quête:bee

Caiphus Semenya, AKA Mr Letta Mbulu, is a South African legend, and Listen To The Wind, his iconic debut album, is simply a superb modern-soul/boogie album. It’s also incredibly rare, especially in good condition, so Be With is delighted to present this reissue.

Now a revered composer, musician, and arranger, Caiphus left apartheid South Africa in the 60s for self-imposed exile in Southern California together with his wife, Letta Mbulu. Settling in Los Angeles he started working with the likes of Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba and other exiled and semi-exiled South african artists, as well as, of course, his wife Letta.

Caiphus also found himself working with and composing for a broad range of jazz and pop artists, including Lou Rawls, Nina Simone and Cannonball Adderley. His facility with both jazz and African forms served him well. His LA stay was also the beginning of an ongoing collaboration with Quincy Jones, the fruits of which can be tasted in Caiphus’s African compositions for the scores to Roots and Spielberg’s adaptation of The Color Purple.

Given his decades of work behind the scenes, it’s no surprise that it took until 1982 for Caiphus to get around to putting out the first album of his own. But all that experience shows. Listen To The Wind is a deeply impressive synthesis of early 80s US production and instrumentation together with his traditional South African musical roots.

It’s stylistically diverse but the ingredients are never diluted. There are elements of boogie, soul, funk and jazz, all shot through with pan-African flavour, and moving effortlessly from uptempo floor fillers to more meditative, slower soulful tracks. Produced by Caiphus himself, he makes full use of a stellar line up of session musicians including Nathan East, Michael Stanton, Sonny Burke and Paulinho DaCosta. And of course, there are Letta’s show-stopping vocals. To our ears, Listen To The Wind is just one big party, and lord knows we need that more than ever right now.

Opener “Angelina” is one of Caiphus’s most beloved tracks at Be With HQ. It’s a breezy, feel-good SA boogie-funk classic. Harmonic and horn heavy, it sounds as fresh today as it would’ve done in the early 80s. If this one doesn’t make you move, you may need your pulse taking. The drum breakdown alone, a little over halfway through, is sensational.

It’s followed by the gentle reggae lilt of “Play With Fire”. A real melodic slo-mo delight, carried by the tropical vibes and, above all else, by the extraordinary performance of Caiphus himself and his backing singers.

Closing out side one, the spectacular “Umoya” is driven by triumphant horns and slick bass. With its proto-Graceland vibes, we reckon Paul Simon must’ve been listening. Hard. Caiphus trades verses with the unmistakable tones of Letta, and it sounds divine. Yes, it’s as good as anything on Letta’s canonical In The Music… The Village Never Ends. A wide-eyed wonder, made for unity and togetherness, it’s all infectious, smiling faces for nearly nine minutes. But never mind nine, we could party to this for ninety minutes and “Umoya” would leave us re-energised for ninety more.

Elegantly firing up side two is perhaps the album’s best known track. “Without You” is a heavenly slice of modern soul, an end-of-nighter to end them all. Smooth strutting, disco-fied funk with that unmistakably South African sound, it’s just sublime, with those lyrics that keep coming back to smiling faces and community, “without You the sun won’t shine”. Big with the likes of Rush Hour’s Antal, this is aural perfection.

“Ziph’inkomo” is a soul-soothing, swooning epic. Gently building throughout, its final few minutes are genuinely stirring as the backing vocals and instrumentation swell. Jaw-dropping. The irresistible groove of frantic, percussive workout “Gumba Boogie” closes out what must surely be one of the greatest artistic statements of the 1980s. If his friend Quincy wasn’t feverishly taking notes for Thriller, then you could’ve fooled us.

With Simon Francis handling the mastering of this Be With edition, you know it sounds as fantastic as ever. The cover art, as breezy as the music, has been faithfully restored. All that’s missing is you.

A 38 minutes exorcism, dionysac sexyness fueled with romanticism, made of mechanical incantations mixed with spectral vocals of forgotten imaginary tribes, words from a physicist (Incomprehensible Image), and mystical breathings… To remind you that music is demanding your soul and body, fully.

A master irritator, disclosing this talent all the way, down to every chosen title, for the album itself and all of its components (would you put Milk in Water ?). As repetitive or minimalist music may already make some of you feel nervous, it seems more accurate to talk here about primitive music – notwithstanding a non violent anarchism. But those are only words and vain attempts to attach TLT to a region or a family. Neither the burden of classical European music legacy, which eventually lead to pop music, seemed to interfere with his wild mind, and if it is no surprising to hear Bach in German electronic music, there is here a clear statement that you are out of this sirupy prison…

For D.W. is a sorcerer. He’s been empirically learning the speaking of trance with years of touring and experimenting with all kinds of audience and venues, from clubs to museums, from Mongolia to Brazil, from his performances with his bands Kreidler or Toresch to solo ones, sustained by a steady limited set up, as the one used when he’s recording : one MPC, rudimentary synths, few effects and a mixer. No sound engineer on stage as only he knows his secret language… Raw dubmaking, leaning towards hip hop, indubitably underlining here a significant distanciation from his previous industrial inspirations. The bewitchment of this record is operating with no warning from the very first seconds until the last epiphany of Sales Pitch.

He is using his knowledge of techno, psychedelism (Inverted Sea), UK bass (Jumping Dead Leafs), only to bring you out of it. We all tend to be slaves, without even being conscious about it, and a balance must be existing between being a slave and showing off. Mr. Weinrich’s answer is unsettling because it is an utter call to this balance, in our world of black and white and political correctness. There is no morality in music… Don’t expect anything else than an unaccountable liberating immediate experience. Don’t expect any kind of music because you are already in the past or the future… From his recording technique mainly relying on one takes, his adoration of mistakes and jeopardy, to the core essence of repetitive music, it is all here about being in the present. No ears no glasses.

A dramatic, string-drenched epic, James Ralph Bailey’s Just Me ’N’ You has been a sought-after soul masterpiece for decades. A lush suite of beautiful songs, it was conceived as a concept album; a sophisticated paean to love.

Originally released by MAM Records in 1974, Just Me ’N’ You is a breathtaking jazzy soul album. It’s similar in style to Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On - particularly the performances, orchestrations and chord progressions - but dealing with a different universal subject matter. If What’s Going On was about romance instead of politics, it would sound like this.

Fans of Marvin, Leon Ware, Donny Hathaway, Leroy Hutson and Willie Hutch will love this record. Not as well known - this is definitely an underrated gem - the work of James Ralph Bailey is no less mind-blowing. It’s got to be one of the best soul albums of all time.

The original productions were made on a basic home tape machine and enhanced with strings, rhythmic overdubs and a variety of other instrumentation. These are beautiful arrangements of strings and jazzy horns. Rhythm guitars and bouncy bass serve as the groove foundation, congas provide a Latin feel whilst the vibraphone and harmonica add colour. And then of course there’s JR’s voice.

His style recalls Hathaway, with a delivery akin to Marvin at the time. As he scats and sings, accompanying himself in sweet harmonies, there is still a rawness of pain and longing in his voice, the rawness familiar to all deep soul.

As an album, Just Me ’N’ You is no mere collection of songs. The tender, smooth tunes flow perfectly together into a fluid, single artistic statement. This is one where it’s hard to pick out any standouts. You may have heard the soaring title track before, maybe on Gilles Peterson’s Digs America compilation. The opening track “After Hours” sounds as fresh now as it ever was and segues beautifully into the majestic “Heaven On Earth”. Recorded by Hathaway the previous year, Bailey’s original of “Love Love Love” is incredible and arguably the definitive version. The powerful, dreamy, sax-and-harmony-laced “All Strung Out Over You” has echoes of the Chi-Lites, it’s that good. Goosebumps. And we could go on.

Mastered by Simon Francis, cut by Pete Norman and pressed at Record Industry, this Be With edition of Just Me ’N’ You sounds every bit as brilliant as it should. A joyous celebration of love, this album is perfect in every way. If you don’t already own a copy then now is the time.

In 1978, Roy Roberts produced and wrote a song for soul music legend Eddie Floyd; this melancholy storyliner has languished in the vaults for over forty years. IZIPHO SOUL are thrilled to release on a 45 and continue our Rock House Records/Westwood Music Group licensed collaboration.
Featuring on the A Side, Southern soul legends Barbara Carr and Roy Roberts duet on the supreme mid-pacer ‘It’s Only You’.
250 collectors’ copies pressed for the Real Soul Heads!

Please note ‘Guess It Wasn’t Meant To Be’ has been restored from the original tape to its best possible quality - unrepairable damage is evident in the final parts.

Three’s a charm, as they say. After „Waste The Time“ and „Socialo Blanco“ „Money“ completes Daniel Meuzard’s Feater triptych. Again joined by the likes of Eric Owusu and Sam Irl and their musical as well as technical skills, as well as by the lovely voice of Vilja Larjosto, the ageless beauty and intellectual brilliance of „Money“ is impossible to resist. It could have been imagined, written and recorded almost anytime in the last 50 years. Inspired or - better put - troubled by the rise and transformation of capitalist systems, fatalism, extravism, climate change and - surprise - the power, corruption and lies revolving around money, its topic is anything, but bubblegum. The music though, is ranging from powerful songs to clever synth experiments. Incredibly executed with a perfectly wonderful result. And even if Daniel writes that there is „no need to worry, I want you to panic“, we want you to listen to this album, while you do so! Hats off to Feater. „

Sukh Knight's DAKU imprint comes strong again with its 3rd vinyl release, this time with some of Sukh's classic tracks getting the remix treatment. The title track is Cimm's much sought after monstrous remix of 'Diesel Not Petrol', with Cimm adding his trademark crisp drums, and extra riffs and stabs to give this classic track a modern vibe. This one has been in constant rotation in both Dubstep & Grime scenes getting instant reloads. On the B-side, finally getting a release after being a treasured dub for 12 years, is the VIP mix of Diesel Not Petrol, this one also still sounding as fresh and heavy as it did all those years ago. To top it all off, Mystic State come with their deep, heavy meditation vibes on the remix of 'Shutdown', guaranteed to take you on a journey. Timeless music!

BAFTA Award-winning actor Matt Berry has been the star of a number of high profile TV series including Toast Of London, The IT Crowd and most recently What We Do In The Shadows. Concurrently he has
cultivated a career as a musician that has seen him release six solo albums and collaborate with the likes of Bond composer David Arnold, Jean-Michel Jarre and most recently Josh Homme, who invited him to perform on the Desert Sessions.

His most recent album ‘TV Themes’ was a UK Top 40 hit and was awarded four stars by Will Hodgkinson writing for The Times. His reinterpretation of British TV themes of the past was no mere wallow in nostalgia but an exploration of recording techniques and a joyous celebration of the music.

‘Phantom Birds’ was inspired by a fascination with Bob Dylan’s ‘John Wesley Harding’, the way it was recorded with the minimum of musicians to draw attention to the songs. For the recording Matt worked with drummer Craig Blundell - known for his work with
Steven Wilson and Steve Hackett - and legendary pedal steel player BJ Cole, yet the tinges of Americana are never allowed to overwhelm Matt’s own distinctive style.

With Dead Planet Oliveri has taken a band once considered a side project and turned it into a full-fledged rock and roll powerhouse. As has been his trademark when he had written songs with Kyuss or QOTSA, this album just oozes with punk rock ethos. Combined with the stoner rock influences that he helped create, this album is a study in excess and self-indulgence. And that is exactly what makes it so damn good. - Ed Thompson

Ltd. Purple Edition

Out 18th September, ‘What It Is’ is the second LP from Brooklyn- based multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and producer Sly5thAve; his first new music since the critically acclaimed project ‘The Invisible Man: An Orchestral Tribute to Dr. Dre’. The recording had been first devised as a benefit concert in LA which was attended by Dr. Dre who took to the stage to express thanks for Sly5thAve’s arrangements. Having spent the past three years performing the project with orchestras around the world, ‘What It Is’ sees Sly5thAve retain the high-quality that fans and critics alike have come to expect from him while stepping out with something considerably different, delving deeper into the worlds of hip hop, jazz and soul. Celebrating not only his own versatile musicianship but that of his collaborators and friends, ‘What It Is’ is a collection of tracks showcasing the best of the multi-faceted musician. A sought-after collaborator himself, Sly5thAve has attained much respect from his work with a host of highly fêted musicians including; Prince (as a member of the New Power Generation Band), Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, The Dave Brubeck Quartet, Taylor Swift, Janelle Monáe, Freddie Gibbs and Quantic.

After the launch of his very own label LTF Records earlier in April, Franky Rizardo is presenting his second release ‘Polaris EP’, four tracks that capture the unique rollercoaster of emotions that the last few months have been:

“Polaris was made the day after the announcement of the lockdown measures in the Netherlands. The gravity of the situation started to settle in and for me it meant that my summer agenda had been cancelled. The feeling of trying to accept this fact and keeping my spirits up evolved into this track. Which is uplifting but hits the feels as well.”

Polaris reflects the melancholy over a lost summer, but channels POSITIVITY and determination to make the best out of the situation.

As one of the Netherlands finest house music exports Franky Rizardo has been making and playing music for most of his life. With the global Corona pandemic, he, as well as the industry as a whole, is looking towards an uncertain future when it comes to performances, clubbing and coming together on the dancefloor. However, Franky is keeping his spirits up and continues to focus on his own output and creativity through his newly founded label LTF Records.

In times of social distancing, he is connecting with his fans through live streams such as De Marktkantine, Verknipt and Straf_Werk, as well as at the first social distancing gigs (with COVID-19 safety rules) such as Thuishaven (Amsterdam) and Kiesgrube (Duisburg).

