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Ten bad boy digi riddims from the myspace era by Copenhagen’s Maffi crew, dubbed out into 3D space by disrupt in 2024. Raw, minimalist CyberDancehall at its best, nostalgic and oddly futuristic at the same time, this album is quickly becoming RoboCop’s favorite playlist when going to work.
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Maffi Promotions a.k.a. Maffi Boys come straight outta 1773 Kbh V, Copenhagen, Denmark. Originally founded in 1990 by the two homeboys, lazy body Moog and Junior the Rat, Maffi Promotions have been a steady producer of simple digital riddims for years. Hanging out in the streets of Hummel City Junior & Moog used to entertain their friends with the primitve riddims of the Maffi sound. Not knowing that they would do the exact same thing fifteen years later, they continued to believe that one day they would move up the ladder, break out of the underground and reach for the stars.

Now, after finally adopting a little sense of realism, the two homeboys have realised that stardom is nothing compared to spamming people on myspace. So the two stoners decided to get a couple of friends together and turn up the bass online. Together with their sound crew FIREHOUSE, Maffi deal nuff weed and gyals!

Maffi Boys are very dedicated to the art of playing Sensible World of Soccer, rolling weed joints with Manitou tobacco and keeping it real in a Vesterbro-style. So watch out! And don’t test! We’ll be putting up new riddims on a weekly basis. We have nuff things brewing – including a delicious chicken!
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Growing up in the streets of Hummel City, Vesterbro, MOOG learned the pleasures of sleeping late, playing Sensible World Of Soccer and picking up hot gyals at an early age. He has spent most of his life trying to master these crucial skills. Taking a break from the dog race, Moog is currently focused on reaching a higher understanding of reggae-science and weedology.

JUNIOR experienced the necessity of rolling well-made spliffs at an early age. Incorporating the aestethic heritage of Scandinavian design, he has spent most of his life perfectionizing this old and traditional art form. Junior is currently taking his ph.d. in digital reggae by buying crates of 80’s 7″ and selecting for his sound system Firehouse.

180g vinyl + Deluxe hard-cardboard sleeve + OBI + resealable outer sleeve

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



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

Sumer Is Icumen In is Quentin Thirionet's (Dhavali Giri, Pairi Daeza) debut album. Still, his musical escapades are vast and varied, based almost entirely on improvisation and live recordings, of which he occasionally distributes tapes without further information. Elusive to categorization and identification, unwilling to fix his musical activity under a stable pseudonym, his projects have ranged from gypsy jazz guitar swings, French traditional songs from Auvergne, and various experimental collaborations. Increasingly closer to electronic instrumentation, he crafted what Belgian label KRAAK presents here as Maibaum, his first ever solo output. As the title goes, this may be a maypole on which his multicolored sonic visions spring about.

Former rope access worker and currently a farmer of organic greens, Thirionet lives up to these lines of work as a musician. He assembles precisely what seems like a subtle balance between high manmade structures and soft fertilized soils; a high voltage pylon placed in a biotic landscape. It's all an even blend, spontaneous and steady, but this contraption comes from profound considerations. "I chose these tracks among many others," says Quentin, "because I heard the melodies all the time in my mind, and because I cried while playing them without really understanding why."
Armed with nothing more than a blackbox, a sequencer, a freeze pedal, and a tape player, Thirionet orchestrates a vivid rite of polished futures. At times reminiscent of Hans-Joachim Roedelius' enveloping arrangements, Maibaum's ambiances rely on mild repetitive patterns subsequently textured by prickling sprouts, mechanic dislocations and revamps that stoke and brighten the stirring motions. Jim O'Rourke's I'm Happy and I'm Singing comes to mind in terms of its detailed and prismatic nature, but Sumer Is Incumen In has its particular narrative. It's a tale of regeneration, of spring's delicate procedures and allure, a celebration of gracious and fortunate junctions between nature and machinery.

The album unfolds like a massive engine being made flesh to drift along the ether of a sultry land. The terrain turns pleasant and fertile in the title track; the colors and melodies of May start to unravel. Chromatic columns rise and define the scenery's depth of field breeding a synesthetic stream between crystal lights and warbling organisms. Grande Albero Buono Magico Uoma's brisk kaleidoscopic arpeggios sound like scanning a tree's litmus foliage. Then Ciguri takes us back to the foggy swamp of the beginning but is suddenly lit by an insect’s labyrinthine roundabout. The Jeweled Grid is a poem Quanta Qualia's lustrous metallic voice recites as a report of the album's phenomena. "Shiny revelations jump out. Pearls of thought flicker about." Images from within that distill to swirl around among us. The thicket dissolves as the album concludes calmly in Le Concept De Chien N'aboie Pas. Swaying under sieved solar light, leaves and branches tingle until the winds grow weak. All the warm creatures gathered along the way, and all those who danced around the maypole's splendid equilibrium now withdraw, folding up small to foster rebirth once again.

José Badía Berner

This feels deliciously fated. Musical soulmates, Cromby is the only person Sally C will go record shopping with. The duo minted their friendship back in 2016, not long after both migrated to Berlin. A friendship forged through shared dancefloors, long hours at the pair’s beloved Bikini Waxx and impromptu B2B sessions, they have a common passion for good times and serious digging. If you want a sense of the genesis of Sally’s label baby Big Saldo’s Chunkers, just listen to the cult-favourite ‘Big Saldo & Cromby Dusty Hip Haus Mix’ that’s lived on her Soundcloud since 2019.

Cromby knows a Chunker that’s for sure. His contribution to the label is elite. Rinsed by the pair all year, it’s supports also include Job Jobse and Bambounou. In January it highlighted Nachtiville, where it was played all weekend long and became an unofficial hype anthem of the festival. A fiercely hunted track I.D ever since, lock this in as one of those catchy Crombyclassics we all love and can’t stop playing (and singing). ‘Pump It’ is an atmospheric roller, a perfect cut for maintaining the energy after the hands-up vibes of ‘House Flava’. ‘Free’ features Cromby’s own vocal debut – “I didn’t realise at the time of writing how fitting the lyrics would be for our times unfortunately,” he shares. Driven by punchy purring bass, it brings plenty of rugged energy with 303 flourishes, while dreamy keys balance things nicely. One for the after-hours.

