The "ongakudō / droga muzyki" project is ("The way of music" in English). Initiated by Groh - head of the JuNouMi label (est. 2002 Polish hip-hop label), the project is the result of cooperation between Polish and Japanese artists.
First, Twardowski created music based on samples from Japanese albums. Then MCs KANETSUGU (JP) and Prykson Fisk (PL) were invited. The next element were DJs - 1an from Tokyo and DJ Eprom from Warsaw (former IDA world champion).
An important element of the project is the graphic design, for which Małgorzata "Mauko" Korczak is responsible - exploring the art of Japanese Shodō calligraphy. As many as three versions of covers were created. One limited edition (hand-numbered 100 pieces), a version with a black wax and a version exclusively for the Japanese market.
This 7" is the first part of the Polish-Japanese series. It is the beginning of our journey.
quête:dj call me
When the first cargo ships from Western Europe docked in Klaipėda after the fall of the Iron Curtain, no one could have imagined that a completely new and unknown musical culture would arrive in Lithuania along with them. It was the first city in this country to get a taste of what was then called electronic rave music. This is why it is unsurprising that the most iconic Lithuanian electronic music band of the 1990s was born in Klaipėda, the port city of this country.
The first release from Lizdas Records is a nod to the past. Because if it weren’t for EXEM and their legendary tracks, which even made their way into the mainstream media in those days, today’s Lithuanian electronic music scene would be completely different.
- A1: Monika Kruse Meets Pig&Dan - So Good
- A2: Harrison Crump - Deep Down Inside (Michel Cleis Remix)
- B1: Jay Lumen - The One
- B2: Vsk - Echinopsis
- C1: Kevin Yost - Defence Mechanism
- C2: Tenzella - Hi 79
- C3: Uncertain - Cure
- D1: Juri Heidemann - Haras
- D2: Steve Robinson - No Space, No Time
- D3: Uncertain - Clash
- E1: Taster Peter - Body Call
- E2: D-Leria - Invisible
- E3: Filterheadz & Horatio - Bells Of Brightones
- F1: Uto Karem - Your Voice (Feat Biba)
- F2: George Vidal - Out From Obscurity
- F3: D-Unity - More Drums Please
Vol. 1[34,66 €]
We are so excited to present to the world the 3rd and final instalment in Danny Tenaglia’s GU Trilogy, Danny’s mixes have been a huge part of our DNA for many years, with his seminal Athens and London mixes forming the part of many people’s favourite DJ mixes of all time, Brooklyn is a stunning addition to that heritage and we can’t wait to release this album to the world.
This is the Vinyl Edition #2 of the album, curating a stellar selection of techno and melodic house. "As a native of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, this compilation is not only a celebration of my roots but also a tribute to the dynamic and ever-evolving nightlife that ignited and guided my musical career back in 1975.” Danny Tenaglia
Slush Records, the brainchild of London-based DJ Lora Mipsum, unleashes its first release, a much called for reissue of Andy Falconer’s finest EP from 1995 ‘Transmissions’. Remastered from the original DAT, it’s an introspective, absorbing and enticingly expansive roam through the realms of downtempo, electronica, progressive house and experimental sounds.
Best known for his work with The Orb between ‘91-‘94, you’ll also find Falconer’s name nestled in the credits of many other seminal works including albums from The Art Of Noise, Hypnotone and System 7. It’s no surprise then that the Transmissions EP, that landed in 1995, captures the essence of the early ‘90s expertly. An amalgamation of genres within each track, blurring the lines masterfully between them all.
Opening the EP, ‘Afghan Receptor No.9’ plots a driving orbit, rolling seamlessly from a dubbed out intro, into a progressive warper. A track that builds eagerly in intensity, with layer upon layer of mind-bending synths, a whomping bassline, and even Falconer’s old Canon printer sampled to top, tail and weave into the sonics of this track.
