This obscure and difficult to find LP is the Heath Brothers' debut album and is considered to be their best. 'Marchin'on' is unquestionably a masterpiece and is a much sought-after album. With its wealth of riffs, it is much appreciated by samplers and has been sampled by various contemporary artists. It was originally released in 1976 on Strata-East, a label at the time co-owned by Stanley Cowell. The album flows fluidly, meticulously in a warm rich blend with the four part 'smilin' Billy suite being a tour de force on its own. All suites have the same anchor in melody but each branches out to its own distinctive song varying from relaxed to light to dramatic and upbeat. The Heath Brothers was formed in 1975 by brothers Jimmy, Percy, Albert Heath and the much celebrated pianist Stanley Cowell in Philadelphia. The band later on continued with the brothers and alternate new members, with at one point the very talented 'Mtume' who is Jimmy Heath's son, joining. - Rachel Kinoti
quête:blue label
Ian Tocor is a smiling ambiance man, into ambient ,deep, dub and techno, half of « Outlander Wax Theory » and « Drnchd » bands, he signed his first vinyl on the American label Love What You Feel in 2014. Played by Fred P, this Ep oscillates between a dub House in lace and a deep and colorful deep house. It has been found on the first compilation of Simple Music Experience with a dreamlike journey called "Blue" or on Label Vastechoses, the latest project built with his friends Sevyce and Lostsoundbytes, adventurous music, intrepid grooves and editions of all kinds are on This platform with evocative name.In short, music is for Ian an outlet, deeply anxious to provoke in various forms links between moving bodies, his dj sets are as rough and strong as they are surrounded by sensitivity.
Following releases on Detroit Underground, Nachtstrom Schallplatten, Planet Rhythm and BluePrint Records, Gotshell releases his first EP on Atrophic Society.
The Colombian aficionado has been making waves across the world for his uncompromising take on the darker side of techno. His new EP 'Quarkcima' is no different, with a thick slice of bass-heavy machine music made for late night body moving.
'Quarkcima' follows a bleepy lead with layers of bass, building to a satisfying and tasteful crescendo, which steers clear of the tropes and uses frequencies to their fullest. It invokes a dark and foreboding atmosphere like a creeping black fog.
First on remix duty is Xhin, who takes the bleepy synth lead and twists it into a heavy-but-funky robotic jam, stark and cold on the surface but with plenty of heat underneath.
Jeff Derringer takes the reins for the second remix, wielding the original parts masterfully into a dense, bassline-driven triplet groove that takes the vibe up a few notches.
Finally, label head Vohkinne adds punch and percussion to his charged and clanging remix, which rounds out a fierce package in style.
'Quarkcima' is four cuts of essential techno that will never leave your crate.
Running a record label offers adiversified and challenging field of activity. This is particularly true when speaking of tiny independent re-issue labels where one, two or three guys have to take care of everything. Tracking down musicians, collecting their stories, writing the liner notes, creating the cover artwork, mastering the songs, promoting the release, communicating with pressing plants and distributors, and so on. Most of the tasks mean fun with the exception of one thing which nobody here at Tramp is keen on doing: writing the sales notes.
Far be it from us to praise our release to the skies. Naturally, we are pretty much convinced of the sheer quality of each song, otherwise we would not have invested so much time and efforts into completing those compilation albums. One thing which surprises us is that despite thousands of Rare Groove compilations on the market neither of the songs to be found here has been compiled elsewhere yet. A fact that not only fills us with pride but also determines our claim for the future. As for now we have done our homework and it is time to let the music speak so that the Gunn High School Jazz Reunion, Keither Florence, Robert Cote, Plas Johnson, Charlie Chisholm Boss-tet, and all the others get the recognition they so richly deserve for their talent and work.
When Tramp opened its doors in the early 2000s it was just for the fun of it. A business plan did not exist and nobody involved with the label had studied anything music related. It was just a bunch of crazy record collectors and music lovers with a simple idea: to share their favourite music with the world. Nobody could have known that this would last for 15 years - and there is no end in sight.
