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Northern stars of the Time Is Now series, Soul Mass Transit System, are back for their fourth full-length outing on the popular garage imprint with All I Need. The duo, both established producers in their own right, bring infectious grooves and cheeky samples to shake off the winter blues to.

Sax-infused opener "Freak-ee" serves up shuffling two step and retro vocals - gentle diva intonations giving a housier edge to the sound. "Show U Love" criss-crosses between crooner samples and a classic, dirty dub-driven delight for late night punters.

Skippy snares and cleverly glitched up samples make an earworm melody in "All I Need (Deepa Inside)", before the tempo is pumped up speed garage style for the closing track "The Message". If the rumbling dubwise melody doesn't control the dancefloor, the tantalisingly elongated second drop will.

The Japanese-born duo Miho Hatori and Yuka Honda relocated to New York and christened themselves with the band name Cibo Matto, which is Italian for “crazy food”. The band teamed up with drummer Sean Lennon, percussionist Duma Love and drummer Timo Ellis for their second studio album Stereo Type A, which was originally released in 1999. It was the last album before the group disbanded a few years later, until their 2011 reunion. With this album Cibo Matto received praise for combining styles and genres such as heavy metal, pop and hip hop, while the album was also described by critics as “eclectic, hot and funky”. It was the band’s way of breaking down stereotypes.

GALATHEA is the new project by DJ Massimo Napoli, and the title of his first solo album. Borrowing the name from the homonymous Nereid from the Greek mythology, the album is a deep dive into dub, spiritual jazz and African surroundings. Over 12 tracks, the LP conceals a strong personality. Departing from club culture with particular emphasis on electronic dub, Galathea unfolds into many influences and styles, making it a unique listening experience. Mediterranean culture, afro and cinematic melodies, jazz, spiritual echoes, and soothing beats lead the listener into a subliminal escape, where the fluidity and the convergence of genres freely progress into a dream-like journey.

All Them Witches are an American rock band from Nashville,
Tennessee. The band consists of drummer Robby Staebler,
vocalist / multi-instrumentalist Charles Michael Parks Jr.,
guitarist Ben McLeod and keyboardist Allan Van Cleave.
 The band’s musical style incorporates elements from multiple
genres, such as hard rock, stoner rock, psychedelia, neopsychedelia, blues, folk and southern rock; however, Julian
Marszalek of The Quietus noted that: “... this isn’t blues of the
‘woke-up-this-morning’ variety but one of malaise, anxiety and
fear brought on a by world seemingly dead set on destruction;
nor is this an escapist variant of psychedelia wherein one form
of reality is jettisoned in favour of another for reasons of cheap
thrills.”

Mercury Prize nominee Warren Hampshire (The Bees) and Prolific British Jazzer Greg Foat return with their 5th Album

An instrumental Suite based on a day in their home town of Ventnor on the Isle of Wight. Featuring local musicians and field recordings of bird song and pubs, this album captures the essence of life in this seaside town.

All Them Witches have built a career out of playing music that cannot be pigeonholed into one specific genre.

‘Nothing As The Ideal’ was recorded in Studio 2 at the world famous Abbey Road with the help of longtime mixing engineer Mikey Allred. The history and vibe of that setting laid the groundwork for what was to come.

The band’s signature psychedelic blues riffs, relentless drums, melodic basslines and non-linear lyrics are all present.

The resulting album is a thought provoking headbanger that is the band’s most cohesive album to date.

140g black vinyl gatefold LP.

