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After a long hiatus, Tokyo-based french producer Dela comes back with Électrique, a new project paying tribute to hip-hop legends André 3000 and Big Boi, known together as OutKast. This new 7inch record includes three tracks of Électrique : Yosky Wosky Pisky Wisky, Dimanche Matin, and the bonus track Cergy.

Known for his laid-back, jazz influenced, dreamy rap instrumentals, Dela introduced his music to the world with his Atmosphere Airlines mixtapes and his albums Changes Of Atmosphere (2008) and Translation Lost (2011). A student of Q-Tip, Pete Rock and J-Dilla amongst others, Dela’s work foreshadowed today’s increasively popular lofi hip-hop / chillhop movement.

Side A features Yosky Wosky Pisky Wisky, a remix of Stankonia’s classic Humble Mumble, featuring Eykah Badu. Dela changes the mood of the original track, mixing samples and live instrumentation together to turn a salsa-breakbeat groove into a melody infused otherworldly super-funk.

On side B, Dela remixes Sole Sunday, a Goodie Mob featuring Outkast track, edited to feature only the two ATLiens and renamed Dimanche Matin. The beat is reminiscent of his early work, layering boom bap drums over a haunting saxophone melody. Also on side B, the bonus cut Cergy turns a Brazilian MPB sample into an ode to Dela’s hometown with the help of live drums, bass, electric keyboards and a few of his friends singing.

Sylvia Fagan aka Guardian Angel is the oldest sister of Bevin Fagan which is Matumbi's lead singer. Matumbi was the top british Reggae band from the 70's and early 80's. Bevin Fagan and Euton Jones (drummer and founder member of Matumbi) produced Woman At The Well, the only LP by Guardian Angel in 1980 with a blend of disco, boogie funk, lovers rock and roots reggae. Recorded at Gooseberry and T.M.C. studios (London, UK) in 1980. Produced by Euton Jones & Bevin Fagan. Analog 1/4inch tape transfered at FX Copyroom by Euton 'Matumbi' Jones & Engineer Harvey Birrell on a Studer A810. Mastered and lacquer cutting by François Terrazzoni at Parelies Audio
Visuel. Special thanks to all musicians who made it possible, Dennis and Andy Robinson, Jason and Valerie Fagan, Euton Jones and his daughter Shana Jones, Winston Francis and Dennis Bovell.

Exciting new producer Yves Tomas releases on Rekids with ‘Pilot EP’ this May - a bold and versatile debut release exhibiting the artist’s broad range of influences.

Hailing from London but with roots in Bristol, Yves Tomas is a producer, vocalist and DJ brought up in the centre of UK club music. Since experimenting with music through his childhood and early teens he’s gone on to become an engineer, working in studios alongside some of the biggest names in grime and pop music. This has led to him developing his own unique style of electronic music as a reactionary expression to working in the meat grinder culture of mainstream music. He now joins Radio Slave
Rekids - a label known and respected for discovering many luminary figures in electronic music.

With its otherworldly melody and echoing effects, ‘Braindead’ is a downtempo track that remains beatless until the halfway mark, moving onto the beautifully arranged ‘MA1’ with its reverb-drenched breaks, quivering synths, and ever-evolving chopped and looped vocals. ‘River’ then incorporates elements of grime and jungle courtesy of its lively stabs, soulful chords and compelling rhythm built on punchy percussion. Taking things into a spiritual direction, Elephant & Snake’ meanders forward using
syncopated drums, washy chants and elevating organ keys before ‘Callout FM’ follows with its rattling snares, twisted arpeggios, and crystalline pads.

Nearing the end, ‘Pilot’ is a stripped-back affair with sporadic kicks, a fuzzy bassline, and vocoder vocals until digital bonus track ‘Birds Of The Barbican’ ties everything together by generating an uplifting atmosphere destined to elevate revellers for many years to come.

New SheweyTrax 12"!! Introducing SoCal artist withNme. A-side features three lyric jams full of lush indie-pop, catchy vocals, and electronix. Opener "Early Girl", a young women's struggle to make it and doing what she needs to do for a better future. Feature track "Window Sill" is your favorite cat chasin' birds without a care or just letting the wind in the sail take you away. "Skywalker" closes out sideA as a sneak peak track from the forthcoming withNme album. "Window Sill" is additionally featured on Side B, with club vibes by developing producer Delicate Instruments. Two solid deep house selections: "DELINSTR Chasin' Remix" and bonus instr mix. Vibe record leading into summer 2020!

Kristian Craig Robinson, aka Capitol K, is a multi-instrumentalist and record producer with a long history in London’s most interesting under-the-radar music places and spaces. With a musical story like his, you can expect side streams. New record ‘Birdtrapper’ is “the sound of an initiation rave in a utopian hidden village”, and his latest exploration of Mediterranean audio mythos following from ’Goatherder’ (2018). The six track mini-album was similarly formed from ritualistic improvisations performed in Malta (where Capitol K was born), using home-made flutes, reed pipe, bamboo percussion, drum machine, bass guitar, but this time features a wider use of synthesizers, with the alternative dance floor in mind. Where ‘Goatherder’ was an awakening of genetic primitivism, ‘Birdtrapper’ is an evocation of sonic bird callers, proto-rave abandon, ambient resonance and an ecstatic captive state, along with the previous work's visions of hunters, temples and scrub land music
‘Goatherder’ caused a quiet kind of quake and was beloved by The Quietus, BBCR3 and 6Music. Vinyl Factory described it as “like a series of manipulated field recordings that have an ancient, ritualistic quality … Goatherder shimmers with Balearic strangeness, rooted in an earthy outer-national dance music tradition”. For the last seven years K has been behind the consoles at the heavily influential Total Refreshment Centre, recording and mixing records with the likes of Trash Kit, The Comet Is Coming, Rozi Plain, Alabaster DePlume, Dry Cleaning, Flamingods Cykada, Ibibio Sound Machine, BAS JAN and John Johanna. It’s not just recording. He’s also become an influential if understated mentor to a new wave of producers and bands. His experience in studio environments is long and storied, including stints at Studio Plateaux on an island in the middle of the Thames and in the Royal Symphonia’s squatted rehearsal rooms. Capitol K has released seven albums and the 'Birdtapper EP' follows a legacy of influential releases on early 2000s electronica labels including Planet Mu and XL. Aside this he also runs the record label Faith & Industry. It’s a friends and family, love not money affair and he has released music by Champagne Dub, John Johanna, Super Best Friends Club, Blue House & Clémentine March.

The minimal imprint from Chicago is back with it’s second vinyl only release featuring 2 heavy hitting producers Nima Gorji and Christian Burkhardt.

Side A: 2 original tracks by Nima Gorji inspired from the early 2000s. Dusty drums and blissful arp sequences, everything you need to feel good.

Side B: remix by Christian Burkhardt bringing things back to 2020 and beyond with heavy low ends, percolating drums, and eerie effects.

Support: John Acquaviva, Enzo Siragusa, Halo Varga, Primarie, Faster, Dubphone

Premisession’ pays homage to the pivotal but now defunct Minneapolis warehouse venue “Premises,” of which Craig Lambert aka Midnight Music Club founded, and where Kajunga hosted their rst ever all night party. The EP showcases MMC’s hardware uency with a lavish cruise through mesmerizing grooves and pronounced warmth.

Calling Card creates a welcome invitation to the record with sensual synth lines, paired with the drive of undulating tom rhythms. A New Day evokes the feeling of an acid soirée. Rich emotion and improvisational elegance resonate throughout the track.

Five A.M. starts the B-side off with spring-time air; blooming into a Sunday morning daydream. Private Guy seals the deal by providing a more moody take on A New Day, with melodies weaving through playful percussion.

Midnight Music Club has been collecting records for over 40 years, sharing them passionately for nearly 30 and studying music production for 20. This live artist’s timeless yet distinctly old school sound is reminiscent of early Chicago and Detroit pioneers, with a blend of deep house and techno that is uniquely his own.

He has released on Chicago’s Descendants of the Deep label, as well as Headphoniq and his own self titled outlet. His ‘Premisession’ EP is an ode to the pivotal but now defunct Minneapolis warehouse venue Premises, which he himself founded and which hosted Kajunga’s rst- ever all-night party.

dJ FeedbACK:

“Overall cool 12", Calling Card being my fav on here, the remix is nice as well!” - Kai Alce

“Dope!!!” - Fred P

“This record from Focus is off the chain! Analog funky grooves with real rhythms. Minneapolis coming with it on Kajunga.” - Ricardo Miranda

“Dope EP, A New Day does it for me.” - Roman Rauch

KAJUNGA is a record label, party series and monthly mix series formed in 2015; the result of four Minneapolis artists’ shared love for thoughtful music and unadulterated dance floor experience.

2x12"

„Room With A View“ sees Rone returning to his musical roots and the set-up of his early albums: purely electronic, solitarily conceived without any musical collaborators. At the same time he was able to leave his comfort zone through a new kind of artistic liaison. The album was produced alongside a live show commissioned by the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris and developed together with choreography collective (LA) HORDE and 20 dancers of the Ballet National de Marseille. This new kind of collaborative approach allowed Rone to produce his most sincere and far-reaching music in some time. Inspired by discussions of collapsologie and climate change, „Room With A View“ offers food for thought on how to deal with one of the most pressing issues of humanity.

The Fenchman manages to let his trademark sound shine in a new light, pleasing early fans as well as every electronica enthusiast. Typically melodic beats like „Ginkgo Biloba“ nestle against tracks that exhibit classic influences from Boards of Canada („La Marbrerie“) to SAW-era Aphex Twin („Raverie“), euphoric dancefloor rhythms sit next to contemplative synth work. Tracks like „Sophora Japonica“ showcase Rone’s mastership in atmosphere, which sometimes requires no drums at all. Elsewhere, Rone is clearly reviving the club-centric vibe of „Tohu Bohu“ and experimenting with elements of dub. It all makes for and adventurous and rewarding listen.

Most importantly, Rone is redefining the notion of „organic“ in electronic music through use of field and voice recordings. Be it his own child chattering, Aurelien Barrau or Alain Damasio debating, or the dance troupe rehearsing and discussing the show. "Because the writing process of the album was very machine focused, it seemed appropriate to feed back a human touch into the music and to still have bodies involved". Thus „Esperanza“ uses the steps of the dancers as a rhythm to start a new track, while in „Human“ they serve as a choir. This idea of extended human collaboration becomes apparent also on the album cover.

2x12" Marbled Vinyl

„Room With A View“ sees Rone returning to his musical roots and the set-up of his early albums: purely electronic, solitarily conceived without any musical collaborators. At the same time he was able to leave his comfort zone through a new kind of artistic liaison. The album was produced alongside a live show commissioned by the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris and developed together with choreography collective (LA) HORDE and 20 dancers of the Ballet National de Marseille. This new kind of collaborative approach allowed Rone to produce his most sincere and far-reaching music in some time. Inspired by discussions of collapsologie and climate change, „Room With A View“ offers food for thought on how to deal with one of the most pressing issues of humanity.

The Fenchman manages to let his trademark sound shine in a new light, pleasing early fans as well as every electronica enthusiast. Typically melodic beats like „Ginkgo Biloba“ nestle against tracks that exhibit classic influences from Boards of Canada („La Marbrerie“) to SAW-era Aphex Twin („Raverie“), euphoric dancefloor rhythms sit next to contemplative synth work. Tracks like „Sophora Japonica“ showcase Rone’s mastership in atmosphere, which sometimes requires no drums at all. Elsewhere, Rone is clearly reviving the club-centric vibe of „Tohu Bohu“ and experimenting with elements of dub. It all makes for and adventurous and rewarding listen.

Most importantly, Rone is redefining the notion of „organic“ in electronic music through use of field and voice recordings. Be it his own child chattering, Aurelien Barrau or Alain Damasio debating, or the dance troupe rehearsing and discussing the show. "Because the writing process of the album was very machine focused, it seemed appropriate to feed back a human touch into the music and to still have bodies involved". Thus „Esperanza“ uses the steps of the dancers as a rhythm to start a new track, while in „Human“ they serve as a choir. This idea of extended human collaboration becomes apparent also on the album cover.

Minimal olschool DJ Tool Tribe sound.

Back in the XXth ceintury and one of the very first CZ sound....
Bloody early techno time-line... And Adam Vandal first records on what is "Dual Cyclo Trial" Record !

‘Garlands’ was the Cocteau Twins’ debut album, released in the early autumn of 1982. It was the only album they made with original bassist Will Heggie. Describing it as “haunting,” “spellbound,” “diaphanous” and discerning a “frosting of sweetness,” the critics wore out their adjectives; this was rock music - just - but it was conjured in the unlikeliest environment from the strangest of material.

