quête:disco express

Rotciv is the Brasilian born, Berlin based man behind Mister Mistery records. This prolific producer has been out there for quite a long time and you might remember "The Rimshooters", the long lasting collaboration with Massimiliano Pagliara himself. Now it is time for Rotciv to offer a piece of his synthesisers' craftsmanship to Funnuvojoere Records. This five tracker EP expresses Rotciv's skills with harmony and music progression. A1 AWAKENING starts off with a piano house arpeggio and slowly evolves into a trance acid-tinged explosive motive. Organic feeling drums develop giving it a disco touch that will put a smile on the crowded dance floor. A2 GOOD SPELL combines a pure cosmic style with a New Beat-like dissonance and uplifting vocals. B1 KNOW THE UNKNOWN keeps the experimentation levels high with distortions and an 8bit dialogue that drifts into a progressive-kind of sound. Deeper than the rest B2 puts on stage a dark landscape that reminds of a black and white vampire movie. B3 INTERMISSION follows up and gives the final ambient touch to this delightful EP.

Fresh from the Tokyo studio of Balearic wizard Max Essa, comes Barkhan Dunes EP; a collection of exquisite, chilled-out loveliness.

Opening track The Price You Pay (For Loving That Way) warns of the dangers of careless love affairs. A veritable beach-disco classic in the making; warm, expressive synth rhythms and beautiful clean guitar lines provide an irresistible urge to climb on deck and let your body move. Next up, Kites at Nemoto Beach caresses your soul with blissful shimmering guitar and synths, before some David Axelrod-esque choral vocals carry you across the oceans to a new place.

Finally, Sundowning is a sublime slice of low-slung, poolside AOR. As the golden-red sun slides towards the horizon, a bittersweet dubby guitar refrain hints at past troubles, but also carries you forward to an optimistic future.

Getting strong support from Dicky Trisco, Marco Gallerani, Simon Lee, Beatbroker/Dream Chimney and more.

Ready for an adventure running parallel to their lives in common units, the quartet boarded a starship
to set off on an astral expedition. The mission began perfectly, according to plan. From the very first
measures, the travellers were released from the Earth's gravity. Very quickly, their home planet
appeared tiny and distant, before disappearing completely. Comets and novae lit the way through the
fathomless depths of interstellar space. Their preliminary, in-depth studies of seventies jazz-funk
were a great source of inspiration. Very early on, they knew that this sonic esthetic would allow them
to travel even farther, navigating only with organic instruments and no digital backing or
enhancements.
Commander Virgile Raffaëlli's bass lines guided their journey, offering a calm, yet vibrant foundation
for the smoother phases and turning up the power to bring them through turbulence and meteor
showers safe and sound. Like a compass, the bass indicated the direction and traced a groove that
the loyal, valued crew could follow as their travels continued. Mathieu Edouard's drums solidly
locked down the rhythm to avoid any sudden jolts, working in tandem with Erwan Loeffel's jetpropelled percussion. On the keyboards, Florian Pellissier drew harmonies and riffs from the
synthesizers and electric pianos to oil the machinery and lighten the load when the ensemble needed
to rise a few feet. The crew's almost telepathic cohesion was key to their success, allowing them to
express interior emotions with just a few notes.
Here is the last transmission we received:
"We have landed on an unknown planet and are depressurizing the airlock with help from subtle
horns and ethereal choruses so we can discover the new horizon. It definitely meets our
expectations! The desert before us holds the promise of new life. The warm yet fresh air is easy to
breathe. A vague psychedelic scent floats through the atmosphere, as if ready to spring from the first
flower to bloom. Dreamlike, mysterious, enigmatic yet familiar, we will call it Aldorande."

Always one to explore, Shipwrec have set sail and discovered a new isle of musical experimentation. Phainomena is a terrain for ambient introspection, dream-filled drone and stunning soundscapes. An old friend returns to the fold to inaugurate this venture, Julian Edwardes. Seven works of abstract immersion coalesce to create "Consonance." The Dutch artist journeys into far-flung realms and worlds, sweet silken synthlines and juddering noise being his transportation tools of choice. Off-centre echo and muted delay swirl in these audio planets. Mountains, oceans, unending skies are conjured as notes bulge, expand and disperse. Wildlife buzzes, chirps and trills in this land of sonic undulations, plants are given musical form with modulated ruffles as bleeps of cloud scud across an expanse of frequencies. An album of brilliant brightness, shifting shapes and unearthed undercurrents where expression is as ephemeral as it is eternal, a sentiment captured in Rob van Hoesel's sublime cover work.

