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The early 2000s were a time of upheaval for hip-hop. The underground and mainstream divide that had dened so much of the previous decade was showing the rst signs of irrelevance. Timbaland and The Neptunes made radio rappers sound futuristic while independent artists struggled in a quagmire of backpacks and misguided claims to keep it real. Away from this, in a misunderstood middle ground between hip-hop and electronic music, a new generation of artists were busy imagining a new sound for hip-hop.

One such artist was Scott Prefuse 73' Herren, whose perpendicular MPC chops on his 2001 debut for Warp Records set curious minds racing with possibilities. That same year Tadd Mullinix released his debut as Dabrye on Ghostly International, a sonic wildstyle that appealed to both hip-hop heads and IDM nerds. Sometime that same year Herren and Mullinix met after sharing a bill in Detroit. CD-Rs were exchanged and a year later Eastern Development, Herren's newly launched label, released Dabrye's Instrmntl, a short album with a big impact. On its fteenth anniversary Ghostly International is reissuing Instrmtl on vinyl and making it available digitally for the rst time.

Instrmntl is a continuation of the beat experiments Dabrye began with One/Three and a bridge to the diverse textures that would dene Two/Three four years later. About half of its nine tracks (ten if you lived in Japan) were created at the same time as One/Three while the rest were newer or made specically for the album. Once again Mullinix looked outside of hip-hop to techno, house, and drum & bass for stylistic and technical ideas while embracing the blissful minimalism of a good hip-hop instrumental and the rhythmic nuance of Detroit.

Despite the similarities between Dabrye's debut and this follow up, Mullinix didn't simply replicate what had made One/Three so arresting. He pushed and pulled further between the two cornerstones of his approach to reveal more potentials. Instrmntl takes you deeper into electronic depths — the rugged synth stutter of 'Won', the tumbling, wobbling bass in 'No Child Of God', the electro get down of 'Prospects (Marshall Law)' — while also treading more organic grounds by letting samples breathe and moods unfurl at a gentler pace ('Take Me Home', 'Evelyn', and 'You Know The Formula Right'). And then there are the moments where this push and pull nds balance and the result becomes more, as it does on the mournful march of 'D-Town Tabernacle Choir' and the twinkling daydream of 'This Is Where I Came In'.

At just over 30 minutes, Instrmntl offers a snapshot of a time when potentials seemed innite, when lines could be drawn between jazz, ragga jungle, techno, and hip-hop and the resulting shape divined an exciting future.

- Reissue of the out of print 2002 album, available for the rst time on Ghostly.
- Includes previously Japanese-only bonus track, Gimme Lowlands'
- Standard weight blue vinyl is housed in a matte jacket.
- Dabrye's beats are like Jay Dee getting crunked up with Autechre.' — Prefuse 73

Following the recent reissues of Jose Mauro's Obnoxius, Piri's Voces Querem Mate and Victor Assis Brasil's Toca Antonio Carlos Jobim, Far Out Recordings presents a second album from Victor Assis Brasil from the treasure trove of the Quartin Records catalogue, Esperanto. Over the course of the 1960s, Roberto Quartin released more than 20 albums in Brazil on his label Forma, by artists including the likes of Eumir Deodato, Quarteto Em Cy, Baden Powell and Vinicius De Moraës. Selling the rights of Forma to Polygram in 1969, Quartin struck out for pastures new at the dawn of the 1970s with the launch of his self-titled label. Significant works and high-water marks for Brazilian music overall followed in that decade's first year. These singular gems in Brazilian music, difficult to categorise yet compellingly beautiful, have for too long gone unheard.Gifted his first saxophone by his aunt at the age of fourteen, only four years later the inherently gifted and determined young musician Victor Assis Brasil recorded his debut album, with a second to follow only a year later. The prodigious young carioca was subsequently granted a place to study at Berklee College of Music, where he played alongside the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, Chick Corea and Ron Carter. It was also during this period he recorded Esperanto and Toca Antonio Carlos Jobim with Roberto Quartin, upon returning to Brazil in the summer of 1970.Recorded in the same sessions as the Toca Antonio Carlos Jobim album, Esperanto consists of five deep jazz cuts: original compositions except for a heavy-swinging latin-jazz cover of Jimmy Heath's 'Ginger Bread Boy', alongside more moments of wild frenetic jazz, like 'Quarenta Graus A Sombra', amongst more melancholic, but no less captivating compositions like 'Marilia' and 'Ao Amigo Quartin'. Esperanto's influences span both American continents, finding a meeting point for Latin jazz and North American post-bop, with Roberto Quartin's perfectionist approach to sound elevating the already incandescent music to divine new heights. The band consists of some mercurial greats of Brazilian music: Dom Salvador (bass), Edison Machado (drums), Helio Delmiro (guitar) and Edson Lobo (Bass).Victor Assis Brasil passed away aged just thirty-five, due to a rare circulatory disease, but by this point his status was already cemented as one of the most talented musicians in Brazil's history.