On the B side, the title track is an immersive, all-encompassing lunar excursion that engulfs you within Falconer’s soundscape odyssey. Centred around a spacey stuttering synth, hypnotising Roland S-50 harp and dream-inducing keys, it’s a spellbinding swell of emotive brilliance, interspersed with moon landing transmissions that reverberate through your brain.
Finally, like a slip back through memories in a dream, ‘Koda (Dreamscape No.1.1)’ is a psychedelic, ethereal and haunting slice of experiential ambience that provides the perfect closing sequence to this magical EP.
Transmissions takes all of Falconer’s knowledge and production prowess, creating three tracks that nod to those he’s worked with in the past, yet plotting its own course to a far off dimension.
Future Romance unveils their exclusive vinyl release series called „Collector“, featuring the labels most wanted and most sucessful tracks. This collector's release is a sonic journey through the realms of melodic house & techno, featuring four captivating tracks by different distinct artists. Each composition has already garnered widespread acclaim and massive DJ support from across the globe. "Collector" is a testament to Future Romance's commitment to delivering unparalleled musical experiences on the beloved vinyl medium. Part I gives us wonderful tracks by Einmusik & Solee, Several Definitions, Gai Barone and Emiliano Demarco & Maxi Vega.
A fourth vinyl arrives from Seattle/LA label Rhizome Records. The catalog returns to South America with 2 original productions from Gustavo Fridman of Buenos Aires, Argentina. An impressive up & coming DJ & producer, Gustavo Fridman has already released on underground labels Sous-Vide, Welter, and Tip Tap. Alongside the spacey originals, Romanian maestros Sublee and Ritmico (Emi & Suciu) offer expanded interpretations.
The title track “Dios Habla Hoy” kicks off the ep with cutting edge minimal percussion work and breezy atmospherics partnered with a celestial yet melancholy melody. The techy breakbeat and meandering effects deliver a nostalgic sound reminiscent of Cadenza classics.
Sublee’s remix of “Dios Habla Hoy” deconstructs and resynthesizes the original into a cosmic journey. While tones and texture remain, Sublee adds a massive groove to drive his trancy reinterpretation. Following the breakdown, synths cascade into eternity to create an emotional, dancefloor-tested moment.
“999” opens the record’s second side with a jazzy afterhours vibe. Mysterious and quirky effects add constant intrigue while the melody drifts about the punchy breakbeat.
Trip masterminds Emi & Suciu aka Ritmico are called upon to close out the record with a remix, and the result is a true weapon.Ritmico re-equips the original with powerful drums and an unrelenting groove. An array of unique and mental effects complete this deep space freak.
Ritmico re-equips the original with powerful drums and an unrelenting groove. An array of unique and mental effects complete this deep space freak.
written and produced by Gustavo Fridman in Buenos Aires, remixes by Sublee & Ritmico (Emi & Suciu)
Fate is a funny old thing. One day in 2011, DJ/producer Tom Trago found himself sharing a train journey with Steven Van Lummel, a DIY musician, artist and co-founder of PIP, an underground nightclub and cultural hub in The Hague. Over the course of a rambling, open-ended conversation, the idea of making music together came up; a few weeks later, Trago travelled to van Lummel’s place – a former industrial unit that was now home to a rotating cast of artists and musicians – and didn’t leave for a month.
Cossetted away from the outside world in van Lummel’s loft, with multi-instrumentalists Janneke Nijhuijs and Wieger Hoogendorp joining them to create a musical four-piece, MEGA WEGA was born. Over the course of four weeks, the quartet embarked on an almost continuous creative session punctuated only by impromptu parties and mixing sessions. Life-long bonds were made and over 70 tracks recorded before the mundanity of day-to-day life came calling.
For one reason or another, the project never saw the light of day, with tracks sat gathering dust on hard drives for the best part of a decade. During the madness and loneliness of the COVID-19 pandemic, Trago rediscovered the tracks. Delighted by what he heard, a collective decision was made to add finishing touches and release the resultant album on van Lummel’s PIP Records imprint. Further instruments and vocals were added over two days at Hoogendorp’s studio, before mutual friend Tom Ruig got on board to mix the album.