Panorama Bar resident Nick Ho¨ppner gets to Work on his second solo album on Ostgut Ton, connecting the territories of House music with the ease of Alt-Pop.
Work as in labor. An axiom that fuels the capitalist system just as the Techno/House scene economy says that one needs to keep oneself busy to make a living. As a musician, things are complicated of course. It's a long way from the romantic idea of creating music simply for the sake of art to becoming a full time musician. Those who have accomplished this feat often find themselves in a professional loop of writing the music, producing it, promoting it (with an info text like this), releasing it and then hopefully selling it. After leaving his full time job as Ostgut Ton's label manager in 2012, Nick Ho¨ppner went fully freelance, focusing on his musically diverse, deep and dynamic DJing in and outside Berghain's Panorama Bar, but more importantly spending more time in the studio. The result was his critically acclaimed debut album Folk (Ostgut Ton, 2015), various 12' releases and remixes, and now his sophomore LP, Work, which, more than ever, lays out his refined production skills and his talent to work the machines until they reveal their inner ghosts: nine new songs that now dodge the dance floor, then fully embrace it.
Work as in body of work. A record is more than the sum of clocked up hours at the studio, but the result of an artistic-creative process. On Work, Ho¨ppner shows his everlasting lust for musical detail, his increasing technical skills and compositional finesse. Work is a very personal, soulful and deep record that breaks through the usual club/dancefloor narrative by documenting Nick's interest for hybrid sounds and combining elements from varying musical genres. Work's lead single 'All By Themselves (My Belle)' is a very atmospheric, intimate and steadily unfurling IDM piece with ethereal synth and vocal pads; on the album it's contrasted by 'Clean Living' with Tram 78, a modern Ho¨ppner club classic: powerful, kick-heavy, muscular, cheerful and uplifting. It's a very personal track resulting from a recent reencounter with an old friend. Having spent countless hours together in Berlin's clubs in ever changing states of mind a decade ago or longer, things have since changed for both towards a more - clean living'. Connecting to this musical vibe 'In My Mind' follows with a slightly darker tone putting emphasis on bassline, percussion and squeaky sound detailing. 'Hole Head' pays tongue-in-cheek homage to Nick's love for UK club music, when a dashing melody of synths and vibraphone is matched with clattering breaks and syncopation. The dubby, mesmerizing 'The Dark Segment' not only impresses with its hypnotic synth figurines, but also by morphing to a shuffling Jazz rhythm towards it's middle part; 'Forced Resonance' uses Oberheim synth brass stabs to dramatic effect; the percussion- and clap-laden 'Fly Your Colours' comes with an irresistible piano melody atop an energetic kick; and finally the album-closing, shuffling but rhythmic, noisy yet bluesy 'Three Is A Charm' featuring the duo Randweg on clarinet, cajo´n and acoustic guitar is a coherent departure heading towards Indie Pop territory. It sees Nick collaborating with acoustic instrumentalists for the first time in his ten-year- spanning Ostgut Ton release catalogue.
Work as in artwork. Staying in line with the Folk album, the visual companion for this record comes from German collage artist Frank Bubenzer. As with the artwork at hand, Bankentsunami, and his other works, Bubenzer cuts up print magazine advertisements and recontextualizes them into new motifs, removing all human depiction from the source material, here as a commentary on the world of business, big money and the banking crisis.
Work as in work it. As a slogan 'work' has always been one of the genre's most utilized paroles, coined and put on wax by pioneers like LNR, Blake Baxter or Steve Poindexter, to name a few. Not only calling for the crowds to get moving on the floor but also to fully express themselves and their unique individuality inside an all embracing environment. A mindset rooted in House Music that has been an integral part of Nick Ho¨ppner's identity as a DJ and producer from the beginning and all through his decade-spanning residency at Panorama Bar. Work it!
"Alpha percussion", recorded in 1985, is a cult groovy ambient album of acoustic percussion, pleasant to listen to and full of samples and break known very well by Djs and artists likes Danny Brown (which uses a sample in "Really Doe", a song of his latest album on Warp Records).
