Siren Selector launches its mixtape series with a companion release to Remy Solar’s - ‘Heavy Terrain’ cassette.
“Jamaican music grows in rings like an old tree. From a core of early riddims, the genius of Studio One, versions of original basslines and melodies evolve over time New releases of the same tune follow each other through the 70s, 80s, 90s, into this millennium. Generations of the same family. And then there’s the unreleased versions, the frontier dubs built strictly for sound systems, held close by those who got them and only gradually circulated into the wider audience of selectors and collectors. These are the ones where the bass is heavier, the echoes more mind- bending, the effects wilder and the drums harder. Older sound followers tell stories of how these dubs defined dances, flattened opponents in clashes, inspired a dozen rewinds. Younger followers remember these tales and pass them down. These dubs are folklore.
Who knows how many such versions there are in the vast worldwide archives of Jamaican music? Not me. But as a little taster of a lifetime’s musical journey you can open your ears right now to a few moments: Lacksley’s Castell’s “Unkind”, transported from the sprightly riddim which underpinned it on his Princess Lady album and reengineered into a thunderous version of Ras Michael’s None A Jah Jah Children; “Deceivers” by the Heptones, stripped back into something simultaneously ethereal and bathyspheric; Keith Hudson’s “I’m No Fool” emerging from a pressure cooker of bass and drum; Jah Lloyd’s “Black Moses”, busting down walls with its epic echo and siren opening.
I started collecting these dubs in the late 90s. We were going to Shaka at the Rocket, Aba Shanti in the Arches, then Imperial Gardens. Entebbe somewhere off Mare Street. Iration Steppas in Kingsland Road, Jah Tubby’s in the Rec. We were doing our own parties at the time in east London, Bohemia Place, then Trenz, Dungeons, the old social services office by London Fields. Building up a sound, taking it on the road, crew sitting on the speaker boxes in the back of a Mercedes 508. Under the stars or in warehouses with sweat dripping from the ceiling, lugging crates and amps across fields or up flights of stairs, stringing up boxes under bridges, in car parks or on roundabouts. Waiting for the moment to drop the dubs.
This tape is dedicated to my crew and all the music providers and anyone who also knew or wants to know these moments.“
Fifty Physical Copies - 60 mins - No digital
Suche:digital princess
- 1
„PRINCESS OF POWER“ ist das mit Spannung erwartete sechste Studioalbum von MARINA. Inspiriert von der Superkraft der Liebe ist es die erste unabhängige Veröffentlichung der international gefeierten und preisgekrönten Künstlerin. Das Album erforscht die Konzepte von Macht und Führung für eine neue Generation. Es basiert auf der Überzeugung, dass Liebe uns nicht schwach macht, sondern etwas ist, das uns Kraft gibt und das wir feiern.
- A1: Armin Van Buuren - "The Road To Your Destination" (A State Of Trance Year Mix 2024 Outro) (1 02)
- A2: Armin Van Buuren & Moby - "Extreme Ways" (1 10)
- A3: Jerome Isma-Ae - "Hold That Sucker Down" (Hel Slowed Remix) (1:10)
- A4: Hel Slowed & Amber Revival - "Wildfire" (1:10)
- A5: Estiva - "Fine Day" (1 10)
- A6: Armin Van Buure - "Love Is A Drug" (Feat Anne Gudrun - Agents Of Time Remix) (1 10)
- A7: 7 Skies X Antheros - "Finish My Life" (1 10)
- A8: Elysian - "Now We Are Free" (1 10)
- A9: Rivo - "In & Out Of Love" (Vs Armin Van Buuren) (1 10)
- A10: Armin Van Buuren - "Pulstar" (1 10)
- A11: Nilsix - "Old's Cool" (1 10)
- A12: Giuseppe Ottaviani - "Something About You" (Feat Adriana Stone) (1 10)
- A13: Above & Beyond - "Heart Of Stone" (Feat Richard Bedford) (1 10)
