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Danny Keith is one of the big names in the Italo Disco world having delivered numerous hits during the 1980s including 'I Feel Right' and 'Dreamer'. 40 years on from his first release 'Keep On Music', the sound of Danny Keith goes back to the early days of Italo Disco with the deep, driving sounds of 'Dangerous'! Written by the talented Mirko Hirsch, this release includes a Lamborgini on the front cover and the obligatory 'Night Version'. Not to be missed!

The most iconic italian italo-disco-syntpop, nu disco duo: “Italoconnecon” (aka Fred Ventura and Paolo Gozze!) are back on track with a brand new vinyl only release which collects 6 among their best producons of the near present, recently released digital only on Bandcamp. Their very many worldwide fans have been awaing a lot for this and finnally they have now their favourite tracks pressed on a vinyl support for the first me! This is an unmissable release unique for the freshness and contemporary quality of the sound, in fact, their remixes have been out on the most relevant publicaons so far such as Savage, Styloo, Scotch and many more… This is a super limited edion printed in only 100 copies on transparent blue vinyl and 100 copies on red vinyl, each edion come with a 30x30 cm insert poster , the blue one is signed by the duo and both variants are hand numbered

The Vampisoul chicas are back. And for the third time. And, although collectors and connoisseurs have never stopped playing the songs by these Spanish female singers, here they are again, sounding as vibrant as they did half a century ago. Because these children of their times, the musical decades of the 60s and 70s covered by this compilation, boldly ventured into the limited spaces of freedom open to female artists back then. And they did so with attitude, in search of the right repertoire, proudly presenting new, daring personal projects often breaking away from the demure tone adopted by mainstream local female singers. And they were canny about it too. Realizing that the censors working back would just listen to the song that the record company flagged up as the listening target on the A side and not bother to flip the single over, they recorded many of their racier songs on the B side. That exciting dark side of singles, which have long tempted collectors. Lacking the freedom and visibility enjoyed today, these daring records by these female singers went as far as they could and a few managed to go beyond. The songs on this compilation tell everyday stories, narrating small socio-musical conquests revolving round the enduring theme of young love. Sass, sex, boy-girl rivalry, the defense of liberating women's fashion and, saying what women think loud and clear, all characterize these grooves. Performed in a variety of musical styles ranging from ye-yé, twist, disco, beat, popcorn, flamenco pop to Northern Soul, and, even more surprisingly, sung in an everyday, natural and self-assured tone that must have ruffled some feathers. As in previous volumes of "¡Chicas!", this third compilation includes female singers from outside Spain but whose career, their decision to sing in Spanish or their long tours and local stays, and occasionally permanent residence, meant their albums were created, recorded or produced here in Spain. It's a winning proposition for everyone. Take the band Los Bravos, four of the singers that passed through the ranks of this quintessentially Spanish group were foreigners. It's part of our open-door policy. Spain is different. In every sense. But let's get down to the serious stuff and the ritual: vinyl on the turntable and needle poised ready to play. Third volume of Vampis' ¡Chicas! series, an irresistible collection of ye-yé, twist, disco, beat, popcorn, flamenco pop and even Northern Soul! From the early 60s and in the middle of a difficult political and social context, Spanish female singers - and those who moved to Spain - disregarded conventions and overcame all barriers to be part of a music movement that shook the Spanish society of the period. Many of the 24 tracks are reissued for the first time, including very hard-to-find records. It includes extensive notes by Vicente Fabuel featuring all the original record sleeves and artist photos.

These days we are back again in the 60s, as the world urgently needs a new peace movement.

Therefore we ultimately call everyone to hold their hands together and look into the future, - nothing describes better the message we deeply feel being part of, in the own words of Kito Jempere. For ''Let's Hold Our Hands Together'' he already called up the internationally awarded Swedish composer Adam Evald on vocals and the enigmatic Antoha MC on trumpet, backed by Public Possession artist, Eden Burns and our very own, Leonid Lipelis (check his latest 'Function As A Meaning' EP!!!), on the remix duties, Kito Jempere is the ''DJ's hero'' - selector, producer, own orchestra and band conductor (watch Boiler Room from PPF!), who has been delivering quality dance records through decades via DFA, Lo Recordings, Freerange.

Proclaimed as the ''The King Of Collaborations'' by Zweikommasieben, Kito has been working on music with together with Jimi Tenor, Red Snapper, Hard Ton, New Composers and got remixed by Palms Trax, Andras, Ruf Dug, Black Spuma and many more.

Out of print for quite a few years now, this album is a stunning power-pop gem recorded at a time when this kind of girl group pairing with punk rock was unusual.b This is one of the most iconic albums released on Greg Shaw's Bomp! Records. It now includes bonus tracks on top! Definitely stood the test of time. Check out the titles, these young ladies were wearing their collective hearts on those sleeves of theirs. This kind of girl group pairing with punk rock was unusual at the time and it provided a much-needed antidote to the male dominated skinny tie brigade. Nikki looked like Pam Dawber (Mindy from Mork and Mindy) and sounded like Clare Grogan (of Altered Images) what was not to be instantly smitten by. Born and bred in Detroit, Miss Corvette reportedly ran away from home at age 16 because her mother refused to allow her to attend an MC5 show. Greg Shaw wrote the following in the liner notes to the 20th Anniversary label compilation, Destination Bomp! "Nikki was a tireless worker. Like some coalminer's daughter, she'd travel around the country with her band. Playing 200 shows a year. She knew everybody and was a lot of fun to hang out with so, I figured that if all her friends bought the record... so I signed her. The girl had style and attitude galore plus, she had master guitarist/songwriter and former Romantic Peter James. One of Detroit's most savvy cats." The lady herself kindly supplied the following summary. "We went to LA and signed with Bomp in maybe 1979 but Greg wasn't sure what to do with us. We did the Honey Bop single with Ronny Weiser at Rollin Rock and a couple songs with the Kessel Brothers. We started something with Kim Fowley that did not work out. They kept trying different producers until we finally decided to go back to Detroit and do the album on our own. We didn't have a lot of experience but we knew what we wanted and Detroit was part of that so we recorded the album and had a blast doing it. Peter wanted us to be poppier and I wanted to be more punk. We sort of met in the middle with what I've always called Bubblegum Punk. I can't believe it's been 43 years since this came out and there are still kids discovering it and people who grew up with it that still listen to it. I constantly hear from people all different ages, all over the world about how much they love it album and that really means so, so much to me!" Hear the phenomenon for yourself.

The heavyweight trio of Keiji Haino, Jim O’Rourke and Oren Ambarchi return with their 12th and most epic release to date, the triple LP With pats on the head, just one too few is evil one too many is good that's all it is. Documenting the entirety of their final performance at the dearly departed Roppongi home of Tokyo underground institution SuperDeluxe in November 2018, the music spread across these six sides splits the difference between the guitar-bass-drums power trio moves and experiments with novel instrumentation that have defined the trio’s decade of working together. Containing some of the most delicate music the three have committed to wax since the gorgeous 12-string acoustic guitar and dulcimer tones of Only wanting to melt beautifully away is it a lack of contentment that stirs affection for those things said to be as of yet unseen (BT011), this wide-ranging release also offers up some of their most blistering free rock performances yet.

The side-long opening piece finds Haino on a single snare drum in duet with O’Rourke on unamplified electric guitar, playing in the lovely post-Bailey vein heard on his classic 90s recordings with Henry Kaiser and Mats Gustafsson. Spiky dissonance and ringing harmonics interweave with flowing melodic fragments as Haino single-mindedly explores the resonance of the snare like an untutored Han Bennink. On ‘Right brain, left brain; right, left; right wing, left wing. Just how many combinations can be made from these?’, O’Rourke moves to synth and electronics, joined by Ambarchi on drums, who at first focuses on sizzle cymbals before hypnotic cycles of gentle tom rhythms combine with electronic burbles and flutters to suggest a dream collaboration between Masahiko Togashi and Jean Schwarz. Ambarchi’s percussion is then joined by Haino on wandering, overblown flute, before the man in black switches back to the snare for a bizarre, stuttering drum duet.

