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Samosa Records roars into 2024 with a sublime four-tracker, the curiously titled ‘(Re)-Funk+Head EP'.

All four tracks have been carefully sized, selected and re-edited by De Gama himself. For those not in the know, Re-Funking is serious business and you can tell De Gama’s laboratory was in full flow in bringing these tracks even closer to the dance floor!

First up on the A-Side are Samosa favourites Dirtyelements & Drunkdrivers with the hypnotic, smokey dim lit club thumper ‘Keep It Coming’. Coming in at a deceptive 115bpm, the bass massages your brain whilst the keys, vocal sample and beats tickle your toes. A deliciously salty and sweet re-edit.

Sneaking up on you is A2 and a track from label boss De Gama himself – the flutey, tootie late night funk bomb that is ‘Some More’. Be warned - this dirty birdie stirs up primordial feelings that are probably illegal in some countries. It’s not an overstatement to say that ‘Some More’ is the definition of pure, adult-orientated funking. Saddle up, put out the camp fire and ride it into town.

A quick flip to the B-side and you’ll find Paul Older’s Sax Francisco (B1) parading down the street in all its splendid glory. Mr Older sure knows how to cook - and served on his sombrero-shaped sun terrace is this fantastic tropical sorbet of a tune. The production is assured and so warm that you lose yourself for the entire 6 mins and 26 seconds in its spell. Expect this to be packed in your summer 2024 suitcase with your Factor 50.

Closing the EP off is the super-talented MB Edit and his deadly groover ‘Got The Feeling’. The serious business of Re-Funking is on full display here – stompy, squeaky clean four-to-the-floor drumbeats, twisted riffs and subtle piano prepare you for the soaring horns, heavenly strings and disco-fied vocal breakdown that used to make lofts bounce and dark clubs heave. A dreamy, relentless journey into the disco ball for those lucky enough to jump in.

(Re)-Funk+Head is another exceptional EP from the Samosa stables and pushes the ever-expanding sonic boundaries with seriously solid production, stone cold grooves and a roster of amazing talent on one EP. A must, must, must have for the record box!!

Ste Hendry Black Light Disco

Night Prayer is the 2018 studio album by Belgian Flemish artist Jasper Steverlinck, who is also known as the guitarist of rock band Arid. After releasing his debut solo album Songs Of Innocence in 2004, Steverlinck got where he needed to be with Night Prayer. At the essence. No sumptuously packed arrangements. No technological gadgets or needless fuss. Not a single fashionable beat left or right. On Night Prayer, it’s all about songwriting in its purest form. No poetic metaphors, but straightforward lyrics and unapologetic emotions.

Together with producer Jean Blaute he recorded 14 stripped down songs, which he all sang in one take.

Night Prayer is available as a limited edition of 500 numbered copies on gold coloured vinyl and includes an insert with lyrics

Available again on vinyl, this quintessential collector’s edition includes Sam Cooke’s sensational album, Twistin’ the Night Away, originally issued by the RCA Victor label in 1962. It was Cooke’s second effort following his 1957 debut LP, and remains one of the singer’s most accessible records despite the fact that the material consists primarily of “Twist” numbers chosen by the producers to cash in on that craze. Cooke was shoehorned into doing numbers like “Camptown Twist”, “Twistin’ in the Kitchen With Dinah”, and “Twistin’ in the Old Town”, as well as his version of Hank Ballard's “The Twist”.

He is at his most soulful, exciting, and passionate, on the popular title track “Twistin’ the Night Away”; the bluesy “Somebody Have Mercy”; the romantic lament “Somebody’s Gonna Miss Me”; the ebullient “Sugar Dumpling”; the achingly beautiful “A Whole Lot of Woman”; the soaring “Soothe Me” (with Lou Rawls); and the slow dance number “Movin’ and Groovin’”. In 2001, music critic Bruce Eder declared, “Twisting the Night Away is not only one of the great dance albums of its period, but a brilliant soul album as well, which is why it holds up 40 years later.”

If The Druids are named after a quiet pond lost in the heart of Brittany, their music is more inspired by the stories the elders tell in a low voice, and the secrets of those roads where it's forbbiden to go by yourself at night. The Druids are hidden behind their hoods so they can scramble the tracks, melting their garage-rock with stoner-metal and post-punk, but also shoegazing and acid-rock. In their fuzzy and reverberated black masses, they invoke at the same time Black Sabbath, The Stooges, Bauhaus and The 13th Floor Elevators.

With time, we come to understand the way the joy of connection is mirrored by the void of loss, how the constancy of love is matched only by the impermanence of life, the simple idea that we could not create light if we did not risk the dark - we'd never need to. So it is with METZ, a band once known for blowing out eardrums with songs of joyous rage who have, over their past few records, begun exploring ways to turn abrasiveness into atmospherics, the evolution of their sound not only a reflection of the maturing of the band themselves but also of a changed world that demands nuance and compassion to comprehend and to survive. It was a journey already underway on 2020's Atlas Vending, but one that reaches new heights on Up On Gravity Hill, where the Canadian trio creates a kaleidoscopic sonic world as tender as it is dark, aided once again by engineer Seth Manchester (Mdou Moctar, Lingua Ignota, Battles, The Body). Deep, detailed, and unyieldingly personal, it is not only METZ's most powerful record to date but also their most beautiful. Still three punks from Ontario at heart, guitarist and vocalist Alex Edkins, drummer Hayden Menzies, and bassist Chris Slorach waste no time as opener "No Reservation/Love Comes Crashing" sweeps in like a wave, sonically and thematically setting the scene for the record to come. A dynamic song about feeling suspended in stasis, layers of dissonance melt into a restlessly heady outro marked by escalating crescendos of shimmering noise that reach for the stars - and is that a violin quivering brightly beneath those elegant swells of guitar, those charging drum fills, those intricate bass lines? It is indeed, courtesy of composer Owen Pallett; his presence an immediate indicator that METZ are thinking more cinematically than ever before. The change is partially inspired by Edkins' work as a scorer for film and television and his pop-leaning solo project, Weird Nightmare, where, he says, he learned to write more intuitively, letting his emotions lead the way. But make no mistake: Up On Gravity Hill is a total band effort, the work of three musicians who have been playing together for over a decade, with all the trust that entails. For those who believe in the power of the rock band to exemplify the highest resonance of human connection, there is much on Up On Gravity Hill to lift the spirit, a puzzle worth repeated listening to unlock or just to get lost in again and again. Rather than the music being flattened into a single plane, the band explores "the space above the cymbals," resulting in some of the most spacious, sympathetic, and accessible songs - could we call them pop? - of their career. If this seems contradictory, well, METZ has always been something of a contradiction. "We've never been heavy enough for metal or hardcore purists, but we're way too heavy for indie rock. We just don't have a lane - and that's okay. We exist outside the lines of delineation. I think this record is even more like that," says Edkins.

