Search:charge

Presenting a very special and unique collection of electronic and dance music aimed at assisting and honouring our brave and skilled NHS frontline workforce in this most challenging of times. Artists of all walks of life and of all musical persuasions and styles have contributed hand-picked tracks for inclusion on Care4Life free of charge. Through the challenges of the Covid19 pandemic we have all developed a new understanding and awareness about the role our frontline health professionals undertake, and as a nation we are all united in our appreciation of the incredible work they have delivered in the face of much adversity and pressure in the last couple of months. We hope the proceeds from this amazing collection of music can contribute to easing that pressure in some way.

Care4Life features lots of new, exclusive and unheard music from the vaults, hard drives and archives of UK artists as diverse as The Chemical Brothers, Nathan Fake, Groove Armada, Joe Goddard and Pete Tong alongside tracks from Radio Slave, Locossolus (DJ Harvey), Matthew Herbert, Crooked Man, Daniel Avery and many more. Care4Life is a truly varied and diverse listening experience that not only mirrors the collective talents involved, it wholeheartedly celebrates the openness and love that the NHS has shown us all at some stage throughout most of our lives here in Britain and beyond.

In the continued spirit of people coming together in this time of need the Care4Life project aims to give some much needed support to these frontline workers from our fellow artists and friends in the music industry and its surrounding community. Above Board Distribution is working in conjunction with Dispersion PR and Your Army Music is ensuring that 100% of the proceeds from the sale of this product, will be donated directly to NHS Charities Together (registered charity no.1186569). NHS Charities Together has been consulted throughout this process and are proud to be an official fundraising ‘commercial participator’.

Historic cassette of first Tuareg guitar studio recording. Newly restored and remastered. Tuareg guitar gets the electronic treatment, with a reissue of the cassette by legendary Nigerien composer Abdallah Oumbadougou. Produced in Benin in 1995, “Anou Malane” is one of the first studio recordings of Tuareg guitar. The genre, known for minimal folk ballads performed on acoustic guitar, is transformed with a full-on 90s swinging groove. Abdallah Oumbadougou is one of the original creators of Tuareg guitar music. Active in the Tuareg rebellion in the 1990s, his early compositions were politically charged, addressing the fighters scattered in the desert. These low-fi recordings were recorded on boomboxes, and found their way throughout the diaspora, passed through clandestine networks of cassette dubbers. In exile, Abdallah traveled to Benin to record an official release with Nel Oliver, a West African producer known for his work on a number of seminal boogie and afro-funk records. Oliver’s influence is heavily felt on the recordings with early digital techniques of programmed drum effects and backing synthesizer, transforming Saharan political ballads into Afro-boogie anthems for the discotheque. The resulting album went on to become a classic and pushed Tuareg guitar and the rebellion into the public consciousness

When people talk about Italian dance music, they tend to focus on Rome and Napoli rather than Bologna. Yet the city in Northern Italy not only played a key role in the development of “Italo-house” in the late 1980s and early ‘90s, but also boasts a vibrant contemporary scene. To prove the point, Boogie Café has put together “Bologna On The Move”, a four-track selection of sizzling hot cuts from some of the city’s latest wave of deep and soulful dance music talents.

Leading the charge is Sam Ruffillo, a producer who first appeared on Boogie Café last year following an impressive 2018 debut on Irma Dance floor. He kicks off proceedings with the infectious “U Make Me Sing”, a heavyweight slab of rolling breakbeat goodness rich in tight vocal samples, jazzy guitar licks and wonderfully warm and weighty bass.

Later in the EP Ruffilo returns to action alongside Brine, another rising star with links to legendary Italian label Irma. “Request Line” is a fine slab of chunky, U.S garage-influenced deep house that sees the duo pepper swinging drums and toasty bass with heady organ stabs, cut-up vocal samples and trippy electronics.

Fittingly, Brine gets a chance to showcase his skills as a solo producer via “Star Chaser”, a looser and jazzier house excursion that doffs a cap to the glory years of jazz-funk whilst championing rich deep house synth riffs, jaunty bass and more spaced-out vocal snippets.

You’ll hear a similar jazz-funk influence at the heart of the EP’s only contribution from Red Rooster founder and former House of Disco artist D’Arabia. The most experienced of the three artists on show, he offers up “Straight Outta Fire”, a bouncy, deep and percussive affair that wraps drowsy male vocals, sustained chords and harmonica samples around disco-influenced house beats and what may well be the squelchiest bassline ever to emerge from Bologna.


DJ Support:

Bedmo Disco, Lord leopard, Melon Bomb, Dave Harvey, Haze City, Aroop Roy, Lay Far , Danvers, Kassian, Dave Jarvis,
Jimmy The Twin & Cengiz.

The Current Inside”, Marja Ahti's sophomore album for Hallow Ground, plays with the theme of currents - connecting and animating movements in the form of air, water and electricity. It approaches sound as a poetic medium, focusing both on the experience of sound as form and energy and on a loosely narrative arc, suggesting a riddle on the relations between the sounds. It implements alternative as well as intuitive tunings, analog and digital synthesis, recordings of sonorous spaces and vessels, electromagnetic fields transduced into audio, acoustic close-ups of elements in motion and other field recordings. Fluently connecting quite diverse sound sources, Ahti's music lingers in a zone between abstract sonorities and vaguely familiar acoustic environments.

The first half of the album consists of ”The Altitudes”, a piece commissioned by Ina GRM for Présences Électronique and Sonic Acts. It was inspired by descriptions of the layers of Earth's atmosphere. Imagining a movement through layers of air, the piece unfolds with a slow intensity, interweaving concrete sounds and closely tuned electronic sonorities. Traversing the altitudes, a landscape of entangled elements, masses and currents emerges. The air around us has weight and it presses against everything it touches. As gravity pulls it to Earth, it is sensed as pressure. The rotation of the planet, the angle of the sun at any new moment sets the elements in motion in a chain reaction.

The other side consists of four shorter pieces. ”The Currents” opens with a dance of trembling charged movements. ”Lost Lake” extracts resonant tones from a trail of close-up recordings of winter environments, while ”Fluctuating Streams” channels streaming air in different forms. The closing track, ”Sundial”, could be construed as the steady turning of the planetary angle towards the sun, unfolding through fragments of everyday activity against the backdrop of piercing, slowly twisting, suspended tone.

Marja Ahti (b. 1981) is a musician and composer based in Turku, Finland. Originally from Sweden, Ahti has been a part of the Finnish experimental music scene for more than ten years in different constellations. She is currently active in the duo Ahti & Ahti with her partner and as a member of the Himera artist/organizer collective. Her critically acclaimed 2019 solo debut, Vegetal Negatives, explored a new formal language and sonic palette inspired by a short text by René Daumal.

Double Goodbyes' is the sound of Ivan Ave making the music that moves him, without necessarily putting his usual rap-hat on.
But as the album title suggests, a lot of times we find ourselves bumping into the exact things, people and habits that we thought we had left behind. His hip-hop roots shine through once again, in a weird blend of RnB, AOR and synth sounds. Sasac is the main co-creator on the record, alongside top shelf RNB and hiphop artists such as Kiefer, Mndsgn, Byron The Aquarius, Devin Morrison and more.