New LP from French beat-makers La Fine Equipe featuring Illa J, T3, 20Syl, Mr J Medeiros, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Fakear ...

Let's be clear: La Fine Equipe is a band. The numerous hats wore by its four members are so various that it could mislead one's. Indeed, surrounding Blanka, oOgo, Chomsky and Mr. Gib, there are recording studios, collaborations, lives, side-projects... There is also and especially a whole universe built during the past ten years around their passion for beatmaking, embodied by the release of « 5th Season », new album.
So yes, La Fine Equipe is a band, but it's also much more than that.

Since their creation in 2006 and their first album « La Boulangerie » two years later, the four producers became inevitable when you think about a new scene breaking the barriers between musical genders. Hip Hop is at the heart of their craft, corner stone of their musical background and inspirations where the paths of J Dilla, Madlib, Flying Lotus, Kaytranada and the turntablists A-Trak, C2C and Birdy Nam Nam are crossing ways. Two things gather La Fine Equipe and those big names, the constant need of collaboration with other artists, and this thirst of discovery, main feature of the digger.

From 2008 to 2014, La Fine Equipe mastered its craft with the « Boulangerie », compilation gathering 34 beatmakers on 113 tracks. They also work on the creation of the label Nowadays Records (Fakear, Skence, Unno, Clément Bazin, Leska, Douchka...) and released more than 75 EPs and LPs in five years.
With an outrageous number of shows across the world, tour in Asia, South America, collaborations with several international artists... Their success changed the game: Whereas many producers coming from this environment where isolated, La Fine Equipe federated a growing scene and became its reference.
After years spent paving the way for other artists and creating a structure that could support the growth of a musical scene, they decided to go further and launch a new era with « 5th Season ».

Because the band works with eight hands and four brains, there's nothing surprising in the fact that the album sounds like a condensed of each and everyone inspirations and experiences, from hip hop and sampling, to electronica, jazz and Latinas inspirations. If homogeneity is the new trend, La Fine Equipe isn't ready to sacrifice its wishes to fit the mould.

« 5th Season » is also a glance at the world looking over our planet's current state, the cosmos, the vegetal and these things that are greater and stronger than us, and the things and behaviour that could led to our loss.
It's an almost apocalyptic vision of our future, but full of optimism at the same time. There is something solar and cinematographic in this album, a format that goes beyond the one chosen before, closer to playlist and compilations such as the three Boulangerie opuses remind us.

Loyal to their status of ambassadors, the four beatmakers keep on inviting other artists to complete their universe. Illa J and T3, respectively brother and partner (Slum Village) of the late J. Dilla, make the connection between a glorious past and the future embodied by La Fine Equipe on the track « The Source ». With « Aurora », it's the solemn and mystical voice of Madjo that take this electro-pop track to another level. The American rapper Mr. J. Medeiros on the boom bap anthem « What Eva », the Montrealer ZeFire on « Typical », each and every artists brings its stone to the edifice of « 5th Season », giving to the album a limitless and freed musical richness.

But to release an album isn't enough. In parallel, each member of La Fine Equipe continues to fulfil its multiples tasks and work on a new concept live show bringing a scenic and visual show in addition to their music. It is what the artists looking toward the future do, and La Fine Equipe is looking straight ahead.

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TRACK BY TRACK

AURORA (Ft. Madjo)
Already remixed by the quatuor on the beautiful track « Choose The Heart », it's Madjo's turn to be invited by La Fine Equipe for a collaboration. Her mystical voice, which fragility paradoxically seems to strengthen its power, turns the track into an epic pop anthem.

NOBU (Ft. Grems & 20syl)
The association of these three names seems obvious, like a family reunion. Grems did the visual of the anniversary box of La Boulangerie, 20syl (C2C, Hocus Pocus) was one of the beatmakers who took part in the project.
This time, the two big brothers are side by side behind the mic, for the first French speaking collaboration of La Fine Equipe.
On this trapy/footwork beat, the two rappers ring the alarm before it's too late to save our house, the earth.

THE SOURCE (Ft. T3 & Illa J)
In the family of Hip Hop jewels of 5th Season, here is one coming from the USA. Fans of J Dilla and Slum Village since the first hour, La Fine Equipe pays its respects to its influences by inviting T3 and Illa J. Respectively member of Slum Village and brother of the legendary Detroit producer, these two MCs build a bridge between the eras and let their sharpened flows confuse our perception of time.