Giovanni Cristiani is one of the most prepared and complete Italian percussionists. Born in Rome in 1952 he graduated in percussion in young age and began playing professionally in Italy and abroad. In 1979, after years of activity at the side of the most popular jazz musicians, constitutes the Music Workshop A.D.E.L., playing drums and percussion courses. Pentaflowers (BEAT Records sub-label and publisher) asked him to make a solo percussion library music album in full artistic freedom that was pressed in limited edition for insiders; so was born "Alpha Percussion", a gem now finally accessible to all thanks to Mondo Groove label.
Hell Yeah is proud to present a new EP from an artist that has been on their radar for a while. That artist is Napoli's Quiroga aka Walter Del Vecchio, the Italian DJ and producer who also runs his own Really Swing label and has been given props by the in the know Test Pressing blog, as well as having all his tunes dropped by
Balearic Gabba Sound System at every opportunity.
One of the finest talents to come from Italy in recent times, Quiroga cooks up hypnotic and trance including sounds from a myriad of diverse influences from opiate jazz to shuffling funk beats, from shifty landscapes to library music.
First up is Viaggio a Tulum, a perfectly loose and jumbled mix of sunny vibes, feel good chords and clipped vocals full of soul. The sort of thing that has you day dreaming of lazy afternoons and drunken BBQs, it's perfect example of Quiroga's efforts style.
Non Dire Notte—featuring Acido and ReallySwing act 291Out members Luca "Presence" Carini on electric bass and Vincenzo "Warren" Ciorra on electric guitar—is even more lazy and elongated, horizontal and blissed out. Twanging guitars off set pixelated synths, squelchy chords and Afro signifiers bring the heat and overall you cannot fail to get lost in the groove.
Prati Bagnati is a serene ambient interlude that feels like laying on your back and looking into a deep blue sky and second ambient cut Bava is more textured and intense, with shifting drones and muffled voices bringing a sense of filmic unease to the table. Overall, this is a perfect window into Quiroga's most intoxicating musical world.
Support by Alexis Le Tan, Aficionado Djs, Coyote, Ibiza Sonica, Reza Athar, Gonno, Noema, Fabrizio Mammarella, Riccio, Bill Brewster, Private Agenda, Soft rocks, Tim Love Lee...
FUSE bosses Enzo Siragusa and Seb Zito have been invited by the highly respected Rawax to bring a taste of their beloved London rave culture roots to the labels first release of 2017.
Since their launch in 2011, Rawax's catalogue has beamed with nothing less than the finest, and Enzo and Seb are a welcomed addition to their already colourful and diverse roster. Barac, Boo Williams, Fred P, Paul Johnson, Ricardo Villalobos, Ron Trent and Unbroken Dub are just a small portion of an incredible list of artists that have released via the labels original monarch and many offshoots thus far.
With 'Woonie Trax' Enzo and Seb perfectly resurrect the sounds of early UK rave culture into the present by digging out the early gems of their record boxes as inspiration.
'Barring the kicks, I think almost everything came from sampling old garage, hardcore and jungle records from the 90's. For those in the know, the clues are in the names of the tracks'. - Enzo Siragusa
Whilst 'Shades of Riddim, 'Lil Ley', and 'Blue Notes' all lend themselves to the early UK sound, each track has its own individual quirk making the EP a diverse representation of the days Enzo and Seb fell in love with rave.
- A1: Smith & Mudd - Mhor (Lexx Mix)
- A2: Freshro! - Pacifc State (Phil Mison Mix)
- B1: Okinawa Delays Feat. Satoko Ishimine - Nariyama Ayagu (Max Essa Dub)
- B2: Mudd & Pollard - Far Away (Ron Trent Mix)
- C1: Paraíso -Teu Sorriso (Jex Opolis Remix)
- C2: Bison - Familiar Stranger (Baldelli & Dionigi Remix)
- D1: Jack Cutter (Feat. David Harks) - Serpent Strut (Fingers Deep Mix)
- E1: Paqua - Ruby Running Faker (Emperor Machine Extended Vocal)
- F1: Smith & Mudd - The Surveyor (40 Thieves Remix)
- F2: Bison - Salmon Spungcake
- G1: Smith & Mudd - Nether (Bjørn Torske Extended Mix)
- H1: Paqua - Late Train (Mushrooms Project Remix)
- H2: Zee Erf - Southern Freeez (Sean P's India Navigation Mix)
- I1: Holger Czukay - Music To Be Murdered By
- I2: Leo 'Almunia' Ceccanti - Andromeda Bound
- J1: U-She - Blue Sky (Mudd Mix)
- J2: Statues - River Darkness
10 Years Boxset
In the spring of 2007, musician and producer Paul 'Mudd'
Murphy decided to launch his own label. Named after the house
he grew up in, Claremont 56 would release beautiful music by
friends, associates, collaborators and like-minded musicians.