In tough and uncertain times like these, Polaris EP comes as a message of positivity and inspiration, to light up peoples’ days and remind them that regardless of the situation now, there’s a silver lining.

Tectonic is very proud to welcome Lamont to the team!

Bristol’s bendy-beats whizz kid is mainly known for dropping jaws with his releases on Swamp 81 and it’s various offshoots. This time, he’s been chipping away at 4 fine-cut gem, especially for Tectonic - bringing some darkside vibrations in addition to his usual bounce.

‘Hold Dat’ runs at 135bpm, sitting in-between grime, dubstep and housey/techno/whatever that thing Lamont usually does! Charged with a disgusting, totally greasy bassline, this one drops hard and keeps going - quality moves for (now, mostly imaginary) dancefloors.

‘Push’ takes it down a notch, to 130 for a more heads-y work out, laden with crackling, fizzing sonics - and heavily punctuated by sub bass hits. The energy levels step back a touch, while building intensity.

‘Brain’ sees Lamont working more familiar territories - sending a pounding 4/4 kick drum out to hold together a series of collapsing percussive hits and warping melodies - as a ‘brain’ sample, simply haunts your brain.

The EP closes off with ‘Open Letter’, taking things into a dread-space; dub wise, deep and dangerous. The lurching bass hits take charge and push you through layers of echo’ed hits and micro-melodramas, to round off this great EP in fine style.

Following contributions from Carl Craig, Stacey Pullen and Wajeed, Swiss DJ and producer Mirko Loko steps forward to mix the fourth volume of Planet E's mix series, Detroit Love. Active since the late nineties when he first began DJing in the clubs of Lausanne, Switzerland, Mirko Loko has always felt a deep connection to the music of Detroit. Having been personally invited by Carl Craig to play at the Detroit Electronic Music Festival in 2001, that connection has stayed consistent and electric ever since. Mirko Lokois also known as a Cadenza mainstay and a curator of Verbier's Polaris Festival, but the music of the Motor City has been the guiding force of his creative career.

Lounge is the third in a series of five double vinyl releases that bring together some of Ennio Morricone’s greatest soundtrack music. Each collection centres on a different movie genre, together they allow the listener to rediscover the unmatched genius of the greatest movie composer of all time. The Maestro. This collection was announced before Ennio Morricone passed away on July 6, 2020. We’ll continue to release the series to honour this great composer.

The term Lounge Music is not one that Ennio Morricone would have heard at the time he was composing these pieces for the movies that they enhanced, but it is one that has been retrospectively applied to a certain type of music, and it is a style that Morricone has contributed a great deal towards.

Lounge is available as a limited edition of 3000 individually numbered copies on solid orange vinyl. The package includes a 4-page insert with liner notes written by Claudio Fuiano. The gatefold sleeve contains a velvet spot varnish on the outside and images of iconic movie posters on the inside.

Ivaylo’s music has always been rooted in house and its myriads of forms, from the deeper soulful sounds from the US of A to the more recent plinky plonky style from the romanians and the chileans. With a pinch of his bulgarian roots and a splash of Full Pupp (Prins Thomas co-produced, played instruments and helped mix down the record) this mystic brew comes highly recommended. “Ensom Kraft EP” will be released as a vinyl 12″ containing 5 tracks from the 8 track digital only album “Ensom Kraft". The full album will be included as a download code.

The Hammond organ was first manufactured in 1935. In 1954, the now famous Hammond B3 model was introduced with additional harmonic percussion feature. When the company went out of business in 1985, around two million of various models of the Hammond organ have been produced.

The Hammond B3 was originally marketed to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ. It quickly became popular with professional jazz musicians in organ trios. Jimmy Smith's use of the Hammond B3 inspired a generation of organ players, and its use became more widespread in the 1960s and 1970s in rhythm and blues, rock, reggae, and progressive rock.

This collection is centered on the exciting and dynamic sounds of the Hammond B3 organ!

Hot on the heels of their proud new charity project and first ever compilation ‘Freeride Millenium presents Queer Base’, this agenda setting label returns with an evocative new EP from Brazilian artist Rotciv, also appearing on vinyl in collaboration with Pauls Musique. DJing since 1996 and Berlin based since 2010, Rotciv has been playing places like the acclaimed Panorama Bar, Frankfurt’s legendary Robert Johnson club and the Cocktail D’Amore parties for many years. He runs Mister Mistery, a label focused on house music, while also releasing himself on Luv Shack, Unterton (Ostgut Ton) Skylax and many more. All this comes alongside his The Rimshooters project with Massimiliano Pagliara. He kicks off this fresh EP with ‘Number of Names’, a rugged roller on the border between house and techno with a phased bassline and rolling chords that get you in a meditative state. The more upbeat ‘Glutamate Transmission’ gets you shifting shapes with its daubs of acid, crisp percussive flashes and busy bassline, then ‘True Colour’ has an old school Chicago feel with its chatty claps and acid lines. The moods continue to evolve with style on ‘Bubbles The Chimp’, a tense cut of broken techno, futuristic machine sounds and lively synths. Beautiful ambient closer ‘Soundwaves’ is a lush comedown amongst the stars. This is a fully formed and journeying EP of fantastic underground sounds with artwork by Daniel Rajcsanyi.

For years, Frente Cumbiero has served as the torchbearer of a new wave of experimental exploration in the diverse modern-day cumbia canvas. Led by Mario Galeano Toro, a Colombian native and accomplished veteran of Bogotá's rich music scene, the group first connected with listeners outside of South America via their head-exploding 2010 debut on Names You Can Trust. "Pitchito" would become a cult favourite, a catalyst for the Brooklyn-based label, and soon after a bonafide rarity. Those beginnings of Frente Cumbiero focused on an honorary recognition of the massive musical impact that the many formations of cumbia have had over the decades within Colombia. Subgenres such as gaita, porro, vallenato, and caracolito, to name just a handful, have all played their part within the evolution of the country's tropical music lineage. That deep-digging determination coupled with a truly unique and talented musicianship has informed Frente's music, some of the most forward-thinking and reverential examples of the current tropical scene. It has led to some incredible opportunities and collaborations in Europe, Asia and the States, including genre-defying recordings with London's Mad Professor and Japan's Minyo Crusaders.

Still, Galeano Toro's assemblies with Frente Cumbiero have been scarce amongst his other exploits, splitting time as player and producer in other ground breaking projects like Ondatropica and Los Pirañas over the recent years. After three 45 single releases together with NYCT, the time away has left everybody wanting for more. Now, reassembled and seasoned with years of touring and gigging in a multitude of projects, the group's current quartet of Galeano Toro (keys and synths), Pedro Ojeda (timbales and percussion), Marco Fajardo (tenor sax) and Sebastián Rozo (bombardino) is a stripped down powerhouse of unadulterated psico-tropi swing, a beautiful Colombian musical stew, incorporating a host of flavors from the melting pots of the Pacific, Caribbean and Atlantic pathways. The final result is of course quite unclassifiable, simply a new breed of good music and a dancefloor delight.

Having earned BBC Radio 6 play from Gilles Peterson for last year’s track ‘Vortex’ , Japanese duo
Ohnesty today announce their next release, ‘Movin’ On’ EP, out on 22nd May on Highball. The
project unites two influential talents from Fukuoka’s burgeoning underground scene: BRISA, the
adventurous and eclectic producer/DJ who spans everything from nu-jazz to acid house, and shigge,
founder of the Yesterday Once More label.

The EP makes an immediate statement of intent with the title track. Underpinned by a lurching,
mechanised groove, it swings unexpectedly into a stuttering, pitch-shifted vocal cut alongside insistent
hi-hats and the kind of soulful female vocal sample that’s a hallmark of deep house. The track demonstrates Ohnesty’s unique style. On one hand, they’re constantly pushing an audacious sense
of creativity into a progressive-focused track. Yet at the same time, they never lose sight of the
importance of making it sound both engrossing and energising.

Its second track ‘K&T’ focuses those traits in a completely different direction, blending elements acid
jazz, late ‘70s disco and French Touch into their own vision. And finally ‘Need You’ echoes yacht rock
and ‘80s movie scores with sweet synths and the booming gated reverb drum sounds.

The ‘Movin’ On’ EP is completed by a remix of ‘Need You’ by British producer Happa . One of the
youngest artists to have ever DJed at Berghain, Happa’s production talents have also been called on
by the likes of David Byrne, FKA Twigs and Trim.

Ohnesty released their debut EP ‘Time To Be Honest’ last September on Yesterday Once More. It
was followed by an accompanying remix package , which included intreprations from the likes of
Metome and Daijo Kaisei.

The ‘Movin’ On’ EP is the second release from the new London-based Highball Records. Aiming to
highlight essential, forward-thinking new music from Japan, the label debuted in March with
Foodman’s ‘Dokutsu’ EP.

Bristolian promoters Worm Disco Club have been championing South-Western talent since their inception in 2014. Having collaborated with Glastonbury Festival on their notorious 'Wormhole' stage and hosted the likes of The Comet Is Coming, The Heliocentrics and The Mauskovic Dance Band at their regular club night, the name has become synonymous with quality groove laden goodness, percussive madness, jazz, psych and beyond. Now proudly presenting their label Worm Discs, the collective recruit some of Bristol's most notable emerging talent for an exploration into the new wave of Jazz emanating from the city. As Andrew Hayes, (Run Logan Run) explains : "Bristol has always had its own sound, but there's been a new crop of young players come through over the past five years that's revitalised the scene and expanded its expectations about what jazz music means. Featuring the likes of Waldo's Gift, Run Logan Run (Montreux Jazz Talent Award winners), BaDaBoom, Lyrebird and Alun Elliot, 'New Horizons' channels the seismic energy of the sonically rich landscape into 12 progressive, psychedelic, impeccably crafted tracks.

BSP // Bispebjerg is a record label that presents music from Copenhagen based artists and affiliates. BSP is closely related to the Copenhagen Underground Posse, music and party collective that where active on the Copenhagen scene for the past 8 years.

Behind the label are Philip Jun Kamata, has been making music for nearly two decades, where he, among other things released the underground bass sex anthem "you dont know what love is" on Hyperdub. J Kamata is debuting on this V/A two new alter egoes; the 313 high tech funk inspired Jun Anthony, as well as his raw electro moniker Sequential Hill.

The other half of the label, Daniel Savi has been active in the club scene for a good while, primarily releasing on house labels such as Underground Quality and Tartelet Records. For this release he hits you hard with his bass alias Savi DJ.

With BSP we attempt to build a universe with Jungle, Electro, House, Booty Tech and their derivative genres. The first release is a V/A consisting of 3 different artists as well as remix from local hero Kasper Marott (Kulor, Axces).

Release comes in white discobags w. blue sticker on front and double sided foto insert.

Track descriptions

A1. Jun Anthony - 313 Garage. 06.38
Jun Anthony presents his groovy take on a garage track under a heavy 313- high tech funk influence.

A2. Jun Anthony - 313 Garage (Kasper Marott Remix) 05.53
The second cut holds a dubby, deep and groovy remix from Copenhagen rising star Kasper Marott.

B1. Sequential Hill - Jakd Oscillateurs - 05.29
Jun's alter ego Sequential Hill presents a punk approach to electro - Raw, but with a tiny soft spot for lofty strings and emotional pads.

B2. Savi DJ-Djungle (Slow edit) 06.08.
Savi DJ presents savvy bass grooves on this revivalist jungle cut, in a slowed down version for your mixing pleasure.

Widely and rightly regarded as one of the best ever soul and funk bands, the now legendary Average White Band tore-up the rule book and conquered the US, UK & International charts with a series of soul and disco hits between 1974 and 1980.

AWB’s repertoire has been a source of inspiration and influence for many R&B acts and they are one of the most sampled bands in history, remaining relevant today, continuing to reach new generations of younger audiences.

Snoop Dogg, Fatboy Slim, Ice Cube, Puff Daddy, TLC, Rick Ross, will.i.am and Mark Ronson amongst countless others, have all borrowed sections of their grooves.

Having split in 1982, Average White Band re-formed in 1988 with a different line-up but with Alan Gorrie, Onnie McIntyre and Roger Ball remaining. ‘Aftershock’ is the Band’s 11th album, originally released in 1988.

‘Aftershock’ includes the singles ‘The Spirit Of Love’, which features Chaka Khan and Ronnie Laws, as well as ‘Sticky Situation’. Other special guests include The Ohio Players.

Widely and rightly regarded as one of the best ever soul and funk bands, the now legendary Average White Band tore-up the rule book and conquered the US, UK & International charts with a series of soul and disco hits between 1974 and 1980.

AWB’s repertoire has been a source of inspiration and influence for many R&B acts and they are one of the most sampled bands in history, remaining relevant today, continuing to reach new generations of younger audiences.

Snoop Dogg, Fatboy Slim, Ice Cube, Puff Daddy, TLC, Rick Ross, will.i.am and Mark Ronson amongst countless others, have all borrowed sections of their grooves.

Following an eight-year hiatus, Average White Band returned in 1996, recording ‘Soul Tattoo’, the Band’s 12th album, at Daryl Hall’s studio in New York State.

‘Soul Tattoo’ includes the single ‘Back To Basics’, with Hall & Oates collaborator Klyde Jones, on lead vocals on ‘Every Beat Of My Heart’, and Daryl Hall appearing on ‘I Wanna Be Loved’, which was co-written with Alan Gorrie.

Widely and rightly regarded as one of the best ever soul and funk bands, the now legendary Average White Band tore-up the rule book and conquered the US, UK & International charts with a series of soul and disco hits between 1974 and 1980.

AWB’s repertoire has been a source of inspiration and influence for many R&B acts and they are one of the most sampled bands in history, remaining relevant today, continuing to reach new generations of younger audiences.

