Search:good enough for you

15 Jahre nach seinem frühen Tod feiert - The 20th Century Records Albums (1973-1979)' Barry White als einen der größten Künstler / Songwriter / Produzenten der 70er Jahre. Er etablierte den neuen Klang der Orchesterseele, der über das Jahrzehnt und darüber hinaus zu einem Grundbestandteil wurde. Das Vinyl-Box-Set enthält alle 9 LP-Alben, die Barry White über das Label 20th Century Records veröffentlicht hat und werden hier zum ersten Mal zusammengestellt. Alle neun Alben wurden zum ersten Mal seit ihrer Veröffentlichung in den 70er Jahren von den originalen analogen Masterbändern remastert und werden hier mit ihrem originalen Sleeve und Label Art präsentiert. Die Alben wurden in den Abbey Road Studios in London auf hochwertigem 180g Vinyl geschnitten, um die höchstmögliche Audioqualität zu garantieren.





















































[ZZA] q4 | Oh Me, Oh My (I'm Such a Lucky Guy)
[ZZB] r1 | I Can't Leave You Alone
[ZZC] r2 | Call Me, Baby
[ZZD] r3 | How Did You Know It Was Me

Marvin Gaye always dreamed of being a smooth crooner, “sitting on a stool, possibly behind a piano,” delivering velvety songs like Nat King Cole. But Motown had other plans. Pushed between raw R&B and polished pop, Gaye fought to find his own voice, eventually rising to become one of the greatest soul singers in history.

Motown Records released the first Marvin Gaye record in 1961 "(I'm Afraid) The Masquerade Is Over", a single intended for (radio) promotion from the singer's debut album. This was followed up by the officially released "Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide" a week later. Gaye scored his first real hit with "Stubborn Kind of Fellow" in 1962, which he had co-written himself, joking about his alleged stubbornness. He found his own unique style with the single released at the end of the year: "Hitch Hike". The foundations were now laid for an enormous series of chart successes: "Pride And Joy", "Can I Get A Witness", "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" and "Ain't That Peculiar" are all Motown classics from 1963-1965 which are still being regularly played today after all these years. The duets he recorded with Kim Weston ("It Takes Two"), especially Tammi Terrell and Diana Ross were certainly at least as good.

He scored his biggest ever hit with "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" in 1968. "What's Going On" from the same titled album became a number 1 hit in the USA. The album was received as a masterpiece and is regarded as one of the most important records in pop history. In 1973, the artistically and commercially very successful, "Let's Get It On" album was mainly a musical ode to Marvin's love for his new muse Janis Hunter. His journey continued after a turbulent relationship, addiction and a dramatic creative rebirth in Belgium, where he crafted the global hit “Sexual Healing in 1982.

Marvin Gaye left behind timeless hits, groundbreaking albums, and a legacy that shaped the sound of modern soul. His story, from ambition to artistry, from struggle to brilliance, remains as powerful as the music he created.

Music On Vinyl proudly presents a special coloured vinyl edition of the Marvin Gaye Collected album which is available as a limited edition of 10.000 individually numbered copies on white (LP1) and silver coloured vinyl (LP2) and includes a booklet with liner notes.

Felipe Gordon is back on Shall Not Fade with his new album Tezeta and f*ck is it special.

Felipe Gordon is SNF label mainstay... (we released his triple repressed debut album "A Landscape Onomatopeya" in 2022 as well as 7 x 12" EPs on SNF over the years plus an extra 12" on Lost Palms)... so given his consistent and exceptional output on our record label you'd probably forgive some complacency with this write up, you might even afford us license to assume we're preaching to the choir and allow us to rest easy knowing that at this stage Felipe Gordon's records sell themselves.... Well none of those things are happening here because when an artist makes a record this complete, this good, you have to try to find the words. You use words like "timeless", "complete and "special". Words that can carry the weight. Because when you've listened to an album dozens of times, and not once, in any part, on any listen in any way has it fatigued you, you need to say. When a record felt so wonderfully familiar from the first listen and just kept on giving you the same feels ever since, you need to say. When a record makes you think about you how you feel about certain Air & St Germain albums (even when you know what it means to put that in a press release), you need to say. So here we are, saying these things.. Tezeta is a special record, one that exists in the rarefied air. A proper album. A record that every time you press play you will immediately remember why you own it and why you love it. A record that your subconscious will know so well that if shuffle is on you will know in an instant. An album that when it's in your collection and the first track starts you get a twinge of annoyance because you didn't listen again sooner and when the final track stops you stop too.

