Search:fantasy club
- 1
Live At Robert Johnson kicks off 2021 with a new cut above the rest thanks to Benjamin Fröhlich, who dons a cosmic Acid-to-Italo four-track EP. Whether „Club Fantasy“ insinuates the phantasy of clubbing in times of a pandemic shutdown in global club cultures, or a club by the name of it, lies within the ears of the listeners. Either way, Benjamin’s ties with the Robert Johnson club can be heard resonating throughout this fantastic EP.
Club Fantasy (Club Version) introduces a a happy 303 reminiscent bouncy bassline, supported by relentless rim shots, fast-forwards the Club Version of the title track directly into the uplifting domains of well-established sounds. Sparse echoing vocal snippets, encouraging us to dance, and by the time the piano stabs finally kick in, it’s all hands up for your very own club phantasies. Club Fantasy (Fantasy Version) boasts a less peaky signature, while working a more playful and driving treatment of the title track, supported by mellow strings, a harder kick and subtle room reverberation. On the flip-side, Escape presents a warm, emotional and cinematic Italo soundscape, featuring floating arpeggios, which flash like coloured strobes in the dark. Benjamin’s final track, Dream Machine, is a beautiful kaleidoscope of sounds, slightly more energetic yet moody, that is sure to catch everyone's ears on the dancefloor.
As a co-founder to Munich based record label Permanent Vacation, but also as a DJ and producer, Benjamin Fröhlich’s musical involvement traces back many years in the Cosmic Disco and Balearic scene, and into the networks of both Robert Johnson club and its label.
- A1: Sexy Ways (Recloose Disco Flip)
- A2: You Can't Miss What You Can't Measure (Alton Miller Mix)
- A3: Get Your Ass Off And Jam (Marcellus Pittman Remix)
- B1: Cosmic Slop (Moodyman Mix)
- B2: Music For My Mother (Andres Wo Ahh Ay Vocal Mix)
- B3: Super Stupid (Dirtbombs Version)
- C1: Music 4 My Mother (Underground Resistance Mix)
- C2: Undisco Kidd (Gay Marvine Edit)
- C3: Take Your Dead Ass Home (The Fantasy Version)
- D1: Let's Take It To The Stage (Amp Fiddler Laughin @Ya Mix)
- D2: Standing On The Verge (Anthony Shake Shakir & T Dancer Remix)
- D3: You And Your Folks (Claude Young Jr Club Mix)
- E1: Be My Beach (Mophono & Tom Thump)
- E2: You And Your Folks (Claude Young Jr Dub)
- E3: Let's Make It Last (Kenny Dixon Jr Edit)
- F1: Looking Back At You (Ectomorph Stripped And Dubbed)
- F2: Maggot Brain (Bmg Dub)
Funkadelic have created an enduring legacy, and the power of their impact is visceral in Detroit. Their records not only played with genre, but possessed a diabolical sense of humour that led to music domination by the late 70s with Parliament, Funkadelic, Parlet, Bootsy's Rubber Band and the Brides Of Funkenstein all releasing albums the same year for two years in a row.
The music itself is beyond stereotype, but equally huge is that they were a black band not allowing themselves to be limited by anyone else's notions of who they could be, having a massive impact on the next generation of Detroit music, Detroit Techno.
But more than just Techno, it is a freedom of thinking that extends beyond boxes, so we included all sorts of today's generation of Detroit musicians and producers to show the wide range of music that was Funkadelic and how these ideas are still contemporary, they endure and inspire.
PURE GARAGE RETURNS WITH A CAREFULLY CURATED SELECTION OF COLLECTIBLE CLASSICS.
Pure Garage, the best-selling UKG compilation of all time, returns with a fresh stack of high value collectible classics on DJ friendly vinyl.
With a host of gold & platinum selling compilation albums under it’s belt, plus countless sold out events across the UK, Pure Garage is known and trusted by both hard-nosed purists & the casual listener.
This latest foray coincides with an incredible resurgence in interest for the UK Garage sound, bringing together 8 high collectible infectiously funky cuts, spread across a DJ Friendly 2 slices of vinyl.
Pure Garage Collectible Classics Volume 1 opens with Buggin Me by garage pioneer Zed Bias alongside Al Brown, a groovy bassline, funky beats and a great vocal hook combine perfectly to showcase the mighty Zed Bias at his funky best.
Set It Off, by Chris Mack / Flavour, is a truly collectible record. Originally only available on vinyl as a limited white label press, copies of Set It Off have been trading hands on sites such as Discogs for as much as £130… It’s worth buying this compilation purely to get hold of this track on vinyl!
Another track that is going for big money on reseller sites is Romantic 2001 by DJ Deller. With this minimal 2 step riddim having sold for up to £120. This is definitely one for the collectors.
Funkaholics aka Jeremy Sylvester rounds off the first piece of vinyl on this album with the bass heavy Down 2 Da Ground.
Vinyl 2 kicks off with the sing-a-long classic from 1998, Anthill Mobs’s track Don’t Leave Me, followed hotly by the speed garage sounds of Body Grooving by M.F. Project.
Finally, Deep Impact drops My Fantasy followed up with a regular name of the Pure Garage live event line ups, Scott Garcia drops his soulful club classic Music Takes You, rounding out an impressive batch of tracks representing everything exciting about the UK Garage genre.
PURE GARAGE COLLECTIBLE CLASSICS VOL 1 will be released on double vinyl 16th December 2022!
REPRESSED !
Patrick Keel is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, and performer. The Pool was his solo project, the sum of fifteen years of experience in live bands, studios, and home recording. Patrick was heavily influenced by the radio of the early and mid 1960's in Dallas. The British bands and Black soul of the era gave him a distinct style, and shaped his musical attitude. The New Wave/Punk/D.I.Y. attitudes of the late 1970s inspired him to express himself in a new way. 1980 saw the release of "Pool One," a sixty minute home-produced cassette. "Pool Two" followed in 1981, which received much praise and little distribution. In 1982 he released a 5-song self-titled vinyl EP of tight, skeletal, synthetic dance music.
In 1983, 'Dance It Down/Jamaica Running' 12' EP was released on Moment Productions. Based on response from D.J.'s in New York and the Bronx, Patrick went back in the studio and remixed two songs from the self-titled EP for rapping, scratching and break dancing. "Jamaica Resting" was sped-up, extended, and reconfigured as "Jamaica Running". The whirlpool synth-strut of 'Dance It Down' came out of the studio as 'Dance In Dub', with a heavier kick and extended dub outro. These spacious versions were optimal for DJ play, slotting regularly in sets at hip clubs like Danceteria. For this reissue we've added two bonus European remixes from the 1984 12' of 'Dance It Down/Jamaica Running', released on Nunk records from Belgium. Both songs employ the use of a Boss DR-55, Korg MS-20, Korg PolySix, and a Prophet 5, and were mixed on a 16- track Ampex recorder. The Pool's spartan, self-assured songs are experiments you can dance to.
All songs have been remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The record comes housed in a newly designed jacket by Eloise Leigh, updating the magenta and blue grid and Pool logo of the Moment Productions release. Each copy includes a 12-page booklet with a never seen before photos, press clippings and notes.
- A1: Les Masques - Il Faut Tenir (1969)
- A2: Isabelle Aubret - Casa Forte (1971)
- A3: Christianne Legrand - Hlm Et Ciné Roman (1972)
- A4: Jean Constantin - Pas Tant D'chichi Ponpon (1972)
- A5: Billy Nencioli & Baden Powell - Si Rien Ne Va (1969)
- B1-: Marpessa Dawn - Le Petit Cuica (1963)
- B2: Jean-Pierre Sabar - Vai Vai (1974)
- B3: Sophia Loren - De Jour En Jour (1963)
- B4: Isabelle - Jusqu’à La Tombée Du Jour (1969)
- B5: Sylvia Fels - Corto Maltesse (1974)
- C1: Frank Gérard - Comme Une Samba (1972)
- C2: Ann Sorel - La Poupée Des Favellas (1971)
- C3: Charles Level - Un Enfant Café Au Lait (1971)
- C4: Andrea Parisy - Les Mains Qui Font Du Bien (1970)
- C5: Audrey Arno - Quand Jean-Paul Rentrera (1969)
- C6: Aldo Frank - T’as Vu Ce Printemps (1970)
- D1: Christianne Legrand - Cent Mille Poissons Dans Ton Filet (1972)
- D2: Clarinha - Lemenja (1970)
- D3: Hit Parade Des Enfants - Aquarela (1976)
- D4: Jean-Pierre Lang - Tendresse (1965)
- D5: Magalie Noël - Une Énorme Samba (1970)
- D6: Françoise Legrand - La Lune
Ever since the late 1950s bossa-nova revolution, Brazil’s influence on French music has been undeniable. Pierre Barouh, Georges Moustaki and a vast array of lesser known artists, all made the Musica Popular Brasileira (MPB) an axis of promotion at the service of a cool and metaphysical, modern and mixed Brazilian lifestyle. Some were seduced by the poetic languors of the bossa, some were looking for fun, and others just loved the American hybridization of jazz-bossa, jazz-samba.
What is bossa nova? One of its creators, Joao Gilberto said: "Its style, cadence, everything is samba. At the very start, we didn't call it bossa nova, we sang a little samba made up of a single note - Samba de uma nota so .... The discussion around the origins of bossa nova is therefore useless”. It is nevertheless useful to remember that these magnificent Brazilian songs, which the guitarist describes as samba, were shifted and balanced around improbable chords. "I like things that lean, the in-betweens that limp with grace," said Pierre Barrouh, quoting Jean Cocteau.
With emotion, arrangements for violin and supple guitar licks, bossa nova rapidly changed. A transformation that can be heard in the Tchic, tchic, French Bossa Nova 1963-1974 compilation, the result of a cultural reappropriation, which traveled through the United States and supplemented itself in France.
A musical revolution that has remained significant, bossa nova was born in Rio. From 1956 to 1961, Brazil lived through its golden years. In five years, the country had invented its modernist style. Elected president in 1956, Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira, an elegant man with a broad forehead, brandished a promising slogan: "Fifty years of progress in five years". He quickly got to work. Not worried about increasing debt, he launched the project for a new federal capital, Brasilia, designed by the communist architect Oscar Niemeyer. Volkswagen opened state-of-the-art factories and created the “fusquinha”, the Beetle. In Rio, the Vespa made its first appearance. The Arpoador Surf Club crew run into the “girl” from Ipanema, Helô Pinheiro - the tanned garota ("chick"), between a flower and mermaid, who at 17 walked by the Veloso bar, where the fiery author and composer, Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes, were getting drunk on whiskey. From then on, bossa symbolized cool.
In 1958, Joao Gilberto recorded Chega de Saudade, which the directors of Philips denied, calling it "music for fagots". The marketing director, who believed in it, secretly pressed 3000 78-inch vinyls and distributed them at schools around Rio, creating a tidal wave.
American jazzmen then took over. In particular, trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie and guitarist Charlie Byrd. In November 1962, the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs funded a "Bossa-Nova" concert at Carnegie Hall in New York, inviting the genre’s pioneers. Unprepared, the show soon turned to disaster. But the troupe was invited to the White House by Jackie Kennedy. The first lady loved "the new beat" and in particular Maria Ninguem, a song by Carlos Lyra, later covered by Brigitte Bardot.
In Brazil, the 1964 military coup quickly ended this euphoria. The destructive atmosphere that ensued pushed many Brazilian musicians to leave, if not to exile. Thus, Tom Jobim, Sergio Mendes and Joao Gilberto arrived to the United States. In New York, Joao Gilberto met saxophonist Stan Getz. At the time, he was married to the Bahianese Astrud Weinert Gilberto, who had a German father. She had never sung before, but she knew how to speak English. Getz therefore asked her to replace her husband on The Girl From Ipanema. The Getz/Gilberto record with Tom Jobim on piano, was released in March 1964. Phil Ramone, the "pope of pop" was in charge of sound.
Bossa nova arrived in Paris through the classic “guitar-voice” channel (Pierre Barouh, Baden Powell, Moustaki…) But France loved jazz and Paris had already welcomed its American contributors. All these good people were to pass through Saint-Germain-des-Prés. The cabaret l'Escale became the Mecca of Latin American sound where one could find Pierre Barrouh and his friends, such as the Camara Trio, samba-jazz aces, whose only record was published by the Saravah label. With a band strangely called Les Masques (a band that included Nicole Croisille and Pierre Vassiliu, among others), the Camara Trio recorded an interesting Brazilian Sound, including the track Il faut tenir which is present on this tasty compilation of rarities.
Other enlightened musicians can also be found on the compilation, such as Jean-Pierre Sabar (songwriter for Hardy, Auffray, Leforestier ...) and the French pop rock organist Balthazar. In 1975, Sabar recorded Aurinkoinen Musiikkimatka on a Finnish label, which featured the crazy Vai, Vai, included on this record. We are now following the footsteps of Brazilian electronic musicians such as Sergio Mendes, Eumir Deodato or Marcos Valle who created funk and disco sounds on their keyboards and synthesizers. A style that influenced Véronique Sanson when she wrote Jusqu’à la Tombée de la nuit in 1969 for Isabelle de Funès, the niece of Louis and a great friend of Michel Berger - Sanson did end up singing this track on her 1992 Sans Regret record.
The pinnacle of exoticism and travel, Sylvia Fels’ Corto Maltese includes bongos, sea mist and ocean sounds. The title was taken from Jacky Chalard’s concept album written in 1974, Je suis vivant, mais j’ai peur (I am alive, but I am scared), based on Gilbert Deflez’s science fiction novel.
However, bossa nova extended the scope of popularity. "In the 1970s, I was a fan of Sergio Mendes, Getz / Gilberto. I fell in love with this music that I knew because I had been an orchestral singer, " explained Isabelle Aubret, who in 1971 delivered a composite record of covers by the very funky Jorge Ben, Orfeu Negro, Tom Jobim, Vinicius de Morais and Jean Ferrat. "I recorded this album for Meys Records in Paris, far from Brazil, with wonderful musicians, François Raubert, Roland Vincent, Alain Goraguer...". The latter wrote the arrangements for Casa Forte, a very percussive title borrowed from Edu Lobo, one of the initiators of the bossa who spent time in California. "Jazz and bossa came together and produced very rhythmic music. I love singing, it allows me to dream, to have fun, to feel a high on stage, and these songs brought me joy, made me swing, my singing felt like a dance.”
The world tours of French singers and their desire for the tropics, often brought them to Rio with its hills, forests, caipirinhas and tanned bodies. There are surprises though, like this Iemenja (Iemenja is the goddess of the sea in the Afro-Brazilian candomblé religion). Not unlike the composer and musician Jean-Pierre Lang, based in Sao Paulo, Claire Chevalier taught Brazil to Brazil. In 1970, the singer and painter published a 45-inch vinyl, Mon mari et mes amants (My husband and my lovers), under the improbable pseudonym of Clarinha (little Claire). She was then living in Rio, with her husband, Joël Leibovitz, who founded a band called Azimuth, and who owned a record label specialized in "sambas enredos" songs for samba school parades.
For its B side, she asked Pierre Perret to come up with lyrics for a song composed by Carlos Imperial: "Oh goddess of the sea, o goddess Iemenja, I bring a white rose to adorn your long hair ..." . "Perret came to see us, and we had fun, remembers Joël Leibovitz. We wrote Lemenja for fun, we recorded it at the Havaí studio, behind the Central do Brasil the central station. Erlon Chaves, the arranger who worked with Elis Regina, joined us" adding his share of Afro-Brazilian percussions and funky brass to the mix.
There is a common misunderstanding in Franco-Brazilian history: that bossa, admittedly hedonistic, is perceived as funny, even though the poets who wrote the texts are often philosophizing on the human condition. Its French interpreters pull it towards a carnival inspired universe, far removed from its fundamental essence. Thus, Jean Constantin covered the famous Samba da minha terra, an ode to the art of samba written by the classic Bahian composer Dorival Caymmi, renaming it with the enticing title of Pas tant de tchi tchi pompon: "On your pier there is no tchi tchi / when you arch your back, you know everything is alright ”(lyrics by Gérard Calvi). This expedited bossa aims for the absurd, but retains a certain elegance.
Indeed, Jean Constantin was not an idiot, the rather large man had a huge mustache and liked fantasy, (Les pantoufles à papa, Le pacha, inspired by cha-cha-cha-cha, salsa and jazz) but he was also the lyricist of Mon manège à moi interpreted by Edith Piaf, the composer of Mon Truc en plume by Zizi Jeanmaire and the soundtrack of François Truffaut’s 400 Blows. Le Poulpe, published in 1970, from which this bossa is extract, was arranged by Jean-Claude Vannier, an accomplice of Serge Gainsbourg’s Melody Nelson. In short: "There is enough of samba / By looking at the parasol / Because my poor cabeza / Is going to die in the sun".
Even the American actress Marpessa Down, who was at the heart of the bossa nova revolution with her role as Euridyce in Marcel Camus’ film Orfeu Negro, winner of the 1959 Cannes Palme d'or, fed the clichée with Je voudrais parler au petit cuica - "Tell me how you manage to always make people want to dance / It's true, I must admit that I cannot resist your magic" - in consequence, once can hear the cuica, a little drum inherited from the Bantu.
But bossa nova had many angles. Societal, of course, pushing actresses who were symbols of women's liberation like Brigitte Bardot, Jeanne Moreau, or Sophia Loren to engage in the exercise of accelerated bossa. In February of 1963, Sophia Loren made a record in French in Rome, Je ne t'aime plus, featuring the song De jour en jour, a bossa written by two Italians, Armando Trovajoli and Tino Fornai, which was released a little later by Barclay. Bossa accompanied the 1960s, a decade of moral liberation. Ann Sorel, who interpreted La Poupée des favellas, caused a sensation with L’amour à plusieurs, a provocative song written by Frédéric Bottom and Jean-Claude Vannier. As for the actress Andrea Parisy, she displayed her bourgeois cheekiness in Marcel Carné's Les Tricheurs before interpreting Les mains qui font du bien. And Magalie Noël, the friend of Boris Vian, who sung Johnny fais-moi mal, was hired to sing Une énorme Samba, composed by Alain Goraguer (arranger to Gainsbourg, Bobby Lapointe and Jean Ferrat) with lyrics by Frédéric Botton.
But in the end, of what wood is bossa nova made of? The answer is given by Christianne Legrand, daughter of Raymond the conductor, and sister to Michel the composer: "With me, with jà" - jà means "immediately" in Portuguese. In 1972, the singer, an expert in vocal jazz and a member of the Double Six, published Le Brésil de Christianne Legrand. Two songs included on the Tchic Tchic compilation that demonstrate how bossa, jazz, funk, rock, etc. work like a swiss army knife: the music is used to denounce broken systems, or miracles, HLM et ciné roman, Cent mille poissons dans ton filet, two songs from the O Cafona soundtrack, a successful telenovela broadcast, at the time in black and white, on TV Globo. The first was adapted in French by the fighter and friend of the Legrand tribe, Agnès Varda. The second is content with a play on words, jostling them into a summer fun.
Véronique Mortaigne
- A1: This Is A Dreamcast Disc
- A2: Final Fantasy Vii - Prelude (Pizza Hotline Remix)
- A3: Custom Robo - Dear (Pizza Hotline Remix)
- B1: Konami
- B2: Custom Robo - Puzzle (Pizza Hotline Remix)
- C1: Golden Eye 007 Pause Music (Pizza Hotline Remix)
- C2: Kaze No Notam - Opening (Pizza Hotline Remix)
- D1: Donkey Kong Country - Aquatic Ambience (Pizza Hotline Remix)
- D2: Pokemon Jungle
WRWTFWW Records is extremely excited to announce Hot-N-Ready Remixes Delivered by Pizza Hotline In 20 Minutes or Less, the brand new remix album from Pizza Hotline, landing hot and fast on a limited edition Neon Arcade Arctic Pearl Colored Vinyl Double LP, cut at 45rpm and housed in a heavyweight sleeve with artwork by Equip Studio.
From the high-octane mind of PIZZA HOTLINE - the man behind cult classics that helped redefine liquid drum & bass through a Y2K, console-era lens - comes a full-throttle remix album that feels like a secret bonus disc unlocked after beating the game, a portal into a parallel universe of rave-powered nostalgia and pixel-perfect bliss. Warp-speed liquid DNB, atmospheric jungle, and dancefloor-crushing remixes of legendary tracks extracted from the greatest video games ever made collide in a sensory overload of pure arcade euphoria. Soaring pads, breakbeats that ricochet like laser fire, deep-space subs, and rhythms that feel like drifting through a cyber-city at 3AM with only a CRT glow to guide you.
The album plays like a late-night arcade run fueled by muscle memory and emotion: PlayStation futurism meets WipeEout velocities, Donkey Kong adventure grit, GoldenEye stealth tension, and Sega Saturn dream-logic. It's fast, melodic, immersive, and deeply cinematic - a love letter to video game soundtracks, club culture, and the spaces where the two collide.
This release marks the fifth Pizza Hotline collaboration with WRWTFWW, following the ultra-classic Level Select, its brilliant follow-up Polygon Island, the collaborative smash Anti Gravity Tournament with Mitch Murder, and the Low Poly Breaks cassette series.
Double 12" release
The Story — From the Streets of Rome to the Male Productions Label
In the early 1990s, Rome lived in a kind of suspended moment. The city was still tied to its historic clubs, yet in the outskirts—inside abandoned warehouses, quarries along the coastline, and the wooded parks north of the capital—something new was beginning to stir. A nocturnal, constantly shifting movement fuelled by a hunger for freedom and a sonic curiosity that reached far beyond the mainstream.
Moving through this ferment was Francesco “Chicco” Furlotti. First an organizer of unconventional parties and underground nights, he soon became one of the driving forces behind Rome’s itinerant rave scene. Furlotti sensed that a wave of change was about to sweep across the city. It wasn’t just about parties: it was the rise of a culture, a new way of thinking about music, community, and belonging.
It was within those nights—later held with official permits, properly built sound systems, and an ever-growing crowd—that Furlotti recognized the existence of a distinctly Roman sound, and the need to capture it, preserve it, and give it tangible form.
So, in 1991, he decided to take a bolder step: to found an independent record label—small, determined, and far removed from the commercial logic that dominated at the time.
That was the birth of Male Productions.
Male was not a label like any other: it was a workshop, a gathering point, a creative hub where DJs, producers, friends, and wanderers converged. Within that environment, an artistic core took shape—Stefano Di Carlo, Leo Young, and Mauro Tannino, along with other collaborators orbiting around Furlotti. From their synergy emerged a project whose very name declared its mission:
The True Underground Sound of Rome.
The collective did not simply aim to release music; it sought to tell a story of Rome through sounds that defied categorization: house, techno, ambient, electronic mysticism, psychedelic visions… a unique blend, instantly recognizable, emotional, and experimental. The sessions unfolded using essential yet razor-sharp gear: Roland drum machines, analogue synthesizers, Akai samplers, stripped-down mixers. Few tools, endless imagination.
The first result of this work was the 12” Secret Doctrine, released in 1991 in an extremely limited run—around 500 promotional copies, according to accounts. The record captured something that until then had floated only in the air of Roman raves: enveloping atmospheres, deep rhythms, melodies built to make the mind travel far beyond the dancefloor. A sound that did not imitate what was happening in Detroit, London, or Berlin, but absorbed those influences and re-sculpted them with a distinctly Roman sensibility.
Yet, precisely because it was independent and detached from commercial circuits, Male’s output remained sparse: few EPs, few copies, irregular distribution. Over time, those records became rare artifacts—almost mythical objects within the Italian electronic scene. The legacy of Male Productions seemed destined to survive only in the memories of those early years, in the stories told after raves, and in the private archives of a handful of collectors.
Many years later, thanks to the almost accidental rediscovery of a few original copies of the first two releases issued by Male Productions, it became possible to undertake a meticulous process of recovery and restoration of the audio etched into those grooves, with the aim of preserving as fully as possible the quality and character of that unrepeatable sound.
We are therefore able today to present — at last in a complete and faithful form — the first two mixes created for Male Productions, now released on a double vinyl that brings back into the present the exact moment when it all began: the nomadic nights of the raves, Furlotti’s vision, the creativity of Di Carlo, Young and Tannino, and the sonic identity of a Rome in the midst of transformation.
This is not merely a reissue.
It is a historical document.
A fragment of a culture that changed the city.
The authentic sound of the Roman underground, finally returned to the world.
Audience’ was a 14-track record that signalled a shift back to Hayes Bradley's dancefloor roots. It was a collision of breakbeats, trip-hop, and ambient textures that perfectly balanced nostalgia and forward-thinking sounds, and now it gets spun into all new worlds by some of the scene's most acclaimed contemporary stars.
Special Request, aka UK powerhouse Paul Woolford, has shaken up the scene with his thrilling mix of jungle, bass, techno, rave, and hardcore in recent years. The hugely prolific producer knows exactly how to blow up the club and does that here with two reworks of '& I Love U'. The Special Request Extended Mix is a meticulously crafted jungle workout, featuring precision drums, rising synth tension, and gorgeous melodies that dart throughout and will appear on the vinyl release only. The VIP version focuses more on celestial memories for a heavenly escape.
Next is Shanti Celeste, a house and garage favourite who crafts emotional, high-impact sounds on her own Peach Discs. Her remix of 'Play It As It Lay' is a bubbly, soft-focus, late-night sound with earworm synth motifs and rich bass that sinks you in deep for a nice, heady trip.
Piori is an alias of Canadian musician Francis Latreille, who has built a sprawling discography full of hyper-detailed techno steeped in science fiction and fantasy. He flips 'Awareness' into a zoned-out affair, with broken beats and cosmic synth waves over a bold bassline that shows, once again, why his productions are in such demand.
Last but not least is Kaifeng-born sound artist, DJ, and producer Yu Su, whose truly unique sound has made her a cult underground star. She flips 'Dear Treasure' into a slow motion and sleazy chugger with dark disco energy and raw live drums, shady vocal loops and otherworldly melodies that seep into your consciousness.
Gatefold Sleeve
M’Bamina – African Roll (1975)
The story of an album born between Africa, Italy, and the nightclub culture of the 1970s
In the heart of 1970s Italy — a country undergoing profound social change and a music scene just beginning to open itself to distant sounds and cultures — an extraordinary, almost improbable story took shape. It is the story of a group of young African musicians who found their way to Europe, of a Turin nightclub that became a crossroads for communities and experimenters, and of an album which, released in small numbers and largely unnoticed at the time, is now considered a rare jewel of Afro-fusion.
The band called themselves M’Bamina — an ensemble of musicians from Congo, Cameroon, and Benin, who arrived in Italy in the early Seventies. Settling between northern Italy and the Pavia area, they began performing in small clubs and community events, bringing with them a vibrant rhythmic heritage: African polyrhythms, call-and-response vocals, funk-infused bass lines, and Caribbean or Afro-Latin colours absorbed along their musical journeys. Their raw, contagious energy on stage quickly drew attention.
Meanwhile, in Turin, another story was unfolding. There was a venue becoming almost legendary: Voom Voom, one of the city’s liveliest nightclubs, run by Ivo Lunardi. The club attracted an eclectic crowd — students, artists, foreigners, night owls — and Lunardi quickly understood that the dancefloor wasn’t just a place for music, but a melting pot for a new kind of cultural energy. Out of this vibrant atmosphere came his idea: to turn the club’s name into a small independent record label, Voom Voom Music, capable of capturing the spirit of those years and giving voice to unconventional projects.
When Lunardi heard M’Bamina, he immediately sensed that this was the sound he had been searching for: fresh, different from anything circulating in Italy at the time, and capable of blending African tradition with funk and European sensibility. He brought them into the studio.
Production was handled by Lunardi along with Christian Carbaza Michel, while the engineering was entrusted to Danilo Pennone, a young sound technician with a sharp, intuitive ear.
The recording sessions — held in Turin in 1975 — produced a remarkably warm and direct sound. The music feels almost live: grooves rooted in African tradition, but open to funk-rock structures and modern arrangements. It is a natural fusion, never forced. Tracks move between tribal rhythms, funk basslines, light electric guitars, congas and Afro-Latin percussion, with call-and-response vocals and melodies that echo both Congolese tradition and the lineage of Latin jazz. Not by chance, one of the album’s most striking tracks, Watchiwara, reinterprets a Latin standard through M’Bamina’s own rhythmic language.
The album was titled African Roll — a name that was already a statement of intention. It is African music that “rolls,” that moves, adapts, transforms within a new geographic and cultural setting. It is not strictly Afrobeat, nor Congolese rumba, nor Western funk: it is a spontaneous, hybrid blend, shaped more by lived experience than by any calculated aesthetic program.
When African Roll was released, the world around it barely noticed. Distribution was limited, and 1970s Italy had yet to develop a cultural framework for receiving such music. The national music press rarely paid attention to African or “world” productions. The album slipped into silence — though the band’s own story did not.
M’Bamina continued performing across Europe and Africa, even sharing a stage in Cameroon with none other than Manu Dibango. By the late Seventies, they moved to Paris, signed with Fiesta/Decca, and recorded a second LP, Experimental (1978). Meanwhile, the peculiar record they had made in Turin began to resurface quietly among vinyl collectors, Afro-funk enthusiasts, and DJs hunting for forgotten grooves.
That is when the album’s fate began to shift.
Over the decades, African Roll emerged as an almost unique document: a snapshot of an intercultural Italy before the word “intercultural” even existed, a fragment of migrant history, a spontaneous experiment in musical fusion born far from major industry circuits but rich in authenticity. Original copies began commanding high prices on the collector’s market, and the album became recognized as one of the hidden classics of European Afro-fusion from the 1970s.
Today, more than fifty years later, this reissue finally restores visibility and dignity to a project that deserves to be heard, studied, and celebrated. It is not simply an album: it is the testimony of a rare cultural encounter, born in an Italy unaware of how fertile such exchanges would one day become.
It is the story of a visionary producer, an extraordinary band, and a fleeting moment in which music, migration, and nightlife came together to create something genuinely new.
African Roll is — now more than ever — the sound of a bridge: between continents, between eras, between cultures. A record that, after rolling far and wide, has finally come home.
- A1: Black Line - Myele
- A2: Mbamina - Nzoumba I-Robots 1975 Unreleased Edit-44100
- A3: Mbamina - Watchiwara
- B1: Oxid - Bright Heron
- B2: Oxid - Oxid Trail
- C1: Stratosferic Band - Nowhere - Reverberated Unreleased Version
- C3: The Boston Garden - Lady Pick-Up
- D1: Mbamina - Nzoumba Unreleased-44100
- D2: Oxid - Oxid Trail Unreleased Extended Version
Daniele Baldelli
"A pleasant surprise to find in this release various atmospheres and sounds that have always been part of my DJing. It even made me rediscover M’Bamina, whom I used to play back in 1974 at the Tabù Club in Cattolica.
There are afro vibes as well, with Black Line – Myele, which is featured on one of my Cosmic tapes, and Nowhere by the Stratosferic Band recalls a track I used to play at the Baia degli Angeli…
Excellent work!"
Voom Voom Music was an independent Italian record label based in Turin, founded and managed by record producer Ivo Lunardi (Turin, December 6, 1940 – December 9, 2010). A pivotal figure in the Piedmont music scene, Lunardi was active both as a DJ and as the owner of several disco clubs.
The label operated for several years in the latter half of the 1970s, releasing mainly productions connected to the Italian dance and pop scene.
Since 2016, the original master tapes from the Voom Voom Music catalog have been owned by Gianluca Pandullo (I-Robots), a close friend of Ivo and Luca Lunardi. Through his labels Opilec Music and Turin Dancefloor Express, Pandullo oversees their preservation and historical enhancement.
The artistic direction of Voom Voom Music was marked by a distinct sonic identity — eclectic yet visionary. The Turin-based label founded by Ivo Lunardi embraced a sound that blended disco, pop, and rock influences, interwoven with African American grooves in a pioneering, international perspective.
Voom Voom Music was among the first Italian labels to introduce this kind of musical language in the country. A prime example is the Italian edition of the debut album by B.T. Express, Do It ('Til You're Satisfied), released in LP, 8-Track Cartridge, cassette, and 7" single formats.
The label’s productions clearly reflected the influence of black and funk music, as evidenced by the references and inspirations running through its catalogue. The track “Lady Pick-Up”, for instance, includes direct nods to “Do It Good” by KC & The Sunshine Band and Manu Dibango’s iconic “Soul Makossa”, revealing a musically refined and contemporary sensibility.
Among the label’s most representative works is Splash (1977) by the Stratosferic Band, a project conceived by Luigi Venegoni — producer, songwriter, and guitarist of Arti e Mestieri. Venegoni’s artistic journey spanned from progressive rock to space and Italo disco. The album artwork was designed by Piero D’Amore (1944 - 2022), a charismatic and multifaceted figure of Turin’s art scene (one of his works was even acquired by the MoMA in New York).
The record includes a disco reinterpretation of Van Morrison’s classic “Gloria”, and “Splashdown”, a track fusing the disco-rock energy of Rockets and Space. In contrast, “Nowhere” revisits the 1975 single by Hokis Pokis, a soul/disco band from Nassau County (New York), transforming it into a vibrant disco-funk number.
Another significant expression of the label’s catalogue is the afro-rock sound of M’Bamina, an Italo-Congolese group whose rhythmic energy and dialogue between African percussion and Western funk evoke the style of international formations such as Osibisa — themselves linked to a rich artistic history in Italy.
Celebrating a decade since its live debut, Detroit-based artist Rebecca Goldberg announces the first-ever vinyl release of her original score for A Trip to the Moon, the iconic 1902 silent film by Georges Méliès. Composed in 2016, Goldberg’s reimagining of the groundbreaking film—originally titled Le Voyage dans la Lune—translates early cinema fantasy into a minimalist electronic soundscape shaped by synthesis, texture, and composed foley.
Goldberg’s approach honors the wonder and theatricality of Méliès’ vision while grounding it in Detroit’s lineage of forward-thinking electronic music. The score premiered in Paris in 2016 with live performances at Silencio, the club founded by David Lynch, and at Bar à Bulles, located above the legendary Moulin Rouge. The Paris events were produced by Why So Serious Productions and marked a rare convergence of experimental electronic performance and historic cinematic space. Goldberg also presented the live score in her native Detroit, reinforcing the transatlantic bridge that has long shaped her conceptual record projects.
Now, ten years later, the score will be released for the first time on vinyl in a limited edition of 300 copies. The pressing captures the nuance of the original live compositions while offering listeners a new way to experience the interplay between silence, rhythm, and sonic illusion. As with Goldberg’s previous conceptual 12" releases, the vinyl format serves not only as a medium but as an artifact that preserves and reframes cultural memory.
Dutch composer and pianist Xavier Boot, also known as XA4, joins Philip Glass for the second release on the New York-based record label Orange Mountain Music, owned by Philip Glass.
“Xavier is really a wonderful pianist, and I am thrilled by how he now tackles my compositions, with that elegant electronica touch.” – Philip Glass
The Sea Above features not only Glass compositions but also several original pieces by Xavier: “I recorded this album inspired by all the musical influences I’ve experienced in my life, including classical, electronic (club) music, ambient, minimal, and even Indonesian music. The title track of the album is inspired by Philip Glass’s composition Mad Rush. He told me that he wrote this piece for an event with the Dalai Lama, where it was unclear when the Dalai Lama would arrive. That’s why Mad Rush was composed to last either five minutes or an hour. I tried to convey this idea of timelessness in my music, embodying this endless portal of time and space, which was also scientifically described by Albert Einstein. Another track on the album, Train I, is a reworking from Philip Glass’s opera Einstein on the Beach. You can experience the music on this album as a kind of journey, a trip where you are energetically drawn in at the beginning and later enter more of a fantasy world where dreams and unconscious elements of your mind can emerge.”
Credits:
Tracks 1 & 3 are original compositions by Philip Glass remixed by XA4
Tracks 2 & 9 remixed by XA4 and Jaro.
Tracks 4, 5, 6, 8,10 are original compositions by XA4
Track 7 is composed by XA4 and Tenzin Choegyal.
Vocals track 1: Julia Rosenhart.
Remix, production and playing: XA4.
Piano arrangement track 3: Michael Riesman and XA4.
Remix, production track 2 & 9: XA4 and Jaro.
Production assistance track 3: Jaro.
Mixing: Studio Karakterbak.
Mastering: Laura de Rover.
Cover foto: Angelina Nikolayeva.
Graphic design: Yesser Khalefa
ROTCIV is back with his new EP ‘Memory’, which marks the 20th release on Beartrax’s label Melodize. Throughout the record, the Berlin-based and native Brazilian producer explores his signature dark, mysterious, and atmospheric vibes shaped by the underground and queer club nights and dance-floors that fuel his sound, refined by over almost 30 years behind the decks.
Maintaining Melodize’s specialized sound deep-rooted in moody electronic principles, the EP opens with ‘Memory’, a piercing, dark, synth dynamic alongside rich tonal textures in both harmony and melodies alike. Unapologetic, yet calming and reminiscent of a slow drive through the winter nights; cold, yet bold, sharp, and comforting.
First to remix ‘Memory’ with a nostalgic, synth-heavy 80’s remix is Frankfurt-based DJ, producer, and visual artist Chinaski. Integrating his signature bold synth hooks into the track, Chinaski knows how to roll in with longing sentimentality. The remix features a bouncier approach with re-envisioned acoustic percussion and catchy synth arps, along with an eery dark disco feel.
On the B side, Rotciv kicks in with ‘Trintage’, which gives a sinister sensation with its hypnotising bass synth lines alongside contrasting, choir-like pads. Seeping with articulate poly-rhythmic synth arps, Trintage guides the listener to be indulged into a dream-like state on the border between both digital and analogue soundscapes, blurring the lines between fantasy and reality.
Next up is New York-based and founder of Samo Records, Facets, who takes on the next remix for ‘Trintage’ with a more electro-grunge techno approach consisting of heavier four to the floor kicks in company of Rotciv’s hypnotic textures. Having shifted the synth melody rhythmically, a sense of space and tension is created within the soundworld of this track. The play between gritty bass-end synths along with softer, textured high-ends helps emphasize the groove injected into this remix.
One last remix of ‘Memory’ by Melodize’s own label founder, Beartrax, rounds out the EP. Available exclusively via digital bonus, Beartrax features his deeply hypnotic aesthetic by driving in ethereal synths alongside cosmic arps and slow-rolling rhythmic and pulsating groove lines.