2x12"

Having made initial waves on Cold Recordings and Osiris, Eric Baldwin returns now to Tectonic to release his eponymous album ’Cocktail Party Effect’, bringing his South London roots to Berlin for an all-weekender, under strobe lights.

Drawn by his appetite for powerful rhythmical forms and inspired by the likes of Daphne Oram, The Residents and Captain Beefheart - Eric takes uses background in sound design, knowledge of hacking VST software and adapted spring reverbs and other hardware, to create a truly unique vision of contemporary electronic music. It sits somewhere between Jeff Mills, Aphex Twin & Squarepusher - held together by a connective UK Bass Music spinal chord. A weird but intriguing beast.

We open the track with Japanese cocktail recipes, before moving into the only vocal track of the album, ‘Talking To Bricks’ featuring Bristol vocalist Redders on fine form - charged with disjointed energy and run ragged across a technologically charged dancehall style beat. The LP progresses through the rolling breaks and bleeps of ‘For The Memory Exchange’, into an IDM side-step in the shape of ‘Brutalism’, moving into the gentle, beautiful flickering glitches of ‘PDA’, before we get to the hyperactive twitching alien charge of ‘War On Codex’.

Taking a leap in another direction, we reach ‘Cause For Bad Shelving’, which sounds a bit like Squarepusher when he was on late 90s, immaculate form - taking the tempo up a few notches, while building melancholy. ‘Lack Of Wrong Format’ then gives us a moment to breathe, before diving into ‘Deerhorn’ which brings us right back to the dancefloor. Things are then turned inside out with the jittery wonder of ‘I Get It (Lost Banknote)’, redirected via the industrial clangs of ‘Low_Rise’, before rounding off our sonic adventure with the ponderous tones of ‘Loner’ - which leave you glowing and drifting off into space.

A bold album that’s just brim with a strong sense of originality, direction and grand narrative. From international dancefloors to post-clubbing ear-worms, Cocktail Party Effect is just getting started and you’ll be hearing his name more and more now.

Ohm Resistance founder Submerged returns to pure drum & bass, bringing the most cutting edge producers in the game to the forefront on his new EP. “The Eradication of Untruth" charges at the dance floor and covers it from all angles - epic, hardcore, modern, and the punk as f*@# style that Ohm Resistance has trademarked since 1999. 'Transformation' is an epic duet with Estonia’s Ajamari, a melodic journey, with the classic Submerged reese making your eyes roll into the back of your head. 'Cell' is a serious bruiser, with hardcore 4/4 action courtesy of Hungary’s Savage. The B side places you into Surrealistic Dystopian Nightmares, with the distinctive strings of Masamune paired against the crushing weight of Submerged amens. Finally, you reach the Abyss - a punk tribute to Prodigy created with Latvia’s Molecular at the time of Keith Flint’s passing - shouted vocals over a searing halftime ending keep this record memorable to the last drop.

Repress

After launching their own De Stijl label last year, Artefakt are back on Delsin with Icarus, a sparkling new four track outing. Known for their intricate sound design and deep yet hard hitting grooves. Always serving up atmospheric music that is artful and filled with rich detail, they continued on their own path once again here. Starting with the smooth and hypnotic, stripped back grooves from Icarus. Followed by the cavernous and immersive ambient trip Ganzfeld Effect. The darker Vapour is still heady and meticulously crafted with deft little details, a rich sound field and supple techno drums getting you in the zone. Delphic then offers crisp breakbeats, dubby drums and electrically charged synths that are physical but emotional. It's another perfect fusion of light and dark, thoughtful and physical techno from this ever impressive pair.

Techno at its best.

buffering juju, the title of dumama + kechou's debut album, relates to the process of "excavating spiritually charged content from within". The duo's textural sound, driven by cyclical song structures and chant making, not only captures the angst of the modern world but mines this state of affairs for regenerative potential.
dumama (vocalist and uhadi player) + kechou (multiinstrumentalist with a focus on indigenous African instruments and handmade instruments) met in Cape Town in 2017. There was an instinctive pulse to the initial clutch of shows they played together, blowing open vast sonic and conceptual possibilities. "I guess we were in similar places with our music processes in trying to push healing music to the edges and be more experimental with it," says dumama. The narrative of the album unravels as a piece of magical realism informed by South African folklore and reality, detailing a woman's liberation story where the characters shift shape and traverse multiple realms, deploying various iterations of their power or lack thereof. "It has an organic, natural, cyber and modern kind of energy - all rooted in African aesthetics of sound and storytelling," says kechou. All of this sits on a bed of the duo's unique musical language, one that, although applied electronically in the form of looping and soundscaping, is founded on approaches to string, vocal and percussion tones that reflect a merger between Northern and Southern African heritage.
Recorded primarily in Cape Town and Johannesburg over the first quarter of 2019, buffering juju is a conduit to a past we were not necessarily present for, and a future where threatened indigenous technologies thrive in an increasingly digitised world.

Mirror Glaze Lavish” is Marc’s latest effort in trying to depict his cynical and disillusioned view of the present-day music scene, seen through a sonic magnifier that emphasizes its greatest controversies, by juxtaposing different electronic languages as a challenge to the current levelling artistic trends. The artist personality is nullified, standardized to a state of placid non-critical thinking. Everyday’s emptiness emerges as the structure of reality and only the cracks in it still lead to life. “Great souls suffer in silence”, once said Friedrich Schiller, but what if silence becomes an audible, danceable image? As if all these electro cuts, differently permeated with a balanced mix of playful darkness, were populated by eerie animals that cannot find peace with their habitat and keep dancing relentlessly until the very end of their miserable existence. Seen in this context, each of Marc’s tracks must be interpreted as an irreverent and poignant act of self-assertion vis-à-vis his contemporaries. Morah’s reinterpretation of “Celexxa” adds value to the original track, taking us for a dirty ride on a psycho-electro-charged rollercoaster.

Available on vinyl for the first time since its original release in 1984, Outernational Sounds proudly presents Build An Ark pianist Nate Morgan’s second outing for the celebrated Nimbus West label – the conscious and spiritualised sounds of Retribution, Reparation.

Pianist Nate Morgan (1964-2013) was a central figure on the Los Angeles jazz undergound. A core member of the circle around the legendary bandleader, pianist and community organiser Horace Tapscott, Morgan had been part of Tapscott’s U.G.M.A.A. (Union Of God’s Musicians and Artists Ascension) since he was just a teenager, and was a key member of the Pan Afrikan People’s Arkestra, known as ‘The Ark’. Through the 1980s and 1990s he kept the PAPA flame alive, organising the Ark’s sprawling songbook, running legendary jam sessions, and keeping LA’s deep jazz roots well watered. By the early 2000s he was bringing hard won knowledge to a new generation as part of the Build The Ark collective. He was a musician’s musician, at the beating heart of the radical, community-minded Los Angeles jazz network that Tapscott and his associates had first put together in the early 1960s.

