Dawn Notes' anticipated second release comes from Chicago house music legend Wyndell Long. Long has released music with iconic labels such as Peace Frog, Djax, Primate and R&S. Keeping with the soulful side of deep house and techno music, Long has composed four timeless tracks for Vincent Floyd's eclectic label. 'Enter The Maze' is a musical journey into the unknown.
Third LP of Cabaret Contemporain, French band (featuring Fabrizio Rat on keys) who use acoustic instruments (piano, guitar, bass, drums, contrabass) to produce a « hand-crafted » club music infused with techno. Inspired by Jeff Mills, Robert Hood or Drexciya, the five members already had a career on classical scene; their idea is not to replay classical techno tunes but to create a new path for the electronic music. 2 tracks featuring with the label boss, Arnaud Rebotini.
« Ballaro », which opens Cabaret Contemporain's third album, begins with light percussions, which seem to turn on themselves, while being conveyed by reverberations close to dub. After a few minutes of convolutions, the piece gets out of hand, transporting the listener into a rich form of pulsating trance, irrigated by a soaring melody and punctuated by persistent piano tones. « La selva »; more subdued, has the same energy, the track ending in an even more powerful way, a kind of paroxysm.
Finally, the strangest and most minimal « Cactus », features a singular groove, which evokes the most brutal house from Chicago, or the sometimes obsessive techno from Detroit. Just like other tracks such as « Transistor » or « TGV », fuelled by sweat and trance, Séquence Collective bears all the intensity of a techno cut for clubs' dancefloors. The only difference being that their music is not played with synths, drum machines or software, but with acoustic instruments. Dual curriculum The band is composed of five musicians and a sound engineer: Fabrizio Rat on piano, Giani Caserotto on guitar, Julien Loutelier on drums, Ronan Courty and Simon Drappier on double bass and of course Pierre Favrez on console. They are all in their thirties and met at the prestigious Paris Conservatoire in the late 2000s. However, all the musicians in the band have a double curriculum and navigate freely between the institutional realm and the underground or pop music scenes. Through classical or contemporary music, jazz and improvisation, rock and experimentation, they share a common passion for the original and futuristic techno of the 1990s, that of Jeff Mills, Robert Hood or Drexciya, which they have decided to reinvent and further in their own way. Not as a simple stylistic exercise practiced by virtuoso musicians, but rather as a new path for modern music, and for their generation. « The original idea » they say, « was to make club music by hand, like craftsmen. Like in the early days of jazz, our band managed to transform itself into a kind of dancing machine. Our music is therefore functional because it is danceable, but also mental and abstract, while offering several layers of listening. You can dance and play, have a purely physical and sensory connection to the music. But you can also immerse yourself in its listening, perceive refined harmonies or more complex rhythmic superpositions »
If the tones of Cabaret Contemporain are truly unique it is because each member of the band has developed a very personal approach through the use ''prepared'' instruments. The strings of their piano, guitar or double bass may recall strange machines with literally incredible sounds, obtained using objects such as chopsticks, clothes pegs, foil, hangers, a tiny pie mould or many other utensils from a DIY store. A collective energy
Cabaret Contemporain is first and foremost a live band that has been performing in venues and festivals since its inception in 2012 (Nuits Sonores, Siestes Electroniques, L'Aéronef, Le Trabendo, Philharmonie de Paris, Gaîté Lyrique, Rewire, Dancity, Barcelona Accio Musical...), both at traditional jazz and contemporary music venues, and more often at electro music hubs. When facing the audience, the band, which plays each of its sets in one go, without a break, shows an intense physical presence, which competes with the musical power of DJs who share the stage with them. Their performance, full of tension and repetition, which requires maximum concentration and a state close to trance from the musicians, is sometimes, according to them, « a mental journey and a mystic experience ». A dimension that brings to mind the historical techno culture and its dancers who, communicating on the dancefloor, were carried until the early hours of the morning by the power of the beat. An album inspired by the stage Since their beginnings, their compositions on record have drawn their energy directly from the practice of their concerts, whether referring to Terry Riley (2014) or Moondog (2015), an EP and an album dedicated to the repertoire of the two American artists, the original compositions of Cabaret Contemporain (2016) and Satellite EP (2017), as well as this new album. Séquence collective can be listened to as a condensed transcription of their inventions and their live experiments. The tracks, more than half of which were improvised during sessions held in the former Vogue studios near Paris, were recorded in live conditions, « like an old school rock band » they say. As usual, they invited a new musician to join them in the studio. After collaborating with Étienne Jaumet or Château-Flight, Arnaud Rebotini, César winner for best film music, added a welcome synth touch on two tracks (Pro- One, Prophet 600), which boosted the group's formidable collective energy. The album ends with « October Glide », again performed with Rebotini, a lyrical and lively track, built on a powerful and slow progression of timbres and percussions, which would ideally find its place at the core of a techno party « peak time »
Faces Records proudly presents "Cross Section", the debut album of Kez YM, the Berlin based japanese producer.