Arriving two years after the first chapter, Absurd Matter 2 isn’t just a sequel, it’s an evolution, redrawing the boundaries established by its acclaimed predecessor. The Berlin-based Italian producer tempers his confrontational sonics with rare moments of introspection, shifting seamlessly between blown-out noise, warped hip-hop, mutant club experimentation, and weightless ambience. Textures disintegrate and reassemble, rhythms flex and crumble, and every detail balances on the edge of fantasy. It’s a poetic, layered response to Nino Pedone’s changing physical reality: the gradual hearing loss and perceptual renegotiation triggered by Ménière’s disease, which struck him in 2022. At first, the experience felt like betrayal, a brutal disconnection from the very sense that had shaped his life. But over time, the disorientation turned into a strange kind of focus. The silence between sounds became as expressive as the sounds themselves.
The first Absurd Matter was a visceral reaction to trauma; the second is more reflective – an ambiguous chronicle of sensory recalibration. Pedone doesn’t represent his altered inner reality through extremes, but through depth, zooming in on illusory distortions, tense rhythmic fluctuations, and fragmented sonics. Dense, immersive, and mystical, the album mirrors Pedone’s evolving relationship with perception itself.
Tinnitus-like feedback wails and noir-ish strings introduce “Repeater”, making it immediately clear that Pedone is painting a more delicately finessed image this time around. Fleshed out by raps from cult MCs billy woods and E L U C I D, the track is marked by subtle, sophisticated contrasts: the blurred, inverted rhythms that couch Armand Hammer’s haunted back-and-forth, and the glitchy interference that offsets the lavish orchestral phrases. Backwoodz associate Fatboi Sharif lends his Lynchian drawl to “Bandage Chipped Wings”, grounding Pedone’s lysergic rhythmic distortions with syrupy, horror-inspired couplets. Pedone also invites discomfort into “Crash Landing”, with droning, metallic tones that contradict South Central rapper ICECOLDBISHOP’s elastic flow. “Bitch, I don't give a fuck about anybody,” he squawks over Pedone’s incongruous rasping textures and time-warped beats, “cash out at any party.” Working alongside London’s Loraine James on production, Pedone reunites with Moor Mother on “I Saw The Light”, blending James’ soft-focus atmospherics with soundsystem-damaging, overdriven bass hits and rusted percussive snips. Moor Mother’s assertive words hover over the wreckage, tightening Pedone’s themes of overstimulation and altered awareness as they stutter and veer off course, vanishing into the backdrop.
Contrasting his more pensive experiments, Pedone’s dancefloor deviations are more concentrated on Absurd Matter 2 than ever before. He torches a stuttering dembow structure on “X”, obfuscating the rhythm’s familiar energy with disturbing audio hallucinations. On “Splintered”, he reunites with Kenyan prodigy Slikback, mangling neon-lit trance arpeggios with dissociated trap rhythms. He sharpens his skills to a fine point on “Oblivion Step”, observing 2- step through a lens of distortion and personal abstraction, shaking blipping synth leads over neck-snapping drums and counteracting the momentum with airless sci-fi soundscapes.
Perhaps the album’s most surprising moment arrives with “Viel”, which features vocals from Los Angeles-based composer Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith. Together, Pedone and Smith chance upon their notion of dub techno, fogging synth stabs and ghostly vocal traces into eerie harmonic distortions. On some level, it’s almost pop music, a far cry from the bleak dissonance of Absurd Matter and a hopeful way to reframe turbulence as transformation. Absurd Matter 2 doesn’t simply document a process; it enacts one. It doesn’t offer clarity; it invites disorientation. It’s not a map of the labyrinth, but a foghorn piercing the darkness.
- A1: West India Company - My Shooting Star
- A2: Bappi Lahiri - Rama Rama
- A3: Sharlene Boodram - Chamkay 'D' Chutney (Turbotito & Ragz Remix)
- B1: Kuljit Bhamra - Dholdrums
- B2: Mantra - Mantra
- B3: Heera - Beat The Rhythm (Check It Out)
- C1: Lady M - Kali Raat (Edit)
- C2: Johnny Zee - Billo To Meri Aan
- C3: Turbotito & Ragz Ft Manjeet Kondal - Pyaar
- C4: Sangeeta - Calling (Turbotito & Ragz Remix)
- D1: The Jets Orkhestra - X-290 (Turbotito & Ragz Remix)
- D2: Fantasy Nite Club - O My Baby
- D3: Deepak Khazanchi Ft Asha Puthli - Bass Fire (On And On) (Turbotito & Ragz Remix)
Naya Beat Records reveals Volume 2 of its critically acclaimed series dedicated to South Asian dance and electronic music. Label founders Turbotito and Ragz have curated an exceptional 13-track compilation with a focus on an overlooked era of house and electronic music released between '88 and '94.
While Volume 1 explored early 80s Balearic, synth pop, and disco, Volume 2 uncovers lost or forgotten future classics from later in the decade. The release spotlights a unique era in the late 80s and early 90s when fertile cross-cultural collaboration abounded in diasporic communities in cities like London and New York and when South Asian music was infused with acid house, New Beat, and dub.
There is a true wealth of sounds here, from The Jets Orkhestra’s organ-fuelled house workout ‘X-290’ to the downtempo splendour of the Asha Bhosle fronted West India Company. Lady M lends the Hindi house track and arpeggiated wonder of ‘Kali Raat’ and Mantra’s eponymously titled cut is a hypnotic gem. Featuring other scintillating Balearic house, dub, and street soul from the likes of Asha Puthli, Bappi Lahiri, Johnny Zee, and Kuljit Bhamra, this double album is a treasure of never-before-reissued and previously impossible-to-find holy grails.
Often "too Asian for mainstream success in the West, and too Western for success in Asia," the pioneering music from this time was frequently released to short-lived success or relative anonymity. Naya Beat founders Filip Nikolic (aka Turbotito) and Raghav Mani (aka Ragz) have spent the last four years endlessly hunting through dusty records, obscure cassettes, and unreleased studio tapes to deliver a reference release for contemporary collectors, tastemakers, and bold selectors looking for fresh sounds.
Featuring an incredible gatefold package with Naya Beat’s trademark stunning artwork and exhaustive liner notes, the 2LP release has been cut to vinyl for the discerning DJ and listener by Grammy-nominated Frank Merritt from The Carvery, London.
Naya Beat Records is focused on uncovering foundational dance and electronic music from the subcontinent and South Asian diaspora through reissues, remixes and compilations. Success came immediately with ‘Naya Beat Volume 1’, which was named Vinyl Factory’s number 1 reissue of 2021, and has been followed up with more fascinating releases such as a two-part remix project with disco-jazz legend Asha Puthli, a scintillating bhangra acid house EP with Mr. Scruff, a reissue of Pinky Ann Rihal’s 1985 Hindi new wave album, and the superb Bollywood compilation ‘Awaaz Series 1
- A1: Brothers In Rhythm - Such A Good Feeling
- A2: Black Box – Ride On Time
- A3: C+C Music Factory - Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)
- A4: Inner City - Good Life
- A5: Adventures Of Stevie V - Dirty Cash (Money Talks)
- A6: Grace – Not Over Yet
- A7: Billie Ray Martin – Your Loving Arms
- B1: S'express - Theme From S-Express
- B2: Kenny “Dope” Presents The Bucketheads - The Bomb! (These Sounds Fall Into My Mind)
- B3: Nightcrawlers - Push The Feeling On
- B4: Coldcut And Lisa Stansfield - People Hold On (Single Version)
- B5: Bomb The Bass - Beat Dis
- B6: Tony Di Bart - The Real Thing
- B7: Saint Etienne - He's On The Phone
- B8: D Ream – U R The Best Thing
- C1: Snap! - Rhythm Is A Dancer
- C2: Corona – The Rhythm Of The Night
- C3: Real Mccoy - Another Night
- C4: Dr. Alban - It’s My Life
- C5: Haddaway - What Is Love
- C6: K.w.s. - Please Don’t Go
- C7: Cappella - U Got 2 Let The Music
- C8: Opus Iii – It’s A Fine Day
- D1: Deee-Lite – Groove Is In The Heart
- D4: Urban Cookie Collective - The Key, The Secret
- D5: Oceanic - Insanity - Dream Tripper (Old Skool Radio Edit)
- D6: N-Trance – Set You Free
- D7: Felix - Don't You Want Me
- D8: Utah Saints - Something Good
- E1: Yazz & The Plastic Population - The Only Way Is Up
- E2: 49Ers - Touch Me
- E3: Baby D - Let Me Be Your Fantasy
- E4: Rozalla – Everybody’s Free (To Feel Good)
- E5: Strike - U Sure Do
- E6: Jx – Son Of A Gun
- E7: Blue Pearl - Naked In The Rain
- E8: Adamski & Seal - Killer
- F1: Soul Ii Soul, Caron Wheeler - Back To Life (However Do You Want Me)
- F2: Beats International - Dub Be Good To Me
- F3: Freak Power - Turn On, Tune In, Cop Out
- F4: The Prodigy – Charly
- F5: Guru Josh - Infinity
- F6: 808 State - Pacific - 707
- F7: The Beloved - The Sun Rising
- D2: Livin' Joy - Dreamer
- D3: Cece Peniston - Finally
NOW Music proudly presents the next release in our “NOW That’s What I Call An Era” series - Such A Good Feeling: 1988-1995 – a euphoric celebration of a truly transformative time in music.
This stunning 3LP set pressed on blue, white and yellow vinyl showcases 46 essential tracks that soundtracked the dancefloors, charts, and airwaves from the late ’80s through the ’90s — an era when dance culture reshaped the mainstream, soundtracked a generation, and lit up the charts across the UK and beyond
LP1 – Side A opens in style with ‘Such A Good Feeling’ from Brothers In Rhythm, this collection’s inspiring title…followed by Black Box with ‘Ride On Time’ — the best-selling UK single of ’89, and one of dance music’s defining tracks. Massive club classics continue with C+C Music Factory’s ‘Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)’, house anthems from Inner City with ‘Good Life’, and ‘Dirty Cash (Money Talks)’ from Adventures Of Stevie V, plus dance-pop gems ‘Not Over Yet’ from Grace, and Billie Ray Martin with ‘Your Loving Arms’…Flip the LP over for the pioneering ‘Theme From S-Express’, a chart-topper from 1988, before dancefloor earworms from Kenny “Dope” Presents The Bucketheads with ‘The Bomb! (These Sounds Fall Into My Mind)’, Nightcrawlers with ‘Push The Feeling On’ and ‘People Hold On’ from Coldcut and Lisa Stansfield. The influential ‘Beat Dis’ from Bomb The Bass is up next ahead of Tony Di Bart’s #1 ‘The Real Thing’, Saint Etienne’s sophisticated dance-pop nugget ‘He’s On The Phone’, and LP1’s closer from D:Ream with the Perfecto radio remix of ‘U R The Best Thing’.
LP2 – kicks off with a run of electrifying Eurodance – all massive club anthems. ‘Rhythm Is A Dancer’ from SNAP! leads off; a UK No. 1 and another defining track of the decade – followed by smashes from Corona, Real McCoy, Dr. Alban, Haddaway, KWS and Cappella, before the side closes with the techno-pop of Opus III with ‘It’s A Fine Day’… The party continues on Side B with an irresistible lineup led by Deee-Lite with ‘Groove Is In The Heart’, their brilliant fusion of funk, house and pop that continues to be a massive floor-filler… as is ‘Dreamer’ from Livin’ Joy, a 1995 No. 1 smash, and vocal house classic ‘Finally’ from CeCe Peniston. Urban Cookie Collective scored a huge hit with ‘The Key, The Secret’, which is followed by the rave energy of Oceanic, N-Trance, Felix – and Utah Saints who sign-off LP2 with the epic ‘Something Good’.
Kicking off the final LP, Side A explodes into life with massive feel-good tunes:- Yazz & The Plastic Population’s ‘The Only Way Is Up’ – a 1988 No. 1 and landmark UK house hit ahead of 49ers with ‘Touch Me’ and Baby D with their #1 ‘Let Me Be Your Fantasy’. Another run of floor-fillers from Rozalla with ‘Everybody’s Free (To Feel Good)’, JX with ‘Son Of A Gun’, Blue Pearl’s ‘Naked In The Rain’ and ‘U Sure Do’ from Strike follows and the side closes with the electronic acid house of ‘Killer’ from Adamski that hit the top of the charts and introduced Seal… and over on the final side, the collection moves toward it's close with stunning and enduring tracks of the era – opening with Soul II Soul & Caron Wheeler’s #1 ‘Back To Life (However Do You Want Me)’ blending soul, R&B and club rhythms to perfection, while Beats International’s fusion of dub reggae and house: ‘Dub Be Good To Me’ (another chart-topper) follows with its iconic bassline and leads us into the stylish and smooth ‘Turn On, Tune In, Cop Out’ from Freak Power. The journey through this incredible era is completed with genre pioneers The Prodigy with ‘Charly’, ‘Infinity’ from Guru Josh, and closing with ambient house, ‘Pacific - 707’ from 808 State, and the timeless ‘The Sun Rising’ from The Beloved.
An unforgettable journey through the sounds that defined an era:- NOW That’s What I Call An Era - Such A Good Feeling: 1988-1995 — the definitive celebration of a golden age of dance music.
A nocturnal ride through the magnetic waves of an imaginary club that never sleeps, where groove becomes ritual and the dancefloor an extension of the body. Francisco & Cosmo Dance – aka Francesco De Bellis and Cosimo Mandorino – orchestrate a mechanical and naif dance between man and machine, where synths chase each other and drum machines dictate tight, unrelenting beats. “Go Go Dance” is a concentrated dose of analog groove, electronic funk, no-wave pulses, and retro-futurism.
The Extended Mix transcends radio boundaries, diving into a hypnotic, fluid, body-driven dimension: a sonic tide echoing cosmic italo, primitive house, and off-kilter disco, shaping a soundscape for dancefloors from another dimension.
The House Mix, finely edited by Whodamanny, is a manifesto for the floor: pure rhythmic dynamite, made to ignite bodies and let them vibrate freely. A shared and refined vision of house music, where instinct and style fuse into a single voice.
“Go Go Dance” doesn’t aim studio perfection; it craves sensory truth – the kind born of urgency, space, and the pleasure of repetition. An anthem to the most authentic and lived-in club culture, where music becomes sweat, fantasy, and freedom once again.
DJ Rocca and Chris Coco spent some time hanging out together by the pool at an intimate festival called La Casella in Umbria in the
late summer of 2019.
They spent a lot of time talking about Italo Disco, the Rimini / Riccione riviera in it’s heyday in the 90s and classic clubs from the early
days of the Italian scene.
By the end of that beautiful weekend they had decided to make some music together that would somehow capture and reflect their own
hazy memories of places they visited or played and nostalgic dreams of earlier scenes they were too young to participate in.
Over the ensuing months the idea developed into an imaginary retro-futuristic club called CocoRocca DiscoTeca, a fantasy version of
a past club that never existed and at the same time a future club that was really possible to create one day.
If there was such a club, what would the music sound like?
Surely, a fusion of various sounds of dub/house/disco that the pair of DJs had been collecting and playing out for years. So inspiration
lists were made and ,slowly, a soundtrack for a night at that imaginary club began to take shape, beginning slow and dreamy, for the
moment of arrival; lifting up to a peak; and finally drifting down to the final tune of the night.
The result goes something like this…
With her new “Let Me Be Your Fantasy” remix package, Anané continues to solidify her position as one of the most talented and charismatic recording artists in the world today. It’s never easy to take on a classic disco tune, which in this case is a song originally released in 1978 by The Love Symphony Orchestra. But working with producers Two Soul Fusion (Louie Vega and Josh Milan), Anané has crafted a new version of this song that retains the glamour of disco while also injecting a raw toughness and rhythm perfectly suited for today’s dancefloors. As is her custom on her remix packages, Anané has pulled together an outstanding team of producers to lay down their own very unique and high impact mixes, including Masters At Work, Dimitri From Paris, Mousse T, Blackchild and Moplen.
As the tenth candle flickers atop the torta alla panna, Archeo Recordings play the Uno reverse card, breaking with tradition to give us a gift in celebration of its birthday: the first in a series of exquisite EPs on which the label's favourite contemporaries pay homage to past masters. Each re-polished gem is plucked either directly from the beatific back catalogue of the fine Florentine label or is at least Archeo-adjacent, perhaps a sign of future wonders to come. Like a musical version of Janus, who can be found at the heart of Bertoldo di Giovanni's frieze in the Medici villa, Archeo Recordings will continue to look forwards and backwards to provide sublime sounds for us all.
Pepe Maina officially joined the Archeo family in 2019 with the much-needed reissue of his 1979 masterpiece Scerizza (AR015), but his astounding music has been a constant companion to label head Manu for much longer. An inter-dimensional, multi-instrumental maverick, Maina weaves the frayed edges of prog rock, new age, organic jazz and global minimalism into a shimmering tapestry all of his own. The results are spread across fifty years and almost as many albums, largely self-released and always absolutely untarnished by commercial concerns.
Based in a small village in the hills of Brianza, just north of Milan, Maina translates the beauty of his surroundings into transformative tone poems, and the folkloric fusion of "The Infinite", originally released on his 2014 CD Tales From The Hill, is the perfect example of his practice. It opens with a recitation of Giacomo Leopardi's 1825s poem "L'Infinito" by famed Italian actor Vittorio Gassman. A leading figure in the romantic movement, Leopardi explores the idea of time and space within the natural world, and the peace that comes with an appreciation of the immensity of eternity. Manu, longtime digger and now a burgeoning producer, expands upon the original with tribal percussion, chirping electronics and a spheric bassline, folding Maina's elegant strings and gossamer pads into a new arrangement suited for a slow dance under the stars.
Unless you had a well-trained ear tuned to Italy's avant-jazz scene, chances are your first encounter with innovative flautist Roberto Aglieri came via the 2017 Archeo reissue of hisalmost untraceable LP Ragapadani (AR011). It's a true testament to Manu's digging credentials that he snatched this masterpiece out of the esoteric atmosphere and brought it attention it so richly deserved. A delicate union of digital synthesis and versatile flute - be it soft and silvery or
brilliant and clear - the 1987 album was a shapeshifting masterpiece, replaying scenes from Virgil, Verdi, Visconti and Pasolini with a neon glow. Quintessentially Italian, but uncanny and previously unimagined - Penthouse and Portico perhaps. Powered by a percolating prototechno sequence, cascading keys, hallucinogenic vocal snippets and a variety of tonal timbres from Roberto's reed, "Danza N. 1" long deserved the praise reserved for Jean-Luc Ponty's pinnacle, so many thanks to Manu for our collective introduction. The tall task of reinterpreting this particular paragon falls to Perugian polymath Daniele Tomassini AKA Feel Fly, whose peerless skills as both producer and musician have delighted DJs and dancers alike. Hot on the heels of his diverse and definitive remixes of Tony Esposito for AR027, Daniele delivers a radical rework of "Danza N. 1" perfect for both day rave sunshine and full moon party alike. Enhanced by snapping breaks and a rattling kick, the bassline gurgle emerges as a progressive powerhouse, laying the foundation for the trilling flute and circular keys to cast a psychedelic spell. As the slow-Goa revival picks up pace, this one is way ahead of the pack.
Archeo take us all the way back to the start of its story here - well almost. Though it bore the stamp AR001 (2015), this Radio Band reissue actually hit shelves months after Tony Esposito's "Je-Na' / Pagaia"; a false start perhaps but a true classic all the same. Radio Band were a group of DJs from Florence who all sailed the airways of Radio Fantasy in 1984 and whose one and only release was this super groovy slice of Italo-boogie. Following the example of Milanese DJs Band of Jocks but far surpassing their formulaic funk fizzle, Radio Band employed an intergalactic bassline, cosmic keys and that undeniably Italian style of rapping to deliver a sophisticated party-starter which even found its way to disco deity Ron Hardy. Back to the here and now, and if you've found yourself pumping an ecstatic fist to a supercharged Italian epic of late, chances are its from the mind of the mysterious Radiomarc. Operating on the ascendent Popcorn Groove imprint, this shadowy figure steers his country's lost classics into peaktime territories, finding a sweet spot between late Italo-disco, early Italo-house and contemporary cool. Pushing the tempo with a club-ready 4/4, setting the sequencer to stun and supplementing the original melodies with a series of synth riffs, the mystery producer send this one into orbit. Radio Band - Radio Rap - Radiomarc, the circle is complete.
Few have done more to develop cross-cultural musical exchange than Futuro Antico. A collaborative venture from musician, archeologist and ethnomusicologist Walter Maioli, keyboardist and tonal theoretician Riccardo Sinigaglia and multi-disciplinary artist and composer Gabin Dabiré, Futuro Antico formed in Milan in 1979, combining ancient international folkloric traditions with otherworldly electronics. The result is an arresting melange of Mediterranean, African and Asian instrumentation, mimicked by esoteric synth tones and hypnotic minimalism, which the group perfected on their acclaimed 1990 LP Dai Primitivi All'Elettronica. The meditative and transportive "Pan Tuning" belongs to their largely overlooked 2005 CD only release Intonazioni Archetipe, and has been amongst Manu's most loved tracks from the first moment he heard it. Who else is better placed to reshape this evocative opus into an immersive, transcendental dance floor journey than label favourites Mushrooms Project? The duo sows the original elements into a sprawling fifteen minute fusion of séance and science, at times propulsive with a ritualist rhythm of tuned percussion and crunching drum machine at others drifting off into ethereal ambience. Mushrooms Project continue to push the boundaries of the Afro-cosmic style, and this remix marks a new zenith.
Repress!
Can you feel it? It’s the “Rush Fantasy”…Striking whilst he is hot is Berlin based Norwegian - Henriku. He follows on from his sought after “New York Popcorn” EP with another atmospheric house and minimal exploration, laced with distinct rave energy. The animated four-track vinyl lands on Oslo based, Det Gode Selskab, an ongoing chemistry between artist and label have led to this hedonistic trip, captivating club sounds from a producer in his element. Live out your fantasy, and your wildest dreams.
Taking the lead is “I Do”, a seductive trip of house nostalgia, driven by chunky drums and a pulsating bass line, teased into the trip by the provocative vocals. The title track “Rush Fantasy” strips things back mechanical minimalistic movements converse with a hypnotic sub heavy bass, swaying under the influences of the after party.
On the flip is another steamy encounter with “Pillow Talk”, the vintage samples go hand in hand with the rugged and raw energy of the track. Mysterious textures melt your mind in “Nicotine 4 U”, a smoky vibe for the small hours of the night.
Henriku’s free spirit lives up perfectly to the DGS ethos, a safe haven for artistic freedom, making this a perfect home for the “Rush Fantasy” experience. “It Feels Sooo Good!!”.
Grammy award-winning DJ and producer Purple Disco Machine has shared his latest single ‘Beat of Your Heart’ in collaboration with Icelandic artist ÁSDÍS.
Combining Purple Disco Machine’s trademark disco infused sound with ÁSDÍS’s magnetic vocals, the high-energy track is laden with danceable grooves, big synths and catchy melodies. The accompanying music video, directed by NDVD, brings all of the joy of the dancefloor to life intertwining love, freedom and fantasy.
Speaking about the track, Purple Disco Machine says: “I was sent the vocals by ÁSDÍS and I immediately fell in love with her voice. I wanted to release the track as a single and we later re-recorded it together in my studio in Dresden, which was really great.”
GREETINGS returns with release numero five ‘Look Within’. Stepping up to the mic for the first time, his original vocals up the sauce factor with dreamy hooks that will have you singing along into your wildest dancefloor fantasy.
The EP kicks off with A1 ‘Look Within’ – an evocative tribute to the magic of discovering the dancefloor, with commanding lyrics centred around discovery and inhibition. A2 ‘Come and Go (Dirty Talk Mix)’ expresses the ecstasy of meeting someone on the dancefloor and finding passion among the grooves. To be played when the dancefloor is just right and ready (il bon tempo), consider it your next club serenade. B1 ‘Won’t You Believe’ weaves an epic acid bass line into a ground-shaking chugger, that will whip any crowd intona frenzy – to be used responsibly!
B2 ‘When I Dream at Night’ is a cosmic closer, taking you on a journey into forbidden nocturnal yearnings as GREETINGS dreams of a certain someone, unable to shake them from his mind, lost in a memory of melody.
Holly Lester’s Duality Trax Label has quickly become synonymous for its blend of future facing sonics and mind-warping melodies, served together with a healthy dose of nostalgia. A label just as focused on making dancefloor destroyers as it is exploring left-leaning, personal projects, it’s within this duality where the label has found its success, never afraid to shy away from b side oddities or tracks edging more towards good-old-fashioned-fun.
DUALITY5 steers towards the latter, with Manchester based DJ & producer Aiden Francis providing the serotonin on tap with three lively dancefloor cuts, including a huge remix from Italy’s Matisa. Aiden had a big 2022, releasing music on Magic Carpet, Gestalt and beloved music platform and label Houseum, solidifying himself as one to watch in the euphoric unity of house, trance and techno.
Title track ‘Plastic Fantasy’ is the star of the show, a suitably sassy roller that places everyone's favorite blonde icon front left of the speakers. Subtle old school strings contrast with alien electronics, providing familiarity in an otherwise unfamiliar world. A bubble-gum vocal then rolls in cheekily over a driving bassline and dynamic percussion - used in a way I’m not sure the original creators had in mind. ‘Future Proof’ meanwhile demonstrates Aidens’ knack for contemporary progressive house music. With warm pads, swirling sonic textures and moments of blissful euphoria, it’s energetic enough to move a dancefloor, but gentle enough for home listening too.
The record comes to a close with ‘Aquamarine’, with Aiden opting in favour of free flowing breakbeats and mind expanding synths, together radiating a feeling of warmth and hope for days to come. Italian DJ and producer Matisa is on hand to round the EP off with a bass-heavy rendition of ‘Plastic Fantasy’ a no-holds-barred speed garage licked stomper, with the power to lure smokers back inside the club with their feet firmly planted on the dancefloor.
Aestum’s self-titled debut album is an in-depth journey into supreme and tranceformative soundscapes. Oscillating around the apex of spacious power ambient and drone, the compositions recorded during 2020 combine monolithic electronica with decaying fantasies and slow-motion euphoria.
The imagination for the album was inspired by the idea of panortosia (universal reform) as described in old scholar books devoted to inter-communication and sacrosanct harmonies in order to find a way into divine temple and shining lux (eternal light). From sonic perspective Aestum created a juxtaposition between warped atmospheres and distant remnants for a state of trance, a multiverse vision of feeling that was evoked by timeless parties and almost religious peak-time club anthems during end of 90’s and 00’s when Aestum as a duo of young friends were entering dancefloors across Europe. With this attitude every composition - often accompanied with dreamy messages and heavenly choirs of Dutch vocalist Bobbie 0rkid - marks its own emotional landscape and reaches new enigmatic spheres.
Influenced by this concept a New York based multidisciplinary artist Emma Pryde created visuals for the album - not just the cover where the story of panartosia is being told across the front and back cover, but also transformative videos for tracks Panortosia and Himmel. Using pure elements like heaven or meadows on the base, she added layers of imagery from sci-fi effects to more ancient and religious images, warping and blending into each other, leading into a fantasy that represents the past and future, and gives a meaningful hope.
Brooklyn-based queer nightlife luminary Jasmine Infiniti self-released her debut album, BXTCH SLÄP, in March 2020. Dark Entries steps forward to present the album remastered and on double vinyl. Over the thirteen disruptive club cuts of BXTCH SLÄP, Jasmine conjures occult rave incantations with sub-tectonic bass and seductive harmonies. Audaciously championing R&B, vogue, and hip-hop sounds, Jasmine Infiniti’s latest collection of techno-hybrid dance tunes is built for the dancefloors of underground nightlife.
While SiS, her debut EP, was an ode to queer solidarity, community, and sisterhood, BXTCH SLÄP refines the art of personal myth-building. It is an unflinching and uncompromising album, but it also boasts surprising range, moving briskly between ethereal hardcore house (“HOTT”), anxious dark electro (“SPOOKED”), and certifiable techno bangers (“YES, SIR”, “WELLFAIR”). Meanwhile album standout “<3” hovers just above 100 BPM, a defiant statement of euphoric sensuality that’s no less gripping for its dramatic deceleration. Closing number “SHONUFF” clocks in at ten and half minutes, but not a second of this acid-laced adrenaline rush feels wasted. BXTCH SLÄP might be suited for the high-impact dancefloor, but this music takes on a new life in the moments we spend between the parties, alone and full of desire.
BXTCH SLÄP was mastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios. The sleeve features photography from Guerrilla Davis and hand drawn Infiniti logo designed by Eloise Leigh with a 3-D chrome effect by Sebastian Ortega. Each copy includes a 3-D chrome die-cut sticker. The Queen of Hell is back and her powers are stronger than ever. All hail The Queen!
We are proud to release ‘Fortunate Isolation’ the sophomore album from Borusiade. Born and raised in Bucharest, Romania, Borusiade aka Miruna Boruzescu started DJ-ing in 2002 as one of the very few female DJs in the city’s emerging alternative clubbing scene. Influenced by a classical musical education, a bachelor in film direction and fascinated by raw electronic sounds, Borusiade first combined these universes in the construction of her DJ sets and starting 2005 also in her music production. A sound of her own has slowly crystallized, often dark with poignant bass lines, obsessive themes and by all means melodic. She has released EPs on labels like Pinkman, Unterton, Cititrax, Correspondant and Cómeme, who released her debut album ‘A Body’ in 2018.
‘Fortunate Isolation’ is perhaps Borusiade’s most personal release to date. Eight songs that capture a bystander witnessing the world as it undergoes drastic changes. We have disconnected ourselves from ecology, humanity, preservation, care for what surrounds us, for what is still alive. Borusiade adds, “| know that this place, our home has went through so many other extinctions, but | believe things will find their own way on this planet only once we are gone. Entropy creates a time-line but also a transformation - a new beginning.” The album’s sound is gloomy and powerful mixing sonic film sequences, rhythmic excursions and soothing yet obsessive vocals that touch one’s deepest senses. Lyrically the songs tackle themes of forgotten memories, spirituality, mortality, and destruction. All songs have been mastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. Each copy is housed in a jacket designed by Eloise Leigh with decaying daguerreotypes against a rust color palette and includes an insert with lyrics.
Close Proximity lands on Second Sight with a four-track statement that spans the full spectrum of the label’s world. From upfront, peak-time club pressure to 90s-tinged house swing and Balearic-leaning warmth, the EP moves between late-night drive and sunlit release without losing momentum. Tight drums, bold hooks, and a vivid sense of space make it equally built for big systems and repeat listens — a focused package of energy, groove, and atmosphere.
“Crazy Funky” marks the official debut of Tommy Soul as a producer — a track born from the desire to blend the groove of 80s funk and disco with a contemporary sonic approach. A warm, dominant funky bassline drives the track alongside a vintage-flavoured, punchy drum groove, supported by modern electronic synths and sound details that firmly place it in the present.The lyrics and vocal melody sung by Tommy Soul, reveal an unexpected falsetto, especially in the harmonic tension of the hook “make me crazy!” The goal was to reinterpret the spirit of original disco productions and bring it into a modern, more electronic and club-oriented dimension, while preserving the analogue soul and authentic warmth of the sound. The result is a track with a strong character: a relentless bassline, gritty vocals, an infectious groove, and an energy built for the dancefloor.
Belgian electronic duo schntzl, known for their fearless live improvisation and playful fusion of jazz, Dada, and ’90s trance kitsch, invite listeners to hear sound anew with their latest album.
On their new album Fata Morgana, an illusory trip of emotion and confrontation, Belgian duo schntzl conjure mirages of fleeting realities while diving headfirst into a trance-driven, confrontational digital sound.
Fata Morgana unfolds like a hyper-visual journey, constructing enveloping dreamworlds through trance-infused live electronica. Yet trance here is present not in form but in essence—an intensity, a state of being. It may stir the same emotions as club music, but schntzl express them in a language entirely their own. Kitsch loops, improvisation, and distortion bend their music into illusions that dissolve and reappear, creating sonic worlds that never settle into habitual patterns.
With her sophomore album JAWBREAKER, Sam Quealy cements her status as one of pop’s most daring new voices. Like the cult candy it’s named after, JAWBREAKER is bold, addictive, and dangerously fun — a sugar-coated explosion of chaos, glamour, and emotion.
Produced alongside longtime collaborator Marlon Magnée (La Femme) between their Paris home studio and the legendary Studio Ferber, the album marks a striking evolution from Blonde Venus (2023). Here, Quealy trades the sharp edges of techno-pop for a lush, disco-infused sound, blending live instrumentation and cinematic sheen with her trademark anarchic energy. The result is a record that feels liberating, hedonistic, and deeply human — a vibrant antidote to modern gloom.
From the euphoric escape of “LONDONTOWN” to the dark romance of “LOVE LASSO”, and the shimmering pop fantasy of “GIRLS NIGHT”, Quealy channels a thousand versions of herself — club queen, rock diva, dreamer, and provocateur. The ethereal duet “BY MY SIDE” with Magnée closes the album in a haze of tenderness and light.
A multidisciplinary artist — singer, dancer, performer, and visual visionary — Quealy extends her universe through spectacular music videos and high-energy live shows that merge fashion, choreography, and raw emotion. On stage, she’s magnetic: a whirlwind of hyper-femininity and power, commanding every room with unfiltered authenticity.
With JAWBREAKER, Sam Quealy delivers a fearless pop statement — an exhilarating fusion of sensitivity, chaos, and self-expression that confirms her as a genre-defying visionary ready to take over the world.
Blu:sh back in Kalahari orbit for a third bite of the cherry.
This one’s dark and dank, with sultriness off the scales. The antithesis of the Frenchman’s output as Terra Utopia, it’s everything we’ve come to love from the project in 6 deadly traxxx.
Moody but never unruly. Taught, tough and rendered in the same seductive, turbulent vortex that’s defined all the Blush material to date.
Strapping earworm grooves set pace, as is tradition with these records. Not sparing on the menace either. Some of it sounds like Blu:sh on a villain arc. Whether you’re a cut-throat stalking the backstreets or looking for a mean streak of pure sci-fi dystopia, we got you covered.
Proper late nite hedonism. Oscillating between sensuous clubland fantasy and a volatile astral kinda flex, the sense of impending danger is unabating.
- A1: Wolfram Feat Desire – Sad Ibiza Song
- A2: Orion – Call A Psychic
- A3: Mothermary – Coming For You (Nicolaas Remix)
- A4: Double Mixte – Chateau D'eau
- B1: Love Object – Epicurus
- B2: The Operator – Danser
- B3: Talvi - The Day We Met Never Ended For Me
- B4: Kid Moxie & Nina* – Waiting For Tonight
- C1: Farah – Losing My Religion
- C2: Sally Shapiro – Moonlight Dance (Tommy '86 Remix)
- C3: Glüme – Dangerous Blue
- C4: Cigar Cigarette – Come Correct
- D1: Desire – Silver Machine
- D2: Causeway – I'm Falling Apart
- D3: Esper Star – Boys Of Summer
- D4: Juno Francis – Romantica
- E1: Sally Shapiro – Purple Colored Sky
- E2: Club Intl Feat Logan Avidan – Hazel Eyes
- E3: Mesh Kimono – Afterburn
- E4: Dlina Volny – Saturday
- F1: Annie-Claude Deschênes – Electric Light
- F2: Cameron Romance – Meet You On The Other Side
- F3: Joon – I Think They Call It Love
- F4: Lovelock Feat Orion – Riders On Dark Horses
- F6: Pynkie & Social Media – Zoom
- F7: Body Double – Telescope
- F5: Double Mixte – Am I A Fool To Love You
15 years since their fantasy disco scene-defining 1st volume, Johnny Jewel’s IDIB lasso Sally Shapiro, Desire, Farah, Lovelock and the kreme of their field for a 27-song, 2-hour re-up
Where previous volumes took their sweet time to arrive, ‘Volume 4’ graces the ‘floor only two years since the last, and nobody’s complaining. From its slo-mo, dry-iced covers of Jennifer Lopez’ ‘Waiting For Tonight’, Don Henley’s ’Boys of Summer’ and even flipping R.E.M.’s ‘Losing My Religion’, thru to exclusive pearls by our disco queen crush, Sally Shapiro, and Johnny Jewel as Desire, it’s the ideal soundtrack for late summer into silly season.
Babau is the pantropical project of Artetetra founders Matteo Pennesi and Luigi Monteanni in which a fascination with exotica, world music 2.0 and field recordings meets the compositional and improvisational techniques of computer music. Their latest work, the album »Stock Fantasy Zone«, was recently released on Discrepant and they have been nominated Shape artists 2023. The duo has participated in various Italian and non-Italian festivals such as Fusion, Club to Club, Nextones, Outernational Days, Camp Cosmic and Saturnalia.
»Flatland Explorations« is an ever-growing collection of completely improvised attempts at mapping the surface and irregular shapes of Babau's sonic flatland by means of audio manipulations and digital sorceries. Joining live recordings with studio material and field recordings, the duo crafts its unique sound made of granular illusions, midi extravaganza, wind instruments' acrobacies, and vocal calembours. The results have been remarkably described as 'the sound of a continent moving, ethnicities, animals, plants and mineral included.
Out of the stack, the flatland has no boundaries.
Never Sleep charity tape series focuses on London's pirate radio momentous rise with a true pioneer.
Femme enterpriser DJ Rap holistifies futurism with a cacophony of Ragga, Hardcore and Transatlantic soundscapes. A bass propagation filled with landmark pointillism, matriarchal musicianship and acidic House.
Soundclashing all machismo in sight, rugged mercurial stripped back bedlam for the peak time listener. Complexificating with hypnotic FX, "WHERES THE RAVE" signalling, flawless magnetica and hyperbolic genre splicing. Rap brings the "mood", hybrid soundsystem lashing and method only she fully enablises.
Literally sleeping inside and DJing on Fantasy FM from the age of 16 (you can hear her doing the ads at the start), this mix showcases an incredible time for the burgeoning sounds of the new millenia and the rise of pirate radio across London.
DJ Rap recently released her 6th studio album and is well known for her charity work and love of club culture. A female pioneer in the UK music industry and a long lasting staple in the Electronic history lexicon.