This is ‘Garlands’ first vinyl pressing in over ten years, remastered from the original analogue tapes, pressed on 140g black vinyl and includes a digital download code. ‘Victorialand’, Cocteau Twins’
fourth album, was released in spring 1986. The largely acoustic, nonpercussive album was made with Elizabeth and Robin, while Simon was working on This Mortal Coil’s second album.

Dif Juz labelmate Richard Thomas guested on tabla and saxophone. The Guardian said “It’s not quite ambient, but it’s definitely not rock’n’roll even by the Cocteaus’ standards, building on the moments of guitar shimmer from the previous years’ EPs, while also stripping back at points to where it’s nothing but a Guthrie guitar line and Fraser’s voice.

‘Victorialand’ is remastered from the original analogue tapes,
pressed on 140g black vinyl and includes a download code.

Originally recorded in 1977, following a limited release in 1979, Ghédalia Tazartès debut album, Diasporas, introduced listeners to the surreal, mysterious and truly unclassifiable statement of Tazartès and his out-of-time place in the French avant-garde canon. Born in Paris in 1947 to Judaeo-Spanish parents of Greek descent, Tazartès spent his early career as an autodidact utilizing his knowledge of repetition and collage, coupled with his Ladino linguistic heritage, to create some of the most unique recordings of the late 20th century. Interest in the works of Tazartès truly sparked when artist Steve Stapleton included his follow up album, Tazartès' Transports, in his famed "Nurse With Wound List," thus adding endless curiosity to the folklore behind Tazartès and his mystical entrée.

From the onset of Diasporas, looping incantations seemingly pile up at the behest of Tazartès. In almost a prayer-like decree, Tazartès chants to the gods in an undefined whail that is both haunting and spiritually divine. Tazartès unique use of tape loops to capture the disappearing traditions of his family's past creates an atmospheric texture that unexpectedly complements his cut-up, manipulated vocal experiments. While contemporaries within the French avant-garde maneuvered academic theory and rigid tradition, Diasporas strays away from these boundaries, working in Tazartès' invented practice of 'impromuz', a method in which he endlessly records for hours and edits only the moments that display any sense of spontaneous enlightenment. Further emboldening the obtuse nature of Diasporas are the seemingly random recitation of poet Stéphane Mallarmé and the traditional 'Parisian-style' piano accompaniment of experimental composer Michel Chion.

Since its initial release over 40 years ago, both Dais Records and Alga Marghen have released reissues of Diasporas in various formats, all of which quickly fell out of print. Dais Records presents an official reissue, newly remastered by Josh Bonati, utilizing the original artwork of Diasporas in its sole album form, for the first time in over four decades.

Born in Paris, raised in Vienna, resident in Ibiza, saxophonist and composer Muriel Grossmann embodies the borderless, pan-continental energies of contemporary European jazz. Her music emerges from the lineage of European jazz that's absorbed the progressive music of Coltrane, Dolphy and Sanders. Today, she cites players such as Illinois Jacquet and Lester Young in the same breath as the masters of the avant-garde, and her playing marries the directness and eloquence of the older generation with the questing, spiritualised playing epitomised by Coltrane. The roster of musicians she has played with is long, and includes veteran European avant-gardists including Joachim and Rolf Kühn, Wolfgang Reisinger and Thomas Heidepriem, and she works tirelessly with contemporary groups and big bands across the continent.

Since her first recordings in the early 2000s, Grossmann has released a dozen albums as leader, featuring sounds ranging from hard-swinging modernist jams to free improvisation, expansive spiritual work to rhythm-focussed Afrocentrism. But at the centre of her work is a thread of pure and heartfelt spiritual music in the modal tradition defined by Coltrane and close collaborators like Pharoah Sanders and Alice Coltrane. You can't play this music successfully if you don't mean it – like the music of her contemporary Nat Birchall, Grossmann's engagement with the Coltrane tradition is sincere and deep. Her music resonates within the tradition – more than just a style, it adds a new chapter to the story of modal and spiritual jazz in Europe.

This Jazzman set draws a selection from her 2016 album Natural Time ('Your Pace', 'Peace For All') and from 2017's Momentum ('Elevation', 'Chant' and 'Rising'). Featuring her regular quartet of Radomir Milojkovic (guitar) Uros Stamenkovic (drums) and Gina Schwarz (bass), the music on Elevation is pure sound, soul and spirit!

- LP only with thick tip on sleeve- Download card included inside

"Timeless and innovative... a musical genius" Mike Gates, UK Vibe

"A listening experience akin to transcendence" Andrew Jones, Down Beat

"Vibrant, passionate, exhilarating. A monument of spiritual jazz" Mark Sarazzy, Impro Jazz

"A journey that takes off like missile, passes through meditation, reaches nirvana and ends with thanksgiving" Elliot Simon, NYC jazz records

"Timelessly beautiful" Christian Bakonyi, Concerto

Romaal Kultan first caught the attention of listeners with his warm and heavily syncopated contribution to Touching Bass' Afro Chronicles: Volume One compilation back in 2017. Since then, the south London based artist has gone on to remix tracks for the likes of Chicago legend Javonntte and Profusion (K15 and Emerson), as well as releasing a debut solo offering in the form of last year's Off Grid EP on YAM Records. Not allowing himself to be confined to the usual "DJ/Producer" tag, his creative output also encapsulates his endeavours as a visual artist, instrumentalist and vocalist. While his DJ sets draw heavily on fierce bottom end and diced breaks, his own compositions range from frenetic club heaters to lilting breezy lullabies.

Having already received early support from the likes of Gilles Peterson, Bradley Zero and Volcov, Everlasting Romance kicks off with 'Step Inside', a driving acid march delicately accentuated with supple synth chords and a lilting digi-flute. Romaal Kultan keeps the focus on the floor with 'Why Not?', a heavily swung dusty piano house number with a fat sub and a sprinkling of vocal chops throughout. Closing out the EP is the title track, 'Everlasting Romance'. Dropping the tempo considerably, a loose dembow rhythm powers heartwarming chords and skygazing synth fills.

Dee Edwards is a 70s soul singer who has impacted on the modern, rare and two step scenes. She is particularly well known for “(I Can) Deal With That” for the Detroit De-To label before her spell at Cotillion Records. Here she recorded two albums “Heavy Love” and “Two Hearts Are Better Than One” from which the A and B side or our 7” are taken. “Put The World On Hold” has previously been only a go to modern dancer track on an album. “Put Your Love On The Line” is a disco/boogie pleaser produced by Michael Zager, an early 7” issue of this being an edit. Enjoy it now in all its glory

4 obscure early 80s library tracks (industrial/synth wave/italo)

* The original sister label to Ram Records from the old Ram HQ studio in Essex, Liftin’ Spirit Records now celebrates it’s 25th year with a special ‘RELOADED’ limited vinyl series of remastered classics, alongside rare and previously unreleased tracks since the beginning in1992.

* DATs from artists such as Andy C, Ant Miles, Shimon, Joint Venture, Interrogator and Red One have been located in the archives. Also from the Ram & Liftin’ HQ came tracks for the Deep Seven label in 1993 and all these rare DAT masters have been located and now re-cut by Simon, the original Ram & Liftin’ vinyl masterer at ‘The Exchange’. Initially, Deep Seven remasters will present on a printed white label and unreleased tracks will have a black label.

* Further out from the early 90’s these two 1998 tracks still exemplified the established D&B Junglist vibe that Ant Miles (Liftin’ Spirits) adored and honoured. Only recently located in the DAT tape archives, it’s focused production of twisted up organic bass lines has a foot in the present as well as the past.

Promotion across chosen internet websites and Hardcore/Jungle/Drum & Bass 12” vinyl communities.

BERZERKER LEGION was founded in 2016 by guitarists Tomas Elofsson (Hypocrisy) and Alwin Zuur (Asphyx) with a vision to create death metal of the most belligerent quality, they recruited a line-up of solid well-known musicians consisting of James Stewart (Vader) on drums, Jonny Pettersson (Wombbath) on vocals and Fredrik Isaksson (Dark Funeral) on bass to complete the Legion. Alwin Zuur (guitars/songwriter) comments: « During the recent years Tomas and I met each other at shows and festivals regularly. Much of our conversations were about music and styles. During these meetings we found out that we really had a lot of common musical interests . Music wise ‘Obliterate the Weak’ displays the perfect balance between brutality, melody and harmony. Being a fan of the early 90’s Swedish Gothenburg style, with bands like At The Gates, Eucharist, a Canorous Quintet, as well as being a die-hard fan of brutal old school death metal style with bands like Bolt Thrower, Obituary, I have always wanted to write songs showing a mix of such different death metal genres. The great musical cooperation between Tomas and me has made ‘Obliterate The Weak’ a variously solid diverse album where you can expect 11 songs of violent pounding riffing in a massive wall of sound mixed with immense melodies and thrilling harmonies.» Vocalist Jonny Pettersson explains the lyrical theme of ‘Obliterate the Weak’: « The lyrical concept is based around how religion is poisoning the world, and even after so many years of evolution, development , we still have huge parts of the world that believes in a fairytale, people who believe that this fairytale is worth going to war over, worth killing for and uses as an excuse for truly malevolent acts. These are weak minded sheep that will do anything in the name of whatever god they believe in. 'Obliterate the Weak' draws from the will to eradicate all forms of religion and tells a story of atrocities made in the name of a fiction. » Saying the album songs transpire massively produced invigorating heavy death metal is an understatement. BERZERKER LEGION knock out with warlike triumphant, powerfully addictive harmonies that will turn them into an unstoppable beast in a live situation and on record.

After much anticipation, our Belgian disco diamonds Rheinzand present their debut full-length album. On their self-titled record, The Belgian trio wraps the human heart in synthetic threads of modular electronic disco. 9 songs writhing on timeless dancefloors, morphing in and out of shapes of luxuriant melody and vivid instrumentation.

The album is full of classic disco and electro sounds, wielded with imposing prowess by multi-instrumentalist Reinhard Vanbergen. It’s both an exploration ofdance music’s electronic genealogy and the vintage cool that has defined its different eras. Still, an organic atmosphere pervades as the blend of real instrumentation fixes a sort of retro-futurism, imagining an alternative timeline that’s a bit more exciting, more sensuous and libidinal, maybe more human, too, than our current outlook.

We start the engines with Break of Dawn, a compelling beat rises from the basement and soon we’re submerged by the pulsing bassline. Dark sunglasses on, we cruise through the night, letting flashing city lights flow into unbroken torrents of color. Blind awakens us, a splash of handclaps in the face, vivid strings and Charlotte’s trademark slick vocals enter the stage. Tantalizing sunbeams power up circuits of electronic synths blipping and beeping away.

Later down the road, we hit the Latin part of town. Porque fits enchanting vocal spells in beautiful Spanish on playful flamenco rhythms. Fourteen Again is a throwback to early electro, playing around with knobs and buttons. An oscillating synth imagines new worlds of plastic emotion. Still disco and still very cool, though. A constant velocity is sustained throughout the album bythis recurring locomotive synth, trudging away beneath the action. Once in a while, we hear the deep, mighty, trembling voice of Mr. Rheinzand speaking to us in incantations. Someone’s pulling the strings here.

On Slippery People, the trio cover the Talking Heads classic in a characteristic procedure of bouncy funk. We’re swirled around by the delirious glasswork of You Don’t Know Me into the hypnagogic funk noir of Strange World. Drifting through the house of mirrors after the fourth mojito.

Obey collects all these threads in a full-bodied future classic disco anthem, before Queen of The Dawn wraps up the show with a sky-bound epic of operatic choirs and ceremonious drums that lands somewhere between Kate Bush’s Aerial and Peter Gabriel’s most bombastic.

This 3 track EP comes out of Ibiza Record's vault called Archives Vol 6. Each of these tracks represents hardcore and the merging of jungle breaks in the early developments of Jungle musik from the early 90s.

A.DOWN WITH YOU - This track produced by Two On A Tip was made back in 1993-94 and was never released on Ibiza Records back then. The sic intro with the RnB n Ragga samples with stretched vocals alongside synthesized piano stabs merged with some wicked Jungle patterns giving a groovy feel.

AA. WALK ON BY - This unreleased track made in 1993-94 produced by 2 On A Tip on the label has a sic synthesized piano stabs intro n rolls into a wicked set of rolling drum n Jungle patterns. Wicked instrumental showcasing how versatile Jungle musik was becoming way back then.

AAA. KEEP SKANKING - This track produced in 1993-94 by 2 On a Tip has a classic reggae sample n stretched vocals sitting over the drum n jungle patterns with rhythmic high hats stabbing through.
Giving that jungle essence with the heavyweight basslines that connect straight to the core.

Repress

+ DJ Sotofett Ultra Vires Dub

SAFT is proud to present the official re-issue of the 1986 Joan Bibiloni Band classic 'The Boogie'. The vocals by Deborah Carter still sound as relevant and uplifting as ever. The sought after guitar licks of Bibiloni have appealed to a lot of generations ever since he started making name for himself in the early eighties. While in recent times some of the more experimental work has been re-issued and compiled through some respected labels, the dancefloor classic 'The Boogie' still remains the pinnacle of the guitarist more dancefloor oriented work.

