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An incredible, uplifting joint from New Zealand soul artist Arjuna Oakes. His second release on the Albert’s Favourites imprint overflows with the clear enjoyment of the band featuring legendary Nathan Haines. We’d say there’s a reasonable nod to D'Angelo’s essential Spanish Joint within these grooves.

The b-side delivers a vinyl exclusive – a downtempo, moody little number with an emotional drive that is deeply compelling – one to get lost inside.

DJ Feedback:

Gilles Peterson (BBC Radio 6 Music) - 'Watch out for a great singer from New Zealand called Arjuna Oakes' Gilles Peterson (BBC Radio 6 Music)

Air is the central element in Antonina Nowacka's third solo album Sylphine Soporifera. The title names an imaginary species and the land they inhabit, inspired by the unreal desert landscape of Paracas and the undulating tree-less hills of the Outer Hebrides, and comes from the writings of Rudolf Steiner, who describes creatures called Sylphs as the spirits of the air, and the Latin word sopor which means deep sleep.

As with all her releases, Nowacka's other-worldly vocals coming as if from beyond the veil, at once haunting, alien and utterly entrancing. "The voice is the most beautiful and resonating instrument,” she says. “When I sing I feel I create a field in between myself and the air in front of me," she explains. "It is not just that I'm singing – something in the space in front of me is happening, and I merge with this sphere.”

She conjures and is inspired by open environments and infinite landscapes: places full of light and air, manifested here in the sound of ocarinas from Budrio in Italy, whistles from Mexico, simple bamboo flutes from Nepal, alongside tremulous zithers, synthetic Hawaiian sounds from a vintage organ and the uncanny wind instrument presets from a 90s synth.

Nowacka’s first album was informed by vocal sketches made in caves in Indonesia, later recorded at a fortress in Poland; she studied Hindustani music in India with vocalist Shashwati Mandal, fell in love with early Cumbia in Mexico and Peru, and has more recently found inspiration in the landscapes of Italy. Hers is a new New Age soundworld that finds its origins everywhere and nowhere. Sylphine Soporifera gathers these sounds, visions and experiences into an album permeated with a sense of hope and fulfilment, that feels like sitting in an enlivening white beam of afternoon sunlight, as dustmotes swirl in the stillness.

We’re glad to be back with the second installment of our new series of DJ and Artist curated 12” mini compilations: Melodies Record Club.

Ben UFO is up next for volume two, following Four Tet’s selection a few months back. Available early October in loud 12” format and digitally. Here we have two tracks which have been staples in Ben’s DJ sets at different times, but neither were originally produced with a club setting in mind, which is why they’ve never been available in this format before.

On one side, we have “Drums” from Laurie Spiegel’s 1980 experimental electronics album “The Expanding Universe”, a collection of tracks produced between 1974 and 1976 using a computer playing the actual sounds by controlling analog synthesis equipment under control of the GROOVE hybrid system developed by Max Matthews and F.R. Moore at Bell Labs. Drums is a percussive seven minute computer generated workout inspired by Laurie’s interest in African and Indian musics, and which brings to mind the most far out kosmiche music of the period to modern day techno. A connection Ben has tried to make explicit by including it in his first BBC essential mix back in 2013.

On the flip we have a track by Olof Dreijer from the Swedish band the Knife who’s work you might also be familiar with under the moniker Oni Ayhun. Back in 2009 his artist friend Adnan Yildiz curated an exhibition called “THERE IS NO AUDIENCE” in Montethermoso, dedicated to public imagination. Adnan commissioned a single piece from Olof called “Echoes from Mamori”, that played on loop during the exhibition and was subsequently released only on CD. A contemporary piece more clearly indebted to house music, Olof built the track around arpeggios generated using sounds of frogs he recorded in the Amazon and birds around Berlin, fed into a sampler.

First time reissue of “Quiero…” by Peruvian-Cuban singer and composer Króffer Jiménez, leader of Poppy y sus Pirañas, one of the key figures in Peruvian tropical music.Recorded in 1969 but not released until 1972, this album comprises guarachas and cumbias that were ahead of their time, mostly original compositions. Unfortunately the album went almost unnoticed back in the day, becoming a sought-after collector’s item in recent times. Quintets such as Compay Quinto, Pedro Miguel y sus Maracaibos and Los Totos were the stars of the Peruvian tropical scene at that time, winning over listeners with their powerful rhythm section and fast-paced melodies. In contrast, the dozen guarachas and cumbias on "Quiero..." are slower and more relaxed, where the elegant intonation displays Króffer’s Cuban roots, with the Pirañas contributing during the more festive moments. The cumbia 'Mala mujer' and the guarachas 'Amar en el mar' and 'El sortilegio' were ahead of their time, as the singing style adopted would only become fashionable from 1971 onwards. 180g vinyl.

Scottish experimental/electronic musician Drew McDowall's lifelong interest in an elegiac solo bagpipe style called pibroch (ceòl mòr in Gaelic) has been an inspiration for much of his previous work (including Coil's legendary Time Machines). This form, often traditionally used for laments and for tributes to the dead, fuses modal drones with flickering dissonance and plaintive melody evoking an ancient, solemn mood. His latest work, A Thread, Silvered and Trembling, both incorporates and transforms these elements via exploratory electronic processing, weaving an electro-acoustic tapestry of strings, shudders, voids, and voices, alternately disembodied and displaced. Co-produced with engineer Randall Dunn at Circular Ruin Studios in Brooklyn, the collection's four pieces capture McDowall at his most elevated and elusive, in thrall to "the ineffable - that which refuses to be spoken." McDowall's palette here is unusually eclectic, sourced from a dynamic orchestral ensemble arranged by Brent Arnold and comprised of cello, viola, violin, harp (Marilu Donovan of LEYA), and french horn. Ebbing between shrouded electronics and enigmatic, sometimes spectralist orchestration, the album moves with a seething, simmering energy, surging into elegant, uneasy crescendos. The first two pieces are inspired by a liberatory hijacking and inversion of a grim biblical story (and by a cryptic and strange UK simple syrup branding). Opener "Out of Strength Comes Sweetness" shivers with short echo and resonant pads, before shifting into the album's centerpiece: the 14-minute saga "And Lions Will Sing with Joy." A murmuring electrical storm of keening strings and disorienting drones gradually grows darker and denser, until suddenly there's a crack in the clouds, revealing mutated choral voices and sparkling harp. McDowall describes the track as "an incantation to help usher in a break, and a new beginning." The record's latter half evokes a deep untamed animism shot through with spiraling radiance. "In Wound and Water" sways with harp, plucked strings and eerie cello undertows while lush layers of disorientated electronics hang in the dusk. There is no resolution, only a faint gradient of fragile dissipation, leading into the album's harrowing and climactic closer, "A Dream of a Cartographic Membrane Dissolves." Processed voices (credited on the liner notes to "The Ghosts Who Refuse to Rest") contort, whisper, and gather as the rest of the ensemble sharpens, poising to strike. Then it does - grand, tragic stabs of strings and horns lashing the sky, storming heaven by force. The fallout is poetic and inevitable, raining embers into a dark sea. But the journey and catharsis of A Thread linger long after it goes silent. Like so much of McDowall's multifaceted catalog, this is music of immanence and alchemy, attuned equally to the sacred and the profane, to the tile and the mosaic.

Next up in Mr Bongo's Groove Merchant Records reissue series, sees an outing for a much-loved and heavily sampled funk/soul/blues album by Junior Parker. Originally issued under the title The Outside Man on Capitol Records in 1970 with an alternative cover, this reissue replicates the Groove Merchant release titled Love Ain't Nothin' But A Business Goin' On featuring the car cover released in 1971.

The Mississippi-born, Memphis-based blues singer, harmonica player and songwriter Junior Parker (aka Little Junior Parker) had a stellar career in music. Since the early 1950s he released records on labels such as Duke, Mercury, United Artists Records and more. Sadly though, Parker died at the young age of 39 during surgery on November 18, 1971.

Originally released under the alternate title a year before his untimely death, Love Ain't Nothin' But a Business Goin' On is drenched in Parker’s trademark buttery vocals and soulful grooves, swaggering between smokey blues, raw funk outings and orchestrated soul ballads (with sublime arrangements by Horace Ott).

The album also features three Beatles cover versions in the form of ‘Taxman’, ‘Lady Madonna’ and ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’. For 'Taxman', Parker completely reinterprets the song taking into a New Orleans funk realm, a sample of which was used as the main hook line on Cypress Hill's classic 'I Wanna Get High'. Elsewhere, 'Tomorrow Never Knows' is flipped into a tripped-out, psychedelic soul-swamp blues ballad, whilst 'Lady Madonna' is given a funky blues makeover.

As shown with Cypress Hill’s use of ‘Taxman’, since the ‘70s Parker’s legacy has been immortalised for future generations through the deep well of samples that his music has become a source of. Tracks from Love Ain't Nothin' But a Business Goin' On have been sampled by some of the biggest names out there, such as A Tribe Called Quest, DJ Shadow and De La Soul.

A seriously smooth album oozing with soul and emotion from a Blues Hall of Fame inductee, Junior Parker’s Love Ain't Nothin' But A Business Goin' On is a superb example of the early ‘70s crossover funk/soul sound.

This isn't just a seminal album. It is an estuary. All the black rivers that would form Brazilian funk/hip-hop flow through it. Led by Paulista pianist Salvador Silva Filho - Dom Salvador - 'Som, Sangue, e Raça' from 1971, one year after the explosion of Tim Maia on the scene, catalyzed the bossa nova and jazz background of its leader with the rhythm and blues of its members like saxophonist Oberdã Magalhães, nephew of samba-enredo master Silas de Oliveira and future leader of Banda Black Rio, who since the group Impacto 8 (which had, among others, Robertinho Silva on drums and Raul de Souza on trombone) had already been trying to reconcile MPB with Stevie Wonder and James Brown. Add to all this a mixture of samba, Nordestino accent, and even the black side of the Jovem Guarda represented by the authorial presence of Getúlio Cortes (older brother of Gerson King Combo, our James Brown 'cover') in 'Hei! Você'. Alongside these elements and the presence of Rubão Sabino (bass), who still called himself 'Rubens', drummer Luis Carlos (another member of Black Rio), the record enlists the trumpet and flugelhorn of symphonic musician Darcy in place of the original Barrosinho (yet one more founder of Black Rio), who was traveling during the recording but would end up being a leading force of the band.

The album 'Som, Sangue e raça' paves the way for future generations of musicians and producers of the Carioca scene at the beginning of the 1970s. The lyrics that dealt with the question of race and the explosive fusion of samba, soul, jazz, and funk, elaborated by Dom Salvador and his troupe, Abolição, established the bases for the development of new sounds and tendencies in Brazilian music.