- A14: Marlo & Mila Josef - "You Are Not Alone" (Tech Energy Mix) (1 10)
- A15: Gabry Ponte X Giuseppe Ottavinai - "In My Mind" (Feat Malou) (1 10)
- A16: David Forbes - "Alcazar" (1 10)
- A17: Layton Giordani X Tiga X Audion - "Let's Go Dancing" (0 43)
- B1: Armin Van Buuren - "Es Vedra" (1 10)
- B2: Above & Beyond - "Crazy Love" (Feat Zoe Johnston) (1 13)
- B3: Armin Van Buuren & Agents Of Time - "Love Is Eternity" (Feat Orkid) (1 13)
- B4: Semblance Smile - "Just Let Go" (1 13)
- B5: Camisra & Armin Van Buuren - "Let Me Show You" (1 13)
- B6: David Guetta & Mason - "Perfect (Exceeder)" (Vs Princess Superstar) (1 13)
- B7: Armin Van Buuren - "High On Love" (Feat Anne Gudrun) (1 13)
- B10: Laura Van Dam & Ginchy - "Save Me" (1 13)
- B11: Paul Van Dyk - "For An Angel" (Kolonie Remix) (1 13)
- B12: Armin Van Buuren - "Forever (Stay Like This)" (Feat Goodboys - Club Mix) (0 36)
- B13: Oliver Heldens & Armin Van Buuren - "Freedom" (Feat Sam Harper) (0 47)
- B14: Armin Van Buuren, Ferry Corsten, Rank 1 & Ruben De Ronde - "Destination" (A State Of Trance 2024 Anthem) (0 34)
- B15: Giuseppe Ottaviani & Lasada - "Leave You There" (0 39)
- B16: Cosmic Gate & Christian Burns - "Brave" (Sean Tyas Remix) (0 47)
- B17: Daxson - "Elysium" (Transmission Theme 2024) (1 05)
- B18: Ilan Bluestone - "Echoes Of Courage" (0 38)
- B19: Giuseppe Ottaviani X Lea Key - "In The Silence" (0 51)
- B20: Armin Van Buuren - "Part Of Me" (Feat Louis Iii) (0 34)
- C1: Joris Voorn & Avira - "The Orange Theme" (1 00)
- C2: Avira - "Hot Tub Time Machine" (1 12)
- C3: Armin Van Buuren & Ahmed Helmy - "Racing Spirit" (1 21)
- C4: Protoculture - "Starfield" (1 21)
- C5: Artbat & Armin Van Buuren - "Take Off" (1 21)
- C6: Matt Fax - "Raven" (1 21)
- C7: Ferry Corsten X Marsh - "Fulfillment" (1 21)
- C8: Ahmed Helmy - "R4Ve 301" (1 21)
- C9: Andrew Rayel Presents Aether - "Memoria Eterna" (1 21)
- C10: Krevix & Hadriani - "Your Life" (0 54)
- C11: Sharam - "Patt (Party All The Time)" (Adam Beyer, Layton Giordani & Green Velvet Remix) (0 47)
- C12: Mauro Picotto - "Lizard" (Dan Cooper Remix) (0 46)
- C13: Ferry Corsten & Superstrings - "Remember" (0 47)
- C14: Craig Connelly & Nicholas Gunn - "Miss You" (Feat Alina Renae) (0 44)
- C15: Aly & Fila, Philippe El Sisi, Omar Sherif - "Count On Me" (With Jaren) (0 42)
- B8: Orjan Nilsen - "Ashore" (1 13)
- C16: Ben Gold & Bo Bruce - "Half Light" (0 52)
- C17: Ferry Corsten - "Just Breathe" (0 45)
- C18: Eddie Makabi - "Ecstasy" (Feat Einat - Allen Watts Remix) (1 06)
- C19: Factor B - "The Girl With Her Head In The Clouds" (Ellie Song) (0 48)
- D1: Ben Hemsley - "Tidal" (Feat Rose Gray - The Euphoric Mix) (1 03)
- D2: Armin Van Buuren - "Bed Of Rain" (Feat Mila Josef) (1 10)
- D3: Paul Van Dyk & Sue Mclaren - "Love Is Enough" (Shine Mix) (1 10)
- D4: Armin Van Buuren & Hardwell - "Follow The Light" (1 10)
- D5: Allen Watts Presents Awaken - "Fragments" (1 10)
- D6: Maarten De Jong - "Kanua" (1 10)
- D7: Ram & Richard Durand Presents Digital Culture - "Follow Me 2024" (Vs Space Frog & Derb) (1 10)
- D8: Matty Ralph - "Dreaming" (1 10)
- D9: Armin Van Buuren & Gryffin - "What Took You So Long" (1 10)
- D10: Aly & Fila X Lostly - "The Unknown" (1 10)
- D11: Daxson & Nation Of One - "Now Or Never" (Craig Connelly Remix) (0 45)
- D12: C-Systems - "Voyager" (0 47)
- D13: Andrew Rayel - "The Abyss" (0 51)
- D14: Aly & Fila With Ferry Tayle - "Concorde" (Cris Grey Remix) (0 52)
- D15: Armin Van Buuren X Hi-Lo - "Now Love Will Begin" (0 49)
- D16: Armin Van Buuren & Ben Hemsley - "Is It Beautiful" (Feat Lucy Pullin - A State Of Trance 2025 Anthem) (0 47)
- D17: Xijaro & Pitch - "The Path" (0 48)
- D18: Alex Morph - "Ava Mariae" (0 55)
- D19: Richard Durand & Nicholas Gunn - "About A Love" (Feat Jordan Grace) (1 00)
- D20: John O'callaghan, Paul Skelton & Ren Faye - "May The Road Rise" (1 08)
