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Imperfect Stranger is the pseudonym of Glasgow based soundtrack composer and producer Kenny Inglis. “Everything Wrong is Right” is his debut solo album for Castles in Space.
Born in 1975, Kenny didn't listen to much music, unless it was the opening credits to a TV show or a film score that had caught his ear. "I loved the pre-title music on a lot of those 80's U.S. TV shows. From the family orientated stuff like The A-Team, to darker dramas such as The Equalizer. My mother would let me stay up to watch the opening sequence of the latter then send me to bed because the story would be too heavy for a kid. That left me with this hanging sense of ambiguity as to what would happen in that hour after the titles came up.”
Exposure to a work colleague’s tiny project studio in a kitchen cupboard was a lightbulb moment for him and the experience of utilising music technology as a way of writing and producing entire tracks stirred a wave of determination to chase a career in music using the opportunities that technology could offer. Kenny figured the best way to move forward was to start a small project studio and learn his craft as a recording engineer. "It was a bit of a shock to the system. I literally had no idea how to work any of the equipment. Kenny focused on learning as much about the craft as he could whilst winging his way through recording and mixing everyone from the likes of singer/songwriters to bands, to voiceovers artists and anything in between. "Eventually, I stopped writing the music I thought people would want to hear, and started writing the music I wanted to make. I didn't come from a music loving background, but I was always obsessed by the way music and film would interact - how music brings this atmosphere and tone to even the most mundane visual stuff. I wanted to capture that. I wanted to grab some of that ambiguity I felt from the TV shows of my childhood and make it into a project of some sort". That project was Spylab. A dark, downtempo project with a cinematic edge. The initial demo consisted of three tracks, with the melancholic 'This Utopia' leading the playlist.
"At the time you did demos on normal cassette tapes. I remember having this endless battle with the bias control to try and get the best sound I could on these little tapes. Ten went in the post one Monday morning, and the following Monday there were three offers from three different labels. Studio K7 were interested in a singles deal, as was Flying Rhino in London. But then there was an offer from a Chicago based label by the name of Guidance Recordings. They wanted an album, and were offering a $15,000 advance. It wasn't a difficult decision to make"
Writing and recording Spylab 'This Utopia' began in 1999. The album took a whole year to produce. The album was to catch the attention of Mary Anne Hobbs at Radio One. At the time Mary Anne was presenting The Breezeblock - a late Sunday night show with an eclectic playlist of alternative electronic music. Picking out the album's title track 'This Utopia', Mary Anne would go on to play it no less than 8 weeks in a row. A request for Spylab to DJ on the show was to follow. "I had never DJ'd before. I think I had a week to figure out how to do that and put a playlist together. I'm not entirely sure how I pulled that off.” In March 2001 the Spylab album was finally released to a hoard of excellent reviews. A North American live tour would follow. From the launch party in Los Angeles, to a sell out show at SXSW in Austin. "I then started a new project under the name Cinephile. It had some of the core elements of the Spylab sound but it was deeper, more cinematic.” Kenny received news that a track from the previous project Spylab had been requested by HBO for the first episode of a new TV drama called Six Feet Under. This was to become a major turning point in Kenny's career. The Spylab track 'Celluloid Hypnotic' dropped during a poignant party scene of the first Six Feet Under episode. Within a couple of days Kenny was getting requests for music from other music supervisors. "It was a chain reaction. The Six Feet Under sync was like the tip of an iceberg. One day I called CBS in America and they put me on to the CSI music supervisor and I managed to get on a call with him. I sent the Cinephile stuff out and within a few months I got this fax through from CBS - a quote request for one of the tracks for a potential use on CSI. It changed my life."
The tone and style of Kenny's music sat perfectly with the CSI score requirements. So much so he found himself part of a pool of incidental writers who worked on all three aspects of the franchise - CSI, CSI: NY, and CSI: Miami. This would continue until 2013, when the last of the series would come to an end.
"I was juggling a bunch of stuff for those ten years. Writing material for CSI, whilst releasing new Cinephile stuff and playing live. As Cinephile continued to gather pace, one of the tracks from Kenny's efforts on CSI was chosen for the Hollywood trailer for the Samuel L. Jackson film 'Lakeview Terrace'. Further trailers would follow, from Gangster Squad to Dead Man Down, Spike Lee's Undisputed Truth, to Fifty Shades Freed.
At the same time, Kenny picked up his first factual commissions in the UK, and this too would be the beginning of a regular run of fully scoring factuals and documentaries. By 2021, six of these had won BAFTAs. He also would find himself soundtracking adverts for the likes of Nike, Audi, and American AirlinesIn early 2020, Kenny made a return to focusing on his own music under the pseudonym Imperfect Stranger. A tweet from Colin Morrison from Castles In Space regarding a charity compilation album 'The Isolation Tapes' caught his eye. Kenny had made a start on his debut album as Imperfect Stranger and submitted the track 'Hymn To The Sun' (which would become the lead track on the album). Further discussions ensued, and the album found a home on CiS. "I had been doing TV and film stuff for almost ten years. It paid the bills and was as close to a 'real job' as I'd had, but I yearned to get back to writing for myself, so doing an album for Castles in Space was a joy.
“The music I write is like a diary. There's an authentic narrative to everything i do. I don't write tracks for the sake of writing. I write tracks to diarise and process the stuff that I've lived through, and the experiences that have come along with the passing years. That's what makes me tick. It's a very public and vulnerable way of expressing myself. If people want to know the real me, all they have to do is listen."

House Of Lucy is a special project by three friends and music producers from Warsaw, Poland (TAMTEN, Ivan Bayor & FOPA) who also happen to organize a mysterious event called “Lucyna” on Half Year’s Eve (sunny New Year’s Eve in summer). It is a local thing with lineups consisting of DJ’s and bands with very different musical backgrounds. This genre bending and melting situation, together with an utterly open-minded audience, creates some of the most unexpected encounters. This is the place where dub meets new wave, post punk meets house, electro meets jazz… This is the place where House Of Lucy comes from. Following the lyrics on the opening track:

“…welcome to house of Lucy
you can do anything at house of Lucy
anything at all
the only limit is yourself…”

Dark 80-ish synths, guitar riffs, dubby basslines, aggressive percussion, haunting vocals, and some soft cozy spots seem a bit much for one record? This is House Of Lucy after all, the only limit is yourself.

It took a while, but Coincidence is back on vinyl. And how: Serbian producer and DJ Lag teams up with Belgian BEOT on the 'Patience EP' - a title that turned into a bit of a prophecy as vinyl production seemed to take ages to cut through the red tape and production issues spiralled out of control. The EP is conceptualised around two original tracks from each artist. And in return, they remixed each other's work. Four tracks, four vibes, one EP. Get you some of that!

'Rokenrol' opens the A side with a massive drumroll infusion. Unbelievable funky, wild, distorted and straight to the feet of anyone standing on the dance floor: Lag delivers his signature dish. The second track by BEOT, titled 'Problem of Conduct', is dark, slow, dirty and nasty. Almost minimalistic although beneath the surface, an absolute belter lurks an snaps at anyone daring to venture too close.

On the other side, the remixes take the originals to a completely different vibe. Lag's remix of 'Problem of Conduct' keeps the dark vibe, but thrives on a massive broken beat and eerie atmosphere. This sounds brutal on a big sound system. BEOT's remix of 'Rokenrol' on the other hand dumps the funky drums and goes for the heavy straightforward approach. The result is an absolute growling distorted noise monster that simply is amazing and effective.

We hope you like the EP as much as we do.

"Insane and heavy beats by the og don Pixelord featuring great remixes by an all-star line-up comprising Dj Ride, Dj Pound, Starkey and Dranq!

Like a lightning bolt in the middle of a dark sea, PIXELORD has returned once again from the frozen lands to shock and disquiet the tides of Futuristic Bass Music. Perhaps the best thing about Russian electronic music godfather Alexey Devyanin's PIXELORD project returning to SATURATE! for this "Demonslayer" release is not simply the exciting and hard-hitting beats contained within, but the simple fact that it shall be offered on delicious, glorious VINYL. An artifact for all time, perhaps to be found in future wastelands by those who would consider this "Demonslayer" to be the VanHelsing (or perhaps Trevor Belmont) of the 21st century bass music scene.

The last decade has seen PIXELORD riding the wave of forward-thinking bass music, and always staying at the crest, and 2020 is no different. "Doomguy" comes tearing straight in with menacing, distorted synth weaponry, assaulting with ballistic beats (even some nods to Junglism) until finally bestowing some glittering melody atop the fray, showing that not only is Alexey an elder-statesman of the genre, he's still the eager bass monster that explores his own depths. The depths are again evident in "Pain Elemental" where the vibe is established immediately, and only delves deeper into the slightly-detuned bass signals and ominous creeping atmosphere. The melodic elements are no longer here to sooth, they are newly charged laser beams that sear the flesh, scorching the eardrums.

