When Michaela Meise performed at WestGermany at Kottbusser Tor in Berlin-Kreuzberg on March 20, 2015, accompanying herself on the accordion, I was perplexed. I knew her first album from 2010, which was about hymns (»Preis dem Todesüberwinder«, originally released on Clouds Hill, available as a download and stream through my label from July 2018 on), but what she was playing weren't spiritual songs! I wanted to put this music out on my label: the songs sounded sad, aloof and wistful but also proud, determined and unerring.
The album title »I am Greek« is a tribute to Melina Mercouri's album »Je Suis Grecque!«, which was released in 1971 when Mercouri was deprived of citizenship by the Greek military junta. Mercouri lived - like Mikis Theodorakis and many other cultural workers - in exile. Meise's album is dedicated to the chanson scene of post-war Europe, whose songs were popularly folksy, but also political. Some talk about the experience of war, the Shoah and labor migration. Michaela Meise has translated the Greek, French and Romanian songs into German (with the help of Aliki Marini and Carmen Gheorghe) so that the lyrics are understandable to a German audience, a gesture that was also common in the European chanson scene. More than half of the songs are by Mikis Theodorakis. He knows the translations and new recordings, gave his blessing and just noted a wrong tone ... The other pieces on the album are by the French artists Barbara and George Moustaki and the German musician Alexandra. There is also a Romanian folk song.
The album was recorded by Michaela Meise together with members of the group Isolation Berlin as well as the guest singers Carmen Gheorge and Dirk von Lowtzow (Tocotronic). The producer was David Specht (Isolation Berlin).
Michaela Meise and me both have intimate relations with Greece - Michaela has innumerable holiday memories with parents and brother, I have a friend who lives in Athens and whom I have been visiting regularly for about ten years now. This friend, the graphic designer Vasilis Marmatakis, styled Meise's album using an impressive, scary photograph taken in May 1985 during the occupation of Polytechnio Athens. Together, we opted for an elaborate packaging made by a bookbinder, a so-called Japanese tip-on-gatefold cover. The packaging reminds us of the records that were made in Greece for export and taken by German tourists as a souvenir back home.
Another much welcomed reissue of the late 70's funk laden, disco two tracker from Splendor. The A side 'Take Me To Your Disco' is emblematic of disco records from that golden era where big bands and big budgets were rife. Yet there's an interplanetary twist to this one, with the mysterious, eerie, spacecraft sounding intro paving the way for a tale of extraterrestrials wanting to get down at one of planet earths discos. You can tell this came from an era were disco really was taking over Flip it over and you've got the mighty Special Lady. With Philip Bailey, of Earth, Wind and Fire fame, on production his style comes through strong in the vocal arrangement with the level of feeling and power he squeezes out of each voice. A chance to add these two anthems to the collection!
New Zealand based EBM auteur Body Beat Ritual makes his debut on Bergerac with an incendiary EP of full throttle intense dark wave bangers. Growing up in North West England immersed in hardcore punk and rave culture led to musical experiments and Body Beat Ritual is his unique splicing of both aesthetics.
Using a combination of hardware, audio samples and midi sequencing, Body Beat Ritual reclaims the moment when underground musicians in Manchester, Chicago and Ghent put down their guitars and picked up drum machines and sequencers bringing the intensity, rawness and aggression of the band environment to the dancefloor. Mortal Sin is a certified smasher. Absolute dancefloor decimation whenever it's played out. No more description necessary. No Mercy evokes the Lost Boys vibe with an equally high octane raw workout. Trent Reznor meets Jeff Mills at a DAF gig on a flatliner. The EP closes with Body Politics which lowers the tempo to a chuggier zone, with an ode to female empowerment which keeps up that Body Beat pressure and intensity.
At a time when on every street corner, adolescent wannabe gangstas believed they had to tell everyone and their dog about their greatness and the inferiority of all others, there was a cadre of Munich-based Hip-Hop artists producing incredibly fresh and imaginative music, inspired, of course, by the golden era of the 90s. They played gigs in small clubs in front of some dozens of people, spread mixtapes and Eps and were celebrated by their friends and the rest of the scene. The world took no notice - until now ! Tramp Records, specializing in unearthing forgotten pearls of musical art, documents with "Golden Hits", an era of Munich underground Hip Hop which flew completely under the radar, spanning ten years from 2005 to 2015. The musical bandwidth and quality of the tracks is astonishing, but so much more could have been possible. Much of this music remained fragmented or unreleased for a host of reasons, families, stressful jobs, musical reorientation, and even lost hard disks... but one story has a happy ending! When Masta Ace had a live show at the legendary Atomic Cafe, Primatune's Fid Rizz was able to hand over a CD with demo beats. Unfortunately the CD was blank by mistake! But the curiosity of Masta Ace had been piqued, and he got back to him, the rest is history. Features of other stateside rap heroes like Wordsworth or Declaime followed.
The very best of this era, including tracks never before heard and ideas remaining fragmented, has now been compiled by Tramp Records to take you for a fascinating listening journey.
Hip Hop, as it was since it's inception in the Bronx, fresh and real, and made with passion by neighborhood kids spitting truth about life and the struggle!
Key selling points:
- including many unreleased songs
- the vinyl LP comes with a full album download code
Following A Standout Appearance On Dvs1's Mistress Label With His 'just Pain' Track, The Man From Minneapolis, Doubt, Returns To Don't Be Afraid For The First Time Since 2014's Poor Dog Ep. In The Interim He Has Continued To Record On Disposable Commodities Under The Doubt Moniker, Whilst Also Exploring Experimental And Ambient Sound Under The Name Time Heals Nothing.
For His Most Inclusive Outing To Date, Doubt Mines The Outer Limits Of Minimal House Music Whilst Still Maintaining The Vibe Of Alienation And Melancholy That Characterises His Work. The Mood Of April Is Euphoric And Carefree But Dig Deeper And The Fragile Beauty Also Suggests An Impending And Ominous Apocalypse. What Is Happening And Samusex Counterbalance The A-side's Brief Suggestion Of Joy With A Mood Closer To Doubt's Previous Work. The Title Track Meanwhile Recalls The Work Of Labels Like Ifach And Trelik With A Swinging, Stripped Down Dub Sound.
