Buscar:deep sounds

It seems that every major jazz artist has a one-off sort of record in their discography, be it with strings, voices, spoken word or - as in this case - a foray into the funkier side of jazz. Charlie Rouse (going here as Charles Rouse) gets his chance on Two Is One, a funky soul jazz excursion on Strata-East, the artist-run label where creativity and pushing boundaries was at the forefront. Playing mostly with a group of session musicians, Rouse put together an album that may stray a bit from his hard bop roots, but is nonetheless an enjoyable and at times inventive record. The style of music played here - sophisticated soul jazz with some post bop and spiritual jazz thrown in for good measure - is very much a product of it's time. 1974 saw a whole slew of artists stretching the boundaries of what jazz music could be, combining elements from the past two decades into electric jazz adventures. The piano-less group that Rouse put together is a funky one, with lots of rhythmic playing behind either the searching solos of Rouse on the tenor or some inventive electric guitar work from either George Davis or Paul Metzke who appear together on all but a couple of tracks. Cal Scott gets plenty of time to shine throughout on what sounds like an electrified cello, an unusual instrument for modern jazz to be sure, but one that manages to fit in just fine here.

The first side of the album is all slow burning soul jazz, highlighted by the opening track "Bitchin'" where Rouse shows off that he is more than capable of setting down soulful lines over a funky backbeat. The second side is where the group gets a whole lot more inventive, particularly on the title track where they mix some post bop madness with the soul jazz sound. "Two Is One" features different tempos throughout: in the "first section" the bass plays in 9/8 time, the drums in 6/8 time and the cello and tenor are in 3/4 time. For the "second section" the rhythm section switches to 7/8 time while cello and tenor move to 4/4 time. Stanley Clarke is on bass here and his deep and twisty electric bass line is placed prominently up front.

"Two Is One" is certainly the highlight of the album from a pure jazz standpoint, and it lives up to it's title, which according to Gene Lewis' liner notes is taken from a Thelonious Monk phrase meaning two people so in tune with one another that they become one. The album finishes off with "In His Presence Searching," a spiritually informed jazz number that is reminiscent of the work being done during this period by the likes of Pharoah Sanders and Gary Bartz, (while not being quite as out there as their best work). The tune is all rhythmic glory, with Rouse and Scott playing introspective and penetrating solos throughout. It's a nice album closer, and a good reminder that while Two Is One may be best known for it's funkier excursions, Rouse had a few tricks up his sleeve and the album, when taken as a whole, is a complete statement from a legendary jazz musician.

Shame follow up their wildly acclaimed debut with a James Ford-produced peek into the riddled mind of the band's frontman, Charlie Steen. There are moments on Drunk Tank Pink where you almost have to reach for the sleeve to check this is the same band who made 2018's Songs Of Praise. Such is the jump Shame have made from the riotous post-punk of their debut to the sprawling adventurism and twitching anxieties laid out here. The South Londoner's blood and guts spirit, that wink and grin of devious charm, is still present, it's just that it's grown into something bigger, something deeper, more ambitious and unflinchingly honest. The genius of Drunk Tank Pink is how these lyrical themes dovetail with the music. Opener Alphabet dissects the premise of performance over a siren call of nervous, jerking guitars, its chorus thrown out like a beer bottle across a mosh pit. Songs spin off and lurch into unexpected directions throughout here, be it March Day's escalating aural panic attack or the shapeshifting darkness of Snow Day. There's a Berlin era Bowie beauty to the lovelorn Human For A Minute while closer Station Wagon weaves from a downbeat mooch into a souring, soullifting climax in which Steen elevates himself beyond the clouds and into the heavens. Or at least that's what it sounds like. From the womb to the clouds (sort of), Shame are currently very much in the pink.

Modern House Quintet present their debut album, an LP featuring their vision of what electronic music has to offer. This record sees the duo explore the various sounds and influences that make them what they are. Presented in two separate LPs, this first is a vibrant mix of inspirations, ideas and sounds. From deeper soulful music, to more upfront and synthetic and all the way through to pieces that incorporate instruments you might not always hear in this kind of music.

Darker Than Wax's first release of 2021 brings us back to the world of UK dance music with Dampé - the solo project of Joe Munday, a musician, producer and DJ from South London. Joe's foundation in dance music stems from becoming a regular on the floor at influential parties like FWD>> and You're A Melody. Dampé brings together these London sounds with worldwide influences and nuanced, ethereal production to create something entirely his own. With a string of releases on Berlin's Dirt Crew Records, and a monthly show on the venerable Rinse FM, Dampé has carved out a space for his sonic brand of introspective, deep UK dance music. Spurred by a chance meeting with the Darker Than Wax crew in London in 2018, an instant relationship between artist and label flourished through our shared sonic ethos. After numerous setbacks from the chaos of 2020, we are proud to finally share Dampé's label debut with the world - Oil.

“The greatest thing about being a musician is experiencing it with other people,” says Ed Riman, the Brighton-based Eurasian singer, songwriter and sound-scapist who records as Hilang Child. “Whether that’s playing with others, creating together, sharing a vision, whatever, I just think in all aspects it’s a totally elevated experience when you’re not alone.” Proof rings out with force and feeling on Hilang Child’s superlative second album, ‘Every Mover’, released on Bella Union.

In 2018, Riman delivered a serene, textured debut album in ‘Years’, rich in sound and feeling. Lauren Laverne, Q, MOJO and others lavished praise but the “isolating process” of making the album left Riman hungry to find alternative ways of working. Meanwhile, the “lonely, pressured” aftermath of ‘Years’ found Riman grappling with “rough selfesteem and anxiety issues,” amplified in part by social media’s “fulfilment narratives.” Duly, he set out to navigate and overcome these mindsets, drawing deeply on his own insecurities and those he recognised in others.

These themes converge emphatically on ‘Every Mover’, an album steeped in everyday emotional states and crafted for cathartic, communal performance. Drawing on a rich spread of collaborators, sounds and themes, Riman uses his frustrations as the impetus to transform the brimming promise of ‘Years’ into upfront and expansive new shapes. “I wanted it to sound a bit gutsier than the first album,” he says, succinctly, “heavier and closer to the kind of stuff that hits me when I go to shows or blast music in the car. I started out in music as a drummer playing for pop or beat-driven artists and grew up listening to louder stuff, but a lot of the music I’ve made as Hilang Child has been more ethereal. I wanted to bring it back to a place that feels more ‘me’ and make more of a thing of having big hypnotic drums, aggressive bass, ripping distorted instruments and a general energy to it.”

‘Good To Be Young’ serves swift notice of this leap, its banked synths and twinkling sound clusters leading to an assertion of fresh force when the main beat lands and a congregation of friends - AK Patterson, Paul Thomas Saunders, Dog in the Snow, Ellen Murphy, members of Penelope Isles - unite for the gang-vocal refrains. “It’s all iridescent colour I’m on,” Riman exults, a claim lived up to on the full-flush folktronica of ‘Shenley’.

A reflection on spiralling insecurity, ‘Seen The Boreal’ ups the ante again with its monkish chorales, looping samples, spectral woodwinds (from multi-instrumentalist John ‘Rittipo’ Moore, of Public Service Broadcasting and Bastille previous) and ecstatic chorus, Riman transforming a meditation on hindsight’s limiting effects into a spur to look forwards. And surge forwards he does with the glittering synths, spacey guitars and Krautrock propulsion of ‘King Quail’, developed in jam sessions with dream-pop wonder Zoe Mead (Wyldest) in her basement studio.

Brought to a sublime close with ‘Steppe’, the resulting album projects its own epiphanic force. Thankfully, most of the main parts were recorded pre-lockdown between East London, Gateshead, Brighton, Wandsworth and elsewhere, before mixing proceeded remotely. Meanwhile, alongside indie-pop trio OUTLYA’s Will Bloomfield (percussion/coproduction on ‘Play ’Til Evening’), visual design collective Tough Honey (accompanying videos) and other collaborators, Riman’s bond with co-producer JMAC (Troye Sivan, Haux, Lucy Rose) proved crucial. “It felt freeing to work collaboratively and have that push-andpull of ideas,” says Riman. “Even the moments where we didn’t see eye-to-eye made it feel like I wasn’t alone, with someone else working just as passionately on the project.”

LP pressed on red transparent vinyl.

This album could easily have turned top-heavy. After all, here’s a record which, in just under 40 minutes, covers anything from Arabic scales to Japanese sounds, from free jazz references to concepts by Finnish pianist Kari Ikonen’s favourite painter Vasiliy Kandinsky.
To realise his vision, Ikonen even personally developed a device allowing him to play micro-intervals on his piano. And yet, things turned out differently: If anything, the results sound dream-like and mesmerising rather than stodgy and severe.
The album’s genesis may serve to explain this paradox. In August of 2019, Ikonen suddenly found himself with a month of free time. Without thinking twice and as if in a premonition of the Covid-lock-down, he recorded ‘Impressions, Improvisations and Compositions’ at his own home. His only companion was his beloved Steinway, captured by a personal selection of high-end microphones. Just a few days after the final session, the pieces landed on the desk of ECM- and Blue-Note-engineer Johannes Lundberg who mixed the album at his Gothenburg Epideminstudios. Clearly then, the music is spontaneous. But it’s also refined and deep. The influence of Kandinsky inspired
Ikonen to write some of his most complex and monumental pieces.

*repress*

Justin Cudmore returns to the Phonica White shelves with four new tracks, and his long-awaited first full EP since 2017's "Forget It" for The Bunker New York. With the dancefloor seeming far outside our reach right now, 'Train Dance' transports us back to a simpler time lost in the mix.

Across the disc, Cudmore reflects on the sounds and scenes closest to his heart and record bag, flexing his knack for crafting catchy hooks and the kind of ear-worm melodies that helped cement his status as one of house & techno's fast-rising stars. A1 "Train Dance" is his ode to the urban symphony of train cars whirling past his apartment in Brooklyn, with eight minutes of swingy, jacking house built for a sunny afternoon set across the pond at Panorama Bar.

"Club Fetish" shifts to a more introspective, heads-down vibe crafted instead with a dark and sweaty basement in mind. A touch of psych à la classic John Tejada, Cudmore's subtle, squelchy synths rub shoulders with cerebral drums and floating basslines.

The B-side nods to Cudmore's acclaimed acid sound for two deep slow rollers. "Expectation Game" and its no-nonsense 303s chug through a couple of understated breakdowns, while "Realize" was written with a Detroit outdoor patio in mind, with a sleazy acid bassline and cut up vocal groans sounding like Cudmore riffing on a late-night Moodymann jam.

Recorded during a productive time of new beginnings and positive headspace, ‘Train Dance’ comes out during a strange and unclear present for Cudmore and many of his contemporaries in the scene. However given it all, Justin remains excited to share new music and sounds, and hopes to return to the dance floor with everyone again as soon as safely possible.

Artwork as always is supplied by the talented Pedro Carvalho de Almeida

Azumah was the coming together of a group of talented young dancer-musicians from Soweto (South Africa) with musician and instrument-maker Smiles Mandla Makama of eSwatini (formerly Swaziland). Long Time Ago is the surprising and enticing, resultant album from 1985, recorded in the house of theatre stalwarts Des and Dawn Lindberg in Johannesburg.

Produced by David Marks (3rd Ear Music, Hidden Years Music Archive Project), Des Lindberg and Smiles Makama, this album takes us back to a priceless musical moment in the dark and wild eighties of apartheid South Africa. Smiles Makama is a gifted and visionary music-maker. He was born in South Africa but grew up in eSwatini, the small kingdom enveloped by South Africa and Mozambique on each side. He tells the story of the process leading to the recording of this remarkable album: “I was invited from Swaziland by a Soweto-based group, Azumah. … One of the members knew that there was a wizard in the mountains in Swaziland, building instruments. As I was in the mountains in my hut and then I saw people arrive. They found me. It all started there.”

Instead of simplistic images of a generic ‘Africanness’ or ‘South Africanness’ and pictures of constructed and exotic ethnic identity, a contemporary, fresh listen to this album encourages an appreciation of the composition and musical skill at play in this music. Few people speak about the individual innovation and experimentation involved in the creation of this music (or the music of Amampondo for instance). “Woza Moya” sticks out as a dark and melancholy creation, different tonally to what has come before, evoking the work of Naná Vasconelos or Don Cherry. One thing that remains the same decades later is that encouraging deeper listening to the sounds of the mbira, the nyunga-nyunga, the uhadi or makhoyane bows is still challenging. Discouraging the superficial, short-lived acknowledgement of this ‘unchanging’, ‘African cultural expression’ is the everlasting hurdle. This is made so much easier by albums like Long Time Ago: when artists create music to be loved and entangled with, to be challenged by, derived from the musical roots and structures of these instruments and then expanded upon with creative freedom, risk, humour and funk.

Azumah did this in 1985 and we have this album again today, newly released, to remind us of that moment and the moments since when musicians have urned inward and done similar. As Smiles has it: “Indigenous music doesn’t fade out. It’s just waiting to be discovered, all the time.”

Dark Green Marbled Vinyl

One town, three times of the day, a triarchy of Techno music, rolling into the deep – coming as green marbled vinyl with an exclusively designed festival wristband!
Rico Puestel rears a monument to his growing-up-town „Uslar“ with three different approaches on this second part of the home-loving „Solling“ series that dig deep into a downscaled and natural framework of sound (all recorded and produced right at that place).

The initiation ritual on A1 with Uslar at 6'23 in the morning starts off with an actual electric guitar theme, originally recorded back in 2003, that builds the foundation hub to one crisp and point-blank Techno-Electro ceremony. The clean minimalistic sound will showcase all the details of any structure within while one's certainly getting caught by the overall force of melodic attraction like the sun working its path through the misty valleys.

At 13'35 noon, a rising rhythmical and progressive interpretation of the initial morning sounds makes an appearance on the flipside that doesn't allow much time to leap right into the centre of the da(y)nce, immediately creating the guesswork where side AA is leading all along.
The evening hours at 21'55 then take a flying leap into the mystical peak of the whole process, taking the morning sounds from side A into some uneasy realms and sceneries, prevailed by an almost voodoo-like momentum and a dance into the depths of its surrounding woods that will coherently dignify 90's loop Techno par excellence.

This fourth record on Exhibition is and feels right here and right now, paying tribute to the past and many different streams of Techno while cherishing a future that has yet to be written, celebrating the

Dutch mainstay Jeroen Search is a true genius of building linear grooves, either subtly breathing or powerfully bouncing. His Figure release following the 2018 LP Monism reflects this aptly once more. Minimalistic, hypnotic loops simply introduce the varied 5-track EP, followed up some by some heavyweight acid-house punchlines.
The flip makes its name, changing course again in order to head deeper for a more heads-down exploration of the bleep-space nebula. Sitting firmly nestled in the center of the record, Magnet Tapes is that endless loop suspended in time and space, slowly working its way into one’s consciousness with every repetition. Search cleverly captures this moment to introduce some sounds beyond the structure of track and loop, challenging our conception of music yet playfully igniting the mind’s imaginations.
Aiming for the finish line, the EP comes to a halt only after another taster of Jeroen Search’s deadpan efficient loop science, effortlessly stacking layers of rhythms for an ultimate straight-up techno workout.

Flippen Disks follows up their much acclaimed label-debut with an intriguing second release by Yuto Takei.

Throughout the Bells From The East EP, Yuto Takei’s first vinyl release, displays a wide array of sounds with a particular interest in rhythmic experiments and the negotiation of sonic space.

The Tokyo-based producer and DJ takes the listener onto a trip through deep spheres, percussive workouts, jammy compositions and electronic psychedelia, leaving the listener at times startled as to whether humans are manipulating machines here, or vice-versa.
Having worked as an electronic music composer for video games such as Gran Turismo, this uncanny valley is known territory for the artist. It is, however, further explored on this four tracker, staying true to Flippen Disks paradigm of releasing club-oriented music, non-functional enough to not only be danced but also listened to.

