop "back to the roots where we started out" (as featured MC King Kamonzi rightfully says) and along the way, leads funk into the future.

Keeping up with the universal spirit and ignoring boundaries of language in favour of the global groove, the Mocambos recorded "Physique", a rousing dancefloor smash sung in French by Caroline Lacaze. "The Sun Shines Tonight" is a cheerful party-in-the-studio session with original German funk and disco queen Su Kramer (who played with Donna Summer in the original cast of "Hair" during the late 1960s) that documents the pure joy of playing and spontaneity of a Mocambo live situation.

The 12 titles on this album showcase the group's collective determination, unified versatility and creative wit. From the drum-heavy, afro-tinged "Calling The Shots", the anthemic "Struggle & Triumph", the romantic melancholy of "French Vanilla Skies", the somber and frantic "Transcendental Express", to songs with an almost cinematic quality like the moody "A Brighter Darkness" and the horroresque "Paranormals Theme", the album offers a broad spectrum of colours, all held together by the unity of a band that has been playing together for years - recorded live in a few takes with simple analog equipment to capture the energy, chemistry and blind faith between dedicated musicians.

The result, mixed and mastered by chief engineer Def Stef with a decidedly modern punch, is a far cry from nowadays vintage soul band replicas. It is a universal and timeless statement: with the knowledge of the past and present, right now, we look into the future - THE FUTURE IS HERE.

If Galaxy Lane’s first EP didn’t send the portals of time and space upside down, then the second EP will throw you down a vortex of hypnotic grooves juxtaposed with eerily erratic rhythms built in outer space.
The first of two EP’s to be trusted in the hands of Lone Romantic, ‘Night’ and ‘Later That Night’ will explore the concept of capturing moments in time.
Maybe Galaxy Lane can best summarise…

“I want people to really feel the mistakes in this music, the dirt, the rough and raw approach, the ‘sitting on the floor surrounded by wires at 3am messing with synths’ approach. That to me is the magic of this music, the interaction of man and machine, to hear the nuances, the tweaking of knobs and pushes of faders. I think we have lost that somewhat with digital technology, and have lost a lot of feeling in the process”

‘Night’ will propel the listener into ethereal textures layered over rough and raw beats, as outlined on opening track ‘Deep Space Nine’. If that sets you up for thinking this will be a dreamy ride, ‘Communication’ hits hard at the rear of the spaceship, coming at you with intergalactic bleeps, zaps and back cracking rhythms made for getting down.

Side 2 sets off on an exploration of wild eyed boundary flexing in the shape of ‘Enter The Light’. Pushing the machines to near breaking point whilst just hanging on, it’s a track that shows what can be done when the spaceship is left to drive itself, you can do nothing more than go with it and and see what happens.
‘Snow Day’ is perhaps the perfect way to round us back in. A more calmer, smoother ride, it’s unmistakable polyrhythms soothing the soul and setting us up for the next chapter…

Blue Vinyl

After the hot first single with Sadat X (Brand Nubian) & El Da Sensei (Artifacts), Moar present the full LP Boom Bap Mentality featuring the legendary Dumi Right (Zimbabwe Legit), the underground Finsta (Finsta Bundy), the explosive duet Dirt Platoon, le real Mc Napoleon da Legend, Rita J from Chicago, LS Brigandes from NYC & the newbie & homie Miss Kraze from Nantes (France). All beats produced by Moar on the MPC’s & SP1200 with many taste of Jazz, Soul & Sera Groove vinyl samples ! Cuts by Moar himself & Dj Impact (Switzerland)

The 7' versions of Keep the Fire Burning and Funky Sensation by Gwen McCrae, two tracks synonymous with the soul, boogie, rare groove and modern disco scenes, are finally being reissued on Expansion Records. Keep the Fire Burning has been one of the most sought after records of the past decade, seamlessly bridging the gap between rare-groove and underground dance-music. What's more, recent price-hikes on online vinyl-distribution websites denote the way in which the market for this record has grown exponentially, a testament to its new-found popularity among the worldwide dance-music diaspora. Funky Sensation, moreover, possesses a timeless and universal groove, a song which has cemented itself as a darling of the boogie-scene, while gaining traction from the likes of Dam Funk and Nu Guinea. Furthermore, Funky Sensation is a traditionally popular record amongst the UK Soul scene, after seeing airtime on London Pirate-Radio stations during the 1980's. Keep the Fire Burning has since been sampled by Star Slimlinger, Marcus Gauntlett and the Hustlers Convention among others and has seen heavy rotation within the underground circuit, owing to its popularity among certain U.S and European DJ's such as Ron Trent, Marcellus Pittmann, and Sam Shepherd. Funky sensation is well-affiliated within the Hip-Hop scene, after providing the musical framework for songs produced by Africa Bambaata, Ghostface Killah and L.L Cool J to name a few. Original copies of this 7' single have exchanged hands for over £100.