Retribution, Reparation was the second of the two LPs Morgan recorded for Tom Albach’s storied Nimbus West imprint. His first, Journey Into Nigritia (Outernational Sounds OTR- 008), had been a declaration of arrival laced with energies drawn from Cecil Taylor and Coltrane. One year later, with nods to Herbie Hancock (‘One Finger Snap’) and Ellington (‘Come Sunday’), Retribution, Reparation was a confident statement of purpose. Politically charged with pan-Africanist and Black nationalist sentiments inspired by Marcus Garvey, and titled with uncompromising directness, the album focusses the soundworld of the Ark into a surging, restless masterpiece of spiritualised modal jazz. With Danny Cortez on trumpet and Ark stalwart Jesse Sharps on saxophones the frontline is explosive (this set is also one of the few places the extraordinary Sharps can be heard in a small group setting), while Fritz Wise and Ark regular Joel Ector hold down the rhythm section. Morgan’s forceful, Tyner-like chords and virtuosic solos and bind the music together. From the poised drama of the opening dedication to Tapscott’s U.G.M.A.A. (‘U.G.M.A.A.GER’) to the propulsive militancy of the title track, Retribution, Reparation spreads the word: ‘Advance to Victory, Let Nigritia Be Free!’

Yes, we know the soul and funk world of the glory days, big labels, radio shows and bands amid a social context of segregation. A context that starts becoming less important when this music genre enters the mainstream in the late 70’s to eventually fade away at a fast pace in the 80’s until its complete disappearance in the 90’s and beyond. This time though, we dive a bit deeper into the hoods, because the social context of today ain’t no greatly different and it has its very own music, deeply rooted in the sounds of the early days, although more immediate and dense of beats and urban feel.

We are in Chicago, a place where every 2 hours someone is shot, and every 14 hours someone is murdered. It ain’t no Iraq or Afghanistan but one of the biggest and most sophisticated cities in the world. In the city’s west and south sides, which are considered the heart of Black America, gang rivalry is tearing its people apart. It has become so brutal that both police and perpetrators agree that this urban warfare is out of control. I started this release process after Yann sent me an heads up on this song and it took me most part of last year to build some mutual trust with Lay Lemons aka Biggz from North Lawndale, main area in the west side of the city and one of the most dangerous places in the world. When I first contacted him, Lay was having a hard time (and still does) as his daughter Raven was caught innocent in a gang shooting crossfire.

After the following investigation, the FBI (yes, big gangs are federal business) arrested and charged some members of The Four Corners Hustlers, yet Raven’s murder has no responsible and Lay suddenly lost his daughter overnight in the summer of 2017. He simply couldn’t concentrate on music, and the silly requests from a mad Italian with his crooked english were probably sounding to him like aliens speaking from outer space. I’m pretty sure this wouldn’t have been possible without the help of Lay’s cousin, sound engineer and recording studio owner living today in Detroit, so accept my gratitude Mr. Tony Amos.

Lay Lemons has never been involved with gangs nor was Raven, nowhere near that business. They are people of music, family and religion trying to survive in one of worlds toughest places. This song, its vibe, the beats, the voice... Are coming straight out of their hood, written around a fire bin on the side of the street and put together with 3 instruments. It has no chorus, it’s verses all the way through, it is a kind of prayer to the unknown in the hope of salvation through everyday strength.

Lay Lemons I salute you.

We Are The Brave boss Alan Fitzpatrick joins Rekids with ‘Step Away’, a euphorically chargedtechno release featuring two remixes from Planetary Assault Systems.

Having performed across the world at the likes of Watergate, fabric, Shelter and DC-10, renowned UKartist Alan Fitzpatrick has continued to bring driving techno to the forefront of electronic music culture since the early 2000s. With a ream of releases on Figure, Unknown To The Unknown, Drumcode, Hotflush and many more, he now launches into 2020 with his debut on Radio Slave’s revered imprint.

Fitzpatrick’s signature, thundering techno cut ‘Step Away’ opens with spacey toms, industrial kicks, delayed claps, pulsing bass and atmospherically sustained keys.

The hailed Mote-Evolver boss and esteemed remixer Luke Slater serves up two propulsive edits under his Planetary Assault Systems alias with the first remix being otherworldly with reverbed stabs, subtle arpeggiated synths, minimalistic drums whilst the second remix goes into overdrive with analogue beat programming, computerised melodies and a harrowing sub-frequency rhythm.

The first release under Richard Wilson's Rognvald alias kickstarts the new WIFE series with four solid punches of breakfueled rave mania. The pitch black title track "R.O.G.N.V.A.L.D" serves as a fierce introduction to his fresh material with its epic scale combination of relentless drum work and meticulous arrangement. Up next is the hefty chunk of "Whistle Posse", all rude basslines and rave whistles finely tuned for maximum dancefloor damage.

"Lowcol Junglist" opens the B-side with it's masterfully slick drum control and enormous bass drops followed by the subterranean drum hypnosis of closer "Asbiorn". This is bass charged jungle warfare apparatus with a modern ruffneck flex from a man who knows how to murder the dance with precision.

Maceo Plex hasn't dropped an original on Drumcode since 2014 when the hugely popular 'Conjure Infinity' EP was released. Despite this, he's been a significant feature at DC events over the last year.
Sharing a tight relationship with Adam Beyer, the pair have laid down memorable B2B sets at Warehouse Project, Ultra Music Festival, and the Resistance opening party in Ibiza this summer, thus cementing their tight musical bond.

Produced in the early part of 2019, 'Destination Mars' marks his terrific return to Beyer's iconic label. The track is trademark Maceo, a master class in tension and release, characterized by a slick low-end bass hum that gathers steam as crunchy drum lines and breathy vocal accents combine effectively with the main vocal lead, a contribution from Josh Wink, no less.

... No surprise, it went down a storm when debuted at Time Warp's mammoth 25th-anniversary party in April and has been highlighting the Ellum boss' sets ever since.

The ever-reliable Raxon is charged with remix duties, stripping back the track's engine to focus on a central melody, chugging bassline, and hypnotizing vocal effects. Shall Ocin's re-rub is made for misty-eyed mornings as celestial pads result in a transcendental finale to bring it home.

