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Ovum's 20th birthday celebrations continues with the return of Itamar Sagi. Itamar Sagi debuted on Ovum in 2009 with the amazing Fiona/Agnes Blue. After a five year hiatus from the label, he triumphantly returns with the Invisible Key EP. Raised in the hot spot of Tel Aviv, with his artist roots deep in the techno underground. Itamar is from the new breed of the current techno wave. Already well respected, Sagi's reputation continues to grow with his unique floor filling productions. His productions have caught the attention of legends such as Laurent Garnier, Josh Wink, Carl Craig, Francois K and others. It wasn't long before he found recognition on a worldwide scale, including reviews and interviews with many of the world's most popular dance magazines and radio stations. With releases on Ovum, Be As One, Soma, Drumcode and more, Sagi has shown that he is here to stay. The Invisible Key EP kicks off with the title track 'Invisible Key", which is classic Sagi. The track slowly brings you in with it twists and turns. The track bubbles and builds and creates a tension that will keep the dance floor wanting more and more. The second track from this EP 'New Order' harkens back to the sound of Basic Channel, G-Man, and John Ciaffone. Sagi once again builds the tension with vocal samples and effects that deliver an absolute massive punch without being over done. For the final track 'Dub Superstitions", Sagi brings us a proper techno workout. The track percolates and builds and once again Sagi's amazing use of tension deliver a proper massive finish to this stellar EP.

Footsteps,
savage smile.
Strap the damage to my face.
Iron fist,
it was never loaded.
We care no more,
we don't.


Early support by: Luke Slater, Oscar Mulero, Ben Sims, Marcel Dettmann, Perc, Clouds, Tommy Four Seven, Pfirter, Truncate, Max M, Thomas Hessler, Killawatt, Radial, AnD, Roberto, Paul Birken, Sigha, The Public Stand, Samuli Kemppi, NX1, Rebekah, Bas Mooy, Gary Beck, Ansome, Wire, The Advent, Nuno dos Santos, Unbalance, Blind Spot, Mark Morris, Erphun, Sebastian Kokow, Juho Kusti, Markus Suckut, Par Grindvik, The Black Dog, Darko Esser, Joachim Spieth, Happa, Martyn Hare, Sawf, J. Tijn, Doka, Lag, Luis Ruiz, Exium, Takaaki Itoh, Ryuji Takeuchi, Inigo Kennedy, Operator, Jeff Rushin, Shards, Darkfloor , Kriz, Exium, Ben Long, Fran Hartnett, Octave, Henning Baer, Dimi Angelis, Paul Mac, Jeroen Search, P.E.A.R.L., Dax J, Mike Humphries..

10" white vinyl, LTD RSD EDITION - printed inner sleeves with written on it: ' DON'T TELL ME - JUST FRIENDS - WRITTEN AND PRODUCED BY NICOLAS JAAR AND SASHA SPIELBERG 2014 - reversed cardboard - full printed outer sleeve - pink spine that bleeds on front and back cover Tracklist 10': A1. Don't Tell Me Just Friends is a duo comprised of Sasha Spielberg on vocals and Nicolas Jaar on production. Their first single was a cover of Leonard Cohen's avalanche. It was released for RSD 13 with remixes by Julia Holter and Shlohmo.

Their release on Kompakt at the tail end of last year was a big record for me and this follow-up has been getting incredible reactions in my sets. We're excited to bring it to you on Systematic as our #99 and keep a look out for the limited white transparent vinyl. Enjoy." - Marc Romboy

Monika Kruse - 'Rainer and Namito are two of the nicest guys in this business plus good producers! Well done again! Will play all.'

Kiki - 'Machine funk freakout! Should be a big one, as the last one!'

Huxley - 'Zick is a flipping MONSTER!! AHHH YESSSSS!!!!'

Claude VonStroke - 'it's a great record. I've been playing it for like 10months already.'

ZDS (Zombie Disco Squad) - 'Zack sounds like a chilled out Vitalic. I like it and will be giving it a spin.'

Sinden - 'These are fun tracks, also really liked their Kompakt release. Can't wait to play these.'

Tom Findlay (Groove Armada) - 'Well I absolutely love both cuts.....its everything you'd ever want from a Systematic release and more.'

Justin Martin - 'Zack definitely sounds like a fun track to me.. Looking forward to trying this one!'