5TH SEASON (Ft. Fakear)
A second collaboration with their little brother from the Nowadays Family, Fakear. Eponymous title, it represents the universe of both entities, true road trip through Fakearians melodies and La Fine Equipe's funk declined in five seasons.

TYPICAL BOY (Ft. ZeFire)
With « Typical Boy », La Fine Equipe express its love for House music with chopped rhythms and a heavy but swaying bass line. The freed track oscillate between power and lightness. A beat that quickly becomes ZeFire's playground. The Montreal singer, already heard on Her's tracks, brings a missing r'n'b touch to create the perfect chemistry.

Soft Machine is a surreal wander through the mystical sonic forest. A vision curated and designed by Chicago native Justin Aulis Long. A Cyclopian point of view while gazing through a wide lensed scope, which exists in the liminal spaces where light meets dark and angelic forces bath in the sludge and stardust of unfiltered eroticism.

Eye of the Minotaur - collage 001 is a collection of artists working in varying musical practices that are channeling the solitude of mutantness, strolling through the familiar yet unfamiliar halls of the uncanny, refusing ordinary structures of the mundane, grasping the cold humor of cynicism, basking in the dichotomy of cosmos and chaos, and invoking the energies of Eris and Eros.

Setting the ground is Ciarra Black, a Berlin based New Yorker who makes no apologies for her bare knuckled soundscapes. DuPont Street is a ritualistic unification of discordant entities that summons visions of Pazuzu (lord of the demons) and Inanna (goddess of love) fornicating beneath The Tree of Life. Razor edged synthesizers slice through the atmosphere with the precision of an avenging angel’s flaming sword, while a psychedelic drum code activates ritual movement of the body.

As the needle passes beyond the next threshold it is met by a towering totem, bristling with the illuminated light of the sonic astral plane. Erected from the foundational matter that birthed the Detroit electro punk sound, Eyes Up continues to add to the narrative that is drenched in deranged electronics intuitively mangled in a post punk tradition. Dystopian percussive rhythms generate an unorthodox domain where muffled utterances present an aural Rorschach test. Could this be the riddle of the Sphinx, or an ancient spectral being that possesses secret knowledge? Only its creator, Stallone the Reducer, holds the key.

Fixed at the axis of the journey, Perfect Headache Forever, a mystic operating within the DIY spaces of Chicago, levitates on a transcendental mass that is equally melancholic and optimistic. Her voice hosts a strength equal to a pantheon of titans. Armed with a magical electronic musical box, she weaves narratives that are prophetic. Itself Ecstatic is a voyage through a misty soundscape that begins at one point, but ends in a distant other, in accordance with a system of divination.

Gazing into the murky waters of the oracle’s cauldron, Circling Vultures, (a collaborative effort by Justin Aulis Long and Kenneth Zawacki) channel and evoke the spirits of Antonin Artaud and Geroges Bataille. The poet’s voice, engaged in an act of mutilation and self cannibalization, howls while projecting visions of sacred conspiracies, sensations of vertigo while peaking over the edge of the abyss, and the looming weight acquired from the solitude of the Minotaur alone, sitting silently at the center of the labyrinth. Accompanying the mystical bard’s verbal declaration is a triggered mechanized synth that roars with the vitality of Cold War era Wave music, which is then juxtaposed against applications of loose keyboard playing. The artist’s hand is revealed against the calculated actions of machines.

Bringing the document to its finale, Libby Del Barrio, a multi disciplinary artist based in San Antonio, performs a closing ritual in a manner that only she knows. Setting fire to the Elysium Fields while personified as Moze Pray, Del Barrio rejects plastic narratives that aim to pacify. No Tears, is an unapologetic account of life’s feedback loop around the Wheel of Fortune. Sacrificial actions through ceremonial performance reveals a gateway founded on truth and torment. Moze Pray’s ability to combine musical production, poetic vocalization and ritualistic body performance is charged by chaos and amalgamates into a product of pure expression that defies the rose colored filters aiming to conceal harsh realities.

Collocutor to release new single ‘The Angry One’, announce gigs at Jazz Cafe and We Out Here Festival

Tamar Collocutor is back with her Collocutor ensemble for On the Corner’s first 7”

’T.A.O’ is a rage, a visceral expression of what gathers within, and the counter-reaction to our times. Verve, distorted psych guitar in combat with a flaming, rolling, discordant, flowing barrage of horns. This single is the anomaly from Collocutor’s forthcoming third album. Rooted in personal loss, it is a scream of bewilderment that builds to encompass the social, political and environmental crisis of our times.