While the title track Bells From The East is an 8 minute jam, in which the krauty psych attitude pairs up perfectly with the goofy lead melody, Eclectic Matters is an intense percussive workout, refined with a pinch of Digi-Dub.

On the flip, Karma Fuchi feels like a paraglide through a landscape of tree tops, curious winds passing and entrancing synths and percussion stabs leading the way. Mostica closes the EP beautifully and spaciously, allowing for deep dives into its detailed soundscape and waving the listener peacefully goodbye.

Subheim adds a new chapter to his catalog of shadowy raves with ΠΟΛΙΣ – the fourth long player. Pronounced "Polis," the Greek word for "city," ΠΟΛΙΣ doesn't so much evoke the rapid cadences of life in a modern metropolis as it does the unspoken tension between longing to escape and being trapped in some kind of concrete stasis – living together with millions of souls in an expansive emptiness.

Subheim uses ΠΟΛΙΣ as a vehicle to depart from traditional songwriting structures, crafting each track as a piece of a larger sonic collage. Songs come out of nowhere, abruptly come to end before they even get a chance to start or introduce new motifs and surprise reprises long after we expect the next track to cue up. These stutter-start forms reflect the four years it took for the record to take shape: a series of failed musical experiments, indecision, balancing an unstoppable creative drive with the unavoidable emotional ebb and flow of life.

Though this is clearly Subheim working at a new level, listeners will recognize the sound of ΠΟΛΙΣ instantly as his, with both hints of the IDM/electronica of Approach era and the unmistaken human element that is present in all his work. The natural, off-grid time feel of the record is effortlessly augmented with field recordings and found sounds, this time around with the addition of more grit and power, and with heavier use of analog synthesizers.

Despite the album being born out of a feeling of alienation from one’s surroundings, it's impossible to ignore the sense of hope that runs through this LP. In ΠΟΛΙΣ, we hear an arrival at a deeper understanding of oneself, an inner peace amidst the decay and a cautious optimism that comes from someone who just happens to feel most at home in darkness.

2X12" repressed !

Welcome to - Industrie & Zärtlichkeit , the raw, quirky yet emotional debut album from Moon! Although the Berlin-based duo is revered for dancefloor bangers such as - Ze power', Johannes Albert and Johannes Paluka (better known as Iron Curtis) have put much effort into making this album a true listening experience without sacrificing their roots in House Music. - Industrie & Zärtlichkeit (which translates into - Industry & Tenderness ) effortlessly achieves what is claimed in its title, namely a fusion of seemingly disparate elements: the rough and the smooth, dirty beats and soothing harmonies, bizarre sounds and comforting chords. The title track is a fine example of this perfectly-dosed blend with its detuned strings that glide over a crisp electro beat and an infectious melody which would make Kraftwerk proud. Cafe Del Landwehrkanal' is a lighthearted and kinky gem while - Light Of Virtue combines warm synth pads (Detroit is not far) with dusty drums and an acid bassline. MFB Nights' and Machine Rhythm Tomorrow' are also illustrations of the duo's undeniable savoir-faire, with the former celebrating garage classics thanks to its cheeky vocal sample and gorgeous rhodes chords while the latter plays out as a dedication to the early 90's, a time when people didn't care about genres and just dived in the novelty of electronic dance music.
But as we all know, there is a dark and secret side of the Moon, an aspect which is best expressed via the freaky organ chords of - Proto and its detuned melody. Not to mention the excellent ambient pieces - Fjordig or - The Bitter End which showcase the duo's ability to venture into uncharted territory.
All in all, Industrie & Zärtlichkeit feels like drinking fresh orange juice gently sparkled with chilli... and it concludes flawlessly with two reworks that prolong the album's laidback yet assured vibe. First off is Black Spuma (Lauer of Tuff City Kids fame and Italian disco legend Fabrizio Mammarella) who rework the title track into a hands-in-the-air boogie monster that will definitely be a festival staple this summer. Finally, Lerosa emphasizes the deeper shade of the album's spectrum with an impressive new wave rework of - Appeal .

Philipp Otterbach’s psychedelic music never been a sunshine pleasure pill. But yet, the souls of his notes are deeply gentle. With “Everything Else Matters” the Berlin based DJ and producer now introduces his debut album, that follows a long introduction. Already since a while he devotes himself with endurance to music. He was an early resident at Düsseldorf’s shrine for outernational grooves Salon Des Amateurs. Since 2014 he releases music under his given name or as Grand Optimist on labels like Grokenberger Records, Knekelhuis or Themes For Great Cities and leaves marks as a remixer for artists like DJ Normal 4, Brainwaltzera, Wolf Müller and Niklas Wandt on labels like Growing Bin Records or Second Circle. His long DJ nights and already released music prefigures the spirits, that he now bunched on his first album. It’s a record, that does not want to pursue a straight categorization. It rather aims to spellbound with an atmosphere, that is made for moments in the absence of hysteria. Tribalistic, trip-hopping rhythms, menacing sounds, cold cool vocal passages, drone chants, morbid goth-ambient spheres, Indie rock indications: its many facets meld into some kind of black highway sound for thoughtful night prowlers in a dissociative state of mind. In context all particles achieve delicate sculptural effects that operate like the surprising architecture of a dream. A forward- thinking dream, that bundles something otherworldly, something unspeakable, that lives hauntingly between the sounds, rhythms and suggested melodies.

I Lost My Poncho In Istanbul presents to you a fresh release between stars originated on far away galaxies that collided when settled for a few weeks in Berlin. This rare encounter brought to life Moisk.

Moisk is a collab between the talented Vilnius based Pletnev (also known as Ponty Mython) and the Mauritian brave globetrotter Fourmï Rouz. In this debut EP they go deep on the acid rhythms and soundscapes with a post apocalyptic and obscure electro tracks.

On his first EP, Forgiveness, the artist Max von Sternberg delivers four new tracks on the Munich label Musica Autonomica. With its strong basslines and expressive hi-hats, the eponymous piece, Forgiveness, is clearly made for the dance floor. It comes in two versions – one with lyrics and one as a dub version. Falling Star, the first track of the vinyl's B-side feels likely energetic. New Day, on the contrary, gets the more quiet tones, occasionally leaves a melancholic impression and is by that also made for contexts beyond the club.

Stars are created by gravitational collapse of large molecular clumps. Once formed, they stay in the universe for millions of years – and outlive all human life. The artistic creation of Max von Sternberg also is about outliving. With his driving and melodic sound he creates unheard soundscapes. Complemented by well placed lyric pieces, he underlines the the continuous change of our world and shows that nothing is forever. With his first EP, Forgiveness, on Musica Autonomica, he delivers four deep house pieces that cover the entire bandwidth – from bassy dance floor bangers to more quiet, melancholic sounds.

Karaba is the new signing on Kryptox. The Berlin label founded to show what's happening in the German Jazz crossover scene. One of these bands is Karaba from Munich. The band was already featured on the Kryptox Kraut Jazz Futurism Compilation in 2019. Now they deliver their first mini album for Kryptox. Five young guys from Munich. Skilled and tight on their instruments and deeply rooted in the heritage of all kind of wild forms of jazz, krautrock and psychedelic music. The kids began to jam together when starting to study music in 2012. Being from Munich, a town where legendary Krautrock bands like Amon Düül, Guru Guru and Embryo came from, the Karaba guys are obviously influenced by these german kraut and psychedelic sounds. You can hear that in many shades of this album: the complexity of the unusual rhythmical fundaments and percussive patterns. The Prog-Rock parts, with these partly abstract unisono lines and strange melodic figures or unexpected chord changes. Karaba’s album starts with an slightly arabic feel. The repetitive groove of „Der Inder“ gets the listener immediately into a different south-eastern space. Later the music gets more animated, more structured and more uplifting. A whole universe of little influences. Shades of certain Jazz and prog-rock bands: you might think about the canterbury scene of the 1960ies and 70ies. There are textures reminding of Soft Machine, Frank Zappa, Mats and Morgan, Kraan and maybe some Passport influences. (Another band from Munich that left a huge footmark in the worldwide jazz fusion history). The whole Karaba sound has a certain 1970es feel. But not in a pure retro way. The EP sounds more like a modern psychedelic 2020 Lofi Indie Jazz thing - a sound that fits well in these wild times and finds it’s place in the actual scenario of new jazz bands worldwide.

Nadia Khan returns on Scissor and Thread for another sublime mini LP, Port Ana. Based in North Carolina, Khan first drew a lot of attention via a cassette release on Where To Now? Records in 2015.
Her sophomore statement was the beautiful In Gleam released in 2018 on Francis Harris’ Brooklyn-based label, which set the tone for these five tracks of meditative music. The title track Port Ana opens the journey - a gentle, droning soundscape with effortlessly bewitching glints of melody. Conversation follows on, drawing on loops and textures to create the background for a deep, pulsing kick drum. The sounds shift and evolve, leaving a hazy sense of movement to drift away to. Next up is Objects In Form which presents a fragile chord progression that barely holds itself together, surrounded by shifting pads and swathes of reverb. Rain Again is presented here in two versions. The original combines ethereal sounds, weightless and adrift, while the Lawrence remix firmly grounds the track with a hypnotic, deep groove. The Dial boss provides another remix for the digital release that further plays with the textures of the original to create something that works both for an open minded dancefloor and as a home listening experience.

studio mule is back with another amazement, opening the roster towards sophisticated spiritual sounds on the crossroads of electrified jazz, oriental fourth-world spheres and deeply composed experimental sounds. this time the label welcomes japanese artist ya-sukazu sato aka yas-kaz, a university-trained percussionist, that gained global success as a composer for the internationally known butoh dance troupe sankai juku, that tours around the world since 1975. his infrequent musical amalgamation of ancient eastern genres, airy soundscapes, and ritualistic dance percussions perfectly accompanied the modern dance movements of an avantgarde dance group that is known for slow, mesmerizing dance passages, whose repetitive body movements sometimes focusing only on the feet or fingers. besides his theatre work, yas-kaz composed scores for japanese movies, performed live along stars like us-american jazz saxophonist wayne shorter or legendary japanese new-age musical group himekami and recorded a number of collabo-rative and solo albums.

with “virgo indigo”, studio mule reissues his third solo album, originally published on the japanese label canyon in 1986. the album opens with “djidanda”, a composition whose melodic drive and percussive groove reminds on moondog’s spirit. melancholic strings, loose guitar riffs, spiritual cowbells and wild, yet mild rhythms form a repetitive maelstrom that is made for all sorts of acrobatic body movements. it gets followed by the album’s title track “virgo indigo”, a spiritual jazz leaning arrangement featuring wayne shorter on the soprano saxophone, delivering a crystal-clear performance above tribal rhythms and traces of gamelan. the story-arc of the ten-minute long composition brings also minimalistic percussive moments, oriental ambient zones and some electronic drones, all calm and lively at the same time.

a versatileness, that marks the other four arrangements on the album, too. “kara-kira ~windscape iii~” comes around as an airy spiritual illusionist, that melds joyful flute notes with gentle chime melodies. the b-side’s epic opener “wadji” starts industrial, just to break down into a manic, again moondogish atmosphere full of darkish sounds and nebulous ambient deepness. subsequent yas-kaz enters with “notarinotari” the oriental zones, seducing with a jazz-laden romantic soundtrack mood. the final tune is yet another surprise, as “jasmin” is percussive driven neon cocktail bar pop, that features a hum-ming female voice and mesmerizing synth and guitar melodies. six tracks that introduce six different locations of yas-kaz’s ramified artistic work, which combines sweetish melodies, dynamic percussions, statuesque minimalism and world music traditions in spacious compositions that stay surprising until the very last second.

Unbegrenzt is the third in an ongoing series of archival records of the unheard music of Swedish composer Catherine Christer Hennix, co-released by Blank Forms Editions and Empty Editions. It follows Selected Early Keyboard Works and Selections from 100 Models of Hegikan Roku (named the #1 archival release of 2019 by The Wire), in addition to a two-volume collection of Hennix’s writing titled Poësy Matters and Other Matters.

Recorded in February of 1974 and featuring Catherine Christer Hennix (recitation, percussion, and electronics) and Hans Isgren (bowed gong), Hennix’s realization of Karlheinz Stockhausen’s “Unbegrenzt” (German for “unlimited”) from Aus den Sieben Tagen is an elaboration both rigorous and radically different from the canonical 1969 recording issued by Shandar. The collection of 15 text pieces written in Paris during May of 1968, Aus den Sieben Tagen, denies its performers notated direction and instead provides poetic cues that hinge upon Stockhausen’s conception of “intuitive music,” a Eurocentric perspective on improvisation antithetical to the vernacular forms Hennix had engaged with as a young drummer performing in Stockholm jazz clubs with musicians like Bill Barron, Cam Brown, Hans Isgren, Lalle Svenson, Allan Vajda, Bo Wärmell, and many others. While both Hennix and Isgren saw the formal prospect of Aus den Sieben Tagen as a productive development of and beyond La Monte Young’s event scores, she here steadfastly counters his rationalization of intuition with the Principle of Sufficient Reason. (Cf. Brouwer’s Lattice.) Eschewing the busy, conservatory-addled lapses into idiomatic citation of Stockhausen’s 1969 recording, Hennix’s alternative realization of the “Unbegrenzt” score’s instructions to “play a sound with the certainty that you have an infinite amount of time and space” is based on her concept of Infinitary Compositions, the trademark of her ensemble The Deontic Miracle which, at one time, considered adding Stockhausen, La Monte Young and Terry Jennings scores to its repertoire. Taking a mature, minimal iteration of Stockhausen’s compositional method of “moment-forming” to heart, her version’s dark, controlled feedback and amplified bowed gong subtly shift through an immanent sequence of formative moments, step by step. Its bubbling computer noise, percussion, and repeated ominous transient sounds of temple blocks over the bowed gong terminate with the integrated recitation of exotic text fragments from Hevajra Tantra which faithfully take Stockhausen’s score into deeper vistas of the unconscious and a more devastating opening to the unlimited time and space of a dreaming mind.

Audio restoration and mastering by Stephan Mathieu, with an essay by Bill Dietz.

Catherine Christer Hennix (b. 1948) started her creative life playing drums with her older brother Peter, growing up in Sweden where she heard jazz luminaries, such as John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy, Dexter Gordon, Archie Shepp, and Cecil Taylor perform from 1960 to 1967. Directly after high school, Hennix went to work at Stockholm’s pioneering Elektronmusikstudion (EMS), where she developed early tape music, incorporating computer generated speech done at the Royal Technological University (KTH), where she was an undergraduate student. After traveling to New York In 1968, she met artists Dick Higgins and Alison Knowles who invited her to stay at the Something Else Press Town House where she had the opportunity to meet, among others, composers John Cage, James Tenney, and Phil Corner. During the following years she developed fruitful collaborative relationships with many composers in the burgeoning American avant-garde, including, most significantly, Henry Flynt and La Monte Young. Young introduced Hennix to Hindustani raga master Pandit Pran Nath and she would later study intensively under him as his first European disciple. While Hennix continued to make music performing alongside Arthur Russell, Marc Johnson, Henry Flynt, and Arthur Rhames, she also served as a professor of Mathematics and Computer Science at SUNY New Paltz and as a visiting Professor of Logic (at Marvin Minsky’s invitation) at MIT’s Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. In recent years Hennix has led the just-intonation ensemble the Chora(s)san Time-Court Mirage, which has featured musicians Amelia Cuni, Amirtha Kidambi, Chiyoku Szlavnics, Hilary Jeffrey, Amir El-Saffar, Benjamin Duboc and Rozemarie Heggen. She currently resides in Istanbul, Turkey pursuing studies in classical Arabic and Turkish makam.

clear red & blue mixed vinyl

- "Gut-churning bass" - The Wire
- "a deep dive into UK soundsystem forms, half-time bass pressure and lucid electronics" - DjMag
- "a hell of a journey through a subaquatic scape" - Backseat Mafia
- "evoking oceanic stillness and violence, the song ebbs and flows between delicate rippling and powerful waves" - Fuxwithit
- Plays on Rinse FM France and UK & Tom Ravenscroft BBC Radio 6

30% of profits on this record go to an ocean cleanup organisation TBA

By 1995 Kwaito was already a well established and distinguishable sound compared to the International House Remixes that preceded. The tempo was slowed down, Soulful vocal samples were replaced by catchy and repetitive hooks and versus sang in vernacular. The new hit sound had a template and studios worked around the clock to pump fresh releases into the demanding market.