Snoop Dogg, Fatboy Slim, Ice Cube, Puff Daddy, TLC, Rick Ross, will.i.am and Mark Ronson amongst countless others, have all borrowed sections of their grooves.

Following a seven-year break, Average White Band returned in 2003, with their most recently released wholestudio album, ‘Living In Colour’, which includes two soul classics in ‘I’m Gonna Make You Love Me’ and Major Harris’ ‘Love Won’t Let Me Wait’.

The full album line-up comprised Alan Gorrie, Onnie McIntyre, Klyde Jones, Fred Vigdor and Brian Dunne, along with additional musicians Eliot Lewis ,Cliff Lyons, John Fumasoli, Tony Kadleck, Bill Harris, Carlos Gomez, Joe Najmy and Rob Aries.

Faitiche presents a new album by Frank Bretschneider. abtasten_halten was made as part of the raster.labor installation first presented at CTM Festival in 2019. It is perhaps the most radical work in Bretschneider’s distinctive oeuvre: abtasten_halten is a self-generating composition for synthesizer modules whose sole sound source is the movement of two VU meter needles. The resulting percussive sounds coalesce into rhythmic combinations – all random, without repetition. The album resembles a meditation on infinite rhythmic variation. abtasten_halten is Frank Bretschneider’s first release on Faitiche.

One sound can give birth to thousands of tones through self-fertilization. Pierre Henry, 1982

Frank Bretschneider on abtasten_halten:
abtasten_halten (sample_hold) is a largely self-generating composition for a modular synthesizer system. Self-generating here means that as soon as a current flows, the various modules interact, but within limits set by the composer via the connections between the modules (patches): timing, tempo, timbres, dynamics. These conditions are kept variable to a certain extent or left to chance, so that the composition created is always similar but never the same. On the one hand, the use of random generators opens up possibilities that would not otherwise have been considered. On the other, it offers the fascination of the unfinished and the unique: totally unexpected musical events that you might hear only once.

abtasten_halten combines my preferences for percussive music in general and electronic music in particular. Largely avoiding repetitive structures, the piece is more like a free improvisation, quiet and diffuse, but also extremely dense, in ever-changing contrasts and transformations.

The tone generators are two modified VU meters whose needles, driven by trigger impulses, create a simple one-bar pattern by hitting against a metal spring that is connected to a piezo element (thanks to Gijs Gieskes / Gieskes.NL). The tempo is continuously varied over a period of about ten minutes by several mutually modulating LFOs, ranging from about 0.06 Hz up to the lower audio range of about 18Hz.
The percussive sounds thus obtained are then passed through low-pass filters with moderate resonance and random frequency modulation to additionally colour the sound. Further processing is then executed by an echo module whose tempo and repetitions are again determined by random parameters. Finally the audio signal is occasionally enriched with reverb to add more spaciousness to the sound.

The concept for the installation raster.labor was developed by Olaf Bender, Frank Bretschneider and David Letellier. Many thanks to raster - artistic platform.

On Frank Bretschneider:

Frank Bretschneider works as a musician, composer and video artist in Berlin, making mainly electronic work based on complex rhythmic structures and interlocking textures, whose many-layered sound is inspired by the experimental set-ups of modern physics, often supplemented by perfectly synchronized computer-generated visualizations. In 1986, he founded AG Geige, one of the most influential underground bands in East Germany. In 1996, he co-founded the label raster-noton and has since released many solo albums.

Rare musical magic from the Bruton library catalogue – ambient, spacey, pastoral and electronic. Music by John Cameron, Alan Hawkshaw, Fran-cis Monkman, Brian Bennett and more – all total masters of the scene. All very cool. All very now. All will sell very fast.

Over the last three decades Jonny Trunk has collected and written about library music. But he’s never had a great deal of luck with the Bruton catalogue. By this he means that he’s never stumbled across a massive stash, or lucked-out buying a huge run for practically nothing –that’s the kind of thing that used to happen in the 1990s and the early noughties if you were out there looking hard for library music. But he did manage to get about 25 in one hit about 20 years ago when the BBC shut down their “TV Training Department” near Lime Grove and also when a box of Brutons ended up being dumped at a hospital radio, and they didn’t want the records, so Jonny got a call.

There are lots of Bruton albums in existence – over 330 LPs in the vinyl catalogue, issued between 1978 and 1985. That’s a lot of music to wade through if you are looking for sublime modern day sounds. For many years now the “trophies” from the Bruton catalogue have been the beat or action driven LPs – the two Drama Montage albums (BRJ2 and BRJ8) have always been the big hitters, and others such as High Adventure (BRK2) too.

But Jonny has always found himself drawn to the lime green LPs, the pastoral, peaceful albums (The BRDs), which were full of the kind of gentle, lovely music that would turn up in Take Hart as Tony was paint-ing a woodpecker or a badger or an Autumn tree. The other Brutons he likes are the orange ones (The BRIs) simply because they are full of ex-perimental futuristic electronics and would remind him of 1980s ITV backgrounds. This LP series includes Brian Bennett’s cosmic classic Fantasia (BRI 10). Jonny has been knows to refer to this style of library music as “Krypton Factor library”, because it’s exactly what that strange but successful 1980s TV quiz show sounded like.

In recent years as interest in library music has expanded, we’ve watched
the price of a handful of Brutons really going through the roof - not the just the action and drama ones, but the more esoteric and experimental LPs too – like the BRDs and the BRIs. Jonny gets the vibe that people fi-nally want to hear this other more interesting and experimental side of the Bruton catalogue. So what better time than now to put together a compilation of such sublime period sounds.

Not only does this album bring together a set of fabulous cues that would cost the average man in the street a month’s wages (if the origi-nals were all wanted and if you could even track them all down), but it also chops out the need to listen to other tracks on library albums that are nowhere near as good.

The cues here all date from between 1978 and 1984. They come from the BRD, BRI, BRH, BRJ, BRM, BRR and BRs catalogues.

The composers are all legends within the genre, and here, were doing what great library composers do best – fulfilling a brief and utilising modern studio equipment to both commercial and beguiling effect.

* The original sister label to Ram Records from the old Ram HQ studio in Essex, Liftin Spirit Records now celebrates it’s 25th year with a special ‘RELOADED’ limited vinyl series of remastered classics, alongside rare and previously unreleased tracks since the beginning in1992.

* DATs from artists such as Andy C, Ant Miles, Shimon, Joint Venture, Interrogator and Red One have been located in the archives. Also from the Ram & Liftin HQ came tracks for the Deep Seven label in 1993 and all these rare DAT masters have been located and now re-cut by Simon, the original Ram & Liftin vinyl masterer at ‘The Exchange’. Initially, Deep Seven remasters will present on a printed white label and unreleased tracks will have a black label.

* The 6th release on the celebrated Deep Seven Records label was the last Desired State production to emerge out of the Ram/Liftin Spirit HQ. Under the alias ‘Faze Lock’, 2 more 1993 Hardcore rollers emerged in the form of 'Come Again' and 'Feel It'.

* The original sister label to Ram Records from the old Ram HQ studio in Essex, Liftin Spirit Records now celebrates its 25th year with a special ‘RELOADED’ limited vinyl series of remastered classics, alongside rare and previously unreleased tracks since the beginning in1992.

* DATs from artists such as Andy C, Ant Miles, Shimon, Joint Venture, Interrogator and Red One have been located in the archives. Also from the Ram & Liftin HQ came tracks for the Deep Seven label in 1993 and all these rare DAT masters have been located and now re-cut by Simon, the original Ram & Liftin vinyl masterer at ‘The Exchange’. Initially, Deep Seven remasters will present on a printed white label and unreleased tracks will have a black label.

* We continue our Deep Seven remasters with the 7th release in the series. 'Legal Offence' was yet another pseudonym from Ant Miles that brings us 2 thunderous mixes of the track 'Burnin'. Relentless beats and breaks make up this rare and sought after 12" from 1993 that provides that prevalent Hardcore vibe.

* The original sister label to Ram Records from the old Ram HQ studio in Essex, Liftin Spirit Records now celebrates its 25th year with a special ‘RELOADED’ limited vinyl series of remastered classics, alongside rare and previously unreleased tracks since the beginning in1992.

* DATs from artists such as Andy C, Ant Miles, Shimon, Joint Venture, Interrogator and Red One have been located in the archives. Also from the Ram & Liftin HQ came tracks for the Deep Seven label in 1993 and all these rare DAT masters have been located and now re-cut by Simon, the original Ram & Liftin vinyl masterer at ‘The Exchange’. Initially, Deep Seven remasters will present on a printed white label and unreleased tracks will have a black label.

* Two more previously unreleased tracks from Desired State that were found in the vaults continuing their exploration of the ‘unknown lands’ of Junglistic Drum and Bass. ‘Terra Incognita’ carries a haunting atmosphere over precision tooled breaks and deep sub basses with a vocal sample taken from 'Deep Space Nine' which was a new show at the time. The flipside ‘Sub Conscious’ features vocals and Indian chants from the movie ‘The Doors’ and again rides out over original beats and vibes in keeping with the Ram/Liftin Spirit sound of the ‘94 era.

Utter presents Danny Wolfers' aka Legowelt's cult spywave album 'Schaduw Horizon' on vinyl for the first time. Initially released on CDR on Wolfers' Strange Life label back in 2008, this DX7-drenched soundtrack was influenced by real locations near Wolfers' coastal dune studio in The Hague.

Set in the depths of the cold war at an abandoned zoo, it scores the imaginary story of Percival, a NATO animal parapsychologist researching the extra-sensory powers of a Siamese cat and a chess-playing chimpanzee named Albert. After the Soviets discover the project, Percival's team members are assassinated one by one, forcing him and his animal friends to escape in a small sailboat towards a mysterious island...

The album has been remastered by Wolfers then transferred and cut by Helmut Erler at D&M. It is housed in a deluxe gatefold sleeve that opens to reveal detailed stories behind each track, while the entire back cover is a life-size chess board for any budding Alberts wishing to play a game. A special 'confidential documents' envelope completes the package and contains a map of the abandoned zoo, a top secret letter including coordinates of the locations featured in the story, DX7 schematics, foldable chess pieces and a 'Schaduw Horizon' sticker.

At the end of the 90s, a movement began in West London that birthed a fresh direction in dance music. Though this movement never got mainstream press coverage, never had a crossover chart single, and never really transcended its community roots, there was a unique alchemy at work - a fertile moment of creativity, where a group of friends began to experiment with new cadences, rhythms and distilled influences, crafting a new direction in the attics and bedrooms of their neighbouring postcodes. Their music was a head-on collision between the sounds they had been raised on; the reggae sound system culture of Notting Hill Carnival, the sophistication and sheen of Electro-Funk, Jazz Fusion, Soulful House and Disco, the Afro-Beat sounds of Tony Allen and Fela Kuti, and the raw minimalism of early Hip Hop. Though "Broken Beat" was never a tagline that the producers anticipated, and one that they often publicly resisted, those two words would gradually come to represent the scattered rhythms, rolling basslines and soaring changes that were inherent to this exciting new sound. It's not clear who first coined the term "Broken Beat", but try to imagine how it felt to hear it for the first time; the production was grounded in MPCs and SP1200s, the hand-me-down samplers of the Hip-Hop and Jungle golden eras, and the drums that tumbled out of these machines at the hands of these creators had a jagged, stuttering feel, almost as though the groove was close to collapse.

The New Mastersounds have been delighting audiences with their infectious brand of funky soul-jazz for the two decades since they formed in Leeds in 1999. For the first five years of the band's career they were regulars at the Jazz Café in London, before they began to turn heads on the funk scene in the US, where guitarist/producer/bandleader Eddie Roberts now lives. For over a decade they have been a staple act of the late-night scene during New Orleans' annual Jazz Fest.

Recorded at Color Red Studios in Denver in December 2018, "Shake It" is a fresh Anglo-American collaboration between the band and vocalist Lamar Williams Jr (son of the late Allman Brothers bassist Lamar Williams), with high-class soulful horns from Mike Olmos & Jason Mingledorff, and percussion by Jeff Franca of Thievery Corporation

The first two singles from the album - "Let's Go Back" and "Kings & Queens" - are already enjoying radio support in UK (BBC6Music), France (FIP, RDWA), Spain (Radio 3, Radio Catalunya, Radio Calvia), Italy (Radio Populare), Germany (Radio Z) and Belgium (Radio Skorpio).














j 10. On The Up (S.K.A.) [feat. Lamar Williams Jr]










[j] 10. On The Up (S.K.A.) [feat. Lamar Williams Jr]

The different seeds that have been planted throughout the life of Croatian Amor come to bloom on 'All In The Same Breath,' affirming an equilibrium that's all its own. Spiralling through the half-light electronics are gentle bumps and breaks that are layered into moments of elevation. A coarse edge remains just an arm's length away, but there is an unmistakable element of celebration throughout the album's 10 tracks. As the syncopated terrains ring out, their perpetual rhythmic motions call a medley of human voices that speak in security. They sing to everyone just as they sing to themselves. In the years since the seminal Croatian Amor album 'Love Means Taking Action' Loke Rahbek has strode a twofold path. There are the delicate, meditative compositions that he has made with Frederik Valentin; setting acoustic instrumentation against affecting digital treatments, each of their collaborative albums are an exercise in the magnificence of subtle restraint. And with the sharpest of turns you'll find Rahbek's parallel universe of rave-shocked rhythms and kinetic helixes that eddy through genre and tempo with few constraints. Collaborations with Varg²™ have yielded the wildest of this, and remain ongoing, yet the traces were already apparent across much of the previous Croatian Amor album 'Isa' with its treated vocalizations and cascading rhythmic mechanics. 'All In The Same Breath,' arrives as a steady handed synthesis of these divergent instincts. Elaborating the distinct techniques and themes that form the wistful essence of the project, the album's quiet composure is a sign that these familiarities have been set adrift to settle into their own private ecosystem.Small vessels travel in a perfect array. Light following shadows, following light. Every movement a signal, every second is camouflage. 'All In The Same Breath' is perhaps more than anything an invitation to be open to wonder.