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It's been a long way since his debut EP at 4Lux Recordings was played by Moodyman back in 2008. Since then he also received support from influential people like Theo Parrish, Rick Wade and Cassy, just to name a few.
Strongly rooted on his Detroit/Chicago Deep House/Funk/Disco/Afro he rocks dancefloors from Berlin to Tokyo, and he's one of the current leading deep house dj's from Japan.
From downbeat to more uptempo tracks, this album is a perfect extension of Kez's path until now. Classy and lustful synths pave the way for a combination of elements that draw inspiration from his jazz masters, his motorcity heroes and a strong percusssive connection to Africa.
Ras G's Dance Of The Cosmos Is The Heralded Beatsmith's First Foray Dedicated To The 4 On The Floor' Tabernacle Of Chicago House . Deeply Ingrained In The Music Is The Message Of Black Diaspora. As We Sonically Time Travel In Typical Ras G And The Afrikan Space Program Fashion Dance Of The Cosmos Takes Us On A 30 Minute Journey Way Beyond The Ionosphere.
Long time unsung UK techno artist Aubrey is to release Gravitational Lensing, a first artist album since 2001 and his third in all. It lands in early 2019 on Out-ER and across 12 tracks it finds him getting more personal and instinctive than ever before with jazz, techno, broken beat and house all colouring this most coherent of musical adventures.
Aubrey s discography dates back to the early nineties, when he was a key part of the UK scene on labels like Solid Groove, Textures and Mosaic. Up there with the greats from Chicago and Detroit, he has turned out a steady stream of music that marries perfect dance floor functionality with real musical invention. Always inspired by anything deep with a good groove, everything from synth band Japan to funk king George Clinton, electro break beats to Jean Michel Jarre all inform his work.
As a DJ, he cut his teeth playing the biggest raves in the UK with names like Carl Cox and Eddie C having been swept up by the acid house records that hit English stores when he was just 15. Add in a love of jazz, ambient and US house, and you have all the eclectic influences that this criminally under-the-radar artist has drawn on for his latest album.
It is one that finds him really put his personal stamp on his sound. It s a chance to be more who you are and what you feel without pressure to conform to a particular sound, it s a chance to be free, says the artist of the album process. It was partially produced at Out-ER s studio in Nard , Lecce over the course of a year s worth of studio jam sessions, and is his finest and most cinematic work to date.
Things kick off with the ambient synth modulations of Aerglo Visible before exquisitely loose jazz drums and sci-fi pads suspend you in the cosmos on Floating to Rigel. There is an experimental feel to the off grid drums, rippling chords and drunken keys of Doctor Portia that keeps you brilliantly off balance, and the first deep techno trip is Journey To the Blue Planet , which has gorgeous ambience swirling over rolling, dubby kicks and soulful Detroit synth work. Carrying on through more lush, musical synth work and inventive drums, there are moments of heads down dance floor power and hi-tech soul, serene techno landscaping and chord-laced deep house that is superbly cerebral throughout the album.
In all, it makes for a complete and storytelling record that draws on a rich variety of genres and reworks them into something deep, multi-layered and hugely emotional that works as well in headphones, at home, as it will in the club.
The OUER guys just live down the road from us in Berlin and we have been crossing paths many times these past years so it is with great joy we can finally present a full EP with their unique approach to electronic music on Dirt Crew Recordings. Since their debut on 'HEIST' in 2016 Xaver and Oliver have consistently pushed their sound and production, on their own OUER imprint they released four EP's up till now and the latest called 'E' is just a few weeks old as we speak. The A side opens with the title track 'Stingray Nebula', a bliss composition of layered arpeggios underlined by a deep sub bass, building steadily towards etheric strings setting in and descending again with a break beat ending that builds perfect grounds for the following dance floor stomper 'Undine'. That second A side track is a great mix of Deep House and Electronica and is what makes OUER's music so special, almost entering trance territories here but keeping those Chicago and Detroit references alive. When we head over to the B side we encounter some new tracks that really made us want to release this EP in the first place. The beautiful 'Thales' contains live bass and percussive instrumentation and is a crossover indie-tronica gem. Following that is the deep 'Inside' where an 'emo' piano themed House jam meets clever vocal sampling and filtered synth stabs to produce a great going groove. Closing out we have some real ambience electronica for you in 'Train Ride to Bratsk', again played mostly live and using acoustic instruments recorded in their Berlin studio the OUER guys are crossing borders again and turned out this piece of goodness. Enter the world of OUER, we hope you like it as much as we do!