In the 10 years that have passed since, Claremont 56 has more
than surpassed Murphy's modest expectations. It has built up
a cult following around the world, with listeners responding
positively to the label's combination of magical music, beautiful
artwork, and impeccable packaging.
To mark the label's frst decade, Murphy has put together
a sumptuous vinyl box set of previously unheard material,
produced and presented with the same attention to detail that
listeners have come to expect.
Each copy of Claremont 56: 10 Years contains fve weighty slabs
of wax and a bespoke info sheet, housed in a specially designed,
hand-numbered box with debossed logos on the front and rear.
However impressive the packaging, it's the music that makes
Claremont 56: 10 Years stand out. Featuring a mixture of
unreleased tracks and brand new remixes of vintage label
releases, the highlights come thick and fast.
As you'd expect, some of the most impressive contributions
come from those artists you could describe as legendary',
including Chicago deep house originators Larry Heard and Ron
Trent. Can legend Holger Czukay kindly contributes one of the
standout moments, the eccentric 'Music To Be Murdered By',
from his own unreleased catalogue, while Afro-cosmic pioneer
Daniele Baldelli joins forces with Marco Dionigi to deliver a
typically spacey remix of Bison's 'Familiar Stranger'. There's also
an epic, Afro-tinged dub disco remix of Smith & Mudd's 'Nether'
by Norwegian scene founder Bjorn Torske.
Elsewhere, Good Timin' man Jex Opolis turns an overlooked
track by Paraiso into a samba-boogie killer, Sean P dubs out
Zee Erf's beautiful cover of 'Southern Freeez', and Phil Mison
turns FreshRo's laidback electrofunk cut 'Pacifc State' into a
breezy, Balearic gem. Look out too, for the emotion-rich beauty
of Statues' 'River Darkness' - a track arguably worth the cost
of the box set on its own - and the deep space explorations of
Almunia's Leo Ceccanti.
We could go on, but we're running out of space. Sufce to say,
Claremont 56: 10 Years is a lovingly compiled, curated and
presented celebration of the label's frst decade.
1983, in the history of synths, is a key year. During the January edition of NAMM (the most important music fair in the US), indeed, MIDI - the standard protocol for electronic instruments interaction - was introduced to the world. Until then, programming and making synths work together was something practiced by a restricted elite of 'wizards", explorers armed with cables and analog patches, who could create new sonic worlds - but totally temporary, not replicable. Real superheroes of sonic synthesis, scientists of filters who, nowadays, are highly considered by musicians all over the world, after decades of forced exile. In Italy, the seeds of this tradition were planted in RAI's Laboratory of Phonology (in Milan), in the middle of the 1950's; later, pioneers like Piero Umiliani, Federico Monti Arduini (aka Il Guardiano Del Faro), Marcello Giombini, Giampiero Boneschi and Fabio Borgazzi (Fabio Fabor) introduced electronic music in pop. Fabor (together with Antonio Arena) is the protagonist of 'Superman", an album of library music released by the World label (owned by Minstrel group) in 1984. Borgazzi, born in 1920, lived through the whole saga of Italian easy listening music (from big orchestras to the digital revolution), always keeping up with the latest styles and trends. So it's not a surprise, here, to see him using a LinnDrum and the first Japanes synths; and it's perfectly natural to find some electro-funk touches
Coloured Vinyl Only
The latest release from Serbia's Soul Print Recordings brings together the two L's, Leonid and Laak. Up first is Leonid on the A side with two tracks Urania 1 and 2, possibly named after the muse of astronomy, which makes sense, as both tracks have a cosmic feel about them. Urania 1 starts off with a nice string sound that permeates the space before the drums start to really take effect half way through. Urania 2 has a more house feel about it, with the acid bass line sitting nicely along the deep pads. Over to the b side and Laak takes control. Delving into late night territory with haunting layered leads & pads these tracks are typical quality by Laak. Featuring label artwork once again by fellow Serb, Bratislav Milenkovic and pressed on a beautiful sky blue, Yesterday For Tomorrow is a thing of aural and visual beauty.