In collaboration with NETFLIX, Waxwork Records is excited to present RIPLEY Original Netflix Series Soundtrack Music by Jeff Russo. Tom Ripley, a grifter scraping by in early 1960s New York, is hired by a wealthy man to travel to Italy to try to convince his vagabond son to return home. Tom’s acceptance of the job is the first step into a complex life of deceit, fraud, and murder.



The limited series drama is based on Patricia Highsmith’s bestselling Tom Ripley novels. An- drew Scott plays Tom Ripley. Dakota Fanning plays Marge Sherwood. Johnny Flynn plays Dickie Green-leaf.

Gary Bartz, a titan of the saxophone, has left an indelible mark on the jazz landscape through collaborations with luminaries like McCoy Tyner, Art Blakey and Miles Davis. BGP's selection of 'Celestial Blues,' featuring the soulful vocals of Andy Bey, encapsulates the essence of spiritual jazz, epitomizing Bartz's musical strength. Paired with 'Gentle Smiles (Saxy),' famously sampled by A Tribe Called Quest, this release offers a glimpse into Bartz's multifaceted artistry and enduring influence on contemporary music.

*REMASTERED ROUGH TRADE DEBUT LP LIMITED TO JUST 500 COPIES WITH EMBOSSED OUTER SLEEVE AND ORIGINAL INNER SLEEVE ON BLACK VINYL*

Dream POP, they called it. Given AR Kane’s Alex Ayuli once worked for advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi, it’s no surprise that he and collaborator Rudy Tambala invented their own genre before critics could stick their oar in. It was a canny move, but more importantly, it was accurate: the music of AR Kane was made for dreamers, by dreamers, and its languor and longing made it particularly bewitching listening; their music is often smeared and blurry, happily lost in its own indefinable pleasures. “We wanted dream pop,” Tambala says, “that feeling of a dream where the rules are different. Dream logic.”
-UNCUT REISSUE OF THE MONTH

"A.R. Kane carved out a unique musical path, welding elements of pop, psych, dub, electronica, funk, noise, jazz, ambient and more in a way that had never been done before. Or since. Their debut in particular is a work of unbridled brilliance."
*Electronic Sound*

‘Sixty Nine’ the group’s debut LP that emerged in 1988 had critics and listeners struggling to fit language around A.R. Kane’s sound. As a title it was telling - the year of ‘Bitches Brew’, the year of ‘In A Silent Way’, the erotic möbius between two lovers - and as originally coined by the band themselves, ‘dream pop’ (before it became a free-floating signifier of vague import) was entirely apposite for the music A.R. Kane were making. Crafted in a dark small basement studio in which Tambala recalls the duo had “complete freedom - We wanted to go as far out as we could, and in doing so we discovered the point where it stops being music”. There was an irresistibly dreamy, somnambulant, sensual and almost surreal flow to ‘sixty nine’s sound, but also real darkness/dankness, the ruptures of the primordial and the reverberations of the subconscious, within the grooves of remarkable songs like ‘Dizzy’ and ‘Crazy Blue’. Alex’s plangent vocals floated and surged amidst exquisite peals of refracted feedback but crucially there was BASS here, lugubrious and funky and full of dread, sonic pleasure and sonic disturbance crushed together to make music with a center so deep it felt subcutaneous, music constructed from both the accidental and the deliberate, generous enough to dance with both serendipity and chaos. ‘sixty nine’ remains - especially in this remastered iteration - ravishing, revolutionary – Neil Kulkarni


"A.R. Kane made some of the most exciting, forward-thinking, and science fictional music of their era".s*

Glasgow septet The Joy Hotel are announcing their debut album Ceremony with the release of its lead single, the surging and rapturous 'Jeremiah'. It’s a song that grapples with the idea of approaching unknowns, and how conflicting attitudes illicit different responses to the same situation. More directly, it’s about staring death in the face and choosing how to come to terms with it.

Newly signed to SO Recordings and with a debut album proper in hand, The Joy Hotel have become a word-of-mouth success story in the Scottish DIY scene, and have since taken their live show across the UK and Europe, playing festivals including Hidden Door, Doune the Rabbit Hole, Connect, TRNSMT, Twisterella, Latitude, Sound City and The Great Escape.

The band spent eleven days at Rockfield, the legendary studio in Monmouth, Wales, recording live-to-tape. When they left, they had a sound. It is often contradictory, in that it combines the songwriting sensibilities of pop and country with arrangements reminiscent of the psychedelic scene of the 60s, six-part vocal harmonies with elements of noise rock, beautiful balladry with a sense of humour, and a cinematic quality. The result of those eleven days is debut album Ceremony, a record that searches for the profound in the seemingly routine, and reaches out with arms wide open to wring celebration out of each moment.

Ceremony will be accompanied by a short film documenting the creation of the album called ‘Come The Ringing Bell’.

"25th anniversary reissue of AFI’s fourth studio album, Black Sails In The Sunset, first released on Nitro Records in 1999. Described by Alternative Press as the band's “first epic” in a 4.5 star review, the title is also the first to feature AFI's current line-up with the addition of Jade Puget. This special pressing features three bonus tracks; a never-before-released track “Weight of Words,” Japanese B-side “Who Knew?” in addition to “Lower It” which is exclusive to the vinyl format. "

Formed by high school buddies Andreas Gregor and David Rout, Techniques Berlin started in 1984 experimenting with synthesizers, drum machines and guitars. In the early stages, the band was heavily influenced by UK new romantic acts The Human League, Visage, Yazoo, OMD and Depeche Mode, as well as rising Canadian synth-pop bands Rational Youth, Men Without Hats and Trans-X. It took them a few years to master their electronic toys and create a unique blend of addictive electro-pop melodies and beautifully crafted alternative beats.

In the late 80s, Techniques Berlin played live on a regular basis and their 3 self-released tapes received frequent local airplay in Canada. Despite their moderate success, the band failed to secure a record deal. Eventually both members had developed a strong interest in the burgeoning electro-industrial scene. Dave and Andreas founded !Bang Elektronika and were working with Digital Poodle as live drummers. Both of these projects were soon picked up by record labels. Techniques Berlin played their last show in November of 1991 at the University of Toronto, debuting the last track they had recorded, fittingly called ‘Time Fades to Nothing’. Or so they thought…

The proliferation of Internet radio and streaming music platforms introduced the band to a new generation of fans, enabling Techniques Berlin to stage a remarkable comeback. Within the next years they released the compilation “Suburban Playgrounds and Concrete Beaches” (Fabrika Records), recorded a new album “Breathing” (Nadanna) in 2018 and offered a series of shows in Toronto, Montreal, Mexico City and Leipzig.

“The Language of Machines” compiles a selection of original recordings between 1985 and 1991, including some favourite tunes like ‘Dancing to the Fall of the Berlin Wall’, ‘Metropolis’, ‘Watching You’ and a few unreleased tracks/versions. Limited edition of 500 copies on double vinyl with gatefold sleeve.

a 1 I Desire Dave Vocal Version








j 10 And You LinnDrum Version




o 15 My Suburban Playground [Extended Remix]

A new album is finally on Drivecom. A 2xLp full of new tracks recovered and rearrenged around 2022-23. No doubt the legacy of the past works are represented. Some arpeggios and melody lines will remember us to sonic landscapes from the “La Hora de las Máquinas” or “The Source” albums by Boris Divider but with a new and refreshed production sound, for sure this will be a must item for all the electro community and fans of the label.

The album opens with the intro track “The Way You Feel Me” a mix between electro and synthwave with a moog bass and arpegio reminiscent of some Arpanet’s “Wireless Internet” tracks. Then followed for the “Letters From A Sleeper” theme. As the track’s name reflects, it's a clear tribute to the synth era of David Harrow/Anne Clarke’s “Sleeper in Metropolis” just like a reply from a postnuclear future, with a big role carried out by the initial synthline. Then the first slow bpm track is for “Distante” where synthlines a la Tangerine Dream are crossed and mixed with vintage digital rhythm machine sounds and the pattern seems to be taken from those Dire Straits’ “Money for nothing” intro drum arrange in an infinite and repetitive way.

In the B Side “You Know What I Know” track is again showing an Arpanet-ish intro synthline followed by a sequential prophet's arpeggio which bring us back to the old “La hora de las máquinas” sound. Closing the first 12 inch is “Sin Mirar Atrás”. One of the most important tracks of the album for the author. A big dimensional and introspective track full of vintage synthlines and reverb. Time for “Your Light” track is again here. This song was already presented with its own reference on Drivecom. A future pure Electro classic which was announcing the album months before.

In the same side, we find another slow tempo theme called “Recursos Infinitos” an instrumental track which implements several synthlines that interlink themselves into an infnite Tangerine Dream’s soundtrack that serves as a little break to the power and darkness of “Cenital”. Electro rhythm patterns and dark arpeggio synthlines in the vibe of Vangelis’ Blade Runner are mixed in this cold dystopian agressive dancefloor track. Later we find the theme that gives name to the album: “ Memories From The Dust” a slower track which mixes sounds and melodies between “La Hora de las Máquinas“ and other 80's digital keyboard sounds. The last track is just an outro theme called “Out of Sync”. Its name is a clear statement of its own musical arrangement, synthlines are full out of timing and synchro, it was recorded in realtime from a modular synth to a digital device in one take.

Die Ramonas sind die wahrscheinlich beste Tribut-Band der legendären The Ramones, den New Yorker Urväter des Punks. 2004 in Großbritannien gegründet, versteht es die ausschließlich aus Musikerinnen bestehende Band den ultimativen Garage-Punk-Rock-Sound von 1976 perfekt einzufangen und bei energiegeladenen Auftritten auf die Bühne zu bringen. Getreu ihres Mottos "Touring, touring is never borning" haben den Ramonas ihre ständigen Tourneen in den letzten Jahren den Ruf einer der am härtesten arbeitenden Band innerhalb der Szene eingebracht. Zu Recht: denn seit 2016 schreiben Die Ramonas auch eigene Stücke, die sie in ihren Shows unter die Ramones-Klassiker mischen. Deutlich erkennbar am Bühnenoutfit von Sängerin Lisa: während sie bei den Ramones-Covern ganz im Stil von Joey Ramone die obligatorische Sonnenbrille trägt, nimmt sie diese bei der Präsentation der eigenen Songs ab. Für die neue LP "High on life" hat die Band eine grandiose Auswahl dieser Eigenkompositionen zusammengestellt, die mühelos den 76ger-Geist ihrer Vorbilder einfangen. Fur Fans von RAMONES, MUFFS, TRAVOLTAS, Punk, Garage, Powerpop

Repress!

