Search:dr love

The highly anticipated collaborative album, GOLDFISH, sees two of contemporary hip-hop's most revered and distinct production minds, Hit-Boy and The Alchemist, finally join forces for a full-length statement. Far from a simple beat-swap, this project is a masterclass in sonic cohesion, blurring the lines between their signature sounds to forge a new, golden-hued identity. Beyond production, the duo step from behind the boards to behind the mic to trade verses throughout the project, adding a personal layer to their creative vision.

GOLDFISH is a deeply immersive listen, perfectly balancing the West Coast muscle and polished, anthemic quality of Hit-Boy's work with the dusty, abstract texture and cinematic suspense that defines The Alchemist's aesthetic.

The result is a sound that feels both street-tested and museum-worthy. A collaborative manifesto, showcasing the infinite possibilities when two generational talents decide to link up, creating an instant classic in the canon of producer/MC albums.

Discosabotage Records is an evolution of the collective founded by Luval in Amsterdam in April 2024. Having recently relocated, he felt the need to create something that truly reflected his own vision and the music he loves. What started with selecting records gradually evolved into selecting demos, driven by an increasing desire to shape a distinctive identity and sound.

DSB001 is the label’s first various artists release, featuring Luval, Massi, Two Opposites, and Paradise City Breakers. Each artist brings a unique perspective while remaining connected to the vision behind Discosabotage. The release moves through different shades of electronic music, from deep and hypnotic grooves to darker, more introspective territories, always maintaining a strong sense of definition and purpose. While each track speaks its own language, together they form a cohesive journey rooted in underground electronic culture.

This first VA marks the beginning of a label that is still taking shape, defining its path through dark atmospheres, refined rhythms, and carefully crafted electronic textures. A first statement from Discosabotage, and the starting point of what is yet to come.

Faith Beat’s 11th signal comes from Ploy with The 'Flirt' EP. A 5 track journey through the darker shades of house and touches of garage - his signature kick drums and bass lines move your body, while vocal samples pull at your heart and mind.

Huxley debuts on Rekids with the ‘MIND G%MES’ EP.

UK DJ, producer, and Dumb Safari label head Huxley joins Radio Slave’s Rekids for the first time with the ‘MIND G%MES’ EP, dropping 25th July 2025. The first track, ‘M%ND’, kicks off with woozy and alluring pads swirling round a cuddly but kicking Deep House groove. Soulful vocals and delicate, cosmic melodies rise out of the mix to bring it to a close in style. 'CLUB SH%T' ups the ante with zippy synths injecting some texture to slamming drums that straddle the House and Techno divide, while wispy stabs and warm daubs of sound dance around the cowbells to make this an evaluated late-night tool.

'FEAR N%THING' is a new school cut, with fi ltered loops, sugary chords, and pent-up energy all surging through the dance fl oor. Last but not least is 'ANY1', a sleazy House pumper featuring moody spoken word, a big, rubbery bassline, and slinky, Garage-infl uenced percussion.

Active in the underground music scene for two decades, former Rinse resident and sometime Aus, Shall Not Fade and Unknown To The Unknown artist has had one hell of a career. From huge breakthrough tracks like ‘Let it Go’ on Hypercolour and ‘Box Clever’ on 20:20 Vision to his 2014 ‘Blurred’ LP on Aus, he’s seen universal critical acclaim as well as massive support from DJs and dancefloors globally. In recent years, his Dumb Safari label, the online community R Trybe (co-founded by Ramin Rezaie/BAKKIS) and collaborations with Steve Bug are just a handful of his projects, while his ‘MIND G%MES’ EP for Rekids is already feeding the fi re with support from Jen Cardini, Cromby, I.Jordan, Jennifer Loveless and big room dons, Michael Bibi and Solomun.

No, we’re not yelling at you. That’s the answer. WHO ASKED? is the long-awaited sophomore album from the French-born Domi Louna and Texas native JD Beck. Following two GRAMMY nominations, including Best New Artist for a debut album (2022’s NOT TiGHT), WHO ASKED? is unlike anything they’ve done before. Bringing together a small sinfonietta of seasoned classical players, WHO ASKED? showcases the duo’s incredibly singular, super maximalist, and strikingly beautiful orchestral vision.

Presenting the eighth edition of the Bizarre Trax wax series and the second solo outing from bare-knuckle beatmaker B.Love. A Shape You Can Feel EP marks a subtle but deliberate evolution in the producer's sound. While the groove-led, funk-infused records that first put his name on the map are still woven into his DNA, this latest four-tracker strips things back in favour of a more understated, headsdown approach. Leaner drums, weightier low-end and hypnotic arrangements take centre stage, with each cut built for long blends and late-night dancefloors. Across four rolling club weapons, B.Love explores a deeper, more refined sonic palette without losing the character that's become synonymous with his productions. Chopped vocal fragments, unmistakable sample work and crisp, polished percussion remain at the core, but are now delivered with greater restraint, allowing space, tension and groove to do the heavy lifting. Designed for selectors who favour subtlety over spectacle, A Shape You Can Feel EP is a confident statement from an artist continuing to carve out his own lane; proof that sometimes the smallest shifts leave the biggest impression

Key To World Peace is the third release by Prophetic Justice Ministry - aka Australian musician Sam Perry. An atmospheric, cinematic album that belies a striking pop songwriting nous at its core, its conductor Prophetic Justice Ministry is at the centre of a new wave of creative, rule-bending Melbourne artists. Romantic, smudged and hazy, Perry emerges from behind a wall of
half-light with a clutch of earworms and affecting emotions.

Recorded in home studios in Belgrade (Serbia), Christchurch (New Zealand) and Melbourne (Australia) over the course of three years, Key To World Peace offers a dichotomy in approach. Shifting on a dime between ambient, filmic washes of sound and more traditional song structures, the approach feels natural, casually acid-tipped and emotionally revealing. While Perry’s
distinctive keys and production melding with melody is evidenced in Melbourne group Who Cares?, as Prophetic Justice Ministry there’s a heightened sense of mystery and space being used.

Swirling in a psychedelic fog with dry iced chords falling down like melting stars, the album pulses with an ominous, distorted intro that sculpts air into blocks of sound before Psyop offers a glimpse through the gloom at the artist navigating through crushed, shoe-gazing chords, singing a consolation into an abandoned building. Side A’s more abstract tone veers from industrial tracks (T-A) to pastoral, impressionistic pieces (Trance) before album highlight Life’s A Party showcases the effortless, classic songwriting lurking in Prophetic Justice Ministry. Built on the tension between the upbeat lyrics and suppressed, rich delivery, the song lopes on an alluring loop with acoustic guitars and Perry’s voice walking a tightrope between irony and sincerity. The song blooms into a bright burst of light, almost inducing synesthesia in the listener and reminding a little of The Beta Band’s most outre and catchy moments.

Opening Side B, Naked Shine’s scintillating guitar is punctuated by a sub bass swell that offsets the yearning vocal performance. With palpable sensitivity the song is shepherded into short, atmospheric passages before Love Drum’s direct delivery: Perry’s vocal and guitar, dancing over a hint of distortion feels like Syd Barrett at his most casually brilliant. Carrying on the tradition of a single cover on every Prophetic Justice Ministry release, here Lana Del Rey’s Mariner’s Apartment Complex is given a stripped back but faithful treatment. With a sound that feels like a hushed, Chris Isaak classic it’s testament to Perry’s own compositions that the cover doesn’t outshine the rest of the album. Album closer and single Spirit House Party combines a classic chord progression with Perry’s double-tracked vocal into a murky but brilliantly catchy chorus. While nowhere near as lush in its production, there’s something in the atmosphere of Prophetic Justice Ministry’s vocal sitting in the mix just so that reminds us of The Electric Prunes’ Holy Are You-era work with David Axelrod.
Key To World Peace flits between displaying a spectrum of blurred emotional resonance in its instrumental passages and vulnerability in the shape of raw, melodic songwriting. With his first release outside of Australia and vinyl debut, Sam Perry’s Prophetic Justice Ministry is a beguiling dance in and out shadows.