De-Bons-en-Pierre is a project from Beau Wanzer & Maoupa Mazzocchetti. Beau Wanzer spends the majority of his days sifting through paraffin embedded animal tissues and reading old issues of Fangoria, occasionally breaking his monotonous routine to record in various fits and bursts. As well as solo material, he is also in numerous projects including Streetwalker, Mutant Beat Dance, Civil Duty, and Corporate Park. He's released on many labels including; Diagonal, L.I.E.S, Cititrax, Nation, Rush Hour, and Light Sounds Dark. Maoupa Mazzocchetti is the pseudonym of Florent Mazzocchetti, a French producer based in Brussels. Florent is strictly devoted to a DIY mentality around music production and his sound revives the electro-industrial aesthetic of the late 70s and early 80s. He's released notable productions on labels such as Unknown Precept, PRR! PRR!, Knekelhuis and Mannequin Records.
While Beau was visiting Brussels he stopped by Maoupa's house to jam for a bit. All songs were recorded on April 4, 2016 between 11:00am and 11:00pm, as single live takes.'Crepes' is a 6-track EP, titled so because they ate crepes the majority of the session. Beau says, "There was a bit of a language barrier. We'd mostly just laugh and nod when something sounded cool to us." The equipment set up included a Roland TR-808, TR-606, SH-101, CR-78, CR-8000, two Syncussions and effects. Over 23 minutes of garbles, sludgy synths and leviathan rhythms. Surfing the slippery slope between industrial and electro, but never quite falling in, just a dip of your pinky toe to to test the temperature.
All songs are mastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. Housed in a sewage green/blue jacket featuring a crepe-masked duo reminiscent of pulpy VHS covers. Designed by Eloise Leigh and Florent Mazzocchetti. Each copy includes a 2-sided postcard with a photo taken during the recording session.
Fifth Interval gather together some of the most forward thinking minds in the dub techno sphere for this various artists EP. Those already acquainted with the label will be familiar with the likes of Federsen and Tomas Rubeck, who headed up the first and second releases respectively. They are joined by dub techno luminary Brendon Moller, aka Beat Pharmacy and Alessandro Crimi, for this four tracker of perfectly contrasting arrangements.
Federsen opens the proceedings with the sunset sequence of Bay Blues, cascading keys rolling through the gaps in a subtly broken drum arrangement, making for effortless and captivating listening. Beat Pharmacy contributes his first original material to the label after a brace of remixes last year. Showing true mastery of the board, chromed chord stabs are pushed and pulled around the mix in true dubwise style, drifting over a malleable bassline that packs a serious punch.
On the flip side, Tomas Rubeck crafts a tightly woven backdrop of constantly evolving, organic atmospherics and powerful drum work for IO, and this muscular workout is perfectly contrasted by the swung grooves and kaleidoscopic synthesis of Alessandro Crimi's Fractal Clouds, which closes the EP.