Born in Paris, raised in Vienna, resident in Ibiza, saxophonist and composer Muriel Grossmann embodies the borderless, pan-continental energies of contemporary European jazz. Her music emerges from the lineage of European jazz that's absorbed the progressive music of Coltrane, Dolphy and Sanders. Today, she cites players such as Illinois Jacquet and Lester Young in the same breath as the masters of the avant-garde, and her playing marries the directness and eloquence of the older generation with the questing, spiritualised playing epitomised by Coltrane. The roster of musicians she has played with is long, and includes veteran European avant-gardists including Joachim and Rolf Kühn, Wolfgang Reisinger and Thomas Heidepriem, and she works tirelessly with contemporary groups and big bands across the continent.

Since her first recordings in the early 2000s, Grossmann has released a dozen albums as leader, featuring sounds ranging from hard-swinging modernist jams to free improvisation, expansive spiritual work to rhythm-focussed Afrocentrism. But at the centre of her work is a thread of pure and heartfelt spiritual music in the modal tradition defined by Coltrane and close collaborators like Pharoah Sanders and Alice Coltrane. You can't play this music successfully if you don't mean it – like the music of her contemporary Nat Birchall, Grossmann's engagement with the Coltrane tradition is sincere and deep. Her music resonates within the tradition – more than just a style, it adds a new chapter to the story of modal and spiritual jazz in Europe.

This Jazzman set draws a selection from her 2016 album Natural Time ('Your Pace', 'Peace For All') and from 2017's Momentum ('Elevation', 'Chant' and 'Rising'). Featuring her regular quartet of Radomir Milojkovic (guitar) Uros Stamenkovic (drums) and Gina Schwarz (bass), the music on Elevation is pure sound, soul and spirit!

- LP only with thick tip on sleeve- Download card included inside

"Timeless and innovative... a musical genius" Mike Gates, UK Vibe

"A listening experience akin to transcendence" Andrew Jones, Down Beat

"Vibrant, passionate, exhilarating. A monument of spiritual jazz" Mark Sarazzy, Impro Jazz

"A journey that takes off like missile, passes through meditation, reaches nirvana and ends with thanksgiving" Elliot Simon, NYC jazz records

"Timelessly beautiful" Christian Bakonyi, Concerto

The impact and influence of music of (Afro) Cuban origin has spread from Cuba to the far corners of the world. Its fingerprint can be found through salsa, jazz, funk, soul, hip hop and everything in between. Cuba has an incredibly rich culture of music and dance which is ingrained in its people from birth. With this release we celebrate two compositions by one of Cuba's finest songwriters: Silvestre Méndez.

Here at Rocafort Records we are delighted to serve up two of Méndez's biggest compositions at their finest. "Mi Bomba Sonó" featuring the emblematic Celia Cruz and her explosive vocals over La Sonora Matancera's inimitable pulsating rhythms! On the flip side we have Joey Pastrana's thundering rendition of 'A Bailar Oriza', a funky reinterpretation of one of Méndez's most covered compositions.

Disclaimer: We will not be held responsible for any turntables, dance floors or pants catching on fire! We hope you enjoy this little tribute to Silvestre Méndez as much as we have delighted in putting it together!

Les Cooles De Ville is an Amsterdam based alternative Hip-Hop group creating soulful music using elements of Jazz, Bossa Nova and Pop. Recording and performing with live instrumentation and a mixture of samples and electronics they bring a unique, international vibe to the musical landscape quirky colourful, laidback and romantic they deliver a sound reminiscent of contemporaries like The Internet and Tom Misch.

Sometimes referred to as the Dutch equivalent of the Native Tongues the group's sound is inspired by acts like Digable Planets, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Lucy Pearl and Slum Village.

L.C.V.D.'s new self-titled album is available via digital platforms and vinyl via Season Five Records / Below System Records. The album includes guest appearances by Benny Sings, Roos Jonker, Randell Heye, Delaney Nelom, Benjamin Herman and MARNIX.

New York’s indie disco funk crew is back with a new album. And it’s the right moment: With new acts like Toro Y Moi, Sault, Parcels, The Internet around… the funky, disco, old school vibe is big in 2020. And The Phenomenal Handclap Band fits perfectly. Probably all these new artists are fans of the Phenomenals. Because The PHB popped up for the first time 10 years ago. Some top knotch musicians from NYC’s funk scene playing dirty discofunk. Some of the bandmembers played in Mark Ronson’s projects and in Amy Winehouse’s backing band. Head of the band: Daniel Collás. Their self-titled debut album on Gomma records 2010 made them many fans in the music scene. A nasty fusion of forward-thinking disco, psychedelic prog rock, and classic soul with a splash of yacht rock. Back then the band took the road, supporting Bryan Ferry and Franz Ferdinand, playing shows at Glastonbury, Wireless, and Latitude… as well as getting praise from Sir Paul McCartney about their album! After the album Collás began to produce other artists in Brooklyn. The band paused. Now they are back. With Daniel Collás in the centre, along with new members multi-instrumentalist Juliet Swango, and vocalist and synthesizer wizard Monika Heidemann. Their sound is still essentially analog dance music, with an emphasis on raw soul, vocal harmonies, African percussion, fuzzy guitars and analog synthesizers.

Pacific Shore makes modern melancholy hip-hop-soul-jazz with love. The duo’s "road music” evokes a dreamlike and cinematic musical journey. In the studio and on stage, the duo shows that machines, live instruments, and vocals can make electronic music organic, warm, and alive.