All proceeds go to Four Paws who help Animal Welfare across the UK
- 1:
- 2:
- 3:
- 4:
- 5:
- 6:
- 7:
- 8:
The Sludge Of The Land is the new album by digital folklore and post-exoticism Italian duo Babau. Their first full length since 2023’s Flatland Explorations Vol. 2, with The Sludge Of The Land Babau lands on Impatience with their signature audio-prestidigitation at it’s most disorientingly pungent and zonked, a uniquely contemporary approach described as the sound of a continent moving; animals, plants and minerals included.
As part of a residency at Casa degli Artisti, Milan, in 2022, Babau turned their atelier into a recording studio and performing venue thanks to Francesco Piro, who produced the entirety of the album. There, the duo improvised with different acoustic and digital instruments for several hours a day. Returning after ten years to a sound more akin to a band or small orchestra, Babau re-explores tropes and themes of exotica and jazz from their unique and off-kilter perspective of terminally-online diggers-dwellers of the internet flatland.
An homage to digital content consumption and dopamine-infused sensory overloads, The Sludge Of The Land imagines itself as an abstract sonic wunderkammer of online detritus. By diving into the world of ‘sludge content’: audiovisual chaos produced by mixing different content using split screens or dizzying patchworks of videos, Babau celebrates the formless, viscous goo, spam, chum and slop of out-of-context moving image, fast paced digital videos and lo-fi mp4 artifacts. By endlessly spiraling into the non-spaces of The Net, Babau explore the uncharted parageographies of lavacasts, mysterious Chinese anthropozoomorphic legendary beings, vampiric doomscrolling glides and doppelganger, ctrl+c & ctrl+v spiritualism. These ghosts of pointless microevents and traveling-without-moving bedroom boredom are stuffed by Babau with the epic tone and compositional approach of exotica and world music 2.0 reveries, resulting in an absurd, playful narrative of the dangers and allures of the web.
Bringing together the sound of Richard Hayman and Black Dice, Korla Pandit and Sun Araw, Tony Scott and Carl Stone, once again the duo crafts a compelling audio-textual hallucination of transglobal chimera. A multi-fi, extremely layered treasure of fifth world music.
RIYL - Sun Araw, the strangest corners of the internet, Senyawa, digital wind instruments, Nuke Watch, Black Dice, exotica, hallucinating.
Babau is the pantropical project of Artetetra founders Matteo Pennesi and Luigi Monteanni, where their fascination with exotica, world music 2.0, and field recordings merges with the compositional and improvisational techniques of computer music.
Their latest work, All the Gurls were at the Women’s Archo Ashinto, was recently released by Bamboo Shows, while the previous Stock Fantasy Zone and Flatland Explorations Vol.2, were released by Discrepant. They were selected as SHAPE+ artists in 2023, and the duo has performed at various festivals in Italy and beyond, including Fusion, Club to Club, Terraforma, Nextones, Outernational Days, Camp Cosmic, and Saturnalia. For years, they have been striving to synthesize what has been described as the sound of a continent in motion—people, animals, plants, and minerals included.
The Sludge Of The Land was produced and mixed by Francesco Piro at Casa degli Artisti, Milan, and co-produced by Babau
Drums by Giovanni Todisco, bass by Francesco Piro and piano on A4 by Vittorio Cosmo.
Master by Nick Foglia.
Art by Luca Schenardi.
Fog is Marija Rasa’s debut album on Short Span as emer, and her first cut to wax. It follows a single featuring Ugnė Uma for Stroom and a wonderful debut tape for the now cult (I hope!) incubator label Lilerne Tape Club.
It’s for dreamers. Very dub. Soul. Ambient too. A bit of Detroit-like post industrial imagining. You can read it is as a new and different version of a very classic dub technique from the producer in many ways - Marija at the mixing console and effects desk, conjuring a new versioned music through radical restructuring and an instinctive reshaping of space + melody + lyric in studio experimentation.
Tracks are pinned down by thick and enveloping bass while other elements float in and out, fleeting narcotic or hypnagogic notes of fantasy and song form bob in and out of focus. Scant colours and disorienting voice and melody sit suspended, occasionally coalescing and breaking out into moments of radiant beauty and slowly burning manifestations of warmth and presence shooting through the heart and gut.
Soulwax 's first new album in 8 years, entitled "All Systems Are Lying" and set for October 17th release. Available on CD & various 2LP fromats . The campaign will kick off July 9th with a double single “All Systems Are Lying / Run Free”, album announcement + pre-order launch. Since 1995, David and Stephen Dewaele have consistently pushed the boundaries of music into new and innovative territory by diversifying into many different guises. They are a band (Soulwax), djs (2manydjs), a record label (DEEWEE) and a sound system (Despacio, created along with James Murphy from LCD Soundsystem).
They are also widely renowned as one of the most innovative remix and producer teams around. They have released 7 studio albums to date, including the critically acclaimed ‘Any Minute Now’ and ‘Nite Versions’. Some of their already cult remix credits include the Grammy nominated “Work It” by Marie Davidson, as well as Peggy Gou, Fontaines DC, Roisin Murphy, Robyn, Arcade Fire, The Rolling Stones, Tame Impala, Metronomy, Daft Punk, The Gossip, Hot Chip, MGMT and Warpaint, among many others.
Stephen and David Dewaele are familiar to millions as 2manydjs, a project which undoubtedly moved the needle for modern DJing. Alongside like-minded allies such as Erol Alkan, Tiga and Jacques lu Cont, 2manydjs swept international dancefloors into delirium, gifting a rock ‘n roll attitude to club culture.
- 1: Smoochie Girl
- 2: Liquid
- 3: Trinkets
- 4: Chichinya
- 5: Skin Cleared
- 6: Microplastics
- 7: Full Frontal
- 8: She’s So Pretty
- 9: Wet Like (Feat. Cobrah)
- 10: I Want My Boyfriends To Kiss
- 11: Sticky Fingers
- 12: Lip Smacker
- 13: Itty Bitty
- 14: Baby Teeth
- 15: It Girl
Multi-platinum selling artist Ashnikko makes their hotly anticipated return with ‘Smoochies’, set for release on 17th October.
Equal parts sexy, playful, and feminine, ‘Smoochies’ toes the line between the grotesque and the absurd. Moving past the pressures of viral fame, Ashnikko fully embraces their maximalist pop persona, blending club, country and hip-hop influences. The album stands as the "older sister" to DEMIDEVIL and a liberated evolution from WEEDKILLER. It's their most personal and collaborative work, trading fantasy worlds for autobiographical themes through the lens of the "Smoochie Girl”: a messy, chaotic and authentic figure who rejects beauty standards and the male gaze in favour of personal autonomy and joyful whimsy.
With hits like 'Daisy', 'Stupid' and 'Slumber Party' and a global fanbase built through worldwide sold-out tours, 'Smoochies' marks the start of a bold new era.
If there is one person, who has been causing a stir on the international club circuit recently, it is Barcelona's John Talabot. Already his debut “My Old School“ (which is meant literally by the way) on Permanent Vacation in 2009 and shortly after that the single “ Sunshine”, which he put out on his own Hivern Disc imprint, made him one of the most promising musicians of the Spanish electronic scene. And those two releases also already set the mark for John Talabot’s unparalleled music: raw, loopy, heavy on the kick drum, sample based, moderate on the tempo, distorted on the drums and light years away from the clean and ever revolving house sound of today. This unique style which also blends influences from afro beat, Detroit techno, Chicago house and cosmic disco, but also northern soul or the energy of Flamenco, immediately turned some heads around. James Murphy, Âme and Aeroplane started including Talabot music in their sets like it was the most natural thing. However - and this is quite rare - he not only gained legions of fans in the house and disco community, but also amongst the leftfield pop and indie rock followers. NME and Resident Advisor both had “Breakthrough“ features on John Talabot and he can be proud of a “Best New Music“ dubbing on
Pitchfork. (Being rather elusive on showing his face in magazines or the web it also came to some funny rumors that John Talabot was the alter ego of a well-known techno producer from Detroit).
At the same time he drew the attention of like-minded artists like James Holden and Luke Abott from Border Community, Blondes or Delorean, which lead to a bunch of fertile collaborations: Luke Abbott and Blondes remixed Talabot’s “Sunshine“ single , John Talabot remixed a track by Delorean and vice versa Delorean’s Ekhi contributed vocals to the track “Journeys “ on John’s album). Another example is the Young Turks Label (home of Jamie XX, Holy Fuck, El Guincho or SBTRKT ) on which he released the “Families“ EP in 2010. It was praised beyond limits. Pitchfork for
instance hailed: “… where pop and house influences sweetly buffer up against one another to provide an unyielding sense of elation“ and even brought Talabot a comparison with artists like Four Tet or Caribou.
While staying true to his sound, John Talabot has nevertheless shown a constant evolution as a producer since his first release. He has traced a solid musical path that has turned him into one of the big references of European House and has made him also a highly in demand Remixer (for the likes of The XX, Francesco Tristano’s “Aufgang” project, Shit Robot on DFA, Thaiti 80, Joakim or Teengirl Fantasy to name just a few ).
A progression that now crystallizes in “ƒin”, his first full-length album for Permanent Vacation. A record, in which the Barcelona mastermind sets aside the danceable immediacy to expand his stylistic palette more than ever. For that purpose, Talabot melts all the elements that have constructed his distinctive sound until now and makes them emerge from a new perspective, in which the construction of complex song structures, intricate rhythms and superpositions of ever-evolving melodies and atmospheres pick up the baton of the “a kick-drum and a sampler” philosophy of his initial productions. The result brings us 11 tracks (we should call them songs really!) dominated by dark ambiances, gaseous textures and bittersweet moods that, above all, reveal a kind of vivacity that’s really hard to find in contemporary electronics. “Fin” is far from being a track collection. From the majestic opener “Depak Ine“ to it’s solemn ending with
“So Will Be Now“ , one of the two tracks that features Talabot’s soul and label mate Pional, each song traces an overall dialogue with the rest, culminating a highly emotional journey through Talabot’s always compelling and unique musical vision.
- Montevideo Disney Samba
- Parque Rodo Cookies
- Noa Noa Blues
- Las Canteras Breakbeat Science
- Candombe Doble Gota
- La Sombra Del Limonero
- Parque Rodo Thugs
- The Sound Of Ramirez Shore
A unique sonic journey blending jazz, candombe, dub, hip-hop, and electronic music. Written, sequenced, and recorded by Ian Lampel (Uruguay), the album captures Montevideo's vibrant essence with innovative beats and deep roots. Embark on a sonic journey through the rich tapestry of Ian Lampel's multicultural heritage with his debut solo album, "The Parque Rodó Tapes." From the echoes of his grandparents' wartime exodus from Europe's tumultuous past to the rhythms of daily life in Parque Rodó, Lampel's artistic vision was shaped by a kaleidoscope of influences: Science fiction and fantasy books, graphic design annuals, comics, films, early computers and videogames as well as music; the haunting melodies of Russian and Polish classical composers hummed by his grandmother while cooking, the choir and hammond music of the synagogue, his early explorations in club music and dub or the syncopated drumming of candombe and carnaval echoing in the streets of Montevideo. The composer, producer and bass player, wrote, sequenced and recorded practically everything that is heard throughout the album. With meticulous attention to detail, he has crafted a sonic landscape that seamlessly blends elements of jazz and Uruguayan music with the innovative spirit of dub, hip-hop and electronica; from the infectious rhythms of candombe and the raw energy of murga, to breakbeats, moog's and samples. Drawing from a treasure trove of samples collected over two decades, "The Parque Rodó Tapes" weaves together a tapestry of sound that is both nostalgic and forward-thinking, from the haunting voice of Marosa Di Giorgio and the vibrant cacophony of a carnival field recording by Lauro Ayestaran, to the guest contributions from notable musicians including Lampel's wife, singer/songwriter Eco Lopez, multi-instrumentalist Luciana Giovinazzo on flute, and Ferna Nunez on repique drum. Each track is a testament to Lampel's eclectic vision. A debut album with a certain degree of melancholy that works as a soundtrack to the world in which the artist grew up, a world now gone, without cellphones or social networks, in which everything had to be proactively pursued "in the streets".
- A2: Vento Dall'oriente
- A3: Mura Di Bisanzio
- A4: Il Ponte Dell'asia
- A5: Mito Asiatico
- A6: Fortezza Medioevale
- A7: Vestigia Elleniche
- B1: Ballata Turca
- B2: La Valle Di Corem
- B3: Pastorale Armana
- B4: Festa Al Villaggio
- B5: Ballo Popolare
- B6: Dolce Anatolia
- B7: Vita Nei Campi
- B8: Vita Cittadina
- B9: Giovani Di Ankara
A captivating deep cut from the golden age of Italian library music, Il Ponte Dell’Asia stands as one of Piero Umiliani’s most evocative and exotic soundscapes. Originally released in 1967 as a private pressing for Italian the TV documentary by Corrado Sofia, this elusive gem blends Far Eastern motifs with the elegance of mid-century European jazz and the textured experimentation that defines Umiliani’s best work.
On Il Ponte Dell’Asia, Umiliani constructs a cinematic bridge between continents, layering modal melodies, sinuous flutes, shimmering vibraphones, and richly orchestrated strings over hypnotic rhythms and subtly psychedelic touches. The result is a masterful fusion of East-meets-West that channels both travelogue fantasy and avant-garde sophistication — a rare synthesis of traditional instrumentation and modernist sensibility.
Exported from the original tapes, pressed on high-quality vinyl and with faithfully restored artwork, this reissue offers a long-overdue return to one of Umiliani’s most immersive sonic journeys, an essential for fans of Italian library music, film scores, and genre-defying jazz.
Rediscover a lost jewel from the vault of one of Italy’s most visionary composers — where bamboo forests, smoky clubs, and dreamlike landscapes converge in sound.
©℗ 1967, Liuto Edizioni Musicali / Licensed to Holy Basil Records by Liuto Edizioni Musica
3XL boss and scene hyper-connector Special Guest DJ (aka uon, shy, Caveman LSD) lands on their own label with a debut album of hazed ambient noise and aquatic club anarchitextures, with a patented, heady style bent into new shapes.
For nigh on a decade, Berlin-based American producer, label boss, promoter and DJ Shy has operated at the centre of a scene that's still not fully defined. Their mythical DJ sets, where you're likely to hear precision-tweaked dubstep, dreampop, decelerated rap and dubwise ambient blended into vapour; gives some sense of the vibes at play, and a comb thru their spiderweb of a catalog - as Caveman LSD or uon, as part of Ghostride the Drift, Hoodie, crimeboys, virtualdemonlaxative and Cypher, or as the figurehead of 3XL, Experiences Ltd, xpq? and bblisss labels - further blurs that gist.
They've been caught in the crossfire of Big Ambient, sure, but there's always been something scrappier, sexier and more present going on under the hood. Shy and his network of associates - Huerco, Ulla, Perila, Ben Bondy, Naemi/Exael, Ponteac Streator and Arad Acid, among others - have asserted the interrelatedness of their discrete approaches. So-called "ambient" music doesn't exist in a vacuum, it un-focuses elements that undergird so many more corporeal sounds, and for Shy, their music reflects the druggy, DIY, genre-agnostic ethos of a trans-Atlantic neo-punk underground that exists in some liminal zone between the club, the bedsit and the basement.
Concerned with themes of “anger, sensuality, and dreaming”, the 40 minute roil of ‘Our Fantasy Complex’ frames Special Guest DJ at their most unapologetically oblique and illusive, expanding and contracting between whorls of shoegazing dynamics and extended portions of quasi-speed D&B x dub tech smeared on the mind’s-eye, with a vivid sense of bruised lushness that’s perfused all shy’s work thus far.
Joined by kindred collaborators Ben Bondy, Arad Acid and mu tate, and suspended in agitated bliss by Rashad Becker’s lucid mastering, the results feel out some of 2025’s most considered and distinctive within an amorphous zone that’s become a world unto itself. Ambient music’s fluffier signifiers are swapped out for a sort of sublime tension that, like the sound’s original ‘90s explosion, can be heard to reflect states of altered consciousness - both individual and collective.
Shy's layered, undulating productions are more like the chewed remnants of a thousand mixtapes cooked into a stream-of-consciousness hex. Save for the glistening, zoomed-out parting piece ‘Dream’, it all mostly avoids pretty melodies in favour of a spatio-textural sensuality that wraps us up, sometimes uncomfortably intimately, in shy’s thoughts. That oneiric closer is one of three gritty palate cleansers that swirl around its peaks, where elements of Reese-bass are suspended, writhing below looming atmospheric pressure in ‘How Long Can I Burn?’, emerging charred and flecked with rattled percussion on ‘Yoro (pt I & II)’, as though K-holing thru a blazing summer’s day.
In step with Perila’s notably darker turn of events on her ‘Omnis Festinatio Ex parts Diaboli Est’, album, or the unexpected ferocity of recent Space Afrika live shows, it’s not hard to hear a darkside gravitational pull on this one, where ambient music is no longer just a balm for troubled souls, but also suggestive of humanity’s most frightful odours.
REPRESS
New Delhi-based Peter Cat Recording Co. will release their debut album, ‘Bismillah’ on June 14, 2019 via French independent label Panache Records. Debut UK live shows are soon also to be announced by the band.
Peter Cat Recording Co. could almost have a question mark on the end of its name. Not least as founder & frontman Suryakant Sawhney refuses to explain where that name really comes from or what it means (perhaps a reference to the Tokyo jazz club owned by Haruki Murakami), but also since the very existence of the band itself raises a raft of questions. When was the last time we fell for an indie rock band for the right reasons? Not because the band in question nostalgically imitate a perceived ‘golden age’ but because they innately embody the fundamentals of such music: fantasy, sincerity and the freedom to make music without rules or career aspi- rations. And when was the last time this kind of band sounded like Sinatra, Barry White, the sweetest doo-wop, humid fanfares and a psychedelic wedding band, all at once? And all of this coming from India?
In truth, the story of Peter Cat Recording Co. was written within the triangle of San Francisco, Delhi and Paris.
In the first of these cities, Sawhney (a native of Delhi) pitched up to study film-making. More distracted by the city’s peaking live scene of the early noughties, this is where he started to make music and to sketch out an idea for the band.“
The people I lived with supported my idea of writing music, they introduced me to great mu-
sic. There used to be a great garage scene in San Francisco, like The Oh Sees also Ty Seagall, Mikal Conin, all those bands. This is a world I had never seen in my entire life. A big inspiration from San Francisco was that you could record yourself. You don’t need to be in a studio and spend a lot of money to make an album. You can do it”.
At the end of the 2000s, Suryakant returned home to New Delhi, and started his band for real, more or less the same band that plays today. “I wasn’t so concerned about will we be performing, will we be the greatest band, will we be trendy. I just wanted to make something that was consequential and important for us, I think. Something which would last, something people could listen to and be like « this is life changing ». It was for the sake of beauty”.
For the first few years and in India alone, this is exactly what Peter Cat Recording Co. did, in total indifference to the rest of the world. This was until young Parisian label Panache stumbled across the band online via Vice’s THUMP subsidiary, stupefied by the band’s cosmic video for seven-minutes-and-counting track, ‘Love De- mons’. And so in spring of 2018, ‘Portrait Of A Time: 2010-2016’ was released on Panache - making the first international release from Peter Cat Recording Co., bizarrely enough, an anthology of re-mastered, hidden gems from the band’s ramshackle back catalogue, previously recorded in Suryakant’s own living room. With Peter Cat’s off-kilter charm hitherto unheard of beyond the fringes of India, the release provided a gateway op-
Whilst the title track found its way onto Tracks Of The Year lists at the Guardian & NME, it was tricky for new PCRC enthusiasts to get a firm grip on the startling push/pull between the immediate, uncanny music this release gathered, and the cultural backdrop of New Delhi at which it was so startlingly at odds.
Opportunity for a wider fanbase to fall in love with their cloud-like, drunken songs for the first time.
If discovering your favourite new band via a ‘Best Of’ feels a curious premise, then ‘Bismillah’ does more than hint towards the promise of Peter Cat Recording Co’s future. Blending gypsy jazz, psychedelic cabaret, space disco, bossa supernova, Bollywood and uneasy listening with kaleidoscopic ease, in many senses, the band’s knack hasn’t altered. Always different, paradoxical, unpredictable yet somehow familiar. The new album opens to the strains of bird chatter, the whisper of a city’s soundscape and the first few notes from an instrument which seem to be calling us to the departure lounge, a fore-shadow of the flight ‘Bismillah’ launches its listener
on. Suryakant sings with the detached, rueful elegance of Sinatra marooned on a desert island, whilst his band create small space-time capsules which navigate their way through genres and eras – including the future – and between nostalgia and eccentricity.
Peter Cat recently trailed ‘Bismillah’ with the release of ‘Floated By’, an appositely titled musing on failure & missed opportunities, punctuated by the fulsome brass section which weaves through so much of the album.
The languid, blue quality to the track is offset by the attendant music video, created with footage shot, implau- sibly enough, at Suryakant’s own marriage ceremony (needless to say, the wedding band hired for the day was of course, Peter Cat Recording Co.) Sawhney dryly notes; “Hopefully it’s not a many-a-times-in-a-lifetime event. You can’t fake that set, those people actually having a good time, being really emotional and intense.” ‘Bismillah’’s colour-drenched album cover also captures Suryakant’s father-in-law making his wedding toast on that same day - a nod back towards the cover of ‘Portrait Of A Time’, itself a black & white image taken at the wedding ceremony of Suryakant’s own father.
A stumbling but gracious collection of songs rooted in a kind of drunken soul music, the melancholy nature of some of the songs on ‘Bismillah’ renders them almost liquid, before they develop into more dance-like shapes. Suryakant’s rangy voice swoops from the falsetto glide of ‘I’m This’ to the beat-up baritone blown along by the warm breeze of ‘Soulless Friends’. The elliptical structure of album opener ‘Where The Money Flows’ also al-
lows for the use of brief bursts of autotune effect on his vocal without feeling incongruous, whilst the desultory lyrics of ‘Heera’ (a Hindi word for diamond) - sharing something with the Morricone school of grand storytelling - have an emotional weight that would impress even coming from a native English speaker. Perhaps the most gleefully unpredictable moment on ‘Bismillah’ comes with the illusory, vocal loops on the intro to ‘Memory Box’, errupting into 8 exhilarating minutes worth of unbridled, string-backed disco joy. A cat might have nine lives, but on ‘Bismillah’ and beyond, Peter Cat Recording Co. are hinting towards an un- knowable multitude of dimensions. Throw them all together, and it equates less to a listening experience and more to an out-of-body experience.
Peter Cat Recording Co. are: Suryakant Sawhney (vocals/guitar/organ), Dhruv Bhola (bass), Kartik S Pillai (organ/guitar/electronics), Rohit Gupta (horns), Karan Singh (drums)
The collaboration between influential DJ/producer Eli Escobar and acclaimed vocalist/songwriter Nomi Ruiz has been a long time in the making. The two Puerto Rican New York native’s first collaboration, the electrifying track ‘Desire’ in 2011, set the stage for a series of projects, including their recent joint effort ‘Dance 4 Love ’99’. Now, they are set to release their debut LP, ‘Love Louder’.
‘Love Louder’ captures Eli and Nomi’s experiences of love and loss, reflecting their enduring connection to New York City and its vibrant, yet fading, nightlife culture. The album, while featuring dancefloor gems like ‘Heathens’ and ‘Full Fantasy’, takes an emotional turn, focusing on the themes of loss and presence in a rapidly changing world. The title track opens with lyrics invoking the late Donny Hathaway, reflecting a more profound introspection from the duo. They share their pain over loss, particularly the passing of mutual friend James Dewitt (DJ BluJemz), whose absence profoundly affected their creative process.
Escobar recently opened a club in Brooklyn named Gabriela, honoring a friend who passed away during the pandemic, emphasizing their commitment to preserving New York's cultural landscape. ‘Love Louder’ serves as a love letter to their hometown, intertwining celebration with mourning. In the poignant track ‘Go Be Gone’, Ruiz expresses the difficulty of embracing change and saying goodbye.
As they honor the past, they also aim for a brighter future through their music.
Borghesia is an electronic music group, founded in 1982 in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The band was formed by four members of alternative theatrical group Theatre FV-112/15: Dario Seraval, Aldo Ivancic, Neven Korda and Zemira Alajbegovic. They established FV Video to self-publish their video projects and FV Založba – the first independent record label in ex-Yugoslavia. Aldo and Dario took care of songwriting, production and recording while Zemira and Neven handled the visuals. In the late 80s the band signed to PIAS and went on to release a string of successful albums and played world-wide tours.
Clones was Borghesia's second album, self-released on cassette only in 1984. The band borrowed synthesizers (Roland SH-101, Casio VL-1, Korg Polysix) and a Roland 808 drum machine from friends. Every song was played live - no overdubs - and recorded to a cassette deck over a few nights at their club Disco FV during 1983-1984. The music on "Clones" is meant to accompany various video installations and performances. All of the songs are instrumental and feature various cutting edge techniques for 1983. Hypnotic, proto-techno and acid rhythms and synth lines. Music on the A Side of the LP is faster and club oriented while the B Side offers a drugged out soundtrack to get lost in.
All songs have been remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley directly from the original master tape. Each LP is housed in a silver jacket with original gelatin print by photographer Jane Štravs. A fold-out poster is included with unreleased photos, original artwork and liner notes by Željko Luketić. After 28 years, Borghesia's "music for video" is finally appearing on vinyl for the first time.
F.G.S.–the musical project of Los Angeles artist Flannery Silva–announces the first-ever vinyl release of her debut album ‘Tinker Bell’s Cough’, arriving May 27 via Scenic Route. Alongside the release comes a new single, ‘The Punisher (Tinker Bell’s Edit)’, and an exclusive vinyl-only live track, ‘Passions (Live at Tinker Bell’s Clubhouse)’.
Co-created with musician and producer Chase Ceglie, ‘Tinker Bell’s Cough’ is a surreal Americana record that filters the language of girlhood, heartbreak, and fantasy through a warped, theatrical lens. It’s Lana Del Rey meets David Berman in a cartoon whirlwind, with traces of Dolly Parton, Arthur Russell, and David Lynch.
Silva describes the record as “fairy tale theatre”. It’s packed with alt-universe country hits (‘Beth’s Deth’, ‘American Shield’), uncanny ballads (‘I’m Growing A Cross Around My Neck’), and leftfield pop songs rooted in character and place. ‘Passions’, the opening track, was inspired by Mary MacLane’s ‘I Await the Devil’s Coming’, while the title track imagines Tinker Bell herself singing a lullaby to God.
New single ‘The Punisher’ is an anthemic road song about loneliness and transcendence. “It’s about driving north on I-5 in California, worrying my car will overheat, bargaining with God, and falling in love with dust tornados,” Silva says.
Raised in the woods of upstate New York and formerly one half of the cult duo Odwalla88, Silva brings a visual artist’s sensibility to music. She studied art in Baltimore and continues to make sculpture and performance work that informs her songwriting. ‘Tinker Bell’s Cough’ was written on the Rhode Island coast, where she and Ceglie met weekly to write and record—drawing from old texts, visual references, and poetry.
F.G.S. has drawn praise from NTS, The FADER, Gorilla vs. Bear, The Line of Best Fit, Artforum, Sex Magazine, and more. With the reissue of ‘Tinker Bell’s Cough’ and the release of ‘The Punisher’, Silva continues to expand the strange, magnetic world of F.G.S., one that feels both deeply American and entirely her own.
Born from a desire to explore her background in film composing to create a music film, Hannah Holland’s upcoming album 'Last Exit On Bethnal’ is set for release via PRAH Recordings on 18th July. Together with director Lydia Garnett, the multi-faceted London producer shaped ideas born out of images the pair weren’t finding in film, inspired by queer icon filmmakers like Kenneth Anger and Derek Jarman. “We wanted to craft something unapologetically for dykes: a poetic, surreal exploration of dyke power and sexuality set in a fantasy underworld,” explains Holland. Once the film was shot, she channelled its stunning imagery and the energy of the cast into making the record. Seductive and bass-driven, its nine tracks merge sleazy guitars with 707 machine drums, beautiful evolving arps, and surreal moments of Lynchian dreaminess and Aphex Twin-inspired atmospherics. "It was a really amazing collaborative experience and coming together of a community to make something totally unique….and hot!” she continues. The first single ‘Biker’ features a filthy synth hook atop Hannah’s signature bass-guitar, perfectly capturing the raw and sexy energy of the album and its visual centrepiece. You can listen to it here. The film will be screened at a one-off club night at London’s ICA on 11th April in association with Culture Divided, Somesuch and Bala Project.
Hannah Holland has played a pivotal role in London’s alternative and queer London club scene since the mid-noughties. Rooted deeply in London’s fertile musical community, musical exploration and the transcendent potential of dancefloor have always been her biggest inspiration. Her recent delve into experimental theatre, film and TV scores has proved a future further artistic voyage to explore her creative vision. Holland first arrived on dancefloors sharing electro-tinged techno, with equal inspiration taken from the sounds of DnB and jungle heard at legendary parties such as Metalheadz, which she had frequented in her early teens. Having already been “borrowing” (and perhaps never since returning) Kraftwerk, Grace Jones and Talking Heads records from her parents, the influence of this metropolitan musical soup ensured that Holland emerged on the decks with a unique musical character and diverse taste, hallmarks of her sound that she has not lost since. This has been reinforced with trusted residencies at iconic parties such as Trailer Trash, Adonis, Glastonbury’s NYC Downlow, or undertaking far-reaching marathon sets at Berlin’s Panorama Bar. In 2006 Hannah started Batty Bass with vocalist Mama. Immediately a roadblock party and then a record label with releases from Josh Caffe and The Carry Nation sitting in its discography, Batty Bass explores the disparate strains of electro, acid, techno and house. Hannah also released her own music on the label including the ever-anthemic Paris’ Acid Ball.
A steady stream of releases have followed on Shall Not Fade, Super Rhythm Trax, Crosstown Rebels, Classic, Nervous, as well as remixes for Blessed Madonna ft. Kylie Minogue, Planningtorock, The Knife and Goldfrapp among others. Hannah also finds the time to play bass in several bands including Black Gold Buffalo whose debut album she also co-wrote. Her much-anticipated debut album, Tectonic, came out on PRAH Recordings in 2021, with a second on the way. Hannah’s latest venture into the world of film scores have included queer icon Bruce LaBruce’s ‘The Visitor,’ Channel 4 series Adult Material and award-winning indie feature Electrician.
Hannah Holland continues to push the boundaries of electronic and live music, telling stories and carving her own path in the deeper frequencies.
- A1: Blondie - "Call Me" (3 31)
- A2: Madness - "My Girl" (2 47)
- A3: Kate Bush - "Army Dreamers" (2 51)
- A4: Roxy Music - "Oh Yeah!" (4 50)
- A5: Grace Jones - "Private Life" (4 39)
- A6: Siouxsie & The Banshees - "Christine" (3 00)
- A7: Judas Priest - "Breaking The Law" (2 36)
- A8: Motorhead - "Ace Of Spades" (2 49)
- B1: Donna Summer - "On The Radio" (3 53)
- B2: Diana Ross - "I'm Coming Out" (3 57)
- B3: Change - "Searching" (3 12)
- B4: Stephanie Mills - "Never Knew Love Like This Before" (3 24)
- B5: Odyssey - "If You're Lookin' For A Way Out" (3 07)
- B6: The Korgis - "Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime" (3 54)
- B7: Andrew Lloyd Webber & Marti Webb - "Take That Look Off Your Face" (3 08)
- B8: Jona Lewie - "Stop The Cavalry" (2 57)
- C1: Adam & The Ants - "Antmusic" (3 31)
- C2: Toyah - "I Want To Be Free" (2 58)
- C3: Kim Wilde - "Chequered Love" (3 17)
- C4: The Human League - "Open Your Heart" (3 51)
- C5: Visage - "Mind Of A Toy" (3 35)
- C6: Altered Images - "I Could Be Happy" (3 30)
- C7: Fun Boy Three - "The Lunatics (Have Taken Over The Asylum)" (3 04)
- C8: Shakin' Stevens - "Green Door" (3 02)
- D5: Gary Numan - "She's Got Claws" (4 52)
- D6: Freeez - "Southern Freeez" (3 55)
- D7: Kiki Dee - "Star" (3 14)
- D8: Cliff Richard - "Wired For Sound" (3 38)
- E1: Duran Duran - "Hungry Like The Wolf" (3 25)
- E2: Haircut 100 - "Fantastic Day" (3 13)
- E3: Adam Ant - "Friend Or Foe" (3 25)
- E4: Soft Cell - "Torch" (4 08)
- E5: A Flock Of Seagulls - "Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You)" (4 06)
- E6: Japan - "Nightporter" (4 52)
- E7: Abc - "All Of My Heart" (4 38)
- F1: The Clash - "Should I Stay Or Should I Go" (3 01)
- F2: The Jam - "Beat Surrender" (3 22)
- F3: Bucks Fizz - "The Land Of Make Believe" (3 49)
- F4: Tight Fit - "Fantasy Island" (3 26)
- F5: Dollar - "Videotheque" (3 32)
- F6: Imagination - "Just An Illusion" (3 57)
- F7: Shalamar - "There It Is" (3 22)
- F8: Daryl Hall & John Oates - "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" (3 43)
- G1: Wham! - "Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do?)" (3 22)
- G2: Spandau Ballet - "Gold" (3 42)
- G3: Bananarama - "Cruel Summer" (3 30)
- G4: Billy Joel - "Tell Her About It" (3 45)
- G5: Paul Young - "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)" (4 02)
- D1: The Police - "Invisible Sun" (3 22)
- G6: Carmel - "Bad Day" (3 37)
- D3: The Teardrop Explodes - "Reward" (2 45)
- G7: Culture Club - "Victims" (4 55)
- H1: Paul Mccartney & Michael Jackson - "Say Say Say" (3 40)
- H2: Kc & The Sunshine Band - "Give It Up" (3 55)
- H3: The Cure - "The Walk" (3 26)
- H4: Tears For Fears - "Change" (3 51)
- H5: Heaven 17 - "Come Live With Me" (3 30)
- H6: Elton John - "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues" (4 40)
- H7: Robert Plant - "Big Log" (4 54)
- I1: Queen - "Radio Ga Ga" (5 40)
- I2: Thompson Twins - "Doctor! Doctor!" (4 23)
- I3: Nik Kershaw - "I Won't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" (3 21)
- I4: Howard Jones - "Like To Get To Know You Well" (3 52)
- I5: Sandie Shaw - "Hand In Glove" (2 56)
- I6: Alison Moyet - "All Cried Out" (3 39)
- I7: Tina Turner - "Private Dancer" (4 03)
- J1: Lionel Richie - "Stuck On You" (3 07)
- J2: Rufus & Chaka Khan - "Ain't Nobody" (4 21)
- J3: Billy Ocean - "Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run)" (3 57)
- J4: Hazell Dean - "Whatever I Do (Wherever I Go)" (3 42)
- J5: Shakatak - "Down On The Street" (3 17)
- J6: Frankie Goes To Hollywood - "The Power Of Love" (5 31)
- J7: Band Aid - "Do They Know It's Christmas?" (3 45)
- D2: Pretenders - "Message Of Love" (3 25)
- D4: Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - "Joan Of Arc" (3 14)
- A1: Singing About It 6 05
- A2: Fancy Grey 6 25
- A3: The System, Not The Symptoms 6 30
- A4: Keine Eile, Keine Hektik, Kein Stress (No Hurry, No Hustle, No Stress) 3 23
- B1: We're Going Wrong 3 36
- B2: I Fall With You (Album Version) 4 26
- B3: Don't Go Crazy With Your Fantasy 5 17
- B4: Cover Me 4 58
- B5: Things To Know About A I. 4 16
Das zehnte Solo-Album von Mathias Schaffhäuser heißt „Singing
About It“ und der Titel ist Programm – hier wird gesungen. Und zwar
auf fast jedem Song, und wenn nicht, dann wird wenigstens
gesprochen. Das gab es auf noch keinem Album des Wahl-Kölners.
Zwar kennt man Mathias in erster Linie als Produzent von Minimal-,
Techno- und House-Tracks, allerdings gab es auf fast allen seiner
Alben auch Stücke mit Gesang, die sich gerade in den letzten Jahren
stilistisch den Tracks auf „Singing About iti" annäherten. Der
wirkliche Unterschied zu dem, was Schaffhäuser in den letzten
dreißig Jahren veröffentlicht hat, ist die Songform, die allen Stücken
auf dem neuen Album gemeinsam ist. „Singing About It“ wurde nicht
für den Dancefloor produziert, auch wenn einige Stücke dort
durchaus eine gute Figur machen dürften.
Letztlich war der Spaß am Singen die Triebfeder hinter „Singing
About It“. Und da die Tanzfläche nicht im Fokus stand, konnten sich
auch Club-ferne Einflüsse aus experimenteller Elektronika,
verschmitztem Pop und sogar Blues und Prog-Rock mehr Raum
freischaufeln.
Hermon Mehari and Tony Tixier first met in 2010, in their early twenties, in a club on Paris's Rue des Lombards for a concert with saxophonist Rodolphe Lauretta. Over the next decade, the two musicians took opposite paths, while continuing to collaborate on two continents. The American trumpeter moved to France to discover European culture and the world cultures that coexist there, while the Parisian pianist of Martinican origin spent several years in the USA, immersing himself in the roots of jazz and Afro-American music.
In June 2024, the two musicians, who had been working for fifteen years on numerous albums and collaborations, and whose musical understanding had continued to be forged in clubs, festivals, and on recordings, met again for a duet at the TOC-TOC festival in the Puisaye region, where Antoine Rajon was a collaborator. Enthusiastic about the idea, the artistic director of the KOMOS label invited them back to his home in this corner of Burgundy to record this Fender Rhodes/trumpet formula. He called on sound engineer Christian Hierro, who traveled with his mobile studio for the album recording, then mixed and produced the master in his studio in Lyon, using the best analog equipment and his expert ear.
At dusk on November 12, 2024, the duo played eight tracks in a single, direct take on a 33-minute magnetic tape.
Four unusual cover versions were carefully chosen. "Maimoun" is a composition emblematic of pianist Stanley Cowell's style, also recorded by Marion Brown. George Duke's "The Black Messiah" was captured live by Cannonball Adderley's band on an album of the same name but has never been released as a studio version. "Hello To The Wind" was created by Bobby Hutcherson in 1969, sung by Eugene McDaniels. Finally, "Laini," dedicated by the great Martinican pianist Marius Cultier to one of his daughters, is a mazurka dear to Tony's heart.