For the first trio performance, Haino makes another new addition to his seemingly infinite catalogue of instruments, this time a homemade contraption he refers to as ‘Strings of Dubious Reputation’. Joined by O’Rourke on increasingly spaced-out electric guitar and Ambarchi on skittering percussion, Haino’s wonky, slack strings adds a definite ‘musique brut’ edge to this side-long performance, certainly one of the most enchantingly odd in the trio’s discography. When the group reconvene for the second set, spread out across the final three sides, they seem ready to breathe fire from the first instant. O’Rourke slashes distorted chords on the six-string bass, Ambarchi breaks into his signature irregular caveman thump, and Haino squeals and squawks on heavily delayed oboe before unleashing an overpowering electrical storm when he first picks up the guitar. For over half an hour, the trio pound out one of their most relentless performances, a constantly rearranging kaleidoscope of tortured fuzz guitar, insanely busy bass riffing and propulsive, tumbling drums. A hushed atmosphere initially reigns on the final long piece, given the mournful title ‘There are always things I wish to say but I can only convey them in this language August 6 August 9’. Haino’s clean guitar strumming calls up the shimmering tones of his PSF classic Affection, gradually building to a surging wall of sound, bass and drums lumbering through a roar of jet-engine guitar. Arriving in a deluxe trifold package with photos by Lasse Marhaug alongside inner sleeves with extensive live images, this epic release is perhaps the most remarkable document yet of this unique trio’s stamina and continuing inventiveness.

It's the pair you've all been waiting for! FINALLY!

Alan Tew's Drama Suite Part II. What can we really say? Honestly? We guess the first thing that strikes you is how clean the drums are. Almost impossibly slick but dripping so, so heavy with the neck-snapping funk you'd expect from perhaps the most sought-after library funk set of them all! The cheapest on Discogs is, currently, £1300+. Now's your chance to remedy that. If you know, you know. And we think you know...

"The Rub" is a cool, low-slung heavy-funk roller with relaxed brass and alto flute phrases. Up next, "Money Runner" is another edgy funk glider, its easy-tempo moving in harmony with slinky rhythmic riffs and featuring a seemingly ad-libbed electric piano solo. Strutting along after, "White Elephant Walk" is another laconic, deeply stoned walking theme with electric piano and alto flutes. There follows a couple of brief "walking" links before the brilliantly tense "Master Plan" slowly builds. Expectancy grows to the main theme around a minute in and then a melodic theme builds slightly to the 3 minute mark before floating down gradually and elegantly to its climax. It's utterly fantastic. The smoky, after-hours "Night Watch" is a slow, cool gem featuring alto flutes and synths.

Now we're talking, "The Fence (a)" is just sensational and worth buying this album all on its own. It's likely the reason you're here, anyway. Another impossibly funky, slow and easy tempo with a bass riff to die for, dramatic guitar with gorgeous electric piano and alto flute phrases. It was sampled for "Action Satisfaction" by J5, way way back. "The Fence (b)" is a slower, more deliberate version of the previous heater, but it's no less essential. Indeed, it's absolutely jaw-drooping. Closing out this remarkable side, "Surveillance" is another horizontal masterpiece of relaxed yet dramatic jazz-funk. Vibes ad-lib in centre section and give you an idea of how Roy Ayers making library funk in the mid-late 70s might've sounded. Sensational.

Flip over for "Total Silence", a near-beatless and understated scene-setter featuring neat interplay of guitar and synthesizer themes over bass and hi-hats. The slow "Eyes" follows, a brief gem with subdued electric piano solo and a light climax. The fantastic "Drama Backcloth (1a)" is up next, a repetitive piano and bass refrain with guitar figures over the top. Its creeping crime-funk vibe was pilfered for "Outta Town Shit" by Ghostface Killah in 2006. "Drama Backcloth (1b)" is a short, subdued version without the guitar figure. "Drama Backcloth (2)" features an expectant, background marimba figure over light rhythm whilst the cool "Drama Backcloth (3)" centres around a relaxed riff and the angular "Drama Backcloth (4)" presents eerie progressions with piano interjections. It's decidedly non-rhythmic!

We're then onto 14 (!) different half-minute "Scenechanges", all jazzy and funky, some cool and dramatic, some slow and rhythmic. All ace and groove-fuelled. The aptly-titled "Final Statement" closes proceedings, a slow, pensive theme on guitar joined by cool brass and a solo trumpet to its climax.

As with all of our KPM re-issues, the audio for Drama Suite Part II comes from the original analogue tapes and has been remastered for vinyl by Be With regular Simon Francis. And as usual, the sleeve reproduction duties were handed over to Richard Robinson, the current custodian of KPM’s brand identity. We're not quite sure what else to say about this landmark record, other than, GET IT!

The stars and their reflection on the sea still inspire Pellegrino and his live band Zodyaco. Their second LP 'Morphè' released on Early Sounds Recordings, is an ode to Naples as seen from Vesuvius. The ensemble that follows him through this musical journey has been enriched with new members for the continuous development of the label's distinctive Mediterranean sound; this marks a further step into the evolution of their Neapolitan melodic disco from the slopes of Vesuvius.
The sound and aesthetic metamorphosis of this second release, which gives the title to the LP the greek word "Morphé" is inspired by the conflicting scenarios of the Neapolitan metropolis; always caught up between the never ending and frenetic flow of its narrow alleys and the soothing relief of the sea, with the night as the backdrop that is not able to light it up its inner depths.

“I wrote these six new pieces with simple French words that a student learning French can understand. It is always intended for fanciful dances and musical fantasies” - Bernard Fevre

Legendary Parisian disco pioneer and producer, Black Devil Disco Club is back and has announced the release of a new album via UK independent imprint Lo Recordings on the 1st December.

‘Etincelles’, which translates as ‘sparks’ in English, is the follow up to 2020’s ‘Lucifer Is A Flower’ and will be digitally available and released on limited edition coloured vinyl wrapped in screen printed sleeves with lazer cut triangles designed by the award winning Non Format team. A truly future perfect and infectious collection of electronic sounds and beats, the new album features six brand new tracks including the lead single ‘L Mer Sur L’enfer’ which was inspired by Salvador Dali and will be available from the 3rd of November.

With a story as deep and strange as the music itself, Black Devil is the alter ego of Bernard Fevre, a French composer of electronic library music with a highly sought after back catalogue that includes the magnificent ‘Strange World Of Bernard Fevre’.

Having grown up and worked in Paris, it was the African clubs and rhythms in the city that inspired him to make his celebrated debut album ‘Black Devil Disco Club’ with only a small arsenal of electronic keyboards, a vocoder and looped conga drums. One of the most enigmatic electronic masterpieces ever made, the record was so ahead of it’s time that no one could believe it was made in 1977 on it’s release in ‘78. When it was re- issued in 2004 on the Rephlex label many thought it was a hoax and that the music was made by Aphex Twin or Luke Vibert but when Lo Recordings put out the ‘28 After’ album in 2006, the truth was finally revealed.

Aroop Roy’s star is deservedly in the ascendancy! As one of London’s most exciting selectors, he’s managed to position himself in the sweet spot of being the DJ’s DJ and causing wild scenes wherever he plays, with headline grabbing sets at Defected Croatia, We Out Here, Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide and many more.

As a producer, musician and label owner, he continues to excel, armed with a vast knowledge of outernational sounds, from rare African disco, jazz, funk, to house, UKG and seemingly everything in-between. His open-minded approach has led to brilliant releases and remixes for labels as diverse as Soundway, Heavenly Sweetness, Permanent Vacation, Club Bad, Delusions of Grandeur, Atjazz Recordings and his own Vive La Musique imprint.

Having played a few gigs together, it was only a matter of time before Jimpster convinced Aroop to get an EP together for Freerange and the resulting Re Bulele EP couldn’t be any more satisfying!

Leading the charge, 'Mama Mwana' captivates with entrancing thumb piano loops and a traditional African vocal all propped up by a subtle yet chunky house beat to lock the dancers in.

'Re Bulele' features the hypnotic vocals of Botswana native Fox Meropa. Aroop masterfully combines a deep, techy Afro House groove with glassy synth pads to form a stripped back instrumental with the vocals front and centre. Seemingly disparate elements shine on this wonderful alternative to the deluge of maximal Afro House tracks being released these days.

Moroccan producer FNX Omar delivers the goods with a sublime remix of Re Bulele. Creating tension with layers of looping vocals along with a rolling, percussive groove. Like the original, this remix transcends genres and will create special moments on the dancefloor, whether it be in a dark, sweaty basement or daytime festival in the sunshine.