This foreboding, demon-dispatching vibe is indeed present throughout this entire release, as you enter the "Bonus Stage" of this deadly game, where the aggression does not abate, and the bass plays backseat to the synth bell sonic geometry on display. The drums especially feel the wrath of PIXELORD on this track, where some impossibly tortured tambourines take a beating, and the chopping and relentless reorganization of the rhythm keeps you churning with intensity. The title track brings the "wild style", even though the drums are less frantic, the bass frequencies and laser blasts from our protagonist, the ever-ready "Demonslayer", are sure to dismantle any submissive subwoofer in range.

"BFG" rounds out this collection in a disheveled fashion, dishing out low frequency divebombs and squelches, whilst otherworldly transmissions from synth realms afar come leaping in trying to assert their dominance, only to be eaten alive by daemonic bass and telluric currents of seismic drum activity. An utterly destructive end to this tale… BUT WAIT, IT GETS WORSE! We have here on hand SATURATE! stalwarts DJ Ride, DJ Pound, DRANQ and big daddy STARKEY on remix duty, who all take the tracks down their own rabbit holes to parts unknown, with equal aplomb. The result is equal in intensity and aggression, but the textures by which this is conveyed are wholly transformed and re-imagined skillfully.

All this on one slab of gorgeous VINYL. No demon shall stand a chance against PIXELORD's battalion of beats and bass."

The Entertains were a vocal group from Cleveland Ohio whose line up at different times varied between four to five members. Initially signed to Belkin Productions in Cleveland the group were persuaded by Nick Holiday to move to his Pittsburgh Steel Town Records Label. The group had already been working on two songs penned by C-Way Productions Richard Calloway who had strong links with Cleveland through his work with Jesse Fisher and Lester Johnson at Way Out Records. The two songs in question being “Love Will Turn It Around” and Why Couldn’t I Believe Them”, demo cuts of both songs where touted around to several major labels with 20th Century showing some serious interest, but the owner reputedly turned down 20th Century’s advances and instead chose to release the songs on his own Steel Town Label. Recorded at Jerree’s Studio in New Brighton P.A with the musical arrangements being provided by Don Groton, The Entertains 45 received limited local airplay reputedly due in part to Holiday’s refusal to provide a set of Dining Room furniture for an influential local radio promotion man. Greater radio play was eventually received with “Love Will Turn It Around” gaining air time on WANN, Annapolis Maryland’s largest Black radio station, courtesy of Disc-jockey Charles “Hoppy” Adams. For a time, a popular tune throughout Baltimore, Washington and Delaware without breaking out nationally. Wider appreciation of the Entertains 45 would come from foreign shores as copies of the 45 found their way in the UK. The effervescent dance side of the 45 “Love Will Turn It Around” was heavily championed by Legendary DJ Colin Curtis and became a firm favourite with the dancers within the Highland Room of the Blackpool Mecca and subsequent Northern Soul venues of the time. The Entertains line up on the Steel Town sessions where Donald Rice, Howard Rice (the cousin of Donald) Alfred Wilson and Andrew Wright the lead vocalist on all The Entertains songs. During 1978 Richard Calloway held a second recording session on The Entertains again at Jeree’s Studio’s which yielded a further two songs “I’ll Answer You With Love” and “Your Love I Give It Up” which due to lack of finance at the time of their conception remained in the can. These two songs have now been brought to life through Soul Junction’s licensing deal with C-Way Production’s in the format they originally intended for. The A-side of the release is the emotional charge stepper “I’ll Answer You With Love” with the opening monologue parts been performed by Howard Rice. While the B-side “Your Love I Give It Up” is a punchier up-tempo version of Richie Merrett’s earlier C-Way Records recording “I Gave It Up”, the flipside to “You’ll Always Have Yesterday Standing By” (C-way 103).

In later life Donald Rice would perform with Lonnie Turner Jr a former member of the Detroit groups The Mighty Lovers (Boo-Ga-Loo and Soulhawk) and Innervision (Private Stock and Ariola America) and his daughter Africa Turner in a vocal combo known as The Ambassadors Of Soul, sadly Donald has now passed. It is believed that the other members of The Entertains are still out there performing solo or as members of other different groups.

Planet Battagon – Episode 01, a labyrinth of different sounds and textures was created live, purely on machines. Creating Experimental and other-worldly tones, all three tracks hail from the quirky "Planet Battagon" world, with "Like You, Like Me" the most likely contender for Club play by the more adventurous DJs. Touching on early Techno and Space-Jazz, Episode 01 is certain to take you on a sonic journey like no other...

Gilles Peterson – “Love it, I can’t wait to play this one out”

Rob Da Bank - “ WOW what a fresh and unique sounding record…drumtastic! "

Felix (Basement Jaxx) - " It's like the Clangers playing at a bass music festival ”

Rhythm Doctor - “ Explosive, Techno Jazz experiment. . .will become a classic ”

Toddla T - "Refreshing, Sic!”

Further support from Riton, Sinden, Canblaster and Brodinski

Listening pays off. This is evident not least in the debut EP of Golden Pudel Club barman Paul Speckmann.

Long years behind the bar of the Hamburg club pub made him a willing listener to the numerous and diverse events there - from start to finish, something that very few "regular" clubbers can claim.

And these influences, from indie concert to electronica crunch, from jungle breakbeat massacre to dignified house groove, not only led to his varied DJ sets, with which Speckmann also made his house club happy, but certainly also served as inspiration for these wonderful tracks, which skil-fully oscillate between deep-dusty house, angereak indie dance and playful IDM jingling, often varying different elements in one track.

There is, for example, the delicately dreamy house hit "On The Flip", the latenight funk of "Star-ship", which would not be out of place on the Sunday MFOC floor, or the blurred indie ambient tune "Return", which captivates with campfire guitar and Sophia Kennedy on the vocals.

And these are just three of the seven tracks (or eight on the digital release) on the EP, none of which disappoint. Someone has listened carefully and learned his lessons. Chapeau!

In 1990 Ronald Lee Trent Jr. was the teenage creator of Altered States – a raw, futuristic techno-not-techno anthem, which in retrospect was something of a stylistic anomaly for the young artist. Across subsequent years, with time spent in Chicago, New York and Detroit, came the development of his signature sound, and renown as a world class purveyor of deep, soul infused house/garage. This story has already been told, and on casual inspection, the well-worn platitude ‘house music legend’ is an old shoe that still fits. However, in fact, he’s actually so much more, and has been for quite a while. A genuine musician, songwriter, and ‘producer’ in the proper, old-school sense, the artist today has more in common with Quincy Jones than he does your average journeyman DJ track-hack.

To those in the know, these broader skills haven’t gone unnoticed, which is why on the highly collaborative, career-topping new LP ‘What Do The Stars Say To You’, it took little persuasion to recruit serious star power. Brazilian royalty Ivan Conti and Alex Malheriros from Azymuth, violin maestro Jean Luc Ponty, ambient hero Gigi Masin, hype band Khruangbin and more performed, whilst NY cornerstone François K provided mastering duties. At various points Ron himself played drums, percussion, keys, synths, piano, guitar and electronics.

Harking back to the 70s and 80s boom in adventurous, luxurious albums, WDTSSTY is a love letter to the longplayer, where rich musicality and a liquid smooth, silky flow make seemingly odd genre bedfellows acquiesce harmoniously. Each song its own high-fidelity odyssey, Trent incorporated a broad range of live instruments and electronics into a sophisticated, euphonic whole. Described by him as being “designed for harmonising with spirit, urban life and nature”, this is aural soul food, gently easing you into balmy nights, where everything is alright.

Originally wanting to be an architect, Trent’s views his approach to collaboration and music in general as having the same principles. A firm believer in the nourishing qualities of sound, he sees direct parallels between the two disciplines, being as the purpose of good architecture is to improve quality of life. “With WARM, through sound design, I built frameworks for the musicians, who furnished and occupied these structures beautifully, which was a big compliment for me”, he comments.

The conditions required for a good collab are more than simply structural though, as Trent expounds, “I’m a huge fan of everyone on the record, especially Jean Luc and Azymuth, who’re part of my DNA. Each track was made with that guest in mind – for example, when I started writing ‘Sphere’, I immediately thought ‘this IS Ponty’. I played the keys in his style, and did a guide violin solo using a synth, which he then re-did, amazingly. ‘Cool Water’ is based around Azymuth themes, so when I sent it to Ivan, he could immediately see himself in the piece; He got what I was going for straight away. For ‘Melt Into You’ I hit up Alex on Instagram, sent him the track, he liked it, and within 24 hours he’d sent back six different bass passes!”
“Conversely, Admira began with a sketch sent by Gigi and became something combining Jon Hassell-esque chords and the feel of ‘Aquamarine’ by Carlos Santana, which links back to Masin’s recurrent nautical theme”, he adds.