Each of the musicians also contributed a composition: Hermon with "This Is Our Fantasy," written especially for the session, and Tony with "Poem For The Oppressed," a moving composition with an explicit title. Lastly, the duo improvised two tracks, without repetition, in mutual symbiosis and echo.
SOUL SONG captures a moment without enhancement, transformation, or additives, far removed from contemporary virtual technologies.
- 1: Meadowland
- 2: The Dream
- 3: Burning 05
- 4: Call Up The Doctor
- 5: The Score
- 6: Boogietown
- 7: Tiergarten
- 8: Howling Dog Song
- 9: Twist Of A Nerve
- 10: Sun For Hire
'Gone Down Meadowland' is the much-anticipated debut album release from Norwich, UK psych outfit Floral Image, releasing 25th April 2025 on the renowned Fuzz Club. More than ever, the band wanted to produce a brand of East-Coast psychedelia that reflected the natural lusciousness and glorious solitude of the immediate world around them. Over 30 songs were conjured, considered and arranged before being whittled down to a final 10 that epitomise what they do best - ten tracks of vivid hue, harnessed live power, all laced together in fluid lyrical harmonies. Taking inspiration from band favourites Woods, KGLW, Stereolab, among many others, a string of at-home recording sessions commenced over a 6-week period across the summer of 2024. Side A is a sun-drenched journey through their whimsical Norfolk countryside, narrated with a surreal sense of lyricism which focuses on the undulating flow of the human psyche and the shape of relationships that can decide its fate. 'Burning 305' follows the mould of the band’s earlier creations with white-knuckled rhythms layered with dashing production and gritty guitars. 'The Score' summarises their love of Revolver-era Beatles and infuses it with a hint of 90's dance grooves. Side B is where the trip takes a heavier turn, the un-hinged night-time of the record. It is where the band best shows the force with which their live reputation has been built on. 'Tiergarten' - a motorik course through consciousness and 'Howling Dog Song' - all raucous, scuzzy-garage riffing. The album concludes with the 7-minute epic 'Sun For Hire'. Born out of a 30-minute live improvisation, it is the earliest written of all songs on GDM and a strong fan favorite for the audiences of the last 2 years. "A lot of themes are anti-establishment commentaries on the state of the modern world. It can feel isolating being bystanders of global concern in sleepy Norfolk, even though it’s easy to slip into a false comfort when you’re surrounded by vast space, natural beauty and friendly folks down the market. Gone Down Meadowland is that egoless escapist fantasy that still can't escape the world caving in on itself; Norfolk isolationism." Produced by the band themselves, mixed by Hugh Fothergill of Volleyball, and mastered by Joseph Carra at Crystal Mastering of KGLW fame, Gone Down Meadowland is Floral Image’s first full flourish. They take the record on the road across Europe and the UK throughout April & May 2025.
- A1: Blake Baxter - Sexuality
- A2: Suburban Knight - The Worlds
- B1: E-Dancer - Feel The Mood (N.y. Groove Mix)
- B2: Yvette - Pump Me (Mayday Mix)
- A1: Qx-1 - I Won't Hurt You (I Swear)
- A2: Fred Brown - Roman Days
- B1: Mr. Fingers - I'm Strong (Instrumental)
- B2: Laurent X - Machines (Apocalypse Mix)
- A1: Revelation - First Power (Original Mix)
- A2: Egotrip - Dreamworld (World Of Dreams Mix)
- B1: 33 1/3 Queen - Searchin
- B2: Bobby Konders - Let There Be House
- A1: Steve Poindexter - Computer Madness
- A2: Age Of Chance - Time's Up (Timeless)
- B1: Lfo - Lfo (Leeds Warehouse Mix)
- B2: Alice D In Wonderland - Time Problem (Techno Speed Work)
- A1: Joeski - My English Lover (Acid Mix)
- A2: Pleasure Zone - Fantasy
- B1: Mellow Man Ace - Rhyme Fighter (House Dub)
- B2: The Gherkin Jerks - Strange Creatures
- A1: The D.o.c. - Portrait Of A Masterpiece (Cj's Ed-Did-It-Mix)
- A2: Robert Armani - Circus Bells (Full Length Original Mix)
- B1: Todd Terry Presents Cls - Can You Feel It (In House Dub)
- B2: Virgo - Free Yourself
- B1: A Homeboy, A Hippie & A Funki Dredd - Total Confusion (Heavenly Mix)
- B2: 2 Men From Jersey - Track Werk (After Dark Mix)
- A1: Human Resource - Dominator (Frank De Wulf Remix)
- A2: Frankie Knuckles - Your Love
- B1: Simon Sed - Criminal
- B2: Tyree - Hardcore Hip House (Joe Smooths Too Deep Mix)
- A1: Frankie Bones - Call It Techno (House Mix)
- A2: Frank De Wulf - The Tape (Remix)
- B1: A Guy Called Gerald - Automanikk (Derrick May The Force Be With You Mix)
- B2: Sheer Taft - Cascades (Hypnotone Mix)
- A1: Tronikhouse - The Savage & Beyond (Savage Reese Mix)
- A2: The Orb - A Huge Evergrowing Pulsating Brain That Rules From The Centre Of The Ultraworld (Orbital Dance Mix)
- B1: Mental Mayhem - Where Are They Hiding
- B2: Edwards & Armani - Acid Drill
- A1: Njoi - Jupiter Re-Dawn
- A2: Basex - U-R-Self-Go (All Night Mix)
(10x12" box set, limited to 1000 copies, with premium finishing, uniquely numbered, incl. 10 records in individually printed sleeves, a booklet detailing the club's history & exclusive stickers) Boccaccio has secured its place among legendary venueslike Paradise Garage in New York and The Hacçinda in Manchester. Its bold fusion of emerging electronic genres such as New Beat, Acid, House, and Techno was way ahead of its time, drawing music lovers and clubbers from across Belgium and beyond.
Belgian label Music Man Records presents Boccaccio Life 1987-1993, a new compilation offering a fresh perspective on the legacy of the iconic Belgian club Boccaccio - often associated with the short-lived New Beat movement. The 40-track compilation highlights the raw and futuristic early house and techno sounds that were heard in the pioneering club.
Located in rural Destelbergen (Belgium), just a stone's throw from Ghent, Boccaccio has secured its place among legendary venues like Paradise Garage in New York and The Hacçinda in Manchester. Its bold fusion of emerging electronic genres such as New Beat, Acid, House, and Techno was way ahead of its time, drawing music lovers and clubbers from across Belgium and beyond. Sundays at Boccaccio were unlike anywhere else-offering sounds you couldn't hear anywhere else.
Boccaccio Life 1987-1993 is carefully curated by resident DJ Olivier Pieters and club regular Stefaan Vandenberghe, standing as the ultimate testament to a club that was more than just a venue. For those who experienced it, it was a community - a way of life. Hence the club's full name: Boccaccio Life.
This compilation stands as a testament to an innovative time in electronic music, capturing the raw, futuristic sounds of early house and techno. It sheds light on another side of Boccaccio, one that goes far beyond the short-lived New Beat scene. A carefully curated selection of 40 tracks, resonating with those who were there by offering familiar classics, while also reaching a new generation-those who never experienced it firsthand.
With tracks from Blake Baxter, Virgo, Frankie Knuckles, Tyree, and A Guy Called Gerald, the unmistakable influence of black American pioneers is clear-the originators of the firstanalog house and techno sounds. On the other hand, UK sound innovators such as The Orb and LFO bring both sharp textures and rough breakbeats to the table.
Club staple tracks include dreamy excursions from Roger Sanchez under his Egotrip moniker, the relentless basement house of Circus Bells by Robert Armani on Dance Mania, an uplifting take on a hip-house cut from The D.O.C. (Portrait of A Masterpiece in the CJ Ed-Did-It Mix), a timeless remix of UK Formation's Age of Chance from 1994, and an alternate take on The Tape by Boccaccio club regular and Belgian producer Frank De Wulf, taken from his B-Sides project.
While not always the obvious hits, these tracks have gracefully withstood the test of time, and were exclusive to Sundays at Boccaccio. Now, they are finally available to experience together in one collection, offering a timeless snapshot of a unique era.
GIVE IN TO SIN. From within the long-locked tombs of lesbian lore smoke rises
and draws its whispering curtain across the wide open sky…and where there’s
smoke, there’s fire. Secrets concealed by thick drunken clouds resurfaces naked
truths in the last gasps of smouldering ashes.
Oh you thought it would stay a secret? We’ve let sleeping lezzies lie long enough.
It’s time to face the music. Welcome to BIG WHOOPS… Maara’s inaugural
offering on her new label, Ancient Records. With this driving debut, Maara
excavates the scrolls, archives, and dossiers upon which our past was built and our
future depends.
A wish for a world of sweet sapphic symbiosis—a fantasy, perhaps, or a waking
dream? Nothing is promised except for right now. The past manifests in the
present, both a blessing and a curse. Ancient Records fulfills your dark club
fantasies as Maara unearths simmering secrets and hidden truths in a rapturous
ushering in of a new era. Never forget where you came from, and just wait until
you see where we’re going…
“Peace and Harmony in the Lesbian Community” — Ancient Records
- A1: Montego Bay - Everything (Paradise Mix) 04 59
- A2: Atelier - Got To Live Together (Club Mix) 06 06
- A3: Golem - Music Sensations 04 56
- B1: The True Underground Sound Of Rome Feat. Stefano Di Carlo - Gladiators 05 26
- B2: Eagle Parade - I Believe 04 26
- C1: Dj Le Roi - Bocachica (Detroit Version) 05 28
- C2: Green Baize - Synthetic Rhythm 01 41
- C3: M.c.j. Feat. Sima - Sexitivity (Deep Mix) 05 30
- D1: Kwanzaa Posse Feat. Funk Master Sweat - Wicked Funk (Afro Ambient Mix) 06 31
- D2: Progetto Tribale - The Bird Of Paradise 06 29
- D3: Mbg - The Quite 06 59
Vol 1[28,99 €]
Googling “paradise house”, the first results to pop up are an endless list of European b&b’s with whitewashed lime façades, all of them promising “…an unmatched travel experience a few steps from the sea”. Next, a little further down, are the institutional websites of a few select semi-luxury retirement homes (no photos shown, but lots of stock images of smiling nurses with reassuring looks). To find the “paradise house” we’re after, we have to scroll even further down. Much further down.
It feels like yesterday, and at the same time it seems like a million years ago. The Eighties had just ended, and it was still unclear what to expect from the Nineties. Mobile phones that were not the size of a briefcase and did not cost as much as a car? A frightening economic crisis? The guitar-rock revival?! Certainly, the best place to observe that moment of transition was the dancefloor. Truly epochal transformations were happening there. From America, within a short distance one from the other, two revolutionary new musical styles had arrived: the first one sounded a bit like an “on a budget” version of the best Seventies disco-music – Philly sound made with a set of piano-bar keyboards! – the other was even more sparse, futuristic and extraterrestrial. It was a music with a quite distinct “physical” component, which at the same time, to be fully grasped, seemed to call for the knotty theories of certain French post-modern philosophers: Gilles Deleuze, Félix Guattari, Paul Virilio... Both those genres – we would learn shortly after – were born in the black communities of Chicago and Detroit, although listening to those vinyl 12” (often wrapped in generic white covers, and with little indication in the label) you could not easily guess whether behind them there was a black boy from somewhere in the Usa, or a girl from Berlin, or a pale kid from a Cornish coastal town.
Quickly, similar sounds began to show up from all corners of Europe. A thousand variations of the same intuition: leaner, less lean, happier, slightly less intoxicated, more broken, slower, faster, much faster... Boom! From the dancefloors – the London ones at least, whose chronicles we eagerly read every month in the pages of The Face and i-D – came tales of a new generation of clubbers who had completely stopped “dressing up” to go dancing; of hot tempered hooligans bursting into tears and hugging everyone under the strobe lights as the notes of Strings of Life rose up through the fumes of dry ice (certain “smiling” pills were also involved, sure). At this point, however, we must move on to Switzerland.
In Switzerland, in the quiet and diligent town of Lugano, between the 1980s and 1990s there was a club called “Morandi”. Its hot night was on Wednesdays, when the audience also came from Milan, Como, Varese and Zurich. Legend goes that, one night, none less than Prince and Sheila E were spotted hiding among the sofas, on a day-off of the Italian dates of the Nude Tour… The Wednesday resident and superstar was an Italian dj with an exotic name: Don Carlos. The soundtrack he devised was a mixture of Chicago, Detroit, the most progressive R&B and certain forgotten classics of old disco music: practically, what the Paradise Garage in New York might have sounded like had it not closed in 1987. In between, Don Carlos also managed to squeeze in some tracks he had worked on in his studio on Lago Maggiore. One in particular: a track that was rather slow compared to the BPM in fashion at the time, but which was a perfect bridge between house and R&B. The title was Alone: Don Carlos would explain years later that it had to be intended both in the English meaning of “by itself” and like the Italian word meaning “halo”. That wasn’t the only double entendre about the song, anyway. Its own very deep nature was, indeed, double. On the one hand, Alone was built around an angelic keyboard pattern and a romantic piano riff that took you straight to heaven; on the other, it showcased enough electronic squelches (plus a sax part that sounded like it had been dissolved by acid rain) to pigeonhole the tune into the “junk modernity” section, aka the hallmark of all the most innovative sounds of the time: music that sounded like it was hand-crafted from the scraps of glittering overground pop.
No one knows who was the first to call it “paradise house”, nor when it happened. Alternative definitions on the same topic one happened to hear included “ambient house”, “dream house”, “Mediterranean progressive”… but of course none were as good (and alluring) as “paradise house”. What is certain is that such inclination for sounds that were in equal measure angelic and neurotic, romantic and unaffective, quickly became the trademark of the second generation of Italian house. Music that seemed shyly equidistant from all the rhythmic and electronic revolutions that had happened up to that moment (“Music perfectly adept at going nowhere slowly” as noted by English journalist Craig McLean in a legendary field report for Blah Blah Blah magazine). Music that to a inattentive ear might have sounded as anonymous as a snapshot of a random group of passers-by at 10AM in the centre of any major city, but perfectly described the (slow) awakening in the real world after the universal love binge of the so-called Second Summer of Love.
For a brief but unforgettable season, in Italy “paradise house” was the official soundtrack of interminable weekends spent inside the car, darting from one club to another, cutting the peninsula from North to centre, from East to West coast in pursuit of the latest after-hours disco, trading kilometres per hour with beats per minute: practically, a new New Year’s Eve every Friday and Saturday night. This too was no small transformation, as well as a shock for an adult Italy that was encountering for the first time – thanks to its sons and daughters – the wild side of industrial modernity. The clubbers of the so-called “fuoriorario” scene were the balls gone mad in the pinball machine most feared by newspapers, magazines and TV pundits. What they did each and every weekend, apart from going crazy to the sound of the current white labels, was linking distant geographical points and non-places (thank you Marc Augé!) – old dance halls, farmhouses and business centres – transformed for one night into house music heaven. As Marco D’Eramo wrote in his 1995 essay on Chicago, Il maiale e il grattacielo: “Four-wheeled capitalism distorts our age-old image of the city, it allows the suburbs to be connected to each other, whereas before they were connected only by the centre (…) It makes possible a metropolitan area without a metropolis, without a city centre, without downtown. The periphery is no longer a periphery of any centre, but is self-centred”.
“Paradise house” perfectly understood all of this and turned it into a sort of cyber-blues that didn’t even need words, and unexpectedly brought back a drop of melancholic (post?)-humanity within a world that by then – as we would wholly realise in the decades to come – was fully inhuman and heartless. A world where we were all alone, and surrounded by a sinister yellowish halo, like a neon at the end of its life cycle. But, for one night at least, happy."
This is what legends are made of: Acid House, Chicago 1988, Mickey Oliver and his Hot Mix 5 Records, Larry Heard aka Fingers, Pierre, Phortune & Armando.
Released in 1988, ACID LP was the first and only full length on Hot Mix 5 Records. It is much more than a classic album, it’s a staple for any self respecting DJ.
This is probably one of the best Acid House compilation to make it out of Chicago. Still Music is proud to start its Hot Mix 5 Records reissue series with such a monument to House.
Every track on here is a classic in its own right, with Pierre’s “Dreamgirl", Armando’s “151”, the two incredible Fingers tunes "The Juice" and “Ecstasy" and so much more.
For the first time, this reissue features all the songs that were on the original release but remastered and on a red vinyl DLP.
Don’t sleep on the ACID
- A1: Where Is My Man (Vocal) / Eartha Kitt
- A2: I Need You (Extended 12” Mix) / Sylvester
- A3: Was That All It Was (12” Version) / Jean Carne
- A4: After The Rainbow (12” Version) / Joanne Daniëls
- B1: Searchin’ (I Gotta Find A Man) (12” Version) / Hazell Dean
- B2: Native Love (Step By Step) (12” Version) / Divine
- B3: He’s A Saint, He’s A Sinner (Extended Version) / Miquel Brown
- B4: Danger For Love (Full Length Version) / Deborah
- C1: Voyage Voyage (Pwl Britmix) / Desireless
- C2: Self Control (Extended Version) / Laura Branigan
- C3: Get Lost Tonight (12” Version) / Fancy
- C4: Brother Louie (Special Long Version) / Modern Talking
- D1: Stop… Bajon (Club Mix) / Tullio De Piscopo
- D2: Dolce Vita (Extended Version) / Ryan Paris
- D3: I’m So Hot For You (Dance Mix) / Bobby “O”
- D4: This Girl’s Back In Town (Extended Vocal Remix) / Raquel Welch
- E1: Paninaro (Italian Remix) / Pet Shop Boys
- E2: Sub-Culture (Remix) / New Order
- E3: Homosapien (Elongated Dancepartydubmix) / Pete Shelley
- F1: The Anvil (Dance Mix) / Visage
- F2: Fantasy (“Short” Album Version) / Hotline
- F3: The Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight (Dominant Mix) / Dominatrix
- F4: Duel (Bitter-Sweet) / Propaganda
- G1: Love On Top Of Love (Killer Kiss) (The Funky Dred Club Mix) / Grace Jones
- H3: Can’t Stop The Music (12” Version) / Village People
- G2: Pink Cadillac (Club Vocal) / Natalie Cole
- G3: Heat It Up (Acid House Remix) / Wee Papa Girl Rappers
- H1: Deep In Vogue (Banjie Realness) / Malcolm Mclaren And The Bootzilla Orchestra
- H2: Pistol In My Pocket (12” Version) / Lana Pellay
Box 1[96,01 €]
4LP set containing 29 original / extended / full-length / 12” versions of Queer club classics – 1980-1989
‘More Sin’ features Pet Shop Boys, Sylvester, Divine, New Order, Eartha Kitt, Grace Jones, Hazell Dean, Desireless and many more.
Highlights include the hard-to-find 12” version of ‘Can’t Stop The Music’ by Village People and the rarely compiled underground club anthems ‘Pistol In My Pocket’ by Lana Pellay and ‘After The Rainbow’ by Joanne Daniëls.
All tracks fully annotated and with a foreword by Ian Wade – author ‘1984: The Year Pop Went Queer’. Following the success of the first ‘Box Of Sin’ in 2023, Demon / Edsel and Disco Discharge are proud to announce the sequel – ‘More Sin: Box of Sin 2’ will be released on 31st January 2025.
Over 4 LPs, ‘More Sin’ presents 29 choice selections from the music you might have heard on Queer dancefloors between 1980 and 1989 – a decade of dance in all its devilish delights. Meticulously researched from the published gay club charts at the time, the LP set encompasses full-length versions of Diva, High Energy, Alternative, Pop, Europop and House classics. Not only were the ‘80s Queer clubs where you were most likely to hear the latest groundbreaking developments in dance music, there was a lot of diversity on offer – on a given night you might hear a legendary soul singer’s new opus right next to some post-punks from Manchester and the latest European pop chart topper.
‘More Sin’ aims to reflect this. On ‘More Sin’, the space-age soulful club sound of Jean Carne rubs up against the widescreen Europop beauty of Desireless and cutting-edge house music from London courtesy of Wee Papa Girl Rappers… and along the way come some of the most important and era-defining artists of the decade – from Sylvester to Siouxsie & The Banshees, from Pet Shop Boys to Divine, from Hazell Dean to Grace Jones. Producing and mixing these classics is like a roll-call of the era’s studio giants – Trevor Horn, Larry Levan, Clivillés & Cole, Ian Levine, John Luongo, Bobby “O”, Martin Rushent and Stock, Aitken & Waterman to name a few. It’s time to give in to sin again.
- A1: Armin Van Buuren - "The Road To Your Destination" (A State Of Trance Year Mix 2024 Outro) (1 02)
- A2: Armin Van Buuren & Moby - "Extreme Ways" (1 10)
- A3: Jerome Isma-Ae - "Hold That Sucker Down" (Hel Slowed Remix) (1:10)
- A4: Hel Slowed & Amber Revival - "Wildfire" (1:10)
- A5: Estiva - "Fine Day" (1 10)
- A6: Armin Van Buure - "Love Is A Drug" (Feat Anne Gudrun - Agents Of Time Remix) (1 10)
- A7: 7 Skies X Antheros - "Finish My Life" (1 10)
- A8: Elysian - "Now We Are Free" (1 10)
- A9: Rivo - "In & Out Of Love" (Vs Armin Van Buuren) (1 10)
- A10: Armin Van Buuren - "Pulstar" (1 10)
- A11: Nilsix - "Old's Cool" (1 10)
- A12: Giuseppe Ottaviani - "Something About You" (Feat Adriana Stone) (1 10)
- A13: Above & Beyond - "Heart Of Stone" (Feat Richard Bedford) (1 10)
- A14: Marlo & Mila Josef - "You Are Not Alone" (Tech Energy Mix) (1 10)
- A15: Gabry Ponte X Giuseppe Ottavinai - "In My Mind" (Feat Malou) (1 10)
- A16: David Forbes - "Alcazar" (1 10)
- A17: Layton Giordani X Tiga X Audion - "Let's Go Dancing" (0 43)
- B1: Armin Van Buuren - "Es Vedra" (1 10)
- B2: Above & Beyond - "Crazy Love" (Feat Zoe Johnston) (1 13)
- B3: Armin Van Buuren & Agents Of Time - "Love Is Eternity" (Feat Orkid) (1 13)
- B4: Semblance Smile - "Just Let Go" (1 13)
- B5: Camisra & Armin Van Buuren - "Let Me Show You" (1 13)
- B6: David Guetta & Mason - "Perfect (Exceeder)" (Vs Princess Superstar) (1 13)
- B7: Armin Van Buuren - "High On Love" (Feat Anne Gudrun) (1 13)
- B10: Laura Van Dam & Ginchy - "Save Me" (1 13)
- B11: Paul Van Dyk - "For An Angel" (Kolonie Remix) (1 13)
- B12: Armin Van Buuren - "Forever (Stay Like This)" (Feat Goodboys - Club Mix) (0 36)
- B13: Oliver Heldens & Armin Van Buuren - "Freedom" (Feat Sam Harper) (0 47)
- B14: Armin Van Buuren, Ferry Corsten, Rank 1 & Ruben De Ronde - "Destination" (A State Of Trance 2024 Anthem) (0 34)
- B15: Giuseppe Ottaviani & Lasada - "Leave You There" (0 39)
- B16: Cosmic Gate & Christian Burns - "Brave" (Sean Tyas Remix) (0 47)
- B17: Daxson - "Elysium" (Transmission Theme 2024) (1 05)
- B18: Ilan Bluestone - "Echoes Of Courage" (0 38)
- B19: Giuseppe Ottaviani X Lea Key - "In The Silence" (0 51)
- B20: Armin Van Buuren - "Part Of Me" (Feat Louis Iii) (0 34)
- C1: Joris Voorn & Avira - "The Orange Theme" (1 00)
- C2: Avira - "Hot Tub Time Machine" (1 12)
- C3: Armin Van Buuren & Ahmed Helmy - "Racing Spirit" (1 21)
- C4: Protoculture - "Starfield" (1 21)
- C5: Artbat & Armin Van Buuren - "Take Off" (1 21)
- C6: Matt Fax - "Raven" (1 21)
- C7: Ferry Corsten X Marsh - "Fulfillment" (1 21)
- C8: Ahmed Helmy - "R4Ve 301" (1 21)
- C9: Andrew Rayel Presents Aether - "Memoria Eterna" (1 21)
- C10: Krevix & Hadriani - "Your Life" (0 54)
- C11: Sharam - "Patt (Party All The Time)" (Adam Beyer, Layton Giordani & Green Velvet Remix) (0 47)
- C12: Mauro Picotto - "Lizard" (Dan Cooper Remix) (0 46)
- C13: Ferry Corsten & Superstrings - "Remember" (0 47)
- C14: Craig Connelly & Nicholas Gunn - "Miss You" (Feat Alina Renae) (0 44)
- C15: Aly & Fila, Philippe El Sisi, Omar Sherif - "Count On Me" (With Jaren) (0 42)
- B8: Orjan Nilsen - "Ashore" (1 13)
- C16: Ben Gold & Bo Bruce - "Half Light" (0 52)
- C17: Ferry Corsten - "Just Breathe" (0 45)
- C18: Eddie Makabi - "Ecstasy" (Feat Einat - Allen Watts Remix) (1 06)
- C19: Factor B - "The Girl With Her Head In The Clouds" (Ellie Song) (0 48)
- D1: Ben Hemsley - "Tidal" (Feat Rose Gray - The Euphoric Mix) (1 03)
- D2: Armin Van Buuren - "Bed Of Rain" (Feat Mila Josef) (1 10)
- D3: Paul Van Dyk & Sue Mclaren - "Love Is Enough" (Shine Mix) (1 10)
- D4: Armin Van Buuren & Hardwell - "Follow The Light" (1 10)
- D5: Allen Watts Presents Awaken - "Fragments" (1 10)
- D6: Maarten De Jong - "Kanua" (1 10)
- D7: Ram & Richard Durand Presents Digital Culture - "Follow Me 2024" (Vs Space Frog & Derb) (1 10)
- D8: Matty Ralph - "Dreaming" (1 10)
- D9: Armin Van Buuren & Gryffin - "What Took You So Long" (1 10)
- D10: Aly & Fila X Lostly - "The Unknown" (1 10)
- D11: Daxson & Nation Of One - "Now Or Never" (Craig Connelly Remix) (0 45)
- D12: C-Systems - "Voyager" (0 47)
- D13: Andrew Rayel - "The Abyss" (0 51)
- D14: Aly & Fila With Ferry Tayle - "Concorde" (Cris Grey Remix) (0 52)
- D15: Armin Van Buuren X Hi-Lo - "Now Love Will Begin" (0 49)
- D16: Armin Van Buuren & Ben Hemsley - "Is It Beautiful" (Feat Lucy Pullin - A State Of Trance 2025 Anthem) (0 47)
- D17: Xijaro & Pitch - "The Path" (0 48)
- D18: Alex Morph - "Ava Mariae" (0 55)
- D19: Richard Durand & Nicholas Gunn - "About A Love" (Feat Jordan Grace) (1 00)
- D20: John O'callaghan, Paul Skelton & Ren Faye - "May The Road Rise" (1 08)
- E1: Cold Blue - "The Great Awakening" (1 03)
- E2: Trance Wax - "Ascend" (Sneijder Remix) (1 07)
- B9: Hel Slowed X Jnsn - "Want Me" (1:13)
- E3: Sneijder Remix - "Don't Stop" (Drums & Acid Mix) (1 07)
- E4: Allen Watts - "Elevate" (1 07)
- E5: John O'callaghan & Alex Holmes - "Devotion" (1 07)
- E6: Miyuki & Jennifer Rene - "Our Song" (1 07)
- E7: River - "I Can't Sleep" (1 07)
- E8: Will Atkinson - "High On The Low" (1 07)
- E9: Craig Connelly & Cari - "Breathe Again" (1 07)
- E10: Aly & Fila & Richard Durand - "Nebula" (1 07)
- E11: Armin Van Buuren & David Guetta - "In The Dark" (Feat Aldae) (1 07)
- E12: Bryan Kearney - "You Will Never Be Forgotten" (Lostly Remix) (1 07)
- E13: Armin Van Buuren X Vize X Leony - "City Lights" (1 07)
- E14: Talla 2Xlc & Fragma - "Toca's Miracle" (1 07)
- E15: Factor B - "A Gift To The Earth" (1 07)
- E16: Alexander De Roy & Hidden Tigress - "Intention" (Eximinds Remix) (1 07)
- E17: Lange - "Drifting Away" (Feat Skye - Drifting Away) (1 07)
- E18: Drifting Away - "Viva L'opera" (0 57)
- F1: Armin Van Buuren & W&W - "Late Checkout" (1 06)
- F2: Ben Gold - "Diving Faces" (1 08)
- F3: Felix - "Don't You Want Me" (Ki/Ki Remix) (1 08)
- F4: Elley Duhe & Whethan - "Money On The Dash" (Armin Van Buuren Remix) (1 08)
- F5: Ben Gold & Scott Mac - "Damager 24" (1 08)
- F6: Gabry Ponte & Le Shuuk - "Psychotek" (1 08)
- F7: Hi-Lo & Maddix - "My Fantasy" (1 08)
- F8: Ben Nicky, Hannah Laing & Paul Findlay X Signum - "Coming On Strong" (Feat Scott Mac - Trance Mix) (1 08)
- F9: Bryan Kearney - "Angel Child" (1 08)
- F10: 0Gravity - "Take My Breath" (1 08)
f11 FLRNTN, Benjamin Duchenne - "Last Man Standing" (feat Sivan) (1:08)
f12 Nicholas Gunn & Harshil Kamdar - "Here I Am" (feat Alina Renae - Richard Durand remix) (1:08)
f13 DJ TH X TH3 ONE X Sue McLaren - "Everything To Me" (1:08)
f14 Matty Ralph - "Te Adoro" (1:08)
f15 Armin Van Buuren & Vini Vici - "Sarabande" (feat Anna Timofei) (1:08)
f16 Lilly Palmer - "Hare Ram" (1:08)
f17 David Forbes - "Techno Is My Only Drug" (1:08)
f18 Armin Van Buuren - "Blah Blah Blah" (Lilly Palmer remix) (1:08)
f19 Armin Van Buuren - "The Road To Your Destination" (A State Of Trance Year mix 2024 outro) (1:14)
- A1: Progetto Tribale - The Sweep
- A2: Onirico - Echo Giomini
- A3: Open Spaces - Artist In Wonderland
- B1: Alex Neri – The Wizard (Hot Funky Version)
- B2: M C.j. Feat. Sima - To Yourself Be Free - Instrumental Mix Energy Prod
- B3: Mato Grosso - Titanic Expande
- C1: Dreamatic - I Can Feel It (Part 1)
- C2: Carol Bailey - Understand Me Free Your Mind (Dream Piano Remix)
- C3: The True Underground Sound Of Rome - Secret Doctrine
- D1: Don Carlos - Boy
- D2: Lazy Bird – Jazzy Doll (Odyssey Dub)
Vol 2[28,99 €]
Volume 1 of this expertly curated project of 90s Italian House - put together by Don Carlos.
If Paradise was half as nice… by Fabio De Luca.
Googling “paradise house”, the first results to pop up are an endless list of European b&b’s with whitewashed lime façades, all of them promising “…an unmatched travel experience a few steps from the sea”. Next, a little further down, are the institutional websites of a few select semi-luxury retirement homes (no photos shown, but lots of stock images of smiling nurses with reassuring looks). To find the “paradise house” we’re after, we have to scroll even further down. Much further down.
It feels like yesterday, and at the same time it seems like a million years ago. The Eighties had just ended, and it was still unclear what to expect from the Nineties. Mobile phones that were not the size of a briefcase and did not cost as much as a car? A frightening economic crisis? The guitar-rock revival?! Certainly, the best place to observe that moment of transition was the dancefloor. Truly epochal transformations were happening there. From America, within a short distance one from the other, two revolutionary new musical styles had arrived: the first one sounded a bit like an “on a budget” version of the best Seventies disco-music – Philly sound made with a set of piano-bar keyboards! – the other was even more sparse, futuristic and extraterrestrial. It was a music with a quite distinct “physical” component, which at the same time, to be fully grasped, seemed to call for the knotty theories of certain French post-modern philosophers: Gilles Deleuze, Félix Guattari, Paul Virilio... Both those genres – we would learn shortly after – were born in the black communities of Chicago and Detroit, although listening to those vinyl 12” (often wrapped in generic white covers, and with little indication in the label) you could not easily guess whether behind them there was a black boy from somewhere in the Usa, or a girl from Berlin, or a pale kid from a Cornish coastal town.
Quickly, similar sounds began to show up from all corners of Europe. A thousand variations of the same intuition: leaner, less lean, happier, slightly less intoxicated, more broken, slower, faster, much faster... Boom! From the dancefloors – the London ones at least, whose chronicles we eagerly read every month in the pages of The Face and i-D – came tales of a new generation of clubbers who had completely stopped “dressing up” to go dancing; of hot tempered hooligans bursting into tears and hugging everyone under the strobe lights as the notes of Strings of Life rose up through the fumes of dry ice (certain “smiling” pills were also involved, sure). At this point, however, we must move on to Switzerland.
In Switzerland, in the quiet and diligent town of Lugano, between the 1980s and 1990s there was a club called “Morandi”. Its hot night was on Wednesdays, when the audience also came from Milan, Como, Varese and Zurich. Legend goes that, one night, none less than Prince and Sheila E were spotted hiding among the sofas, on a day-off of the Italian dates of the Nude Tour… The Wednesday resident and superstar was an Italian dj with an exotic name: Don Carlos. The soundtrack he devised was a mixture of Chicago, Detroit, the most progressive R&B and certain forgotten classics of old disco music: practically, what the Paradise Garage in New York might have sounded like had it not closed in 1987. In between, Don Carlos also managed to squeeze in some tracks he had worked on in his studio on Lago Maggiore. One in particular: a track that was rather slow compared to the BPM in fashion at the time, but which was a perfect bridge between house and R&B. The title was Alone: Don Carlos would explain years later that it had to be intended both in the English meaning of “by itself” and like the Italian word meaning “halo”. That wasn’t the only double entendre about the song, anyway. Its own very deep nature was, indeed, double. On the one hand, Alone was built around an angelic keyboard pattern and a romantic piano riff that took you straight to heaven; on the other, it showcased enough electronic squelches (plus a sax part that sounded like it had been dissolved by acid rain) to pigeonhole the tune into the “junk modernity” section, aka the hallmark of all the most innovative sounds of the time: music that sounded like it was hand-crafted from the scraps of glittering overground pop.
No one knows who was the first to call it “paradise house”, nor when it happened. Alternative definitions on the same topic one happened to hear included “ambient house”, “dream house”, “Mediterranean progressive”… but of course none were as good (and alluring) as “paradise house”. What is certain is that such inclination for sounds that were in equal measure angelic and neurotic, romantic and unaffective, quickly became the trademark of the second generation of Italian house. Music that seemed shyly equidistant from all the rhythmic and electronic revolutions that had happened up to that moment (“Music perfectly adept at going nowhere slowly” as noted by English journalist Craig McLean in a legendary field report for Blah Blah Blah magazine). Music that to a inattentive ear might have sounded as anonymous as a snapshot of a random group of passers-by at 10AM in the centre of any major city, but perfectly described the (slow) awakening in the real world after the universal love binge of the so-called Second Summer of Love.
For a brief but unforgettable season, in Italy “paradise house” was the official soundtrack of interminable weekends spent inside the car, darting from one club to another, cutting the peninsula from North to centre, from East to West coast in pursuit of the latest after-hours disco, trading kilometres per hour with beats per minute: practically, a new New Year’s Eve every Friday and Saturday night. This too was no small transformation, as well as a shock for an adult Italy that was encountering for the first time – thanks to its sons and daughters – the wild side of industrial modernity. The clubbers of the so-called “fuoriorario” scene were the balls gone mad in the pinball machine most feared by newspapers, magazines and TV pundits. What they did each and every weekend, apart from going crazy to the sound of the current white labels, was linking distant geographical points and non-places (thank you Marc Augé!) – old dance halls, farmhouses and business centres – transformed for one night into house music heaven. As Marco D’Eramo wrote in his 1995 essay on Chicago, Il maiale e il grattacielo: “Four-wheeled capitalism distorts our age-old image of the city, it allows the suburbs to be connected to each other, whereas before they were connected only by the centre (…) It makes possible a metropolitan area without a metropolis, without a city centre, without downtown. The periphery is no longer a periphery of any centre, but is self-centred”.
“Paradise house” perfectly understood all of this and turned it into a sort of cyber-blues that didn’t even need words, and unexpectedly brought back a drop of melancholic (post?)-humanity within a world that by then – as we would wholly realise in the decades to come – was fully inhuman and heartless. A world where we were all alone, and surrounded by a sinister yellowish halo, like a neon at the end of its life cycle. But, for one night at least, happy.
- A1: Children (Dream Version)
- A2: Fable (Message Version) Vocals - Fiorella Quinn
- A3: Fantasya Vocals - Fiorella Quinn
- B1: Landscape
- B2: In My Dreams
- B3: Freedom Featuring Kathy Sledg
- C1: Princess Of Light
- C2: Fable (Dream Version)
- C3: In The Down
- D1: One & One (Club Version)
- D2: Children (Original Version)
- D3: Red Zone (Part 1) Vocals – Katia
- E1: 4 Us
- E2: Full Moon
- E3: A New Flower
- F1: Space
- F2: X-Plosion
- F3: Nation
Celebrate 30 years of "Children", the iconic track that redefined electronic music and captivated the world. This special edion vinyl is not just a tribute to Robert Miles’ masterpiece but a must-have collector’s item for music lovers. Pressed with exceptional audio quality and featuring an exclusive design, the vinyl includes remastered and rare versions that highlight the meless, dreamy melodies that topped charts in 18 countries and sold millions of copies worldwide.