In this re-release package you can find an original version (A1), that is exactly the same as on the 7" that first appeared through Bibiloni's own Blau imprint in 86'. Also on the A side, an extended DJ-friendly version that spans just over five minutes is present.

For the flipside, Norwegian dancefloor expert DJ Sotofett has crafted a surreal dub tainted experience from the original which spans over 13 minutes and touches a lot of ground. Whilst starting with a percussive intro, Sotofett uses a lot of FX and dub style delays to work slowely towards an intense dancefloor experience. Around eight minutes some grandiose synth work is being introduced while the dub elements keep on singing. DJ Sotofett's version is called Ultra Vires Dub for a reason.

Gigantic producer/DJ from Scotland, Creep Woland, lands back on the Astral Black heli-pad with his 'Chamberlain' EP. Four blistering breaks-led, club ready, jungle tracks intended as an ode to the rolling bass and rainy days that raised him. Picking up near enough where his Close Reading debut left off, Chamberlain sees a more refined and honed execution of the hard hitting electronica Woland has become known for.

Informed by the experience of playing to dance-floors, as well as educational journeys down to London for radio sets, these new tracks are fine tuned and bass heavy - perfect for existential club experiences or the driving of sports vehicles. The subdued intrigue of EP opener 'Imposter Syndrome' sets the mystical and reflective tone of the record, while down the line junglist anthems 'Medieval Draw' and '0800-Falkirk Triangle' call for slow motion gun finger. Written at a time of personal hardship and mastery of oneself, the hopeful promise of closer 'Lord Chamberlain' acts as a sonic representation of the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel of this particular time in Woland's life.

Recently, Chamberlain EP's 'Imposter Syndrome' has been receiving early radio support from Rinse FM's Jossy Mitsu & Impey on NTS, whilst his debut release Close Reading received radio support from the likes of Josey Rebelle (in her award-winning Essential Mix), Om-Unit and JD. Reid as well as critical acclaim from FACT, CLASH & Hyponik. In addition to its various accolades, Close Reading also lead to Woland being handpicked by Lanark Artefax as the opening act for his 'Enter The Gateway' performance, and has since performed alongside the likes of Om-Unit, Proc Fiskal, DJ Storm and more.

While it’s undeniable that Eric B & Rakim crafted and concocted classic after classic back in the Golden Era of the late 80’s and early 90’s, very few of their records could ever be classified as ‘dancefloor fillers’. But that’s exactly what ‘I Know You Got Soul’ was.

The duo’s third single was released at a time when their debut LP, 1987’s ‘Paid in Full’ was already being hailed as a gamechanger. Rakim’s smooth but sombre flow had introduced new phrases to the hip-hop lexicon, while the barrage of James Brown samples had declared open season on the Godfather of Soul’s back catalogue.

There were already stirrings of a backlash from the more frequently sampled artists at the time this came out, and the fact that it took not just its main hook but also its title from Bobby Byrd’s James Brown-produced 1971 single was almost like rubbing salt in the wound. The hip-hop fans and the dancefloor didn’t care – this played all summer long in 1987, elevating the group to a Soul Train performance.

Only months after this dropped, the UK collective M|A|R|R|S turned Rakim’s “Pump up the volume” line into the basis of their own hit. Pop will eat itself.

The original 7” was released in a no-frills generic sleeve – this re-release comes with a brand new cover utilising some of Dan Lish’s trademark artwork.

A1 - Bitch - Late Nite 'DUB' Addict (Original Mix)
Is a Deep / Jackin House track with driving drum parts, deep old skool organ stabs, with lots of MPC style swing. The track is an energetic groover that could well be another hit for the (Late Nite 'DUB' Addict) who owns / runs (Digital Label) (DEEP 'N' DOPE RECORDS (UK).
If you like artists / DJ's such as (DJ Sneak / Phil Weeks / Black Loops / Dub Striker / Dumuir / Demuja / Kerri Chandler /Todd Terry / Kenny 'Dope' Gonzalez / Justin Martin / Scott Diaz / Sebb Junior + Filta Freqz) This track might be for you.


A2 - Fight For Your Rights - Late Nite 'DUB' Addict (Original Mix)
Fight for you right is most definately got the potential to become a future house anthem.
The track has allready recieved support and airplay from (London's Own) FANTASY FM
+ Groove City Radio (Scotland / Glasgow). This can only be described as deep / classic (U.S) style Garage / House / Banger, This Deep Underground but classic house track carries an abundance of energy, the track contains spoken vocals from a influential but controversial leader which gives the track an edge which just help build atmosphere and builds tension in the track - But definately in a good way. This track is a stand out groover that screams Anthem.
If you like DJ's like (Kerri Chandler / Mr V, Karrizma / Phil Weeks / Black Loops, Art Of Tones / Sebb Junior / Louis Vega, Mood II Swing / Dub Striker / DJ Pierre / Andres /Dan Shake then this energetic / warm (90's) style classic house number will be right up your street


B1 - Confessions Of A 'DUB' Addict - Late Nite 'DUB' Addict (Original Mix)
This track is a minimal style (Deep House) track that has been influenced by the early (Rave) era and early (Chicago + Detroit) House + Techno scenes. The track has a slightly darker edge but still remains jumpy and is definately made for the danecfloor in the early hours of the morning, and has a certain wharehouse 'Feel' to it. The track contains bleeps, stabs, and 808 + 909 compressed drums. The track contains poly rythums and drums which evolve and give alot of movement within the track. This is another "Big Track" from the (Late Nite 'DUB' Addict) that has also recieved support from the (legendary) FANTASY FM.


B2 - Heroes In Our Own Home - Late Nite 'DUB' Addict (Original Mix)
The (Late Nite 'DUB' Addict) states it is no secret that his productions are heavily influenced by the (U.S) Garage / House scene of (New York) in the early (90's).
An era that he said was huge in the way the house scene defined the (Deep House + Classic House) scene that is still massively current today. The DJ / Artis's that has influenced him the most from this era is (Todd Terry / Kenny Dope / Dennis Ferrer /
DJ Sneak / Mood II Swing + MK + Kevin Saunderson. This Hip / House track is the
(Late Nite 'DUB' Addicts) take on the Garage House scene / Hip House scene of
this special era!!!

New imprint Ernest’s Way delivers its first offering with a debut release from Australian based artist Featherstone! The A-Side of this four-track EP offers two highly effective dancefloor cuts that ride the line between many diverse influences of electronic music ranging from acidic electro to the early roots of techno.
The B-Side follows up with two deeper, heavily emotive tracks that drift into an uplifting, euphoric and dreamy atmosphere whilst remaining complimentary to the driving rhythms that open the EP.

Kicking off the new decade, Control Freak co-founder Customer Service makes his production debut with five tracks of adventurous outsider electronics.

On the A-side, ‘Dance First, Think Later’ is a bass-heavy dancefloor destroyer guaranteed to send the club west. It's followed with the ethereal sound design and off-kilter rhythms of ‘Recalcitrance’.

On the flip, ‘Betty’s Audition’ takes the pace down a notch with rolling, hypnotic drum programming and plenty of low end punch, whilst ‘B1SM’ deploys a skeletal breakbeat - one for the early hours. Rounding things off, ‘Exquisite Corpse’ locks into a rigid 4/4 groove combining acid with delicate, textured pads.

Control Freak Recordings is the sister label of London-based party Cabin Fever. They are next at The Cause on 20th March with Inga Mauer and Dark Entries. In April they head to Corsica Studios with Anthony Linell and Barker.

"A Western Circular" is Will Archer’s debut under his new nom-de-plume, following early EP's- and an Album under the now-retired Slime moniker. Within ‘A Western Circular’ lies an exciting- and varied crew of guest artists including MF DOOM,Samuel T. Herring (Future Islands), Sudan Archives & Laura Groves, all contributing vocals to his rich, dexterous compositions!

An Album that’s been in the works for the past half-decade, ‘A Western Circular’ is a bold, reflective piece that directly relates to Archer’s personal experiences of life and death, centred on one particular week where they breathed with equal intensity. Ostensibly, it’s a poignant reflection on the duality of the human condition.

Reconnected is compiled from Harold Lucious’ addictive 1990 release Connections, a visionary mix of soulful house, New Jack Swing and RnB, an American predecessor of street soul.

Deeply connected to music from an early age, Harold started his music career in the early 70s at the age of 16. He sang in his first group, The Final Seconds, who pressed a 7” single in New York City in 1973. The group would go on to record a full album called Neo Cosmic Blues, but never had the chance to press it. They would continue to perform and write together throughout the 70’s and searched in vain for a label to work with.

During that time, Harold landed a guest spot on the legendary Brother Ahh record Move Ever Onward, set up by his manager who was Brother Ahh’s sibling. Harold is listed as having played koto, but really he provided background vocals. Throughout the 80’s, Harold worked at WBI radio programming talk shows. On air, he would act out modified scripts to Richard Wright novels like “The Outsider”.

Connections was his effort to finally release a record after years of recording and playing music. Experimenting with dance music he came up with an album that was inspired by his love of house music and RnB. He sold the record out of his backpack, ending up with boxes of copies that were eventually destroyed when he had to move from his long-time apartment in Brooklyn. Few of the original LP remain, and it has become almost impossible to find.

Reconnected is a remastered redux with four songs taken from the original LP, and pressed onto a loud 45rpm 12” for maximum dance-floor potential. Mixed Signals is honoured to introduce Harold’s music to a contemporary audience around the world.

The sickest French band, a trio called France, drums, bass and amplified hurdy-gurdy. They only performs live, in the middle of the audience - turned in to face each other - full on smoke machines and strobes. And they play only one ‘song’ for the duration of their hour-long set. And it’s the most transfixing live experience of intense physical and mental focus, and there is something of early rave too, the togetherness, the energy, the euphory. The distorted hurdy gurdy plugs France’s sound into the country’s history of folk music and popular festivities, of communal trance and immersive pleasure. The rhythmic basis is pretty much the same throughout the whole live. One doesn’t need to actually be tripping balls for the auditory illusions to start coming thick and fast. Those who’ve stayed for the whole duration of their performances know they’ve shared something. However disparate the phantom forms each might have discerned in the midst of the howls and groans. Gigs like this you leave feeling you’re not quite the same person who went in, even though you’d be hard-pressed to pinpoint precisely what has changed. Far Out Far West was the band’s first gig outside of their usual comfortable friendly circle and thus was perceived as a somewhat hostile environment. This was where they met the fellows of Les Potagers Nature who will later release France’s debut untitled album. One certainty remains at least, that there is still a France we can believe in. David McKenna (The Quietus). Sales Points: - New album from trio France - All previous releases now sold out and sought after - For fans of drone, rural trance, stoner, psychedelic - 131st release on Mental Groove Music, home of WRWTFWW

Nils Frahm, born in 1982, had an early introduction to music. During his childhood he was taught to play piano by Nahum Brodski a student of the last scholar of Tschaikowski. It was through this that Nils began to immerse himself in the styles of the classical pianists before him as well as contemporary composers. Today Nils Frahm works as an accomplished composer and producer in Berlin. In early 2008 he founded Durton Studio, where he has worked with Peter Broderick and Dustin O' Halloran amongst other fellow musicians.

The three instrumentals, which make up his debut release 'Wintermusik' are piano led pieces, coloured with occasional celeste and reed organ parts. The record's equal measures of sorrowful refrains and uplifting passages, combined with a real intimacy that makes for an album you'll want to return to again and again.

The songs were originally intended as a Christmas present for friends and family, hence its winter release via London-based cinematic music label Erased Tapes. As the curator of the Swedish boutique label Kning Disk's Piano Series, Peter Broderick invited Nils to record a new Nils Frahm, born in 1982, had an early introduction to music.

During his childhood he was taught to play piano by Nahum Brodski a student of the last scholar of Tschaikowski. It was through this that Nils began to immerse himself in the styles of the classical pianists before him as well as contemporary composers. Today Nils Frahm works as an accomplished composer and producer in Berlin. In early 2008 he founded Durton Studio, where he has worked with Peter Broderick and Dustin O' Halloran amongst other fellow musicians.

The three instrumentals, which make up his debut release 'Wintermusik' are piano led pieces, coloured with occasional celeste and reed organ parts. The record's equal measures of sorrowful refrains and uplifting passages, combined with a real intimacy that makes for an album you'll want to return to again and again. The songs were originally intended as a Christmas present for friends and family, hence its winter release via London-based cinematic music label Erased Tapes.

As the curator of the Swedish boutique label Kning Disk's Piano Series, Peter Broderick invited Nils to record a new album of piano improvisations the result is 'The Bells', which will now be released on Erased Tapes in the UK, Ireland and North America. Perhaps the most stunning aspect of what on the surface appears to be an entirely pre-planned and composed body of work comes with the discovery that these pieces were in fact improvised.