2026 Edition, black vinyl.



New 12" from the "Fonk" french master Dabeull, with a lot of vintage synths, 80's sounds and hairy moustache. Vintage Funk from today.

Dal Platinum returns to the Toxic Funk series with another double-sided serving of funky breakbeat gold, once again proving why he remains one of the most creative beat craftsmen in the global Nu Funk scene. Following up on his previous Toxic Funk outing, the Danish groove specialist delivers two fresh cuts packed with soulful samples, neck-snapping drums and irresistible dancefloor flavor.

Leading the charge on the A-side, Shave the Lords blends tight funk breaks, slick edits and classic party-rocking energy into a heavyweight groove designed for DJs and crate diggers alike. Flip the vinyl over and Good Shines takes things deeper with infectious basslines, uplifting vibes and a raw funky swagger that perfectly captures the spirit of the Toxic Funk series. Both tracks carry Dal Platinum’s unmistakable signature style — playful, soulful and built to move crowds.

This 7” release marks yet another essential chapter in the Toxic Funk legacy, delivering timeless grooves for funk lovers, breakbeat heads and vinyl collectors around the world. Toxic Funk Vol. 22 is ready to bring the heat straight to your turntable — so don’t sleep on this limited 45 before it disappears into the crates of DJs worldwide!

We bring a definite label favorite Eddie Leader from Huddersfield, whose label Hudd Traxx is based out of Manchester UK.

Excellent timing on the Need To Pivot EP as it’s kicking off Eddie’s 20 Years of Hudd Traxx Summer Tour!

The title track “Need To Pivot” starts off with an ode to Chicago House in form of a funky, swinging, banger laced over the top with clever spoken words from a voice any dance floor will surely recognize!

For those wanting more banger and less words, we included the “Need To Pivot” Dub version on A2.

The flip side drops the vibe back to what we come to love from Eddie! Deep driving baselines and synth based goodness for both B Side cuts on “Close To You” and “Listen To Me”.

Knowsum is set to release his new album, Cherry Stone Pillow on his label Sugar Brain.
A record that keeps swinging - blurred at the edges, and gently surreal. Psychedelic rock pulses at it's core, softened by the sweet touch of soul, the sway of bossanova, and the sun-faded glow of 60s easy-listening. Each track feels like an afternoon stretched into midnight – This is music for children of the moon, where drums riot like subway prophets and guitars drip human gasoline

There’s no direct English translation for the word “hiraeth”. In the Welsh language, it describes a form of longing for an intangible something, somewhere or someone that no longer exists. Sofie Birch and Antonina Nowacka draw on the concept to guide their second collaborative album, a suite of vulnerable, open-hearted improvisations and reflections that attempt to grasp an image of the past that’s chimeric, dissolving almost as soon as it materializes. The duo’s process follows the same distant beacon; unlike Languoria, their critically acclaimed debut, Hiraeth is, at heart, an acoustic record, informed by in-person improvisations with voices and string instruments that gesture to an era before computers, AI and DAWs. It’s just as lush, but Hiraeth is warmer and more muted than its predecessor.
Nowacka and Birch conceived the album in the wake of a slew of collaborative live concerts, spurred on by serendipitous improvisations and an interest in paring down their setup. Unsound arranged a retreat in Sokołowsko, an idyllic village nestled in the verdant hills of Southern Poland, close to the Czech border. Sokołowsko surrounds a large ruined sanatorium that’s rumored to have inspired Thomas Mann’s 1924 novel The Magic Mountain, and has long been a magnet for artists. The two took the opportunity to rethink their approach completely, arriving with just a guitar, a zither and a portable Nagra reel-to-reel machine. Recording directly to tape, they sketched out ideas with just their voices and instruments, reflecting their surroundings without being distracted or mediated by modern technology.
“We wanted to get away from screens as much as possible,” says Birch, “to bring to the world something vulnerable and honest. Without advance preparation, every day we went out into the open air, finding places to sit, during sunset or the midday sun. We discovered new tunings on our instruments, picked up a melody, and started the machine, playing over
and over till we got a take.” In the autumn, they met again in a Copenhagen studio, sparingly and carefully layering old synths and organs to add more depth without muddying the mix.
Both Nowacka and Birch sing throughout, their voices threading the acoustic instruments and tangling with each other, almost becoming one. But it’s the environment of Sokołowsko, “the birds and the light, even the wind playing against the harps,” that’s woven into the music’s lining. Affected by time spent meditating and in nature, as well as the fact that Birch was pregnant whilst recording, the album feels alive and remarkably present. Even the sound quality of the tape machine gives Hiraeth a tactile, organic quality, as Nowacka puts it, “like being in a warm bath.”

They still have the raw recordings from Sokołowsko on old reels, physical souvenirs of their time spent making music in a “habitat for intuitive songs, a little ecosystem, alive and spirited.” The outmoded gear and remote setting helped the duo disengage from the modern world for a few moments and imagine an existence that’s been lost to time and nominal progress. With digital technology receding into the background, Nowacka and Birch had space to make “intuitive connections with frequencies and people,” as Birch explains. Hiraeth is a testament not to nostalgia, but to the power of kinship.

2026 Repress

If ever an album could transport you to the hazy sunshine and imagined halcyon paradise of Southern California in the mid-1980s, could capture the early evening warmth of hanging at an inclusive boogie jam as it approaches “magic hour” in Santa Ana or Anaheim, then it’s Vaughan Mason and Butch Dayo’s Feel My Love. A brilliantly produced deep slung, low rider funk classic originally released on Salsoul in 1983. It’s a masterpiece of “funk love music”.

Yes, this is indeed a perfectly formed five track “mini LP” of unparalleled heat, but there’s one song here that, above the rest, represents Orange County boogie-funk. A straight killer beloved by all that have had the pleasure of moving to it. A track that can fill up a dance floor within seconds of its starting. That song is the eternal title track, “Feel My Love”.

This is a work of art that made people fall in love with the funk. It transcends the limitations of genre. “Feel My Love”’s deceptive simplicity makes it perfect to drop during a house set, a classic funk party or at a west coast rap jam. It’s sexy, deeply emotional, melancholic, hopeful, passionate and just radiates so, so much raw energy. This is music.

The rest of the record is hardly filler though. Opener “Oh, Love” is a dizzying, emotional slow jam. With heaven-sent vocals riding gorgeous, sweeping keys that alternate between sweet twinkling lines and funk-fuelled stabbing. It’s sensational. A rollerskating jam named “Rollalong Songs” is an ultra-swish piece of dance floor dynamite. Its slick drums, staccato piano and neck snapping claps underscore Dayo’s buoyant vocals. It’s essentially “Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll Part II”.

The flip begins with “Party On The Corner”. Smoother than silk vocals, day-glo synths, a bubbling bassline and guitar licks that surely received the Prince seal of approval. It’s another example of how Vaughan Mason and Butch Dayo flirt with perfection so routinely. The most majestic closer, the kaleidoscopic, cow-bell-assisted synth-funk heater “You Can Do It” is a proto-rap groover that truly smokes.

This prized LP is a stone cold jam and finding original copies on vinyl at affordable prices has been tough for years. Mastered brilliantly by Simon Francis, cut by Pete Norman and with lovingly reproduced artwork, this fresh Be With reissue ensures this legendary LP now sounds, looks and feels as sensational as it should.

Discoweey launched back in February with a collection of label head Hotmood's hottest digital tunes making their way to wax for the first time. Now he is back with a second collection of worldly hits that collide Latin, disco, funk and soul into colourful and hooky grooves perfect for outdoor dancing under the sun or the stars. 'Por Que Me Dejaste' is a global groove with Spanish vocals flair, 'Dancing Is The Only Way' is a smoother disco-house blend and 'My Love Is 4U' is a soul-drenched and feel-good retro number before 'Hot Beat' closes with jazzy and cosmic synth expressiveness and timeless house drums for all the magical feels.

DJ Support: Louie Vega, Mousse T, Terry Hunter, Joey Negro, Natasha Diggs, Todd Terry, Fouk, Tedd Patterson, DJ Deep, Moplen, Young Pulse, DJ Meme, Jade Edwards, DJ Disciple, Richard Earnshaw, Nathen Haines, Smokin Jo and Birdee.