- E1: Cold Blue - "The Great Awakening" (1 03)
- E2: Trance Wax - "Ascend" (Sneijder Remix) (1 07)
- B9: Hel Slowed X Jnsn - "Want Me" (1:13)
- E3: Sneijder Remix - "Don't Stop" (Drums & Acid Mix) (1 07)
- E4: Allen Watts - "Elevate" (1 07)
- E5: John O'callaghan & Alex Holmes - "Devotion" (1 07)
- E6: Miyuki & Jennifer Rene - "Our Song" (1 07)
- E7: River - "I Can't Sleep" (1 07)
- E8: Will Atkinson - "High On The Low" (1 07)
- E9: Craig Connelly & Cari - "Breathe Again" (1 07)
- E10: Aly & Fila & Richard Durand - "Nebula" (1 07)
- E11: Armin Van Buuren & David Guetta - "In The Dark" (Feat Aldae) (1 07)
- E12: Bryan Kearney - "You Will Never Be Forgotten" (Lostly Remix) (1 07)
- E13: Armin Van Buuren X Vize X Leony - "City Lights" (1 07)
- E14: Talla 2Xlc & Fragma - "Toca's Miracle" (1 07)
- E15: Factor B - "A Gift To The Earth" (1 07)
- E16: Alexander De Roy & Hidden Tigress - "Intention" (Eximinds Remix) (1 07)
- E17: Lange - "Drifting Away" (Feat Skye - Drifting Away) (1 07)
- E18: Drifting Away - "Viva L'opera" (0 57)
- F1: Armin Van Buuren & W&W - "Late Checkout" (1 06)
- F2: Ben Gold - "Diving Faces" (1 08)
- F3: Felix - "Don't You Want Me" (Ki/Ki Remix) (1 08)
- F4: Elley Duhe & Whethan - "Money On The Dash" (Armin Van Buuren Remix) (1 08)
- F5: Ben Gold & Scott Mac - "Damager 24" (1 08)
- F6: Gabry Ponte & Le Shuuk - "Psychotek" (1 08)
- F7: Hi-Lo & Maddix - "My Fantasy" (1 08)
- F8: Ben Nicky, Hannah Laing & Paul Findlay X Signum - "Coming On Strong" (Feat Scott Mac - Trance Mix) (1 08)
- F9: Bryan Kearney - "Angel Child" (1 08)
- F10: 0Gravity - "Take My Breath" (1 08)
f11 FLRNTN, Benjamin Duchenne - "Last Man Standing" (feat Sivan) (1:08)
f12 Nicholas Gunn & Harshil Kamdar - "Here I Am" (feat Alina Renae - Richard Durand remix) (1:08)
f13 DJ TH X TH3 ONE X Sue McLaren - "Everything To Me" (1:08)
f14 Matty Ralph - "Te Adoro" (1:08)
f15 Armin Van Buuren & Vini Vici - "Sarabande" (feat Anna Timofei) (1:08)
f16 Lilly Palmer - "Hare Ram" (1:08)
f17 David Forbes - "Techno Is My Only Drug" (1:08)
f18 Armin Van Buuren - "Blah Blah Blah" (Lilly Palmer remix) (1:08)
f19 Armin Van Buuren - "The Road To Your Destination" (A State Of Trance Year mix 2024 outro) (1:14)
Sarang Bang Records proudly presents Eternal Afternoon, the latestfull-length offering from Auckland-based composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, Joe Kaptein. Drawing inspiration from the 70s jazz-funk innovations of Donald Byrdand Lonnie Liston Smith
and elements of dub and disco, Eternal Afternoon is an uplifting collection of five original Kaptein compositions - a joyful antidote to these troubled times.
Featuring Kaptein’s intricately layered keys and tight ensemblearrangements, the album is augmented by masterful touches of flute and saxophone by Aotearoa New Zealand jazz icon Nathan Haines and backed by local heavyweights Elijah Whyte (drums) and Wil Goodinson (bass), the backbone of Kaptein’s regular working band.
Seemingly out of nowhere, Kaptein appeared on the Auckland scene a few years ago and quickly made a name for himself owing to his versatility, impeccable taste and musicianship, and has established himself as thego-to keyboardist for the likes of Nathan Haines, The Circling Sun, Princess Chelsea, The Situations, and Muroki.
Before recording Eternal Afternoon, Kaptein somehow managed to channel his unrelenting creative energy into three low-key, but brilliant self-released digital albums in between his hectic international touring schedule and session work. These exploratory recordings touch on drummachine and synth-driven psych-lounge, Krautrock, experimental jazz, and Bacharachian pop, allowing the listener a glimpse into the depth of Kaptein’s vision and his wide-ranging musical interests.