Immersed in the studio for a while, the duo are back with the album "Two Kingdoms", their biggest project so far. Without complex, these 17 tracks transport us between vaporous pop/funk groove and hybrid experimentations. A lively, moving and poetic work in search of a certain sense of life on Earth.


As Ying and Yang the album is a combination of two interdependent chapters, we find the voice of their faithful friend and collaborator Sarah Linhares on the tracks Overboard, Knees Wet, Borders among others. As well as the very intriguing Majin Blobfish on Light & Shade and the appearance of a new voice from Pacific Shore on several titles: Two Kingdoms, Home, A Part of Me...

Russia's Nocow refuses to mourn the failed experiment of human contact on his Turbo debut EP, delivering cathartic anthems alongside giant warehouse jams you are free to call "deep" and "cavernous" with full knowledge of the risks involved. ??

On lead track "Never Leave Me," the Saint Petersburg-based creator of "Cloud Techno" runs emotive vocals through a hazmat filter and into the emo-globin contained within your fluorescent-green blood cells. Meanwhile, after-hours love-weapons "Back On," "Avalon," and "Soder" each take different routes to activating the phantom arousal mechanisms of your soul. Finally, some people have been calling closer "Starfall" a "magical ticket to Vocal Sample Heaven" and "a timeless all-inclusive ravecation from the cares of this workaday world." While we would never choose to word it that way, we concede that both descriptions are generally pretty accurate.??

In these times of social isolation and uncertainty, we remind you that it's vital your Restless Heart Syndrome not turn into Reckless Heart Syndrome. Instead of frequenting illicit "Droplet Transmission Parties," why not peep the vast network of Landline Raves we've been hearing about via our vast network of peeper-drones? Also, please try to keep in mind that all of this is simply selection pressure forcing you to evolve new and viable ways of connecting with the hottest singles in your area. So stay inside for now and stay inside our hearts forever.

Dee Edwards is a 70s soul singer who has impacted on the modern, rare and two step scenes. She is particularly well known for “(I Can) Deal With That” for the Detroit De-To label before her spell at Cotillion Records. Here she recorded two albums “Heavy Love” and “Two Hearts Are Better Than One” from which the A and B side or our 7” are taken. “Put The World On Hold” has previously been only a go to modern dancer track on an album. “Put Your Love On The Line” is a disco/boogie pleaser produced by Michael Zager, an early 7” issue of this being an edit. Enjoy it now in all its glory

Tobias., Neel and Sebastian Muellaert as Wa Wu We collaborate with the Konstrukt label for their 12th release. Each producer with a unique and refreshing approach towards electronic music.

Tobias. is up first with a beautiful track that balances on the border of rationality and emotion. His abstract sonic narrative discloses through tightly organized rhythms and noisy percussion. Neel follows up with a cinematic composition that submerges us into otherworldly oddities that guides us slowly through his composition. WaWuWe's formally known as Sebastian Mullaert relieves the tension. The Swedish composer made a 13-minute long stirring and relaxing B-side track, blessing us with soothing energy for the mind, body and soul.

Thatmanmonkz returns after his critically acclaimed and just damn good 2nd LP 'Non Zero Sum Game' with a heavyweight remix package !!

Favourite LP cut 'Them Thangs' anchors the EP, with Detroit superhero Waajeed laying down a typically high class interpretation, trademark Dirt Tech vibes abound, with equal parts motor city machine soul and tough rhythms taking the original straight to the floor.
Talking of which, the OG Dubstramental concentrates the irresistible groove into an effortlessly fierce afro-centric House jam.

After the PPF crew submitted their tearaway rewire of one of the LP's tougher moments 'Freaks 'N Prophets' its place on this 12 was assured.
A Chicago style slammer that extends and leans into the powerhouse groove with a nod to the forefathers.
Finally, a previous digital release highlight (which got a lot of love) finishes off the EP, a flute-laden romp for dancin' close.

Puzzlebox Records Classic Electro / Techno Label Returns. Label owner Keith Tucker aka K-1 is back with his own Brand of Electro Funk with infectious bass lines and unmistakable vocals from one of the genres hardest working artist and label owners.

Over the years Tucker has done it all from visuals for live shows , label art work, dj’ing all over the world to also touring as a founding member of Aux88.

His new release is “Modular World “side A is an electro banger with Tuckers amazing arpeggiator work reminiscent of his great Optic Nerve techno alias. Modular World has a hypnotizing arp and Funky bassline that hits your soul and quickly programs your mind to
dance mode. The haunting Vocal and electronic vocoder work is unmistakable K-1 at his best. Listen to the way he combines his
voices to form his own distinct sound.

Side B. “Schematix” brings this special two track ep to A thunderous boom with a more retro bass styling that shows his programming skills, K-1 is able to manipulate his mixes to showcase his intelligent techno side with the street funk of Detroit. “Schematix” dark sci-fi drone vocals kick off the k-1 mix to get any crowd to run to the dance floor.

Originally put on the map by Brian From Wheaton, a passionate collector from IL - This record has been fetching upwards of £1000 from those crazy Northern Soul DJs.

Officially licensed and re-mastered. Essential modern soul dancer, now available for the world to enjoy.