The EP is rounded out with the wicked hoover-led ‘Best Not Miss’, that transports us back to a steaming Trade dancefloor circa 1997 and is thrilling in every sense.

Garage Hermétique's sub-label dedicated to non-club excursions continues its exploration by welcoming Nummer to its collection of mixtapes.

Let yourself be captivated by the day unfolding under the morning sun, filtered dreamy synths, the memory of distant voices and eerie percussions; echoing in the garden, transporting the listener into a kaleidoscopic realm.

Careening from the Black Sublime of Dadawah to the, er, Foxy Brown of Jennifer Hylton, Dug Out lets off this early~nineties r'n'b~spiced piledriver, recorded by Lloyd Pickout Dennis at Dynamic, with the Firehouse Crew - George programming drums, Danny the bass, and Wrong Move the other keys

Three laidback electronic-meet jazz-cuts byTheo Parrish on his own Sound Signature label !!

Bringing together the undisputed talents of Nigerian percussionist Aleke Kanonu and soul legend from Alabama, O.C. Tolbert, this 12' created quite the buzz when it was released in New York in 1982. Shops and leading DJs were clamouring for it, but short supply saw it disappear into obscurity. The A-side, 'Happiness' is an uptown style Gospel ballad where Tolbert's gravelly, soulful voice channels years of hurt an pain. The B-side, 'Nwanne, Nwanne, Nwanne', is an Afrobeat disco monster that rattles along on the back of Kananu's awesome percussion skills. Both tracks were written and produced by Jack Taylor, a producer, songwriter and purported gangster from Harlem and released on his own label. This reissue comes courtesy of the good folk of PMG, purportedly cool guys, based in Austria. - Peter Moore,

collecting orders for repress :)

DJ Haus drops the last UTTU release of 2019 with Modul8 - a slamming techno-house clone backed with a remix from ItaloJohnson! On the flip Jak Beat an IDM-Houz infused DJ tool gets the remix treatment from Spandau 20’s Nikk who recently turned heads with his incredible split EP with FJAAK. Tek Houz - a glitch house groover co-produced by Marquis Hawkes wraps up the EP of cold DJ kutz for House & Techno DJs alike.

* A classic roots instrumental from the late 1970s from legendary trombonist Vin Gordon, who played on numerous Studio One classics, as part of the in-house band Soul Vendors as well as countless sessions with Joe Gibbs, Lee Perry and many more.
* Vin played on Aswad’s classic `Warrior Charge’, which from that recording session, `Kojo Hoy’ was born.
* Featuring Aswad Riddim Section - Tony Gad on bass & keys, Angus Gaye on drums and “Bammie” Rose on flute.
* Previously released by Partial in 2015 on 10” (PRTL10005) which rapidly sold out. This issue features an extended dub version.

Paketo Wilson's 'Immigration' is a hymn to freedom from the Kingston, Jamaica-born artist. It first arrived on the Child of God label in 1982 and is one of the self-declared "positive rastaman"'s finest tunes. He was introduced to music by his father and through watching them play managed to pick up his own skills with no formal turning. His career began at age 16 when he played concerts all around the island with the New Vibration Band before going solo with Daddy U-Roy's King Stur Gav Sound System. Now back in its original form, 'Immigration' is a tune that remains as relevant now as ever.

Double header 12" with extended mixes, mixed by Prince Jammy. Stickered & shrink-wrapped.

2024 repress.

The 2019 Stroom〰 split EP with Hessel Veldman marked the long-awaited vinyl debut of Enno Velthuys and served as a teaser for a reissue campaign of his work, shared between different labels. Finally!

In 1984 Velthuys released his classic tape ‘A Glimpse of Light’ on EXART, the label of Veldman, who stayed in close contact with Enno after hearing one of his private tapes being played on the radio by Willem de Ridder in 1980. During a live-broadcast event random tapes were played. “From Enno Velthuys, The Hague”, was written on the package. Willem introduced the tape, played it and a serene silence filled the studio. Present was a friend of De Ridder, Rob Smit, who visited Enno and his mother a few weeks later. This eventually resulted in Enno’s first release ‘Ontmoeting’ on KUBUS Kassettes in 1982. In those years, Enno was living a solitary life and rarely left his mother’s apartment. He managed to release 6 tapes of introvert, melancholic music from another dimension. Atmospheric melodies backed with sparse percussion, showing an excellent handling of the synthesizer.

The gifted musician with two souls silently passed away in 2009. Now we present, with involvement of the few once close to him, the first reissue of probably his most beloved work. Using the original master tape from the EXART vaults, carefully transferred, edited and remastered. Just Enno with his stripped-down compositions and fragile ambient sounds. An intimate experience celebrating bedroom-music and the glory days of do-it-yourself counterculture.

Third outing by Utrecht's Böhm on M>O>S Recordings! As always, a beautiful collection of warm, jacking, bleep-y, deep house. Reminiscing to good old times, 90's Chicago house, early 00's UK bleep techno, it all feels very much at home here on M>O>S.

40th anniversary edition of this seminal work by the multi-talented musician and producer Carlos Perón. After the release of “Impersonator” and the score of the film “Die Schwarze Spinne”, “Nothing Is True; Everything Is Permitted” is his third album released in the beginning of 1984. While still being an active member of Yello, it was around the start of the recording of “You Gotta Say Yes To Another Excess” that Carlos met the American musician Chris Lunch in Hamburg. He invited Chris to Zurich and together played with projects such as Romantic Rubber, Heavymetallen and recorded some sessions that become the basis of “Nothing Is True; Everything Is Permitted”. After the release of “You Gotta Say Yes To Another Excess”, Carlos decided to leave Yello and focused to finish the recording and mixing of his new solo album.