Taken from their acclaimed self-titled debut album, ‘One Hand Tommy’ is its latest single and proves no matter how strange our world seems right now, it could always be stranger…

In a blitz session of blood curdling vocals, disarticulated fretwork and wickelly deranged lyricism, ‘One Hand Tommy’ sees The Imbeciles tell us the tale of: Tommy; a child trapped in a dystopian landscape of nuclear annihilation with only a giant killer snake for company.

‘One Hand Tommy’ is the latest exhilarating track to be released from The Imbeciles self-titled debut album - out now. Comprising 13 imploded songs which rarely last more than two minutes, the album was recorded on tape in eight deranged days on the Texan-Mexican border. Packed with stripped-down musical information and resonant with atmosphere, the album was hailed by CLASSIC ROCK as “Some kind of Apocalypse Now” (✭✭✭✭). The band also gained masses of support at radio from BBC 6 Music, Radio X, BBC Radio 1, amongst others. The delirious fun of ‘One Hand Tommy’ is just another reason to believe the hype...

And now it’s been remixed by DJ Tennis & Danny Daze, Mark Broom, Suzanne Kraft and Duncan Forbes.

The remixes have picked up a fantastic amount of support from a long list of names, including this lot – Radio 1’s Pete Tong, Red Axes, Jackie House, Len Faki, Gerd Janson, Laurent Garnier, Ben Sims and more!

"New York based Brazilian artist FadeFace is set to release his debut vinyl record on his very own imprint, Lemos.


Versatile 4 track EP that has been circulating around his live set for sometime now.


Recorded fully off his modular synthesizer, FadeFace’s exploration of hypnotic sounds mixed over an intense progression of 90s styled percussion sits well at a peak time slot at any New York rave.


“Basimilus”, named after a eurorack module, is set at a powerful 147 BPM. Layered with a repetitive, heavily modulated synth that dances around a relentless kick drum.”


A versatile 4 track EP by label head FadeFace

Purgate is the solo work of Frederic Arbour, one half of Industrial Techno duo Stärker and also works under the name Visions, creating Deep Ambient Atmospherics. As Purgate, Arbour explores purely analog circuitry through dense layers of treated modular systems and sparse, pulsing rhythmic structures. Monolithic, abrasive and atmospheric, he exerts the elemental properties of sound and the textural possibilities of signal processing as an exploration of the inherent forces, and physicality, of sound. His live A/V performance has been created with long time friend and experimental film maker Karl Lemieux (Live film projectionist for God Speed You Black Emperor), keeping a focus on all analog mediums with live projections of abstract layers of decomposed 16mm film experiments. Arbour is also the founder of the Cyclic Law and Aesthetical labels.

The original release of Saurus was on the italian label Muzak in 1994 to these days the track resurfaced online and is sought after by collectors, this new release contain two new contemporary mixes of the original song.

From Nantes, France, NABTA is equal to EBM, minimal synth and electroclash as its best. They perfectly define and describe their music as “an electronic ceremony where comets of beats crashes into a oceans of colours, tumbling into the sombre side while sweet darkness binds you in a trance and makes you dance, dance and dance”. We like that vision!. All tracks have been specially remastered for LONG CUT vinyl by Aria Z.

From London, UK, the multifaced and talented artist Bram Droulers presents a work of perfect classical minimal synth. Simple, direct, elegant and very cold compositions that captivate from the very first listen. All tracks have been specially remastered for LONG CUT vinyl by Daniel Hallhuber at Young and Cold Studios.

The italian project Zero Call produces pure Italo Disco with perfect brushes of ebm- infused retro synthwave. Punchy snares, pulsing basslines and dramatic synths behind monochromatic female spoken vocals. Including the main track “Stellar Wind” + 2 remixes by Technobeton and Arkademode + 2 recovered tracks from his past discography. All tracks have been specially remastered for LONG CUT vinyl by Daniel Hallhuber at Young and Cold Studios.

Glasnost is a maximum transparency policy used in the music creation of the italian Alexander Chiesa and the russian Alina Vaulina with minimalistic keyboards, cold vocals and harsh but fresh ebm and electro beats. They just need those ingredients to set on fire any decadent dancefloor. All tracks have been specially remastered for LONG CUT vinyl by Daniel Hallhuber at Young and Cold Studios.

‘Alterity’ is compilation of fifteen warped, experimental and deconstructed club music tracks featuring artists from almost every continent. It pieces together shared sounds that connect disparate scenes across the globe. The music is fuelled by a desire to dissolve borders and transcend perceived norms to promote the existence of alternate viewpoints, lifestyles and identities.

The listener travels to a parallel plane through amorphous techno wormholes, caverns of industrial beat science and colossal panoramas of glistening hyper-stylised trance. Each creation espouses local sounds and adapts global musical styles creating a singular, holistic map of modern dancefloors that champion diversity and inclusivity.

The cover art of a manipulated city shows an ordinary urban landscape remodelled as another world. It hints at an endless, borderless macrocosm concealed within.

The gatefold double LP is pressed on yellow vinyl and comes with a digital download code and printed inner sleeves.

We're glad to be back with our latest reissue, a couple undercover soul gems from the Midwest originally self-released in 1984: LaVerne Washington's "The Promise" and "I Found What I've Been Searching For".

LaVerne has dedicated her life to the arts in every possible way. As an artist herself but also behind the scenes, helping and supporting her contemporaries fulfil their callings. Charlie Parker, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Mary Lou Williams - LaVerne grew up in Kansas City listening to the all time jazz greats, and soon discovered she was blessed with a keen sense for playing music by ear, playing the piano to what she would hear on the radio. In her teens whilst the 60s transitioned to the 70s' disco and funk era, LaVerne was there to witness it all, and she would go on to study music at the Charlie Parker Academy where she was inspired to become an entertainer.

At Langston University, LaVerne kept studying music where her career blossomed, founding and touring the US with the gospel group "Emery Shaw and the Voices of Praise", singing in several college bands and with her choir "The Voices Of Bethel". LaVerne would go on to perform notably with her bands "LaVerne Washington and Rococo" and the "LaVerne Washington Quartet", and record several songs in KC including "The Promise" and "I Found What I've Been Searching For" in 1984 before moving to Washington DC.

In DC, LaVerne was offered a position as a Program specialist with the National Endowment For The Arts where she started supporting other artists through her work. Over the next couple decades, LaVerne became an associate producer for the Rhythm and Blues Foundation and the Pioneer Awards Ceremonies held in New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles, which saw the likes of Prince, Aretha Franklin and Jerry Butler attending among others. She has also managed and was mentored by DeeDee Sharp and consulted with artists including Bonnie Raitt (who acted as a mentor to Laverne as well), Kim Weston, Kathy Sledge (SisterSledge), Smokey Robinson and G.C Cameron (Spinners). During that time, LaVerne has kept singing, on her own and as a backing vocalist for DeeDee Sharp and Freda Payne and has never stopped her lifelong dedication to music and the Arts.

The Promise original 7" was LaVerne's last recording in Kansas City before her move to DC and the beginning of her involvement behind the scenes. Channelling her gospel roots - with impeccable arrangement, a contagious drum machine led rhythm section, soaring vocals and relatable lyrics, "The Promise" is guaranteed to bring back smiles to dancefloors and living rooms alike! "I Found What I've Been Searching For" on the flip is a beautiful soul ballad which really showcases the strength and emotion in LaVerne's voice.

Back again in it's original 7" format, we've had the audio transferred and restored from the original 24 track tape provided by LaVerne, and got the recordings re-mixed for the best possible sound! Floating Points behind the mixing desk for this new iteration of a lost classic, comes with a 14"x14" poster of the original picture

THE KILIMANJARO DARKJAZZ ENSEMBLE are a project which has always been tied to films. Films are luxurious because they dispose of all these boring, unimportant, and trivial parts of our lives. This allows them to fully control our sensations, to put us in a very specific mood. Joy and sadness are occasionally OK, endless joy or endless sadness are clinical. But there is one sensation which can be persistent and unconditionally bearable at the same time. In the absence of a better alternative, let's call it "the mood". The mood is what TKDE are aiming at. The mood.

The mood is infinite and illimitable, but not uniform and unique. On "From The Stairwell", TKDE deliver eight new incarnations of the mood. Stairwells have always been intriguing. They appear to unavoidably lead you to your destination, but they only disclose the path bit by bit. What lies far ahead of you and far beyond you is hidden in the shadows. The stairwell could just as well be infinite. You climb up this murky stairwell, passing by many doors. Every door contains a variation of the mood, a short film, a song. You open the first one, "All Is One". The evaporating mist discloses a large and empty room with a barstool in the middle. On the barstool, a chanteuse from the roaring twenties. Her voice starts to trigger vibrations of the ground, the walls start spiralling around her, but she remains untouched in the eye of the storm. Second room, "Giallo". Sly guy, telling smile, nice suit. Walking down the streets in the dusk. The ambience starts to get out of phase, the guy stumbles in horror while blending with the surrounding to a brown soup. Fourth room. "Cocaine". Naked people with pig heads crawl on the floor, on the walls, on the ceiling. They try to hopelessly suck up the white dust which covers every single piece of this room and is constantly spit out by tubes coming out of the walls. Dissonant sounds accompany the work of this desperate hive. As the people manage to counteract the tubes, fragile melodies start to overpower the dissonances. Sixth room, "Cotard Delusion". Baby morphing into a black fluid morphing into an old man which turns his eyes inwards and finds his inside to be completely empty. The journey up the stairwell, down the stairwell, continues. The pictures fill your head and make you forget where you wanted to go in the first place.

"From The Stairwell" is a surprise and a logical step at the same time. It is a surprise because the songs are far less beat-driven in comparison to TKDE's earlier works, and even contain a few hopeful tints here and there. It is a logical step because in the end each song turns to have a very diverse dramaturgic flow. This could raise the conjecture that TKDE, initially started out to make music for existing and non-existing films, wanted to incorporate the audiovisual impression completely into songs, making the films superfluous. At times, "From The Stairwell" makes you think of 60's soundtracks, but the organic feeling of those is always interwoven with mechanical elements. Altogether, every single of the numerous details present in TKDE's new songs feels to be at the right place and you can either just dive into the mood or pick one of the many aspects and enjoy it on its own - be it Gideon Kiers' beats & fx, Jason Köhnen's bass & piano, Hilary Jeffery's trombone, Charlotte Cegarra's voice & piano, Eelco Bosman's guitar, Nina Hitz' cello, Sarah Anderson's violin, or - appearing as guest musicians - Eiríkur Óli Ólafsson's trumpet and Coen Kaldeway's saxophone & bass clarinet.

It is possible that a deeply fickle Bryn Jones, who was never happy with remixes of Muslimgauze music apart from his own, might be with this one.
Extreme, an earlier Muslimgauze label, had a long history of remixing the material Bryn sent to them and this was the main reason for the artist to move to the staalplaat label.

It’s an interesting coincidence that Extreme hired Anders Peterson to remaster Muslimgauze for them. In the process of listening to masters and studying the music, the idea of a remix or ‘rework’ seemed an intuitive next step, reflects Peterson, “The remixes are based on various material from about 6 DAT tapes. I did not choose any specific tracks, rather sections and parts of all the recordings on those tapes. I did not seek to do a remix, it just grew up of that remastering project. I think I could not find any artist in any genre, anywhere, that would be more interesting to rework / remix than Muslimgauze, so I definitely feel very honored having been able to record these remixes.”

Musically, this release falls in line with the more deep spiritual, meditative, abstract side of Muslimgauze, which is often overlooked. The music remains timeless, the production as crisp as ever. Those familiar with the Muslimgauze oeuvre know this music is more than just a series of infectious rhythmic works. Rather a historical document, a musical commentary on the tumultuous times that inspired it; a reflection on the Iran/Iraq war, Operation Desert Storm, the Soviet invasion of and retreat from Afghanistan and the first Intifada. Anders Peterson brings the music of Muslimgauze and successfully found new ways to reveal the artistries from one of the 20th century’s more intriguing artists. Through circumstance, Staalplaat is to ensure that the remix project sees the light of day, now available on the evidently timeless medium of a vinyl record.”

The Danish label/imprint arbitrary announces the release of Framework 3 (arbitrary11) by Mads Emil Nielsen. Framework 3 is the latest instalment in Nielsen’s sequence of graphic scores and recordings. The series includes the Danish composer’s own subjective translations of visual materials and sound pieces accompanied by visual notations.

On this release he collaborates with Katja Gretzinger and Nicola Ratti. Published as a limited edition art print folder, Framework 3 consists of risographed scores and recordings on 10” vinyl and CD – with recordings by Nielsen, along with graphic scores by Gretzinger and contributions by Ratti.

Raised in a family of architects Nielsen has for several years been occupied with the question of “how do you intuitively sonify an image?” along with the complementary processes of translating sounds and music into illustrations and scores. In early 2019, he produced various drawings and sound pieces which formed the starting point for the three tracks on this 10” vinyl EP. The audio is derived from synthesizer recordings and basic electronic sound sources (sine waves, feedback, noise) and percussive loops combined with recordings made in the studios at EMS (Elektronmusikstudion, Stockholm).