An intriguing project by singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist G.T. Moore, he of G.T Moore and the Reggae Guitars (first album 1974) fame, he of the folk group Heron who recorded their first album in a field by the Thames in 1970, he who recorded on Lee Perry's final album at the Black Ark studio 1980, also was a part time member of Radical Dance Faction and who's done session work with the likes of Johnny Nash, Joan Baez, Poly Styrene and more.
*Fast forward to now: G.T. collaborates with the Lost Ark Band creating some beautiful shimmering, dreamy, deep phaser-laden sounds giving more than a nod the aforementioned Perry's studio from way back then.
*Features two compositions - `Be True' and `One Two Three' - the latter originally recorded with Heron - with respective dub versions playing at 33 and weighing in at 25 minutes.

The label Bond is the brainchild of Swedish techno DJ and producer Petter B. The concept of the label is 'music by DJs for DJs'. The label focuses on releasing tracks that enable the DJ, rather than the producer, to be creative. It is based on that special bond which is created every time a DJ combines tracks, loops and sounds live into something new and unique.
This third release is a special collab release. The first track Petter B has joined forces with two producers from his hometown Gothenburg. John H and M.E.E.O have been part of the Swedish underground scene since they learned how to spell 303 and are both addicted to hardware gear. With their skillful crafting of the melodic parts and Petters feel for drums and arrangement this track was born. It is a melodic monster with a simple yet
effective arrangement.On the flip side there are two tracks made by Stockholm based producer Kimono. A familiar name to those fond of that Stockholm sound. He has done releases on famous labels such as H-Productions, ISL and BEK Audio. These two tracks are best described as tooly and effective weapons to be used and abused by any DJ wanting to spice up the mix. The two tracks made it in to Petter Bs crate immediately as demos. From that point they went through the same refinement process as his own tracks usually experience. Tweaking the sound and doing some fine tuning after testing it in his sets, something that has become known as 'that bond treatment'.

Matt O'Brien first came to our attention in 2005 with his Off-key Industries releases "Hidden High" and "Serotone", which would later get a license on Rekids. His first contribution for Curle was back in 2007 when he remixed Efdemin's "Acid Bells". In 2010 he made up the flipside to Dozzy & Van Hoesen's track on Curle 024.
After "Starting Over" in 2011, we're proud to welcome Matt back on Curle for his second full EP. Don't forget your scuba glasses, it's deep!

With a self-proclaimed goal to showcase newcomers as well as established artists, Melodymathics hands out their 'second punch' with a killer track by Detroit veteran Gari Romalis. Gari is at the forefront of the Detroit techno scene, working close with Terrence
Parker, Mike Banks, Cliff Thomas and labels such as Tresor, Transmat, Soma and many more. His productions clearly show that his 30 years experience Dj'ing made him realize what works on the dancefloor. 'The Web' on Melodymathics Ltd.002 is a sublime example of soulful keys combined with funky rhythm, resulting in the ultimate Dj tool.

Our new talent 'Barce' was discovered in Spain and sets the tone with his 'SP' track for a possible lifetime relationship with Melodymathics. Barce's music speaks parts of his life and relfects a musical image of his soul. 'SP' brings deepness to another level in this release, with a manipulated organ chord - hypnotizing you throughout the whole chord -
and a story being told on top with various snares, dope basslines and sample work.

The traditional endless grooves, provided byThe Melodymann, are a nice addition for any Dj who wants that little extra..

Dj Feedback

SEAN DEASON (Matrix records)

Very nice! Smooth deep and funky as hell! Great work!

ROBERT OWENS

Great EP, would be nice to play.

SAMUEL JAMES (Elektrosouls Recordings)

One of the deepest releases of the year. Melodymathics is definitely a label to keep an eye on !

JULES WELLS ( KMS, Submerge records)

Great, I love it !!

RENNIE FOSTER (Transmat / Rebirth )

Sick

BEN SOLAR

Great Stuff

FABRICE LIG

Great EP, so deep !

TITONTON DUVANTE

All tracks are solid! Really like the way the Gari Romalis track builds. The Barce track is

cool in the second half. Expect some deck time for this one..

DONNA BLACK

This is DOPE!

SEBASTIAN SAN

Good stuff, Deep as i like it !

DIMITRI ANDREAS

Nice smooth and deep, Like it !

LA WILLIAMS (Peacefrog, DJAX)

PUREEEEEEE DETROITTTTTT ! Richard Pryor sample classic

PAT LEZIZMO

Vraiment Bien !