50th Anniversary Re-Edition - Includes Original Releasesheet Inlay - Original Release: 1972 - 2021 Re-Cut carefully overseen by Manuel Göttsching

We proudly announce the authorised 50th Anniversary Edition 2021 of the 1972 Original release , one of the most important German Krautrock albums in a 2021 Re-Cut carefully overseen by Manuel Göttsching himself. As for the info we refer to Julian Cope´s review in his “Krautrocksampler” Book, Publisher : Head Heritage (1 Oct. 1995) : “Beware of Schwingungen!” That should be the large sticker on the front of all copies of this record. For it is dangerous to be casually introduced to something that is life-changing, as I found out to my cost when first listening to this record. It all starts fairly simply and without any cause for alarm - “Look at Your Sun” begins with a Doorsy lone groover guitar begins a pedestrian blues, beautiful. Then the most crushed voice, a cross between Johnny Rotten and Tiny Tim, preaches its way into the proceeds. God, it is beautiful - John L. repeats over and over, “We are all one, we are all one”, until a howling fuzztone solo guitar blows the whole onechord “Signed D.C.” ringing-cymbals torture to an end. And then the most far out track of all begins. This is called “Flower Must Die” and it is a free-rock giant that transcends everything else in its field (there are no contenders.) As I’ve written before, PIL sounds like this. John L. was John Lydon in a previous incarnation. After a slow weird build, a frantic streamlined one-chord mantra kicks in and it’s like the Stooges’ Funhouse period but in a Righteous Vision Zone that fucks them right off.

This was the first album released on Decca's progressive Nova label. Co-produced by Peter Sherter and Ian Sippin, much of the album bares an uncanny resemblance to early Spooky Tooth. Propelled by Bailey's hoarse vocal growl and the band's penchant for screaming guitars, this comparison is reinforced on tracks such as Going Home, Take These Chains and Out Of Us Two. Elsewhere Bailey sounds like Joe Cocker on Practically Never Happens, while Bob Weston's Slightly Country sounds like it was stolen from the early Steve Winwood and Traffic catalogue. With the exception of the pedestrian blues number Backlash Blues the album, but including the extended Darkness, is worth hearing.

Fools Meeting is an album by Carol Grimes with the British blues/progressive rock band Delivery, founded in the late 1968. The band was one of the wellsprings of the progressive rock Canterbury scene.

"Delivery was formed during the British blues boom of the late '60s. However, its sound is jazzier and more progressive than most of the music that emanated from that era. Rhythm & blues serves as a springboard for forward-looking tracks like "Blind to Your Light" and "Harry Lucky." Singer Carol Grimes is frequently compared to Janis Joplin. While Grimes has a powerful voice, she does not reach the level of histrionics that were a showcase of Joplin's. It should come as no surprise that Delivery members joined Canterbury related bands upon Delivery's demise. The reissue CD of Fools Meeting features several live bonus tracks, as well as a post-breakup demo recording featuring Caravan bassist Richard Sinclair. That demo session, one of the highlights of the collection, spurred the musicians to form Hatfield and the North. Fools Meeting is an essential part of any Canterbury collection, and should also appeal to progressive jazz fans." (Jim Powers / All Music Guide)

The Mighty Soulmates is a towering early 90s project from the legitimate super group of André Cymone (bass player with Prince), St. Paul Peterson (guitarist with The Family and Prince), Mic Murphy (of Sass and The System fame) and Gardner Cole (writer, producer and musician probably best known for his work with Madonna). The sound is a majestic blend of sophisticated funk, emotional R&B, New Jack Swing flava and slick deep soul.

These should-be legendary sessions have been almost a secret since they were recorded back in 1993. The first Be With knew about the project was whilst working with Mic on some Sass re-issues and he told us he had something else we might be interested in hearing.

Mic explained, “In the summer of 1993, Gardner Cole asked if I’d be interested in coming out to work with him, André, and St. Paul. So we all headed out to what can best be described as a fantasy music summer camp at Gardner’s house in Woodland Hills, California. We had all worked together in the past in some form or another so everyone was energized and enthused and excited to see what we could create together. St Paul and Andre had already begun some songwriting at Gardner’s well equipped home garage studio. The songs and ideas progressed quickly and some additional recording was completed at André Cymone’s studio in downtown LA. We ended up working on the project for about 6 months, off and on, until Gardner's house fell victim to the Northridge Earthquake in January 1994.”

