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Leuk en Ko is the Dutch bastard child by Unit Moebius members Jan Duivenvoorden and Richard van den Bogaert. Creating a vault of hard to classify material from mid eighties until early nineties, it didn't get out there for whatever reason. After ''De Snoei 1'' appeared on ''World of Rubber 3'', the big follow-up is here â an album of 13 selected ''songs'' mastered from tape, pressed on vinyl and put in a nifty package (song texts included!) that works like a charm at home, on the floor or at a funeral.

Some songs comes along that you seem to know the moment you hear it, even though it's for the first time. In the case of Spark The Universe it had exactly that impact. A mixture of late-60s psychedelic homage, early 80s new wave, white boy soul, plus a good dose of dub, all wrapped around a killer hook and super tight production and a hit was surely made.
The fact there are many deserving records that don't become a hit doesn't mean some are better than others and in fact, the joy in collecting and reissuing is finding amazing songs and bringing them back.
Increasingly heard in the sets of the more discerning DJs, Spark The Universe has become a cult play and with second hand prices now in three figures, a reissue is timely. As the label oft says, no one owns this music other than the writers, musicians and producers and their craft deserves to be appreciated.
Before going on to carve a successful career in 'electronica' project, Euphoria, Toronto's Ken Ramm had shown his considerable writing and playing ability with the 1981 debut LP Dragon and this 1983 follow up, known simply as Ramm.

Coming together through a meeting with a then relatively unknown producer, Daniel Lanois, via a mutual interest in tape loops and dubbing, it was the suggestion to bring in local vocalist Lorraine Segato that Ramm formed.
Recording at Lanois' Grant Avenue Studios, his interest in mixing past and present technology, with multiple digital delay units, harmonizers and other effect processors allowed Ramm and Lanois to explore using the studio as an instrument alongside real musicianship.

Backwards guitars, tremolo bar dives and guitar harmonics are incorporated with the vocals and percussion to perfection. With a 'Dance' and alternative 'Dub', the song's hypnotic and dreamy feel superimposed over beats pin-pointed to the later Euphoria project and with the addition of a latter day 'Discomix', from the labels' own Chuggy, Spark The Universe deserves it's place on contemporary dancefloors.

"French Londoner, producer, live performer and troubadour, Remi Mazet marks the end of the summer with a release that was well worth waiting for. Eccentric, particular, specific and always surprising.

From the laid back ethereal and atmospheric scene-setting intro, through upbeat dance floor cuts, percussive workouts and back again, everything about this collection says depth, groove and flow. Sax, keys and sublime samples nestle among, beats, breaks and 4/4 rhythms to create a sonic excursion where nothing is hurried and every track is distinct yet cohesive.

Following on from releases on Colors and Love Fever Recordings, Safran (SJ002) is a continuation of his ongoing explorations. The EP is a perfect extension of his early work, a contagious evolution and transformation in a more personal way."

With The Object Isn't There UK guitar player and producer Jack Allett has made a deeply personal masterpiece based around cyclical guitar parts and electronic percussion. Playing like a half remembered fever dream with an aesthetic that is ragged, hypnotic and spacey, its two side-long pieces touch on minimalism, kraut-infused dub and euphoric dance floor optimism. As comfortable being played after Manuel Göttschings E2-E4 as right before a Terekke lo-fi house anthem, it is laced with the melancholy of an early morning post-rave comedown. Yet for all the references and name-checking, it's a record that is hard to compare to anything else, past or present.



BIOGRAPHY



Jack Allett works as a producer in London and has been active for many years as an experimental guitar player, releasing a solo record on Blackest Rainbow and collaborating with UK avant-guitar player Cam Deas. The Object Isn't There was written, recorded, and mixed in Camberwell and Camden, London, UK. 2012-2016.



INFO



This record is about - insofar as instrumental music need be about anything - hallucinations. The title The Object Isn't There serves as a concise definition, derived from the quote 'An hallucination is a strictly sensational form of consciousness, as good and true a sensation as if there were a real object there. The object happens to be not there, that is all.' (William James, The Principles Of Psychology, 1890)



Having experienced constant tinnitus - a form of auditory hallucination - for the last 13 years, Jack has long questioned the distinction of something experienced as being either there or not-there. Even if, strictly speaking, an hallucination is something that's not there, if the reality of how it affects day-to-day existence is undeniable then to any extent that matters, it is there. But The Object Isn't There is no tale of woe, nor simply a response to this one condition, and tinnitus need not be considered only as distressing or distracting. Allett sees it merely as one example of many things in life that cross this uncertain terrain:



There are obvious parallels here with the notion of active listening. There is room for emotion too, particularly the kind of overwhelming, -all-consuming emotion that, once it fades, is hard to believe was actually how you felt. Essentially the music here is concerned with being overwhelmed by a sensation, never really being sure to what extent you are conjuring it up yourself, to what extent it exists independently of you, but ultimately deciding that it doesn't much matter; the sensation itself was undeniable.

— Jack Allett

A swirling haze with a plenitude of sounds bobbing to it's surface it's a heartfelt

On this new EP, DJJ's trademark jagged take on filtered French house is still present, but with Chicago bump, techno and more random elements thrown in for good measure.I Keep Trying To Convince Myself is the tougher, more rugged and even funkier cousin to DJJ's hotly-hyped 2016 summer anthem just a lil. Chi house meets soca in this carnivalesque new classic, which hits the perfect spot between sweetness and dirt.Yn Y Ty is fast, jerky funk and almost a new genre in itself. Both melancholy and pumping, think DJ Rush meets the Tetris theme in an oddball, groovy-as-hell work of genius.The cut-up, loopy loops and tough, tribal beats on Apilli are deranged in a good way and - as with the rest of the EP - demonstrate a quirkiness and subtle humour akin to Basement Jaxx's early golden period.A big sample drives the jacking, sweaty, glitz of Upsqwar's warped take on handbag, which channels the spirit of Modjo and features a ponderous, almost chiptune melody drifting subtly over the top.The EP closes with the Greek flavoured stomper Glas, which wouldn't sound out of place on Richie Hawtin's 1999 mix album Decks, EFX & 909. This new EP is first release since jus a lil for Crazylegs, which gained high praise from NPR, Resident Advisor, Indie Shuffle, Mixmag, Dummy, Hyponik and FACT - who commissioned a video and coined the tongue-in-cheek genre name 'outsider Ibiza'. Comparisons have been made to Thomas Bangalter, Alan Braxe, Todd Edwards and David Morales - albeit a skewed reinterpretation. Like the punks' assimilation of rock and roll, DJJ's fresh and irreverent take on highlights from dance music history make for some of the most exciting sounds since Daft Punk's first forays.Although distorted and with lowered bit-rates, to call theses tracks 'low fi' is to do them a disservice, as DJJ's manipulation of frequencies, distortion and samples is deceptively simple yet not easily matched. There's a mastery of sonics and leftfield sensibility at play, akin to fellow EQ tweakers Heiroglyphic Being, Aphex Twin and Adrian Sherwood.DJJ is a member of the Bristol-based label/collective Crazylegs, alongside artists including Gage, Sudanim, Finn (all of whom remixed just a lil). He's also one half of ISLAND, whose grime-flavoured Nokia EP was release in 2015 - also on Crazylegs.