Necrot continue their ascent to the forefront of American aural extremity, pushing the boundaries of style and continuing to recast metal in their image. Founded by bassist, vocalist and principal songwriter Luca Indrio and drummer Chad Gailey in 2011 – guitarist Sonny Reinhardt joined the next year – the Oakland, California, trio offer Lifeless Birth (in continued collaboration with Tankcrimes) as a culmination of their to-date efforts to encapsulate and push forward the deathly stylings of 2020’s Mortal and their 2017 debut, Blood Offerings. It’s not about giving up a ferocity that’s helped make them a household name among the converted. Instead, Necrot use that same, by-now-characteristic intensity as the backdrop for an expanded songwriting palette. They’ve always been a band who stood out. The maturity they show on Lifeless Birth confirms that’s been the plan all along. It is a vision of what metal can be and do in 2024, tearing down old barriers and keeping those traditional elements that make it stronger. Recorded with Grammy-winning producer Greg Wilkinson (who has helmed all three Necrot albums) and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege, Lifeless Birth pivots fluidly between technical intricacy, progressive poise and all-out brutality. Scouring lead work will have thrash heads nodding knowingly, and an overarching groove reaches out across the metal microgenres with a righteous call to worship. Its songs are memorable and varied, unpretentious but able to rear up with statelier violence. At the same time, “Drill the Skull,” “Cut the Cord,” “The Curse” and others prove that just because a song is beating you into the ground doesn’t mean it can’t also be forward-thinking. Or catchy. After having their Mortal tour plans scuttled owing to the covid pandemic, family health issues that led Luca, who became a US citizen in 2016 and currently lives in Mexico, to return to Italy for a time canceled what would have been their first tour post-plague. Still, despite this and Chad suffering a broken back, requiring multiple surgeries and intense physical therapy to be able to drum again, period, Luca being struck with Bell’s Palsy the night before he was originally due to fly to the studio to record, and Sonny requiring multiple surgeries on his hands in the months since they finished, Necrot charge forward with material distinguished in its real-world point of view and willingness to look beyond extreme metal tropes in lyrics, the melodies of its guitar solos, and unbridled audience engagement. For a collection of songs that feel so much written for the stage, it should be no surprise tours early in 2024 and summer festivals are to be announced. Mortal (2020, Tankcrimes) was #2 on Billboard's Top New Artist chart, #30 on the Top Current Albums chart, #4 on the Current Hard Music, and #10 on the Heatseeker Albums chart for week of release. Necrot have toured in North America, Europe, Australia and Japan, and shared the stage with Cannibal Corpse, Immolation, The Black Dahlia Murder, Suffocation, Morbid Angel, and hundreds of others. Expect no letup as Lifeless Birth brings Necrot all the more to their own place among metal’s superlatively aggressive proliferators. – JJ Koczan

Five years on from their acclaimed second album “Public Mono”, Burning Ferns return with a new LP “World Of The Wars”. And my oh my, how things have changed. “World Of The Wars” is the sound of a band grappling with the world going to hell, and making sense of it through the medium of pristine guitar pop. Initially recorded remotely in the face of Covid lockdown and completed at their Le Mons studio, Newport in 2021/22, it is an album of relentless musicality and guile. Songwriter Tony Gray displays unerring quality control to deliver 12 startling new songs that push on from the power pop of previous releases to more widescreen musical aspirations.
Mitwirkende
veröffentlicht am 7. April 2023

Songs wriiten by Anthony Gray. The album was mixed by Charlie Francis (REM/High Llamas/Robyn Hitchcock) with artwork provided by Newport’s greatest cult hero, the musician and artist, Jon Langford.

From the bouncy, catchy acts at Motown (like The Temptations, The Marvelettes, and Stevie Wonder), to the horn-driven, gritty soul of Stax/Volt (such as Otis Redding and Booker T. & The MG’s), there was much diversity within classic soul. This essential LP edition contains 25 of the most legendary original songs of the idiom. If you’re looking for a way to start a soul music collection on vinyl, this would be a fantastic set to begin with. Here you can find the most influential artists, from the genre’s inception in the 1950s until 1962. The track listing covers the period when R&B was giving way to soul music. It includes smashes and classic soul anthems by such celebrated figures as Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Ike & Tina Turner, Ben E. King, and Marvin Gaye, to name a few. The underlying virtues of the R&B/soul music exposed here are represented by a direct emotional delivery, a pride and artistic integrity, and a feeling within the music which transmits itself to the listener. You can call it soul or R&B, it can be more or less intense, lively or educational, but it has to have those ingredients to truly succeed. From the explosion and growth of American soul, and its lasting impact upon the U.S. charts since then, this defining era is still regarded as one of history’s greatest musical movements. All of this remastered material represents a formidable slice of American popular culture, allowing listeners to experience some of the finest and most emblematic tunes of the soul genre.

Nia Archives is the star at the forefront of the latest era of jungle. Since her emergence in 2020, her collagist soundscapes have helped bring the sound to a new generation of clubgoers (though fair warning: don’t call her a “revivalist” – she’s the first to point out that the scene never went away). So when it comes to talk of the 24-year-old producer, DJ, singer and songwriter’s much-anticipated debut album, the odds are you’re thinking of a full-length record of weightless jungle tracks with basslines so intense they’ll leave your ears ringing.

But the reality of the Bradford-born, Leeds-raised artist’s first ever album – while very much replete with that exquisite jungle sound she does so well – is also doing something a little different. On the thrilling and freeing Silence Is Loud, Nia Archives is looking to make music for beyond the rave. As she explains: “I think music can be experienced in different ways, and there’s different kinds of music for different scenarios. Say you’re at a festival listening to music with thousands of other people, that can feel really uniting. But then you might listen to an album on your own in the bus, or in a taxi; and this project is definitely more a record to sit and listen to than a collection of club tracks.” Nia is intent that Silence Is Loud is taken in as a full body of work of something “more song-focussed, putting interesting sounds on jungle.” It means that this is a record which finds gloomy Britpop, warm Motown, soaring indie, a love for Kings of Leon’s Aha Shake Heartbreak, skittering IDM, Madchester, classic rock, old skool hardcore and more, woven and fused into her ragga and junglist tapestry, all layered with feeling, imbued with her songwriterly lyricism about loneliness, relationships, family, navigating her 20s, and the intense potential power of silence.

The vast sonic palette on Silence Is Loud comes down to Nia’s broad array of influences through her life. With her Jamaican heritage, Nia remembers hearing jungle as a child via her nana, as well as at Bradford Carnival, where she was drawn to the soundsystem culture, dancing carefree on the floats in the parade. The first album she ever bought was Rihanna’s debut, Music of the Sun, and she also went to Pentecostal church back then, and was obsessed with gospel. Aged 16, she moved to Manchester, where she didn’t really know anybody: and so, her solution to meeting people was going out. “Partying was a huge part of my life,” she says, “They used to do little freestyle cyphers at the house parties and I would join in – that’s kind of how I got into singing.” She had found music boring at school, but in meeting all these new people she became interested in making her own music as a hobby. “I was making boom-bap kind of stuff which I didn’t really like in the end,” she laughs, “My lyrics are quite deep, so on a hip-hop beat it all sounds really depressing. I wanted people to dance to my music.” And so she began experimenting with faster tempos alongside that melancholy songwriting, teaching herself how to make beats on Logic: “It’s all been a lot of trial and error, really.”