180-gram vinyl record, limited
Label devoted to old school house music. Every release will have an original version and one or more remixes coming from the artists that made our life worth living in the last 30 years. House music is our religion. We are not interested in hype. We are not interested in becoming famous. We are not interested in djing worldwide. There won't be any repress since we are not interested in making money. We'll release music for personal pleasure only if it' ll satisfy our minimum quality standard. Finally, we won't release any digital download, 'cause we didn't grow-up listening to music that we couldn't touch.
LOYOTO are the East-Berlin born Eva Be and Cle from the western part of the formerly dived city. Both started their DJ and producer career almost at the same time in the heart of the then developing scene, the very center of Berlin, just after the wall came down. Originally rooted in very different styles of music, they encountered for the first time DJing together in 2011, finding common ground in more than just music - a gig, that should lead to more: They decided to combine their talents and knowledge and build a studio together. Here, and during legendary back2back DJ sets, they finally united their different musical backgrounds - dub/reggae and underground house music - and defined their very own sound.
Very little is know about the apparent duo Stevens & Foster who had this self produced release in 1977 on the Jerri Records label from Atlanta, Georgia that had national distribution though T.K. Productions Inc. Nevertheless original copies are now very scarce and crazy expensive. For decades, the B-side's piano intro has rescued a DJ's dancefloor all over Europe, with it's seductive qualities of lush strings, muted Wah-Wah, simplistic but addictive piano fuse into a must gulp down cocktail of soul delights. In more recent times it is the A-side, that formerly lived in the shadows of that essential DJ tool, is also gathering a strong following, using the same instrumental approach but taking the pace right down. Ballad fans will immerse themselves in the real feelings the girl lead projects as she gets more poignant the deeper she gets into the lyrics. Fully restored and officially licensed, this is your chance to obtain this great soul and funk record as a top quality European re-press at a regular price.
For this seconde release, the brotherhood from Marseille wanted to present their personal profiles, this EP is built like a Various, but built with a common touch, the random bass! Hypnotic, trippy and randomised, these tracks are done to push up the dancefloors. The last track is a downtempo vision of the eclectism of this southern crew, hip-hop beat and a bassline played by there friend Mike B4, a real candy to close this EP!
Ascetic Limited is shifting gears, focusing on solo EPs dedicated to the artists that form the collective. To kick it off they present an EP from renowned Milanese techno producer Wrong Assessment, who throughout his career in techno has proven himself to be one of the most interesting producers coming out of Italy. From his collaborative works with the late Max_M as Overall Severity to his solo works as Wrong Assessment, his tracks are always unique. Influences ranging from minimal to hard pounding techno bangers, through house grooves and ambient arrangements, he still is able to transmit his sound and vision with his music.
Wrong Assessment's 8th Floor EP is comprised by (A1) Asceta - an ambient downtempo immersion that washes over the listener in preparation for what's to come. (A2) Empire, is a clear example of the great sound that Wrong Assessment has developed throughout the years, winding synth lines and driving techno beats with a great minimalist approach to sound. The title track, (B1) 8th Floor - a bouncy, playful track filled with great ambiance that can fit into any DJ set and will drive the audience to the dance floor. Ending the EP on a heavy note, (B2) Radial brings heavy kicks and strong ambient works mixed with intense techno beats and brooding synth lines that will have the dance floor going insane.
Ascetic Limited presents Wrong Assessment's 8th Floor EP as their 5th release and second EP on the label
For the 12th installment of Jose Cabrera's self-titled imprint, Mario Castillo appears under his long running 'Kastil' moniker to deliver a four track EP of mechanical dance floor sounds. With 'Anemic Lust', the resident of Vitoria- Gasteiz, comes up with a worthy addition to his rapidly growing discography. After a period of DIY work through his own label STALE, Castillo returns to the imprint where he last released his collaboration album with J.C. in 2017.
Musically, Castillo's palette is ever expanding, threading into the murky waters of mechanical textures and balanced, hypnotic beats, Anemic Lust is showcasing Castillo's love for dubbed out chords, orchestrated string work and power driven drum programming. The opening track 'Submissive' is a firm work of dance floor techno which uses a drone-like scream as it's back bone. While the bass and drums alternate skillfully, the hats and percussive elements penetrate entire spectrum and act in a vanguard-like fashion.
'Omniscience' is a work of growling and low down dub chords that are supported by a vigorous kick drum, slabs of fx, and high spirited hi-hats that change throughout. 'Red River' is the first effort on the B side if Anemic Lust. Castillo changes the pace to introduce a more inky side to his music. The drum work and bass sounds are ominous but the mood is shifted by a more soothing ambiance around the two minute mark.
Also on the B side, label owner J.C. translates Red River into an experimental sounding work of wintry drums and notable sound additions.
* Arikon is a solo project of Berlin-based drummer & producer, Arik Hayut - half of doom-tech duo Gainstage with Pierce Warnecke. Loyal to the sonic concepts of Gainstage, Arikon presents The Prophet's Blood Is Boiling, a solo enterprise into deepest 'drum & drone'. Hypnotizing distorted polyrhythms puncture through shards of fragmented melodies, producing potent mixtures of desperate tin can banging, a panoramic sonic scope, and the bleakest of soundsystem nightmares. Across the album, Arikon deploys an arsenal of samples plus electronic, acoustic, and self-constructed percussion instruments, constructing eight powerful productions that manage to embody both brute force and delicate decay.
* Formerly active in Tel Aviv's leftfield experimental scene during the 90's, Hayut made Berlin his permanent home for working on his own projects while composing and performing music for off-theater and contemporary dance. In 2004, a severe health crisis initially threw Hayut into crisis, slowing down his activity to a standstill. However, the precarious process of his fortunate recovery contributed to Hayut involving himself more deeply with concepts of time, death, and decay.
* Inspired by the decadent still life paintings of the Flemish Baroque, the cover artwork for The Prophet's Blood Is Boiling comprises a bowl of decomposing fruit. Like the music, its aim is to illustrate the beauty and perfection of the decay process, whilst also referring to the West's hyper-capitalistic, technology-centric culture. In recent years a new form of 'digital life' has been born, whereby all data - regardless of its worth or importance - is mummified, reproduced, and distributed with no real disintegration or loss in quality. This new digital life is resulting in a sort of 'frozen death', ending the hitherto natural cycle of life.