“Nothing Is True; Everything Is Permitted” has gone down in music history as a dark soundtrack without a film, influenced many artists and helped to develop diverse genders of electronic experimental and dance music.

Limited edition of 300 copies including all original tracks and new artwork.

Repress.

British-Trinidadian poet/musician/author Anthony Joseph’s latest album was inspired by and echoes the fertile London scene. Anthony has surrounded himself with some of the best musicians on the local scene, including Jason Yarde, Shabaka Hutchings (Sons Of Kemet, The Comet Is Coming), Crispin Robinson (founder of the iconic acid jazz band Galliano,) and Rod Youngs (Gil Scott Heron’s drummer). Operating as a dedication to poetic ancestors and a coming together of musical generations, ‘The Rich are Only Defeated When Running for their Lives’ is also an almighty jam. Recorded live in August 2020, it shows off the prowess of a team of master musicians from Paris and London. Jason Yarde, who also produced Joseph’s 2018 album ‘People of the Sun’ is credited as producer/ composer/arranger - to startling, albeit intimate, effect. Running throughout the release are inter-connected themes: memory, place, belonging and acts of homage. Anthony Joseph has released seven previous albums - six on Heavenly Sweetness - and collaborated with Archie Shepp, Keziah Jones and Meshell Ndgeocello who produced his album, ‘Time’ in 2014. He is the author of four poetry collections and three novels. His 2018 novel Kitch: A Fictional Biography of a Calypso Icon was shortlisted for the Republic of Consciousness Prize, the Royal Society of Literature’s Encore Award, and long listed for the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature.

Strut introduces a pioneering new compilation 'A Dancefloor In Ndola,' curated by revered East African DJ, Kampire. This release marks an evolution in Strut's approach to compilations, showcasing emerging DJ talent from across the world and embracing an innovative approach to musical discovery from the next wave of selectors. Forging her reputation through memorable sets for the Nyege Nyege Festival in Uganda over the last decade, Kampire now tours worldwide and is celebrated for her brilliantly curated sets spanning the full range of African music styles from the ‘70s and ‘80s to the present day.

Although born in Kenya to Ugandan parents, Kampire spent her formative years in Ndola, Zambia. ‘A Dancefloor In Ndola’ is inspired by artists and songs that formed part of her soundtrack during that time. “It is important for me to continually reference Africa’s own musical history,” she explains. “At 17, I didn’t pick up on my Dad’s music but now I love and collect those records. I’m constantly referencing them in my music sets today. I love that feeling of shared nostalgia where people recognise a song they haven’t heard in a long time. It is a touchstone for me when I’m playing.”

The compilation flows through different East African and South African genres from Congolese rumba and soukous to 1980s township bubblegum and the rich guitar-led sounds of Zambian kalindula. “There are styles of music on the compilation which are often considered unsophisticated from rural areas. I and other contemporary African artists and DJs draw inspiration from them; it is part of what makes us ourselves.” Kampire also shines the spotlight on many incredible women in African music from the ‘80s, including Congolese legends like Pembey Sheiro, Feza Shamamba and Princesse Mansia M’bila to V-Mash and Di Groovy Girls from South Africa.

‘A Dancefloor In Ndola’ is released on 2LP and CD and features exclusive new edits by Kampire alongside personal liner notes tracing her links to the music. Cover artwork montage is by Canon Rumanzi and vinyl restoration / mastering by The Carvery
Debut compilation by one of East Africa’s leading new generation DJs, Kampire.
Mix of African classics and rarities spanning 1970s – 1990s from Congolese soukous, South African bubblegum and Zambian kalindula.
Shining the spotlight on women in African music Pembey Sheiro, Feza Shamamba and Princesse Mandisa M’bila.
Exclusive cover artwork collage by Canon Rumanzi.
Worldwide DJ dates supporting release during Summer and Autumn 2024.

Repress!

Far Out Recordings proudly presents the first and only album from the mysterious Brazilian vocal sensation Dila (pronounced “Jee-la”). Having reportedly died in a car crash shortly after the album’s release in 1971, there is very little known about the woman behind the voice. But the joyous music Dila left behind, gives us a picture as good as any, of a powerful feminine soul at the top of her game.

The liner notes on the elusive original LP, written by composer Arnoldo Medeiros attest: “Friend, look out! Because when this girl starts to sing, you’re in trouble. Hold the railing so you don’t fall down the stairs, because she’s coming this way and shaking up everything.”

Arranged and produced by Durval Ferreira, alongside his studio band affectionately known as “Os Grillos” (The Crickets), Dila (1971) is a rare glimpse into the authentic soulful Samba sound of Rio’s favelas in the late sixties and early seventies.

A blast of funky, percussive Brazilian breaks, scorching hot brass and swing-laden piano, the music is as iconic as the album’s stark cover, as is clear on opener ‘Inez’, composed by The Crickets’ bassist Romildo. There’s a fantastic interpretation of the Ivan Lins classic ‘Madalena’ (made famous by Elis Regina), a moving version of the Tom Jobim and Vinicius De Moraes classic ‘O Morro Não Tem Vez’, and a number of sunny original compositions by Arnold Madeiros, who’s other writing credits include music for Marcos Valle, Wanderlea, Evinha and Dom Salvador.

With original LPs extremely hard to come by, this rare treasure of Brazilian soul, which fans of Gal Costa, Celia, Evinha and Elis Regina will love, gets a much-deserved official reissue: remastered and pressed to 180g vinyl.

Strut present the first definitive retrospective of an icon of 1970s and ‘80s soul, jazz and disco, Patrice Rushen, covering her peerless 6-year career with Elektra / Asylum from 1978 to 1984. Joining Elektra after three albums with jazz label Prestige, Patrice had shown prodigious talent at an early age and had first broken through after winning a competition to perform at the Monterrey Jazz Festival of 1972. By the time of the recordings on this collection, she had become a prolific and in-demand session musician and arranger on the West coast, appearing on over 80 recordings for other artists. She joined the Elektra / Asylum roster in 1978 as they launched a pop / jazz division alongside visionaries like Donald Byrd and Grover Washington, Jr. “The idea was to create music that was good for commercial radio / R&B,” Patrice explains. “We were all making sophisticated dance music, essentially.”