- 1: Thoughts Of You
- 2: Shadows
- 3: Precious Time
- 4: Monsoon Season
- 5: Rosewood Ave
- 6: Vignette #1
- 7: Vignette #2
- 8: Carried By Six
- 9: Villano
- 10: 96 Hours
- 11: Insomnia
For Fans Of... 60's and 70's French Noir Scene / Black and White film photography, The Rugged Nuggets, Dirty Art Club, Massive Attack, Misha Panfilov, The Ironsides, Doctor Bionic, Blockhead, DJ Shadow, Sven Wunder. First Salvator Dragatto full length LP to be released on Colemine. All members of The Rugged Nuggets (205k monthly listeners / 8.4k followers on Spotify) played on this LP. 60's French Noir Cinematic Soul. Produced by Joey Reina. This record is an homage to the likes of André Kertész, Robert Frank, Jean-Luc Godard and René Groebli. Artist has previously released three successful 45s. Thoughts of You, as a phrase, might immediately associate one with feelings of love, endearment, fantasy or even obsession. These are the very sentiments that lay as cornerstones in Salvator Dragatto’s debut LP for Colemine Records. The allure and drama of black & white photography have always played a vital role in how Salvator (aka Joseph Reina) not only views the world but how he hears music. Parallels in film processing to his own recording methods started becoming more and more apparent as the record was being formed; Limitations in exposures rivaling limitations in tracks. Film grain and dust sediments rivaling tape hiss and dirty EQ pots. What most would consider to be imperfections, Dragatto leaned into and found inspiration. This record is an homage to the likes of André Kertész, Robert Frank, Jean-Luc Godard and René Groebli, who’s works have impacted Dragatto’s world so greatly both visually and sonically. Thoughts of You is an unabashed reflection of the noir. From the powerful thematic horn lines to the gentlest string passages, this record is a collection of themes and vignettes that explore the emotions set upon by black and white imagery
Welcome to the second in the Knite Force Crew series. This is a series of limited edition triple albums from the very best and dedicated of the Kniteforce artists.
This triple pack vinyl album contains 10 superb tracks from Sunny & Deck Hussy, plus two remixes from rave legends Luna-C, and from Jimmy J. The beautiful old skool rave styled artwork was hand drawn by the original Kniteforce Records artist, Rebecca Try.
It will never be repressed and is limited in number!
Repress.
The Italo dance classic that Carl Craig sampled for the legendary 69 track 'Rushed'
Finally available again on Dark Entries
We are honored to announce the next 12 in Dark Entries Editions is one of the all time Italo Disco club classics: My Mine - 'Hypnotic Tango'. My Mine were the trio of Stefano Micheli (vocals, keyboards), Carlo Malatesta (vocals, keyboards), and Danilo Rosati (drums, keyboards) formed from the ashes of Italian New Wave group Ipnotico Tango in 1982. They shifted focus from the experimental post punk sounds towards something more commercial with which to try and enter the market, namely to make a record. At that time Carlo was studying in Bologna and he had heard about producer and arranger Mauro Malavasi famous at that time for the many hits produced for Macho, Peter Jacques Band, Change, Luther Vandross, Ritchie Family. The group handed Malavasi a demo tape and four days later they were invited to Fonoprint Studios to record their first single, 'Hypnotic Tango'.
Utilizing new electronic instruments like the now legendary Roland TB-303, Danilo improvised a simple but effective synthesizer bass line and passed it through the Roland Echo until something magical came out. 'Hypnotic Tango' was released on Progress Record in 1983 and became an international hit across Europe and US dance clubs in New York, Detroit and Chicago, capturing the imagination of House and Techno producers. In 1987 the legendary Frankie Knuckles remixed 'Hypnotic Tango' at Seagrape Studios in Chicago, with assistance from studio engineers Tommy White and Brett Wilcotts. Originally released on Danica Records as the 'Powerhouse Mix' paying tribute to the Windy City club atmosphere and adding his own "sighs" in the track as well. The Hypnotic Remix This reissue presents 4 mixes of 'Hypnotic Tango' including the 'Hypnotic Mix' only appearing together once before in 1990 on Rams Horn Records. All songs are remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The vinyl comes housed in a jacket with original artwork and includes an insert with photos and liner notes by Stefano Micheli. 'Look on the floor and all is spinning round, Someone told me this was just a dance And take a chance I ain't met before..Do you think I really have a chance"
The Boysnoize Records catalogue contains more than a decade of milestones in the life of Angeleno DJ and producer PILO. His signatures—a focus on sound design, and a digital crunch evocative of hardware rather than software—are present from the very beginning, but the evolution of Pilo’s skill and sophistication is clear as he stretches from electro to experimental to techno and back again in a slowly oscillating gradient. Yet despite his dozen or so releases in just as many years, G.L.A.M. (dropping November 8th, 2024 from BNR) is Pilo’s first proper album. That the record embraces the cyclical nature of time is apropos; the artist’s journey towards self-actualized mastery always ends with a new beginning.
Over the eight tracks of G.L.A.M., Pilo reaches deep into the dream that first ignited the passion that has driven him since. For a chosen few internet-connected American teens in the aughts, the sounds of European electro (and electroclash) trickled down their ethernet cables and instilled a fantasy of exotic, sartorial, sexually-fluid hedonism that felt a world away from the hard-edged masculinity of the hip-hop and skate cultures dominant at home. Pilo opens G.L.A.M. expressing this idealized fantasy with the track “Superstar DJ,” channeling the tongue-in-cheek self-celebritizing of Miss Kitten and The Hacker’s seminal work. “I’m a superstar, come meet me at the bar,” hiss Pilo’s heavily effected vocals, over a bassline of chopped mentasm synths driven by a swift, club-ready rhythm. The fingerprint of 2000’s electro a la International Deejay Gigolo Records is recognizably present, yet Pilo is too adept, too confident in his studio abilities to let his tracks rely on the retro. A great joy of this album is the future-facing richness of its production, always nodding to its spiritual guide of the past, while constantly breaking new sonic ground.
G.L.A.M. continues with “Girls Rule The World,” its vicious, droning bassline and sticky, titular hook making it the perfect electroclash soundtrack for a revenge plot on an ex-boyfriend. “What you Want” offers an instrumental exercise in “synthesizers are the new guitars,” and Pilo’s FX chops really shine as he warps and distorts his sounds into an undiscovered dimension existing somewhere between both. “Loverboy” enters the more melodic, Legowelt-inspired realm of electro, pushing above and beyond the foundation of analogue minimalism with flourishes of impressive sound design to construct something both climactic and cathartic. Scopa lends her perfect coldwave sprechgesang to titular track “G.L.A.M.,” with Pilo’s vocal processing offering surprises throughout and his FX chains wielded as instruments unto themselves.
On the track “A Slow Thinning Halo,” Pilo might be conjuring the haunting vocal chops and chiptune simplicity of early Crystal Castles, but the whiplash snap of his drums and sizzling production are all his own. “Spend the Night” is G.L.A.M.’s least nostalgic—and most unashamedly pop—offering, with the mic being passed between Sana and DEEVIOUS (previously featured on Pilo and Boys Noize’s 2023 track “Pvssy.”) DEEVIOUS’ sultry singing rides atop the bassline as it hypnotically struts across the floor, while Pilo’s skillful arrangement, deft rhythm programming, and atmospheric control elevate the songcraft into full-spectrum worldbuilding.
As the penultimate track, the contemporaneity of “Spend the Night” serves as transition away from the album’s previous, past-leaning exercises, allowing Pilo to step fully into the future with “One Last Embrace.” The closing track still references aughts sounds, but it borrows so widely and prolifically that Pilo’s reassemblage can only be described as singular. Here, Pilo pushes his engineering into psychoacoustic territory, as the eerie, beautiful melancholy of “One Last Embrace” explodes into a thrashing bassline that warbles like a drowning memory, struggling against the sinking weight of time. Pilo allows it to survive for 16 electrifying, gut-wrenching bars before letting go. In G.L.A.M., as in Pilo’s career, as in life, every ending can only be a new beginning.
Colombian artist Kabinett brings a soul and harmonic proposal in the many forms of alternative disco and house through embellished productions and DJ sets finding himself every time as medium for all possibilities.
Involved in music from an early age through classical music, while being exposed and inspired by his older brothers in the many forms of what electronic music was developing, Nicolás, his given name, knew that his future and purpose was only going to be around what matters him the most, music. After learning different instruments in the early years and through a mix of self-education and formal education in contemporary music and music production, as well his first steps as a DJ, at age 20 he was ready to get involved in Colombia's capital electronic music scene as curator, DJ, label owner and music producer.
Founder of vinyl house label Nómada Records next to established artist such as Felipe Gordon & Joint4nine, his mentors, Kabinett have been fed enough to developed a full curation career working for Kaputt Club, El Coq & W Hotels, and more recently Casa Cruxada where he has helped to develop an identity for each which as of today has only enriched the local scene.
More recently as head of Kaputt.wav, his new label, which is now house of artist such as Curses, Iñigo Vontier, Theus Mago, Dombrance, Damon Jee, among many more, promises to keep growing and develope music overseas.
As of his personal artist career, have count on releases in labels such as Glitterbox, Midnight Riot Records, Partyfine, Platino Records, Duro, Playground, Sonido Moderna and more recently in Prins Thomas own label, Intersnajonal which will release his third solo EP in summer 2024.
With a deep understanding and experience on the music scene and a strong influence on dance genres, Kabinett and his music transcends the listeners souls and dive deep into a conscious dance.
New album of Housse de Racket member Pierre III - previously seen on Ed Banger.
Throughout my musical journey, electronic music was always a discreet companion, like that cousin who's not so close, but always fun to hang with.
So I put aside my beloved guitar aside for a while, knelt to the Roland Holy Trinity 303, 808, 909, and focused on rhythm, repetition, loops, four on the floor and the search for trance. By the way, the evocative working title for the album was ‘body music.'
Which is ironic because I haven't clubbed less than these last few years. So this music is more like a fantasy, a personal interpretation.
Thinking outside the box, leaving my comfort zone, felt like a producer's challenge, a game. We ‘play’ music. But don’t get me wrong, I play very seriously. I’m not a content creator, I am a musician.
You’ll hear many influences on this record, from Chicago House to Homework-era Daft, Talking Heads, ESG, early 90’s Dance Music… Club music for indie heads I guess.
I don’t want to sound self indulgent, but I love this record very much and I really loved doing it. Music is about pleasure and pleasure is a success in itself.
So please, step into my ‘Discotheque’.
'Liberosis', ein Album in drei Kapiteln, markiert einen bedeutenden Meilenstein in Canblasters künstlerischer Reise. Es präsentiert eine introspektive Odyssee durch 18 Tracks, fachmännisch gemischt von Steve Dub, bekannt für seine Arbeit als Tontechniker für die Chemical Brothers. Diese Platte navigiert geschickt durch die Bereiche Pop, Club, Drum'n'Bass, 2-Step und Dubstep, untergräbt ihre narrativen und stilistischen Konventionen und untersucht gleichzeitig die Natur des "Drops" und die Mensch-Maschine-Dynamik. Da es in einem Zwischenbereich operiert, dient es weder rein funktionalen Zwecken noch vertieft es sich in konzeptionelle Abstraktion. Stattdessen beschwört es Landschaften herauf, die Themen wie Apokalypse und Erneuerung, Hoffnung und Unvermeidlichkeit hervorrufen. Stimmfragmente in einer rätselhaften, aber beschwörenden Sprache unterstreichen die Klanglandschaft und erinnern an die ätherische Atmosphäre, die in Videospiel-Soundtracks wie z.B. 'Final Fantasy' zu finden ist. Es ist eine Welt, die sowohl von menschlichen Emotionen als auch von technischem Können angetrieben wird und den Geist des Yellow Magic Orchestra und des verstorbenen Ryuichi Sakamoto heraufbeschwört, wenn auch mehr in ihrer Essenz als in ihrem direkten musikalischen Einfluss. Vinyl only Release und als Gatefold 2LP-Set (Black Vinyl) erhältlich.
Sid Spada unveils his first project, STELLAGONY, a unique musical adventure. After several collaborative projects, the Geneva rapper withdrew to craft nine tracks. Nine unique pieces in the sonic puzzle that contemporary rap has become.
STELLAGONY is a chronicle of adolescence, its wanderings, its parties, its excesses, and a certain form of self-destruction. Entering a new phase of his life, Sid Spada scrutinizes his last ten years to narrate his mental and artistic evolution. This project is like a window to the past that allows its author to step back and embrace the future possibilities serenely.
This artistic maturity forged during long months in the studio opens a new era. Each track, shaped by RougeHotel's production (Stranacorpus), who co-signs all the instrumentals of the project, serves as a sonic exploration rather than following fleeting trends.
The album's atmosphere dances between melancholy and the fantasy permitted by hyperpop, drawing from Latin and club sounds. A skillful balance between dark emotions and avant-garde energy is established.
STELLAGONY, produced by Sid Spada's label iuven, is set for release in the spring on Les Disques Magnétiques, a Geneva-based label affiliated with Bongo Joe Records.
Andrea has his roots in the independent musical scene in the first decade of the 2000s. In addition to his compositional and live experience as the first Nadàr Solo drummer, he is one half of the Turin duo Anthony Laszlo with Anthony Sasso, ex guitarist and singer of Milena Lovesick. Andrea Laszlo De Simone made his debut in 2012 when he released his first homemade album, Ecce Homo. Recorded at home by makeshift means and accompanied by the following videos: Solo un uomo, 11:43, I nostri piccoli occhi, Perdutamente.
At the beginning of 2014, he met some experienced musicians from Turin’s underground scene that later, after a few months in a rehearsal room, became his band: Damir Nefat (guitar/backing vocals), Dani C (bass guitar/backing vocals), Filippo Cornaglia (drums/backing vocals), Zevi Bordovach (keyboards/backing vocals) and Anthony Sasso (keyboards/backing vocals/percussions).
Anticipated by the individual tracks Uomo Donna, Vieni a salvarmi and La guerra dei baci on June 9, 2017 - for 42Records - Uomo Donna came out. It’s Andrea Laszlo De Simone’s first real album, a well received work by both audience and critics. It also was pointed as one of the best albums of 2017 by several national music magazines.
Uomo Donna is a complex, articulate and vital album that lives in its own time - where past, present and future coexist. It’s a time in which a sonic world takes shape blending classic and modern, Italian songs with psychedelia, Battisti and Radiohead, Modugno and Verdena, the Beatles and Tame Impala, the magical flight of Claudio Rocchi and the earthly flight of IOSONOUNCANE.
The album was self-produced and then post-produced by Andrea in collaboration with Giuseppe Lo Bue, a sound engineer from Bologna. The recordings were made between October 2014 and the end of 2016 with experimental techniques straddling digital and analogic.
After playing in some important Italian festivals as Siren Festival and TOdays -- that earned him a special mention in the live scores by Rolling Stones -- on October 28, 2017 the first Uomo Donna album tour started in the clubs of the major Italian cities.
On November 30th 2017, Andrea Laszlo De Simone presented his video, Sogno l'amore, during the Torino Film Festival as a short film, shot in Sicily and directed by Francesca Noto and Andrea Laszlo De Simone.
On March 15th 2018 the music video of Gli uomini hanno fame was released, the most political song of the album, an overlook through ferocious human emotions, an eleven and fifty minutes trip within human nature portrayed even in its most ferocious instincts. The music video was directed by Andrea Laszlo De Simone and the mysterious duo Sans. The official cycle of Uomo Donna ends on 31 December 2018 with the music video of Sparite Tutti created by the creative collective Irene&Irene.
2019 was a year of new goals for Andrea, in fact, the album Uomo Donna leaves national borders and got a special mention on social media by the famous American band The Lumineers which included Andrea Laszlo De Simone and Uomo Donna among the most interesting discoveries of the international musical underground and inserts Solo un Uomo in the Spotify playlist “Inspirations”. A few days later, Solo un Uomo was broadcasted by KEXP Radio. On November 4th Andrea and his band were chosen to open for The Lumineers’ only Italian show at Alcatraz, in Milan.
On November 8th Andrea released a brand new work, digitally and on vinyl for 42Records, Immensità, a ‘suite’ of four singles: Immensità, Conchiglie, Mistero and La Nostra Fine. Turned into a medium-length film using Immensità as the soundtrack.
Immensità was presented with four special sold out concerts in Rome, Turin, Padua and Milan. For these shows Andrea Laszlo De Simone was accompanied on stage by a mixed orchestra composed of synths, electronics, choirs, strings and woodwinds. Classic and modern instruments that are intertwined in a nine elements formation: an immersive concert, a contemporary version of chamber music.
In March 2020 Immensità was released also in France, UK, Canada, Belgium and the United States with Ekleroshock/ Hamburger Records (Roster: Benjamin Clementine, Polo & Pan, Limousine and many others). The response of the transalpine press and media, sector and not, was unexpected: major French newspapers and magazines - from Le Monde to Liberation, Vanity Fair and Les Inrockuptibles - dedicated entire pages and rave reviews to Immensità and Andrea Laszlo De Simone. The track Immensità entered, after a few days, at the fourteenth rank of Spotify’s Top viral 50 playlist and broadcasted on France Inter and Radio Nova.
“Immensità” is a complex cross media work of music and images. A project divided into four chapters (the songs) for nine tracks (each chapter has a prologue or a conclusion). A true suite, using the classic term that best describes an instrumental composition in several stages, that can be enjoyed in its entirety only by listening to vinyl or digitally in the innovative single track format, without pauses: a single symphony of 25 minutes and 6 seconds.
In September 2020, Dal giorno in cui sei nato tu was released on all italian platforms, a song dedicated to Andrea’s children, a real love letter in the form of a small speech, where he tries to give them the three keys to approaching life: fantasy, music and irony. Martino, 8 years old, replies to his father’s love letter by making the video accompanying the song, created in Super 8. It's the story of the world through the eyes of the child. It is also an homage to the new little girl in family, Lucia.
2024 REPRESSED !!
Crash Course in Science are a post punk band that formed in 1979 in Philadelphia.The band members, Dale Feliciello, Mallory Yago and Michael Zodorozny, met while attending art school. They began to experiment with crude electronics and off-beat writing. CCIS avoids conventional instrumentation by using toy instruments and kitchen appliances to augment the distorted guitar, drums and synthesized beats.Their first single, 'Cakes in the Home' was released in 1979 and their 4-song 12'' EP ''Signals From Pier Thirteen'' in 1981. Pier 13 was an abandoned coal-loading pier along the Delaware River near where CCIS rehearsed. The band went there often and was inspired by the huge silent machinery, shapes, shadows, ghosts and debris. The songs 'Cardboard Lamb' and 'Flying Turns' quickly became club favorites during the early 80's. This EP's raw, percussive sound influenced both techno and industrial music in later years. CCIS feel a strong connection to Throbbing Gristle, although they consider themselves as working in a parallel universe rather than being influenced by them. All songs have been remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The vinyl is housed in the original jacket featuring stark black and white photos of Pier 13. Each LP includes a double sided 11x11 insert with lyrics, photos of the band and the atmospheric pier. Crash Course in Science go above and beyond what is considered 'New Wave' in attitude and sound.
London-born-and-raised DJ and producer Parris has announced his new EP Passionfruit, which is to be released on 22nd March 2024 via his own co-founded label can you feel the sun. Following his stand-out 2021 album Soaked In Indigo Moonlight, described as a “masterful” take on the pop genre (Crack Magazine), Passionfruit continues Parris’ affinity for polyrhythms and bouncing synths, but diving deeper into his love for clubbing and UK soundsystems, the result is a heady house compilation.
Each track on the EP is in contention with the one before it, a counterpoint to a sonic argument; melodic bubbly pop against heavy drum and bass, morning rays of sunlight against dark and swampy rhythms. Where the title track “Passionfruit” was described by Parris as imagining the “early morning of a set with the sunrise coming through the shutters”, the very next track “Slipping, Falling, Crawling” is much like the title suggests: a sludgy, percussion-heavy track which has fun with creating melody from the beat itself, stripped back and raw intent.
“Why Can’t Rabbits Wear Cowboy Boots” and “Underwater Fantasy” are almost alternate universe club classics. “WCRWCB” takes a club-formed structure, and uses it to explore the limits polyrhythms, layering chaotically over eachother, and building through the first half of the track, until it peaks with the introduction of an explosive bassline. “Underwater Fantasy” on the surface is the straightest-sounding track to come from Parris, but the disco-style vocals fight with the beat, pushing and pulling at eachother.
Parris (aka Dwayne Parris-Robinson) has dedicated himself to club culture from an early age, never missing a week at FWD>> (the club night where a generation of bass and techno DJs made their names), and was constantly tuning into Rinse FM. Immersing himself into the distinct sound of London built the foundations of the productions we hear today, with grime and drum & bass bubbling alongside slick pop references.
COMA's melodic innovations between indie and electronica have always been incredibly accessible, sparing neither hooks nor emotions, and expanding the scope of what club music can be from album to album. In this respect, the new album 'FUZZY FANTASY' (their 2nd album on City Slang) is the next logical step - away from the dancefloor, closer to life. The Cologne-based duo COMA has firmly established themselves as a household name at the intersection of Indie Pop and Electronic Music. While embracing the incorporation of warmer Pop elements, COMA remains loyal to their artistic essence: meticulously crafted electronic music that has the ability to evoke both joy and melancholy simultaneously.
Tracks like 'Space', 'Hideout', and 'Start/Stop/Rewind' catapult COMA into the musical vicinity of the Pet Shop Boys, Hot Chip, and the more recent Depeche Mode. 'FUZZY FANTASY' is the result of an astonishing transformation, though in retrospect, not entirely surprising.
It’s a family affair. One formed almost thirty years ago, back in the mid-nineties, when the pair joined seminal French jazz combo Olympic Grammofon. For twenty-four years they have worked together as Bumcello, each complementing the other, echoing polar opposites. The Boom in Bumcello is none other than Cyril Atef, incisive drummer, relentlessly pushing beats towards new horizons. The Cello is Vincent Ségal, cellist without blinkers and extraordinary musical alchemist. Since 1999, these two die-hard music fans, coming together for mercurial results, have released one record after the other whilst conquering the hearts of their live audiences, old regulars as well as new recruits. We have all been seduced by the way their music leapfrogs categories - these two experts are much more interested in kindred spirits than pigeonholing, and this very spirit is celebrated on more than one track of this ninth record, whose concept is original to say the least.
Everything began with an idea by Cyril Atef - a soundtrack based upon drawings penned by Marin, Vincent’s son, architect and visual artist. The musicians involved then coached their reaction to these images on a score, and the pair were charged with collating and adjusting the results. These thirteen ink drawings, in a heroic fantasy vein, constituted a matrix which was then to serve as a guide, like a roadmap through a singular and multi-faceted labyrinth. The key to this sonic fresco is in Bumcello’s image – an eclectic aesthetic twinned with a great sense of contrast. Herein lies the trademark of this entity animated by the gift of musical ubiquity, gorged on scales and rhythms, capable of a slap as much as a gentle caress. From classical music to electronics, from improvised music to sophisti-pop, everything is allowed with no preconceived ideas. They can even reclaim the traditions of others, all the better to propel them towards new horizons - this is how the very history of music has always panned out.
If you listen between the lines and look at the details, more than one piece bears witness to the moments and individuals that have impacted the criss-crossing lives of Vincent and Cyril. The track Crash is the perfect excuse to create a Jamaican-style jam with New York inflections, and we can see, in capital letters, the name Hilaire Penda, playing alongside Bumcello at the Apollo Theater in the associated drawing. This bass player from Cameroon, who died on 5th November 2018, was more than just a friend for the two Frenchmen. He was one of the family. Similarly, they give a nod to another Cameroonian, and another departed friend - singer of rock band les Têtes brûlées, Zanzibar, through the vocals of fellow countryman Zanzi. The ghost of Rémi Kolpa Kopul, emblematic voice of Radio Nova, haunts the margins of Spark Av, in a vocal sample with a smattering of effects. As for I Remember Tim, it directly honours the memory of Timothy Jerome Parker, aka The Gift Of Gab, another friend who left us in 2021. Tim is depicted in a drawing with the docks of Oakland in the background, and it’s his alter ego within Blackalicious, Chief Xcel, who remotely added his signature to the track, notably by adding the words of Lateef The Truthspeaker to brass and woodwind sounds.
These are the only additions to Bumcello’s original nucleus, all the better to create a genuine musical concoction where Vincent Taurelle is in charge of production and mixing sessions recorded live and direct. He is also invited for a twinkle on the keys (piano, synths, Wurlitzer, organ), on a handful of tracks. Already at the commands of previous opus Monster Talk, always taking care over the slightest detail, the one that makes all the difference, this pianist is now also part of the family. “Everything he brings is perfect, whether added though slight touches or through very important choices”, say the two members of a combo which today, appears to us under the guise of a trio, adding an extra dimension to a far-reaching mix, in the image of the veiled or more explicit tributes making up the cornerstones of this release.
Booker, a drawing where we see the musicians enter a club, honours James Booker, great pianist from New Orleans who has always fascinated Vincent, in a genre that is off-beat and gender defying. Her Story was created by Cyril in support of the Iranian women’s movement. Aysyen Kampe evokes, even in the original drawing, a tradition that remains impactful for Bumcello – Haitian mysticism, and Ouï Khouïette Ouï conjures up the beats of the Allaoui, a war dance from Western Algeria, one they have taken part in in the past with the help of Cheikha Rabia. They deliver a metal version, original and surprising, especially as Marin Ségal’s drawing features the Nicholas Brothers, those iconic dancers of the 30s jazz scene!
Resolutely hard to pin down, Bumcello’s beats can initially take on the structure of disjointed house, though Sangre begins like a film soundtrack, “in a Mexican style” adds Vincent, who was at the origin of this track. A delicate alap on the cello can open up onto afrobeat rhythms, a well-pitched voice can enchant, like on the amazing The City Has Eyes which has everything of a hummable pop hit. Emblematic of this manner of encompassing all music without being exclusive, Le Grand Sommeil, a direct reference to the Howard Hawks movie inspired by Raymond Chandler, a precursor of David Lynch, begins nice and smooth but ends on a wild tempo, on a drum’n’bass tip, as in the good old days of Cithéa, when this Party story began in the other century.
The first album release on Sprechen is a trip across the astral planes of electronica and through the neon soaked streets of South Manchester, where genres cross & styles meet on the creative peripherals away from the dance floor.
A life lived through clubs, comic books, cult movies, cosmic adventures & electronic musical endeavours have all played a role in the creation of 'Where Do I Belong?', the debut long player by The Thief Of Time, a new studio project from Sprechen founder Chris Massey.
What started as just very loose ideas and half started projects during lockdown resulted in a semi autobiographical collection of songs that draw on a lifetime love of electronic artists & synth heavy movie scores.
Nods are given, toes are dipped & caps are doffed in various sonic directions whilst still treading a truly unique path of its own making.
As Chris says: "it started really with me being in a headspace I've never really had in the studio. There was no pre-conceived ideas or agenda of what I wanted to achieve other than just going with what felt right and pursuing sounds & style I favour away from a smokey basement of ravers. Being a child of the 80's gave me a wealth of ever-evolving influences of sounds, styles, imagery, fashion, literature & art which all somehow seemed to direct this project.
It's the first time I've ever created something that contains personal reflections of my own life. Good & bad alongside the high & low points have all driven this creative process which reflects my own headspace will hopefully speak to everyone on some sort of level".
The album also features a host of Manchester artists including A Certain Ratio, Bay Bryan, Psychederek, NIIX & Love Letters From Space as well as Allison Rae from Causeway (Italians Do It Better) who were all instrumental in realising Chris' vision and bringing this exciting project into existence.
'Elephantasia' is a glorious folk opus from 1972, long lost and attaining a legendary reputation for its candour and creativity, from the late Bangor-born singer/songwriter Dave Evans. Finally, the LP sees the light of day again via Earth Recordings, it is a true gem from the vaults of British folk history. For fans of Nick Drake, Bill Fay and Davy Graham - with a touch of Michael Chapman, Bert Jansch and Fahey for good measure. Dave Evans' story is like a Pinter play; he sailed the seas in the merchant navy, was taught guitar in a brief interlude by the "mythical" Morocco John, wound up sharing a room with Steve Tilston in 1963 when they attended Loughborough Art College and ran the local folk club, while learning to make stringed instruments, the art of wine making and ceramics. Over the next year, Dave got a domestic 2-track reel-to-reel tape recorder and experimented with its two speeds to produce the tracks 'Elephantasia' and 'Lady Portia'. He pulled in members of local prog band Squidd, including latter day Hawkwind member Steve Swindells on keyboards, John Merritt on bass and Rodney Matthews on drums, who also designed the 'Elephantasia' album cover, and went on to become a renowned fantasy artist. 'Elephantasia' the album was originally released in 1972, fully exposing Dave's finger picking style, lilting vocal and his dalliance with the tape manipulation. It sold around 2000 copies and over the years became a talked about rarity, deemed too progressive for folk, too folk for the new prog heads. In best plot-thickening style, Dave tried two more releases and then disappeared. The scant sleeve notes recounted the songs' creation, featuring tales of experimentation in sound inspired by elephants, old memories recounted with all of the unpleasant bits edited out, storylines for escapists, the residents of St Agnes Park, broken beauty queens and a fat feline. It's an eclectic but beautifully fluent narrative from a finger picking maestro with a warm and engaging vocal style that wowed Peel and Whispering Bob back in the day. Dave Evans sadly died in April 2021. Earth Recordings is proud to reissue 'Elephantasia' for the first time in over 50 years, in collaboration with his estate and original Village Thing producer Ian A. Anderson. "Cult status guaranteed." Uncut. Classic Black Vinyl, DL card. CD Digisleeve.
Second album from the danish DJ & producer features 8 club tracks that explores pulse-racing, cartoonish and colourful atmospheres and textures.
On the album you will find classic disco references morphed into ultra vivid sound design and up to date dance bangers. You'll also find threefold narrative bliss boiled into a dance adventure and fresh takes on classic dub techno with clear spy trance references.
Once again Kasper shows his ability to take something well-known, combine it and create something new and fresh yet original with a clear artistic marque.
Freshly delivered by Axces Recordings for your dancing pleasure and next level club experiences.
- A1: Maureen Mason - I'm Believing (In Love Again)
- A2: Ashaye - What's This World Coming To
- A3: Julie Stapleton - Just Dreaming
- A4: Ashaye - Dreaming (Original Mix)
- A5: Julie Stapleton (Feat. Ashaye) - All The Way (Guitar Mix)
- B1: Maureen Mason - If This Is A Dream
- B2: The Wades - Get Off That (Poison)
- B3: Ashaye - Come Go With Me
- B4: Julie Stapleton - Where's Your Love Gone (Remix)
- B5: Rohan Delano - The Way I Love You
- C1: Ashaye - Dreaming (Jungle Mix)
- C2: Endangered Species - Just A Memory (Vocal Mix)
- C3: Endangered Species - Endangered Species
- C4: Insight (Feat. Ashaye) - Fantasy (Insight Mix)
- D1: Ashaye - Nowhere To Run (Instrumental South Side Mix)
- D2: Insight - Paradise (Para Dub)
- D3: V4 Visions Or Jungle Biznizz - Joy In The Jungle
- D4: Rohan Delano - Inflight
Black Vinyl[44,08 €]
In the midst of the UK house rave-olution of the early-’90s, London’s V4 Visions imprint documented the confluence of street soul, deep house, swingbeat, and jungle sounds emanating from the clubs and pirate radio signals. Over the course of half a decade, V4’s unparalleled 12” output referenced every significant Black British music scene; from lovers rock to jazz-funk, sound system reggae to hip hop, new jack swing to garage, from artists Ashaye, Julie Stapleton, Maureen Mason, Rohan Delano, The Wades, and Endangered Species. This 18-track double LP is the first critical overview of the label, with extensive notes by Simon Reynolds, era-defining photographs, and fresh remasters, all housed in a glorious foil-stamped gatefold tip-on sleeve. Is this a dream?
- A1: Q - From Within (Body Mix)
- A2: Integrity Ii - Living In A Fantasy
- A3: Strange Ways - Strange Ways
- B1: Thee J Johanz - Stompin N Rising
- B2: Exposure - Love Quest
- B3: Tons Of Tones - Oh Ah Oh Ah Oh
- C1: Interface - Temazepam
- C2: It’s Thinking - Hyperion
- C3: Eric Nouhan - Technobility
- D1: Secret Cinema - Sundance
- D2: Hole In One - Spiritual Ideas For Virtual Reality
Vol.3[25,17 €]
Through 35 hedonistic highlights stretched across three volumes, Music For The Radical Xenomaniac delivers the first ever deep dive into The Netherlands’ colourful house sound of the 90s and the under-celebrated producers and record labels whose music soundtracked a countrywide cultural movement.
Plenty of books and documentaries have celebrated the riotous raves, legendary clubs, high profile DJs and promoters who shaped The Netherlands’ hedonistic house scene throughout the 90s. Music For The Radical Xenomaniac dares to challenge these narratives by shining a light, for the first time, on those who created the scene’s kaleidoscopic, game-changing and globally influential soundtrack.
Leading the charge were a disparate group of key creators who not only forged links with their counterparts in Detroit, Chicago, New York, Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom, but also became celebrated figures on the worldwide electronic underground (Eric Nouhan, Aad De Mooy, Orlando Voorn, Stefan Robbers and Steve Rachmad). Alongside key underground imprints (Stealth Records, Basic Energy, ESP, Prime and Outland Records included) and lesser-known producers, these pioneers gave flavour to a radical musical movement via open-mindedness, unheard-of creativity and a genuinely futuristic ethos. All of these artists and labels are represented throughout the series.
So, what defined this hedonistic house sound from The Netherlands? Stylistically, it was varied – as the series so emphatically proves – but was defined by a set of distinctive sonic characteristics: emotive musical motifs, high-frequency synth sounds, mellow basslines, pulsating rhythms and more than a touch of hallucinatory intent.
Volume 2 contains a wealth of notable tracks and slept-on gems. These include Q’s ‘From Within (Body Mix)’, a lesser-known cut from the trio better-known as Quazar (Gert van Veen, R.o.X.Y co-founder Eddy De Clercq and Eric Cycle), Eric Nouhan’s melodic masterpiece ‘Technobility’, which is appearing on vinyl for the first time since 1994, and a rare collaboration between regular production partners Maarten van der Vleuten and Mike Kivits (better known as Aardvarck), which was initially released on a special R&S Records’ offshoot set up by the label’s co-founder, Renaat Renaat Vandepapeliere (Integrity II’s ‘Living In Fantasy’).
Other highlights include Exposure’s ‘Love Quest’, a highly sought-after 1991 track by The Hague-based DJ/producer Maurits Paardekooper, and an ambient-infused Andrew Weatherall favourite originally released by Stealth Records in 1993, Hole In One’s ‘Spiritual Ideas For Virtual Reality’.
Packed full of forward-thinking 90s gems remastered for today’s dance floors by Alden Tyrell, Music For The Radical Xenomaniac Volume 1 is a life-affirming celebration of a distinctly Dutch musical movement, whose rich textures and melodies are still inspiring new generations of DJs and dancers today.
Mr. K’s series of edits on Most Excellent Unlimited is nothing if not eclectic, and utilitarian — as befits a veteran DJ of Danny Krivit’s stature. For our latest, Krivit pulls two disparate gems out of his bag of tricks and fits them neatly on a single 7-inch piece of vinyl.
In 1972 Ralph Bakshi’s landmark underground animated film Fritz the Cat was released, featuring a soundtrack performed by an all-star cast of San Francisco area musicians associated with the Berkeley-based Fantasy label. Perhaps Fantasy’s biggest artist was the vibes player Cal Tjader, who debuted in 1955 and was still going strong when songs were gathered for the movie’s soundtrack nearly twenty years later. Rather than simply using one of his older, already-recorded tunes, Tjader laid down a completely new version of his earlier hit record “Mamblues.” This time however, he swapped his standard latin percussion accompaniment for a can’t-miss rhythm section of Bernard Purdie, Chuck Rainey, and Arthur Adams. The result was a searing funk workout that took the latin jazz classic to new heights. Mr. K subtly warms this one up by adding a hint of reverb and bringing the tempo down a notch, pushing things from frenetic to funky, and firmly into friendly mixing territory for the DJs.
For our flip side, we turn to an unsung jewel amongst Philadelphia’s many contributions to disco music. Executive Suite released a series of singles in ’74 and ’75 that were recorded at the famed Sigma Sound Studios and had ties to a number of better known disco luminaries, among them the holy trinity of Baker-Harris-Young and, on “You Believed In Me,” the mighty Patrick Adams. Along with his longtime associate Stan Lucas, Adams garnished the vocal quartet’s composition with a driving arrangement and epic, soaring strings. The combined effect produced a vibrant, uplifting club cut that echoes the positive spirit of Curtis Mayfield’s “Move On Up” while being altogether its own thing. For our latest release Mr. K focuses solely on Adams’s instrumental section, returning repeatedly to that addictive string riff and creating a propulsive rhythm track that just doesn’t quit. And we don’t want it to!
As always, these connoisseur’s choice cuts have been remastered and pressed to Most Excellent Unlimited’s standards, and are primed and ready on 7-inch for DJs and home listeners alike.
The early days of "Baltimore Club Music" saw it played at popular venues like Club Fantasy, The Ozone, Hammerjack's, and Paradox. DJs Sean Marshall, Marc Henry, Shawn Caesar (at DJs Outlet in Old Towne Mall), Scottie B and Danny Class (at Inner City Records), Technics (at Music Liberated), DJ Patrick (at Sound of Baltimore), and Diamond K and Kenny B (at Electronics & More) all contributed to the mix of hip-hop, house music and homemade beats that made up this new sound. "Booty Mission" (1992) is a creation of Shawn Caesar and Ty "Flex" James and is considered one of the most influential releases, an essential for any Baltimore Club Music fan. It is sure to remain timeless.
Le Magnifique is a cult film. Many a viewer has memorized the lines of this character, whose role was tailor-made for Jean-Paul Belmondo. In the year of our Lord 1973, Belmondo reunited with director Philippe de Broca, a pair who, decades before the Jean Dujardin version of OSS 117, were unknowingly making meta cinema. The film's soundtrack, by Claude Bolling, successfully navigates between the first and second degree, without ever sinking into the clumsiness of "fantasy music". For the record, Claude Bolling is none other than the chief composer of the all-female group Les Parisiennes and of some 100 film scores, including Borsalino, which is certainly the best-known. Above all, he is a genius of French jazz, whose talent makes his music sound relaxed and familiar, even when you're listening to it for the first Tme. From the very first track on the album, "TaQana", postcard images of Mexico spring to mind. Claude Bolling plays with the codes of film music without ever losing a certain communicaTve jubilaTon. With the soundtrack to Le Magnifique, Claude Bolling equals the Anglo-Saxon masters of the easy-jazz pop genre, such as Henri Mancini. Fans of jerks to dance to at the ambassador's parTes will be delighted by the composiTon "Pop Mod". Even today, those who invented the term "lounge core" would go out of their way to own an original Claude Bolling vinyl. Thanks to Claude Bolling and his original French Touch, before thedays of Dimitri From Paris and Bob Sinclar who, if they hadn't been able to take advantage of this musical and cinema to graphic heritage, wouldn't have had anything to sample.