Professor Rhythm is the production moniker of South African music man Thami Mdluli. Throughout the 1980's, Mdluli was member of chart-topping groups Taboo and CJB, playing bubblegum pop to stadiums. Mdluli became an in-demand producer for influential artists (like Sox and Sensations, among many others) and in-house producer for important record companies like Eric Frisch and Tusk. During the early '80s, Mdluli projects usually featured an instrumental dance track. These hot instrumentals became rather popular. Fans demanded to hear more of these backing tracks without vocals, he says, so Mdluli began to make solo instrumental albums in 1985 as Professor Rhythm. He got the name before the recordings began, from fans, and positive momentum from audiences and other musicians drove him to invest himself in a full-on solo project. It was the era just before the end of apartheid and house music hadn't taken over yet. There wasn't instrumental electronic music yet in South Afric a. As the '80s came to a close, that was about to change. Professor Rhythm productions mirror the evolution of dance music in South Africa. They grew out of the bubblegum mold - which itself stems from band's channeling influences like Kool & the Gang and the Commodores - into something based on music for the club. His early instrumental recordings First Time Around and Professor 3 mostly distilled R&B, mbaqanga and bubblegum grooves into vocal-less pieces for the dance floor. Musically, these were a success and commercially the albums all went gold. There were countless bubblegum albums flooding the marketplace, with nearly disposable vocalists backed by mostly similar-sounding rhythm tracks. Most of the lyrical content was light and apolitical. But the keyboards used formed the musical basis for what would come next. By the time Professor 4 and this recording Bafana Bafana - the name references South Africa's national soccer team - were released in the mid-1990s, k waito had fully emerged. Access to instruments and freedom of expression helped its rise in influence among youth. According to Mdluli, "Once Mandela was released from prison and people felt more free to express themselves and move around town, kwaito was becoming the thing." Lyrically, kwaito championed the local township lingo while adapting "international music," house music, into the local context. "International Music," as house music and early kwaito were interchangeably known, in many ways reflects the sounds coming from America. But South Africans made it their own. Today, the largest part of the music industry is occupied by house music and its relatives.

Mnestic Pressure' is Lee Gamble's first album since 2014 and his first with Hyperdub, a reset that sees a noticeable change in his sound and the concepts that feed into his music. Lee says 'From Diversions 1994-1996' (2012) through to Koch' (2014) - my music felt like I was dealing with signals from elsewhere - signals from the unconscious, sub-aqua, hallucinated, dreamt. Mnestic Pressure' feels like their decoded offspring, a terra interpretation.' The title Mnestic Pressure' comes from Lee's thinking about how our contemporary memory is pressured, individually, but also collectively. 'We live in these strobing, visual times, like a constant subliminal advertisement but, also over the last few years the world seems to have become more and more dreamlike, alien, and parodic itself and there was this part of me that wanted to drag my music back from this Shangri-La, but fully drenched and infected by its ghosts.' Mnestic Pressure' as a whole is a simulation of this experience, a flow of targeted information, through contrasting and quickly changing terrain, from one track to another you're dragged into a new space. The pressure to move is intrinsic to the flow of the album, one thing morphologically transforms into another, zooming in and out from wide angle to detail, reshaping into new forms at a speed Lee's music hasn't before. The music on Mnestic Pressure' has a hardness, with a structure and melody that was sublimated in Lee's previous LPs. It builds on his more recent experiments with more functional dancefloor forms. Here his hypermodern production and crunchy, dissembled beats feel like they could be malfunctioning holograms projected onto the hallucinated memories of his early work.

Franco Battiato is often heralded as Italy's answer to Brian Eno. A quizzical composer/lyricist, Battiato turned pop music upside down in the early '70s with three classic LPs - Fetus, Pollution and Sulle Corde Di Aries - that formed a confluence of avant-folk sensibilities and analog electronics.

Pollution from 1972 is the captivating follow-up to Fetus. Like its predecessor, the album features Baroque textures, motorik rhythms, weird tape effects and Battiato's perfectly oblique vocals. Upon hearing Pollution, Frank Zappa joyfully proclaimed it "genius."

While Battiato's core group of collaborators remains largely the same as on his debut, this phenomenal band (joined by an eighteen-year-old Roberto Cacciapaglia on keys) appears even more in the foreground on Pollution. Out of the Ash Ra Tempel-like riffs and urgent guitar strumming emerge hypnotic grooves and cinematic flourishes, suggesting a futuristic meeting point between Stereolab and Ennio Morricone.

Dedicated to the Centro Internazionale Studi Magnetici, Pollution touches on themes of environmental catastrophe. Futurist allusions seep in through eccentric lyrics (at times sung backwards) about hydraulics, magnetic fields, etc., yet listeners don't need to speak the artist's language to grasp his melancholy vision. With Pollution, Battiato solidifies not only his cult figure status, but also many of his forward-thinking ideas on rock 'n' roll.

Superior Viaduct is honored to present the first-time domestic release of Pollution on vinyl. Reproducing the original gatefold jacket, this reissue is part of an archival series that chronicles Franco Battiato's masterful body of work from 1971 to 1978.

In 2005, a new zoo opened in Lausanne, Switzerland. Its wild animals have been going bananas in their quest to create a more dancefloor-friendly world. Now released, the zoo residents can be tracked by their heavy funk smells. Follow their scent past retro-psychedelia and turn left after organic garage.

"Released!" is the debut album by Kind & Kinky Zoo. It is a collection of brand new tracks, early singles as well as remixes and features a guest apperance by rapper Afu-Ra.