Nia went to study music in London, and was also interested in visual art, making collages and VHS: “Before the music, I was trying to make a visual archive of my life and the people around me,” she explains, “And then my music was like my diary, and a sonic archive, as well.” Hence, she paired the word “archives” with her middle name, Nia. To this day, in her spare time she’s working on pulling together a documentary on the global nature of the jungle scene.

Back on those first two EPs, Headz Gone West (2021) and Forbidden Feelingz (2022), she honed that junglist sound, painting it with new flecks of colour and vibrance. It was only after she started releasing work that she realised pursuing music could be a viable life path for her. The decision has been paying off ever since. Nia Archives placed third in the prestigious BBC Sound Poll for 2023, alongside garnering a nomination for the Brit Awards’ Rising Star prize, plus wins at the DJ Mag, NME, the MOBOs and Artist and Manager Awards. She has also toured the world – be it North America, Europe or Asia – and even opened a show in London as part of a little something called Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour. She’s renowned as a party-starter in her own right, too, with takeovers at Glastonbury, Warehouse Project and her own Bad Gyalz day event. She’s done official remixes for the likes of Jorja Smith, had a huge summer hit with her Yeah Yeah Yeahs rework ‘Off Wiv Ya Headz’, and worked with brands like Corteiz, Nike, Flannels, Burberry, FIFA and Apple. In just three years, it’s fair to say that Nia Archives has become a need-to-know name in dance music.

But Nia is not interested in being one fixed thing. Building on the terrain from her third EP, Sunrise Bang Ur Head Against Tha Wall, the universe of Silence Is Loud is not totally unfamiliar territory; but it’s still emblematic of a bolder scope than we’ve heard from the artist before. Working with Ethan P. Flynn (the songwriter and producer known for his work with FKA twigs and David Byrne), the resulting record is an impressive feat of deftly-sculpted textures; sometimes big and euphoric, like the wobbly, lusty bass of ‘Forbidden Feelingz’, or elsewhere notably gentle and quiet – see: the gorgeous, surprisingly drumless ‘Silence Is Loud (Reprise)’, a heartfelt number that sits somewhere in the school of Adele. “I really sharpened my songwriting skill on this project,” Nia says, “I was really intentional about what I was writing about, and I really loved co-producing with Ethan. His process is so different to anyone I’ve worked with before, and he’s got a kind of DIY set-up like me.” Flynn’s flat overlooks the Barbican, adding that unquantifiable futurist urban quality that the area holds to the music. The pair enjoyed the collaborative process so much that the album was done within three and a half months.

Perhaps this is why Silence Is Loud maintains an exuberant immediacy while still being sleek and spacious, interspersed with flourishes of metallic beats, lush melody and topped with her sugary but powerful vocal, floating over it all. There is an intimacy to the record, perhaps in part due to Nia writing most of her lyrics while sitting in bed in her flat in Bow (once a bedroom producer, always a bedroom producer). You can hear it on the refrain for lead single ‘Crowded Roomz’, which finds rippling guitar lines cutting taut through the beats as Nia refrains: “I feel so lonely crowded rooms.” The song is an examination of life on tour, constantly surrounded by people, but not necessarily those she can be herself around; more than that, the track is exemplary in the category of sad bangers.

Silence Is Loud often finds itself in that push and pull between melancholy and euphoria. There’s a celebration of her unconditional love for her younger brother (the title track), a rumination of an evening with an Irish boy she met by Temple Bar (‘Cards On The Table), or a letter to herself on the light and airy ‘Unfinished Business’, even coming to terms with a lover having a past they haven’t quite processed yet (“nobody comes with a clean slate”). The latter was recorded the week after a music festival, and accordingly captures Nia’s vocal in its not quite healed, husky state.

Nia’s work is always a snapshot of where she’s at when she’s making it. This might not be the debut album you were expecting, but that’s what makes Silence Is Loud so special. Nia Archives has learned the rules of her sound, and is unafraid to break them, pushing jungle and herself into new, unchartered territories that, in turn, go some way to map the history of the greats of British dance music. More than that, it plants her firmly in that lineage.

Empires rise and fall every day in the human heart, and riding these cycles--stories with no beginning or end, only transformation--churns us through the reckless, ridiculous, rueful, redemptive. A founding member of Lake Street Dive and writer of some of their most enduring songs, Iowa-born and Brooklyn-based Bridget Kearney is known for writing smart, unexpected lyrics and melodies built for a heart-baring dance or an introspective drive. Kearney writes music as if filtered through a camera lens. Her stories, steeped in nostalgia and joy, construct a bittersweet framework around the memories that make us human, and shape who we are. As the absurdity of life abounds, Kearney can hold these fragile snapshots and rolling reruns with evident notes of levity, and compassion for a past self. On her new album Comeback Kid, produced by Dan Molad (Lucius, Buck Meek), there are reminders to cherish the moments that make up the collage of what we see in the mirror, but to also plant our feet firmly in the present, for those are the times that will come to form the future. The tracks hop through time, from the relentless, obsessive romanticization of the past, to unrestrained lust for a different future, all inherit the spirit of resilience needed for any move forward, whether it's to dive back in, walk away, or wrestle with the memory itself. In moments, our Comeback Kid wishes to encase a night in amber to revive it at will, like the old man in Jurassic Park, but ultimately is hip to the bittersweet truth that it will never be the same when you return. Kearney began making Comeback Kid back in 2021, in between her work with Lake Street Dive, and a new position as a songwriting teacher at Princeton University. During the process of Comeback Kid, Kearney took inspiration from her Princeton students, as well as her peers when she embarked on a song-a-day workshop. As she found herself surrounded by the thoughts and processes of others, she was able to pinpoint what it is about songwriting that she truly cherishes: namely, the textures and flourishes that come to form the mood of each creation. Comeback Kid is soaked in vintage synths, Kearney's soughing vocals and delicate-yet-driving percussion that ushers in a bright and serene tenor. "If you're driving, baby I wanna go," she soothes on opener "If You're Driving," welcoming us to the LP with windows down, eyes closed, air rushing through our fingers. It's a celebration of staying in the moment, of saying "yes," even though you know it won't last forever. With references to real psychological games, like Rorschach tests and the phenomenon of Ironic Process Theory, they help build the theme of the mind bending nature of obsession, memory, and perspective. Just like the acrobatic brain games we play in relationships, Kearney plays with language and references, with multiple meanings of "comebacks and coming back," and nods that run the gamut from Samuel Barber's mid-20th century masterpiece Adagio for Strings to Jerry Seinfeld's late-20th century masterpiece Seinfeld. The single "Security Camera" captures the carefree liminal space of reminiscence, as Kearney collects those significant, special moments of a past love. There is no animosity or even sorrow here but rather a warm, propulsive rush of gratitude and awe. "You have these really wonderful, blissful times in your life that are fleeting," she explains. "It's an attempt to keep loving the moments in your past, to carry them with you." These moments are carried with care throughout Comeback Kid, but with an eye on the farcicality of simply existing. Kearney is both sincere and silly, somber yet spirited, expertly gathering the iridescent spectrum of what it means to be alive.