- A1: Yantra
- B1: Tor 8
- B2: Temple
- C1: Black Jack
- C2: Astra
- D1: Gamma (Alternate Mix)
- E1: Sexuality (My Reality)
- E2: Space Cowboys I
- F1: Raum 422
- G1: Friedrichshain Funk
- G2: Solar
- I1: Hymn (In The Name Of Fantasy)
- I2: Gamma (The Other Side)
- J1: Don't Be Stupid Day (Extended Album Mix)
- K2: Waver
- L1: It's Time (To Move Your Body)
- M1: Shri Yantra
- M2: Make Me Scream
- N1: Liyah
- O1: Halide Part 1
- O2: Voices
- P1: Halide Part 2
- K1: Space Cowboys Ii
EACH COPY Personally SIGNED BY LEN FAKI
Len Faki has always been a defining character of the techno underground. His unique approach to DJing, the consistent work as a producer and the quality output of his label Figure has all shaped the current environment.
Starting out as a clubber in the 90's, his inspirations have always reached back to the first encounters with electronic music, when new worlds opened and everything seemed possible.
While these experiences have always influenced Faki's productions and used to be released under many different aliases back in the day, they have been waiting since to be made into a proper album under the Len Faki moniker.
After quickly climbing to the top of the international DJ circuit, busy touring schedules never quite allowed for it. Finally faced with the opportunity of a long overdue creative break, Faki decided tackle the life-time venture with the necessary dedication and focus.
Excited about the new project, he also took the time and energy needed to expand his production methods. Finding new techniques allowed him to truly bring all his different influences to the surface. The process was one of following his own heart, occasionally challenging and surprising himself. Naturally the result emerged as two parallel experiences, which are now presented across two discs. Both still carry all the signature features of Faki's style but with added layers of depth and detail. There's that special contrast of dark and heady grooves, paired with dreamy melodies that transport the listener to places beyond the mind. But we also see all strains of his previous work being incorporated, mixed and molded into something new altogether.
While the first disc focuses on the kind of techno, which Faki has been brought up by and given back to for so many years of his life, the second is more loose and experimental, with forays into house, ambient and broken beats - the sounds he has always kept very passionate about.
It creates two distinct experiences, showcasing the entire breadth of Faki's cosmos. Where some ideas stay straight and kick hard, like the neon bleep opener Tor 8 or joyfully booming Astra, others take the newfound freedom to inspire a wistful broken beat ballad such as Hymn (In the Name of Fantasy) or the soulfully subdued Drum & Bass closer Voices.
Many songs even exist as pairings, with their respective counterpart on the other disc. For example, the duo of Shri Yantra/Yantra, where similar soundscapes have been looked through different lenses, making for a more straight-laced or shuffled rhythm. Also noteworthy are Faki's appearance as a veritable house producer on Hymn (In the Name of Freedom) as well as the inclusion of two very personal pieces:
The Halide tracks were made in remembrance of Faki's late mother, who passed away during the final production stage of the EP. These delicate tracks capture the intense sadness Faki was feeling at the time and helped him to process his grief and eventually to finish off the album.
By doing so Faki has given us a complete artistic statement, one that proves him to be as curious and driven now as ever, taking his sound to all-new realms.
Codek is the brainchild of Jean-Marie Salaun who grew up in Paris influenced by the folklore of the inner city. In 1978 he joined art rock group SpionS and collaborated with Robin Scott (M 'Pop Music'). He began working as Codek, a play on the brand name Kodak with the 'Me Me Me' single released in 1980. In 1981 the 'Tam Tam'/'Closer' single was released on West African Music, a tiny label from the Ivory Coast, and re-released a year later by Island Records in the UK (where the B-side was re-named 'Tim Toum'). 'Tam Tam' was inspired by Burundi drummers playing in the plaza in front of Beaubourg where the song was recorded. Jean-Marie enlisted one of the drummers from the circle, Georges Atta Dikalo, to lay down percussion for the song. The female singers were from the French Caribbean and added falsetto tribal chants. Claude Arto achieved complex rhythmic patterns using a modular synthesizer and heavy processing. Jean-Marie recorded himself beating his chest for the thump noises. The recording of spanned over two years. They started on 16-track in Studio d'Auteuil, where Jean-Marie blew the woofers, before resuming in Studio Centre Georges Pompidou with an added 8-track recorder.
In 2017 we reissued the 'Tam Tam'/ 'Closer' single and shortly after the 24-track master tapes were discovered in Paris by original engineer Gérard Chiron. We arranged for graphic designer Maycec to pick up the tapes and immediately began to think of remixers for this project. First up is producer and DJ Daniele Baldelli who gave the original single a spiritual home in the Cosmic 80s scene of Italy. Here he's teamed up with Marco Dionigi for two remixes. Remix A goes full on funky disco baseline while Remix B a more balearic affair. We remember Justin sharing a memory of DJing the original Island Records promo at the Mudd Club in 1981 so we had to ask him for remix. He teamed up with his Whatever/Whatever production partner Bryan Mette and delivered an hypnotic pulsing house remix and an extended edit. All songs have been mastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The jacket is new twist designed by Eloise Leigh on the 1981 edition artwork by Angela Boy, inspired by primitive electronics and African paintings.
A central figure in Seattle’s fading disco scene, radio DJ, producer, engineer, writer and multi-instrumentalist…Tony Benton was the driving force behind the Seattle soul-funk sound during the late 70s & 80s. Starting off his career at the age of ten he learned how to play the piano and then finally got to take a music class in the 7th grade. Having access to an electric piano made him fall in love with the thought that he could make his own music. At the age of 16 Tony and his friends already formed their first band called ‘Crystal Clear’ and were making up songs in his basement.
Things would really start off when Tony Benton teamed up with his group to form the avant-boogie group Teleclere who went on to release their first single in 1982 (Fantasy Love / Ultra Groove). That’s when Tony started playing all of the other instruments and thus earning him the title ‘multi-instrumentalist’. Teleclere was all about creating and performing original music, there was no music scene in Seattle at that time for a black artist or group who played original compositions. Rap-music was also emerging and clubs slowly started to switch from live performances to deejays.
Through the success of their independent EP release, Teleclere followed up a year later with their Affection/Defection album which created a serious hype. This gave them the chance to regularly open at concerts for national artists in halls and clubs. They played at nightclubs, bars, festivals, private parties and did mini tours in the Washington State cities & Canada…including opening for Grammy-award winning soul-star Peabo Bryson (performing for a crowd of 3,000 in their hometown Seattle)
Sadly, radio would not play their music so folks never really had the chance to hear it unless they saw them perform live (they always won the crowd over). To add insult to injury, venues and the likes started to mainly book cover bands playing top 40 music. Disappointed by this Tony Benton became a radio personality but would continue to record and perform under the name ‘Teleclere’ with various players and vocalists for many years to come. Only a handful of his tracks recorded were released in the end.
Thankfully we are left with the unique audio-document that is the Affection/Defection LP. The album took the scene by storm in 1983 and sounds like a sci-fi space odyssey unfolding on an intergalactic dance floor…a chopped and slapped slice of 80ies electro-funk, sensual soulful serenades, pulses of Innervisions-worthy bass, top of the line vocals and a plethora of vocoder magic. Also included is the hit ‘Steal Your Love’ that was featured on the acclaimed 2014 Light In The Attic compilation ‘Wheedle’s Groove Volume II: Seattle Funk, Modern Soul And Boogie 1972-1987’.
Tidal Waves Music (in collaboration with the Numero Group) now proudly presents the first ever vinyl reissue of this fantastic private pressed Seattle electronic soul/funk album (originally released in 1983 on Telemusic Productions). This rare record (original copies tend to go for large amounts on the secondary market) is now finally back available as a limited 180g vinyl edition (500 copies) complete with the original artwork and obi strip.
Nothing compares to Lewis Taylor and nobody crafts a "B-Side" quite like him. Indeed, his long deleted B-Sides are the stuff of legend. So, gathered together for the first time on one slice of wax, we present The Damn Rest: an album's worth of B-Sides from the era of the 1996 Lewis Taylor ("Damn") album. More off-the-wall and abstract than the album proper, these rare, underheard tracks burst with Lewis's uncompromising genius. A lot more experimental, the music is still drop dead beautiful. The Damn Rest is the essential bridge between Lewis Taylor and Lewis II.
Lewis Taylor's self-titled masterpiece from 1996 was to be originally called Damn. You can see the word right there on the from cover. However, concerns over distribution in the US scuppered this desired title. When thinking about what to call this collection of essential B-Sides from the era of that first album, we thought The Damn Rest would be appropriate. But these tracks aren't simply throwaways or outtakes, as Lewis himself states: "each little group were recorded specifically for the release of each 'single'." These B-Sides were simply the next thing to happen after self-titled, and before Lewis II. In other words, you need this!
The collection opens with "Asleep When You Come", the A2 on the original "Lucky" 12". It's a slow-mo string-drenched soul offering, cast in cinematic soft-focus with a vocal performance from the heavens set against wonky, shuffling drums and delicate instrumental flourishes. Beautiful. Also from the "Lucky" single, "You Got Me Thinking" may actually be Lewis' funkiest moment and is definitely one of our favourites, a great, gently psychedelic funky club track, that's for sure. Next, the gorgeous, meandering "I Dream The Better Dream" is just sheer, metronomic bliss, with shades of Stevie Wonder. Just ask D’Angelo, who included the track on his Feverish Phantasmagoria show for Sonos. Not only a celebrity-fan-favourite, it's Lewis's, too: "My favourite has always been this track. In my fantasy it’s what early Soft Machine would’ve sounded like if Marvin Gaye was their lead singer."
As we move to the B-sides from the "Whoever" single, the first to feature is "Pie In The Electric Sky / If I Lay Down". It's a brilliantly sprawling classic. A head-nod funk workout in two parts; part psychedelic heavy soul jam, part breezy Marvin-esque near-instrumental of the deeply lush variety. It needs to be heard to be believed. Astonishing! Flip over for "Waves", a shimmering, dramatic, sweeping string-led fan favourite. The climax of the song is just too stunning for words. It's followed by the deep wyrd-soul of "Trip So Heavy" the final, dizzying track from the "Whoever" single and another celestial funk delight featuring strings, organ, twisted bass and heavy drums. From the "Bittersweet" 12", "A Little Bit Tasty" is a building, schizophrenic soul-jazz epic that starts out with Lewis performing a call and (distant) response with himself over a gentle mid-90s drum loop before snatches of heavy, crunching metal guitars blast apart the otherwise neat song structure. Ultimately, it's unarguable that The Damn Rest is worth it for the inclusion of the jaw-dropping "Lewis III" alone. A dazzlingly lush and stunningly sophisticated prog/soul hybrid that owes as much to "Pet Sounds" as "What's Going On" with arrangements that grow and unfold in layers. Just sparkling.
A compilation like this feels like one of those promo-only rarities they used to give out to a select few back in the good old days, so when it came to the artwork it only made sense to follow what Cally Callomon (head of Island’s art department) had done for the singles and promos back in the 90s. He even did us some fresh scribbles of “The Damn Rest” to match his handwriting that’s all over the first album and its singles. We hope you like it as much as the music contained within. Simon Francis’s vinyl mastering ensures these classic recordings sound as great as they deserve to. The record has been cut by Cicely Balston at Air Studios and pressed at Record Industry. We've lost Prince. We still have Lewis.
- A1: Daytime Tv (Rainy Miller Remix)
- A2: It’s Hard To Get To Know You (Space Afrika Ambiv)
- B1: Pigeon Flesh (Mobbs' Butcher Mix)
- B2: Love Like An Abscess (Aho Ssan Remix)
- C1: Nervous Energy (Teresa Winter Remix)
- C2: I Was Born By The Sea (Morgane Polanski Remix)
- D1: I Was Born By The Sea (Fila Brazillia Remix)
- D2: Dream About Yourself (Bonus)
Richie Culver had been waiting his whole life to record I was born by the sea. His debut album immediately and messily inscribed the artist into the canon of outsider music and experimental electronics, serving both as an arresting statement of intent and a painful reckoning with the difficult path that lead up to it, stealing one last glance back at a place he always knew he had to escape. Between grim lamentations, faded memories and anxiety attacks, all told with searing honesty and disarming openness, I was born by the sea excavates a space for hope, finding Culver digging through Humberside silt to find a world weary optimism, the raw material from which his visual and sound art is shaped. For this collection of expansions and inversions, Culver invites a collection of kindred spirits, contemporary inspirations and old heroes to wade into the salt water of his formative years spent living for impromptu raves and afterparties, connecting vivid memories of his birth place of Withernsea to artists hailing from as nearby as Preston and Bridlington, further afield, from Manchester and London, Berlin and Paris, before returning back to Hull, to where it all began.
For some, responding to I was born by the sea means diving even deeper into the record’s furthest reaches. Space Afrika clear away the pummelling loops of noise from ‘It’s hard to get to know you,’ revealing a cool and cavernous expanse in its wake. Distant chatter, previously heard as though through thin, plasterboard walls, now echoes from outside the maddening claustrophobia of the original’s Sisyphean sonics, illuminated as a dense storm cloud suspended amidst a more open scene, washed clean by a lighter rain, allowing the tender heart of the track to beat clear. London producer MOBBS stretches out ‘Pigeon Flesh’ into an epic, 10-minute, cold-sweat spiral, strung-out tension wrung from disconnected phone tones twisted in unexpected directions, snatches of Culver’s voice turned inside-out and deep fried bass threatening to tip the track over into oblivion, the build-and-release of a nervous breakdown experienced in real time. In an act of subversive self-reflection, Morgane Polanski switches one kind of ennui for another in her adaption of ‘I was born by the sea,’ swapping the sea for the city, English seaside towns in January for summer evenings in Paris and flashing lighthouses and sparkling oil rigs for the Eiffel Tower and the traffic around L’Arc de Triomphe. Even Culver finds time to revisit ‘Dream About Yourself,’ a track taken from his EP Post Traumatic Fantasy, breathing new words into its glacial drift, the half-remembered testimony of a shut-in: Woke up in the evening / Pray for me / Don’t trust anyone / Pray for algorithm. Reframed in a more melancholy light, the track’s reverberant keys even more clearly evoke a mournful nostalgia, fresh pain felt in old wounds.
Others find a parallel universe in Culver’s visceral world building. Rainy Miller flips the script with a scorched, avant-drill rework of ‘Daytime TV’, threading puncturing hi-hats and queasy low-end surge through the track’s steady ambient cascade, invoking the irresistible Preston beat magic of Miller’s own essential debut album, Desquamation. Aho Ssan melts away the crystalline textures of ‘Love Like an Abscess’ with the ominous crackle of a nascent fire, building through swathes of organic Max/MSP squelch and brittle, nails-down-chalkboard scrape, swelling and metastasising the original to spill over Culver’s desperate hymn to corporeal desire, at once flesh and not. Teresa Winter transports us an hour up the coast from Withernsea to her native Bridlington, replacing the sea wall of synthesis on ‘Nervous Energy’ with muffled ASMR murk and fever dream whispers, transforming Culver’s unflinching observations into a haunting call-and-response, filling in the blanks with her own eerie utterances, a fleeting conversation with a ghost. In a touching victory lap, Fila Brazillia, eccentric stalwarts of beloved ‘90s trip hop imprint Pork Recordings, whose performances at Hull institution The Lamp convinced a young Culver of the necessity to make his mark on club culture, resurface for their first remix in 20 years. Steve Cobby and David McSherry lead a low-slung, heartfelt stroll back through a suite of tracks from I was born by the sea, tracing a full circle saunter from Culver’s origins to his current musical practice, the sounds of his present repurposed by the sound of his youth. In a gesture that reflects the emotional complexity of the project, Fila Brazillia find joy at the end of Culver’s troubled reflection, picking out an undeniable groove in the stasis of feeling trapped in your hometown. Underlining Hull’s vital musical legacy, from Baby Mammoth to Throbbing Gristle, Cobby and McSherry demonstrate that, though there are certainly storms, by the sea there is also sun and through the fog, if you listen, you can hear a singular sound, a sound now carried by Richie Culver.
Participant is a record label and creative studio run by William Markarian-Martin and Richie Culver
Relentless raver and emerging artist from the Rinse France roster of captivating talent, RONI launches her imprint Nehza Records with a five-track EP titled ‘Slowing’ by Bordeaux-based Neida . Marking the debut release on the label, Neida is the first producer to bring RONI’s fantasy-led vision to life.
‘Slowing’ is a cross-pollination of breaks, acid, jungle and bass which nods to the sound of the underground UK rave scene circa 1990. An era that RONI closely aligns with in terms of sound, art and the sense of liberation synonymous with 90s club culture, Neida nails this aesthetic throughout the EP. ‘Bull’ sets a powerful tone as the opening track, packed with punchy drums layered below an orchestral-like vocal before ‘DSO’ burbles through with squelchy synthwork over a 4/4 beat — a clear hint of that UK rave sound simmering under the surface. Garnering his appreciation for reggae and Rasta dialect, Neida’s rework of a vocal derived from reggae artist Don Carlos is masterfully blended into this 6-minute churner.
Over on the B-side, ‘Guess Who’ burns slowly with downtempo breaks and mesmerising chords; you can almost smell an imaginary forest as the track unravels, creating an image of tripping in nature. ‘WHT’ rumbles through with a mellow introduction before going full-whack into barreling drums and clap-heavy percussion, illustrating Neida’s ability to dip into experimental textures that nod to complex rhythm patterns rather than club-cut melodies. ‘For All The Time Sake’ closes the EP with an acid bassline and bright, crisp percussion ending the EP on a significantly vibrant note to mark the first stepping stone of RONI’s record label. ‘Slowing’ is a spiralling myriad of bright atmospheres and escapism, likely to be one of many sonic trademarks on Nehza Records.
Part 2[11,39 €]
Announcing the release of Len Faki’s extended debut album, Figure x34 is the first in a series of special EPs that give a glimpse into the body of work which the label head has put together as Fusion over the course of the last two years. Using the double album format, Faki finally found himself free to explore the whole breadth of electronic club culture, inspired by decades worth of his own experiences as a DJ and clubgoer.
Don’t be Stupid Day, centered around the namesake vocal, is a slow-burning, deep techno roller, while Hymn (In The Name of Fantasy) contrasts a dreamy, wisp-like melody with heavy punches of broken up bass. Both cleverly represent the wide variety of sounds found on the more ambient and house-leaning disc 2 of the album.
Disc 1 is a contemporary take on the techno that has defined Faki’s life and career since the 90s. Hymn (In The Name Of Freedom) borrows on the trancey lead synths and booming bass from those early days, making for an unusually euphoric and uplifting Faki track. Finally, Tempel aligns with his reputation as a DJ, steadily layering mechanic percussion for an ever-increasing sense of rhythmic urgency.
A bold introductory statement, Figure x34 already gives an exciting taster of what is to be expected on the full double LP Fusion coming later this year.
Watch out for two more special EPs (x35 / x37) to be released ahead of the final album drop!
«I am the bridge between the day and the night that never ends, I am the acid drop that beads on your dancing body, I am the metallic breakthrough that crosses your being when I catch your wet hands, I am the brutal wave that grazes your dark gaze and your tired eyes, I am the titanium and the cyprin, I am the adrenaline, I am that being that invents, desires and revolts, I am that jolt of desire that tears me when it is dark, I am a psychoactive substance diluted in honey, I am the back that you caress, I am our first and last dance, I am the one who seduces you, I am the one who obsesses you, I am the solitary dance that bewitched me the first time we met, I am the cry muffled by our restless bodies, I am the movement that pierces and unfolds as if it were the last. I am solid and liquid, mechanical and organic, I am your first and last time, I am Baraka.»
French duo Baraka present their first eponymous EP.
Dive into their cathartic universe in which they celebrate their love for club culture using powerful TR8s, incisive break beats, synthetic layers inspired by trance and trip-hop as well as cavernous female voices.
This alliance of electronic music, 90’ aesthetics and dreamy undulations intertwine like the yin and yang and promise a mystical universe with futuristic imagery.
Romare veröffentlicht sein neues Album 'Fantasy' auf seinem neu gegründeten Label You See. Auf 'Fantasy' verfolgt der Londoner Experimental-Elektroniker einen abstrakteren Samplingansatz als bei seinen früheren Arbeiten, indem er seine eigene Instrumentierung und Gesang in den Vordergrund stellt und Elemente aus dem Fantasy-Kino der 1970er in seine unverwechselbare Mischung aus rhythmisch-exzentrischer Electronica und cineastischer Clubmusik einfließen lässt. Umweltfreundliches 180g Doppelvinyl.
"Island Time" is the latest album from Joel Sarakula and his first since relocating to The Canary Islands at the height of the pandemic. From his home in the UK he accepted an invitation to perform a special concert Alfredo Kraus Auditorium in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria in November 2020 not realising it would change his life.
"Island Time" is a collection of songs covering themes such as island life, city life, loneliness and romantic love and our relationship with nature.
Stylistically covering soft-rock, soul, disco and reggae, "Island Time" and its first single "Tragic" is broad in scope but ultimately a cohesive record, with the production focusing on a small group of musicians featuring Phil Martin (Dawn Patrol, Martin & Garp) on drums and Xav Clarke on guitar and bass. Building on his previous records "Love Club" and "Companionship", Sarakula expands his palette with a broader use of synthesizers and drum machines and makes stylistically adventurous choices such as the AOR samba of "Dinosaur" and the 70s-cod reggae inspired title track "Island Time", a tribute to escape and re-invention. Sarakula sings "Don't bother me I'm on island time, don't bother my mind once again." For any overworked and over-connected city-dweller, this plea for isolation in a tropical island is a beautiful fantasy.
"Island Time" will be released on Jan 20th, 2023 with Sarakula bringing some tropical sunshine to the freezing European winter in January and February with performances already confirmed in The Netherlands and Germany.
Check point Catherine
“In the afternoon we performed in a rather austere theatre in East Berlin. Then I remember we crossed Checkpoint Charlie that evening to play in a club in West Berlin. The atmosphere was completely different. I felt as though we were living in a black and white spy movie.” Nicolas Fiszman recalls that chaotic day of 13 June 1982. Two outstanding guitarists, Philip Catherine and Nicolas Fiszman, who at the time was only seventeen years old, were taken from one side of Berlin to the other in pouring rain to perform to unlikely audiences. At both concerts, they played the same programme of seven pieces written by Philip, with the exception of “Crystal Bells”, composed by Charlie Mariano. The pair were not master and student. Rather, Philip remembers Nicolas like a young brother he might have taken to the beach. After the 1960s, Philip became a major figure on the jazz scene, working with the greatest: Charles Mingus, Chet Baker, Stéphane Grapelli, Dexter Gordon, to name only a few. Nicolas has played with Charles Aznavour, Vanessa Paradis, Francis Cabrel and Eric Serra, and travels the world with Sting.
On that gloomy afternoon, the two guitarists, alone on stage, decided to brighten up the morosity that reigned. The pieces they played bore titles such as “Janet”, “Babel” and “Petit Nicolas”. It is hard to believe that this varied, well-constructed, polyphonic music was not entirely written down on paper. Philip says, “Nothing is written from beginning to end. I compose the themes and some harmonic bridges. Then we have a chord chart … and that’s it.” The foundations are written; inspiration, taste, fantasy and friendship do the rest. We feel as though we are taking a nonchalant walk through Rio or Miami. The concert is punctuated by thunderous applause.
For these brief minutes in that year 1982, the East Berliners were able to fly over their tightly closed borders.
We are privileged to have unearthed this unique concert where two outstanding artists bring together two cultures to create an intense blaze of happiness.
Philip Catherine, Guitar
Nicolas Fiszman, Guitar & Bass
With the kind authorization of the Artists
Eraserhood Sound's intergalactic house band Fantasy 15 delivers yet another masterful slice of futuristic synth-funk, this time in the form of the Galaxy Oasis / Julieta 7". Both tracks are from the Planet IX EP, a dazzling collection of songs which touches on soul, funk, boogie, hip hop, and New Wave. "Galaxy Oasis" is the group's first single with a proper lead vocal, provided by a local from the group's native planet Zoltandia. Its infectious groove and soaring melodies will be sure to keep dance floors packed for millennia to come. Listen close to the vocals, and you will hear a contemplative lyric about what it means to be human and experience true ecstasy in an increasingly cold, digital universe. Flipside "Julieta" is perfect for after the club, with its brooding drums, menacing guitar, and cinematic flutes.
incl. dl code
Patås premieres his new label LEK with 4 tracks toying around in the Techno/broken beat spectrum. "Måsans dødsleie" (Måsans deathbed) starts the EP following the last journey of Måsan, a character that everybody knows; the one guy in every group of friends that just cant stop partying, the re-uper to re-up them all.
Glitchy percussion, freaky synthriffs, and a heart monitor guides him all the way to the great beyond. Ethereal "Atlantic Potion" (made in collaboration with Canadian Jamie Cox) closes the side out with its cold lushness. On the other side the theme music from Final Fantasy 6 gets reharmonized and redrummed in "Hommage a Uematsu", for some guaranteed nerd chills to all you JRPG clubbers.
Last track "TMA 4ever (Patås remix)" turns Kim Dürbecks epic ambient tune into a broken beat journey with accompanying bird sounds and hectic percussion.
The ‘Fantasy’ EP saw Jacques Greene push further
into his downtempo and ambient influences than ever
before. Now he returns with a special club-tested
extended edit of key EP track ‘Relay’, alongside an
incredible Skee Mask remix.
Since releasing his last studio album, ‘Dawn Chorus’,
in 2019, Jacques Greene has scored the short film
‘Exhaust’ starring Jimmie Fails (‘The Last Black Man in
San Francisco’), Glenn Kaino’s installation piece
‘Tidepools’ (alongside Nosaj Thing), and videogame
‘Homeschool’. He released remixes for artists such as
Para One, DC Salas, Amtrac, Kllo, Elohim, Kacy Hill
and Montreal disco legends Lime.
In 2020 he made headlines for creating ‘Promise’ - the
first single released with associated NFT that staked
the owner to music publishing. In 2021 Greene
released ‘ANTH01’, a reissue compiling his first few
years of releases across various labels, alongside
unheard tracks from the era.
Fresh off a US / European tour in 2022 in support of
his ‘Fantasy’ EP, as well as a high profile support slot
on the recent Bonobo tour.
“Immaculately produced and mixed, and profoundly
effective - both for the pleasure centers it fires, and
also for the associations it triggers. It feels like a
genetic memory passed down across generations of
ravers, encoded in their very DNA.” - Pitchfork
“An exercise in restless soul-searching, striking a
delicate balance between struggle and serenity as if
one necessitates the other.” - Resident Advisor
Jdotbalance is a Chicanx producer from Texas currently based in Chicago. They run the GUD4U newsletter, party and mix series and have been featured for mixes on DAISYCHAIN, BIZAAR BAZAAR, PAPI JUICE, JEROME, RUMORS, and NEW WORLD DYSORDER. Here they are with a backboard smashing vinyl debut dunk full of a futuristic mix of sexy, raucous club and fast techno propulsions that showcases just how varied the energy palette of North American club music is.
“Let’s” opens up the A side with a fast techno kick and panned static flickers. Wonky pings wander left and right. This track is a true traveler…start to finish this will have the dancefloor wishing this condensed fantasy epic, inexhaustibly traversing moods and instruments, would swallow up the club and continue the stomping ride down down down the devil’s gut. A2 has a different boom but the same amount of bump. Claps dance around the 2s and 4s, showing you how to move to Jdot’s vision of gyrating, high-energy club music. A vocal sample swells like a siren. The kick moves in triplets. The peak is psycho. The track comes down just in time to pick its energy back up with big bass melodies that take it to a sonar underwater close.
Flip to the B side. “Wilin’” brings the club kicks and undulating melody that floats on top together in rhythm. Interesting rhythmic changes make you rethink your body. One can hear shimmers of the UK wobbling in to snuggle up with the ever-evolving contemporary US club landscape. “Whippit” closes out the whole shabang with a spinning, up-tempo jaunt that packs a dense punch, all bringing home the point that Jdotbalance is not messing around. CAUTION! HIGHLY FLAMMABLE TRACKS!
The mastermind behind long-running Inner Sunset Recordings out of San Francisco and the elusive Imperial Pressings has once again resurfaced, and resurfaced with ferocity! Inaugurating the all-new imprint PDG Discs, Homero G.’s “March of the Mighty Club Heroes” is a superbly crafted 4-track E.P. that hearkens back to the days of old, when music had unforgettable stories to tell and partying went hand in hand with making memories that lasted a lifetime.
Blast off into outer space with A1, “Red Planet”. The bassline rumbles and the breaks roll with an intensity that propels you forward in a swirl of intergalactic pads. Track A2, “Rusty Robofriend”, is awesomely twinkly, grindy, happy-go-lucky breakbeat jam that your grandfather’s childhood toy robots secretly dance to when nobody is looking. B1’s “Triple Tab Fantasy” is a perky, skippy, stabby, organ-filled breakbeat delight that joyfully progresses with bursts of refreshing positivity around each and every corner. And B2, “March of the Mighty Club Heroes”, is a deep and rainy piano-adorned, break-laced anthem that gives a beautifully sentimental and heartfelt nod to all the true heads out there who will let absolutely nothing stand in their way of going to the club. Not even bad weather.
A fantastic record that’s 100% built for true connoisseurs of dance music, old-schoolers and all-around music lovers alike, “March of the Mighty Club Heroes” possesses a level of detail and emotion-filled storytelling that is rarely witnessed in electronic music these days.
Once again Homero G. delivers, and delivery massively. He’s notorious for not repressing prior releases, regardless of how sought after they may be later on, so grab your copy now. Because when it’s gone, it’s very likely gone for good.
From Pacific City Discs, to you the listener, this summer, a DJ mix of fantasy and splash-energy is coming to you in a small edition of vinyl. Fantasy writer/recording artist, Francesco Cavaliere, while visiting his seaside childhood vacation location, was extended an impromptu invitation, to DJ an 80s swimming club. He had this to say about his experience:
“I was at Shangri-La and a boy and girl from the bathhouse in silver swimsuits and sand-colored streaks waved me over with a drink and asked me if I would like to DJ the next day during my lesson on the beach at Tana del Pirata! I then and there I laughed but then I accepted (I had nothing at home just my mp3 player and a Nokia with music inside) The next day there was a little wind on the beach and the umbrellas swayed to the left. From the heat they could catch fire, white flames, instead the sea was rough and that wind with very long wrists cheered us up, blowing gaseous clouds in our faces. Perfect for the day ahead. After the first few pieces, I began to see that a group of kids jumped into the adjacent pool trying flips bombs and candle dives. Someone at the bar was playing Altered Beast .. so sipping a drink with ice I imagined DJ werewolf repeating catchy pieces while a kite half cobra half skyscraper inflated above us.”
This Impromptu Disc is fresh now, for you to frolic with this summer, while entertaining a daydream in the midst of entering a body of water while witnessing an apparition in the sky.
Selected and compiled by Francisco Cavaliere
Artwork by Spencer Clark
Dark Entries presents a reissue of Shawn Pittman’s 1989 Dreams, an obscure and highly sought-after private press gem produced and written by Art Forest. An undersung figure in the development of the late 80’s Detroit techno sound, Forest collaborated with, produced, or penned material for many of the key players in the movement, including Inner City, Suburban Knight, and the Belleville Three themselves (on Kreem’s “Triangle of Love”). This reissue gives Forest’s own productions some shine while providing a thrill for both dancers and collectors.
Dreams features two songs, both written and produced by Art Forest and featuring Shawn Pittman on vocals. The A-side contains two mixes of “Dreams”, a smooth R&B/modern soul number driven by Pittman’s vocal. While the song is undeniably radio-friendly, it contains some of the hallmarks of the Detroit techno sound – sparse arrangement, lush reverb, and booming bass. On the B-side, we are treated to two different versions of the clubbier “I’m Losing Control”. The original mix leans towards boogie/freestyle, with syncopated 909 beats and sassy synth vamps, and wouldn’t sound out of place next to Forest’s work with Inner City. The Extended-Bass-ment Club Mix strips things down and dubs them out, leaving us with shards of bass synth, brooding strings, and Pittman’s vocals eerily warped to the edge of recognition; a perfect late-night warehouse anthem.
All songs were remastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios. The sleeve is a replica of the original cover art. Also included is a 2-sided postcard with lyrics and photos of Art.
Paradise Garage pilgrims, Loveface, are back and it sounds like there’s something for everyone on this 4 track EP!
The A side continues their De-Mix series with another 80’s boogie refit of an early 90’s house classic vocal and an Italo House mix using a classic disco vocal getting strong support from Horse Meat Disco.
The B side has another 80’s inspired italo disco/proto house heater that has summertime written all over it and a deeper 80s fused house affair with a disco tinged vocal as the centrepiece.
4 tracks designed for every club, festival, boat and beach near you this summer...
DJ Feedback:
Louise Chen (NTS Radio / Rinse FM) – That Italo House mix is just TOO GOOD!
Severino Panzetta (Horse Meat Disco) – LOVE FANTASY for me
Jim Stanton (Horse Meat Disco) – I like these will be great in NYC sets
Damian Harris (Skint Records) Great…again. Consistently good and interesting series. Pablo’s Theme and Give It To You my favourites.
Gino Grasso – Topppp
Bill Brewster – Yeah like it
Alinka – Nice one
Patrick Vidal – Uplifting and happy, great dancefloor release
Carly Foxx – Loveface that you are is the one for me…
Joshua James – Dreamy
Ben Davis – FAB EP x
La Mano – Class
Nu Azeite - Lovely
Precious Metals are excited to announce "Chaos Butterfly", the debut album from the Vietnamese-Canadian electronic music producer, vocalist and filmmaker, x/o. “Chaos Butterfly” is an epic tale of catharsis and self-actualization explored through metamorphosis. It is a free-falling kaleidoscopic journey into a beautiful nightmare, both cataclysmic and tender. Expanding on the themes present in their first EP “Cocoon Egg”, the album builds a parallel world from a different perspective. “Chaos Butterfly” tells a loose narrative about an anti-hero navigating trauma through whirlwinds of grief and anger; a vengeful spirit who finds true strength in inner healing and forgiveness. An allegory for transcending societal concepts of gender, “Chaos Butterfly” is a journey of self-acceptance and reflection of x/o’s own path towards their non-binary identity. Throughout the voyage, x/o pulls apart and collides masculine and feminine tropes both theoretically and musically by utilising contrasts between soft and hard, internal and external, calmness and anger, loud and quiet. This system of symbolism and influences reveal a pattern that is the overarching theme of duality. Colliding disparate but interconnected influences, x/o references Playstation 2’s Final Fantasy X world-building, Fight Club, the half-yoma warriors in the anime Claymore, as well as the real legends of the Vietnamese Trưng Sisters. Musically, “Chaos Butterfly” resists easy categorisation, playfully fusing moments of reversed breakbeat, with elements of solemn ambience, distorted metal, and trip-hop catharsis, with inspiration from artists such as Yoko Kanno, to Bone Thugs-n-Harmony as well as Deftones, Massive Attack, Orbital, and Aaliyah. The album journey begins with opener “Chrysalis Wrath”, a prologue to the story, and emblematic of the metamorphosis of the album. A soft and unassuming exterior to the hard shell and bone that lies beneath. Delicately cascading melodies and disembodied vocals are torn asunder by a brooding, ominous synth, punctuated by blasts of percussion, like dark clouds forming on the horizon, the egg cracks; a foretelling of what is to come and a reference to what has been. This is followed by “Red Alert,” the first single from the release, which blends airy melancholic vocals with a flurry of drum breaks and synths plucks, an ambitious and cinematic exploration of intuition against recurring trauma. Melodies drifting and out of focus under the swirling vocal, like the blur of neon street lights reflecting in a rain-soaked cityscape. It’s a liminal poem about listening to your inner voice to protect you from harm. Duality is never more apparent than on “Promise : Armour” delicate piano melodies drift and settle like snowfall before crushing blows of hardstyle kicks blast through the ether, as their soulful, but anguished vocal harmony is overcome by a demonic refrain “Cross your heart, don’t cross me”. x/o is a founding member of s.M.i.L.e, a trail-blazing collective of like-minded artists in Vancouver pushing the boundaries of club experimentation, showcasing artists such as Actress, Hitmakerchinx, Mechatok, Nídia, and Shygirl. This is an album that reaches dizzying heights, and in 2022 we expect x/o to do the exact same.
- A1: Avant Garde - Pesadillas
- A2: Vandana - Cambios En El Tiempo
- A3: Syntoma - No Me Puedo Controlar
- A4: Artefacto - Mundo Sin Viento
- A5: Cou Cou Bazar - Cou Cou Bazar
- B1: Volti - Corazon
- B2: Nahtabisk - La Dama De Probeta
- B3: Escuadron Del Ritmo - Las Cucarachas
- B4: Decada 2 - Alfabeto (Cold Version)
- B5: Silueta Palida - El Paso Del Tiempo (Version Remezclada)
A fresh re-press of an Italo Disco club classic: My Mine - Hypnotic Tango. My Mine were the trio of Stefano Micheli (vocals, keyboards), Carlo Malatesta (vocals, keyboards), and Danilo Rosati (drums, keyboards) formed in 1982. Utilizing new electronic instruments like the now legendary Roland TB-303, Danilo improvised a simple but effective synthesizer bass line and passed it through the Roland Echo until something magical came out.
“Hypnotic Tango” was released on Progress Record in 1983 and became an international hit across Europe and US dance clubs in New York, Detroit and Chicago, capturing the imagination of House and Techno producers. In 1987 legendary DJ Frankie Knuckles remixed “Hypnotic Tango” at Seagrape Studios in Chicago, with assistance from studio engineers Tommy White and Brett Wilcotts. Originally released on Danica Records as the “Powerhouse Mix” named after Knuckles' club the Power House, the mix has added vocals by Frankie.