There were some vague ideas at the time about turning the sessions into a finished record, but everyone went back to their day jobs and as St. Paul puts it: “for nearly 30 years it just sat there, marinating like a fine funk masterpiece. Everything has its right time and now just be the time”.

From all the tracks Mic sent over, we’ve cherry picked the absolute cream for a tight four track EP. In an alternate history all four for these would’ve been radio smashes. No doubt. But these songs never even reached a plugger. A mixture of beat ballads and uptempo non-hits, coming on like Al B Sure! or Babyface take on Shalamar or, dare we say it, The Purple One - maybe not so surprising given who’s playing!

The feel-good dancefloor dynamite of “I Wanna Be The One” is the explosive opening track. A piano-driven, groove-laden blast of yearning deep-pop, with perfectly delivered soulful vocals and an unmistakable “early 90s” sound. Indeed, fans of Eddie Chacon’s old group will dig this for days. “Back In The Day” has a timeless swing and swagger, the lyrics reminiscing about the halcyon streetlife of the Soulmates’ youth, about Curtis, Superfly and innocent days gone by, about hustling with friends. Yet more spine-tingling vocals over yet another perfectly produced musical backdrop. Stunning.

Opening side B, “Blue Tuesday” is the thrilling pinnacle of the EP, at least for us. It’s absolute soulful-pop perfection, and the one we’ve been asked about most after teasing this collection on our NTS show. A soaring beat ballad full of chiming guitars, gorgeous harmonising, falsetto “doo-doo-doo-doo do-do-do-do” backing vocals and a real steppers’ groove. Glide to this with your loved one at the next roller rink party.

Dramatic, purple-hued closer “Private Time” seems to predict the Timbaland-dominated sound of the mid-to-late 90s, all synthetic strings and squelchy, acidic-drum-machine soul. There’s even room for funky piano breaks, vocoder bridges and more cowbell than you can shake a cowbell at. You could just as easily hear Aaliyah vibing over this as much as Mic.

This EP represents the sound of four incredibly soulful, talented, and influential (soul)mates jamming together over one long hot summer and weaving pure sonic magic. André Cymone loved the “kinda pop, experimental exploration of sound and music. I think these songs make a statement. Not just because of the collection of talented musicians involved but the idea of musically branching out and experimenting; which is what I loved about the project and for people to hear and hopefully appreciate the artistic adventure this music takes, I think it’s a much needed breath of fresh air.” As Mic recalls, “it had the feeling of recovery in a circle with my dudes making music sitting around catching up on life - it felt like living a second childhood. We just wrote what we felt. I don’t remember ‘aiming’ at anything but a great song, melding all our different influences from throughout our lives. We had no restraints. For me personally, it was a time to make music and regroup. I call it the ‘Soulmate Experience’ because in many ways we are kindred souls as a band. We did have an amazing time making the record and so much fun together. Probably my best summer ever”.

The Mighty Soulmates EP has been mastered for vinyl by Simon Francis, cut by Pete Norman at Finyl Tweek and pressed at Record Industry. That early 90s gloss sounds spectacular, if we do say so ourselves.

And such a special record needed some truly almighty artwork, so thanks go to DJ Ruby Savage for directing us to London-based illustrator and designer River Cousin. This music needed something elegant and indulgent yet soulful and striking and something as simultaneously tongue-in-check and deadly-serious as the group’s name. The end result is as modern yet timeless as the music itself.

And these are just our four picks. There’s plenty more where this came from and Mic tells us he’s even picked the album title: “Earthquake Summer”.

