Cerca:church

Despite their early success, The Valentinos’ story was, like many other groups, a ‘what might have been’ story. But there could not have been a more hardworking group. Every night, Friendly Womack Sr. taught his boys all the gospel songs he knew before he kicked them out of the house because they wanted to switch to secular singing.
“Bobby, you’re singing too church!” shouted Sam Cooke across the recording desk at the United Recording Studios in L.A. to Bobby and his brothers…
Still torn here between gospel and secular singing, Friendly “June” Womack told me about both these two lost tracks from the group: “Between you and I, we were looking hard to get another ‘Looking For A Love’. We were desperate for that, as that was such a big seller for us”.
Ultimately these sides failed to be released, yet they were both great tracks. Wouldn’t it be great though if, this time around, Soul4Real Records were able to hang out the ‘sold out’ banner that all the Womack brothers really deserved?

Spotlight Records is proud to announce the release of the original soundtrack for Bruce LaBruce’s new film, The Visitor. Composed by the acclaimed UK-based DJ and producer Hannah Holland, the soundtrack presents an eclectic mix of cerebral soundscapes and pulsating dance floor anthems, a defiantly bold score for a truly provocative narrative. The deluxe limited edition double vinyl package comes with a guerilla sticker sheet.

The Visitor sees the legendary filmmaker and photographer continue his decades-long creative journey with a transgressive reimagining of Pier Paolo Pasolini’s 1968 classic Teorema, set against the dystopian backdrop of a paranoid, xenophobic post-Brexit London. Washed ashore from the sea in a suitcase, a mysterious refugee disrupts the lives of a privileged white family, leading them through a series of explicit and transformative encounters. The film, which features performance artist Bishop Black amid a series of explicit, hardcore sex scenes, premiered at the 2024 Berlinale Film Festival.

With reverence and reference to Ennio Morricone’s iconic score for Teorema, Hannah Holland has crafted a soundtrack that both honors the original and brings a contemporary twist. The album features collaborations with a stellar lineup of artists from both the queer and electronic music underground, including Ghost Culture, Jonjo Jury, Josh Caffé, Joy Joseph, ROY INC, and Ziah Ziah.

After more than ten years, four albums and countless shows, Swiss artist Joell Nicolas takes a turn and releases her last album as VRVN. Despite being an ending, Storia is also a place for beginnings. For the first time, VRVN brings together her semi-modular synth with an acoustic instrument, but not just any: a church organ. Filled with air like a dragon, it becomes both emancipating and dangerous, weaving its sounds with synthetic ones, together with voices and lyrics: in English and –also for the first time– in French.

Three years of musical research condensed in ten tracks, sometimes structured as songs, sometimes as sensitive soundscapes. Stemming from an exploration of textures over structure, Storia meanders through intimate topics, such as childhood, silence, risk, healing and transformation.

With the support of Ville de Lausanne and Canton de Vaud.

Rance Allen churned that rhythm smack between gospel music and soul. Rance brought the fire, his every performance a dedicated reach beyond expectations. It's like he lived in a realm above ours, and his performances were a ladder from our plane to his, an invitation to step up, step out, be good, do right, dance while doing it, jive and smile. And praise the Lord.
Rance sang about Jesus Christ, even when he didn't mention him. His music was an invitation to groove along, but it was also a stepping stone to church. He focused not on the fire and brimstone but on building community, helping those in need, a church of embrace.
His two brothers were his band, along with Stax guests. On "Everybody's Talkin'" you can hear disco coming around the corner and also the influence of Isaac Hayes. "You Need A Friend Like Mine" builds on the Staple Singers' "If You're Ready (Come Go With Me)", and it features some of Rance's finest falsetto, up there with Rev. Claude Jeter and Al Green.
Rance moves your spirit.

Oráculo Records proudly presents the vinyl debut of one of the most promising contemporary Italian post-punk acts. The Bolognese duo delivers a fresh take on what this movement should embrace today. Their approach combines elements of krautrock with some dub influences and grunge clichés, resulting in an advanced proposal that invites repeated listening.. Presented in a ONE-OFF truly limited edition of 300 copies lacquered pressed on 180 gr. high quality solid BLACK vinyl. All tracks have been specially mastered for vinyl by Daniel Hallhuber at Young and Cold Studios (Germany).

"LATZFONSER KREUZ / FELTUNER HÜTTE scheduled for release on September 20th 2024 is the third single to be lifted from Ulrich Troyer's TRANSIT TRIBE due later this year.