These two friends share a common affinity in that they both possess an absolute mastery of melody, composition and performance able to deliver with devastating effect. The modest Mr. Broderick states 'I remember thinking to myself as I lay there stunned, that I could spend ten years trying to write an amazing piece of piano music, and still it would never be half as good as these improvisations!'

Recorded in a rented, beautiful old church in the heart of Berlin over two nights, Nils 'just played' with the occasional instruction from Peter 'I spouted "Make a song using only the notes C, E, and G", or "Make a song that you could imagine me rapping over the top of" (Track 8 'My Things'). At one point I was even inside the piano, laying on the strings, asking him to make a song called 'Peter Is Dead In The Piano'. The resultant work 'The Bells' shares the same excitement and air of playfulness.

For a musician this early in his career, Frahm displays an incredibly developed sense of control and restraint in his work. As the recognition continues to grow for both, 'Wintermusik' and 'The Bells', we are pleased to announce that 2010 will also see his next album release on Erased Tapes.

die ANGEL, the duo project of ILPO VÄISÄNEN (ex-PAN SONIC) & DIRK DRESSELHAUS aka SCHNEIDER TM, starts its 3rd decade of sonic explorations with the release of album #10 which bears the programmatic title "Utopien I".180g LP and DL on KARL.

die ANGEL (or just ANGEL in the early days) was born in 1999during a joint European tour of PAN SONIC and SCHNEIDER TM with the aim to use electronics, string instruments and effect loops to develop a sonic world that goes beyond fixed structures and clearly defined genres. Coming from different musical backgrounds proved quite an advantage for the duo as it meant that ILPO VÄISÄNEN (ex-PAN SONIC) & DIRK DRESSELHAUS (SCHNEIDER TM) had to find their particular modus operandi: communication through noise and action, instant composition, spirit.

Over the course of over 2 decades now, die ANGEL crafted a catalogue of 9 albums released on labels like EDITIONS MEGO or EDITION TELEMARK that were recordings of either the core duo or featured like-minded artists like cellist HILDUR GUDNASDOTTIR, OREN AMBARCHI, LUCIO CAPECE or BJ NILSEN. die ANGELdelve deep into the microcosms of tones, shaping nuanced layers of abstract sound that integrate elements of Musique Concrète, Minimal Music, Industrial, Noise, Blues and Psychedelia, and yet bear the unmistakable die ANGEL signature.

"Utopien I" is not only the duo's latest effort (feat. OREN AMBARCHI) but also a clear political call: in a world of a general decline, we need new ideas and approaches to design the future.

All tracks performed & recorded December 2015 - January 2016

by Ilpo Väisänen & Dirk Dresselhaus at ZONE, Berlin

Overdubs on 'Cargo Cult'by Oren Ambarchi (Milano, Italy) April – May 2016

Edited & mixed by Dirk Dresselhaus May 2016 at ZONE, Berlin

Mastered by Helmut Erler at D&M, Berlin, December 2019

Ilpo Väisänen : electronics & effects

Dirk Dresselhaus : electric guitar & effects

Oren Ambarchi : electric guitar & effects

One Sided 7", Limited edition of 200 copies on black vinyl, handstamped whitelabel with additional photo inlay.

Tribe'n'Bass? Tech'n'Bass? Drum'n'Tech? Whatever you might call it, the first ever vinyl release of the freshly launched imprint Freebreakz.FWD is a quite trip, a journey into the unknown and unexplored.
For their conjunctional studio effort that is „Alien Swamp“ we see Hamburg's baze.djunkiii and Berlin-based Donna Maya draw influences from spiralling TribeTekno and the freeform approach of the teknival scene, pay homage to their love for advanced, experimental Drum'n'Bass and fuse these elements with a stripped down high tech vibe somewhat reminiscent of early Minimal Techno coming out of Motor City Detroit. Imagine all these bits falling together at breakneck speed and with a well psychedelic notion and you'll be
captivated by one of the most unique dancefloor cuts from a space-exploring future, the electroid soundtrack for illegal raves taking place under the two suns of life-bearing exoplanets in binary star systems far far away.

Faze Action return with the 3rd instalment of their 4 part series featuring Zeke Manyika. "Sununguka", sung in Zeke's native Shona, is literally translated to mean, "To unravel oneself and unlock yourself".

It's set over an infectious reggae, boogie rhythm, with an early proto house feel. Featuring backing vocals from Sharon Manyika and heavenly keyboard solos from Rob Lee, this EP is set to take us into summer and beyond.

The package comes with a stunning remix from Alan Dixon who has been lighting up dance floors with his releases on Running Back and more. Here he turns the original into an Italo/electronic Aend of night classics, managing to seamlessly Amerge Zeke's African vocals with a serious bass line, ahead of the curve, contempory production whilst placing the release firmly in the credible main room department.

On "A2" we have Rwendo where Zeke really stretches his songwriting skills as the whole track manages to fuse a variety of rhythms together to create a beautiful downtempo masterpiece.
Finishing off we have the "Special Extended Dub Mix" which strips back the original and turns it into a balearic house gem made for the summer ahead.

It was 50 years ago that a talented local musician named Lamont Butler started to create an album that would combine love, happiness and joy. Lamont’s only official album release It’s Time For A Change has been very popular for record collectors around the world but never saw the wider success it truly deserved.

Born 1949 in Louisville, Kentucky; Lamont Butler was drawn to music and dance from the very beginning. He was the son of a well-known gospel, blues and R&B singer and pianist Clifford Butler Sr, receiving an early education in what’s required to be a touring musician.

It quickly became apparent that Lamont had a wonderful voice and was pushed to the front despite no being fully confident yet of his singing ability. Lamont performed on the gospel circuit for a number of years cutting his teeth with groups such as The Enterprise, The Dynamics and The New Beginnings eventually going solo with Lamont Butler and The Spirit of Truth.

It was whilst he was singing and performing during this period that he started to write his own songs and think about putting together an album bringing together all of his influences from R&B, jazz, soul and of course gospel. The result is very raw, almost low-fi sound of It’s Time For A Change, released nearly 10 years after Lamont started to pen the first tracks and it gained relative success. He toured the album around churches in Louisville with tracks such as Love One Another, Time For A Change and Ungodly War quickly becoming firm favourites within the churches of Louisville.

Miles Away Records are pleased to working with Lamont and to be issuing a long overdue album reissue of It’s Time For A Change on LP and CD. Remastered with care by Nick Robbins at Sound Mastering and complete with in-depth sleeve notes.

Thembisa’s Hot Soul Singers were formed in 1975 by promoter and producer Sam “Jiza Jiza” Mthembu. In the early years the trio was called the Thembisa Happy Queens and consisted of sisters Ntombifuthi and Nombuso Mabaso and Lindiwe Ndlovu. The trio would start out playing Jive, Zulu Disco and other popular sounds of the 70s . In 1979 they became the Hot Soul Singers and would begin a career in the emerging Disco scene which their group name was now more fitting for.

Their first single under the new name was a tribute to their producer Sam, and their first album “Together” would come 2 years later in 1981. It contained their Lamont Dozier rip off from a year earlier, and biggest hit to date “ Give Me My Love Back” which was playing in jukeboxes across the country. At this time the Hot Soul Singers were also gaining popularity due to their demand as an opening act for American groups. Sam’s ongoing pursuit to be a successful promoter also helped to ensure they were always in the headlines and playing shows. It would be in 1983 that the group would temporarily step away from a major label and go onto record their first Maxi single with the independent Raintree Records new Lyncell Imprint.

Like most places in the world the early 80s was a fast changing time in music for South Africa. Although the Maxi had a disco standard for years in other parts of the world it had only recently been popularized in South Africa. Thanks to the Brenda and the Big Dudes smash, Weekend Special, the maxi took over as the preferred format for pop music, replacing the cheaper but time restricting 7” single. Singles were being pushed to the limits in the early 80’s with running times of 4+ minutes a sides by some labels. The Maxi allowed for groups to extend their grooves onto a full side and later album art containing smiling musicians infant of cheesy backdrops became the norm. Synthesizers had been used in pop music for years already but the DX7 wouldn’t land in the country for another year. Drum machines were being used but had yet to fully replace live drummers like would happen in the years to come. The recording of this new single would require a full band resulting in it being one of the gems of the crossover period before the complete midi takeover. Durban’s Graham Handley was recording some of the best upcoming Disco sounds for labels like Heads Music and groups like Kabasa and Masike Mohapi and was tasked as engineer. Other known musicians in the session would be Jimmy Mgwandi from the group Image, who’s signature bass playing can be heard on both songs. A young Daniel Phakoe aka “sox” was also present and took care of the male parts of the vocal line. Both musicians have writing credits along with lead singer Nombuso. Other possibilities of musicians would be Thami Mduli aka Professor Rhythm who had been with the group since their early days as well as a young Chicco who was best friends with Jimmy at the time.

The single, which was packaged in a customized but simple company disco sleeve, went on to do quite well. Less than a year later they would feature on a track with Sunset which would lead to them singing with Sounds of Soweto records label. The group would enjoy the growing fame when tragedy struck in 1984. On their way to a show in Mpumalanga they were involved in a car accident which took the life of Nombuso and left her husband Sam with a leg injury he limps with to this day. Upon recovering Sam would organize a tribute concert at Soweto’s Jabulani Amphitheatre. Even though the tragedy left the group broken and without a member the band went back to work to record their second full length album. They worked with Mac Mathunjwa who had written Nombuso’s favourite song “Going Crazy”. This album would be released with two different names and covers. One took the former singer’s favourite song as the album name and used a photo consisting of all three girls where the other released under the name “ A Tribute” and would only have the remaining members on the cover.

Although the tragedy never halted the group, moving forward the trio of singers would see a few members change. Lindiwe would leave to join Freeway and then become Linda “Babe” Majika so by the time they were ready to record in1986, now with Teal records, the only original member was Ntombifuthi. She would also shortly leave the group and provide backing vocals to other artists including her old band mate Linda. The Hot Soul Singers would be kept alive by Jiza Jiza and go on to record 5 more albums before calling it quits in 1990 after a successful 15 year career. Today the only core member left is Sam Mthembu who still lives in Thembisa and is occasionally promoting live events. Even though he did produce a handful of artists back in the 70s, his most significant additions to the music industry were the Hot Soul Singers and his event promotions, which is what he is best known for and will most likely be the legacy of his career.

Dom (and his Roland s760 sampler) was once described by seminal magazine NME as the “Ridley Scott” of drum and bass. His epic early records helped form the blueprint of the scene today.

Originally releasing on No-U-Turn in 1994 and credited as one of architects of “Tech-step”. Dom was signed by the legendary Moving Shadow label in 1996 where he released 3 solo albums and a plethora of singles becoming their most prolific and influential artist in the history of the label.

Well known for his early alliances with school friends “Optical” and “Matrix”, Dom started his own label DRP (Dom & Roland Productions) in 2006 to collaborate with like-minded artists. Now 15 years in with an enviable roster from “Noisia” to “Amon Tobin” it is now the main home of Dom’s work.

Lost in the Moment is Doms 7th Album. In his own words “I wanted to make an album that gets back to the core of the elements I love about drum and bass. The timelessness of simple tracks! A sense of being lost in the subtlety of evolving soundscapes, rhythms and loops which hint at more complex detail and emotions. These are the things I find harder to find in this era of instant gratification and easily consumable music.”

Dom’s previous album Last refuge of a Scoundrel was signed to Metalheadz in 2016. It sold out on its first day. Mixmag gave it 10/10 and named it album of the year. It was runner up in DJ Magazines “Best of British” category across all genres.

Limited to 800 copies Red Vinyl
Includes postcard and poster
The Die Young EP was released on the group’s own Cafeteria label, released early 1987. Michael Fury was inspired by James Joyce’s short story The Dead. Only previously available on a 4 track12” .This 7” version comprises 3 of those 4 tracks
Metro Trinity were a short lived Manchester based indie band that included Jon Male, later of Soul Family Sensation and Republica fame. Drummer Colin Rocks, bass player Tim Whiteley and Doves guitarist Jez Williams.
Metro Trinity only other release came on a split with the Inspiral Carpets on Dave Haslam’s Debris fanzine. Which featured the track “Stupid Friends”.
Andy Williams of Doves joined the band later on, but does not feature on this EP. The band split up shortly after.