Kind & Kinky Zoo are:

Flute : Olivier Bill

Bass & Fuzz: Pierre-Henri Beyrière

Keys : Marc Siegenthaler

Drums & Percussions: Sylvain Rütti

2022 Repress

HQ Gatefold, 3x12 140g Vinyl, black innersleeve, download code
EXTRAWELT are back! Although in fairness, they were never gone. On the contrary, since their first release on James Holden's Border Community Label dropped in 2005, Arne Schaffhausen and Wayan Raabe have been responsible for a plethora of classics including "Schöne Neue Extrawelt" and "In Aufruhr", their two seminal albums on Cocoon Recordings. The duo are one of the most booked live acts worldwide, commanding a huge fan base. Their performances are the stuff of legend, making them the absolute highlight at every club and festival they play. So it's with great pride and respect, that we can announce the release of Extrawelt's third album for Cocoon Recordings. "Fear Of An Extra Planet" completes the Cocoon trilogy and the excitement growing among their fans represents a new high in the history of EXTRAWELT!
Musically, of course, there's enormous pressure on EXTRAWELT to deliver, but this is dismissed with a playful disregard and they are clearly focused on the job in hand. The album title "Fear Of An Extra Planet" sounds cinematic, like some art-house science fiction film, without giving too much away.
However, from the first seconds of the opening track "Superposition", the album title makes 100% sense and sets the scene for the rest of the trip. We are immersed in wide open spaces and invited to explore dark and dusky worlds that transport us back to their Border Community years. Timeless and elegant, "Superposition" perfectly captures the epic, dream like quality that made James Holden's label so influential.
New Release Information Second up, "Gott ist Schrott" takes a much more minimalist approach with its retro 80s drum programming, monster bass lurking in the breaks and playful Rhodes/synth riffs that span the divide between early German techno and deep Detroit electro with a distinctive film soundtrack aesthetic. "Oddification" continues this theme, adding extra spice reminiscent of the techno-synth vibe of Detroit with a punchy, almost Prodigy-style breakbeat complete with shredded vocal samples that gives us a taste of what's in store. "Gentle Venom" then takes the breakbeat motif to the next stage. The main focus here is the classy sprinter of a bassline, peppered with a flurry of intricate and subtle effects and modulations, that immediately trigger an intense, movie-like 'in pursuit' feeling.
With - Das Grosse Flimmern" we cautiously approach the album's high point. It's still in keeping with the soundtrack aesthetics, but faster and with more urgency. Almost hypnotically, Extrawelt invade us with an energy and impetus that always radiates from their music. Next in line is "Silly Idol" and here Arne Schaffhausen and Wayan Raabe opt again for a more minimal tack, focusing even more intensely on the dance floor to reveal a pulsing, twisted heart to the album.
"Punch The Dragon" is the hidden gem of the collection, utilising and melting together the most bombastic and playful elements. This one is totally off the hook, a sensory overload in an acoustic widescreen format! Then we have the title track "Fear Of An Extra Planet" which perfectly sums up the album concept. It opens up like a film score, with minimal passages following dark sequences that morph into dreamy melodies, all grounded by cool, constantly alternating analogue drum patterns. If you're not listening closely, you might get the impression that three or four different titles are mixed together; such is the effortless flow of the album.
As we near our destination, "The Friendly Coroner" really does honour its name. The morbid charm of the title is captured by a fluid bassline and melodic arrangements that border on the absurd, until the funky drum beat finally drops. In our mind's eye we see a cheerful medical doctor removing his bloody gloves, hanging his smock in the closet and vibing out in his neon drenched workspace. And there we sit, glued to our cinema seat, submerged in the different textures EXTRAWELT have conjured up on "Fear Of An Extra Planet". Over the course of the last title, the strings usher in the final acknowledgments as the credits roll. The dramatic end of "2084" leaves us transfixed in front of a black screen in a large, dark room safe in the knowledge that we've just witnessed a science fiction epic.

Black Truffle is thrilled to announce the first ever vinyl reissue of legendary performance and sound artist John Duncan's forgotten gem Klaar, originally released by Extreme in 1991 and partly created in collaboration with Andrew McKenzie (The Hafler Trio). Duncan is perhaps most well known for his notorious early performances pieces, which explored violence, self-denial, and the establishment of extreme psychological and physical states in both artist and audience. Alongside these transgressive experiments, Duncan began to create audio works primarily using short wave radio. Where some of Duncan's earlier recordings are composed of magnificently sculpted but abrasive walls of noise, Klaar, recorded while Duncan was living in Amsterdam, occupies a more meditative territory.
Opening with 'Delta', which layers long tones seemingly sourced from slowed down voices over a distant, watery field recording, the remainder of the first side is occupied with the epic title piece, which arranges shortwave radio abstraction, vocal experiments, and field recordings (street sounds, fireworks, monastic chants) into an episodic cinema for the ear. The second side is dominated by the long, brooding 'The Immense Room', where layers of shortwave interference and field recordings are gradually built up into a pulsing, wavering bed of sound infused with a subtly disturbing sense of psychological unrest. This rises to the surface near the end of the piece as sexual moans and ominous rumbles crisscross the stereo image before being abruptly brought to a halt.
A singular work of electroacoustic composition, Klaar is both compositionally sophisticated and infused with a sense of mystery and a vital reality often lacking in more academic experimental music; it sits proudly alongside contemporaneous recordings by Duncan's friends and collaborators Jim O'Rourke and Christoph Heemann and is a must for anyone interested in their work.
- Francis Plagne

Cut This Way is the second outing of the year for North London producer Smashed Atoms on the Magic Circles Music label. The title track takes us back to early 80s New York, featuring a sassy old-school female rap over a mid-paced strut, and has already featured in sets from disco legend Greg Wilson and Hot Digits head-honcho Fingerman. On the flip side, Lost Someone locks down a rolling groove with interweaving synths and a nagging bassline.

Multi-faceted Irish musician David Kitt aka New Jackson returns to Permanent Vacation in full force, riding high from releasing his critically acclaimed debut album 'From Night To Night", which was filled with rich melodies, dusty synth pop, late-night boogie and cinematic deep house. For his third PV EP, New Jackson tightens the strings and brings back the bounce with two rather floor-friendly tracks that are still deeply rooted in the unique New Jackson universe. To round things up 'Feather By Feather' is a love-trenched early morning anthem, which is the perfect soundtrack for doing all things that are nice in this world.

Da'saa - The Haunting Sound of Yemenite Israeli Funk 1974-1982

Fortuna Records deliver a stellar compilation of real-life magic created by immigrants from Yemen, in Tel Aviv, from the mid seventies to the early eighties. Ranging from extremely rare to previously unreleased, these tracks are a result of a unique scene which blended funk, soul, jazz & disco with traditional Yemenite rhythms & sounds.

It cannot get more obscure than this! Fortuna heads: Look out for an unreleased Tsvia Abarbanel from 1969!!! Glorious gatefold LP with a 14 page booklet telling the fascinating story of this movement, for the very first time!

After a two year hiatus, Kiani returns to his Far Out Systems alias for this EP, his first offering for a label outside of his own Tanzbar Records.

Thomas Neyens first left his mark on the dance scene under his alias Kiani & His Legion, with two releases on Red D's We Play House Recordings in 2013 and more recently on Something Happening Somewhere, quickly demonstrating his accomplished production flair. This led the Belgian establishing his own imprint, Tanzbar Records, where he dropped two EPs under his Far Out Radio Systems moniker - bringing a more 'dancefloor focused' sound. Now after a two year hiatus, Neyens returns to his Far Out Systems alias for this EP, his first offering for a label outside of Tanzbar Records.