The flip sees Tamar and Magnus P.I. (ex-Collocutor) sparring in an in-the-moment sonic Rumble in the Jungle. Lunging off of T.A.O’s bass line, Tamar tares hard up-river to follow the calling of ancestral drums into a cacophonous parade. Trance inducing rhythm and screams. Across winds of wood and brass Tamar’s voice weaves a rich vein of quality throughout the resurgent UK jazz/instrumental music scene.

The forthcoming LP (autumn 2019) is Tamar’s most personal yet, a reflection about grief. Artistic vision stewed in an emotive concoction. Loss, life changes and ‘Continuation’ paralleled at the macro level with unimaginable political malaise.

The record is an attempt to give voice to the (sometimes surprising) emotional states of being experienced, coloured further by the discordant machinations of our times.

From the inner microcosm of self to the (macro) overarching societal crisis Tamar has fulfilled her vision ‘of writing music that wants to be written’ with her ensembles third LP.

Groove Line Records series of officially licensed disco / funk 12' reissues continues in 2019 with two fabulous cuts of gospel disco from The New York Community Choir (NYCC), 'I'll Keep My Light In My Window' & 'Express Yourself'.

The New York Community Choir (NYCC) began in the early 1970s, a gospel ensemble which developed a style that also gave secular R&B, soul, and pop songs a spiritual dimension; bridging Saturday night and Sunday morning, as it were.

'I'll Keep My Light In My Window' is a slice of joyful uplifting gospel disco, which is as needed in these times as it was when it was released in 1978. This was a great favourite of David Mancuso and Larry Levan at the time, and has remained a much loved dancefloor track for the disco cognoscenti ever since.

This came from NYCC's second LP for RCA, Make Every Day Count, produced by Warren Schatz (who also produced The Brothers, which was Groove Line's first reissue 12' in 2014).

NYCC released a self-titled debut album, also produced by Schatz in 1977 included the dance hit "Express Yourself," the B-side of this release in its 11m45s David Todd & Warren Schatz Disco Mix version.

All Groove Line Records releases are fully licensed and taken from the original master tapes, this 12' has been remastered and cut at half-speed by Matt Colton at Alchemy Mastering (Mastering Engineer of the Year 2013 & 2018). All vinyl is heavy weight 180g manufactured Optimal Media in Germany, one of the world's finest pressing plants.

Groove Line Records cut no corners when making sure that each and every one of our releases has the highest quality performance possible.

Groove Line Records' deluxe reissue of 'I'll Keep My Light In My Window' & 'Express Yourself' is an essential purchase for any serious Disco, Gospel, Funk, or Soul vinyl collector who demands the very best in quality vinyl pressings. Find out more at

Benjamin Fröhlich has struck many chords in the arena of electronic music: as a party organizer and record shop owner in his early days, and now as a label owner, DJ and producer. He is the co-founder of Permanent Vacation Records together with Tom Bioly, which has been up and running since the tropical summer of 2006. Emerging from the vibrant Cosmic Disco and Balearic scene, Permanent Vacation has been going strong over the past decade with genre-defining hits, albums and compilations. Fröhlich and Bioly have worked together with the household names of the international electronic dance scene. They have scouted artists like John Talabot, Todd Terje, Tensnake and Mano Le Tough early in their careers and released their breakthrough records. On top of his dedication to explore and feature rising as well as accomplished artists, Benjamin Fröhlich himself has emerged as a producer of vibrant tracks that are testament to his versatile and compelling approach to club music. His 12 inches, which were well received by DJs and clubbers alike, are accompanied by acclaimed remixes including his Tuff City Kids rework, which made it on Roman Flügel's Fabric Mix Now his first album is ready to go! Amiata is a conglomerate of Benjamin Fröhlich's longstanding experience. Just like his DJ sets and work for PV, each of the album's tracks expresses a different facet of his musical preferences. While keeping it under the roof of Benjamin's specific sound, the tracks range from Dub hybrids to Italo, Disco and Boogie inspired tracks, 90's spacy breakbeats and Electro to classic house ( 'Last Night' features rising U.S. artist Dreamcast).