Visions Recordings is happy to welcome the Italian trio Jaxx Madicine for a single with two jazz/house influenced tracks aimed for the dancefloor with enough music and fat beats to make you wanna fly and dance .Their specific mix of vintage and modern sounds keep the bouncy feeling that deejays love to play in their sets . Round bass, Fender Rhodes , piano and warm keys are the ingredients to this delicious meal we invite you to share with us.
The name Jaxx Madicine suggests a wide range of influences - 'Jaxx' obviously being a tilt of the hat to the original rhythms and basslines born out of Chicago house while the 'XX"s suggest a keen passion for jazz.These are the two main ingredients used by the projects founders Turbojazz and Parker Madicine, who are joined by the talented and mysterious Veez_0 - a young Italian piano player that you're bound to hear more from in the near future.Turbojazz plants his roots in the rhythms and futuristic sounds of the Broken Beat golden age while Parker Madicine leans more towards the sounds and timbres of Detroit's spacey atmospheres. These two musical worlds are married by Veez_o's incredible playing and harmonic backing. To get a proper idea of what this is about you should consider George Duke in his peak cosmic period jamming in a studio with 'High Tech Jazz"-era Underground Resistance before joining Pete Rock for dinner and then heading to a Roy Ayers concert. Absolutely delicious !
A never before released version of a truly, legendary house record from the late great Frankie Knuckles...working in collaboration with The Frankie Knuckles Foundation who will receive 50% of the profits from this project, SoSure Music is proud to present the Director's Cut re-production of 'Baby Wants To Ride'. Alongside this, a vinyl exclusive edit by Jimmy Edgar, which was originally a tribute release after Frankie's passing in 2014, finally gets an official release.
2011 saw the launch of Frankie and long-time production partner Eric Kupper's 'Director's Cut' project, with the aim to release new music, whilst re-producing classic cuts to fit with the modern dancefloor. SoSure Music is now working alongside Eric Kupper and Hector Romero, with the blessing of both Def Mix and The Frankie Knuckles Foundation, to bring a renewed focus to some of this material.
First up, the illustrious, evocative 1987 anthem, 'Baby Wants To Ride'. Rightly regarded as a masterpiece of early Chicago house and a pioneering classic through and through. Knuckles and Kupper extend the intro and outro to allow for those sweeping blends, whilst adding deft touches and reprogrammed lines to give a crisper, more detailed feel to this sumptuous slice of definitive house music. Couple that with newly spiritualised vocals and fresh erotic ad libs from Jamie Principle and prepare to rekindle that infectious energy 32 years down the line.
On the B side, Jimmy Edgar showcases his trademark touch to provide a fresh spin on the original whilst staying true to its essence. Reworking the arps, adding atmospheric drops and crunchy percussive elements, whilst holding off on the iconic vocal till the last section, all combine to give this version a unique, big room character that nods to the past, yet reinterprets for the present. A fitting tribute from an artist whose own productions are clearly laced with influence from Frankie Knuckles.
Dark Entries is honored to release a 4-track EP by Swiss musician Carlos Perón, founding member of Yello. Carlos was born in 1952 in Zurich and began collecting music at a young age. Inspired after attending a concert of Karlheinz Stockhausen in the 1960s, he began to compose Musique Concrete pieces using a 4-track reel to reel and found sounds. In 1979 Perón founded the trio Yello with musician Boris Blank and vocalist Dieter Meier. Yello released their first album in 1980 and the following year Carlos released his first solo album 'Impersonator'. In 1983 Carlos left Yello in order to pursue a solo career and released the soundtrack to Die Schwarze Spinne" and 1984 his second solo album Nothing Is True, Everything Is Permitted'. In 1988, Belgian label LD Records released a 4-song EP of instrumental tracks from 1984 that predated, influenced and became staples in the New Beat scene.
Dirty Songs' is a collection of songs from Carlos Perón recorded between 1980 and 1986. The recordings were made with the core set up of an ARP 2600, Roland's Drumatix, TB-303 and TR-808. Nothing Is True, Everything Is Permitted (Instrumental)' recorded in 1984 is a slow burner with dark, gloomy atmospherics, presented here in an extended version with a bonus intro. The song was inspired by William S. Borroughs' Naked Lunch' and paints a bleak futuristic landscape. Breaking In (Instrumental)', from 1984, is a crossover of electronic body music and pitched down Chicago acid house featuring overplayed snares by hand though an Ovomaltine Box. Originally featured on the soundtrack for Die Schwarze Spinne', the song is about breaking into a large pharmaceutical company to steal drugs. On the B-side is A Dirty Song (Instrumental)', originally recorded in 1986 and released by Play It Again Sam in 1988. The song uses one of the earliest Roland SH synthesizers, the SH-1 A, as a solo instrument and is strikingly aggressive with percussive rhythms. Et' was recorded in 1980 on a 4-track and later and remixed to 8-tracks in 1984 for the Frigorex' EP, which is where this extended version comes from. Featuring eerie, cut up vocals and Dadaist lyrics by Isa Nogara atop a proto-Techno beat.