The audio material was translated by graphic designer Katja Gretzinger into a series of visual notations made while listening to the music. Gretzinger developed various symbols, forms and structures, such as points, bars, 3D balls, irregular patterns / “swarms” and regular patterns (vertical hatchings). These were combined with found image materials and cut-outs from old prints and layered with large geometric forms, which define the individual character of each of the three parts. The resulting 18-page graphic score is included in the release in the form of risograph printed sheets.

Nielsen then invited musician Nicola Ratti, who is also trained as an architect, to create sonic re-interpretations of the graphic score. Ratti reinterpreted the imagery as a selection of sound elements positioned in a three-dimensional area; which he visualized as the space between the composer / artist, Ratti himself and the loudspeakers. These recordings are included on the CD.

1, 2, 3 written & produced by Mads Emil Nielsen, Copenhagen / Berlin, 2019 / 2020 (reworked and combined with a live recording from Standards, Milan, September 2019). Recording by + thanks to URSSS. CD: 1, 2, 3 written & produced by Nicola Ratti, Milan, 2020.
Scores by Katja Gretzinger. Artwork/design (packaging, discs, text) by Mads Emil Nielsen.

A memorable name with an outstanding cover, Fuzzy Duck is a classic slice of underground London art rock and melodic psychedelia. Originally released on MAM in 1971, it’s truly a musical force of infectious riffs and fiery solos, sharp tempo changes, a tight rhythm section and heavy, Hammond-drenched grooves. With echoes of Spencer Davis Group, early Grand Funk and Vanilla Fudge, it comes on like a heavier Soft Machine or Caravan. No wonder Fuzzy Duck’s cult appeal has endured.

The album features Mick Hawksworth (Five Day Week Straw People, Andromeda) on bass, acoustic 12-string, electric cello and some of the vocal duties, and also Roy “Daze” Sharland (Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Spice) on organ and electric piano. Accompanying those two were Paul Francis on drums and percussion, and Grahame White on guitars and the rest of the vocals.

Originally released in an edition of 500, Fuzzy Duck became legendary all over the world through a holy trinity of scarcity, personnel and its sheer brilliance.

The album kicks off with a heavy, bass-fuelled, Hammond rocker titled “Time Will Be Your Doctor”. This is pure hard-edged blues rock, brilliantly played. Its drum break intro was sampled by DJ Premier for Gang Starr’s “Mostly Tha Voice” on 1994’s legendary Hard To Earn. And we can hear its personality all over Harvey and Thomas Bullock’s Map Of Africa.

Rollicking highlight “Mrs. Prout” follows. At nearly 7 minutes long, it incorporates more psych-leaning guitar and drawn-out keyboards à la Ray Manzarek with the band effortlessly switching from jazzy rhythm section to a progressive one. That magnificent instrumental jam that starts half-way and continues through to the end is a true wonder.

“Just Look Around You” is propulsive folk-rock with a soaring, proto power-pop chorus, backed by frenetic organ and heavy bass high in the rich, intoxicating mix. Back comes the heavy, strung-out psych to both close out side one with “Afternoon Out” and kick off side two with “More Than I Am”. Both tracks are improvisational winners that stylistically nod to the late sixties and “More Than I Am”’s guitar hook, catchy organ and memorable chorus would’ve surely made it a great single.

“Country Boy” quenches the thirst for rhythm and melody, only the lyrics and vibe are wonderfully creepy. The sudden cut of the groove and the drop into a more sinister tempo will make you stumble, before the band pick up speed and toss you back again into the opening jam, this time with a badass organ to ride you home. The final, fully fleshed out track is the majestic “In Our Time”, which oscillates between endless organ-driven boogie and heavenly, genuinely moving vocals. Just stunning.

Infamous instrumental cut “A Word from Big D” rounds out the album. Yes, that’s the band jamming with duck quack sound effects accompanying the music. “Ducking vocals” as the sleeve says. You know, just in case the whole “duck” theme had passed you by. It’s an appropriate closer for what sounds like an album that must have been *a lot* of fun to record. It’s definitely fun to listen to.

Mastered by Be With’s chief sound duck Simon Francis and cut with glee by the veteran Pete Norman, this reissue of Fuzzy Duck’s one-and-only LP sounds as mighty as it should. That unforgettable sleeve artwork has been carefully restored and the records pressed by the wonderful Record Industry in the Netherlands. Essential.

Presenting a collection of stone-cold classic breakbeats and b-boy jams from the sunkissed vaults of Miami's legendary TK Disco label!

NYC in the late 70's and early 80's saw a nascent street subculture fully evolve, a movement with it's own language, art, aesthetics, dances, fashion and way of living.

What would become what is now globally known as 'hip-hop' was in its infancy, with it's own legends and history being forged on an almost daily basis across the city's Black and Hispanic neighbourhoods. Music was central to hip-hop, the DJ was king and at the hands of people like Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, Grandmaster Flowers, Mean Gene, Jazzy Jay, Afrika Bambaataa, Charlie Chase and numerous other groundbreaking DJ's of the era, music took on a whole new meaning that would reverberate through popular culture for the rest of time.

The breaks - minute sections or breakdowns of a record where we get to the unadulterated groove and the band on the record cut loose - is what it was all about! Unlike the discotheque DJ's who favoured the long mixes and blends in their club scenarios, hip-hop DJ's were amassing huge collections of records that had these magical sections on them, often x 2 copies of each, so that they could elongate the best part of the record ad infinitum by cutting them up live - all killer no filler! These special on the fly mixes and edits were then unleashed in the local parks of their neighbourhoods, on gargantuan DIY sound systems for all of their friends and neighbours to party on down until the wee small hours. These breakbeat segments also gave the MC's space to address the gathered masses without their voices colliding with lavish string arrangements or vocals underneath. A clear, concise, stripped back slab of funk on which to put forth their ideas, feelings and rhymes for all to enjoy.

Collected here are some of those most infamous breakbeats, all from the TK vaults. These records were studied by these young DJ's, coveted, covered up, hunted down, whispered about in darkened corners by those who needed and obsessed over the freshest of beats. There's a good chance you will have heard these records in some form or another as they have been covered, sampled, recreated and spun in clubs across the galaxy for over 4 decades. These are the very building blocks upon which popular culture and club music have been built, and here they are all in one place for your listening enjoyment!

Released with love and respect by: Above Board and TK Disco, Miami FL. 2020.

it's been a while since we decided to open and launch this new project, we were just waiting for the right moment, and maybe we waited too long. or maybe not. we were a little stucked by the indecision of when to put it out, how to contextualize, and all the usual "psychological" practices that one faces before starting a new journey. but ever since we received the masters of this wonderful concentrate of different minds, we have been looking forward to smashing it out. and whether it's the real right time or not, it's now finally here! the true meaning behind this capsule is not so definable in words, perhaps because it is an attempt to look back and forth at the same time, without getting lost in a one concrete definition. but when we got to the tracks, first individually, and then together, it came spontaneous to glimpse something new and unconventional as a whole. we are therefore proud to present another of our musical journeys, this time in certainly more experimental and odd territories. the sounds you hear can definitely be taken as the true manifesto of this new chapter. proto? post? everything in between. ENTER >

Duke about this EP: Ironically one of my very first records was a disco sample in 1990 taken from Queen Samantha. I don’t know exactly what inspired me, but likely coming from the Hip Hop world where everything was looped and sampled brought me to doing the same for house and therefore the disco, funk etc samples for the house stuff. The first techdisco EP was done in 1995. I think there may have been a handful of other house records out that sampled disco tracks at the time. Harvey Mason’s Groovin you comes to mind. Sneak also had done a few, but maybe Pal Joey was one of the originals too that used loops, particularly Dance by Earth People. Joey also came from the Hip Hop world so we likely were inspired by the same style of loops.
The main concept was the idea of fusion. I was heavily into fusion jazz in the early 90s and that is really what spawned the techdisco and techfunk series. A mix between genres that hadn’t really been done before. Not saying I was the first, but I did my best to create a new and distich style.
I did everything myself when it comes to the techdisco series. In 1996 I traveled a lot DJing, in the states but mostly in Europe. I didn’t have time for a resicency at that time like I had prior to me being full time DJ/producer/label owner. I did do some remixes back then, but maybe not as many as I would have thought. Perhaps because people looked at me as having my own label and doing my own thing.

Linda “Babe” Majika’s insanely brilliant Don’t Treat Me So Bad is a tight six tracks of blistering electro-flavoured bubblegum and synth-drizzled solar-powered machine-funk. It has become increasingly hard to find, with copies currently moving for over £200. But this is definitely a case of eye-watering price equalling heart-thumping quality.

Once of the Hot Soul Singers, Don’t Treat Me So Bad was Linda’s debut LP as a solo artist. It was produced by Ace Mbuyisa of boogie-funk maestros Freeway and was originally released on Umkhonto Records in South Africa in 1988.

The enormous “Let’s Make A Deal” is probably the best known track here, and it’s definitely the best one if you ask us. Linda’s vocals drip with attitude over warm, breezy synths and an urgent, edgy electro beat to create a timeless club-ready bomb that sounds as fresh as ever. But the rest of the album is far from filler.

Opening track “Kunzima (Tabalaza Mjita)” instantly brings the sunshine vibes, strutting out the gate with that unmistakable South African steppers groove. It’s a deceptively simple song, with multiple instrumental elements arriving and taking leave with admirable restraint.

“It’s Our Home” is a powerful showcase for Linda’s vocals, enhanced by some life-affirming call and response backing vocals throughout. In fact they’re a joyous presence on the whole album. The insistent pipes and swirling, bubbling synths of title track “Don’t Treat Me So Bad” follow. A spacious proto-piano house banger that closes out the first side in phenomenal fashion.

Arriving as track two on the second side, “Unga B’Omthemba Umuntu” has the unenviable task of following the huge “Let’s Make A Deal”. It does the job with class, bringing the tempo down to a mid-paced tropical bounce with lilting harmonies and welcome traces of hi-life guitar. Wonderful stuff. “Playboy” is is another unbeatable head-nod groover rounds out the set wonderfully. That bassline high in the mix is to die for, and the chorus will make any dancefloor smile.

As ever, Simon Francis on mastering duties elevates this release, adding heft and elegance in all the right places with his customary deft touch. The memorable cover art, in which Linda appears straight out of the 1950s with her polka dot skirt and butter-wouldn't-melt pose, has been faithfully restored. But don’t let the innocent styling fool you - Don’t Treat Me So Bad is the work of one badass woman who can hold her own, and then some.

A powerful 2 sider from the mighty Little Beaver right here! Both sides simply oozing that Florida Funk feeling, outstanding!
Another stone cold authorised repress courtesy of those TK folks, this 1977 jammer opens with the sublime instrumental 'We Three' - some serious Disco flavour, one for the late night action. 'Listen to my heartbeat' is the flipside, another wicked storming dancefloor cut, this time with the main man himself pleading for that special lady to come and find him and make an honest man out of him. Brilliant. They don't make records like this anymore - for real. This one's been repressed with the og CAT label artwork, and it looks great too. An all-round quality reissue of yet another rarity from the world of Funk. Essential.

Released with love and respect by: Above Board and TK Disco, Miami FL. 2020.

Pascal Terstappen a.k.a. Applescal has released his new artist album, ‘Diamond Skies’ on Atomnation. The nine-tracker is a collection of expertly-produced, instrumental melodic house with lush, ambient soundscapes and a nod to the analog sounds of the 90’s. The album has received heavy support from key names in underground electronic music community and is Applescal’s sixth studio album to date.

Terstappen has been running Atomnation full-time since his early twenties and has shaped it into one of The Netherlands’ leading independent labels and a home for an eclectic mix of electronic music including signed artists such as Gidge, Polynation, Tunnelvisions and Sam Goku. ‘Diamond Skies’ exemplifies the vibrant sound of Atomnation, a lush, colourful album which journeys through melody, ambience and emotion while offering an occasional surprise to the senses. The album was written and produced through 2019 and completed in the early days of March 2020 when dark skies were looming.

‘Diamond Skies’ represents a creative optimism and brings a sense of something to look forward to. Applescal has created a musical dreamworld for a listener to step into as an antidote to troubled times. ‘Diamond Skies’ is an album which feels uplifting and effortless, a confluence of melodic house, occasional breakbeat and ambient energy; the sound of a producer at the height of his powers.

Four smoking hot disco tunes picked by Mr. Fonk and reworked by our veteran edit producer and KitKat resident Billy Idle. Sounding like the mid 70s and early 80s, these tracks have all been tested thoroughly on our Disco Bizarre floor to maximum effect. No fillers, just thrillers!

2020 marks the 30th Anniversary of ‘Bossanova’, the third studio album by Pixies.

The band continued to work with Gil Norton after collaborating to such success on their platinumselling second album ‘Doolittle’; this time choosing to record in Los Angeles over their native Boston
(the track ‘Blown Away’, however, was recorded at the Hansa Tonstudio in Berlin during a European tour in 1989).

Their third album in as many years, 1990 was a particularly fertile time for the band with Kim Deal also having success with The Breeders, who released their debut album ‘Pod’ just a few months prior.

Featuring the singles ‘Allison’ (a tribute to jazz and blues pianist Mose Allison), ‘Dig For Fire’ and ‘Velouria’, plus the first cover to feature on one of their albums, ‘Cecilia Ann’ (originally by The Surftones), ‘Bossanova’ showed a less primal side to the band, with surf and space rock rising to the fore. Lyrically, Black Francis is even more cryptic with a recurring sci-fi theme running throughout, which in turn influenced Vaughan Oliver’s classic planet design for the sleeve.

To celebrate ‘Bossanova’ hitting its third decade, 4AD are releasing a special red vinyl edition with the original 16-page booklet being reinserted, having previously only been available with the initial UK LP pressing.