A collection of some of the best releases on Big Love’s sister label Soul Love. Chicago’s Emmaculate gives a soulful touch to Haji’s ‘Nitelife’ feat the late Dianne Charlemagne aka D’Empress, Tokyo’s uber-cool couple offer their deeper interpretation of Odyssey’s 80’s classic covered by Belezamusica, the French disco don Art Of Tones creates a sublime version of Tokyo’s DJ Namy & Angela Johnson’s cut whilst Chi-Town legend Maurice Joshua re-works his own track as an ode to the fellow Chicago legend Ron Carroll who features on vocals.

For the label's tenth physical release, Swiss artist Orphia joins the Flight Mode catalog with a four-track EP. Inspired by the pioneers of electro, the release carries a precise energy, a strong sense of purpose, and a touch of nostalgia.

*repress*

Phonica unveil the first in a series of three 12" samplers featuring a selection of tracks from their new compilation 'Ten Years Of Phonica'.

Tigersushi and Crowdspacer boss Joakim kicks off the first 12" with melancholic masterpiece 'EAHR'. A prolific and sonically diverse producer, his balearic-flavoured remixes over the years for the likes of Antena and Max Berlin shines through on this one. Up next is the enigmatic Panoram, a shop favourite since his brilliant 'Accents' 12" arrived back in 2012. The lysergic 'Alpha Marmara' hits all the right spots once again.

On the b-side edit-masters and rare record connaisseurs Psychemagik contribute the string-laden 'Triumph Of The Gods', an ambitious Axelrod-esque modern funk gem. Finally, Alex Egan resurrects his work as The Draughtsman one last time with the previously unreleased track 'Fade To Green' - a deep, atmospheric house/techno cut recorded during the same 2010/11 sessions as his '1694 EP'.

Phonica Records was established in September 2003 and set up shop in Soho, London, adding to the high concentration of independent records stores that inhabited the area. Founders; Simon Rigg, Heidi Vanden Amstel and Tom Relleen joined The Vinyl Factory with the aim of creating an exciting outlet for innovative dance music, traversing all sub-genres and cultures. Over the past decade the emporium has developed into a well-respected destination for DJs and enthusiasts, and has subsequently become a bustling hive of conversation and inspiration as part of a wider community of music lovers.

While trends and movements in music have grown and faded over these years, Phonica has always remained in a state of evolution. It is this openness to change alongside a commitment to it's original ethos and an enduring ardour for quality, cutting-edge sounds that has fuelled the shop's staying power.

To celebrate reaching this milestone, Phonica Records have invited some of their favourite artists to produce a track for an eclectic yet cohesive compilation, which will hopefully go some way towards sonically unfolding the 'Ten Years of Phonica.'

Luca Lozano returns with “Bop (Rad Feeling)”, Released on Southern Fried Records, the track channels Lozano’s love for classic UK club culture through punchy drums, elastic basslines, and infectious vocal hooks that feel equal parts playful and euphoric.

With this release, Luca Lozano once again showcases his ability to blur the lines between retro futurism and contemporary dance music, delivering a track that feels both familiar and fresh.

For WOLFEP088, we’re welcoming an Italian stallion to the WOLF stable. DJ Soch is a renowned DJ, producer, and label owner whose roots in house music run deep. Beginning his journey behind the decks in the mid-1980s, he has spent more than four decades honing a sound shaped by house, techno, disco, funk, hip-hop, and the timeless influence of Detroit and Chicago. As the founder of Black Angus Records and a resident DJ at the renowned Italian club Serendipity, he has shared lineups with some of the best to ever do it, helping to shape Italy’s underground electronic music scene.

When his tracks hit the WOLF inbox, we knew we were onto something special. The first one we heard, ‘Let Me Tell You’, was an instant yes, must sign moment. There’s skippy drums, warm keys, church organ, a heavy bassline and a pleading, soulful male vocal. One of those tracks that should come with a neck-brace. Soulful, but powerful. There’s also a ‘Power Mix’ version that keeps all the elements we loved, but strips back the vocal and ramps up the church organ. Absolute Holy Ghoster! This is the type of track that would have torn up the dance floor at the Shelter, a real Timmy Regisford tops-off jam.

On the flip, there’s a hypnotic deep house groove entitled, ‘Chewing Gum’. This is proper stuff, heads-down, deep house for the dance floor. We’ve paired it with a remix from Prince Palmer, one of the standout remixers of recent years, and a great group of guys. The Prince has delivered a reinterpretation that gives a nod to 90s US Garage, complete with all the trademark production chops you would expect from a regular on the stellar Bobby Donny label. It’s a track that wouldn’t sound out of place on a peak-period Strictly Rhythm 12”, so that’s all you need to know.

Four belters, all on one record, designed for maximum listening pleasure.

Gravity Pleasure welcomes Maude Vôs for their most intimate EP offering to date, Medicinal Properties. Dripping in serenity and grounded in connection, Medicinal Properties is a musical elixir concocted with the healing modalities of the natural world and derived from the intentional planting and nurturing of sapphic seeds. Through minor modes, swimming cinematics and mineral-rich textures, Vôs traverses an ecosystem of sensuality and bonding, a symbiotic journey of long-distance love colored and shaped by their affinity for the earth.

Taking root in California and continuing throughout Ireland, Iceland, and Montreal, the EP translates this cross-continental connection by blurring the lines of timezones, genres, and natural landscapes. Inspired by sea swims, country oyster cottages, diner pancakes, snow flurries, geothermal soaks, mossy mornings, and adventures to igneous formations, Vôs invites you to experience this potent body of work, which forms the harmonious emotional bedrock of both kinship and creation.

Support comes from Yushh (“LOVE, so good!!!”), Jossy Mitsu (“Incredible <3”), Mixtress (“v pretty”), Peder Mannerfelt (“hot”), Batu (“like Maude Vos, downloading”), Vladimir Ivkovic (“Good! Thank you”), and OM UNIT (“Orr kore is lush”), amongst others.

Straddling an intriguing intersection of Drum & Bass, Jazz, Fusion and unidentifiable electronica, ‘You Won't Find Your Way From Here’ is the debut album from Jhauk.

An extremely talented multi-instrumentalist from Sheffield, UK, Jhauk came to Blu Mar Ten’s attention when, in 2017, he created a wild prog-rock inflected remix of BMT’s track ‘Titans’
Further conversations with Jhauk revealed the depth of his unorthodox approach to electronic music and unearthed a treasure trove of production skills, culminating in the album before you.

Oscillating between the late-night, moody calm of late 50s Miles Davis, John Coltrane & Bill Evans, the riotous 70s instrumentation of Weather Report, the modern cool stylings of Matthew Halsall and the gritty edges of modern D&B production, it’s scarcely believable that this collection of tracks came from one person working alone in their studio. With tempos and time signatures skittering all over the place, Jhauk uses genres as catalysts rather than containers, he finds the interesting stuff in the hinterlands of their structural relationships and tensions. 

Talking about the album, Jhauk has strong opinions:

“Drum & Bass emerged as club music, and club music comes with its own logic. Specific structures, specific build-ups, a formula that supports that context. 
That's fair enough, but almost 40 years later, why is 99% of D&B still made the exact same way when 99% of the time it's never heard in a club? The same structure, the same formula, barely any development beyond the core idea. Tracks where you can hear 10 seconds of the drop and know almost beat-for-beat how the next 5 minutes sound. No real musical depth or exploration. People regurgitating the same material ad-nauseum but never actually saying anything for themselves. 
This period of composition for me was about taking what I love about D&B, the rhythmic energy and potential for creative freedom it presents and really stretching it to its limits. Of taking drum & bass as a starting point and seeing where it ends up without an idea of what that destination might be. Most people would probably never call a lot of the results D&B, but that's okay because it was never the point.”