Second release from Royer Records. This very hard to find disco holy grail is finally back on the shelves for the first time since 1978.
"Super-Disco" is the first ever release from Cameroonese artist Pierre Tchana. A 2 tracker holding the dancefloor filler "Soul Disco" on face A while the flip hold a more afro-rock tune called "Get Up Dance" .

This comes pressed on an heavy 12" and in limited quantity.

JK Group are a powerhouse nu-jazz band fronted by Melbourne saxophonist Josh Kelly, best known for his work with future soul-jazz collective, 30/70, and being the 2019 PBS Young Elder of Jazz.

They sit in the crossover of raw, live jazz and electronic/dance production. At times synth-heavy, effected and soundscapey, while at other times hard hitting groove laden with spiritual jazz overtones and no-holds-barred improvising. Their sound nods respectfully to classic
jazz traditions, whilst carving a path that unashamedly looks towards the future, embracing modern influences and production techniques.

The album received a 5* review from Melbourne's own Mike Gurrieri, and has garnered radio play on PBS, RRR, Worldwide FM, NTS and more. The debut LP 'The Young Ones' is due out on La Sape March 27th. (SAPE010).

One of the many highlights of the compilation album "PRAISE POEMS 7 - A journey into soulful jazz and funk from the 1970s" is certainly the opening track by Marva Josie. It is most likely one of the finest vocal jazz recordings ever put on wax and it was high time for a 45 RPM single release. Here you have it, backed with the equally great "Scarborough Fair". Any serious jazz record fantatic should have this one in his collection. Pure Class!

Brown Vinyl

Jamaican artist Asha B, features on observational Roots Reggae and Grounation style vocals, with Dubs mixed by Alien Dread. The tracks were recorded at Asha B’s studio, late 2018. The vocal tracks were produced by Asha B and the vocal tracks & Dubs have been re-mixed by Alien Dread…

Asha B has been a regular session musician, not only in Jamaica, but also when he moved to the UK and has worked with most of the ‘Reggae Greats’, in particular, Jackie Mittoo, IJahMan-on tour & studio work and also studio work for many others, both JA & UK. Asha B has had several single releases to date, and also an album: Hard 2 Smile (Quartz Music - 2005).

Portuguese- Italian Producer "Vhycepicks" up where he left off,
once again teaming up with the talentedvocalistYves Paqueton Kraak & Smaak's very own Boogie Angst imprint.

He's already got an impressive list of top DJ fans in the shape of
Pete Tong, Claptone, Gorgon CityandSatin Jackets, and it's no surprise given his clean, pop aesthetics and catchy dancefloor sensibilities.Indeed it has led to releases on some of today's most respected dance labels like Kitsune, Future Disco and Casablanca Sunset.

As well as collaborating on their previous single 'Duran Duran' together, Brazilian born soulful vocalist Yves Paquethas previously collaborated with the likes of Aeroplane,and scored #1 in the Belgian dance charts with The Subs. He provides the perfect foil to Vhyce'sbeats with just the tonic – a melodic toplineall about the good times, having a drink and getting high…

In addition to the original mix there's another special treat as stepping up to provide a stellar remix is none other than PrinsThomas, a true pioneer of 'space disco' and regular bandmate of nu disco royaltyLindstrømin their imaginatively titled project 'Lindstrom & PrinsThomas'.

Yes, he takes his arpsynth lines out for a spin and serves up a prime cut of good time, ethereal, dancefloor fire. With all the hallmarks of his crisp and upbeat spacey productions it's not one to miss out on.

For those who are all about the beats, fear not we got you covered as there's an instrumental safely stowed in there too …

Reconnected is compiled from Harold Lucious’ addictive 1990 release Connections, a visionary mix of soulful house, New Jack Swing and RnB, an American predecessor of street soul.

Deeply connected to music from an early age, Harold started his music career in the early 70s at the age of 16. He sang in his first group, The Final Seconds, who pressed a 7” single in New York City in 1973. The group would go on to record a full album called Neo Cosmic Blues, but never had the chance to press it. They would continue to perform and write together throughout the 70’s and searched in vain for a label to work with.

During that time, Harold landed a guest spot on the legendary Brother Ahh record Move Ever Onward, set up by his manager who was Brother Ahh’s sibling. Harold is listed as having played koto, but really he provided background vocals. Throughout the 80’s, Harold worked at WBI radio programming talk shows. On air, he would act out modified scripts to Richard Wright novels like “The Outsider”.

Connections was his effort to finally release a record after years of recording and playing music. Experimenting with dance music he came up with an album that was inspired by his love of house music and RnB. He sold the record out of his backpack, ending up with boxes of copies that were eventually destroyed when he had to move from his long-time apartment in Brooklyn. Few of the original LP remain, and it has become almost impossible to find.

Reconnected is a remastered redux with four songs taken from the original LP, and pressed onto a loud 45rpm 12” for maximum dance-floor potential. Mixed Signals is honoured to introduce Harold’s music to a contemporary audience around the world.