Mamadou Diabate, originally from Burkina-Faso and now resident in Vienna, who is also a world-famous virtuoso balaphon player, collaborates on "Latzfonser Kreuz" with fellow countryman Hamidou Koita to produce a remarkable percussion track, both singing and employing talking drum and djembe to come up with a sound that can only be described as dubbed-out Nyahbinghi-style electro-beats! The track references the little church at Latzfonser Kreuz, which is the highest pilgrimage spot in South Tyrol, one of the highest in Europe; every year in June, the Black Lord, a black carved Gothic wooden cross, is brought from the village church in Latzfons to thepilgrimage church, where it remains throughout the summer.

On the flip for "Feltuner Hütte" Ulrich Troyer is joined by co-producer Osman Murat Ertel, founding member of the electro-psych-folk group Baba Zula from Istanbul, who has worked internationally for many years collaborating with the likes of Jaki Liebezeit, Fred Frith and Mad Professor. But here Murat takes us on a dub psych-out trip with his favoured electric saz, with wha wha FX, delay and echo, like Link Wray meeting King Tubby on the old streets of Istanbul."

Steve Barker (DJ, Radio Presenter - On the Wire, BBC 1984 – 2023, now Slack City Radio & reggae/dub columnist and contributor to The Wire)

Credits:

Mamadou Diabate: vocals (A) & talking drum (A)

Osman Murat Ertel: electric saz (B)

Hamidou Koita: vocals (A), djembe (A)

Didi Kern: percussion (A), drums (B)

Flip Philipp: percussion (B)

Ulrich Troyer: analog synthesizers & drum-machines, sampler, field recordings, dub effects (A+B)

A written by Mamadou Diabate, Hamidou Koita & Ulrich Troyer

B written by Osman Murat Ertel & Ulrich Troyer

Recorded by Ulrich Troyer at 4Bit Studio & 4Bit Bungalow, Vienna - except electro saz on track B recorded by Osman Murat Ertel at Saniki Studio, Istanbul

Mixed & arranged by Ulrich Troyer at 4Bit Bungalow, Vienna

Produced by Osman Murat Ertel & Ulrich Troyer

Mastering & Lacquer Cut by Kassian Troyer at Dubplates & Mastering, Berlin

Cover Drawing by Ulrich Troyer

Special thanks to Steve Barker, Mamadou Diabate, Osman Murat Ertel, Diggory Kenrick, Eva Kelety, Didi Kern, Hamidou Koita and Flip Philipp

Kindly supported by the City of Vienna (MA7 - Kultur), Federal Ministry Republic of Austria (Arts, Culture, Civil Service & Sport), SKE-FONDS (AT) & Amt für Kultur, Bozen (IT

DJ support - Groove Armada, Sam Divine, Ame, Rampa, David Penn,Simon Dunmore, and Oliver Dollar

Kaoz Theory proudly presents Devon Miles and his new track, 'Beautifull.', executively produced by Kerri Chandler.

Featuring remixes from the legendary Kerri Chandler himself and the talented Opolopo.
Devon Miles is a self-taught Nigerian multi-instrumentalist, producer, composer, and singer/songwriter. He is driven by a deep passion to spread light, love, and truth through his music. Devon began his musical journey in his childhood church and, by the age of 16, opened his first recording studio with his older brother and two cousins. With years of experience collaborating with national and international artists, bands, and theatre troupes, Devon now invites you to explore his world through his music.

Bristol's cultured Innate label is back with a first outing of the year and it returns to their various artists format with a mix of talents all making their mark. UK veteran Tom Churchill opens up with 'Unknown Unknowns (Edit)', which brings plenty of fuzzy and lo-fi aesthetic to jacked up drums and spaced-out pads. Rai Scott then shows her class with 'Suasion' that sinks down deep into immersive drums and is subtly lit up with simmering strings. Innate co-founders Owain K and Gilbert then hook-up under their brand new alias Curved Space and showcase their love of electro with 'Reverie,' a dreamy cut that glows with nice celestial melodies and will have dance floors in a zoned-out state. Last of all it's Lisbon mainstay Jorge Caiado who debuts with the chord-laced 'Floating Without Lifting,' a sophisticated and serene jazz-techno cut that takes you to the stars.


DJ Feedback

Richard Sen:
"Lliking the Tom Churchill and Curved Space tracks. Will try and fit them into the show and in the club."

Laurent Garnier:
"A lovely EP indeed!"

Jayson Wynters:
"This is a great release. Nice varied tracks for different moods. Will certainly be playing this."

Anna Wall:
"Lovely VA! Thanks so much for sharing :) Faves are Jorges track and Rai Scott. Really beautiful music!"