PETE MOLINARI is a singer-songwriter from the Medway Delta. He was born into a large Maltese/ Italian/ Egyptian family in Chatham, Kent, where he was discovered by Billy Childish.
He’s got five critically-acclaimed albums’ worth of timeless folk, blues, rock and alt- country songs to his credit, plus a bunch more EPs.
He’s often described as a songwriter’s songwriter. Bruce Springsteen once publicly proffered: “Pete Molinari – if you don’t know anything about him, he’s great!”
Rome has a secret heartbeat, an underground and urgent pulsation whose memory is preserved within the walls of old recording studios, in the tales of veterans, and most of all in the grooves of the soundtracks of Cinecittà. Music that has always flirted with poetry.
Pete Molinari is a poet, and that's why his words perfectly blend with this pulsation.
That's why producer Luca Sapio chose to record "Wondrous Afternoon" among his Blind Faith Recordings and Maestro Piero Umiliani's Sound Workshop. The result is an album with a strong cinematic impact. The lesson of Motown applied to the sound of Rome.
Backed by Luca’s crack band better known as the Italian Royal Family, Pete Molinari sings with great expressiveness and soul, embedding his words like precious stones, exposing them in all their fragility and strength to the listener.

London-based producer Otik releases his first album 'Cosmosis' on Martyn's label 3024. The 11-track LP signifies the fourth album on the imprint across its ten-year tenure, showcasing a more introspective side to Otik's musical output.

The album leans into delicate melodies, hazy atmospheres and lush analogue sounds, often evoking blissed-out feels and ripples of brilliant colour. Produced three years ago during lockdown, 'Cosmosis' comes after a period of spiritual struggles, where Otik questioned his faith, religious beliefs, and the concepts of right and wrong. While the pandemic allowed ample time for reflection, Otik translated these thoughts into music from his Peckham-based studio, later finding a home on 3024's evolving discography.

Following Otik's EP 'Soulo' in 2021, 'Cosmosis' marks the second release from the Bristol-born DJ and producer on 3024. This time, his sound stems from a broader palette, touching on slower, aerated ambient notes through to rugged D'n'B, displaying the far-reaching breadth, vision and maturity of Otik's aesthetic.

Keen to release a body of work that explores the journey of enlightenment and the struggles to get there, Otik drew inspiration from the luminary filmmaker Terrence Malick and how Malick portrayed ideas and philosophies in films like The Tree of Life and Voyage of Time. As a result, the record conveys a compelling narrative of rebirth, told through exquisite sound design and a push-pull pace that oscillates across the album.

The lead single 'Cosmosis' binds astral breakbeats with a star-lined melody stitched against a spacious backdrop. Sparse, celestial vocals punctuate the soundscape and add a spiritual feel, culminating in a dazzling trip at just over five minutes.

DJ Monchan returns with a killer two track EP.

The sound experience is similar to his previous releases and continues to explore the void between old-school 80's house and 70's disco.

'Love Me' has that 80's house backbone but loops and filters the disco samples into a real journey...proper Loft biz if you ask us.
'U&Me' is a serious boogie stepper that is as bumpy as it gets and together with the smooth vocals this will sound ace at any disco jam :)

London producer Scott Ferguson is the man behind the Robot84 alias. He has a love for 80s gear that very much defines the sounds he makes, from proto-house to darker disco. His self-titled label is back with more of that good stuff here as he faces off with The Raff for 'Get It Right Next Time'.

This one has a creeping groove and warm chord sequences that tease and please beneath sweeping Balearic synths and celebratory melodic sequences that build to a crescendo.

The drums get the hips swinging and the sprinkling of cosmic magic finishes it off in style making it a perfect cut for open-air dancing by the beach.

After a short break Samosa Records explodes back on the scene with ‘Earth Wind & Funk’, a deadly four-tracker EP that is sure to get the juices flowing and body moving.

A1 sees New Zealander producer ‘Strange’ make a most welcome return, spinning the funk loom with the ‘Hard Working’ (De Gama Re-Drums). A truly addictive and distinctive bassline sets the pace, tone and feel for this gorgeously constructed track. It has it all; sumptuous vocal, high-end brass and an acid squelch to die for. Dig it, you will.

A2 lands with Frank Virgilio’s ‘Love Is Positivity’ – a melting pot of twisted disco, feel-good scatty rhythm and lifting vocals. The melody is literally dripping with positivity, but also has an almost transcendental vibe secretly going on. The last drops of summer are right here. Enjoy them.

On the B-side, Mosaik Kollektive raise the temperature with the De Gama Re-Drums applied ‘Keep’. A tough, perfectly cooked groove that gets right in your face and makes no apologies for screaming at you. The bass on this unstoppable monster is all-consuming. Rhythm guitar licks blend with soaring strings and that’s the full basket. Sublime meaty goodness.

Closing matters for this incredible EP at B2 is the effervescent Monsieur Van Pratt and Funk De Ibiza. MVP stretches his funky legs to the full here, laying down a solid beat, arpeggio and a bass so tough you could train it to box. Expertly blended with J-pop-esque vocal and shrill church organ. Drop this at midnight and watch the carnage unfold and hands in the air.

Earth, Wind and Funk is the exposure to the elements you absolutely want. A more perfect slice of wax you couldn’t find and one that’s sure to find its way into the record boxes of those who know.

Repress!

For those who know, Bambooman is one of the most sought-after, probing, and distinctive voices in UK electronic music right now.

The Yorkshire-born producer's catalogue builds into an aural mosaic, comprising everything from scrunched up hip-hop to techno deviance, all delivered with an impish sense of individuality.
'Whispers' certainly resonates. It's a lengthy, bucolic work, an album of great breadth but also one of sustained mood – think those hazy summer evenings when shadows stretch out across the road, and autumn lingers around the corner.

This new album has a dusty, organic, and decidedly personal feel, much more at home with Jon Hassel's 'fourth world' aesthetic than the club.

The results are also imbued with an incredible sense of mystery, with Bambooman's productions frequently being shot through with a hallucinatory sense of the uncanny. Entirely self-composed, 'Whispers' utilises "lots of field recordings that I've collected over the last few years, while within the tracks you can find lots of the instruments, percussion, bells and whistles that have been gathered throughout my life."

In certain ways 'Whispers' is entirely autobiographical: Bambooman reaches back to his varied alter egos, to the ambient releases, art commissions, and soundtrack projects that litter his discography. The cover art was even pieced together by Oliver Pitt – of Glasgow group Golden Teacher – who was an early ally in the producer's sonic quest.

Stylistically 'Whispers' veers from avant hip-hop of Flying Lotus to the theoried composition of Terry Riley, from the future-forward percussive energy of Battles to the ever-evolving electronics of Mark Pritchard. It's a record marks by a fiercely independent spirit, but also by a close-knit cast of collaborators.

King Kashmere takes a starring turn, following the pair's collision on the recent 'SUPERGOD' EP.

Each vocal is recorded, chopped up and then spliced across the album, with Elsa Hewitt also making a number of appearances and re-appearances.
credits

Telephone Explosion proudly presents the self-titled debut LP from Toronto’s UH HUH, out physically and digitally on April 14, 2023. The album features eight tracks of dub-damaged art rock which conjure a potent vision of spaced-out 1980s post-punks feeding their angular rhythms and bass-heavy grooves through layer upon layer of grime-spattered spring reverb.

There is a palpable sense of discovery and exploration throughout UH HUH’s 37 heady minutes. Elastic basslines and serpentine guitar phrases throb and glide, cutting through dubwise reverberations like hands moving through an opaque cloud of reefer smoke.

Formerly known as Teenanger, the reconfigured (and reinvigorated) group’s newfound sense of sonic identity is put on display the moment the door kicks open. The percolating spaciousness of opener “Somewhere Beyond” is followed by the cyclical grooves of “Redemption Pause.” Vocalists Christopher Swimmings and Melissa Ball each take respective turns at lead vocal duties, showcasing their contrasting yet complimentary styles.

“Babylon”, a slab of overcast, loping funk features both singers on the same track, alternating between Swimmings’ stoned syncopation and Ball’s saccharine melancholy. This juxtaposition leans against a backdrop of reverb-soaked drums, watery guitar chords and rippling trumpet.

The slinking, fractured grooves of “Rain (In The Afternoon)” and “Citrus Song” call to mind the deranged minimal dub-wave of Naffi or Vivien Goldman. Both songs feature lyrical content heavily inspired by the Florida swamplands, although the aural landscape on these tracks is decidedly more brutalist than Boca Raton. Two of the songs included here are reworkings of previously released Teenanger numbers. “Blinds Drawn” is reduced to its core elements of bottom-heavy rhythm, spliced guitar shanks and Swimmings’ murmured ruminations. “Good, You”, on the other hand, is completely re-imagined as a blissed-out melt of opiated bossa nova.

After countless hours of experimentation during the album’s recording sessions at Toronto’s Studio Z, the band decided to send their drum machines, snare drums and percussion through an obscure 1960’s Japanese Guyatone guitar amp with a notoriously ecstatic spring reverb sound. The result was immediately inspiring.