This reissue also includes the “Hypnotic Mix” released in 1990 on Rams Horn Records. All songs are remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The vinyl comes housed in a jacket with original artwork and includes an insert with photos and liner notes by Stefano Micheli.
The Sub Pop debut by ever-evolving art-punk band Guerilla Toss, who have done prior releases with DFA, Tzadik, NNA Tapes and Feeding Tube Records. This album follows a 2020 Sub Pop Singles Club release.
Past releases have received great reviews, including acclaim from The Needledrop, Stereogum (Best EPs Of 2019) and more.
Dig deep enough inside yourself - start treating your body as your sanctuary rather than your enemy - and eventually you’ll find yourself blooming right back out into the sun. That’s the transformation Guerilla Toss trace on their newest album ‘Famously Alive’, their effervescent Sub Pop debut. After a decade sprinkling glitter into grit, building a reputation as one of the most ferociously creative art-rock groups working, the upstate New York band have eased fully into their light. This is Guerilla Toss at their most luminescent - awake, alive and extending an open invitation to anyone who wants to soak it all up beside them.
Singer and lyricist Kassie Carlson, multi-instrumentalist Peter Negroponte and guitarist Arian Shafiee wrote ‘Famously Alive’ at home in the Catskills during the pervading quiet of the pandemic year. The uncertainty of COVID-19 lockdowns and the total disruption of routine forced Carlson to negotiate with herself in new and challenging ways. “You have to be with yourself all the time during the pandemic,” she says. “I had to figure out a way to manage my anxiety. The pandemic was hard, but it helped me get comfortable inside my own body. My peace of mind came out of being thrust into the deepest shit. This album is all about being happy, being alive, and strength. It’s meant to inspire people.”
‘Famously Alive’ finds Guerilla Toss coming into the fullness of their power, celebrating their prismatic idiosyncrasies from a place of optimism and abundance. It is a joyous album, equal parts bizarre, accessible and fun.
The Sub Pop debut by ever-evolving art-punk band Guerilla Toss, who have done prior releases with DFA, Tzadik, NNA Tapes and Feeding Tube Records. This album follows a 2020 Sub Pop Singles Club release.
Past releases have received great reviews, including acclaim from The Needledrop, Stereogum (Best EPs Of 2019) and more.
Dig deep enough inside yourself - start treating your body as your sanctuary rather than your enemy - and eventually you’ll find yourself blooming right back out into the sun. That’s the transformation Guerilla Toss trace on their newest album ‘Famously Alive’, their effervescent Sub Pop debut. After a decade sprinkling glitter into grit, building a reputation as one of the most ferociously creative art-rock groups working, the upstate New York band have eased fully into their light. This is Guerilla Toss at their most luminescent - awake, alive and extending an open invitation to anyone who wants to soak it all up beside them.
Singer and lyricist Kassie Carlson, multi-instrumentalist Peter Negroponte and guitarist Arian Shafiee wrote ‘Famously Alive’ at home in the Catskills during the pervading quiet of the pandemic year. The uncertainty of COVID-19 lockdowns and the total disruption of routine forced Carlson to negotiate with herself in new and challenging ways. “You have to be with yourself all the time during the pandemic,” she says. “I had to figure out a way to manage my anxiety. The pandemic was hard, but it helped me get comfortable inside my own body. My peace of mind came out of being thrust into the deepest shit. This album is all about being happy, being alive, and strength. It’s meant to inspire people.”
‘Famously Alive’ finds Guerilla Toss coming into the fullness of their power, celebrating their prismatic idiosyncrasies from a place of optimism and abundance. It is a joyous album, equal parts bizarre, accessible and fun.
- A1: Maureen Mason - I'm Believing (In Love Again)
- A2: Ashaye - What's This World Coming To
- A3: Julie Stapleton - Just Dreaming
- A4: Ashaye - Dreaming (Original Mix)
- A5: Julie Stapleton (Feat. Ashaye) - All The Way (Guitar Mix)
- B1: Maureen Mason - If This Is A Dream
- B2: The Wades - Get Off That (Poison)
- B3: Ashaye - Come Go With Me
- B4: Julie Stapleton - Where's Your Love Gone (Remix)
- B5: Rohan Delano - The Way I Love You
- C1: Ashaye - Dreaming (Jungle Mix)
- C2: Endangered Species - Just A Memory (Vocal Mix)
- C3: Endangered Species - Endangered Species
- C4: Insight (Feat. Ashaye) - Fantasy (Insight Mix)
- D1: Ashaye - Nowhere To Run (Instrumental South Side Mix)
- D2: Insight - Paradise (Para Dub)
- D3: V4 Visions Or Jungle Biznizz - Joy In The Jungle
- D4: Rohan Delano - Inflight
Clear Smoke Vinyl[41,13 €]
In the midst of the UK house rave-olution of the early-’90s, London’s V4 Visions imprint documented the confluence of street soul, deep house, swingbeat, and jungle sounds emanating from the clubs and pirate radio signals. Over the course of half a decade, V4’s unparalleled 12” output referenced every significant Black British music scene; from lovers rock to jazz-funk, sound system reggae to hip hop, new jack swing to garage, from artists Ashaye, Julie Stapleton, Maureen Mason, Rohan Delano, The Wades, and Endangered Species. This 18-track double LP is the first critical overview of the label, with extensive notes by Simon Reynolds, era-defining photographs, and fresh remasters, all housed in a glorious foil-stamped gatefold tip-on sleeve. Is this a dream?
- A1: Dick Khoza And The Afro Pedlars - Chapita
- A2: Ensemble Of Rhythm And Art - Pelican Fantasy
- A3: Spirits Rejoice - Sugar Pie
- B1: Makhona Zonke Band- The Webb
- B2: Abacothozi - Night In Pelican
- C1: The Black Pages - There Goes
- C2: The Headquarters - Moshate
- C3: The Shyannes - Asso-Kam
- D1: Almon Memela’s Soweto - Pelican City
- D2: The Drive - I Have A Dream
‘The Afro Modern Seventies Sounds of Soweto’s First Nightclub
• Over ten years in the making, this is the first compilation from South African vinyl re-issue specialists Matsuli Music
• Ten track double gatefold album journey through jazz, funk, fusion and disco, detailing the incredible story and sounds behind the Soweto nightclub during the height of apartheid
• Uniquely South African take on the trans-Atlantic sounds of Philadelphia, Detroit and New York City
• Cover artwork by Zulu Bidi (of Batsumi fame) with unseen photographs, and liner notes by Kwanele Sosibo featuring interviews with key musicians, players and a former president of South Africa
• Audio mastered and cut for vinyl by Frank Merritt at The Carvery with heavyweight 180g vinyl pressed at Pallas in Germany
A night-time haunt in the backstreets of Soweto run by a well-known bootlegger should have been a prime zone for nefarious underworld activities. Instead, it nurtured an underground of a different kind. Soon after its opening in 1973, Club Pelican became a spot where musicians steeped in the tradition of South African jazz began to cook up experimental sounds inspired by communion, competition and the movements in funk and soul blowing in from the West. Located in an industrial park on the western edge of Orlando East, Soweto, Club Pelican was off the beaten track, among a matrix of railway and industrial infrastructure. In a different time and place, this would have been a prototypical nightclub location, except there was no local precedent to follow. This was Soweto’s first night club.
In the intervening years, this location has served to heighten the now-defunct spot’s legendary status as a singular venue, one that ruled the night in the Seventies. Initially called Lucky’s and established in 1973, the Pelican’s impact on the Soweto cultural landscape was immediate. Lorded over by a charismatic figure known as Lucky Michaels, the club became the jewel in a nondescript collection of family businesses. It boasted a diverse pool of talent in its succession of house bands and an A-list of ghetto-fabulous singers as
its cabaret stars. Its VIP section was a veritable who’s who of Soweto society and its stage, hosting a mix of the day’s pop culture infused with the creativity and individual histories of the musicians, the Pelican filled a live music vacuum.
One Night in Pelican captures the halcyon seventies period with a single nightclub embodying an indomitable spirit of its troubadour players. While schooled and rooted in “standards” and local forms, the music could take any direction, at a moment’s notice. This compilation features all the key groups and players of the time: Abacothozi, Almon Memela’s Soweto, The Black Pages, Dick Khoza and the Afro Pedlars, The Drive, Ensemble of Rhythm and Art , The Headquarters, Makhona Zonke Band, the Shyannes and Spirits Rejoice.’
Brion Starr lives and works in New York City, joined by a group of foreign and domestic collaborators. Their latest album 'A Night To Remember' is a meditation on night itself, a spinning sci-fantasy through this future darkness we all contemplate, a journey to the end of the night told as a story of one evening in an internationalist future city with no up and no down, no beginning and no end. Passing through the seedy clubs, with all their trappings, when the night is just turning into morning. Have you lost your mind? Blackout and wake on a train. Is this a dream? We are nocturnal. There’s fire in the streets. The first tier looks down on you. So find the ones you love and hold them tight.
Recorded at the Chateau d’Herouville and produced by Tony Visconti (David Bowie, T. Rex, Sparks).
Starr’s current collaborators include Jaie Gonzalez (Splashh), Hayden Tobin (Hanni El Khatib), Pete Sustarsic (Public Access TV), James Hurst (Beach Party), Ben McConnel (Beach House), Grace Kennedy, Charlie Sands, and composer Nigel Wilson.
“We had a listening party when we finished, Tony was so happy that day, he told me he hadn't had a listening party in "probably 30 years" (and we were in the middle of the pandemic!) I smile when I think of him suggesting we do it. It was a true celebration, I still have the cork from the champagne!”
- A1: Consequences
- A2: Starstruck
- A3: Night Call
- A4: Intimacy
- A5: Crave
- B1: Sweet Talker
- B2: Sooner Or Later
- B3: 20 Minutes
- B4: Strange And Unusual
- B5: Make It Out Alive
- B6: See You Again
Years & Years has today announced details of brand new album, ‘Night Call’, which will see a release on Polydor Records on January 7th. Olly further introduces the record today with a brand new track, the pulsating ‘Crave’, and its incredible video featuring some of the cast of ‘It’s A Sin’ (Omari Douglas, Nathaniel Hall, David Carlisle) plus the likes of Munroe Bergdof. The record-breaking show won Best New Drama at the National Television Awards earlier this month, continuing a phenomenal year for Olly (which has also seen the release of first single ‘Starstruck’, its rework with Kylie, and a show-stopping performance of ‘It’s A Sin’ alongside Elton John at the BRIT Awards).
A daring dance track about leaning into submission to the point of embracing it, ‘Crave’ – says Olly – “is a playful way of inhabiting the deranged sexual energy I’ve always wanted. In the past I felt like I’ve been dominated by toxic relationships, and I felt like it would be fun to turn it on its head.” Consider this a risqué cut of kinked-up, club-ready pop, and Olly Alexander using his platform to push the boundaries of mainstream superstardom.
From its iconic artwork to its euphoric, rejuvenated sound, ‘Night Call’ is a thrilling new chapter for Years & Years. Inspired as much by pioneering figures like Sylvester as it is French House, at the centre of the record is that mermaid of a muse: a beautiful icon luring men to their death, on an album partly about those searching for love (or a lover) but ultimately finding power in themselves. Embodying the new perspective of a character – like Ritchie in ‘It’s A Sin’ - also deeply influenced Olly’s songwriting, with songs that blur the line between fantasy and reality but are bound together by their explorations of queer life. Hedonistic and escapist, ‘Night Call’ captures that joy and anticipation of going out precisely because, says Olly, “I was writing from a fantastical space, stuck in the same four walls. I wanted to have as much pleasure as possible in the music.”
As Years & Years, Olly Alexander has become one of the world’s most trailblazing modern pop stars. Across two hugely successful albums to date, the singer, actor, fashion icon and cultural vanguard has earned 5 Brit Award nominations, surpassed 4.4 billion global streams, and played triumphant homecoming shows at London’s O2 and Wembley Arenas. Along the way, Olly has also become a fearless, once-in-a-generation voice on important discussions around mental health, and issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community - all of which, in its own way, has taken him to ‘Night Call’, and the most essential Years & Years album to date.
Seminal early 80's HI-NRG / Synth disco emanating from the gay clubs, bath houses and discotheques of San Francisco. A truly original and groundbreaking sound and style helmed by studio genius Patrick Cowley. Heavily informed by sonically charged science fiction fantasy and the darkest corners of nightlife, 'Mind Warp' is a cornerstone of electronic music that still astonishes today. Originally released on Cowley's own Megatone imprint in 1982 the album marks a definitive change in direction of post-disco dance music, undoubtedly inspired by European artists such as Kraftwerk, Moroder, Yello and more. A huge influence on what was to come through in later years via house and techno music, 'Mind Warp' is a bonafide classic and every single self respecting music lover or DJs home should have a copy!
Celebrate 40 years of the label with this unmissable reissue package beautifully presented on wondrous coloured vinyl by your friends over at Unidisc.
- A1: Erotic Aroma 04 28 Min
- A2: Pachamama 05 34 Min
- A3: Cool Dudes In Hot Water 05 43 Min
- B1: Ipsum 04 55 Min
- B2: Dance 04 28 Min
- B3: Awry 05 16 Min
- C1: The Coming 04 49 Min
- C2: Cosmic Pratt 05 54 Min
- C3: Htp 06 02 Min
- C4: Hot Mm & Hmm’s 03 09 Min
- D1: Way With Fantasy 04 11 Min
- D2: Yardmaster Pt Ii (Feat. Eden Burns) 06 15 Min
- D3: Hot Mm & Hmm’s (Club Mix) 05 45 Min
Sharing with you the debut Album of Nice Girl titled “Ipsum”.
As a natural progression from her prior singles on Public Possession the music has a very capturing energy, although essentially machine music every single sound on the record seems connected with mother earth.
It’s rooted in the common ground that is home to all of us: the soil that nurtures flora & fauna, the air we breath, the water we drink, the sun & moon that shine upon our bodies.
One tribe, a million rituals, a common ground: The Dance (the Beat). Repetitive rhythms creating a sense of community & togetherness.
After the success of critically acclaimed debut, SOS Music Volume 1 (praised by The Wire - ‘There isn’t a weak link’, RA, Gilles Peterson, Maryann Hobbs, Rough Trade, Love Injection, Mixmag, DJ mag, Basndcamp, Vinyl Factory etc.), the cutting edge Los Angeles electronic label are back with their sophomore release, another explosive compilation comprised of brand new female and female identifying talent.
The release, available on beautiful clear vinyl and digital features 7 of the most exciting emerging names in global dance music; Aura T-09, Closet Yi, Regular Fantasy + Yazzus to name a few. As dance floors open, SOS co-founders Maddy Maia and Tottie wanted to curate something positive, uplifting and reflective of sweaty summer dance floors, whilst retaining the edge that permeated their debut.
The release will be accompanied by an SOS tour North American + Europe at some of the most iconic global clubs - and expect mainly female, female identifying and non-binary artists on the bill.
Though only founded in 2020, SOS Music has been making waves in the independent dance community, and has helped to highlight the global underground dance scene growing rapidly in Los Angeles. The release made end of year lists including Bandcamp’s Best of Electronic and Rough Trade NY compilation of the year. SOS Music also hold a residency on Worldwide Fm, which continues to highlight ground breaking electronic talent with a female focus.
REPRESSED !!
Wolfsheim are a synthpop duo from Hamburg, Germany consisting of Markus Reinhardt (music) and Peter Heppner (lyrics and vocals). The band was founded in 1987 by Markus Reinhardt and Pompejo Ricciardi and was named after Meyer Wolfsheim, a fictional character from F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel 'The Great Gatsby'. Ricciardi soon left the band and was replaced by Peter Heppner, a childhood friend of Reinhardt's. Together they produced their first demo tape, Ken Manage', in 1988.
After making a second demo tape, Any But Pretty', in 1989, Wolfsheim applied at various labels until they caught the attention of independent record label Strange Ways Records. They are best known for their debut breakthrough single, "The Sparrows and the Nightingales', the first single to be released on Strange Ways in 1991. The band's musical style takes cues from the 1980s New Romantics, new wave, synthpop, and darkwave. The track's sombre synths were produced by Carlos Peron of Yello. Reinhardt says the lyric was inspired by 'The Great Gatsby', "in the 'onomatopoeic tension' between predator and security." Over six minutes, the narrator describes being lost, unsure of where his life is heading, using highly metaphorical language. On the flip is a brand new remix by German producer Ancient Methods, a pseudonym of Michael 'Trias' Wollenhaupt, who provides a driving, EBM-leaning, amphetamine-laced club ready cut.
All songs have been remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. Designer Eloise Leigh has updated the record's original design with two sparrows enclosed in a blood moon circle against a deep black purple backdrop. Each copy comes with a black and white photo postcard notes by Carlos Peron and the song's lyrics. This release comes in time to celebrate the single's 25th anniversary.
Skyline recordings is proud to unleash a super funky new FLYING FISH
“Takin’ Over” 7” is a killer vocal up-tempo, sexy, club floor dancer, and a must have 45 for good music collectors.
The fantasy Flying Fish duo of Malachi Trout & Ed Morris have been making Flying Fish DJ tools for many years. This outstanding vocal, features the amazing Elliot May (lead singer on Do your thing – Basement Jaxx)
Not Waving renders his pop soul on a definitive album opus ‘How To Leave Your Body’, starcrossed with guest appearances by Jim O’Rourke, Jonnine Standish, Marie Davidson, Spivak and Mark
Lanegan
An escapist parable for the times, Alessio Natalizia marks a career high with his most sensitive production and songwriting illuminated by a coterie of notable collaborators. Its 11 songs deal with the necessity of friendship, the fragility of loss and spiritual transcendence via a spectrum of strategies that ultimately arrive at a mutual conclusion: love is the message. It packs sample amounts of nostalgia into a fantasy sequence of elegiac pop, skewed rave and midnight lullabies that fine-tune over 20 years of devotion to his craft, perfectly matching experimental restlessness with enduring pop appeal.
Perhaps unavoidably, circumstances had a hand in the creation of ‘How To Leave Your Body’, forcing Natalizia to work with collaborators remotely. Yet the strength of his bonds bleeds through in the album’s handful of poignant vocal pieces, none more so than the hushed intimacy of Marie Davidson on the bewitching downbeat trance hymn ‘Hold On’, but also in the bruised blush of ‘My Sway’ featuring Jonnine’s spine-tracing lilt over hovering organ and dembow bumps, while the hook-up with Mark Lanegan once again yields bittersweet fruit on ‘Last Time Leaving Home Part 2’, with gravelly blues vox diffused into detuned, miasmic cello that really tugs.
Effortless and made for rinsing, the whole album is testament to the humility and pathos of Natalizia’s oeuvre, which has gotten better with age. It plays out like a lovingly crafted mixtape, decanting all original material with a classic cadence and fleeting play of styles, from aerial jazz notes in ‘You Are Always Younger Than The Future’, to the gnawing club grind of ‘Define Normal’, a noisily gurning ‘Self-Portrait’, and the lushly resolved admittance of ‘My Best Is Good Enough.’
Comparisons don’t really work with this one, it’s just Not Waving.
Elusive UK producer Kilig brings a six-track EP spanning the British sound palette - forward, complex, with inflections of jungle and garage - to the new Shall Not Fade Classic Cuts imprint. Off the back of releases for Scuffed and Origins in 2020, kilig pairs their intimate knowledge of London's rave scene with more minimalist tinges for What My Mind Needs EP, a simmering club record soaked deep in ambience.
Taking sombre organic vocal samples and delicately placing them over a sharp two-step rhythm, opening track "Closer" is intangible, fantasy-like - the memory of music in your ears after you've left the club. There are echoes of Burial's seminal Untrue across the EP. Kilig aptly reflects the certain melancholy of British club music in the gritty "Overthinking" and mournful "Without You", an ensemble of distorted vocals and dramatic droning synth.
The rest of the record pushes into a more euphoric atmosphere - the title track is a soaring rave number while "Clocking In", a wild beast of a track, glitches and confuses. "I Wanted To Call & Tell You" swells in waves of breakbeat, bringing together the emotional core of the record, fading to gentle keys, the dream of raves to come in 2021.
LTD. CLEAR VINYL
Repressed in quantity for the first time in years. Includes the hit single "Strange Harvest". Tempers, comprised of Jasmine Golestaneh and Eddie Cooper, have carved out their own niche within dark indie, electronica and synth-pop circles. Their sound is about exploring tonal and emotional tension as much as it is about actual tracks or singular moments. Adrenalizing yet hypnotic landscapes layer mechanical and sensual impulses, as crystalline vocals weave fever dreams of yearning and alienation. Informed by both Golestaneh's involvement in musical performance and visual art and Cooper's electronic production resume, as well as their time in the States and abroad, they operate as a multi-disciplined entity in the spirit and ethos of Factory Records. Tempers describe their creative process as a telepathic kinship they've developed since they started making music together: "We have these sort of unspoken criteria when we're writing music. We never really need to explain what that is but we both know when it's missing or when we've hit it." After a string of critically acclaimed singles beginning in 2013 with "Eyes Wide Wider" b/w "Hell Hotline," the duo released their debut LP "Services" (2015) on cult imprint Aufnahme + Wiedergabe resulting in the underground club hit "Strange Harvest", extensive international touring and sold-out shows. The album's vinyl edition soon became a sought after collectors item. Their 2017 EP "Fundamental Fantasy" was released as a result of the Vinyl Factory's Volcano Extravaganza artist residency on the Aeolian island of Stromboli. Following their unique creative compass, in 2018 they indirectly moved from the dance floor to galleries, releasing "Junkspace" a conceptual collaboration with famed architect Rem Koolhaas. The record is available in the world's most select cultural hotspots, from The New Museum in New York to Walther Konig museum stores throughout Europe, a testament to Tempers' love for experimental output and unorthodox presentation. In 2019 Tempers signed with Dais Records, promptly releasing "Private Life" and the lead single "Capital Pains," a meticulous evolution of the dark pop that marked the duo's earlier output.
Repressed in quantity for the first time in years. Includes the hit single "Strange Harvest". Tempers, comprised of Jasmine Golestaneh and Eddie Cooper, have carved out their own niche within dark indie, electronica and synth-pop circles. Their sound is about exploring tonal and emotional tension as much as it is about actual tracks or singular moments. Adrenalizing yet hypnotic landscapes layer mechanical and sensual impulses, as crystalline vocals weave fever dreams of yearning and alienation. Informed by both Golestaneh's involvement in musical performance and visual art and Cooper's electronic production resume, as well as their time in the States and abroad, they operate as a multi-disciplined entity in the spirit and ethos of Factory Records. Tempers describe their creative process as a telepathic kinship they've developed since they started making music together: "We have these sort of unspoken criteria when we're writing music. We never really need to explain what that is but we both know when it's missing or when we've hit it." After a string of critically acclaimed singles beginning in 2013 with "Eyes Wide Wider" b/w "Hell Hotline," the duo released their debut LP "Services" (2015) on cult imprint Aufnahme + Wiedergabe resulting in the underground club hit "Strange Harvest", extensive international touring and sold-out shows. The album's vinyl edition soon became a sought after collectors item. Their 2017 EP "Fundamental Fantasy" was released as a result of the Vinyl Factory's Volcano Extravaganza artist residency on the Aeolian island of Stromboli. Following their unique creative compass, in 2018 they indirectly moved from the dance floor to galleries, releasing "Junkspace" a conceptual collaboration with famed architect Rem Koolhaas. The record is available in the world's most select cultural hotspots, from The New Museum in New York to Walther Konig museum stores throughout Europe, a testament to Tempers' love for experimental output and unorthodox presentation. In 2019 Tempers signed with Dais Records, promptly releasing "Private Life" and the lead single "Capital Pains," a meticulous evolution of the dark pop that marked the duo's earlier output.
Along with its sister imprint Fluid Electronics - dedicated to all things more muscularly 4x4 oriented, from house to techno via ambient, Fluid Funk will offer a platform of choice for creators and lovers of soulful house, hip-hop, jazz, funk, disco et al. The goal of the label is to bring a community of like-minded people together, cleared from the complexities that sometimes hamper the good course of the label-artist relationship.
First to grace Fluid Funk's dance floor-ready grooves is Rotterdam-based emerging talent Beau Zwart. Fresh off a choice inaugural sortie on INI Movements that hit the streets a few weeks ago, Beau steps in with his debut 12", "Beyond Two Souls" - an infectiously smooth and solarpowered six-track platter featuring Dutch duo Fouk on remix duty.
Expect lavishly orchestrated cascades of ankle-twisting breaks, prismatic synthwork and summer-flavoured melodies to wrap your ears around as your feet and body give in to the power of that funky bass. Brewing elements of fuzzy pop, pixelated soul and tropicalised rhythms, Beau Zwarts sound takes us on a wildly enjoyable ride across luxuriantly flowered scapes and fluttering cosmic house horizons. Interlaced with sugary Rhodes stabs and 8-bit harmonics a la "Floating Points", Sykes' warm vox intonations shows us the way into a pulsating heart of wonky, bop-infused boogie.
Expanding to further out-there, club-optimised bravura, Fouk's take on the title-track is the kind of track that'll make an impact in the sweatbox as well as in a more cabaret-like setting. Pulling out the weirdo harmonics and left-of-centre jazz aerobatics, "Ixodus" lets its free spirited sense of playfulness take over completely. Flip sides and here's "Marble Book" unbolts the spacious pads and whirling alien riffs as a sturdy sub-bass and gut-churning kicks beat time onto further estranged
dimensions.
A slightly more muscular but thoroughly sensuous workout, "Bustin Out" fuses classical two-step-indebted breaks with lascivious "P-Funk" tropes into one compelling club heater, before the EP's sluggish closer "Illustrate My Way" sends us into orbit for good with its slowed down romanticism and otherworldly piano fantasy.
- A1: Johnny O - Fantasy Girl (Radio Edit)
- A2: Johnny O - Fantasy Girl (Club Mix)
- A3: Johnny O - Fantasy Girl (Remix '97)
- B1: Johnny O - Fantasy Girl '98 (Snapshot Radio Edit)
- B2: Johnny O - Fantasy Girl '98 (Tank-Mix)
- B3: Johnny O - Fantasy Girl '98 (Snapshot Mix)
- C1: Stevie B - Party Your Body
- C2: Stevie B - Funky Melody
- C3: Stevie B - Come With Me
- C4: Stevie B - Dreaming Of Love
- C5: Stevie B - Girl I Love Ya
- D1: Stevie B - In My Eyes
- D2: Stevie B - I Wanna Be The One
- D3: Stevie B - For You
- D4: Stevie B - Pump That Body
- D5: Stevie B - Spring Love
- E1: Stevie B - Because I Love You
- E2: Stevie B - Children Of Tomorrow
- E3: Stevie B - You're The One I Think About
- E4: Stevie B - I'll Be By Your Side
- E5: Stevie B - Broken Hearted
- F1: Stevie B - I'm Not Crazy
- F2: Stevie B - Kiss The Tears Away
- F3: Stevie B - Love Me For Life
- F4: Stevie B - Quireme Por Vida
Hendrik Weber aka Pantha Du Prince (‘a fantasy character...a poetic transporter for the concept behind the music’) has carved a niche for a style of techno he calls, ‘layered and cinematographic.’ He released the Diamond Daze (2004) and This Bliss (2007) albums on Berlin dance label Dial before signing to Rough Trade and widening his audience with Black Noise (2010) and The Element of Light (2013).
On “Conference of Trees”, Pantha Du Prince explores the communication of trees and creates a sound concept based on it. What we experience here is a break through recording of experimental music, visual poetry, club culture and speculative science.
On his new record "Companionship", London-based Soft-Rock, Soul and Disco artist Joel Sarakula keeps the mood easy and the grooves deep. Ten new songs see Sarakula develop a deeper, more introspective lyrical style from his previous works as he celebrates and laments friendships, love and loneliness. Interspersed with a few standout up-tempo tracks to keep the ship sailing, "Companionship" is a chill-out album and listening experience of the highest order.
"Companionship" opens with "Midnight Driver", a driving soft-rock fantasy where the narrator laments his partner's nocturnal habits: 'When she's coming up, it gets me down'. The Californian sun-kissed guitars, vocal stylings and percussion all help to set a cinematic mood which unsurprisingly also makes it a great driving song. On the introspective "King Of Clowns", Sarakula creates a pop song that calls to mind the craftmanship of Hall & Oates and Elvis Costello. Both an admission of guilt and an unapologetic statement of intent, his low vocal careens in the dangerous divide between self-pity and self-parody: "My bad decisions worked out for a while, I'd do my dance tried to make you smile, I'll never wise up it's just the way I am". These confessions all occur over a down-tempo funk groove complete with some vintage synthesizer musings that makes the track ready to be sampled for a hip-hop record.
"Sunshine Makes Me" steps straight out of its mid-1970s swimming pool, heavily dripping in jazz fusion to dry off in the cold light of today's sunshine. The chorus is a mantra of desire, needs and reality that sees Sarakula sing 'Sunshine makes me lose my mind, thirty degrees and my eyes get so wide. Dreaming big and living slow, don't you know that time is on our side". On "Companionship", Joel Sarakula, prolific writer, producer, performer and multi-instrumentalist finally unleashes his chill-out pretensions. In this follow up to the critically acclaimed "Love Club" (2018) he develops a deeper and more mature compositions and production style. His love of all things vintage extends to a devotion to analog synthesizers and on "Companionship" you can hear a genuine love of synthesis that at moments is reminiscent of 70s synth production pioneers Todd Rundgren and George Duke.
Joel Sarakula will tour "Companionship" through Europe and the UK this Spring and Summer 2020 with his musical companions. Born in Sydney, based in London and a true internationalist, Sarakula tours with pickup bands sourced from each territory he plays in: a Barcelona band for Spain, a Berlin band for Germany and so forth. This cross-cultural exchange is a sly nod to the golden era of the 1960s and 1970s when travelling US pop, soul and blues artists would do the same.
Substance, the second album by producer Moisture, sets out to deliver an immersive tech-noir fantasy of emotional and physical deconstruction. Inspired in part by William S. Burroughs 1959 novel Naked Lunch, the conceptual narrative of the album follows a humanoid subject through an urban landscape and the exploration of its depravations.
Sampling and filtering sounds from other music, movies and own field recordings, the tapestry of Substance is a three-dimensional world of hard industrial spaces and fluid organic matter. While it's conception is rooted equally in literature and film as well as music, one can draw comparisons in particular to Barry Adamsons 1989 album Moss Side Story, in that it also works as a chronological narrative; the tracks aligning to make a world of its own.
And while Adamson was aiming to create an imaginary soundscape of his native Manchester, the geography of Substance is based on the city of Malmö. Using field recordings from it's city streets, the album paints a rain soaked, neon-clad portrait of the city's hedonistic nightlife.
On the opening "The Marketplace" we are teleported to Bergsgatan at night (the track title a subtle nod towards Eden Ahbez 1960 song of the same name).
This introduction is similar in line with the experience Burroughs once had in 1957 upon entering Malmö for the first and only time, which he details briefly in Naked Lunch: "averted eyes and the cemetery in the middle of town (every town in Sweden seems to be built around a cemetery), and nothing to do in the afternoon (...)"
This image of Malmö portrayed with dread and loathing holds a longstanding narrative tradition over the cultural geography of the town. Yet it is often paired with an image of great promise and bohemian splendor, seemingly a paradox but often perversely intertwined. This duality has always been a vital mindset in the underground music scene of the town and its illegal after hours clubs. Substance is a work steeped in the grayscale prism of techno and its post-industrial fetischism. Yet in picking it apart, one can find elements of everything from post-punk, drum & bass, trip hop and new age.
The theme of depravation that soaks through Burroughs Naked Lunch seems oddly befitting to this side of Malmö (one wonders what the author would have made of it had he stayed longer) Through rhythmic excursions and the exploration of repetition, the tracks of Substance are arranged to convey this self-destructive longing for depravity. Michel Foucault's ideas on limit experiences serves as context for this peculiar form of endeavour, as he puts it: "the point of life which lies as close as possible to the impossibility of living, which lies at the limit or the extreme."
We are proud to welcome Fear-E for his Dark Entries debut ‘Grey Skies In A Dear Green Place’ out February 28th. Fear-E is the moniker of Scott McKay a Glasgow based DJ and producer. Scott has already made a name for himself as one of Glasgow’s most technically-gifted and diverse selectors over the past decade. Then a slew of releases on the home-grown Dixon Avenue Basement Jams and Super Rhythm Trax introduced Fear-E, equally skilled studio operator, to the world.
‘Grey Skies In A Dear Green Place’ contains six club-ready tracks to “smash sound systems and illuminate sweaty warehouses.” The title is a reference to a nickname that Glasgow has, coming from Cumbric, means 'green hollow' or (dear) 'green place'. Layering cut-up vocals with warm thumping beats, Scott creates a stripped-back yet deeply jackin’ vibe. Call these tracks what you will, “acid attacks”, “club destroyers”, “pickle ticklers?!” All songs have been mastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios. For the cover, Scott commissioned legendary Detroit illustrator Alan Oldham, who’s artwork has graced established an identity for Transmat and DJAX-UP-BEATS, to create a futuristic portrait of Glasgow in black & white and with green kryptonite flourishes by Eloise Leigh.d
Shcuro is the alias of João Ervedosa a DJ, producer and graphic designer based in Lisbon. He also runs the record labels Sombra and Paraíso, makes music as Jose Acid and hosts a show on Rádio Quântica. His first contact with a DJ setup happened at age 15, and that’s when Shcuro decided to buy his own turntables and mixer; and started producing his own beats, too. He’s since released music on Basal, Circus Maximus, Obscuur Techno, Golden Mist Records and his most recent collaboration with Photonz for Future Déjà Vu.
‘Particle of Memory’ is a hypnotic 6-track EP that explores new territories in contemporary dance music. Sonically Shcuro paints his sounds blending moody techno with industrial noises alongside fast, apocalyptic electro and breakbeat. He is influenced by Portuguese rave culture that was born in the mid-90s at Lisbon clubs Alcântara-Mar and Kremlin and the country’s first electronic label Kaos Records. Shcuro continues to expand and morph this rich dance heritage to create something entirely different. The bouncy, lead track “Afterlife” features vocals and lyrics by London's ELLES followed by a Decadent Dub rework. All songs have been mastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios. Housed in a die-cut jacket designed by Eloise Leigh reminiscent of ‘90s escape/sci-fi films with futuristic bright pink pop flourishes
Rounding-off a landmark year for Clark which saw an accelerated drive for variety and freshness - including skewed renditions of Bach performed at the Royal Albert Hall and a hugely acclaimed score for TV series ‘Kiri’ - the leftfield legend takes it back to the source with two bangers for the massive.
The riff-powered heavy electrics of ‘Branding Problem’ romp from Detroit to Belgium via Chicago and the M25. It’s platinum-grade dancefloor techno, but it’s more too. The production flair and inventive sound sculpting ensure a level of quality and originality not found in your average grist-for-the-mill DJ fodder.
‘Legacy Pet’ is hardcore and tech step dipped in loopy juice; it’s the sound of a raver wandering out from a cavernous warehouse, across fields and into an enchanted dingily dell dance, throwing gun fingers with the goblins and faeries.
“I’ve been quite amused at how easy it is to stream background music these days. How accessible it all is and how entitled we all feel to it, like it’s some sort of air freshener you spray in your Uber.
For some reason I’m imagining a future where Elon Musk does a streaming deal, so he can prance around controlling nano implant VR chips for 1 million amortal coastal elites, while the rest of us don’t have electricity and only manage one rave a year - to a sound system powered by rationed candles. This is music for that fantasy scenario, ha.
Anyway, I don’t want these 2 tracks to be part of background air freshener world. They are limited edition club gear. I wanna play them out so badly in my live show.
Influences: Hardcore UK rave, Detroit techno, Jungle, Oizo, Ed Rush and Optical, No U-Turn. The origins, the source and it’s constant subsequent mutations. BEHOLD THE CONTINUUM, HARDCORE WILL NEVER DIE.” Clark
In celebration of 5 thrilling and inspiring years of work, we've gathered well-known artists, Goldmin regulars and emerging talents for a new compilation of Various Artists 12s". It was really important for us that the compilation express the elusive nature of the Goldmin sound. Over the past 5 years, we've had the chance to meet most of these artists in person, and follow their very own creative paths, as well as share thoughts and ideas. They've all had their own part to play in crafting the sound of the label. What it comes down to is a genre defining selection devoid of any specific standard or norm. The compilation reflects the unique sound which has grown throughout our whole catalogue, since the label's birth 5years ago. That's why, picking this selection of tracks, that we feel illustrate Goldmin Music's essential freedom was one of toughest things we've ever done. It was also important to pick only the most original and iconic tracks from each artist. In the end each track had to be their most Goldmin one and they've all been tried in all types of situations, in club at 1 and 5 AM, on the highway at night or even staring at the ceiling during a sleepless insomnia session, and they all fullfilled their duty!"
- A1: Catherine Brénot – Et Tout Est Yin Et Tout Est Yang (Club Mix)
- A2: 1 Plus 1 – Coming Up For Air (Instrumental)
- A3: Fragile - We've Got Tonight, Boy
- B1: Jarmaz – Night City Life (Disco Remix)
- B2: Friend Of Mine – Just Your Pride
- B3: Mac & Monica – You’re So Good To Me
- B4: Sala & H – Feel The Love
- C1: Alexandra – Fantasia (Fantasy)
- C2: Gioia – No Secrets (Instrumental)
- C3: Janelle – Don’t Be Shy (Dub)
- D1: Alessandro Scellino – Dinner In The Jungle (Erotic Mix)
- D2: Brian Tatcher – Hot Love (Instrumental Dub Version)
- D3: Preludio – Mysterious Nights
Should you find yourself taking a Thames-side stroll in the shadow of the City of London, keep an eye out for the headphone-clad figure of Ilan Pdahtzur. While be-suited bankers and frustrated office workers scurry home to their families, Ilan can frequently be found casting admiring glances towards the blinking lights of towering skyscrapers while filling his ears with the synthesizer-driven sounds of lesser-known 1980s dance music.
Ilan, an avid but little-known record collector best known for sharing the artwork of obscure and under-appreciated early-to-mid ’80s club cuts on his popular Instagram feed, has been digging for vibrant, kaleidoscopic records since his teens. Now, thanks to Spacetalk, he’s been given a chance to offer a glimpse into his neon-lit nocturnal musical world.