HIGHLIGHTS First ever reissue of "Kabwlú", a very hard-to-find album released by Discos Fuentes in 1965. The mysterious Los Picapiedra (which translates as The Flintstones, inspired by the 1960s American cartoon show), was a short-lived studio group with one albumto their name, "Kabwlú", mixing 'folkloric' and 'modern' elements with calculated 'caveman' humor. It is very musically diverse; not only are there the requisite genres that could be found on similar Colombian teenage-oriented groups' records of the time, such as cumbia, gaita, rock, twist and pachanga, but there is also a smattering of surf, doo-wop, Latin jazz, guajira, ska, and calypso. But what makes the whole thing so special is the odd, off-kilter arrangements, spooky tunings, rudimentary clanging percussion, invented 'cave' language, prominent twanging electric guitar and many zany sound effects. Several of Los Picapiedra's songs became very popular in Colombia as well as Venezuela and especially in the 'rebajada' (slowed down) version as played by the 'sonidero' sound system DJs in Mexico, such as "La Hossa". Presented in its original artwork and pressed on 180g vinyl. Part of Vampisoul's reissue series of classic Fuentes LPs. DESCRIPTION While Discos Fuentes was known for recording all sorts of interesting sounds from traditional folkloric Colombian music to the latest popular international styles, every once and a while they would put out a "novelty" record, perhaps to exploit a passing fad, and at times the label would green-light something strange or even outlandish. Many of those left-field releases have their merits and have subsequently become collectors' items over the years. One such case is the mysterious Los Picapiedra (which translates as The Flintstones, no doubt inspired by the 1960s American sitcom cartoon show), a short-lived studio group with one album to their name, "Kabwlú" (an unpronounceable, invented "caveman" term that is also untranslatable, but seems to have been the 'traditional rhythm' of Los Picapiedra's 'homeland'). What is interesting about the record is that it is very musically diverse; not only are there the requisite genres that could be found on similar Colombian teenage-oriented groups' records of the time, such as cumbia, gaita, rock, twist and pachanga, but there is also a smattering of surf, doo-wop, Latin jazz, guajira, ska, and calypso. But what makes the whole thing so special is the odd, off-kilter arrangements, spooky tunings, rudimentary clanging percussion, invented 'cave' language, prominent twanging electric guitar and many zany sound effects. Much like its namesake American cartoon The Flintstones, "Kabwlú" trades in creative anachronism, mixing 'folkloric' and 'modern' elements with calculated 'caveman' humor that works on many different levels. For instance the title tune seems to have been inspired by the pachanga craze and recalls the vibe of Ray Barretto's massive 1962 hit, 'El Watusi', but it has a certain joyful simplicity and rock-solid underpinning that elevates it beyond mere novelty or exploitation - and argues for its timely reissue for today's audience. The band was a studio invention that had no major significance in Medellin's live music activity. However, several of Los Picapiedra's songs were very popular in Colombia as well as Venezuela and especially in the 'rebajada' (slowed down) version as played by the 'sonidero' sound system DJs in Mexico, such as "La Hossa". Pablo E Yglesias (aka DJ Bongohead, Peace & Rhythm) Additional research by Luis Daniel Vega

• 180 GRAM AUDIOPHILE VINYL
• LIMITED EDITION OF 750 INDIVIDUALLY NUMBERED COPIES ON ORANGE COLOURED VINYL

John Holt was known as a member of The Paragons, before establishing himself as a solo artist. Like a Bolt adds up to all the singer’s output with Duke Reid’s Treasure Isle label. When this album was first released in 1973, John Holt was already a veteran in the Jamaican music scene. John wrote most of the songs himself, a different approach from the covers he recorded before. It features a lot of his best work from the early years. His classic voice is backed by a musical landscape full of melodies and rhythms. Like a Bolt is a true gem of original reggae.

Like a Bolt is available as a limited edition of 750 individually numbered copies on orange coloured vinyl.

Lamunai Records presents Curiouser and Curiouser, a treasure trove of millennial music era from a duo pop group called Santamonica from Jakarta, Indonesia.

The concept of this album is making music from a trip to the adventures of Alice In Wonderland, an eclectic mix of pop, bossanova, electronics, waltz and shoegaze. From Astrud Gilberto and Antonio Jobim, Pizzicato Five meets My Bloody Valentine or Stereolab's 60s sensitivity to Broadcast. A collection of multi-layered analog audio sets, the noise of Joseph Iyup's noisy guitar combined with Anindita's fairy voice melodious lines of strange lyrics wrapped in curling beats, very dynamic, very rich. Listening to the album, on several tracks, we can hear French Pop's acrobatic 5/4 beats until the roar of the wall of
sound becomes a combination that is difficult to imagine at the time and is still very relevant to listen to now.

Now, for the first time ever, one of the phenomenal albums of the 2000's Indonesia wave is now available in a limited format in 2xLP-Gatefold-Marble colors vinyl with an additional 1 song that has never been released before.

Pressed lovingly on 180 gram vinyl, with art from the talented Evan Geltosky, Sabota returns after a bit of a hiatus with some music they are very proud of. These songs have been getting played in their live set over the last couple years and it's time they saw the light of day for dj's and music collectors alike.

"Tonada de Luna Llena" is a classic song by Venezuelan folkloric singer/composer Simón Díaz that speaks of the calm beauty of the full moon. It's a spiritual anthem ingrained in the Venezuelan DNA & it's finally re-released on 10" vinyl along with the heavy deep bass & slow techno touches of Pablo Sánchez & Alexi Delano under their production moniker "Basic Need," released with the blessing of the Díaz family.

Simón Díaz was a legendary Venezuelan folk singer, songwriter, composer, comedian, and actor, among other things, who had a career spanning over 50 years. Known colloquially as "Uncle Simón," Díaz has been extremely influential in repopularising the traditional music of the Venezuelan llanos, or plains, and was the recipient of numerous awards and accolades including a Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and "The Great Ribbon of the Liberator's Order," the highest recognition of Venezuela. Pablo Sánchez is a DJ and producer from Caracas; Alexi Delano is a Chilean-Swedish electronic music artist known for his unique techno sound. The two musicians are both currently based in Brooklyn, New York, and collaborate under the moniker Basic Need.

Avant-garde percussionist, singer, self-taught trumpet player, composer and author,
Edmony Krater, since the late 1970s has been a go to reference for French Caribbean music and all things Gwakasonné.

This Guadelopean great had been somewhat quiet since the mid 80s, however in 2019, after the recording of a live show for Cult Berlin club night, African Acid Is The Future that received a release via The Vinyl Factory, his light was relit.

Prior to this, in 2015, along with Diggers Digest, Paris based Heavenly Sweetness reissued the highly sought after 1988 album, ‘Ti Jan Pou Velo’ and Edmony began to stir up rumours of new material coming.

2018 saw his first foray into new recordings, Heavenly Sweetness released ‘An Ka Sonjé’, a record garnishing praise from Pan African Music, and he now readies his second for the label with, ‘J’ai Traversé La Mer’ (I’ve Crossed The Sea)

Like the hundreds of thousands before him, Edmony Krater also crossed the sea. Pulled from Africa, caught up in the violent and absurd logic of triangular trade. Slaves were forced to America, the Caribbean and Europe, where many descendants have since become famous writers, poets, leaders, athletes and of course, musicians.

This limited edition bundle of Keope's 'Triangulo' contains the original LP as well as a 7" with versions from Trikk and Dixon that have only been released digitally before. The versions will be available exclusively on the 7" and it will not be available separately.

Buena Onda - Balearic Beats is a lovingly compiled collection of exciting music from the new Balearic generation that captures the essence and eclecticism of their Berlin party oasis, Buena Onda. It takes in 12 tracks of fast and slow, acid and downtempo, lush and dreamy sounds to transport you to a place of beauty, warmth and soul. It has been compiled by Hell Yeah label boss Marco with Buena Onda 's resident DJ and co-owner Gallo, and arrives later this summer as a 12" sampler, limited cassette, download, stream and original t-shirt. This first sampler features four tracks from it with artists Lucas Croon, Sergio Messina & The Four Twenties, Gallo, and Black Spuma all featuring.

First Up, Lucas Croon takes us on an epic 10 minute trip with his head-in-the-clouds sounds, long legged drums and summery pad work. Next, Sergio Messina & The Four Twenties mix vocodered vocals with lush acoustics on the dreamy 'Fly Away' while on the flip, Gallo's Tropical Hinterhof Remix of J-Walk layers up lush chords with new age hand drums and synth gorgeousness that is soothing and cleansing. Last of all, Phillip Lauer and Fabrizio Mammarella aka Black Spuma's mid tempo drums sink you into a groove that is embellished with heavenly chords and plenty of oceanic breezes all carrying you away. This is a fine taster of the full length compilation to come.

Kelly Lee Owens' meisterhaftes zweites Album "Inner Song" lässt die Techno-Produzentin und Sängerin/Songschreiberin tief in ihre eigene Psyche eintauchen - sie widmet sich den Kämpfen, die sie in den letzten Jahren durchlebt hat, und erforscht ihren persönlichen Schmerz, während sie gleichzeitig die Schönheit der Natur umarmt. "Inner Song" folgt ihrem selbstbetitelten Debüt aus dem Jahr 2017, einer Mischung aus körperbetonten Beats und introspektivem Songwriting, das von der Musikpresse mit zahlreichen Auszeichnungen bedacht wurde. Seither hat sie Björk & St. Vincent neu abgemischt, 2019 einen unauslöschlichen Club-Zwei-Tracker, "Let It Go" s/w "Omen", veröffentlicht und sich mit dem gleichgesinnten Autor Jon Hopkins für das Unikat "Luminous Spaces" zusammengetan. Ihr neues Album entstand auch aus den, wie Owens es beschreibt, "schwersten drei Jahren meines Lebens", einer emotional sehr belasteten Zeit, die, wie sie sagt "mein kreatives Leben und alles, wofür ich bis dahin gearbeitet hatte, definitiv beeinflusst hat." Während also das schöne Cover von Radioheads "Arpeggi" manchem als unkonventionelle Art und Weise erscheinen mag, ihr zweites Album zu eröffnen, repräsentiert Owens' gewundene Interpretation der klassischen Melodie - aufgenommen ein Jahr bevor die Arbeit an "Inner Song" richtig losging - die Art von klanglicher Wiedergeburt, die für die Aura von "Inner Song" so wesentlich ist. "Inner Song" wurde größtenteils über einen Monat im vergangenen Winter geschrieben und aufgenommen. Wie bei ihrem Debüt verschanzte sich Owens zusammen mit ihrem Koproduzenten James Greenwood im Studio - um dort loszulassen und offen zu sein für jede klangliche Laune. Der beschwörende Titel des Albums ist dem Opus von Free-Jazz-Maestro Alan Silva von 1972 entlehnt. Der Bass und die kitzelnden Texturen von "Inner Song" machen deutlich, dass Owens mehr denn je darauf bedacht ist, maximalen Klanggenuss zu bieten - wie die Entscheidung, die Vinyl-Veröffentlichung des Albums zu einem Sesqui-Album oder einem dreiseitigen Album zu machen, beweist: "Ich bin immer noch besessen von Frequenzen, die auf Vinyl nicht gut klingen, wenn sie den Platz dafür nicht haben". "Die Kraft, zu konzeptualisieren, wer du bist, hat dieses Album wirklich geprägt", sagt Owens über das Wesen von "Inner Song", und ihr zweites Album ist eine Entdeckung des Selbst - die jüngste Aussage einer faszinierenden Künstlerin, die weiterhin überrascht und auf eine reiche und vielfältige Karriere hinweist, die noch vor uns liegt.

LTD. WHITE VINYL

Kelly Lee Owens' meisterhaftes zweites Album "Inner Song" lässt die Techno-Produzentin und Sängerin/Songschreiberin tief in ihre eigene Psyche eintauchen - sie widmet sich den Kämpfen, die sie in den letzten Jahren durchlebt hat, und erforscht ihren persönlichen Schmerz, während sie gleichzeitig die Schönheit der Natur umarmt. "Inner Song" folgt ihrem selbstbetitelten Debüt aus dem Jahr 2017, einer Mischung aus körperbetonten Beats und introspektivem Songwriting, das von der Musikpresse mit zahlreichen Auszeichnungen bedacht wurde. Seither hat sie Björk & St. Vincent neu abgemischt, 2019 einen unauslöschlichen Club-Zwei-Tracker, "Let It Go" s/w "Omen", veröffentlicht und sich mit dem gleichgesinnten Autor Jon Hopkins für das Unikat "Luminous Spaces" zusammengetan. Ihr neues Album entstand auch aus den, wie Owens es beschreibt, "schwersten drei Jahren meines Lebens", einer emotional sehr belasteten Zeit, die, wie sie sagt "mein kreatives Leben und alles, wofür ich bis dahin gearbeitet hatte, definitiv beeinflusst hat." Während also das schöne Cover von Radioheads "Arpeggi" manchem als unkonventionelle Art und Weise erscheinen mag, ihr zweites Album zu eröffnen, repräsentiert Owens' gewundene Interpretation der klassischen Melodie - aufgenommen ein Jahr bevor die Arbeit an "Inner Song" richtig losging - die Art von klanglicher Wiedergeburt, die für die Aura von "Inner Song" so wesentlich ist. "Inner Song" wurde größtenteils über einen Monat im vergangenen Winter geschrieben und aufgenommen. Wie bei ihrem Debüt verschanzte sich Owens zusammen mit ihrem Koproduzenten James Greenwood im Studio - um dort loszulassen und offen zu sein für jede klangliche Laune. Der beschwörende Titel des Albums ist dem Opus von Free-Jazz-Maestro Alan Silva von 1972 entlehnt. Der Bass und die kitzelnden Texturen von "Inner Song" machen deutlich, dass Owens mehr denn je darauf bedacht ist, maximalen Klanggenuss zu bieten - wie die Entscheidung, die Vinyl-Veröffentlichung des Albums zu einem Sesqui-Album oder einem dreiseitigen Album zu machen, beweist: "Ich bin immer noch besessen von Frequenzen, die auf Vinyl nicht gut klingen, wenn sie den Platz dafür nicht haben". "Die Kraft, zu konzeptualisieren, wer du bist, hat dieses Album wirklich geprägt", sagt Owens über das Wesen von "Inner Song", und ihr zweites Album ist eine Entdeckung des Selbst - die jüngste Aussage einer faszinierenden Künstlerin, die weiterhin überrascht und auf eine reiche und vielfältige Karriere hinweist, die noch vor uns liegt.