Drawing on some of the leading musicians in L.A. like saxophonist Gerald Albright, drummer “Ndugu” Chancler and bassman Freddie Washington and keeping an open minded approach from her training in classical, jazz and soundtrack scores, Patrice’s music was a different, more intricate proposition to many of the soul artists of the time. “L.A. musicians were not so locked into tradition,” she continues. “None of us were accustomed to limitation and the record label left us to take our own direction.”

Early classics like ‘Music Of The Earth’ and ‘Let’s Sing A Song Of Love’ were among Patrice’s first as a lead vocalist before her ‘Pizzazz’ album landed in 1979, featuring the unique disco of ‘Haven’t You Heard’ and one of her greatest ballads, ‘Settle For My Love’. “Although ballads make you feel more vulnerable as an artist because they are often personal, I think listeners relate to that sincerity,” she reflects. By now, Patrice’s records were supremely arranged and produced as her confidence as an all-round writer, producer, arranger and performer grew. Slick dancefloor anthem ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ and the ‘Posh’ album in 1980 led to her landmark album ‘Straight From The Heart’ two years later. Receiving little support from her label, Patrice and her production team personally funded a promo campaign for the first single from it, ‘Forget Me Nots’. It went on to peak at no. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the album was later Grammy-nominated, while the track became a timeless anthem and popular sample, inspiring Will Smith’s theme for the film ‘Men In Black’ and George Michael’s ‘Fastlove’.

Patrice’s final album for Elektra, ‘Now’ kept the bar high with sparse, synth-led songs including ‘Feel So Real’ and ‘To Each His Own’. It concluded a golden era creatively for Patrice which remains revered by soul and disco aficionados the world over.

‘Remind Me’ features all of Patrice Rushen’s chart singles, 12” versions and popular sample sources on one album for the first time. Formats included a 3LP set and 1CD fully remastered by The Carvery from the original tapes. Both formats include an exclusive new interview with Patrice Rushen and rare photos.

• First definitive Patrice Rushen compilation released on vinyl since the ‘80s
• Includes all of her chart hits, DJ favourites and sample sources
• Official release featuring full interview with Patrice Rushen about her career and music • Features rare photos from her personal collection + some of the photographers she has worked with during her career
• Fully remastered by The Carvery from the original ¼” tapes
• Start of full Patrice Rushen reissue programme from her Elektra era

Writing music for film and theatre has always been a big part of Hania Rani's musical world. It is also a part of the creative process that can be tantalisingly out of reach for listeners, either the project doesn't come to fruition or the music simply isn't available away from the film or play. From early collaborations with friends, to last year's two scores for full length films (xAbo: Father Boniecki directed by Aleksandra Potoczek and I Never Cry directed by Piotr Domalewski') Rani has been involved in many such projects, each representing an important step in her artistic development and life as a composer and artist:

"Composing for motion picture or theatre is for me a very different kind of work than writing for my own projects. Firstly, I need to collaborate with somebody else who sees the world through the lense of their own art and craft. That's why these kinds of encounters can be so exciting - they are a promise of creating something very new, as a result of creative work of so many people from all walks of life. Secondly, I feel that music in film is an invisible character, a missing emotion that creates a special atmosphere and sensation. It doesn't illustrate, it completes the work of art. I think it is an extremely sensitive matter that rejects banal associations and easy solutions. I feel like composing for film works like an exercise for my imagination."

It is the nature of these collaborations though, that sometimes the composers own preferred compositions don't make the final cut. This is where Music for Film and Theatre comes in as it allows Rani to present a selection of her own personal favourite pieces composed for film and plays. Pieces that made it to the final cut and pieces that were rejected by the director or the producer. Bringing the music together as an album offers a chance for Rani to share her music with her listeners on her own terms and a chance for her fans to hear a different side of her art.

"I put them in one place, as a collection of precious objects that were kept for years in a drawer. Some of them were composed a couple years ago, some are the result of recent research. I am very happy to finally be able to present them as a separate project."

Rani is of course grateful to all of the directors who have entrusted her to create music for their projects, but she professes especially warm feelings for the pieces composed for her first 'real' theatre play, Pradziady, directed by Michał Zdunik. The title comes from 'Dziady' a term in Slavic folklore for the spirits of the ancestors and a collection of pre-Christian rites, rituals and customs that were dedicated to them. The essence of these rituals was the 'communion of the living with the dead', namely, the establishment of relationships with the souls of the ancestors. "I felt this story needed extremely dark and fragile music, and at the same time a sound that could express the mixture of the two worlds - the living and the dead. I decided to compose part of the soundtrack with a string quartet but including two cellos, viola and only one violin. We recorded in a little house, completely built from wood, mostly from Finnish pine. I always felt this space has a very special, warm and natural acoustics - especially when it is combined with string instruments. The track composed for this theatre play is called Ghosts but actually didn't finally make it to the performance, although I like it so much that I thought it would perfectly fit



this compilation". Other highlights include the enchanting Soleil Pâle written for a collaboration with director Neels Castillon, and improvising dancers Alt Take, the beautiful melancholy of In Between (from the film score for xAbo: Father Boniecki) and the magical bliss of The Beach (from I Never Cry) and together they create a beautiful offering from an artist whose every note is worth hearing, but for whom the journey is just beginning:

"I am very happy to see that many artists consider my music as the right soundtrack for their works, because film music was always a huge inspiration for any of my compositions. I find there a lot of life and real emotions, but also a feeling of freedom. Freedom from my own thinking patterns and prejudices. I also believe strongly in collaboration between people, I always feel this is the way to create something really new, based on a mixture of different ways of thinking, feeling, expressing."

This then is Hania Rani, Music for Film and Theatre – enjoy!