 
Dripping with melancholy, euphoria, longing and pure urgency ‘You Won't Find Your Way From Here’ is unlike anything else you’ll hear this year. The sound of an artist entirely unconcerned with impressing peers or performing on ‘socials’; you're hearing a true musician at work, expressing ideas through the skill of his hands, mind and ears. The album’s secrets aren’t revealed with a single play-through, but bears (or even requires) multiple listens to expose its layers.
In previous times, they called this ‘art'.

Emotional Response presents the first of 2 EPs by Laura Sparrow aka LNS, the Calgary raised, Berlin based producer and DJ with 8 acid-tinged cuts that are equally expansive and inspiring, personal and inventive.

After her debut Malinge Range (cassette) on fellow native Canadian 1080p label in 2016, LNS moved to Berlin and has released a steady stream of 12”s, exploring ambient, dub, electro and techno. Initially appearing on Vancouver émigré’s Jayda G’s (alongside Fett Burger) Freakout Cult label before settling at DJ Sotofett’s cult WANIA label and more recently on the legendary and ‘original’ German techno label, Tresor.

A love of the Roland TR-303, alongside deep diving into breakbeat creation, manipulation, mutation and production, plus some intrepid mixing and post-production assistance, development and support with DJ Sofofett, have led to a collection of some of her favourite music to date.

LNS-ID 1 and LNS ID 2 are the result. Recorded during a burst of creativity through dedication, new studio equipment and learning techniques, as well the necessity of artistic expression in the moment.

Two sets of four tracks based on the acid tradition in the more restless corners of 90s and early 00s Braindance. Acid lines drive the melodies, while drums move between sliced break fragments and the familiar sounds of the Rolant TR-606 and TR-808.

Pads drift in with a warm glow or at times, quiet ghostly tension. The results are music that leans towards atmosphere and memory, something almost nostalgic that was built for those of us who still chase the more expressive edges of acid.

Tipped by many as a true DJ’s DJ, London’s Isaac Carter has a sound that sits between heritage and reinterpretation. Drawing from the iconic hubs of Chicago and Detroit, his productions reframe classic influences with a contemporary UK perspective, prioritising groove, swing, and a stripped, functional edge.

At the heart of his work, Carter has developed his Ochi imprint, where his deeper material has circulated within a select circle of DJs, with love from names such as Ben UFO, Raresh, and Joy Orbison. A controlled outlet for ideas shaped specifically for club use, that approach also carries over into his sets, playing at the likes of DC10, Glastonbury, and Love International.

Fresh from his appearance for the London favourites at FUSE’s annual Open Air showcase, Enzo Siragusa now welcomes him to the label for the first time as he brings a collection of cuts that journey into varying corners of the house sphere.

The ‘Disconnected’ EP brings five tracks built around direct function and contrast. ‘Disconnected’ opens with rolling low-end pressure and slinking drums, loaded with swing, setting a clear rhythmic foundation for the project. ‘Bad Girl’ shifts into a more playful space, led by vocal fragments, hazy chords and dubby tones. On the B-side, ‘What We Do’ leans into crisp repetition sitting beneath shifting, trippy movement, followed by ‘Loopy’, which strips things back into a reduced late-night percussive trip.

The Rockers Sound (aka Steppas) came from the mid 70's and was created during sessions with The Revolutionaires band at Channel 1.
Drummer Sly Dunbar came up with a new 'Militant' style double drumming on the snare drum that seemed to add some credence to the political /Rasta based lyrics that were so prominent around this time.

So for this compilation we have pulled together some of the best cuts from this period when producer Bunny Lee was on the top of his game and the sound in town to get on board with was 'Rockers'...
So sit back and enjoy another period in Reggae's history that still sounds as good as when it was created way back when...
EVERYTHING ROCKERS....




D a4 | DEVIL'S THRONE - Junior Delgado

Straddling an intriguing intersection of Drum & Bass, Jazz, Fusion and unidentifiable electronica, ‘You Won't Find Your Way From Here’ is the debut album from Jhauk.

An extremely talented multi-instrumentalist from Sheffield, UK, Jhauk came to Blu Mar Ten’s attention when, in 2017, he created a wild prog-rock inflected remix of BMT’s track ‘Titans’
Further conversations with Jhauk revealed the depth of his unorthodox approach to electronic music and unearthed a treasure trove of production skills, culminating in the album before you.

Oscillating between the late-night, moody calm of late 50s Miles Davis, John Coltrane & Bill Evans, the riotous 70s instrumentation of Weather Report, the modern cool stylings of Matthew Halsall and the gritty edges of modern D&B production, it’s scarcely believable that this collection of tracks came from one person working alone in their studio. With tempos and time signatures skittering all over the place, Jhauk uses genres as catalysts rather than containers, he finds the interesting stuff in the hinterlands of their structural relationships and tensions. 

Talking about the album, Jhauk has strong opinions:

“Drum & Bass emerged as club music, and club music comes with its own logic. Specific structures, specific build-ups, a formula that supports that context. 
That's fair enough, but almost 40 years later, why is 99% of D&B still made the exact same way when 99% of the time it's never heard in a club? The same structure, the same formula, barely any development beyond the core idea. Tracks where you can hear 10 seconds of the drop and know almost beat-for-beat how the next 5 minutes sound. No real musical depth or exploration. People regurgitating the same material ad-nauseum but never actually saying anything for themselves. 
This period of composition for me was about taking what I love about D&B, the rhythmic energy and potential for creative freedom it presents and really stretching it to its limits. Of taking drum & bass as a starting point and seeing where it ends up without an idea of what that destination might be. Most people would probably never call a lot of the results D&B, but that's okay because it was never the point.”

 
Dripping with melancholy, euphoria, longing and pure urgency ‘You Won't Find Your Way From Here’ is unlike anything else you’ll hear this year. The sound of an artist entirely unconcerned with impressing peers or performing on ‘socials’; you're hearing a true musician at work, expressing ideas through the skill of his hands, mind and ears. The album’s secrets aren’t revealed with a single play-through, but bears (or even requires) multiple listens to expose its layers.
In previous times, they called this ‘art'.

Back in stock and highly coveted, The Smiths - Best… II is a compilation of some of The Smiths’ biggest tracks featuring Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Know, Ask, There Is A Light That Never Goes Out and more.

Die Gründungsmitglieder von Mojave 3 sind Sänger/Gitarrist Neil Halstead, Bassistin/Sängerin Rachel Goswell und Schlagzeuger Ian McCutcheon. Die Band trat 1995 erstmals in Erscheinung, als ein Demo mit sechs Tracks 4AD so sehr beeindruckte, dass ihnen ein Plattenvertrag angeboten wurde - trotz des damals vorherrschenden musikalischen Klimas des selbstbewussten Britpop, der scheinbar völlig im Widerspruch zu dem stand, was Mojave 3 machten. Diese Unvereinbarkeit war kaum überraschend, wenn man bedenkt, dass Halstead, Goswell und McCutcheon zuvor Mitglieder der prägenden Shoegaze-Band Slowdive waren, während Gitarrist Simon Rowe zuvor bei den Dream-Pop-Verwandten von Chapterhouse gespielt hatte. Das Debütalbum von Mojave 3, Ask Me Tomorrow, war eine erfrischend reduzierte Sammlung von Songs, die sich kaum von den ursprünglichen Demos unterschied. Halsteads melodische, von Folk und Country geprägte Stücke wurden wohlwollend (wenn auch etwas oberflächlich) mit Künstlern wie Nick Drake, den Cowboy Junkies und Bob Dylan verglichen.

‘Italo Disco Compilation V1’
Italo Hub delivers a refreshing various-artists compilation where four distinct voices reinterpret Italo Disco through their own lens.

Featuring contributions from Philipp Lauer, K!pz, Marta Paradise and Marcello Giordani, this release seamlessly blends nostalgia with forward-thinking production.


The A-side opens with Lauer’s “Buongiorno”, a sun-soaked anthem packed with signature grooves and an unmistakable Italo flair. K!pz follows with “Notte di Sicilia”, a darker, more introspective cut, fusing driving Hi-NRG basslines with sentimental melodies.


