Cerca:bright

When the world slipped into madness last month, the ESP Institute put most releases on the back-burner to await brighter days, but then we thought again; why not approach these odd circumstances the way we do most realities, positively and head-on? We’re committed to a community that builds new worlds — this is fundamental to our creative and spiritual relationship with Osaka-born, cosmos-straggling artist, Ground — and while temporarily we can’t physically congregate to uplift each other, its our responsibility as an institution to maintain a platform for prolific creative pioneers, our cherished cartographers of cognitive escape. 'Wakusei' is wonderfully confusing and disorienting music, a follow-up EP to 2018’s critically acclaimed album 'Sunizm', not created specifically for life under lockdown, but nonetheless aptly suited to help release angst, guide meditation, and assist in making this moment in history more interesting if not transcendental. Whereas 'Sunizm' relied on field recordings gathered from rainforests, percussions learned from imaginary ancient civilizations, and the somehow organic freneticism of a mission control meltdown, the aesthetic of 'Wakusei' reduces this abstract instrumentation one step further to a more base-level array of gurgling synth scraps, accelerating engine friction and static-bound phonetic mistakes, all scrubbed into dust by a Brillo pad of white noise. The cliché of “great art is born out of hard times” is not lost upon us — of course the world will look back to this turmoil and its residual contributions to culture — but we see today's art as an immediate coping mechanism, and artists like Ground helping to unlock and navigate internal utopias. We’re already indoors, let’s delve inside.

Limited edition of 300 copies on black vinyl.

“Morning Glow” is the first release by Natureboy Flako under the Palomo Wendel moniker, capturing positive energies with a gentle and bright attitude. Recorded during the breaking light of dawn, it embodies the pureness of the rising sun and invites for untroubled moments in time.

Telfort’s seductive sound returns with three new cruise missiles from the faultless producer. Deep house done with a dazzling expanse, his imaginative and charismatic influence on the genre have previously piqued the attention of the more creative DJs and diggers who’ve dug the producer’s umami-esque palette: intangibly savoury, hard to define but unequivocally tasty.

On his fourth release via the sporadic yet impactful TLFT imprint, the producer retains his playful touch as he delivers three bright, optimistic dancefloor vistas that shimmer and shine like sunbeams off a dappled ocean. “As Though It Were” immediately injects energy and light into our minds and bodies with its candescent bass riff and catchy three note melodies. Synth-strings are arranged with perfection, hinting at a brave New World full of compassion, love and unity; while its driving and buoyant beats urge us into a hips’ n ’shoulders workout comparable to a high-octane gym session.

“It’s A Phase” is as finely crafted a piece of Telfortian house as one can hope for. With a direct and rugged B-line, peppered with light perx and decorated beautifully by one of Telfort’s trademark, textural synth patches. It’s further garnished by a dreamy, weaving lead solo that should draw heartfelt feelings of desire and nostalgia out of all who experience it.

“MSR Dub” completes the session and deep bass plumes and breathy flute melodies give us Big feelings as we floor the speedboat’s accelerator and splash across the rollers and swells at max speed. Achieving a tranquil and calming terminal velocity, time appears to stand still as gorgeous scenery rushes past our eyes. It’s a picturesque and evocative end to the trip which should etch itself into one’s memory hole, full of jubilant and joyous sentiments and overwhelming positivity throughout.

Evoking ambrosial notes and feels throughout, reminiscent of spending life affirming time with top friends in exotic locations and holiday house music splashing in corals. You only live once; ensure it’s spent enjoying tunes like these loaded with carefree abandon. Telfort’s In A Good Place right now…

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

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

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

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

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

The fourth release from Irish vocalist Eva Keyes, following on from the 7” singles `Tired of the City’ (PRTL7057), `Light Shining’ (PRTL7063) and the 10” `Meditation’ / Let It Fall’ (PRTL10017). Produced by Dublin-based Dan Taliras out of his Echobus studios. On the A-side, Eva comments on the homeless issue, backed with a dub version from Taliras, `In a Crisis’ is as much as sound system friendly tune as it is radio friendly, with Eva’s accessible and bright vocals

During a karaoke-fuelled haze in the seedy parts of Oslo, Legs 11 was formed based on a shared love of synth pop, post-punk, new wave and house music. Drawing on these influences, the band has created a diverse musical universe, ranging from dark repetitive guitar driven tracks, via infectious pop gems, to deep yet melodic dancefloor-orientated grooves. After exploring the indie-dance themes on their debut album "Another Wave" (2017), it's now time to dive into the world of (electro) pop!