SATORE (Hizou Deeply Rooted House)

Really nice Ep!

AUBREY

really good .. like it.. deep moody stuff !!

PETE HOWL

Deep & smooth, great package! love it

ANAXANDER

'wow, strong EP, proper dancefloor killers'

BERNY GARDIN

Interesting, can feel lot of infuences, style!

ANDREW DUKE

Veteran artist Gari Romalis brings the heat as expected; both Barce's original and the

remix from The Melodymann hit the spot. With these 3 tracks all in my bag, Melodymathics

Ltd keeps bringing the goods.

DEEP MOVEMENTS LABEL

Instant support, will play for sure !

OLIVER KAPP (Indulge, Raygun Records)

Very nice old school vibe..... love it

For his new EP Nicolas Aftalion is still paying his due respects to the early House Meisters. 3 brand new trax of heavily NY influenced House Music. Still Old school but always fresh. From Paris with love, THAT'S SOME SERIOUS SHIT ! is a record label dedicated to old House music and to dancers. Following the steps of Kerry Chandler, Mr. Fingers, Ron Trent, Masters at Work and so on... Away from the hype, we want to bring back the spirit of the early 90's when House music was not only music, but a communion of body, soul, freedom and love. We hope to get you with us... in the dance, in the club.
Now ride on the sound

The original 12'' vinyl releases of Stomp The Beat and 1990 were two “Holy Grail” releases of Chicago House as they were only available for a short time before Gherkin Records went into inactive status in around 1991. At the time Larry Heard chose to not disclose the fact that he was the producer behind the Gherkin Jerks EPs. The two releases were a concept of experiments where he dove deeper into the equipment and do some creatively different tracks from his Mr. Fingers sound. These two legendary EPs have been heavily influential on other artists to this day. Often sampled or referenced they are true house classics and still amaze 25 years after their creation. Also on this album three bonus tracks, which are from the same Gherkin Jerks sessions but never released as such. Psychotic Fantasy was on the Dance 2000 pt. 2 album and Ecstasy is the full original take which makes its first appearence here. Reznaytor is an exclusive track for this release, never available before.

WAX CLASSIC is a brand new SKYLAX Sub - label.For our 10th release, we give you the opportunity to grab 4 fantastic trax done by one of the best deep house producers in UK right now : OLI FURNESS !Oli had underground electronic music firmly embedded into his life during the early warehouse scene that thrived in Manchester during the 90's, the sounds of Detroit and Chicago filtered through to the UK and his love of all things house was born. Fast forward a decade and Furness has obsessively built up a strong collection of analogue hardware and is now steadily building a legacy of his own analouge drenched and intelligent House music."Sklyax has been a hugely influencial label for me growing up, some of my hero's reside on this label so its an honour to be able to sit beside them with this release

- Turn Me On' by Jay W. McGee is the third release in a series of sought after boogie, disco and modern soul re-issues on Légère Recordings. The original 12inch vinyl single appeared on the tiny Canadian Indie label Love Productions in 1980 and is immensely hard to find these days.

- Turn Me On' is an unusual production for its time, grooving along unbelievably deep in a spartanic arrangement, and fuelled by vocals which are not too far away from Sylvester's iconic style of mixing soul, disco, funk and jazz.


Jay W. McGee has a strong opinion about disco music: - When disco came out, it had its own way of reaching people's hearts too. Being in a club, you know, it's escapism, like with soul music. Soul is addressing everyday life problems, disco is about how to forget and enjoy yourself. They each have their own unique place. I saw people railing on doing disco because they didn't understand the seriousness of it,' Jay W. McGee explains about - Turn Me On' when he officially commissioned this re-release: - The discrimination of disco was in reality a discrimination against black music.'

- Your Love', the flipside of this 12inch single, is an exciting ballad on the B-side and a surprise in itself. Both tracks feature a great combination of talents. Wayne Jackson, the trumpet player on - Turn Me On', played on Rick James' album 'Bustin' Out On L Seven', in the late Seventies. Glenn Johanson was the engineer on - Your Love'. He became Eddy Grant's house engineer at his studio in Barbados right after he mixed this tune. But there is also a little drama in the story. When Jay W. McGee returned to the studio where he recorded, "Turn Me On" he found out that the original version of - Turn Me On' was erased by another technician: - Everybody said it could have been a hit, and maybe the guy did it on purpose.' Nevertheless he recorded the song again with a now different arrangement and instrumentation. Maybe that is the reason why the production is so unique and also so different to - Your Love'.