* The songs on themselves are inspired by the 'beasts of holiness' - mythological monsters that appear in the Hebrew bible and the Jewish apocrypha (non-canonical scriptures). There's the punching of bassy thuds out of an oceanic ambient swell throughout 'Tanin Gadol', named after the ancient water monster of Babylonian times. The dense net of fumbling scrapes and amp-busting hits of noise on 'Nahash Akalaton' similarly refer to a titular sea-snake monster, its tendrils lashing out of the speakers aggressively. These demons symbolize a force of evil equal in power, yet in direct opposition to the monotheistic deity of their time. They were therefore neither acknowledged nor canonized in much dominant scripture. Arikon invokes these demons across The Prophet's Blood Is Boiling, setting them loose across these gnarled noisy chambers of pummeling percussion and cracked sampled detritus.
After previously releasing Starship Commander Woooo Woooo's - Mastership LP, Left Ear Records have continued excavating the archives of the artist more formally known as Omer Coleman Jr. The result is two handpicked mid 80's instrumentals salvaged from the original master tapes, as well as an extended vocal edit on the flip for good measure.
.
After laying his alter ego to rest Omer made a handful of electronic releases on his own Kansas based 'Remo' label. Of these releases Left Ear has selected their two favourite instrumentals: 'Lovin 'Babe' Sure Is Fun' and 'So Good'. 'Lovin 'Babe' Sure Is Fun' was originally released in '85 and was created to celebrate a time in America where 'the economy was good, people were happy and love was in the air', the essence of which Omer captured using his Roland 808 and 303 in what may best be described as Acid-Boogie. 'So Good' on the other hand is a sensual downtempo cut shaped with heavy-bass, telephone samples and guitar solos that conjures images of late Night Rendezvous and compromising scenarios.
In 1982, a group of friends deep into post-punk, jazz and dub got together in Mad Professor's studio and lay down their youthful interpretation of a NYC disco cut. Their unique take included trombone, vibraphone, piano, and an ital dose of tape delay. They called the song Trouble and released two versions (vocal and dub) on their friend Tony McDermott's !Drum! label with artwork inspired by Russian Constructivism. TIP!
.
The group, comprised of Justin Langlands, Chrysta Jones, John Schofield, Tom Dixon, and Dave Killen, decided to call themselves A-Team, having no idea that Mr.T and Co. would make them almost totally ungoogle-able 30 years later. The result of their adolescent studio idealism sounds akin to otherdisco misfits like Arthur Russell, Maximum Joy, Talking Drums and wouldn't sound out of place on legendary NYC label 99 Records. Remastered with an extended Club Dub formaximum dance-floor action.
Red Hare's roots run all the way back to the Washington D.C. music scene of the 80's and 90's, where Shawn Brown, Jason Farrell and Dave Eight immersed themselves in the braids and tangles of that city's unique strain of hardcore.
In 1987, Brown (the original (and current) singer of Dag Nasty) and guitarist Farrell founded Swiz— a harsher take on melodic hardcore released via Dischord's sister-label Sammich and their own freshly-minted label Hell- fire. Eight joined Swiz on bass in 1989 and remained until the band wrapped it up in 1990.
By 1995, Farrell and Eight reconvened to immerse themselves in the angular post-hardcore stylings of Bluetip, yet found enough juice to again tap Brown for the short-lived Swiz reboot, Sweetbelly Freakdown. Meanwhile, Joe Gorelick was living a parallel existence drumming in the band Garden Variety. A fortuitous string of circum- stances led him down the Jersey turnpike straight into Bluetip's empty drum chair. Although Gorelick did not record with the band, his prowess was nonetheless noted and cataloged for future missions — first in 2002 with Farrell in Retisonic and now with Brown, Farrell, Jason and Eight in Red Hare.
Red Hare are set to release their second album Little Acts of Destruction on May 11th through a joint effort with Dischord and their own label Hellfire. Like their debut Nites of Midnite (2013) and their stop-gap 7', Lexicon Mist (2016), the album was recorded and mixed by longtime collaborator and friend J.Robbins. These 14 songs are a heady/hearty mix of the familiar and new that bristle with the energy of the hometown sound they helped shape.
Smoove & Turrell's second single outing from their album 'Mount Pleasant' is a double helping of up-tempo dancers for those that like to shake it...
Never one's to stop experimenting and pushing their musical boundaries, this single is a perfect example of exactly that, featuring two tracks with massively contrasting styles but with a quality of song writing and production that these guys have got down to a fine art in their years together.
'I Feel Alive' is a tasty electro disco cut inspired by a hedonistic night in Paris. It's the perfect blend of Smoove's trademark groovy productions with Turrell's sweet tones and honest relatable lyricism. Keys man - Mike Porter gets a chance to engage the arpeggiator function on his synth collection as he and the rest of the band create a host of spacey sounds to form the backdrop of this catchy number.
On the B side is 'Mr Hyde' - a beast of a track that opens with energetic live drums and a memorable guitar riff that form the backbone of a rocking tune that sees John Turrell manically singing through a distortion effect delivering the lines "I'm Jekyll and baby you need to hide" in a suitably menacing style...
Fusing garage rock, psyche, northern soul and pop sensibilities it's a Frankenstein's monster of a track that works on multiple levels with the lyrical subject matter.
As a Dutch label, we're proud supporters of the homegrown sounds of guys like Nachtbraker, Frits Wentink and Fouk. Adding another Dutchie to our list of exquisite producers, we present you 'Pitto' with his debut on Heist Recordings. Pitto is a musically omnipotent creature, venturing into deep house with the underground hit 'Richklap' on Wolfskuil back in 2012 and dreamy electronic pop with his album 'Breaking up the Static' on Sonar Kollektiv and Virgin. He has also moved beyond producing his own music, running 'Studio Stekker'; a Dutch music festival that focused on freeform creative interactions between musicians where the artists performing on the festival locked themselves up a week in advance in Kytopia (Colin Benders' synth paradise) to make new music together. Through this, he's worked with people like Kyteman, Matthew Johnson, Sebastian Mullaert and Colin de la Plante, better known as 'The Mole', who is also present on Pitto's Heist debut with a remix.
The 'Late night studio moves' ep is one of varied styles, where Pitto's inspiration from African music, jazzy and soulful samples becomes evident. He finds his 'funk' in repetition, clever sample combinations and combining electronic and live elements in the most organic way.