** Now available on vinyl* Steve Reich remains one of the most important figures in
20th century music. Though he studied at the prestigious
arts institutions Julliard and Mills College, by the mid-
1960s Reich set about dismantling the very orthodoxy that
he had been trained in. Forming a new musical language
based on repetitive processes, Reich became established
as part of the so-called 'Big Four' of New York minimalists
(along with La Monte Young, Terry Riley and Philip
Glass). Reich's influence can easily be seen today in both
the classical world and contemporary pop music.
'Four Organs' is the ultimate minimalist composition.
Performed by Reich, Glass, Art Murphy and Steve Chambers,
four identical Farfisa organs strike a single chord and
gradually lengthen each note to produce polyrhythms between
the players. Anchored by Jon Gibson's stoicallysteady
pulse on maracas, the piece deconstructs its opening
burst to a sustained mass of sound - stretching the tones to
create (in Reich's words) 'slow-motion music.'
Inspired by Reich's early training on drums, 'Phase Patterns'
treats the keyboards like tuned percussion instruments:
a basic rhythm pattern is played in unison and almost imperceptibly increases tempo to move out-of-sync.
Each progressive cycle emphasizes unique figures that are
not generated by an individual alone, but rather emerge
from the communal expression of the group.
Originally released on Shandar in 1971, Four Organs /
Phase Patterns is one of most highly regarded avant-garde
recordings in the past 45 years. This CD release features
cover photography by artist Michael Snow and is recommended
for fans of Neu!, Glenn Branca and Tim Hecker.

Multidisciplinary artist Yannick Verhoeven, aka Ramses3000, is back with a new album called ‘Thalamus’. Earlier known from his electro-cha3bi outlet Cairo Liberation Front, Verhoeven decided to discover unknown musical territory as he was inspired by calming music and aimed to compose music that allows the listener to relax and process the stimuli of daily life. Earlier this year ‘Thalamus’ was showcased at prestigious art installations at Museum De Pont, Kunstinstituut Melly and Stedelijk Museum Breda and music festivals such as November Music and ADE. Crafting the album for two years resulted in a remarkable trip that sounds like a cross-pollination where the classical and digital worlds meet, incorporating influences from ambient, jazz, new age and psychedelic music

"1996-97? Yeah, that’s when New York was still NEW YORK!

That was around the time we really started to get hold of exotic herbs. Copper Haze, hydroponic! The vibes in the studio were always lovely. I had hair at the time! Dread-Locs down to my shoulders... I was still rockin’ the Wallabees, or British Walkers as we called them - representing for Brooklyn and my West Indian roots!

There was no social media, no supervision, nobody all up in our business… It was classic "mind your own business" NYC Vibes! I was DJing at a lot of the hot clubs and THE hottest afterhours in the city. There were nights when I saw Micheal Douglas roll into the afters with Grace Jones - they were there to party and unwind and I was there dropping the dope tracks for the people.

When it was studio time, with my homie Matt Echols...I was probably setting things off with some quality herbage, a big ass bag of Funyuns and my trusty SP-1200, lol. I had picked up some tips and tricks from Todd Terry and by '96-'97 I was a Shaolin with it myself! This was around the time tracks like "Flowers" and "Only Love Can Break Your Heart (Dub)" were tearing up the clubs. I wanted to be able to get my ideas out with no problem, and by then I had a lot of confidence...

Being able to Dj in some of the hottest NY hot spots at the time, I was able to really see what worked and what didn't on the dancefloor. The best House Dancers from around the world and around the Tri-State area would be at my jams. I'm talking Ejoe, Voodoo Ray, maybe kids from the Mop-Top Crew... I was definitely taking note of the kind of rhythms and sounds that would make them go crazy on the dancefloor!

And that's how we went about it - I laid down the rhythms that made it happen in my sets and translated the vibes I was picking up from NYC itself. Matt threw down musically and we were just being as creative and inventive as possible! But we always kept in mind that our job was to make the people on the dancefloor jump!

A lot of the jams from those days got signed to various record labels, we dropped a lot of them on our own label...and some of them ended up in the archives - until now!"

- DJ Romain

INSIDE is the third album (and second in a row on Brixton Records) by the respected ten-piece group from Barcelona that fuses Jamaican music and jazz. DROP COLLECTIVE bravely faces the so-called third album syndrome and makes a sincere declaration of principles, a public manifestation of their musical identity. The two sides of the album are clearly identified. Side A is Inside-Out, displaying five own-penned compositions, including three songs sung in Catalan and two in English, in which DROP COLLECTIVE make it clear what they like to do and what they are capable of offering. The album opens with "Com Estimo Jo" (The Way I Love), a reggae ballad composed by Andreu Domènech (baritone sax) that is dedicated to the growth and learning we do when we love. It is followed by "Let Us Dance", a fluid ska with Latin airs and an invitation to dance, which recaptures the sound of some of the most celebrated passages from their previous album. "Estel" (Star) is a melancholic reggae song, sung in Catalan, in homage to someone who is no longer here - "now you are the star that watches over us from up there, bright, bright". Prior to the release of this LP, four advance tracks have been published on digital platforms, but "Life's Too Short" is, perhaps, the album's single. This resounding reggae with a powerful brass section could have easily taken more elaborate instrumental and studio developments, however, the band has preferred to produce a compact track brimming with strength and lasting less than three minutes. “Ombra" (Shade) closes this side of the album with solemn roots sonorities. The B-side is Outside-In, four reinterpretations of jazz classics that DROP COLLECTIVE internalize, make their own and, therefore, also form part of their identity. The choice of pieces is hair-raising, because of the risks they take. "Yearnin'" is a cover of the song originally included in one of the most epic albums in the history of jazz, "The Blues and the Abstract Truth", by saxophonist Oliver Nelson. DROP COLLECTIVE take the song to their own territory with the skill and freshness of expert ska-jazzers and with the special collaboration of trumpeter Joan Mar Sauqué, they make one of the most famous riffs in jazz sound unashamedly contemporary and... Caribbean. "Day by Day" is an adaptation of the standard from the late forties of the last century that was part of the regular repertoire of, among others, Frank Sinatra. The result is a swinging ska love themed, sugary and romantic, with an exquisite interpretation. And to close the album, two extraordinary trials by fire for Maria del Rio, the band's vocalist, which she solves with total ease and mastery of the situation. "What a Little Moonlight Can Do", a composition by Harry Woods that the legendary Billie Holiday recorded in 1935 and which, after 90 years, still sounds fresh in up tempo ska mode, and "Sinnerman", a traditional spiritual from the early 20th century made popular worldwide by Nina Simone, becomes a lively ska-jazz with soulful touches and an infectious organ solo by Daniel Ferruz. INSIDE is an album with a compact, solid, and synchronous sound, but full of details, which gives a total sense of permanence and singularity to their skareggae- jazz mastery, in which many universes fit.

Campo Amaro is the fourth album by Rosso Polare, the Milan-based duo of Cesare Lopopolo and Anna Vezzosi. These compositions were inspired by observing the waterways that surround the fields of various Italian regions, the so-called ditches (fossi), bodies of water that are often polluted, but may also be full of flora and wildlife, lined with bitter and edible herbs.

Throughout this land, small and distant chants emerge, twisted traditional songs of resistance or made-up tunes of revolution. There are small local legends that survive thanks to anonymous monuments placed in indiscreet contexts, rescued here through the vivid storytelling of Lopopolo and Vezzosi.

Written and performed by Cesare Lopopolo & Anna Vezzosi
Recorded between Milan and Brescia, 2022-2023
Mixed and produced by Cesare Lopopolo
Mastered by Angelo Harmsworth
Album art by Anna Vezzosi
Design by Josh Mason

Third album from Finnish group Mahti, a collaboration between three members of stalwart avant-rock legends Circle and Hannu Saha. Saha plays the Kantele, a traditional Finnish acoustic instrument which can have five, ten, fifteen, or thirty-six strings, and which is plucked like a zither or harp, producing a delicate string sound. Following their two very limited studio albums on UK label Riot Season, Konsertti I is an excellent recording of the group in live performance, capturing their understated and beautiful mix of ambient, electronic, and string music. Saha’s Kantele centers the music, sometimes plucking out melodic arpeggios, at others blending in with the burbling-but-subtle electronic and electric guitar backdrop. Doesn’t really sound like anything else, but recommended to fans of AR & Machines, Ash Ra Temple, Richter Band, Durutti Column, etc. “These ancient musicians played their ‘mahti’…and the sound they produced was called ‘musiikki’.”

Odie Leigh would never have called herself a musician before the depths of the 2020 pandemic when her rapper roomies made a bet: Whoever records a song that goes viral first, wins. Slightly ticked off that they hadn’t included her in the wager, she decided to hit them with her best shot, and Leigh was crowned the victor when a track she wrote blew up on TikTok. “I was like, ‘I’m gonna show y’all. I’m gonna win.’“ Four years after posting what she calls “that silly joke song” on TikTok, Odie Leigh has continued to transform and evolve as an artist — from what she calls “acoustic, ethereal folk sad girl music” to harder-edged tunes that flirt with early Aughts pop-punktivism.

Born and raised in Louisiana, Odie Leigh sang in the church choir, sure — her grandfather built the building, after all, and her family attended three times per week. But after moving to New Orleans to study English, she fully intended on making her bones in the film industry. That 2020 wager changed things, though, when Odie realized that she could win hearts in addition to bets. After her releases began gaining steam on social media, Odie Leigh started hitting stages hard. She toured Europe, North America, and played Newport Folk in 2023, followed this year by gigs at Boise, ID’s Treefort Music Fest with more to come.

Repress on rosewood coloured vinyl. HOST is the name of a devil worshipping ministry, that in order to spread their unholy gospels and, furthermore, trick mankind into believing that the end is ultimately a good thing, have decided to use the ever so popular rock music medium as a way to achieve their ends. Standing motionless and anonymous beneath the painted faces, hoods and robes which their sect demand, the six nameless ghouls of Ghost deliver litanies of sexually pulsating heavy rock music and romantic lyrics, that glorify and glamorise the disgusting and sacrilegious, with the simple intention to communicate a message of pure evil via the most effective device they can find - entertainment. In May 2010 Ghost were contracted to a UK based gramophone company called Rise Above Ltd, who swore an oath stating that they will assist the group in the task of spreading their musical blasphemies through formats such as Compact Discs, Long Playing Vinyl Records and Digital Downloading. The first full length Ghost album Opus Eponymous will be released in October 2010 and it is understood and agreed that Rise Above Ltd will invest money in areas such as magazine advertising and retail marketing and will employ the services of music publicity specialists in order to expose the music of Ghost to the wider public. Specific attention will be paid to targeting people (research suggests these are most likely to be adolescents) who have a void in their life, perhaps caused by some form of emotional trauma or upset, that can be filled by the music and philosophies of Ghost.