A holy grail for fans of French boogie, early hip hop, Arabic funk and Balearic bops,"Ettika" has been seriously sought after since Vidal Benjamin found it in the 1€ bin back in 2006. Teasing the ears of the underground via Vidal's 'Balearic Nightmare' mix for Noncollective, copies of the original were soon snapped up completely, and the later adopters were sated by a Blackdisco edit from Alexis Le-Tan (himself gifted Vidal's second copy), which is now also rare as hen's teeth. The fervour for the track is easy to understand. Underpinned by an endlessly buoyant bass groove, chanted female vocals dart out the speakers like a post- modern mantra while synth vamps flare in stuttering stereo.

Middle-Eastern motifs add an air of mystery, but this truly belongs in a dance floor utopia. That the track was the product of a 'back-to-work' scheme aimed at unemployed immigrant youth in Rouen only adds to the appeal. Led by teacher Bernard Guégan, a quartet of students delivered lyrics in French and Arabic inspired by their rejection letters, serving a little social commentary and a lot of funk. If you're mad on Ahmed Fakroun and Shams Dinn, or even those folks in the Bush of Ghosts, then this is a must have for you.

Archeology isn't just about excavation, there should be interpretation too, and in this case it comes from Italian duo Hear & Now and Leeds' The Veteran Delinquents. The former furnish the 12" with two radical takes, the dreamy downtempo stroll of their French Remix - all unhurried percussion, Gilmour-riffing and coastal élan - and the peaktime pump of their Arab Remix, which transports the original vocal into a land of desert new beat and Balearic trance with a little space left for some frazzled fretwork. If you've followed their work with Claremont you know the quality on show.

The Veteran Delinquents, the collaborative vehicle of Leeds stalwarts Craig Christon and Tim Hutton, condense a lifetime of club experiences into their remix, establishing the infectious groove of the original before subverting with chugging bass and winking acid, all augmented with their own slick synth work. The original was an all time classic at Craig's Joe's Bakery nights way back when, and this new interpretation is both respectful and revolutionary.

OTOROKU is proud to reissue Evan Parker's first solo LP "Saxophone Solos". Recorded by Martin Davidson in 1975 at the Unity Theatre in London, at that time the preferred concert venue of the Musicians' Co-operative, Parker's densely woven and often cyclical style has yet to form; instead throaty murmurs appear under rough hewn whistles and calls - the wildly energetic beginnings of an extraordinary career. Reissued with liner notes from Seymour Wright in an edition of 500. "The four pieces across the two sides of Saxophone Solos - Aerobatics 1 to 4 - are testing, pressured, bronchial spectaculars of innovation and invention and determination. Evan tells four stories of exploration and imagination without much obvious precedent. Abstract Beckettian cliff-hanging detection/logic/magic/mystery. The conic vessel of the soprano saxophone here recorded contains the ur-protagonists: seeds, characters, settings, forces, conflicts, motions, for new ideas, to delve, to tap and to draw from it story after story as he has on solo record after record for 45 years. 'Aerobatics 1-3' were recorded on 17 June 1975, by Martin Davidson at Parker's first solo performance. This took place at London's Unity Theatre in Camden. 'Aerobatics 4' was recorded on 9 September the same year, by Jost Gebers in the then FMP studio in Charlottenburg, Berlin. Music of balance and gravity, fulcra, effort, poise and enquiry. Sounds thrown and shaken into and out of air, metal and wood. It is - as the titles suggest - spectacular." - Seymour Wright, 2020.

Experimental black metal from Brooklyn featuring members of Pyrrhon, Krallice, Sigur Rós, The Glen Branca Ensemble, Steve Reich. Recorded by Colin Marston (Dysrhythmia, Krallice, Liturgy). Follow-up to the bands well received 2022 debut Aveilut. The Promise Of Rain, the sophomore album of the experimental black metal band Scarcity, is an embodiment of the hard-to-believe truth that burdens are easier to bear when distributed, a realization Brendon Randall-Myers (conductor of the Glenn Branca Ensemble) grappled with extensively while writing this record. This is a sweat-drenched album about dispersion, about spreading, about the collective relieving of burdens through shared experience: one doesn’t have to go through everything alone. When Scarcity’s debut album Aveilut was written in early 2020, Randall-Myers and vocalist Doug Moore (Pyrrhon, Weeping Sores, Glorious Depravity, and Seputus) never expected to be able to play their songs live. The cathartic experience of playing something that came from a place of isolation out to people in a live setting is the root of the intensity in The Promise Of Rain. The Promise Of Rain begins where the craziest climaxes of Aveilut end, and is the first Scarcity record to include Tristan Kasten-Krause (Sigur Ros, Steve Reich, LEYA) on bass, Dylan Dilella (Pyrrhon) on guitar and Lev Weinstein (Krallice) on drums. Rather than building density with the quasi-orchestral layering on Aveilut, Scarcity challenged themselves to document what five people in a room could do, recording most of The Promise Of Rain in one or two takes, capturing the physical effort and urgency of a live performance. Scarcity forges a completely fresh sound in The Promise Of Rain with their alarming guitar work and melodic arpeggiating, shedding dead skin and breaking ground with sheer vulnerability. The lyrics for The Promise Of Rain were inspired by a trip Moore took to the high deserts of southern Utah in 2023. “To thrive in the desert is an act of abnegation—” he observes, “you do right by the land and receive its gifts, or it does away with you.” The necessity of adaptation is as evident in the desert as it is to the landscape of the human experience. The transformation of ideas and beliefs, the grief of losing relationships that had to end, and the fear involved in forming new ones under the grip of mental illness is conjured over and over again on this panoramic album.

Recorded straight on the heels of Bad Company's 1974 debut — just a matter of three months later; not quite long enough to know how big a success the first LP would be — Straight Shooter is seemingly cut from the same cloth as its predecessor. It is, after all, a tight collection of eight strong, steady, heavy rockers that never, ever proceed in a hurry, but from the moment "Good Lovin' Gone Bad" kicks off the proceedings, it's clear that Bad Company have decided to expand their palette this second time around, writes AllMusic.

The album, released in April 1975, reached No. 3 on both the U.K. Albums Chart and the U.S. Billboard 200. It was certified gold (500,000 units sold) by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) a month after its release.