With community, history and the need for racial equality never far from Ron’s mind, ‘Flos Potentia’ translates from Spanish as flower power, but rather than promoting some hippy idyll, instead it refers to plants which drove the slave trade: tobacco, sugar and cotton. Joined by Khruangbin, together they propel Dinosaur L, Hi-Tension and afrobeat into an ethereal, clear-skyed stratosphere.
Aside from these esteemed guests, other key influences cited by Trent include ‘Gigolos Get Lonely Too’ by Prince, ‘Beyond’ by Herb Alpert, David Mancuso, Jan Hammer, Tangerine Dream, The Cars, Trevor Horn, Alan Parsons Project and pre-Kraftwerk incarnation Organization. A multitude of others are audible too, including George Bension, Vangelis, Loose Ends, Maze, Flora Purim, Weather Report, Atmosphere, Grace Jones, James Mason and Brass Construction.

On the subject of influences, although opposed to the fences erected by genre tags, to understand where Ron is coming from, and where he’s at, it’s important to acknowledge just how big the palette is from which he paints. Traversing jazz funk, quiet storm, sophisti-pop, new age, new wave, kosmische, Balearic, samba, afrobeat, Latin rock, soft rock and yacht rock, his deeply entrenched digger’s knowledge pays off in dividends.

In 1990 Ronald Lee Trent Jr. was the teenage creator of Altered States – a raw, futuristic techno-not-techno anthem, which in retrospect was something of a stylistic anomaly for the young artist. Across subsequent years, with time spent in Chicago, New York and Detroit, came the development of his signature sound, and renown as a world class purveyor of deep, soul infused house/garage. This story has already been told, and on casual inspection, the well-worn platitude ‘house music legend’ is an old shoe that still fits. However, in fact, he’s actually so much more, and has been for quite a while. A genuine musician, songwriter, and ‘producer’ in the proper, old-school sense, the artist today has more in common with Quincy Jones than he does your average journeyman DJ track-hack.

To those in the know, these broader skills haven’t gone unnoticed, which is why on the highly collaborative, career-topping new LP ‘What Do The Stars Say To You’, it took little persuasion to recruit serious star power. Brazilian royalty Ivan Conti and Alex Malheriros from Azymuth, violin maestro Jean Luc Ponty, ambient hero Gigi Masin, hype band Khruangbin and more performed, whilst NY cornerstone François K provided mastering duties. At various points Ron himself played drums, percussion, keys, synths, piano, guitar and electronics.

Harking back to the 70s and 80s boom in adventurous, luxurious albums, WDTSSTY is a love letter to the longplayer, where rich musicality and a liquid smooth, silky flow make seemingly odd genre bedfellows acquiesce harmoniously. Each song its own high-fidelity odyssey, Trent incorporated a broad range of live instruments and electronics into a sophisticated, euphonic whole. Described by him as being “designed for harmonising with spirit, urban life and nature”, this is aural soul food, gently easing you into balmy nights, where everything is alright.

Originally wanting to be an architect, Trent’s views his approach to collaboration and music in general as having the same principles. A firm believer in the nourishing qualities of sound, he sees direct parallels between the two disciplines, being as the purpose of good architecture is to improve quality of life. “With WARM, through sound design, I built frameworks for the musicians, who furnished and occupied these structures beautifully, which was a big compliment for me”, he comments.

The conditions required for a good collab are more than simply structural though, as Trent expounds, “I’m a huge fan of everyone on the record, especially Jean Luc and Azymuth, who’re part of my DNA. Each track was made with that guest in mind – for example, when I started writing ‘Sphere’, I immediately thought ‘this IS Ponty’. I played the keys in his style, and did a guide violin solo using a synth, which he then re-did, amazingly. ‘Cool Water’ is based around Azymuth themes, so when I sent it to Ivan, he could immediately see himself in the piece; He got what I was going for straight away. For ‘Melt Into You’ I hit up Alex on Instagram, sent him the track, he liked it, and within 24 hours he’d sent back six different bass passes!”
“Conversely, Admira began with a sketch sent by Gigi and became something combining Jon Hassell-esque chords and the feel of ‘Aquamarine’ by Carlos Santana, which links back to Masin’s recurrent nautical theme”, he adds.

With community, history and the need for racial equality never far from Ron’s mind, ‘Flos Potentia’ translates from Spanish as flower power, but rather than promoting some hippy idyll, instead it refers to plants which drove the slave trade: tobacco, sugar and cotton. Joined by Khruangbin, together they propel Dinosaur L, Hi-Tension and afrobeat into an ethereal, clear-skyed stratosphere.
Aside from these esteemed guests, other key influences cited by Trent include ‘Gigolos Get Lonely Too’ by Prince, ‘Beyond’ by Herb Alpert, David Mancuso, Jan Hammer, Tangerine Dream, The Cars, Trevor Horn, Alan Parsons Project and pre-Kraftwerk incarnation Organization. A multitude of others are audible too, including George Bension, Vangelis, Loose Ends, Maze, Flora Purim, Weather Report, Atmosphere, Grace Jones, James Mason and Brass Construction.

On the subject of influences, although opposed to the fences erected by genre tags, to understand where Ron is coming from, and where he’s at, it’s important to acknowledge just how big the palette is from which he paints. Traversing jazz funk, quiet storm, sophisti-pop, new age, new wave, kosmische, Balearic, samba, afrobeat, Latin rock, soft rock and yacht rock, his deeply entrenched digger’s knowledge pays off in dividends.

Kicking off proceedings on new label, Scene Unseen is Yorkshire’s finest, Jinjé a.k.a. Lee J Malcolm.

Scene Unseen will focus on exploring and showcasing scenes from around the world (some seen or some maybe unseen), as well as releasing music from artists who incorporate sounds from across the globe within a music style that's closer to home. This is where Jinjé steps in, delivering an EP of Afro-funk and Afro-tech. He draws upon his usual duties as a fine Techno, House and Electronica producer and combines them with rhythms inspired by African and Indian music, using instruments (played and recorded live by Jinjé) and field recordings from both regions.

Jinjé (Lee J Malcolm) has released on labels such as Messrs. Kicks & Drums, EPM Music, Mesh and Ostgut Ton. He was also a founding member and mainstay in the Leeds band, Vessels (Different Recordings), until leaving a couple of years ago to concentrate on solo projects.

The track names tell all, as Jinjé gives a clear nod to the Africanism is his music. First track, 'Ngoma' is a name used across Africa to describe certain drums and percussive instruments, which can be heard here, like Djembes from the Conga region, as well as live and acoustic components, blended with modular and other electronic sounds.

'Burkina Faso' takes us west and hits the ground running with a vocal sample of Tribal women from the area, singing praise and joy to engineers who have come to provide fresh water to the village: "Praise God for they have come to build us a well." The progression of the track is based around this joy and develops nicely alongside some intense bass and drums.

'Dusk' is inspired by thoughts of the Serengeti planes at night fall, all built around Jinjé's live M'bira plugged into a modular synth, grouped with live flute and field recordings from India which provide additional percussion.

'Ya Maji' is a collection of high energy rhythms from a Moroccan frame drum, congas, clapping, live bass, distorted marimba and the mighty Korg Ms20 playing the lead synth lines.

Last up is 'Jara', a nod to Steve Reich and his six marimbas, as well as drawing inspiration from Fela Kuti. Vocal samples bring in more of the field recordings Jinjé made in India, as well as the clapping elements. Acoustic and electronic sounds intertwine to great effect and sum up the EP as a whole.

Look out for more from Jinjé in this musical direction as he seeks to bring these tracks and future ones to a live band setup.

The album, which features some incredibly exciting and varied names including neo soul up-and-comer Greentea Peng, American jazz & soul vocalist Lady Blackbird (on ‘Sunlight’) and British blues vocalist Natalie Duncan, shows off both the rich history and calibre of Goldie and James Davidson’s individually but also how they can create something together that’s so cohesive and forward thinking. The sound the duo have been able to create is also partly due to their geographical locations over the past 18 months, bouncing ideas between Davidson’s studio in Bournemouth on the south coast and Goldie’s house in Phuket, Thailand; showing two songwriters and producers at the top of their game responding to a year and a half in very different atmospheres but similar trying circumstances.
Lead single from the album ‘Dassai Menace’ (released with double A-side ‘Fathoms’) was picked up by Virgil Abloh who used it to soundtrack his Louis Vuitton SS22 fashion film ‘Amen Break’ (watch here), with Goldie walking in the accompanying catwalk show. Goldie will also be in residence throughout the month of February 2022 on BBC Radio 1 alongside the likes of world renown DJ’s Sama' Abdulhadi, Folamour, Or:la, LCY and Scratcha DVA.

