Limited promo restock!
Catch 'n' Release - About the Record With 'Catch 'n' Release', the first solo vinyl from the Big Bait labelhead since his 'Peter Clamat EP' back in 2011, the shuffle-don delivers a highly elaborated house music EP - extremely warm, soulful, sparkling with energy and fully loaded with refreshing grooves.
Bethinking himself of his roots, Peter this time handsomely digged into the history of Disco Music (his first contact with Disco was at the age of 5 - in the early 1980s - after discovering the record collection of his parents, what probably laid the cornerstone for his future musical career). However, none of the tracks on 'Catch 'n' Release' seem to be just disco edits in the classical sense. Far from it! Pete picks the cherrys from the past, amalgamating it with his very distinctive contemporary style to create four unmistakeable Peter-Clamat-style slowhouse compositions.
Future Cannibals The EP kicks off with the bubbly disco house smasher 'Future Cannibals', inviting the listener immediately to the dancefloor - and when the moog synth solo starts after a few minutes, you're gonna be blown away by the airiness of this ass-shaking monster. Disqualified
'Disqualified' is a reminiscence to hip-hop antihero 'Sensational' and somehow Pete's examplification of musical simplicity. In spite of its perfection, the track doesn't need any more than 6 tracks on the multi-track tape to develop a Theo- Parrish-like flow and create an outstanding stripped-to-the-bone slowhouse smasher.
Unhooked Strokes
Certainly the most energetic and housey track on the EP, 'Unhooked Strokes' pushes the dancer to the peak. Most certainly from the moment the wobbly Juno- chords burst in, you gonna feel the urgent need to jump. Adumblated airy pads in the second part of the tune polish the composition and lead to an audible orgasm you won ´t get enough from.
Clubs And Feedings
The B2 side, 'Clubs and Feedings', is a very moody composition on pretty low bpm, funkin' alongside the incredibly groovy rhodes chords for highest afterhour pleasures. With this unmistakeable reference to 70's disco-funk Peter brings his 'Catch 'n' Release'-EP to the 'Grande Finale'.
Suche:club tracks
Embodying the mutant nature of club music in the modern age, Cocktail Party Effect comes bowling into Sneaker Social Club with a taut, wiry sound which joins dots and melts barriers at will.
The brainchild of Charlie Baldwin, who previously recorded as Kasket, Cocktail Party Effect has been forged over the past six years through heavy bursts of sound design anchored by soundsystem dynamics veering between 140 and 160 tempo zones. From 2020’s self-titled LP on Tectonic to drops on Osiris, Cold, Transfigured Time and more, Baldwin’s deftly avoided allegiance to any specific scene and instead deployed shock-inducing gear for DJs with fortitude to test on their crowds.
On SNKRX010 the commitment to physicality is prevalent across all four tracks, veering from the deadly broken beat barbs and artful fills of ‘Racka’ to the splintered breakbeat rushes and stop-start aggravation of ‘C.A.T.C.R’. ‘Grims8’ is perhaps the purest manifestation of the Cocktail Party sound though, all monochrome rigour with the contrast turned way up, powered by steely, gleaming rhythmic impulses and writhing with dense layers of sonic matter. Watch out for the glutinous bass snarl of ‘58bethe7’ though, which slams in sideways with an unabashed rave instinct crushed through a post-modern production lens.
Baldwin may be operating on his own terms, but on this 12” he demonstrates versatility to match his originality, resulting in four inventive dance destroyers tooled to bridge between styles, sets and scenes.
Roy Mills readies a whirlwind trio of bass-bin-rattling tracks for his Local Knowledge label.
This is the third full solo release for Roy, who turns in a set of genre-spanning, sound design heavy cuts - channelling his twisted, thrilling take on dance music.
Leading the A1 is ‘Chinchilla’, a weighty tripped out stepper with mind-bending basslines, bubbling synths, and sharp stuttering drums taking charge.
Following is the low slung mutant ‘My Safeword is Dolphin’, a tongue in cheek break up song that serves up wonky percussion, vocal chops, and uneasy bleeps, fragmenting between dance floor tension and prog-matic might.
The 10 inch release settles it’s vibrations below the surface, ending with ‘Aquatiqué’. Gentle, reverberated drums work in tandem with spacious, considered sound design for a comparatively calm but no less club relevant closer to the EP.