2023 Repress

A heaven-made match is now complete with Gerry Read's debut EP for Pampa Records. The British producer's distinctively twisted, lo-fi sound, combined with Pampa's deep-vein instinct for quality quirks, ushers in a new phase for two of house music's most celebrated names. The opening bars of 'It'll All Be Over' are immediately evocative, hinting at the patchwork style to come. Twangy banjo strings and a foot-stomp beat seem to herald a folksy arrangement, but that isn't to be. Soft floaty pads rise up to form an unlikely partnership, softening sharp edges and adding sophisticated melodic expression. Once a compressed vocal sample is introduced, the entire structure reveals itself and begins to spin and loop in the style of iconic French house productions. Propelled further along by the endearing drama of flooded bass drum kicks, falsetto voices and xylophone pings, 'It'll All Be Over' is immediately memorable and expertly architectured. Read's second cut, 'Satyricon,' is woven in the spirit of micro-house. Sharp waveform cuts, timely pauses, loops of noodling keys and hints of percussion shakers combine for a low-slung psychedelic effect. With the sunniness of a vintage folk-pop sample and sultry snatches of Spanish dialogue added atop a deep mid-tempo shuffle, Read secures his place alongside the Bradocks and Leclairs who came before him. On the flipside, Pampa's figurehead takes an expert turn at the controls of 'It'll All Be Over (DJ Koze remix).' The original's jagged edges are buffed out, and shined up into a gleaming disco house anthem. With its artfully timed strumming breakdowns and cowbell accents, it is an appetising teaser of the forthcoming summer.

In the last few years London has become the centre of the Jazz Renaissance. A

new burst of energy and attitude brought by young musicians, equally inspired

by the likes of John Coltrane, Pharaoh Sanders or Sun Ra, as well as

Madvillain, J Dilla, Flying Lotus and Floating Points, has brought a welcomed

freshness to the London Scene. This exciting new environment brought a group

of young musicians together, all with a mutual desire to discover a new form of

expression. Together they created Cykada.

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Under pseudonym "Jean Eon,' Johnny Quinn Alston is the artist behind the project _ - / _ EON, a performance endeavor born out of an intense personal and familial experience in 2011.

_ - / _ EON is a portrait of the various manifestations of energy throughout the wide span of time and space we inhabit, from human experience to multidimensional mystery, as well as a peek into the many emanations that eternal power can create.

Jean Eon is merely a human form attempting to channel what bits of existential mystery he can interpret into sensual experiential form. He aspires to be as comfortable as possible with existence as a flawed, but striving, human being, and is not to be confused with the immortal and cosmically balanced EON itself.

_ - / _ EON is larger than Jean, and the EON is also you, we, and everything in between. We are all already avatars of the EON, and this project makes an attempt to shape truths of the great æther from which we are carved and will presumably* return to, however bittersweet or glorious that eternal promise may be.

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* do we ever really die

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The music released under NEW YORK TRAX 08 results from physical expression as . _ - / _ . EON focuses on channeling physiognomy over dictation. The EP explores pre-existing textural combinations discovered and rescued from stone as opposed to built step by step.

The initial inspiration for this EP arose from driving past randomly unfolding rural scenes. A majority of . _ - / _ . EON's resulting work similarly gravitates towards a series of landscapes discovering each other rather than 'arrangements' played on repeat.

In the back of your head, you know those blinking aircraft warning lights on towers, but how mysterious and ominous they look before you discover what they really are On the surface, this project represents the sound of being struck by the sight of something for the first time, and the ominous, transfixing, thrill of not knowing what it is.

Two sun shine soaked, Latin infused Eddie Palmieri joints from the 1978 album Lucumi, Macumba, Voodoo get the official, remastered reissue treatment - with original copies of the 7' trading hands for upwards of £60.

Born in New York to Puerto Rican parents, multi Grammy award winner Palmieri is a stratospheric salsa master. And for the Lucumi, Macumba, Voodoo LP he assembled a powerhouse, 30 strong jazz orchestra, featuring the likes of Dom um Romao, Steve Khan, Lew Soloff, Jon Faddis, Hiram Bullock and Palmieri's brother Charlie.

In an era dominated by disco, 'Spirit Of Love' took to the dancefloor, drawing on the glamour and magnetism of the late '70s. Palmieri's distinctive style still weaves its way through though, melding Afro-Caribbean rhythms with modern jazz. 'Spirit Of Love' is full to the brim with striking vocals, cow bells and big horn sections, blended with psychedelic guitars that riff off against clavinet touches and expressive Montunos melodies. Spirit of the salsa, for the disco dancer!

On the flip 'Lucumi, Macumba, Voodoo' is a masterpiece of Latin fusion, with Palmieri's unique arrangements squeezing that Puerto Rican flavour out of every added instrument. Trumpet blasts and sax solos marry with woops and whistles and Latin chants. Couple that with sensuous piano melodies and irresistible percussive elements and it's a recipe of Caribbean spice that'll liven up any record collection.