Available for the first time as a Picture Disc! While Edan’s critically acclaimed debut, ‘Primitive Plus’, was a celebration of hip-hop’s golden age and a true throwback, his sophomore album, ‘Beauty And The Beat’, is a vast musical collage that contains many different influences; hip-hop, rock, pop, dusty breaks, hazy loops, luxurious off-kilter samples and curveball tempo changes that are all crafted into one cohesive piece of art. In 2015, FACT placed it at number 30 on the "100 Best Indie Hip-Hop Records of All Time" list. In 2013 NME placed it at number 392 on the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list.

“A Psychedelic gem. It’s like ‘The Grey Album’ in technicolour” – Vice

“This is a record that exults in the joy of musical creation. It should prove impossible not to love” - The Times

“Perhaps one of the greatest US hip-hop album you’ll hear” – DJ
NME 8/10

Pitchfork 8.8/10

MOJO ****

Uncut ****

Stylus A-

HipHopDX 4.5/5

Entertainment Weekly A-

Available for the first time as a Picture Disc! While Edan’s critically acclaimed debut, ‘Primitive Plus’, was a celebration of hip-hop’s golden age and a true throwback, his sophomore album, ‘Beauty And The Beat’, is a vast musical collage that contains many different influences; hip-hop, rock, pop, dusty breaks, hazy loops, luxurious off-kilter samples and curveball tempo changes that are all crafted into one cohesive piece of art. In 2015, FACT placed it at number 30 on the "100 Best Indie Hip-Hop Records of All Time" list. In 2013 NME placed it at number 392 on the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list.

“A Psychedelic gem. It’s like ‘The Grey Album’ in technicolour” – Vice

“This is a record that exults in the joy of musical creation. It should prove impossible not to love” - The Times

“Perhaps one of the greatest US hip-hop album you’ll hear” – DJ
NME 8/10

Pitchfork 8.8/10

MOJO ****

Uncut ****

Stylus A-

HipHopDX 4.5/5

Entertainment Weekly A-

It started, as it so often does, with two old friends hanging out.

John Shima and C P Smith were joking around one evening in their home city of Sheffield. At some point, Smith challenged Shima that, if the latter could produce a record using nothing more than a small modular synth setup, then Smith would release it on his Central Processing Unit label. As heads will know, while Shima has drops on imprints like FireScope and Subwax Excursions to his name, he had never previously released anything via CPU. Shima accepted, and thus we now have his CPU debut, the four-track EP CPU Modular 1.

The specific setup that Shima worked with for these tracks was Smith's Doepfer A-100P6 Suitcase, a small but mighty combination of modules and programmers. It's no surprise that Shima was able to familiarise himself with the equipment in double-quick time - after all, Shima was an early adopter of the Eurorack modular format back in the day. What emerged from the CPU Modular 1 sessions was a quartet of devastatingly effective DJ tools, mid-set rollers which will get the dance moving something crazy.

Opener '003' kicks the EP off as it means to go on. There's something at once stiff-necked and buoyant about the rhythms here, all thwacking Roland tones and snares which crack like someone whipping a length of sheet metal. While the beat barrels unyieldingly onwards, the programming in the tuned modulars is more exploratory and even trippy, full of delay-laced bleeps and flighty rhythmic motifs. It comes together for a cracking mix in the vein of artists like Jerome Hill and London Modular Alliance. Second A-side cut '010' is no different, the street-beat groove and grumbling low-ends underpinning all manner of modular wizardry.

CPU Modular 1 is really timeless stuff, a set of percussion-heavy, future-focussed beats which recalls Smith's own CPU drop 'DJ Tools Vol.1 - 808 Tracks'. '011' kicks of CPU Modular 1's second-half with a dose of Drexciyan dystopia, playing an atonal loop off of an insistent bass wiggle and neurotic hi-hats. Even when Shima tightens or slackens the modulars here, '011' remains unyielding, a dose of pure 'Wip3out' energy that you could happily groove to all day long. The EP closes out with '005', a gnarled, gurgling production which still retains the dancefloor punch of the rest of the record.

For his Central Processing Unit debut, John Shima was tasked to produce four tracks using a single small modular setup. Unsurprisingly given the pedigree of this seasoned machine-funk pro, Shima aced the assignment.

With the VOI 030 - "Sense", the project Z.I.P.P.O enters a new sphere within its own sound direction. This release is characterized by IDM texture work, glitchy percussion and drum patterns, that find their room within deep atmospheric spaces and carefully placed delay programming. Certainly, recognizable is Maffei's eclectic taste for more complex electronic bits, which are also known from his more demanding DJ sets. "Sense" brings together different factettes of his nicely equipped studio arrangement, as you get to hear a range of grainy saturated hardware synthesis to innovative and more complex sound design. The sound of this record combines a bit of everything while keeping its very own character. If you like to give it a name, then it might feel like Aphex Twin meets Doppler Effekt and Pan Sonic.

“God Is A DJ” is the new full-length by Joe T Vannelli, an album the DJ and producer has been working on for years, 13 to be exact, since his latest LP came out. The album features sixteen unreleased tracks and features huge names from all over the musical scene, both italian and international. God Is A DJ is already a cult musical project, that the house music lovers all around the world have been waiting for for years.

The two LPs take the listener through a musical journey mixing different sounds and styles: the first four tracks on Side A lean towards a melodic house sound, the very same genre that JTV took to the top of the game with his “Live On Tour” series of streaming – 62 streamed gigs from different places in Italy, from April 2020 throughout the pandemic. Fifteen million views with a valuable representation of the italian territory.

Amongst the tracks on Side A, the 2022 remix of “Voice In Harmony”, one of JTV's biggest hits, and the long-awaited new version of “Children”, by Robert Miles, which was taken to the top of the charts by the same Joe T Vannelli in 1996.

Side B features collaborative works with some italian producers fresh off the top of international house charts: Moreno Pezzolato for “Doctor House” and “Paradise” remixed by Federico Scavo e Cassimm, licensed worldwide by Happy Music and Kontor Records.

Side C opens with the Angelo Ferreri remix of “Where Is My Man”, #1 on Traxsource, then moves on to two big featured artists: the first one is Saturnino. His bass is perfect, on this 70s funky style piece which echoes the biggest and boldest productions of music history. The second one is the remix of “Paradise” by Mario Biondi, made by JTV
himself who gives the track a soul/funky mood and an international sound inspired by Alicia Myers, who already worked as a muse for “Thank You” by Busta Rhymes. A song like “Sacrifice” by The Weeknd works along the same lines.

Side D, instead, is pure, distilled Vannelli-sound: house music for house music lovers, led by the afro-house beat by Silvano del Gado for “Booma Beat” and followed by the “Harlem” remix by Angelo Ferreri, and “Across The Universe” reinvented by the young producer from Veneto Reboq. The album closes with “Shavasana”, a meditative yoga number inspiring total relaxation.

Stunning debut release from RAFRAM aka Irdial legend Ramjac Corporation and the Toronto legend (& honorary Glaswegian) Raf Reza.
300 copies only, full printed sleeves plus riso insert.

Orphic Apparition is a new label born out of a transatlantic meeting of minds. Facilitated by a long, hedonistic party in one of present-day London’s ‘meanwhile use’ venues Grow Tottenham, Canadian producer Raf Reza and British acid house luminary Paul Chivers spent a precious day in the studio to record a 3 hour straight to DAT session before Reza's return to Canada. The result of this spontaneous yet intuitive collaboration blurs the lines between Chiver’s long-standing Ramjac Corporation alias and Reza’s genre-spanning approach to dub, breaks and house styles. Part of the early 90s rave scene and an important member of the blueprint-setting Irdial label, Ramjac locks heads with the self-professed ‘lazy music guy from Toronto’ to adapt their studio session into five separate mixdowns.

‘In The Grow’ begins with a bouncy, cut-up sounding Errorsmith-esque rhythm, the recurring fright night melody that distinguishes the record coming in all quick and powerful. The A2 ‘Rotten Mix’ offers a more traditional house approach in its composition, with dub FX and a nice DJ friendly outro. On the final uptempo choice the pair opt for a head-scrambling electro take. Choose your fighter! The ‘Swampy Dub’ on the flip really dismantles everything we’ve heard prior, slo-mo drums allowing a much different DJ experience and altering the freaky synthetic propulsion into an almost modern classical sound. A little like Paul Dresher’s eternal ‘Channels Passing’ (tip). Combined with the other edits this version almost becomes a totally different track. The final ‘Rootless Dub’ gives its clues in the title, removing all the tough drum sounds and allowing for an ambient decompression.

Orphic Apparition will return soon.