The record comes complete with an AR interactive 70 x 48cm Offset printed poster, printed inserts, stickers + special treats.
Keep The Peace™ 2022
Includes AR Interactive 70 x 48cm Offset printed poster
Includes Printed Inserts
Includes Roy Mills ‘Mascot Sticker’ + special treats
Includes Poly-lined Paper Sleeve for Safe Storage
Part 2[12,19 €]
Part 1 of a two part LP project from Casino Times !
The record Sounds Like: John Carpenter performing a live set at 4AM in a basement club.
Coming off the back of 2021, a year which saw the launch of their new imprint 'What's My Derivative?', Casino Times (Joseph Spencer and Nicholas Church) continue a journey of exploring the unusual spaces between House & Techno, carving out their unique space in the scene which over the last decade has seen them release on many leading record labels.
The duo return to Omena in 2022 after previously releasing two complimentary concept EPs (Decoded / Recoded). This time they take the step up to prepare only their 2nd full-length record 'A Change In Motion'.
An accomplished collection of tracks that are the epitome of their unconstrained style of electronic music, subverting expectations by blending an array of captivating ideas and atmospheres to form a true voyage through sound...
Part 1[12,19 €]
Part 2 of a two part LP project from Casino Times !
The record Sounds Like: John Carpenter performing a live set at 4AM in a basement club.
Coming off the back of 2021, a year which saw the launch of their new imprint 'What's My Derivative?', Casino Times (Joseph Spencer and Nicholas Church) continue a journey of exploring the unusual spaces between House & Techno, carving out their unique space in the scene which over the last decade has seen them release on many leading record labels.
The duo return to Omena in 2022 after previously releasing two complimentary concept EPs (Decoded / Recoded). This time they take the step up to prepare only their 2nd full-length record 'A Change In Motion'.
An accomplished collection of tracks that are the epitome of their unconstrained style of electronic music, ssubverting expectations by blending an array of captivating ideas and atmospheres to form a true voyage through sound...
The French-Hong Kong DJ and producer Romain FX, founder of Fauve Radio and Fauve Records, debuts on Cracki Records !
After having made his mark on renowned labels such as Exploited, Eskimo Recordings, Novaj 新し, LAGASTA, Fantastic Voyage, Mamie's Records or Hard Fist Records, the ultra-productive artist is about to release Le Sucre d'Adam a new EP of 4 tracks and 2 remixes with the Parisian label Cracki Records.
Mixing Italian dream house, jazz, and Italo Disco, Romain FX wanted to create with this EP a timeless record and convey a message of hope for a better world.
The first track "Zeste d'Orange" is full of joyful emotions, with a feeling of unity and sharing, strongly influenced by 80-90's pop songs like "Rise Up" by The Parachute Club, and "Send Me On My Way" by Rusted Roots.
With its melancholic keyboards, "Le Sucre d'Adam" is a pure concentrate of Italo Dream House, and it's not a coincidence that Romain FX entrusted the remix of the track to the German Lauer, specialist of the genre.
"Italominati" with its powerful bass, draws him in the field of the fairy, influenced by artists like Todd Terje or Skatebård. It is the Korean producer Shubostar, new figure of the dark disco scene, who took care of the remix for a very effective cosmic version !
Last track of the EP, "Crave Cave Rave" with its Rave UK and progressive house accents was imagined as a long DJ Set closing. Intense and heavy at the beginning, the track ends with a feeling of extreme release, closing the EP in the most beautiful way.
Over the six distinctive tracks on Forbidden Islands, Madrid duo Uanamani define their broad and multi-faceted vision of techno and ambient. The two genres become one in Derk & Iterbio’s hands. Propulsive rhythms surge forward, peak and disintegrate into plumes of heady fog. Float with the weightless two openers, drill deep into dubwise territory with “Punatori,” soar with club cut “Poveglia,” then ride out the smooth descent. Written and produced by Uanamani Mastered at Enisslab Studio in Rome Designed by Natacha Mankowski
Back In Stock!
‘Cranes In The Sky,’ was originally written by Beyonce’s baby sister Solange alongside Raphael Saadiq, for her album back in 2016 that was cited by Rolling Stone as one of the most important 500 records of all time. The words exploring a fearless journey inward, pulling up the root of a problem, and the first glimpse of blue sky after the storm has passed.