So, what can you expect from Haunted, Mega Wega’s debut album? First and foremost, it’s the sound of pure creative expression – the distillation of a freewheeling, no-holds-barred, spontaneous musical journey variously inspired by the do-it-yourself ethos of musical counterculture, shared inspirations and influences, epic jam sessions, distant stars (Wega, sometimes known as Fidis or ‘the harp star’, is one of the brightest in the night sky), imaginary journeys across dusty deserts, and the comradeship of four new friends.
Enchanting and alluring, it’s an album that gleefully denies lazy categorization and ploughs its own eclectic, atmospheric musical furrow in vivid sonic detail. It’s a collective exploration of heady musical eclecticism unified by saucer-eyed vocals, low-slung bass, loose-limbed beats, sweaty percussion workouts and hazy electric piano motifs.
Haunted begins with the woozy and hallucinatory slow-burn soundscape of ‘Get Things Done’ – an effects laden shuffle akin to lying flat on your back tripping under an intense desert sun – and ends with the creepy, mind-mangling post-punk funk of ‘Brain Carpaccio’; in between, you’ll find spaced-out, low-tempo lo-fi soul (‘Move Around’, ‘Haunted’), tactile synth-powered boogie revivalism (‘Make Me Work’), deep and off-kilter opioid jazz (‘Copenhagen’), intoxicating psychedelia (‘Last Night on Earth’), piano-laden dream-pop epics (‘Shake Or Fall’), and Latin-infused, percussion-powered hedonism (‘Chopping Heads’).
Born out of spontaneous collaboration and immersive, almost endless recording sessions, Haunted is an album shot through with imagination and boundless energy, captured for posterity by four friends and collaborators at the top of their game.
- A1: Alberta Balsam - Anthem
- A2: Alden Tyrell - Lockstate
- B1: Aleksi Perala - 74R1721101
- B2: Alex Ranzino - Confessions
- C1: Anthony Rother - Blown Fuse
- C2: Dexter - Pumapunku
- D1: Detroit In Effect - Get To It (Dutchman Mix)
- D2: Dim Garden - Flot Marlot
- D3: Dj Sotofett - Bachi
- E1: Dj K - Detroit (313)
- E2: Dopplereffekt - Dyson Sphere
- F1: Dpx - Memorymode
- F2: E-Gzr - Acidic Metalurgics (Dj Sotofetts 909 Deep Mix)
- G1: Edo8 - Acidkadootje
- G2: E R.p. - Ugly Pretty June
- H1: The Exaltics - The Fierce Fighting
- H2: Frequency - Darkheart Energy
- I1: Gen-Y - Moon Soon
- I2: John Heckle - Dxxxiii
- J1: Head Front Panel - Jocco
- J2: Kreggo - Sonar Juggler
- K1: Legowelt - La Nuit Invisible
- K2: Lenson - Warehouse Memories
- L1: Mr Ho Medicine Ft Gedvile Bunikyte
- M2: Ovuca - Fi3Ac2142060 (Chris Callahan Edit)
- N1: Privacy - Starcrash
- N2: Prz - This Time
- O1: Acid Freq - Empty Streets
- O2: Ryan James Ford - Eendrachtsplein (Ret Mix)
- P1: Sansibar - Connect
- P2: Steffi | - 50 Heads
- L2: Ngoni Egan - Mvuma
- M1: Ocb - Clone Corp
Sonic Transmutations is an extended compilation album celebrating over three decades of Clone Records. Marking the 31 years - which is coincidentally the national Dutch telephone code - the 8x12 inch box set draws together veteran talent and emerging iconoclasts, transmitting a frequency rooted the imprint's signature blend of essential dance music while journeying off into territories unknown. In a constant state of unfolding, morphing across phases of matter, Sonic Transmutations purveys an elemental energy that stands in testament to Clone's enduring legacy and explorations of sounds and structures.