On the B-side, Marta Paradise delivers “Please Don’t Let Me Go (A-U-A-I)”, an irresistible floor weapon driven by a catchy vocal hook and shimmering synth work. Closing the record, Italo Deviance’s “Hyperactive (1983 Mix)” dives deep into nocturnal territory—an atmospheric electro piece built on repetition, texture, and immersive energy.

An essential release for lovers of contemporary Italo Disco with a deep respect for its roots—equally suited for the dancefloor and the record bag.

Skinned' ( released digitally in 2020) - the debut album from Danish composer, producer and singer ML Buch.
Comes with lyrics printed the inner sleeve.

After releasing her debut EP Fleshy in 2017 - Skinned that takes her expansive guitar work and catchy melodies to another territory.

With her unique experimental pop and vocals that seem to slide into your ears as fluorescent liquid, ML Buch portrays the reality of intimacy in a digital era. Working primarily with synthetic midi sounds, the general love of songwriting and guitar music is ever present.

As if in search for something real, ML Buch takes the listener on the other side of the skin. Led by tender love songs like I’m A Girl You Can Hold IRL and Can’t Get Over You With You we journey through her throat and into her intestines, discovering a fascinating realm of shiny mucus and bile in flesh and yellowish colors. Panoramic images were captured by a small pill camera travelling through the body of ML Buch and act as extensions of the architecture of the music. This literal way of internalizing modern technology is symbolic of Skinned where eclectic instrumental compositions share the space with strong hooks and ML Buch’s spherical voice.

credits

All songs composed, arranged and produced by ML Buch
All lyrics by ML Buch
‘Touching Screens’, ‘O’ and ‘I Feel Like Giving You Things’ co-written by Oliver Nehammer
Bass on Can You Hear My Heart Leave, Touching Screens and Mw by Johan Polder
Drums on Touching Screens and Mw by Kristof Gasior

Viola on Stone Bridge by Astrid Sonne

Midi drums and keys on Touching Screens by Oliver Nehammer
Mix by ML Buch, Oliver Nehammer & Jacob Brøndlund
Mastered by ET Mastering
Cover photo by David Stjernholm
Artwork by Aske Zidore and ML Buch

Any15 - Anyines 2020

Peach Discs celebrates peak western-hemisphere summer with the perfectly-timed-and-titled "Soft Serve Summer" EP from I. JORDAN. We were delighted when they sent us these tunes, which represent a brighter, housier and more personal side to their sound than many have seen before. Inspired by their recent tour of Australia, the EP (named after the title track that got the ball rolling on the other side of the planet) bottles a loose, sun-kissed feeling across all five tracks that's keen to be unleashed at festivals, beaches and dancefloors worldwide.

Opener "Your Love" boots things off in style, sitting somewhere between Power House and French Touch as layers of oscillating synths, percolating drums and vocal chops take turns in the spotlight – but when all's said and done it's the bassline that gets the flowers, duh.

Things turn a little more introspective on "Little Tinker", as the titular bells sprinkled throughout summon up something…else? Whatever you think that is, the muscular bassline once again keeps us grounded, as washes of dreamy synths lap at the shore and everything is in its right place, before the urgent organ stabs and diva moans of "Soft Serve Summer" pull us straight back to the middle of the floor.

The brand new ANORAX RECORDS label’s mantra is #eatsleepcollect - which makes its’ debut release right on point.

Drizabone’s anthemic “Pressure” has become a huge collectors want with appeal to Modern Soul fans, Northern Soul followers and House addicts via the much loved Roger Sanchez remix.

Drizabone burst on to a dazzling British Soul scene in the early 1990’s, following the footsteps of Soul II Soul and Loose Ends, rubbing shoulders with the likes of The Brand New Heavies as UK acts laid down their own distinctive Soul DNA.

After debuting with “Real Love” which went from a mystery white label to a chart smash, Drizabone went on to record the iconic “Conspiracy” album.

“Pressure” has endured like fine wine and is now hailed as an all time classic.

ANORAX present the original and very in-demand original backed with Roger Sanchez’s Nu- Solution remix on limited edition 7 inch single.

Bruno Berle is a singer, songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist and figurehead of a contemporary Brazilian music movement. With a quiet mastery of songwriting and an astonishing voice, his music has won hearts around the world. Since the release of his debut album No Reino Dos Afetos (2022), Berle has performed across the UK, Europe, Japan, South Korea, and China, only leaving his home country for the first time in 2023. Shaped by these journeys, Berle’s third studio album, Sem Fronteiras (Without Borders), reflects a utopian vision of a unified world.

Recorded across London, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Germany, and Maceió, the album–co-produced alongside his longstanding musical partner Batata Boy–is the most expansive canvas Berle has worked on to date. Shot through with the imagery that has always animated his songwriting: open skies, morning light, vivid colours and the magic of human connection, Berle’s carefully crafted poetics and warm, delicate instrumentation drive this vivid body of work.

“I came from nothing”–Berle doesn’t take his rise to global prominence for granted.

Born to a working class family from Brazil’s northeastern Alagoas state, one of Brazil’s most economically deprived, Bruno moved frequently in his youth to follow any job opportunities his parents could find, before eventually settling in the coastal capital of Maceió. “I used to travel to Caruaru, Santa Cruz, Recife, Garanhuns, Arapiraca, which I loved and feel it made me ready to be in this rhythm i’, but at the same time I think not having friends from childhood and being in constant change made me a little numb to the constant upheaval”. On Sem Fronteiras, there is a similar duality at play. The album celebrates the collective joy and human connection that live touring brings, but it also sits with the darker realities of crossing borders. While music moves more freely around the world than ever before, our bodies are not granted the same privilege.

Though he’s never lacked self-belief, Berle recognises that talent alone doesn’t guarantee opportunity. “Before my second album No Reino Dos Afetos 2 everything I had ever recorded was made with the help and kindness of people who believed in my ability”. Determined to pay that kindness forward and help others from the sharp end of Brazil’s desperately unequal society, Berle produced and featured on the recent self-titled albums by his northeast Brazilian compatriots, Nyron Higor and Phylipe Nunes Araújo (both 2025), helping propel both onto the international stage. In turn, following the successes of Nyron & Phylipe’s albums alongside his own, Bruno finds himself at the forefront of a thriving community of artists now based in São Paulo, but primarily originating from northeastern states like Alagoas and Pernambuco.

Much like the famed Clube Da Esquina movement that spawned in 1970’s Minas Gerais, they operate with a free-exchange of ideas, writing songs with and for each other, performing on each other’s albums and on the live circuit together. Lead single ‘Manha’ flows from this ethos. It was written by Berle’s friend and fellow Alagoan João Menezes (writer of ‘Ate Meu Violao’ and ‘Te Amar Eterno’ from Bruno’s previous albums) and Marvin Viera, and originally recorded on their 2018 album Areia e Mar.

Sem Fronteiras opens with ‘Você Já Sabe Que Eu Te Amo’, just six beats of one nylon guitar chord ring out before changing key, paving the way for the gentle strike of fender rhodes and the arresting call & response duet between Berle and Higor. On ‘Amor Inteiro’, the album reaches a celebratory burst of catharsis, with the punch-packing drums of Pedro Lacerda and Nina Maia’s joyous backing vocals encapsulating the live energy that Berle and his band bring to the stage.

With the abundant talents of this musical community at its heart, Sem Fronteiras releases 10th July 2026 via Far Out Recordings, supported by a summer tour across Europe. Bruno Berle will perform in a four-piece band alongside Nyron Higor, Phylipe Nunes, and Batata Boy, culminating in an appearance at Roskilde festival, Berle’s biggest live show to date. He’ll continue to carry a hopeful vision of a world where artists and musicians can move as freely as their music flows.