Ewan Jansen:
"Great listen mate - a good gang assembled too."

DJ Guy:
"The EP is gonna be incredible..."

Orlando Voorn:
"I like em all!"

Moy:
"This is another really wikid V/A!"

Hizou:
"Thanks a lot, so good music here!"

Appleblim:
"I love the Tom Churchill - very detroity and deep, beautiful!"

Baldo:
"Thanks for this release, I love your track with Gilbert and also Jorge's! pure class!"

Alex Attias:
"Sounding dope! I’m feeling this great ep, thank you so much."

Chris Duckenfield:
"Many thanks for sharing, it’s a strong EP for sure. B2 probably my immediate fave."

Adam Shelton:
"Wicked release! Love all tracks, thanks so much."

Alien Communications:
"Love the EP, really like all the tracks but your own, Reverie, is definitely the strongest for me."

Dan Curtin:
"Sounding so lush...really really great. "

Vine Watson:
"Sounding great!!!"

After a short break mezin is back with the 4th record, helmed by Crihan. An Ordinary Family is a special affair, put together over a long period with a special narrative in mind, embodied by 4 pieces representing each of the main characters in F.M. Dostoevski magnum opus (or so we think!) The Brothers Karamazov.

In this exercise of imagination, Alin attempts to push his creative juices to new heights to represent his perception of the novel’s titular actors. From religious themes, distant church bells and organs, yet, a lighthearted Aliosha to the dark reveries and otherworldly echoes of Ivan through to the sheer power and brute force of Dmitri and finally intersecting with sly, slinky but confident Grushenka. An Ordinary Family sets off on an ambitious trip that, we hope, will spark some curiosity for the novel, but we’ll be happy if you keep on dancing, too!

In the annals of German techno history of the early 90s, Mannheim's Milk Club was always something like the dirty little brother between Berlin's Tresor and Frankfurt's Omen - not as cocky as the two big siblings, but secretly all the more clever. Less pretentious than the Äppelwoi metropolis, less dirty than the capital and, despite squaring the circle, less straightforward than both together. Instead, they delight with breakdancers of almost Wigan Casino-like elegance. Very British, even in the musical mix of house, techno and breakbeats, breakbeats, breakbeats. A club like a kind of mother raising the nightclubbers with her milk.

Devi g. pay tribute to this club with their MILK EP. on Pudel Produkte.
Devi g. are Dirk Mantei aka Dman (DJ and former manager of the Milk Club) and Oliver Bradford (one half of Thee Church Ov Acid House and resident DJ at the equally legendary Brückenkopf parties in Mainz). Pudel Produkte because, well, Golden Pudel Club - Legend binding.

A four-part promenade mix is on offer that has it all. It contains house, techno and, yes, breakbeats, breakbeats, breakbeats.

Sleep Now Forever is the second and final album released by Sorrow, the post-Strawberry Switchblade group fronted by singer Rose McDowall. Originally released in 1999 and long since deleted it is a cornucopia of pastoral, elegiac folk music, swirling atmospherics, hymnal compositions and above it all the alternating towering and fragile vocal performances of McDowall. Recorded in the late 90s with fellow band member and co-songwriter Robert Lee, Sleep Now Forever is the definitive statement by the now defunct group and Rose McDowall’s most complete long-form work to date.
Released through the group’s own Piski Disk Records, Sleep Now Forever was distributed by World Serpent which struggled through the early 2000s with financial woes, eventually folding due to bankruptcy in 2004. Due to the company’s troubles, Sleep Now Forever was never distributed widely and was a victim of the company’s failure. Released on CD only, original copies are now rare and only traded on second hand channels. Remastered by Mikey Young for a limited vinyl release, Sleep Now Forever will be released on April 20th on double vinyl format, with one side an exclusive etching by Glasgow artist Holly Allan.
Despite its rarity, Sleep Now Forever enjoys a firm cult following. The album’s textures are expansive, lush, deliciously detailed and celestial. Recorded in home study Velvet Hole by Rose McDowall and then-husband Robert Lee, the album enlists an array of players from the underground Neo-folk / industrial scene: Nigel McKernaghan (Uilleann pipes, Whistles), Susan Franknel (Bassoon), John Contreras (Cello) and Lawrence Frankel (Oboe, Cor Anglais). The eleven songs here revolve around McDowall’s instantly recognisable voice. Brought up singing in the Catholic Church, McDowall’s vocals are impeccable and angelic, particularly on tracks like Turn Off The Light where her experiences with religion are canted over soaring oboe and guitar backing. By far the most evolved and realised version of Sorrow’s vision, it feels somewhat criminal that music this beautiful could be lost to time until now.
McDowall’s lyrics throughout Sleep Now Forever deal frankly with mental health, depression, altered states, death and redemption. Wave upon wave of harmony drench each song, McDowal’s vocal multi-tracked and imperious. Opener Soldier benefits from Robert Lee’s use of the studio as instrument, summoning forth a lilting group performance of sparkling guitar and percussion that recalls the Velvet Underground. Mikey Love’s master treats the compositions to brand new frequency dynamics and space. Harmonium and string drones form the counter to McDowall’s vocal on Love Dies, a slow, lurching lament that feels transcendent. On Haunting, the arrangement is orchestral and aching, bleeding into Fear Becomes You, with chord and harmony structure that recalls the baroque sixties pop of West Coast Pop Experimental Art Band or the 60s psychedelic folk movement. A towering, beautiful statement, this elegy for times lost and moonlit-illumination is finally resurfacing from the darkness.