We are delighted to announce the first vinyl release on TBX Records that features an eclectic selection of tracks. The TRAX VA showcases the diverse talents of four exceptional artists who have come together to create a mesmerising sonic journey. The a-side track dives you into the world of Rich NxT as he crafts 'Bluefunk', a groovy and hypnotic track that's sure to get your feet moving.
Next up comes Perky Wires who bring a fresh perspective with 'Take the Beat UP'. This track is a masterclass in blending a bouncy bassline with a tight house beat, resulting in a vibey experience that's both energetic and emotionally resonant. B-side is represented by a track called 'Melow' by Politics Of Dancing which invites you to a place of auditory serenity. Djebali closes this compilation by delivering 'Matmata'. This track unfolds like a story, with intricate layers of sound that keep you engaged from start to finish. Get ready to embark on a musical adventure like no other, and join us in celebrating this historic moment as we release our first vinyl record.
Moxie’s On Loop imprint proudly presents ‘Manifold’, the highly anticipated debut solo EP from Amaliah. The rising Londoner delivers on her burgeoning ravey promise, unleashing a remarkable trio of percussive club tracks that link UK house aesthetics with global soundsystem influences, and comes with a wonderfully knotty remix from celebrated producer Call Super.
Borne Fruits founder Amaliah has rightfully ascended through the musical ranks of her native city to emerge as one of its most exciting voices. As a DJ and producer, she intersects at the exhilarating crossroads of contemporary house sounds, soundsystem culture and UK club influences to packed dancefloors weekly across the UK and EU. The Manifold EP flexes Amaliah’s parallel trajectory as a wicked tunesmith, offering her long-awaited and most substantial musical offering to date for Moxie’s much-loved On Loop imprint.
Opening track “Helix” curls a percussive membrane around its funky core, pumping along with nocturnal rave menace punctured by sirens and grotty synths. Next up, “Me So” shimmers with bubbling assuredness, diffusing Detroit-inspired melodies atop a bumpy house stepper that spurts with synthetic glee along its way. “Spooky Dub” greets us on the flip, wasting no time in igniting its punchy dembow groove while peppering its rubbery bassline amongst some dub-drenched fx. It briefly retreats for a half-step breakdown before re-launching us straight back to dancefloor salvation. Can You Feel The Sun’s Call Super sees us out with a typically psychedelic labyrinth-like remix of “Helix”, refracting a minimalised Electro groove through a magnificent fairground ride of wide-eyed sound design and intimate melodics.
Early support from Saoirse, Call Super, Parris, Moxie, Niks, Roza Terenzi, ISAbella and featured in Pangaea’s BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix.
A command across genres has distinguished Yasushi Ide’s work as a DJ and producer since emerging from the multiscene spawning big bang that was Tokyo’s highly influential club milieu of the 1980s. His productions draw variously from hip-hop, dub, house, punk, jazz dance, exotica and electronic music - and at their most expressive, synthesize sensibilities within a single track. The respect Ide’s earned is well evident in the impressive roll call of collaborators he’s accrued over the years - Masters At Work, Tom Verlaine, Don Letts, James Chance, DJ Krush, Pharaoh Sanders, U-ROY, and Bongo Herman, just to name a legendary few.
Now available for worldwide distribution from Love Injection Records in both digital and 7-inch 45 vinyl formats, the Yasushi Ide “A Place In the Sun (Kaoru Inoue Remix)” is paired with the equally gorgeous “A Place In the Sun (Dub).” On the former, Inoue’s treatment largely strips away the track’s beats, anchoring it to a subtle percussion pulse that emphasizes the composition’s irresistible melodic qualities. The latter finds Yoko Ota at the controls restoring and pushing reverb-soaked drums to the forefront of the mix, accentuating Ide’s affection for the sound system aesthetic while exercising just the right amount of spacial arrangement flourishes to inject some brawn amidst the beauty.