Legs 11 have drawn on many different influences throughout their 15 year history. Still, at the heart of the band's musical universe, there has always been a deep love for pop-music! On their new ten-track album "The Colour Of My Heart", Legs 11 show us ten shades of their brightly pop-coloured heart.

L/F/D/M, "Richard Smith", Brighton based producer who comes
to Alley Version after several killer releases for labels like Cititrax/Minimal Wave, Optimo Trax and collaborations with
Factory Floor’s Dominic Butler on Powell’s Diagonal Records.

“Club Germs On My Clothes” is a 4 tracks EP in which are recognizable elements of ebm, minimal wave, industrial, jackin, shaped in experimental hardware-driven raw-techno forms.
Pressed on 12″ White Coloured Vinyl. Limited Edition of 150 Copies.

M Parent brings us a soundtrack of American dystopia, one that gives a pointed sonic voice to the bubbling frustrations and anxieties of our time. While American politics play out like a circus on the world stage, M Parent responds to the question of what it means to be American through dirty acid riffs
and eerie electro synth stabs. The album opens up with the title track where a deep voice bellows, “The American Dream was a lie,” setting the stage for what comes next. A warped sense of reality bubbles over in Lose Your Mind, as a wailing electric guitar plays a distorted rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. On the track They Gave You What, a glitched out 808 breakbeat unwinds as
psychedelic paranoia sets in over a stiff melodic hook.

But it’s not all doom and gloom, as it wouldn’t be a complete encapsulation of the American dream without a sense of hope. Balancing the LP out are playful tracks and aural details that keep the American tradition of funk alive. Fucked Acid offers a bright acid track with a funky falsetto synth line.
At the album’s cheeky climax, Electric Snake, a reptilian beast is lured out with 808 toms and beat back by unrelenting snare rolls. Maniacal laughter and an acidic bubbly lead race towards the album’s conclusion in the track Get In. The LP finishes with Groovy, an uplifting track that adds a fragile sense
of optimism.

Rio meets Romford on Forest Law’s EP, the Essex-raised, London-based artist’s debut on Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood label. He was first discovered through Future Bubblers, Peterson’s programme for new and unsigned artists, and this release is an assured introduction to the singer and multi-instrumentalist’s tight, groove-driven sound.

The EP features Esa Williams (Soundway, Rush Hour) on the berimbau on ‘Keep an Eye Out’, his mentor through Future Bubblers and bandmate in Esa’s Afro-Synth Band.

A bright, Brazilian-tinted sensibility runs through every track which Forest Law creates. From Hornchurch, Essex, and now based in London, he makes warm, eclectic compositions in his garden shed. He takes groove as his driving force, building outwards in kaleidoscopic directions.

It is truly a family affair over at 7 Days Entertainment. Butterbandz, the youngest son of 7 Days Entertainment label head Big Strick, gives us his debut EP titled Legacy. This freshman EP of the youngest of the Strickland clan is nothing short of what you would expect from a family member deeply rooted in dance music from Detroit. The first song off of the EP is a vocal track from BBZ with help from the artist Marc, who is a rising vocal talent from Detroit associated with the 7 Days imprint. If You Don’t Dance is slated to be an anthem among the scene for years to come. It evokes you to get out there and move your body. It brings the energy from start to finish with excited high hats, a grumpy bass and an admirable synth pattern. Things slow down for a more relaxed groove on Free Roaming, a laid back chiller with a smooth synth and a mellow bass of pure delight. Its reverbed synths take you on a never-ending journey through your own mind. Hellraiser is a straight high-octane pure adrenaline rush. It has the soul of true Detroit techno. The unforgiving drum and percussion pattern shines brightly over an acid bass line and catchy synth keys. The last song on the debut EP, Monkey See, closes the project out with a bang. An offset drum knocks on top of an offset synth and warm pianos. The flute is complementary and the percussion ties it all together nicely. Butterbandz shows unparalleled promise for more top-notch projects in the future