Original cut of the well-known "Fever" riddim, voiced by Milton Henry and Junior Byles, credited here to King Medious, an alias Henry says was inspired by the mysterious Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses. Crucial early 70s Lee Perry production. First time reissue on 7inch.

kniteforce head honcho and all round oddball Luna-C drops an eclectic remix EP, featuring tracks spanning his entire 3 decade career. Shoreman takes “Bomb Da Bassline” and makes it as mad as you might expect from the mastermind behind “On The Edge”. Success’n’Mistreat meanwhile is remixed back to the early 90’s sound of MARRS and that sample heavy era. The Wislov remix of “Edge Of Madness” is perhaps the standout, being a classic anthem remixed into an even more formidable style, and the EP is rounded off by KF newcomer Dj Beeno, who takes the obscure “Hurricane” and blows it away…

Founded by ordained bishop Larry H. Jordan and his brother-in-law Frank Tinsley in the early 1980's, Enlightment was among the first groups to fuse modern R&B production with gospel themes.

After providing the group’s ultra-rare debut album Faith Is The Key with a proper release, Nature Sounds is now making another lost classic from Enlightment available to the world. “Agape Love” was
a 1988 promo-only 12” single pressed in anticipation of a second Enlightment album, which unfortunately never came to fruition.

Previously only available in extremely limited promotional quantities, “Agape Love” has been re-pressed off the original vinyl parts and will now be hitting record shelves worldwide. “This is well-deserved reissue,” says famed DJ and record collector Kon, who calls the record “a lost gem that slipped through the cracks of obscurity.”

Controversy, Prince's fourth album, originally released by Warner Bros in 1981 and now re-issued by Rhino with original content.

For the most part, the album was an expansion of its predecessor, 1980's Dirty Mind. This record was considered to be his most political to date. The album was also an important stepping stone from his early works to the more mature song writing of the mid 1980s.

Coastlines is the self-titled long player from the new Japanese production unit of DJ and producer Masanori Ikeda and solo artist, session musician and Cro-Magnon keyboard player Takumi Kaneko.

Masanori and Takumi have been part of the Japanese dance music scene for years and Coastlines was born out of their working together on soundtracks for video projects. The pair wanted to make laid-back listening music for now, laying Takumi’s playful keys over Masanori’s widescreen balearic jazz-fusion to conjure beautiful and breathtaking “coastlines”.

A couple of two-track 7"s put out in late 2018 and early 2019 on Japanese house music label Flower Records soon sold out. Those four tracks were expanded to a full album of music, “a joyous, relaxing, summery soundtrack for everyone’s after hours wind down” that was released just in time for summer. It soundtracked many a Be With BBQ in 2019.

The album opens in the horizontal with the sophisticated, cocktails-by-the-pool groove of “Sunset Reflection”. A lush, beatless wonder. Their re-imagining of Ralph MacDonald’s “East Dry River” removes all the original’s bells and whistles (quite literally) and re-gears it with a subtle balearic chug. The result is a percussive gem.

“Coastline” is a beach-jazz noodle. “Drifting Ice” is as chilled and glacial as its title would suggest, yet Masanori’s head-nod slo-mo house beats throb not far below the surface. “My Fire” is another soft killer, all swelling, swirling organ over muted kicks and snares. An elegant boom-bap.

A pair of insistent tunes of the deeply balearic variety raise the tempo, but not by too much of course. On “Woods And My Guitar” a half-heard vocal refrain breathes life into the synthetic xylophone and guitar. Deft piano-work turns “Half Moon Shadow” into lounge-house for the sophisticated beach bum. A classy duo.

The self-assured re-work of Azymuth’s “Last Summer In Rio” is arguably the album’s centrepiece. Ten minutes of casually propulsive slapped bass, steel pans and slick 80s soul beats. Cue the steel drum interlude of “Maracas Bay” before album closer “Down Town” transitions us one with a shuffling, string-hinted hit of ethereal, euphoric piano bliss. Gentle disco for the new decade.

As former Test Pressing scribe Dr. Rob observed on his ever-reliable Ban Ban Ton Ton blog, the Coastlines fusion is very much in conversation with their 80s counterparts, both at home and along the coastlines of different continents. So among the nods to revered Japanese artists like Hiroshi Sato, Sakamoto and Casiopea, there are also hints of Marcos Valle and Mtume, of the aforementioned Azymuth. “The production though is very much now, not then. Not retro, just proper”. We couldn’t put it better ourselves.

Coastlines was originally a CD release only available in Japan, with HMV putting out a super-limited vinyl version a few months later for Japanese Record Store Day. But this music is just too good, so when Be With was asked via Ken Hidaka to take care of a vinyl version for the rest of the world it wasn’t a tough decision.

Mastered by Simon Francis and cut by Pete Norman, just 500 copies of this double LP have been pressed by the good people at Record Industry.

Pitto is not one to flood the scene with new music considering he’s only released two ep’s in the last three years. He takes the time to let ideas evolve and it’s clearly noticeable on last year’s EP on ‘Something Happening Somewhere’ sublabel ‘Ooshaa’, where his feel for an almost poppy hook is perfectly combined with his love for darker electronics. On the ‘Baila baila EP’ –his return to Heist after his last ep in 2018- he explores this path further. The EP is filled with live percussion, a dark and rolling acid line, chopped beats and catchy piano riffs. The three originals are accompanied by a remix courtesy of Pete Herbert that has ‘summer’ written all over it.

Opening track ‘Sammie’ has a beautiful sense of melancholy to it, where an emotional piano riff is combined with some 80’s tinged vocals and loads of live percussive elements for a smile inducing experience.

‘Discko’ takes a darker approach with a deep and ‘dubby’ low end and a guitar riff that wouldn’t be out of place on a Caribou track. The horn section and synth lead give it a real crossover appeal and it’s the kind of track you imagine working just as well on a summer festival as in a dark basement.

On the flip, there’s the title track ‘Baila’, a proto inspired acid stomper with a nice wink to early 90’s dance music vocals. An acid line gives the track its backbone, but it’s the combination of Pitto’s chords and instrumentation that give this track it’s unique edge.

The EP finishes off with Pete Herbert’s remix of ‘Sammie’. Pete’s version has that full-on summer appeal with his recognizable style of modern day island disco. He adds a bit of drama to the track with some big breakdowns, changeovers in the piano riff and turns the Balearic vibe up a notch with an added dreamy solo.

We’re happy to have Pitto back on Heist and this unique and diverse EP is one we hope will create a lot of smiles on the dance floor in the coming months.

Yours Sincerely,
Lars & Maarten

“Miss Honey” by Moi Rene was an underground New York anthem during the early 90’s. While the artist and the song never fully got the acclaim it deserved, it’s originality and authenticity was strong enough to sustain its reputation as a must have track for any DJ who wanted to inject some raw and real NYC underground vibes into their set.

Through a series of memorable releases, the production team known as SRVD has emerged as one of the worldwide DJ community’s most original and innovative talents. Consisting of renowned producer Radio Slave and Performance arsist Partrick Mason, SRVD has done a remix that retains the New York-in-the-90’s edge of the vocal, while adding a techno – laced rocket fueled beat and synth that have made the track an immediate favorite of headlining DJ’s worldwide. Entitled Moi Honey, the SRVD remix package consists of a vocal and instrumental version.

Sardinian “Claudio PRC” is a well renowned name in the scene, known for the peculiar, meditative and introspective sound he’s delivered over the years. Claudio is no stranger to our label, kindly gifting us his beautiful track “Void” on the AWRY005 compilation early last year.
With his forthcoming release “Insel,” he shows us different sides of his sound, creating 3 tracks with varying moods, each dedicated to experiences during his time in the city of Berlin. The B side features a remix of “Ost” from label owner Wrong Assessment, marking his return to AWRY after his “Asa Nisi Masa” EP release."

Sergio Mendoza (a longtime member of Calexico) grew up on both sides of the US/Mexican frontier. On the band’s 3rd album, “Curandero,” His musical melding of that experience explodes from the speakers. Boogaloo, cumbia, ranchera & rock’n’roll.

Outta Sight’s collectable ‘Classics’ series continues with two real heavyweight’s of the rare soul scene, face-to-face for the very first time. Together, these two icons helped define, not only Northern Soul, but the soul music genre… and now, almost sixty years on, they go head to head.

In the blue corner is former commercial artist and amateur heavyweight boxer Mr Roy Hamilton who set the dancefloors trembling across the North of England when his 1962 “Earthquake” was finally unleashed on the Northern Soul scene. Hamilton was already a huge star in America scoring two R&B No.1’s in 1954 and ’55 with the standards “You’ll Never Walk Alone” and “Unchned Melody”. But, he will forever be remembered in the U.K. for his Northern anthems “Crackin’ Up Over You”, “The Panic Is On”, “You Shook Me Up” and the explosive “Earthquake”.

In the red corner is the multi-talented actor, pianist, arranger, producer, songwriter and singer Mr H. B. Barnum who’s early belter “It Hurts Too Much To Cry” belies its 1962 recording date. Barnum also scored on the rare soul scene with “Three Rooms With Running Water”, “The Record” and the awesome “Heartbreaker”.

But his contribution far exceeds his personal output with writer, producer and arranger credits on a slue of floorfillers inlcuding Judy Street’s “What”, Earl Wright’s “Thumb A Ride” and The Magnificents’ ”My Heart Is Calling You”, to name but a few.

NORTHERN SOUL ESSENTIALS!!! 2020 finally sees the long-awaited follow-up to the mega-succesful Frank Wilson 45 in our ‘Soul Essentials’ series. And they don’t come more “essential” than The Tempests “Someday”. What a fabulous record and a top notch dancer to boot! For many, “Someday” is the Northern Soul sound of the millenium, and it is! But we have to go much further back in time to find it’s roots on the scene. Back another twenty years in fact, back to the eighties to the “discovery-city” of Stafford where it was first played to an astonished and eager audience. It was originally released as an LP-only track on the album ‘Would You Believe’ on Smash Records in 1967. And what an incredible album it is offering up a number of potential B-sides for our single: the title track, plus a very credible rendition of “Ain’t No Big Thing”, “Happiness”, “I Cried For You” and “What You Gonna Do” – all totally fantastic. But, we went with the stunningly sublime and pleading “I Don’t Want To Lose Her” dripping in tortured emotion that sends shivers across the dance floor! The Tempests were originally an all-white 10-piece outfit formed in the early-Sixties in Charlotte, North Carolina. They went through a number of personel changes over the years but by the time they signed to the Mercury owned ‘Smash’ label their unique sound featured black vocalist, Hazel Martin. It is Martin’s implouringy desperate delivery that resonated instantly with the Northern Soul scene propelling the band to iconic status. Now, over fifty years on, the two standout tracks from the album are available back-to-back for the very first time! Also available the No.1 oldie “Do I Love You” by Frank Wilson.

This EP is Volume two in the series of early 1990's slower tracks by Mike Wells that Rabbit City didn't want to release as they wanted all "Bangers".

Protoelectronics psychedelic Mexican Holy Grail rediscovered by Glossy Mistakes. Inspired by Vangelis, Tomita or Kraftwerk, this unknown rarity gets a second life sounding fresh and pioneering today.

Tito was born in 1946 in Ciudad de México, the son of two Spaniards. Since he was a youngster, he had felt the passion for music and instruments. In the meantime, he started a career as architect. Since his early years, he joined various teen rock bands, where he played bass and guitar. Slowly but surely, his interest in synthesizers started to grow. And the rest is history. Tito defines himself as an “electronic sounds fanatic”. Quetzalcóatl is a truly authentic cornerstone in those terms: an inspired and eclectic artist gives shape to a unique sound through legendary synthesizers such as the MiniMoog or the Arp Odyssey. His passion was so embedded that he even built his own guitars and equalizers; some of which appear on this LP.

Quetzalcóatl, his debut solo album, was originally recorded in 1977 (now remastered) in his bedroom using a four-channel Sony recorder in a truly DIY way. This álbum could be considered as a rarity. But if we listen hard enough, we find a pioneering treasure. Somehow, Quetzalcoátl anticipated the sounds of future decades with simple but inspired compositions. It is a mythological trip to the Pre-Hispanic México. This album is an allegory of the Aztec world. Quetzalcoátl is the most important God for Mesoamerican cultures: it represents the inherent human dualism between the body (represented by the snake) and soul (the feathers). In the song “Profecía”, Quetzalcoátl emerges, announcing the end of the world at the hand Spanish colonialism. Limited edition, 600 copies, remastered in Amsterdam by Wouter Brandenburg.

2020 Split release with contributions by ELEH and NYZ.

ELEH: This side is possibly the artist's most complicated electronic composition. It navigates myriad timbral, tuning and temporal processes while winding itself to completion. It was composed/constructed over a period of months in early 2019.

NYZ: Two crunchy microtonal drone meditations in mono, using techniques of digital FM and hybrid analogue/digital modular synthesis. FM60P::fbk1#03 is from a number of sessions recorded on my very battered SY99 recorded from 2013 to 2014. As the name suggests, this particular session revolved around using feedback in the FM algorithm. EML DRNPi was recorded as part of the 2015 Plum Island Sessions where I had a host of synths on loan from John Brien at Important Records. For this recording I used the EML ElectroComp 101 and my own 4 voice digital microtonal oscillator running a Lambdoma Matrix to make a hybrid analogue/digital system.