Jay W. McGee could have been a solo artist on Philadelphia International Records, back in 1969, when he met Leon Huff of Gamble & Huff, in Philly for an audition, just before they recorded - Me And Mrs. Jones', - Bad Luck' and - Backstabbers' with Billy Paul, Harold Melvin and The O'Jays. They offered him a contract, but he refused, because he came with his whole group from Flint, Michigan and they wanted to be signed collectively.

Jay W. McGee kept just one of the original 12inches in his home: - Both songs were a profession of love to my wife. We are now married for 34 years.' Now if this ain't love, we don't know....'

Tigersushi surprise us and drop a new 12" from label boss, Joakim... 2 Gloriously Produced Tracks, As Usual...!
Almost 2 years have passed since Joakim released Nothing Gold. Not that he's been lazy. Those 2 years have probably been the busiest for the tall Musician/producer/DJ/label manager who produced numerous bands in his Fountain Studio in Paris (Zombie Zombie, Montevideo, Alba Lua, Acid Washed and more...). Joakim also did a few remixes (Aeroplane, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Lescop, Arsenal, Renaissance Man...) ans recorded a collaboration EP with Kindness that was the debut release on his new label Crowdspacer. Not to mention the constant touring, running Tigersushi records and a move from Paris to New York city!

Since Joakim has 4 hands, he also managed to start recording some material for a new album between 2 recording sessions and just before he had to move his studio out, he finished those 2 tracks : the slow, claustrophobic but hopeful « Heartbeats » and « Another Light » which brings that subtle typical melancholy to the clubs.

Now Joakim is setting up a mini home studio in his flat in NYC, somehow going back to his roots when he started making music at his parents house with a cheap keyboard more than 10 years ago. Usually in the music business, artists release a first single once the album is finished and start a promo campaign from there. But Joakim doesn't really understand the music business (don't tell anyone!), so he decided to release those 2 tracks without having any more finished material for his upcoming album nor an idea of what it will be like. In those times when everything is instant, he'd rather release new material leading to an album while the tracks are finished. Just like a work in progress you will witness an album taking shape before your ears.
This is a way to bypass the traditional rhythm of an album launch when everything needs to be done and ready months before the actual release, which usually results in the author being already bored and working on something else when the music comes out.

The story of Bonobo is one that's become uncommon in contemporary music. There was no sudden, viral internet sensation, no one-off big hit, no abrupt, accidental alignment with the zeitgeist. Instead, over the course of four albums, myriad tours, singles, remixes and production work for other artists, he quietly but very definitely became one of the most important artists in electronic music. The hard work paid off, and culminated in 2010's 'Black Sands,' a masterful album that married Green's inimitable melodic genius and musicianship to bleeding edge electronics, bass and infectious drums.

After a year plus of touring the hypnotic, extended live versions of Black Sands, he finally found time last year to embed himself in his New York studio and write his fifth studio album. Now, in 2013, he stands ready to take things up yet another notch. 'The North Borders' is a long stride forward - both a natural evolution and a continuation of the electronic palette of Black Sands. Thematic, resonant, addictive and perfectly formed, it's a thrillingly coherent statement piece.

It's also an album that shows just how far electronic music has come. Its richness of texture, emotive force and all round depth are facets found more often within, dare we say it, classical music. If there's a renaissance taking place within this scene, Simon Green could make a strong claim to being one of its key driving forces.

As with previous albums, The North Borders features a careful balance between vocal tracks and instrumentals, ensuring that the productions themselves get room to breathe and shine. When Green discovered that he and Erykah Badu shared a mutual appreciation for each other's work, he leapt at the chance to collaborate. The resultant 'Heaven for the Sinner' is one of the album's triumphs, a transcendental, incanted vocal masterclass married to a brilliant two-step glitch and a yearning melody.

NYC folk underdog Grey Reverend appears on album opener 'First Fires,' providing a raw, emotion-laid-bare growl that sets the tone for an album that's joyously unselfconscious. Bonobo has a long history of unearthing new talent, Black Sands having launched the solo career of guest vocalist Andreya Triana. The North Borders sees him do so once again. The startling, ethereal vocals of new collaborator Szjerdene are sprinkled across the album, and Green has yet again found the perfect voice to express where he's at. 'Transits' sees her vocal weave around a garage beat that's somehow fragile and purposeful all at once, a gradually emerging hook rising from the depths of the song.