These serendipitously rediscovered renditions of a back catalog deep cut are just the latest examples of Yasushi Ide’s artistic reach. In addition to recording such acclaimed albums as 2020’s Cosmic Suite and its 2022 sequel (for which Love Injection has remixed a track), his work has spanned music supervision of some 200+ compilations for major labels, artist management, his Grand Gallery shop/gallery proprietorship, and books showcasing the depth of his archival sensibilities, including vintage t-shirt and ephemera curation. Perhaps most inspiring, however, is that Ide is still winning new appreciators and collaborators in unexpected ways four decades into a revered career that continues to evolve and expand.
Seoul duo Salamanda arrive on Wisdom Teeth with their latest and most focused LP yet: 'In Parallel' - a vividly textural and immersive record that brings a new level of clarity to their typically psychedelic, expansive approach. Since arriving in 2019, the pair - comprised of friends Uman Therma (aka Sala) and Yetsuby (aka Manda) - have been fast at work mapping out their elaborate, dream-state sonic world - prolifically honing their sound across four albums and over a dozen singles to date. Across their already-extensive discography the pair have established a few key calling cards. Mallet instruments and tuned drums play out playful music-box melodies. Thick washes of gaseous ambience invoke otherworldly or ancient soundscapes. And buried fragments of found sound and manipulated vocal give their otherwise synthetic compositions a warm sense of first-person narrative. Ambient and Reich-school minimalism are the music’s most obvious sonic touchstones - yet the pulse of contemporary club and pop music have never been totally out of earshot. All of these themes come in to play here - but 'In Parallel' signals a step well beyond Salamanda’s work to date. Since 2022’s 'ashbalkum' (released on Wisdom Teeth alumni Tristan Arp’s label, Human Pitch), the duo have toured extensively: at classical institutions like London’s Kings Place as well as DIY club dens like Manchester’s White Hotel, all via a series of globally renowned festivals like Mutek, Nachti and Dekmantel. Their creative set-up has grown steadily alongside to incorporate a whole suite of new machines, processes and perspectives, taking their music in bold new directions in the process. The clearest development here is in the duo’s use of vocals - a shift that has been slowly taking place over their last few records, but that comes to a head on In Parallel. The album’s lead single 'Homemade Jam' is the closest the duo have come to writing an all-out pop track: its buoyant beat and autotuned vocals sounding like something SOPHIE and Charli XCX could have written after a particularly potent batch of mushroom tea. It’s a razor-sharp slice of alt-pop that offers a mouthwatering first look at what happens when Salamanda’s sprawling, unbridled creative energy is distilled right down into something concentrated and polished. At other points their sonic explorations lead them to embrace a more upfront approach to rhythm, skirting closer than ever before to the dancefloor in the process. The meandering drums and vocal chops on 'Paper Labyrinth' are underpinned by a firm 4x4 pulse, while the dembow groove of 'Tonal, Fluid' would feel right at home in a Nick León or DJ Plead set. 'In Parallel' is a record about connection, and the warmth and nostalgic simplicity of friendship is felt vividly throughout. Its title refers to the harmony the duo have found between them as friends and collaborators - and sonic parallels are traced throughout the record as testament to this. Motifs come and go before reappearing at later points: take, for example, the melody underpinning ‘Sun Tickles’, which returns in a different key and tempo on album closer ‘Mysterious Wedding’. Parallel lines are traced between each artist and through their music, linking back to their past and pointing ahead to the future. Only Salamanda know where these will take us next.