The Hammond organ was first manufactured in 1935. In 1954, the now famous Hammond B3 model was introduced with additional harmonic percussion feature. When the company went out of business in 1985, around two million of various models of the Hammond organ have been produced.

The Hammond B3 was originally marketed to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ. It quickly became popular with professional jazz musicians in organ trios. Jimmy Smith's use of the Hammond B3 inspired a generation of organ players, and its use became more widespread in the 1960s and 1970s in rhythm and blues, rock, reggae, and progressive rock.

This collection is centered on the exciting and dynamic sounds of the Hammond B3 organ!

This is the first re-release on 7inch vinyl single of the early Reggae classic “She Caught The Train” by Ray Martell released in 1970 on the Trojan sublabel Joe in the U.K. and later covered by UB 40 in 1983. This original song, a huge hit, has featured on many compilations but has never been repressed as a single, until now…
It was initially released with the track “Tea House From Emperor Roscoe” by Dice The boss on the B side (which we will also release separately on the 22nd of March 2024). On this release, we chose to showcase a super rare Ray Martell song, the gorgeous “Cora” initially released on Attack in 1970.
About Joe Mansano:
“She Caught The Train” was credited to Joe Mansano, real name Joel Mansano who also produced the song. Joel was a Trinidadian who moved to London in 1963. He was a record shop seller, song writer and producer and became heavily involved in the early reggae era producing and writing tracks for several Jamaican artists, enough for Trojan to dedicate a label to him: the “Joe” label aimed at the emerging Skinheads market. He also owned a shop the Joe's Record Centre in Brixton and recorded two handfuls of singles under the name Joe The boss…
About Ray Martell:
“Cora” is credited to Ray Martell himself and was produced by Philligree, an alias for Graham Goodall and Phil Chen. The Philligree duo produced about 20 very interesting singles on a variety of labels with artist such as Desmond Dekker, Millie, Pat Sandy and Ray Martell among others between 1969 and 1970. Although “She Caught The Train” is indeed a famous track, little is known about Ray Martell aka Martel Robinson. Ray was born in St Catherine parish in Jamaica in September 1943. He started to sing at school and church and later on moved to U.K. where he kept on singing in clubs in Coventry and Birmingham … He eventually moved to London where he recorded 4 great tracks in 1970 “She Caught The Train” on Joe, “Cora” and “Loving Lover” on Attack, and “Lover” on Trojan, the last three being written by himself. In 1973 he started his own label “Ray” featuring his own productions but these were unfortunately not as interesting as his previous releases…

Building on their shared exploration of forward-leaning UK club sounds, EM + STAV herald the arrival of their new label JoyLift with the Endless EP. Having entrenched themselves within the free-spirited landscape of Bristol’s music community, the pair home in on a focused sound which draws on the city’s storied bass mutations as a springboard for their own take on modernist dance music.

There’s a tough, brooding quality to Endless EP which speaks to the meditative pressure of soundsystem immersion, but equally EM + STAV build out evocative, shifting narratives within that club-ready framework. From dubwise processing to deft sound design, a broad church of processes are wielded to shape out these pieces, and physicality comes in many forms whether in weightless sub lines or pointed, angular drum programming. Given their long-standing connection to developments within the underground music scene, there’s a keen instinct for the dynamic shifts which can set a dance alight, while the ill- defined shape of the wider genre-not-genre allows plenty of space for movement and experimentation.