'Spheres' kicks off the release, with its soft bassline perfectly complimenting the hazy synths, syncopated drums and the mesmerising nuances from the hang drum that feature later in the track. The slow burning style continues on 'Jane Goodall', with the track's atmospheric textures gradually overpowered by a steady selection of drums, percussion and off-kilter effects. 'Vaquita' sees Far Out Radio Systems up the tempo whilst still sonically retaining the melancholy, hypnotic sound of the EP, as the snare-led rhythm gradually gains in momentum over its seven minute duration. Closing this excellent four track EP is 'On A Quest', a pulsating number that combines soaring, ethereal synths with a club ready groove that is perfect for the shadowy dancefloors the Belgian DJ/producer performs to.



DJ FEEDBACK

Early support from

Joris Voorn: Great atmospheric EP!
Blawan: really nice stuff here ! really like Vaquita
DJ Deep: nice release
Aera (Innervisions): Vaquita is a real beauty!
Baikal: whole release is dope. big fan of kiani. big up.
Norman Nodge (Berghain): "On A Quest" sounds promising!
Richie Hawtin: downloaded for r hawtin
Ripperton: Great EP every track get something! Thanks!
Âme (Kristian): thanks
Red D (We Play House): Needless to say I have preordered this one on vinyl ;-) 'On A Quest' is gonna be the one for me. It's got that Kiani-going-emotional vibe I dig so much.
Anthony Collins: Jane goodall track is tight !
Nuno Dos Santos: ah sweeet thanx man!
Brothers' Vibe: Solid pieces, def support!

All the beats, tracks, and harmonies that Vega Records release have a story behind them, 'UNION DANCE (LOUIE VEGA REMIX) - DJ CLOCK FEATURING MADAME-X's begins where most great things do as far as we are concerned.... under a mirror ball in a dark club! One night, (well really EARLY morning to be honest) while Louie Vega was vibbing in the booth, listening to Timmy Regisford work it out for a packed NYC dance floor a wild beat caught his ear. As Louie looked over and saw the crowd confirm exactly what he felt he turned to Timmy with a smile and said "that beat is hot, let me get that", and from that moment UNION DANCE's story began with Louie Vega.
No surprise to Louie, DJ CLOCK of Durban South Africa was the mastermind producer behind this fiery beat. DJ CLOCK is practically a house hold name in S.Africa since he first got into producing and djing in 2007. He's collaborated with some serious heavy hitters including Fistaz Mixwell, Euphonik, Oskido, Chynaman et al and has become the go-to producer for compilation albums across his continent and now with Louie Vega he's making his way to all of us. This gritty beat captured every emotion that makes you go in even harder at 3am... It had heat pumping out the system but it was missing something as far as Louie was concerned.
The missing element was the incomparable force that is MADAME-X, known to many as a sexy sultry vocalist by all accounts but there is a force living within HER expressed only as MADAME-X. She interprets the words of Maya Angelou with the utmost confidence and conviction. A powerful woman, with her raw, unapologetic edge MADAME_X pro claims "I WANNA DO THIS MY WAY" transforming a hot beat Louie heard one night into a FIERCE TRACK to ignite crowds around the world today!
UNION DANCE (LOUIE VEGA REMIX) - DJ CLOCK FEATURING MADAME-X reminds us that not only is it ok but its necessary to OWN THE DANCE FLOOR! This right here is for the djs, the dancers and all those who truly understand that HOUSE MUSIC IS A FEELING!
AVAILABLE AT YOUR NEAREST VINYL OUTLET. DISTRIBUTED BY ABOVE BOARD DISTRIBUTION, UK & MANUFACTURED BY OPTIMAL, GERMANY

The following three-tracker release is one of those that are about to take you on a very clear ride. We will start with some tensioning and rising loops and will keep you up while the swiftly vibes are getting to you. With The first composition on A side, Alex won't give you a break - it's a one breath composition where you don't have any time for a second thought. When it looks like both chunky bass and kicks are going away - a very sharp-shaped and acidy synth will remain on the watch and will ensure the continuously driving thrill. Getting to the Second part of this side, what can we say, straight from the beginning a thick bass line makes it s introduction in order to lead you into some awakeness on a early morning on the dancefloor. Stepping into the game, Diferit on the remix for B side is bringing you a blend of both tracks u've heard before. Very rich in vibrations of different spectres and proveniences - from very clear and clean kicks to a bouncy bass line to the very zippy and zappy sounds of his unique style. The pleasure of having these two minds behind the second release of Aforisme is ours.

Phonica Records Special Editions in association with Play It Again Sam is delighted to present the incredible Quiet Village remix of Agnes Obel's 'Stretch Your Eyes', lifted from the Danish born, Berlin based singer songwriter's critically acclaimed 3rd studio album 'Citizen of Glass' .

Obel was at an early age guided into music by the influence of her parents, who would play and listen to a blend of the classical greats, folk music and contemporary pop. She learnt to play piano as a child but it was her move to Berlin in 2006 that prompted her to take her music to the next level. Her debut Philharmonics was released in 2010, a quiet phenomenon that spent seven consecutive weeks at number 1 and sold in excess of 100,000 copies in her homeland alone. The release of 'Aventine' in 2013 cemented her status as a household name across Europe and as an icon to piano players throughout the world.

Quiet Village are the British duo of long-time record-collector and DJ Joel Martin and Matt Edwards, the house and techno producer known as Radio Slave and the head of the Rekids label. They came to our attention with a series of highly sought after twelves on the DJ Harvey-related Whatever We Want label from New York, alongside excellent remixes of The Osmonds, Toby Tobias, Black Devil Disco Club and Francois K before releasing their acclaimed album on K7 Records in 2008. After a break from using the Quite Village name, the duo are back with a bang and recently graced the Phonica White label with a fantastic techno 12' 'Social Music' / 'Change'.

Needless to say, Quiet Village were the first producers Phonica thought of when looking for remixes for this project and their slow, dark, dub-heavy atmospheric groove perfectly compliments Agnes's vocal, with echoes of Massive Attack's timeless 'Teardrops' coming to mind. It's one of the finest remixes we've heard in recent memory and we're proud to present it as a limited 12' on the Special Editions label.

No-one else makes music like this: devilishly complex but warm and intuitive, stirring together a dizzying assembly of outernational and outerspace influences, whilst retaining the subby funk-and-hot-breath pressure of Shackleton's soundboy, club roots.The result is an evolutionary, truly alchemical music — great shifting tides of dub, minimalist composition and choral song (Five Demiurgic Options), ritual spells to ward off the darkness (Before The Dam Broke, The Prophet Sequence), radiophonia and zoned-out guitar improv (Seven Virgins), even the febrile, freeform psychedelia of eighties noise rock (Sferic Ghost Transmits / Fear The Crown). Over the five years since Music For The Quiet Hour, Vengeance's vocal and lyrical range has rolled out across this new terrain. Throughout these six transmissions he's hoarse preacher, sage scholar and ravaged bluesman, blind man marching off to war, and exhausted time-traveller warning of impending socio-ecological catastrophe. Six dialogic accounts of our conflicted times, then, expanding beyond the treacly unease of the duo's early collaborative work into something subtler and more emotionally shattering — its shades of brightness more dazzling, and its darkness even murkier. "We almost didn't hear it when the foundations went."