- A1: Haai X Jon Hopkins X Kam-Bu - Always Ascending
- A2: Haai - Ziggy
- B1: I Jordan - Life On The Wing
- B2: Joshua James - We Go Again
- B3: Dj Pgz - Quality High
- C1: Koreless - Seven (Drumhell)
- C2: Cocktail Party Effect - Make It Undone
- C3: The Blessed Madonna - Strength
- D1: Manni Dee, River Moon - Hot
- D2: Haai - Shine
London-based, Australian-born Teneil Throssell, aka HAAi, is known for a strain of sonic psychedelia that metabolises precise sound design, melodic techno, electronic pop and thundering beats. Following the release of her acclaimed 2022 album, Baby, We"re Ascending, HAAi has reached what she calls "another career milestone" - an invitation to steer the next edition of !K7 Records" acclaimed DJ-Kicks series.
The latest offering from Astral Black comes in the form of the 'Metropolis N' LP, courtesy of Queens, New York's number premier importer/exporter of Jungle & D&B, NIGELTHREETIMES. Having initially garnered a name for themselves as one of New York City's most versatile club DJ's, with the release of their 'Call Of The Void; project in 2020 Nigel also began to build a reputation as a producer in their own right. Resulting in residencies on Rinse FM & The Lot Radio, radio support from the likes of Tom Ravenscroft & Uniiqu3 and press support from Resident Advisor, OkayPLAYER & Mixmag – amplifying their talents throughout New York City and beyond.
With 'Metropolis N' NIGELTHREETIMES distills their eclectic influences through the lens of rolling 160bpm breaks – taking in Jazz, 8-bit game soundtrakcs, science fiction & jump up D&B. Starting off the LP with the rhodes tinged double header of 'TSQ MELTDOWN' & 'EARLY MORNING FROM 103RD STREET', the latter featuring some of the best double bass work heard on a jungle track since 'Brown Paper Bag'. Elsewhere, on 'ROAD2RAILS' and 'PHANTOM SHORES', the producer ditches the instrumentation in favour of oscillated square waves, dubbed out vocal FX & 8-bit melodies, without ever losing site of the projects underlying sense of optimism. On the album closer 'INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION', 3X manages to bring together the influences heard throughout the project, tying together a muted rhodes chords, squarewave basslines, flutters of alien melodies and finely tuned, slices breakbeats into a 5 minute symphony.
The consistency and exacting production skills heard throughout the offering elevate this project from another drop in the digital ocean to a landmark opus, from a producer carrying the torch for this timeless sound and making the project worthy of a spot alongside some of the classics this genre has produced.
'Metropolis N' is available Oct 13th on digital and limited edition vinyl via Astral Black.
Italian legend Walter Del Vecchio aka Quiroga pays tribute to the acid house era on Hell Yeah with a new package that comes with two originals, an ambient mix and a remix from cult hero DMX Krew.
Quiroga released his last sublime album Passages on this label and it came as the latest entry into a discography filled with beauty and detail. He is a talented musician from Naples who has his own left-of-centre take on the Mediterranean sounds of the city, as he shows once again here with a house-leaning outing.
Quiroga has teamed up with cult musician Dario Bassolino and called upon Whodamanny's mixing skills for these new tracks. First is 'Once Again', a punchy and chunky house cut with skewed bass spraying about the mix. Its rough analogue edges are lit up by searing acid lines that never quit and will turn any party into a cauldron of intensity. The Ambient Version is a full-flavour downtempo workout that keeps the wild acid lines, adds in some FX, old-school piano chords and a yelping female vocal next to a blissful breakdown. 'Once Again' (DMX Krew Remix) is then a bumping acid-electro monster with fat drums and the manic 303 offset by serene chord work to make for a perfectly emotional dance floor delight.
'Freak The Funk' is a second original cut, as rides of crisp snares and snapping drum breaks blend with a warm bassline and smeared cosmic chords up top. It's a classy peak-time house cut with magical pixelated synth melodies.
Alongside superb artwork from PlanetLuke, this is another essential package from Hell Yeah.