Alongside the three original productions from EM + STAV, kindred spirit Forest Drive West steps up for a remix of ‘Odd' which aligns with the aesthetic intentions of JoyLift while demonstrating the idiosyncratic qualities associated with the scene’s most vital artists. The cohesive feel of Endless EP extends to Luke Griffin’s artwork, in which natural source material undergoes heavy processing to wind up in a striking new form, shot through with colour but ultimately shrouded in a moodiness that harks back through the lineage of hardcore-rooted UK dance music.

By its very nature the future is unwritten for JoyLift, but EM + STAV’s new project commits itself to an ever-evolving palette of sound, rendered as music with a strong sense of identity - tracks to shake the dance without resorting to obvious tropes, responding to and feeding into the inspiring tides of ideas emanating from the environment around them.

Kompakt unveils the third volume of Jörg Burger’s Velvet Desert Music compilation series, dedicated to music that hits the sweet spot between the cinematic, the (pop) ambient, and the psychedelic. With Velvet Desert Music Vol. 3, Burger and his friends wander afar, taking trips away from, or adjacent to, the dancefloor that’s acted so long as the crucible for the Kompakt aesthetic. Like its predecessors, it’s a gorgeous, lambent collection of late-night mood music.

Because it’s such a broad church, Velvet Desert Music admits all kinds of new experiences, as well, with Burger looking for music that "leads out of the desert into the velvet universe". Indeed, of all the volumes in the series, this third instalment feels closest to an album made by a true collective. The roster has changed, with new contributors Flug 8 and Seb Martel, both with his trio Las Ondas Marteles and with Chocolate Genius and Zsela as La Finca, joining regulars The Novotones, Mount Obsidian, The Golden Bug, Paulor and Sascha Funke.

Burger himself reappears, too, alongside Fritz Ackermann (of The Novotones), Max Würden and Thore Pfeiffer, in The Velvet Circle. Their contributions are pure lush life electronica: “Our Tribe” hitches a ride with a low-slung groove, flickering psychedelic reels of acoustic guitar traipsing across moody bass and taffeta layers of drone; their opening remix of Flug 8’s “Puerto Rico” gently introduces the album with softly tangling electronic tones, while guitars, drenched in reverb, pirouette in the background. A Mount Obsidian remix of “Sacrosanct” by Burger’s The Black Frame -project is a swirling treat for the ears.

La Finca’s electronics and voice miniature, “What Clouds Say”, is a masterclass in poetic restraint; Martel’s “Dark Mambo”, remixed by Burger, is one of the collection’s big surprises, for it indeed does what the title says, a drifting, surrealist take on the mambo form, full of pensive chords, rich with unrequited longing, a breathy saxophone whispering under the song’s sly rhythmic carriage.

Elsewhere, The Novotones chime in with a slyly propulsive, Krautrock-esque charmer, “Liberty Bell”, and the guitar-led tone-drift of “Valley of Oblivion”; Paulor’s “The Last Coke in the Desert” is a chiming, lilting dreamscape; Mount Obsidian are joined by vocalist Charlotte Jestaedt for two modern takes on early-hours art song, “Marole” and “Fade”; Sascha Funke’s “Mathias Rust” is a lavish dancefloor dream, vocal samples drifting through the song as it slowly envelops the listener in its opulent radiance.

This is just a taste of the rich pleasures of Velvet Desert Music Vol. 3, a triumph of a compilation that takes the psychedelic visions of its predecessors and looks for the desert within, a dusty kiss, a road-movie hallucination flickering on the listener’s eyelids, a cinematic projection from deep inside the mind.

2024 Repress

What if Kraftwerk's "Computer World" had a more dystopian message? Then you would get this album: "Control Paradox" by T/Error. This double 12 inch vinyl is filled with Kraftworkian moments, but is more updated to our current times. Today computers, smart phones, AI and algorithms have taken over our daily lives. This release features 9 original tunes and 3 remixes by none other than: Cygnol, Lloyd Stellar and Heinrich Dressel. The track "Cheerleaders Are Eating Flesh" is a homage to the legendary maestro I-F and his cult hit: "Space Invaders Are Smoking Grass".

Red hot Italian DJ and production collective Aura Safari is back with a second full-length album, Island Dreams. It lands on Hell Yeah Recordings on September 15th and is another live and sun-kissed odyssey through balmy Mediterranean evenings, gorgeous sundown sessions and funky analogue grooves.

Andrea Moretti, Lorenzo Lavoratori, Daniele Melloni, Nicholas Iammatteo, Lorenzo Francioli, Ruggero Bonucci and Nicola Pitassio are Aura Safari, and between them they play drums, percussion, bass, keys, and guitar. They contributed to the first volume of the Buena Onda compilation in 2020 on this label, a year after serving up a debut album on London's Church Records. Since then they have become ever more entrenched in their local scene in Perugia, playing summer sets at the Umbria Jazz Festival, winter warmers at the legendary Red Zone Club and host their own Tropical Climax parties each month in the town centre.