HIGHLIGHTS: Let yourself go with the overwhelming musical output of Argentina's very own Melopea Discos, in a selection of songs that explore fusion with an air of mystery and a side of exquisite sensitivity across 11 carefully curated leftfield synth pop, experimental folk and ambient tracks. "Viento Sur" has been compiled by Argentine DJs and collectors Bárbara Salazar and Alejandro Cohen (dublab) based in Buenos Aires and Los Angeles respectively. Most of the songs are reissued here for the first time and many of them were previously unavailable on vinyl. Includes a 4-page insert with liner notes and photos. Remastered sound. Further Info: Viento Sur. Experimental Music & Fusion Music from Argentina. A Retrospective from Melopea Discos. Following the success of our 2020 release "América Invertida" (VAMPI 205), a fascinating survey of Uruguay's lesser-covered '80s endeavours in new wave pop, jazz-fusion, ambient folk and electronics, it's now time to cross to the other side of Rio de la Plata and let yourself go with the overwhelming musical output of Argentina's very own Melopea Discos. Born partly out of necessity and partly by a twist of fate, Melopea is a record label from Argentina created at the end of the 80s as a vehicle for the creative curiosity of its founder, Litto Nebbia, to document music not supported by the music industry. The songs that form "Viento Sur" do not provide a comprehensive vision of the different styles of the label but rather an approach to its more experimental side. This compilation puts together a selection of songs that explore fusion with an air of mystery and a side of exquisite sensitivity across 11 carefully curated tracks. From the southernmost latitudes of the American continent, "Viento Sur" brings soft and warm atmospheres that intermingle with more earthly pulses; sounds that reflect the beauty and richness of Argentina, from the jungle to the pampas, the subtlety of the forest, and the effervescence of the Río de la Plata and its neighboring candombe. "Viento Sur" has been compiled by Argentine DJs and collectors Bárbara Salazar and Alejandro Cohen (dublab) based in Buenos Aires and Los Angeles respectively. This release is presented with obi strip and a 4-page insert including liner notes and photos. Most of the tracks are reissued here for the first time and many of them were previously unavailable on vinyl. Remastered sound.

The Nitecap EP is the first collection of music created by jazz multi-instrumentalist Marquinn Mason and FWM Entertainment mastermind Stefan Ringer. This 6 track EP is striking to say the least. One can tell from the artwork this is something different.

The stand out track for the DJs is “The Light”. This one is straight forward space funk in a dance track. It has that big room sound reminscent of “Sexual Obsession”. The title track “Nitecap” has to be the true stand out. Mason’s jazz influence stands out over the organic broken beat rhythm section. The tone of this one is deep and introspective. “Pulling Closer” and “Falling Notes” are both unique cuts in their own right.

Both tunes really show a different take on rhythm, bounce and energy and how those elements interact with melody to create something unlike most music you hear in the dance music space. The last two cuts, “Tiny Keys” and “Cocomango” are down tempo grooves with some soul and sauce thrown in. Perfect for background vibes for a kickback or just listening around the house.

Belgian techno don Marco Bailey lands on Watergate with a debut that’s guaranteed to intrigue as he leans into electro territory, grabbing rerubs from Extrawelt & Biesmans while he’s at it. DJ, producer and label chief, his is a storied career that spans three decades, and it’s long been evident that Marco’s enthusiasm and passion remains resolute. He closed 2021 with the release of his sixth studio album Surreal Stage, an ambitious, introspective body of work that dropped via his booming imprint Materia. His own label aside, his discography is stacked with cuts across eminent labels Second State,
ARTS, Bedrock Records, as well as being one of the first artists to debut on Carl Cox’s seminal INTEC.
While it’s techno that he’s become firmly associated with, his adeptness in the studio isn’t limited to the nuances of one genre and this is a rare opportunity to showcase a different side to his musicality.
‘The Spirit’ floods in first, almost immediately engaging listeners as it ebbs and flows with complete abandon. If the promise of electro grabbed your attention, it’s ‘From My Mind’ that delivers and sticks in your mind - from the heavy synth bassline to the soaring ascendant melody, and distorted, robotic vocals.
‘Pulse’ slaps and packs plenty of punch power as it snakes its way through with dominating, ascendant chords.
German duo Extrawelt and Belgian export Biesmans step in with rerubs of ‘From My Mind’, and firmly grip some of the elements which make this electro excursion so memorable.

Analog Africa delves deep into the scene of the Mexican's sonideros (sound-system operators) to present the "Rebajada" movement they've created using locally made pitch controls, speakers and sound effects.

"In 2010, I had asked Eamon Ore-Giron - aka DJ Lengua - if he would be interested in compiling a Latin project for Analog Africa, and if so, if he had a theme in mind. He replied, “Have you ever heard of rebajada?“ The question mark above my head, together with the wall of China, must have been the only other object visible from out of space because Eamon, probably noticing I got paralysed, continued, “Rebajada in Spanish means “to reduce, to lower”. It’s basically Mexican sonideros (soundsystem operators) slowing down the beat of a Cumbia to create a much more tangible music to dance to. I’ll send you a mix I made last year and let me know what you think.“ And so he did.

That mix was called Rebajada Mota Mix and I began listening to it on a loop. Although I was not immediately hooked it was intriguing from the get-go, and so I kept listening until magic began unfolding. Slowed down music allows you enough time to hear right through it, revealing itself in ways I had rarely experienced before. Everything became more transparent and I was noticing sounds normally only perceptible by bats. A near psychedelic experience. That mysterious mix included a few Ecuadorian songs by Junior y su Equipo - aka Polibio Mayorga (a cult figure in the sonidero scene), a couple of Mexican tunes, one Colombian, and various Peruvian songs, undoubtedly the driving force behind this project.

The sonidero who brought Peruvian and Ecuadorian music to Mexico was the legendary Pablo Perea from Sonido Arco-Iris, and although his fingerprints are all over the compilation Saturno 2000, this selection of songs in rebajada is exclusive to DJ Lengua. With the exception of a few classics from Polibio Mayorga and La Sampuesana – the queen of all rebajadas – most of these songs were probably never performed as such before, let alone released.

So how did rebajada come to be? In a nutshell; Rebajada started with two families of brothers – the Pereas and the Ortegas – who travelled all over Latin America and returned to Mexico with heavy loads of records which they would sell to the various sonideros always on the lookout for new tunes. Colombian beats especially seemed to fit almost perfectly with the Mexican dance steps – but they were just a bit too fast. As a result some sonideros began experimenting with equipment, and Marco Antonio Cedillo of Sonido Imperial created a revolutionary pitching system that could slow records down to an extent other players could only dream about. And so rebajada was born . . . or so we thought.

At the same time in north of the country, in Monterrey, sonidero Gabriel Dueñez almost got electrocuted by a short circuit that nearly set his record player on fire. As a result the platter started spinning in slow motion for the rest of the party, turning Cumbia into a different affair altogether. The youngsters went crazy for it and started harassing the sonidero with requests to record cassettes for them. Reluctant at first, Dueñez finally began recording a series of pirated cassettes called “Rebajada” which included mainly Colombian cumbia and porro in slow-mo exclusively. Those tapes took the city by storm and turned rebajada into a celebrated and defiant movement of the youth.

Of course it would not be a Mexican urban legend if it didn’t include dramaturgical elements, and so for nearly 30 years, until this day and probably for ever, both cities have been arguing and claiming ownership the creation of rebajada for themselves. But sonidera Joyce Musicolor, who never has time for such trivial arguments, got straight to the point: “Rebajada, and the equipment to perform it, is from here Mexico City but it was Monterrey that popularised it.“

7 years after debut album “Universes” on Ninja Tune, Seven Davis Jr. returns with the official follow up titled “I See The Future” on his own Secret Angels imprint.

The 11 song adventure provides a fun concentrated blend of deep house, soul, disco, funk, electronica and underground textures. The album brings together Sev’s different flavors into a finely aged familiar yet new atmosphere.

First two tracks “Records” featuring L3ni (member of Natasha Diggs Soul In The Horn collective in New York) and “U Already Know” featuring bassist Neil White (half of Canadian Rock duo The Carps), were originally produced in London early 2016 at a studio provided to Jr. by Domino Publishing located in the basement of a run down home rumored to formerly belong to The Rolling Stones.

Title track “I See The Future” was produced in Houston Texas early 2017 and features fellow Texan Oye Manny (Sure Shot, Secret Angels), who co-produced the track. “Figure It Out” featuring LA soulful house DJ Juliet Mendoza (Dusk Recordings), was recorded early 2021 post-lockdown. While “Escape The Matrix” was a demo produced around 2013 then reworked in 2020.

“Share Your Toys” featuring Toribio (front man of NYC live band Conclave), “Boys & Girls” and “N’Joy” were all produced in Los Angeles late 2019 pre-covid. “Mission Completed” was produced during 2020 in Seattle Washington, where Sev spent lockdown. “Let’s Travel...” the most recent of the recordings, was produced in Houston Texas over the summer of 2021 in a hotel room during a road trip.