Gaijin Blues is Naphta and band mate PlaystationYoga Music's tribute to Japanese pop culture, manga and video games. This EP is the result of tours to different regions of Japan and spending time in record shops, as well as playing classic RPGs. Gaijin Blues is a blend between Japanese and Western music with live studio instruments. It's a feeling, an expression and a time and space vehicle.

Secret of Mana explores live percussion and bass with strings, live flute and dreamy vocals, whilst Cafe LeBlanc references a peaceful location in JRPG Persona 5 and features more soothing strings and is inspired by manga soundtracks.

Metal Gear Rex is string-lead and features complex melodies and vocal chops. Another tribute to Japanese gaming culture, this one has a driving, hypnotic bassline and an eye on the dance floor.Guardia Castle opens with a 4/4 disco beat before introducing unexpected layers of blissful, melodic female vocals, acoustic guitars and flutes.

If you read the name Shankar you may right away think of Ravi Shankar, the grand master of contemporary Indian folk music who was very popular in the 60s due to his connection with the music industry in the United States despite staying away from the pure pop music by maintaining his classic sitar and tabla style ragas to express himself musically. Ananda Shankar used to be his nephew who also made a journey to the USA to gather inspirations from rock artists like Jimi Hendrix among others. His first album from 1970, a conglomerate of classic Indian folk tunes and instrumental versions of the hottest rock songs of the day clothed in a veil of sitar melodies and backed up with tabla drum grooves, was an attempt to combine the spiritual approach of his cultural origins with the light minded blissful attitude of western psychedelic pop music. It worked well in the sense that it is still, nearly fifty years later on, a groovy little album that leaves nobody sitting around at any random hippie party. He took a five year break from recording to create what should become his second album and this is what I am about to present to you now. The cover-tunes were replaced by all original compositions with a lush instrumentation that features the typical sitar, tabla and bowed string instruments such as sarong and sera arrangements mixed with sounds that have a definite western origin such as rock guitars, Hammond organ and moog synthesizers plus full drum kits that take care to enhance the actual groove. Psychedelic rock, raga, fusion-jazz and funk flow into each other quite naturally giving birth to something fresh and exciting I would label as Bengali pop'. The borders between eastern and western music get abrogated here. If it was not for a few deeply mythical chants on a bed of drones here and there you could not even tell this was a record by an Indian artist. This album is quite accessible most of the time and comes with a certain slickness that makes it easy for the listener to understand and appreciate what is going on. Still there is the other side of the coin, the depth pop music often lacks. So in the end this might have been too far out for the average western mainstream fanatic back in 1975 when disco began to rule but it is an awesome sound trip for fans of psychedelic dance music like INCREDIBLE BONGO BAND and all eastern influenced popular rock.

For the last 20 years London-based author and party organiser Tim Lawrence has dedicated himself to excavating the history of New York City party culture and bringing some of the most powerful aspects of that culture to London's dance scene, from where it has ricocheted around the world. Having conducted the first set of major interviews with David Mancuso, Lawrence started to put on Loft-style Lucky Cloud Sound System parties with David and friends in London in June 2003. In early 2004 he published Love Saves the Day: A History of American Dance Music Culture, 1970-79, which tracked the influence of the Loft on the wider New York DJ, dance and disco scene. In 2009 his biography of the iconic musician Arthur Russell became the first book to map the wider downtown music scene. These beautifully written and politically insightful histories have educated, inspired and celebrated the previously overlooked foundations of contemporary dance music.

Lawrence's most recent publication, Life & Death On The New York Dancefloor, 1980 - 1983, published in late 2016, shines a light on 'one of the most dynamic and creative periods in the history of New York City'. Falling between the more regularly celebrated sounds of disco, house and techno, the period produced a uniquely hybrid series of sounds that never acquired a settled name. This led them to be largely ignored by historians and even DJs, yet the power of the period's music and the scenes it birthed, Lawrence argues, remains undeniable. Met with a rapturous response, Life and Death On The New York Dance Floor saw Lawrence on the road for most of the next year as he spread the word about the characters, the records, the clubs and the bands that shaped the post-Disco, post-Punk, and burgeoning Hip Hop landscapes of New York City during the early 1980s—a period when freedom still ruled.

This, the first of a 2-part sonic tribute to the 1980 - 1983 era as well as a musical companion piece to Life & Death On The New York Dance Floor sees recognised musicians (David Byrne of Talking Heads) nestle up alongside the belatedly recognised (Arthur Russell's Dinosaur L and Loose Joints, and Suicide's Alan Vega) and the downright obscure (Gray, 2 Teens Kill 4 and Tuxedomoon). An indication of what's to follow, Dinosaur L's original album version of 'Go Bang' has been dramatically overshadowed by the definitive François Kevorkian remix yet received regular play by David Mancuso and remains an enthralling experimental Arthur Russell jam.