Aura Safari are also deep-digging music collectors who have extensive and far-reaching tastes. When cooking up their sounds they draw on everything from Afro to Italo, house to disco, 80s boogie to world music, jazz and Balearic beats. This new album shows that once more across four sides of vinyl that sweep you up and transport you to somewhere idyllic.

The title track kicks off with steamy Mediterranean grooves embellished with lush Rhodes chords and sprinkles of cosmic magic. 'Sur Mon Balconnet' then slips into dubbed-out disco territory with 80s synths and leggy drums while 'Riserva Naturale' is a new-age jazz house sound with majestic lead synths and heart-melting chords that speak of a sunset dance on the beach. 'Onda' has squelchy boogie bass with hip-swinging drums, 'Wave Riding' is a lo-fi funk excursion with hints of West Coast Californian swagger and 'Magic Malbe' is loose-limbed Balearica with clear blue skies and blissed-out chords.

'Dancing in the Moonlight' feat. Zeke Manyika has all the vibrant feelings of bubblegum pop with Afro vocals and steel drum sounds next to rich xylophone sounds. There is plenty of heat and exotic charm to the proto-Afro house of 'Tropical Climax' and as well as dub versions of 'Sur Mon Balconnet' and 'Dancing in the Moonlight' come the scuffed-up Dam-Funk style beats and boogie of 'Disco Mantra' before closer 'Patagonia' shuts down with elastic drums and bass and playful synth leads that send you home wanting more.

Island Dreams is a tropical escape to a rich world of fusion sounds that look back to go forwards. It's a feel-good record to accompany hot nights and lazy afternoons, cocktails at dusk and dancing till dawn.

From the mountains to the sea as the region they were born in. Sometimes it's better to listen than to speak. Dmfl post-rock instrumental band deals with dreams and desires through its oneiric and cathartic compositions. Dmfl once again collaborated for their visual representations with the international street artist Millo, whose cover artwork,    tuned up and focused on how listening is a way to go deeper into the emotions, descending into the core of the sound.

Janaka Stucky is a poet, performer, and author of two poetry collections published by Third Man Books & Records. Janaka’s poems are at once incantatory, mystic, and epigrammatic.

His esoteric & occult influences, combined with a mesmeric approach to performance, create an almost ecstatic presence on stage. Of his live shows, VICE writes, “Janaka Stucky performs poetry readings like he's part fire-and-brimstone preacher, part doom-metal frontman … For him, lighting incense, dropping acid, and creating some of the most ecstatic lines of verse you’ve ever read is just another day at the office.”

Praised by Jimmy Page as “riveting,” Janaka Stucky’s book length poem, Ascend Ascend, published by Jack White’s Third Man Books in 2019, gets a mesmerizing treatment on this album by the same name, accompanied by experimental cellist Lori Goldston. Goldston, known for her work with a number of acts—including Nirvana, Cat Power, and Earth—provides otherworldly layers of distortion and natural reverb over Stucky’s dirge-like vocal performance.
Recorded at the All Pilgrims Church in Seattle while Stucky was on a 7-city tour produced by Atlas Obscura in 2019, the performance is served well by the room’s ambiance and was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Mell Dettmer—who has engineered albums for acts such as Earth, Sunn O))), Master Musicians of Bukkake, and Wolves in the Throne Room.