Closing track “New Life, Who Dis” was produced in early 2019 and has a different origin. The moody instrumental was first made for a celebrity that Sev had been invited to ghost produce for. We cannot mention said celeb (because, NDA). After many sessions it became clear the celeb only wanted criminally watered down and copy cat ideas. So Sev respectfully declined the invitation and decided to save this track for something special.

All vocals were recorded between 2020 and 2021 after Sev recovered from Covid, gratefully with no long term damage. A situation that caused him to retrain his vocals and breathing skills. An experience that he considers to have had a rejuvenating effect on his life.

Cover art by Carlos Parra (a.k.a Kako, Sure Shot, Secret Angels)

“The album’s called *I See The Future* because it’s mostly a collection of songs I’d been keeping in my vault for whatever reason. Instrumentals I’d been really sitting on, letting cook longer than usual. Songs that needed more time, in this case years, to form. Usually it hasn’t taken too long to get ideas out but for this project I wanted different results. Plus so much happened in the world it’s made me become a different person/artist. So my process is different. All in all it’s fun uplifting vibes about enjoying life and moving on to better, hope people pick up on that. ” - Sev

Pareidolia Recordings is glad to present for her seventh chapter the first 2xLP "Electro Became Electro", a labyrinth where the deepest nuances of the electro blend togheter.
Seven artists, seven different ways of feels, interpreting and conceiving this genre, seven innovative minds.

The electro music without spaces and borders.

Sounds move across the limits of space and time to leave imprinted in the mind an album of memories full of colors and emotions, a travel journal that from the farthest corners of the world burns every kind of distance and returns through warm and strongly evocative sounds the colors, scents, rhythms, the atmospheres of distant lands. The result is a rich and evocative soundscape, where images become sounds and sounds images, where the elements of nature echo voices of different places and cultures, distant in space but deeply similar and intimately connected.

Imaginária Records has commissioned the refined experience of Giovanni Santucci and LucaEffeSunset a journey through the sounds of the world, which from the enveloping wave motion of the warm Iberian beaches carry us to the crystalline dripping of waters and voices of the Mexican jungle, crossing Balearic rhythms and Brazilian brilliance, letting ourselves be captured by the persuasive voices and the chasing rhythm of the magical formulas of the masciare, ancient mysterious witches of southern Italy. In this journey, which represents the first stage of a wide-ranging project (a trilogy that will take the shape of new musical experiences gathered around the themes of the places first and then of the return), an exciting centrifugal movement that attracts towards a single center: the beating heart of a single Mother Earth; voices, suggestions, rhythms, emotions from the far/near, in order to confirm, together with Raymond Murray Schafer, that in the end "the whole world is sound".

This spring, Atomnation is to serve up three remixes from Sam Goku's cultured East Dimensional Riddims album. The original full length landed in spring last year, and now contemporary innovators Lauer, Paula Tape and Ineffekt all offer their own unique versions.

Goku sees this remix EP as a way of showcasing the sort of tunes he plays in his mixes, most recently for the RA podcast series as well as for Ransom Note and Live At Robert Johnson. The Chinese-born but long Munich-based artist is an assured DJ who unites his different heritages when he plays. He's someone who taps into the similar emotions and motivations of east and west and does so with a nuanced, storytelling brand of house and techno that is warm and uplifting.

Repressed! When asked at the time about what to expect from this collaboration with Edo G, the legend Masta Ace fired back without hesitation: “People are gonna be surprised when they hear the mixture of styles. We both have a different approach. It’s like the old Reeses commercial... Ya got peanut butter walking down the street. Coming from the other direction is chocolate. Someone trips and blam, a peanut butter cup was born. Something new and amazing was created that no one had ever thought of!” When one thinks of Boston and New York, the first thing that comes to mind is the infamous Red Sox/Yankees rivalry. But this time when Boston met New York, it was a collaborative effort to bring the world one of the tightest Hip Hop efforts of 2009. Two of the game’s most exceptionally creative and well-rounded artists, Edo. G and Masta Ace brought the two cities together with Arts & Entertainment. Like their home cities, these artists have a long history and have influenced the world. Hailing from Brownsville, Brooklyn, Masta Ace got his proper introduction setting off the quintessential Juice Crew posse cut, “The Symphony.” Not long after, Edo G’s debut Life Of A Kid In The Ghetto and it’s lead single “I Got To Have It” went to the top of the Billboard Rap Singles chart with heavy rotation on Yo! MTV Raps. Both Ace and Edo have continued to stay relevant, drop albums, tour the globe, and influence up and coming artists everywhere. Joining the duo on Arts & Entertainment was a notable list of prominent artists from NYC and the Bean including Posdnuos of De La Soul, Large Professor, DJ Spinna, KRS-One, Marsha Ambrosius, Mr. Lif, Akrobatik, Chester French, Double O of Kidz in the Hall, M Phases, and more. The album continues to be a fan favorite to this day, especially the never-gets-old cuts “Little Young” and “Dancin’ Like A White Girl,” and this re-issue is sure to be well received once again.

Three fun, disco sample lead tracks from ex Southsea resident Sopp and a slammin’ remix by Inverness producer Mark Mackenzie

Sopp has been building his way into the scene since 2015. His sets blend a mix of highly energetic, bass heavy rhythms with disco inflections and odes to classic 90’s and 00’s rave scene. So far having released on Chequered Wax, QRUK, Moodygurl and TheBasement Discos. Each of his productions showing a different aspect of his behind the decks personality.

Radio play from the likes of Jamie Jones, Sarah Story, Shadow Child & Jaguar.

Selected DJ Feedback:

Jamie Jones - Digging it.

PEZNT - Whole EP is dope but I think Take Me will work for every true underground head. Great job!

Piem - Dope!!!!

Hifi Sean - This E.P is hotness !

Nathalie Capello - groooooveeeeeyy. Nice!

The Magician - I like "Living" a lot as well
Robert Owens - Cool tracks

Inland Knights - great versions....

Chrissy - nice one!

Raphael Hofman - just awesome!

Ramon Tapia - Dope pack right hurrrr!!

Ammo Avenue - wicked cuts! Take me is my fav

Mirko Paoloni - super bomb!

Round Table knights – Coolio

Oliver Dollar - nice one!

Parallel Traces of the Jewel Voice by dj sniff is a project that takes inspiration from historical narratives and personal memories constructed around The Jewel Voice Broadcast (Gyokuon Hoso) that took place on 15th August 1945. Contrary to common belief, Emperor Hirohito did not speak live on air to announce the surrender of Japan on this day. Instead, two lathe-cut discs with his recorded voice were skilfully mixed and played by NHK engineer Shizuto Haruna. Haruna’s proto-DJ/turntablist performance was heard not only in Japan but also throughout the colonized territories in Asia, marking the end of World War II and Japanese rule.

Interested in these aspects which often have been overlooked within the Japanese narratives of this historical event, dj sniff conducted research in both Taiwan and Japan. Over the course of 3 years he collected various materials that include; interviews and field recordings, audio samples extracted from phonograph discs and recordings sessions with improvising musicians, and a re-reading of the Imperial Rescript on Surrender in Chinese. These were used to compose two compositions that are paired differently depending on their distribution format.

The vinyl release is a multi-sided disc with two parallel grooves cut on one side, which in effect plays a different composition depending on where the stylus is cued. The other side has no audio but features two silkscreened lines that refer to how Haruna played the original lathe-cut discs. For the digital release, each composition is independently assigned to the left and right channel and is heard simultaneously.

Additionally, an extensive text written by dj sniff accompanies this release. Sniff uncovers technical details of the recording and broadcasting of the emperor’s voice that took place over 75 years ago. He also reflects on his encounters with the elderly community in Taiwan who spoke fluent Japanese and shared their personal stories after listening together to records from their childhood.

DJ Sniff – Biography

dj sniff (Takuro Mizuta Lippit) is a musician, curator, and educator. His work builds upon a distinct practice that combines DJing, instrument design, and free improvisation. His collaborations include Evan Parker, Otomo Yoshihide, Paul Hubweber, Tarek Atoui, Senyawa, and Ken Ueno.

He was the Artistic Director of STEIM in Amsterdam between 2007 to 2012 and a Visiting Assistant Professor at the School of Creative Media, City University Hong Kong between 2012 to 2017. He is now based in Tokyo where he is the Co-Director of AMF (Asian Meeting Festival) and teaches at Kyoto Seika University.

First move of the collaboration between Dj Fede and Robert Owens.
Pure gold vibes, digging deep, with a warm house vibe and hard hitting beats.

A 4 tracks Ep with different moods, that includes remixes from Don Carlos and LTJ Xperience.

Pressed on recycled vinyl.