All songs have been remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The jacket features a never before seen black and white photo of Carlos taken in 1988. Each album includes an double-sided postcard featuring the cover art from the Frigorex' EP. Prepare to make your own movie to the Swiss John Carpenter soundtrack vibes of Carlos Perón.
Raised in the outskirts of Paris, his career has embraced music, fashion and film and established Kiddy as a key figure in Paris's LGBTQ community and the voguing and ballroom scenes.
'One Trick Pony' sees Kiddy working with such talents as Rouge Mary (Hercules & Love Affair) Be Honest, Burn The House Down & One Friend and Crookers Dickmatized. Citing gospel and hip-hop, 90s Chicago and Detroit as influences,
Kiddy has delivered an album with house DNA at it's core whilst embracing a pop sensibility. It explores intimate, personal topics - unrequited love, paternal desertion and acceptance of one's body.
'I define myself as a house-music artist. Queer is limiting. My music reflects my everyday life. I talk about me and being black and gay. My songs are about love. They're not political, but my work is.
The lead single Dicktamized is about 'toxic relationships, the ones you know you would be best to remove yourself but you're almost hypnotised into thinking if the sex is good you should carry on.' 'It is taken from the soundtrack
of Gaspar Noe's latest and critically acclaimed movie 'Climax' premiered at this year's Cannes Film Festival and also featuring Kiddy. Kiddy Smile is supporting Beth Ditto around Europe from May to July 2018.
Lost Futures is a new label that explores experimental and often radical approaches to dance music from the past. In a musical landscape that increasingly claims to seek and reward new forms and ideas, Lost Futures delves into the recent past to revisit forward-thinking, optimistic projects that, owing to the social, musical or outright political climate, perhaps struggled to find an audience. Allowing only time to re-contextualise these leftfield, sometimes misunderstood and ultimately human bodies of work, Lost Futures taps into the inherent idealism of rave.
LF001 trips back until the early nineties to revisit the alternative scene emerging from the Dutch city of Utrecht. Here, three young men - DJ Zero One (Sander Friedeman), TJ Tape TV (Arno Peeters) and DJ White Delight (Richard van der Giessen) - joined forces to form 'The Awax Foundation'. Inspired by the transcendent and revolutionary electronic music arriving on their shores imported from Chicago and Detroit, combining their knowledge, gear and ever-expanding vinyl collection allowed additional freedom in paying sincere tribute to these intoxicating sounds, while also developing their tastes in a more personal, eclectic direction.
The musical flavours of Awax initially leaned toward acid house and the roots of techno. However, with three different mindsets in the mix, their tastes were rarely fixed. One thing each shared in common was a devotion to collecting rare sounds, specifically more adventurous and international samples than those emanating from the increasingly-hard, masculine dance music emerging from the Netherlands during the period. Inspired by the cross-over global sound of bands like Suns of Arqa, or 'World Music', as it was perhaps patronisingly termed at the time, the trio became interested in the idea of making techno with 'ethnic instruments'.
Of course, this being 1992, none of The Awax Foundation had access to such instruments, instead, they had a vast, collective library of samples from all over the world. There were no collaborations and no clear plan. Instead, they set to work using a Yamaha TX16W sampler, the legendary Atari 1040ST computer, a cheap mixing desk and a couple of low-end synths and FX machines. When Richard mentioned the project to his friend, Akin Fernandez, the London DJ and owner of cult label Irdial Discs, Fernandez was intrigued enough to invite the trio to record a one-hour show for his 'Monster Music Radio' series on London's then-burgeoning Kiss FM.
Forced to come up with a name, 'CultureClash' seemed like the obvious choice, even if the members of Awax were only creatively sparring among themselves. Along with the term 'ethno-techno', slightly dubious to a hopefully more conscious Western audience in 2017, these were the only guiding principles to the quietly ambitious project that soon combined cutting-edge machine rhythms with samples sourced from everywhere from Bolivia to Togo, and inspired by everything from Ravi Shankar's epic soundtrack to the Oscar-winning movie Ghandi, to the technical limits of their own setup requiring a dazzling degree of cut-and-paste work. Some tracks even emerged out of academic studies within the ethnomusicology department at The University of Amsterdam.
The show aired on October 2nd, 1992, recorded in one blistering take and without any rehearsals, traversing a huge variety of tempos and styles. If the performance wasn't seamless, it was undeniably thrilling, fresh and ambitious. As such, several labels, including Fernandez's aforementioned Irdial Discs expressed an interesting in commercially releasing CultureClash, while another imprint proposed a series of twelve-inches and an album. But the sheer complexity of the project meant that it never saw the light of day, while the trio embarked on different journeys ahead, both creative and personal.