Given paint and a canvas we can most of us paint a picture, but only those that are gifted can paint something that makes us feel. Tezeta makes you feel. Feel familiarity when it's playing, yearning when its not, and absence when it ends. This alone would be enough to make the argument as to why this album is special and justify the gushing opening paragraph of this press release. But we're not done yet.

We don't really have a word in english for what Felipe Gordon has created with this album and how it makes you feel. "Tezeta" that word.

Tezeta is a one of four musical modes within the traditional Ethiopian modal music system known as Qiñit. Mulatu Astatke, the father of Ethio-jazz, frequently uses this mode, often translating it as "nostalgia" or "longing". Gordon says Mulatu's own tezeta recordings convey to him "feelings of melancholy and longing from a point of affection". This is exactly the feeling Gordon has captured. It is what he has woven through every recording on this album. Tezeta is the prime ingredient. It's the base note in recipe, it's sprinkled over the signature jazz-sampled house tracks. It powers the vast array of synthesizers Gordon deploys. It underpins the explorations into trip-hop. It's present in Gordon's varied vocal deliveries and it tunes his guitar. It's in the running order. It's the flow. Tezeta is tezeta in electronic music form, with 4/4, breakbeats, samples and synths.

Gordon says a big part of what differentiates this album from from his previous albums is that is was recorded in a period where he allowed himself to create music without the constraints of time or self-pressure which coincided with a moment of heavy personal growth which allowed him to reflect deeply on his work.

There is a word in Portuguese "Saudade" that Gordon says has a similar meaning to Tezeta - Saudade is defined as a deep, sometimes bittersweet, longing or nostalgia for someone or something that is absent or lost. But here at SNF we think that in Tezeta nothing has been lost. Quite the opposite. Through Felipe Gordon's artistic explorations we have all gained something very special indeed.

As Poorly Knit completes it's first arc of the Sun, it's children become four, as a new mini LP is born.

Tending to his crop with dreams of rotation, Bruce sows and scythes four new grains in the porky mill. Of this strange fruit, that further explores his increasingly familiar, hyper-real and sonically surreal work within this current “movement,” he finds his foothold once more in a wild world intensity: fear and fury grappled in equal measure.

What's more, in celebration of the plentiful harvest thus far, (let alone in the interest of seed diversity), Bruce invites four fellow reapers to the farm, offering their recipe from the spoils of the label's yield:

Vancouver based Brit-abroad, dj_2button pulls apart 'The Hand,' with his 'Accidental Mood Mix,' to be reborn as an Odyssian 13 minute stomper: "a fight of emotions, of light and dark; in quiet protest to the incessant fear mongering that slowly numbs us on a global scale." Balearic shores can be seen glimmering in the distance, whilst you are dragged by part man part (very horny) bull into the depths of dancefloor madness.

re:ni proves she is the captain of her own ship as sweet SSRI numbness billows in the sheets and fraying, dubwise halyards tether and tear through her devilishly elegant 'sertraline queen mix'. polyrhythms plotted and percussion plundered; the vocal from 'Golden Water Queen' sounds oh so sweet in the claws of its new Regina.