Fast forward to 2022 - Ross Allen and Andy Thompson’s Foundation Music Productions enlist the expertise of Baltimore club legend, Dj Oji, together with Tracy Hamlin (Pieces Of A Dream), to take Solange’s breakout delivery to the dancefloor. Soulful vocals will heal you, while the mid-tempo moments will mellow the masses, and UK Funky grooves will keep the shuffle moving along way into the early hours. Three remixes come in the form of the ethereal DJ Pope Funkhut Reprise, a signature Joe Goddard groover and the Star One. KDA. Meltdown Dub.
DJ Feedback:
FRANCOIS K
Yes! I played the vocal version the other day again.
KAI ALCE
Dope re-interpretation from Baltimore stalwarts OJI, POPE & Tracy!
GREG WILSON
What's not to like? Love the orig Solange jam!
DANNY KRIVIT
Nice, I like a lot of DJ Oji.
SOUL CLAP/ ELI GOLDSTEIN
Fire right here
DAZ I KUE/ BUGZ IN THE ATTIC
Yea I love this one…cool vibes.
THATMANMONKZ
Oh yeah, love the Solange original, and I’m a big Oji fan! That reprise version might come in very useful for the right set!
TERRY FARLEY/ FAITH
Got to be contender for single of the month with that story x
HOT TODDY
Simply beautiful.
CRAIG SMITH/ 6TH BOROUGH PROJECT
Loved the original of this from Solange a few years back, this is a real nice interpretation of it. Liking the reprise and Dub, handy tools
CHARLES WEBSTER
Nice soulful groover. Like this.
FISH GOO DEEP/ GREG DOWLING
Lovely re imagining of one of my favourite tracks of all time
FRANK BOOKER
Love this package. Reprise mix is the one for me. Very cool!
NICK V/ LA MONA
Thanks a lot I actually prefer the dub version :)
JIMPSTER/ FREERANGE
Killer groove on this and really nice to hear a housed up version of Cranes which is such a stunning song in it’s OG form. Def something I’d like to play out.
FELIX JOY/ SWU.FM
Yes ! I flippin love a good reprise mix and this one is doing it for me. Love the original version by Solange and this is a really great rework!
STEVE PARRY / FOR SASHA
Really Smoove love it.
GROOVE ARMADA/ TOM FINDLAY
THIS IS LOVELY!!
RALPH SESSION/ HALF ASSED RECORDS
Wow the dubstrumental really gives it new life.
QUENTIN HARRIS
I love this package.
GRAME PARK/ THE HACIENDA
This is tremendous
HECTOR ROMERO/ DEF MIX
Good to see this one got picked up. I’ve played this a few times since 2018 but will get it back in rotation. Glad to see this song is getting some traction. I look forward to the unreleased versions.
ANDY BUCHAN
What a sun-dappled slice of beauty! Full support on this, what a gorgeous EP. And those drums are ace, really propulsive.
DANIELLE MOORE/ CRAZY P
Yeah I really like this. I mean I love the original but theres something quite interesting about this. Nice yeah x
MARC MEISNERE/ SOL POWER SOUND
Yes please! Can’t wait to play this one!
STEFANO TUCCI/ HELL YEAH
This is one of the best best vocal of recent times, I love It, the crescendo towards half of the track is nothing but gorgeous!
TREVOR FING/ GRAFITTI KINGS
Love these remixes.
MAX P/ HELL YEAH
Yeah, full pack is what I needed !
HORSE MEAT DISCO/ SEVERINO
Really into this!
SEAN JOHNSTON/ ALFOS
I wouldn't play it, but it's a beautiful piece of work
GRAEME PARK/ THE HACIENDA
I’m gonna enjoy playing this its lovely.
NICK V/ LA MONA
Thanks a lot I actually prefer the dub version :)
TREVOR FUNG/ GRAFITTI KINGS
Love this !!
QUENTIN HARRIS
Being a fan of the Original I love everything about this.
ALAN DIXON/ MIDNIGHT MAGIC
Killer!!!!
DAVE JARVIS/ FAITH
This is amazing! Absolutely love xx
NICK V/ LA MONA
This is a fantastic track!
MAX P/ HELL YEAH
Oh yeaahhhh
RICK GILL/ OUTLAWS YACHT CLUB
Beautiful soulful house. Quality production and top draw vocals.