The dank, busted and clanking tones produced by the Guyatone evoke a muggy, humid atmosphere that mimics the photo on UH HUH’s cover. The process of re-amping is literally the means through which UH HUH found the sound of this record. UH HUH is a record that asks more questions than it does provide answers. This is searching music that requires that the listener lean into it, the more time you spend in between the beats, bars, notes contained within, the more vivid the picture becomes.

David Tattersall, the Wave Pictures guitarist and frontman releases a solo album of interpretations of John Fahey tunes, recorded live in the studio. "I have been a fan of John Fahey's music since I was very young; it has always been with me and I can't remember a time when I wasn't affected by it. It is weird music, and very good. Of course, Fahey is an important cult figure in the history of music: as the first man to find a language for steel string guitar that can stand proudly alongside the established tradition of nylon string classical guitar; as one of many men who rediscovered obscure old blues musicians and recorded them for a new generation in the 1960s; as one uniquely able to reconcile 20th century avant-garde music with folk tradition; as an early indie-label DIY pioneer. For me personally, Fahey went beyond technique, and to some extent beyond historical or intellectual justifications for his work. He explored his emotions through his instrument of choice, and in so doing made the case for the guitar as the ultimate conduit for emotional expression. While there are many imitators who try to play ''like Fahey'', I avoided using his fingerpicking style or sense of rhythm, and tried instead to use his music to explore my own emotions, my own dreams and memories. I was more interested in the lyrical and expressive aspects of Fahey's music than in the techniques of it. I tried to find myself within his compositions and without composing anything I feel that I have managed to make a David Tattersall record that says as much about me as any of the many albums that I have written. John Fahey's beautiful discography shows that the guitar can carry as much mystery and soul as the human voice, and simply put, I wanted in on a little of this action. This is my second all-instrumental solo acoustic album, and where this differs from my first attempt, Little Martha, is that here I improvised freely. I used Fahey's originals only as guides. I'm not sure what I was looking for, perhaps something beyond explanation, but I tried to be as free as possible, and I am delighted by the spontaneous results. Hopefully, they will make the listener feel happy and dreamy, just like the effect that Fahey's many albums have on me. One of the most important things that Fahey ever said was his advice to guitarists to try to feel the emotions that each chord they play on a guitar brings forth. He is telling guitarists to not only play the guitar, but to let the guitar play them. I did my best to follow this advice. I hope you enjoy listening to the album, that it brings you some dreamy moments, and that it sends you back to happily explore the originals. I had a great time recording it. Naturally, I can't put the experience adequately into words but that's the whole point. I think Fahey was a genius of the kind that creates a whole genre single-handedly. There could be thousands, millions, of reinterpretations of his compositions. In fact, there probably already are. And long may this continue. All tracks were recorded live with no tampering."

KID FRANCESCOLI, leader of the French Riviera Touch is back with the stellar album SUNSET BLUE out Sept 22nd 2023.

After a first sold-out world tour (over 200 concerts in Europe, USA, Asia...), and successful hits such as Nopalitos, Blow Up or Moon (now certified diamond, with more than 200 millions streams), the Marseille-based producer, crooner and multi-instrumentalist, Mathieu Hocine, is eager to share his most accomplished LP ever. This fine collection of soulful songs honor his Mediterranean roots, with elegant and pop melodies. His most recent success and the creation of his first original soundtrack with AZURO, installed him as one of the best French songwriters of his generation, with a unique signature sound.

"I live in Marseille, I spent my childhood in Corsica, I have Algerian origins, my first vacations with friends were in Barcelona, vacations with my first girlfriend in Roma,... Then, I had the chance to perform in Morocco, Greece, Turkey and Egypt: each time I spent time in the Mediterranean region, the people I met there made me feel like I was part of the same country. This shared multiculturalism is really comforting, it has its own poetry and strength, bringing uniqueness and empathy to the people. It is essential for me. I love my city: it’s the perfect place to feel good with sun, sea, family, friendships, love... It gets me emotional, bringing tears with a smile".

With his new musical gem, Mathieu Hocine unveils 11 elegant tunes of his finest craft: sunbathed French Touch (Run Run, 1986), romantic chillwave (Corsica), uplifting synthpop (You Are Everywhere, Like Magic), electronic-soul (Casino Soul), cinematic disco (Solaris), cosmic R&B (Sweet and Sour, Take Time), … Everything is in this record.

For the first time ever, Kid Francescoli paid tribute to his mixed origins with his collaboration with world-renowned lute and mandolin player Hakim Hamadouche (Rachid Taha, Patti Smith, Brian Eno, Tricky...), whom added Algerian patterns to the introspectives songs Drift in Blue and The Morning After.

"My ambition is to create pictures in people's heads with music, to transport them instantly into a movie"

SUNSET BLUE is an instant-crush album: crystal-clear, strong, personal but universal at the same time.

It's an ecstatic soundtrack for this moment when time is suspended, the golden hour when everything seems possible. It feels like Love is in the air, you're living your best life and you're at the right place at the right time. This album embodies this magic moment where we would like to last forever… Like an epiphany, Kid Francescoli's new album is a moment of pure pleasure, a soothing way to escape reality.

"I see myself as a melodist.I would like my music to feel like velvet. There's something cinematic, classy about it, and yet comforting. It's very simple, popular and synonym of love and passion"

His friend French 79 co-produced the album, while the american rapper Bamby H2O brought his NYC swag (on Sweet & Sour), Stan Neff (Polo & Pan, Kungs, Christine and the Queens...) took care of the mix and Alex Gopher (Daft Punk, The Blaze, Bon Entendeur...) added a final touch of magic when mastering. Nicolas Despis (known for his work with Etienne Daho, Hoshi, Juliette Armanet... and many famous French rappers) later joined this dream-team to craft custom-made artworks. SUNSET BLUE is a deeply personal quest, a human adventure for Mathieu Hocine (whom explores his maghrebian origins, his feminine side, his subconscious space, ...). It's a male's work, but don't get it wrong, this LP would be nothing without women’s touch : Julietta (on Run Run and Take Time), Sarah Gaugler from Turbo Goth (on You Are Everywhere and Like Magic), and iOni (on Drift in Blue).

“Music has this magical power to broaden your vision of the world. It's fascinating because, like dreams, it's the kind of irrational things science can't explain and that makes life exciting."

Planets aligned perfectly on this project and thanks to this five-star cast of collaborators, Kid Francescoli achieved his personal holy grail : he orchestrated a great 21st century pop-music album.SUNSET BLUE is a new turning point between organic and electronic, both a mediterranean travel and a Californian dream, a bridge between Ennio Morriconne and modern electronic music.

Also, while it might be called SUNSET BLUE in honor of the sea and the Portuguese / Brazilian concept called “saudade”, but it is a really optimistic album, whose true colors would rather be "yellow-orange-red" in nod to the sun.

Created in the midst of the world tour, SUNSET BLUE is a direct result of the lives’ energy and fans’ joyful vibes: going back in the studio after smiling, singing and dancing with people all around the world inevitably gave Kid Francescoli the desire to retranscribe this ecstatic feeling in music. This album is a sensitive experience, from sunrise to sunset, from first track to last one. It’s an exploration of an everlasting summer, reaching its climax in the very final seconds of the track Corsica, making us want to press play and dive into this jewel all over again.

A beautiful cosmic trip, whether you like to stay in bed cocooning, to travel far, far away or to dance ‘till dawn, to catch the first rays of light.

Make sure to catch Kid Francescoli on his next world tour to have a good time.

2023 Repress

New York, early 90's, the haydays of the New York and Jersey clubhouse! With labels such as NuGroove, Nervous, Freeze, Strictly Rhythm, Henry Street Music taking all the spot light, there is Jovonn working on a small but sensational catalogue of music that somehow gets overshadowed by the popular releases on the mentioned labels. The honest productions, jazzy melodies and playful vocals (rooted in gospel) were taking things into a more musical, more spiritual way, lacking gimmicks or dispensable samples. For the real diggers, the true lovers of House music Jovonn always was a name to watch, a producer of some of their favorite NY house tracks, tracks that have a raw edge combined with a sincere human touch and pure underground house vibes. People such as Rex resident Dj Deep was a huge fan, and also collaborated on couple later productions with Jovonn. Slowly he started getting recognition from europe which resulted in a handfull of records on European labels such as Distance, Coco Soul and Estereo. Now after almost 25 years since his first release the man's small discography on his own Goldtone label and Emotive records stand out with his unique musical personality. More then 20 years after their original release dates these tunes are still very relevant and stand for many things we love about house music! We are happy to offer this selection of his hard to find early works remastered by Alden Tyrell and pressed on fresh clean high quality vinyl.