Los Afroins was the flagship salsa band of the obscure but beloved INS label from Colombia. Their 1975 LP "Goza La Salsa" is just as hard to find as their first record, and contains 10 bright and sassy salsa dura treasures that light up the dance floor with their incessant rhythms, syncopated trumpets and trombone and buoyant melodies. There are smoking covers of hits by Panama's Bush y sus Magníficos ('Salsa Al Pindin') and Bronx timbalero Orlando Marín and His Orchestra ('Está De Bala') as well as updated renditions of old Cuban chestnuts 'La Masacre' (written by Joseíto Fernández of 'Guantanamera' fame) and 'Matusa' (originally titled 'Macusa', composed by Francisco Repilado aka Compay Segundo).

The entire record makes for a very tasty and satisfying party platter filled with guaguancó, mozambique, pachanga, descarga and bolero that deserves to be more accessible and better known by today's fans of Colombian salsa who may have heard of The Latin Brothers or Sonora Carruseles, but have yet to discover the short-lived but highly sought after Los Afroins. "Goza La Salsa" is presented here in facsimile artwork and pressed on 180 gram vinyl.

“The aptly named Goza La Salsa (Enjoy Salsa) is the second album by Los Afroins, the flagship salsa band of the obscure but beloved INS label (Industria Nacional Del Sonido Ltda., Medellín, Colombia). The combo's repertoire focused mostly on cover versions hit tunes from New York, Cuba and Puerto Rico, both classic and contemporary, but for this record, their sophomore outing from 1975, their arrangements got tighter and there are more original compositions, which makes for a satisfying evolution in both style and content. Pianist Agustín "El Conde" Martínez, who would later work with Joe Arroyo and Juan Piña, led the group and did some arranging, with studio session production by INS artistic director Alfredo "Sabor" Linares. The vocals were handled by a pair of fresh-faced singers, Lucho Puerto Rico and Roy "Tayrona" Betancourt, who would later go on to fame in the 1980s, the former with his own Lucho Puerto Rico Y Su Conjunto Sonero and Conjunto Son Del Barrio (both in collaboration with Alfredo Linares), and the latter with Willie Salcedo, Reales Brass De Colombia, and Los Caribes. Additional arrangements were by Luis Felipe Basto of Los Black Stars and Luis E Mosquera, while the rest of the band was made up of INS related studio musicians. Goza La Salsa is just as hard to find as their first record and contains 10 bright and sassy salsa dura treasures that light up the dance floor with their incessant rhythms, syncopated trumpets and trombone and buoyant melodies. There are smoking covers of hits by Panama's Bush y sus Magníficos ('Salsa Al Pindin') and Bronx timbalero Orlando Marín and His Orchestra ('Está De Bala') as well as updated renditions of old Cuban chestnuts 'La Masacre' (written by Joseíto Fernández of 'Guantanamera' fame, and a hit for Cuarteto Caney) and 'Matusa' (originally titled 'Macusa', composed by Francisco Repilado aka Compay Segundo and made famous by Duo Los Compadres). This time around there are six excellent originals with the hottest pair being Lucho Puerto Rico's theme song 'Puerto Rico Power' and the percussion heavy final track, 'Alejada' sung and composed by Roy Betancourt. Just like the first album, the entire record makes for a very tasty and satisfying party platter filled with guaguancó, mozambique, pachanga, descarga and bolero that deserves to be more accessible and better known by today's fans of Colombian salsa who may have heard of The Latin Brothers or Sonora Carruseles, but have yet to discover the short-lived but highly sought after Los Afroins." Pablo E Yglesias DJ Bongohead of Peace & Rhythm

Fast-rising Lisbon-based DJ/producer PEDRO has shared details of his long-awaited debut album, ‘Da Linha’, which releases on March 20 via Enchufada. First teased with the release of bubbling lead single ‘Calores’ in January, ‘Da Linha’ crowns a defining breakthrough three years for PEDRO that has seen him establish himself as one of Portugal’s most vibrant and exciting new-school producers. His debut EP, ‘EP ‘Damaia’ (2017) – named after the suburb of Lisbon he was born in – immediately signposted a bright, borderless club sound rooted in experimentation, which has since been best emphasised by 2019 releases including the Buraka Som Sistema-sampling ‘Rapazes’ and a breathless collaboration with Nigerian MC, Magugu (‘Too Much’), both of which feature on the LP tracklist.