In 2018 Diagonal Records released an intriguing, three track, hand stamped, white label
12” of dancfloor sampledelia by Shit & Shine onto an unsuspecting world. The lead track
on this 12” ‘You Were Very High’ turned a lot of heads and became a club oddity, being
played out by DJ’s around the world – and some movers and shakers have hailed the 12”
as “Shit & Shine’s best ever release.”
Now in 2024, as the original 12” has become a bit of a collector’s item, trading hands for
£60+ on Discogs – Shit and Shine and Rocket Recordings have decided ‘You Were Really
High’ deserves a one off repress. This expanded version of the EP, which is housed in new
art and ltd to only 300 copies, also features a mighty extra track called ‘Dave, Have You
Ever Been To London.

Yellow Vinyl

Seba smashes his way into 2022 with the much anticipated release of his third studio album, "Ingaro".

Prepare yourself for ten brand new tracks of Seba. Secret Operations presents the first LP in almost ten years, from a producer who believes albums are not to be taken lightly.

"Ingaro" takes it's name from the small island outside of Stockholm, which Seba has called home for the last 20 years and is also where he spent his formative years.

The new LP takes the listener on a soaring journey through the entire Seba sound. Whether it's the dark and insistent forces of "Horse Power", which grow and fold in on themselves throughout the track, or the blooming euphoric roller "Public Beauty". A fresh collection of tracks which contain the unmistakeable Seba DNA, which has helped cement the name Seba firmly into the world of drum and bass.

Any album is not complete without some guests joining along the way and Seba has also enlisted some helpers on the journey and the LP includes collaborations with Collette Warren, Björn Berglund, Samuel Lancine and Blackeye.

For many, Seba is a name they are very familiar with. From his early releases on Good Looking right through to the present day Seba has made a name for himself for his exciting and varied production.

His music draws influence from far and wide across the musical spectrum and his work alongside the legendary Paradox and vocalist Robert Manos have gone down in Drum and Bass history.

Not just famed for his work in the studio, Seba's sets have gained a reputation for their energy and emotion. One of the scene's unique veterans. Seba's work is inspiring producers and fans more than ever. An album which sets the bar high for 2022!

Zur Feier des 70-jährigen Bestehens von Bethlehem
Records. Von den analogen Masterbändern von Bernie
Grundman geschnitten. 180-Gramm-Vinyl, Deluxe
Glossy-Tip-On-Albumhüllen.

Repress!

Formed in 1968, Jazz Sabbath was considered by many to be at the forefront of the new jazz movement coming out of England at the time. The eagerly awaited debut album, scheduled for release on Friday 13th February 1970, was cancelled when news broke that founding member and pianist Milton Keanes was hospitalised with a massive heart attack which left him fighting for his life.


The record company shelved the album and cancelled the scheduled release out of financial uncertainty of releasing a debut album from a band without its musical leader. When Milton was released from hospital in September 1970, he found out that a band from Birmingham, conveniently called ‘Black Sabbath’, had since released two albums containing metal versions of what he claims were his songs.


All recalled Jazz Sabbath albums had been destroyed when the warehouse burned down in June 1970; which turned out to be a case of insurance fraud by the label owner, leaving only a few bootleg tapes of Jazz Sabbath’s live performances as proof of existence.


The album masters were said to be lost in the fire, but were actually misplaced and gathered dust in the basement vaults of the recording studio. These tapes have now been remixed and, half a decade later, will finally be heard; proving that the heavy metal band worshipped by millions around the world are in fact nothing more than musical charlatans, thieving the music from a bedridden, hospitalised genius.

Repress!

Formed in 1968, Jazz Sabbath was considered by many to be at the forefront of the new jazz movement coming out of England at the time. The eagerly awaited debut album, scheduled for release on Friday 13th February 1970, was cancelled when news broke that founding member and pianist Milton Keanes was hospitalised with a massive heart attack which left him fighting for his life.


The record company shelved the album and cancelled the scheduled release out of financial uncertainty of releasing a debut album from a band without its musical leader. When Milton was released from hospital in September 1970, he found out that a band from Birmingham, conveniently called ‘Black Sabbath’, had since released two albums containing metal versions of what he claims were his songs.


All recalled Jazz Sabbath albums had been destroyed when the warehouse burned down in June 1970; which turned out to be a case of insurance fraud by the label owner, leaving only a few bootleg tapes of Jazz Sabbath’s live performances as proof of existence.


The album masters were said to be lost in the fire, but were actually misplaced and gathered dust in the basement vaults of the recording studio. These tapes have now been remixed and, half a decade later, will finally be heard; proving that the heavy metal band worshipped by millions around the world are in fact nothing more than musical charlatans, thieving the music from a bedridden, hospitalised genius.

Steve Reich remains one of the most important figures in 20th century music. As part of the so-called "Big Four" of New York minimalists (along with La Monte Young, Terry Riley and Philip Glass), Reich influenced both the classical world and contemporary pop music.





Back in print ! Steve Reich remains one of the most important figures in 20th century music. Though he studied at the prestigious arts institutions Julliard and Mills College, by the mid-1960s Reich set about dismantling the very orthodoxy that he had been trained in. Forming a new musical language based on repetitive processes, Reich became established as part of the so-called "Big Four" of New York minimalists (along with La Monte Young, Terry Riley and Philip Glass). Reich's influence can easily be seen today in both the classical world and contemporary pop music."Four Organs" is the ultimate minimalist composition. Performed by Reich, Glass, Art Murphy and Steve Chambers, four identical Farfisa organs strike a single chord and gradually lengthen each note to produce polyrhythms between the players. Anchored by Jon Gibson's stoically-steady pulse on maracas, the piece deconstructs its opening burst to a sustained mass of sound – stretching the tones to create (in Reich's words) "slow-motion music."

Inspired by Reich's early training on drums, "Phase Patterns" treats the keyboards like tuned percussion instruments: a basic rhythm pattern is played in unison and almost imperceptibly increases tempo to move out-of-sync. Each progressive cycle emphasizes unique figures that are not generated by an individual alone, but rather emerge from the communal expression of the group. Originally released on Shandar in 1971, Four Organs / Phase Patterns is one of the most highly regarded avant-garde recordings of the past 50 years. This first-time vinyl reissue features cover photography by artist Michael Snow and is recommended for fans of Neu!, Glenn Branca and Tim Hecker.

Valley of Rain was Tucson’s Giant Sand’s debut album recorded in 1983, and eventually released by 1985. It included Howe Gelb on vocals, guitar and Winston Watson on drums for most of it, Tommy Larkins on drums for some of it and Scott Garber on fretless bass for all of it. At the time of the recording, Howe was unacquainted with the possibilities of tube (valve) amps and had recorded most of the album with a Roland JC120 at the miraculous 8 track facilities of The Control Center in Korea Town, Los Angeles by Ricky “Mix” Novak. This impromptu recording had occurred because the band refused to cancel their first Los Angeles live gig, at Madame Wong’s, when the band (Giant Sandworms) had broken up days before in Tucson. Instead, Howe headed out anyway with Scott, the newest member who’d only been in the band for about a year, after band mainstays Billy Sed and Dave Seger reasonably decided ‘enough was enough’ following a rough and tenuous year spent in the lower east side of NYC attempting to further the band circa 1981/82. Tucsonan Winston Watson, (who would go on to tour with Bob Dylan in the 90s, as well as Alice Cooper, Warren Zevon etc ) was already living in Los Angeles and was brave/kind enough to jump in for the live date with no rehearsal. The result was so sparked with adrenalin, that the trio set up an impromptu studio session the next day to attempt to capture the sonic thrust on tape. The total cost of the day and a half recording was $400 including one 1” reel of 30 minute tape. When Enigma Records offered to release the album they requested another 15 minutes of music to make it a full LP. Ron Goudie was then called in to oversee the extra recordings at a Venice, CA studio called Mad Dog with Eric Westfall engineering. Tommy Larkins, who had been on the previous country punk album of Howe’s “The Band of ... Blacky Ranchette” came in to drum for those last 3 songs. It was there when Howe borrowed an amp that had been stored at the studio did he discover the bolster of a tube amp and his world changed. The amp was a slightly modified Fender Twin Reverb owned by Robbie Krieger of The Doors. 30 some years later, now that the band had been put to sleep indefinitely, those very first songs had begun creeping into the last Giant Sand tours. It somehow seemed appropriate to give them another shot with the proper amp just to see what they could’ve been. What made the idea more approachable was the availability of both original drummers living back in Tucson. The first attempt came last summer with both Winston & Tommy and Thøger Lund on bass, as well as the 2 newest members, 29 year old Gabriel Sullivan and 23 year old Annie Dolan on double neck guitars. The sound was insane. The funny part was Gabriel, who engineered and mixed the session, gave it an intentional 80s production sound. Howe later explained to Gabe he had been at war with that production trend since those first original recordings. So they all tried it again at Christmas time, this time with a newly discovered Fender 30 amp that had only been in production from 1980 – 1983. This new re-recording of that first album now sounds like it should’ve sounded. It was re-done for $400 and the same day and a half session time as the original. Scott Garber even drove up from Austin TX with his fretless to play so that the album is literally the originally line up for at least half of the songs. And yes, no pedal boards were used too. The band intends to tour this summer playing only those Valley of Rain songs. Giant Sand Returns To Valley Of Rain.

Communique Records U..S.A. is re-issuing Ralph Laurenn - Proper Etuquette from 1997 on the sublabel called Party Rock.