Oonops's first encounter with Japanese producer Shin-Ski dates back six years when he asked him for an exclusive guest mix for his show on Brooklyn Radio. He became aware of him years ago through his group ShinSight Trio with Insight and DJ Ryow a.k.a. Smooth Current. After one more mix and two collaborations on his Resense-series plus "Oonops Drops - Vol.1" compilation via Agogo Records they started working together on a whole album of instrumentals.

For this 45 Oonops had the chance to dig through an amount of unreleased tracks and selected some of the essential essences with different influences from Jazz, Soul, Funk and much more.

Featuring: Deena Abdelwahed, Rabih Beaini, Fari Bradley, Dieb 13, DJ Sniff, Gavsborg (Equiknoxx), Electric Indigo, Donzilla Lion (Nyege Nyege), Marina Rosenfeld, Microhm, Muqata’a, Bob Ostertag, Rrose

Project presentation:

Sampler / Sampled is an album made of two interdependent parts rather than a double-album.

The first part of the project, Sampler, is a trumpet solo album that catalogues the unique sounds and extended techniques that Mazen Kerbaj developed for the instrument in the past 25 years; it consists of 318 pieces ranging from less than a second to forty seconds each, and presenting different sonic materials. This catalogue of sounds works on various levels: first and foremost, it is a trumpet solo that could be played in its original order, or in random mode to create different pieces of music. But it is also a collection of samples that could be used for various applications (ringtones, phone sound effects, cinema…) and, of course, to create new pieces of music based on sampling.

The second part of the project is the composition Sampled for a musician working with loops and/or samples. The composition has one instruction: create a piece of music using solely tracks from Sampler as your sound source (with the possibility to use all kind of effects or treatment). Each interpreter/musician becomes thus a co-composer who appropriates the piece and makes it their own. In this regard, the musicians that were commissioned to play Sampled were chosen from different geographical origins and musical genres to create highly different and personal pieces of music.

One important output of this project is putting in practice the overused idea of music as a universal language. This idea is very present in “free improvised music” where musicians from different origins can meet for the first time and make music together without the need to adapt to different musical traditions. But here, the collective part of creating music in real time is not involved. It is rather the contrary: it starts with one middle-eastern musician creating a new language/vocabulary for his western instrument, to be later used by other musicians from around the globe who will appropriate this vocabulary and use it with their own language/grammar.
The final output of this double faceted album that was recorded during the Covid lockdown proved to be a very efficient new way to collaborate from a distance in times of world isolation, and ultimately put in practice the universality of music by breaking the boundaries of genres that are the most difficult to break.

Calibro 35, the legendary crime funk combo sampled by Dr.Dre and Jay-Z, announce the reissue of "Traitors", their iconic fourth album, on Crystal Red vinyl and digital deluxe edition with bonus tracks.

Record Kicks proudly presents the reissue of CALIBRO 35's fourth legendary long-time sold out album "Traditori Di Tutti" (Traitors) on March 04thon limited edition crystal red vinyl and digital "deluxe" edition with bonus tracks.The publication is part of "The Record Kicks Trilogy" that follows the reissue of the first three albums of the band, released in 2020. This time, Milan label Record Kicks will repress on wax of three different colours and on digital deluxe edition, the fourth, fifth and sixth legendary studio albums of the Italian cinematic-funk cult band. The digital deluxe edition of"Traditori Di Tutti" includes 2 bonus tracks: a crime funk cover of "Get Carter", originally released as a b-side of the "Butcher's Bride" 45 vinyl, and the unreleased funky stormer "Milan, Michigan".

"Traditori Di Tutti" is the fourth album by Milan's combo, inspired by noir masterpiece novel "Betrayers"published by the father of Italian noir, award-winning crime fiction author Giorgio Scerbanenco. The album contains only band's original recordings, from floor-shaking first single "Giulia Mon Amour" to groovy "The Butcher's Bride", from deep funky "Filthy Bastards" to the dancefloor jazz madness of "Mescalina 6". The five-piece pays homage to "I Maestri" such as Morricone, Micalizzi and Bacalov with 12 tracks full of funky beats, heavy guitars, groovy bass lines and fuzzy organs.

There's one thing that Italians do better than others: funky soundtracks. Quentin Tarantino knows best: soundtracks from Italian movies of the '60s and the '70s are the THING! "Calibro 35 does with music what Tarantino does with films". They borrow what they love and they make it their own. With Rolling Stone magazine words "Calibro 35 are the most fascinating, "retro-maniac" and genuine thing that happened to Italy".

Active since 2008, CALIBRO 35 enjoy a worldwide reputation as one of the coolest independent bands around. During their fourteen-year career, they were sampled by Dr. Dre on his Compton album, Jay-Z, The Child of lov & Damon Albarn; they shared stages worldwide with the likes of Roy Ayers, Muse, Sun Ra Arkestra, Sharon Jones, Thundercat and Headhunters and as unique musicians they collaborated with, amongst others, PJ Harvey, Mike Patton, John Parish and Stewart Copeland and Nic Cester (The Jet). Described by Rolling Stone magazine as "the most fascinating, retro-maniac and genuine thing that happened to Italy in the last years", Calibro 35 now count on a number of aficionados worldwide including VIP fans such as Dj Food (Ninja Tune), Mr Scruff and Huey Morgan (Fun Lovin' Criminals) among others.

Breaking News! DJs Pareja and Matias Aguayo have joined to form the dance project MDM Factory!

Modern transcendental Techno music for those who know, and those who want to learn!

In a turmoil of events nightlife would change forever, and confined to their respective places - A flat in Buenos Aires and a house in the jungle Diego Irasusta, Mariano Caloso and Matias Aguayo joined forces to create new communication on distance via music.

Taking all their dance floor knowledge and dreaming of sound systems and togetherness in a better future, DJs Pareja & Aguayo put their minds, bodies and souls to work on this stunning EP that will please the forward thinking underground freaks as well as the big room techno pros.

Let’s dive into this divine mess of glorious dance floor jams from the future...

A1. Curvas Peligrosas

With the first track it becomes clear what this is all about: Wobbly metamorphous sounds from outer space jamming with stomping and bass driven techno beats of tomorrow, a new kind of rave, hypnotic and seductive, utterly strange but wonderfully catchy and contagious in a good sense, harsh shuffled hiatus and alternating kick drums, a relentless bassline and sophisticated electronic sounds in a a permanent evolution resembling and invoking altered states of consciousness.


A2. Love Boat

This new rave anthem seems like a classic you haven’t heard about. Muscle memories from dancefloor days trigger your body as you listen on your headphones, awaiting the chance to play it out soon, hopefully, as the dance floors slowly reopen. Alternating between parts of kickdrum, clap and snare awesomeness, and the mangled rave signals that slowly morph into a more concrete melody reminiscent of ancient dreams of the future, this track has it all for the club kids of today.

B1. La Vida Loca
The title track is a tech banger that will please those who dig Kenny Larkin, Claude Young, The Surgeon, Dave Clark or any other star in the nocturnal sky of Techno Techno, as well as the lovers of DJs Pareja’s classic Cómeme Clubbangers, or the more Techno side of Mr. Aguayo. Definitely has the potential to become a huge hit if enough djs that don’t rely on algorithms get their hands on it


B2. Las Llaves

The closer is hyper modern tech funk at its best. Percussive greatness as you can find it on many Cómeme releases is triggered in a different way, “sabroso” rhythms that are played in the light and purposeful way of an elegant jazz drummer, pave the way for an always evolving psychedelic lead synth sound, that will be a useful tool for the dj who knows when to keep the groove, prolonging those magic times between the risings...

Fabio & Grooverider have been at the forefront of UK dance music for over 3 decades. This is the roots of their story told through music. The 2 London DJ's are part of the DNA of the global Jungle / D&B movement and they have remained relevant, cutting edge, authoritative and essential to this truly underground art-form since it's inception. RAGE could arguably be the ground zero of Jungle. The party was started at London's cavernous Heaven club by Fabio & Grooverider in 1988, at the height of Acid House fever that was making it's way up and down the motorways, slip-roads, fields and warehouses of the M25 and further beyond every weekend, troubling the nation, the police, your parents and the press as it went. RAGE was a different beast, it certainly channelled some of that Acid energy but pitted it against the new and exciting sounds emanating from Belgium, Amsterdam, Detroit, Sheffield, Essex and Hackney and in turn created a new style, a new sonic attitude and energy in the process. Rumbling bass-lines, narcotic synth rushes and roughly chopped and sped-up breakbeats all merged into a style that we now know as Jungle. Nothing like this had been heard before, this was a brand new style and it was coming out of London's West End and Fabio & Grooverider were the people firmly behind it. RAGE is approaching its 30th anniversary. Its sonic and cultural legacy is still being felt today, Fabio & Groove are still shutting down raves and festivals every weekend all over the world with their superior DJ sets and musical knowledge guided by their pioneering spirit. This musical selection you hold in your hands, the first of 4 parts, sees them delve into their prodigious memories and record boxes to select a true musical representation of the very beginning of one of the UK's most unique and influential musical movements of the last 50 years. Across 4 x 2 x 12"s compilations we are taken on the journey through the sounds of RAGE, accompanied with track by track notes from Fabio & Groove themselves. This is the sound of the underground, from the inside out. This is a masterclass in the old-school. The roots. There is no filler here, it's simply ALL killer. Lovingly selected and programmed by the masters - 'The Living Shock' & 'The Ladies Choice'. Produced in conjunction with Above Board distribution and Fabio & Grooverider. All tracks mastered from original sources and fully licensed. Mastering by Optimum, Bristol. Artwork and design by Atelier Superplus. 2019