After the successful 1995 release of Import mixes Vol 4, The Groove City team behind the productions now decided to venture into the territory of Mid Tempo. They would craft an album for a young frontman with the help of Kwaito pioneer Oscar Warona, and without much trouble, the team had their first hit on their hands. Filling the boots of their cars with copies of the cassettes and taking the stock to various townships around Johannesburg the tape quickly circulated and sold out every new batch that was printed. Demand was high for the release but as with much of the music at the time, the fast paced demand for the music moved on. Without a follow up release Scotch failed to ride the momentum built by the debut and remained largely unknown although he is still in the music industry to this day.

Even with their first artist release being a success, the following years proved more difficult in reaching such a large audience for the Kaleidosound studio. With popularity for the genre growing, the simple templates for early classics were changing as Kwaito fused with hip hop. Rapping took over as the preferred vocals for the masses. Mysterious production teams and labels that served as guides for music lovers were eclipsed by frontmen and groups that could draw crowds. The fight for fresh sounds continued as the airwaves became the main battleground for artists and the more club oriented music was pushed back underground, eventually evolving into some of the earliest examples of Deep House seen on the continent. The Kaleidosound production team would finally strike gold again in 1997 when reviving Groove City for vol. 5 which acted as the debut for the newly formed group Chiskop. The group would become superstars of the new commercial era that followed, sparking solo careers for the members and creating some of the biggest hits the genre knew.

To this day Scotch remains one of the best albums to come out of the golden era of Kwaito. Although it was outperformed by other groups from the time it has a special place for those who knew it and can still be found as a treasured piece in many collections. The various people involved created a one off fusion of sound that has remained fresh for 25 years. Playful lyrics over floaty grooves resulted in favourites like “Jam Alley” which uses catch phrases from the beloved TV show and “Bafana Bafana” guaranteed to get the boys on the dance floor. Here you have these two tracks taken from the album pressed on a club ready Maxi Single for the Deejays

Whiskey Pickle returns with yet another 12" of eclectic leftfield deepness, this time around from prolific Italian producer DJ Rocca.

The first cut off the record 'Detox' is reminiscent of the early 80’s electronic sound with nice mellow synths and a clever breakbeat. The next track is the title cut 'Tropicale 17' a lovely arpeggiated bell laden jam that sounds something like Kraftwerk lost in the Japanese wilderness.

Side B is dedicated to the epic twelve plus minute 'Chicken Lips Malfunction' Chicken Lips remix of 'Tropicale 17'. This is the jam that got those fowl fellas (Andy Meecham & Dean Meredith) back in the studio and boy was it worth it!

Michel Baumann is one of Germany's most respected artists. You probably know him as Soulphiction, his iconic alias Jackmate and head chief of Philpot - a label pushing the sounds of dance music in every possible way since the beginning of 2000.

Now making his debut on the very first release from 18437 Records, after teasing everyone with his recent 12" for Matthew Herbert's Accidental label, Jackmate is back in full swing.

Opening track Modulate Nightdrive is a mind expanding, deep techno affair. Remember when techno had funk and made you sweat? This is it.
Next up is CubanLinx, a percussive machine voodoo exercise. Last but not least, Test Drive shows why Jackmate is still relevant as a producer and worthy of your record collection.
The recipe is simple, a drum machine, a few thick bass notes and whack on some chords - voila - timeless dance music delivered by Michel Baumann.

Label info:
18437 Records is a brand new label by focused on the outer fringes of house and techno.

In these dark times of Covid we still have our music. We have the sounds to soothe us, distract and take our minds away from the chaos and uncertainty.
We can't dance like we used to but we can hear and feel. Our release must be found in another way, we must look within. We find solace and grant ourselves space and time in the music.

Sam McQueen (Indio co-producer with John Beltran, Indigo Aera, Delsin Records, Furthur Electronix) presents his debut album Dreams In Sepia for Mojuba sub label a.r.t.less and hits us with a real time soundscape of the moment, an epic-like document of these times. The rhythms are subtle, sometimes broken, the time structures often complex, this is not primarily dance floor orientated music. These sounds are way more cerebral, for the heads. They reflect perfectly the complexities of life we are experiencing in 2020.

The edges are rounded with occasional strolling bass lines and comfy chords. Slabs of keys and spaced out female vocals like a psychedelic journey that scares you at first yet comforts you soon after. Sam McQueen's mediatory sounds give an overwhelming sense of the moment. The music makes you take time out and listen. Its purposeful manner suggests there are more hours in the day, like time slowing down a pause, like the sun slithering slowly behind the horizon. These are sunset sounds for dark back-rooms.

Daytime or night, it works. This is the soundtrack for the other room, the deeper sounds not designed to make you dance. This music doesn't get in your face, it creeps up and smacks you on the ass. There are elements of early nineties UK Techno, a warmth and delicateness that pervades a distinct lack of four four dance floor in the beat structures, a softer tone throughout than the harder Detroit techno sounds of the same era but still nods and acknowledgements to the D in the layout and way the sounds present themselves. Think John Beltran, Symbols and Instruments, Black Dog or Kirk DeGiorgio, mid 90s Berlin sounds from Basic Channel / Rhythm & Sound, but in lockdown. Music for today's modern lacking landscape. The sounds often familiar, analogue, the drums, hi hats and snares, shimmer, jazz style. They accentuate and push the rest of the elements around them.
?In a bygone era this would be crudely classed as Chill Out music. In 2020 Covid era its about how it makes you feel as you relax and really listen to it. It is about emotion and empathy, a oneness, a new unknown and a deeper train of thought for the listener. Much like 2020, Sam McQueen lays the pieces round the edge of the jigsaw and lets you fill in the rest.

A fresh but already affirmed face, Joannes likes his techno solid. With Noordster he gives us a showcase of a certain aesthetic, which on a certain day, for a certain ear, on a certain floor is simply the shit. Spartan in his sparsity, varied in diversity, Joannes knows what he wants. With 3030 he takes us into a Millsian orbit warp, Whisper lands us on Hoth where ice and wind abound. Tripyness is the chugger here, deep and beautiful, like the sea in a storm. Wake goes down the quirky path, with small audio-phonic nuances piercing the air and the riddim holding the groove. And then, out of nowhere comes Ghetto bird, as soft and gentle as the Nightingale and the Rose. Wilde stuff. To top off the package, we go south, to the lands of sun, sea and dance with Housey Yo! Nice tribal atmospherics and smart Four Tet-like melodies. This one has that B-side moment. Let’s make it happen. All in all, a welcome addition to the label, bring on the sounds Johnny boy.

Ottavia Records comes with OTTEP10 from G.I.N.O. who was part of the duo “Code Deploy” (which released music on labels such as Budare). The first track is “Alucinogeno” plenty of atmospher sounds and groove which are mixed with smooth vocals. Then, Dj Honesty comes with an incredible "Alucinogeno" remix, a highly effective dancefloor cut in which you can find house vibes. For the 3rd reference, Franco Cinelli arrives with “Paramus” Remix, a track that will involve you from the beginning with solid bass lines and melodies, in an emotive deeper track. Finally Imperatrice & Groove Circus have versioned paramus and the result is a track plenty of groove and unexpected changes influenced by a music range from acid to minimal.

Vinyl Only

They say journey can take you to so many roads full of experience and lessons, to learn ideas to achieve, and that’s when you translate that into musical notes and rhythms.

ÓbaidlÍ records come along the way from the heart of the desert to set the right tone with a particular style. The idea behind the label is to experiment with a wide range of sounds and textures to give it a feel of the organic sounds.

ÓbaidlÍ records are glad to present their first vinyl release ’Down the road’, a selective, four-track EP. This EP is a collaboration between two talented producers, the founder of "ÓbaidlÍ records" Bídlee and the head of "Deep in you Music” Zohki. Each track brings its unique touch and deep perception.

Leading off on Side A are tracks by Zohki, that will set you up into a deep rhythm and harmony.

Side B tracks by Bídlee will take you to a long journey of nostalgic tone with symphonic soul, and minimal serve with proper texture.

The Mighty Mocambos' new album "Showdown" sets another cornerstone in their prolific career as a globally active instrumental funk outfit. While maintaining their organic approach of recording real musicians live on tape, the group has refined their trademark sound with a dramatic edge, a hard hitting production and ventures into less obvious musical territories. While highly enjoying themselves as the tight unit they are, The Mighty Mocambos invited an exciting list of guests to contribute to their musical "Showdown": German film composer icon Peter Thomas, hiphop godfather Afrika Bambaataa, rap legends Charlie Funk aka Afrika Islan (member of the original Rocksteady Crew) and Donald D (of Ice-T's Rhyme Syndicate), plus Nichola Richards, Shawn Lee, DeRobert from peer label GED Soul in Nashville, Zulu Nation MCs Deejay Snoop & DJ Hektek and organ genius Guillaume Metenier all joined the group for their new musical adventure. "Showdown" is released on vinyl LP by Mocambo Records and on CD and digital incarnations by Légère Recordings.

About the Mighty Mocambos:

The Mighty Mocambos and their many incarnations have released dozens of 45s and several albums on their own imprint Mocambo Records and other labels such as Kay Dee, Truth & Soul, Tramp, Légère and Favorite Recordings, to name a few. They have collaborated with musical legends such as Afrika Bambaataa, Lee Fields or Kenny Dope, put new talent like Gizelle Smith and Caroline Lacaze on the map, brought Caribbean steel drums to funk clubs with their alter ego Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band, and have toured through all civilized parts of the continent and beyond for the better part of the last years. Their unique style and trademark sound are loved by peers, fans and critics alike and distinguishes them from mere retro-copycat-acts as well as overproduced plastic soul. The Mighty Mocambos continue to deliver their brand of funk with blazing horns, soulful guitars, driving drums and basslines combined with an extra bit of quirkiness. When not producing records for one of their many incarnations and collaborations, the band is touring steadily. Whoever witnessed a concert will tell you about the musicality, passion, energy, humour and joy that the band loves to bring to the people. Background What started out years ago as a take on "deep funk" and its associated vinyl culture has completely grown into its own oeuvre d'art. With the launch of their production studio and record label in 2006, things started to gain momentum. Apart from self-releasing the group's own recordings, Mocambo Records became a household name by putting out highly collectable vinyl 45s by today's best funk outfits as well as unearthing lost library funk treasures. The Mighty Mocambos however did not restrict themselves solely to their own label. Their interpretation of the Furious Five classic "The Message", released under a pseudonym on an obscure phantasy label without proper distribution, got picked up and remixed by Grammy- nominated producer legend Kenny Dope (Masters at Work, Bucketheads). Their first single with UK funk singer Gizelle Smith, "Working Woman", became an overnight smash and a prime-time club favourite of funk & soul DJs worldwide. Initially released on the Finnish private press imprint Old Capital, it got the remix treatment by Kenny Dope and a re-release on Kay Dee Records as well. After earning their credits through vinyl 45s, the band stepped up their game with the full- length "This Is Gizelle Smith & the Mighty Mocambos" in 2009. The album received rave reviews, got lots of airplay - and sold a bunch of physical copies too. Its success led to an extensive tour throughout Europe with club dates from Marseille to Oslo, performances at massive festivals such as the Printemps de Bourges in France and live radio appearances at respected FMs such as the BBC and Radio Nova. With the following album "The Future Is Here" (2011), the band stepped further into the spotlight and explored new sounds with features by hiphop legends Afrika Bambaataa and Charlie Funk, French singer Caroline Lacaze and German rare groove queen Su Kramer, while manifesting their unique raw funk sound and refining their unmistakable instrumental style that had long gained international reputation. The album was toured extensively, including a legendary performance with Afrika Bambaataa at Hamburg's Reeperbahn Festival (covered by ARTE TV), support gigs for Lee Fields and headline shows at renowned venues such as Amsterdam's Paradiso, Islington Assembly Hall in London, Paris' Bellevilloise, Tempo Club in Madrid, or at home at Hamburg's Mojo Club. After producing the critically acclaimed debut album "En Route" (2013) of French soul singer Caroline Lacaze, where their adapted their sound to deliver a stunning mix of French Beat, Soul & Psychedelic Rock, the band went on to record a full length under their moniker Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band. Their interpretation of 50 Cent's P.IM.P. had long become a cult classic and was often mistaken for the original sample. The group's approach in stretching the boundaries of funk by adding Caribbean steel pans caught the interest of Brooklyn's finest label Truth & Soul who signed the band for the album "55", an explosive mix of funk and hip hop cover versions as well as original compositions that showcase the band's singularity in today's funk circuit. The Mighty Mocambos' recent album "Showdown" (2015) sets yet another cornerstone in their prolific career as a globally active instrumental funk outfit. While maintaining their organic approach of recording real musicians live on tape, the group has refined their trademark sound with a dramatic edge, a hard hitting production and ventures into less obvious musical territories, with a diverse list of special guests ranging from German film composer icon Peter Thomas to hiphop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa.

Reissue of this mesmerizing record including an unreleased alternate mix of "Subterranean Zappa Blues". Hypnotic rhythms made of slow minimal beats, industrial textures, intoxicating drones and repetitive voices that seem to merge from dreams. Everything built by two of the most brilliant industrial music minds: Steven Stapleton and Colin Potter.

"This album arrived somewhere after a dream meeting of several individuals, Graham Bond, Joe Meek, Jacques Berrocal and myself. After a few beers and a heated disscussion of puncture repair we all lay down in a circle and point our penises at Venus, telepathic messages are sent out to Colin saying he can use the two golden microphones. He did, and here we are." Steven Stapleton, 17.1.94.

Rock 'n Roll Station began life with Steven Stapleton asking engineer Colin Potter to remix some of the more rhythmic elements of 'Colder Still' from 1992's Thunder Perfect Mind. As Potter gradually warped these sections into weirder and weirder pieces, a new album began to emerge. Potter himself explained it to David Keenan in England’s Hidden Reverse: “What I sometimes did in the studio was to ‘over-use’ effects and processors to totally mutate a piece into something completely different” while Stapleton observed how “it was almost as though telepathic messages were sent over to Colin. We’d started an album together at IC Studio that was never finished. He then sent me some vague mixes, which were just what I had in mind. So, from that basis, I started putting the album together.”

Potter would quickly become a key player in Nurse With Wound’s productions, a position he continues to fulfil to this day. He was first credited as a member on 1992’s Thunder Perfect Mind, a tour-de-force of cold, at times hostile, machined atmospheres, but considers Rock ‘N Roll Station from the following year to still be his favourite.

Building on percussion and drone elements, Stapleton and Potter throw in a huge range of bizarre and atmospheric elements: didgeridoos, chanting voices, and their usual selection of unidentifiable sounds.

Its strong focus on rhythm was erroneously surmised by some as an attempt to join the then rising electronic dance music scene. But it was Stapleton’s recent obsession with the music of ‘King of the Mambo’ Pérez Prado that was beating at the heart of Rock N’ Roll Station’s heady rhythms.

The album’s title alluded to two specifically rock-related stations of influence: the song of the same name by Jac Berrocal, of which a surprisingly straight cover opens the album in homage; and the tragic life of the Sixties British R&B organist Graham Bond who influenced bands such as Deep Purple and Cream. Beset by mental health problems (at one point believing he was the son of Aleister Crowley), Bond died under a train at a Tube station in 1989 and it is this tragic scene that Rock ‘n Roll Station’s closing track, ‘Finsbury Park, May 8th, 1:35 PM (I'll See You In Another World)’, sets in sound.

"Matasuna Records" has found another musical treat from the African continent for its latest release - a song by the Ghanaian musician "Mawuli Decker". It was released in 1983 on the rare and sought-after album "Ayo Special" and is available for the first time as a 7inch vinyl single, which is supplemented by an edit from "Renegades Of Jazz". The esteemed London label "Kalita Records" was able to provide the audio material for new masters and is also acting as music publisher with the new "Kalita Music Publishing".