Matteo Mussoni and Nicola Zucchi were raised on the disco romance of the 1970s and early 80s. Channelling their shared love of music machines and mirrorballs, the duo founded Sparkling Attitude. Their debut EP draws on the magic of italo disco, the synthesizer soundtracks of the silverscreen and the open stretches of the Italian coastline.

“Dov’eri Sabato Sera” recounts the tale of unrequited love; youth, possibility and dashed hopes play out to a crisp rhythm and wistful melodies. Those heart-strained notes then take the limelight for the instrumental version, analogue strings soaring to impassioned heights. The flames keep burning on the flip with “Melodico Romantico”.

Disco infused, bold and brazen beats are made-up in dark rouges and effervescent greens as breathy vocals whisper. Mussoni and Zucchi dive deep into their machines for the curtain close. Inspired by Japanese culture, made in Italy, daring key stabs and astral echoes are draped in a late-night groove for this glittering finale. Joyous sounds from a Sparkling Attitude

J.J.Milteau gathers around him some talented accomplices, Michael Robinson, Mike Andersen, Harrison Kennedy, Carlton Moody, under the guidance of Johan Dalgaard... to surf on a soundtrack soaked with blues and all the music he has been programming for over twenty years in his show "Bon Temps Rouler". "My whole life has been determined by the purchase of my first harmonica when I was fifteen. For me, it really was The Key To The Highway ...

Produced by El Michels Affair & Tommy Brenneck (Charles Bradley, Menahan Street Band). Taken from forthcoming debut album due out in Summer 2024. Thee Heart Tones treat us to another must have 7" while the finishing touches are being put on their debut album. A bunch of talented kids from Hawthorne, California that came right out of high school and wound up in the studio with two legendary producers (El Michels Affair & Tommy Brenneck) cutting their first album in 5 days. Here on this 45 are two more of songs drenched in the magic that was captured. Side A "No Longer Mine" is gritty and driving mid tempo banger that lead singer Jazmine Alvarado's honeyed voice smooths out. A declaration of young love gone wrong, Jazmine states the facts and lays down the law like a boss with a chorus that will live in your head rent free. Side B "Cry My Tears Away" is a heavy duty B Side Ballad that can hold court with the best of them. This is sure to find a place in the hearts of all the slowie enthusiasts and soundtrack many a slow dance, joy ride, and late night.

Dedicated global following with fans of vintage downtempo soul music. Pratt & Moody are cherished in California’s lowrider ballad circles based on their underground soul hits “Lost Lost Lost” and “Wheels Turning”. Enter the captivating realm of Pratt & Moody as they unveil their new deep-as-the-oceans single, ‘Creepin’ Around’. This dynamic duo – consisting of Pratt and Moody – have honed their craft channeling their collective prowess into a singular fusion of dark soul and haunting melodies. Their previous sleeper hits “Lost Lost Lost” and “Wheels Turning” still resonate in spaces where contemporary soul ballads are treated as a valuable commodity. With ‘Creepin’ Around’, Pratt & Moody dive deep into the shadows, crafting a sonic narrative about infidelity that transcends boundaries. The velvety vocals of Pratt wrap themselves around Moody’s evocative guitar, creating a timeless soundscape that resonates with raw emotion. As the instrumental version gracefully embraces the absence of words, the music is left to speak volumes. Accompanied by the rock-solid artistry of Cold Diamond & Mink, ‘Creepin’ Around’ transports you to the hazy realm of late-night introspection, where each note carries the weight of longing and desire. The track immerses you in a David Lynch like world where melancholy, darkness and passion coexist.

Dedicated global following with fans of vintage downtempo soul music. Pratt & Moody are cherished in California’s lowrider ballad circles based on their underground soul hits “Lost Lost Lost” and “Wheels Turning”. Enter the captivating realm of Pratt & Moody as they unveil their new deep-as-the-oceans single, ‘Creepin’ Around’. This dynamic duo – consisting of Pratt and Moody – have honed their craft channeling their collective prowess into a singular fusion of dark soul and haunting melodies. Their previous sleeper hits “Lost Lost Lost” and “Wheels Turning” still resonate in spaces where contemporary soul ballads are treated as a valuable commodity. With ‘Creepin’ Around’, Pratt & Moody dive deep into the shadows, crafting a sonic narrative about infidelity that transcends boundaries. The velvety vocals of Pratt wrap themselves around Moody’s evocative guitar, creating a timeless soundscape that resonates with raw emotion. As the instrumental version gracefully embraces the absence of words, the music is left to speak volumes. Accompanied by the rock-solid artistry of Cold Diamond & Mink, ‘Creepin’ Around’ transports you to the hazy realm of late-night introspection, where each note carries the weight of longing and desire. The track immerses you in a David Lynch like world where melancholy, darkness and passion coexist.

Belarusian producer Four Walls is back after a seven-year hiatus. The first time around he made some standout cuts for the likes of Traxx Underground and Kolour LTD but this time around he finds himself on the new Ultraworld Records imprint from DJ Craft. This one kicks off with the lush prog house and silky synth arps of 'Mind Charger' which soon takes you to the stars. 'Metamorphosis' is a more raw-edged and acid-laced techno stomper for peak time action and 'Summer Nights' is a bubbling, elastic tapestry of new age overtones, thudding kicks, and trance-tinged pads. A remix by Toronto-based Pletnev adds another dimension to this club-ready EP.

The 13th studio album from Old 97’s arose from what vocalist / guitarist Rhett Miller refers to as a ‘de-evolution’: “As much as I want us to calm down and grow up, the songs that felt right for this record were mostly big and loud and brutal and dirty.”

Produced by Tucker Martine and featuring appearances from Peter Buck (R.E.M.) and Scott McCaughey (The Minus 5), ‘American Primitive’ is gloriously rowdy, revealing a band more attuned than ever to the raw, reckless energy of timeless rock-and-roll

London-born-and-raised DJ and producer Parris has announced his new EP Passionfruit, which is to be released on 22nd March 2024 via his own co-founded label can you feel the sun. Following his stand-out 2021 album Soaked In Indigo Moonlight, described as a “masterful” take on the pop genre (Crack Magazine), Passionfruit continues Parris’ affinity for polyrhythms and bouncing synths, but diving deeper into his love for clubbing and UK soundsystems, the result is a heady house compilation.

Each track on the EP is in contention with the one before it, a counterpoint to a sonic argument; melodic bubbly pop against heavy drum and bass, morning rays of sunlight against dark and swampy rhythms. Where the title track “Passionfruit” was described by Parris as imagining the “early morning of a set with the sunrise coming through the shutters”, the very next track “Slipping, Falling, Crawling” is much like the title suggests: a sludgy, percussion-heavy track which has fun with creating melody from the beat itself, stripped back and raw intent.