The jacket for the album was designed by Hipgnosis, who also designed their debut album.

"Good Lovin' Gone Bad," was released in March 1975 and reached No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was released in April. The album's final single "Feel like Makin' Love" was released in August and reached No. 10 on the Hot 100.

"Feel Like Makin' Love" and "Shooting Star," became classic rock staples due to this expanded aural vocabulary, and even straight-ahead rockers like "Good Lovin' Gone Bad" and "Deal with the Preacher" benefit from this additional muscle, while they feel comfortable enough to settle into a soulful groove on "Anna" and "Call on Me."

Pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Quality Record Pressings, and housed in a tip-on old style gatefold double pocket jacket by Stoughton Printing, this is the definitive pressing of Straight Shooter and one fans of Bad Company will be proud to own.

Asmaa Hamzaoui stands out as a pioneering female figure in the traditionally male-dominated realm of Gnawa music. With her group, Bnat Timbouktou, she brings a dynamic and spiritual dimension to the genre, infusing it with the vibrant energy of desert blues. Despite the essential role women have played in Gnawa rituals, female musicians have historically been underrepresented. Hamzaoui, however, is at the forefront of changing this trend. Born into a family deeply entrenched in Gnawa traditions in Casablanca, Hamzaoui was immersed in this musical heritage from a young age. Her father, a master musician, and her mother, a dancer, provided a rich environment for her early education in music. She learned to play the guembri, a three-stringed lute central to Gnawa music, and began performing with her father's band on the qraqeb, metal castanets used in Gnawa music, and in the choir. Encouraged by her father, she eventually formed her own group, Bnat Timbouktou. The group's debut album, "Oulad Lghaba," recorded in collaboration with the Swedish label ajabu! Records, was critically acclaimed and nominated for a Songlines Music Award. This album, along with their upcoming release "L'bnat," showcases Hamzaoui's commitment to preserving and revitalizing Gnawa music. "L'bnat," will emphasize the female traditions and spiritual aspects of Gnawa culture. Hamzaoui's performances are characterized by her powerful voice and the rhythmic, percussive playing of the guembri. Her music not only pays homage to the spiritual and healing qualities of Gnawa but also aims to keep the tradition alive by introducing it to new audiences worldwide.

Grande Coisa! (Big Deal!). You could hear it. It is the eternal irony of life. For a composer who has been making music since he was a teenager and only at the age of 38 does he make his work public, it can indeed be a big deal. Grande Coisa, is Dorea's first authorial album, and tells his stories, the ones he lived, others he heard about, but mainly the ones he created. With all the songs composed during the most isolated period in the pandemic, the work can be dense in many moments, difficult to digest, but there are sighs. And there are stories that intersect, like those of the boys who are one and also millions, and show the artist's vision of Brazil. The disappeared, forgotten, the sad and aimless still appear. And there is the warmth of the song for a loved one or even a family partnership, between mother and son. Grande Coisa has ten songs, all written by the artist himself, one of them with lyrics adapted from an excerpt from a book written by his mother. Its musical roots are rooted in rock, but with a blatantly Brazilian gaze and interpretation. It has musical production and minimalist paths chosen by Sebastian Notini, collaborative arrangements forged in the encounter of Dorea's guitar with Seba's percussive and melodic vein and Carla Suzart's bass, and a wood weave that ends the album with the timbres of Joana Queiroz (bass clarinet and clarinet) and Leandro Tigrão (flute) under the baton of maestro Per Ekdahl.

Mastered and cut on 140g transparent vinyl by legendary mastering engineer Matt Colton at Metropolis Studios, London. Pressed at optimal media, Germany.

About the Album

‘Isthmus’ is Ross Tones’s 5th album for Houndstooth in 10 years.
It only seems fitting for it to return to the eclecticism of 2014’s ‘Mosaic’.

An isthmus is a narrow strip of land that connects two larger bodies.
The two islands contrast in time, topography, chaos and character.
One sears.
The other, buried by blizzards.
A land bridge fights the tide; offering harbour.

Connecting the estranged.
Giving battle to the noise.

It is uncertain who won.

The Fire is the fourth studio album by the American post-hardcore band Senses Fail. Widely looked on by fans and critics alike as one of the band's finest studio album, the record features singles including title track 'The Fire, 'New Years Eve' and 'Lifeboats'. Originally released on October 26th 2010, this new pressing is the first since it's original release, packaged in a hand-numbered sleeve with accompanying lyric insert, and comes complete with bonus track 'Ghost Town'. Released via Hassle Records for the UK/EU in conjunction with Vagrant Records to celebrate their 25th Anniversary. "The Fire showcases an immense growth in both the band's songwriting and arrangements, proving that these scenes stalwarts are not about to rest on their laurels." Revolver "The Fire is proof that Senses Fail consistently toe the line between singing and screaming better than most of their peers." Alternative Press

In February of this year, Armand Hammer surprised everyone by dropping a surprise single “Doves” along with an accompanying short film. The song was a 9+ minute epic, produced by Kenny Segal and Benjamin Booker, while also prominently featuring the latter on vocals. Lauded as some of the duo’s best work, “Doves” was also added to the digital version of Armand Hammer’s We Buy Diabetic Test Strips album as the closing track. However, the song was not made available in any physical media, and that was no accident. We had plans. Now those plans have come to fruition. Armand Hammer and Kenny Segal have given us a Doves maxi-single that features the below tracklist (please don’t sleep on the ELUCID remix either!)