Wewantsounds is delighted to continue its Akiko Yano reissue program with the reissue of her superb double album recorded with YMO at a time when she was part of the group’s touring line up between 1979 and 1980. The album is pure Akiko Yano featuring her superb singing and piano playing, enhanced by touches of YMO’s synth-pop sound (check her cult version of YMO’s classic, “Tong-Poo”). It is the first time the album is released outside of Japan and the deluxe 2-LP set features the original artwork with gatefold sleeve and 4-page insert.
When "Gohan Ga Dekitayo" came out in 1980, Akiko Yano had been touring with Yellow Magic Orchestra for more than a year. She'd play keyboards alongside the three founding members, Haruomi Hosono, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Yukihiro Takahashi, plus guitarist Kenji Omura and Synth wizard programmer Hideki Matsutake (as part of the 1980 North American tour, she'd also feature in the group's cult TV appearance on Soul Train for a memorable rendition of "Tighten Up") and they are all present on "Gohan Ga Dekitayo."
The double LP, whose title could be translated by "Dinner is ready," was co-produced with Ryuichi Sakamoto and recorded at two legendary studios: Tokyo's Alfa Studio "A" and Los Angeles' Sound City. It was Akiko's first shift towards a fuller synth sound following four studio albums mixing Pop and Jazz Funk, including her landmark debut from 1976, "Japanese Girl". A shift that would continue with the release of "Tadaima" in 1981, also featuring the YMO musicians.
?The fourteen tracks featured on "Gohan Ga Dekitayo" find Akiko in top form mixing her singer-songwriter's sensitivity with the electro-pop sound of YMO. It's interesting to note though that it is very much an Akiko Yano album even if the group is present on the album (interestingly they do also play analog instruments on the album). Akiko is clearly the one in charge with a string of beautiful compositions and the rendition of one of the group's classics, "Tong Poo" which she reinvents as a slower, less metronomic-paced song adding her own lyrics.
?Other highlights on the album include "Dogs Awaiting..." an hypnotic composition featuring fascinating electro arrangements or "Coloured Water" sung in English by Akiko accompanying herself on Fender Rhodes with subtle percussion by Tatsuo Hayashi and electronics by Ryuichi Sakamoto.
There are many more great moments on this superb album which announces the further experiments of "Tadaima". "Gohan Ga Dekitayo" is an album that urgently needs to be (re)discovered by her growing international fanbase and Wewantsounds is happy to reissue it worldwide for its 40th anniversary.

"Marble Grounds" is the first release on new Seattle vinyl imprint Rhizome (US). Local live duo JamRat provides the two original tracks "Marble Grounds" and "Neurocare Locale" each accompanied by a remix from Glueped, consisting of Cristi Tudorache aka Melodie and Mihai Mihalcea (Teluric).

"Marble Grounds" on Side A drifts through singing synths and steady percussion, the melody gently arising and humming to the listener before evaporating as the breakdown arrives.

Glueped's first remix of the EP is a cosmically-charged reinterpretation of "Marble Grounds", a dreamlike rhythm providing a quicker pace into lofty synths and a guiding drum.

"Neurocare Locale" is a harmonious hymn fizzing with auspicious vocals joined by a playful synth, provoking ephemeral reflections deep within.

A deep kick and baseline actualize together and announce a dancefloor-ready dive, uncovering a starry remix of "Neurocare Locale", concluding Side B.

For the first time, Len Faki decides to dish out a full foursome of his Deepspace-mixes, sharing one of the most profound entries into the series yet. Originally released within the last couple of years. The atmospheric and dubbed-out ’Biker Scene’ is one of riding blissfully under a sky illuminated by the milky way, followed by a streamlined update on the soaring metallic shuffle that is ’Depth Charge’, its tribal undertones prowling in the underbrush. The flip tucks NYC‘s Craft‘s wild synth work into a tight corset, channeling its lively energy even more effectively for the floor. Closing out with A Sacred Geometry, the Berlin/Rome-connection‘s finely plucked synths glide above elated pads and a skittering rhythm.

Uniformity of Nature, the second release on Prague based Detach Recordings, marks an exciting collaboration between Romanian producer DYL (re:st, Alpha Cutauri, Skutta) and Germany's Senking (Raster Noton, Karaoke Kalk).

DYL pushes the bounderies of his sound beyond his 170 roots, with the powerful electronics of 'Phrases' and the electrifying team-up with Senking on 'Destroyed City Lights'. Two tracks see DYL in the more familiar peripheries of D&B. The percussive 'Words', with its curious background atmospherics, and the driving, hypnotic collaboration with DB1 on the title track 'Uniformity of Nature'. 'Launch' sees Senking slow the tempo down and delve into a more murky space, yet still highly-charged with razor-sharp sound design.

DYL closes the EP with the abstract 'Semantics', a further excursion into experimental electronics. The record comes housed in a screen-printed transparent sleeve, with a limited edition insert by Romanian artist Teodora Gavrila.

Concealed within the eclipse, Overdue presents a new black-label 12" series - symbolic of its sinister auditory contents.

Further proof of their unbridled dedication to sound system music and commitment to quality, the Belgian Dubstep imprint unravels
it's fifth physical release. Based in Denver, its newest signee by the name of Ghast returns to the spotlight, following up on heavyweight releases on prominent labels such as Encrypted and Gradient Audio.

The talented American artist sets the stage with two unruly armaments, alongside murderous remixes by Denmark's bass music stalwart RDG as well as the label operators themselves, Substrada & Caba.

Starting the engines, 'Mothership' immerses the stage in flickering echoes and haunting wails - the air bustling with anticipation. Eerily disfigured, granular reverberations materialize amid a pressurized and truly outlandish soundscape, barren at its core. Heading into the second section with renewed vigour, no dance floor remains unscathed in the ensuing aftermath.

The subsequent doomsday scenario, as engineered by Substrada & Caba, strips the ship to its bare essentials - laced with trippy drum instrumentations and the psychedelic foley samples. The meticulous flow presents itself in a bleak dungeon style - hoodlum vocal fragments rounding off the resulting low-frequency inferno.

Flipping the record to its equally profound B-Side, 'Vehement Mess' unhinges another portal into madness - dance floor upheaval guaranteed. Showing no signs of mercy, the infernal armagedon proves to be emblematic for Ghast's dystopian sound design. Profusely industrial and with clinical efficiency, hitting all the right frequencies as the second wave ignites but all available power reserves.

Finishing off any remaining survivors with his irreproachable signature style, RDG's remix marches onwards with unrestrained might in a four-to-the-floor fashion - super-charged, galvanizing the rave in a no-holds-barred shutdown.

Releasing his first ever vinyl release 'El Sunset' on James Holden's, Border Community back in 2007, Chilean producer Ricardo Tobar has since been held in high regard by the seminal UK producer. Intricately constructing his way around the parameters of emotionally-lead, highly atmospheric electronic music, Ricardo has brought his sound forward to grace the rosters of Jennifer Cardini's, Correspondant, ESP Institute and MUSAR Recordings. Continuing to extend his already significant discography, he now returns to MUSAR Recordings for a third time with the 'After The Movie' EP.

Ricardo's 'After The Movie' EP forms a selection of cuts that have been held in his locker for quite some time. Uncovered by MUSAR Recordings label head, David on a podcast from way back, it seemed only natural that this unreleased music from Ricardo would find its home on the Amsterdam-Tel-Aviv label.

"This EP is quite special to me because it reflects a long timeline in my work. The 'After The Movie' track had been in the vault for ages until David from MUSAR found it in an old podcast; it really takes me back to those first steps in recording music." Ricardo Tobar

Across his EP, Ricardo plays with varying textures and arrangements that in turn provide a cross-section of his sound that has expanded and developed over time. 'After The Movie' presents the experimental ambience synonymous with his early works, whilst 'Parques' brings an idyllic, cinematic feel with strictly crafted synth arrangements riding high, post-rock influences also show through. 'Regain Your Power' represents a change of course, whilst also channeling a political message punctuated by social unrest taking place in Ricardo's home country, Chile. He abandons experimentalism in favour of tougher 4x4 elements, allowing his machines to run riot.