“Why Can’t Rabbits Wear Cowboy Boots” and “Underwater Fantasy” are almost alternate universe club classics. “WCRWCB” takes a club-formed structure, and uses it to explore the limits polyrhythms, layering chaotically over eachother, and building through the first half of the track, until it peaks with the introduction of an explosive bassline. “Underwater Fantasy” on the surface is the straightest-sounding track to come from Parris, but the disco-style vocals fight with the beat, pushing and pulling at eachother.

Parris (aka Dwayne Parris-Robinson) has dedicated himself to club culture from an early age, never missing a week at FWD>> (the club night where a generation of bass and techno DJs made their names), and was constantly tuning into Rinse FM. Immersing himself into the distinct sound of London built the foundations of the productions we hear today, with grime and drum & bass bubbling alongside slick pop references.

Emotional Rescue dives back into one of its specialties, the formative years of Post Punk and Dub influenced music, presenting the, to date, unheralded Skinbat Scramble. The rarity of the unknown, the discovery of rich, lost music, it is a delight to release a compilation of the band's previously unreleased recordings. A snapshot of time, a journey that covers several decades of friendship but is concentrated here on the fertile 80's scene.

Forged around the friendship of Mark Eason and Fergus Crockford, but with ever changing line-ups, flowing in and out during misspent youths, self-taught playing, falling in and out of bands, travelling that well-worn journey from Home Counties boredom to the excitement of a rough edged London, taking in as music as possible, from Motown on to the The Velvet Underground, The Rolling Stones, Bowie, Pink Floyd, Gong and Fripp & Eno, before Dr Feelgood, Eddie & The Hotrods and a dose of John Peel led to discovering Dub and Punk and witnessing that short-lived burst of creativity at the Roxy Club, Marquee or Vortex and exploring back to early Rock'n'Roll, Rockabilly and old Surf'n'Soul, alongside the likes of Wire and Suicide.

As the Post-Punk sounds mixed simultaneously with Two-Tone, local Art College gave way to university and the early struggles of finding a way in the late 70s / early 80s of Thatcher's Britain. Music was central, Skinbat Scramble finally appearing, morphing from numerous teen bands, early studio excursions of tape loops and effects leading to the first recording sessions in 1981.

The slower tempos, introspection, open structures, and shimmering experimentation of Post Punk were pivotal. John Foxx's early Ultravox, Siouxsies' "Lord's Prayer" period and The Electric Chairs seminal "So Many Ways", influenced to a freer future. PIL, ACR, Section 25 and Pink Military let imaginations briefly roam.

'Far out and weird', those first recordings made at Leeds Uni's Fine Arts Dept utilized Revoxes, Tandberg, MiniMoog and even a borrowed drummer. This was followed up with completed sessions at Elephant Studios in London, forming the basis of this compilation.

The tight scattergun rhythms on opener Submit, in both Vocal and short Dub mix, bely an unreleased band. Taught and crisp, it's like a song you've heard propelling open-minded, leftfield dancefloors for years.

The writing, musicianship and studio mastery displayed on North By Northwest and Skiddadle should not be music unreleased for almost 40 years. In North Dub and closer, Pixie Boot Dub their understanding of the opportunities of dub Reggae are clearly apparent, ethereal music wormholes for late night smokers.

However, it is in Basement Voltaire that the band step out time. Recorded in 1986 this is a 9-minute proto-techno wonder that mixes all their psychedelic meets punk youth in a crescendo of crashing claps and rolling toms that is of a time and so far ahead of its time.

And that was that, after 6 gigs, including a couple at the infamous St Martins, to an audience total you can fit on one hand, the band's first incantation closed and the master tapes were stored for several decades, waiting for "The Psychedelic Pirates" to finally surface.

A two-track 12" with fresh artwork and a nice heavyweight pressing, with one side taken by each artist. Sy Sez kicks off 'Change Da System' with dub-wise vocals which then make way for a tight, taught, bouncing house groove with fat bass. Things are utterly different on the flip with Leeds legend and sometime Nightmares on Wax collaborator offering the deep house delights of 'Knights' with its soulful vocal whispers, intimate late night chords and warm, candle-lit vibes.

"The Night is The Night is the ambitious follow-up to singer, pianist and composer Rotem Geffen’s seminal debut You Guard the Key. For this new recording she’s been collaborating with producer Alex Zethson (keyboardist with Sven Wunder, Mariam the Believer, Goran Kajfes Tropiques, Angles 9, Fire! Orchestra) and co-producer/mixing engineer Anton Toorell (Dammit I’m Mad, Invader Ace), and together with some of Stockholm’s finest musicians they’ve created an irresistible masterpiece. The instrument setting varies, but the piano and voice form a common thread. However, on 'Ich vermisse dich,' the piano sound is abstracted by a felt-covered tone, while on 'River,' the spoken voice is intertwined with Hernandez's violin. 'I Always Know' stands out as the only song with a clear percussive rhythmic element, skillfully crafted by percussionist and sound artist Henrik Olsson.

Unlike her debut album, this release prominently showcases the harmonium as a recurring instrument in its sound palette. Additionally, the album introduces the flute as a new element. Isak Hedtjärn, a longstanding collaborator with Rotem Geffen, expands beyond playing clarinet and bass clarinet. Notably, on 'I Beg,' Hedtjärn's flute and Leo Svensson Sander's cello elegantly spiral upwards, as if entwined in each other. The lyrics, written in German, English and Hebrew, explore themes of memoring, love, grief, loss, and the night as a vibrating room. The ”I” and the ”You” are drawn as relational organisms, with boundaries that shift, blur and are redrawn in the encounter with each other. With a varied and dynamic instrumentation, the songs are imbued with a naïve shimmer that is balanced by darkness, depth and a low-key intensity – in both lyrics and music. This work is certain to resonate with fans of artists such as Julee Cruise, Björk, Nico, PJ Harvey and Fairuz, to name a few.

We’re hugely excited to announce the brand new album from Dee C. Lee - ‘Just Something’, out 22 March on Acid Jazz. It follows the incredible response to the new single ‘Walk Away’ and last year’s double-sider ‘Don’t Forget About Love’ / ‘Be There In The Morning’, marking the return of one of the UK’s most revered soul singers. Dee is known for her work with The Style Council, Wham!, Slam Slam and Animal Nightlife, and an illustrious solo career (including the Top 3 hit ‘See The Day’). ‘Just Something’ is her first new record since 1998, and her debut for Acid Jazz. Available on LP and CD, all pre-orders from the Acid Jazz Store will be signed by Dee.

‘Just Something’ features 11 songs: nine originals co-written by Dee, a song penned by her daughter Leah Weller, a successful singer/songwriter in her own right, and two inspired covers. Produced by Sir Tristan Longworth, the album is a soulful collection that frames her instantly recognisable vocals in luxurious horns, percussion and keys, and heritage soul with a disco backdrop. While making the record has been a collaborative process, ‘Just Something’ is nevertheless the sound of a singer in charge of her own style and direction. Her vocal delivery and phrasing steal the show throughout, bright and lilting one moment, passionate and ringing the next. She cites Chaka Khan and Jean Carn as major influences, but Lee’s voice is resolutely her own, the product of a life lived.