During the summer youth program of 1970 and '71 at St Paul's Catholic church a young Tunnie Smith was singled out by Father George Artist for his outstanding singing abilities. He was soon introduced to Joe Delpit and Reginal Brown to sing along with their show and dance band "The 13Th Amendments. It didn't take long before Tunnie was a full member of the band and became a featured singer performing throughout Louisiana. After a year and a half of performing at nightclubs, military bases and universities Tunnie landed a record deal with Rick Hall's Fame/UA record label. His first single from 1973 was a wonderful mid-tempo number entitled "Finders Aren't Always Keepers" flipped with "Do That To Me"It gained National distribution and had some good success. Tunnie left Fame records and was introduced to Stax record executives Al Bell and John Smith. After signing with Stax, Tunnie met legendary writer and performer David Porter where they recorded an album which was scheduled for release around 73/74.Unfortunately Staxs association with CBS came to a halt and the project got shelved. From those session arose the wonderful "U And Me Together", leading on from the well produced "Finders Keepers" cut the song builds up with an epic 1:30 string and drum arrangement that really sets the picture for Tunnie to arrive with vocals way above his young age would suggest. A story of a boy and girl determined to make it and be the great combination that their love affair deserves. We can’t believe a gem like this has been waiting to come out and should have catapulted Tunnie to the next level or artist rosters. Alas, Tunnie went home and carried on performing around the Louisiana area with his new band Sweet Music Orchestra Fast forward to 1983 Tunnie whilst recording some vocals at River City Recording met Chicago producer and arranger George "Paco" Patterson. George was musical director and had worked with The Isley Brothers Wilson Pickett and many other well known artists. During this period Tunnie along with George formed a great partnership and along with some top session musicians record some incredibly lush, well produced and atmospheric songs The A Side "Join Together " is from the same session as "Dancing On Da Clouds" and could have easily be picked for his first single on Pass The Baton records. It oozes the same heavy production with opening piano cords and layered scatting then bosh, in comes the drums and Vox taking you on a mesmerising space like 2 step extravaganza. So, there you have it, once again two amazing slices of soul on one single from Tunnie Smith. Let’s hope this artist finally reaches his potential from that young man who started recording in 1973.

In the fall 2021, Belgian saxophone player Robin Verheyen was invited by Kunstencentrum KAAP and W.E.R.F. records to play a solo concert during AMOK festival in the beautiful Bruges baroque church Walburga. The haunting concert was recorded in its entirety and additionally an extra recording session was scheduled in the Chamber Music Hall of the Bruges Concertgebouw. Both rooms have one thing in common: special acoustics. The playful dialogue Robin created with both spaces created an extremely unique sound and formed the basis for the title of this first solo album: Playing The Room.
Over the past two decades, Robin Verheyen has proven to be not only one of Belgium's brightest saxophonists of his generation, but also that he is a musical jack-of-all trades. Within his band with dEUS frontman Tom Barman - TaxiWars - he demonstrated his ability to rock, while with Bach Riddles he showed that he is no stranger to baroque music either. In his own bands he was often surrounded with illustrious American jazz greats like Joey Baron or Marc Copland, but with 'Playing The Room' Robin proves that he can hold his own as well and what an exceptional musician and improviser he is.
Playing The Room offers the listener a musical journey full of discoveries on the edge of spirituality and virtuosity. The album will be officially released on W.E.R.F records on Friday, May 5, and will be available in a limited edition on vinyl. An absolute must-have for any musical connoisseur.

'A Winged Victory For The Sullen' is the first installment of the new collaboration between Stars Of The Lid member Adam Wiltzie and L.A. composer Dustin O'Halloran. The duo agreed to leave the comfort zone of their home studios and develop the recordings with the help of large acoustic spaces, hunting down a selection of 9ft grand pianos that had the ability to deliver extreme sonic low end.

Other traditional instrumentation was used including string quartet, French horn, and bassoon, but always juxtaposed is the sound of drifting guitar washed melodies. The recordings began with one late night session in the famed Grunewald Church in Berlin on a 1950's imperial B?sendorfer piano and strings were added in the historic East Berlin DDR radio studios along the River Spree. One last session on a handmade Fazioli piano in a private studio on the Northern cusp of Italy, before the final mixes took place in a 17th century villa near Ferrara with the assistance of Francesco Donadello. All songs were then processed completely analogue straight to magnetic tape.

Their secret to harvesting new melodic structures from the thin air of existence was for the duo to push themselves to dangerous territory, realising that clear thinking at the wrong moment could stifle the compositions. The final result is seven landscapes of harmonic ingemination. In 'Requiem For The Static King Part One' ? created in memory of the untimely passing of Mark Linkous ? they have taken the age-old idea of a string quartet and then shot it out of a cannon to reveal exquisite new levels of sonic bliss.

Of the 13 minute track 'Symphony Path?tique', Wiltzie says 'after almost 20 years of struggling to create interesting ambient drone music, I feel like I have finally figured out what I am doing'. Notable guest musicians include Icelandic cellist Hildur Gudnadottir, as well as Erased Tapes label comrade Peter Broderick on violin. A Winged Victory For The Sullen is not a side project ? it is the future of the late night record you have always dreamed of. A Major release for Forte, Non exportable.

Suara presents the remix pack of Uncertain's hit 'Conga'. Four new versions from Confidential Recipe, Gene Richards Jr, Mark Broom and Uncertain himself directly focused on the dance floor. The four new versions make up a magnificent work of months of dedication in which one of the most successful tracks of the label is adapted to the current and future techno sound.