Step Time Orchestra was the collaborative work of producers Jori Hulkkonen and Toumas Salmela, who began producing music together in the nineties whilst studying in Oulu, Finland. Whilst all their friends would be getting up early to go to university, they would only just be going to bed, having spent the night listening to house records from New York, drinking Whiskey and programming their MPC 2000!

Step Time produced a slew of tracks during this time, some of which were licensed and pressed on 12" singles during the late nineties/early noughties on labels operating in North America and Europe, but not everything they made saw the light of day. Heavily influenced by labels like Ibadan and Spiritual Life Music at the height of the New York House Scene, 'Jazz Error NYC' and '2am in Africa' were never signed, not fitting the profile of their other releases at the time, they were left in the drawer and sadly forgotten!

Skip forward to Winter 2016, and FBNM's Lorenzo, whilst over on a DJ excursion, visits Jori in Finland. Keen to keep working together, he presses him for something uniquely special. Magically, the Ajos E.P jumps out of the drawer into Hulkkonen's hand, and as it turns out, it has aged with a rather remarkable grace. Written using a combination of MPC sequencing and an Atari ST powering vanilla Cubase for some midi programming duties, it features the sounds of the Italian made Siel Opera 6, an Alesis S4 Rompler and other vintage Roland, Yamaha and Kawai Synths. They went full out on this one, even finally learning to play keys for that jazzy piano action. It was recorded live through a soundcraft analog board with outboard Fx, creating a sound that transcended it's time to feel remarkably fresh today!

The Ajos EP is named after an area in their native city of Kemi, Northern Finland, which is where they wrote and produced it in 1999.

Following some ear-catching manoeuvres across releases like last year's self-released 'Only' and 'Lagata', which gained her early fans like Bjork and Dev Hynes (who she supported in the USA), 'Tommy' marks Klein's deepest plunge yet into the deep, dark ocean' of her musical imagination on her Hyperdub debut. On 'Tommy' her vocals play with Fifties-esque melodies before switching to familiar tones akin to Brandy and Rodney Jerkins, her live voice and live piano playing filtered through hyper-glitchy and looped production with a loose, internal logic, cutting from angular atonality to pockets of skewered harmony. 'Tommy' also steps things up in conceptual terms. Its eight tracks are broken down into acts that are rooted in themes of vulnerability, sisterhood and death, threading the chaotic sonics with modern operatic undertones and a Shakespearean sense of tragedy. There's a lot of bluster about originality in contemporary UK music and what rises from the noise here is a creative voice who, by her very nature, plays with the construct of what pop is. This is Klein's world ... it's on us to get with it.

After releases on the Ninja Tune-backed label R'COUP'D, the mysterious Prequel Tapes surfaces with an EP for Midnight Shift. Composed of 3 tracks and 2 locked grooves, SHIFT LTD 003 fossilises transient moments in between gridlocks of tight grooves. Like a scan of light sweeping surreptitiously across a dungeon of darkness or a blinking throb pulsating from the corner of one's eye, these are the brief but blinding moments of illumination that capture time suspended on the edge of two worlds. Memory capsules slow-releasing an industrial mythos back into the clubbing consciousness. Prequel Tapes is a work of deep synthesis. Teenage recordings orchestrated into densely layered tapestries; a deeply emotional study on a life characterised by a shifting relationship to electronics. The pieces serve as a chronology of desire and reflection, reconciling a nascent passion for industrial music with a history in the club. There is a temptation to draw comparisons to Mark Leckey's excavation of UK rave culture, Lee Gamble's junglist memories or the hauntological approach of the Ghost Box label, however this is clearly a personal trajectory aesthetically distant from an English past. Oscillating between utopian to claustrophobic, the evolving synth work, deep techno atmospheres and traces of the clangorous energy of early European ambient and industrial tell a distinctly German tale, forged between the forest and the autobahn.

'Afro Rock Vol. 1' is one of the most important compilations of heavy original '70s Afro funk and soul to be released in recent years. Originally surfacing on Duncan Brooker's indie Kona label in early 2001, the album single-handedly kick-started the thirst among jazz, funk and soul fans and 'diggers' to rediscover lost music from Africa made during the '60s and '70s from a time when many countries were gaining independence and celebrating a Pan-African identity within their music. The album was one of the frst to reach a far different audience to the traditional 'world music' market and spawned many further projects and labels in its wake. A year later, the 'Nigeria 70' compilation surfaced on Strut and labels like Soundway and Analog Africa would continue to unearth amazing lost gems from the Motherland. The album is testament to the determined work of Brooker following several research trips, especially to East Africa - Kenya and Zaire. It brought to light East Africa's fnest funk band, Air Fiesta Matata, led by the recently deceased Steele Beautttah, 'The Nigerian James Brown' Geraldo Pino from Port Harcourt in Nigeria, and the storming Afro jam 'Yuda' by Dackin Dackino, a previously unreleased gem from Zaire discovered on a discarded reel. The album has remained infuential since its release with tracks appearing on other Afro compilations and on TV and the big screen - Jingo's 'Fever' featured in Kevin McDonald's 2006 hit flm, 'Last King Of Scotland'.Out of print since 2015, the album is being reissued on Strut in its original form with the extra dynamite unreleased psychedelic cut by Kenya's Ishmael Jingo, 'Keep On Holding On' taken from the original master tape. The package features the original sleeve notes by Duncan Brooker along with new additional notes providing further background to the album and tracks.

REPRESSED !
1970's "Osmium" was Parliament's debut album and possibly the first real indicator of where George Clinton and his notorious band of psychedelic funksters might be headed. The ground zero of P-Funk if you will. Existing since the late 50's as a doo-wop group it was the bands later offerings that sculpted their unique, mildly warped idea of what the FUNK should sound like. Initially they cut a couple of 45's for Detroit Soul label Invictus in 1970 (both of which appear on the LP) then embarked on recording more music for the project, their first full length offering on the label. The group also released the debut Funkadelic LP in the same year with both albums feature the same personnel. The conditions under which "Osmium" was realised have since passed off into mythical status with colourful anecdotes involving marathon LSD consuming sessions in isolation in their Toronto studio and a general air of hallucinatory, intense mental psychosis prevailing throughout. It's under this druggy haze that Parliament honed their own sound, a raucous, blown out, tripping stew of R&B, Blues, Soul and Funk replete with early P-Funk trappings.
"Osmium" is a fascinating ride, wild, rampaging heaviness of the most soulful kind. A glimpse into what was to come from one of the most enduring and colourful groups of the last 5 decades. Often a very difficult LP to track down it has always been sought after and extremely expensive to buy. Appealing to fans of Black music, Rock and psychedelia equally it's contents have shocked, entertained and grooved open minded music lovers since it's release over 40 years ago.
This is the first time the record has been reissued in over a decade, complete with original artwork. Remastered, reissued and fully licensed with the full permission and involvement of Invictus Records, Detroit.