This split release between ELEH and NYZ (David Burraston) is packaged in a heavy duty sleeve printed on both sides of the packaging and utilizing metallic inks. This is a first edition of 500 copies and a brand new full length from NYZ is being released at the same time via Important Records.

Distorted Sensory Perception is back with a journey of deep space exploration in the form of their 2nd Various Artists release ‘Outer Solar System’. Featuring a diverse selection of deeper Electro and Techno of the broken beat variety.

The A-side boasts a nostalgic stripped back yet progressive cut ‘Persistence’ from Maltese duo Moodex. Next up, a deep ethereal musical statement ‘Early Morning Hours’ from fellow Maltese producer Sound Synthesis in his unique style.

The B-side opens with the moody, new school heavy hitter ‘Impulse Control’ from French producer and label co-founder Oshkossh. The penultimate track ‘Brainacid v2’ comes in the form of dusty machine music from Italian newcomer Caramel Chameleon that is reminiscent of AFX ambient works. Last but by no means least the record is brought to an epic conclusion with the frantically emotive and intricate ‘Grny89’ from France's Foreign Sequence.

Apollo are delighted to welcome Steve Legget & Mark Hand to the fold with their lush new single ‘If You Cannot Try’ featuring the dulcet vocals of Greg Blackman. Originally released as an uplifting bumping house track on Ramrock Records Blackman sent the stems of the release to longtime collaborator Steve Legget for a rework. Legget tore the original to pieces, deconstructing it into a much more ambiguous form. ”I’ve never been a fan of a chorus in a song,” Legget muses. "I like songs that are not direct that leave room for your imagination - Mark and I ended up building a new song around the texture of the original.”

Hand and Legget met in the early 90s at the Northern College of Art in Middlesbrough, and have collaborated at various times in the intervening years, through a shared love of Detroit techno, experimental electronic music, jazz and funk. Their creative process involves sending audio files back and forth - “The release was written in collaboration over the internet Greg in Colchester, Mark in Hartlepool, and me in St Albans."

Hand added spaced out textures and riffs from his collection of vintage Fender Rhodes and classic synths - taking the track into sunny space funk realms that comes on like a lost release from joe Claussell’s Spiritual Life label or Basic Channel jamming with Herbie Hancock.

Using their new version as the seed - Hand decided to try his own ’Teesside Techno’ version - "I wanted to give the track more of a 'machine funk' vibe with my rework” he explains. “I generally like to work by jamming with hardware - the bass line is generated by triggering the arp on my Juno 6..using triggers from a TR606 kick drum and hats replaced by a TR909.. the result being more of a jackin' electronic funk mutation!"

This continuing game of musical pass the parcel has indeed born some juicy fruit -

F.S.Blumm enters Andi Otto's studio with a whole palette of strings and a mission to create quirky, peaceful soundscapes. The artists intertwine acoustic and electric guitars, harps, electric bass, psaltery and cello in eleven electronica compositions ranging from neo-classical gravity ("Entangleland") to spaced-out dub jams ("Active Fault Map"). "Yukiyama" evolves in multilayered patterns braided over warm tape-noise. "Kilani" reminds of Rabih Abou Khalil's ECM recordings, with its oriental scale and a beat that counts to seven. The tunes shine most when silence takes over, when the sounds find space to unfold and decay. Far from being trivial ambient lullabies, these compositions burst with detail: Bells rattle, a kalimba resonates, and vintage synths induce their voltage into the acoustic framework. Andi Otto and F.S.Blumm have been musical collaborators in the studio as well as on stages between Berlin and Tokyo for more than a decade now, the heyday being their previous duo album "The Bird And White Noise" in 2014. On "Entangleland", Andi Otto contributes the cello, harp and synth recordings and takes care of the mixing. Compared to his recent releases on Multi Culti or Shika Shika, these tracks are less dancefloor oriented. The calm of this album is a flourishing environment for Otto to pluck the acoustic cello which we usually hear in a more processed way in his solo works. F.S.Blumm contributes guitar and bass recordings as well as saturated percussion echoes from his self-made spiral box. Blumm is famous for his acoustic solo productions since his early outings on Morr Music or Tomlab. He has also appeared on Pingipung a few times, for example with his album "Up Up And Astray" or as a Lee 'Scratch' Perry collaborator with the "Quasi Dub Development" project. He recorded three duo albums together with Nils Frahm and is a member of the mighty "Jeff Özdemir & Friends" collective in Berlin. "Entangleland" sees the two artists weave together a mass of acoustic motifs, synthetic melodies, riddims and improv jams where the magic emerges from the sum of the parts. "It's not about accompanying a cello theme with the guitar or vice versa," Andi Otto says. "Entangling sound means letting go of hierarchies, that no one is first. Our studio is not a control room, it's a place of imagination where we take things apart and make things whole."

Originally recorded in 1977, following a limited release in 1979, Ghédalia Tazartès debut album, Diasporas, introduced listeners to the surreal, mysterious and truly unclassifiable statement of Tazartès and his out-of-time place in the French avant-garde canon. Born in Paris in 1947 to Judaeo-Spanish parents of Greek descent, Tazartès spent his early career as an autodidact utilizing his knowledge of repetition and collage, coupled with his Ladino linguistic heritage, to create some of the most unique recordings of the late 20th century. Interest in the works of Tazartès truly sparked when artist Steve Stapleton included his follow up album, Tazartès' Transports, in his famed "Nurse With Wound List," thus adding endless curiosity to the folklore behind Tazartès and his mystical entrée.

From the onset of Diasporas, looping incantations seemingly pile up at the behest of Tazartès. In almost a prayer-like decree, Tazartès chants to the gods in an undefined whail that is both haunting and spiritually divine. Tazartès unique use of tape loops to capture the disappearing traditions of his family's past creates an atmospheric texture that unexpectedly complements his cut-up, manipulated vocal experiments. While contemporaries within the French avant-garde maneuvered academic theory and rigid tradition, Diasporas strays away from these boundaries, working in Tazartès' invented practice of 'impromuz', a method in which he endlessly records for hours and edits only the moments that display any sense of spontaneous enlightenment. Further emboldening the obtuse nature of Diasporas are the seemingly random recitation of poet Stéphane Mallarmé and the traditional 'Parisian-style' piano accompaniment of experimental composer Michel Chion.

Since its initial release over 40 years ago, both Dais Records and Alga Marghen have released reissues of Diasporas in various formats, all of which quickly fell out of print. Dais Records presents an official reissue, newly remastered by Josh Bonati, utilizing the original artwork of Diasporas in its sole album form, for the first time in over four decades.

Colorful Electro darkness. Dibu-Z delivers his debut album Junk DNA on Dominance Electricity.

The German producer, who has been releasing Electro and Techno on various labels since the early 2000s, unleashes a dynamic package of carefully selected and sequenced songs, ranging from dystopic ambient pieces, epic Acid-Electro to powerfull, mechanical-funk-loaded Electro club bangers and some relaxed deep-space-cruisers inbetween.

Repress

The Godfather of Hardcore, Marc Acardipane, needs no introduction. His outstanding releases over the past 30 years speak for themselves. He has been instrumental in helping to create electronic music history, with countless well-known productions which have been unsurpassed by any other artist of this calibre. His timeless masterpieces have been and always will be heard at hardcore raves spanning the circumference of the Planet. With "9 Is A Classic", "Slaves To The Rave", "Pitch-Hiker", "Stereo Murder" and "We Have Arrived", just to name a few, he clearly proves who's the boss. "The Most Famous Unknown" is a well compiled collection of Marc's music, which showcases a mere portion of what he has composed and produced since the early nineties! The vinyl and digital selection of "The Most Famous Unknown" features remixes by Body Sushi a.k.a. VTSS & Randomer, Dasha Rush, Gabber Eleganza feat. Delirio, Jasss, Kilbourne, Minimum Syndicat, Nina Kraviz, Perc, Solid Blake, Stranger, Umwelt and VTSS, which all deliver excellent interpretations of tracks they have chosen to revamp. All original tracks have been re-mastered to the highest possible standard of quality.

The third in the releases where label favourites are represented for today and backed with a remix / version by a contemporary producer of repute, presents 80s leftfield pop-rock band In Embrace. Appearing here are two versions of The Living Daylights, the original long version and a re-recorded live take, plus additional versions by Timothy J Fairplay.

Coming out of the midlands Post Punk / fanzine scene Gary Knight and friends formed the original incarnation of In Embrace in 1981. Picked up by Glass Records, the early, edgy live recording were re-proposed as Knight developed his 'non-musicianship' with an interest in the possibilities of the studio.

The original "Uncut" version takes it's anti-war themed vocal and lays it over a Jah Wobble inspired bassline and tense electronic rhythm. As it builds, the pressure mounts a visceral sense of oblivion of 9+ minutes of deep dubbing and repeating refrain.

Next to this the "Live In Studio" version sees the later 3 piece band replay it out in an energetic raw form that makes a worth addition. Handing the versions, plus backing tracks to Timothy J Fairplay offered a radical departure. His brooding Redub and Bonus mixes take the track to a darker place, drawing out the induced, relentless madness Knight always intended.

A new sublabel of the longstanding Canadian electro imprint Suction Records, Ice Machine — focusing on old-school wave/post-punk sounds — launches on Valentines Day 2020 with two fresh Canadian synth-pop LPs on vinyl. Along side a reissue of Ceramic Hello’s cult 1981 minimal synth classic “The Absence Of A Canary,” comes this, the self-titled debut LP from a new Toronto-based duo, Analytica.

Analytica is comprised of David Lush, who’s released several killer solo tapes under the name Memorex, and Gabe Knox, who made a big splash last year with his awesome instrumental synth/kraut solo LP “ABC” on acclaimed UK label Polytechnic Youth.

Analytica make synth-pop the old-fashioned way: driving, verse/chorus pop songs utilizing hardware synthesizers and drum machines, vocals and bass guitar, and recorded to tape. The comparisons to early-Depeche Mode (there’s even a cover of “Reason Man” — an unreleased, Vince Clarke-penned, Depeche song that was part of their earliest live sets), and prime-era New Order (right down to the Oberheim DMX percussion and Peter Hook-style bass guitar) are inevitable, but rarely are these sounds executed with such style and conviction. According to the band, lyrically Analytica “explore facets of the dark age ahead — the propaganda, the nationalism, the environmental disaster in front of our faces - while attempting to offer something of a defence against a nihilistic response to these fears. It's at once a call to arms and a recognition that we're entirely fucked.”

The LP contains 11 songs, and is housed in a stunning reverse-board jacket, and is limited to 500 copies.

To coincide with the announcement, the pair have shared a video for the album’s title track directed by Sam Davis and Tom Andrew, who has previously received two UK Music Video Awards nominations for his work with Avery. Speaking about the video, Andrew explains, “We were keen to capture a visual representation of the tempo and atmospheric emotion of the track and make a video exploring the notion of collaboration. A super-motion approach allowed us to explore details of motion shared between two people, in tactile actions of aiding and supporting.” Cortini adds, “The video embodies the volatility and hidden nature of the music’s subject and meaning. A meaning that is ultimately personal and unique the listener/spectator.” Watch the clip .



Beginning as a collaborative experiment before the pair had even met, Avery and Cortini then worked remotely and free of concept or deadline over several years. The result, finally completed when both artists were touring with Nine Inch Nails in 2018, is a quietly powerful album rooted in trust, process and experimentation. The first fruits of their labour were unveiled last year when ‘Water’ and ‘Sun’ appeared online, subsequently released as a very limited 7” run that was sold at FYF Festival and Mount Analog in Los Angeles, and Phonica Records in London. Both tracks are included on the album.



“It was very much a shared process”, notes Avery. “I would like to credit Alessandro with his belief that music has a life of its own, as well as the importance he places on the first take... That even something that may be considered out-of-step by some should be respected. Some of the tracks were borne simply out of a tiny synth part, or a bit of tape hiss that we had recorded. And that approach taught me a lot. It’s a record that’s been worked on hard, but not laboured over.”



“I was a big fan of Daniel’s, and his work always spoke to me in a certain way,’’ explains Cortini. “Then, when we started working together, it just clicked. It’s very hard to explain, but I can always hear the love in his work, and that is true on this record. After our first collaboration, we just kept sending each other music and maintaining that dialogue. Next thing you know, we’re sitting in a hotel room in New York and had finished the record in three hours.”