'Late night studio moves' finds its basic groove in an African percussive loop. Over the 9:26 minutes, the track slowly adds elements, chopped African chants and piercing synth hits. It's all really dreamy and energetic at the same time, but it is when the bass and main keys kick in, that you really feel the euphoric vibe of the track. The Mole chose to remix this track and he turned it completely upside down, both in vibe and tempo. His version is an atmospheric and mesmerizing downtempo track, where the percussion works in an intoxicating way and bells, birds and chants move in and out of the spotlight.
Pitto's second original track on the ep is the mesmerizing 'Treat me like a fool'. 16th hi-hats, claps on the hats, and a chopped piano loop set the mood here, but it's the vocal that steals the show. A mantra like 'You love me' builds up and breaks down into 'you love me like an angel, but you treat me like a fool'. Each time, the track builds and builds, never quite giving in to a massive drop, but instead, focuses on the stripped back soul that is the heart of the track.
'Jazz kids' evolves around a jazzy bass loop and a set of quirky African percussive elements that you could imagine Henrik Schwarz making if he were in a more leftfield mood. A syncopated synth melody filters in and out throughout the track and a basic kick and hi-hat combo keeps the energy going strong on this on.
We're proud to bring you this deep, dreamy and provocative EP by Pitto and hope you'll enjoy it as much as we do.
Following on from the release of FBA21 Collected Works 1996 -2017, which was released November 2017 Matthew Puffett decided to wrap up the project, with a handpicked selection of artists to remix key tracks from the compilation. Amongst these figures are some significant influences on Puffett`s early years The set includes Kirk Degiorgio, whose reworking of 'Cross Dissolve' reimagines the track in full machine mode, serving up a slab of driving techno for the main room. A fan since the early 90s, Kirk and Matt have been in contact over the years, culminating to this powerful re-creation. Steven Rutter (B12) has also reworked 'Cross Dissolve', but in contrast to Degiorgio, Rutter's mix brings out an almost abstracted, ambient mood, a characteristically expressive and textured piece from one of the leading figures in UK electronica. Hardway Bros, Sean Johnston (Andy Weatherall's partner in 'A Love From Outer Space) tackles 'Mourning', a piece of melancholic euphoria. In typical Johnston style, Sean slows it all down, bringing it to a mid-tempo Balearic vibe. A big influence on Matthew in the 1990s, Lee Grainge used to work at the infamous Fat Cat records. A renowned arbiter of sounds, Grainge turned Matt onto countless records from Detroit and beyond, which was crucial in shaping FBA's sound. Here, he remixes 'Diagram', in a manner reminiscent of classic dub techno, Basic Channel. Another influence on FBA's sound is former Eevo Lute Muzique boss from Eindhoven, Stefan Robbers. FBA recorded a mini album for EevoNext in 2009, and the pair team up again here to reinvent 'Machines Can Help'.
The Gates of Charon, an original soundtrack, is the long-awaited result of two years of work by a multitude of outstanding producers from the bass music and drum 'n bass scenes. This deep, dark and weighty release comes at you with 26 tracks of professional soundscape production to tell a story of the fusion of the mystic and scientific to manipulate dark energy and explore the multiverse. This unique project will take listeners on an interplanetary journey of the highest order through sound and emotion. This is a limited edition release in a double gatefold full-art cover with 2 X 12" two-color 180g vinyl (limited to first 300 copies), with download codes (including bonus instrumental versions).
Sharif Laffrey can charm the snake out of any basket. This is his first offering for the ESP Institute. Side A's Tangier is a long drawn-out exercise, an endurance test of the highest order. Over the span of some thirteen minutes, elements bob and weave intermittently and layers overlap haphazardly—the type of exciting dynamic that's born out of restriction—as if putting down a live jam without enough hands to work the console, yet Sharif perseveres. As touch and go as this arrangement may be, there is something that undoubtedly glues it all in place; the combination of his massive rolling 16th-note bassline and his tough-as-nails drumkit is so good that, upon first listen, we spat out our tea and insisted on its release. On side B, Everything Is Nice carries on with loose arrangement, dirty production and layers of inexplicable spoken- word samples (a Sharif calling card by now) but this time we're lead to a melancholy place, the blue comedown to Side A's antagonistic trial. With his ESP Institute debut, Sharif leaves you mentally unhinged, as if you've smoked something interesting and arrived bewildered in some Saharan labyrinth. These two songs will guide you through the medina to score the black meat.
For its third release, Here To Hell welcomes Melbourne (via Adelaide) veteran, Rambl, and his incredible groover 'Doss'.
This third release on the label happened purely by surprise, and what a discovery! The track itself is no accident, but the signing took place after a chance encounter. Richard Campbell aka Rambl, who is one of Melbourne's best and most consistent DJs since the last two decades, had developed a small cult following of viewers via facebook, where he had been providing live video coverage of Australia's wild weather in a kind of comedy-weatherman format. Once these updates caught our attention, the magical facebook algorithm placed all of his content at the top of our feed.
One day his video moved away from the wild South Australian coast and into the studio. Rich - who we also know for his huge stature akin to an NBA basketballer, and his brain for Mathematics and Computational Biology - was bopping that giant brain up and down and making his 'bass face', with a mixing desk and some speakers (and some beers) in the background. The soundtrack to this video was completely mesmerising. We sent him a private message immediately: 'what the hell is THIS!!!'
His reply: 'This is one of mine, it's not finished yet but it feels good'. Our reply: 'It feels INCREDIBLE!!! Finish it and let's put it on wax!'
So today we bring you 'Doss' and we expect you'll love it.
On the flipside we've invited another Melbourne man, Sly Faux, to demonstrate why he's appearing in the playlists of Richie Hawtin and Maceo Plex, and why his EP on Nicole Moudaber's Mood was a bestseller. He's also just remixed The Presets and continues to impress with his tight productions. Sly Faux's remix takes the original Detroit-inspired techno-funk and twists it into a different kind of main room banger.