Mawuli Decker was born in 1949 in Ghana, where he also grew up. His musicality has been given to him from an early age, so that he not only attracts attention as a singer, but also plays drums, percussion and bongo. He played in various dance bands, which were very popular in Ghana especially from the middle of the last century onwards and made the Ghanaian highlife known beyond the borders. He has played in various dance bands such as New Planets, Sawaaba Sounds, The Tops, Caprice 73, The Volta Pioneers and others, which have performed in Ghana and other West African countries.
His first release was in 1975 with the band "Dzobi Soundz" on the Polydor label. Further releases of projects with his participation followed, until 1983 when he recorded his album "Ayo Special" at "Otodi Studio" in Lome (Togo) with an illustrious group of musicians.
He is still deeply rooted in music and performs in West Africa and is still very active in recording.

On the A-side is the original version of the song "Lololi-Lomko", sung in the "EWE" language, which is spoken in the south of Ghana as well as the southern parts of Togo. "Lololi" means "There's Still More Love" and "Lomko" stands for "Please love me" - classical themes that have appeared in countless songs in music history. Although a certain catchiness of the track cannot be denied, it doesn't seem cheesy at any point. Mawuli, who also contributes the vocals, creates perfectly formed harmonies through his compositions and arrangements, which are especially apparent in the bassline, guitars & brass and of course the vocals.

This was certainly also the idea behind the edit of "Renegades of Jazz" on the B-side, which did not want to break up and alienate the organic composition. Listening closely reveals the approach: a steady tempo, a more powerful bassline and additional drums and percussions bring the song back directly to where it belongs: to the dancefloors of this world!

Kumail is a musician, producer, performing artist Mumbai, India. Over the last four years, he has ascended to the very top of India's burgeoning culture of electronic music on two parallel paths - as a gifted musician and bandleader drawing expansive canvases of rhythm, texture and emotion, and as a roughneck DJ notorious for breaking ankles. Having started off plunging deep into lo-fi ambient electronica, Those paths have led him to a DJ set at Dimensions Festival 2018 in Croatia, a string of several live festival dates across India, and extensive touring across the country. In the past, he has shared the stage with the likes of Shigeto, Four Tet, DJ Koze, Teebs, Ratatat, Mount Kimbie and Kutmah, and been featured on Boiler Room, Sofar Sounds and COLORS

The new album "Yasmin" was always meant to be the birth of a new sound for Kumail. After spending his formative years delving into textural lo-fi electronica and textural ambient music, he went searching for a new sound more in-tune with his older, more mature, and more thoughtful self. What began as a study of modern soul music – drawing heavily from R&B, jazz and hip-hop – eventually sprawled to include flavours from across the world and time. 80's Japanese funk, crackling gospel, shiny disco, cutting-edge LA beat music and the omnipresence of Dilla, all leave their faint but indelible mark.

But deep within, Yasmin is a gritty world in which not much is going right. That world borders on real-life struggles with sleeplessness and anxiety, and being cooped up in a room in Bombay, India, which is where (and how) most of this album came to life. Countless nights spent making music to distract from a lack of inner calm and rest.

Despite deliberately steering clear from sampling for his career thus far, a day spent digging in Istanbul ended up inspiring much of the album – not only did that day yield a discovery of Pierre Akendengue's 'Olatano, w'intye so du s' Afrika' (a sample of which appears on 'Obota') but also a range of 80's soul records that transformed Kumail into a student for the next two years. With a renewed focus on musicality, practising playing the piano, learning new songs and improving production skills, Yasmin evolved into a 30 minute mood-board of lush voicings and explorations beyond just beat-making. The ensuing recording sessions featured a line-up of both all-star local session musicians as well as invited collaborators - Sid Vashi and Pink Siifu both deliver memorable features. Despite vocal performances eventually making their way onto nearly all songs on the record, Yasmin was never meant to feature Kumail's singing. With or without vocals, Yasmin's triumph is that it is nevertheless unmistakably the sound of Kumail finding his voice.

CoOp Presents an all-new double-album compilation entitled 'Plug One'. It features a plethora of global talent from in & around the world of bruk and beyond - some already well-established in the field, some very much on the come-up and some brand new artists - this compilation is an acknowledgment of a continually evolving sound from the label formed by IG Culture & Alex Phountzi a few years ago. 'Plug One' affirms this electric movement, with a deeply fluid current running throughout, with tracks ranging from the cosmic psych jazz of LCSM, to the classic UKG tweaks of Groove Chronicles, to the thought-provoking vibes of Reginald Omas Mamaode IV, to a veritable who's who of 2020 bruk talent including Xtra Brux, Sivey, EVM128, Cengiz, Wonky Logic & many more.

From its beginnings as a classic club night and label in the early 2000's, CoOp always carried an undefinable and potent creative energy. A sense of freedom and uninhibited exploration was positioned at the core of CoOp's sprawling community and consciousness, communicated via movement and sound. From this seed and throughout the years that followed, this same energy permeated the worldwide underground music ecosystem. As CoOp's legacy continued to influence new generations of music makers far and wide. The syncopated rhythms, soulful keys and infectious grooves synonymous with the broken beat sound, now known simply as Bruk, became entwined with new concepts and progressions, leading to new movements carrying on the essence of the bruk energy.

IG Culture and Alex Phountzi took the helm of their CoOp Presents label in 2018, with the vision of championing these new waves of emerging artists, continuing the all-important exchange of energy at the heart of the original CoOp movement, but also giving room for the music to be pushed into new and uncharted territories. With burgeoning producers from around the globe being drawn to the explorative and expressive nature of the project, an incubator was created, providing a space and platform for these ideals to take on new shapes and sounds. Just as every generation must rewrite its own history books, CoOp Presents was born from a combination of influences, ideas and personalities, and in turn is now encouraging the next generation to do some re-writing of its own.

'Plug One' will be released on vinyl & digital on CoOp Presents in November 2020.

We’re excited to presentStill Hope–the firstfull solo EP from Fluidity for Integral Records, following the success of ‘Feeling Inside’, his debut feature on the Glow VA series. This Bristolian is one of the future Dnb collective's rising talentsswiftly making his mark on the scene with a liquid style all his own;refined, subterranean, rolling.
Coming with four explosive tracks covering the full intelligent spectrum; fromthe very deepest and most intricate melancholic vibes, through to the harder edged sounds the listening journey is nothing short of pure vibe. Intertwining atmospheric pads, blissed out chords, slickened percussion and groove pass through harmonic growls and alluring sub basslines of infinitely emotive soundscapes.

Mow Records proudly presents L’enfants De Kita, the third album from a series of five, all produced by label owner Mowgan. Each album features vocalists and performers with African heritage, channeling Mowgan’s passion for the continent’s diverse sounds into vibrant, highly emotive productions. On L’enfants De Kita he teams up with Fanta Sayon Sissoko, a female performer from West African nation Mali. Based in Toulouse, where the album was recorded, Fanta’s musical roots go deep - her father played guitar and ngoni for Baaba Maal and her grandmother is Kandia Kouyaté, one of Mali’s best-known griot singers.

Mowgan always dreamed of working with a female singer from Mali, enchanted by their vocal style. After moving back to France a few years ago he bumped into Eric Diaouré, an old friend who he worked with in his teens. Eric is also a musician and just so happens to be from Mali. Mowgan revealed his ambitions to Eric and a meeting with Fanta was arranged - within a few days they were in the studio together.

Like the other albums in this series, L’enfants De Kita is a fusion of Mowgan’s love for African music and his penchant for electronic sounds. Fanta’s raw, affecting vocals are complemented by Mowgan’s considered production throughout with additional instrumentation from a range of performers, including a group of schoolchildren on ‘Tubani’. Featured artists include Solo Sanou (whose album ‘Soya’ was the second release on Mow Records) playing percussion, Mamadou ‘Madou’ Dembele, a multi-instrumentalist who plays ngoni, Yohan Hernandez on guitar and bass plus Madani Touré aka Chanana (a famous Malian rapper from the nineties) contributing to lead vocals on the album’s title track, with Tim Xavier handling mastering.

Mowgan’s approach to creating albums is to get a vibe going with the singer, produce a batch of songs and then select the best seven for each LP. It’s a pressure-free attitude that has led to some truly heartfelt productions, which encapsulate the purity of the creative process when it’s liberated from rigid constraints. You can hear this freedom of expression throughout L’enfants De Kita, Fanta in her element as she sings with passion and grace across all seven tracks.

The album begins with the title song ‘L’enfants De Kita’, which pays homage to Fanta’s hometown, Kita, in Mali. It is the centre of griotism, the local style of passing on knowledge from one generation to the next via spoken-word storytelling. Chanana joins Fanta on this one, which is the most ‘western’ sounding cut on the LP, Mowgan’s deft touch taking us to the dance floor, while Chanana adds extra depth with his rapid-fire vocal refrain. The glorious ‘Tubani’ tells the story of Djene Tubani, a girl who thought she was a bird. She disobeys her parents and neglects her friends, but eventually learns the error of her ways. Fanta’s vocals are amplified by the voices of a group of schoolchildren, including her own daughter.

‘Mobaya’ is a reminder that we can possess wisdom and deep knowing, but we can also enjoy ourselves; dance, sing and party. This is a club-focused production with 4x4 beats and a traditional house feel, which provide a wonderful accompaniment to Fanta’s uplifting vocals. Next up is ‘Dakan’, a cut which is all about destiny: Everyone has been put on Earth for a reason and by working together we can all achieve our destiny. Layers of percussion skip over the warm low end, with a lively trumpet appearing in the second half.

‘Dounouya’ explores the notion that we live in a world where everyone faces negative criticism. Fanta encourages us to take responsibility and move forward no matter what others think of us with this inspiring guitar-led cut. ‘Djonya’ highlights the fact that slavery still exists in today’s world - modern slavery, hidden from public view but still very much alive. “Our Africa is going to be okay if we all hold hands, if we are all together, all united,” she says. Finally,‘Badeya’, a great outtro which focuses on unity. We are all one family on this planet and this song speaks of people coming together but also respecting ourselves above everything else. The pace is slow and the instrumentation perfectly balanced to allow Fanta’s vocals to flourish.

To accompany the 18 track, 2 x CD Planisphere – Atmospheres release, we’re delighted to present another duo of vinyl for the purists. Atmospheres 2 x 12” Vinyl Album Sampler will feature 5 remastered originals alongside the brand-new Atmospheres. George and Laurent continue to click in the studio, and as the excitement built over the last few months, we just knew they were going to create greatness once again.

Vinyl 1 will house the main track Atmospheres. Taking up Side A, this hybrid groove encapsulates that Planisphere sound beautifully. Theatrical, cinematic, melodic and intriguing. Ambient sequences join a tight breaks pattern before a more driving bassline takes over along with 4x4 beats, leaving us thoroughly gratified and wanting more. On the flip, we have two gems. B1 has So Many Ways, a track that found its way into sets from the bedroom to the mega-party and beyond. A real epic, progressive trance groove filled with swirling, captivating pads and a melody that juts melts into your soul. B2 hosts Lektrophony, a solid breaks track that locks you in with its hypnotic charm and 303 lines. A relentless groover, the breakbeats are so addictive and the acid lines give it a real nice touch. Another epic smasher that never disappoints.

Vinyl 2 features the mighty Deep Blue Dream on the A side. With its relentlessly powerful bassline and dreamy melodies, this one remains a go to track to keep the groove solid. Besides the epic flavour of the track, the break on this is huge. Descending into slow moving pads, the arps never really fades before it all builds and builds into a wonderful climax, revealing powerful, sweeping strings and pads. Over on the B1 slot we have Cyborganic which intros with a Pete Namlook-esque arpeggio sequence alongside a deep droning bass before punchy kicks and huge synths take over. A proper peak time slice full of energy and drive. Rounding up this must have vinyl set in the B2 position, we have the impressive The Lost Planet, which was originally found in a superb two-part release, Sounds From Outer Space back in 2000. This one has everything, a Balearic groove with a spacey vibe. Undertones of 303 lurk as sweet, dreamy pad melodies allow us to drift.

This 2-part sampler is a must have for all vinyl enthusiasts, with limited quantities, keep an eye out for pre-order on our website and socials.

We are excited to welcome young composer Noémi Büchi to the Light of Other Days roster.

Her debut Ep «Matière» is the result of an extensive study with a modular synthesizer as her instrument of choice mixed with field recordings of sounds and noises surrounding her every day life . Apart from being a student of Electroacoustic Composition and listening to tons of music, Noémi finds most of her inspiration in long nature walks through nearby forests and foggy hills situated close to her bedroom studio.

With her music she leads the listener safely through deep paths of complex rhythms and otherworldly sounds. Her awareness of timbre, nuance and harmonic diversity are constantly matched with her ability to produce fresh and revealing arrangements.
«Matière» is an exciting excerpt from the works and life of a very talented young artist with a bright future ahead.

On December 26th, 2018, Emily Cross received an excited email from a friend: Brian Eno was talking about her band on BBC radio. “At first I didn’t think it was real,” she admits. But then she heard a recording: Eno was praising ‘Black Willow’ from Loma’s self-titled debut. He said he’d had it on repeat.
At the time, a second Loma album seemed unlikely. The band began as a serendipitous collaboration between Cross, the multi-talented musician and recording engineer Dan Duszynski and Shearwater frontman Jonathan Meiburg, who wanted to play a supporting role after years at the microphone. They’d capped a gruelling tour
with a standout performance on a packed beach at Sub Pop’s SPF 30 festival, in which Cross leapt into the crowd and then into the sea, while the band carried on from the stage - an emotional peak that also felt like a natural ending. “It was the biggest audience we’d ever had,” she says. “We thought, why not stop here?” Following the tour, Cross went to rural Mexico to work on visual art and a solo record, while Meiburg began a new Shearwater effort. But after a few months apart
(and Eno’s encouraging words), the trio changed their minds and reconvened at Duszynski’s home in rural Texas, where they began to develop songs that would become ‘Don’t Shy Away’. Loma writes by consensus and, though Cross is always the singer, she, Duszynski and Meiburg often trade instruments. Meiburg compares their process to using an Ouija Board and says the songs revealed themselves slowly, over many months. “Each of us is a very strong flavor,” he says, “but in Loma, nobody wears the crown, so we have to trust each other - and we end up in places none of us would have gone on our own. I think we all wanted to experience that again.” The album that emerged is gently spectacular - a vivid work whose light touch belies
its timely themes of solitude, impermanence and finding light in deep darkness. “Stuck / beneath / a rock,” Cross begins, as if noticing her predicament for the first time. Then she adds: “I begin to see / the beauty in it.” A series of guests contributed to the absorbing soundscapes of ‘Don’t Shy Away’, including touring members Emily Lee (piano, violin) and Matt Schuessler (bass), Flock of Dimes/Wye Oak’s Jenn Wasner and a surprisingly bass-heavy horn section.
And then there’s Brian Eno. Loma invited him to participate in the mantra-like ‘Homing’, which concludes the album and sent him stems to interact with in any way he liked. He never spoke directly with the band but his completed mix arrived via email late one night, without warning and they gathered to listen in the converted bedroom Duszynski uses as a control room. “I was a little worried,” says Cross.
“What if we didn’t like it?” But it was all they’d hoped for: minimal but enveloping, friendly but enigmatic, as much Loma as Eno - a perfect ending to an album about finding a new home inside an old one. “I am somewhere that you know,” Cross sings, above a chorus of her bandmates’ blended voices. “I am right behind your eyes.”
First LP pressing on dark green vinyl.

Ocean Moon is a solo project from Jon Tye of Seahawks. A long time explorer of the sounds of spaciousness, having released the ambient classic LP iO in 1994 as MLO, Crystal Harmonics is a document of Jon’s latest discoveries. An ambient/new age/modern classical library suite for KPM, this is inter-dimensional music for mind, body and spirit.