"The mixture of ideas and feelings on this EP have a politically charged spirit, as electronic music always does. A few weeks after I finished 'Regain Your Power' the whole Chilean social explosion took place with the same ideals I had in mind when recording the track." Ricardo Tobar

Stepping up on the remix is a pair whose names are etched into the history of UK electronic music, Andy Turner and Ed Handley a.k.a. Plaid. Reworking title track 'After The Movie', they produce an emotive, soundscape complete with droning basslines and ex-terrestrial flourishes.

Public Release once again plunges into the deep well of dance music talent it's hometown of San Francisco has long fostered for Moon Replacement, the debut single by Anderson Chase, two originals wrapped around a couple remixes of its titular track.

Clocking in at over eight minutes, “Moon Replacement” is a tense, drawn-out affair. It coaxes you onto the dancefloor with hardedged drums that slap with a metallic clang, a steely bass throb that defines its backbone, and spindly synth noodles that creep around the crust on top. Chase’s previous life as a punk and metal drummer seeps through; this is a tenacious house boogie that trundles along at that Goldilocks BPM of 118, fast enough to snap you to attention, slow enough that you don’t lose stamina as you give into the groove.

Japanese house producer Gonno, known for his ability to graft scalpel-sharp minimal techno loops onto out-there, mindexpanding arrangements, puts his own spin on the song for the A2 slot.
He darkens the mood while zapping it with a static charge to quicken its pace. On the reverse is Mark E’s take, which goes in the opposite direction, applying some heat so the square structure’s joins start to melt, wiggle, wobble. The bottom is still stocky, a molten mass of heavy-duty bass energy, but the melody that dances around the top is airier and lighter, glints of sunshine through storm clouds.

And then “Between Us” arrives to stick the landing, get us back to where we started. Like “Moon Replacement,” it’s a blocky foot-stomper that directs you forward with its tireless rhythm section, though this time with an even longer shadow cast behind it.

The hyper talneted Stellar Om Source (NOT NOT FUN, RVNG, NO 'LABEL) blowing up new styles on this one!

"If there is one thing that leaps out from Stellar OM Source’s music, it is the sense of a highly active mind at work. There is an indivisible feeling that a real person is behind this dynamic flurry of tones, waves, vibrations and modulations. On I See Through You, the first full Stellar OM Source release in over four years, the spark that first LP piqued the interest of so many listeners is glowing stronger than ever.

In the 2010's, Christelle Gualdi carved a name as one of the most essential live electronic musicians around, dazzling dancers and home listeners in kind with her bombastic, acidic hardware jams. Circumstances outside her control forced a stop for the Stellar OM Source project. It was touring, including two shows in the summer of 2019 at Dekmantel Festival and Listen! that Gualdi credits as year highlights, which proved to be the integral jump-start to the engine.

Inspiration came rushing back thanks to the human connection of performing. Seeing a younger generation connect with her put fresh charge into the circuitry of her gear. All this accrued into new material on the road, and thus I See Through You was born.

The spirit of 2013’s cult favourite Joy One Mile is alive and well on I See Through You. There is once again immediacy, urgency and lust. But Stellar OM Source stepping into a comparatively more poppy and playful mode on these four tracks could also throw some. Fundamentally she says, it comes from a similar place, and ends with an enmeshed and positive outcome. Gualdi credits both “1995 rave” and “the clarity, bass and breath” of hi-def hip-hop productions as being twin northern stars for her to follow.

The artwork comes from friend and highly respected photographer & director Pierre Debusschere, whose work similarly flits between arresting close-ups and, well, the widescreen luxe of Beyoncé videos. “I’m definitely not a purist anymore,” Gualdi laughs – and with club-ready impact meeting human warmth, this shows in abundance.

“Night Alone” wastes no time in getting the listener up to speed. Is that an LFO sample running through “Night Alone”? Is this a lost Metro Area classic? Is that Stellar OM Source taking a diversion into searching Ibiza-rousing vocal for a moment, or did we imagine that in a heat haze? Where are the kicks? Oh there they are. How many elements are buried and revived within just over five minutes?
It’s hard to tell. Before we know it, “Lost Codes” is up and away, keeping pulses racing. A pitter-patter of baby kicks feel like a pre-tremor before a welting electro-Italo lead crashes into play. With fizzing energy, rasping synths and a frisson of danger, fans of Unit Moebius and The Hacker will be doing somersaults of joy.

“White Echoes” wastes kicks off the flip side with low gurgles descending briefly like a UFO reverse parking into the spot SOS had vacated. Soon, 303s are twisting like Chinese burns while warm chords offer a salve. The mood maintains on “Wild Palms”, the only song on this record not to feature additional mixing work from Peaking Lights’ dub-wise sensei Aaron Coyes.

True to form, the B2 is all Stellar: elements switching up and out, with all the fun and frenzy of capital-L Live action. Kick drums and bassline darting back and forth like a synchronised swimming routine, all elements in concert. The momentum of a runaway mine cart that you can’t help but strap yourself to. I See Through You is one for the dancers who have given Stellar OM Source the motive to move forward once again."

Following on from the summer hit ‘Sound System Girl’ and the next chapter ‘Jah Love’, we complete the 2019 trilogy with the highly-charged ‘Jumping Sound’ … a stepping jump-up anthem livicated to the power of Reggae & Dub & Sound Systems .. enjoy !!

Sandra Cross needs no introduction, she is a true legend whose career begun at the age of 14 with a no.1 hit in the UK Reggae charts. Since then she has gone on to be one of THE defining female voices of British Reggae. Sandra’s award winning career has seen her hook up with the likes of Mad Professor and Sly & Robbie for a near endless round of hit singles & albums.

Vibronics, the future sound of dub, have been vibrating the world with bass since 1996. Their music is at the forefront of the UK Dub scene, proven by over 60 releases on their own legendary SCOOPS label as well as a host of albums, singles and remixes for a myriad of other labels such as Jarring Effects, Dubhead and Jah Tubbys. In the studio they have worked with Michael Prophet, Iration Steppas, Macka B, Aba Shanti, Brain Damage, High Tone, Big Youth, Gaudi and an almost endless list of dub & reggae luminaries.

With their third album ‘Fluid Motion’, Melbourne’s 30/70 are set to soar into higher territory as the face of Australia’s newest wave of soul-influenced brilliance.

From the swirling opening pads of “Brunswick Hustle” all the way through to the sax-laden shimmer of “Flowers” at its close, ‘Fluid Motion’ is an instant classic, effortlessly shifting between neo-soul and languid, Dilla-esque tendencies, astral-facing jazz textures and authentic vignettes of UK club music history.

It’s a formula that those already caught in 30/70’s celestial web are fully aware of; first defined on the local heat of their 2015 debut ‘Cold Radish Coma’ and majestically expanded upon with their critically acclaimed 2017 release ‘Elevate’ on Bradley Zero’s Rhythm Section INTL (mixed by Hiatus Kaiyote’s Paul Bender). ‘Elevate’ did exactly that - elevating both the scope of the band’s sound as well as their standing in the local and international community.

Since the last record was released, the music has brought the band on world tours and to the attention of the wider public and key tastemakers alike. Strongly supported by the likes of Gilles Peterson, Tom Ravenscroft, Jamie Cullum, Matthew Halsall and Bradley Zero, the UK has become something of a second home for 30/70.