Room is a female-led early progressive rock group with minor orchestrations, simple jazzy vocals, heavy guitars and extended tracks. Like most early progressive rock-groups there's also some blues-rock and jazz-rock. The mix of genres works great for variety and is a good example of its time. The use of a small orchestra (violins, violas, cellos, bass, trumpets, horn, trombone) is always risky business for progressive rock-groups, but Room excels in its limited and effective use. Way better integrated then, for example, the silly orchestrations on Salisbury. Another key-element of the listening experience is the recording quality, which is remarkably good for such an unknown record - especially when it comes to the spacious feeling. The instruments are well spread in the musical landscape.

VALHALLA was a Long Island, NY based band comprised of Don KRANTZ (guitar,some bass), Rick AMBROSE (bass,vocals), Eddie LIVINGSTON (drums), Bob HULING (percussion,vocals) and leader Mark MANGOLD (keyboards,vocals) that played a combination of heavy psychedelic blues with powerful symphonic arrangements. The band released their eponymous and only album in 1969, a wildly eclectic affair that at times recalls DEEP PURPLE, PROCOL HARUM, CREAM, ELP, and fellow symph-psych outfits as ROOM. Although the band swings from sixties folk-pop to jazz and the addition of an orchestra lends a pompous, almost cinematic feel to the album, Valhalla was always a psych-blues band, and this influence can be felt across the record. Sadly, Valhalla would not have time to mature their sound and they shortly broke up. However, Mark MANGOLD's love of the organ (among other symphonic keyboards) would continue in his later AOR, heavy keyboard experiments, including the mid-70s group AMERICAN TEARS. VALHALLA is recommended for fans of Deep Purple, as well as fans of the 60s-meets-70s prog-edelic sound.

For their first album, Caravan was surprisingly strong. While steeped in the same British psychedelia that informed bands such as Love Children, Pink Floyd, and Tomorrow, Caravan relates a freedom of spirit and mischief along the lines of Giles, Giles & Fripp or Gong. The band's roots can be traced to a British blue-eyed soul combo called the Wilde Flowers. Among the luminaries to have passed through this Caravan precursor were Robert Wyatt, Kevin Ayers, and Hugh Hopper and Brian Hopper (pre-Soft Machine, naturally). The Caravan album never sold in serious numbers, and for much of 1968 and early 1969, the members were barely able to survive -- at one point they were literally living in tents. Suddenly, Caravan was an up-and-coming success on the college concert circuit, even making an appearance on British television's Top of the Pops. With national exposure and a growing audience, the group was at a make-or-break moment in their history. They rose to the occasion with their second Decca LP, In the Land of Grey and Pink, which showed off a keen melodic sense, a subtly droll wit, and a seductively smooth mix of hard rock, folk, classical, and jazz, intermingled with elements of Tolkien-esque fantasy.

Formed by Cream lyricist Pete Brown, The Battered Ornaments were a mixture of English jazz, blues, and psych rock in the late 60s. By the time they got around to recording their sophomore album Mantle-Piece, Brown was out of the band, yet they recorded his songs and sang his parts. The album was a critical and commercial disaster. It was later rediscovered by hip hop crate diggers for its raw funky production and open grooves especially on the track "The Crosswords And The Safety Pins".

Recorded inside of the latter’s Blue Lotus Recordings, Roland Johnson's “Best Outta You” is truly a collaborative affair between he and a pair of talented multi-instrumentalists, Kevin O’Connor and Paul Niehaus IV. All geared up to highlight the skills of the 71-year-old local soul legend. The recording, alongside the beautiful ballad “Ain’t That Loving You”, comes with a host of players and contributors outside of the core trio, many of them true local legends on their own. “Best Outta You” comes short after the release of the Long Player “Set Your Mind Free” and rides along the very same extremely positive vibes.

Gene Jackson's rich soulful character along with his emotional range make him one of the finest local vocalists. His debut album “1963" came out in 2017 to critical acclaim, including a Blues Blast nomination (new artist debut). His new album “The Jungle”, out of which this 7” release is taken, has plenty of songs with the subjects you’d expect a soul singer to tackle: falling in love, the heartbreak from love and the evergreen “right now you can’t trust anybody,” as he puts it. A St. Louis native, Gene grew up singing. His mother, Mary Coleman, sang with Ike and Tina Turner, the Shirelles and others. She encouraged her son’s gift, and he gained experience singing in the Mt. Gideon Missionary Baptist Church.