- A1: La Balançoire (Sports Et Divertissements) 1914
- A2: Berceuse (Enfantillages Pittoresques) 1913
- A3: Caresse 1897
- A4: Ce Que Dit La Petite Princesse Des Tulipes (Menus Propos Enfantins) 1913
- A5: 5Ème Gnossienne 1889
- A6: Colin-Maillard (Sports Et Divertissements) 1914
- B1: Danses De Travers (Pièces Froides) 1897
- B2: 2Ème Gnossienne 1890
- B3: 2Ème Gymnopédie 1888
- B4: Harmonie 1895?
- B5: Idylle (Avant-Dernières Pensées) 1915
- B6: Idylle Cynique (Préludes Flasques) 1912
- B7: Lui Manger Sa Tartine (Peccadilles Importunes) 1913
- C1: La Pêche (Sports Et Divertissements) 1914
- C2: Petite Ouverture À Danser 1900
- C3: Petit Prélude À La Journée (Enfantillages Pittoresques) 1913
- C4: Prière 1895
- C5: 4Ème Gnossienne 1891
- C6: 4Ème Nocturne 1919
- D1: Rêverie Du Pauvre 1900
- D2: Son Binocle (Les Trois Valses Distinguées Du Précieux Dégoûté) 1914
- D3: Songe Creux 1906-08?
- D4: Sur Un Vaisseau (Descriptions Automatiques) 1913
- D5: Tyrolienne Turque (Croquis Et Agaceries D’un Gros Bonhomme En Bois) 1913
- D6: Vexation 1895
- D7: Voix D’intérieur (Préludes Flasques) 1912
WRWTFWW Records is delighted to announce the first official worldwide reissue of Satsuki Shibano’s Wave Notation 3: Erik Satie 1984, the final album from the sound-defining Wave Notation environmental music series curated by Satoshi Ashikawa. Originally released in 1984 on the Sound Process label, Wave Notation 3 followed Ashikawa’s own Still Way (1982) and Hiroshi Yoshimura's Music For Nine Postcards (1982).
The highly sought-after album, sourced from the original master tape, is available as a double LP (housed in a luxurious heavyweight sleeve) for the first time ever. Digipack CD and digital formats are also available. This exclusive reissue, including English and Japanese liner notes by the artist, was supervised by Japanese ambient legend Yoshio Ojima.
Wave Notation 3 is a splendid tribute to seminal French composer and pianist Erik Satie, himself one of the main influences behind kankyo ongaku / environmental music (alongside Brian Eno, John Cage to name a few). The alphabetically-sequenced album features 26 pieces showcasing Shibano's unique piano interpretation of Satie’s works.
The artist explains: « For this album, I sequenced the compositions in alphabetical order of each title, irrespective of the period of each composition or style. By doing this, I attempted to effectively create ‘Music as an environment’ and at the same time, allow the listener to genuinely experience Satie’s music. »
Satsuko Shibano’s minimalistic approach to ambient classical is simply perfect and offers a beautiful and tranquil listening experience, furniture music with extra comfort and soothing simplicity, relaxing to the mind and to the soul. This Wave Notation deserves a spot among the pillars of Japanese environmental music, next to Midori Takada’s Through The Looking Glass, Hiroshi Yoshimura’s Green, and Satoshi Ashikawa’s Still Way.
Ein Ltd. Reissue als Grünes Vinyl von Sizzlas Meisterwerk 'Black Woman & Child' von 1997!
- „Meisterwerk“ - Rolling Stone Magazin
- Produziert von Bobby Digital, gilt Black Woman & Child zu Recht als das wichtigste Reggae-Album der 90er Jahre.
- Black Woman & Child wurde 1997 von Greensleeves veröffentlicht und war Sizzlas Durchbruch, der ihm eine Nominierung für den International Reggae Artist Of The Year einbrachte und seinen Platz als Star der 90er Jahre sicherte.
- Vollgepackt mit Hit-Singles über einige Riddim-Relicks, darunter 'Make It Secure' (auf Drum Song), 'One Away (Satta Massagana)', 'Give Them The Ride' (The Lecturer) und der hymnische Titeltrack 'Black Woman & Child'.
- Enthalten sind zwei weitere Kombinationen mit Capleton bei 'Babylon A Use Dem
- Brain“ und Edi Fitzroy bei ‚Princess Black‘.
- Als einer der wichtigsten und erfolgreichsten Künstler der Reggae-Geschichte ist „Black Woman & Child“ auch fast drei Jahrzehnte später noch ein unverzichtbares Album.