Tracklist:

A1 “Você Já Sabe Que Eu Te Amo”
(Nyron Higor / Bruno Berle)
Nyron Higor – drums, bass, acoustic guitar, electric piano, synthesizers, vocals
Bruno Berle – piano, vocals
Batata Boy – piano
Jorik Bergman – score preparation and conducting
Klara Gronet – violin
Ségolène de Beaufond – violin
Cristina Ardelean Montelongo – viola
Ilektra Stevi – cello

A2 “Não Posso Viver Sem Você”
(Batata Boy / Bruno Berle)
Batata Boy – electric piano, organ, synthesizer
Bruno Berle – drums, bass, synthesizer, vocals
Jorik Bergman – score preparation and conducting
Klara Gronet – violin
Ségolène de Beaufond – violin
Cristina Ardelean Montelongo – viola
Ilektra Stevi – cello

A3 “A Noite de Estrelas”
(Nyron Higor / Bruno Berle)
Nyron Higor – synthesizers
Bruno Berle – bass, drums, vocals

A4 “Outra Noite”
(Bruno Berle)
Nyron Higor – drums
Bruno Berle – acoustic guitar, bass
Felipe Berle – congas
Lucca Francisco – guitar, vocals

B1 “Amor Inteiro”
(Bruno Berle)
Pedro Lacerda – drums, choir
Nyron Higor – bass, choir
Batata Boy – guitars, organ, electric piano, choir
Nina Maia – choir
Bruno Berle – guitars, acoustic guitar, congas, vocals

B2 “Ideias Mágicas”
(Batata Boy / Bruno Berle)
Heloisa Alvino – trombone
Batata Boy – synthesizers, beats, electric piano, organ, bass
Bruno Berle – synthesizer, vocals

B3 “Vim Dizer”
(Batata Boy / Bruno Berle)
Batata Boy – electric piano, organ, synthesizer
Thomas Stankiewicz – synthesizer
Nyron Higor – synthesizer
Bruno Berle – acoustic guitar, bass, vocals

B4 “Tô Assim”
(Bruno Berle)
Bruno Berle – acoustic guitars
Batata Boy – synthesizer
Nyron Higor – bass, synthesizer

B5 “Manhã”
(João Menezes / Marvin Silva)
Bruno Berle – acoustic guitar, vocals, congas, shaker
Batata Boy – piano, shaker, electric piano, vibraphone, synthesizers
Nyron Higor – drums, bass

B6 “Sem Fronteiras”
(Bruno Berle)
Filipe Mariz – guitar
Bruno Berle – acoustic guitar, vocals, bass
Jennifer Souza – vocals, acoustic guitar
Rudson França – drums

Credits:

Produced by Bruno Berle and Batata Boy
Mixed and mastered by Bruno Berle, Batata Boy and Felipe Berle

Audio engineering:
Nyron Higor (track 1 – production; track 4 with Felipe Berle)
Joe Osborne (tracks 7 and 9)
Victor Gelling (strings on tracks 1 and 2)
Filipe Mariz (track 10)

Photography: Claudio Virgínio
Design: Minchai

Recorded in:
Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil
Tamandaré, Pernambuco, Brazil
Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
London, England
Cologne, Germany

Don't Know How To Change: a timeless house music masterpiece.

Since Julian Lindsey slid smoothly into the New York House scene back in 2014, he has become renowned for his sharp musical intuition, slick selections and a symbiotic relationship with the crowd. He takes the groove on the record and transmits it to the groove on the dancefloor.

Don't Know How To Change is Julian Lindsey’s debut EP, released on the Sound of Vast. The title track is smooth beyond belief, funky house keys and a laid back soulful vocal work with the bass to make your hips start to move, before a house backbeat takes you by the hand onto the dancefloor. At 3:15 mins, Julian Lindsey plays his ace card with a TB-303 acid tweak drenched with emotion. Just superb. The Subb-an Dubmix stays true to the original, claps and snares bring a dancefloor immediacy, the vocal line chopped to bring the funk. Ibiza will go wild for this Dubmix.

Miami Air starts with a Funktion-1-lovin’ deep velvet groove. Close your eyes and you can almost smell that dusky, warm Atlantic coast beach at sunset, driving with the roof down as the lights start to twinkle across Vice City and the bass drum beats through your fulcrum. A perfect companion for Don’t Know How To Change. Francesca Lombardo’s remix takes Miami Air from dusk to deep night, A mini Moog 4/4, rimshot claps and a vintage synth line guides you past midnight onto the dark, humid dancefloor where bodies writhe.

Julian Lindsey tells us more: The EP is really the story of my relationship with house music and a snapshot of where I was in my life when I made these tracks. I have an obsession with house music that is borderline unhealthy. The sound is rooted in 2010s house music, which is the era where my love for house music really developed.

東京 / アムステルダムを股にかけるレーベルSound Of Vast から、NYC拠点のアーティスト Julian LindseyによるデビューEPをリリース！

レイドバックしたグルーヴに物憂げなコードとスムースなヴォーカルが踊るレイトナイト・ダンサー"Don't Know How To Change"、現代的でクリスピーなタッチと虚飾を捨てた洗練が宿る"Miami Air”。新鋭と聞いて疑いたくもなる研ぎ澄まされた感覚からは、さながら10年代「Pampa」や「Smallville」作品のメランコリア、Galcher Lustwerkのロウなアウトサイダー・ハウス、あるいはRed Pig FlowerやThe MoleによるSound Of Vast 原典を思い出す。実際Julian Lindsey自身、この年代のディープ・ハウスへの熱狂からキャリアを始めているようだ。

A-2には Sound Of Vast への帰還を果たしたベルリンのベテラン Subb-anの、B-2にはUK拠点のFrancesca Lombardoによるリミックスを収録。ここ数年「X-Kalay」やThomas Melchiorの「My King Is Light」等からプログレッシヴな快作を飛ばすSubb-anがアクアティックに再構築した前者、期待以上のサイケデリックなテクスチャーで時間感覚を狂わせる後者。それぞれの卓越したサウンドメイクで昇華されたDJツールが出揃っており、いずれも現代ダンスフロアからの要請に真正面から応えてくれるはずだ。

本作はJulian Lindseyのバイオグラフィーの第1弾を飾るエヴァーグリーンなディープ・ハウス作品であると同時に、常にダンサーを見つめてきた Sound Of Vast から送り出された、信頼のおけるフロア・フレンドリーなEPでもある。

Text by DNG (CYK / Lighthouse Records)

The Temptations Get High on Psychedelic Soul: Cloud Nine Soars with Ambitious Arrangements and Production, Features Standout Vocal Performances and Instrumentation by the Funk Brothers

The Temptations’ Cloud Nine announced that Motown — and “The Sound of Young America” — would never be the same. Influenced by the emergence of cutting-edge rock and pop currents, as well as increasing sociopolitical turmoil, the album broke down barriers between rock, psychedelia, and soul while heralding the arrival of visionary arrangements and production techniques. Bookended by traditional R&B numbers, the 1969 record sent the Temptations in bold new directions and signaled the advent of psychedelic soul.

Sourced from the original master tapes, strictly limited to 3,000 numbered copies, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing, and housed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket, Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 45PM 2LP set presents Cloud Nine in audiophile sound for the first time on a domestic pressing. This collectible reissue bestows Norman Whitfield’s extraordinary production with the grand-scale dynamics, natural tonality, expansive openness, and low-end weight it deserves. The timbre of each of the five members’ voices is readily identifiable — even within the group harmonies — bestowing a realism never experienced outside the recording studio.

Making its debut on 45RPM, the album further benefits from the wide groove space by playing with greater separation and more realistic presence than prior editions. Everything from the brassiness of the horns to the dry snap of the snare comes across with reference-grade clarity and positioning. And since Motown’s renowned Funk Brothers backing band plays on many of the cuts, you’ll want to savor every note. The imaging, soundstaging, and organic bloom-and-decay of the notes make that possible.

Amid Cloud Nine, the instrumentation and architecture stand out as much as any element. Never before had a Motown album contained such ambitious patterns and complex passages. Seemingly conscientious of the departure from their past methods, the Temptations and Whitfield bunched together the tracks that mark a deep dive into psychedelic territory and counterbalance them with seven sterling soul cuts that dovetail with Motown tradition drenched with heartfelt vocals, swelling strings, and finger-snapping beats.