*REMASTERED ROUGH TRADE DEBUT LP LIMITED TO JUST 500 COPIES WITH EMBOSSED OUTER SLEEVE AND ORIGINAL INNER SLEEVE ON BLACK VINYL*

Dream POP, they called it. Given AR Kane’s Alex Ayuli once worked for advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi, it’s no surprise that he and collaborator Rudy Tambala invented their own genre before critics could stick their oar in. It was a canny move, but more importantly, it was accurate: the music of AR Kane was made for dreamers, by dreamers, and its languor and longing made it particularly bewitching listening; their music is often smeared and blurry, happily lost in its own indefinable pleasures. “We wanted dream pop,” Tambala says, “that feeling of a dream where the rules are different. Dream logic.”
-UNCUT REISSUE OF THE MONTH

"A.R. Kane carved out a unique musical path, welding elements of pop, psych, dub, electronica, funk, noise, jazz, ambient and more in a way that had never been done before. Or since. Their debut in particular is a work of unbridled brilliance."
*Electronic Sound*

‘Sixty Nine’ the group’s debut LP that emerged in 1988 had critics and listeners struggling to fit language around A.R. Kane’s sound. As a title it was telling - the year of ‘Bitches Brew’, the year of ‘In A Silent Way’, the erotic möbius between two lovers - and as originally coined by the band themselves,
‘dream pop’ (before it became a free-floating signifier of vague import) was entirely apposite for the music A.R. Kane were making. Crafted in a dark small basement studio in which Tambala recalls the duo had “complete freedom - We wanted to go as far out as we could, and in doing so we discovered the point where it stops being music”. There was an irresistibly dreamy, somnambulant, sensual and almost surreal flow to ‘sixty nine’s sound, but also real darkness/dankness, the ruptures of the primordial and the reverberations of the subconscious, within the grooves of remarkable songs like ‘Dizzy’ and ‘Crazy Blue’. Alex’s plangent vocals floated and surged amidst exquisite peals of refracted feedback but crucially there was BASS here, lugubrious and funky and full of dread, sonic pleasure and sonic disturbance crushed together to make music with a center so deep it felt subcutaneous, music constructed from both the accidental and the deliberate, generous enough to dance with both serendipity and chaos. ‘sixty nine’ remains - especially in this remastered iteration - ravishing, revolutionary – Neil Kulkarni


"A.R. Kane made some of the most exciting, forward-thinking, and science fictional music of their era".
*Reissue Of The Week In The Quietus*

Repress!

Pop Music by Iggy Pop is the 1996 compilation featuring the 20 best tracks released through BMG between 1979 and 1981, including ""Bang Bang"", ""I Need More"", ""I'm Bored"", ""New Values"" and ""Five Foot One"". Iggy Pop was associated with Virgin Records for much of his post-Stooges solo career, but for a brief spell during the late '70s and early '80s he called Arista Records (BMG) his home. This era saw punk's godfather stray away from the primal style he is known for, as he experimented largely with new wave sounds. For the very first time, Pop Music is available on vinyl as a limited edition of 1500 individually numbered copies on ash grey coloured vinyl and includes an insert.

Dance culture has always gone side by side with hip-hop. Another proof of this is the new solo project YATUT (translated as «I’m here») by the legendary beatmaker Boora, originally from Kaliningrad, and now based in Los Angeles. His Debut EP called Vahue (translated as «I’m shocked») on Minor Notes is a collection of reflections on life changes, moving to another country, and the difficulties that accompany migration at all. Musically, this release is woven from a variety of samples and breaks combined with the analog sound of the Roland JV-1080 synthesizer and MPC One. This music is at the junction of house, electro and breakbeat. And we «Vahue» how cool it turned out.

“Gun The Man Down ” by Dice The boss aka Pama Dice was first released in 1969 on the Trojan sublabel Joe with the track “Thief” by Joe Mansano on the B side. “Thief” is also reissued by us on a separate single dedicated to Joe Mansano.

“Your Boss DJ” was also released in 1969 on the Joe Label with the track “Read The News” by Joe All Stars on the flip.

Both titles are skinhead reggae classics that have never been reissued until now.

About Joe Mansano:

“Gun The Man Down ” and "Your Boss DJ" were both credited to Joe Mansano, real name Joel Mansano, who also produced the songs. Joel was a Trinidadian who moved to London in 1963. He was a record shop seller, song writer and producer and became heavily involved in the early reggae era producing and writing tracks for several Jamaican artists, enough for Trojan to dedicate a label to him: the “Joe” label aimed at the emerging Skinheads market. He also owned a shop the Joe's Record Centre in Brixton and recorded two handfuls of singles under the name Joe The boss…

About Dice The Boss/ Pama Dice:

Not much is known about Dice The Boss. His real name was Hopeton Reid and he was alternatively known as “Pama Dice”. But we know more about Pama Dice thanks to Gaz Mayall!

"Pama Dice was one of Prince Busters ‘no-shoes’ ‘Sunday school gang in west Kingston Jamaica. According to the Prince there wasn’t a car that Pama couldn’t nick. He used to nick the cars uptown with no shoes on & take them to the ghetto to teach the youth to drive. They were called the Sunday school or no-shoes gang as they were so poor that they only had one pair of shoes each & only wore them to church on Sundays. Pama Dice rose in the ranks to become one of Prince Busters main sound system DJs before emigrating to London in the late sixties where he MC’d for Duke Vin & recorded many great records for the UK/Jamaican booming new Reggae market in its infancy on the shoulders of the Bluebeat & Ska & Rock Steady music scene."

Source Gaz Mayall 27/2/2021

Pressed on chocolate covered strawberry splash colored vinyl. Limited to 300 hand-numbered copies. includes the bonus cut "Stars" and all instrumentals. Che Noir brings you The Color Chocolate Vol. 1, on her own imprint Poetic Records. The Queen MC of Buffalo NY has been steadily dropping gems and gaining momentum the last few years, with countless guest appearances and solo projects (After 12, Food for Thought, The Last Remnants, Noir or Never) and has much more in store for 2024. Whether on an introspective and autobiographical angle, or just spitting straight rawness, Che shows why she has been standing out from an overcrowded field of female MCs over the last 5+ years, and making a claim as the best rapper in NY, male or female. With contributions from Evidence, Your Old Droog, Ransom, and more, this EP is the perfect way for existing fans to witness her rise to excellence, and for new fans to get familiar with her greatness. Production by Playa Haze, welcome2dlolife, and Graymatter round out what is already being called the Best EP of the Year. This exclusive limited-colored vinyl pressing features a bonus song, “Stars” featuring Jynx716 and produced by frequent collaborator JR Swiftz and Motif Alumni, and also includes complete Instrumentals on the flip side.

On February 28th 2020 NEAERA released their 7th album – it was their self-titled comeback record after a 7-year-hiatus - which caught everyone by surprise. Despite having been very well perceived the pandemic impeded the band’s long awaited and already scheduled return to the live stages. On February 29th 2020, NEAERA played a successful and sold out release show in the band’s hometown, but it remained the only show for the record in years since Wacken, the Impericon festivals and other shows had to be postponed until further notice which was a huge setback for the ambitious quintet. Sebastian Heldt (drums), Tobias Buck (guitar) and Stefan Keller (guitar) used the unfortunate state of the pandemic and the impossibility to play live shows to create something new. Together with Marcus Bischoff of German metalcore institution Heaven Shall Burn and old friend Tristan Hachmeister they unearthed a black metal project by the name of OUR LOSS IS TOTAL and released the bleak full-length record “I” end of 2022 through the project’s own label. After that release, the NEAERA band members decided it was time write new material. The band wanted to go back to an old school approach, like in the old days, when they wrote the songs together in their little rehearsal room in their hometown of Münster, North Rhine Westphalia, Germany. The band started the writing process in September 2021, skipped the first material and then started with a new approach to a more free and less comfortable style, trying to leave old boundaries behind. By 2022, NEAERA played the postponed Wacken Open Air show – which was an overwhelming experience – and asked Janosch Rathmer (drummer of long-time friends and post rock institution Long Distance Calling) to record the band’s new album ALL IS DUST. The mixing and mastering was skilfully handled by Kristian Kohle at Kohlekeller Studios (Powerwolf, Aborted, Electric Callboy) who adorned the songs with the exact right powerful yet organic sound. In terms of lyrics, NEAERA shifted their approach a little bit and put the individual and its survival and well-being center stage – beside lyrics that deal with global or social clamour; a shift that can be called pandemic infused. 2024 marks the 20th band anniversary and is the perfect timing to release the eighth studio album, ALL IS DUST. Nothing can stop the band this year with two video clips at hand and prestigious summer festivals confirmed such as Summer Breeze, Reload and Vainstream Rockfest, the latter being the album release show in front of 20,000 people!

2024 repress.

Five years ago, back in September 2016, Stefano Gentile published a photographic book entitled IL SILENZIO DEI TUOI PASSI (The Silence of Your Steps), which collected a series of 56 pictures, both in b/w and colour, dedicated to the nights in Venice. The book was a journey through the most remote "calli" and "campi" (streets, alleys and squares, as they're called in Venice) in search of the true 'breath' of the city, far away from the hordes of tourists who 'attack' it every day during daylight hours.

On such occasion, renowned musician Gigi Masin composed a 30 minutes epic ambient track entitled VENEZIA 2016 which was the perfectsoundtrack to the images included in the book. The track was published on CD and released bounded with the book itself in a limited edition of 480 copies only, and has been unavailable for years now.In 2021 Gigi Masin returned to that great piece of music and to its timeless sounds. Finally, Silentes can now offer PLAYS VENEZIA, Masin's latest work contanining a re-edited version of that 'pearl', accompanied by two unreleased tracks composed and recorded in the same period.

Once again inspired by the city, Masin created an enduring and wonderful ambient masterpiece, a sort of return to the origins, to his home. Adding to the intrinsic quality of the originals, the tracks were beautifully mastered by Brandenburg Mastering in Amsterdam. PLAYS VENEZIA is simply an unmissable release and one of Masin's greatest accomplishment in a long carrier that never ceases to amaze us.

* CASSETTE VERSION **
Five years ago, back in September 2016, Stefano Gentile published a photographic book entitled IL SILENZIO DEI TUOI PASSI (The Silence of Your Steps), which collected a series of 56 pictures, both in b/w and colour, dedicated to the nights in Venice. The book was a journey through the most remote "calli" and "campi" (streets, alleys and squares, as they're called in Venice) in search of the true 'breath' of the city, far away from the hordes of tourists who 'attack' it every day during daylight hours.

On such occasion, renowned musician Gigi Masin composed a 30 minutes epic ambient track entitled VENEZIA 2016 which was the perfect soundtrack to the images included in the book. The track was published on CD and released bounded with the book itself in a limited edition of 480 copies only, and has been unavailable for years now.In 2021 Gigi Masin returned to that great piece of music and to its timeless sounds. Finally, Silentes can now offer PLAYS VENEZIA, Masin's latest work contanining a re-edited version of that 'pearl', accompanied by two unreleased tracks composed and recorded in the same period.

Once again inspired by the city, Masin created an enduring and wonderful ambient masterpiece, a sort of return to the origins, to his home. Adding to the intrinsic quality of the originals, the tracks were beautifully mastered by Brandenburg Mastering in Amsterdam. PLAYS VENEZIA is simply an unmissable release and one of Masin's greatest accomplishment in a long carrier that never ceases to amaze us.