Monday Off is a vinyl only record label from Brooklyn, New York, founded by Mary Yuzovskaya. Its ethos is to showcase artists that explore techno's hypnotic side; specifically where trippy and dark music goes deep yet dynamic. For the third release, NYC/Berlin/Washington DC transplant Arthur Kimskii dives in with a heady trio of his productions. Title track 'Verbal Variance' slowly unfurls with a myriad of textures and sounds to both confuse and delight the senses, while 'Swan An Ocean For You' takes on similar terrain albeit kicked up a notch and warmer in tone. 'Basement Moves' is an emotive and partially beat-less affair steeped in layers of noise, and MOFF favorite Stephanie Sykes strips the A-side down for a sinister and chugging remix.
* With a number of high profile releases already behind him for labels including the legendary XL Recordings and Dusky's 17 Steps imprint, Hugo Massien has carved a sound for himself that sees him bring together elements from house, techno, dubstep and hardcore, all combining force to produce this killer 4-track EP, running at the techno-friendly tempos of around 128bpm.
* 'Advanced Aerial Threat' kicks things off with a fractured half-step rhythm that gives more than a nod to his formative years as a fan of the early UK dubstep movement. Stark, deadly and meticulously constructed, the rhythm taps a pace as wild bass stabs rip across a theatre of sound.
* Next up is the delightful melancholy of 'Ursa Minor' which takes a rolling breakbeat as its backbone before a Reese-like bassline emerges from beneath, rising and empowering. An intimate piano line comes in, providing an introspective element, balancing the otherwise rave-savvy ingredients in place.
* 'Candy Flip' takes things into a more electro direction, providing a reliable work out for the dance floor as the tightly tuned drums and bass hold down the spooky synth stabs.
* Last up, closing the EP is 'Divisions From The Start' where once again we see Hugo's intuitive sense of soundscape grandure, creating a kaleidoscope of moods all strung together with precision drum programming and heavyweight sub work.
* DJ Support from: Shed, Loefah, Pinch & many more.
Paul Dickow Aka Strategy Is A Musical Polymath With A Signature Sound Derived From His Immersion In Hardware-based Electronic Music. He Has Spent Close To Two Decades Traveling Freely Through House, Techno, Rave, Noise, Ambient, And Sounds More Difficult To Categorize. Strategy's Sound Is Inimitable Because It Is Literally Built By Hand - His Hands. Through All Of This Sonic Journeying, Including Multiple Full Length Releases, A Constant Has Been His Love Of Reggae And Dub, Yet Somehow A Proper Dub Album Has Never Emerged - Until Now.
After Two Much-loved 7' Singles On Zamzam - To Say Nothing Of Dubwise Excursions On Idle Hands, Shockout, Peak Oil, 100% Silk And More - dub Mind Paradigm' Is The Fulfillment Of A Clear, Simple Goal. "i Set Out To Make A Full Set Of Dub Tracks Good Enough To Make An Album -- Something That Had Always Eluded Me-- And It Worked, Finally. A Simple Exercise In Seeing If We Could Launch The Capsule To Orbit Planet Reggae And Make It Home Again.'
Reaching Planet Reggae, The Album Explores Analog Caverns Of Dubwise At All Tempos, From The 80s To 140, Full Of The Ghosts Of Ancient And Future Technologies, Glimmering Shards Of Hope Among Heaps Of Folly, Ruin And Rubble. Music Fans With Crates Deeper Than The Contemporary Will Find Shades Of Wackies, Firehouse, Unity Sound, Burial Mix And More, But Only Winks And Nods... No One Sounds Like Strategy, And Strategy Sounds Like No One.
Mastered By Sam Precise.
Art & Design By Polygon Press.
Distributed By Unearthed Sounds Ltd.
Limited To 700 Vinyl Lps - No Repress, No Digital.
Extremely hot on the heels of 'A Library Excursion', Earl Jeffers teams up again with Don Leisure, his partner-in-beats for another EP of Darkhouse Family goodness. Following on from their highly acclaimed debut album 'The Offering' from late last year on First Word, the Cardiff duo have hand selected a group of friends, dons and legends (including DJ Spinna & Kaidi Tatham) to serve us up 'An Extra Offering'. Five remixes curated by the crew.
For the refix of 'The Accession' (which originally featured Kamaal Williams, Dave Newington and Daf Davies from Boy Azooga), label-mate Kaidi Tatham kicks off with some down-low bottom-heavy boom bap, before switching up the tempo mid-way for a blast of his inimitable jazz-funk bruk boogie.
Next up we're honoured to have not one, but TWO tracks from the Brooklyn legend, DJ Spinna. His Galactic Soul rub of 'Another World' flips the original into a deep soulful 4/4 house cut, featuring the lush vocals of Esther (and one Charlotte Church on backing vocals, pop fact fans).
Then there's DJ Spinna's Galactic Funk take on 'Just So You Know' with the marvellous Vanity Jay on vocals. This one is on the same mid-tempo tip as the original, but with that unmistakable Polyrhythm Addict flavour of big kicks, crisp snares, hench bassline and sweet spacey synths.
For the 'GAEA' remix we keep it Cardiff and introduce the man like Alfie Swan. Doubling up the tempo of the original, this adds some seriously wavy sonics and flips the groove entirely, creating a seriously innovative cocktail of riddims. One for those not shy of some jazz ethics in the dance.
And to close out this offering, Andromeda Jones lays down a ridiculously delectable broken beat mix of 'Journey To Love', this one again featuring Vanity Jay. No messing with this one, this is straight dancefloor fire, transforming the hip hop soul track into a future boogie heater. One for the ravers.
This EP illustrates once again Darkhouse Family's wide range of influences and sounds, as selectors and as music makers themselves, and is no doubt one that will stay in your box for a very long time...n
Helsinki's We Jazz Records presents "Y-OTIS", the debut LP from Berlin-based Swedish saxophonist/composer Otis Sandsjö, joining forces with keyboardist Elias Stemeseder, bassist Petter Eldh and drummer Tilo Weber. The album is a forward-reaching, multilayered collection of eight originals penned by Sandsjö and produced by Sandsjö and Eldh. What you get is a form of "liquid jazz", born in an era where the understanding of jazz as a musical language has evolved way beyond the concept of the previous "modern". Informed by hiphop and electronic music, "Y-OTIS" is pure jazz in that the quartet stays true to its constant mission of creating a new form of musical communication. Sandjö's circular sax riffs, the album's rich production touch, and the chopped-up jazz form creates a musical concept which stays melodic and beat-laden while being "free" right to the edge of avantgarde. It's as if the music is sampling itself, constantly keeping ahead of the curve in the musical lineage of jazz.