'Emkay' is a stunning example of the album's marriage of addictive, urban-inflected drums to rise-and-swell melody that never fails to move the listener. Opening single 'Cirrus' sees a clockwork-precise rhythm drive a chiming, insistent melody that builds to one of the record's great emotional climaxes. This is where Green excels, he knows how to invest electronic music with immense feeling.

The North Borders - like all great records - is an album that demands to be listened to as such, a body of work with its own internal logic, themes and narrative arc. Bonobo's abilities are at an all time high, and The North Borders everything his growing army of fans will have hoped for - a sheer delight.

Olmec Save Us is the new single by R&B powerhouse Donnie. Donnie's powerful words will take you on a journey that spans from the origins of mankind to modern times. Olmec Save Us was featured on Defected Presents Osunlade In the House in 2012. Now released as a single on vinyl- with mixes from Kai Alce, Osunlade and instrumentals of both versions!

Hello listeners, blunt heads, fly ladies and prisoners..... This is the future of the music industry. Not the music, just the idea of the artists writing their own PR faffle. Next year I'll probably have to carry my own bags on tour too.......tragic. I have had a few years of working on other projects and shuffling about in loose trousers, but now I feel the time has come to release some more music for feet and floors. What I should say is that every time I tried to write techno/house/moonbeat in the last couple of years, everything came out as shitty tech-house.....The brain was just in an alternate mode, a mode for classical music and melody, but now it seems to have come back to techno so I here present some of its recent outpourings. It belched out Polka the first night I got back to Scotland, having left London. BabaYaga is named after a sinister-as-hell witch from a Russian story book we had as kids (check http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baba_Yaga) clearly designed to traumatise young minds. My traumatised mind made this tune, so it has come full circle. Mu is slower, for lazy, emotional dancers. I hope you will enjoy them and the excellent Sons of Tiki mix of Polka that accompanies them..... Send all hate mail to Vakant, I don't read it. Alex

Repress

The forthcoming release on Spanish house imprint SAFT is a deep and grooving true house vinyl which will definitely provide you with some inner glow. The man behind this piece of fine wax is called Washerman. This 3-Track release is designed for clubs and outdoor jams where people don't necessarily need a scorching energy span to enjoy the music. With beautiful rhode sounds and touching vocal cuts this record should be in anyone's record collection. Raw but beautiful

Digitalism has done a mix for the legendary K7! DJ Kicks series. And it is not a lie, on the contrary, it is nothing short of the truth to say, this is a dream come true for two young fellows from Germany. Twelve years ago, when they originally met, two record store workers in Hamburg, admiringly selling the DJ Kicks series to their customers adoring not just the event of each release, the dexterity of the mix but most importantly the protagonists behind each release, the artist, the DJ, the mixer. Their favourites over the last two decades are Tiga's ("His mix was a great essence of edgy and cold electro-techno."), Trevor Jackson's Playgroup ("More really playful stuff.") and Erlend Oye ("Cause he sung over a lot of stuff and had some favs like Jürgen Paape, the collab with Morgan Geist and Avenue D (2D2F) on it.").

Special tracks have a special story behind them. And this one certainly does. After Mario & Vidis recorded a couple of tracks with Ernesto for their debut album Changed they invited him to perform in their home country. During his short stay in Lithuania Ernesto performed two times and both times closed his set with a track called Care. It was kind of a mash-up - Swedish singer & songwriter was using lyrics of his old song to sing over Metro Area's classic Caught Up to a big effect - leaving the packed dance floors to a sing along to lyrical hook of 'sisters and brothers, smokers and lovers, care for me' every time. Big fan of Metro Area's sound Vidis offered him to do a reversion of this mash-up using Caught Up as a reference and inspiration. The vocals were re-recorded, new arrangement was done, and the song was tested in the clubs as well as live on stage. So here it is - another big tune from the three to sing and dance along

THAT'S SOME SERIOUS SHIT ! is a new record label dedicated to old House music and to dancers. Following the steps of Kerry Chandler, Mr. Fingers, Ron Trent, Masters at Work and so on... Away from the hype, we want to bring back the spirit of the early 90's when House music was not only music, but a communion of body, soul, freedom and love.
We hope to get you with us... in the dance, in the club.
Now ride on the sound !!!