MICKEY JUKES/ 1BTN
Ooof! Such a strong record to step to but i love this. Classy production, vocals are killer. All round winner!
TOMMY TURBO JAZZ/ JAXX MEDICINE
I was a fan of the OG but I really needed this cut!!
RUSSELL FORMAN/ PIKES/ HARRYS KEBABS
This is great .... I'm writing an article on the Coney Island Boardwalk house parties atm.
JIM LISTER/ 1BTN
Loving the reprise and the dub!I'm a big fan of the Solange original, so it's nice to hear a new angle on it
CHRIS DE BEURRE/ THE EAGLE
Gorgeous vocal! And such a deep production - really like this! Infectious x
DAIRMONT/ ROOM WITH A VIEW
Amazing track. Loving it!
STEVE PARRY/ FOR SASHA
Beautiful super smooth.
LES CROASDAILE/ FREIGHT ISLAND
Tune this, reminds of Southport weekender!
On July 1st Ploy's ascendance continues with 'Unit 18' – a new EP dedicated to his record label and club night Deaf Test's spiritual home – Venue MOT Unit 18 in Bermondsey, South London. With an already loyal following and fabled atmosphere, the parties inform Ploy's productions and vice versa. "These are three rave tracks, all influenced by sound system culture, with my take on different styles, made for various times of the early hours in our sweaty venue", he comments. Maintaining the floor-focused approach of his previous, acclaimed 'Rayhana' EP, here Ploy brings more organized chaos. Sound waves blast away cobwebs with gale-force power, and jolt you awake, like an intravenous shot from the mains. These forthright, no-nonsense workouts appear simple, but are incredibly well-made, revealing discreetly clever touches likely to provoke 'how did he do that?’ scrutiny from other producers. With ten-ton-kick-drum pressure, snares like booted dustbins and an intense build of energy, on 'Stinky' a soundclash turns into a back alley brawl... with lazers. Influenced by drill bass lines, UK bass music and soundsystem culture, the 'stink and perspiration’ lyric will be surely be apt, especially with a July release date. Imagine the scene: whilst a deranged, malfunctioning robot MC yaps and undulates, vampires chase their victim through a packed rave, before feasting on flesh. Ravey and riotous, with horror flick tropes and a touch of electro, the 138bpm wallop of 'Ninety One' is an ode to his year of birth, when magpie like, sample heavy tracks made for innocent, non-overthought, but compelling anthems. Grimey like the dance after which it's named, title track ‘Unit 18’ is a 155bpm half-time stomper, with nods to bounce, 00s hip hop, UK drill and dubstep. Combining flying congas, wookie moans and a classic DMZ stye flute line, this low slung, personality filled throbber will stand out and turn heads.
First Word Records is pleased to welcome back Souleance with a brand new single for Summer 2022!
'GUILI GUILI' is a double AA side 7" single, with an additional remix by Art Of Tones on the digital version.
French slang for "tickle", 'GUILI' is an epic disco-funk piece inspired by the likes of Azymuth, Herbie Hancock and Marcos Valle, but incorporated with Souleance's trademark sounds of fuzzy bass-heavy electronica, synths and samples, giving the track a fresh contemporary twist. Meanwhile, the (digital only) Art Of Tones mix ramps up the disco elements heavily, incorporating some vocals, strings and horn stabs to create some sure fire heat for the summertime. The flipside 'TORO' is a much more tweaked-out, synth-heavy bomb, influenced by artists such as Prince, Parliament and French electronic club music. All tracks mark the evolution of the duo into a full live band, whilst remaining true to their sonic mission of producing music crafted especially for the dancefloor.
The band have been performing live at various festivals and venues across Europe, with upcoming appearances scheduled at the Pura Vida Festival, Greece in August and Jazz à Vienne in July.
This two-track vinyl 7" / three-track digi-single is released on First Word Records, worldwide on May 27th 2022. Another essential one for your record bags.
Credits:
Bass guitar, synths and programming by Fulgeance.
Scratches and programming by Soulist.
Wurlitzer, Moog grandmother, ASM Hydra synth & Roland Juno 60 by Vincent Choquet.
Mastered by DJ VAS.