Otis Sandsjö (b. 1987) hails from Gothenburg, Sweden. He is known previously for example for his inspired work on singer Lucia Cadotsch's globe-trotting trio formation "Speak Low", also featuring "Y-OTIS" co-producer and bassist Petter Eldh. Elias Stemeseder was dubbed one of the top 15 young European musicians to watch by All About Jazz in 2017. Tilo Weber ranks among the most creative young drummers in the scene. Stemeseder is currently based in New York, while the remaining three musicians here live in Berlin. Live on stage, the band performing the material on the new release is called Y-OTIS.
Norm De Plume has been quietly making a name for himself the last eight years with remixes for Tornado Wallace and Ben La Desh and EP's for Kolour LTD and his own vinyl only imprint Plumage winning him a solid fol- lowing along the way. His passion for all things disco and deep, dubby, un- derground house inspired by his musical hero Ron Hardy feeds through into his production style as well as his recently formed Peaches & Prunes party which boasts an audiophile sound system and vinyl-only sets from the DJ's. So when the opportunity arose to do a full EP with Norm we jumped at it. Here we present you with the Castlecrag EP, a nod to the Londoner's new adoptive home of Sydney, Australia, and whilst his sound may be more akin to the recent musical movements of Melbourne, the laid-back sun-kissed melting pot of The Harbour City certainly shine through in the two originals and Folamour remix on offer here.
Title track Castlecrag leads the charge with a deep mood-setter driven by a cowbell riff and filtering pads. The spacious mix and less is more arrange- ment ensures that the drums and rolling bassline punch through making for a track that sounds both unique yet accessible and demonstrates Norm's sense of musicality as well as DJ instinct for setting the right mood on the dancefloor. Next up we have Whole In One which treads a similar path whilst dropping the BPM's a touch and building up layers of synth strings to create a subtle yet engaging track to immerse yourself in. Finally, man of the moment Folamour gets busy on the remix of Whole In One working his magic by upping the tempo and going heavy on the jazz- inspired drums. By laying down a driving groove and pushing the string stabs to the fore, the Lyonnais producer behind the wonderful Moonrise Hill Material label has delivered a fresh-sounding take that will work like magic on discerning dance floors out there.
Four Flies Records continues its 7" line-up with anotherde rigueur repechagethat will have your dancefloor jump frantically up and down. Two freaky afro- flavoured tracks, written by Giuliano Sorgini and his partner in musical delices Alessandro Alessandroni. Recorded during a non-specified session which may be traced back to the recording of Sorgini'sUnder Pompelmoand Pawnshop's first 7". The sound and the ideas behind the music are exactly the same, even though there's more rhythmic and percussive emphasis on both tracks. Two little precious gems, unreleased to this day, brought back to light and finally available for DJs and fans all over the world.Afrodelic breaks for your pleasure!
British DJ/producer Bearface has been on a bit of a roll of later. Aside from releases on his own Beartone label, the London-based label owner has also found time to deliver outstanding cuts to the likes of Exploited Ghetto, which housed his last release, the wonderful 'Moon'. This time around, he comes correct on his own Beartone label with a record that's notable for its quirky demeanour and undoubted eclecticism.
Opening up the release is the sounds of 'Mumbai Nights'. Although it gets us underway in fairly innocuous fashion, it quickly finds its feet thanks to a brilliant, whaling Indian-Inspired vocal that weaves in and out throughout. A whimsical track of that sort that's sure to be a hit with more daring DJs, it's an auspicious start to a release that's never lacking in personality.
As is his forte, Bearface then goes much deeper in search of kicks on 'Data Storm', taking us taking us down the rabbit hole to a place that's full of enticing oddities throughout. After this, the frankly bonkers sound of the electro-leaning title track 'Sista' take centre stage. A thoroughly intense peak-time workout, it's full of attitude and an indication of the producer's more gnarly and abrasive approach. All things considered, it's sure to get the night moving in an altogether different direction wherever it's unleashed.
Closing out the EP is the drum heavy sounds of 'March'. A broody track that's tailor made for the night's more relentless moments, it's a a fitting way with which to sign off an eclectic and dizzying release. The latest chapter in the Beartone story is a captivating listen throughout.
Örtmek comes back round, presenting another vinyl only pressing of three invaluable edits of vintage Turkish funk, rock and disco delicacies. Following the raw, percussive experiments of the first release. Opening track 'Özil Dans' rains down crashing cymbals and freak-out-worthy wah guitars, maintaining an irresistible and authentic groove that doesn't falter for five minutes of Eurasian hypnosis. 'Dokuz Sekiz' weaves traditional string elements alongside bursts of wild chanting. Finally, 'Mozart'in Davul' stitches a frantic, dense rhythm from the fuzz and feedback of an unknown slab of Turkish psychedelia.
It's been over 10 years since the release of Gui Boratto's breakthrough full length debut 'Chromophobia'. As to what its title suggests, he shook up the techno game with a contrast of lushly coloured minimal grooves and melody, whilst many will recall that the album included the highlight single Beautiful Life' which became a dance floor anthem for that era. Four albums in and countless EPs and remixes under his belt, the Brazilian producer's unique savoir-faire in carving out a functional album out of diversely routed singles and features is back at it on his fifth studio LP, 'Pentagram'. Here Gui Boratto lays down a nuanced 12-track narrative that reinvigorates his signature sound into a refreshingly different perspective that feels all too familiar - including the return of Beautiful Life' vocalist (and Gui Boratto's wife) Luciana Villanova on the single "Overload".
Through his signature kaleidoscopic approach, Boratto delivers an album built as a far-reaching hub-and-spoke system, broadly inclusive as can be. From the opening cut, 'The Walker' - hot on the trail of Tears For Fears 'Elemental' (one of Boratto's "favourite 80's bands") - to the hi-NRG euphoria of 'Forgotten' and its pounding tech alter ego 'Forgive Me'. "I was going into 2 different directions", Boratto says, "the typical indie- electronic-rock' Boratto kind of production like It's Majik' or Like You' and a much more techno approach." He goes on, "I decided to split them into two twin sister songs. When I play live I always put these two songs together."