Original members of Sheffield’s Human League, Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh left after the first two albums
and formed Heaven 17 in 1980. Named after a fictional band in Anthony Burgess’s “A Clockwork Orange”, they
recruited Glenn Gregory on vocals (who had been the original choice for lead singer of the Human League).
Signed to Virgin Records, debut single “(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang” attracted a lot of attention in
March 1981, and a BBC Radio 1 ban. Recorded in Sheffield and London, debut album “Penthouse And Pavement”
was released in September 1981 and was certified Gold the following year, and also contained the singles “Play To
Win”, “Penthouse And Pavement”, and “The Height Of The Fighting”.
This new edition has been expertly mastered by Barry Grint at AIR Mastering from the original stereo tapes using
precision half-speed mastering. Half-speed mastering is a vinyl cutting technique that improves groove accuracy
and transient information creating an incredibly detailed stereo image with a natural high frequency response.
Presented in its original sleeve, pressed on 180-gram heavyweight black vinyl, featuring an obi strip and housed
in a poly-lined inner sleeve, with all the lyrics and credits plus photos on the 4-page insert.

Big Yawn - NGB

Research Records welcomes back Melbourne quartet Big Yawn for their fourth full-length offering, "NGBE."

Big Yawn's ability to blend complex rhythm sections with infectious basslines, deep synth work, and tongue-in-cheek sampling remains ever-present, and perhaps is the most advanced we've heard yet.

Sitting in a world of its own, the album—named after the group's beloved and lost warehouse space, National Gallery of Brunswick East (where most of the material was recorded)—features a wide array of soundscapes spanning mutated drum 'n' bass, low-key grime, rap, and dub-wise antics, all laced with a heavy dose of FX.

Equal parts deep and menacing, the nine tracks encapsulate Big Yawn's evolution in the studio and on stage, most notably through their collaboration '2Stroke' with Melbourne-based future rap prodigy Teether and brought to life visually with album artwork by Julian Hocking.

In anticipation of Gitkin's upcoming album in October, Wonderwheel drops a cheeky little 7" with two Latin covers from the man himself. The A-Side finds an instrumental Cumbia cover of the eternal 80s classic by The Human League. Leading with the guitar for the verses, the song chugs along nicely with a faithful interpretation of the original with Simon Moushabeck's accordion leading the chorus. On the flip, Gitkin covers Peru's infamous Grupo Celeste's 1975 classic "Mi Lamento" with friend and collaborator Gabe Case on vocals. Keeping with the Tropical Andean sound of the original, Gitkin's funky, wah wah guitars drive the track set over uptempo, cumbia inspired drums while Case's melodic vocals float on top. Two fun, happy tunes to light up dancefloors this summer!

In 1995, schoolmates Elin Almered and Johan Duncanson started a band which they named after a gas-station-turned-radio-repair-shop called "Radioavdelningen" (Swedish for The Radio Department). In 2001, the Radio Dept. sent recordings to music magazine Sonic, receiving a positive review and being featured on the free CD sampler that came with the magazine. Labrador Records heard them on the disc and signed them to their label. The band"s debut album Lesser Matters (2003) was well received by the music press, scoring 10 out of 10 in the NME. NME would rank Lesser Matters ninth on their list of the 50 best albums of 2004. The album received an 84/100 (Universal acclaim) on Metacritic from a total of five reviews.

Filipovich is one of a kind. The Belarus-born, Paris-based artist works in a multitude of media - found footage films, painting, silkscreening and performance to name a few. It's her musical output that has caught the attention of late, though, with Filipovich dropping a run of releases in recent years which began with 2021's Magnificat on Time Released Sound. Filipovich takes as much of a novel approach to her music-making as she does with her other artistic endeavours - Magnificat was centred around treated samples of Sergei Rachmaninov's All-Night Vigil, and she's also combined classical composition with contemporary electronic techniques on her subsequent drops.

For Idealized, Filipovich's debut on Sheffield's Central Processing Unit, she maintains the gothic air which characterised her previous releases and applies it to a record of widescreen contemporary techno joints. These tracks represent something of a gear shift for CPU, a label which has long made its name by delivering top-quality electro and machine-funk jams, but such is the quality of Idealized that these superbly-executed techno productions are sure to win over label fans both old and new.

Idealized is very much schooled in the German tradition of minimal/dub techno. Tracks like 'Physical', 'Wave' and 'Dance Minor' all anchor themselves on single, steady drum pulses and delay-drenched single-chord loops. Filipovich generally lets the central idea of these tracks play out across several minutes while introducing increasingly disorientating elements into the rest of the mix - wiccan atmospherics, clashing chords, spiralling delays and so forth. It's an approach at once respectful of Filipovich's predecessors - Basic Channel, Deepchord, Ellen Allien and so on - but also full of idiosyncrasies and individuality.

Many of the club cuts here hardwire us into the moody, murky environs of the darkest Berlin Basements. 'Ultra Red' rides forward on a crisp drum machine snap, a menacing burble of bassline and an eerie single-note synth whistle in the upper end of the mix; 'Dance Minor' shows off a bit of KiNK in the brain-bending modular loop that waxes and wanes at its centre; the second-half run from 'Wave' to closer 'Small Cave' travels ever-further out into deep space - the kick drums remain insistent, yet the textural elements are delivered with an edge and flair that evidences Filipovich's ability to think outside the box.

Filipovich's unusual methods, and the influence of sound art and electroacoustic composition on her music, are drawn out further when Idealized steps away from the dancefloor. 'Hydra' comes off like a more gothic version of Pole - its central pulse draws from dub techno but never quite settles into a danceable groove, and this beat is combined with the kind of unnerving keyboard work that would make John Carpenter proud. Although closer 'Small Cave' eventually locks into another dark-room techno roller, the opening section of the track delivers a weightless soundscape of bright, tinny chords and a scene-setting field recording.

Idealized, the first drop on Central Processing Unit from Paris-based Belarusian Lina Filpovich, broadens the label's horizons with a selection of finely crafted minimal/dub techno joints.

RIYL: Andy Stott, Deepchord, Ellen Allien, Moritz von Oswald

Pascal Gaigne, born in France in 1958 and installed in San Sebastian since 1985, is a musician with a vast trajectory composing music for films. He has composed for more than 50 movies, won 16 awards (including a Goya award, Spanish Oscar equivalent) and had 15 nominations. He has worked with some of the most interesting new directors in Spanish cinema (Víctor Erice, Icíar Bolláin, Salvador García Ruíz, Daniel Sánchez Arévalo, Montxo Armendáriz), and foreign directors like France (Le cou de la girafe), Finland (Matka Edeniin) or Cuba (Omerta).