Inspired by classic Motown, current single ‘Walk Away’ was written by Dee with one of her ‘brothers from another mother’, former fellow Style Council member Mick Talbot, and features Talbot’s distinctive piano and Wulitzer playing on the track. Talbot also plays on another of the album’s many standouts, the Leah Weller-penned ‘Everyday Summer’.

Three of the album’s songs, opener ‘Back In Time’, first single ‘Don’t Forget About Love’ and ‘How To Love’ were co-written with Michael McEvoy and Ernest McKone, whom Dee wrote with back in the 1980s. All three songs channel her musical past, from the thrill and excitement of those early Wham! days, going out and partying, to The Style Council’s trademark jazzy soul, and expressive balladry and killer choruses, which places Lee in the lineage of classic soul singers.

Elsewhere, on ‘Anything’, co-written with Paul Barry, Dee sings her heart out on a song full of optimism and hope for the future, while ‘For Once In My Life’, the oldest song here dates back to 1998, is effortlessly commercial and has hit written all over it, with Lee empowered and regal sounding over a warm blanket of bassy funk.

The album’s two covers, meanwhile, were both suggested to Lee by Acid Jazz’s Eddie Piller. In Lee’s hands, Renee Geyer’s ‘Be There In The Morning’ is pure celebration, taking its cue from the Norman Connors version from 1979. ‘I Love You’, written by Don Blackman and recorded by Weldon Irvine in 1976, could have been written with Lee in mind. A big club tune, Dee recalls hearing it everywhere she went and I wanted to keep as close to the original vibe as she could.

Dee’s relationship with Acid Jazz the goes back to The Style Council days, and it was the 2019 documentary ‘Long Hot Summers’ that renewed Dee’s friendship with label founder Ed Piller and director Dean Rudland. We’re honoured to release this record and be a part of Dee’s return to the forefront of UK soul music.

If 2022’s The Children Of Scorpio was the debut album that turned people onto the world of Project Gemini aka Paul Osborne, Colours & Light is the body of work that will be buried deep into their hearts. It is a majestic album, bringing together the worlds of folk rock, psych soundtracks and hazy cinematic funk.

A growing confidence and ease emanate from the writing and production of this sophomore LP, bolstered by the reception to his standout debut. “It’s a more layered and diverse record” Paul mentions, “with a more outward-looking, global sound, born out of the records I was listening to and the musicians I was lucky enough to collaborate with”. It feels relaxed yet self-assured, with a kaleidoscope of sounds that twist together in a mesmerising fashion.

The theme of the album developed naturally through the lyrics Paul began writing. A creative process both plagued and fed by insomnia, nourished by relationships, entwined in emotions, nights out, nights in and the after-effects on the human condition. Relatable themes yet seen through the prism of a soundscape that takes in many a different culture and scene. From acid folk to psych-funk, Francophile elements to Anatolian and Eastern inspirations, all interlocking and rotating as one.

Drawing inspiration from those he admires, Colours & Light radiates with collaborations. The title track, which tips its hat to a live 1973 TV version of Pentangle’s ‘Wedding Dress’, features the folk rock, guitar brilliance of Jack Sharp from Wolf People/Large Plants.

Elsewhere, two tracks are blessed by the sultry, smokey French vocals of Gloria’s Wendy Martinez, ‘Extra Nuit’ and ‘Entre chien et loup’. The former echoes Paul's love of classic French psych-pop from the late ’60s and early ’70s and artists such as Laurance Vanay, Calcium, Leonie, and Serge Gainsbourg. Martinez's sublime vocal work nestles perfectly within Paul's psych-folk-funk productions, as her Gloria partner, Alexis Morel (aka Kid Victrola) sprinkles a dose of entrancing guitar line magic on proceedings.

The list of collaborations extends further with Raz and Markey Funk, drummer Tony Coote and percussionist Paul Elliott all featuring. Regular collaborator and underground icon Barrie Cadogan (Little Barrie) returns along with Bert Page from The Cromagnon Band, who between them provide a hit of whacked-out, fuzzed-up country guitar and Moog madness respectively on ‘Lost In The Woods (Bacchanal)’.

Rounding off the record Paul’s daughter, Olivia Osborne, supplies the keyboard intro on the penultimate track ‘Twilight’. Dorian Conway from The Soundcarriers (whose bandmate Paul Isherwood returns on mixing duties) then layers echoing heavy flute parts to magically capture the psychedelic sunrise images brought to mind.

Balancing light and shade on this record, there is beauty and tension all wrapped up in Paul’s vivid and visceral, storytelling gift.

If 2022’s The Children Of Scorpio was the debut album that turned people onto the world of Project Gemini aka Paul Osborne, Colours & Light is the body of work that will be buried deep into their hearts. It is a majestic album, bringing together the worlds of folk rock, psych soundtracks and hazy cinematic funk.

A growing confidence and ease emanate from the writing and production of this sophomore LP, bolstered by the reception to his standout debut. “It’s a more layered and diverse record” Paul mentions, “with a more outward-looking, global sound, born out of the records I was listening to and the musicians I was lucky enough to collaborate with”. It feels relaxed yet self-assured, with a kaleidoscope of sounds that twist together in a mesmerising fashion.

The theme of the album developed naturally through the lyrics Paul began writing. A creative process both plagued and fed by insomnia, nourished by relationships, entwined in emotions, nights out, nights in and the after-effects on the human condition. Relatable themes yet seen through the prism of a soundscape that takes in many a different culture and scene. From acid folk to psych-funk, Francophile elements to Anatolian and Eastern inspirations, all interlocking and rotating as one.

Drawing inspiration from those he admires, Colours & Light radiates with collaborations. The title track, which tips its hat to a live 1973 TV version of Pentangle’s ‘Wedding Dress’, features the folk rock, guitar brilliance of Jack Sharp from Wolf People/Large Plants.

Elsewhere, two tracks are blessed by the sultry, smokey French vocals of Gloria’s Wendy Martinez, ‘Extra Nuit’ and ‘Entre chien et loup’. The former echoes Paul's love of classic French psych-pop from the late ’60s and early ’70s and artists such as Laurance Vanay, Calcium, Leonie, and Serge Gainsbourg. Martinez's sublime vocal work nestles perfectly within Paul's psych-folk-funk productions, as her Gloria partner, Alexis Morel (aka Kid Victrola) sprinkles a dose of entrancing guitar line magic on proceedings.

The list of collaborations extends further with Raz and Markey Funk, drummer Tony Coote and percussionist Paul Elliott all featuring. Regular collaborator and underground icon Barrie Cadogan (Little Barrie) returns along with Bert Page from The Cromagnon Band, who between them provide a hit of whacked-out, fuzzed-up country guitar and Moog madness respectively on ‘Lost In The Woods (Bacchanal)’.

Rounding off the record Paul’s daughter, Olivia Osborne, supplies the keyboard intro on the penultimate track ‘Twilight’. Dorian Conway from The Soundcarriers (whose bandmate Paul Isherwood returns on mixing duties) then layers echoing heavy flute parts to magically capture the psychedelic sunrise images brought to mind.