Ltd. Purple & Black Splatter Vinyl. It's been four years since Zach Saginaw, aka Shigeto, returned home to Michigan from a stint in Brooklyn, NY, and since then, the multi-faceted musician has become a part of the fabric of Detroit's music scene. While always having a personal approach to his projects, Saginaw's influences for his third album, The New Monday are more about the community of Detroit than anything else. Named after a weekly DJ event called Monday is the New Monday that Saginaw does at the unassuming Motor City Wine with a group of friends, The New Monday is the result of Saginaw diving into the city's deep record culture, where there legacy of artist's of the past help Saginaw embrace his own contributions. "It's focused on a couple things and they all kind of come together to represent dierent things," explains Saginaw. "My time back in Detroit, back living in Michigan and spending time with a lot of kind of original people who have always been here, learning from them, hearing stories from them, being influenced by them, and inspired by them." While, in the past, projects like Lineage or No Better Time Than Now were rooted in strong personal messages, family and relationships respectively, The New Monday represents a communal eort where solidarity is the key. Going for a simplified approach of just trying to make good tracks, The New Monday is diverse in its styles leaning more into a dance music direction - new ground for a Shigeto project. A new air of confidence in Saginaw has expanded his horizons since his return to Detroit, but traces of his past work will continue to be present. "I don't want people to think I'm leaving anything," says Saginaw. "I'm still me. It's a result of me being immersed in the culture, and inevitably making music that is influenced by that culture whether it be house, techno, jazz, rap. It doesn't matter. It's all coming from what I love about Michigan." While The New Monday still features the jazz textures long associated with Shigeto projects, the varied elements that make up the album cohesively come together to show the distinct inspiration that Saginaw has drew from since his return home to Detroit. Like on "Barry White", which features Detroit hip-hop artist ZelooperZ (a member of Danny Brown's Bruiser Brigade crew who Saginaw also has a side project with called ZGTO), Saginaw captures everything he's been doing all on one track. As much as it's hip-hop influenced, it's a mutant that encompasses elements of dance music, jazz, and ambient sounds. Throughout The New Monday, Saginaw poignantly references the musical influences that have either always been with him or newly discovered. It is Saginaw's interpretation of Detroit's rich culture of innovative artistry, but done so with respect for the history and to contribute, not disrupt. "I think over the past four years, I can confidently say that I found my place here," describes Saginaw. "I'm happy here and I feel that I have the respect from the people I need respect from, that I want respect from. It's all of the result of embracing it and embracing, not Detroit, but embracing community, embracing family,








f A2D (FT. ZEELOOPERZ & SILAS GREEN) AAPV






f A2D (FT. ZEELOOPERZ & SILAS GREEN) [AAPV]

Keeping the classics on 45.

Donald Byrd, Wind Parade. Hot stepping into the 80’s this jazz-funk classic has been tough to track down on 45.

Sampled by Black Moon for their underground hip hop classic “Buck Em Down”. Billy Brooks, Fourty Days. Never before on 45, infectious brass driven jazz-funk grooves with a well known intro sampled by Tribe called Quest for ‘Luck of Lucien’.

Thanks to the success of his productions and his remixes, all the works printed on vinyl made by Luca LTJ Xperience Trevisi have been snapped up among his fans and DJs from all over the world.

From his past catalog there was still a complete album released only in Compact Disc and in digital format in 2013: Ain't Nothing But A Groove, left behind not because it had anything less than the others but simply to alternate new releases with catalog ones.

Now it is finally being printed.

The album, strictly in the DJ Friendly version, double vinyl with only two tracks on each side, contains some of his Nu Disco Funk pearls such as: What I Feel, Linear Funk and Get Down. Luca LTJ Trevisi (LTJ Xperience) began his career as a DJ and producer in the 80s.

As resident DJ of two of the most famous Italian clubs, the Kinky in Bologna and the Cap Creus in Imola, he was one of the first Italian DJs to play House Music and to revive that particular selection of Black Music called Rare Groove mixed with Jazz and Latin-Bossa who gave birth to the Acid Jazz movement at the end of the 80s.

His first official release was in 1988 and was titled First Job, paired with Kekkotronics, and was also the first album from Irma Records. The song was included in many compilations and many DJ playlists around the world. In the following years, among his singles we find some song forms that anticipated the Breakbeat genre such as Do n't Stop The Sax and Funky Superfly. He produced Tameka Starr's single Going In Circles, also for Irma Records, which has become a classic of the Downtempo/R&B genre.

In the mid-90s he produced some Italian Acid Jazz groups such as Bossa Nostra and Live Tropical Fish and began to select Rare Grooves compilations that have become classics such as Groovy and Suono Libero. At the same time he also started playing outside Italy, in particular at the Blue Note and the Jazz Café in London, at the
Giant Step in New York and at the Montreaux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. In 1999 he released his first album under the pseudonym LTJ Xperience entitled Moon Beat which featured Ohm Guru in
the production and Taka Boom and Jackson Sloan as vocal guests. Two tracks from the album have become club classics:
the Brazilian House version of Sombre Guitar and the chill out Moon Beat. His second album in 2003 entitled When The Rain Begin To Fall features Joe Bataan in the reinterpretation of his most famous song Ordinary Guy which has become a Gilles Peterson classic.

After some singles including Organ Mind / I Love you (Larry Heard's favorite track) he dedicated himself to the world of the Nu Disco genre, releasing 5 albums in the genre to date. The latest Deepening of A Groove contains Bad Side with the American singer Anduze on vocals, which is one of his most popular hits, adored by Moodyman so much that he included it in the music of Playstation's Gran Theft Auto which sees him as the protagonist with his avatar.

In April 2022, Aurora read a letter that changed her life. The letter was co-authored by indigenous activists entitled "WE ARE THE EARTH" and called for a revolution as a collective response to global warming - to "heal the land". They described a connection to the land "through our hearts" and the earth as "the heart that beats within us". The letter prompted Aurora to ask herself: what happened to the heart? She then began to study books on human anatomy to understand when and why Western culture lost sight of the deeper purpose of our most vital organ.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO THE HEART?" is a journey from weakness to strength, from self-destruction to self-healing. It is a touching and introspective musical journey that explores the loss of spiritual connection in modern society, the healing power of vulnerability and the call for change through reuniting the heart with politics and personal growth.

Stefano De Santis kicks off this Best Of Various with Murk, as the name suggests its a dark workout from one of Rome’s finest producers. Following that are Batavia Collective from Jakarta. When we first heard the live demo for this we were blown away and had to get it out on TLM. Batavia Collective are Elfa Zulham on drums, Doni Joesran on keys and Kenny Gabriel on synth bass. All mixed by Stefano De Santis. Rounding off the A side we have Cormac Fulton and his follow up to Perplexed on TLM025 with a new track called Loungeware. Based in Salford this is another atmospheric track from Cormac featuring Netherlands born but now Rio de Janeiro based flautist Floor Polder. Floor also appeared on Steve Conry’s rework of Guinu - Eletromadinga which featured on Colin Curtis Presents Jazz Dance Fusion 4 Part 2. Loungeware was mixed by Steve Conry and Matt Cox. Onto the AA side and we have Montreal resident Mike Perras with Soullous, a superb dancefloor track, live drums and amazing keys, in fact everything you want from house music. Next up is Future Jazz Ensemble from Vibo Valentia who follow on from their Rough Time EP TLM028 and appearance on TLM030 with another broken jazz monster of a track called Over The Rainbow. Finishing off side AA is Takahiro Fuchigami from Fukuoka with another fine track called Outer Heaven, a great follow up to Strange Acquaintance which was on TLM034.

Seven Spires, die amerikanische Symphonic-Metal-Band aus Boston, werden ihr viertes Studioalbum mit dem Titel "A Fortress Called Home
veröffentlichen.
Der mit Spannung erwartete Nachfolger von "Gods of Debauchery" (2021) hebt ihre charakteristische Mischung aus Symphonic, Power und Extreme
Metal auf neue Höhen und zieht den Hörer dabei in die tiefsten Abgründe. Ihre Einflüsse stammen aus dem gesamten Spektrum des Metals und
darüber hinaus und reichen bis hin zu Jazz, spätromantischer Orchestermusik, cineastischen Klanglandschaften und mehr.
"A Fortress Called Home" wurde von Gitarrist Jack Kosto produziert, gemischt und gemastert. Der Tourneeplan von Seven Spires für 2024 beinhaltet
eine Europatournee mit Skálmöld und Atavistia im März.

Art-Aud is back with some hot new tunes! Five mesmerizing modern dancefloor tunes by talented new artist Shai FM, straight outta Philadelphia who is dropping his debut record called "Motion Blur". Comes with a remix by one of our Japanese favorites, T5UMU5UMU! Art designed by Leoxdema. Forward-thinking stuff from the folks who brought you the Secret Raves series. Limited supplies!

A Gilles Peterson-approved deep jazz-rap classic.

2024 first time vinyl release, 140g double vinyl, remastered audio with restored artwork.

Limited and Non-Returnable.

Holy grail hip-hop alert! Superstar Quamallah's Invisible Man was never released on wax so, to celebrate the 15th anniversary of this astounding record, we present the first ever vinyl edition. A stunning record which gained accolades upon its initial release, such as a prominent feature on Gilles Peterson's renowned Best Of 2009 show, it's one of the most essential jazz rap albums of all time.

Deep jazz rap on that mellow-melodic tip, Invisible Man is an unforgettable album with nothing but dope beats and dope bars. There's a strong chance this album has passed you by but we truly believe it to be a lost hip-hop masterpiece. It supremely captures the essence of a golden age classic without being slavish to the past. No, this ain't some facile throwback rap. It's a fresh and deeply soulful, original album shot through straight from the heart. Perfect to chill to, Invisible Man is profoundly jazz-oriented and captures with simplicity and sincerity the essence of hip-hop circa 1983-1994. It sounds like vibing with your nearest, dearest and oldest friends on a long hot summer night as the tantalising thought that anything is possible fills the air. You know what, we can just call this "magic hour rap" and we think you'll know what we mean. It's just beautiful. Just Listen.

Brooklyn-born, California-based emcee, DJ, and producer Superstar Quamallah was active in the West Coast underground scene throughout the 90s and recorded extensively with such revered names as Defari and Tajai. His parents were some serious artistic heavyweights, too; his father was soul organist Big John Patton, a giant in the jazz world known for his releases on Blue Note whilst his mother was an active designer. However, he remains relatively unknown. Invisible Man, named ostensibly after the classic Ralph Ellison novel, could also refer to how he is viewed by the public at large. With close affiliations to the Hieroglyphics, Dilated Peoples and Likwit crew, his debut EP "Don't Call Me John" arrived in 1999 on ABB Records, after which he took a sabbatical from recording which included graduate school, travelling, teaching at Inglewood High and eventually a professorship of African Studies at Berkeley.