Early in his career, before working in cinema, he collaborated with some of the most interesting artists and voices in the short history of Basque folk music, including well known Amaia Zubiria (check the two records he made with her “Egun Argi Hartan” & “Kolorez eta Ametsez”), as well as Basque traditional chant avant-gardist Beñat Achiary. It is together with Amaia & Beñat that he paired himself up to create “music pour le ballet du Iguzki Hauskara”, an entire album of compositions made for the 80’s French Basque Ballet group “Ekarle”. Originally released on cassette only in 1984, it is now reissued by Hegoa including three unreleased pieces taken from a second album that was never published.

Limited edition of 250 black vinyl LP’s housed in a coloured reverse board cover recreating the original hand painted artwork.

The inspiration for ‘Skin Breaker’ comes from my early years of watching sci-fi films. Howard has always been fascinated by them . As a huge fan of 80s beat tracks and 80s sci-fi, Howard aimed to blend those influences into this project. This project is a tribute to the sounds and styles that have inspired him.

África Brasil is a 1976 release by Brazilian artist Jorge Ben. It was Ben's 14th studio album and a milestone in his career with a switch to electric guitar and funk music leaks. For África Brasil Ben reworked three of his earlier compositions: "A Princesa e o Plebeu" from Sacundin Ben Samba, "Taj Mahal" from Ben, and "Zumbi" from A Tábua de Esmeralda. The album's opening track "Ponta de Lança Africano (Umbabarauma)", a song about an African football striker, became a well known soccer-associated track and it was later included on David Byrne's 1989 compilation Brazil Classics Beleza Tropical, prompting rotation of a video for the track on VH-1

140g transparent blue and green galaxy marble vinyl housed in a matte 3mm cardboard sleeve with lyrics insert featuring photography and artwork by Hidrico Rubens. Limited to 300 copies. The creation of ‘Chrysalis’ was a retreat from a seemingly endless string of unfortunate events, a cocoon from which Zanias could weave hope from hopelessness. In each of its eight songs she has engineered unique worlds to express alternate facets of the modern human experience, from burnout and the toxicity of capitalism to processing death and the inherent isolation of personal trauma. Written and recorded between Berlin and the rainforest of Queensland, Australia, the sound design of ‘Chrysalis’ reflects the rich biodiversity of the latter environment, where she drew much of her inspiration. Her voice shifts and morphs into ghostly, alien forms between catchy hooks that plant this album firmly in the ‘pop’ genre, without losing the underground rawness and lyrical depth for which she is known. With her third full-length album, Zanias is expressing her truest form thus far, fusing her seemingly discordant influences into a genre-defying electronic artpop, as dark and evocative as it is ethereal and uplifting. Written and produced by Alison Lewis Bass guitar on ‘Lovelife’ by Laura Bailey Mixed by Ewan Kay Mastered by Alain Paul Photography and artwork by Hidrico Rubens Sigil by Nat Soba Design and layout by Alison Lewis Makeup by Eavan Derbyshire

The magic and majesty of Holger Czukay’s late career works for Claremont 56 is being celebrated on a new compilation. The former Can bassist – a musical maverick renowned for his freewheeling approach to composition, recording and promotion – released a string of inspired tracks on Paul Murphy’s label between 2009 and 2012, typically delivering hard-to-pigeonhole workouts, bona-fide epics and radical reinventions of some of his most beloved tracks.

The collection has been a labour of love – fitting given the sonic details and inventive musicality that marked out the late artist’s solo career – for Claremont 56 founder Paul Murphy AKA Mudd, who first reached out to Czukay after witnessing his now legendary live performance at the Roundhouse in 2009. As Murphy details in his introductory liner notes, it led to a productive working relationship between the pair that included collaborative recording sessions with Ben Smith in Czukay’s legendary Innerspace Studio – a former cinema in Cologne in which much of Can’s music was recorded.The impact of that Roundhouse gig on Murphy is reflected in the fact that two of the tracks on the collection are based on that celebrated performance. There’s ‘Ode To Perfume’, a languid and solo-laden version of one of Czukay’s most celebrated solo records that ratchets up the original’s inherent dreaminess, and a jaunty take on quirky kraut-pop number ‘Photosong’ featuring a spoken introduction recorded at the concert in question.

Murphy’s ability to coax Czukay into delving into his archives is evident across the compilation. Opener ‘A Perfect World (Remix)’ is an eccentric, ever-building masterpiece originally recorded in 1984 – but later re-imagined for Claremont 56 – featuring vocalist Sheldon Ancel and former Can band-mates Jaki Leibezeit and Michael Karoli, while ‘Fragrance’ is a subtly re-wired slab of picturesque Balearic kraut-dub which was initially recorded as a coda for ‘Ode To Perfume’ but lay unreleased for decades.

Then there’s ‘Let’s Get Cool’, a bright and breezy, French horn-sporting 2009 take on 1979 avant-disco classic ‘Cool In The Pool’; ‘My Persian Love (Remix)’, a 2010 re-take of one of his earliest solos recordings; and the near 18-minute brilliance of ‘Music Is A Miracle’. Originally recorded for his fans in the 1980s – but only released three decades later – this widescreen epic not only features drums by Jaki Leibezeit and a fine spoken word vocal by Czukay, but also numerous nods to some of his most revered tracks.

It's fitting, too, that two of the most potent cuts feature Czukay’s much-missed wife and musical muse Ursa Major: the dense, trippy and fittingly out-there ambient soundscape ‘In Space’, and the mesmerising ‘Music To be Murdered By’. Partially inspired by hearing painfully out of tune violin practice through his studio windows, the track was originally recorded for an unreleased album but finally found a home on Claremont 56’s 10th anniversary box set ion 2017. A genuinely spaced-out and mind-mangling slab of organic dub in Czukay’s distinctive style, it delivers a fine curtain call to the iconic artist’s endlessly inventive career.