The collaborative album follows Avery’s second record Song For Alpha, released in early 2018, and last year’s expanded edition B-sides & Remixes. Mixmag called the sophomore LP “A beautiful maturation of Avery’s work as a producer,” while The Guardian hailed its “Majestic, cavernous techno” and Loud & Quiet praised Avery as “A producer fast approaching the peak of his powers,” “This album cements Daniel Avery as one of the best,” wrote DIY. The London-based producer will perform at BBC Radio 3’s Unclassified Live on April 3rd, a new series of concerts in the Southbank Centre's Queen Elizabeth Hall presented by Unclassified host and presenter Elizabeth Alker and conducted by André de Ridder – tickets are available here. Avery has also just been announced in the first wave of acts for London festivals Re-Textured and the inaugural Wide Awake, taking place in April and June respectively.



Cortini released his most recent solo album Volume Massimo on Mute in July 2019, following Fine, the Italian artist’s final album under his SONOIO alias, which came out the previous year. The Quietus called the former “an album that showcases just how much Cortini‘s aesthetic has developed since his early days,” while Exclaim! hailed it “a melodic exploration of textures and layers … an instrumental masterpiece that adds to an already incredible body of work by the gifted and skilled composer.”

We were first introduced to Marumo’s ‘Modish’ album via DJ Okapi's amazing resource the ‘Afrosynth’ blog, which archives South African bubblegum/disco from the 80s & early 90s. Aside from this blog, this music would otherwise remained unknown outside of South Africa, apart from the most hardcore of digger and record collector.
‘Modish’ was originally released on Spades Record in 1982 and was recorded by producer West Nkosi, who was a member of supergroup ‘Mahlathini & The Mahotella Queens’. He worked with the big hitters in South African music such as Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Teaspoon & The Waves, Patience Africa and many more. Marumo were made up of a group of musicians from the Athlone School for the blind in Bellville, close to Cape Town. The band members, John Mothopeng, Munich Sibiya, Simon Falatsi and Marks Mbuthuma, had previously played in the groups Batsumi, All Rounders and The Orations and came together to record this versatile album. It covers a wide number of genres from Sotho soul, Mbaqanga, disco-funk, gospel & spacey-synth slow jams.
Flash forward 30 or so years later and lost dead-stock copies of the album start to appear and Marumo’s music begins to be heard across the world in the DJ sets of Motor City Drum Ensemble, Invisible City Editions, Floating Points, DJ Okapi and others.
We included the afro-disco-funk beauty of 'Khomo Tsaka Deile Kae?’ on our Mr Bongo Record Club Volume Three compilation, but felt ‘Modish’ needed to be available and heard in it’s entirety. We hope you enjoy!

Following his last EP for the label, "Immaculata", VOITAX mainstay Makaton returns to form with his second solo EP - "Crime Wave". His meticulously crafted brand of techno spans over four dance-floor cuts, covering all the bases for the mind, body and soul.

Early support by A Made Up Sound, Aiken, Ancient Methods, Blue Hour, DVS1, Etapp Kyle, Eric Cloutier, Inigo Kennedy, James Ruskin, Mark Broom, Marcel Dettmann, P.E.A.R.L, Peder Mannerfelt, Phase Fatale, Pfirter, Psyk, Positive Centre, Rhyw, Scalameriya, Stephanie Sykes, SLAM, UVB, and Vincent Neumann

Fast-rising Lisbon-based DJ/producer PEDRO has shared details of his long-awaited debut album, ‘Da Linha’, which releases on March 20 via Enchufada. First teased with the release of bubbling lead single ‘Calores’ in January, ‘Da Linha’ crowns a defining breakthrough three years for PEDRO that has seen him establish himself as one of Portugal’s most vibrant and exciting new-school producers. His debut EP, ‘EP ‘Damaia’ (2017) – named after the suburb of Lisbon he was born in – immediately signposted a bright, borderless club sound rooted in experimentation, which has since been best emphasised by 2019 releases including the Buraka Som Sistema-sampling ‘Rapazes’ and a breathless collaboration with Nigerian MC, Magugu (‘Too Much’), both of which feature on the LP tracklist.

First inspired by his older brother, who would introduce PEDRO to the latest electronic music coming out of Portugal, he still references DJ Rolando’s ‘Knights Of Jaguar’ as a memorable early touch point – a record he still credits with influencing the melodies he writes to this day. Living and growing up in Damaia, PEDRO also went to school with friends of Angolan, Cape Verdean, Brazilian and Mozambican descent, exposing him to a whole patchwork of new sounds and genres like kuduro and kizomba from a very young age. With such a rich and diverse musical upbringing, it is perhaps no wonder that ‘Da Linha’ is bursting with energy and colour across all 10 tracks, melding together the hyper-specific sounds, instruments and voices that have sound-tracked PEDRO’s life so far. From the marching, militant rhythm of ‘Stuck On You’ ft. standout Ghanaian MC, Bryte, to the silky, bubblegum vocals and gloopy, earworm melodies of closing track ‘Para Ti’ featuring Xcelencia, you’d be hard pushed to find a debut record that captures a city so viscerally.

Remastered edition of the cult classic cassette from the Swedish duo D.Å.R.F.D.H.S. comprised of Michael Isorinne and Jonas Rönnberg aka Varg. Exquisite frozen electro, death-industrual dirge and cadaverous pulse are at that core of this early emission from the
duo, no ambient calm, no remorse.

Matt Karmil's fifth album is a meditative collection of woozy loops and soft focus house. STS371 is the follow-up to IDLE033, - - - -, ++++ and 2018's acclaimed Will. Matt Karmil is British born - growing up in the rural town of Salisbury, near Stonehenge. Suffering a prolonged illness as a child, he spent much time indoors whiling away the long hours by playing with a classical guitar. Eventually he was well enough to see the world that had almost left him behind, and he spent his early twenties as an international traveller, DJing, record collecting and working as a producer-engineer in London, Paris, Stockholm and Berlin. In 2012 he decided to settle on Cologne âÇ" a city famed for its excellent club scene and ultra-minimal take on techno via the collective of artists and producers around the Kompakt label. With a studio established in Cologne, Matt made his LP debut with the well received (but hard to Google) "----", combining dusty samples and elegant tape hiss with scuba-diving grooves and minimalist vibes. In the same year he released the jubilant club anthem 'So You Say' on Tim Sweeney's Beats In Space label and remixed John Talabot and Axel Boman's (Talaboman) single 'Sideral'. Recent years have seen a raft of new releases from Matt, remixing XPress 2 for Skint, the albums idle 033 and ++++, as well as 12"s for YumAc Records, Idle Hands, Endless Flight and Studio Barnhus, received with great reviews in publications from The Wire to Resident Advisor and beyond. 2016 also saw Matt much in demand for his skills in engineering, mixing and mastering, working extensively with Matias Aguayo for Crammed Discs, Kornel Kovacs for Studio Barnhus and Talaboman for R&S, among many others. At the invitation of artist Christine Sun Kim, Matt composed a sub-20Hz piece for Bounce House at Sound Live Tokyo 2015, while his video collaboration with Boston's MIT Media Lab, Time Moods, was premiered in late 2017.

"Available again for the first time since original release in 1974, Outernational Sounds proudly presents one of the deepest custom press jazz recordings of all – Jaman’s spiritualised and funky Sweet Heritage.

The history of jazz is often told as though it was principally a history of releases and recordings. On those terms, it’s easy to mistake a small recorded footprint for obscurity or silence. But that is to put the cart before the horse, for the true history of the jazz is the story of the music as it was played night after night in the clubs, bars, concert halls and backrooms of cities and towns across America and the world. Only a tiny fraction of this living tradition ever makes it onto a recording. The far greater part is embodied in the musicians and their music as they play it and live it. And even though 1974’s Sweet Heritage is James Edward Manuel’s only release, the pianist and educator better known as Jaman has undoubtedly lived it.

Brought up in Buffalo, New York, Jaman studied classical piano before beginning formal jazz studies under greats including Earl Bostic and Horace Parlan. Quickly becoming a respected regular on the club scene in Buffalo, Jaman held down innumerable residencies and worked with top local musicians – one of his early trios included the renowned bassist John Heard and drummer Clarence Becton, both of whom were poached one night by a visiting Jon Hendricks; sometime Sun Ra Arkestra bassist Juini Booth and regular Ahmad Jamal sideman Sabu Adeyola (also of Kamal & The Brothers) have graced his groups too. At famous night spots all over Buffalo’s East Side and on excursions to Manhattan’s storied jazz clubs, Jaman has shared the stage with some of the most illustrious names in jazz and blues: Big Joe Turner, Muddy Waters, Joe Henderson, Ruth Brown, Frank Morgan, Woody Shaw, Sonny Stitt, and too many others to mention. His eponymous group, Jaman, was formed in 1970; they toured the US and Canada steadily in the years that followed. He became, in short, one of Buffalo’s true jazz stalwarts, and so he remains.

But despite a life lived deep within the music, Jaman only recorded a single LP, 1974’s Sweet Heritage. Pressed in tiny quantities by the Mark Records custom service, and issued with a stock landscape cover, Sweet Heritage featured the regular Jaman group playing a mixture of covers and originals. The whole LP showcases an ensemble in compete control, and with the flying, spiritual sound of ‘Free Will’ and the upful, Latin-tinged ‘In The Fall of The Year’ – both Jaman originals – the album has since become a legendary collector’s classic. Unavailable since its original issue, Outernational Sounds is proud to present Jaman’s Sweet Heritage – the soulful and spiritualised sounds of a master at work."

Uzelli Kaset was established in 1971 by Muammer and Yavuz Uzelli in Frankfurt, Germany. Their music resonated not only with the longing that Gastarbeiter (guest workers) felt for the homelands and families they had left behind and the melancholy brought by their difficult living and working conditions in Germany, but also with the joy that welled up at village weddings on their days off, and the long car or train journeys home. Reaching the remotest corners of Germany as well as Turkey, Uzelli Kaset was soon more than just a music company; it became a companion to Turkish workers living far from home. Not counting the handful of 8-track tapes and 14 LPs released in the early days, the catalog consisted entirely of cassettes.

When they opened their Istanbul office in 1977, Uzelli moved beyond production and became successful in the areas of reproduction, distribution and marketing. Taking the catalogs of other production companies under its umbrella, it continued its rapid growth.

The 90s became the CD decade, and because Uzelli Kaset had not released its catalog in CD format, hundreds of albums remained unavailable to an entire new generation. Because the albums had not been released in LP form either, musical explorers ran into the same problem. Remaining active and serving in various areas of the music industry, Uzelli carefully preserved its visual, audio and document archives, ensuring their survival to the present day.

After an immense amount of work, this catalog, which had long awaited discovery by new generations, was finally released in digital format. For record collectors seeking the spirit of those times, we also began offering this special selection of compilation albums in vinyl format. As we created this series, our goal was to guide listeners toward new discoveries, and open new pages for music lovers to explore. Leaving our rich, multifaceted catalog to genuine musicians, curators and artists, our desire became to approach the recordings of that period from a different perspective.

We are overjoyed to know that our continuing meticulous work will bear fruits whose taste and aroma have been long forgotten.

Uzelli

Following their first 7" in 2018 Budabeats Records is proud the release the debut LP of pioneering Hungarian Afrobeat supergroup, the Mabon Dawud Republic.

The band started out as the Fela Kuti tribute band for the very first Felabration event in Budapest.
In the past two years they created an impressive repertoire of their own tunes. The rawness you can hear on their early recordings transformed into a more mature and sophisticated sound, still deeply rooted in the traditions of West-African music.
They even toured in Ghana where they had the chance to record with highlife legend Pat Thomas, as you can hear on 'Gyae Abrabi'.
On 'Na Lie' they are joined by Fela's original Egypt 80 band member, keyboard player and singer Dele Sosimi.
Other guest performances include Ghanaian vocalist and kologo player Stevo Atambire (on 'Mawadioh' and 'Talk to Me') and vocalist Abate Berihun (on 'Nanu Nanu Neye').

Max Essa completes a trio of terrific releases on Hell Yeah with The Great Adventure EP. It's packed with more grown up dance floor dynamite and later in the year will be collected together with the first two parts to make for a full album.

By now you will know that Essa is part of the UK's Balearic mafia. He's served up big tunes on Is It Balearic?, Aficionado, Music For Dreams, and his music always acts as a sonic raft that floats you out to sea and leaves you bobbing up and down in a state of pure bliss.

Opener 'Tombolo' starts as acoustic music and the sound of a muffled crowd but soon awakens into an uptempo affair littered with toms, guitar licks and claps that are driven by bumping drums. There are elements of old school, Italo and classic house but somehow it feels completely new and fresh as it takes you ever higher.

'The Great Adventure' is masterfully sun kissed disco with crisp 80s drums, love struck chords and a yacht rock feel that is pure joy, something like topless dancing with sand between your toes and umbrellas in your cocktails.

Closer 'Fool in the Pool' sinks into gentle tabla drums and unhurried chords. It's horizontal and thoughtful - the sound of a lazy afternoon somewhere on the Mediterranean coast, gazing at glistening seas through the romantic lens flare in your sunglasses.