Elements of Life brings a full on boogie disco tune with some 80s synth goodness. The backgrounds are provided by an all star cast of singers including Cindy Mizelle, Audrey Wheeler, Anané, Dawn Tallman, and Ramona Dunlap. The song is penned by Nico Vega, just at 19 years old writing lyrics with the soul of a person who’s been through various experiences in life. It isa statement song coming from an adolescent stating where we are in the world today with war, and encouraging all to stop fighting, “no more war”,“Let Us Shine Bright As Day”, “Let Us Find A Peaceful Way”, “Let Me Hear You Say”, these words are crying out to the world.

Remixes by Josh Milan on the Josh Milan Honeycomb versions, feeding us an early 80s tune reminding us of the seminal label West End Records. The Louie Vega mixes stay true to the Elements Of Life sound mixed with some Detroit bass groove and synth overtones. A bonus track also added to the release featuring Axel Tosca on keyboards is entitled “Los Tonos Sagrados” which means The Sacred Tones.This instrumental has the early afrobeat rhythm with Axel Tosca ripping through with an organ solo and snare hits accenting the drums and music.Take a listen and enjoy the sounds of “Let Us Shine” and “Los Tonos Sagrados” and it’ll sure to have you with your arms up and eyes closed singing along with the choon in no time!! Available soon at all streaming and digital outlets, with vinyl coming too!!

After five Truesoul EPs and an A-Sides contribution, Oscar L steps up for his debut Drumcode EP.

The artist has been one of the most consistent contributors since his debut on Truesoul in 2017, his groove-orientated productions a favourite go-to for Adam Beyer. But the Spaniards production palette has always been broad, highlighted by ‘Dark Fate’, his brooding atmosphere-rich cut that featured on A-Sides Vol.9 back in 2020.

‘Again’ further reinforces his breadth. This is a searing 4am cut led by an incandescent vocal and Oscar’s tight percussive work that beautifully sustains the energy from start to finish. Another standout addition to his discography. ‘Driving into Techno’ brings tonnes of personality to the plate, highlighted by a fun bouncy vocal and stabbing Reese. An all-round colourful jam

2023 Reissue

Berlin based HipHop producer S. Fidelity presents his sophomore and full packaged concept album “Fidelity Radio Club” via Jakarta Records.

Four years after his Jakarta Records debut “A Safe Place to Be Naked” S. Fidelity has matured as a producer and as an artist: working and recording in London, Los Angeles, Paris and Johannesburg while building up his Manolo Purple Studios in Berlin with longtime collaborator, labelmate and soul brother Bluestaeb.

In 2021 S. Fidelity finally returns to the main program with his brand new solo album “Fidelity Radio Club” shaped in form of a genre crossing radio show exploring HipHop, R&B, Jazz, House and Funk in all their depths, creating the multi-layered album he always dreamt to do as he orchestrates a stoking line-up of equally talented friends and fellows like Bluestaeb, Melodiesinfonie, Suff Daddy, K, Le Maestro, Àbáse and many more while still delivering that very personal note every classic producer album needs and comes with. Or as the artist himself would put it: “17 different artists, producers and instrumentalists from all over the world helped me to bring this vision to life.”

According to that the albums 1st single features Singer NDO from Florida, giving life to the hard hitting R&B gem “Mixed Signals” where warm neo soul harmonies meet with classic R&B vibes of early 2000. The song made it to Spotify’s Butter Playlist right away and was picked for Deezer’s “Date Night” Playlist and Apple Music’s New Music Daily as well and received shout outs and further Playlist-placements by music blogs like Stereofox or MOW Mag.

The 2nd single comes as a double single featuring pianist, producer and main protagonist of Berlin’s prog-jazz scene Àbáse on “Me At The Zoo” (reminding its listeners of London’s new wave of jazz around Kamaal Williams or Yussef Dayes) on one side and the energetic, funk influenced disco tune “Something Good” on the other side.

The 3rd and final single “Love International Inc.” then comes with a bumpy up tempo drum beat, which develops into an energetic and jazzy lo-fi house/deep house loop, featuring none other than Zürich’s finest Melodiesinfonie as well as Paris-based Bluestaeb, marking this supergroup’s 2nd appearance and giving a glimpse of what’s yet to come.

Each of the album’s single cuts comes with a visual treatment by HipHop’s favorite photographer Robert Winter and his team (The Ottos), matching sound and artwork accordingly while the record’s amazing and unique artwork comes from the Swiss based creative studio HOMI. The record itself contains a sticker sheet with customized S. Fidelity and “Fidelity Radio Club” stickers as well.

The whole album campaign is further accompanied by the Fidelity Radio Show hosted by S. Fidelity himself, sitting down with his featured guests talking about the music they love and they draw inspiration from – broadcasted via S. Fidelity’s own youtube channel releasing its episodes in between the album’s single drops.

Legendary US garage band best known for their evergreen classics ‘Pushin’ Too Hard’ and ‘Can’t Seem To Make You Mine’ that detonated in the US charts in late 1966 and early 1967. Whilst ‘Pushin’ Too Hard’ was their only top 40 hit, this song has been discovered by every new generation that hear it from punk rockers of the 70s to those who are glued to their mobile phones today.

Their debut LP “The Seeds” released in 1966 contains both these tracks and is rightly feted as a garage classic. It is an essential album. As our very own Alec Palao stated, “Like the first Ramones long-player, it is one of rock’s great debuts; an album where, in spite of some obvious influences, a signature sign was sharply defined.”

Ace are delighted to serve up the deluxe edition of “The Seeds” that was lovingly curated by Palao and released by GNP Crescendo some years back. Not only do you get “The Seeds” with 12 pulsating tracks but also a bonus LP of alternate versions and a couple of unheard tracks like ‘The Other Place’ and ‘Out Of The Question’. The extended version of ‘Evil Hoodoo’ is a stone cold treat.

Both albums are housed in a gatefold sleeve with an 8-page full colour booklet with Palao’s brilliant liner notes and sensational photos and memorabilia.

There is no ‘Excuse Excuse’ not to pick up or stock this one.

PRESSED IN RED AND WHITE
SPLIT COLORED RUN JUST IN
TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

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

Calibro 35 unleash the new OST for the second season of TV series BLANCA, to be released on limited edition LP on December 1st 2023.

Italian cinematic cult outfit CALIBRO 35 announces the release of the ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK of the second season of BLANCA, the TV series produced by Lux Vide in collaboration with Rai Fiction, broadcast in prime time on Rai 1 starting from Thursday, October 5th 2023 and directed byJan Maria Michelini and Michele Soavi. The soundtrack will be released worldwide on limited edition, crystal clear LP next December 1st via Milan based label Record Kicks.

The new thrilling episodes of Blanca Season 2 follows the success of the first season, that was aired worldwide on Netflix, M6 France and Telecinco Spain. Accompanying the journey is once again the original music of CALIBRO 35 the Italian "cult" cinematic combo active for over 15 years and with a fan base that includes superstars such as Dr.Dre, Jay-z and Damon Albarn. Made up of 20 tracks in total, the OST was entirely composed by CALIBRO 35 that created the sound universe of BLANCA: an impressive and choral work, which has engaged all the components of the band for a long time, giving the them the opportunity to develop a very vast soundscape.

"It's the first time that we deal with the creation of a 'season 2' and we discovered that the creative process can be very different" Calibro 35 says. "In the first season, we had to build from scratch a sound and musical world consistent with the idea that Jan had (Michielini, director and showrunner of the series); this time, however, we had to develop that already existing world further, in order to describe the new stories and new different characters of the second season. There had to be undiscovered musical territories, that forced us to step out of our comfort zone." The result is that on the 20 tracks of the ost, the heavy dose of Calibro's signature funk grooves of tracks such as "Badanti, "Carignano", "Cambio di Stagione" or "Sampierdarena" is mixed with more moody and soulful tunes, world music, opera and atmospheres à la John Carpenter. Amongst the album's highlights worth definitely a mention the Opening and End titles that feature the voices of Arya, MEI and Tahnee Rodriguez. Essential contribution to the recordings were made by Francesca Biliotti - mezzo soprano of the Monteverdi Choir, Valeria Sturba - exceptional multi-instrumentalist of the avant-garde music group OoopopoiooO, Rahma Hafsi and Elisa Zoot.