Too many people sleep on Tougher Than Leather, Run-DMC's fourth album. But hear us out as we plead the case for this amazing LP. By 1988 there was a lot more competition in the rap game - Public Enemy, Boogie Down Productions, Eric B. & Rakim, Ice-T and many more had given Hollis, Queens' prodigal sons lots of competition. But Joe, Darryl and Jay were still at the top of their game, and hip-hop fans should never let this classic - chiefly produced by their Queens neighbor, DJ and multi-instrumentalist Davy D(MX) - get lost in their crates. For starters, the album's first single, Run's House' b/w Beats To The Rhyme' is arguably the most powerful one-two punch of the trio's career, showing contenders to the rap throne that they could still destroy a beat, tag-teaming with power at any speed. Not to be lost in the shuffle, fans were also reminded on both sides that Jam-Master Jay remained one of the world's best DJs, flexing the pinnacle of what would be called turntablism' a decade later. Both songs show a musical telepathy between all three that has rarely been equaled. The second single, Mary, Mary,' driven by an infectious Monkees sample, took a different approach, shrewdly ensuring that pop fans who jumped on the Raising Hell bandwagon had something to chew on. But, like Walk This Way,' the song wasn't just bubblegum - there was an edge to it, and the lyrical gymnastics were very real. It wasn't selling out, it was allowing fans to buy in. Papa Crazy,' driven in concept and by a sample from the Temptations' Papa Was A Rolling Stone,' followed a similar pop-leaning path. Overall, the lyrical content on the album was a step up from the group's first three LPs. It's easy to infer, looking back, that they were feeling the heat from their younger competitors in the rap game. The genre was changing fast, and they were up to the challenge. On cuts like Radio Station' they bring substance to the grooves, by attacking Black Radio for its continual denigration of rap. Tougher Than Leather' reminds the world that they were still the Kings of Rock, with hard guitars to drive the point home. And They Call Us Run-DMC' and Soul To Rock And Roll' both bring things back to their early days, with sure-fire park jam rhymes and killer cuts. Tougher Than Leather, which went platinum up against a lot of competition, perfectly bookends the '80s output of one of the decade's most important groups. It encompasses the full range of the trio's capabilities, and reminds us that Run-DMC should never be forgotten as both pioneers and party-rockers. And so, we say, long live Joe, Darryl and Jay!

HOUSEWAX is happy to welcome back Sakro! This time he teamed up with his friend Miguel Puente.
Nearly one year after his "Lemonade EP" the duo presents 3 outstanding club tracks - right on time for the summer season.
Sakro's releases are played by nearly all good Dj's around the globe. The last important push came early 2017 after his release
on Raum Musik #100 which is already noted as one Resident Advisor's best records of the year!

Juxta Position returns once more to his own imprint with two slices of epic techno. Kinaesthesia is a subtle tool track with added depth, as waves of synth chords wash over deep percussion in increasing intensity. Barrier Block however hits straight between the eyes, with its fusion of varying styles. A half breakbeat rhythm section builds in intensity before an early 90's Frankfurt influenced melodic synth construction reveals itself, culminating in a spectacular crescendo. Two more essential cuts for your box, do not miss!

The sub label of Sonic Groove, 'Sonic Groove Experiments', returns after a 4 year hiatus with a stellar re-release of the Electrowave classic 'Eruption' by Beta Evers. Originally released as a Limited Edition 12' back in 2005 on Beta's own Kommando 6 label. Now in 2017 the original pressing goes for quite a fortune on the record collecting market. Often exceeding €60 for a mint copy. For the first time in a dozen years this release is available on vinyl in its original running order but with very sleak new artwork for the normal asking price of a new store bought 12'.

Beta Evers is Brigitte Enzler from Augsburg, Germany. An artist with a substantial amount of accomplished work to her credit including an early release on the storied Hague label, Cre`me and her side project Black Spider Clan. After ceasing Kommando 6 operations, Beta Evers continues on independently releasing music on her other labels Bodyvolt and Venus Noir. Her most recent release is the 2016 awesome 'Delusion' album on legendary Industrial/EBM pioneer Dirk Ivens prestigious Daft imprint.

The opening track's title serves as a warning, titled 'Don't Be Afraid', a cold introduction led by sinister synth lines soliciting our attention to expertly crafted true analog electronic percussion in the EBM/Dark Electro disciplines. Surreal, deep and seductive vocals lie in the wake at the center of the composition giving us a melancholic piece worthy of deep contemplation during listening on or off the dance floor.

The following track 'Move In My Body Rhythm' continues in the same sinister and dark aesthetic in a more driving manner, this track continues to bring forth energy with a precise beat and rhythm accompanied by acidic synth modulations.

Side B continues to hold the heavy weight of this extended player with the track 'Eruptive' This reference track to the title of the EP. is an electronic/vocal robotic analog circuit breaker suitable for dawn light on the floor. Traditional arsenal of classic analog sounds are arranged and rearranged with sonic manipulation at the test. Mutant dance music for cosmic venues.

The closing track, 'Destination Lost' is comprised of lyrics of urban angst and disturbance whispered out through sultry vocals. Dark minimalist and cinematic cyberpunk breaks reinforced by low drone synth waves and crystals of lysergic analog bleeps drifting along the perimeter. Dead serious wave infected electronics.

This sonic document also serves as a good example of a roots approach to creating music whilst at the same time giving us something entirely innovative. This is as futuristic as it is timeless and that reflects the elements of a masterpiece.

REPRESS ALERT: After the series of Caribbean related releases, Emotional Rescue returns to the early 80's Downtown NYC post punk / new wave scene with Plus Instruments - collecting their best and rarest songs on one groove laden EP. 4 tracks of pure Downtown punk-dub-funk, all with the nonchalant Euro-style delivery of Truus de Groot. It doesn't get better than this. Coming with extended unreleased versions, the originals were collected from sought after EPs, an obscure compilation LP and fiishes with a never before released song - this is history. Licensed and remastered for aural pleasure.

DJs and fans alike can look forward to another helping of Lord Echo, with a new 12' featuring fresh takes on his high-rolling summertme opus The Sweetest Meditaton' from his latest hit album Harmonies'. Expect luxurious slices of disco dub with a new mix cooked up by the Lord himself, a remix by long tme collaborator Julien Dyne, a Black Ark style disco-dub of a rare early version as well as the original mix heard for the frst tme at 45 RRM. Please enjoy.