Andrés almost doesn’t need an introduction. But we’re gonna give him one anyway. Mentioned in the same reverential tones as such illustrious names as Hanna (aka Warren Harris), Marcellus Pittman, Rick Wilhite, Theo Parrish and, of course, Kenny Dixon Jr. (aka Moodymann), all collaborators, colleagues and compadres over many years, the long-serving Detroit producer has rocked up on the likes of Mahogani Music, Moods & Grooves, NDATL Muzik and his own imprint La Vida. Many more besides too when you take into account his hip-hop alter ego DJ Dez. Which is why we are super-stoked that he has joined the Hizou family with his house head on for the super-limited EP, All U Gotta Do Is Listen, a master class in downtempo, sun-kissed soulful beats, both the timeless eponymous title track and the funked-up flipside Night Time Is The Right Time.

LET’S be frank, it was only a matter of time before we nabbed Dan Piu. Many years in the game with his own uber-respected labels Moto Music and deepArtSounds, in demand as an artist under his many guises (Allstarr Motomusic/George Btp) and collaborative projects (The WineLambs, Zarenzeit and Theory Of Movement, which he shares with deep house don Grant aka Anthony Collins), Piu may be old school but his recent renaissance has turned many heads including ours. His analogue alchemy is right up our strasse so we are beyond thrilled to be able to present the Zurich-based producer’s Technological Singularity EP here at Hizou.

From the celestial groove-heavy Quantum Computing to the angular electronica of Robots In Rage and from the melodic techfunk of A Machine Will Never Do X to the soul-warming F#uk The World To The Core, aficionados, followers and fanboys will not be disappointed.

Returning to the label's dance floor roots, BODYCLOCK is a natural extension of Darker Than Wax's DNA - a foray into the late night club sounds that defined their sound. The freshly minted series represents the Singaporean label's primary outlet for dance floor burners and machine soul, shedding light on a new school of producers from around the globe and at the same time paying homage to the pioneers who laid the foundations for us. A celebration of afro-futurism that is ever-present in the consciousness of dance, BODYCLOCK is built for the nocturnal beings and discerning selectors that push this timeless tradition forward. This first volume brings together five producers across four continents - Teymori from Australia, NYC's Malik Hendricks, label mainstay Ricky Razu from Belgium, as well as Darker Than Wax co-founder Kaye and up-and-comer Halal Sol from Singapore. Establishing both facets of the BODYCLOCK sound, Side A features two vocal-led soulful excursions, while the flip brings three unabashedly jacking cuts to light the floor on fire. This is only the beginning - BODYCLOCK is coming with an onslaught of twelve inches and EPs, distilling our sonic outlook and looking to the future.

In 2015 US soul, boogie and disco legend Jay W. McGee teamed up with Hamburg producer, multi-talented musician and DJ Julian "Mzuzu" Romeike to record McGee's comeback album "Good Feeling". Even though both artists are from two totally different generations, they got on so well with each other after the official re-release of Jay W. McGee's classic 12inch "Turn Me On" on Légère Recordings two years before that they started to write and record together. After all, it was Julian "Mzuzu" Romeike himself who made Jay W. McGee return to the music business after nearly 15 years of silence.

The creative process did not stop with "Good Feeling": "We now have a brilliant combination of fresh songs. Many different accurate beats and of course Jay's incredible writing and singing skills," says Romeike. "I feel that it's a great combination of dedication, skills and talent which made this album possible. I work on some grooves and hooks for Jay, he picks the ones he likes and returns a proper song with vocals and arrangement. My production team, The Unbelievable Two, then work on the final mix."

"Smooth Crusing" hints towards McGee's classic late seventies sought after sounds like "When We Party" with the first "Uptwon, Downtown". The album also includes some reggae touches and smooth soul excursions. "It is such a big pleasure to work with these guys as everything works perfectly together," comments a happy Jay W. McGee. "It has all the ingredients for a classic album. It's funky and soulful, recorded in a unique modern style. We have a tribute to the good old funky music with 'Old School Love'. A lover's rock orientated tune with 'Chance I Have To Take' and some kind of up to date Afro-Disco-Soul with 'Bounce Back To Me'. And of course, 'Smooth Cruising' is full of funk!"

On his new record "Companionship", London-based Soft-Rock, Soul and Disco artist Joel Sarakula keeps the mood easy and the grooves deep. Ten new songs see Sarakula develop a deeper, more introspective lyrical style from his previous works as he celebrates and laments friendships, love and loneliness. Interspersed with a few standout up-tempo tracks to keep the ship sailing, "Companionship" is a chill-out album and listening experience of the highest order.

"Companionship" opens with "Midnight Driver", a driving soft-rock fantasy where the narrator laments his partner's nocturnal habits: 'When she's coming up, it gets me down'. The Californian sun-kissed guitars, vocal stylings and percussion all help to set a cinematic mood which unsurprisingly also makes it a great driving song. On the introspective "King Of Clowns", Sarakula creates a pop song that calls to mind the craftmanship of Hall & Oates and Elvis Costello. Both an admission of guilt and an unapologetic statement of intent, his low vocal careens in the dangerous divide between self-pity and self-parody: "My bad decisions worked out for a while, I'd do my dance tried to make you smile, I'll never wise up it's just the way I am". These confessions all occur over a down-tempo funk groove complete with some vintage synthesizer musings that makes the track ready to be sampled for a hip-hop record.