The result is Night City Life, a killer collection of 1980s synthesizer songs inspired by Ilan’s admiration for the glow of London’s late night skyline. Over the course of 13 essential tunes, Ilan escorts us on a vibrant sprint through rare Italo-disco, steamy South African synth-boogie, fizzing American freestyle, oddball Austrian electrofunk and so much more.
There are naturally a fair few sought-after cuts present, but also a fine selection of under-appreciated gems that for one reason or other have been all but ignored since they were released three and a half decades ago. In fact, some selections are so obscure that barely any information exists about them online.
Check for example Preludio’s “Mysterious Nights”, an evocative fusion of slow electronic grooves, dreamy chords and twinkling piano motifs previously buried on a lesser-known album of unremarkable German synth-pop, or the dollar-bin brilliance of Fragile’s sweet synth-pop gem “We’ve Got Tonight, Boy”, a cut that Ilan says is capable of “wrapping itself like tendrils around your soul”. He’s not wrong.
At the other end of the scale you’ll find the ultra-rare Italo-disco breeziness of Friend of Mine’s incredible “Just Your Pride” and Mac & Monica’s soulful 1986 South African synth-boogie cut “You’re So Good To Me”, copies of which regularly change hands for hundreds of pounds online. Ilan originally reached out to the men behind the record last year to tell them how one of their other forgotten gems had been played on a Boiler Room session; naturally, they were thrilled.
There’s plenty to admire elsewhere on the compilation, too, from the waves of analogue synths, bubbly melodies and bobbing beats of the instrumental dub version of Brian Tatcher’s “Hot Love” – a cold-war era cut inspired by the idea of love blossoming in the midst of a nuclear meltdown – to the Bobby Orlando-esque freestyle bustle of Janelle’s “Don’t Be Shy (Dub)” and the sparkling post-boogie brilliance of Jarmaz’s “Night City Life (Disco Remix)”, a track Ilan has listened to countless times while admiring the midnight skyline of his home city.
Since completing his two-decade-long hip-hop trilogy as Dabrye in 2018, Ann Arbor-based artist and Bopside label head Tadd Mullinix has engaged his arsenal of aliases with renewed heat. First came the debut of X-Altera, a new project flexing a wildstyle hybrid of drum & bass and deep techno. Now, he returns to James T. Cotton, a moniker which dates back as far as Dabrye and helped define Spectral Sound, the dance imprint of Ghostly International. While historically tagged as Mullinix’s acid house alias, JTC has always expressed with a more pliable sense of genre, freely fusing an eclectic blend of classic electronic sounds; helpings of Chicago acid, Belgian New Beat, and the leftfield techno stylings popularized both in Berlin and Detroit. With Indigo, Flesh and Fire, Mullinix moves closer to the latter city, adopting a bright, optimistic tone informed by minimalism and futurism.
"I have been more withdrawn and introspective on a personal level, in a positive sense, and I think that fact has made my creativity reach toward feelings about peace, positivity, fantasy, wonder, and openness,” says Mullinix.
The EP is packed, but still playfully ambiguous; a club-ready set built to max out mixing boards with spacious and nuanced melodies and motorized percussion. Five tracks, each with roughly five-minute run-times, offering all but a few breaths in a quest for highly operative dancefloor hypnosis. The record wastes little time locking in; on the first track, “Innerloire Rendezvous,” a dense square kick plows through a brisk four-on-the-floor routine phasing over harmonious synth stacks of rubbery fifths and sevenths. The title track splatters a lenticular static spray between thumping kick, billowy melodic swells, and staticky clicks, snaps, and claps.
Mullinix’s distilled musical vocabulary, developed by his many years in the game, gives the set a misty-eyed quality without compromising its contemporary merit. This is music, inspired by history but fiercely forward-thinking, that feels both subterranean and airborne; in the grind on the ground and soaring above in an iridescent super-charged fog.
key selling points: - Debut release on Spectral Sound - Past releases on Firm Tracks, Nite Owl Diner, Sweat Equity, FCR, Clave - Limited to 300 copies worldwide.
DJ Haram is a producer & DJ who distinctively ties her New Jersey musical history with more recent involvement in the Philadelphia DIY noise scene, whilst paying homage to her Middle Eastern roots. A close affiliate of New York's Discwoman collective, she is also one half of 700 Bliss with rapper & poet Moor Mother, who features on this EP. Haram’s non-traditional understanding of Islam, paired with a nuanced perspective on folk tradition and mythology, underpins the EP, bringing fantasy and colour to this in-between place. On opener ‘No Idol’, a darbuka rhythm pairs with offbeat claps around a dark synth and a contrasting airy flute melody, illustrating the theme of duality running through the music. The melodies of ‘No Idol’ are revisited in the final track remix, sped up with a classic Baltimore club beat and energetic bedsprings samples.‘Interlude’ is a combination of the sounds and patterns from each song. ‘Gemini Rising's synth is reminiscent of John Carpenter, paired with a darbuka rhythm and war drums that transmit a religious sci -fi horror aesthetic. ‘Body Count’ is propelled by Jersey Club kicks with a distorted drum crunch and ticking rim shot in triplets, and an ethereal melody. ‘Grace (K.O.D.)’ has menacing cinematic stabs that feel like acid raining on the scattered percussion. On the 700 Bliss track ‘Candle Light’, Moor Mother's distorted and doubled up vocal chorus evokes a frantic yet solemn energy as she speaks on themes of life and death.‘Grace’ is an EP constructed through deep feeling, transmitting vital dancefloor energy. It’s music is versatile, imbued with a strong will, personality, and colour.
We are proud to showcase more Bay Area family with the release of a new EP by Doc Sleep who cut her chops as a DJ in San Francisco’s vibrant scene the past decade. In 2016 she made the move to Berlin and became a resident of Room 4 Resistance. Since 2013, she's been the co-owner of Jacktone Records, which specializes in techno, ambient, and experimental electronics. In 2016/2017 she released her first 12's on the Hot Mass-affiliated Detour Records and Bottom Forty. She also co-wrote a track with Bezier and Nicole Ginelli, titled “Stranger,” that we released on the ‘Primes’ EP in 2017. Her latest release, ‘Your Ruling Planet’, was released on Jacktone in March 2019.
We first heard “Creme Fraiche” on Doc’s soundcloud page and begged to release it. The track has the feel-good vibes you get on early morning dancefloors as things are winding down or up. Paired on the A-side is the pulsating dark jam “Never Eating Again” that previously appeared on ‘Run The Length Of Your Wildness V.2’ and, like that compilation, proceeds from this track will be donated to Ghost Ship Fire victim Cherushii's family. On the B-side are two remixes from close friends of Doc. First up is a fresh breakbeat remix from Violet: DJ, producer, boss of Naive records, co-founder of Rádio Quântica, and mina resident shaking up Lisbon's nightlife. Second is Berlin-based producer and fellow R4R resident, rRoxymore, who presents an innovative remix of future-facing techno and bass variations adding her own vocals on top. For this release we’ve teamed up with Jacktone to release a cassette version, our first in this format, featuring two peak-time bonus tracks. All songs have been mastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. Each copy is housed in jacket designed by Eloise Leigh with neon pink and lavender gradients echo morning sunrises with a collage of dreamy elements using a photo by Doc of Club Toilet in Detroit.
Debut album from Bay Area producer - 10 tracks spread across 2 slabs of vinyl and a bonus flexi disc.
Vin Sol is a third-generation San Franciscan of Salvadorean descent who has released on Unknown to the Unknown, Clone, Delft, Honey Soundsystem, and Ultramajic. His DJ sets expertly span the genres of house, electro, techno, italo, disco, soul, funk, and whatever other finds he digs up. He's also a musical partner of Matrixxman, AKA Charlie Duff, with whom he started the Soo Wavey label. His current focus is on the wild monthly party and label Club Lonely, which he runs with Primo Pitino and Jeremy Castillo. 'Planet Trash' consists of 10 tracks spread across 2 slabs of vinyl and a bonus flexi disc. Vin started working on the album in the winter of 2017 while taking a break from making club tracks. Simultaneously he also wanted to disconnect from the grip of the internet and 24 hour news cycle. Spending more time outside, he became entranced by the Bay Area fog. Sutro Tower wholly enveloped in mist is a view that inspired the ambient tracks on the album. You will also hear hints of the Latin freestyle and classic acid that informed Vin's youth. By spring of 2018 Vin headed to Berlin to finish the album and work on a collaboration with Matrixxman, an homage to SF musical institution Bottom of the Hill that kicks off side C. Vin's musical approach is honest, using the tools of the trade to both innovate upon and pay respect to classic forms. All songs have been mastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. Each copy is housed in a jacket using photos by Vin Sol, and designed by Kevin McCaughey of Boot Boyz Biz. It includes a 4-color giant newsprint fold-out poster and golden flexi disc.
Baby Buddha is the experimental new wave duo of Charles Hornaday (vocals, guitar, electronics, drums) and David Javelosa (vocals, electronics, clarinet). Born from late night improvisations of San Francisco synth-punks Los Microwaves with a rotating cast of musicians. Live shows would include music, projections, dance and performance art in both clubs and gallery spaces. In 1980, Howie Klein's 415 Records released their first single of Tammy Wynette's 'Stand By Your Man'. In 1981, 'Music For Teenage Sex' was their first full length album released via Poshboy Records. It featured Los Microwaves' Meg Brazill, Poshboy boss Robbie Fields, and Kathy Peck as "Tammy Why-not", who later went on to found H.E.A.R (Hearing Education and Awareness for Rockers). In January 1983 Kathy, Charles and David went into the studio with a couple of Kathy's original 'country' songs and began working on a sophomore album. They also incorporated songs from a live multi-track recording of a concert at the Graffiti Club on June 6th 1984. The album titled 'Everyone Is My Age' sat unreleased until 1987 due to relocation to Los Angeles and eventually found a home on David's Hyperspace Communications, the original label for the first Los Microwaves singles. For this first time reissue we've added a previously unreleased bonus song 'What's Going On,' a Kathy Peck original. All songs have been remastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The vinyl comes housed in the original jacket featuring a collage by David Javelosa and includes an insert with lyrics, photos and liner notes. Alternative.
We are excited to release a 6-track EP from San Francisco based DJ, producer, and remixer Sepehr Alimagham. The San Jose native has been a fixture in the Bay Area house and techno scene for quite awhile now — on the dance-floor, behind the decks, in the studio, or all of the above. Early influences like Boards of Canada, Aphex Twin and post-hardcore bands later in high school started his affinity for off-kilter, underground music. In 2017 he began performing live PA sets, utilizing his immense production backlog to perform vivid and electric sets, from potent dance music to psychedelic and esoteric soundscapes.
"Body Mechanics" is six tracks of acid drenched dance music that ebb and flow from floor filling club thumpers to more cerebral soundscapes. Inspired by the new wave of the acid sound as well as nostalgia from his formative years in the San Francisco music scene, 'Body Mechanics' takes a functional, yet psychedelic approach to 303 styled techno and electronica. Attention demanding basslines, indiosyncratic structures and hallucinatory atmospheres provide an effective framework for Sepehr's vision. The themes of the track titles take root from a series of dreams Sepehr had with a common atmosphere of strange characters and textures, akin to scenes from David Lynch's 'Twin Peaks'. All songs have been mastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The vinyl comes housed in a jacket featuring a dark and inviting cyborg hand holding a rose designed by Nicole Ginelli.
Photonz is the alias of Marco Rodrigues a DJ, producer and driving force of Lisbon's underground scene. For little over a decade now, he's been crafting his own deeply personal style of Portuguese house and techno for labels such as Créme Organization, 20:20 Vision, Don't Be Afraid, Skylax, Unknown To The Unknown and his own One Eyed Jacks. As a DJ, Photonz grew a reputation for deep crates and intensely euphoric sets and in 2017, together with Violet (co-founder at his Radio Quantica) and Lisbon's own Rabbit Hole collective, he started the now infamous Mina parties - a monthly, sex-positive, queer and intersectional-feminist techno party aimed at using the dissociative potential of intense raving to create a temporary space of suspension away from patriarchal expectations.
Etheric Body Music is Photonz's debut 6-track EP for Dark Entries and a simultaneous reference to hermeticism and EBM (Electronic Body Music). Marco loves that 'aesthetic when 80s industrial and EBM bands split up and start to make trance in the early 90s and all the ritual magick pushes them to zen stuff and they do ecstasy.' There's this concept in theosophy and hermetic philosophy of the Etheric Body, which is an energy body superimposed and connected to the physical body, similar to the acupuncture idea of an energetic body. That idea manifests itself as six primal club cuts, which also channel early techno, Drexciyan rhythms, balearic & old school jack. Raw arpeggiated synth lines and bass blast jut against metallic stabs and highly percussive shakedowns to create mournful atmospheric warped house. All songs have been mastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The vinyl comes housed in a psychedelic jacket with snakey green and purple velvet in an electric acid spewing weird biological alien energy form designed by Eloise Leigh.
Do you like Love songs After spending a lifetime spent avoiding this subject in song, Joel Sarakula finally admits that he does. On his new album "Love Club" Sarakula relives the golden age of Soulful and Romantic Pop music and connects it with a modern aesthetic. While a deeper message of love and peace flows through the record, Joel Sarakula is no old fashioned hippie: ",Love Club' is about connecting to reality and re-framing the idea of romantic love and loss in the present, loveless age ". Featuring eleven songs touching all genres from disco to blues, from soul to soft-rock, Joel Sarakula's "Love Club" is a profound pop statement.
Joel Sarakula has travelled the world in search of his muse, experiencing everything from being a victim of Caribbean carjackings to performing in the remote fishing villages of Norway, via the dive bars of Europe and the US. It was the hodge-podge musical tapestry of England's capital that finally drew him to a settling point, in the wake of seemingly never ending run of shows. With personal tastes that span from the more avant-garde to soul and pop greats like Sly Stone, Todd Rundgren and Hall & Oates, there are clear nods to contemporaries like Unkown Mortal Orchestra, Erlend Oye and Toro Y Moi in terms of ambition and style.
With his last two albums "The Golden Age" and "The Imposter" collecting strong radio plays at BBC Radio 2, BBC 6, BBC London, XFM Joel Sarakula has been play-listed nationally in Europe including Flux FM, WDR 5, Radioeins, Bayern 2, Deutschlandfunk and Deutschland Kultur Radio in Germany as well as in Benelux and Italy and Spain. He is a regular fixture on the live festival and club circuit in the UK, Europe and internationally including appearances at SXSW, Primavera Sound, Glastonbury, The Great Escape, Liverpool Sound City, Scala London, Tallinn Music Week, V-ROX (Vladivostok) and Reeperbahnfestival Hamburg.
"Love Club" is Sarakula's bold and unashamedly emotional next step. In essence the album is a homage to the soulful singer & songwriter artistry of the Seventies filtered through a darker contemporary lens - fitting for these uncertain times. "I always shied away from generic love songs," the Sydney, Australia born songwriter admits, "but on this record I embraced the subject wholeheartedly... and intellectually, looking at themes of love, lust, loneliness and everything in-between." Take the first single "In Trouble", co-written with Michele Stodart of The Magic Numbers, as the best example for Joel Sarakula's unique, and honest approach to making music. "We Used To Connect" questions the changing nature of relationships in our social-media addicted world: 'We used to connect in the real world too, now the touch of your hand is a digital cue'.
"Coldharbour Man", on the other hand, examines the identity of the song's narrator and the artist vs. fan dynamic all wrapped up in a disco love song: "There's a lot going on in this particular track. I feel my writing has grown emotionally...", explains Joel Sarakula. "Just best to listen yourself and make up your own interpretation!: 'We met in a song come to life like some fantasy cliché, though I'm known for my moves in the dark you flooded sunshine on my day'. Then there's "Baltic Jam", capturing romantic love and loss in authentic 70s confessional singer & songwriter style and of course "Dead Heat", a song about how there is struggle in the most perfect relationship pairings as the match is so even: "I recall an ex-girlfriend of mine... when we first met, we thought we hated each other but we eventually flipped that emotion and realised we had a deep passion and love for each other, there just was a lot of underlying sexual tension!" : 'It's a battle we could only win, if we lose. We'd be stronger if these lonely ones became two'.
More than a year in the making, Joel Sarakula recorded "Love Club" in various studios around London and Berlin capturing soulful performances from his many musical comrades on vintage analogue equipment. "This record has truly been a labour of love. Recording and privately sharing these performances amongst my collaborators started to feel like a bit like a club - I guess that lead to the album title! I was surprised how much I actually enjoyed the 'love-making process' and I look so much forward to playing these new songs on stage with my band." We can't wait, Joel Sarakula.
Cute Heels is the project of Victor Lenis, a contemporary electronic artist living in Berlin, Germany. He grew up in Bogotá, Columbia during the 1990s, surrounded by the radial punk scene. Over the years, Victor's passion and fascination for synthesizers and drum machines to produce and compose resulted in his debut album 'Spiritual" for Dark Entries in 2014 as well as the Third Skin' EP in 2016. Inspired by equal parts Liaisons Dangereuses, Drexciya and Black Devil Disco Club, Cute Heels connects the dots between Detroit techno, early Chicago house and Belgium electronic body music.State of Mind' is a 4-track EP featuring the vocal talents of Berlin artist Aga Wilk, of electro-punk projects Walkman Music and 77TM, on the the title track. On the A-side are two fresh compositions recorded in New York and Bogota between 2016 and 2017. Victor says, 'State of Mind refers to the subconscious as dominated by real facts, natural, unnatural ,metaphysical or virtual and dynamism of the body as physical shield.' The track is a slow building foray into techno, elegantly suited for intangible moments. 'Golden Tears' kicks off with Cute Heels' signature metallic EBM funk played with punchy, percussive analog synths. On the flip we present two banging club remixes. The first is from LA-4A, techno DJ and producer Kevin McHugh aka Ambivalent, who adds a strong kick drum and lacerating hi-hats that build up to a mind melting breakdown with a full on acid squelch attack. The second remix comes from Noncompliant, Midwest US-based producer Lisa Smith aka DJ Shiva, who creates a raw, thumping exercise though off-kilter mechanics and punishing percussion. All songs have been mastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The record comes in a custom-made die-cut jacket designed by Eloise Leigh featuring suggestive rope bondage graphic printed spot black matte on black hi-gloss finish. Each copy includes a postcard.
IMA (Intense Molecular Activity) is the duo of Don Hunerberg (synthesizers) and Andy Blinx (drums and percussion). Based in New York City and active between 1979 and 1982. Don, a studio Sound / music engineer and musician, Andy an electronic clothing designer, drummer and sound reinforcement engineer at downtown clubs like Max's Kansas City, Mudd Club and CBGB. In between doing sessions at Radio City Music Hall Studios for groups such as Ramones, Richard Hell, Sonic Youth, Liquid Liquid, John Zorn, Glenn Branca and many others, IMA took advantage of off hours to create their own music. As far as influences go, Don's background was in electronic music and Andy's in prog rock. To produce the songs, Don used his own method of creating patterns from 2-track tape loops and then edited them together on to a 24-track recorder adding more tracks of overdubs, In a very similar way that sequencers are used today. By 1980 the duo honed their own unique sound and version of Post Punk and No-Wave with the tools of the trade of the early 80s. Situated above the proscenium of the Radio City Music Hall stage, the studio was outfitted with a variety of orchestral instruments (timpani, bells, xylophone, etc). They self-released a 4-song EP titled 'IMA' on an 8' flexi-disc which was distributed by Ed Bahlman of 99 Records. The music bridges the wild psychedelic-rock of the 60s, the synth-punk of the late-70s and the elaborate constructions of progressive-rock. There are nods to the freak-outs of Chrome and the super neurosis of Suicide, but IMA takes a more clinical approach which also takes notice of Hawkwind and Pink Floyd's interstellar overdrive. We've added 4 bonus tracks recorded during the same studio sessions and included them here for the first time on vinyl. DJ Hell lifted elements of IMA's song "Blurb" virtually intact and uncredited for his electroclash club hit "Keep On Waiting" 20 years later. All songs have been remastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The record is housed in an exact replica of the original jacket featuring a spray painted IMA tag a top a red dashed 'Do Not Enter' sign. Each copy includes a double-sided postcard with notes. This Album Is dedicated to the memory of Andy (Blinx) George.
REPRESSED !!
Frak are Björn Isgren, Johan Sturesson and Jan Svensson, a trio of synthesizer lovers from Sweden. The band was formed when Svensson and Isgren's older sisters were best friends and they introduced their little brothers to each other. Inspired by Severed Heads, DAF, Human League, Devo, Skinny Puppy, the boys began collecting analog equipment and started Studio Styrka. While the band were still in their early teens they released the first FRAK cassette album in 1987 on their own record label Börft.
Almost 30 years later, FRAK continue to release their bizarre brand of Scandinavian techno with their debut release on Dark Entries. 'Sudden Haircut' was recorded in 2015, a ten-minute brooding, heavy hitting acid attack full of 808 drum claps aimed at the dance floor. The three remaining songs come from a studio tape the band found in their archives named 'FRAK "After The Silence" 2001-2010' 'Synthgök' and 'Synthfrilla' were recorded in 2010 and originally released on the 'Börft' EP by Sex Tag Mania in 2012. Utilizing a 808, 303, 101 and MS-10, both are supreme cuts of electro leaning acid techno that perfectly fit the sweatiest moments of any club land experience. The deliciously rugged final track 'First Glimt I Ögat' is a vintage unreleased Frak song from 2001 recorded one month before the track 'Second Coming' (later released as B1 on 'Börft' EP).
All songs have been mastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. Designer Eloise Leigh has created a playful DIY jacket based on a mysterious black and white photo of the band in their classic tin foil masks. Each copy comes with a black and white postcard featuring a distorted back stage photo of FRAK in their teens. 'Forget all you know about Swedish electronic music, this is Börft crew, the core underground of "söta bror's" techno history - here represented by Frak - a full out techno acid punch.' Juno Records
- A1: The Cactus Rose Project - Jelly
- A2: Leston Paul - Santa Cruz
- A3: Dancing Fantasy - Voodoo Jammin' (Eros Mix)
- B1: Bandolero - Rêves Noirs (Instrumental)
- B2: Don Carlos - Aqua (Part One)
- B3: Language - Tranquility Bass
- C1: Kamasutra - Sugar Step
- C2: Moodswings - The Jazz Man
- C3: Congarilla - Sacred Tree
- C4: Red Sun - Honey From The Baka
- D1: Coste Apetrea - Hej Där
- D2: Christoph Spendel Group - Forever
- D3: Frank De Wulf - The End
- D4: Cantoma - Gambarra (Unreleased Mix)
Over the years, Phil Mison has become the go-to selector for those looking for Ibiza-themed compilations. None of his previous collections, though, have been quite as personal as Out Of The Blue, a compilation inspired by his first spell behind the decks at the Café Del Mar in 1993 - and the remarkable chain of events leading up to it.
Mison made his first trip to Ibiza in the summer of 1991 and quickly fell in love with the magical music being played by Café Del Mar resident DJ, Jose Padilla. On his return to the UK, Mison began to cultivate his own take on the laidback, open-minded style, recording mix-tapes of Ibiza style chill out' tunes to give to friends.
In November 1992, Mison was hanging out in Tag Records, Soho, when Padilla walked in. He plucked up the courage to speak to the Spaniard because earlier that summer Mison had given one of his friends some tapes to take out to Jose in Ibiza so he wanted to see if he had got them. During the conversation Mison invited him down to his next DJ set at Nicky Holloway's club, the Milk Bar and less than three months later, and clearly impressed by what he'd heard on the tapes, Padilla invited Mison to fill in for him at the Café Del Mar, beginning in April '93.
It's that first trip to DJ in Ibiza - a crazy six-weeks spent dividing his time between spinning records at Café Del Mar, hanging out in Jose Padilla's house in the hills, and meeting some particularly eccentric White Isle residents - that proved the inspiration for Out Of The Blue.
The compilation contains a mixture of records that Mison played in his earliest Ibiza sets, those that remind him of that period, and recent discoveries that boast a similarly warm, loved-up vibe. Mison is at pains to point out that it's not a track-for-track representation of his first sets, but rather a collection inspired by this most momentous of experiences.
As you'd expect from a selector of Phil Mison's standing, Out Of The Blue is an outstanding collection. Some will no doubt hear the influence of his mentor - the man he credits with effectively turning his DJing career around - in the undulating rhythms and new age melodies of Kamasutra's Sugar Step', the meandering synthesizer solos and Spanish language vocals of Congarilla's sublime Sacred Tree', and the lilting flamenco guitars of Gambarra', an unreleased mix from Mison's popular Cantoma project.
Elsewhere, listeners can marvel at the starry ambient bliss of Belgian legend Frank De Wulf's The End', recline to the saucer-eyed fusion jazz of the Christoph Spendel Group, shuffle along to tactile, hard-to-find period deep house from Language, Moodswings and Don Carlos, and marvel at The Cactus Rose Project's ridiculously rare Jelly', a sparkling, disco-era jazz-rock outing partly inspired by the Doobie Brothers' Long Train Running'.
Out Of The Blue may well be a very personal selection of tracks celebrating a moment in time, but it's happily one that we can all enjoy.
Two years on from his critically acclaimed self-titled debut LP and 2016's similarly transcendent club hit Safe/Multiply, Ghost Culture is pleased to announce his new EP Nucleus. Due for release on Phantasy, Nucleus, captures the enigmatic London artist's signature sound in the reflection of unexpected, vibrant new lights.
Leading with the understated groove of 'Coma', Ghost Culture quickly reaffirms his unwavering ability to hold the collective energy of a dancefloor, yet colours his latest work with a sense of intimacy and experimentation that resonates stronger than ever.
'ICO130' explores almost every facet of Ghost Culture's electronic form, as gasping synths and stuttering drum patterns flirt with an aching, unfurling emotional vocal sample, acknowledging both classic IDM influences such as Aphex Twin and Authechre, while subtly nodding towards contemporary, crystalline RnB.
The EP's centrepiece, 'NGC1275' adds flavour to a stirring, reflective acid line, amid a complex flurry of minor deconstructions and distortions, highlighting Ghost Culture's unique, contrarian ability to inspire both beckoning darkness and escapist fantasy through his work.
While the opening half of the five track EP is more primed for the night, Nucleus' leads to an introspective denouement. 'Perseus' pits raw electronics against a framework of loose, lucid drums, before 'NGC1265' delivers a wistful, brooding conclusion that makes an emotive case that impacts powerfully across just a short sketch.
Stirred up from deep within, from an abstract spiral of sound and movement, from a sensation of time and space absolving and converging at once, the Black Flower musicians have molded a tangible matter: the album Artifacts. Their second full album sounds international and ageless. Eastern influences, Ethiodub and jazz effortlessly merge. Fantasy and reality seem to fuse. In a word: nourishment for body and soul.
"Psyche-delicious and accessible 20th century Ethiodubjazz. As if John Zorn put on Fela Kuti's shoes and imbibed Mulatu Astatke's whirls."
Piloted by saxophonist /flutist /composer Nathan Daems (Ragini Trio, Dijf Sanders, Antwerp Gipsy-Ska Orkestra), this instrumental band aims for originality. Fellow musicians and 'brothers down the road' are Jon Birdsong (dEUS, Beck, Calexico) on cornet, Simon Segers (Absynthe Minded, De Beren Gieren, Stadt) at the drums, Filip Vandebril (Lady Linn, The Valerie Solanas, Antwerp Gipsy-Ska Orkestra) at the bass and Wouter Haest (Los Callejeros, Voodoo Boogie) playing keys.
For many of us, the Ethiopian aspect once made known to the world by Mulatu Astatke will stand out. Still, Black Flower further adds oriental scales, Afrobeat à la Fela Kuti, jazz in a John Zorn way and varied western music traditions such as rock and dub. The resulting melting pot is undoubtedly inspired by Nathan's distant travels and the multifariously colorful city of Brussels.
...Pretty legit if you ask me - LeFto, Studio Brussel
After their well-received debut album Abyssinia Afterlife (2014, W.E.R.F. / Zephyrus Records) that created an atmosphere of mythical figures and psychedelia, Black Flower now reflects on ancient and modern cultures. The album title Artifacts refers to centuries-old fragile objects or tools that empowered the development of human culture. The world today would look entirely different without those artifacts. The seemingly brittle suddenly becomes a powerful welding cornerstone. Add the musicians' personal musical backgrounds and the result is an album with an ageless mystique. Artifacts is the synthesis of different cultures, of the past and present, and personal and collective memories. It is the soundtrack to modern reality, based on the elements that connect us.
Brilliant - Gilles Peterson, BBC Radio 6
One of Belgium's Best Bands of these past years (...) Black Flower does not simply play a tune, they always groove! - Kurt Overbergh, Ancienne Belgique
Uncomplicated originality, plenty of space for fantasy and an organic tone: those are the ingredients for Black Flower to lay claim to an age-old human ritual: dancing! Still, Black Flower also stands out in various other settings. Their audience at a jazz club will have felt exalted, their audience at a late-night show will not have resisted dancing. The band wields influence over their surroundings in a way only heart-and-soul musicians can. This mastery has repeatedly taken them to United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands and Germany.
Translated from Spanish as 'The Shade', Chip Wickham's debut album La Sombra drops after a 25-year career touring, recording and experimenting across three decades of jazz, funk, soul, hip-hop, Latin and electronica. La Sombra is a monumental record for Chip as it symbolises the moment he stepped out into the light as a director of his creations with freedom to explore his roots, express and tell his version of jazz and pay testament to his heroes Roland Kirk, Yuseef Lateef & Harold McNair.
Now living in Dubai after an intense and productive six years in Madrid, it was Manchester where Chip studied in the late '80s and became enmeshed in the chaotic and thrilling music scenes emanating from one of the world's most culturally prominent cities of the time. Recording and generally 'keeping things real' with Manchester's hip-hop collective Grand Central Records, Rae & Christian, The Pharcyde, Fingathing, Nightmares on Wax, Graham Massey (808 State), Chip was in a city that was undergoing a music revolution with the Haçienda as its temple. Yet it was the headlights of the M62 motorway and not the strobe lights that were lighting Chip's path during his student years ('88-'92). The lure of the jazz and funk clubs of Leeds, where The New Mastersounds were breaking out and building the blocks that would lead them to UK funk royalty status, proved too strong.
In the 1990s Chip continued to refine his craft in the rainy city and the gigs booked were growing in stature. It wasn't long before he was on the road with Roy Ayers and Badly Drawn Boy. Around that time Chip met up with trumpeter Matthew Halsall that was the beginning of a friendship that lasts to this day. Chip was a recording artist on Matthew Halsall's breakout album Sending My Love and continues to work with him, with live dates confirmed in spring 2017. This close connection with Halsall gave rise to other collaborations, such as with Nat Birchall and Go Go Penguin's Rob Turner.
Three decades after his late night excursions to Leeds, Chip found himself recording with Eddie Roberts from The New Mastersounds in Madrid, as part of their new band, The Fire Eaters, which he'd formed soon after he moved to sunny Spain in 2007 - the same year he released the Fried Samba album under his moniker Malena, his electronic Latin band that became a hit at the turn of the century for Freestyle Records. During his time in Spain he connected with the local scene and brought together many of his musicians colleagues from the UK to Spain and it was for a local and well established label, Lovemonk, that he released two 45s blending raw funk and Latin. These new roads and musical leanings led to an invitation to play for the prestigious Craig Charles Fantasy Funk Band. Based on a poll from Craig Charles' top rated BBC6 radio show, Chip was chosen to play alongside the cream of the UK funk & soul scene: James Taylor (JTQ), Snowboy, The Haggis Horns (Mark Ronson), John Turrell (Smooth & Turrell), and Mick Talbot (The Style Council).
La Sombra takes an altogether more rooted direction than Chip's recent collaborative work, with the jazz of the late '60s and early '70s a dominating influence to the recordings. Comprising of seven tracks recorded in Madrid with musicians assembled by Chip from Madrid's jazz scene, it combines contemplative explorations akin to Yusef Lateef's early work on tracks like 'La Sombra' and 'Pushed Too Far'. There's a fiery cover of Camarón de la Isla's classic 'La Leyenda Del Tiempo' and tracks like 'Sling Shot' and 'Red Planet' are locked in a groove harking back to Freddie Hubbard's Blue Note era and Luv N Haight's Nathan Davis.
Series-A was the duo of Sam Anderson aka DJ Maestro and Dave Webb aka Kid Fresh. Sam and Dave both grew up listening to the sounds of the Electrifying Mojo on WJLB in Detroit. They met in 1983 at a DJ gig that they were both hired to play. In 1986, they collaborated on the Nu-Sound II Crew project. After developing a friendship with Juan Atkins, they became hip to the emerging new club sounds that were to become electro and techno.Their subsequent project, Series-A, was named after different car model numbers, but also hints at the evolution of humankind into a new species.
In 1987, Series-A recorded the single Evolution 5 Technology' at Spectrum Sounds Studio in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. Their set up was a vocoder, E-mu Emulator III, Roland 909 drum machine, and an Otari 24-Track recorder. They landed a record deal with Satellite Records in Burbank, California, which had been founded by Pete Moore of The Miracles. After pressing 50 promotional copies, the label ran into financial problems, and the record never reached a full release. Taking cues Kraftwerk, Grand Master DST, Grandmaster Flash & Jam Master Jay, Series-A created dark electro beats in an era when sampling appeared to be the future of music. Lyrically the song addresses our species' entry into the technological age. For this EP reissue, the 7' Mix and Dub Mix are included on the A-side. On the flip is a new remix by prolific Ann Arbor producer JTC, an alias of Tadd Mullinix (aka Dabrye, SK-1, & Charles Manier). JTC speeds up and expands the song to seven minutes. Drawing on influences from Ron Hardy to Jeff Mills, he drives around suburban techno landscapes while simultaneously launching the listener into deep space.
All songs have been remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The jacket is specially designed by Eloise Leigh and features a cyborg fossil motif with RGB color band and gradients. Each copy includes a post card with with notes.
Cute Heels is the solo project of Victor Lenis, a contemporary artist living in Barcelona, Spain. He grew up in Bogotá, Columbia during the 1990s, surrounded by the radial punk scene. Over the years, Victor's passion and fascination for synthesizers and drum machines to produce and compose resulted in various digital-only releases as well as his debut album Spiritual" for Dark Entries in 2014. Cute Heels has been called ''the new blood and spirit for the next step in techno music'' by Electro/Techno pioneer Juan Atkins. Third Skin' is a 4-track EP that connects the dots between Detroit techno, early Chicago house and Belgium electronic body music. Inspired by equal parts Liaisons Dangereuses, Drexciya and Black Devil Disco Club. On the A-side are two fresh compositions recorded in 2015. Third Skin' kicks things in a metallic EBM funk with a pounding bottom end. Lipstick Information' takes the listener on a dark, psychedelic and twisted journey through thrillingly intense arpeggiations. On the flip we present two remixes. The first is from Steffi, House and Techno DJ and producer born in The Netherlands and residing in Berlin. She picks up the pace for an uplifting, percussion-driven, DAF-eque dystopian stomper. The second remix comes from Michel Amato aka The Hacker, French born DJ and producer and frequent collaborator with Miss Kittin. His early musical influences of bands such as Cabaret Voltaire, Throbbing Gristle and Front 242 shine through on this pumping and sophisticated remix ready for any dance floor.
All songs have been mastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The record comes in a custom-made jacket designed by Eloise Leigh featuring a photograph by Corinne Schiavone printed with hi-gloss finish. Each copy includes a postcard with with notes and image for fetish lovers
Struments Records opens 2014 presenting ''Fire to the Empire'', third record in 12'' format from this Barcelona label. Following the special dedication referred to the local talent shown by the label in its two previous releases, in this occasion the reference is signed by Clip!, relevant artist in the Spanish electronic scene that, after a versatile and prolific 2013, shows in this publication a new coordinate of their chameleonic sound. Thereby opening the door to more visceral coordinates, opaque and less intense dance that exudes less kindness and infects the club atmosphere with light and dark. The set, consisting of three original songs (Fire, Ash and Bitch), and a remix of ''Ash'' by the British artist Kommune1, discovers on side A two descriptive and powerful snapshots of translucent clubber atmosphere, winding and unfiltered. Proper of the dance hours closer to twilight in the shadows and lights mergers into sensations. While on the B side, the artists pays tribute to the most evasive and escapist concept that music can evoke, forged between the rage of techno and the subtlety of house, when instinct takes control over any convention and presents itself as a purely physical experience between the listener and the sound. Closing the total minutes of the reference, Kommune1 prints cosmic and expansive notes to ''Ash'', as well as he brightens the original version. ''Fire'', the central tune that starts and gives name to this third reference of Struments Records responds to six minutes that shapes a direct and powerful presentation letter. In which you can acknowledge progressive melodic phases and raw vocals that serve as a growing force of initial contact. ''Ash'' continues the incursion between hard and chiaroscuro dynamic, printing analog rhythm coordinations. ''Bitch'' represents the exact balance and highlight of ''Fire Your Empire'' EP, sobriety in enviromental nuances, vocal flare and power high-flying shape a depth completely orientated to the dance floor that condenses much intention in a speech coherently aligned with the sound. Kommune1 sets ''Ash'' with an eye towards fantasy and space, using resources in the original maximalist melodies and rhythmic accelerating phases provide the remix to get faster.
DJ Support:
Alizzz (Mad Decent)
The EP is so well balanced. Loving that analog feeling. 'Fire' makes me
dream, I get in trance with the bass and those pads on 'Ash' and I want
to listen to 'Bitch' really loud in the Berghain. Much support.
Jorge Caiado (Balance/Groovement)
"Excellent and fresh EP!! All tracks are powerful and effective, can't
wait to play them. My favorite is "Bitch" but Kommune1 also did a good
alternative mix to "Ash". Keep them coming Struments!
Kresy (Hivern Discs)
"Great EP. Bitch is my favourite"
Broke One (RBMA/Magic Wire Recordings)
"Aweome EP"
- 1






![Pizza Hotline - Hot-N-Ready Remixes Delivered by Pizza Hotline [In 20 Minutes or Less] (LP 2x12")](https://www.deejay.de/images/l/2/2/1215122.jpg)














































































































