The far west has long been known as hollowed ground for Dub Reflective arts, from the birth of Reggae and subsequent Jamaican diaspora to the more recently developments that ultimately informed Dubstep. Many key figures have emerged on the left coast of the USA throughout these developments in Culture and Roots-centric Dubstep, with key among them being the surfacing of LoDubs, and its rise near the advent of the sound in 2006 serving to inform and cement Dub's true DNA at a time when the field of those carrying the torch throughout the region could be counted on a single hand.

The debut release from Detroit native DJ Holographic and Detroit transplant Alex Wilcox, Parallel Shiftingstrives to changeour thoughts so that we can breakfree fromnegative psychological programming. This feel-good EP aimsto reprogram the mind to be fresh and new. You may experience dimensionalshifts in your mind and reality as you defy space and time. Side effects of this may includereduced mental chatter and a better future selfand society.

A powerful and lofty goal such as this deserves a strong beat, and A-side “Parallel Shifting” delivers this in spades. Featured in DJ Holographic’s 2020 Mixmag Lab set, Holographic and Alex found themselves inspired by Thomos and Derrick Carter when crafting the track. “Parallel Shifting” is about shifting the gears in our minds and hearts, and allowing ourselves to be open to changes in how we perceive reality.

With “My Feels,” Holographic expresses her current attitude towards the connections between all of us. “Our feelings control our surroundings and reality more than we give them credit for. When we feel abundant, abundant things happen to us. However, if you feel empty, then you bring about empty situations. As a DJ, I do my best to be mindful of the feelings I project into a room, while also being mindful of everyone in the room with me. Everyone is coming in with different experiences, but when I play I want people to feel high vibrations.”

“Because Of Detroit” taps into the rich history of Detroit, which has informed Holographic and Alex’s own musical DNA. The seeds that we are all given in life are a product of our heritage. In order to bloom properly, it's important to know your full story and what kind of seed you are in this world’s vast garden. If you know how to properly nurture your seed, then you can take care of yourself and others. Knowing their roots helps both producers to grow stronger than their ancestors.

Hitchhiker is an independent record label out of Detroit that delivers a diverse range of sounds, and strings them together into a story that reflects where the artist has been, is presently, and where the future is taking them.

3LP + MP3

Soul Jazz Records' new album 'Kaleidoscope - New Spirits Known and Unknown' brings together many of the ground-breaking artists involved in the new jazz scene that has developed in the UK over the last few years. Featured artists include Matthew Halsall, Yazmin Lacey, Ill Considered, Tenderlonious, Theon Cross, Emma-Jean Thackray and many, many more in this ground-breaking release. As well as sharing a pioneering spirit in these new artists' approach to frontier-crossing musical boundaries, a further theme of this album is that many also share a determination to independent practices - and most of these artists' recordings featured here are either self-published or released on independent labels. While the attention of this new wave of jazz artists up until now has been Londonbased, this album shows how this movement is spread across the whole of Britain (and indeed beyond). 'Kaleidoscope - New Spirits Known and Unknown' shows that while there is commonality in these artists' approach to music, there is a wide variety of styles - from deep spiritual jazz, electronic experimentalisation, punk-edged funk, uplifting modal righteousness, deep soulful vocals and much more.

A modern soul double header 7” that has become increasingly in demand is this gem by Marc LaRoi Cummings. Original copies on the Setting Sun label have been exchanging hands for £60-£80 where they have become available. The original label, song writing and production is courtesy of former Motown artist Ronnie McNeir, now a member of The Four Tops, and always of interest to the soul community through the quality of his work on his own releases and for others. It was his first album on Ronnie’s own Setting Sun label from 1985 that became Expansion’s first artist album release, while his label engaged with other artists such as Marc who worked with Ronnie as a backing singer on work with David Ruffin (“Gentleman Ruffin”) and The Four Tops (he co-wrote “Strung Out For Your Love”)

A Colourful Storm presents a new album by Beequeen, the duo of Frans de Waard (Kapotte Muziek) and Freek Kinkelaar (Brunnen). Over two long-form pieces, new material from 2020 and almost-discarded fragments dating back to 1988 are collaged to form a brand new composition. Think woodblock, guitar, static radio signals, ethereal ambience. An honourable addition to Beequeen's discography and a beautiful piece of the Dutch avantgarde with historic ties to Edward Ka-Spel, De Fabriek, Merzbow and Nurse With Wound. Mastered by Peter Johan Nyland with full-colour sleeve photography by Alfred Borland

Eric D. Clark
"Written in approximately 1996 or shortly thereafter & born of a night out on the town naturally!
...having been to hear Ranga Tikki (Ms. Codi from New Zealand) drop knowledge in Berlin's SO36: she'd
played the "I have a dream" speech orated by Martin Luther King;
...the mind stopped at "From every Mountain Top"! I walked back through the streets shouting that to myself
until entering the flat then started immediately on the song!
Written and produced: ERiC D. ClARk
publisher: SUBCURRENT Music lTd.

Hans Nieswandt:
Between 1996 and 2000 (and in some cases beyond), Cologne project Whirlpool Productions produced a lot
of music, both as a group and as solo artists, at the legendary Can Studio in Weilerswist, a small town about
20 kilometres south of Cologne. Much of this music has been released, most notable the international
classic „From: Disco To:Disco“; but some of the music never saw the light of day. These two tracks I
produced myself at some point shortly after my first solo album „Lazer Muzik“ and I’m super glad to get a
chance to finally release them - because there is the important cause of helping to save the Paloma Bar, a
place where I played times and always loved it - an experience I dearly hope to repeat many times more.
And because I always liked those two tracks a lot, they just never found their proper platform, for whatever
reasons. As I think they are quite fitting to the sound of the Paloma, I’m more than happy to support this
unique place with this humble contribution. Written and produced by Hans Nieswandt around 20 years ago
at Can Studio, Weilerswist. Original date unknown.

Lowtec & Marvin Dash:
"Es gibt ein paar Lieblingsclubs in Deutschland, kleine Clubs wie z.B. Paloma in Berlin oder Pudel in HH -
wo es nur um die pure Liebe zur Musik geht - wo keine Kompromisse eingegangen werden müssen in
Bezug auf Trackauswahl oder zu deepen Sets, weil das Publikum einfach versteht worum es geht.
Sozusagen das verlängerte Wohnzimmer... Bei gefühlt jeder 2. Platte fragt jemand nach einer Track ID, alle
paar Minuten bringt jemand etwas zu trinken...das wollen wir unterstützen." (Lowtec & Marvin Dash)
Marvin Dash – Lost in the Woods: Written and produced by Ronald Reuter in around 2010. Previously
unreleased.
Lowtec – Museum Of Natural History Of Life: Written & produced by Jens Kuhn, 2000. Previously
unreleased.

New album of one of the biggest Reggae/Dub french soundsystem starring MacGyver, Rooty Step & Pupajim (who worked with Alpha Steppa, Biga Ranx, High Tone, Mungo's Hi-Fi ...).

Available as super limited edition including 60x60cm Poster !

Since their inception at start of the 2000s, Stand High Patrol have rocked sound systems to their own riddim, assimilating and re-purposing the codes of the genre in their own unique style. From tiny bars in Brittany to huge festival stages, on independent radio or across national airwaves, the crew have quietly trod their own path, never compromising their core value of independence. Connoisseurs have long recognised Stand High’s credentials both as a dub group and a leading sound system, but they stand out from the crowd because of their ability to deliver the unexpected, whether live or on record. Their ability to draw such a diverse audience is testament to this atypical approach to making music.

In 2020, almost 20 years since their humble beginnings, the collective presents their fifth album, “Our Own Way”. As with their first two albums “Midnight Walkers” and “Matter Of Scale”, now considered as classics in their genre, this new opus asserts itself as the latest representation of the crew’s versatile approach to crafting sound. Their music, a blend of its own known as “Dubadub”, has always borrowed influences from multiple sources, and over the course of their career their roots in dub and reggae have intertwined with hip-hop, jazz, new wave, trip-hop and numerous other genres. The ‘Dubadub Musketeers’ have never ceased experimenting, forever seeking to increase the sonic territory they cover, day after day. Both live and recorded, they’ve made it a point of honour to never offer up the same thing twice. Any resemblance that “Our Own Way” might bear to those first two albums is a consequence of this obvious creative continuity, rather than of going “back to basics”.

In contrast to the last two Stand High Patrol records, the hip-hop inspired “The Shift”, or the Bristol indebted “Summer On Mars”, “Our Own Way” doesn’t have a unifying concept or theme. Rather than being limited to a single aesthetic, the LP pays respect to the entire canon of Jamaican music, all unified under Stand High’s inimitable production values. With the wealth of experience gained during the recording of their last two records, the collective decided to aim for a freer project, letting themselves be guided by their own music and their own instincts. The end result is a musical portrait of what Stand High Patrol is in the present moment.

The tracks that make up the new LP burst out of the studio, each born out of unbridled, impulsive creativity. Previously unheard compositions and specially re-tooled dub plates have been assembled into a tracklist that shifts and moves like a classic Dubadub Musketeer live set. Each step of the process has been refined by years of practice : composition, effects, and the final mix. Throughout “On Our Way”, the brutal dub stepper, though still a favourite for sound system sessions, is noticeable by its absence. Instead, it’s the full weight of the crew’s reggae heritage that’s expressed in the mix. It's not just the depth and weight of each tune that strikes the listener, but also the spaces heard between the notes that grab and hold their attention.. The sense of a trip, whether musical, internal or geographic, is omnipresent throughout the LP, linking each track to those before and after. “Our Own Way” finds Stand High Patrol exploring as usual, yet also narrating their journey as they’ve rarely done before

Duñe and Crayon have been working together for a few years now. Crayon, discovered by Kitsuné is a close relative of FKJ and Kartell. Duñe, on the other hand, has evolved with the duo Saje.

It was within the Roche Musique family that they met and naturally started working on a joint-EP in 2016, soberly entitled Duñe x Crayon. Both self-taught producers, Crayon and Duñe, former inhabitants of Parisian suburbs located at opposite positions, yet quickly found each other.

For their first album, they lock themselves in their studio day and night, until they choke. It would take them several years - interspersed with a few solo projects - for the two artists to give birth to Hundred Fifty Roses. An album through which they expose themselves, both in production and in writing but also in interpretation. On rhythms sometimes inspired by Anglo-Saxon sensuality, but with a production that is indie enough to infuse more warmth. A groove with a soft pop feel to which Thomas Clairice, former bass player of HER, also contributes. To accompany Duñe, bright voices were invited on six of the album's thirteen tracks : We hear French singer and rapper Ichon‘s velvet voice (whom Crayon also produces) on "Pointless"; Gracy Hopkins brings his soul on "Your fruit". Ph Trigano - another artist who produces Ichon - participates in "PS" along with Swing.
Lossapardo - with whom Crayon had already recorded on his solo projects - close the album with "Slowdiving". On the English side, we discover Jadu Heart, a duet signed on Anchor Point, Mura Masa's label, giving the replica on "Invisible". More than perfection, Hundred Fifty Roses resolutely seeks emotion. The album is the musical result of an open discussion in an intimate context, halfway between the live experience and the digital exercise.

Antonin Appaix's project draws its inspiration from the depths of the waves, under the Latin sun. Passionate about fishing and diving, cradled in the Mediterranean culture, the aquatic universe has always been an integral part of his life. It was by chance in a Marseille cove that Antonin Appaix and Cracki Records met for the first time.

At the cinema university and then at the Beaux-Arts in Lyon, Cergy and Mexico City, Antonin tried out the caps of photographers, video artists, tried poetry, played rock and thought he was a mechanic. Already grew in him the nostalgia for the first baths, first kisses, the city and adolescence.

Graduated in 2016, he converted his plastic and literary research into a minimalist and romantic pop universe. For his first EP "Aquaplaning", composed between Paris and Marseille, he invites us to join him underwater, where he feels best.

Invoking Souchon as well as Retro X, Lucio Battisti or Brigitte Fontaine

La vita nuova - a prospect for a new life - draws strength from extreme vulnerability. Produced by Christine and the Queens and Ash Workman, the EP is out now on all digital platforms via Because Music, and available to pre-order on CD and vinyl editions. La vita nuova arrives with an accompanying short film of the same name, imagined by Christine and featuring the EP’s five new songs in as many sequences. The 14-minute film is an inward journey that sees the artist invest Opéra Garnier, the world-famous Paris opera house, filling it with stories of ghosts and mythical creatures. Through the lens of long-time collaborator Colin Solal Cardo (Robyn, Charli XCX) and with choreography by Ryan Heffington (VMA Award 2014, Grammy Award nominated), Christine and her dancers appear in succession on the Opéra rooftop, its grand stage and most secret recesses, culminating into a feverish moment with Caroline Polachek, a collaborator on the EP’s title track.