"Sunshine Makes Me" steps straight out of its mid-1970s swimming pool, heavily dripping in jazz fusion to dry off in the cold light of today's sunshine. The chorus is a mantra of desire, needs and reality that sees Sarakula sing 'Sunshine makes me lose my mind, thirty degrees and my eyes get so wide. Dreaming big and living slow, don't you know that time is on our side". On "Companionship", Joel Sarakula, prolific writer, producer, performer and multi-instrumentalist finally unleashes his chill-out pretensions. In this follow up to the critically acclaimed "Love Club" (2018) he develops a deeper and more mature compositions and production style. His love of all things vintage extends to a devotion to analog synthesizers and on "Companionship" you can hear a genuine love of synthesis that at moments is reminiscent of 70s synth production pioneers Todd Rundgren and George Duke.

Joel Sarakula will tour "Companionship" through Europe and the UK this Spring and Summer 2020 with his musical companions. Born in Sydney, based in London and a true internationalist, Sarakula tours with pickup bands sourced from each territory he plays in: a Barcelona band for Spain, a Berlin band for Germany and so forth. This cross-cultural exchange is a sly nod to the golden era of the 1960s and 1970s when travelling US pop, soul and blues artists would do the same.

Nicola Altieri aka The Mechanical Man delivers here a 2 tracks mini EP on, where Casio sounds, Yamaha FM synths and Akai samplers are the main ingredients to give birth to his own compositions. Sounding like a constipated and forced music between slow deep house and minimalistic electro-funk created in a small bedroom environment, warm, dirty and slowed down like from an old tape cassette but full bodied. Mechanical soul for you ears.

Who put the dance into Factory Records?”

Be With would like to refer you to FAC 59.

Working with founding member Tony Henry, we’re honoured to present the reissue of 52nd Street’s crucial debut single “Look Into My Eyes”, backed with “Express”. Originally released on Factory Records in Summer 1982, this ultra-rare 12" is a double-sider in the truest sense. Unrivalled Manchester jazz-funk-boogie-soul.

Both “Look Into My Eyes” and “Express” came out of a five day recording session in the spring of 1982 at Revolution Studios in Cheadle Hulme, just outside Manchester. Rob Gretton had just signed the band to Factory, snatching them from under the noses of RCA and WEA Records who had been sniffing around and seemingly ignoring Tony Wilson’s concerns that Factory might not be the right home for a black soul act. Rob clearly thought different.

The band of Tony Henry on guitar and vocals, bass player Derek Johnson, drummer Tony Thompson, lead vocalist Beverley McDonald and John Dennison on keyboards were put in the studio with A Certain Ratio’s drummer Donald Johnson producing the sessions. The band also found themselves with an interesting new member.

The back cover of the finished record credits synth F/X to a mysterious “Be Music”. Turns out that’s Bernard Sumner. Yes, that one. Tony Henry explains that bringing Bernard in was another part of Rob Gretton’s plan, “Barney was a real soul boy at heart and had always wanted to produce and work with black artists… with 52nd Street, he was an honorary member”. The results suggest he fit right in.

“Look Into My Eyes” squeezes so much aural pleasure into one side of a 12" single. A strutting, rich, soul-gliding funk with bass and guitar high in the mix above twisted, bubbling synths. Like Nile and Barney drenched outside the Haçienda that first summer. How can something be this liquid loose whilst sounding so, so tight? The hypnotic, naïve-cum-insouciant vocals from McDonald, backed by her fellas, only add to the track’s charm. Put simply, it sounds like nothing else.

On the flip, “Express” is sheer drama on wax. Tony’s opening lesson in good manners (“Excuse me miss, is this seat taken?”) sees us strapped in for a wild, chaotic, rhythmic ride. All bold keys, synth brass blasts, insistent bells and a galloping groove giving *that rush* atop a bassline to die for. No surprise it was a Frankie Knuckles favourite. Blistering heat.

The 12" was Paul Morley’s single of the week in the NME but his approval did little to get daytime radio play or to sell the record when it was released. It probably didn’t help that, in Tony Henry’s words, Factory were a label “notorious for not promoting their bands, not wanting any communications with the written press and not answering their office phones.” It came and went with none of the fuss that music this good deserved.

But in the near-40 years since they were released, these two tracks have gone on to become cult underground hits for those in the know. Of course that means those original 12"s have gotten rare and pricey. So here’s your chance to own this particular piece of post punk Factory Records funk.

But this record isn’t just a vital slice of Manchester soul history. Tony’s not shy about just how important he thinks the collaboration between 52nd Street and Bernard Sumner was: “this worked out quite well for us in the band but even better for New Order and Factory Records as Sumner studied grooves, rhythms and how to write and construct funk and dance music from 52nd Street and producer Donald Johnson”. You just have to listen to Blue Monday to hear what Bernard did when he started putting what he’d learnt into practice.

“Look Into My Eyes” and “Express” come from a chapter of the history of Factory Records that no-one seems to have gotten around to writing. Working with Tony to reissue the original 12" is the start of putting that right. The story of 52nd Street is more than just a footnote.

Presented by Mitsuko & Svetlana Records, distributed by WRWTFWW Records.