Hotly titted deep house reviver, fka boursin empties clips with their bubblegum 'boomkat mix,' of 'The Price,' swivelling the original's brash and bawdy bonce, to face a 120 reality we all need to wake up and start sniffing. Sprinkled with trauma on an icing of a bassline more than a little rood, boursin is packing enough cake for the whole function to take home in (dreadful) goody bags (and even allowed compression in the mastering - mental).

Last and indubitably not least, from lying somewhat dormant in the depths of UK dance music legend, none other than flippin' Untold (!?) rises to seal the release with typically megalithic prowess. Proving he was just resting his eyes for a bit, his 'A1 Mirabelle Mix,' weaves and whips an otherworldly beauty, technically tantalising 'Dham's Jam' in adornments both sour and sweet. It's nothing short of a cloaks and daggers banger, primed for the darkest of dancefloor cosmic moments, and serving as a little less-than-warm-reminder that Untold’s presence in the world of dance music is crucial as ever.

Frankly, if you couldn't tell from all the verbose waffle, they have all absolutely smashed and finessed it: they were all approached after expressing a real resonance from the previous releases and it's such an honour to have them and their fantastic visions on the label.

Available digitally or on high quality cassette, the final chapter of the Poorly Knit's first act has been woven whimsically into the fraying folds.

a A1. It Ain’t Over Till… 04:37
b A2. Wesley’s Sniped All Our Bleeding’ K (Re-Vamped) 05:40
[c] A3. Rockfall [05:06]
[d] A4. You Were Right [10:00
[e] B1. The Hand (dj_2button's accidental mood mix) [13:07]
[f] B2. Golden Water Queen (re:ni's sertraline queen mix) [05:36]
[g] B3. The Price (fka boursin's boomkat mix) [08:30]
[h] B4. Dham's Jam (Untold's A1 Mirabelle Mix) [09:42]

[a] A1. It Ain’t Over Till… [04:37]
[b] A2. Wesley’s Sniped All Our Bleeding’ K (Re-Vamped) [05:40]
[c] A3. Rockfall [05:06]
[d] A4. You Were Right [10:00
[e] B1. The Hand (dj_2button's accidental mood mix) [13:07]
[f] B2. Golden Water Queen (re:ni's sertraline queen mix) [05:36]
[g] B3. The Price (fka boursin's boomkat mix) [08:30]
[h] B4. Dham's Jam (Untold's A1 Mirabelle Mix) [09:42]

Repress!

Before the Khmer Rouge took power in 1975, unleashing a horrifying genocide, Cambodia had one of the most vibrant and exciting music scenes in Asia. With a mixture of traditional Khmer music and a myriad of western genres (from French and latin music, to rock-and-roll , rhythm-and-blues, surf, psychedelia, soul and many more) the few pre 75 Cambodian recordings that survived -most of them were destroyed- are enough to make anyone with a taste for good music shocked by the amazing quality of the sounds created during those golden years. Gathered in this amazing album are some of the most talented and unique musicians from that amazing era with an explosive collection of tracks sure to blow the mind of the listener. A celebration of some of the best music ever made.

»Memento Mori: Mexico City« ist eine über zweistündige Liveaufnahme von Depeche Modes drei ausverkauften Konzerten im legendären Foro Sol Stadion in Mexiko-Stadt aus dem September 2023 und wird durch vier bisher unveröffentlichte Studioaufnahmen von den »Memento Mori«-Sessions ergänzt.

Die CD-Konfiguration enthält das Livealbum und Bonustracks auf zwei CDs sowie ein 16-seitiges Booklet mit Livefotos von den Shows.

Dieses Livealbum erscheint parallel zu Depeche Modes neuem Film »Depeche Mode: M«, der während der Shows in Mexiko-Stadt aufgenommen wurde. Der Film wurde konzipiert und umgesetzt vom vielfach ausgezeichneten mexikanischen Filmemacher und Regisseur Fernando Frías. Während »Depeche Mode: M« packende Konzertmitschnitte mit stimmungsvollen Nebeneindrücken und ausgesuchtem Archivmaterial vereint, wird gleichzeitig die tiefgreifende Verbindung zwischen Musik und Vergänglichkeit innerhalb der mexikanischen Tradition veranschaulicht. Die Blu-ray- und DVD-Konfiguration von »Depeche Mode: M« enthält zusätzlich das schon erwähnte Livealbum »Memento Mori: Mexico City« sowie einen abendfüllenden Konzertfilm.