Described by Rolling Stone as "the most fascinating, retro-maniac and genuine thing that has happened to Italy in the past few years", Milan-based Calibro 35 enjoy a worldwide reputation as one of the coolest bands around. Active since 2007, during their long career they were sampled by Dr. Dre on Compton ("One Shot One Kill" feat. Snoop Dogg), Jay Z ("Picasso Baby"), The Child of Lov & Damon Albarn ("One Day") and Demigodz ("The Summer Of Sam"). They played major venues and festivals all over Europe and as unique musicians they collaborated with, amongst others, PJ Harvey, Mike Patton, John Parish, Stewart Copeland and Rokia Traoré. The BLANCA OST is the latest of many activities concerning cinema for CALIBRO 35: the band has been completely immersed in the world of soundtracks since the very beginning and they have recently worked on other productions as well, both as Calibro and individually. Last June, the band released their 8th studio album, NOUVELLES AVENTURES, recorded in Naples at Auditorium Novecento. With the new LP the group has made full use of their knowledge and resources, refined and enriched over the years, back to making "Calibro's music": a unique mix of funk, progressive rock, alternative jazz and wide-spectrum cinematic music the public has known them for in fifteen years of career.

»In Words« is the first solo album by the Danish musician, composer, and visual artist Alexander Tillegreen. The album represents a series of varied electronic music pieces while also carrying examples of ongoing work with psychoacoustic phenomena. Composed partly of material taken from his artistic practice as an installation artist and his ongoing interdisciplinary artistic research into psychoacoustic phenomena, Tillegreen investigates subjective sonic perception and the negotiation of language. Particularly, these investigations are done through the use of the phantom word illusion, originally discovered by music psychologist Diana Deutsch. Parts of the album were conceived when Tillegreen was the first artist ever in resident at the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics. Triggering the brain’s tendency to interpret language-based auditory illusions as meaningful information and as words within the mind of the listener, Tillegreen’s unique sound works unfold like a kaleidoscope of phonetic mirrors which render possibilities to reflect upon the listener’s own psychological and culturally situated linguistic embeddedness. Gender-distorted voice perception, speech and language borders are all challenged and thematized throughout Tillegreen’s work. The listener’s head and bodily movement drastically affect the listening and the word interpretation. Their psychological subconsciousness, recent events, memories, and expectations as well as the listener’s motion in space all become co-creative and co- composing factors in a reactive and choreographic process of listening. The polyrhythmic seriality of spatialized syllabic structures is accompanied by elements of heavy bass drops, high-frequency tensions, undulating synth lines, and hypnotic effects. Some of the many compositional potentials of the phantom word illusions are exercised and unfolded in selected tracks throughout the album. The notion of language borders is approached from an entirely different and even more “anti-logocentric” perspective on the “eponymous” closing track »Assimilate (in Words)«, where the listener experiences the struggle and collapse of interpersonal communication through conversation. Other parts of the album represent more diverse approaches to abstract electronic music. »In Words« morphs soundscapes into glacial, spherical passages of ambient backdrops, while at other times emphasizes raw tectonic blocks of hyper-panning drones that erupt into high-velocity outlets of energetic, granular fields. Tillegreen is alternating between cyclical, minimalist, hypnotic approaches and complex, glitchy polyrhythmic melodic structures that shift and melt into evocative ambiences. The phantom words and the nature of Tillegreen’s musical visions progressively demand more of the listener’s attention and represent the artist’s ongoing artistic work and scientific research into psychoacoustics and language. While »In Words« is a highly conceptual album, the musical bandwidth is extensive.

Introducing Biel Solsona: A Barcelona pianist with a vibrant musical background. His debut solo album, "· i · ", showcases a fusion of jazz, electronic, and cinematic sounds. Featuring Ferran Puertas on double bass and Eudald Font on drums, they weave a mesmerizing tapestry of original compositions where piano harmonies blend seamlessly with synthesizers and rhythmic beats, revealing a unique musical landscape. Their rendition of "Sunday Disco Dawn", an original composition of spanish disco dons Fundación Tony Manero, stands out, taking things into a more spacy direction. Experience the synergy of melodies, discover new textures, and immerse yourself in Biel Solsona's musical universe.

Renowned Berlin-based music discovery platform COLORSxSTUDIOS will release their new vinyl compilation album, ‘MOVE:FEEL1’, just in time for the holidays.

The limited-edition double disc gatefold vinyl will feature 16 beloved A COLORS SHOW tracks, both recent and from the archive, including London-based rapper Kwengface’s ‘Freedom’ that was released earlier this year, critically-acclaimed Malian artist Fatoumata Diawara’s ‘Nterini’ from 2019, and Dominican-Italian star YEИDRY’s breakout 2020 hit ‘Nena’.

The album is truly international—it will feature songs sung in six different languages (including English, Swedish, German, Bambara, French, Vietnamese, and Spanish) and represent artists from 15 different countries across the world.

‘MOVE:FEEL1’ reflects and celebrates the launch of COLORS’ new ‘MOVE’ and ‘FEEL’ playlists that are now available across all DSPs. Updated monthly, these playlists will curate COLORS’ genre fluid output into cohesive listening experiences that cater for varying emotional states.

The songs on the ‘MOVE’ playlist—and hence on the ‘MOVE’ sides of the vinyl—are uptempo, bold, sexy and energetic, and aim to set the tone for daring and unapologetic enjoyment. In contrast, the tracks on the ‘FEEL’ playlist and discs are downtempo and emotive. They are for relaxation, and to help listeners contemplate their internal and external environments

Designed by COLORS’ in-house creative team, the vinyl cover is mirrored, meaning its appearance adapts depending on the light and colors it reflects. This was an important decision to ensure the cover represents all of the featured artists, who all performed their A COLORS SHOWS against different colored backdrops. The mirrored material also enables the audience to literally (and hopefully metaphorically) see themselves in the album.

Each side of the mirrored cover is adorned differently: while the “MOVE” side features embossed lines, stripes and slashes indicative of motion, the more introverted “FEEL” side is debossed with goosebump-like grooves. Even with their eyes closed, people will be able to feel which side of the album is which, adding an extra sensory layer to the listening experience.
MOVE:FEEL1’s design also prioritizes sustainability, using no single-use plastics for its packaging.

Repress!

Season of Mist is Dead Horse One's second album and the first collaboration with french indie label
Requiem Pour Un Twister (Triptides, Good Morning TV etc.). It's a promising alliance between two of
the best representatives of shoegaze in France. Haling from Valence, the boys managed to impress
Joe Foster of Creation Records who said about their first EP « their music, that spans multiple genres
including Shoegaze and psychedelia, is like an endless extended note, wistful and melancholic....macabre
and beautiful...from which will emerge pop songs ». Mark Gardner of Ride mixed their first effort,
the acclaimed Without Love We Perish and now they're back with Season of Mist produced by the
band helped by John Loring (Fleeting Joys). It's full of catchy hooks, shoegaze and psychedelic anthems
propelled by supersonic guitars that sound like a massive wall of joyful noise. Close your eyes and let
all theses great songs flow in your mind, from season of mist will emerge light.

With Scream If You Don’t Exist, Richie Culver metamorphoses from outsider musician to underground fixture, feeling his way from the fringes towards a growing community of musicians that have gravitated towards his singular sound world. Building upon the stark catharsis of his previous dispatches, on his sophomore album the artist draws from grimdark drone, industrial noise, experimental hip-hop and UK rave to map out a space for himself, caught between genre and discipline. While on his debut, I Was Born By The Sea, Culver took a last glimpse back at his grey, salt-flecked past while struggling towards somewhere brighter, here, he documents the process of finding fresh waters, parsing through the complexity of inhabiting a more open and optimistic place while contending with the weight of his resolve, staring hard won self-acceptance in the face. The album’s title speaks to this creative and emotional work, serving both as the foundational paradox from which the artist’s new discordant sound emerges and as a call to action, a defiant cry in the face of existential angst.

Part of this process involves visiting familiar territory with renewed focus. Macabre opener ‘Hottest Day Of The Year’ signals an unpleasant memory with crow caw, queasy, gas leak ambience and dental drill whir as Culver recalls a life lived in nihilism: “Everything is just something that happened / Reductionism, muscles spasms, a mother’s first contraction.” Yet, on Scream If You Don’t Exist, Culver’s irresistible formula for ragged machine poetry is shot through with palpable urgency. No longer listless and despairing, he finds new intricacies for these compositions, tracing a stark interplay between crushing bass excavations and penetrating vocal clarity, a contrast picked out in the delicate threads of rhythmic pulse suggesting themselves in the blunt pressure and skittering creep of ‘Weakness’, on which Culver offers up vulnerability as a tentative solution to self-described emotional constipation: “Please do / Do take my kindness for weakness / For I am weak / And that is ok.” The amniotic soundscape of ‘YOLO (then u die)’ gives way to depth charge drone and unnerving machinic improvisations, like a noise show heard from deep in the Mariana trench, while on ‘Underground Flower’ the low-end fog lifts to reveal a brighter, colder scene. “Love me for who I could be / Not who I am,” he pleads, tending gently to his own tenacious bud.