Toby Tobias joins Delusions again for what will be his sixth(!) 12' entitled The Rain. The prolific Londoner whose releases have graced such venerable labels as Rekids, ESP Intistute and Let's Play House, is back with a vengeance, delivering two mighty fine originals plus a remix from Nebraska.
In true Toby Tobias style, The Rain got made on an MPC, sliced and edited from a single live take through the desk then accidentally deleted so no further mixing, sequencing or editing could be carried out. But what is an A&R man's nightmare, turns out to be the record buying DJ's gain, as the improvised, dubby vibe and raw as ***k mixdown give the track an authentic feel and energy which could only come from the madness in Toby's method. Fresh from his brilliant releases on Mister Saturday Night and Razor n Tape, we have our man Nebraska do his thing on the remix of The Rain. Dropping down the BPM's a bit from Toby's more frenetic original, Nebraska add's a healthy dose of moogy lead lines to the lo-slung house
groove, perfect for warming up the dancefloor. Closing this release we have New Way Of Feeling which sees Toby in
playful mode with a percussion heavy, driving basement jam. FM pads form the centerpiece of the track whilst flourishes of Juno come and go, hints of early 90's IDM shining through on the glistening sine-wave melodies. All in all a glorious melting pot of ideas and influences all over this release which make for one of his strongest yet for Delusions

Fresh from his 'Vanishing Point single on UK label Hypercolour, which saw the lead track hit the Beatport Leftfield House & Techno sales chart at #1 for four weeks, A Sagittariun is back on his Elastic Dreams label with the 'Slightly Ajar' EP. As always, A Sagittariun brings an eclectic melting pot of flavours to each of his EPs, blending Detroit techno, ambient house, highly charged electro, dramatic synths and transcendental vibes. 'Stingray' combines future techno beats with apocalyptic bass and melodious keys, with an almost early 1980s synth pop vibe to it, whilst 'Burning Crystal' is the kind of introverted and deep ambient electronica that has shaped the two A Sagittariun albums (2013's 'Dream Ritual' and 2016's 'Elasticity'). 'An Infinite Number Of Possibilities' is relentless, frenetic and funky, as a myriad of warped sounds and riffs flash past the heavy drum work, and '720 Degrees' closes the EP with crunchy 808 electro patterns, FM bass and huge melancholic strings straight out of the Derrick May rule book. A Sagittariun will be performing at the Berghain, Berlin on 26th August, showcasing a new live set before embarking on further dates at the end of the year.

...and in the end, not a great deal is known about the Spanish duo Futuro. The saga begins with the discovery of a cache of test pressings deep within the shelves of a very dusty record shop near the Plaza Del Toros De Valencia. As is the case with these things there was no promo sheet or any other information outside of three clues etched into the run-out groove: Futuro, Jollyman, MCMLXXXVII. Through deduction and reasoning it was soon realised that Jollyman was a short lived Italian record label that closed it's doors in 1987. There were rumours for a while that Jollyman was a mafia wedding gift to a music enthused female family member, but as the journey continued it became slightly more likely that this was a tax write-off for it's owners, as the label itself was never very successful, and was more likely an afterthought rather than a full on passion project. That is not to say that there were not gems hidden within it's small catalogue, most notably from noted library musician, composer and arranger Alessandro Signoretti, without whose help this release would not be presently in front of you. Alessandro's assistance led us to the infamous Hafenklang Studio in Hamburg, Germany. The very same studio used by Boytronic to record their classic LP 'The Continental' (some of the same DX presets can easily be heard on both albums) and despite the insane amounts of musicians that have passed through those doors the owner clearly remembered the duo and finally the mysterious Futuro had names: Javier C Rayón and Raúl Láynez.Too late for the Italo boom, and too early for the Sonido De Valencia craze, the recordings of Futuro have sat on master tapes since 1987 finally awaiting their much deserved audience. Bordello A Parigi are more than proud to present this lost Late slow-mo synthesizer Italo masterpiece onto the world.

Soma welcome back long time collaborator Tony Scott under his Edit Select alias with The Bridge. Having recorded such classics as X-Track under Percy X, Tony has since found new depths with his Edit Select moniker which has seen countless releases on his own self titled label and more. With an album currently planned for release on Soma in early 2018, Edit Select takes his first steps onto his hometown label with this new single.

Suitably deep production is always the order of the day with any Edit Select release and this one is no different. Title track, The Bridge, begins with a chugging beat before gradually undulating into epic soundscapes. Flux takes a darker turn as twisted synths resonate throughout the typical atmospheric backdrop. Tonalist creates more rhythmic scenes with intense percussive elements keeping the track moving.

ALFIE DAVISON first came to prominence in the early seventies as a DJ on the New York dance scene breaking cutting edge singles such as Soul Makossa' by Manu Dibango. Eventually he hit with his own song -- Who's Gonna Love Me' -- recorded by The Imperials and breaking the U.K. Top 20 in December 1977. Davison did record his own version which saw a release in the U.S.A. on the RCA imprint, but it failed to chart.
However, it was his sublime single - Love Is Serious Business' - that propelled him into the Northern Soul Hall of Fame. Released on Mercury Records in 1979, in both 7 and 12-inch formats, it was an instant hit in the North of England where it packed the floor at Wigan Casino courtesy of the forward-thinking DJ Richard Searling who, at the time, favoured the rare 12-inch import.
Sadly, the song failed to chart despite a favourable reception in the trade magazine Billboard, although, oddly, it was reviewed in the Pop', rather than the Soul' section. Davison was completely unaware of the serious' club action that the song received in the U.K. and he never performed it in public, until Ian Levine met up with him at the dawn of the new millennium, in Brooklyn, for the filming of The Strange World Of Northern Soul'.
Alfie Davison passed away in 2014 and leaves behind a small but precious legacy that will be forever cherished in the Hearts and Souls of Northern Soul fans worldwide.

Lucretio´s first solo release on Memento, the 'System Pressure E.P.' is a piece of carefully handcrafted nightclub music.
The late-hours anthem 'Addict to the dancefloor' combines the early 90s heart-felt grooves with the state of the art of contemporary electronic production.

'2bpad1' is a relentless ride of voltage controlled oscillators and hexadecimal quirks over hefty bare drums processed with a juicy analogue filter.

Finally 'Love don't leave' bring back together House and Techno, melting their rhythm and blues essence into an absolute peak-time conjunction.