24 Songs. A new project from The Wedding Present. A new 7” single every month throughout 2022. 24 Songs sees David Gedge writing with legendary Sleeper guitarist Jon Stewart for the first time, and a more perfect union could not have been predicted. The notion of a monthly 7” single is not new to The Wedding Present, but 24 Songs shows us that even classic concepts can be reinvented. The series also continues the band’s association with photographer Jessica McMillan, who has created stunning images and films as a visual accompaniment to the recordings. Explaining 24 Songs, David Gedge said: “In 1991, The Wedding Present were rehearsing in a studio in Yorkshire when we hit upon an idea that immediately thrilled us all. Our bass player Keith Gregory had been a member of the ‘Sub Pop Singles Club’ - a service that allowed subscribers to receive 7”s released by that Seattle label on a monthly basis. Keith wondered if we, as a band, could attempt a similar thing. In that instant, The Wedding Present’s Hit Parade series was born and, during 1992, we managed to release a brand new 7” single each and every month. “The Hit Parade went on to become something of a significant milestone in the history of the band and it’s a project about which I’m often asked. As its thirtieth anniversary approached, I began to wonder if we should celebrate it in some way. A ‘Hit Parade Part 2’ didn’t feel quite right, though. Then, someone said to me: “Other bands have released music in similar ways but there has been nothing like the Hit Parade.” And they were right! A 7” single a month seems, somehow, very ‘Wedding Present’. So, inspired by that little idea from three decades ago, we’ve embarked on this new project, 24 Songs. “Even though The Wedding Present have never been known for taking the easy route, the idea of recording 24 tracks and releasing them in this way could seem daunting to any band. However, I’ve been inspired by the music that has been written since Jon and Melanie joined the group. The thought of celebrating this exciting new line-up with an exciting new series has motivated us all… and I suppose we also didn’t want any of these songs to be hidden away in the middle of an album!”
Justin Time is a name behind so many old skool anthems, both as a solo artist, and as part of Triple J, but that also means that he has a selection of unreleased tracks! Thankfully he still had some of them saved on some old DAT tapes. A selection of original breakbeat hardcore that for one reason or another never got a full release. These tracks are breakbeat hardcore that featured on dubplates, and on mix tapes, but never got the full vinyl release back in the day! All 4 tracks are very Justin Time in style but the track JT Goes North has been on so many peoples wish lists for about 25 years now as it was featured on a compilation CD and nowhere else!
Club / DJ Support
Jay Cunning, Billy Bunter, the Fat Controller, Liquid, Hyper On Experience, Glowkid, Slipmatt, Dj Jedi, Dj Luna-C, Dj Brisk, Paul Bradley, Jimni Cricket, Bustin, Jimmy J, Doughboy, Lowercase, Dave Skywalker, Ponder and many others
This EP is Justin Time doing what he does best! Making anthems that are instantly recognisable, uplifting vibes without the cheese. Sweet In Pocket is one of those tracks! No matter were you where in the club or rave, when you heard this coming in, you knew the dance floor was gonna rock. It is a close fought battle between this original and the DJ Force & The Evolution remix as to which is better, and either could win on any given day! Movin’ is another great track from Justin Time and on any other EP it could have been the A side title track but when on the flip to such monster track you are to be overshadowed for sure. Don’t let that distract you from its magnificence!
Club / DJ Support
Jay Cunning, Billy Bunter, the Fat Controller, Liquid, Hyper On Experience, Glowkid, Slipmatt, Dj Jedi, Dj Luna-C, Dj Brisk, Paul Bradley, Jimni Cricket, Bustin, Jimmy J, Doughboy, Lowercase, Dave Skywalker, Ponder and many others
Relentless techno powerhouses Octave One stride in 2022 with a brand new release that re-affirms their status across two essential tracks. 2021 was another busy year for the Burden Brothers, who re-introduced the world to their Never On Sunday alias. The project first started in the 90s as an outlet for deeper, more introspective sounds and was fittingly brought back last year to great acclaim. The Detroit duo’s Locus of Control series also hit volume number three and the iconic Octave One live show continued to light up clubs everywhere from Barcelona, Paris and Geneva to LA and New York. Despite that, they still had time to cook up more of their famously soulful techno in the studio, the first two tracks of which are presented here.Opener ‘The Blue Drift’ surges ahead on waves of rattling metallic synths. Well swung claps bring that irresistible sense of groove, while twisted melodies add raw dynamics. Add in the heavy underlying bass and you have a classic Octave One track that is both physical yet emotional. On the flip side is ‘It-Just-Is’ a powerful statement of intent. It’s a stripped back track where house and techno meet - there is a seductive slide to the drums and potency in the turbulent synths which bring the energy. The melody is melancholic and as the emotive pads ring out they lodge deep in your brain to make for another standout cut. This vital new release proves Octave One remains right at the forefront of underground music more than 30 years after they started out.