On the original 33RPM release, traditional Motown soul — laden with heartfelt vocals, swelling strings, and finger-snapping beats — occupies Side Two. These songs reveal an ensemble still very much on top of delivering pristine pop-soul material graced with romantic sweetness, persuasive insistent, and soaring highs. Re-energized after the departure of lead singer David Ruffin, who was fired for a variety of reasons in June 1968, the Temptations seamlessly meld with his replacement, Dennis Edwards, on one melodic gem after another.

The collective tackles five songs co-written by the legendary Motown team of Barrett Strong and Whitfield. Not the least of which are the smooth, shuffling “Why Did She Have to Leave Me (Why Did She Have to Go)” and deceptively simple, horn-spiked “Gonna Keep on Tryin’ till I Win Your Love.” On these tracks, as well as on a lush rendition of the ballad “Love Is a Hurtin’ Thing” and pleading, tender send-up of the Gerry Goffin-Carole King classic “Hey Girl,” Edwards and Paul Williams take turns on the lead with the estimable Eddie Kendricks, Melvin Franklin, and Otis Williams providing backing support.

All five vocalists trade-off leads on the simmering title track, a groundbreaking composition shot through with wah-wah-pedal effects, liquid funk, deep bass lines, Cuban percussion, saturated reverb, and gang choruses. Whitfield mines each member’s natural vocal range with spectacular results, keeps time with cymbals, and channels both the heated temperatures and escapist desires of a society embroiled in war, conflict, and experimental drugs.

Amazingly, the Temptations top themselves on the similarly revealing “Run Away Child, Running Wild.” Nearly 10 minutes in length, the song explodes R&B parameters and harbors a cinematic scope. Urgent pianos, distorted guitars, stripped-down percussion, steamy Hammond organs, minimal bass motifs, five distinct voices narrating the tale of a boy who fled home and now finds himself amid the scary, unforgiving external world: They combine to give the urgent tune a walls-closing-in atmosphere where fear and desperation reign. Bolstered by an extended instrumental section that precedes a climactic return of the singers’ voices, “Run Away Child, Running Wild” equaled the success of the record’s title track, with both reaching No. 6 on the pop charts.

There was nothing in contemporary music like Chris Isaak’s Heart Shaped World when it hit shelves in June 1989. More than three decades later, the singer-songwriter’s third album still sounds unique — and claims a backstory nearly as fascinating as the retro-leaning material and standout performances that propelled it to sales of more than 2.5 million copies. Home to the Top 10 smash “Wicked Game,” the set remains a masterful mood piece that invites you to pour a late-night drink, sit in a dimmed room, and relish Isaak’s elegant albeit raw ruminations on love, relationships, and questionable decisions.

Sourced from the original master tapes, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing, strictly limited to 3,000 numbered copies, and featuring the bonus track “Diddley Daddy,” Mobile Fidelity's UltraDisc One-Step 180g 45RPM 2LP box set of Heart Shaped World unearths the staggering inner details, saturated tones, and brilliant atmospherics of the crisp production. It brings you up close and personal with Isaak’s spectacular singing — impeccably controlled, tense, brooding, steamy, smoldering, haunted — situated amidst stripped-down backdrops that allow every note to fully bloom and decay.

While Isaak’s ever-steady baritone remains the anchor, the contributions of his trusty backing band, the aptly named Silvertone, come across with just as much cool, command, and realism. The indispensable playing of guitarist James Calvin Wilsey particularly emerges with superb clarity and dimensionality. The character of his 1965 Fender Stratocaster, shivering twang of his spring-coiled fills, and his signature use of reverb, delay, and vibrato seamlessly match Isaak's patient deliveries and the band’s unhurried rhythms. Experienced on UD1S with ultra-black backgrounds and a nearly invisible noise floor, Heart Shaped World is in every regard a demonstration disc.

The premium packaging of this UD1S pressing befits its elevated status. Housed in a deluxe slipcase, it features foil-stamped jackets and faithful-to-the-original graphics. Aurally and visually, this reissue is for discerning listeners who desire to immerse themselves in everything involved with the album, not the least of which is the cover art depicting a lost-in-thought Isaak staring ahead and sitting in what appears to be an efficiency apartment. The image epitomizes the record’s lonesome temperaments and pensive themes.

Of course, if not for director David Lynch hand-picking two cuts from Heart Shaped World for his 1990 film Wild at Heart, the record would’ve probably suffered the same fate as Isaak’s prior efforts and gone unnoticed by the mainstream. Despite receiving raves from outlets such as NME, Chicago Tribune, and Rolling Stone upon its original release, the album stalled in the lower quadrants of the Billboard charts and, after a few weeks, dropped off.

Cue the ear of Lee Chesnut. Then the music director for a large Atlanta radio station, Chesnut heard the instrumental version of “Wicked Game” on Lynch’s soundtrack and started airing the album rendition at all hours of the day. Aided by a sensual video featuring Isaak and supermodel Helena Christensen, the song found its way into the public consciousness by early ‘91 and helped make Isaak a most unlikely mainstream star in an era where his techniques had little to nothing in common with popular tastes.

Despite its vintage vibes and shared DNA with legends such as Roy Orbison, Chet Baker, and Glen Campbell, Heart Shaped World transcends nostalgia, rockabilly, and throwback tropes. For all the melodrama and sadness at hand, Isaak’s gorgeously transparent singing dives deep underneath emotional surfaces. He mines subtleties that indicate his feelings go beyond heartbreak and anguish, and occasionally suggest frustration, menace, and anger. You can hear it in his quivering falsetto, and the slow and methodical ways he allows delicate whispers to break into shadowy phrasing that crosses over to the darker sides of romance and desire.

That approach bolsters the title track, which suggests calm yet moves on ominous currents — its simmering pace and snare-drum snappiness foreshadowing Isaak raising the volume and urgency during the coda. The southwestern-tinged “Wrong to Love You” plays with similar concepts of hesitation, unease, and discord, Isaak careful never to fully erupt and give anything away. His poised deliveries offer a master class in the art of insinuation and hurt on “Nothing’s Changed,” sent up with a wordless backing chorus and crackling guitar lines straight out of a Memphis blues joint.

Heart Shaped World further boosts its merit via its abundant stylistic variations, from the upbeat country-and-western trot of “I’m Not Waiting” and Spanish acoustic shimmer of the jazz-based ballad “Blue Spanish Sky” to the swinging horn-accompanied grooves of “Don’t Make Me Love You” and desert smokiness of the understated “Kings of the Highway.” On the latter, Isaak comes across as resigned and absolute. His singing and pain worm their way into your soul, and echo akin to the way the music prepares to strike when you least expect.

“Trouble going 'round,” Isaak croons right as the album begins. “Trouble going down.” Damn straight.

The moment the instantly recognizable intertwined guitar passage on the title track to the Eagles' Hotel California begins, the record's genius becomes obvious all over again. Ranked the 118th Greatest Album of All Time by Rolling Stone, certified by RIAA as the third best-selling LP in history, and considered the foundation on which the Golden State's mid-‘70s music scene was built, the 1976 landmark is a music staple immune to shifts in trends, eras, and styles. Fearlessly addressing the chaos and consequences of American life, its songs remain strikingly prescient and gain creedence with each passing day.

Mastered from the original analogue master tapes, pressed on MoFi SuperVinyl, and limited to 17,500 numbered copies, Mobile Fidelity's UltraDisc One-Step 180g 45RPM 2LP vinyl box set ensures you will want to permanently check into and never leave this particular Hotel California. Up to the herculean task of standing head and shoulders above all prior reissues, this collectible edition plays with extreme clarity, organic richness, tube-like warmth, massive dynamics, and microscopic levels of detail. You'll be able to practically smell the colitas and feel the breeze in your hair. Songs come across with an epic sweep and feature immersive, front-to-back soundstages that allow the music unprecedented air, roominess, and separation. As for the noise floor? It's basically as invisible as the spirits that waft in the corridors of the unforgettable title song.

Aesthetically, the premium packaging and presentation of the UD1S Hotel California pressing befit its esteemed status. Housed in a deluxe box, it features gorgeous foil-stamped jackets and faithful-to-the-original graphics that illuminate the splendour of the recording. From every angle, this UD1S reissue exists as a curatorial artefact meant to be preserved, touched, and examined. It is made for discerning listeners that prize sound quality and production, and who desire to fully immerse themselves in the art – and everything involved with the album, from the renowned cover art to the meticulous finishes.