Blind Jack embarks on another journey around secret cities, this time we drop into Wuppertal, capital of 'Bergisches Land' in Germany. Famous for the space-age Schwebebahn and the Lego Brücke. We invite Mr. Mauke 'Colkin' to the team and he dishes out some seriously deep dreaminess that would happily get you around the Schwebebahn in a day-dreaming trance. Also featuring the divine vocals of fellow Wuppertal resident Maria Basel.

The second EP by Control Remote finally drops with 3 stunning cuts destined to become phuture classics in years to come. The first EP was a strong seller for the shop and provided the footwork for this second EP to drop. 'Music' on the A side gyrates a house groove with a moody man nod of guidance. This is one sure fire hot jam! On the flip we have the divine acid groove of 'Fragment Of A Sermon' kicking of proceedings whilst riding locked in groove. 'Give My Luv' closes the EP off with a low rider house slide that leans to left whilst moving you to the right! This second EP by Control Remote sets the standard for others to follow. HOTNESS personified!

(180 gr) Talamanca System are the unlikely trio of Gerd Janson, Phillip Lauer of Tuff City Kids and Mark Barrott. Their sole release in late 2014 became one of the best selling on the International Feel imprint. My Past Is Your Future brings them back together for a trio of magical productions that cumulate the power of their production skills and winks at a forthcoming album coming on the imprint this summer.

Talamanca System are the unlikely trio of Gerd Janson, Phillip Lauer of Tuff City Kids and Mark Barrott. Their sole release in late 2014 became one of the best selling on the International Feel imprint. My Past Is Your Future brings them back together for a trio of magical productions that cumulate the power of their production skills and winks at a forthcoming album coming on the imprint this summer.

Talamanca System's debut set them alight across the dance music press and the follow up catapults their distinctive take on modern dance music back into the current consciousness. The EP delivers a nirvanic state, with My Past Is Your Future's use of delicate chords, cascading keys and effortless groove. This is a divine record, paired with a Beatless Stars Is Space mix that strips it back to its core and the Chukka Chukka Dance mix squares up to the dancefloor with an end of night classic.

Best known for his burgeoning Running Back imprint, Gerd Janson is a DJ's DJ, a connoisseur of dance music with an inimitable style that cross genres. His production partner Phillip Lauer forms part of Tuff City Kids and Black Spuma, who have also released on International Feel, with a style that fuses the rhythms of house music with bold melodies to form structured songs. The result is music that can sit comfortably in many worlds.

Mark Barrott started out in the mid 90's as Future Loop Foundation and since has composed music for numerous films & TV shows and founded one of the world's leading music consultancies. His highly-respected International Feel label has featured albums from the likes of DJ Harvey and Jose Padilla, with a huge portion of the releases dedicated to Barrott's own anonymous pseudonyms. Barrott's Sketches from an Island project has gained support from Pitchfork, the Fader, the Guardian and even the Financial Times for its bold and quirky take on Balearic music.

The three of them form an exhilarating partnership in Talamanca System and this EP gives a snapshot into their forthcoming album due to be released on International Feel in May 2017.

Justin Chapman aka Just One is no stranger to the Neroli catalogue, having released on the label the Co-op hits 'Love2Love' and 'Soul Revolutions', followed by his solo album 'Love Music' (a collaboration between Neroli and Divine recordings). Here he shows once again his great talent with 'I Will Follow U'. Other half of Kemetic Just DJ Kemit also delivers 2 different takes on the song, making it an essential EP.