North London-by-way-of-Suffolk soundsmith Gerry Read delivers his first release for Circus Company with the Lean on Something EP. After countless examples of his bold production moves on many of our brother and sister labels including Herbert’s Accidental Jr to more recently on Koze’s Pampa Records, Read has always displayed a kindred spirit mindset to ours in his adventurous musical angles, and we are very happy to present this particular set of rock-solid and uniquely diverse pieces.
The title track “Lean on Something” starts things off in fine and classic Read form, with knocking found-sound percussion, fizzing textures and slick use of chopped and disorienting vocal sample
bits, as the track layers unfold into a whimsical and wondrous melodic stargazing anthem. “Wooer at the Well” then follows and picks up the tempo with those fly live acoustic drum lines that gives
Gerry’s tracks that special beyond-electronic feeling, while once again the deft layering of such a rich sound palette builds and builds giving other mavericks like Four Tet a sincere run for their money. The mood then brilliantly shifts on the next track “Paramol”, where Read treats us to an almost Robotnik-era Italo sprinkling amidst his otherwise forward-thinking club floor-filling tendencies, with an amazing array of synth sections and an arrangement that should satisfy even the neo-purists out there amongst us. Finally, “Risotto” wraps up the proceedings with a warm, jazzy bouncer reminiscent of both Read’s as well as our own catalog’s charming early offerings, and a kind of landing-at-home-base sensation with smoky cubist funk feelings and an equal parts rough-yet-undeniably cool effervescent groove.
It's hard to believe it's taken this long for a proper retrospective of legendary Los Angeles collective CVE. "We Represent Billions" is a crucial portrait of one of the West Coast's most low-key influential crews - a hydra-like collective of rappers, producers, designers and engineers who were key members of the Good Life Cafe's open mic scene, going on to inspire artists like Jurassic 5, Kendrick Lamar amongst many other. Initially called Chillin Villain Posse before morphing into Chillin Villain Empire in the late 1980s, they eventually centered around the core trio of Riddlore, NgaFsh and Tray-Loc. The crew were years ahead of their time, self-producing music without samples and pioneering a stream of consciousness lyrics that still sound fresh and innovative. CVE were self-sufficient and motivated from the beginning, named "Chillin Villains" because that's how they were perceived by white America. This social motivation was channeled into their groundbreaking performances at Good Life Cafe, the South Central session that evolved into Project Blowed and later on came to influence LA club night 'Low End Theory'. It was chronicled by Ava Duvernay, herself an MC in short-lived duo Figures of Speech, in her "This is the Life" documentary, where she interviewed CVE alongside Jurassic 5, Freestyle Fellowship, Abstract Rude and Busdriver. On "We Represent Billions", we're treated to a snapshot of the CVE sound from 1993-2003, their most prolific era. The retrospective collects music from the handful of albums the crew released on their own Afterlife Recordz label (mostly as limited edition CD-R's) plus many previously unreleased tracks and highlights their untethered eccentric creativity and sheer breadth of influence. Whether twisting twitchy West Coast electro on 'All Over Da Globe' or free associating over horror synths and foley sounds on 'Made in Chillz Ville' there's a sense that their music was just too future for its time. Assembled from heaving industrial samples and graced by back-and-forth tongue twisting flows, 'Thugs and Clips' is as eerie and hard-hitting as anything 2Pac's "The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory" full-length. Fuzzed-out and unsettling, 'Calistylics' welds an ambient synth loop and bone-rattling percussion to Tricky-esque percussion, while the flickering closer 'Unicycle' is a cross between Dr. Dre's icy G-gunk pressure and Three 6 Mafia's pitch black lo-fi funk. In many ways, 2022 is the perfect time to rediscover this music: an urgent, creative fusion of spine-tingling pre-grime electronic minimalism and mind bending wordplay that still sounds completely idiosyncratic and utterly alien. Tracks: 1 All Over Da Globe 2 Thugs and Clips 3 C.V. Vault 4 Made in Chillz Ville 5 Bring It On 6 Calistylics 7 No Feelins 8 Let's Get It On 9 Today Was A Fucked Up Day 10 Untitled (Freestyle) 11 Unicycle