Indeed, the opportunity to zero in on all the particulars of the 26-million-selling Eagles record dubbed "a legitimate rock masterpiece" by vaunted Los Angeles Times scribe Robert Hilburn has never been better. A global phenomenon that marked the band debut of guitarist-singer Joe Walsh, Hotel California continues to resonate and connect with listeners of all generations taken by its narrative depth, stark directness, picturesque melodies, daring majesty, and ardent emotionalism. Adorned with a breathtaking exterior photograph of the Beverly Hills Hotel that serves as the simultaneously haunting and alluring cover art, and rounded out by a rear-cover shot of the Lido Hotel lobby that reinforces a notion that teeters between permanence and transience, Hotel California is brilliantly tied to a specific place that functions as a universally understood metaphor for the American Dream.

Confronting the darker undercurrents and oft-ignored constructs attached to that romantic notion, the record's songs revolve around a host of shared themes: excess, mobility, stability, illusion, fame, destruction, and idealism included. Notably, Hotel California appeared at a crucial junction in American history: During the country's bicentennial and amid escalating controversies related to the Vietnam War, energy crisis, and governmental corruption. That the Eagles manage to channel such cultural, social, and economical matters into a cohesive, stately, big-picture statement is alone a stupendous feat. That the album's reach, boldness, vitality, accessibility, and understated intensity have never waned make it a marvel.

Reflecting on Hotel California 40 years after its original release, and indirectly explaining its enduring appeal and increasing relevance, singer-songwriter Don Henley confirmed the record pertains to the "loss of innocence, the cost of naiveté...the difficulties of balancing loving relationships and work, trying to square the conflicting relationship between business and art; the corruption in politics, the fading away of the Sixties dream of ‘peace, love and understanding.'"

It can be argued that Henley and company squarely hit on and drove home those ideas in the surreal title track, chart-topping "Life in the Fast Lane," and grand "The Last Resort" alone. But that would miss the forest for the trees. Experienced as an unbroken whole, complete with the pristinely shot imagery and physical grooves, Hotel California unfolds like a geography-conscious saga by James Michener and plays like colour-saturated movie shot on 70mm film by Martin Scorsese. It's about our collective and individual decisions – and the shape of our past, present, and future. And, just like that conjured by our imaginations, Hotel California continues to take on a life of its own.

More About Mobile Fidelity UltraDisc One-Step and Why It Is Superior
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab's UltraDisc One-Step (UD1S) technique bypasses generational losses inherent to the traditional three-step plating process by removing two steps: the production of father and mother plates, which are created to yield numerous stampers from each lacquer that is cut. For UD1S plating, stampers (also called "converts") are made directly from the lacquers. Since each lacquer yields only one stamper, multiple lacquers need to be cut. Mobile Fidelity's UD1S process produces a final LP with the lowest-possible noise floor. The removal of two steps of the plating process also reveals musical details and dynamics that would otherwise be lost due to the standard multi-step process. With UD1S, every aspect of vinyl production is optimized to produce the best-sounding vinyl album available today.

MoFi SuperVinyl
Developed by NEOTECH and RTI, MoFi SuperVinyl is the most exacting-to-specification vinyl compound ever devised. Analogue lovers have never seen (or heard) anything like it. Extraordinarily expensive and extremely painstaking to produce, the special proprietary compound addresses two specific areas of improvement: noise floor reduction and enhanced groove definition. The vinyl composition features a new carbonless dye (hold the disc up to the light and see) and produces the world's quietest surfaces. This high-definition formula also allows for the creation of cleaner grooves that are indistinguishable from the original lacquer. MoFi SuperVinyl provides the closest approximation of what the label's engineers hear in the mastering lab.

"Potency rolls into double figures with a new release from Malik Kassim, aka Retromigration. Following albums and singles on labels including Love On The Rocks, Rhythm Section and Wolf Music, the tenth release on Cromby's rapidly-evolving, floor-focused imprint locks into the sound of one of house music's most consistent and consistently exciting producers, seamlessly bridging the established Potency energy with a luxurious vision of the genre. 'Love Rock' summons an instant block party energy, showcasing the expert weight of Kassim's basslines, as well as hinting at the fusion of hip-hop and jazz that bubbles through the textures of the German-Nigerian producer's studio work. Meanwhile, 'I Do Dance' stays true to the promise of its title, delivering blissful sun showers of synths amid emotional pads and hints of the classic Korg M1 organ sound, a universal signal to party. Ushering in the flip, the more tightly-wound percussion of 'Neighbourhood' maintains Kassim's driving groove, while dancehall samples and dub influences expand the established Retromigration sound into new spaces. Finally, 'Go 2 Nowhere' completes the dance, masterfully blending pillowy breakdowns and wistful keys with the EP's most urgent groove. Rich in detail while keeping the floor in constant motion, 'I Do Dance' reinforces Malik Kassim's timeless touch for unmistakably modern house music."

The “Late Loop” LP by Andy Stott is released on Modern Love and marks the producer’s return after a five-year break from the studio. The album brings Alison Skidmore, Stott’s long-time vocal partner, and for the first time Elaine Howley to the forefront; their voices are used partly as full vocal performances and partly as fragmented, pitch-shifted loops, forming the emotional center of the record. Stott largely avoided established production tricks: no basslines, no reverb, just a delay as the sole effect, giving the arrangements an unusual clarity and fragility.

“Late Loop” sits somewhere between downbeat, electronica, and leftfield, and emerged from an experimental process that ranged from drone passages and brass-like concrète moments to song-oriented structures. Rhythm often emerges indirectly here: a drum machine was played back into the room, re-recorded, and pitched down; a pump organ was recorded with a microphone placed on the floor; valves and an aging mixing console audibly contribute to the atmosphere. Lyrically, themes of separation predominate; the voices were layered multiple times, then pared back until only the essentials remained. Mastering was handled by Rashad Becker, and the cover photo is by Myriam Boulos. With “Late Loop,” Modern Love presents an austere, meticulously crafted album whose details gradually reveal themselves with repeated listening.

After a long time, one of Dropout’s most memorable releases is finally back on vinyl.

The Hitmen’s “Like I Love You” returns as an official repress on the iconic Dropout imprint, this time pressed on striking limited red vinyl.

A defining track from The Hitmen’s catalogue, “Like I Love You” combines their unmistakable melodic sound, driving energy and an unforgettable vocal hook, a record that has lost none of its impact over the years.

With original vinyl copies becoming increasingly difficult to find, Dropout is bringing this classic back to the turntables for longtime fans, collectors and a new generation of DJs discovering the track today.

Pressed on red vinyl.
A long-awaited return to wax.

The Body Works begins from a simple idea: sound does not end at the speaker, and music is something that is not only heard, but held, felt, and carried. By translating sound into physical form, the project creates an encounter that exists between listening and touch.

Rhythm is anticipated by muscle, voices affect breathing, and repetition changes our sense of time. Listening is already a physical act. Rather than treating the body as a subject represented by the music, The Body Works treats it as the place where the music happens; the physical and perceptual space through which sound is experienced.

Primarily consisting of left-leaning club music, the LP moves between trap-tinged tech funk, sweaty nocturnal throb, bottom heavy breaks, seedy cowbell acid, pumping techno workouts, doting hi NRG, cosmic homoerotica, and electronic disco. Interspersed and laced atop are more exploratory approaches to sound. Synthesis, field recordings, voices, electroacoustic and musique concrete techniques, plus a dose of offbeat humour are all treated equally as compositional material.

The record travels through ordinary human actions and situations - partying, sleeping, travelling, cooking, flirting, drinking, dancing and listening. These are not presented simply as themes; they become compositional material through which sound, attention, movement and the body interact. "A lot of the record is just weird normal things happening around me. Sleeping, travelling, flirting, drinking water, trying to kill a fly. The more attention you give these things, the stranger they become", comments Bjarki.










[j] C1 | Isn't it nice [to be somebody]