- A1: Bye Bye Session Band - Lily
- A2: Sentimental Hotel - Rie Nakahara
- A3: Bara To Yajyu - Haruomi Hosono
- A4: Why Don't You Move In With Me - Yasuko Agawa
- B1: Jiken Ga Okitara Beru Ga Neru - Pink Lady
- B2: Summer Champion - Yuko Asano
- B3: Dancin' - Junko Ohashi
- B4: Rainbow Paradise - Masayoshi Takanaka
- C1: Uragiri - Mari Natsuki
- C2: Maboroshi No Hito - Miyako Chaki
- C3: Tornado - Minako Yoshida
- C4: Banana - Kay Ishiguro
- D1: Funky Miyo-Chan - Masaaki Hirao
- D2: Yashow Macashow - Ebonee Webb
- D3: Lovin' Mighty Fire - Naoya Matsuoka & Minako Yoshida
Lovin' Mighty Fire' is Howard Williams' third Japanese music compilation for the Ace Records house of labels - this time, for BGP International. Assembled in between his job as a record distributor and his monthly Japan Blues show for NTS radio, the first two have taken a look at the late 50s for a blast of Japanese rockabilly ( Nippon Rock'n'Roll' CDWIKD 313), then the 60s and 70s for a romp in Japanese surf music ( Nippon Guitars CDWIKD 297). Following his retrospective of jazz singer Maki Asakawa for Honest Jon's, this new outing searches for the soul music of Japan, from the early 70s to the early 80s.
Japan has long been known as the final destination for many a collectible soul record. Yet, who suspected that some fine soul grooves were recorded for the domestic market, from ballads, to funk and disco Strangely enough, some of the busiest writers and producers in this field came from a late 60s rock band, Happy End, but on listening to their collaborations, their rhythmic, soulful feel is immediately apparent.
The bluesy funk of Lily, the soul-diva brilliance of Minako Yoshida - represented here in both slow-grind mode and epic disco, the maverick genius of Haruomi Hosono, the lively songstress Yasuko Agawa, and the sultry steaminess of Mari Natsuki, and more. This album finally plants a Japanese flag firmly on the global map of soul.
Art, of any kind, encompasses the unique and distinctive output of its creator: an inimitable human being. It points to a blueprint map of who this creator is, encapsulates their experiences and somehow points to how they arrive at their creation(s). This blueprint, although lending glimmer into one life, connects deeply into an unfathomable amount of other lives - lending an expression and effect. With this in mind, we go on a journey with Dowinowe - the first solo artist release for the Gqom oh! label - on his debut "GQOM004" Dominowe is a 19 year old producer from the Newlands east township of Durban, South Africa who started out making music just for his friends. This release snapshots important themes in his evocative personal journey - expressed in his own very unique style. Releasing on Vinyl in 27th of January 2017, the EP, titled SiyaThakatha', showcases Dominowe's original style in the context of the Durban electronic music scene especially when paced beside Gqom and Sghubu. The listener gets a real sense of his complexity and the variety of styles Dominowe is capable of producing. "SiyaThakatha", the EP name, is translated _black_ _magic,_ or, _we witching - _ which is right at the heart of this release: that listening to these sounds invite you into the universe of an unseen world, putting you in touch with what can only described as invisible energy - a combination of the ideal, the intangible, the unattainable and the other-worldly whilst on journey with a 19year old from Durban whose music is composed of influence and innovation. It is about gqom working its magic on the dance floor for people to move - to the distinctive beats and cultural rhythms. It features four tracks - including one skit outro - as well as three tracks on digital download. The tracks were chosen specifically as a reflection of the variety of styles Dominowe produces and the originality of his productions.
A real rarity! 1977's "Stepping Out" by obscure Oliver Sain produced Funk/Soul outfit The 13th Floor has always been a tough LP to catch, the only release by this lesser known St.Louis outfit showcased a unique blend of jazz, funk and soul that has intrigued hardcore collectors of rare grooves and black music since it's release. Released on the highly collectable Blue Candle sub label of Miami's TK Disco empire, "Stepping Out" features lots of different musical flavours - from the languid, Ohio Players-esque "Hang loose" and the incessant mid-tempo burner "Leanin" to the dance-floor groove of "Sweet thang", the LP showcases across it's 9 tracks show a band at the top of it's game, completely in tune with each other and firmly in the pocket. This should be no surprise when you consider the opening track of the album is co-written by a young Chaka Khan and members of the band went on to form parts of her band Rufus and played alongside artists such as Patti Austin, Maxayn Lewis, Ronnie McNeir and High Voltage. The overall feel of the album is one of amazing musicians keeping it gritty, soulful and most of all, funky! This album has always demanded high prices on the second hand / used vinyl market and is a truly lesser spotted gem, which is surprising considering the eye catching sleeve artwork!