Twenty five years later, and the original CultureClash lineup and founding members of The Awax Foundation provide the sound of the first release from Lost Futures. An otherworldly, ambitious and optimistic compilation, accompanied by extensive sleeve notes from the trio, CultureClash is a timeless ode to experimentation in dance music's ever-overlapping culture.
Following a first compilation in 2016 and a series of parties, Rinse France & Piu Piu join forces for the first release of her own label : Grooveboxx Records.
Together, they present 'Memorias', the first EP of her new imprint.
Quite explicit through its title, Grooveboxx catalogue stands for an exploration of the grooves across its modern shapes, it embodies the quest of trance throughout music and question the body and the individuals on the dancefloor.
The first release is composed of 5 percussive tracks from producers and DJs Aleqs Notal, Myako and Geena.
All tracks are exploring samples coming from the Musee du Quai Branly's ethnos collection along with some some field recordings captured in a garden in Paris where south American tribes were exhibited during the ""Universal Exposition"" in Paris.
With Salvia Cosmica Myako takes us to a progressive voyage surrounded by all kinds of spirits whispering melodies to our soul while the tribe's marching band marks our footsteps with its strong percussions. Enter the forest.
Influenced by Chicago & Detroit, house producer Aleqs Notal graces us with a percussive jam baptized Finger Prints.
6:45 of pure rhythmics honoring the roots of the music its been sampled from. The rite begins.
La Dansa Del Risa is a conversation between birds and humans overlooking at the tension one night in the forest can impose on our western fears of nature. Stay close to the flames.
Antinote senior, Geena blesses us with Selva Spirit, a slowjam reverie filled with eerie pads and peculiar drum sequences.
We're almost there.
Last but not least, Jungla Encantada seals the EP with a deep wisdom and mastership of the jungle's best kept secrets. It's slow pace and flute melodies appease our senses while mysterious dialects becomes our native language.
The journey is complete.
This triple pronged battle weapon from Cowboy Rhythmbox takes is inspiration from a wealth of disparate elements, the brutal drum machine swagger of early Chicago house, the murky world of 1980's video arcades, the bleeps of Sheffield, arcane home computing documentaries recorded to VHS, public access TV, yes there really is something here for everyone.
Terminal Madness:
A quirky track about the paranoia surrounding artificial intelligence, inspired by early Dance Mania releases and broken pocket calculators amongst other things.
Beware, you'll begin to think that computers have minds of their own!!!
Hands Inside The Car:
Proof that there is joy in repetition, a wonderfully eccentric number with a deadpan vocal hook that wraps itself around a killer combination of sub bass, freestyle beats and deranged reversed elements.
Vodonik:
A stark, glacial rave beast, very much a reaction against Cowboy Rhythmbox's usual maximal approach. This is stripped-down-to-the-bone body music that will work in the most cavernous of rave palaces or the most intimate seedy basement club.
'Sounds from the Great House! Outernational Sounds proudly presents a Nimbus West spirit jazz essential: the Creative Arts Ensemble's classic debut One Step Out. Mastered at 45rpm on double vinyl for enhanced sound, this release features all tracks at full length for the first time on wax.
One of the most sought after and highly regarded titles to have appeared on Tom Albach's celebrated Nimbus West imprint, the Creative Art Ensemble's One Step Out is a timeless work of spiritualised jazz. A true gem from the Los Angeles jazz underground, the album was pianist and composer Kaeef Ruzadun Ali's first recording as leader of the Creative Arts Ensemble, the only large ensemble group that emerged directly from Horace Tapscott's legendary Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra community jazz group.
A Los Angeles native, Kaeef was introduced to the Tapscott circle in the late 1970s. His first experience of the Arkestra's ethos was through PAPA tenorist Michael Session, who took him to the famous 'Great House' at 2412 South Western Ave., LA - a large mansion house which members of the Arkestra had taken over as a space for communal living. Life in the Great House was a continuous stream of music, dance and community events. 'When I walked in there,' recalled Kaeef, 'it was like this whole rush came over me, just from going in the front door...It was like a very, very warm feeling of love. I went and I came out with 'Flashback of Time', and that was my first arrangement.'
Kaeef quickly became a significant contributor of compositions to the Arkestra's songbook - his piece 'New Horizon' would be recorded by Horace Tapscott for the latter's Tapscott Sessions series. But 'Flashback of Time' would eventually appear on One Step Out, played by the new group he had put together from stalwart Arkestra members. Inspired by both Tapscott's example and by the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Kaeef had wanted to follow their lead by assembling a larger unit. 'I would like to form a group that would be an extension of the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra,' he told Tapscott. The group was to be known as the Creative Arts Ensemble, and One Step Out, released in 1981 by Nimbus West, was their debut.