 ‘Paint It Blue’ is dedicated to the man who, for many still today embodies
the central figure at the genre’s source: Julian Edwin ‘Cannonball’
Adderley (1928 - 1975). Maybe he didn’t invent Funk. Together with his
co-musicians in his 60s quintet, Cannonball’s alto sax style, his attitude,
humour great musicality, and his love for his audience allowed him to
become a synonym for funk.
 Nils Landgren, born in 1956, grew up between the music of his father, a
Jazz cornet-player, and the music of his grandfather, a pastor on the
island Gotland. He first heard Cannonball Adderley on ‘Kind Of Blue’. In
this Miles Davis Sextet of the late 1950s, they were all together: “Miles,
the master of beauty. Coltrane, the master of sound. And Cannonball
Adderley, the master of funk,” Nils Landgren writes in the liner notes to
‘Paint It Blue’. From that point on, he procured everything of
Cannonball’s that he could lay his hands on. “Without the soul of
Cannonball it would have been impossible to form my group Funk Unit
many years later,” he writes.
 Landgren edited Cannonball’s live concert announcements into his own
arrangements, so that the time jump between the original and the
nouveau arrangement appears non-existent. An effective device that
literally brings this revered musician into the fold of Nils Landgren’s Funk
Unit.
 Whoever speaks of Cannonball Adderley, must also speak equally of his
brother Nat Adderley. It was an obvious thought to invite the most
important brothers in Jazz after the Adderleys to guest on ‘Paint It Blue’;
with the high energy Funk-Jazzrock of the late 70s, the Brecker brothers
have proven worthy heirs to the Adderleys. Both of them solo on
Landgren’s track ‘You Dig’.
 The equally noble and forcible groove is delivered by the sideman to
countless Soul greats, Bernard Purdie. Bernard’s own stylistically related
production with the Brecker Brothers, Nils Landgren, amongst others is
now strongly in the public consciousness on ‘Soul To Jazz’. Much like
Cannonball Adderley, Airto Moreira owes important impulses to his time
with Miles Davis.
 ‘Paint It Blue’ is possibly Nils Landgren’s most lavish record to date and
with some certainty also his best. Landgren’s playing is cool and smooth,
with warmth, temperament and thought. Here his sound combines
organically with everything he surrounds himself with. The album sounds
as if the recordings for it were a pure joy for all participants. Nils
Landgren has the prerequisite for serious fun, the gift of intelligent
serenity.

The wait is finally over. Today, multi-platinum Danish band Volbeat announce the release of their eighth studio album, Servant Of The Mind, coming via Universal Music on December 3rd. Volbeat are two decades deep into a career that has found them sharing stages with genre legends like Black Sabbath, Metallica, Motorhead, Slipknot, Megadeth, Anthrax and more. Not ones to rest on their laurels, their forthcoming album Servant of the Mind, which was written and recorded during the shutdown and quarantine necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, is introspective but pulls no punches and is no less raucous or driving than their previous efforts. The 2CD is a digipak release with 4 additional tracks. The 2LP is 2 x black heavyweight vinyl, gatefold sleeve, printed inners.

The wait is finally over. Today, multi-platinum Danish band Volbeat announce the release of their eighth studio album, Servant Of The Mind, coming via Universal Music on December 3rd. Volbeat are two decades deep into a career that has found them sharing stages with genre legends like Black Sabbath, Metallica, Motorhead, Slipknot, Megadeth, Anthrax and more. Not ones to rest on their laurels, their forthcoming album Servant of the Mind, which was written and recorded during the shutdown and quarantine necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, is introspective but pulls no punches and is no less raucous or driving than their previous efforts. The 2CD is a digipak release with 4 additional tracks. The 2LP is 2 x black heavyweight vinyl, gatefold sleeve, printed inners.