It's hard to believe it's taken this long for a proper retrospective of legendary Los Angeles collective CVE. "We Represent Billions" is a crucial portrait of one of the West Coast's most low-key influential crews - a hydra-like collective of rappers, producers, designers and engineers who were key members of the Good Life Cafe's open mic scene, going on to inspire artists like Jurassic 5, Kendrick Lamar amongst many other. Initially called Chillin Villain Posse before morphing into Chillin Villain Empire in the late 1980s, they eventually centered around the core trio of Riddlore, NgaFsh and Tray-Loc. The crew were years ahead of their time, self-producing music without samples and pioneering a stream of consciousness lyrics that still sound fresh and innovative. CVE were self-sufficient and motivated from the beginning, named "Chillin Villains" because that's how they were perceived by white America. This social motivation was channeled into their groundbreaking performances at Good Life Cafe, the South Central session that evolved into Project Blowed and later on came to influence LA club night 'Low End Theory'. It was chronicled by Ava Duvernay, herself an MC in short-lived duo Figures of Speech, in her "This is the Life" documentary, where she interviewed CVE alongside Jurassic 5, Freestyle Fellowship, Abstract Rude and Busdriver. On "We Represent Billions", we're treated to a snapshot of the CVE sound from 1993-2003, their most prolific era. The retrospective collects music from the handful of albums the crew released on their own Afterlife Recordz label (mostly as limited edition CD-R's) plus many previously unreleased tracks and highlights their untethered eccentric creativity and sheer breadth of influence. Whether twisting twitchy West Coast electro on 'All Over Da Globe' or free associating over horror synths and foley sounds on 'Made in Chillz Ville' there's a sense that their music was just too future for its time. Assembled from heaving industrial samples and graced by back-and-forth tongue twisting flows, 'Thugs and Clips' is as eerie and hard-hitting as anything 2Pac's "The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory" full-length. Fuzzed-out and unsettling, 'Calistylics' welds an ambient synth loop and bone-rattling percussion to Tricky-esque percussion, while the flickering closer 'Unicycle' is a cross between Dr. Dre's icy G-gunk pressure and Three 6 Mafia's pitch black lo-fi funk. In many ways, 2022 is the perfect time to rediscover this music: an urgent, creative fusion of spine-tingling pre-grime electronic minimalism and mind bending wordplay that still sounds completely idiosyncratic and utterly alien. Tracks: 1 All Over Da Globe 2 Thugs and Clips 3 C.V. Vault 4 Made in Chillz Ville 5 Bring It On 6 Calistylics 7 No Feelins 8 Let's Get It On 9 Today Was A Fucked Up Day 10 Untitled (Freestyle) 11 Unicycle
'Soul Food - Cooking with Maceo' blends raw, old-school funk with the
flavours of the New Orleans school of music
Parker worked with Ivan Neville, Nikki Glaspie and Tony Hall, as well as a host of
local musicians to record the songs. The funky flavour of the city weaves its way
through the album as the funk father and his band take on iconic songs of the
Mississippi masters such as Dr. John's voodoo funk of 'Right Place, Wrong Time',
The Meters 'Just Kissed My Baby,' 'Yes, We Can Can' recorded by Allen Toussaint
as well as takes on Aretha Franklin's 'Rock Steady', Prince's 'The Other Side of the
Pillow' and Maceo's long-time hero and Ray Charles Saxophonist, David "Fathead"
Newman's 'Hard Times'. We also get funky workouts from Parkers own back
catalogue on 'Maceo' and 'Cross The Tracks'. The latter adopted by Giles
Peterson at the staple song of his iconic WAG Club in Soho, London in the 1980s.
The amazing P-funk Parker has been at it with his legendary sound for time that
dates back to the 1960's. That's when Maceo and his drummer brother Melvin
climbed on board the James Brown funky soul funk train. It wasn't long before
James coined the solo summoning signature, "Maceo, I want you to Blow!". To
most musicologists it's the musically fertile group of men from this period of
James Brown's band who are recognized as the early pioneers of the modern
funk and hip-hop whose sounds we still jump to in the present day.




