Island Visions, the recent collection of music from Seahawks for KPM, touched on the deeper, more spatial side of music and led to Jon exploring this territory in greater depth, again for KPM, under his Ocean Moon alter ego. This time he brought along some of today’s most visionary musicians: Jon Brooks (The Advisory Circle / Ghostbox) for his intuitive melodic mastery, Seaming To (Graham Massey’s Toolshed) for her extraordinary vocal talents, Steve Moore (Zombi) for his sophisticated and inventive rhythmic sensibility and Richard Norris (The Grid) for his sensitive and deeply resonant ambience. The initial recordings were made at The Centre Of Sound in Cornwall, with the collaborators various contributions coming from London, Derbyshire and the US.

The supremely serene electronic flute and bells of “Crystal Drift” ease us into our journey and we take our next steps with “Rainbow Ripples” as it gently folds space with arpeggiated synth swells and delicate machine beats. Light vocal tones, bells and breath FX on “And Breathe” keep us going, accompanied by synth drones and billows of electric piano.

We travel through the synth-space-surf haze of “Lost Oceans”, with soft bass and warm ambience, to reach the “New Infinity” of revolving melody, spacious pads and light electronic beats. The celestial tone floats of “White Mirror” close out the first side.

Temple bells ring out to running water flowing together with deep resonant vocal tones as the second side opens with “Peace Bells”. “Revolving and Evolving” follows, a tranquil electronic meadow of lush pastoral synth tones where we rest for a while for “Mountain Dreaming”, a light rhythmic dance of zither and birdsong.

The undulating “Forest Motion” ripples with synth arpeggios, dreamy Solina strings and percussive modular electronics before allowing the crackling ambience and Cantonese whispers of “Sleep Golden” to wash over us. Finally we find ourselves on “The Long Path”, its warm temple ambience of drones and chants guiding us home.

Crystal Harmonics is inspired by four particular albums from KPM’s catalogue. There’s The Electronic Light Orchestra by Adrian Wagner from 1975 and then Temple Of The Stars, Breath Of Life and finally Keith Mansfield’s Circles, these last three coming from KPM’s mid-1980s run of modern classical/New Age gems. For Jon, “making library music can be very liberating. I really enjoyed the additional focus it brought to the music working on different facets of composition with each collaborator”.

But Crystal Harmonics is no mere exercise in vulger pastiche. As the past, present and future sound of paradise, this fresh exploration of mid-90s ambient and original New Age sounds exists outside of our linear experience of time.

The cover started as a collage Jon made a couple of years ago, a different expression of the same impulses that guided the music. As a nod to the records that provided seeds of inspiration, the collage was framed by KPM’s house style of the 1980s for the finished sleeve by Richard Robinson.

Mastered for vinyl by Be With’s sonic shaman Simon Francis, cut by the legendary Pete Norman and pressed in the Netherlands by Record Industry, Ocean Moon’s Crystal Harmonics is the tranquil balm for these turbulent times.

After releases on Distinkkt, Blue Park, Woob.le Recordings
and a stream of free downloads and self releases Ali
Whitticase joins Motoring with an ear catching approach to
stripped back house music. The Birmingham based artist
has carved a distinctive sound pairing in§uences from
Europe’s minimalist expressions along with bold basslines
heard shaking Midlands dance §oors. Detective Sandy kicks
off the EP with crisp percussion, and a signature Whitticase
low end. Elements trail off into endless directions, subtly
teasing a hypnotic listen with a multitude of quirky sounds
held together by a seriously grooving bassline. Birmingham’s
Jordan Masters joins that side with a stripped back remix of
the title track, nimble hi-hats, shimmering percussive work
and §avours of minimal garage can be heard throughout, a
bouncing bassline delivers a rapid groove for a great balance
between ear engrosser and dance §oor mover. Jos of
EYA/Lonewolf records delivers his twist on Detective Sandy
for B1, a 90s inspired synth reigns through the entire
composition, sultry vocals, a darker rolling bassline and
sharp percussive elements all build into a suspenseful break,
where the listener is dropped back into the hypnotic twists
and commanding low end. (Premiered on Halycon Wax
08/10/2020) Saucy Thoughts rounds this EP off a Warm
and familiar atmosphere is paired with sublime skipping hi
hats which draw the ear. While Saucy Thoughts is more
chilled affair it still hits in all the right places, another bold
bassline builds throughout the track with deep accents
providing a bouncing groove before the track splits boldly
back into the §oating atmosphere. (Premiered on Rayzeh
02/10/2020)

Landscapes of dystopian worlds, both emotive and driving,
unveil new forms of life here as Nightdrive’s “Miracles” LP
travels through the far east regions of house and techno with
this 10-track release. As this marks “Rough Cuts 02” for Too
Rough 4 Radio, “Miracles” is as much a transcendent force
of ethereal tunes as it is effective for any dance§oor. What
you’ll uncover across this release from this St. Petersburg
based producer is a traversing blend through IDM, Deep
House, DnB, and Techno through the lens of lush,
atmospheric soundscapes

In ancient Rome, Consuls held two strategic roles: exercising authority over all the public affairs of the city and accompanying the legions in their military campaigns.

Lykos Records gave this role to Artist Laertes, born Gianluca Meloni. Ambassador of the sound of Rome, Laertes has been one of the pioneers of the deep-techno genre. After establishing in Italy as producer, live performer and mastering engineer, he exported his aesthetics all around the world.

"Titanomachia" is the title of Laertes' new work inspired by Hesiod's Theogony. The artist tells through aggressive and groovy sounds one of the bloodiest wars in Greek mythology, Zeus leading the Olympian gods versus Chronos and the Titans.

"Chaos" throws us into the swirl of battle. The repetitive sound of the synth bass sequence alludes to the sound of spears broken on shields, while pads and strings charge the entire track with tension. The narration continues in a daring succession of loops and hypnotic rhythms, with the second track "The Immortal". Strident bleeps and incessant percussions and rhythmic patterns characterize the progressive crescendo.

The description of the battle changes with Worg, who proposes his version of "Chaos". The story of the battle is entrusted to the evolution of lashing metallic effects that recall the lightning of the father of all Gods.

Psyk closes the chronicle of the epic battle with an adaptation of "The Immortal". The kick recalls war drums that galvanize the troops on battlefields. The artist evokes the heroic spirit with powerful and thunderous sounds.

Selva Discos keeps broadening horizons. Its next release celebrates the start of a new series called Novaterra, this time focused on showcasing the music of contemporary Brazilian artists. First up is Zopelar, known not only for his work with the anarchic-techno-punk act Teto Preto but also for the project My Girlfriend and his solo LP, both on Apron Records.

Novaterra vol. 1 by Zopelar is a mini-LP featuring 6 tracks that range from the introversion to the extraversion. In one hand you have an A-side banger like "Be Together", with its addictive looped-sample, and in the other, you get the laidback interlude of "Modo Avião", which sounds like one of those MF Doom's instrumentals – and between both, you will find a whole spectrum of music where you can experience the duel between super crispy beats (a signature in Zopelar's work) and the richness of melodies and harmonies that he's able to knit stitch close to perfection.

The opener "Livre" has a great deep house vibe that makes you think of Prescription Records and Jazzanova, featuring a catchy bossa ad-lib. "NOX" is a Hammond-led tune with a groove bassline and lead that gets you going in no time as if Cesar Camargo Mariano and Larry Young toured together in the late 70's, like, a big, fat jazz-funk tune. "Dias Tensos" is a nervous drum workout led by an automat Tony Williams as if jamming in a 16-bit version of The Tony Williams Lifetime. And to wrap things up, "Boogie da Paz" is one of those perfect comedown tunes – a true tearjerker that works its melody line like a good pill works your serotonin, making it one of those tracks that you keep under your sleeve for those special 6 AM moments on a dancefloor.

The artwork is courtesy of Colletivo Design Studio in Sao Paulo.

Signals is an absolutely beautiful new collaborative effort between the much beloved Finnish electronic artist Lau Nau, and the brilliant Swedish composer and pianist Matti Bye. These 8 gently melancholic and deeply sensitive tracks are a perfect antidote to the stressful times that we all find ourselves in. Let these soothing sounds from the light filled days and nights of the far north soften your cares during these all too dark days. As usual at the Time Released Sound label no effort or expense was spared here, and this lovely record comes with 180gm black vinyl in a super heavyweight, beautifully printed reverse board jacket.

From 1963 to 2014: "Peace Chant - raw deep and spiritual jazz" exhibits 51 years of music. A well matched anthology with sounds to dive into, hard rhythms to dance to and vocals to meditate on.

The Tramp Records crew has compiled 8 tracks in nice order and dramaturgy. Some tunes you might have never heard before unless you own one of the rare original vintage vinyl records. Peace Chant is released on two separate LPs with own catalogue numbers and on one CD. Some songs I can't get out of my mind.

These days Mabon Dawud Quintet from Ethiopia is on the trail of Mulatu Astatke. Tramp Records provides the first release of "Abeba" - a funky and stoic track in Amharic mother tongue sung by a high male lamenting voice.

Even more haunting is "Ain't Gonna Wait Too Long" by Thomas Meloncon. The self-taught guitar player recorded this protest song at the age of 20. Voice, guitar, congas and double bass are plenty enough for a heavily pushing song complaining that black man's slavery isn't gone after 400 years. Artist, poet and civil right activist Meloncon (alias Muntu Mwaminifu) wrote and directed theatre and radio plays. His works are collected at Texas Southern University in Houston. "Ain't gonna wait too long" probably is his earliest artistic outing, he just had left school in 1968.

The compilation concludes with a song by Now, a band no one outside Munich might know. "Easy Tune for Dancing" can be found on a record of cultural and concert location Feierwerk form 1990. It really was a surprise to hear the quintet of trumpeter Konstantin Kern and Klaus Pfister on sax playing Afro-Cuban jazz that easily and nonchalant. If Dizzy Gillespie turned up with his bent trumpet and Lalo Schifrin sat in like he did on "Gillespiana Suite" I wouldn't be astonished!

Birthed from a radio show and event series with iconic Los Angeles radio station DUBLAB, SOS MUSIC’s goal is to provide a platform for diverse and forward-thinking electronic music, with a keen emphasis on womxn talent from around the world. In conjunction with Berlin-based !K7, the label’s debut release, SOS MUSIC Vol. 1 is a 14-track eclectic compilation showcasing dance music from some of the best producers working at the moment including rRoxymore, Violet, Nightwave, Umfang, LCY & Minimal Violence - lovingly curated to uplift and celebrate the global electronic community in a time of deep uncertainty in the music industry. SOS MUSIC Vol. 1 is international to its core, drawing on in?uences from the artists’ respective backgrounds including the UK, US, Serbia, Spain, Japan, Slovenia, Portugal, Germany & Canada.

SOS MUSIC was founded in Los Angeles by Maddy Maia (UK) and Tottie (Spain via the UK). Maddy has a long history in independent music, and is currently VP A&R in the US for famed British indie label Ninja Tune. Tottie is director of events and special projects at DUBLAB, and curates music, art and cultural programming that re?ects the diverse landscape of the city and beyond.

A shared love of underground music and culture, Maia and Tottie’s bond started strong via throwing events and later with hosting a monthly radio show; The SOS Music imprint is a natural next step in the pair’s progression as curators and its goal will continue early principles the duo stuck to- to seek out diverse underground talent and amplify their voice or community, whilst championing diversity on all sides of the industry. Maddy and Tottie’s music in?uences and styles span wide across the spectrum of experimental dance music, ranging from left?eld house, orchestral ambient sounds, not forgetting a nod to their youth growing up in the UK rave scene.

New Finnish imprint VIENO, kicks off with 10 track compilation of Finnish ambient, electronica & experimental music. Selection draws an emotionally infused red line throughout.

Travelling starts with "Pumpuli". Beautiful soft opener for ears and other senses. However, more deeper agenda follows. For darker soul searching Roberto Rodriguez provides 80´s synth driven "Third Act" followed by techno producer Satoi´s melancholic journey "Unohda".
B-Side goes on with dubby triphop influnced "Heimo M" by Aleksi Myllykoski with Finnish saxosphone legend Tapani Rinne. Paving the way for young and gifted Sansibar´s spacey techno breathing "ISS". Last track of the compilation, ”Ukki”, is a very personal, intriguingly gloomy, yet unpolished piano composition dedicated for recently deceased great grandfather of the artist, Mierka.

”I was just asked what’s my reason to create VIENO and bring out this compilation just now? I’ve been exploring the Finnish urban music and club scene for more than two decades and I recognize the space and craving is now present. Now is the right time to recreate and bring life to this art of subtle melancholy we Finns have always carried deep in us. In a way i´m tryin´to awaken the emotional energy more than just to paint insipid and expectedly ear friendly, atmospheric soundscapes.” - Jaako Hurme

Five years after his critically acclaimed debut album Throwback, Glenn Astro returns with his deeply personal album Homespun.

Marking a change in course from his first release on Tartelet Records, Glenn Astro is set to showcase his sophomore album Homespun, a testament to a visionary artist who has come into his own. Made up of ten tracks spanning 45 minutes, the record twists and turns between electronic meditations, soulful vocals by Ajnascnet, and futuristic electro, carving out a world of spacey eclecticism that is as nostalgic as it is experimental.

“This album is in all facets different from the first one, which was a deliberate decision. No vintage sounds and references, no sampling, combined with futuristic sound design and song structures.I tried to keep it as current and intuitive as possible,” he says.

Known for his chunky beats and fuzzy textures, Glenn Astro has released on labels such as Ninja Tune and Apollo, leaving a distinctive signature on everything he touches.

But Glenn Astro has quietly been crafting a new sound for himself. Sometimes taking detours – morphing into his dark alter ego and experimenting with artist collaborations.

The sound of Homespun is a culmination of several years of reflection and artistic development – however, the album itself was produced in less than three months. “I set myself an ultimatum to finish the album within three months. If I didn’t make it, I’d
have to rethink my career path and keep music as a hobby, he says.

On the introspective first single and album title track “Homespun,” Ajnascent’s vocals lend a sincerity to the melancholic production. “It’s about the regret of not taking chances and giving in too much, but also about taking responsibility and being honest with yourself. Homespun is a nod to nostalgia and a desire for simplicity and prudence, being equally the culprit and the cure,” elaborates Ajnascent.

On “The Yancey,” an homage to J Dilla, Glenn Astro paints his vision of contemporary dance music with shimmering melodies, deep ambient soundscapes, and advanced drum programming. “Moreira” and “Look at You” feel like spaced-out electronic funk hybrids, while “Taking Care of Business” goes back to the future with Glenn Astro’s take on jungle. Other tracks such as “Mezzanine,” “Slow Poke Flange,” and “Viktor’s Meditation” provide the finest dubby electronics.

Following their live performances at the latest two Dimension Festival Editions and vinyl releases on international labels such as Slices of a dog, Money Sex, Odd socks and Sorry For This featuring a remix by none other than mr. Marcellus Pittman, Nas1 are finally back on Bosconi Extra Virgin with a new album titled Polaris Time. It’s a multi colored sonic adventure, moving from their hip hop and detroit house roots to a new palette of sounds including afro percussions and fresher synth lines blended together into a unique electronic soundscape that creates exotic, psychedelic atmospheres and unconventional, raw midtempo dance-floor tracks. The Album begins with the enchanting ballad of “L’ isola di Serie B” , moving deeper with the spaced out vibe of Domino Skii , landing on the more tropical and frivolous scenarios of “Cicci Briucci” and on the laid-back interlude of “Il Sangue Non Serve A Niente”.
In the beginning of the flip side appears instead the jazzy and uplifting first cut named “Frigo Deca”, followed by the freaky jam of “Come Thru” and the adventurous balearic tune “Hector Savage” ending with the ethereal closing skit “Il Sangue Non Serve A Niente (outro)"
Fans of Kyle Hall, Theo Parrish as well as John Talabot or Nicola Cruz are warned, absolutely not to be missed if you have been following Nas1 music so far.