Der Modern Roots Classic ist wieder als Original US-LP Vinyl erhältlich! Der Longplayer wurde 1997 von Robert "Digital B" Dixon produziert und von Barry O'Hare, Benjy Myres, Bongo Herman, Dalton Browne, Dean Frazer, 'Dish', Donald Dennis, Ernie Wilks, Jazzwad, Melbourne Miller, Paul Crossdale, Paul Henton, Robbie Shakespeare, Ronald "Nambo" Robinson, 'Saxie' und Sly Dunbar eingespielt, die Backing Vocals übernahmen Dalton Browne and Marie Gittens. Als Riddims kamen u.a. diverse Klassiker von Coxone Dodd/Studio One Label, und/oder von Black Uhuru und The Abyssinians zum Einsatz: "Stars", "Drum Song", "Queen Of The Minstrel", "Leaving To Zion", "Satta", "He Prayed".
- A1: Kutiman - Badawee
- A2: El Khat - Ya Raiyat (Radio Trip Edit)
- A3: Boom Pam - Uniton
- A4: Baharat - The Egyptian
- A5: Les Dynamites - Pop Oud #2
- B1: Sababa 5 & Shiran Tzfira - Manginat Mahapeha (Feat. Matan Caspi)
- B2: Sababa 5 (Feat. Yurika) - Nasnusa
- B3: Sababa 5 - Baksheesh
- B4: Sababa 5 - Rosenzweig
- C1: Eje Eje - Saved From The Jazz
- C2: Yossi Fine & Ben Aylon - Peres
- C3: Yuz - Galgalit
- C4: Baharat - Parsley Disco
- C5: Romano - Six
- D1: Buttering Trio - Little Goat (Iza Ktana)
- D2: Koy Kardeşler - Shürük
- D3: Şatellites - Deli Deli
- D4: Cherry Bandora - Esý
Batov Records “Middle Eastern Grooves’ 7” series have become staples in the sets of DJs looking to broaden their sets to incorporate psychedelic and Middle Eastern sounds alongside the familiar funk, jazz, and soul catalogue. In the process, the series has enjoyed support across BBC 6 Radio Music, from Gilles Peterson to Gideon Coe, and made waves around the world, from Radio Nova and FIP in France, across the Atlantic to KEXP and Music Is My Sanctuary,
and laid the seeds for debut albums from series staples, Sababa 5 and Şatellites.
The compilation opens with the desert funk sound of "Badawee" by the iconic producer and multi-instrumentalist, Kutiman, followed by the instrumental edit of "Ya Raiyat" by Tel Aviv digging pioneers Radio Trip. Other highlights include the deranged & spooky synths of “The Egyptian” by Baharat, a prime example of the label's core sound, the
psychedelic Middle Eastern groove bomb "Deli Deli" by Şatellites, and “Nasnusa”, Sababa 5’s acclaimed collaboration with Japanese vocalist Yurika Hanashima.
Batov Records is thrilled to announce the release of ‘Middle Eastern Grooves’, a double gatefold LP compilation of standout tracks from the label’s highly successful series of 7” singles released
under the same name, hand selected by label co-founder DJ Kobayashi. Spanning from 2015 to the present day, the compilation features a mix of classic favourites, new releases, and neverbefore-heard gems from some of the most talented emerging artists.
The compilation also includes some exclusive tracks, released here for the first time. Following their recent collaborative EP, Sababa 5 back the newly discovered vocalist Shiran Tzfira with a simple but
effective combo of synths and percussion on the haunting “Manginat Mahepeha”.
Şatellites band leader Itamar Kluger contributes “Saved From The Jazz” from his new psychedelic funk project Eje Eje - watch out for the drums on this!
And finally, underground belly dancing princess turned Mediterranean psych chanteuse, Cherry Bandora, contributes the hypnotic “Esý”.
This first volume of highlights from the Middle Eastern Grooves 7" series offers a comprehensive look at the evolution of the label's sound and its place in the wider musical context. From surf rock
to Mediterranean psych, this collection showcases the diverse and captivating sounds of the Middle East and its influence on modern music. The compilation will be available on double gatefold vinyl and for digital download and streaming from 19th May, 2023.
When he isn’t managing Batov Records, DJ Kobayashi can be found digging for grooves and melodies that stand out from the norm, and sharing them at the likes of Brilliant Corners, Spiritland, and his biweekly show on Soho Radio. His vast collection spans funk and beats from across the globe, and reflects, of course, a particular
predilection for Middle Eastern grooves. His refined tastes have created a great demand for his selections, leading to him playing alongside the likes of Islandman, Balkan Beat Box, The Apples, and Baba Zula.