This is the first time that The 13th Floor's "Stepping Out" has been reissued on vinyl, fully remastered from TK's original tapes, represented the way the the LP was issued in 1977 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.
Translated from Spanish as 'The Shade', Chip Wickham's debut album La Sombra drops after a 25-year career touring, recording and experimenting across three decades of jazz, funk, soul, hip-hop, Latin and electronica. La Sombra is a monumental record for Chip as it symbolises the moment he stepped out into the light as a director of his creations with freedom to explore his roots, express and tell his version of jazz and pay testament to his heroes Roland Kirk, Yuseef Lateef & Harold McNair.
Now living in Dubai after an intense and productive six years in Madrid, it was Manchester where Chip studied in the late '80s and became enmeshed in the chaotic and thrilling music scenes emanating from one of the world's most culturally prominent cities of the time. Recording and generally 'keeping things real' with Manchester's hip-hop collective Grand Central Records, Rae & Christian, The Pharcyde, Fingathing, Nightmares on Wax, Graham Massey (808 State), Chip was in a city that was undergoing a music revolution with the Haçienda as its temple. Yet it was the headlights of the M62 motorway and not the strobe lights that were lighting Chip's path during his student years ('88-'92). The lure of the jazz and funk clubs of Leeds, where The New Mastersounds were breaking out and building the blocks that would lead them to UK funk royalty status, proved too strong.
In the 1990s Chip continued to refine his craft in the rainy city and the gigs booked were growing in stature. It wasn't long before he was on the road with Roy Ayers and Badly Drawn Boy. Around that time Chip met up with trumpeter Matthew Halsall that was the beginning of a friendship that lasts to this day. Chip was a recording artist on Matthew Halsall's breakout album Sending My Love and continues to work with him, with live dates confirmed in spring 2017. This close connection with Halsall gave rise to other collaborations, such as with Nat Birchall and Go Go Penguin's Rob Turner.
Three decades after his late night excursions to Leeds, Chip found himself recording with Eddie Roberts from The New Mastersounds in Madrid, as part of their new band, The Fire Eaters, which he'd formed soon after he moved to sunny Spain in 2007 - the same year he released the Fried Samba album under his moniker Malena, his electronic Latin band that became a hit at the turn of the century for Freestyle Records. During his time in Spain he connected with the local scene and brought together many of his musicians colleagues from the UK to Spain and it was for a local and well established label, Lovemonk, that he released two 45s blending raw funk and Latin. These new roads and musical leanings led to an invitation to play for the prestigious Craig Charles Fantasy Funk Band. Based on a poll from Craig Charles' top rated BBC6 radio show, Chip was chosen to play alongside the cream of the UK funk & soul scene: James Taylor (JTQ), Snowboy, The Haggis Horns (Mark Ronson), John Turrell (Smooth & Turrell), and Mick Talbot (The Style Council).
La Sombra takes an altogether more rooted direction than Chip's recent collaborative work, with the jazz of the late '60s and early '70s a dominating influence to the recordings. Comprising of seven tracks recorded in Madrid with musicians assembled by Chip from Madrid's jazz scene, it combines contemplative explorations akin to Yusef Lateef's early work on tracks like 'La Sombra' and 'Pushed Too Far'. There's a fiery cover of Camarón de la Isla's classic 'La Leyenda Del Tiempo' and tracks like 'Sling Shot' and 'Red Planet' are locked in a groove harking back to Freddie Hubbard's Blue Note era and Luv N Haight's Nathan Davis.
* 'Limerence' is not only Misantrop's debut outing, it is also the inaugurating release of his own label Foul-Up.
* The sound pops out of an industrial mindset, but the title piece reverses out of garage/classic house that nods to 90s r'n'b. On 'Nocturnal Emission' friend Jon Marius Brogaard Aeppli's guitar solo is vogueing out on the floor, psychedelic rock meets psychotic blues by way of sheer UK sound.