GES: Anthology of American Pop Music

Six great pop standards remembered: five pop songs are dissected by sampler, stretched, compressed, and re-collaged. In this way, their identity is lost. What remains is a vague concreteness: flashes of déjà vu and remote echoes that evoke the original.
GES (Gesellschaft zur Emanzipation des Samples)
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Active members: Helmut Schmidt, Jan Jelinek
Founded: 2009
Headquarters: Federal Court of Justice, Karlsruhe, Germany
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GES Glossary

Acoustic Surveillance Series

A 7-inch vinyl record series curated by GES focussing on historical methods of acoustic surveillance. Each record introduces a surveillance system from the past. Starting with Uguisubari in 2017, the series will continue with the release of Orecchio di Dionisio in 2021. GES is open to further suggestions on this subject.

Bundesgerichtshof (German Federal Court of Justice), Karlsruhe

“The use of audio samples as artistic practice may justify the infringement of copyright and intellectual property rights.” (ruling of the German Federal Court of Justice pertaining to Metall auf Metall II, 2016). The court is also the official headquarters of GES.
Circulations

What happens to copyright claims when music from a passing car is captured in a street recording? Is it legal to use this recording freely or is it necessary to obtain licensing rights? Circulations re-enacts this recording situation: audio players are placed in public spaces, where they reproduce the desired sample material. The acoustically choreographed space is then recorded, creating a field recording in which everyday noises circulate together with seemingly incidental music.

Emancipation of Sampling

Fuelled by its criminalization, the act of sampling existing recordings forfeited some of its artistic prestige (see Sampling). GES wishes to rehabilitate and re-emancipate the practice of sampling as a form of art in its own right. Strategy: 1. Name samples and sources explicitly. 2. Choose samples that are as popular and as recognizable as possible (Beatles, Carpenters, etc.). 3. The editing and manipulation of the sample must not compromise its recognizability (negotiable). 4. Use as many samples as possible. 5. Always name more sample sources than were actually used in the composition.

Field Recording

A compositional practice widely used in sound art and ethnomusicology that involves the recording of natural acoustical phenomena. Two additional requirements are usually imposed: The recording process should take place outside a studio environment, i.e. outdoors. And the person recording does not generate any of the acoustic material him/herself. GES expands this definition by introducing the concept of choreographed public space (see Circulations).

Gambling

An acoustic event favoured by GES, already used in numerous sound collages (must take place in public). The most popular option is thimblerig, a cup and ball gambling game commonly played in the street. Compositional instruction by GES: Place an audio playback device in the proximity of a thimblerigger. Play works for orchestra (by Debussy or Mahler). Move slowly towards the gamblers with a microphone.

Helmut Schmidt

Multiple identity and fictional character devised by GES. Figures variously within the semiotic system of GES as member, guest artist or public representative. Following the historical example of Subcommandante Marcos (EZLN).

Kraftwerk

The German band founded by electropop musicians Florian Schneider-Esleben and Ralf Hütter (a.k.a. Die Prozessoren) is the natural enemy of GES. Protected by computer-generated avatars, Kraftwerk operates a quote-hostile cultural hegemony. Their strategy: Install a special brand in the collective consciousness by means of a sophisticated system of quotations and references that may in turn not be quoted by anyone else. Other bands with such delusions of omnipotence: U2, Metallica.

Marcel Duchamp

As the inventor of the readymade, Duchamp may be viewed as a precursor to the art of sampling. However, the artist is appreciated above all for his sonorous qualities, as his vocal silence has often been sampled and processed. It was the inspiration for Jelinek's radio play Zwischen.

Orecchio di Dionisio

This 65-meter-deep limestone cave in the Sicilian town of Syracuse, carved out of a hillside in ancient times, has exceptional acoustics: A person standing at the cave entrance can hear every word whispered deep down inside it. The painter Michelangelo da Caravaggio gave it its name (The Ear of Dionysius) in 1608. The cave indeed resembles an ear and – according to Caravaggio – had a specific function: The tyrant Dionysius I imprisoned his political prisoners in the cave in order to spy on them. Orecchio di Dionisio will be featured in the Acoustic Surveillance Series in the near future.

Sampling

Compositional practice whereby recorded music is fragmented, turned into sound collages and transferred into different contexts of meaning. Since the advent of affordable sampling technology in the 1990s, the music industry has been trying to criminalize and/or promote the practice. Both strategies are driven by the same principle: Profit.

Uguisubari

Sound-making floorboards in Japanese temple and castle complexes, featured in the Acoustic Surveillance Series in 2017. In the Edo period, the “nightingale floor” (literal translation of uguisubari) was a popular acoustic warning system. The principle was straightforward: When someone stepped onto the boards, nails would rub against metal clamps beneath the floor, creating a tell-tale squeaky sound that was said to resemble the chirping of the Japanese nightingale.

Wind

A generator of acoustic events and an amplifier/transmitter of existing sounds. A meteorological form of energy appreciated by the GES on account of its unpredictability. A series about wind as an acoustic phenomenon is planned. Working title: Hotel Corridors.

Zwischen (Between)

Radio play by GES member Jan Jelinek based on recordings of various public interview situations. From the speech of the interviewees (all of them eloquent personalities) the pauses between coherent utterances were extracted and assembled. What we hear is an archaic body language: modes of breathing, word particles and onomatopoeic turmoil. A key question for GES: Which comes first, personal rights or artistic freedom? For Zwischen, Jelinek used only recordings by public figures that were already available to the public.

Parisian label DXL Records signs a new exciting release in collaboration with Pressure Point, rising star of the italian scene. He delivers three elegant dancefloor weapons. Showing his ease to navigate between energic house and delicate techno with some mystical minimal touches, he shows a part of his complex yet fascinating musical universe. The release is completed by a Spacetravel remix in which the wizard makes a deep invitation to get lost in trippy modular sounds.

Reissue of this long lost funky Afrobeat/Reggae classic from 1978
For fans of Fela Kuti, Peter Tosh, Bob Marley, Segun Bucknor

The year is 1978 and one hot thing from the musical underground is Reggae music from Jamaica, the USA or the UK, where most of the acts had musicians of Caribbean descent. Reggae had the groove, the rebel spirit, and the relaxed attitude all in one, to enchant a big part of the world’s inhabitants. And while at least Jamaica as a relatively poor and so-called "Third World“ country proved to spawn Reggae acts of the highest quality, literally nobody dared to look further and dig deeper into the underground except of a few maniacs who were not satisfied with spinning Marley over and over again. And maybe they stumbled over the 1970s Afro Beat sound from countries like Zambia or Nigeria and then got interested. What did they find in the simmering metropolises of this still mysterious continent? Somewhere in Nigeria, they would have certainly caught a glimpse of mind-blowing performances of The Sea Lions, a six-piece group mixing the then hip Reggae and Afro Beat styles to generate fresh and furious music with a hypnotizing atmosphere.



Polyrhythmic beat patterns build the foundation, the utterly fruitful soil for the heartwarming melodies wailed out by the guitars and the commanding vocals with their conjuring charm. Great organ work builds the link between the groove section and the melody instruments. You can imagine what a pleasant experience this band might have been live back in 1978 when their sole album "Free The People“ got released. And this album, of which copies in only good conditions already fetch prices of $450, while nice clean pieces might go up to $1200, lives up to the expectations one might have from watching a live show by the Sea Lions. The sound is vivid, transparent, powerful, and clean enough to make the music a real pleasure listening to, but earthy enough to present nothing but the band going wild here. The songs all have a similar pace, not too fast, but swinging and pulsating to spread their energy to and among the listeners. The melodies are simple but come from the depth of the heart. This feels typical for African 70s music and despite being kind of reduced, these melodies keep haunting you still even hours after the record been taken off the turntable and put back into its sleeve. They bring images of an ever pulsating city by night, warm climate, palm trees, people at the bar, a witches cauldron of sounds, smells, voice, and pictures. And you feel the magic floating through the air while this groove will not let you go so easily.

You can either dance your soul out to this ultimate reissue or you can sit down, listen and let the music tell you a story of the dark corners of the big city, the narrow alleys that lead you into a boiling labyrinth of mystical dreams. And in songs like "You Can Make It If You Try“ you will find the whole magic of the African world, a world so fascinating for us Europeans but still so unapproachable in some ways and dangerous for the weak. Do not try to resist, this is your pleasure. Grab a copy and the Sea Lions will carry you off to their place. I haven’t heard such a killer Afro Beat and Reggae album with songs this exciting and wild in a long time. If you equally love Peter Tosh, Bob Marley, Segun Bucknor, and Fela Kuti, look no further. Here is the spiritual essence of all these great artists merged into one giant act.

From 1963 to 2014: "Peace Chant - raw deep and spiritual jazz" exhibits 51 years of music. A well matched anthology with sounds to dive into, hard rhythms to dance to and vocals to meditate on.

The Tramp Records crew has compiled 9 tracks in nice order and dramaturgy. Some tunes you might have never heard before unless you own one of the rare original vintage vinyl records. Peace Chant is released on two separate LPs with own catalogue numbers and on one CD. Some songs I can't get out of my mind:

The previously unreleased "Don't Give Up Your Smile Today" is opening the compilation. It's from Das Goldene Zeitalter, a band that didn't survive - but whose members had a huge influence on German jazz, soul, afrobeat and funk within the last years merging into groups like The Poets of Rhythm, The Whitefiled Bros., and The Malcouns. Boris Geiger aka. Bo Baral sings a Pharoah Sanders like tune, his voice deeply resonating, the rhythm section heavily grooving.

After the first three woolly recorded tracks Walt Bolen's "Peace Chant" with its dry and funky sounds with flute, two guitars and percussion is quite a pleasure to listen to. Organ and voice are Bolen's who used to play the keys in San Fernando Valley church when he was a child. "Peace Chant" was recorded for his own Ar-Que label in 1972 and is one of the few cuts with him as a leader. He has played sessions and clubs for years and today he is sitting at the church organ again.

This publication's oldest recording dates back to 1963: "Mozambique" by Luna Brothers Trio, a Caribbean and hypnotic instrumental. For my jazz trained ears it is rather unusual that the güiro (the gherkin played with a stick) is being played throughout the entire song. Heavily laid back cowbell, concas and timbales and the slightly detuned piano are wonderful! "Mozambique" sounds like from another star but its origin is Los Angeles, where the brothers Fred and Ricardo Luna had their night club band. You could imagine a bast skirt strip and at the same time the great Raumpatrouille (Space Patrol) landing on German B&W TV screens in 1966.

Hozan Yamamoto recorded crime jazz with the Japanese bamboo flute shakuhachi. He belonged to Tony Scotts "Music for Zen Meditation" in 1964, played with Ravi Shankar, avant-garde jazz bassist Gary Peacock and appeared at Donaueschingen Festival for contemporary music. Tokio university's open minded lecturer recorded the funky and modal "Spotlight on Sapporo" in 1972.

Jaime Read’s first EP after a 5 year break of which unfortunately saw very little studio time - life just goes like that sometimes, but an artist will always return in tough moments such as 2020’s Covid lockdown. Deep, emotional UK techno made with honesty & introspection, taking the mind away from the world’s troubles and triggering hope - positive deep sounds.

Tape / Cassette

Longstanding collaborators & Bay Area based experimental duo Kush Arora & Lucas Patzek aka Only Now & Orogen return with ‘AVULS’, the project’s sophomore release.

Building on the unearthly, black hole transmissions and creaking, exospheric ambience of their self-titled debut, Only Now & Orogen present an abyssal, elemental broadcast from another unchartered extra-terrestrial zone. Remote and astronomical yet tied to a newfound sense of rhythmic structure, ‘AVULS’ navigates a course through inverted beat-led frameworks, surging detonations of sub-bass, and severely turbulent, monumentally scaled soundscapes.

Amidst this large, slow-moving cyclone of sound sit fragmentary emergences of choral voices and Gregorian chants; a distant, esoteric presence within dense eruptions of attritional noise and infinite recesses of low end.

In harsh, pointillistic detail and through infernal surround sound, Only Now & Orogen channel dub, noise and power electronics, evoking a distorted, ritualistic inflection on the Voyager Golden Record; a mass of tectonic motion and friction; a storm in deep space.

Enigmatic producer RNDTXTR debuts on Rekids with a deep techno three tracker entitled‘Random EP’ this September.

“Some tracks just stick with you. They never leave your box, or in this case USB, and I’ve been playing these tracks from RNDTXTR for well over two years. Everywhere from Tokyo to Berlin. These have a universal appeal, being hypnotic and just the right balance between pushy club sounds and spatial melodies” - Radio Slave

Shrouded in murky atmospherics, ‘RND009’ opens the package with rigorous drums, shuffling shakers, sweeping pads and scintillating synths. ‘RND007 (Dub Mix)’ continues with a similar cantering rhythm as various rattling percussive elements work alongside clever automation for a tracky cut designed to lock listeners into a trance. Concluding matters, ‘RND004’ is the wonkiest number on the package with its syncopated groove and otherworldly melody.

Unclassifiable percussionist and producer Chiminyo will be releasing his long-awaited debut album “I Am Panda” via London tastemaker label Gearbox Records on the 25th of September. The ten-track album is a foray into unexplored sonic territory, featuring a host of diverse guest musicians from London’s burgeoning music scene. Chiminyo's music may be rooted in the London jazz scene, but his music is transcendent of anything that could be defined as such. Whilst his joint use of analogue and digital technology meaningfully honours the manic city lights of London’s bustling scene, it remains ever-changing crossing over into hip-hop, future pop, experimental electronic and global spheres. Chiminyo's tech-heavy drum kit set-up, combines the raw, immediate live sound of percussion and the futuristic timbres of his electronic productions to create his own, daring soundscapes. Via laboriously self-coded software, each cymbal crash and drum hit triggers a synth or sample, allowing Chiminyo complete control and freeing him of all loops, click-tracks and backing tracks.However, it is important to note that Chiminyo's music is far more than just a technical feat. Whilst still highly innovative in it's composition, "I AM PANDA" is purely the result of a deep and tireless exploration of the music that Chiminyo truly resonates with to create a soulful, spiritual, and evocative record that feeds off the conflicting duality between technology and nature. Composed and arranged by Chiminyo and recorded at Konk Studios by Ricardo Damian (Jorja Smith, Sampha, Binker & Moses), the new album also features a host of talented guests including Kweku Sackey aka K.O.G, singer Dunja Botic, and spoken word artist Brother Portrait of Steam Down fame. The new album follows on from Chiminyo's 2019 debut EP "I Am Chiminyo", which served as a visceral introduction to his unique sound, and earned plaudits from the likes of Gilles Peterson, BBC 1Xtra, CLASH, Red Bull, Jazzwise, Jazz FM and more. As well as his own solo project, Chiminyo also performs and records with some of the leading figures of London’s music scene, including spiritual jazz-leaning outfit Maisha and psychedelic energy bomb Cykada. He has also previously collaborated and recorded with Gary Bartz, Nubya Garcia, Shabaka Hutchings, Theon Cross, and Zara McFarlane.

Over the years, the sonic world of Heist has grown into a place where energetic house, live instruments and worldly electronics move together in the most natural way. We're very proud of the fact that we can showcase artists that cross boundaries or simply create their own universe, while keeping a strong connection with the identity of the label.

Our next release, the 'Exposures EP' by Teleseen, fits perfectly into this aesthetic. Teleseen is the main project of nomadic DJ, producer and multi-instrumentalist Gabriel Cyr and draws influence from deep house, afro house, samba, batucada as well as the experimentalism and sound system cultures of his home town NYC. His sound leans heavily on polyrhythmic programming and he's nothing short of a synth wizard. His 'Exposures EP' features 3 originals, and a remix by Berlin based Italian house guru Black Loops.

The record features a number of collaborators and recordings of various instruments, ranging from percussive sections to synths and guitar. This live approach to electronic music is one that is deeply rooted into Gabriel's work. His upcoming release on Soundway as 'Thaba' is another good example of this approach and also shows how diverse his sounds really is.