- A1: Diamond Door Feat. Princess Shaw
- A2: I’m The Best Rapper In The World
- A3: Choosy Choosy (Feat. Yunoka Berry)
- A4: My Favorite Ghost (Phantom Pains) (Feat. Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph And Nigel Hall)
- B1: Bang Bang Bang
- B2: Who’s The Best? (Dear Young Lb)
- B3: Go Ape Shit (Feat. L-Deez & Cut Chemist)
- B4: Alligator Boots (Feat. Say Sway)
- B5: Greatness On Repeat (Go Me!) (Feat. D Sharp)
“This is me at my most imaginative, freakiest, and yet still most grounded and introspective,” says Japanese American rapper/actor Lyrics Born not only about his new album Vision Board, but also his “self” and his existence. “I feel like a new man! I’m healthier physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally.” The lead single and video “Diamond Door” is a pop/rap banger that lands you with an infectious barb and keeps you hooked for days, and is a thinly-veiled tribute to a particular style of female appreciation, but it can also be taken as a welcome mat to the new era of Lyrics Born. The accompanying video which shows Lyrics Born in his current physical form - svelte, stylish and with a confident swagger - reinforces this next chapter in his life. 60 pounds lighter, he lost the weight during the pandemic when he knew he needed to make a change. “Touring was becoming harder, and I was having all these weird health problems, but nothing that anybody could put their finger on,” he explains “My anxiety was high. I was not sleeping well. I was on the verge of really bad health.” And this improvement brought more confidence which shows in his new album. Vision Board is a focused affair that found him stretching his creativity farther and challenging himself to write in a way he’s never written before. Recorded primarily in New Orleans and produced by Rob Mercurio of Galactic (who also produced 2015’s Real People and 2018’s Quite a Life), it posited him in a new environment that helped his creative juices flow even more fluidly. “There’s nothing like recording in the Crescent City. It just gets in your blood, and the results are always funky and wild.” “This is about as psychedelic as I’ve ever been,” LB says. “I’m so proud of this album. I’m in a different space. The world is in a different space, and I wanted to celebrate that, loosen up and really create some imagery and share some emotion that I never have. I was listening to a lot of Shuggie Otis; a lot of obscure psychedelic soul and later Temptations,” he explained. “This is like if Alice in Wonderland was Japanese.” Vision Board was also inspired by another Bay Area rap luminary, although one who’s no longer with us - Gift of Gab. The dexterous Blackalicious MC and fellow Quannum Projects alum had a profound effect on Lyrics Born’s life, both creatively and philosophically. “I asked myself on some of these songs: ‘How would Gab approach them?’” he said. “I’d play with certain cadences, certain styles; I tried to stretch stylistically, lyrically and vocally on every single song. None of the patterns are the same.” Lyrics Born’s vulnerability shines through on the nine-track effort, something he’s not ashamed to admit (nor should he be). At one point during the pandemic, he was losing one friend, peer or family member every other week - from Zumbi of Zion I to Gift of Gab to Digital Underground’s Shock G. While many of the songs are deeply introspective, he had to “write some fun shit,” too. Celebratory horns, uptempo rhythms and fiery bars pepper the project from start to finish, and truly encapsulate Lyrics Born’s evolution of not just a groundbreaking Asian-American MC but also a human being. As the only Asian-American MC to release 10 studio albums, the first Asian-American to play major music festivals like Coachella and Lollapalooza and the first Asian-American to release a greatest hits compilation, Lyrics Born has been breaking barriers his entire life - and he’s not going to stop anytime soon. From the bombastic and tribal “I’m the Best Rapper in the World” with its self-winking boastfulness to the playful scat of “Bang Bang Bang” that slinks like an outtake from West Side Story, to the smooth and seductive “Who's The Best? (Dear Young LB)," to the psychedelic and swoony ”Alligator Boots” with it dreamy “Walk on the Wildside”-esque reverby sway, Vision Board sees Lyrics Born tackling different tones, textures and genres without fear and making them completely his own. It's an eclectic body of work that boasts more synths, more psychedelia and is generally more abstract.
Expanded with 2 original single-version tracks. Digitally mastered from original BYG tapes by Nick Robbins. 16-pages booklet with photos & exclusive liner notes by author and journalist Kevin Le Gendre. CD: Original 1969 BYG album. Expanded with 2 original single-version tracks. Digitally mastered from original BYG tapes by Nick Robbins. 16-pages booklet with photos & exclusive liner notes by author and journalist Kevin Le Gendre. *** Having been part of the fabled ‘Canterbury scene’ along with luminaries such as Robert Wyatt and Pip Pyle the irrepressible Australian guitarist-vocalist-songwriter Daevid Allen formed Gong with Welsh vocalist Gilli Smyth in Paris at the end of the ‘60s as France was in state of ferment. Magick Brother introduced Gong as one of the great oddities of the psychedelic and space rock age. The nucleus of Allen, Smyth and Malherbe was able to create a musical vocabulary very much of its own all the while searching for essential metaphysical truths. “The band made strong political statements that comes through loud and clear on this re-mastered version of Gong’s debut album...” Kevin Le Gendre, 2022
Outernational Sounds very proudly Presents The Mallory-Hall Band "Song of Soweto" & "The Last Special".