Balancing light and shade on this record, there is beauty and tension all wrapped up in Paul’s vivid and visceral, storytelling gift.

Yore is on something like a roll at the moment. Think of Kaidi Tatham's “It never Stops EP”, or the much acclaimed version of Frankie Knuckles Tears by Chicago's Elbert Philips & Andre Espeut or the recent series of classic Detroit Techno Ep's by our very own P0lyrhythm. A lot is to be expected with having had these under our belts. But as you'd expect, we draw out quick, faster than Lucky Luke's shadow - this time with a eeep as its gets Techno EP by ReKaB.

His “My Future and my Past EP” dives deeper into Techno territory and will do get people movin' and groovin` without a doubt.

One of the greatest, heaviest, and most sought-after guitar records from 1970s West Africa, available on vinyl for the first time in over a decade!!!

Bamako, Mali, 1973: Rail Band, the official orchestra of the Malian state railway, drops their self-titled LP. It’s a relentlessly soulful and hypnotic blend of American funk, jazz horns, and Afro-Cuban music, reflected through centuries-old Mandé tradition and blasted at top volume by some of the continent’s greatest artists.

Led by legendary trumpet and saxman Tidiani Koné and held aloft by the intricate web of Djelimady Tounkara’s rumbling, reverb-soaked guitar, Rail Band’s sprawling compositions embody West African storytelling traditions while exulting in the technology and modernity of a newly independent Mali. Vocalists Salif Keita and Mory Kanté, two heroes of African music who would achieve global fame as soloists, are endlessly emotive, oscillating between silky ballads and funk screams. The band’s sound is filled out by layers of percussion, rolling guitars, and melodic horns filtered through the Caribbean.

Starting in 1970, Rail Band played five nights a week, from 2 pm til the early hours, at the Buffet Hotel de la Gare. Their audience was an international array of businessmen, young partiers, and people of the Bamako night. The band was incredibly versatile, switching genres, rhythms, and styles to meet their crowd. It was a volatile mix, one that would fall apart soon after these recordings were made, with Salif Keita’s departure to start the rival Les Ambassadeurs. Though Rail Band continued in many distinguished forms, the eight songs on this album reveal one of the greatest bands to ever exist, at the height of their creative powers.

On “Duga”, a composition dating back to the 13th century and passed on through oral tradition by the jelis (griots), the Rail Band replace balafon with the interplay of Cheick Tidiane’s speaker-rattling bass and Alfred Coulibaly’s tasteful organ. “Marabayasa,” with its iconic sax intro and Mory Kanté channeling James Brown, is a deep-cut favorite of DJs around the world. Part of a long and regal lineage of Malian guitar orchestras initially tasked with translating the region’s traditional music to modern instrumentation, Rail Band morphed and reenvisioned those traditions with a style and energy that has never been matched.

Rethink human's dominion in "The Invincible": a story-driven adventure set in a hard sci-fi world by Stanis?aw Lem. Discover planet Regis III as scientist Yasna, use atompunk tools looking for a missing crew and face unforeseen threats. Make choices in a philosophical story that's driven by science. A major part of the brand-new video game hit "The Invincible" is the unique atmosphere. Apart from the outstanding visual effort, created by Starward Industries, there's also the capturing soundtrack by Brunon Lubas that draws the player into the game. Lubas describes his contribution to this journey into space the following: "Inspired equally by the early pioneers of electronic music, minimalism, lo-fi and modern experimental music, the soundtrack for 'The Invincible' consists of 13 diverse tracks. Digging deep into the emotional part of the game's narrative, it accommodates the feelings of melancholy, mystery, loss and hope all glued together with a distinct and consistent take on aural aesthetic and harmony."

Pressed On Coke Bottle Clear Vinyl! Ridin' Dirty is the third studio album by dirty south legends Bun B and Pimp C - together known as UGK. It is easily considered one of the greatest southern hip hop albums ever made, but let's drop all the labels this is just pure good rap music, for any region. It's all right there, everything that people have come to expect from Houston rap: candy-painted cars, wood-grained steering wheels, flashy jewelry, late-night odes to lean and weed, passing references to DJ Screw tapes, those warm funk synthesizers that sound like radio oldies. All of Ridin' Dirty feels iconic now— among other reasons, because so many of its lyrics have since been cribbed by everyone from Slim Thug to Jay Z. There's the laid-back badassery of "Diamonds and Wood," the zoned-out celebration of "3 in the Morning," the ridiculous boasting of "Fuck My Car." Everything here is essential. Ridin' Dirty was produced entirely by Pimp C and features start to finish bangers such as One Day', Murder', Hi Lif' and of course the title track Ridin' Dirty.' Pimp C's makes use of perfectly chosen Soul, Funk and Gospel samples to create a perfect soundscape for he and Bun B to trade verse over. Despite there being no singles or videos released from the album, the set went on to be a pivotal moment in southern hip hop as well as UGK's best-selling and most critically acclaimed release.

After the highly acclaimed first release Serenity Now is back presenting the debut EP by OP Boombox @op-boombox. An electronic duo formed by brothers Orion and Phoenix Jarvis out of Dharawal Country on the East Coast of Australia.

The new EP Initial Artifacts is an honest and unique collection of raw, yet grounded, dancefloor tracks performed and recorded live through their vast collection of hardware synths, drum machines and FX pedals. Expect a deep journey through breezy coastal house landscapes with slight nods towards dub and trance where bass is absolute key.

A versatile EP for every mood of the night, taking it all the way from downtempo chuggers to peak time hard hitters making this a longtime “stay in the bag” sure shot.

Celine Dion's "My Love: Essential Collection" würdigt die klassischen Songs, die ihre Karriere begründeten und Millionen inspirierten. Das jetzt erstmals auf Doppel-Vinyl erhältliche Album enthält einige von Celines größten Hits wie das Oscar- und Grammy-prämierte "My Heart Will Go On", den internationalen Chart-Topper "All By Myself" (ihre unvergessliche Interpretation der bahnbrechenden Power-Ballade von Eric Carmen), "Where Does My Heart Beat Now" (Celines erste englischsprachige Single) sowie den von Linda Perry geschriebenen Titelsong "My Love".