The title track is a thrilling synth affair with tribal-like chants running through a vocoder. The combination of handclaps, crunchy synths and steady drums make for a thrilling afro house track that hints towards early motor city electronics.

Black Loops is known for his deep grooves and built his fame with his releases on Freerange, Pets and Shall not Fade. His take on 'Exposures' sees him upping the tempo to a pacey 130 bpm, where an introvert vibe of reverbed hits and bleeps take you into full dream mode. He expertly chops up the original into a contemporary track that fits somewhere between high tempo tech-house and minimalistic deephouse.

On the flip we get to hear more of the sonic world Teleseen has to offer. 'Dekalb' is a track that seems impossible to box into a genre. Its mood is set by a lovely section of free-flowing Rhodes chords and the chopped vocals and open synth- bass give the track a whole new feel. It is that ballsy electronic edge combined with dreamy textures and live rhythms that give 'Dekalb' its unique vibe.

The final track of the EP -'Transfer'- takes us down to a mid-tempo percussive workout with a balearic twist. The steady electronic groove and the free flowing guitar take you to yet another corner of Teleseen's beautifully crafted universe.

Enjoy the music and play it loud!

Yours Sincerely,
Lars & Maarten

Infernal Sounds welcome back the heavyweight Von D, as he delivers the gargantuan three-track Hunedoara EP, fresh off the back of his debut release on Deep Medi. Spanning way back to 004 on the label in which he made his debut on Infernal Sounds with two tracks 'Cross Of Hendaye' & 'Finis Gloriae Mundi', he drives a different style and reflection on this endeavour. The title-track 'Hunedoara' is the crowd pleaser - hitting you with the heavyweight stomping war chant, whereas both 'Akasha' and the textural 'Layers' on the B-side are melody centered and display the more playful side to the French producers repertoire. Having already received the backing from the likes of Truth, DJ Squarewave, and many other reputable artists in the scene, this is a plate that's armed for the dance or for playing at home.

A superb live set from 1994. Meeting between talents and experiences... Deep dansefloor sweet Live set exploring sounds... Masterpiece !!

West coast composer, artist, and producer Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith has chartered a pioneering career with multiple critically-acclaimed albums since 2015. Following the release of The Kid in 2017, Smith focused her energy in several directions. She founded Touchtheplants, a multidisciplinary creative environment for projects including the first volumes in her instrumental Electronic Series and pocket-sized poetry books on the practice of listening within. She's continued to explore the endless possibilities of electronic instruments as well as the shapes, movements, and expressions found in the physical body's relationship to sound and color. It is this life-guiding interest that forms the foundational frequencies of her most recent full-length, The Mosaic of Transformation, a bright, sensorial glide through unbound wave phenomena and the radiant power discovered within oneself. "I guess in one sentence, this album is my expression of love and appreciation for electricity," says Smith. While writing and recording, she embraced a daily practice of physical movement, passing electricity through her body and into motion, in ways reflecting her audio practice, which sends currents through modular synthesizers and into the air through speakers. Not a dancer by any traditional definition, she taught herself improvisatory movement realizing flexibility, strength, and unexpectedly, a "visual language" stemming from the human body and comprised of vibrational shapes. Understood as cymatics, as Smith says, "as a reference for how frequencies can be visualized," much like a mosaic. Smith describes her first encounters with this mosaic; "the inspiration came to me in a sudden bubble of joy. It was accompanied by a multitude of shapes that were moving seamlessly from one into the other...My movement practice has been a constant transformation piece by piece. I made this album in the same way. Every day I would transform what I did yesterday...into something else. This album has gone through about 12 different versions of itself." As it has arrived, in a completed state, The Mosaic of Transformation is a holistic manifestation of embodied motions. Smith's signature textural curiosity that fans have grown to adore pivots naturally into a proprioceptive study of melody and timbre. Airy organ and voice interweave with burbling Buchla-spawned harmonic bubbles. "The Steady Heart" quivers to life, peppering blasts of wooden organ between winding vocal affirmations. As with a body, moving one portion requires a balance and counterbalance; here, subtle tonal twitchy signals fire in conjunction with coiling arias to create a mesmeric core. When the beat arrives at the midway mark, a swooping and jittery waltz, a sense of stasis in motion, a flow state, is sonically achieved. As soon as it syncs, it disappears back into the swirling ebbs of electric force. Other tracks stray into more ruminative physical realms. "Carrying Gravity" is built around string-like pads that expand and contract like a solar plexus, becoming taught and then loose. If the record could be summarized in a single movement, it is the 10-minute closing suite, a rapturous collage called "Expanding Electricity." Symphonic phrases establish the piece before washes of glittering electric peals and synthesized vibraphone helix into focus. Soon, Smith's voice grounds it all with an intuitive vocal hook, harmonized and augmented by concentric spirals of harp-and-horn-like sounds. Smith's music doesn't capture a specific emotion as much as it captures the joys of possessing a body, and the ability to, with devotion and a steady open heart, maneuver that vessel in space by way of electricity to euphoric degrees.

The Art Of Us (TAOU) begins with the story of Blair French, a cosmic messenger raised in a house of 7 on the outskirts of a historic city. From dancing at mom's disco parties at a young age, to releasing rap tapes in middle school, winning best soundtrack for the multi-award-winning film DETROPIA and hitting the Billboard charts with his Pure Sounds of Michigan compilation; ultimately French found a home in the world of all things Detroit, Pan-African, Balearic, and ambient. TAOU is his first instrumental LP under his own name, (despite a 25 year career), bringing together his closest musical compatriots.

Rickard Jäverlings music can deservedly be described as playful and searching but for that sake not fumbling or too loose around the edges. On Album 4, the second album release from Jäverling on Höga Nord Rekords, he dwells more in dub than on his prior album release, and Jäverlings skillful songwriting is carried smoothly by the soft and fluffy production: the rhythm section sounds as if resting upon a sun warm bed of moss and elements flows in and out of the production like a freshly rippling stream of water deep in the summer forest. Echoes shoots through the pines, the hills and the valleys and makes the album a premium dub experience which dominates large parts of the album.

Aside the obvious references to nature that comes in mind listening to Jäverlings music, this album is more than a romantic view on the Swedish wilderness. It flirts, like all quality dub from the seventies and eighties with science fiction and space with broad synthesizer sweeps and delay drenched clouds like imploding and exploding stars somewhere in the outskirts of the Milky way, spreading dust over the Swedish forest. On the final three tracks, Ganjaman_72 takes the album out of the galaxy with spaced out-remixes on some of the songs.

With his feet steadily grounded in jamaican music tradition whit a non sentimental and curious view on production, Rickard Jäverling have together with Johan Holmegård (Dungen, Goran Kajfes), Andreas Söderström (ASS, Goran Kajfes) och Ganjaman_72 created the natural follow up to Album 3.

It's been three years since the last vinyl by Ntogn was unveiled and now we're glad to share with you the result of his venture through the recent winter.

'Smedjan' is inspired by the dwarven craftsmanship of Norse mythology. It is made completely with organic sounds gathered from, and recorded in, the forests of Bålsta which is rich with northern heritage. Everything you hear is either processed textures of birch wood blocks, layers of a custom made Ukrainian artisan mouth harp or the artist's own voice.

There is no synthesis in this record. The kick drums are made by hitting these pieces of wood against each other with contact microphones. Bass layers are extracted from bark scraping against bark. Hi hats are crafted by recorded fire of the same wood logs burning and ambiance is built from the forests where the trees grew and from the woodshed where the artist chopped the wood during winter to keep his cabin warm. The rhythms and sounds in this shed is what inspired the making of this record.

By shaping these sounds of wood and metal Ntogn strives to create a sonic experience that connects the listener to the old Norse stories of the dwarven craftsmanship of Svartalfheim. It is they who made the famous trinkets and weapons that empower the gods of Asgård through stories of trickery and despair which has later inspired tales and literature for over a thousand years.

The record has been distilled from material that was meant to become a two-hour live set specifically made for Mo:dem festival which was unfortunately cancelled due to the corona pandemic. It was also the foundation of the artist's thesis at the university of sound design where he made a study of the effects of organic sound on an electronic expression such as techno music.

It will be released digitally and as a 200 copy limited edition black vinyl adorned with an artwork drawn by the artist's partner Gabriella Holmström using the ashes of the same birch wood blocks that was used to make the sonic content.

The record has received early support from Francois X, Takaaki Itoh, Abstract Division, BLNDR and Rambadu to name a few.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Ntogn en'togg-n is a conceptual electro-acoustic project developed by Hypnus Records' founder and sound design graduate Michel Iseneld (b. 1988, Sweden). It aims to breath life into a fascination for magic with the use of contemporary and classic sound design techniques. This has resulted in what Resident Advisor's William Lynch describes as 'fierce, artistic techno that sounds like little else out there' and a discography ranging from earth-shattering techno to dark, throbbing ambient excursions.

After spending nearly three years in isolation, deeply lost in literature on history, philosophy, occultism and epic fairy-tales; Michel developed an inner world which eventually found an outlet through the means of music in 2013. By the use of field recordings and various samplings of his voice and surroundings, something peculiar sprouted as his inner images started to manifest and mature into an organic sound inspired by the emerging hypnotic deep techno scene.

Today, all music is released on his own imprint Tome in order to preserve the projects' artistic freedom and originality. After two years of sound design studies at the university and a new-found passion for modular synthesis; there's plenty of music in store aimed to satiate the curious minds.

“After a banner year that witnessed Lafawndah release her first album Ancestor Boy, the debut of her soundsystem Fara Fara, and further incursions into film, contemporary art and fashion, the ceaseless artist returns with another plot twist: The Fifth Season.

Inspired by her encounter with author NK Jemisin’s Broken Earth trilogy, Lafawndah both pays homage to and extends further the elemental, emotionally charged myths of Jemisin’s books. These are stories where a broken heart can tear apart a continent. In contrast to the precision- tuned industrial productions of Ancestor Boy, The Fifth Season breathes a different kind of volatility. Inviting a new degree of spontaneity and freedom into her process, Lafawndah’s collaborators - Theon Cross (tuba), Nathaniel Cross (trombone), Valentina Magaletti (percussions), and Nick Weiss (keyboards) - encircle her confrontational character studies with iridescent, cinematic chamber-bass moves.

These are torch songs for when it rains ash, creation ballads for when the earth turns inside out. Ghosts of Art Ensemble of Chicago and Rahsaan Roland Kirk color the air, yet Lafawndah’s mastery of pop songcraft, vocal production and razor-honed clarity of purpose cut through. In addition to the Lafawndah originals, The Fifth Season features interpretations of hybrid-folk godfather Beverly Glenn Copeland’s “Don’t Despair” and acid-impressionist prodigy Lili Boulanger’s “Old Buddhist Prayer.” Album highlight “You, at the End” deploys a poem by poet-performer Kae Tempest to aching, rift-tearing ends, and french dream-trap wraith Lala &ce features on “Le Malentendu”.

The Fifth Season anchors Lafawndah as a descendent of forebearers Brigitte Fontaine and Scott Walker - a born theatric whose acid humor warps the sub-continental undertow of her emotive storytelling. Lafawndah’s elementalism on The Fifth Season finds her imagination more agile than ever, and recent live shows have evinced a drive to push these compositions further out, deeper, and more aflame.”

2024 Repress

KMRU is the moniker of Joseph Kamaru, a sound artist, and producer based in Nairobi. One of the leading exponents of the burgeoning experimental music scene in Nairobi and beyond he was listed by Resident Advisor as one of '15 East African Artists You Need To Hear' in 2018 and is a regular performer at the fabled Nyegenyege Festival having also presented live performances at CTM festival and Gamma Festival. Peel is KMRU's first release for Editions Mego. exquisite mix of field recordings and electronics unravelling at a repetitive and leisurely pace to expose a rich tapestry of sound that has been revered for it's ability to cross bordear with the sheer undertow of emotional content. The subtle calming atmosphere within Peel belies the compositional prowess as layers of delicate sounds wrap around each other creating a hybrid new form ambient musics both captivating through it's textural depth and kaleidoscopic patterns. The track titles lend themselves to the themes and mood set within: Why are you here, Well, Solace, Klang, Insubstantial and the title track. This is a deep heartfelt journey with a new strong voice being expressed through the means of organically presented electronic ambient sounds, one which reveals further layers on repeat listens.

After six years, The Notwist return with three new tracks on Morr Music. It’s both an exposition of the the band’s musical variety and a prospect on a forthcoming album.

Six years have passed since The Notwist released their last regular studio album, but that doesn’t mean that the members of this outstanding band have been idle in the meantime. There have been side projects, movie scoring, and other activities, like programming four editions of „Alien Disko“, a festival taking place in Munich, Germany. One of that event’s regular guests was the Japanese duo Tenniscoats – and a lovely side effect from that was an evolving friendship between the two bands. It lead to various collaborations: most recently in a new album by international band „Spirit Fest“ (featuring Tenniscoats singer Saya & The Notwist’s Markus & Cico) & a deep digging compilation of Japanese indie music called „Minna Miteru“.

The title track of this new EP is another step in this collaboration – and a first step to an upcoming album by The Notwist – as it features Saya, who lends her voice to the percussive song. It is build around a slightly detuned synthline, which is contrasted by more pragmatic guitar work. „It neither sounds like The Notwist, Tenniscoats, nor Spirit Fest“, tells Markus Acher. „Just like Saya is saying in the lyrics: ‘I want to go outside, I want to meet people’, „Ship“ is another chapter in what The Notwist always tries to do: redefining itself, exploring something new, integrating different styles of music and collaborating with musicians they admire.“

The second song „Loose Ends“ is, in contrast, more classic Notwist material. A gently expanding ballad, this time featuring the distinctive voice of Markus Acher. The song came out of recording sessions for the soundtrack for „One Of These Days“, a movie by Bastian Günther. The EP then closes with „Avalanche“ a carefully optimistic instrumental.

With its variety of styles, „Ship“ also serves as an outlook on an upcoming album, which will be influenced by the band’s experiences from their detailed work of creating sounds and moods for film soundtracks, and it will include more collaborations with international guest musicians.

Mysterious and masked techno talent Paul Villard unveils more of his musical weaponry on the Lone Romantic label this August.

Nothing is known about this artist but from the fact that, “strange and unusual superhuman powers and abilities” came to him after a “gamma accident.” He has released on Blind Allies and Applied Research, remixed Carl Finlow and is a producer with a cinematic electro sound.

Futuristic opener 'Side Effects’ is a bumping electro cut with a stuttering drum pattern and squelchy synth funk from another planet. ‘Submarine Limousine’ keeps up the cyborg styles with a crisp electro groove that is run through by sci-fi vocals and effects, while ’Fluid Dynamics’ is all watery synth droplets and fractured vocals panning about the mix. Taught bass stabs keep you on your toes and make for an otherwordly robot disco vibe.

The second half of this well-crafted EP starts with the glowing pads and creepy atmospheres of
‘Bioluminescence’, a classic Drexcyian electro jam that charges hard and deep into the cosmos. ‘Neon Death’ is an explosion of coruscated synth lines and bumping bass, tripped out machine sounds and warped electro-techno before closer ‘C.A.R.R.I.O.N.’ zones you out with intense ambient pads and modulated synths that are restless and paranoid.

With this majestic EP, Paul Villard paints and vivid picture of some distant interplanetary world.

Caiphus Semenya, AKA Mr Letta Mbulu, is a South African legend, and Listen To The Wind, his iconic debut album, is simply a superb modern-soul/boogie album. It’s also incredibly rare, especially in good condition, so Be With is delighted to present this reissue.

Now a revered composer, musician, and arranger, Caiphus left apartheid South Africa in the 60s for self-imposed exile in Southern California together with his wife, Letta Mbulu. Settling in Los Angeles he started working with the likes of Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba and other exiled and semi-exiled South african artists, as well as, of course, his wife Letta.

Caiphus also found himself working with and composing for a broad range of jazz and pop artists, including Lou Rawls, Nina Simone and Cannonball Adderley. His facility with both jazz and African forms served him well. His LA stay was also the beginning of an ongoing collaboration with Quincy Jones, the fruits of which can be tasted in Caiphus’s African compositions for the scores to Roots and Spielberg’s adaptation of The Color Purple.