As BPMF started making techno again, he surveyed his techno friends asking them what it was about his music they found the most annoying. The answers TR-606 hi-hats and portamento.
He proceeded to focus on these aspects of his music and today the results are here: "Abide the Glide Volume 4" wherein BPMF is pushing all the right buttons to get the DJ thinking about the sounds their pumpin. Jamie Morris provides an excellent DJ freindly remix of "Even Straighter", taking BPMF's idea and going even straighter.Old Man Raver Pants" proves that a 50 year old man can still party, so long as he's wearing his raver pants and while there's been alot of talk about alternative facts, "Alt-Slacks" is a dub inspired jam that seems like it's narrative might fall apart at anytime.Schmer label head BPMF has been making electronic music since 1984. As Free World released cassettes, was entered by WFCS into CMJ's Best Unsigned Bands competition and in 1985 earned the duo a spot on an Epic Records compilation. In 1986 they released "Amagi", an eclectic collection of experimental electronica inspired by underground new wave and industrial music of the 80s.BPMF and Taylor Deupree formed Decameron and released two cassettes on Havoc Music. Some tracks would appear on early techno CD compilations under pseudonyms. Havoc Music's own compilation "Techno Criminal Sub Cultures" is where BPMF first appeared in 1991.
With Dietrich Schoenemann and Taylor Deupree, BPMF assembled classic early 80s analog gear and as Prototype 909 they released "Acid Technology" on Instinct records; performed their first live show, met Abe Duque who invited all of his techno friends to the legendary Limelight Club in NYC. BPMF brought records and gear jammed live with them. The Rancho Relaxo All-Stars would release three albums and tour Europe together even destroying the original Ultraschall in Munich, quite literally tearing the place down. With John Selway, BPMF channeled early electro and new wave sounds forming Synapse and creating Serotonin Records to bring the funk back and help give birth to the electro revival scene.Prototype 909 recorded four albums and played 70+ shows. Synapse was the first American electro group to play live in Moscow. BPMF released tracks on Serotonin, Schmer, Instinct, Analog/EMF, Tension/Rancho Relaxo Records. His approach to electronic music is hands on and experimental, so more than having a "sound" his music reflects his values: spontaneity and a sense of urgency.

Label is very proud to put out the VOLUME 2 with these two Attias versions unreleased before in a 12' format and officially licenced directly from the artists. Already played by a few international djs, we are definitely confident that this new imprint is promising with great quality for music lovers and vinyl collectors.On the A side we have an early UK vocal house tune produced by the She PROJECT outfit and that came out only on an album in 1991. Never released on a 12 inch before 'Mainsqueeze ' edit by Alex is longer than the original and more 'dancefloor' orientated with extended parts and an amazing mastering to feel comfortable to play out and loud. on the B side you will find an incredible instrumental soulful deep house track from 1991 produced by T Tauri New York duo. Extended from the original tapes and mixed with unreleased versions , Stéphane Attias version is a 9min 21 extended dancefloor journey into the deepness of New York early house music sounds . These two great soulful track will definitely find place in any dj box because its really really Good!

Having made her mark on Brazil's rich musical legacy with three best-selling albums to date, Rio's original nu-bossa queen returns with a tour de force of golden-era Brazilian soul music. From the spiritual swing of the early pioneers of modern Samba, to the dizzying hedonism of Brazil's eighties disco/boogie craze, Clareia is a life-affirming journey through the rich and varied sounds Sabrina Malheiros has been immersed in since she can remember. For her most up-lifting and danceable album to date, Sabrina has (as always) enlisted her father Alex Malheiros - bassist of samba jazz-funk legends Azymuth - and visionary London based producer Daniel Maunick (aka Dokta Venom), son of Incognito's Bluey.

Sabrina Malheiros' career has often been characterised by her place in the succession of those special Brazilian women who, with unmistakable talent and effortless grace, have encapsulated the magical energy of Brazil with their voices. Elis Regina, Astrud Gilberto, and Joyce all had it, and Sabrina Malheiros has it in spades.'(MOJO) With her debut album Equilibria in 2005, Sabrina arrived on a wave of instant acclaim, carving out her place as the pioneering voice of a new brand of Brazilian soul music, rooted in the traditions of samba and bossa, but with an edge of contemporary electronic sophistication. Sabrina's innovative nu-bossa sound would continue with the 2006 remix album 'Vibrasons' followed by sophomore 'New Morning' - declared the best album of summer 2008'(Evening Standard), before 2011's best-seller Dreaming.

Six years on, Sabrina returns with Clareia. Itmeans to clear, light, brighten or illuminate, which, after seeing Brazil and the rest of the world go through some very difficult times, is exactly what the writing of this album brought to my life.' All tracks are written by either Sabrina, or in collaboration with her father Alex Malheiros and producer Daniel Maunick. Written and recorded in Niteroi, Brazil, overlooking Gunabara Bay and Rio's beaches, mountains and forests, the music basks in its surroundings and sings of ecological beauty, peace and sanctuary. Echoing Sabrina's emphasis on clarity, Alex notes that the album's title represents an appeal to the minds of our civilization today, to clear our thoughts for good and for peace.'

This pursuit of clarity continued into the studio: It took a little longer than usual' notes Sabrina, which was good in way, as all my previous albums were recorded in rush and we usually had a week for pre-production and another week in the studio, which always gave me the feeling that I could do better. With this album it was different... we took our time.'

Sabrina's unmistakable voice has never sounded better. Packed out with high-octane swinging samba-soul, like the title-track and 'Salve O Mar', the album also features some bottom-heavy Brazilian boogie cuts, like rejoicing album opener 'Celebrar' which harks back to some of Marcos Valle's cult '80s disco output, and 'Sol Ceu E Mar' is a Tania Maria-esque future classic of scorching latin-funk. Mellower moments are found in 'Em Paz', on which Sabrina's beguiling harmonies find an anchor in the rhythmic acoustic guitar of Ze Carlos', who Sabrina heralds as being the best guitarist I have ever worked with'. Azymuth's keyboardist Kiko Continentino's deft Rhodes, piano, organ and synth playing, add ever more textures of distinctly Brazilian brilliance throughout, while tropical brass and flute arrangements on cool bossa-jazz movers 'Vai Maria' and 'Sandore', come from Brazilian saxophone legend Leo Gandleman, a man who has worked with everyone from Gal Costa to Gilberto Gil. The rhythm section combines Daniel Maunick's seamless drum programming and the organic polyrhythms of Brazilian percussion legend Jakare, all punctuated by Alex Malheiros' inimitable (occasionally slapped) jazz-funk bass, giving the album its irresistibly danceable pulse.

Set for release at the height of summer this year, Clareia is an intergenerational masterclass of Brazil's soulful spectrum, led by a pioneering voice of today's scene on the very top of her game. The up-lifting compositions, which take inspiration from the stunning natural beauty amongst which the album was made, and the call for the clarity of mind needed to preserve it, are enriched by this special team of some of Brazil's most established musicians. Like the sun breaking through tropical storm-clouds, Clareia is a vessel of joy, as Sabrina puts it simply, I hope Clareia brightens the soul of whoever listens to it. That's the spirit of this album.'