A golden era gem from the master himself.

Archival reissue of long lost treasure from genius pianist and composer Masahiko Satoh whose resume includes hundreds of legendary albums and collaborations with Midori Takada (Lunar Cruise and Ton•Klami) among many others.

Very rare soundtrack of a 9-episode suspense drama that aired on TV in 1969 and 1970. Filled with exquisite jazz, soul-jazz, folk-jazz, and mystery-jazz, plus groovy affairs, classical moods, and 70s flair.

Highly recommended to Japanese jazz collectors, soundtrack collectors, Masahiko Sato collectors, lovers of rare gems and wearers of vintage trench coats.

All compositions and arrangements by Masahiko Sato
Masahiko Sato: piano, keyboard
Yoshiko Goto: vocal
Kiyoshi Sugimoto: guitar
Kunimitsu Inaba: bass
Yasuo Arakawa: bass
Akira Ishikawa: drums

Originally released in November 1970 as an LP on Toho Records (BL-1001)

Be With hereby presents aural perfection.

Don’t let the title mislead you, “Much Too Much” by Sass has just the right amount of everything, whether you’re talking about the vocal or the instrumental. And that’s as true now as it was when it was originally released back in 1982.

In 1981 The Jack Sass Band, as they were known, were still working the NYC club circuit. Along with the likes of Change, The BB & Q Band and High Fashion, they were part of the Little Macho Music phenomenon and that’s how they ended up in an 8 track studio on 7th Avenue near 20th Street, where Little Macho recorded demos.

Produced by the band’s vocalist Mic Murphy, who also wrote the track along with fellow band member LaForrest Cope, the band needed just one session to capture “Much Too Much”. The recording studio just so happened to be run by Silvio Tancredi and when the tracks were finished he offered to put them out on his 25 West record label. The vocal version and an instrumental mix were released as a 12" the following year. Mic tells us this meant Sass “were one of the few bands to have a record release while still playing on the club circuit. So the reaction exceeded our expectations at the time”.

According to Mic “Much Too Much” was something a little different from the band’s live sound at the time, “it was more R&B smoothed out than the more funk rock we usually leaned into”. Indeed, the track glides with grace, poise and patience. The elegant, easy tempo, combined with the magnificent melody and Mic’s signature sublime vocal conjures magic. The blend of deep boogie-funk power and heavenly sweetness is both infectious and goosebump-inducing.

Over on the flip-side, the instrumental slaps harder. Without Mic’s vocal it’s just pure groove, with nothing to stop you vibing all night - the bassline, the drums and the melody still connect. Hard. Pick your side, you won’t lose.

Working directly with Mic Murphy means that the audio for this re-issue of the classic 12" comes from the original tapes. Cut at 45 RPM and released in a plain sleeve, we’ve made sure this record is well up to the job of having a permanent place in every DJ’s bag. As far as we’re concerned, this is essential stuff.

Mic told us just how much it means to him to have “Much To Much” re-issued: “It’s an amazing feeling to have something you created almost 40 years ago still have relevance and even more amazing to be considered among the Northern Soul boogie anthems. And it’s especially important to me that we’re available again on vinyl”.

Pressed On Limited Edition Black And White Vinyl! Available on 2LP, with the look of a silk-screened jacket we are excited to bring to you these Liquid Swords Instrumentals. There are many reasons why Wu-Tang Clan rapper GZA's second solo album Liquid Swords is considered one of the greatest hip-hop records of all time. Critics and historians point to GZA's raw, and starkly poetic lyrics which featured references to chess, crime and philosophy, as well as superb guest performances from his Wu-Tang Clan contemporaries. One can't comment on Liquid Swords' brilliance however without touching upon the production, courtesy of Wu-Tang's own mastermind RZA. Behind a hazy and murky backdrop of rare samples and classic boom-bap beats, RZA crafted a bleak atmosphere of urban dystopia for GZA's esoteric rhymes to flourish in,cribbing from a wide panoply of sources ranging from the dusty soul of The Bar-Kays and Ohio Players, the nostalgic jazz of Cannonball Adderley and Willie Mitchell, and even the experimental weirdness of Mothers Of Invention. In a retrospective 5-star AllMusic review of Liquid Swords, writer Steve Huey said of RZA’s production: “The Genius' eerie calm is a great match for RZA's atmospheric production, which is tremendously effective in this context; the kung fu dialogue here is among the creepiest he's put on record, and he experiments quite a bit with stranger sounds and more layered tracks.” These instrumentals, peppered with frequent interludes of dialogue from the classic samurai flick Shogun Assassin, became the core of the GZA’s acclaimed sophomore LP. The full Liquid Swords instrumentals are now available in a white and black vinyl pressing, a nod to the chessboard art synonymous with the album’s cover art. All tracks have been restored, with re-mastered audio from the original source tapes.

Inspired by the otherworldly Sounds of Horror Sci-fi Soundtracks, Filippo Diana is able to merge vintage, experimental- and library music into sth. contemporary & soul-shifting.
After his debut Release Nemesi, he's now joins Slow Motion for his first Mini-Album Musica per "Commenti Sonori". Slow, earthly rhythms churn from the inside, expelling a complex, abstract sound that is still very tangible to a dancers ear.