The Brazilian Producer further embraces the pop-friendly essence of his past work on tracks like 'The Phoenix', featuring vocalist Nathan Berger, and 'Overload', both melding acidulous synthlines with laser-precise breaks, vox hooks and drops calibrated for extended radio and club use, although sieved through his distinctive rainbow-hued musical prism. For the symbolists out there, the album's pared-down closer '618' duration accidentally happens to equate the proportions of the said pentagram. "Coincidence" Boratto questions, and capsulises, "not so ufanista and supporter of Brazilian neo-concretism, but I guess the brazilian sculptor Lygia Clark also inspired me a lot. Not the meaning of her sculptures, but the shape of the hinge of most of her work. I've wanted to transmit the scientific pentagram's point of view. It's not a religious kind of thing."
Whereas 'Spur' (a field-tested 808 and 909-heavy "purist track", "very, very old school" Boratto insists) and 'Alcazar' are sheer smooth-edged four-to- the-floor epics, the album also shares its lot of startling moments, such as with the John Barry'esque 'Scene 2' (with a hint of Amon Tobin, 'Easy Muffin' style, throw in) and its refined string-laden buildup, 100% fitted for a 007 opening credit sequence, or with 'Hallucination' (feat B.T.) and the further James Holden-ish title-track 'Pentagram' (think 'The Idiots Are Winning'), "one of those exercises I did when I got my Buchla modular synth" Boratto analyses, "I think I've used more then 30 different snares, with different delays and reverbs. The whole song is alive". And so is 'Pentagram' in its entirety: alive and definitely just as manifold and hopeful as its architectonics are the stuff of science and dreams all at once.
Es ist zehn Jahre her seit der Veröffentlichung von Gui Borattos bahnbrechendem Debütalbum - Chromophobia . So wie der Titel vermuten ließ, war das Album mit seinen kontrastreichen Minimalgrooves und den üppig gefärbten Melodien ein Schocker im besten Sinne. Ihr erinnert euch sicher noch an die Hit-Single - Beautiful Life , eine Dancefloor-Hymne aus dieser Zeit. Nach vier Alben und unzähligen EPs und Remixen ist das einmalige Savoir-faire des brasilianischen Produzenten, aus vielfältigen Singles und Features stimmige Alben zu schaffen, auch auf seinem fünften Studioalbum - Pentagram zu hören. Hier legt Gui Boratto ein Zwölf-Track-Narrativ vor, das seine Handschrift auf erquickende Weise wiederbelebt. Wiederbelebt wird auch die Stimme von - Beautiful Life (die der Frau Gui Borattos gehört) auf dem Stück - Overload .
Durch seinen charakteristisch kaleidoskopischen Ansatz liefert Boratto ein Album, das gebaut ist wie die Speichen deines Fahrrads, von dem Opener - The Walker - direkt auf der Spur von Tears For Fears - Elemental (einer von Borattos - favourite 80's bands ) - zur Hi-NRG-Euphorie von - Forgotten und seinem stampfenden Counterpart - Forgive Me . - Ich bin in zwei unterschiedlichen Richtungen gegangen , sagt Boratto: - den typischen ,Indie-Electronic-Rock'-Weg wie in - It's Majik oder - Like You und den Techno-Weg. Er fügt hinzu: - Ich hab mich entschieden jedem Track seinen Zwillings-Track an die Seite zu stellen. Immer wenn ich live spiele lege ich die zwei Stücke zusammen.
Der brasilianische Produzent erschließt weiter die Pop-Essenz seiner vergangenen Arbeit auf Tracks wie - The Phoenix (feat. Nathan Berger) und - Overload . Beide kombinieren zwitschernde Synthi-Melodien mit lasergenauen Breaks, Hooklines, Drops und sind wie gemacht für die Rotation und den Club. Und für die Symbolisten da draußen: die Länge des reduzierten Closers - 618 beträgt zufälliger Weise genau die Proportionen des besagten Pentagramms. - Fügung , fragt Boratto und fasst zusammen: - Ich bin kein Anhänger des brasilianische Neo-Konkretismus , aber ich glaube die brasilianische Künstlerin Lygia Clark hat mich sehr inspiriert. Nicht die Bedeutung ihre Skulpturen aber die Form der meisten ihrer Arbeiten. Ich wollte den wissenschaftlichen Blickwinkel auf das Pentagramm übersetzen. Nicht im religiösen Sinne oder so."
Während - Spur (ein erprobter - purist track auf der Basis von 808 und 909, - sehr, sehr old school , wie Boratto betont) und - Alcazar glatte Vierviertel-Epen sind, hält das Album auch Überraschungsmomente bereit. Z.B. das John Barryschen - Scene 2 (auch eine Spur von Amon Tobins - Easy Muffin ist darin zu hören) und seinem Streicher-Aufbau, der hundertprozentig geeignet wär für eine Eröffnungssequenz in einem Bond-Film. Auch - Hallucination (feat. B.T.) oder der James-Holden-hafte Titeltrack - Pentagram (wir denken da an - The Idiots Are Winning ) wäre da zu nennen. - Einer dieser Übungen, die ich gemacht habe, als ich meinen Buchla-Modular-Synthesizer bekommen habe, war , erinnert sich Boratto, - mehr als 30 verschiedene Snares, Delays und Reverbs zu verwenden. Der ganze Song sollte am Leben sein. Und so ist - Pentagram im Ganzen: lebendig und sicher genau so vielfältig wie sein Bauplan, der auch der Wissenschaft und den Träumen zugrundeliegt.
out of Stock
Last delivered 3 years ago available to reorder, subject to availability
Superb acid dancefloor techno tribe party timer... And, a splendid A2 killer from Vikkei... a tune that no one shall forget as a 136 BPM downtempo techno acid loud un-doom perfection. MASTERPIECE
Superb techno release for Dune records... With a long side from AcidUpDub, a minimal acid techno device, kind of a stable mental phase lost in the middle of the night.... After party style is possible too. Tribal. Second side brings 2 new commers for me. 909 Resistance for the beginning, with a hangar techno 909 acid device... Could have been an Old Tresor production. The EP finishes on something more experimental and inductrial, very downtempo from Geotropism, my fave tune here for its weirdness.. but really hard to play in a party ^^ ahahah:) A Great great production, once again big sound from Shane The Cutter. BIG UP !