Scream If You Don’t Exist gives us a glimpse of this flower in bloom. On the album’s cursed self-help tape title track stuttering loops of off-kilter keys and childlike repetition make light of the very real risk of disappearing all-together, a nervous breakdown rendered as a malfunctioning nursery rhyme. Paranoiac anthem ‘Say 4 Sure’ introduces bit-crushed boom-bap stomp, as though hammered out on a water-logged Game Boy, swarms of loose-wire noise sparking up against guttural grunts and ragged exhalations, while ‘On The Top’ enacts a seance for the hardcore spirit, with loops of rave piano and hiccuping vocal chops pirouetting through knackered samples, air raid sirens and the ghostly crash of breakbeat cymbals. As though in response to the solitary nature of much of his musical exploration, this time, the artist invites other voices into the world of Scream If You Don’t Exist. On ‘Swollen’, the unflinching, brimstone prophecy of Billy Woods sounds clear through an expanse of spirallic bass, preaching the same frayed gospel as Culver when he issues the quietly devastating contemporary diagnosis: “Computer broke but it still works for now / That’s the best you can say for most of us anyhow,” while another fearless correspondent from the fringes, Moor Mother, brings earthbound heft to the ambient drift and obliterating barrage of ‘Restaurants,’ teasing out meaning with elongated intonation and pitch-shifted intensity.

It’s during the album’s most meditative moments that we might recognise this space Culver has found for himself for what it really is. ‘OMG They’re Gone’ follows a chopped and slowed monologue from Culver’s wife, who works as a death doula, reflecting on her own experiences with grief and the reality of living within a culture both terrified and ignorant of the process. Floating over glistening ebb, etherised croons and luminous chimes, her words stand as a prescient reminder of the power of ephemerality. Just as Culver flourishes in imperfection, here we can find enormous strength in transcience. But it’s with ‘Just Jump In,’ which unfurls like a buoyant counterpart to the sparkling oil rigs of ‘I was born by the sea’, that Culver illuminates the hopeful waters we realise we’ve been making our steady way towards. “I know now / That you loved me,” he admits, a revelation a lifetime in the making. Through the rawest reflection Culver has found a way forward, driven by an optimism drawn from a resolve to be better, to love and be loved, an admission to weakness and the discovery of a new kind of strength. “Don’t test the water,” he reassures us and himself, “just jump in.”

Scream If You Don’t Exist will be released in November 2023 by Participant, on limited edition vinyl, and digital download . The release will be accompanied by a series of films directed by Mau Morgo, Josiane M.H Pozi, William Markarian-Martin, Simon Bus, and Bruxism.

The Cult brings on board a legend. From DMC scratch champion in the late eighties to the missing link between Detroit and Amsterdam in the nineties. Dutch producer Orlando Voorn needs little introduction and with seminal hits like his dancefloor destroying KMS smash ‘Fix’ under his belt, it is no surprise that the ever-innovative producer is as in demand today as he ever was. Having worked alongside techno originators such as Juan Atkins and honed his production skills under an incredible number of monikers over the years, we bring the multi-talented producer into the Cult. Here he produces an EP of techno brimming with the musicality and inventiveness that is regularly stamped all over his productions.

Opener ‘Between the Surface’ rolls along effortlessly with its Detroit house leanings, loose jazz drums and buoyant walking bass line driving the groove onwards. Hitting hard, ‘Dazed’ is up next with its jackin’ DX style bass and deep evolving arpeggios, that hark back to the glory days of early house music. Finally, ‘Immortal’ ventures into deeper territory for a twisted journey of discordant synths, electro bleeps and haunting synth melodies. His debut on Rhythm Cult is rich with ideas and showcases the creativity that has made Voorn a force to be reckoned for nearly three decades in the game. Joining the dots between Amsterdam and Detroit this new EP brings fresh inspiration with every listen.

Session Victim return to Jimpster's ' Delusions Of Grandeur' imprint with a third studio album. 'Listen To Your Heart' is the result of a year of cross-continental scripting, started in their Hamburg studio and wrapped up stateside in San Francisco's Room G Studios where the duo had worked on their 2014 LP 'See you When You Get There'.
Sampling still remains an ever present backbone throughout the album. Session Victim have dug deep for sounds, resulting in a richly detailed and organic sound collage that goes hand-in-hand with their live instrumentation, this time enhanced through several guest musician appearances, most notably Carsten "Erobique" Meyer (ex-International Pony). Smooth guitar samples are built up on 'Over and Over' while on 'Moons & Flowers' the live instrumentals that Session Victim do so well come to the fore.

The treasure trove of San Francisco's record shops proved to be a hard bait to resist and the pair spent a large part of their Californian time hunting for records to sample. Three new tracks emerged from these digging sessions, with the sweeping disco string arrangements on 'Shadows' standing out as a prime ode to days spent combing through bargain bins.

Listen To Your Heart is equally a product of the road. While heavy touring is often cited as a hindrance to the creativity of artists, Session Victim see their live shows as a catalyst to their creativity. Two US tours in 2016 gave the Hamburg duo the opportunity to take track sketches and fragments on the road to incorporate into their live shows and then digest them back in the studio. The playful funk soaked groove of 'Matching Half' captures the sense of movement present throughout Listen To Your Heart and the LP mix of 'Up To Rise', which caused heavy ripples when it dropped as part of 2016's Matching Half EP is an extension of the upbeat and euphoric groove that permeates the album.

Das Vinyl zu Kraak & Smaaks digitaler Version von 'Twenty – The Remixes' ist ein herrliches Doppelalbum in limitierter Auflage im Gatefold mit farbigem Artwork von George Wylesol, das es bestmöglich zur Geltung bringt. Die beiden Scheiben enthalten die meisten der neuen Remixe (Ashley Beedle, Psychemagik, Ben Westbeech, Jitwam) zum Best-Of-Sampler angesichts des 20-jährigen Jubiläums des Duos, aber auch die Klassiker von Purple Disco Machine, Hot Toddy und Richard Dorfmeister, die hier erstmals auf Vinyl kommen.

Purple Color Vinyl

We are really proud to introduce a new release on Mawimbi Records: "Mawimbi, Vol. 2”. Its title is a nod to “Mawimbi, Vol. 1”, which was the inaugural release of our record label back in 2015. A new compilation, at last, after a decade of music activism and a handful of EPs and albums which have helped unearth some of today’s talents from the new global music scene (Onipa, Loya, Afriquoi, Raz & Afla). It stays true to the driving principles of our artistic direction: support upcoming artists, e ncourage the breaking down of musical frontiers, help make happen new encounters between electronic music and so-called “afro” music. While these encounters can now be witnessed anywhere in pop music’s current zeitgeist, from Beyoncé to South African’s vibrant amapiano scene, we think there’s still plenty to explore.

“Mawimbi, Vol. 2” truly feels like the culmination of a long path for our record label. Because it includes artists who have been actively contributing to the Mawimbi adventure over the years, and also because it’s another convincing testimony of the fruitfulness of this musical intuition we have so heartily been defending for the last decade. Indeed, the 8 tracks of “Mawimbi, Vol. 2” resist all the usual labels. They sound like they stem more from human encounters and artistic dialogues launched in the moment than attempts to be associated with any music scene in particular. Each of the 8 pieces of this compilation presents in a unique way the search for this cross-pollinating sound.

The compilation opens with a really engaging rework of James Stewart’s classic track “Cotonou” by Lyon-based tropical music enthusiasts Voilaaa, who took Peter Solo’s voodoo soul lines on a trip across the Black Atlantic beginning with a horn-heavy cuban cha-cha-cha before falling into a savory triple time dance. As tireless sonic adventurers, Amsterdam-based duo Umoja have brought back a handful of hits from their numerous trips to Kenya meeting with local benga musicians. “Avana Va” is one of their compelling tunes, featuring Kenyan musician and producer Sidney Simila. This urge to collaborate with musicians from across the African continent is also to be found in Village Cuts’ ever expanding discography. On “Sentima”, they showcase their trademark London funky sound, introducing us to the talents of Congolese guitarist and singer Kissangwa.