It was 50 years ago that a talented local musician named Lamont Butler started to create an album that would combine love, happiness and joy. Lamont’s only official album release It’s Time For A Change has been very popular for record collectors around the world but never saw the wider success it truly deserved.

Born 1949 in Louisville, Kentucky; Lamont Butler was drawn to music and dance from the very beginning. He was the son of a well-known gospel, blues and R&B singer and pianist Clifford Butler Sr, receiving an early education in what’s required to be a touring musician.

It quickly became apparent that Lamont had a wonderful voice and was pushed to the front despite no being fully confident yet of his singing ability. Lamont performed on the gospel circuit for a number of years cutting his teeth with groups such as The Enterprise, The Dynamics and The New Beginnings eventually going solo with Lamont Butler and The Spirit of Truth.

It was whilst he was singing and performing during this period that he started to write his own songs and think about putting together an album bringing together all of his influences from R&B, jazz, soul and of course gospel. The result is very raw, almost low-fi sound of It’s Time For A Change, released nearly 10 years after Lamont started to pen the first tracks and it gained relative success. He toured the album around churches in Louisville with tracks such as Love One Another, Time For A Change and Ungodly War quickly becoming firm favourites within the churches of Louisville.

Miles Away Records are pleased to working with Lamont and to be issuing a long overdue album reissue of It’s Time For A Change on LP and CD. Remastered with care by Nick Robbins at Sound Mastering and complete with in-depth sleeve notes.

Freda Payne is the high class soul hit maker who brought us the blockbuster track ‘Band Of Gold’. This album is the follow-up to the huge success of ‘Band of Gold’ and her second album for Invictus/Hotwax Records, for the legendary Holland- Dozier- Hollands then newly launched record label after they left Mowtown.

Seen as a pinnacle in 70's production style by the legendary producers, highlights include the anti-war protest song ‘Bring The Boys Home’ and the singles ‘Cherish What Is Dear to You (While It’s Near to You)’, ‘You Brought the Joy’ and ‘ The Road We Didn’t Take’. 1971 album is reissued on 140g classic black vinyl with original artwork and printed inner sleeve.

Limited to 800 copies Red Vinyl
Includes postcard and poster
The Die Young EP was released on the group’s own Cafeteria label, released early 1987. Michael Fury was inspired by James Joyce’s short story The Dead. Only previously available on a 4 track12” .This 7” version comprises 3 of those 4 tracks
Metro Trinity were a short lived Manchester based indie band that included Jon Male, later of Soul Family Sensation and Republica fame. Drummer Colin Rocks, bass player Tim Whiteley and Doves guitarist Jez Williams.
Metro Trinity only other release came on a split with the Inspiral Carpets on Dave Haslam’s Debris fanzine. Which featured the track “Stupid Friends”.
Andy Williams of Doves joined the band later on, but does not feature on this EP. The band split up shortly after.

"EIGHTIES LADIES"

This vocal ensemble comprised Denie Corbett, Marva Hicks, Susan Beaubian, Sylvia Striplin and Vivian Prince. In 1979 Denie had recorded a disco solo single “What You Won’t Do For Love” and was featured lead with group Station Break on another disco release “Be What You Are. Marva Hicks had recorded a debut solo single “Looking Over My Shoulder” in 1978 and would later infiltrate the modern soul world with “One Good Reason” from her 1991 self-titled debut and only solo album.

Vivian Prince recorded a boogie track “Gotta Get A Hold On You” in 1982 and of course Sylvia recorded a solo project “Give Me Your Love”, which was also reissued by 'Expansion' for 'Uno Melodic'.
As Eighties Ladies; they are best known for “Turned On To You”.

- Produced by the legendary: Roy Ayers.

Clear Smoked Vinyl

180 gram clear with smoke vinyl w/download card.
In sharp contrast to McCagh's commercial work for Huawei, Acura, and Volkswa-gen, "Altered States" is a detailed opening statement of experi-mental aural vignettes by an artist that has clearly spent the time to master his craft. Digitally manipulated acoustic instruments form the backbone for McCagh's wall-of-sound aesthetic painting pictures of bleak futures where the tracks dance, or more aptly, shiver their way to sharp collapse.

In short, McCagh makes ambient music with teeth. A form of experimental music with soul, or faded formation of industrialized machine music shrouded by layers of aural gauze, each piece emotively twist-ing and turning in and out of focus. "Altered States" is a brilliant inaugural proclamation from artist to watch.

Soulful reggae tune by Bunny Clarke, first time reissue with dub version since it's initial release in 1975 with the typical Lee Scratch Perry production sound.

"I'm Always Right“ by Imagination is an unreleased jazz rock LP recorded in 1977, 3 years before their sought after “Shake It” debut from 1980. Comprised of five tracks with a playtime of roughly 30 minutes, you will hear one of the finest German late-70s rock-tinged electric jazz albums of the era. The recording is a delightful stand-out with unique compositions, aspiring solo work, and a soulful spirit throughout. Additionally, the album veritably glows with exceptional sound quality, as it has been remastered from original tapes that were cut more than four decades ago at the WDR Funkhaus, Cologne.