"Jerskin Fendrix should have tea with Jarvis Cocker" - Iggy Pop on BBC 6 Music "Winterreise has proved his brilliance, but it has also only affirmed his status as an enigma" - The Quietus. Originally billed as the "quasi-godfather of the south London Scene" by The Quietus for his influence on bands like Black Country, New Road, Black Midi and Famous, Jerskin Fendrix has recently made the leap onto the global stage for his Oscar, BAFTA, and Golden Globe-nominated film score for Yorgos Lanthimos' latest film 'Poor Things'. Since this stratospheric rise to red carpet fame, the Shropshire-born musician's debut 'Winterreise' has been put into a fresh perspective; at the time of its release it was lauded as something of an enigma, a collection of errant pop songs that gave little away about the artist behind them. Now, the record that was awarded album of the year in 2020 by Loud & Quiet, can be seen as a prototype for Jerskin's strange blend of baroque, pop, electro, punk - an amalgam that takes the record beyond the referential. Having been out of print for a number of years, untitled (recs) has re-pressed it with its original artwork on a limited run of 1000 copies

Twentysix artists, lots of wine and pizza, no agenda. This compilation is a collection of vibes and memories from our PLYGRND Beat Retreat in Tuscany, Italy, wrapped in songs. Featuring tracks by Kiefer, Sara Kawai, Flozigg, Adia, Kaelin Ellis, Molly McPhaul, Burrito Eats, DAO, Desh, Dhanya, Elaquent, Elijah Fox, Glimlip, Joe Bae, K Le Maestro, Louk, Mad Keys, miamore, Miri, Nokiaa, Paul Grant, DEOVI, Relyae, Saltyyyy V, Sebastian Kamae, and Tom Doolie. Driving up a hill lined with pine trees and grapevines, arriving at a beautiful arrangement of terracotta colored houses embedded in an unreal scenery made of grapevines and verdurous greens. Roaming this area, worrying about nothing but the day that lies ahead. Bumping into fellow creatives who share the same passion for music and art. Collaborative energy coming out of this; exploring new sounds with new souls. You capture yourself getting lucky, and think to yourself: Don’t take it too seriously, it’s not that deep. But also, make some beautiful stuff, if you can. This year's compilation is a testament to the rich diversity of talent on display. The PLYGRND Beat Retreat Compilation 2023 is not just a collection of tracks; it's a celebration of the artists who brought their A-game to our event. Get your hands on this exclusive gatefold-vinyl, and immerse yourself in the sounds that defined the PLYGRND Beat Retreat 2023. Limited edition, high-quality, and a must-have for any music enthusiast.

Amsterdam's Alex Ranzino joins Phoq U Phonogrammen, the 26-year-old sublabel of U-TRAX, with the 'Ride Da Perc' EP. The Utrecht-based imprint welcomes the fast-rising producer following stints on underground labels such as Revenge Techniques and Clone, coming in hot on the heels of its own recent Phoq U release featuring Detroit's Rebecca Goldberg. Alex Ranzino kicks things off with the title track of his 'Ride Da Perc' EP, rocking punchy 909s and spacious, undulating strings. The Advent shows a different side to the track in his remix, still alien-like in nature but demonstrating a sense of dark, mysterious hypnotism through incessant groove and deep pulsating synth work. On the flip side of the 'Ride Da Perc' EP, Ranzino drops 'Acid Groove', a track that proves the age-old fact that b-sides should never be ignored. It's got pumping 303s and ceaseless rhythm, marked by a subtle but masterful house touch. Next up, 'Alienated' rolls on as the perfect warehouse party starter before 'Machine Geweld' closes out the EP as a real late-night mind-melter, already in heavy rotation in Alex's sets at Dutch institutions like BRET, WAS, Intercell and De School.

Fabiana Palladino announces full details of her hotly anticipated self-titled debut album. The UK vocalist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer releases ‘Fabiana Palladino’ via Paul Institute / XL Recordings. Made in the wake of the end of a long relationship, the album is an intimate record that sees Fabiana Palladino confront complex questions about love, loneliness and normativity in relationships. The result is a 10-track full-length of shapeshifting sonics that draws inspiration from the big R&B, soul, pop and disco studio productions of the 1980s and 90s and filters them through a modern lens.

Written and self-produced by Palladino, the album features performances from renowned musicians and close friends including Paul Institute co-founder Jai Paul, her father and legendary session bassist Pino Palladino, brother and Yussef Dayes bassist Rocco Palladino, renowned drummer Steve Ferrone and strings from Rob Moose.

Speaking on the new music and forthcoming album, Fabiana Palladino says: “A central theme of the album is aloneness. Whether it’s a song where I’m searching for connection with someone else, or trying to embrace the aloneness, it tends to come back to me, who I am when I’m alone, what I feel when I really look inwards. I’d say it’s a pretty introspective record overall. The songs are often about trying to go deeper into yourself, exploring your true feelings and how they then relate to and affect your relationships with others

After Sunrise, the new collaboration from Circles Around The Sun and Mikaela Davis reunites the disco cosmonauts and acclaimed harpist for further explorations of the synergy first showcased on the title track of CATS’ 2023 album, Language. Comprised of two new original compositions, ‘Gloaming Way’ and ‘Moonbow’, and an inspired interpretation of Brazilian legend Sérgio Mendes’ ‘After Sunrise,’ the album features the first appearance of vocals on a Circles Around The Sun recording, sung by Davis. A live take on ‘Language’ rounds out the second side and brings the pairing full circle. Once the endless night of the discotheque finally gives way to morning light, you may find yourself seaside as the sun peeks over the horizon. As the party rolls through the dawn and into the day, this is the soundtrack. This is After Sunrise. If it’s nice, play it twice. The vinyl is pressed as a neon & yellow disc.

GROOVE LINE," a HEATWAVE classic remade by STEAL VYBE & LAMONE, has been crafted into a modern soulful dance anthem...to make you reminisce and take you back to the days of boogie, funk, and skating in uniformed groove lines all night long.

Morphology debut on the Belgian De:tuned label with the vibrant eight-track electro album 'Fractures'. The Finnish duo, Matti Turunen and Michael Diekmann, lay down a versatile blend of cosmic string harmonies and powerful bass work-outs merged with techno and acid elements suitable for the floor, late night driving and home listening sessions. Skillfully produced electro science in their own signature style transports you into a darker realm.
Kevin Foakes (Openmind, DJ Food, Ninja Tune) created all the graphic work. Mastered by Matt Colton at Metropolis. A separate digital release will also be available at the usual digital shops. Stay tuned!

Lewis Brooker: A Collaboration between Andy Lewis and Hugh Brooker. Andy Lewis was one of the founding fathers of legendary Camden night Blow Up and was recruited by Blur to DJ on their Parklife tour. Always a musician as much as a DJ, Andy played bass for Pimlico, Spearmint and later spent eight years performing with Paul Weller. He also signed to Acid Jazz Records in 2002 for whom he’s recorded a number of albums and singles. Hugh Brooker founded The Night Trains in 1987, who became one of the first acts signed to Acid Jazz records. He also formed The Humble Souls with UK rapper and Fatboy Slim cohort MC Wildski and released the all-time classic single “Beads Things And Flowers”, still played on the jazz dance scene to this day.

Best known for ‘Gonna Hang On In There’, its storming Northern Soul flip side, the more subtle ‘Night Bloomin’ Jasmin’’ also has admirers on the rare soul scene. Modernists, in particular, will go for the suave jazz-elegance of this recording which is even scarcer than its original A side - due to being one of two different flips.

The unrelated, bar the LA source of origin, ‘Tricky Too’ by pianist Gus Jenkins is a laidback instrumental groove, written as a sequel to his 1956 smash hit ‘Tricky’. Completed with a hip brass section, it failed to get a release until Ace bought the catalogue, unearthed the tape and slotted it into the 2012 “Mod Jazz Forever” CD