Lovingly curated across 2 slabs of vinyl, the album introduces listeners to a stunning array of sounds, styles, vibes and feelings that encapsulate this most fertile and forward-thinking era, when music, fashion, sound system innovations, leaps in music technology, a DIY attitude and a freedom from corporate politics combined with extraordinary expressivity. All music contained within this album has been hand-picked and programmed by Tim Lawrence. It represents a selective yet rich introduction to one of the most extraordinary periods in New York City's epic musical history.

This is the first release on Reappearing Records, a label led by Tim Lawrence and distributed worldwide by Above Board distribution. Licensing courtesy of Tracksuit Music. Mastering by Optimum Mastering, Bristol UK. Artwork & design courtesy of Atelier Superplus. 2018.

Ever since Onom Agemo & The Disco Jumpers broke the dreaded curse of the difficult second album by releasing "Liquid Love", a cocktail so spicy and delectable that it could warm the cockles of the grumpiest man alive's heart, even in the most Arctic conditions, everybody wondered how the Onom crew could top that one. But now you have an opportunity to whip out your "Magic Polaroid" as proof that this wasn't an impossible Project. Never before has the band so successfully captured their full-on live sound as they do here, thanks to three days of recording frenzy at Daniel Nentwig and Sebastian Maschat's Butterama studio, a haven of analog hardware hidden in a remote part of Berlin's Neukölln district. The exploding kaleidoscope of styles that make up this album, perfectly reflected by the stunning cover artwork from Nick Henderson and photography by Christoph Rothmeier, means that they can no longer be confined to their early description as an "Afro-Funk Quintet" or merely described as a lively tribute to the artists which have influenced them: their sound is 100 per cent pure uncut Onom Agemo, even though every track feels like a new beginning. The presence of a charismatic in-house vocalist who brought her own lyrics along has also boosted their confidence considerably and provided a further knock-out punch to their onstage performances.
And no one will be disappointed as soon as the first bars of "The Trumpets Of Denmark" stomp on stage like a boisterous fanfare, with Johannes Schleiermacher's impressive wall of sound production making the musicians sound like a much bigger band than what their line-up suggests (with Maria Schneider from Andromeda Mega Express Orchestra adding some extra percussive clout) and just the right amount of dizzying cross-rhythms to steer it away from potential bombast. When Onom Agemo's powerhouse vocalist Natalie Greffel starts chanting what at first sounds like a string of Onomatopoeia, it soon becomes clear that she's laying down her manifesto for a nostalgic Space-Age yet to come, with a few key words serving as Mantra (Focus, patience, tears and creation): an invitation to drive off the Information Superhighway and its endless litany of polite noises, to redirect our gaze inside ourselves and learn to understand and sometimes question how others perceive us.

This is a long overdue reissue of a fantastic album! Here we find a pure disco classic from the US scene of the late 70s. The original copies retail at plus $300, that's only if you can find one at all! So those who love to spin good music, but are unwilling or unable to lay down too much money can now lend an ear to this fine vinyl! The opening track is 6.5 minutes long and consists of ongoing grooves with a hint of rock thanks to the melodic lead guitar. The driving rhythms are irresistible with soulful and strong female lead vocals that capture you right away. This reminds me strongly of the lengthy Donna summer dance classic, released during the same period 'Better than walking out' which became a dance floor sweeper. There is nothing complicated here, just sheer groove interwoven with catchy melodies. 'Lovin' you is so easy' follows and is a mid-paced soul anthem that comes as clean, slick and close to pop music a tune can come, but the melody of the chorus will stick to your mind. The arrangements are tight revealing several layers of instrumentation on second take. The lead singer's expressive voice matches with the best of its genre. A grand dame of soul familiar to a wide audience. While we ruminate about the different stylistic ingredients of this album we reach ''Woman', an entire instrumental with a straight groovy beat paired by cool funky rhythm guitar that lies beneath a soundscape made by the electric piano. Both seem to interact tightly and communicate with another. This tune just moves you physically with ease. Lushly orchestrated ''Our love is special' turns out to be a wonderful soul pop anthem of the kind that stays with you when you have only enjoyed it once. I'm almost certain that most fans of the late 70's soulful dance and pop will spin this record over and over again. This is what the DISCO LADIES are made for. Their music has this certain disco feeling but the classic 60s Motown Soul roots are so obvious and keep the whole collection of songs so grounded, that the music will go straight to the heart, nestling there for a long time. ''I second that emotion' is again a mid-paced groover that has this fluttering beat with great instrumental figures build upon this footing. One might hear elements of reggae, gospel and funk melting into an utterly joyful soul pop tune that eventually would become an evergreen in the clubs. Last but not least we are treated to ''Woman', again the arrangements of lead and backing vocals are amazing! These are footed by equally amazing strings and horns. These melodies, soulful, expressive, intense and full of joy! The last tune is a vocal version of 'Woman'. Definitely being the highlight of the entire album and a worthy finale for a record that sticks out of the masses of disco music productions of it's era! All this makes a wonderful and delightful reissue ! worthy of joining every black music aficionado of the 1970s.