After the worldwide success of their first album Puzzle (1999), which sold over 200,000 copies and went gold in Japan, Xavier Boyer (vocals, guitars), Pedro Resende (bass), Médéric Gontier (guitars) & Sylvain Marchand (drums) reunited with producer Andy Chase to record the follow-up, Wallpaper for the Soul, in New York City. Starting in November 2001 at Stratosphere Sound, the prolific sessions gave birth to twenty tracks, twelve of which appeared on the original tracklist. The eight outtakes were compiled on the mini albums A Piece of Sunshine (2003) & Extra Pieces of Sunshine (2004). This new vinyl edition will be the first time all these songs appear together.

Almost 20 years on, WFTS is a tour de force of contemporary songwriting with obvious nods to the past somehow revisited in a timeless fashion. Tahiti 80’s second effort can also be seen as an alternative and more sophisticated snapshot of an era often associated with the rebirth of rock (The White Stripes, The Strokes…). This set of songs also established them as stalwarts of the Post French Touch cannon, showcasing both their ability to write catchy songs and their knack for mélanges & experimentation. 1,000 Times or The Train are unique examples of blue-eyed soul augmented with French flair (« Prefab Sprout as produced by Thomas Bangalter » suggested Uncut which listed WFTS in their Top Ten’s albums of 2003). Listen to Don’t Look Below today, and ask yourself who was mixing Destiny’s Child with My Bloody Valentine in 2001? Delicate numbers like Open Book or live favorite Better Days Will Come both demonstrate T80’s songwriting skills and their innate sense of melancholia.

Listening back to WFTS today, one cannot help but think of it as an album recorded in a state-of-the-art fashion. All four members would typically perform together in the same room. Basic takes were printed on a 24-track analog tape machine and then bounced onto a computer for editing. A fine example of this method is the title track itself. Originally written on acoustic guitar, Wallpaper … is the result of three eight minutes synthesizer jams pieced together. The Frenchmen were keen to try out multitude of ideas and had developed a taste for experimentation. The sessions also coincide with a rich outburst of creativity from a band on top of their game after several months of touring around the world.

Another typical WFTS characteristic is Richard Hewson’s orchestration. Veteran string arranger, famous for arranging The Beatles’ The Long And Winding Road or writing RAH Band’s ‘80s classic Clouds Across The Moon Hewson gave the songs a sweeping orchestral touch. Strings, Horns & woodwinds were all performed at the now defunct Olympic Studios in London. Urban Soul Orchestra, a 24-piece ensemble who played on Oasis’ or Spice Girls’ hits can be heard on five songs: the opening trilogy Wallpaper…, 1,000 Times and The Other Side, then on the Northern Soul revival Soul Deep and lastly on the album’s closer Memories Of The Past.

Rouen’s most famous four-piece, now relocated in a house on France’s North West Coast, in the quiet seaside town of Étretat, added more bells & whistles and resumed production on the songs. With one last transatlantic leap during the summer of 2002, the boys flew to Portland, Oregon to attend the mixing sessions held by sound wizard Tony Lash (Elliott Smith, The Dandy Warhols…). Suggested by Sub Pop’s craftsman Eric Matthews, also a guest on trumpet and keyboards, Lash would later become a major collaborator on Tahiti 80’s subsequent albums.

In the meantime, Laurent Fétis, the designer behind Puzzle’s iconic artwork, had started working with artist Elisabeth Arkhipoff on a set of nostalgic photographs transfigured with a soft air-bush technique. Those visuals, like their predecessors, have since become an inseparable companion to Tahiti 80’s music.

Many musical fashions and flavors of the month have come and gone, but twenty years after its release, WFTS still sounds fresh and relevant. And always forward-looking, Tahiti 80 is currently wrapping up the recording of their eighth album, to be released in early 2022.