Featuring seasoned Arkestra regulars including reedsman Dadisi Komolafe, drummer Woody 'Sonship' Theus and altoist Gary Bias, with veterans Henry 'The Skipper' Franklin on bass and George Bohannon on trombone, One Step Out is a key document of the Los Angeles radical jazz underground. Featuring the sanctified vocals of Kaeef's sister, B. J. Crowley, the album is a tour de force of spiritually energised independent jazz music. Community uplift and sacred vision straight from the Great House, back on vinyl for the first time since 1981!
'they've quietly found themselves elevated into the psych scenes premier league.' Drowned In Sound
'when they go pedal-to-metal it rarely fails.' Mojo Magazine
'The Lucid Dream are rapidly becoming major players in an ever-increasingly crowded psych scene..utterly seductive.' The Quietus
'one of the most enthralling bands in the UK.' Far Out Magazine
The Lucid Dream return in October with the release of their 4th album, 'Actualisation'.
Driven by fans raising £10,000 to help replace all equipment robbed after a Paris show in early 2017, a new album became the instant focus in the summer of 2017 for a rejuvenated The Lucid Dream.
'Actualisation' is soaked in the influence of acid house, amalgamated with dub and kosmische. It will again see them acknowledged for venturing into pastures new, setting themselves apart from 'genres', 'scenes' or what any other act are currently doing.
The album was penned over the summer of 2017 by Mark Emmerson (vocals/guitar/synths), using only the classic Roland 303/808 synths, bass and vocals as tools for writing. Inspiration for the writing was formed via continuous listening to the Chicago to UK acid house works of 1986-1992, the focus predominantly on the groove.
Several months on from those writing sessions and The Lucid Dream have completed their 4th album in 5 years. A record made for the dancefloor.
Recorded at Whitewood Studios, Liverpool, with Rob Whiteley, the album is produced alongside long-time collaborator Ross Halden (Ghost Town Studios, Leeds), with mastering via Dean Honer (All Seeing I/I Monster/The Moonlandingz).
The confrontational techno-punk of 'Alone In Fear' opens the album, a 9-minute attack fuelled by the frustration and anger spawned by Brexit, government and a realisation of what 2018 Britain currently is.
Recent single 'SX1000' (the first work from the album, unveiled via 12' vinyl in April this year) is the band's first move into pure acid house. The acid house fusion runs throughout the record, represented furthermore by 'Ardency', a track already praised by live critics when aired live for the first time earlier this year as 'even on first hearing, would've raised the roof of The Hacienda'.
The 2-part opus of 'Zenith' follows, commencing with a space-dub/house instrumental groove before building into a track that will go for your head as much as your hips. Only 'Breakdown' harks back to sounds of old for the band, a little reminder of the skull-crushing impact they can make when stripped to the bare bones. 'No Sunlight Dub' closes the album, a dark-dub that invites the classic acid-house tool (Roland 808) into the dub. The track makes a stop-off into drum 'n' bass/jungle along the way before rounding up in a manner suited to Lee Perry, King Tubby, Augustus Pablo and other Jamaican greats.
The Lucid Dream formed in Carlisle, Cumbria, in 2008. A string of sold-out 7s was followed by the debut longer player, 'Songs Of Lies and Deceit', in August 2013. The initial vinyl pressing of the debut album (500 copies) sold out within 2 days, and was backed by a main stage slot at Kendal Calling, and supports to Death In Vegas and A Place To Bury Strangers (full UK tour).
The bands 2nd album ('The Lucid Dream') was released in March 2015 to further acclaim. This included 2 BBC 6 Music sessions and plays across most shows on the station, as well as plays from BBC Radio 1 (Huw Stephens) and BBC Radio 2. Further press followed from Uncut, The Skinny, Louder Than War, and Drowned In Sound, who named the album #7 UK album of 2015. Supports to Clinic and A Place To Bury Strangers also coincided.
3rd album, 'Compulsion Songs' was released in September 2016, on Holy Are You Recordings. The vinyl pressing of the album sold-out within a day, prompting an immediate 2nd press, with pre-sales of the album topping 1,000 before release. The album was backed by a headline UK tour, and a main slot at Liverpool International Festival of Psychedelia (for which they were singled out for major plaudits from The Quietus, The Skinny and Drowned In Sound). The album again received acclaim from the likes of Mojo, Uncut, Classic Rock Magazine, BBC Radio 2 (Huey Morgan) and across the board on BBC 6 Music (Lauren Laverne, Marc Riley, Tom Ravenscroft, Gideon Coe, Stuart Maconie).
'Actualisation' is released on 19th October 2018 (CD/download/ltd red vinyl/standard black vinyl), via Holy Are You Recordings.
'they've quietly found themselves elevated into the psych scenes premier league.' Drowned In Sound
'when they go pedal-to-metal it rarely fails.' Mojo Magazine
'The Lucid Dream are rapidly becoming major players in an ever-increasingly crowded psych scene..utterly seductive.' The Quietus
'one of the most enthralling bands in the UK.' Far Out Magazine
The Lucid Dream return in October with the release of their 4th album, 'Actualisation'.