Given his decades of work behind the scenes, it’s no surprise that it took until 1982 for Caiphus to get around to putting out the first album of his own. But all that experience shows. Listen To The Wind is a deeply impressive synthesis of early 80s US production and instrumentation together with his traditional South African musical roots.

It’s stylistically diverse but the ingredients are never diluted. There are elements of boogie, soul, funk and jazz, all shot through with pan-African flavour, and moving effortlessly from uptempo floor fillers to more meditative, slower soulful tracks. Produced by Caiphus himself, he makes full use of a stellar line up of session musicians including Nathan East, Michael Stanton, Sonny Burke and Paulinho DaCosta. And of course, there are Letta’s show-stopping vocals. To our ears, Listen To The Wind is just one big party, and lord knows we need that more than ever right now.

Opener “Angelina” is one of Caiphus’s most beloved tracks at Be With HQ. It’s a breezy, feel-good SA boogie-funk classic. Harmonic and horn heavy, it sounds as fresh today as it would’ve done in the early 80s. If this one doesn’t make you move, you may need your pulse taking. The drum breakdown alone, a little over halfway through, is sensational.

It’s followed by the gentle reggae lilt of “Play With Fire”. A real melodic slo-mo delight, carried by the tropical vibes and, above all else, by the extraordinary performance of Caiphus himself and his backing singers.

Closing out side one, the spectacular “Umoya” is driven by triumphant horns and slick bass. With its proto-Graceland vibes, we reckon Paul Simon must’ve been listening. Hard. Caiphus trades verses with the unmistakable tones of Letta, and it sounds divine. Yes, it’s as good as anything on Letta’s canonical In The Music… The Village Never Ends. A wide-eyed wonder, made for unity and togetherness, it’s all infectious, smiling faces for nearly nine minutes. But never mind nine, we could party to this for ninety minutes and “Umoya” would leave us re-energised for ninety more.

Elegantly firing up side two is perhaps the album’s best known track. “Without You” is a heavenly slice of modern soul, an end-of-nighter to end them all. Smooth strutting, disco-fied funk with that unmistakably South African sound, it’s just sublime, with those lyrics that keep coming back to smiling faces and community, “without You the sun won’t shine”. Big with the likes of Rush Hour’s Antal, this is aural perfection.

“Ziph’inkomo” is a soul-soothing, swooning epic. Gently building throughout, its final few minutes are genuinely stirring as the backing vocals and instrumentation swell. Jaw-dropping. The irresistible groove of frantic, percussive workout “Gumba Boogie” closes out what must surely be one of the greatest artistic statements of the 1980s. If his friend Quincy wasn’t feverishly taking notes for Thriller, then you could’ve fooled us.

With Simon Francis handling the mastering of this Be With edition, you know it sounds as fantastic as ever. The cover art, as breezy as the music, has been faithfully restored. All that’s missing is you.

A dramatic, string-drenched epic, James Ralph Bailey’s Just Me ’N’ You has been a sought-after soul masterpiece for decades. A lush suite of beautiful songs, it was conceived as a concept album; a sophisticated paean to love.

Originally released by MAM Records in 1974, Just Me ’N’ You is a breathtaking jazzy soul album. It’s similar in style to Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On - particularly the performances, orchestrations and chord progressions - but dealing with a different universal subject matter. If What’s Going On was about romance instead of politics, it would sound like this.

Fans of Marvin, Leon Ware, Donny Hathaway, Leroy Hutson and Willie Hutch will love this record. Not as well known - this is definitely an underrated gem - the work of James Ralph Bailey is no less mind-blowing. It’s got to be one of the best soul albums of all time.

The original productions were made on a basic home tape machine and enhanced with strings, rhythmic overdubs and a variety of other instrumentation. These are beautiful arrangements of strings and jazzy horns. Rhythm guitars and bouncy bass serve as the groove foundation, congas provide a Latin feel whilst the vibraphone and harmonica add colour. And then of course there’s JR’s voice.

His style recalls Hathaway, with a delivery akin to Marvin at the time. As he scats and sings, accompanying himself in sweet harmonies, there is still a rawness of pain and longing in his voice, the rawness familiar to all deep soul.

As an album, Just Me ’N’ You is no mere collection of songs. The tender, smooth tunes flow perfectly together into a fluid, single artistic statement. This is one where it’s hard to pick out any standouts. You may have heard the soaring title track before, maybe on Gilles Peterson’s Digs America compilation. The opening track “After Hours” sounds as fresh now as it ever was and segues beautifully into the majestic “Heaven On Earth”. Recorded by Hathaway the previous year, Bailey’s original of “Love Love Love” is incredible and arguably the definitive version. The powerful, dreamy, sax-and-harmony-laced “All Strung Out Over You” has echoes of the Chi-Lites, it’s that good. Goosebumps. And we could go on.

Mastered by Simon Francis, cut by Pete Norman and pressed at Record Industry, this Be With edition of Just Me ’N’ You sounds every bit as brilliant as it should. A joyous celebration of love, this album is perfect in every way. If you don’t already own a copy then now is the time.

In our latest chapter of Spiritual Jazz, we return to the source – the Impulse! label, and the monumental influence of its most prominent artist, John Coltrane.
Since the first release in the series back in 2008, we have mapped out the growth of the spiritual sound in jazz. Spiritually energised and politically conscious, the spiritual sound in jazz music is one of the most important currents in the music. Our series has charted the growth of the style from early experiments at Blue Note and Prestige to European excursions, exiled experimentalists, and sounds from across the globe. But whenever you think of spiritual jazz, it's a fair bet that the double exclamation mark and orange and black spine of Impulse quickly comes to mind. Home to John and Alice Coltrane, Pharaoh Sanders, Yusef Lateef, McCoy Tyner and countless other musical pioneers, Impulse! was the most important and forward-thinking jazz label of the 1960s. With the music-first attitude of an independent but the clout of a major, producers Creed Taylor and Bob Thiele made Impulse the defining imprint of a crucial decade. They hand picked the top players of the moment and gave them freedom to record the music they wanted, setting out their stall with a bold slogan – 'The New Wave Of Jazz Is On Impulse!'

Here we dive deep into the Impulse! catalogue, bringing celebrated masterpieces from Alice Coltrane and Pharaoh Sanders into the arena, together with lesser known cuts from Phil Woods and John Klemmer as well as straight-up classics such from Yusef Lateef and Elvin Jones. Fifty years on and the new wave of jazz still sounds fresh, vibrant and as relevant as ever.

“Don´t go out there, you might get shot” was the warning from Donna Maya relatives when she visited Detroit two years ago. That makes her even more curious to explore the city. Disturbed by, as well as fascinated from the dystopian state of Detroit she recorded many places that made (industrial) history, including the Ford factory, the world’s tallest, now abandoned central station and the once magnificent Michigan Theater, that was brutally converted into a parking garage. Donna Maya transformed the sound recordings into artificial sound sculptures combined with electronic beats. Every track is dedicated to one of those places and makes it musically alive. With her theremin Donna Maya guides the listener deeply inside. The result of Donna Mayas 6 weeksstay in Detroit is her album “Lost Spaces -> Detroit". “Lost Spaces ? Detroit” is about how to handle crises, how individuals get along with it and the relationship of society to its culture. Donna Maya understands Detroit as a perfect example for what capitalism does when people give up cultural values. With “Lost Spaces ? Detroit” Donna Maya draws a musical picture of how she experienced Detroit that shows that not only a city got lost, but a living space for everyone: Pure urban experimental electronics with theremin.

Led by French B3 Hammond maestro Guillaume Metenier and featuring an all-star lineup of musicians from the extended Mocambo fam, Pigalle Connection connect the dots between instrumental funk, b-boy breaks and cinematic soundscapes. After their celebrated and battle proven 45 "Paris Breakdown", this fantasy funk supergroup is finally back with a new double delight on 7 inch wax.

"Casino & Church" / "Vendetta James" is a nod to Peter Thomas and Ennio Morricone, two massively influential score composers who both sadly passed away in 2020. A-side "Casino & Church" is a blistering blend of afro-boogie, breakbeat funk, blaxploitation and eurocinema, led by hypnotic percussion and an infectious guitar. Flip to the B-side for "Vendetta James", where Mediterranean funk meets Italo Western and b-boy breaks in a sequence of hazy atmospheres and alluring moods.

Recorded live to 8-track tape with vintage equipment and instruments, both sides of Pigalle Connection's new 45 showcase the band's unique sound and deep appreciation for great film scores and heavy funk.

Ivaylo’s music has always been rooted in house and its myriads of forms, from the deeper soulful sounds from the US of A to the more recent plinky plonky style from the romanians and the chileans. With a pinch of his bulgarian roots and a splash of Full Pupp (Prins Thomas co-produced, played instruments and helped mix down the record) this mystic brew comes highly recommended. “Ensom Kraft EP” will be released as a vinyl 12″ containing 5 tracks from the 8 track digital only album “Ensom Kraft". The full album will be included as a download code.

Having earned BBC Radio 6 play from Gilles Peterson for last year’s track ‘Vortex’ , Japanese duo
Ohnesty today announce their next release, ‘Movin’ On’ EP, out on 22nd May on Highball. The
project unites two influential talents from Fukuoka’s burgeoning underground scene: BRISA, the
adventurous and eclectic producer/DJ who spans everything from nu-jazz to acid house, and shigge,
founder of the Yesterday Once More label.

The EP makes an immediate statement of intent with the title track. Underpinned by a lurching,
mechanised groove, it swings unexpectedly into a stuttering, pitch-shifted vocal cut alongside insistent
hi-hats and the kind of soulful female vocal sample that’s a hallmark of deep house. The track demonstrates Ohnesty’s unique style. On one hand, they’re constantly pushing an audacious sense
of creativity into a progressive-focused track. Yet at the same time, they never lose sight of the
importance of making it sound both engrossing and energising.

Its second track ‘K&T’ focuses those traits in a completely different direction, blending elements acid
jazz, late ‘70s disco and French Touch into their own vision. And finally ‘Need You’ echoes yacht rock
and ‘80s movie scores with sweet synths and the booming gated reverb drum sounds.

The ‘Movin’ On’ EP is completed by a remix of ‘Need You’ by British producer Happa . One of the
youngest artists to have ever DJed at Berghain, Happa’s production talents have also been called on
by the likes of David Byrne, FKA Twigs and Trim.

Ohnesty released their debut EP ‘Time To Be Honest’ last September on Yesterday Once More. It
was followed by an accompanying remix package , which included intreprations from the likes of
Metome and Daijo Kaisei.

The ‘Movin’ On’ EP is the second release from the new London-based Highball Records. Aiming to
highlight essential, forward-thinking new music from Japan, the label debuted in March with
Foodman’s ‘Dokutsu’ EP.

F.S.Blumm is a man most might not know. He ́s no pop artist, and not overtly experimental either. But somehow with In Sight he has done the impossible: put his own sound in that perfect middle point, leaving his voice behind to deep-dive into some truly memorable, fully composed pieces.
In Sight is the kind of record you can put on at first crack of dawn, to enjoy its beautiful instrumental varieties during morning routine, while equally fitting as a listening experience towards the darker time of day, in the background or as highly rewarding deep listening experience. It ́s the kind of album that would be great to encounter played in a tiny Japanese jazz bar on a vintage, top notch speaker system together with a handful of local oddities. It sounds incredibly well produced and is full of beautiful, heart-warming, melancholic moments performed on everything from guitars to percussion, vibraphone, strings, piano and who knows what else. Frank shines on this record. He has created quietly composed pieces for moments one could only wish were real.
As often with F.S.Blumm ́s music, it ́s hard to pin down where to categorize it. He might be best known as frequent collaborator of Nils Frahm. Together they made three great duo albums for Sonic Pieces previously. Although this is far from his first solo album, it is his first for the label, and after listening to it on repeat for some time, we can only say that this is Frank on his finest, creating some of the most thought provoking instrumental music you can find in these parts of the world.

Senthulà is one of the many aliases of musical jack of all trades José Guerrero, a long standing figure in the already rich underground scene of Valencia. In this solo excursion he explores the vast possibilities of mechanical repetition, the machine funk of dirtbag rhythms and proper boogie DIY synth music, sculpting a syncopated sound that is both modern and atavistic. Coming from a deep knowledge and ability to communicate very diverse sounds, slow jams unfold into dance music for clear eyed lounge lizards for whom sleaze comes not dizzy but focused. Whitened african rhythms beat up no wave disco pleasure points, managing the hard task of being very cool and nonchalant, but also hot and dedicated.

This closed door nightclub music will appeal to fans of the new developments in dance music that put Cabaret Voltaire, impLOG or Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou into XXI Century basements. The record comes also with a killer remix by Tolouse Low Trax, probably our favourite producer in modern rhythmic music.

For PM002, Antechamber ’s tectonic plate shifting grooves are carved into slabs of deep-dyed ochre vinyl. Four new tracks bring uncompromising sounds for the mature palette. Antechamber’s sound
blends opposing feelings of claustrophobia with a bold transporting musicality that reveals 25 years of perfecting a craft.


The opener, Archaic Idol, is a rude awaking in a foreign land - and alludes to the iconoclasm evident in the shattered panes of the cover artwork by Alcarcia. Track two, Ossolstone lays down the foundations for the new reality. Sparse, rich reverb, allowing the blocks to fall into place as the listener discovers and becomes acclimatized to the new sonic reality. Opening with an exquisitely dense and profound synth we are plunged into a landscape where Antechamber has free reign to show off skills.

Bordering on regimented syncopation, yet with enough space to allow the track to breathe. Susurrus pulses in an organic sense, tapping into a primordial vision. Remix duties are handled by Lemna (Japan) and Lakker (Ireland). Lemna’s take on Archaic Idol opens up the sound. The emotional heart of the original is maintained but with an unexpected direction that rewards the listener with lavish full range
mesmerizing intention.

Concluding the release, Lakker stamp their unmistakable mark on Ossolstone. A haunting circular bass competes with high-end percussion.

From transcore to mental tribe sounds... Deep and dancefloor

Abstrakt Sonance makes his return to Aufect for the labels's first 12" release in a decade! Enlisting the likes of Crowell and legendary Grime MC, Killa P on the title cut "New Style", together they deliver a smackdown with a skippy Grime-Dubstep hybrid banger in a mood fitting for the status quo.

Label owners Greazus step up to flip "New Style" with a remix leaning heavy on 808's and an infectiously animated piano-esque hook.

"Lay It On" turns up the vibes and dips into R&B vocals chops and loose drums that seem to be melting into each other.

Fans of deep, heavy Dubstep will love "Squad Up". This one is meant to push soundsystems - minimal dubby chords, deep dubs, rolling drums, nuff said.

Affûté broadens the scope of its sound once more by adding Amandra to the roster. The young artist delivers two tracks made of his signature sound: mechanical rhythms and repetitive melodies.

French comrade AWB's remix is a distinctive and clever remodel cut of Ruban Rouge, further deepening the emotion of the track. Edit Select brings a darker, haunting touch to Tour Karin with his modus operandi akin to Amandra's: a slow, subtle and detailed progression.

Teo Drean gives Tour Karin more horsepower, coupling a heavy kick with wondrous choir sounds.

Four intergalactic cuts from Natasha Kitty Katt on Ghetto Disco Records.

Kosmic Oscillations

A deeper Kosmic vibe from Natasha, Kosmic Oscillations puts your head in space. Designed to transcend the dancefloor and take your mind on a Kosmic trip.

Larry’s Code

Paying homage to the one and only, Larry Levan, this dancefloor number is guaranteed to set floors alight. With heavy synth use and a funky bassline, this is one to make you move.

Up There?

An upbeat number centered around the idea of UFOs and glitterballs. A feel-good mover that’s out of this world.

Katt Nip

This bizarre, yet wonderful Italo trip has everything from cat sounds to a thumping bassline. Perfect for the dancefloor, this number is sure to turn a few heads and move feet.