First inspired by his older brother, who would introduce PEDRO to the latest electronic music coming out of Portugal, he still references DJ Rolando’s ‘Knights Of Jaguar’ as a memorable early touch point – a record he still credits with influencing the melodies he writes to this day. Living and growing up in Damaia, PEDRO also went to school with friends of Angolan, Cape Verdean, Brazilian and Mozambican descent, exposing him to a whole patchwork of new sounds and genres like kuduro and kizomba from a very young age. With such a rich and diverse musical upbringing, it is perhaps no wonder that ‘Da Linha’ is bursting with energy and colour across all 10 tracks, melding together the hyper-specific sounds, instruments and voices that have sound-tracked PEDRO’s life so far. From the marching, militant rhythm of ‘Stuck On You’ ft. standout Ghanaian MC, Bryte, to the silky, bubblegum vocals and gloopy, earworm melodies of closing track ‘Para Ti’ featuring Xcelencia, you’d be hard pushed to find a debut record that captures a city so viscerally.

white vinyl

Desroi cuts his unrivaled skill to combine power and pace into four new tracks again. "Vermillion Border" draws from a dazed palette of concise and forceful sounds and thus raises the bar on his lasting run of EPs.

Tightly oscillating and resoundingly austere, the EP has its moments of stormy brutality that punctuates the mesmeric synth cycles to inspiriting elation. "Bright Blood" and "Gauze Covers Flaw" appear tethered at the base by cavernous low end and heady drum machine programming which drives the work.

Closing track "Empty Eye" might present Desroi's most funky work to date, rounding the EP off with a single warping synth motif shifting through sonic spheres.

It's been a long, winding road to Hailu Mergia's sixth decade of musical activity. From a young musician in the 60's starting out in Addis Ababa to the 70's golden age of dance bands to the new hope as an emigre in America to the drier period of the 90s and 2000s when he mainly played keyboard in his taxi while waiting in the airport queue or at home with friends. More recently, with reissue of his classic works and a re-assessment of his role in Ethiopian music history, Mergia has played to audiences big and small in some of the most cherished venues around the world. With 2018's critical breakthrough "Lala Belu" Mergia championed himself and consolidated his legacy, producing the album on his own and connecting with listeners through the sheer creative power of his version of modern Ethiopian music. His subsequent performances revealed an artist who is in no way stuck in the nostalgia for the "golden age" sound. The press agreed, including the New York Times, BBC and Pitchfork, calling his music "triumphantly in the present" in its Best 200 Albums of the 2010's list. Mergia's new album "Yene Mircha" ("My Choice" in Amharic) encapsulates many of the things that make the keyboardist, accordionist and composer-arranger remarkable_elements that have persisted to maintain his vitality all these years, through the ebb and flow of his career. The rock solid trio with whom he has toured the world most recently, DC-based Alemseged Kebede (bass) and Ken Joseph (drums), forms the nucleus around which an expanded band makes a potent response to the contemporary jazz future "Lala Belu" promised. "Yene Mircha" calcifies Mergia's prolific stream of creativity and his philosophy that there is a multitude of Ethiopian musical approaches, not just one sound. Enlisting the help of master mesenqo (traditional stringed instrument) player Setegn Atenaw, celebrated vocalist Tsehay Kassa and legendary saxophone player Moges Habte from his 70's outfit Walias Band, Mergia enhances his bright, electric band on this recording with an expanded line up on some songs. Mergia produced the album which features several of his original compositions along with songs by Asnakesh Worku and Teddy Afro. An artist still reinventing his sound every night on stage during his marathon live sets, this 74-year-old icon refuses to make the same album twice. The album feels as urgent and risky as his concerts can be, pushing the band to the outer limits of group improvisation and back with chord extensions during his exploratory solos. "Yene Mircha" captures this live experience and fosters an expansive view of what else could be in store for this tireless practitioner of Ethiopian music.