With a laidback flow and deep, relaxing presence on the mic, Superstar Quamallah is equal parts Big Daddy Kane, Rakim and Guru. Invisible Man is refined, soulful, feel-good hip-hop of the old school. Its wise, spiritual and literate sound, combined with the summertime vibes projected by the smooth beats and the nostalgia-inducing samples and vocal scratches, created jazzy boom-bap rap reminiscent of prime De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest and Gang Starr.

Irresistibly bouncing opener "You Need Knowledge" loops sparkling pianos, horns and a nagging whistle refrain with scratched vocal refrains from Slick Rick, Mobb Deep and Guru. The super-smooth head-nod classic "88 Soul" also utilises a beautifully swelling piano line and dusty breaks whilst Quamé reminisces about his childhood in NYC. Deeply moving, the silky, sultry "Black Shakespeare" is built around an elegant piano loop and goes hard on the superman lover tip whilst "For My People...It's Spiritual" is transcendental rap in conversation with Rakim and older gods. The "Moment Of Truth"-sampling "Lonely At The Top" is striking for its undiluted boom-bap stylings and the staccato flute-hop of "Just Listen" is riddled with soulful refinement. The deeply-affecting, wistful-yet-triumphant bells and horn-drenched single "California Dreamin'" is top-tier rap of unimpeachable quality. What a flow!

Another highlight is the rich melodic piano-rap of "Purity", a beautiful ode to the foundations of rap and those keeping the culture authentically alive. Beautifully played instruments and spiritual jazz samples elevate the deep thinking present on "Kunta Kente" whilst the darker jazz-tinged battle-rap of "93 Shit" goes super hard both in a lyrical sense and with its no-holds drum punches. The breezy Rhodes and string loops that serve as the sonic backdrop to the slinky jazz rap of "We Got Plots" are just gorgeous as our hero evokes Common's "I Used To Love H.E.R." with a head-spinning tale of crime, deception and double crossing. And some twist! "Do Win-Dis" has a tense crime-funk backing and rolling beats which complement Quamé's flow perfectly before the record is rounded out by the tough yet jazzy brilliance of rap confessional "Hope She Remembers Me". Just sensational.

Upon its original release, Quamallah himself declared: "My favorite time period for Hip Hop music was definitely between 1983 and 1994 with 1988 and 1993 being two years that standout as extremely impressive years musically and culturally. The fashion, slang, movies, TV shows and vibe during those years was incredible. While totally submerged in the feelings and music of that entire time period, I went to work on Invisible Man and I am excited for people to hear the result! It is an album that I would want to hear from some of my favorite artists of the past and present today. This is not a RETRO trip for me; this is me at my best lyrically and spiritually using the accessories of the 80s and 90s to fuel me. I am a 88 soul as the song states!"

This album goes deep. It goes all in. When Invisible Man first came out it had a real hold on us here at Be With HQ. We couldn't stop listening to it. We'd venture to say it's one of the top 25 rap records of the 2000s. In the years since its release, it has remained a criminally underrated record, an increasingly hidden gem. We sincerely hope this first time double LP release will go some way to correct this.

It's been mastered for vinyl by Simon Francis, cut by Cicely Balston and pressed at Record Industry. Finally available on the format it should always have been on, it must never be rendered invisible again.

Pone is one of the founders of The Fonky Family : a French hip hop band from the 90's. He won many gold and platinum records. Paralyzed by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) since 2015, also known as Charcot disease, he started producing again in January 2019. Since then he produced the first album in history to be composed, made and mixed with only eyes, called Kate & Me. Pone used samples from Kate Bush to whom this album is dedicated.

Four Flies is thrilled to announce a reissue of Piero Umiliani's soundtrack to the 1969 giallo thriller  "Orgasmo" (called "Paranoia" in English speaking countries), the first of three erotically charged films directed by Umberto Lenzi and starring cult siren (and Oscar nominee) Carroll Baker. Back in 2020, we unveiled the first-ever release of this iconic soundtrack, whose master tapes were thought lost for decades. After some serious detective work in the composer's archives, our team managed to salvage and restore the original tapes, bringing Umiliani's score back to life for all to enjoy. Due to popular demand, this reissue, unlike the 2020 release, bears the film's original Italian title.   Recorded shortly after "Sweden: Heaven and Hell" in late 1968, Orgasmo is undoubtedly one of Umiliani's finest works. The score perfectly captures the stylish and sleazy vibe of Lenzi's film, its acid-drenched visuals, ...



a 01. Fate Had Planned It So (film version) [feat. Lydia MacDonald]
[b] 02. M5 (jet-set) [feat. Giulia De Mutiis]



[f] 06. M27 (psychedelic trap) [feat. Alessandro Alessandroni & Giulia De Mutiis]


[i] 09. M46 (hammond valzer) [feat. Lydia MacDonald]


[l] 12. Seq. 6 (psychedelic suspense) [feat. Giulia De Mutiis]

Break 3000 present this special vinyl re-issue of some much sought after Electro Clash classics from the period 1998-2003.
Available now on limited Red Marbled Vinyl for the first time again since almost 25 Years ago!

After the fast selling “Emolotion EP” on Italy’s “Mondo Phase” imprint and the “The Rise of Poseidon 1” on the Argentinian label “Calypso’s Dream” released last year we present you the final chapter of the early 00’s Electro and Electro Clash gems produced by Break 3000 while living in Maastricht and Cologne.

The first track is a remix made for the legendary “Pocketgame” label from Germany in 2003 that was run by Maru & Comix, released on the “We Are He-Man EP” by “STR & Tim Tycoon” that also featured a stellar “Legowelt” remix. This one is an absolute belter of a track and to this day is one of Break 3000’s favorite tunes he ever produced. Followed by the cool, dark and Cold-Wave’esque Electro cut “The Wait” that was released on a massive Compilation on “Pocketgame” that same year called “Bonuslevel One – North and South” with such amazing artists on it like “Steril”, “Ladytron”, “Mutron”, “Nitsch and Gleinser”, “Hong Kong Counterfeit” and of course the label heads “Maru & Comix”.

The B-side looks back in time even further. “Electric Blue” and “Spacemachinenreise” were released on “Meuse Muzique” from Maastricht and were on the “Maastricht-Liege EP” and the “Electric Kingdom EP” from 2002 and 2003. Lastly “Lectrolite #2” was released on a one-off vinyl release on Break 3000’s own “Casa Nova” imprint in 1999. And especially this tune marked the start of his Electro endeavors the following years.

So get your hands on these fine tunes once more with this special packaged and limited re-release. All tracks have been carefully re-mastered from the original tapes and sound better than ever! Play it LOUD!

All tracks are re-mastered by Salz Mastering in Cologne. Music, Photography & Art by Break 3000.

Reissue of late-’80s release by lovably manly Australian punk rock trio! Sometime in the winter of 1989-90, I wandered into New York City’s Midnight Records, a store famous for its deep catalog of ’60s garage and psychedelic music, as well as a strong selection of classic punk rock and a cantankerous French owner with ridiculous hair. On this visit, instead of hearing a puny French bootleg of The Standells or the Seeds, as I opened the door I was enveloped in the massive opening chords to the first song on the Cosmic Psychos’ then-new album Go the Hack. “She’s a lost cause / She’s a lost, lost cause!” blasted into the air at maximum volume. In a perfect cinematic moment, the drums announced my entry, the bass dictated my walk, the air became thick with guitar fuzz and wah-wah, and snarled vocals described perfectly a girl’s descent into a cause which was lost. Instead of record shopping, I felt like I’d stepped into a biker movie and was motoring down a long, straight Outback road on a Harley. This was my introduction to the Cosmic Psychos, and I was hooked. I loved that a band could be so powerful, sound so big and unapologetically simple, and incorporate so much of what I loved about music—well, basically the attitudes and sounds of The Stooges and Ramones: setting up songs with a good title or idea, matching it with a massive riff, then running it out with squeals of wah-wah and manly disregard for cleverness or adornment. And they called themselves the Cosmic Psychos! They obviously had no regard for “makin’ it” in those days, when an alternative rock band at least had a chance to sell some records. I was an instant fan. Earlier records proved to be the same formula with even less refinement, and that was definitely a good thing. These were lovably manly Aussies singing about what they knew best: farm equipment, lusting after Elle Macpherson, wishing they were in Van Halen (for the ladies), drinking at the pub, and even more drinking at the pub. Trivia question: In what indie rock song does the lead singer bellow “I love my tractor!”? Answer: None! No scarves or looking like Stevie Nicks straight out of the hairstylist’s for these fellows. They were the real deal before the deal was dealt. And they couldn’t care less. The Psychos enjoyed a long run through the ’80s and ’90s on such Australian labels as What Goes On, Mr Spaceman, Survival and Rattlesnake, as well as American stalwarts Sub Pop and Amphetamine Reptile. Many bands from that era no longer seem vital today, lost in a murk of crisp drums, loud guitars, flannel shirts and shallow aspirations. These first Cosmic Psychos releases are as timeless and necessary as ever—still a bullshit bulldozer, a blurry loud night at the bar, a rollicking time hanging with the guys. The time has come for a new generation to be uplifted by these initial blasts from the Cosmic Psychos. Goner is proud to partner with Melbourne’s esteemed Aarght! Records to bring these platters of primal perfection back into a world that definitely needs them. — Eric Friedl, Oblivians / Goner Records 40th Anniversary tour about to hit UK / EU! Go the Hack!! Essential!!

Rare debut LP by the eccentric Peruvian singer Jean Paul "El Troglodita", known for his wild performances and extreme way of life. Enrique Roberto Tellería made his Peruvian television debut in 1965 under the stage name Jean Paul El Troglodita and wearing an imitation leopard skin suit. He would switch from melodic calm to shouting wildly or suddenly drop to the floor on his knees and smash the furniture like crazy. At the age of 19, DisPerú signed him to the label on the strength of these early performances. His first single included a freely translated version of 'Secret Agent Man' in Spanish. He began to work on the eleven cover versions that would feature on his first LP immediately, writing all his own lyrics and accompanied by the beat band Los Steivos. Despite the predominance of English beat music in Peru, the album only included three songs directly related to the British invasion: 'Bus Stop' by The Hollies, also played in raga rock style; 'Paint it Black' by The Rolling Stones; and 'The House of the Rising Sun', which follows the arrangement recorded by The Animals. So most songs come the American songbook. Apart from 'Tema de El Troglodita' (a versión of 'Secret Agent' by The Challengers), we find the bluesy 'Mustang Sally' (Sir Mack Rice). Two other US numbers, originally performed with orchestral accompaniment, were adapted to fit the rock band format: 'Poor Side of Town' (Johnny Rivers) and 'Take Me to the Moon' (Kaye Ballard). 'El verdadero amor' ('True Love'), an uncredited version is in a similar vein. The Spanish song 'Negro es negro' (Los Bravos) and the Brazilian track 'Que todo se vaya al infierno' (Roberto Carlos) also feature on the LP. El Troglodita's association with the so-called nueva ola, indicated on the back cover, needs clarification. In Peru, nueva ola was a mixed bag rather than a specific musical style and encompassed slow rock, twist, bossa nova and all the styles that the record industry produced to tame the wild rock 'n' roll impulses of teenagers in the early sixties. The Peruvian artists that performed these inoffensive Spanish adaptations of Paul Anka, Neil Sedaka or Frankie Avalon, were presented as successful models of youth culture. This was until 1964, when the Beatles with their mop-top haircuts hit the charts, vindicating rock 'n' roll and imposing the group format over the soloist model. Meanwhile the press continued to call any youth music recorded during the rest of the decade nueva ola. Jean Paul noted these distinctions early on and distanced himself from it in several statements. He saw his performance more in a style as a solo artist as following in the footsteps of e.g. Los Saicos. His 'hippie' lifestyle got him arrested by the new de facto military government in 1968, who accused him of promoting drug consumption and corrupting the Peruvian youth. The charges were soon dropped but his reputation was tarnished, and he ended up emigrating to Central America. The album includes Spanish sung versions of British beat songs and covers of the American songbook as well as various international hits.