London in particular has openly embraced the soulful sounds of Melbourne, as evidenced by Gilles’ latest Brownswood compilation ‘Sunny Side Up’ which features three tracks from 30/70 members: Ziggy Zeitgeist, Horatio Luna and Allysha Joy. The record is a follow up to his era-defining survey of the UK Jazz scene ‘We Out Here’, the compilation that kickstarted a whole generation of London’s under-the-radar Jazz kids to global headlining heights. It would appear we’re about to witness this same effect take place for the Melbourne contingent, of which 30/70 lead the charge. The city’s invasion is well and truly upon us.

While London is undoubtedly in love with what’s happening in Melbourne right now, this is no one way love affair. The 30/70 collective have had their ears to the ground and plugged into the sound of the UK underground. This new album takes inspiration from the syncopation of Broken-Beat, the immediacy of Grime’s and Dub’s sonic aesthetic to create something that is a truly global amalgamation of local sounds, finessed by Allysha Joy’s instantly recognisable vocals; the rawest and realest of voices.

"Kiska" is the lead single off Kedr's sophomore release, Your Need. The album is a celebration of life and rebirth. It's about a fighter's spirit, and if you will, a little audacity and courage. DJ'ing and early forms of dance music inspired a furious burst of creative energy after months of melancholy, sadness and reflection to record the album in only a matter of weeks. After her breakout album, Ariadna, which put her on the forefront of Russia's burgeoning electronic scene, Kedr felt lost with her identity and was searching for the direction of her next chapter. For a while she felt trapped by her own image and needed quite some time to resolve this internal dissonance - to grow, to evolve. DJ'ing was the main catalyst to pull her out of this rut. The art form shifted her inspiration to mainly old school styles of dance music: ghetto, house, breakbeat and UK garage. For the prior year and a half she was listening to ambient, kraut-rock and more experimental genres - one can hear the brighter, more energetic influence of early electronic music in the songs on Your Need. One day she was talking with her friend Flaty (Zhenya), a very talented artist from St. Petersburg who's signed to the GOST ZVUK label, and they decided to do a single together. He came to visit her in Moscow, but they ended up spending 10 whole days writing music together, from dawn to dusk. They vibed off each other's musical ideas perfectly and understood each other even without speaking. Zhenyais a beatmaster and pays attention to even the smallest details of a track. He brought incredible richness to the composition and Kedr considers him her teacher in this area. Kedr was in charge of the melodies and vibe of the tracks, and the vocal elements. Your Need is like a chapter of life. It's a story that illustrates different scenarios and moods that our mythical hero experiences, living in an urban jungle. From lost love to a bad trip on the dance floor, from euphoria to deep introspection. Our hero sometimes feels bold, lost or devastated, but also tender and full, like all of us at some point in life. The ending is joyful and bright. The last song gives hope and faith that a new day will come and wash away the old. You can feel like new every day. Your Need reflects an array of genres and a mix of cultures - a harmonious combination of differences. Everything Kedr loves about ghetto music, in the traditions of house, dub, breakbeat, 90s electronic music and modern sounds - she's embraced and expressed it all throughout. Your Need is Kedr's ode to music from different eras and changing periods.

A-Future presents a fierce electro-charged production debut for EON Records.
After a solid summer of gigs at IICON Glastonbury, Inner City Electronic Leeds, Gottwood and Boiler Room, A-Future now shares a progression for his DJ project which has been impressing crowds across the UK with its range of left field beats and punchy up-tempo tracks.
Deploying tricks learned from his weighty record collection, the Birmingham based producer works in hardcore breakbeat flares, deep electro basslines and headsy IDM synths into original track No Era for what is a high-grade first showing.
Censor records head and long time friend Alex Jann and Berlin’s mysterious electronica producer Secret Universe provide a remix each. Jann comes in deep with a gritty bass line that drives his version with a solid flow primed for 140bpm dance floors. Secret Universe then sets etherial moments beside to belting syncopated jungle beat programming for a headsy and heavy take on No Era.
This is the second release on A-Future’s EON Records label which launched in March 2019 with Sepehr’s Cybernetic EP featuring Stratowerx and A-Future remixes.

Fresh from releasing his first artist album for Deep Medi (‘Dark 365’) and overseeing a prolific year in charge of his Navy Cut imprint, J. Sparrow debuts on Coyote Records with two tracks of abstract, excursive pressure. Although long revered as one of dubstep’s core UK innovators, Sparrow has also spent time experimenting with different sounds, palettes and rhythms over the last two years. ‘Single Time’ and ‘VHS’, both written during this period, not only spotlight Sparrow’s willingness to aim for the outer reaches, but also embed themselves neatly within a Coyotediscography defined by the new-gen grime of producers like Last Japan, SilkRoad Assassins and Utah?. Still cut with a rolling dubstep lean, A-side ‘Single Time’ is heavy on the hollowed-out, dubby weight and scything bass jabs, while B-side ‘VHS’ – referred to by Sparrow himself as ‘Egyptian grime in the 1980s’ – is a bleepy, filmic, widescreen stepper that draws from the past as much as it does Sparrow’s take on shiny, sci-fi grime of the future.

The Small Faces are incredibly important to us here at Acid Jazz.
The epitome of mod style, with a love of great American soul music which they made their own, turning out some of the greatest records on God’s green earth. There’s also a personal connection as well with label founder Eddie Piller’s mum Fran being in charge of the original Small Faces fan club. So it is with pure delight and unadorned joy that we are releasing our exclusive EP ‘Four To The Floor’ In addition to their joyous and timeless songs the group also had a killer line in instrumental brilliance, channelling Booker T & The MGs through the explosive prism of mod and making us all dance. The four finest of these, ‘Grow Your Own’, ‘Almost Grown’, ‘Own Up Time’ and ‘Plum Nellie’ have been gathered together by Tosh Flood (Pugwash, The Divine Comedy) to create this killer EP.

Approved by surviving band member Kenney Jones (who also pens sleeve notes) and put together as part of Rob Caiger’s critically acclaimed Small Faces reissue series, ‘Four To The Floor’ has been mastered by Nick Robbins directly from the original Decca tapes with lacquers cut by Barry Grint at Alchemy Mastering - and sounds astounding! For this release we have revived our Rare Mod Series so the disc comes in a laminated flip-back sleeve, resplendent with a Tony Gale photo of the group in their prime 1966 glory. Kenney is available for selected interviews. The EP will be launched at the Modcast Weekender where Eddie Piller will be interviewing Kenney.