DJ Support:
Sean Johnston (ALFOS), Kristian (AME), Fango, Front De Cadeaux, Sinchi Collective, Phat Phil Cooper, Balearic Gabba Sound System
Voted DJ Mag’s Underground Hero in 2022, DJ & producer Lauren Flax has been a fixture in Brooklyn’s electronic scene for two decades. On her latest project Liz & Lauren EP, she teams up with Liz Wight of shoegaze techno duo Pale Blue, whose sultry vocals explore questions of love and isolation to the tune of Detroit house and acidic techno.
Flax and Wight became fast friends in 2021 after being introduced by Pale Blue member & 2MR co-founder Mike Simonetti, who’d enlisted Flax to remix Pale Blue’s “Breathe.” Naturally, when Flax needed a vocalist for some tracks she was working on shortly after, she knew just who to call. “I was in my last year of grad school doing an internship in community mental health helping kids cope with the trauma of the pandemic,” Wight says of the time. She channelled this experience as she wrote and recorded the lyrics to Liz & Lauren EP from her home in Los Angeles.
As a result, the lyrics on Liz & Lauren EP are open-ended musings on connection, isolation, and convention. Lead single “Fix Everything” can be read both as an indictment of the trappings of marriage or, on Flax’s view, a rousing call to action, applicable to issues ranging from the degradation of the environment to the attack on LGBTQ+ rights in America. As the EP progresses, Wight’s airy vocals consider the pitfalls of love, from the destructive power of infatuation to the pain of outgrowing a relationship.
Sonically, Liz & Lauren EP feels like a natural progression from Flax’s first release on 2MR, 2021’s Out Of Reality, which saw her exploring a more minimalist production style for the first time in her work. “I Don’t Want To Hurt You” and “Fix Everything” pulse with bright, dynamic production, while slow burner “Return To Love” takes a sparser approach, anchored by a muted drumbeat and a simple, earworm synth refrain. “I’d Risk It All To Be With You” is a masterful balance of both; it even gets the club treatment on the EP’s closing remix, courtesy of Flax’s friends Mark Archer and Simon Neale (Shadow Child) of MASC.
Liz & Lauren EP is an impassioned collection that showcases both Flax and Wight’s artistry in equal measure. For both artists, it’s a testament to stepping outside the norm (DJing for Flax, performing in Pale Blue for Wight) and collaborating with others, the fruits of which are sure to be felt on the dancefloor for years to come.
With one foot planted in jazz and the other in the township groove of Mbaqanga, saxophonist Sello Mmutung was a powerful crossover figure in the history of popular music in South Africa. Using the stage name Bra Sello, meaning “brother” and used as a term of affection and respect in the jazz community, he came up in the era of shellac 78s as an exponent of the 1960s sax jive sound that brought the swinging rhythm of kwela into the domain of South African jazz. Despite the injection of American rhythm and blues into South African pop in the late-1960s, Bra Sello’s first releases on vinyl on the CBS label saw him backed by the group Abafana Bentuthuko and holding down an unapologetic township sound.
Joining the independent Soweto label under producer Cambridge Matiwane in the mid-1970s, Bra Sello recorded two records in the hit-making bump jive style popularised by serious jazz musician Dollar Brand on the one hand and prolific studio group the Movers, operating in funk and soul territory, on the other. Blending modern American and traditional African elements into joyful hip-swinging rhythms, Butterfly (1975) and The Battle of Disco (1977) reflect the vivacity of urban life in South Africa and document an era when dance music was performed by bands as extended jams laced with jaw-dropping solos. With music trends shifting dramatically in the late-1970s, the title of The Battle of Disco was an ironic call to arms in response to the territory that group musicians were beginning to cede to synthesisers and DJs.
For enthusiasts of African music from the 1970s, a full appreciation of the continent’s output is incomplete without South Africa’s pop-jazz sound providing a regional counterpoint to the funk experimentation of West Africa. Reissued for the very first time, Bra Sello returns in 2023 with limited replica editions from Afrodelic using master tape sources from the As-Shams/The Sun collection. Afrodelic’s unique edition of Butterfly features a previously unreleased track on Side B.