Driven by fans raising £10,000 to help replace all equipment robbed after a Paris show in early 2017, a new album became the instant focus in the summer of 2017 for a rejuvenated The Lucid Dream.
'Actualisation' is soaked in the influence of acid house, amalgamated with dub and kosmische. It will again see them acknowledged for venturing into pastures new, setting themselves apart from 'genres', 'scenes' or what any other act are currently doing.
The album was penned over the summer of 2017 by Mark Emmerson (vocals/guitar/synths), using only the classic Roland 303/808 synths, bass and vocals as tools for writing. Inspiration for the writing was formed via continuous listening to the Chicago to UK acid house works of 1986-1992, the focus predominantly on the groove.
Several months on from those writing sessions and The Lucid Dream have completed their 4th album in 5 years. A record made for the dancefloor.
Recorded at Whitewood Studios, Liverpool, with Rob Whiteley, the album is produced alongside long-time collaborator Ross Halden (Ghost Town Studios, Leeds), with mastering via Dean Honer (All Seeing I/I Monster/The Moonlandingz).
The confrontational techno-punk of 'Alone In Fear' opens the album, a 9-minute attack fuelled by the frustration and anger spawned by Brexit, government and a realisation of what 2018 Britain currently is.
Recent single 'SX1000' (the first work from the album, unveiled via 12' vinyl in April this year) is the band's first move into pure acid house. The acid house fusion runs throughout the record, represented furthermore by 'Ardency', a track already praised by live critics when aired live for the first time earlier this year as 'even on first hearing, would've raised the roof of The Hacienda'.
The 2-part opus of 'Zenith' follows, commencing with a space-dub/house instrumental groove before building into a track that will go for your head as much as your hips. Only 'Breakdown' harks back to sounds of old for the band, a little reminder of the skull-crushing impact they can make when stripped to the bare bones. 'No Sunlight Dub' closes the album, a dark-dub that invites the classic acid-house tool (Roland 808) into the dub. The track makes a stop-off into drum 'n' bass/jungle along the way before rounding up in a manner suited to Lee Perry, King Tubby, Augustus Pablo and other Jamaican greats.
The Lucid Dream formed in Carlisle, Cumbria, in 2008. A string of sold-out 7s was followed by the debut longer player, 'Songs Of Lies and Deceit', in August 2013. The initial vinyl pressing of the debut album (500 copies) sold out within 2 days, and was backed by a main stage slot at Kendal Calling, and supports to Death In Vegas and A Place To Bury Strangers (full UK tour).
The bands 2nd album ('The Lucid Dream') was released in March 2015 to further acclaim. This included 2 BBC 6 Music sessions and plays across most shows on the station, as well as plays from BBC Radio 1 (Huw Stephens) and BBC Radio 2. Further press followed from Uncut, The Skinny, Louder Than War, and Drowned In Sound, who named the album #7 UK album of 2015. Supports to Clinic and A Place To Bury Strangers also coincided.
3rd album, 'Compulsion Songs' was released in September 2016, on Holy Are You Recordings. The vinyl pressing of the album sold-out within a day, prompting an immediate 2nd press, with pre-sales of the album topping 1,000 before release. The album was backed by a headline UK tour, and a main slot at Liverpool International Festival of Psychedelia (for which they were singled out for major plaudits from The Quietus, The Skinny and Drowned In Sound). The album again received acclaim from the likes of Mojo, Uncut, Classic Rock Magazine, BBC Radio 2 (Huey Morgan) and across the board on BBC 6 Music (Lauren Laverne, Marc Riley, Tom Ravenscroft, Gideon Coe, Stuart Maconie).
'Actualisation' is released on 19th October 2018 (CD/download/ltd red vinyl/standard black vinyl), via Holy Are You Recordings.
'Jump Trax' is another essential piece of early Chicago house music crafted by the legendary Duane Thamm JR back in 1984. Fusing together a myriad of influences including early 80's Euro pop, Italo Disco and HI NRG, Thamm JR was responsible for helping create and influence the burgeoning House sound that would emanate from the city all throughout the second half of the 1980's. Not only were these sounds new and fresh, they were experimental too, 'Jump Trax' sees the BPM's gradually shift throughout the duration of the tracks seamlessly giving the more adventurous DJ's out there more ammunition and room to experiment with styles and BPM's. A truly visionary approach to production and all recorded and mixed within Chicago's city limits by Thamm JR at his Reel To Reel Studio located in Villa Park, Illinois. 'Jump Trax' continues to be as influential today as it was back in '84, with many top DJ's still citing the record as a 'go to', powerful indeed.
Chicago's Still Music are proud to present this fully legit, remastered and repressed piece of Chicago house history. A truly pivotal record now made available again for 2018. Essential sound for those who love the real deal - snoozing not advised, OG copies of this monster are hard to come by!