Oh Holy Molar is the second album from UK trio Felix. The group produces a bewitching, minimal chamber pop that works as the perfect framework for singer/songwriter Lucinda Chua's oblique and emotionally immediate stories of superstition and searching for protection against bad omens.
*As a follow up to their debut You Are The One I Pick, the band return with a collection of songs with a sound stripped back to its very core. Something is said to have "teeth" when it has the ability to make an impact. This record certainly has "teeth", and sharp ones at that.
*" The album was recorded in a vast, spooky 1940s cinema in Nottingham, England, now converted into a studio. After recording was completed the band discovered that underneath the live room lay an abandoned Dental Laboratory. "Oh Holy Molar" indeed.
*" Since the release of the rst Felix album, pianist/vocalist Lucinda Chua, also an accomplished photographer, has been working on a number of projects, most recently with Wallpaper* in Detroit. Guitarist Chris Summerlin has been recording and touring with his new band Kogumaza. The group is completed with the recent addition of drummer Neil Turpin who, when not performing with Felix, can also be found touring the world with French composer Yann Tiersen.
press quotes for You Are the One I Pick
'It's a gateway into another headspace, one aglow with uncertain magic. As statements of romantic intent go, 'Death To Everyone But Us' must represent either the most  straightforward, honest distillation of the love song, or the creepiest.' BBC
'In Felix's world, everyday mundanities give rise to furtive explorations of human interaction and ineptitude in a manner as oppressive as it is oddly and honestly addictive.' Drowned in Sound
'The duo keep things refreshingly simple, with single strands of piano, guitar, and cello in quiet symmetry, leaving the listener ample room to savor Felix's knotty, enigmatic songcraft.' Pitchfork
'There is mystery and elegance in the marrow of this music, and I imagine this record will prove to stand the test of time, reserved to be pulled out for the perfect accompaniment to just the right brooding but whimsical mood.' Delusions of Adequacy
track list:
1.The Bells 2. Sunday Night 3. Oh Thee 73 4. Don't Look Back (It's Too Sad) 5. Hate Song 6.Oh Holy Molar 7. Blessing Part I 8. Blessing Part II 9. Rites 10. Who Will Pity the Poor Fool 11. Pretty Girls 12. Practising Magic 13. Little Biscuit

After more or less owning 2011 with a surprise album, a collaboration with urban crooner Colonel Abrams, an ahead-of-the-game reissue of Marc Kinchen and the all-conquering "Here's Your Trance Now Dance", FXHE don Omar S kicks off a new year with Wayne County Hills Cops Pt 2 (where, we ask, was Part 1?), a hook-up with the mysterious OB IGNITT. The eponymous A-Side is characterised by the kind of glistening synths last seen on "Here's Your Trance...", with a rugged analogue bass line giving the track with the requisite bump. A tired cliche it may be, but this could easily soundtrack an 80s cop movie: clearly Omar has this in mind given the 12"'s title and the fact the record's centre label features a doctored image of Eddie Murphy from Beverly Hills Cop! On the flip, Omar S provides his own remix, drowning the synths in dubby textures and showering them with shuffling hats for a more heads-down take. Another killer 12" - business as usual at FXHE, then.

Originally released on EMI Sweden, original copies of this album still change hands in excess of $500.

This was Doris' jazz album though it contains more than a hint of Joni Mitchell, Led Zepellin and the like. Backed by her husband Lukas Lindholm on bass she was able to lay down some seriously funky bass lines on tracks like Don't and Beatmaker. On You Never Come Closer, an experimental track that was way ahead of its time, Janne Carlsson unleashes a fearsome sound on drums helped by Bernot Egerladh on organ.

Edward O’Sullivan Lee “but my friends call me Bunny or Striker Lee” was born in Kingston, Jamaica on 23rd August 1941. He started in the music business plugging records for Duke Reid at Treasure Isle, Coxsone Dodd at Studio One and Leslie Kong at Beverley’s. “I used to do plugging… when I say plugging I used to get their records played on ‘Teenage Dance Party’ and we’d dance so if you had a record to plug you’d put it on and dance to it and show the latest moves”.

One can hardly imagine the genre-busting, culture-crossing musical magic of Outkast, Prince, Erykah Badu, Rick James, The Roots, or even the early Red Hot Chili Peppers without the influence of R&B pioneer Betty Davis. Her style of raw and revelatory punk-funk defies any notions that women can’t be visionaries in the worlds of rock and pop. In recent years, rappers from Ice Cube to Talib Kweli to Ludacris have rhymed over her intensely strong but sensual music.