This EP is already great feedback from the DJ dons who have been giving it early plays, so act now to snap up your first summer sounds of 2020.

Refreshing, ruff & ready sounding white label that’s landed out of nowhere, pulling on sounds from the early days of FWD>> as well as old-skool hardcore and 8-bar grime.

Two giants of Brazilian music back-to-back!

Jorge Ben can do it all - vocalist,songwriter, musician, producer and to many their ‘all-round’ favourite Brazilian artist. Jorge has had an amazing career, involved in music from the early 60's through to the current day, writing countless classic songs for him and other artists.

This awesome samba-disco-funk joint 'Waimea 55.000’’ is a lesser-known production, taken off a 7” B-side released on Som Livre in 1978. This is a gem which needed to be dusted off and given the
wider audience it deserves.

Baby Consuelo with her distinctive voice is one of Mr Bongo’s favourite Brazilian singers. The only female founding member of the mythical group Os Novos Baianos, Baby is a real innovator andpioneer, changing her persona and musical styles over the years, but still staying unique.
Here we have Baby at the start in raw psychedelic hippy mode,
giving a powerful vocal delivery where she manages to sound simultaneously badass and lovable. This early song was released in 1970 on RGE records on a compacto 7” credited to Baby Consuelo and additionally featured on OsNovos Bahianos’s debut album 'É Ferro Na Boneca!’ in the same year (re-issued on Mr Bongo in 2019).

Deliberately breaking all the rules Mr. Hornby once famously outlined regarding the creation of homemade (tape) compilations, Saroos’ members indeed had the term “mixtape” on their minds while working on their latest full-length – albeit in the hip-hop sense: a sonic snack box, interconnected shots from the hip, something that just came together and immediately felt right.

Whereas hip-hop folks nowadays often use the vacuous term “project” in order to steer clear of the ontological debate caused by the almost synonymous use of album/mixtape, Florian Zimmer, Christoph Brandner, and Max Punktezahl, otherwise busy with The Notwist, Driftmachine & Lali Puna, stick to the classics: their new 16-track project “OLU” (Off Label Use) is, officially, still an album. But it’s wild and vibrant like a mixtape, interwoven like its cover: a seamless burst of ideas, impulsively combined to form a split-screen snapshot of recent moments and momentums.

Re-appropriating the term “Off Label Use” – which actually means: using prescription drugs in ways that aren’t mentioned on the instruction leaflet – in their own “off-label” way, Saroos never sounded more loose-limbed and elastic. Whereas the trio’s earlier releases were rather conceptual and homogenous, “OLU” indeed has a more loose, spur-of-the-moment feel, a spontaneous force at its core. Checking the weighty sci-fi inspirations at the door, they use that Bomb Shelter-type of freedom to reinvent themselves at every turn, chasing sounds that happened to emerge in the group’s triangular energy field.

Kicking it off “with a killer, to grab attention” (Hornby/Cusack, after all), the massive reverb-stumblin’ adjustment between beats and bass of opening track “Quarantaine” cross-fades smoothly into “Humdrum Rolloff,” an early hint at the group’s off-label practices: the underwater creepers floating around here were really voices (mostly). From majestically built oriental sound-pieces (“Looney Suite Serenade”), synth-based “End House Mario” and a triptych of speaker-boxxxing gas lamp experimentations entitled “Cord Burn 1-3,” Saroos have rarely sounded this playful and unrestricted: there’s a new energy at work that welds all the different sonic playing fields together to create one continuous 40 minute mix.

For the B-side descent, “Tatsu Jam,” at less than 4 minutes still the longest cut, billows over the kind of sizzling hi-hats you’d expect to hear on real trap tapes from Hotlanta. A prelude to a bunch of quicker-paced instrumentals (“Scratch Pets”, “24h Love Gumbo”) and ambient sun showers, until the next “Plateau” (Mo’Wax vibes!) brings the beats to the fore once again (“Tomorrow’s Kudos”), and the ultimate “Whirligig” sounds like a mix of Oktoberfest 2020 and Johnston’s “Casper The Friendly Ghost” coming apart at the seams.
Whatever you wanna call it – album, LP, mixtape, project, who cares? –, it’s definitely a double A-side tour-de-force.

A unique album of outtakes from the classic ‘Songs
Of Praise’ and ‘In Pursuit Of Shashamane Land’
albums, compiled by On-U archivist Patrick Dokter
from the original tapes and expertly sequenced to
work as an immersive listening experience. A
companion piece to the acclaimed ‘Return Of The
Crocodile’ set from 2016 that took the listener on a
version excursion through the early years of the
group.
 These are the dubbier and more out-there
experiments mixed down whilst Adrian Sherwood
was shaping the sound of the albums. Bubbling
percussion lines skitter across the stereo spectrum,
ghostly voices echo inside the machine and
mangled guitar riffs beam down from Mars, whilst
staying rooted in the tough tribal rhythms that
form the bedrock of the AHC sound. This is music
for the head and feet, take heed!
 Mastered by King Kevin Metcalfe. Comes with
digital download card for full contents plus doublesided poster insert containing an extensive new
interview with African Head Charge mainman
Bonjo Iyabinghi Noah, telling the story of his early
life.

"ALEATORY CHAOS" is coming back with the third chapter, a very special edition because it will include the unreleased 1984 original version of “No Words” by 'XYMOX' , a very awaited “truly wet dream” for any early post-punk vinyl collector.

The record becomes just indispensable thanks to the contribution of actual proposals as Vacant Stares (Portland/USA), Oby Wolf (New York/USA) and Abu Nein (Malmö/SWEDEN). It's a delicious white wax.
All tracks have been specially remastered for 'LONG CUT' vinyl by Daniel Hallhuber at Young and Cold Studios (Germany).

Tartelet Records kicks off 2020 with the re-issue of a rare Discogs gem from the early 80s by the legendary Danish composer and music educator Lotte Kærså and her band of young musicians, "Græsrodderne."

The re-issued LP entitled Jubiiilæum (Anniversary) consists of songs taken from Lotte Kærså two first albums "Jeg Har Set Det Selv" (I've Seen It Myself) from 1979 and "Hjemme I Vores Gade" (On Our Street) from 1981 - both of which have long been sought after items among
diggers and vinyl collectors.

In the nascent stages of her musical journey, Lotte Kærså's music was already imbued with a new kind of sound. Weaving genres from near and far, elements of exotic sounds such as samba, jazz funk, and dub-reggae come together with a distinctly Danish cheerfulness in the songs' lyrics.

Culled from the vast 90s archives of Brooklyn DJ and producer Adam X, these four tracks demonstrate the early experimentations of the 90s NYC acid rave scene. Tracks tailor made by the djs for the ravers, pushing acid extremes and decimating minds. A document of a time when experimentation and freedom reigned the scene.

This record includes four tracks exclusive to this 12 inch and not on the LP. Remastered at Dadub Mastering. One time pressing limited to 300 copies.

• 180 GRAM AUDIOPHILE VINYL • LIMITED EDITION OF 750 INDIVIDUALLY NUMBERED COPIES ON RED COLOURED VINYL

The pioneering hip hop group Treacherous Three released several albums, starting with the compilation record Whip It in 1983. It consists of material they record in their early years like “Feel the Heart Beat”, “Whip It”, and “The Body Rock”. The spectacular production makes it sound smooth, while the song length of +5 minutes let you stay focused on the lyrics.

Mavericks of the musical landscape, Brooklyn’s finest genre-defying duo Dave + Sam release their anticipated debut album ‘No Shade’ on Classic Music Company this spring, a thirteen-track narration of the 21st century experience, told through the eyes of vocalist Dave Giles II and production maestro Sam O.B. With the aim to package love, empowerment and socio-political commentary into a collection of tracks that never compromise on groove or soul, this enchanting album never loses sight of its message as it journeys from deep Chicago house and otherworldly melodies to funk-laden jams and adventurous studio experimentation.

Hinged tightly by the soulful nuances of Moodymann, Mos Def and Gil Scott Heron, Dave’s captivating spoken word delivery is purposeful and considered, as Sam weaves rhythms and grooves so deep you can get lost in them – the two musical narratives working in perfect harmony. Impassioned cuts like ‘Facts’, ‘Worth It’ and ‘Sauce’ leverage hip-hop’s tradition of battle rap against white supremacist rhetoric, a message that remains ever more relevant in today’s political climate. Title track ‘No Shade’, ‘Day One (Oh Baby)’ and ‘Can’t Get Enough’ allow stories of love and loss to unfold to the listener, while the stripped-back grooves of ‘Round The Way’ and ‘You Da Shit Girl’ add another dimension to the album. Featuring a number of collaborators such as Chicago legend Mike Dunn, powerhouse vocalist Ramona Renea and fellow Brooklyn natives Cor.Ece and LATASHÁ, ‘No Shade’ is an evocative, powerful and joyful experience when played in its entirety.

Recorded in Brooklyn’s Bedford Stuyvesant, a neighbourhood bearing the scars of over-policing and encroaching gentrification, the vibrancy of the community and its unyielding history of creative expression shines through on the album’s entirety. As products of such environments, Dave + Sam’s music is resilient, revolutionary and organic in equal parts. An homage to their mutual reverence for early Chicago house and the golden era of underground parties in New York, ‘No Shade’ is a riveting body of work ready for you to lose yourself in.

Fortuna Records return with an exceptional reissue of a mid-80s early electronica LP by keyboardist Raviv Gazit. The album was composed entirely on the Synclavier synthesizer in the basement of the Tel-Aviv University in 1985. Gazit was ahead of his time composing cold yet blissful electronic music for film and theatre which he later released as an album. An unexpected yet extremely welcome addition to Fortuna's killer catalog.

It's with great pleasure that we announce the return of New York's synth wizard Steve Moore to KOMPAKT - pretty much exactly 10 years after his much lauded first appearance 'Bayern Kurve' on our SPEICHER series.

Steve Moore is widely recognized as one half of Italo Disco-tinged horror-prog project ZOMBI, his numerous thriller movie soundtrack works (The Guest, VFW, Mayhem, Bliss, The Mind's Eye) as well has his clubbier output on Ron Morelli's L.I.E.S. imprint.

The title track of this 4 track EP, "Frame Dragging" sees Moore in full spine tingling mode. In case you've ever stepped into a hot bath on a cold day (in case you haven't you should try it) you should be well familiar with the phenomenon of being incredibly cold and hot at once. That's exactly what 'Frame Digging' does to the dance floor. Goosebump massacre.

"Gamma Quadrant" combines emotive balearic elements with a rolling minimal house track that reminds us of early Playhouse glory. Or is it early Kompakt?

'Gravity Well' and 'Protostar' are both taking a more chilled out route. They perfectly bookend both sides of the record and showcase Moore's stunning ability of creating suspenseful, spaced out beauty.

Stap me! When you think you've heard it all, someone comes up with more earth shattering music, restoring your faith in humanity (well, almost). Back in the early 2000s, after locating those first Moondog 78s, and adding them to the mix at Honest Jons, assembling the compilation that became The Viking of Sixth Avenue, was a kind of musical cloud nine - a voyage of discovery, attempting to chart the worlds that Moondog had created. Now it's Spring again - as winter encroaches - and Mississippi expose us to some never before heard material. It's killer grade, recorded by yet another genius, Tony Schwartz, the pioneering Folkways field recordist, the first man to record Louis Hardin, aka Moondog, who in the 1950s also recorded a day in the life of a dog canine variety and a New York cab driver, among many others.

Behold! A survey of Moondog’s earliest recorded works - many of them unreleased until now - through a collaboration by Mississippi Records and Lucia Records. From 1954 - 1962 field recordist Tony Schwartz frequently checked in with Moondog, his favorite street musician. Tony Schwartz made recordings of Moondog’s earliest compositions as they were coming into focus. Sometimes these recordings were made right on the street as Moondog busked, sometimes they were made in Schwartz’s studio, and sometimes they were made on NYC rooftops. The resulting recordings, many of which had never been released, were deposited at the Library Of Congress as part of the Tony Schwartz Collection in 2006 when Schwartz passed away, and this record was culled straight from these original tapes.

Side one kicks off with an unreleased version of Moondog’s classic composition “Why Spend The Dark Night With You?” followed by the first ever complete recording of his “Nocturne Suite,” a beautiful piece of classical music performed with members of the Royal Philharmonic. The side ends with the complete “On The Streets Of New York” 7” EP, which was released on Mars records in 1955 and subsequently re-released by Honest Jon’s Records in 2004 on their excellent Moondog anthology. Side B features sketches of Moondog compositions never released, many with the man himself howling and chanting over his homemade percussion set.

Moondog’s music is as universal as it gets - part classical music, part Native American, part European folk, and part something completely unique. Moondog is one of the towering figures of 20th century music. This record comes with liner notes featuring never before released interviews with Moodog by Tony Schwartz and is housed in an old school “tip on” cover. All tracks fully licensed from the Library of Congress.