Standards & Practices is proud to present the inaugural release on its new sister imprint, Double Standards, from NYC-based producer Jake Reif (Device Control). His third release working under this alias, Reif manages to amalgamate his dance music obsessions (EBM, bleep techno, Chicago house) in a totally unique way that feels fresh and idiosyncratic, avoiding simple genre exercises or nostalgia for the sake of it.
Lead track 'Spirit Module' is perhaps the finest summation of Reif's aesthetic yet: a mixture of bleepy, raw techno that, with its wild vocal samples and wide, 808-driven groove, comes across like a tougher, more modern take on the classic Sheffield/Richard H. Kirk/Robert Gordon sound. Label partner Ken Meier's first outing here as a remixer is a smashing success his version strips things down, keeping most elements of the original intact, but adds a driving, almost double-time metronomic machine rhythm that's aimed squarely at the dancefloor. On the flip, 'Tension' and 'Symmetry Obsession' row the boat further out, with their synapse-frying tones and jagged, randomized sequences reminiscent of Freddy Fresh at his best. All in all, a future classic destined to find favor with adventurous house and techno DJs alike.
The 8 track album features new collaborations with DJ Phil, Gantman, DJ Paypal, and Sirr Tmo, and a previously unreleased classic from 2013, co-written with DJ Rashad. WFM will be available in Vinyl and digital formats on September 7th 2018. Listening to WFM, the first thing that jumps out at you is Heavee's masterful use of synthesizers and sound design. You get the sense that these elements have been lovingly crafted during countless hours of sonic experimentation and invention in the studio. As Heavee explains, the primary focus on synths represents a departure from his usual creative process: 'Usually in my method of production, synths or sounds come somewhat close to last, likely after I find structure or rhythm. Basically, it's not something I particularly go for first, but this time around they became the building blocks'. Heavee has made a conscious decision to challenge himself, adopting a different approach to his past productions. In doing so, he moves away from the familiar sampling techniques which characterised his earlier work: 'I am a child of the last days of ghetto house culture as it shifted into juke/footwork. My parents, aunties, and uncles played house and ghetto house music at family functions, BBQs and house parties. That's my roots and where I came from. However, on this record, I chose to stray away from vocal samples, to give myself room to grow in different areas.' Heavee finds his voice in emphatic fashion on Cloud Ride feat. DJ Phil. His lyrical content and flow are on point as the track flips seamlessly from hip hop to footwork and back again. DJ Phil features on 3 tracks in total, a reflection of Heavee and Phil's close friendship and musical connection. As Heavee explains: 'Phil's studio is a safe space for me. Whether he is in the room or not, I don't feel weird about trying something that might be silly, taking it to the next level, or coming from a place of pure inspiration. Phil has historical, musical and cultural knowledge relevant to Chicago. He shares a lot of invaluable knowledge with me' WFM features It's Wack a classic collaboration with DJ Rashad that still sounds fresh today. Heavee remembers how Rashad would always stay connected, even during his relentless touring schedule: 'We'd get calls no matter where he was. We would talk about everything! He ALWAYS had new info; what new music was popping, scenes that were really accepting or supportive of what we were doing, blends that made the party go off, sites, adventures and just fuel us with support from him and give us living proof of the global support that was to come and the journey that was ahead of us.' Although Heavee makes music with the dancefloor firmly in mind, the sheer quality of his music transcends that space. So sit back and enjoy the next chapter in the Teklife story. All that remains is for Heavee to sign out with a message for the worldwide Teklife family: 'First, Thank you to everyone who supports what I do as an Individual, and Teklife Music as an entirety. You don't understand how much your support means to us, it literally keeps us moving. The takeover is far from over! Second, thank you to everyone involved in this project, I couldn't have made it without you. This process taught me so much about what it takes to become the person you want to be. It starts inside of you, and you have to really work for it, you can't wait and wonder. I feel beyond blessed to present this gift to the world, walking this journey of self -discovery through music with you!!!
Following the completely sold out 'Imagine - A - Nation' and 'Le Fusion' reissues, Anotherday brings you a very special release from the vault of the enigma that is Spencer Kincy, AKA Gemini - we are very proud, and extremely excited to present Gemini's first 4 releases, lovingly re-mastered!
* Originally released on Relief Records; the Chicago techno label headed up by Cajmere, these releases were Gemini's introduction into the worlds of house and techno, and contain some of his most vital works.
* As one of Chicago's most mysterious and revered characters, the story of Gemini, aka Spencer Kincy has become something of a myth in recent years - blazing a trail throughout the 90's, prolifically releasing over 200 tracks from 1994 to 1999, Spencer's music had shades innovation and soul few of his peers could match. Then, suddenly, at the peak of his career, he disappeared.
* As before, this album has been licensed directly from the man himself, and the money made from its exploitation will go directly to him.