Moon Diagrams is the solo recording project of Deerhunter co-founder and drummer Moses John Archuleta. Two years after his acclaimed debut album Lifetime Of Love, Archuleta returns with Trappy Bats, a mini-LP that interweaves three brilliant new Moon Diagrams tracks with radiant reworks from Shigeto, Angel Deradoorian and Jefre Cantu-Ledesma. Trappy Bats was largely recorded in a single night as a means to process the intense intersection of Archuleta’s social, political and personal hysteria. Having been arrested for an unremembered missed court date, Archuleta spent 24 hours in a holding cell, offering ample time to reflect on his life, the current state of the nation (the jail televisions were showing a constant feed of the then-active Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville) and the other inmates. Upon being released the next day, Archuleta found himself suffering from a bout of insomnia and feeling the need to process everything through music. Here, Archuleta is in his freest and most grateful state, channelling the turmoil and confusion he was experiencing into an unencumbered fit of creativity. It’s pure, unadulterated escapism with an even more callous palette of sounds than before, clearly split between two moods. On what you might call the ‘up’ side, the title track could be the sonic spawn of Not Waving and Terrence Dixon: a snarling mix of percussive clatter and washes of orchestral tones coalesce into a pulsating groove across its almost 12-minute runtime, the underlying ’80s aesthetic making it feel like a turbo-charged Shep Pettibone remix of New Order, looped to infinity. Detroit electronica don Shigeto goes even further and implodes the track into a kaleidoscope of bone-jarring, viscerally giddy dance music. Over on the ‘down’ side, ‘Wipeout’ is a slow-motion waltz of dusty piano and clattering percussion loops that coolly stumble along with the woozy, nocturnal flare of The Caretaker or Philip Jeck. The haunted reverie ventures even deeper with a beatifically electrified ambient re-imagination by Jefre Cantu-Ledesma. Daisychain’ goes almost completely off the grid, offering up a sweetly submerged slab of constantly evolving murkiness in the vein of Demdike Stare or a dosed Andy Stott. The sweet shuffle levitates even higher with a celestial re-interpretation by sonic visionary Angel Deradoorian, formerly of the Dirty Projectors. The end result is an extended traipse through Saturday evening fever-dream techno, Sunday morning cigarette jazz-pop and every blank thought in between.

With its fourth catalogue number, Steinlach returns to the vinyl format with a remix EP. On board are international friends of the label, who layed hands on Wice's originals with outstanding re- interpretations. While the A-side contains two groovy and club-oriented remixes of "Just kiddin", the trippy flipside focuses on the second outcome of the label and refers to the two pieces "Absent" and "Hertz".

The record opens with a fast-paced and jacking "Just Kiddin" version by Deep'a and Biri. The two guys from Tel Aviv re-interprate the clubby aspect of the piece, furnish it with a portion of percussions and accompany it with a volatile beat. Discharging the track with a big bang, they're leaving the listener with no chance but to move energetically to the groove patterns while cherishing the original lead melody.

Just like Deep'a and Biri, Jon Hester bets on the energy and the recognition value of the original synth line. As typical for Jon, he gives a more Chicago-style housey and bouncy touch to the composition. The lead is getting chopped, re-interpreted and re-arranged into a new groove and melody pattern, sure to inspire the floor to shake and to catapult everyone around into a frisky dancing mood. Suddenly, the well-known arpeggio of the original comes in and makes for the climax of this brilliant remix.

With side B, the club aspect of the record might not be left behind, but moved into more stripped and trippy terrains. The B1 track is fashioned as a ruthless "Absent" version, unmistakably having Refracted's writing all over it. The smallest variations of the synth line, drones, and pads, without resorting to typical drum rack aspects, find their way deep inside the listener's head, and draw them into their subtle rhythm. The unapologetic roughness of the interpretation is striking and makes it a brilliant peaktime weapon.

Rounding up the whole EP, the last remix of the record is a wonderful re-interpretation by the talented Australian that is Mosam Howieson. He ministered to Wice's personal favourite piece and crafted a loving and deep version of "Hertz", which translates the magic of the original into own words and emotions, adds a subtle groove to it, then invites to listen more carefully. One quickly dives into a hopeful world in which a certain magic seems to be present, and where everything seems to be alright. Be it as a perfect last piece after a long fulfilling evening, or as the outstanding means to make the sun rise in the morning-Mosam's interpretation sure hits the spot.

Special thanks go out to our close friends Simon Sandleitner who is always in charge of the great artworks and Roger Reuter (Roger23) for having always an open ear, his helpful advises and his thought-out criticism.

« Hôtel Costes presents... » is a collection of exclusive music recorded or mixed at Studio HC, the hotel studio, and composed by Adrien de Maublanc guests. This unique studio with exceptional gears craft the sound of MidiMinuit.

The second opus, Round the clock, by Midiminuit, is a modern album where classical and jazz music meet modular synths.
MidiMinuit is a collaborative project between pianist Julien Quentin, bass player Yonatan Levi and electronic musicians Cesar Merveille & Adrien de Maublanc. Four experts in their respective fields are harmoniously combining their music creating a new entity.
Three days, twelve hours of music per day, from 12pm to 12am. This was the primary rule of the jam sessions, giving the band its name. This was the first time all four musicians came together. In those three days, there was no rehearsals. Every piece was improvised, recorded and it was moved on to the next track. Bringing those world-class musicians together had the potential to create something unique. And so… ROUND THE CLOCK was born!

Cesar Merveille is known for his collaborations with labels such as Cadenza and Visionquest, and has been a major player in the electronic scene for the past 15 years touring extensively as a DJ, and has now started his own imprint Roche Madame. He started early on collaborating with musicians from different backgrounds. Combining electronic music with acoustic instruments has been part of his defining style since the early days. His love for modular synthesisers brings a unique colour to the sound and groove of MidiMinuit.

Julien Quentin – Born in Paris, graduated from the Juilliard School in New York, pianist Julien Quentin performed in all major concert venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Berlin Philharmonie or the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. Julien’s interest after 20 years of classical music on the road is opening up to projects ranging from improvisation to producing electronic music and could be heard live at Sonar Off and Amsterdam Dance Event, or in Berlin clubs where he is now based. His remarkable depth of musicianship and distinct clarity of sound coupled with flawless technique bring its distinctive classical influence to MidiMinuit.

Yonatan Levi – Born in Tel-Aviv, Israel, Yonatan Levi first started with classical guitar and switched to classical stand up bass studies from the Israeli Conservatory of Music in Tel Aviv. He then got a full scholarship at Berkley College of Music. He has been playing alongside some of Jazz greats like Avishai Cohen and Eddie Henderson. In the past few years, since moving to Berlin, Levi has ventured into the vast electronic music world, becoming an avid vinyl collector as well as collaborating with electronic music producers who are known for their cross-genre, multi disciplinary approaches. Bringing all that jazz to the band.


Adrien de Maublanc – Adrien is well known as a producer and sound engineer as one half of the Masomenos duo which is a productive partnership with graphic designer and DJ Joan Costes. They have a long collaboration with the Hôtel Costes music history. In fact, they have been in charge of the Costes presents serie, a minimal electronic oriented serie of albums by glacial, seuil and themselves. Since two years now, they have located their studio in the Hôtel Costes extension that have been on works, and named the place Studio HC. It is in this unique studio that MidiMinuit has been mixed. Maublanc is now part on his own several bands that like midiminuit will be released on Hotel Costes Presents label.

Neil Landstrumm returns to UTTU with an EP of oddball house & techno featuring long time collaborator Si Begg on the title track “Hell Is Other People.” A super charged fusion of dance music styles!


b a2. Shadow Man Vinyl Only Exclusive

Acclaimed by many as one of the greatest and rarest library LPs of all time, the album 'FEELINGS' by Jay Richford & Gary Stevan aka Stefan Torossi. With its iconic 'naked lady in the wild' cover, has been coveted for many years by collectors of all musical genres. This album showcases some outstanding compositions & arrangements that explore the exciting connections between rhythmic funk and orchestral jazz - and are now for the first time issued on 7" 45 vinyl double pack!