With one foot planted in jazz and the other in the township groove of Mbaqanga, saxophonist Sello Mmutung was a powerful crossover figure in the history of popular music in South Africa. Using the stage name Bra Sello, meaning “brother” and used as a term of affection and respect in the jazz community, he came up in the era of shellac 78s as an exponent of the 1960s sax jive sound that brought the swinging rhythm of kwela into the domain of South African jazz. Despite the injection of American rhythm and blues into South African pop in the late-1960s, Bra Sello’s first releases on vinyl on the CBS label saw him backed by the group Abafana Bentuthuko and holding down an unapologetic township sound.
Joining the independent Soweto label under producer Cambridge Matiwane in the mid-1970s, Bra Sello recorded two records in the hit-making bump jive style popularised by serious jazz musician Dollar Brand on the one hand and prolific studio group the Movers, operating in funk and soul territory, on the other. Blending modern American and traditional African elements into joyful hip-swinging rhythms, Butterfly (1975) and The Battle of Disco (1977) reflect the vivacity of urban life in South Africa and document an era when dance music was performed by bands as extended jams laced with jaw-dropping solos. With music trends shifting dramatically in the late-1970s, the title of The Battle of Disco was an ironic call to arms in response to the territory that group musicians were beginning to cede to synthesisers and DJs.
For enthusiasts of African music from the 1970s, a full appreciation of the continent’s output is incomplete without South Africa’s pop-jazz sound providing a regional counterpoint to the funk experimentation of West Africa. Reissued for the very first time, Bra Sello returns in 2023 with limited replica editions from Afrodelic using master tape sources from the As-Shams/The Sun collection. Afrodelic’s unique edition of Butterfly features a previously unreleased track on Side B.
For Fans Of: Laibach, Trepaneringsritualen, Ulver, Skinny Puppy, industrialized Dead Can Dance, Celtic Frost. FORGOTTEN SUNRISE is a band both legendary and current; inventors in one era, and innovators in the present day. Celebrating their 30th anniversary this year, the group has evolved and morphed over time into its current formation of Anders Melts, Kadri Sammel, and Jaan Pullerits. A huge part of the Estonian cultural landscape that comprises dark music, Forgotten Sunrise began life as a death metal band in the early 90s, part of the movement that spawned groups such as Amorphis, Beherit, Anathema, My Dying Bride, and Katatonia. As styles converged, and electronics entered the picture, the group incorporated newer techniques and a more industrial approach over time, consolidating their methods into a unique strain they call “OUTDUSTRIAL” – outsider industrial. elu is the first album in the “HALL-ELU-JAH” trilogy. Starting in the middle, the band has an expansive story arc set across 3 albums. In this first presentation of the trilogy, elu synchronizes the classic Death Metal style vocal with ethereal female voice, horror atmosphere, and pounding EBM rhythyms to create 8 memorable and visceral tracks. From high-energy dancefloor-fillers like “Orthotoxic Waste” and “Deep Emoceans” to heavy industrial grinders like “Near Bye” and “iSaid” to the emotional close of “Meating 8:08” into “Elukas”, the album provides a serene metamorphosis, guiding the listener through the many-worlds-as-one experience of Forgotten Sunrise. – Forgotten Sunrise are: Anders Melts – Vocals, bass, guitars, cymbals, djembe, thunder tube, knife and fork. Kadri Sammel – Vocals, bass, keyboards, shaman drum Jaan “Suva” Pullerits – Controlling the arrangements of chaos Ants “Ank” Lill – B(l)ack vocals on “Elukas” Recorded, mixed, and mastered at In Dreams 2020-2022 Artwork by Rene 13 Cover Picture by hellish.cav Executive Producer for Ohm Resistance – Alexandra Portaluppi




