There is one testimonial about Betty Davis that is universal: she was a woman ahead of her time. In our contemporary moment, this may not be as self-evident as it was thirty years ago – we live in an age that’s been profoundly changed by flamboyant flaunting of female sexuality: from Parlet to Madonna, Lil Kim to Kelis. Yet, back in 1973 when Betty Davis first showed up in her silver go-go boots, dazzling smile and towering Afro, who could you possibly have compared her to? Marva Whitney had the voice but not the independence. Labelle wouldn’t get sexy with their “Lady Marmalade” for another year while Millie Jackson wasn’t Feelin’ Bitchy until 1977. Even Tina Turner, the most obvious predecessor to Betty’s fierce style wasn’t completely out of Ike’s shadow until later in the decade.



Ms. Davis’s unique story, still sadly mostly unknown, is unlike any other in popular music. Betty wrote the song “Uptown” for the Chambers Brothers before marrying Miles Davis in the late ’60s, influencing him with psychedelic rock, and introducing him to Jimi Hendrix — personally inspiring the classic album Bitches Brew.



But her songwriting ability was way ahead of its time as well. Betty not only wrote every song she ever recorded and produced every album after her first, but the young woman penned the tunes that got The Commodores signed to Motown. The Detroit label soon came calling, pitching a Motown songwriting deal, which Betty turned down. Motown wanted to own everything. Heading to the UK, Marc Bolan of T. Rex urged the creative dynamo to start writing for herself. A common thread throughout Betty’s career would be her unbending Do-It-Yourself ethic, which made her quickly turn down anyone who didn’t fit with the vision. She would eventually say no to Eric Clapton as her album producer, seeing him as too banal.



Her 1974 sophomore album They Say I’m Different features a worthy-of-framing futuristic cover challenging David Bowie’s science fiction funk with real rocking soul-fire, kicked off with the savagely sexual “Shoo-B-Doop and Cop Him” (later sampled by Ice Cube). Her follow up is full of classic cuts like “Don’t Call Her No Tramp” and the hilarious, hard, deep funk of “He Was A Big Freak.”

Nachgepresst und mit leicht erhöhtem Preis wieder lieferbar ist die Doppel-LP von und mit der Produzentenlegende Winston Holness aka Niney The Observer, vollgepackt mit 28 Klassikern aus der Bütezeit des Reggae inklusive Nineys Hit "Blood & Fire". Mit allen Artists mit Rang und Namen und den Musikern der Aggrovators, The Revolutionaries und dem Soul Syndicate, eingespielt in Randy's Studio 17, King Tubby's, Dynamic Sounds, Channel One, Joe Gibbs und dem Black Ark Studio!

Hui Terra. The dreamlike shape of the half-heard word, abstracts with faint impressions of bucolic landscape, or handfuls of translucent and brightly-colored gemstones that hold odd, elusive, asymmetrical form. This enchanting, gently surreal debut album from Alex Cobb's Etelin project explores the power and playfulness of impulsive action diffused through electro-acoustic and ambient sound.

This music was created with digital synthesizers and a sampler in the four months immediately following the birth of his first child, a hazy period marked by a lack of regular sleep and a diet of INA-GRM, Nuno Canavarro's "Plux Quba", and Microstoria's "Init Ding" - records that appeared to produce both stimulating and soothing effects on a newborn's nascent consciousness. Recorded and arranged at all hours, this is an album that reflects on moments of tumult and fragility. Cobb sews small sharpnesses and surprises into its movements to uncover different aspects of each sound source, doubling as hypnic starts cast to advance and variate the narrative in subtle and unexpected ways. Sound and atmosphere manifest in eccentric, alchemical fashion, as though forming in processes of sublimation - solids dissipating into vapor - and deposition - clouds resolving and dropping to the ground in piles - to an obscure and domestic rhythm. There's the purveying sense of moving within the boundaries of small, hermetic ecosystem. This is underscored and doused by a slow, blooming sense of warmth; growing joy without bombast. Even the more startling textures conceal this same truth and emphasis, such as the alien, sour salt-butter electronic babble in "Little Rig", largely sampled from Cobb's son's voice at just a week old. It is emotional music - devoted, affectionate, and playful.