We open with the uplifting “Running Fast” - a driving, pulsating groove laden with Fender Rhodes and swept along by lush strings. If you're not feeling it - book an appointment to see your doctor! Next follows a B-Boy dancer filled with battle floor emotion - “Fearing Much” - this one packs a heavy bass and syncopated drum groove with dramatic, stirring strings. A must have 45 DJs fave! The opening drum break to “Feeling Tense” gives way to mellow vibes with a deep bass, silky strings and charged horns that deliver the perfect slick, down-tempo groove. Last one is another down-tempo vibe heavy on the bass and strings, “Walking in the dark”. 
All in all yet another MUST HAVE Dynamite Cuts 45!

Inner atmos and next time – rain into rivers, rivers to rain.

Sequence is subjective, irrelevant – it’s where we stand. Out of order, we dissolve and reform, coming together to come undone. There is no first, no now, no next – just precision points in the wide deep sky.

Another bang, another – it’s the reading which is important. Repeating in parallel, the natural loop is healing; repair, resonance, return. We live in a fragment; soft light and clouds drift like dreams into memory, showing movement in the mirror.

“Here the performer becomes free like the playful clouds high above the world of pain, suffering, happiness, ecstasy, disappointment, greed and ambition of human life”

In this present, we are touched to have unreleased business from Memphis. In unlocking the stoic DAT tapes we open a direct channel from 1993 to this now; three tracks which are meditative, essential rhythm with direct, organic charge. It’s Dream Night Dance Music and Osram 509, with RHK, En-Trance, and Microgravity.

More poetry in remembering our first release was also Memphis. Big complex loops and inner paths. Who’s been here before? All of us, one of us, none of us.

Esa's compilation Amandla: Music To The People holds diverse dancefloor tracks from over the world. The first compilation in 2019 for Soundway and a comprehensive picture that connects the dots of Esa’s musical journey.

Growing up in Cape Town, South Africa, during the last days of Apartheid, Esa recalls the immense power that music had in resisting oppression and division. “Amandla, Awethu”, which literally means “the power is ours”, was an ubiquitous chant echoing throughout the politically charged atmosphere of the time – a call to unite, and a call from which this release derives not only its title, but its intention as well.

“Music was a crucial way of bringing people and communities together”, reflects Esa, “and it’s what I hope to achieve with this compilation, too”. For Esa Williams is not only a musical polymath but also passionate about connecting people through music – be it as a skilled DJ, an educator in production, a band leader reigniting the legendary Ata Kak band from Ghana, or a collaborator with the likes of Tanzanian artist Mim Suleiman. A firm favourite on the DJ circuit, he held a monthly residency at Phonox London for over 6 months - bringing guests such as Nu Guinea to Brixton audiences - as well as delivering memorable sets at Dekmantel, Atlas Festival, Boiler Room and more.

The last few years have seen a recent surge in interest in South African music from the 80s and 90s, including bubblegum, which was recently showcased on Soundway’s critically acclaimed 2018 compilation Gumba Fire: Bubblegum Soul & Synth Boogie in 1980s South Africa, put together by DJ Okapi. It was only natural that the label looked to delve deeper into the country’s rich musical legacy and tap another of its esteemed ambassadors for the role of compiler.

The result is a rainbow of complementary electronic styles hailing from not only South Africa but further afield, including zouk from Brazil and the French Antilles, as well as Afro-futurism. Together, they form a comprehensive picture that connects the dots of Esa’s musical journey – from growing up in South Africa, to artists he has encountered in his worldwide travels who have helped develop his identity as a musician.

'For his first EP in two years, and second release on Leicester's Grade 10, Forever returns with a six track exploration of hazy, dub-inflected sounds entitled 'In Your Own Time'.

On the A-side, the tense atmospherics of 'Depth Charge' give way to the sun-kissed chords and dancehall-esque rhythms of 'Watch This', finally being rounded off with the record's title track - a sub-driven 7 and a half minute roller, where percussive patterns and dusty chords drift and weave amongst each other.

Side B continues on to more dub-leaning tracks, with 'Alpine' picking up the pace and echoing pulsing synths in to the abyss, followed by a drugged out 'Opioid mix' of the title track - a drum and bass combo sat somewhere between Memphis rap and classic soundsystem rumblers. Closing out the record is 'UR', plunging in to the depths with sonar-like samples and echoing vocals like ghosts trapped in the machines.'

Since completing his two-decade-long hip-hop trilogy as Dabrye in 2018, Ann Arbor-based artist and Bopside label head Tadd Mullinix has engaged his arsenal of aliases with renewed heat. First came the debut of X-Altera, a new project flexing a wildstyle hybrid of drum & bass and deep techno. Now, he returns to James T. Cotton, a moniker which dates back as far as Dabrye and helped define Spectral Sound, the dance imprint of Ghostly International. While historically tagged as Mullinix’s acid house alias, JTC has always expressed with a more pliable sense of genre, freely fusing an eclectic blend of classic electronic sounds; helpings of Chicago acid, Belgian New Beat, and the leftfield techno stylings popularized both in Berlin and Detroit. With Indigo, Flesh and Fire, Mullinix moves closer to the latter city, adopting a bright, optimistic tone informed by minimalism and futurism.

"I have been more withdrawn and introspective on a personal level, in a positive sense, and I think that fact has made my creativity reach toward feelings about peace, positivity, fantasy, wonder, and openness,” says Mullinix.

The EP is packed, but still playfully ambiguous; a club-ready set built to max out mixing boards with spacious and nuanced melodies and motorized percussion. Five tracks, each with roughly five-minute run-times, offering all but a few breaths in a quest for highly operative dancefloor hypnosis. The record wastes little time locking in; on the first track, “Innerloire Rendezvous,” a dense square kick plows through a brisk four-on-the-floor routine phasing over harmonious synth stacks of rubbery fifths and sevenths. The title track splatters a lenticular static spray between thumping kick, billowy melodic swells, and staticky clicks, snaps, and claps.

Mullinix’s distilled musical vocabulary, developed by his many years in the game, gives the set a misty-eyed quality without compromising its contemporary merit. This is music, inspired by history but fiercely forward-thinking, that feels both subterranean and airborne; in the grind on the ground and soaring above in an iridescent super-charged fog.

key selling points: - Debut release on Spectral Sound - Past releases on Firm Tracks, Nite Owl Diner, Sweat Equity, FCR, Clave - Limited to 300 copies worldwide.

Crisp Recordings is a record label and production company founded by legend DJ Ra-Soul and Chicago by way of Memphis' Don Crisp. Black in Time is the moniker used by the pair which has resulted in three previous collaborative releases on the label, and they're back with the fourth after a long hiatus. Now they present the politically charged "Democracy Is Hypocrisy" with its powerful narrative fuelled by a groovy minimal acid arrangement. Comes with a handy instrumental version on the flip, in addition to a rough and ready acid dub that's perfect for getting weird at the afterhours. Much crossover appeal anticipated on this little treasure -tip!