Way back in 1967, an animated superhero cartoon was released into the world. It was created by Grantray-Lawrence Animation and was based on a web-spinning, crime fighting blue and red dressed character that had originated in1962, in Marvel Comics by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. This amazing series (that we're not allowed to mention the name of for legal reasons) ran on ABC TV in the USA, then Canada, then a few years later started to spread its web further, running here in the UK throughout summer holidays, after school and possibly early mornings at weekends in the late 1970s. The series then got released on VHS video (and probably Betamax too) in the mid 1980s and still continues to spin its animated magic around the world through further broadcasts, YouTube and DVDs.
The series was notoriously low budget, with animated errors everywhere and numerous scenes, sequences and backgrounds being re-used all the time, often across the same episode. Even a certain spider logo on a costume would appear with six legs, then eight legs later on, then back to six again in the same show.
Series One opened with a newly written spider theme, a classic, hooky song all about doing whatever spiders can, and had, as Big George (RIP) once pointed out to me, a set of session singers falling slightly out of time with the backing track after the first verse. Series One also featured background music by jobbing composers Bob Harris and Ray Ellis but these cues and master tapes are now believed to be lost.
After Series One the company Grantray-Lawrence went bankrupt, so the amazing spider series (that we're not allowed to mention for legal reasons) was taken on by producer Steve Krantz. He brought in new talent, including animation director Ralph Bakshi who later went on to turn a Robert Crumb strip cartoon into the feature Fritz The Cat. Krantz also slashed the already cripplingly small spider budget, and brought in the idea of using economic library music. Here, thanks possibly to an independent sync agent (it has been suggested that a company called Music Sound Track Services may have been the one) production turned to the KPM catalogue. This was one of the few really established library catalogues around at the time with a modern edge, it was full of fabulous, modern dramatic music tracks - often all on the same LP. But more importantly all the tracks were far longer than the one minute musical cuts that many of the fledgling USA library companies were issuing at the time. Not only would this KPM music be efficient, affordable and very easy to use, it would also mean syndication worldwide would not be held up by any future musical issues. Krantz produced two amazing spider series (that we're not allowed to mention for legal reasons), and both were smothered with KPM music. In fact barely a spider second goes by without music playing in either the background or foreground.
For many years I - and many nostalgic others - have been thinking about putting this vinyl album together. For many enthusiasts this really is formative music - a junior foray into hip swinging crime jazz and esoteric musical grooviness. I've also read on line accounts by DJs from WFMU on the trail of original spider master tapes, and there's even a whole forum dedicated to Spidey-Jazz'. Then recently I was looking at an old spider tracklist and realized that several of my favourite KPM cues were there including Syd Dale's Hell Raisers' and Walk And Talk', both from one of the most elusive and desirable KPM albums of all time (yes, you just try and find yourself a copy of KPM 1002 right now), so I decided to push on and get the album made.
So, what features on this Spider-Jazz Lp Well it's music from the amazing TV series we are not allowed to mention for legal reasons, BUT, not music from Series One. No, but it is all from Series Two and Series Three. From looking at archival cue sheets, over 50 tracks from various early KPM 1000 series albums were used across episodes. I've distilled this down into one exciting and enthralling LP, and if this works a further Spider Jazz album may well swing in to production. If you're interested (and I'm sure you may well be) cues here came from KPM1001, KPM1002, KPM1015, KPM1017, KPM1018 and KPM1043 and were composed by master library composers of the era - Dale, Hawkshaw, Hawksworth, Mansfield etc.
And if you are listening over there in the USA, you may well recognize many of the cues here not just from the amazing TV series (that we're not allowed to mention for legal reasons) but also from classic 1960s and 1970s NFL highlight shows that we are allowed to mention.
2x12" 180g Vinyl Reissue
You should all know by now I have collected a good few records in my time, hunting down that perfect beat. In search of that special piece I have found a deep love for the old soul ballads and funk that were for me great social statements, telling it just how it was.
Growing up with these tunes and owning them I began to realise if someone didn't represent them to the next generation they would be long lost and forgotten. So please... enjoy this time capsule of music from another time... you'll hear nothing's changed!
Record Kicks Is Extremely Proud To Present You A New Outfit That Will Take The Soul Scene By Storm: The Faithful Brothers. Coming Straight From The Brainchild Of Tel Aviv Soul Club, The Faithful Brothers Is Man Of North Country's (acid Jazz Records) Side -project And Its Leaded By Singer "soul Boy" Yashiv Cohen. Monc Teamed Up With Record Diggers The Neeman Brothers To Form This New Eight-piece Deep Soul Combo. Their Official Debut On Record Kicks Is Expected With 2 Brand New Singles That Will Be Available On Digital Download And Limited Edition 45 Next 15 Of June.
On The A Side "crossroads Of Love" Is A Northern Soul / R&b Stormer That Will Set All The Dancefloor On Fire. On The Flip Side The Stunning Crossover Soul Single "one More Time" Penned To Be An Instant Classic On All Rare Soul Dancefloors Across The World.
Don't Sleep Though, This 45 Will Be Limited To 500 Copies, So First Come First Served...watch Out!
Oktave Records returns for the third installment from the label, once again featuring owner and proprietor Jeff Derringer at the helm. The 'Factions' EP shows Jeff at his most direct and robust, with three tracks of meticulously constructed techno.
'Factions' starts the EP and goes straight for the heart of the dance floor, with a tunneling groove that lures the listener into hypnosis before a devastating break takes the track to a whole new level of intensity. This one is for the ravers, no doubt.
The flip side starts with 'Penalty Phase', another floor-focused stunner that features Jeff's signature kick drum and drive, coupled with evolving synth arpeggios and melancholy vibes for those early club mornings as the sun comes up. Finally, 'The Second Plane' slows the tempo down a bit and ends the record with a thoughtful broken beat arrangement reminiscent of early Warp.
'Factions' was written during the winter of 2018 and mastered by Tim Xavier at Manmade Mastering.
The Demonic Waves familly is invited on Rouge De Colere for a first Vinyl production !
A superb sound quality here with brilliant tunes from very undeground future overground artists... the new Hardcore generation, daring the melt between industrial, doom , hard technoid and acid.
We are here with 4 very structured tunes, probably not easy to mix on vinyl but really deserving some headheackes to reach the perfection.
Big one ! A bit downtempo for a change on this quiet speedcore label :) I recogn !