Digging deep into the annals of Gospel now, the name Pastor TL Barrett should be familiar to the eagle eyed crate diggers amongst you. An extremely "colourful" character from Chicago's Southside neighbourhood who found himself on the wrong side of the law for his involvement in some activities of a dubiously illegal nature, more importantly, besides this the pastor was widely known for his community activism and positive sermons preaching love and responsibility. Shady past aside, this fantastic 1976 LP entitled "Do Not Pass Me By" is a real Gospel beauty and features 8 tracks of resplendent hands in the air rejoicement. Having never been reissued before this rare as gem is finally back out in the open, complete with it's incredible untampered with sleeve artwork and design. Barrett's unique voice and message is timeless and instantly recognisable, you can't help but become one of the congregation whilst listening to these wonderfully rousing and positive paeans to the lord almighty. Saying that, even if you find yourself to be a non-believer, the soul, funk and jazz stylings (with the odd flourish of synth!) the good pastor is laying down will be equally as alluring to those of you who dig those particular sounds. "Do Not Pass Me By" was originally released on Miami's TK Disco offshoot Gospel Roots, it's the Pastor's second release on the label and is a beautiful snapshot of how things might have gone down at his "Mount Zion Baptist Church of Universal Awareness". A unique LP with with a somewhat lo-fi charm, the tracks contained run the gamut from slow, downtempo ballads to roof raising, danceable Disco-esque anthems.
This is the first time that "Do Not Pass Me By" has been reissued on vinyl, fully remastered from Gospel Roots/TK's original tapes, represented the way the the LP was issued in 1976 with all original cover and label artworks intact. Now, almost 40 years after it's original release the album has now been made available again for 2016, fully licensed in conjunction and with the full permission of Henry Stone music / TK Disco, Miami, FL.

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

Wow, this one's a biggie! Some smoothed out modern Soul for the discerning right here... dig it!
Released in 1980 Charles Johnson's ‎"Baby I Cried, Cried, Cried / Never Had A Love So Good" is a formidable double-sider, the A-side is a sweet slow jam where Charles lays it on the line in true grown man's fashion over a slick backdrop that is not a million miles away from some Philly style loving. The B-side is the big one though, a proper modern dancer, lovely production and the band is fully in the pocket. Drop this one and watch the dance light up, real music for the dancefloor! This particular 45 has long been a collectors item, and on a good day it can fetch hundreds on the Soul scene. This is a fully legit reissue, and features the classic golden Alston label artwork. A truly beautiful record, with each side primed to be played at the right time. Don't sleep!

Released with love and respect by: Above Board and TK Disco, Miami FL. 2020.

Albert Ayler’s 1969 album New Grass has been misunderstood from the day of its release. The album fi nds Ayler experimenting with soul music and digging back into his R&B roots (he started his career playing saxophone with Chicago bluesman Little Walter), fusing it with the avant-garde free jazz (the one element of the record which garnered consistent praise) and adding the vocals of Rose Marie McCoy, The Soul Singers and Ayler himself. As if predicting the divisiveness of the record to follow, Ayler speaks directly to the listener and explains that New Grass is nothing like his albums before — that it is of “a different dimension of his life” — in the album opener “Message from Albert.”

New Grass deserves reconsideration, if not for the heavy grooves and surprising arrangements, then for its bravery in challenging norms of the time; by the ‘60s, jazz was well-accepted as a uniquely American art form, while soul as a genre was very much still seen as primitive. Ayler melds them together and creates something novel, adventurous, and completely his own. At the time of its release, despite its divisive reception, New Grass helped break down the unnecessary walls dividing genres and revealed music’s potential freedoms. The album has gone on to infl uence generations of Jazz, R&B, Funk, Hip Hop, Post Punk, No Wave and unshrinking artists like Pharaoh Sanders, Alice Coltrane, Funkadelic, Jungle Brothers, Red Krayola, Sonic
Youth and Mark E. Smith.

Third Man Records can’t recommend this record highly enough. We are confi dent that it won’t take but one listen for you to understand New Grass is an undeniable healing force

Will Saul, DJ/Producer and Aus Music label head primes the 150th release for the longstanding British label with a stellar cover of the 1990 seminal techno record of the same name by Yolanda on seminal label Underground Resistance.

With the original record being one of Saul's all time favorites and UR being a constant source of inspiration it was beyond a dream to get his version fully approved by Mike Banks to celebrate the landmark anniversary. Saul then worked with Berlin based vocalist Gilli.jpg - who has recently worked with Cinthie - to re-vocal Yolanda’s song.

As a former intern at Skint in the late 90s heyday, this up-streamed anthem feels extra special finally landing digitally on the label where Saul began learning his trade over twenty years ago. The vinyl will be released on Aus. There is also a version expected later this year which see's Saul collaborate with Paul Woolford and additional remixes by Move D and Space Dimension Controller that will land shortly. The release features artwork by Trevor Jackson, the man behind the Output label, who’s releases launched careers for huge artists like Four Tet and LCD Soundsystem to name just a few. His iconic, pop art influenced work has been seen on releases including the undisputable 80’s dance classic, Raze ‘Break 4 Love’ and S'Express 'Theme from S'Express'.

"An amazing dub infused reimagination by buzzy Brooklyn duo Overcoats, of the Local Natives hit single When Am I Gonna Lose You. This version of When Am I Gonna Lose You has never been released physically
Local Natives have released a new version of “When Am I Gonna Lose You” back in December, with the touches of Brooklyn duo Overcoats. The original single is off of Local Natives’ latest album, Violet Street. “We loved singing this song and the more we sat with the lyrics and layered the harmonies, the more powerful the words became for us. It’s a beautiful song and we were really excited to be part of a reimagined version. “It’s hard to have perspective on songs you’ve spent so long with and are so close to, so having an amazing group like Overcoats reimagine one feels like a gift. We’re honoured that they created their own version of When Am I Gonna Lose You, they did a great job, especially with their beautiful vocals.”"

Ryan Lee West aka Rival Consoles announces details of his highly anticipated new album Articulation, released on Erased Tapes on 31 July 2020.
‘Articulation’, the lead track and album centrepiece, links the record back to the analogue fluidity and colour of 2016’s Night Melody. The division of varying time signatures, intertwined with a complex structure of notes, creates an expression of a moving structure and conjures a dreamy motorik energy. Ryan Lee West explains, "The title track is about articulation and playfulness with shape and time. Its structure is very machine-like, but I was really interested in how melody and sense of story could develop out of this, and it became an exploration of mathematical structures - patterns and shapes having a conversation. I love that something on paper can appear rigid and calculated, but then take on new meaning based on the context that surrounds it, or how it changes over time."
Articulation (which follows 2018’s Persona) was conceived with a very visual way of thinking, unusual for the London musician and producer. During the writing process Ryan drew structures, shapes and patterns by hand to try and find new ways of thinking about music, giving himself a way to problem-solve away from the computer. The album title references a piece by the avant-garde contemporary composer Györgi Ligeti, though not for its music, but for the non-traditional graphic score that accompanied it.
“I find electronic music is often battling to say something with integrity because technology and production can easily get in the way. I think the goal of a lot of electronic composers is to find a balance between the vision of the idea and the power of possibilities on the computer. With a pen and paper sketch you can compose and rethink ideas without technology getting in the way, so for me it acts as a very helpful tool to refresh the process.” - Ryan Lee West
The idea of using analogue drawings and tools to bolster digital creations can be heard in the structure of the pieces that make up Articulation from the broody techno opener ‘Vibrations on a String’ all the way to the album’s boundless closer ‘Sudden Awareness of Now’. While the anthemic rise and fall of ‘Still Here’ and the beatless ambient meditation ‘Melodica’ evoke a certain nostalgia, ‘Forwardism’ achieves the very opposite by burying its melody within the fast-paced rhythm of its pulsating synths.
Rising out of birdsong heard from his studio window, ‘Sudden Awareness of Now’ has a particular urgency about it and seems to perfectly capture a longing for escape. Built around a simple and repetitive melodic theme, expanding and retracting over the course of its seven-minute odyssey, Lee West explains; “I like the fact that if you say something over and over again in music, then over time it can become something else, something reflective.”
Since the release of Persona, Ryan Lee West has taken his captivating live A/V set to all corners of the world. Last seen live on stage with 17 players of the London Contemporary Orchestra for a sold-out orchestral performance at Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall in January 2020.
Meanwhile Lee West has kept busy. After contributing an exclusive track titled ‘Them Is Us’ to Adult Swim’s coveted Singles series, he recently shared the beautifully textured solo piano piece Winter’s Lament on this year’s Piano Day. He has also been in high demand as a composer, scoring Charlie Brooker’s much talked about Black Mirror episode Striking Vipers, composing original music for Secret Cinema presents Stranger Things as well as renowned choreographer Alexander’s Whitley’s groundbreaking new work Overflow which was set to premiere at London’s Sadler’s Wells Theatre this spring.
Articulation will be available worldwide on 31 July, with live activities to be announced as soon as the situation allows safe event planning

Sublime, unique, sexy and peculiar unreleased scores by electronic and jazz pioneer Ron Geesin, made for the sublime, unique, sexy and peculiar films by maverick director Stephen Dwoskin. There. we’ve said it. And if you have not heard of one or either of these two dudes it doesn’t really matter. Geesin made great music and worked with Pink Floyd. Dwoskin made odd films, most of them are in the BFI permanent collection. They are great and a bit strange.
These superb unreleased soundtracks come from a fascinating, progressive and important period in British film history. They represent an intriguing collaboration between the lively Ron Geesin from Scotland and the American Stephen Dwoskin, who both met in London.
Musically they are minimal, charismatic and quite groundbreaking. Here is the story…
HISTORY:
Steve Dwoskin arrived in London in 1964, aged 25, with several 16mm films in his trunk, shot in the cold-water flats of Greenwich Village. He had been on the fringe of the Factory scene, and some of his films starred Beverly Grant, ‘the queen of the underground’. But they had scarcely been seen, and they didn’t have soundtracks. For almost a year they stayed in the trunk, and stayed silent. Then he met Ron Geesin, somewhere around Portobello Road.
‘Slept last night, completely dressed after working over 12 hours on sound tracks at Ron’s,’ wrote Dwoskin in his diary for 29 July 1965. ‘My films are not anywhere near being anything. I need more energy, more concise and positive ideas and less inhibition. And of course space, money and people.’ Dwoskin, who taught and practised graphic design by day, had recently decided to stay in London beyond the term of the Fulbright scholarship that had brought him there.
Ron, living with Frankie in a basement flat in Elgin Crescent – they would marry the next year, with Dwoskin as best man – was about to leave the Original Downtown Syncopators, the trad jazz band he had joined aged seventeen-and-a-half, and was trying to go solo. On stage he would make vigorous use of piano and banjo; at home Frankie had bought him a new kind of instrument – a tape recorder. ‘Soon I had one tape recorder, two tape recorders, three tape recorders.’

Ron, wrote Dwoskin in his unpublished autobiography, ‘loved to record, and to cut and splice the quarter-inch recording tape to make new sounds. This triggered in me the idea of getting back to my films and finishing them’. Soon he was living in a dank basement in Denbigh Road, a few minutes’ walk from Elgin Crescent. Ron’s soundtracks for Dwoskin’ films, recorded in the Geesins’ flat, encompassed Ron’s very eclectic range of styles – madcap piano and fretted banjo as well as tape manipulation.
Aside from Ron’s soundtracks, some of which belong to films that no longer exist (including Pot Boiler), Frankie would act in one of the films that Dwoskin either lost or never finished during these years. He was disabled, having contracted polio as a child, and Ron and Frankie were both carers and collaborators; Ron had met him when he was struggling into his car.
There was no London equivalent to the underground film scene that Dwoskin had known in New York, and his films remained unseen until such a scene began to come into being, in the autumn of 1966. Some of them made their debut at the Mercury Theatre, near Notting Hill Gate, that September. Dwoskin wrote that Alone, starring Zelda Nelson (from Ron Rice’s Chumlum), and Chinese Checkers, with Beverly Grant and Dwoskin’s friend Joan Adler, went over best.
Soon both Dwoskin and Geesin became involved in the nascent London Film-Makers’ Co-op, which put on screenings in Better Books on Charing Cross Road – ‘if you can call them screenings,’ Ron recalls; ‘I’d call it fifteen blokes in various stages of disarray, peering through the smoke’. One or more of the films had been ‘striped’ with magnetic audiotape; with others ‘we had no means of direct syncing to the picture, so he started the film and I started the tape recorder’.
In the same autumn, Dwoskin moved into a flat almost opposite the Geesins on Elgin Crescent. More collaborations followed, including Naissant, on which Gavin Bryars, whom Geesin had met during a stint on the northern club circuit with novelty act Dr Crock and His Crackpots, played double bass.
Around the end of 1967 Geesin released his first solo LP, A Raise of Eyebrows, and Dwoskin won recognition the Fourth Experimental Film Competition, aka EXPRMNTL 4, an occasional film festival staged at Knokke-le-Zoute in Belgium. By now the films had optical soundtracks.
It was only after this that Dwoskin completed his first ‘British’ films, including Me Myself and I, with Barbara Gladstone, an American dancer who had appeared in Barbara Rubin’s Christmas on Earth, and with whom Dwoskin and Geesin had at one point devised a stage show, never produced. For Moment, a single-shot film, Geesin provided his most experimental score yet. At the time of its debut in 1970, Dwoskin and the Geesins were sharing a house in Ladbroke Grove.
By then, Ron was working with Pink Floyd, and soon afterwards he and Frankie moved out to the country, to be replaced by Bryars both in the house and as Dwoskin’s principal collaborator.
Until now these scores have remained part of the Geesin Archive and have never been issued.