Limited, fully licensed digital and vinyl reissues of two crucial South African sessions led by Charles Mallory and Al Hall, Jnr., featuring Kirk Lightsey, Marshall Royal, Rudolph Johnson, Billy Brooks and more! Essential companion pieces to Kirk Lightsey’s legendary ‘Habiba’.
Featuring tracks:
Song Of Soweto: Side A – ‘Song of Soweto’, ‘Hamba Samba’; Side B – ‘Cape Town Blues’, ‘Moroka Rock’, ‘The African Night’
The Last Special: Side A - ‘The Last Special’, ‘Princess of Joh’Burg’; Side B - ‘Amafu (Clouds)’, ‘Blue Mabone’
Never released outside South Africa, and out of print since 1974, Outernational Sounds presents two long-lost Johannesburg sessions from the Mallory-Hall Band – an all-star review of West Coast jazz stars who toured apartheid South Africa in the mid-1970s.
Sanifu Al Hall, Jnr. is a musician’s musician. During a storied career stretching across six decades, Hall has recorded with the greats of the music including Freddie Hubbard, Doug Carn, and Johnny Hammond, and leads his own Cosmos Dwellerz Arkestra. But until recent years, the only records on which he had appeared as leader were a brace of rich, funky LPs, Song Of Soweto and The Last Special, issued only in South Africa under the moniker of The Mallory-Hall Band (named for Hall and his co-leader, guitarist Charles Mallory – musical director for Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Mallory was conductor for Dusty Springfield touring bands, and had worked with John Lee Hooker, Stevie Wonder, and many others). Neither LP had any wider release, and both have remained out of print since 1974. How did a young stalwart of the Los Angeles jazz scene end up in a recording studio in apartheid South Africa?
Al Hall, Jnr. and Charles Mallory had arrived in South Africa as part of the touring band for the singer Lovelace Watkins. Sometimes billed as ‘the Black Sinatra’, the Detroit-born Watkins sang standards and ballroom classics on the Las Vegas circuit. He never made it big in the US, but in his 1970s heyday he was a huge star in southern Africa, and 1974 he hired a jazz big band to accompany him on a tour of South Africa – Hall and Mallory were part of the line-up, alongside Mastersounds bassist Monk Montgomery, pianist Kirk Lightsey, tenorist Rudolph Johnson, drummer Billy Brooks, and Marshall Royal, musical director of the Count Basie band. The tour was a huge success, and during downtime from performing, members of the group managed to independently record no fewer than three albums. Lightsey and Johnson’s stunning Habiba was the first (reissued as Outernational Sounds OTR.013), and it was followed by two crucial sessions led by Hall and Mallory – Song of Soweto and The Last Special, issued on the local IRC imprint.
Visiting apartheid South Africa in 1974 was a controversial choice for any artist. Numerous artistic and cultural bodies around the world had already announced that their members would boycott the country in solidarity with the struggle against apartheid, and working in South Africa was severely frowned on by anti-apartheid activists everywhere. For a Black band, touring the country to play to mostly white audiences could have been seen by many both inside and outside South Africa as a questionable decision. ‘It was a batch of mixed reactions when I choose to visit South Africa whilst apartheid policies were in place,’ Hall recalls. ‘To me the choice was a simple one – “I wanna see for myself!” I also wanted to be a part of breaking down racial barriers, having been down some of the same roads in my own country.’
The albums were recorded by a twelve-piece band at Johannesburg’s Video Sounds Studios in December 1974, and feature the legendary pianist Kirk Lightsey, Black Jazz recording artist Rudolph Johnson, and the rest of the touring band. Both records are superbly arranged slabs of peak 1970s funky big band soul jazz, with tasteful Latin inflections and more than a nod to South Africa’s upful township jazz sound. They are the sonic traces left by a seasoned African American band who were touring South Africa in the depths of the apartheid era, and who immediately moved beyond the segregated hotels and ballrooms to build links with local South African players and audiences.
Never previously available outside South Africa, Outernational Sounds’ new editions of Song of Soweto and The Last Special (alongside our edition of Kirk Lightsey’s Habiba) represents the first time these albums have been in print for nearly fifty years. Fully licensed from Gallo Records and pressed at Pallas in Germany from Gallo’s original masters, they feature new sleeve notes from Francis Gooding (The Wire) based on interviews with Al Hall, Jnr., and a reminiscence from pianist Kirk Lightsey.