Emotional Rescue returns to the music of Takenoko, the Bordeaux based synth-pop project from 1982-1988, to follow their LP collection L'Amour Est Mon Arme (ERC062), with an EP of remixes from Dresden's cult-like producer, Sneaker DJ.
The meeting of Takenoko and Sneaker offers a perfect marriage of left field cold wave tones, inventive drum programming and pop lyrics, with a master-mixer, programmer and DJ of today.
Following releases on cult labels like Uncanny Valley, Rat Life and Frigio as Sneaker and numerous labels such as Macadam Mambo, Bordello A Parigi and Bahnsteig 23 under several pseudonyms, Sneaker first contacted the label after his trance-inducing, drum heavy remix of C Cat Trance , with the suggestion to research an idea to create a reissue / remix project out of a band he had discovered, Takenoko.This was soon expanded to become a stand-alone album and remixes EP after the discovery in the vaults of a cache of unreleased songs. The breadth of styles found on L'Amour Est Mon Arme is matched with these "Mixes", as Sneaker takes 3 of their singles and indelibly puts his marker on them.
Starting with his retake of their second single, Lee Harvey Oswald, he reworks their pop ode to the Kennedy tragedy and strips it groove back for a near 9 minute vocal-meets-discodub that lets the lyrical structure remain, before stretching it out and letting the instrumental interplay between keys, guitar and rhythm machines glide before bringing it all back for finale.
Next, their 1988 single Trans Amor Express is given what is becoming a trademark Sneaker treatment. In a similar vain to his remix of C Cat Trance, here he rips the original apart to extend a single vocal refrain with the raw percussion elements for mind-inducing results.
Finally, his mix of the anthemic John Wayne is almost gentle in comparison, adding 909 overdubs but letting much of the original stay, showing again a modern mastery of mixing desk technique and craft.

Kalita Records are proud and honoured to announce the first
ever and official reissue of Kallaloo's sought-after 1982
disco single 'Star Child', accompanied by interview-based
liner notes. Originally released on Jeffrey Turpin's
Trinidadian record label IDA, 'Star Child' has since become
highly sought-after by both DJs and collectors alike as an
invisible, yet astonishing piece of Caribbean disco. Unable
at the time to gain the traction and success that it deserved,
we hope that this re-release provides an opportunity to bring
such a great record to a much wider audience.
Kallaloo consisted of various Trinidadian musicians including
Keith Alexander and Peter Wayne Barkley. Keith had been
well-respected as a member of the Trinidadian group Impact, and
was later to become an in-demand producer and composer under
the name of Keith Diamond, responsible for various hits by Billy
Ocean, Donna Summer, Starpoint and Melba Moore. In contrast,
Peter was a well-known recording session drummer, but after
'Star Child's' release he moved to North Carolina to pursue other
interests and 'was never heard from again'.
'Star Child' was recorded at Right Track Recording, in mid-town
Manhattan, New York. As Jeffrey recalls, the atmosphere in the
studio was 'great', with 'everyone upbeat, the cream of the crop
just looking for that break... everyone was talented and just
wanted the chance to express their own ideas'. Five hundred
copies of the record were released on IDA with a white label
design, and they were sold both in Brooklyn, New York and Port
of Spain, Trinidad. It was also released on a red label, however
this was not to Jeffrey's knowledge at the time.
Jeffrey explains that the reason why the record didn't fare well at
the time was because of the difficulty in getting the song played
on the radio. As he recalls, radio stations were much more likely
to play 'radio versions' of songs which lasted for a couple of
minutes, rather than five or seven minute 'extended' versions
such as 'Star Child', which were more suitable to a club
environment. In addition, as Jeffrey explains, radio airplay is a
'political business', and also within a short while band members
such as Keith got their own breaks, and the Kallaloo era was over
as quickly as it had started.