Our latest Looking for Mushrooms' EP comes to us from a collaboration between long time Dirt Crew resident Tigerskin and gifted jazz pianist and composer Grambow. We first heard from Grambow when his fluid key stylings featured on Tigerskin's Faint' in 2015. The title track is a suspenseful and moody journey, lead by live double bass from feature artist Das Eb". Building in intensity with Tigerskin's warm production and steady percussive instrumentation until Grambow's live lead on a gritty synth growls in over the top. A true modern electronic classic as far as we are concernred. Tsukiji' is a playful deep house groover. Balmy tuned percussion and shaken highs roll along under the light hearted piano which cruises along throughout the whole tropically touched endeavour. This track has Party' written all over it! Octocat' is a tougher italo disco tainted work out, tightly programmed live and analogue percussive elements push along, while wailing keys lick over a tenacious grunting bass. You can really taste and feel the long studio sessions the guys had to compose this great track. It is so much more than generic dance music. Red Fox' is a divine culmination of the pair's compositional prowess and dance music knowhow. A cinematic and spirited house track that glides and glistens via delicate piano, plucky percussive riffs, bright strings and woodwinds. We are very honoured to release this outstanding musical release by Tigerskin and Grambow.

Reissue of a unknown b-side of an early Belgian trance outfit release. Before they made euro trance they made this heavenly balearic gem. It screamed for Lauer remixes and he provided...
Unless you have been sleeping it should be pretty obvious that WPH head honcho Red D has a weak spot for early Belgian trance stuff. Before trance was even known as trance that is... The early 90ies were the post new beat era in Belgium and loads of producers were experimenting with new sounds to steer away from the blatantly commercial new beat chart stuff. So that's when the magic started happening.

One of these producer outfits was The Mackenzie, who on their very first releases covered a territory somewhere between new beat, Chicago house and Balearic sounds. None of these tracks really 'hit', but some 25 years later WPH shows you that true timeless quality always resurfaces. 'No Promises' is simply a divine piece of work from start to finish and should become that underground summer hit played by any DJ worth his or her salt when it comes to putting melody over beats. One listen to this one and it's easy to see why German stronghold Lauer was the go to man for some remix action. Lauer brings you a different take and a classic cover version of the original.

As a little bonus Locked Groove & Red D made an edit of a remix done by The Mackenzie in that same period. I think you will agree that both these tracks were made to be on one E.P. Trust WPH to bring it back in a different way!



[C] b1 | The Right Side (Locked Groove & Red D's Exotische Edit)

William Kouam Djoko returns to Voyage Direct with Deflourished. After a year with a lot of high highs and some deep lows, William found himself on the dance floor listening to a set by Chicago Footwork specialists DJ Rashaad & DJ Spinn.
William experienced what religious people might call a divine moment. All the experiences, emotions and soul searching from the previous year came together in one emotional, energetic moment. William tried to recapture all of this in his studio the next day and within hours Deflourished was created. A pure form of energy shared by William for everyone to enjoy, hopefully as much as he enjoyed creating it.

B-side Behind Closed Doors completes the package; a lot more subtle and refined than it's A-side brother. A synth-heavy, down-pitched and outstretched song that builds heavily on space, both physical and mentally. On his Sophomore Voyage Direct release William Kouam Djoko truly sets out on a voyage to discover his inner-self. The result, whether it's the expressive energy of Deflourished, or the more mesmerising gloominess of Behind Closed Doors, is beautiful to say the least.

The package is completed by a stunning video of Deflourished made by graphic designer Saša Ostaja and animator Niko Lanzuisi. The video will be launched at a special party

With the homespun warmth of his album still keeping us toasty as the temperature drops in the Northern hemisphere, Dave Aju offers up two choice cuts from Heirlooms to receive surgical treatment at the hands of dear friends and respected practitioners in our beloved corner of electronic music. The divine boogie-fuelled electro pop of 'Caller#7' stood out as one of the most flamboyant and earsnagging tracks on the album, so who better to entrust the remix to than Seth Troxler and Subb-an Seth of course is a long-time partner of Circus Company, stretching back to 2008 when he first recorded an EP for us with Patrick Russell. Subb-an may be a new cat to us, but there's no denying the impact he has made with his releases for some of the strongest tech house labels around. In the hands of this formidable duo, 'Caller#7' gets sharpened and honed into a peak-time floor-filler. The vocals from Dave and dOP's Jaw and that inimitable bassline remain intact, with the focus switched to boosting the rhythms that propel this party-starter while a disgruntled caller drops in on Radio KAJU to speak her mind like a true soul sister should. On the flipside, we take great pleasure in inviting the maverick Swede Axel Boman to work his magic on 'Away Away'. After exploding onto the scene in a flurry of hedonistic imagination and cheeky originality, Axel has charmed all that come before him with his releases and his Studio Barnhus label. He treats us to a glorious, soaring version of Dave's track that shuns shortening days and worsening weather, and instead places you at the top of a mountain as the sun rises in a cloudless sky, gently building but never peaking in a truly life-affirming concoction of house music for the heart.