This is a very special EP. As many might know Toy Tonics started as a sublabel of now sleeping German indie dance label Gomma records. Gomma, along with DFA, Output Records and a few other was knownn for a very ecclectic, different approach in dance music. On this LOST GOMMA MIXES EP you find 4 now lost tracks that came out ca 10 - 20 years ago on Gomma, but fit very well in today’s zeitgeist again. Pete Herbert, In Flagranti, Jacques Lu Cont are featured. Who knows about modern disco - knows these producers. And there is a very special name here too: Nicky Siano. The now legendary New York DJ used to be resident at Studio 54 and other legendary NYC venues of the 1970ies and 1980ies. One of his are remix works was for the Gomma rcords band The KDMS. Pure disco euphoria.

Repress! Long out of print, and even impossible to find on vinyl at the time of its release, Get on Down presents the classic Diamond D debut Stunts, Blunts and Hip Hop. As the album title states, this album is one long party from beginning to end. Diamond shines both on the mic and behind the boards creating one of the greatest Hip Hop albums ever made. Coming in at over an hour long Stunts never has a dull moment, Diamond along with the Psychotic Neurotic's and his D.I.T.C brethren are able to make each song or interlude stand out and play through without any skip worthy moments. Literally each track has such uniqueness to it, each song fits like a piece to the puzzle. Stand out tracks like "Step To Me", "Pass that S#*t" or "Check One, Two" are perfect examples of Diamonds ability to create a different mood from song to song, the rhymes mirror the music almost perfectly. Singles such as "Best Kept Secret" and "Sally Got A One Track Mind" were perfect choices in showcasing the overall feel of the album. Although Diamond D handles the majority of the album's production, others such as Large Professor, Q-Tip, Jazzy Jay, Showbiz, and DJ Mark the 45 King co-produce on several tracks. The music he was making in 1992 cemented Diamond as one of the best producers in the game. This record is true to his heart, and because of the immense quality of its contents, it should be remembered fondly by all lovers of this music. As he puts it "Diamond is Dope Nuff Said"! //

SIDE A




SIDE B




SIDE C





SIDE D

Fabio & Grooverider have been at the forefront of UK dance music for over 3 decades. This is the roots of their story told through music.

The 2 London DJ's are part of the DNA of the global Jungle / D&B movement and they have remained relevant, cutting edge, authoritative and essential to this truly underground art-form since it's inception. RAGE could arguably be the ground zero of Jungle. The party was started at London's cavernous Heaven club by Fabio & Grooverider in 1988, at the height of Acid House fever that was making it's way up and down the motorways, slip-roads, fields and warehouses of the M25 and further beyond every weekend, troubling the nation, the police, your parents and the press as it went. RAGE was a different beast, it certainly channelled some of that Acid energy but pitted it against the new and exciting sounds emanating from Belgium, Amsterdam, Detroit, Sheffield, Essex and Hackney and in turn created a new style, a new sonic attitude and energy in the process. Rumbling bass-lines, narcotic synth rushes and roughly chopped and sped-up breakbeats all merged into a style that we now know as Jungle. Nothing like this had been heard before, this was a brand new style and it was coming out of London's West End and Fabio & Grooverider were the people firmly behind it.

RAGE is approaching its 30th anniversary. Its sonic and cultural legacy is still being felt today, Fabio & Groove are still shutting down raves and festivals every weekend all over the world with their superior DJ sets and musical knowledge guided by their pioneering spirit. This musical selection you hold in your hands, the first of 4 parts, sees them delve into their prodigious memories and record boxes to select a true musical representation of the very beginning of one of the UK's most unique and influential musical movements of the last 50 years. Across 4 x 2 x 12"s compilations we are taken on the journey through the sounds of RAGE, accompanied with track by track notes from Fabio & Groove themselves. This is the sound of the underground, from the inside out.

This is a masterclass in the old-school. The roots. There is no filler here, it's simply ALL killer. Lovingly selected and programmed by the masters - 'The Living Shock' & 'The Ladies Choice'. Produced in conjunction with Above Board distribution and Fabio & Grooverider. All tracks mastered from original sources and fully licensed. Mastering by Optimum, Bristol. Artwork and design by Atelier Superplus. 2019

Boot Records proudly presents the Jazz T remix of Roughneck Jihad & Senz Beats' track "Catastrophe", from their 2021 EP (also on Boot Records) "The Little Assassination Handbook". The B-side offers up an exclusive cut from Lex Boogie From The Bronx & Senz Beats entitled "War of the Worlds", featuring scratches by DJ Jazz T.

DJ Jazz-T, owner of Boot Records, was the 1999 UK ITF Advancement champion. He has laced cuts on hundreds of tracks since 1995 and produces under the name of Jazz T and Boot Productions, which is Jazz & genius Dr Zygote. He was Tim Dog's tour DJ before he passed away, and he currently DJs for Gawd Status, Jehst, Micall Parknsun, Ramson Badbonez, Leaf Dog & BVA, Joker Starr and Diversion Tactics.
Jihad the Roughneck MC started rhyming in the late 80's and was a member of one group before Third Sight (with Dufunk & D-Styles). He is originally from the city of Santa Clara in Northern California, relocating to the Los Angeles area in 2004. He has played shows in California, Nevada, Oregon and toured Japan twice with Third Sight.

Lex Boogie From The Bronx grew up as a kid around the jams in the parks. He carries The Bronx with him wherever he goes. His different chambers of production and raps have seen him work with the likes of Stahhr, Marq Spekt, Boog Brown, Vordul Mega, billy woods, Mike Flo & more.
Originally from Brussels, now based in Montreal, Senz' first approach to cutting records up was on a pair of Technics 1200s, which he and his best friend claimed mutual custody over (1 month each) in 1998. After over 15 years spent producing on MPC ("War of the Worlds" was produced on a 2000xl), 2020 saw Senz switch to Koala Sampler app, by Elf Audio. His crazy beats have grabbed the attention of legends such as Dibia$e & Grap Luva.

Bev Lee Harling returns with her first solo recording in almost a decade. She won the hearts and musical minds of DJs across the board with her 2012 debut LP, Barefoot In Your Kitchen, which BBC 6Music's Gilles Peterson made his Album of the Week. Now the gifted singer, violinist and composer returns with twelve beautiful pieces of music that tell a very personal story of the years since.

Having swapped the busy streets of North London for the calmer shores of Hastings in Sussex to bring up her young family, it's fair to say that Bev's priorities might have changed somewhat over the past few years, but the music was never far away. Her new environment, and musical family (including multi-talented partner and album co-producer Frank Moon) added plenty of fresh inspiration to her recordings, and we're very excited to share her new album, entitled Little Anchor, with you this Autumn.

The album is in some senses a travelogue, a 9 year journey of a creative womannavigating the landscape of parenting. Each song is a snapshot taken at a differentlocation in time, in a world where finding balance between creative freedom and motherhood is still a struggle, from the uplifting and euphoric Beautiful Life, to the heavy and harassed Only Got A Minute.

Between the unexpected joys of parenting, grappleswith mental health and feelings of inadequacy, and fighting for every second ofcreative time while slowly accepting a life very different to the one that existedbefore, this unedited family album emerged bursting with quirky childhoodmemories, dark musings and celebrations of musical passion and legacy.

Each song carries breakthrough personal moments in rebuilding strength as an artist, as a person, as a parent. Even down to a very emotional moment with Ray Davies of The Kinks, during a songwriting retreat, where album closer This Violin String, a deeply personal ode to her recently departed mum, was written…

"Everyone turned up writing on guitars and piano and I just had my battered old violin. I felt totally out of touch with my former confident musical self and had zero confidence in what I was doing after an intense period of car crash parenting. I wrote it, performed it on the same day and then sobbed my guts out in front of a bunch of total strangers (sorry Ray!). Something shifted for me in the act of being quite so vulnerable though and I found my mojo again in writing solo with my violin."

The personal nature of this record is self-evident, it bursts through every note and word in each song. We're very excited to be able to share such a special album,afresh foray into the always unpredictable, experimental and playful world of Bev Lee Harling.