In the afterglow of her acclaimed 2020 album Silver Ladders, Los Angeles-based harpist Mary Lattimore returns with a culminating counterpart release, Collected Pieces: 2015- 2020. The limited-edition LP features new and previously unreleased material, Bandcamp-only singles, and other obscurities alongside standouts from her 2017 tape Collected Pieces. Beyond the vinyl compendium, an expanded tracklist on the cassette/digital version brings more of Lattimore's archives together for the first time. Lattimore has described the process of arranging these releases as akin to "opening a box filled with memories," and here that box continues to populate, accessible for both the artist and fans. Evocative material separated by years, framed as a portrait of an instrumental storyteller who rarely pauses, recording and often sharing music as soon as it strikes her. Seemingly in constant forward motion for the last five years since her Ghostly debut, Lattimore glances back for a breath, inviting new chances to live in these fleeting moments and emotions; all the beauty, sorrow, sunshine, and darkness housed within. Opening the cassette version is "Mary, You Were Wrong," which mirrors an author's bout with a broken heart. "It's about how you have to keep on going even if you make some mistakes," she says. The bittersweet refrain cycles throughout, a little brighter every time, slowly, like the way time tends to heal. Unreleased track "Sleeping Deer" came together during Lattimore's artist residency on a cattle ranch in Wyoming. She remembers, "a small deer whose mother I think had been run over by a car would hang out in the yard. I called him Lollipop and would leave vegetable scraps out." Lollipop returned daily to eat, rest, and wait for more. The music this vision inspired is patient and droning, with light plucks giving way to deeper, vibrating tones, permeating with a sense of anticipation. Next is a newer single, "We Wave From Our Boats," which she improvised after walking her neighborhood during the early days of lockdown in 2020, and shared on her Bandcamp. "I would just wave at neighbors I didn't know in a gesture of solidarity and it reminded me of how you're compelled to wave at people on the other boat when you're on a boat yourself, or on a bridge or something. The pull to wave feels very innate and natural." The heart of the track is a somber loop, over top which Lattimore's synth notes ruminate, each a gentle shimmer of optimism in the most anxious and absurd of days. Also recorded in 2020, "What The Living Do" is inspired by Marie Howe's poem of the same name, which reflects on loss through an appreciation for the mundane messiness of being human. The echoed, slow-marching track has a distant feel to it, as if the listener is outside of it, watching life play out as a film. "Princess Nicotine (1909)" scores actual footage, a dream sequence Lattimore imagined for J. Stuart Blackton's surreal silent film Princess Nicotine; or, the Smoke Fairy. She adopted the same approach for "Polly of the Circus," explaining it was the name of one of the old silent films discovered in permafrost in the Yukon featured in the documentary Dawson City: Frozen Time, "the only copy that survived and it kind of warped in the aging process." A trove of pieces are collected here, most recorded in the moment, just Lattimore and her Lyon and Healy Concert Grand Harp, contact mics, and pedals. Like her most affecting work, these songs showcase Lattimore's gifts as an observer, able to shape her craft around emotional frequencies and scenes. Her power as a musician is rooted in how she sees the world: in vivid detail, profoundly empathic, with deep gratitude for nature and nuance.
This is the follow up to Kero Hero Bonito’s 7” ‘Flamingo’ release from November last year.
Kero Kero Bonito are a London-based experimental pop trio, comprised of bilingual Anglo-Japanese singer Sarah and producers Gus and Jamie. Having previously made college radio indie (Time 'n' Place, #1 NACC 2018) and viral Casio megahits ("Flamingo", "I'd Rather Sleep"), the six track Civilisation mini-album compiles the "lost world junk pop" of the band's Civilisation I and Civilisation II EPs.
Civilisation was inspired by the art pop lineage of artists like Kate Bush, David Sylvian and Peter Gabriel, with a sonic palette informed by Warp's Artificial Intelligence series, homemade New Age music and early digital synth experiments. It was created entirely with dusty old musical hardware and uses both ancient musical tropes (pentatonic scales, minimalist repetition) and contemporary songwriting techniques to summon an out-of-time atmosphere that spans the past, present and future simultaneously. The songs tackle widescreen themes like psychological warfare (on the mystical polyrhythmic funk of "Battle Lines"), ancient mythology (on the energetic, melancholy synth-pop of "The Princess and the Clock") and the resurrection of the dead (on "Well Rested", the record's 7-minute psychedelic house closer).
* Another brand-new hot-shot from the ever-active Partial Records label, arriving in the shape of a production from Dreadsquad aka Marek Bogdański, who has been active on the reggae / dub / digital / dancehall scene for almost 20 years, collaborating with the likes of Tenor Fly, U Brown, Ward 21, El Fata, YT, Radikal Guru and more.
* This `real instruments’ steppers riddim features Dub Princess on vocals who although a relative newcomer, has already made her mark over the last few years, with a number of collaborations.
* Mixed in fine style by Dougie Wardrop at Conscious Sounds studio, London.
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