CircoLoco Records is proud to present the Monday Dreamin’ Vinyl Box Set, a 5-LP collection releasing on May 20, 2022.

Featuring heavy-hitting releases from visionaries of every era of CircoLoco’s 20-year party history, including Carl Craig, tINI, Kerri Chandler, Rampa, Sama' Abdulhadi, and other icons, the acclaimed debut compilation album from CircoLoco Records is presented in matte full color sleeves with box artwork designed by TOILETPAPER.

With support from DJ’s worldwide and accolades including back-to-back Essential New Tune awards from BBC Radio 1’s Pete Tong for Seth Troxler’s “Lumartes,” and DJ Tennis’ “Atlanta,” Monday Dreamin’ has already carved out a unique place in the world of dance music having been featured in the digital world of Los Santos in Rockstar Games’ blockbuster Grand Theft Auto Online: Los Santos Tuners which also featured Monday Dreamin’ artist Moodymann as a new character in the world.

Monday Dreamin’ is the first project from the pioneering partnership between global club culture icons CircoLoco and the creators of some of the world’s most popular and critically acclaimed video games, Rockstar Games, a partnership aimed at elevating and supporting dance music through the collective power of the two entertainment brands.

SlothBoogie Records welcomes Deep House maestro DJ Aakmael onto its roster this March with ‘The Hardbody Project’ EP, comprised of four original compositions from the Richmond, US-based artist.

Across the past decade and a half DJ Aakmael has unveiled an impressive back catalogue of soul-drenched, dynamic deep house via revered imprints such as Uzuri, Church, Scissor & Thread, Freerange and Second Hand Records amongst many more. Here we see his latest material perfectly interlace with SlothBoogie Records own impressive back catalogue of bumping house and raw deep cuts.

Leading the release is ‘Hardbody’, laid out across seven minutes with chopped brass samples, bright key sequences, modulating Moogesque resonant leads and shuffled drums before ‘Track 166’ shifts focus over to a deeper aesthetic via dubbed out chord swells, organic percussion and twinkling piano melodies.

The aptly named ‘Deepshyt’ opens the flip side, as the name would suggest employing an amalgamation of deep and entrancing synth work, crisp drums and spoken word vocal chants. ‘Strobe’ then rounds out the release with a more disco-tinged House feel, fusing together funk guitar licks, cinematic strings and a snaking bass groove atop Aakmael’s signature swinging rhythmic feel.

Orange Tree Edits build on their rock solid catalogue with this stellar Vinyl EP debut from Ukranian DJ Yucca Mü.

Richly textured A-side ‘Bluebird’ samples a Soviet era Sci-Fi film to assemble a delightfully weird and wonderful, at once ethereal, refreshing and playful dancefloor heater. Church bells, choral hymns and villainous voiceovers layered on top of a rolling, chuggy low-end propel this tune into peak time territory. A tender church choir acapella outro is a joyous highlight - think festival closing time.

The flip side cut ‘Femme Symbole’ offers up organ stabs alongside swirling grand piano and a sensuous vocal to produce a belter of an edit built for the dark and steamy dance zone.

With support from Hunee, Jonny Rock, Lauren Hansom, Bell Towers, Nicola Cruz & Paula Tape you know you need a copy!

Multicast Dynamics returns to Astral Industries for AI-26, this time collaborating with Sid Hille, the German born, Finland based instrumentalist and composer. ‘Metamorphosis’ transmutes both artists’ unique styles into a synergistic blend of transportive storytelling, a delicate dance of light and dark.

Divided into two parts, ’Metamorphosis’ originates from a live performance recorded at Temppeliaukio church in Helsinki on March 2nd, 2019. The material was then edited, where Hille’s soothing keyboard work and haunting passages on the theremin, combine with processed textures and desolate sonic backdrops from Dijk. In this voyage beyond space and time, the subtle dialogue reveals new and perhaps unexpected dimensions in their creative arsenal, finding fresh new boundaries and enriching the palette of both performers. Encounters of sweet fleeting moments of lyricism emerge amidst the chilling outback, in which we're given some final consolation between the long lines of cavernous rifts and deep space tundra. 

With releases on the likes of Nite Grooves, Uzuri, Church and Axe On Wax, DJ Aakmael steps up to the plate for NYC’s Second Hand Records seventh release taking you on a journey through the realms of deep house. Raw, packed with feeling and bursting with musicianship, Aakmael hits with those late night, meditative keys, juiced-up bass lines and MPC-crunched drums to provide three cuts that groove endlessly from dusk till dawn.