All Nations Records present a new 12" with 2 original instrumental tracks, followed by their own dubs.
Thoses 2 tracks are the result of a collaboration between Higher Meditation and Simon Nyabinghi.
Simon sent the drum patterns to Addis from Higher Meditation, for him to play the rest of the instruments. A task he accomplished brilliantly!
The stunning melodies and bass fit perfectly with the raw drums.

Side A offers "Conquering Dub", a stepper tune that will surely be played on sound system sessions, as it has all the ingredients selectors and massives need when the dances get hot.
On B Side you will find a different groove, a tune called "Lion Dub", more down tempo, but as interesting as the first track.

In the history of Black American soul music many recording artists have been called “Legends” some deservedly and perhaps some not so deserving of this current over used accolade? I might be a tad biased here, perhaps? but in my book one James Howard McCelland a.k.a Jesse James has surely earned the right to be called a “Legend” this octogenarian performer has weathered many storms and shifts in musical trends and styles over the years but like the trouper that he is albeit in lower keys these days he still manages time and time again to come up with the goods! “Back On Top Again” is Jesse James latest production album, a project filled with recent and current recordings in a southern soul style that has likened in passing by several respected soul scribes to the Malaco Sound I’ll let the record buying public make their own minds up on that one, I’m sure veteran DJ Bob Jones won’t mind me using his quote below:

The album also features two of Jesse’s friend’s with Donnie McKisic providing the rapping and additional backing vocals on the upbeat “I Lost My Baby On Face Book” and Shirley Diamond who you may recall from Soul Junction’s recent 45 release “You Don’t Know Who You Sleeping With” (SJ1021) returning with another excellent Diamond & James duet “Another Love Lay Over” as a further foot note the featured song “I’d Be A Fool 2 Fool Around On You” is an excellent cover version of what was a previously unissued Harvey Scales song until Soul Junction released it as the flipside their thirteenth 45 single release way back in 2011.

Album Sleeve Notes:

At the dawn of the 1960’s a young aspiring soul singer from Richmond, California by the name of James H. McClelland was honing his performing skills in several local nightclubs. At one particular show the compere struggled to pronounce the young performer’s surname and to hide his embarrassment he hurriedly introduced him as ‘Jesse James’, which became Jesse’s Stage name to the present day.

Jesse’s big break came through his aunt who at that time just happened to be dating West Coast Blues and R&B Legend Jimmy McCracklin. The aunt suggested to McCracklin the he should take a listen to her talented nephew, suitably impressed McCracklin produced Jesse on a song he’d written “I Will Go” for the local Shirley label. The release is credited to Jesse James & The Royal Aces a bunch of local musicians that Jesse had grown up with which included Slyvester Stewart a.k.a Mr “Dance To The Music” himself Sly Stone” on guitar. “I Will Go” was quite a popular record locally and led to a further four Jesse James releases on Shirley culminating in Jesse’s most sought-after record the delightful “Are You Gonna Leave Me”in 1966. The following year Jesse recorded the minor hit “Believe In Me Baby” released by the local ‘Hit’ label before being picked up by 20th Century for national distribution. While signed to 20th Century Jesse recorded a self-titled album and three other 45 singles before leaving the label.

Following a solitary 45 release for the Uni Label in 1969 Jesse formed his own Production and Publishing company ‘South Richmond Music’ releasing 45’s on his own label logo’s Zea and Zay before returning to 20th Century for a second time during 1974, releasing two 45 singles of which the sublime “If You Want A Love Affair” reaching #92 in the Billboard R&B charts in 1975, a song that would later receive worldwide acclaimed and is now regarded as Jesse’s signature tune. Ron Carson had been the producer on the later 20th Century releases and it was he that placed one of Jesse’s songs “The Same Thing Happens” on the Happy Fox label’s blaxploitation album “Black Fist”.

Into the 1980’s Jesse leased some of his songs for release on the Atlanta Georgia, Midtown label, a solitary release on the Moonlite Hope Music label (a lead single for a proposed album that never materialised) followed before Jesse joined Max Kidd’s Washington based TTED label. The TTED imprint was to yield Jesse’s biggest hit record “I Can Do Bad By Myself” reaching #61 in the R&B Charts. Following TTED Jesse formed Gunsmoke records releasing “Love On The Side” in 1988, from there on Jesse has continued to regularly release numerous studio albums though the 90’s into the new millennium and on to the present day.

Now well into his seventh decade as a performer this most resilient and enduring performer, has never been one to let the grass grow under his feet. He still performs live shows and is actively writing, producing and recording fresh new material. Soul Junction have now gathered together some of Jesse’s most recent and new recordings to form this album project which is aptly titled “Back On Top Again” Ride on Jesse James!

Mike Paradinas, veteran producer and Planet Mu label owner has written a new album called ‘Grush' and it's full of weird bangers that reclaim the 'dance' part of the woeful term IDM. A back-to-first-principles record, inspired in part by the group of artists IDM was coined for; melodic dance music that didn't come out of urban scenes, but interpreted them from a distance. The tracks on ‘Grush’ are all road-tested live favorites developed with feedback from Mike's touring partner and visuals guy Mora (Jan Moravec). It's a detailed and energetic journey which replicates the flow of a live gig. A lot of the tracks have been made in hotel rooms in response to shows, ‘Imperial Crescent’ is named after a Japanese Hotel, as is ‘Belvedere’ in Prague, while some tracks such as ‘Hyper Daddy’ were created specifically to play live. Drums are confidently at the fore here and the album feels like it traces Mike's musical history and interests neatly around his sweetly nostalgic melodies, with atmospheres and structures which twist and turn with a charming softness which contrasts with the tension in the drums. Take ‘Hyper Daddy’s’ spiralling notes and twinkling piano which remind one of early Black Dog or Omni Trio rushing alongside splashy jungle drums, or the aquatic acid footwork of the title track with its drums softly bubbling and kicking. Elsewhere there's territory which harks back to his Tusken Raiders pseudonym, like the heads down Drexciyan funk of ‘Windsor Safari Park,’ which transforms from moody electro into a sunny hardcore track midway.

Powered by the massive hit single “No Diggity,” (which sam- ples Bill Withers’ “Grandma’s Hand”) featuring Dr. Dre and Queen Pen, Another Level is arguably the best album created by Teddy Riley, the leader of Blackstreet. Riley is a very influ- ential producer, known for inventing a whole new sound, a combination of soul harmonies, rap breaks and hip-hop beats called new jack swing.

Another Level is the second album by the American R&B group. Released in 1996, it reached #3 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, and #1 on the Top R&B Albums chart for five weeks and has sold over 4 million copies. This was the first album with new members Eric Williams and Mark Middleton. They joined the group after replacing departed members Dave Hollister and Levi Little.

Another Level is available on black vinyl and includes a 4-page booklet.

Atmosphärische Klanglandschaften und intime Texte haben die Londoner Postpunk Bands Ende der 2000er Jahre in die Herzen unzähliger Fans gespielt. PIAS veröffentlicht jetzt das legendäre White Lies Album 'Big TV' (2013) als Deluxe 2LP neu. Die Doppel-Vinyl enthält Live-Versionen der wichtigsten Albumtracks sowie brandneue Linernotes, Notizen und seltene Bilder.

Atmosphärische Klanglandschaften und intime Texte haben die Londoner Postpunk Bands Ende der 2000er Jahre in die Herzen unzähliger Fans gespielt. PIAS veröffentlicht jetzt das legendäre White Lies Album 'Big TV' (2013) als Deluxe 2LP neu. Die Doppel-Vinyl enthält Live-Versionen der wichtigsten Albumtracks sowie brandneue Linernotes, Notizen und seltene Bilder.

Bobby Mahoney is a new signing to the robust roster of New Jersey icon Stevie Van Zandt’s Wicked Cool Records. Another Deadbeat Summer, is his first album with the label.

Limited Anniversary Edition: 180g vinyl, hand numbered, 1000 copies available!
In 1974, Cluster entered the sugar era. This doesn"t mean that they had finally arrived in their promised land, but they had simply moved from Berlin to the country, to a small place called Forst on the river Weser. Many a thing had changed for band members Moebius and Roedelius since Cluster II: They had moved from boisterous Berlin to this calm rural village, they had founded the band Harmonia, had set up their own studio and had bought new equipment. As a result of this and many other things, new impulses were noticeably spurring the evolution of their music. The album Zuckerzeit ("sugar era") launched a revolution for Cluster.

Norwegian Grammy-Winning rock band Seigmen are back with a new album called "Resonans". Ask yourself the question: How many bands have maintained the same lineup throughout a career spanning over three decades? Just count and see how far you get. Seigmen is and remains Alex, Sverre, Noralf, Kim, and Marius. Seigmen's new album Resonans echoes the essence of a longstanding friendship. A strong bond among five guys who found each other through music, learned to play instruments, and express themselves together. They solidified their friendship through muddy and sour tones from the rehearsal room on the old submarine quay, down into a basement in the city center, out to a barn outside the city, up on the heights near the old library, down into the mountain beneath the same hill, and back to a rehearsal container at the old shipyard. Always tied to their home town, Tonsberg in Norway. Resonans is the reverberation of endless evening rehearsals, weekends with "lefse" and freshly ground coffee in thermoses, and syncopations. Smiles, conversations, and gossip. The hard, precise, and long-term work. Love and art. Resonans is guts and integrity, demonstrating the uncompromising nature that Seigmen has always represented.