* Featuring a wobbling bass on the techno-leaning 'No. 3' - adorned with a reference to classical composition in the cluster strings. 'They Don't Know' puts on a bit of electro, noise and some giallo synth arpeggiation. There's shine, atmosphere and a rather fascinating depth of field.
* 'Limerence' draws its inspiration from all over contemporary music and noise grounds - not wearing its 'influences' in the most opulent manner but well declaring its material with confidence. If the finished product doesn't have the uniformity of a proper industrial product, so much the better...
* Misantrop is out to change the way you listen to music, no matter how chaotic the journey is, showing off a vision that's both deeply human and richly transcendent.
For fans of: Kyle Hall, Actress, Shed, Drexciya, Levon Vincent, Helm, Anthony Shakir, Drexciya, Actress, Mica Levi, John Carpenter, Burial, Aphex Twin
Our official first time full lenght vinyl release of the James Walsh Gypsy Band album I've got the feeling has been a huge success and are now sold out from the label. As an answer to the demand, we have now pressed a small run of 7" single for the 45 collectors and Dj's. Limited run of 500 only. The 45 is special designed på Hans Jørgen Wærner who also did the original cover art.
Side A: The fantastic uptempo AOR Modern Soul track, I've Got The Feeling was an easy choice as the A side. Smooth soulful sounds for the dancefloor or travelling along the coust of California. The track was also featured on the fantastic Americana - Rock Your Soul on BBE Records.
Side B: Caves of Altamira is a fantastic mid tempo cover of the Steely Dan track. Funky, smooth soulful version with the Tower of Power horns make this as a runner up of the best version of the track.
Here is a review from Juno Records of The James Walsh Gypsy full lenght album, Ive Got The Feeling:
The James Walsh Gypsy Band is kind of the outfit to go to if you're looking for some blue-eyed soul but, just like Ned Doheny and his sublime reissue on Numero, the band never fully came out of its shell and they were limited to just one album on RCA Victor, 1998's self-tiled LP...until now. I've Got The Feelin' was recorded a year later, in 1979, at the legendary Muscle Shoal Studios, but it never made it out onto the shelves apart from a seriously limited CDR run. Norway's Preservation has thankfully done the right thing by pressing it up on vinyl, and the opening title track is as just as wonderful as the first time we heard - a true soul masterpiece with a clear LA influence. "Looks Like You Got Down In Love" is a funkier, more soulful version of Credence at their deepest, while other highlights include the supremely majestic "It's Over Now", and the tear-jerking "Alabama Eyes". It's a road album, the sort you want to really take in properly. Recommended.
Adam Beyer's Drumcode juggernaut attracts more fans and critical plaudits with each passing year. Holding firm on its future facing ethos, techno's number one label presents a new volume in its acclaimed A-Sides series with 20 prime tracks to signify its 20th anniversary.
Such is the volume of quality music Adam Beyer receives throughout the course of the year, releasing all of it would be impossible. Enter the blue chip A-Sides series: a chance for the quality-obsessive label head to issue a collection of outstanding tracks that couldn't fit in their regular EP release schedule.
With an eye on future talent, as much as the label's established roster of heavy-hitters, the compilation showcases the full breadth of Drumcode's multifaceted techno sound, equal parts inspiring and functional.
Led by the stealth techno funk of 'Nine of You', Beyer's deft collaboration with Mark Reeve, the compilation takes in exciting highlights from big guns such as Alan Fitzpatrick, Dustin Zahn, Bart Skils, Pleasurekraft, Luca Agnelli, Jay Lumen, Kaiserdisco and Gary Beck.
The rich vein of form displayed by emerging techno talent is similarly given prime position. Rising DJ/producer Boxia makes his Drumcode debut, fresh from a well-received warm up set for the crew at the hugely successful Junction 2 festival in London, while the likes of Enrico Sangiuliano, Juan Sanchez, Ian O'Donovan and Timmo also drop fire, establishing their credentials as some of the most promising talent breaking through the ranks in 2016.
Reinforcing the global scope of the label, artists such as The Junkies from Toronto and Layton Giordani from New York, prove techno is winning a place in the heart of the new generation of artists coming out of North America.




