Smooth Swede Sune’s follow-up to the beloved Butter Love EP is equal parts bright and bittersweet. Elevator Connoisseur boasts the producer’s knack for sampling and crafty layering in unison with his trademark dusty drums.

After his last release on Dirt Crew in 2017 we are more than delighted to bring back the talented Harry Wolfman.
With impressive records on labels like Phonica, Omena, Outplay and Toy Tonics in the last years he has drawn up a fine new selection of music that spans across many genres and moods. This is also the first release for us in the new year after a lil break and it continues to explore the more eclectic approach we are following for a while now since the outings of artists like Dampé, S3A and Dan Only.

Harry presents an exciting opener for his new EP, together with vocalist Christian Crow he has made the blissful and breaks laden “poppy” good feel tune “A Way You Come Home to Me” that shines a bright light in these darker months. Followed by the deeper club tune “Step by Step”, building around yet another vocal recording. This time it’s Harry sampling his own voice and looping it into a repetitive piece of good feel House music.

We are getting deeper on the B side with “Speaking Raman”, one of these signature Harry tunes, a playful dusty lo-fi piece of music build around a piano theme and embedded in deep bass and driving beats, his sound trademark on all of these more floor orientated tracks on the EP. To close out the record we added two of his cinematic, ambient electronica works that we personally love so much. The haunting “Always 3” is a deep sphere that sucks you in a meditational and soothing womb of sounds. Ending with the electroid cut “Green Trees”, it’s broken and fragile and gives this indie-tronica track a warm and gentle touch.

We hope you enjoy these tunes and that they may be your soundtrack to the upcoming warmer months.

We're delighted to kick off our 10th anniversary celebrations with a release from an artist we've long admired, Dusseldorf's Harmonious Thelonious. His explorations into minimalism and polyrhythms have been staples in our sets since we were first connected via the Salon des Amateurs, and we couldn't be happier to welcome him into the Highlife fold with one of his brightest sounding records yet - documenting his musical adventures in Uganda.

It is with great pleasure that Public Possession and Cascine present to you the debut album of Bell Towers. Elev-en singles deep into his catalogue, his first LP is finally ready, an „Ode to escaping into (and out of) the emo-tional pits of dance floors – about finding a place in one night’s fantasy¹”. Musically it’s all we’ve ever wanted from a Bell Towers production: ear worm melodies, sharp baselines, wild cross-references in between genres and at last sees him explore his abilities as a singer/songwriter to full extent. Junior Mix is the sort of pop music that one is always looking for, but rarely finds - bright, charming and a little bit mad.

We sincerely hope you enjoy.
PP, Nov. 2019

¹Hayley Morgan, Oyster Magazine 117

All producers on this timeless EP known for their contribution to NuDisco/Deep House Music. 1 Life records has enlisted the services of top talents. Deep house veterans Mateo & Matos wrap drifting deep spheres, lilting electronics & warm synth rhodes chords around a chunky groove on his fine beat interpretation for a brighter & breezier deep house vibe on a remix that benefits greatly from a squeezable synth bassline & some undulating TB-303 style acid motifs, while Rune Lindbaek deliver with Frisvold a driving chunk of dub-disco/deep house fusion rich in sparkling synthesizer lines, sun-kissed chords & his own rubbery post-punk bass. Studio don Vincent Inc bring unforgettable impressions & inspiration for mind, body & soul together with his remix. 4 tracks came together to tell music stories about hypnotic deepest stuff, depression, happiness, loneliness, love, miracles & magical experiences

Several years ago, the born under pitches DJ Crew members got their hands on a couple of original 70s obscurities, while these standout records shone brightly in their own right, the team finally decided to put them out as those obscure old records fetch eye-wateringly high prices on the second-hand market. Due to popular request & lovingly mastered to the highest possible standards, they are now available to play and share in very special moments at parties around the world. This will surely be one of the most keenly anticipated disco release of the year. For our second release, we are extremely proud to bring you at last, two very hard to find disco anthems on side A1 & B and one P-funk all time classic on A2 very sought after