Afriquoi’s 2020 hit “Ndeko Solo” is presented in a brand new shape, sprinkled with some French Touch flavours. “Djansa”, by Toulouse-based producers Mr. Boom, rides a distinct South African-inspired groove, while inviting us to a nighttime dance by the Balearic sea. On “Silent Runner”, French producer and musician Ozferti moulds his own musical galaxy where East African scales meet cutting edge global club beats. With “Nabi Kumi”, Anglo-Ghanaian duo Raz & Afla delivers their deepest piece, once again inducing a state of trance with a triple-time beat and an hypnotic kora loop. Closing the compilation, “It's Holy” is a unique collaboration between Tom Excell (Onipa, Nubiyan Twist, David Walters) and Dizraeli, one of the most interesting voices in British rap, which by making connections between broken beat, jazz and african music, illustrates the precious mixture of musical aesthetics that make up the current UK musical landscape.

"Night Swim" is the debut LP from Bellofatto & Gentile, a collaboration that was founded on the soccer fields of Austin, Texas during the spring of 2019. The duo of Giovanni Bellofatto (an alias of Jesse Edwards) ) & Dan Gentile initially started exploring the melodies and textures of Italian dream house, but those experiments soon evolved to include modular synthesizers, breakbeats, and left-field samples.

Bellofatto's work dates back to the 90's and has credits on albums by Jessica Bailiff (Kranky), Odd Nosdam (Anticon), and His Name Is Alive. In the early 00's, he pioneered acoustic / electronic territories with his psychedelic project Red Morning Chorus. His forthcoming solo LP "The Otherworld" is due for release on Vancouver's Pacific Rhythm under the moniker C Thru. With 20 years of DJing under his belt, Gentile released his first house music productions as Time Zones in 2019 on Mystery Zone Records, with subsequent singles on Bay Area Disco and Moiss Music. He now lives in San Francisco, where he works as a journalist and creates visual art using a modular video synthesizer.

The legend John Beltran provides mixing treatments on half of "Night Swim" that will be released on Prins Thomas's balearic imprint Horisontal Mambo in 2023.

LVE1 is the highly anticipated debut EP from East London’s Liv East – a 5-track collection of neo-soul & R&B infused cuts that follows a string of prolific R&B influenced releases, including her much loved collab with in-demand French funk aficionado Folamour & ‘You’re My’ on Defected’s well known disco label Glitterbox.

‘FREAK’ & ‘LVE UNLIMITED’ nod to Liv’s connection with the dancefloor, her silky soul vocals sewn through beatdown edits that would suit the slower moments on the dancefloor. While ‘You Got Me’ swings to a 2-steppin back-beat of funk grooves & popping basslines. Alongside these brand new originals are two hypnotic bonus tracks ‘So Badly’ and ’So Badly (Kid Fonque Remix), available for the first time on vinyl.

NOW Music is proud to present the second in our ongoing series of vinyl compilations, NOW That’s What I Call 80s Dancefloor. Each edition features an essential collection of tracks representing key genres from the incredible diversity that were all part of 1980’s Dance music.

This volume, featuring 29 tracks across 2-LPs, pressed on 1 Purple and 1 Pink vinyl, presents the best in DISCO and ELECTRO.

Following the height of its’ popularity in the late 1970s, Disco in the early 1980s retained the irresistible melodies and beat but became primarily synth driven. The era saw some of the genres’ biggest hits including this collections’ opener ‘Flashdance…What A Feeling’ from Irene Cara – this theme from the film ‘Flashdance’ was not only a massive selling single, but the song also won multiple awards including an Academy Award. Lipps Inc. produced a timeless hit with ‘Funkytown’, and Shalamar with ‘A Night To Remember’, Odyssey with ‘Use It Up And Wear It Out’ and Indeep’s ‘Last Night A DJ Saved My Life’ were all huge commercial Disco hits.

Disco royalty Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic feature here in their roles as producers and writers with Diana Ross’s massive hit ‘Upside Down’, ‘Why’ from Carly Simon, and the peerless ‘Spacer’ from Sheila & B. Devotion and in 1984 remixed Sister Sledge’s ‘Lost In Music’ which became a massive hit again and is included here in its full 12” version.



Amii Stewart’s classic version of ‘Knock On Wood’ was remixed and a hit again, Donna Summer enjoyed huge success with ‘She Works Hard For The Money’, and other established Disco superstars celebrated returns to the charts with an 80’s Disco sound including, and featured on this collection, KC & The Sunshine Band, Patrick Cowley feat. Sylvester and Evelyn “Champagne” King.



The prevalence of the synth in the 1980s gave rise to new and exciting sounds and to tracks that were created with fusions of genres. On this collection we are celebrating ‘ELECTRO’ – a sub-genre of Electronic Dance music that combined elements of Disco, Funk and Hip-Hop and featuring a heavy synth backing, and the commercial Electro-Pop hits it produced. In 1984, Chaka Khan who had achieved huge success with the Disco classic ‘I’m Every Woman’, had a worldwide smash with a cover of Prince’s ‘I Feel For You’ which combined Disco, Funk, R&B, Synth-Pop and Hip-Hop – to stunning effect. Also a hit in 1984, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis produced a classic fusion of Disco, R&B, Funk and Synth-Pop for the S.O.S Band with ‘Just Be Good To Me’ and also included here are hugely influential Electro-Pop gems from Freeez, Rockers Revenge feat. Donnie Calvin, Malcolm McLaren, Break Machine, and Rock Steady Crew.



In the latter half of the 80s, Disco and Electro-Pop continued to evolve and fill dance-floors. Taking influences from both genres, Expose and Company B enjoyed ‘freestyle’ hits and DJ, remixer and producer Jellybean had a string of hits including ‘Just A Mirage’, and Whitney Houston became a global superstar. One of her signature tracks ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)’ serves as a stellar example of how Dance music had evolved through the decade and remained as vital and uplifting as ever.

Green Splatterd Vinyl

Barcelona-based DJ, crate digger and producer Lis Sarroca makes her debut on Shall Not Fade's coloured vinyl series marking the tenth release on the imprint.

Taking influence from her extensive travels - before lockdown hit - Sarroca mixes classy 90s house rhythms with standout melodies. No Wait EP follows on from her 2020 release on Hot Haus Records. Sarroca describes her music as "danceable, energetic, deep and warm", an ethos reflected throughout this EP. Despite dabbling in variations on dance music, stripped back disco to punchy tech house rhythms, this record is accomplished and consistent, coming together to deliver memories of sweaty summer club nights. "No. Wait" references French filter house, pairing a chugging bass and booming kick drum with sparkly disco keys into one very sultry track.

In "La Neta" Sarocca turns her attention to electro with the squelching bassline and drum machine loops but uplifting chords bring it back to house roots. There's a little bit of Kraftwerk in "Round & Round", a hypnotic pulsing track with synths of a distinctly German sound palette; it's the darkest moment on the record.

The B-side is expansive feel-good house, "Hi Montana" plays with dramatic strings while "Get This Right" is a certified summer anthem of sharp chord stabs and clean bassline made for the beer garden. No Wait closes with "AX", a piece of fun cowbell-smattered organ house.

Repress!

To celebrate what would have been the world-renowned songwriter, Rod Temperton’s 70th birthday, one of the highlights of Heatwave’s ‘Central Heating’ album, and never before released as a single, the mystical ‘The Star Of A Story’ gets an official, remastered outing on 45! Backed with the intoxicating, funk joint ‘Ain’t No Half’ Steppin’ it’s an incredible insight into the magic of both Rod and Heatwave as a whole.

Formed in 1975, Heatwave, primarily a chart topping funk / disco outfit, dropped ‘The Star Of A Story’ an uncharacteristic yet deeply elegant and ethereal departure crafted by keyboardist, Rod Temperton. Like an eternally warming Balearic blanket, angelic, siren-like falsetto vocals from Johnnie Wilder lure from a distance as harmonies straight outta heaven drift across the airwaves.

It’s a serenade of the sweetest kind backed with sweeping cellos, soft keys and laidback acoustic guitars. A dream-inducing, drifting beauty that has been sampled numerous times by the likes of A Tribe Called Quest, The Pharcyde and Hudson Mohawke and even covered by the legendary George Benson.

On the flip side, a trademark Heatwave mid-tempo funk number, in the form of ‘Ain’t No Half Steppin’. Beginning with a head spinning intro that leads into a true showcase of the group’s collective power on the mic. Mario Mantese jams out on the bass as blaring horns, lively strings and grooving chord struts turn this up about as hot as you can get. Sultry, soulful and smooth bursting at the seams with funk richness it’s long been a staple of the some of the best DJs out there and famously sampled by Big Daddy Kane, amongst many others.