DELUXE 4LP-SET IN SLIPCASE WITH GLOSS FINISH/4 PRINTED INNERSLEEVES/12 PAGE BOOKLET/40 TRACKS/COLOURED VINYL

“The high priest of country cool” - Rolling Stone

“I like him very much. He’s very special. He’s singing with a voice I never heard before” - Townes Van Zandt

“A conscious, soulful brother” - Horace Andy

“He’s a brother to me - one of the best singer/songwriters I’ve ever met” - Adrian Sherwood

“Unearthed mine of gems from inner Wales - a songbook of ideas - that's Jeb!” - Gilles Peterson

Jeb Loy Nichols is a bonafide Country (Got) Soul legend. The Music Maker presents 21 incredibly deep, grooving and soulful songs from the cream of Jeb's catalogue; from its earliest days to his latest unreleased gems via countless rare and unbelievably good lost-classics. This 2LP set is presented in a gatefold sleeve complete with freshly commissioned artwork courtesy of Jeb himself.

In collecting these uncut, under-heard gems, we hope to do justice to Jeb's jaw-dropping artistic brilliance. A man who, in working with Adrian Sherwood, Dennis Bovell, Dan Penn, Larry Jon Wilson and countless other legendary characters, has crafted some of the most deeply affecting folk, country, soul, funk, blues, dub, reggae, gospel, rap and electronic music, ever heard.

The first music Jeb really felt a connection with was southern soul: "I used to listen to the radio at night and fell in love with Bobby Womack and Al Green, The Staple Singers and Joe Simon – that whole Nashville/Memphis/Muscle Shoals thing.” But Jeb was so much more than a soul boy, Indeed, he "went to bluegrass festivals with my dad and come home and listened to jazz records with my mother.” And, when he was fifteen, he heard his first punk record: "God Save The Queen" by The Sex Pistols. “That and The Ramones completely changed me.” In 1979 he got a scholarship to go to art school in New York: “A great time. Punk was over but hip-hop was starting and I got into that in an obsessive way.”

His first recording, in 1980, was an unreleased rap song called "I’m A Country Boy". If that isn't an insight enough into Jeb's kaleidoscopic path through music, in 1981 he visited friends in London and found himself living in a squat with Adrian Sherwood, Ari Up (from the Slits), and Neneh Cherry. “Adrian put me to work immediately, moving boxes of records all across London. It was Adrian that was and is my biggest influence – in his complete disregard for genre purity.” So, presumably you're getting the picture? A veritable musical magpie with a voracious appetite and unimpeachable taste.

"Mine has always been a meandering career. I've done what I've done, and made the music I've made, due to chance meetings. I'm not particularly ambitious; it's more important to me that I work with friends and like-minded people. I've been a big fan of Be With for years. Everything they release is essential. When they asked about rereleasing "Countrymusicdisco45" I was both pleased and flattered. We began talking about how we'd do it; two years and twenty-one tracks later, here we are. I've always thought of the music I make as Country Music. Music conceived in the country, written in the country, recorded in the country. I left London and moved back to the country so I could live among the trees, the grasses, the animals, those things that don't go to war and get greedy. This compilation is the story of that life. Hand made, lo-fi, ramshackle, stripped down, real deal music. Heartworn and funky. Music made in the kitchen, not in the studio. As the great Skip Mcdonald said, Perfect ain't perfect. It's great to see all these tracks gathered together. It feels like a family reunion. Some older members of the tribe, some newer arrivals."

Opener "countrymusicdisco45" is a song Jeb wrote about how his crew lives, tucked up blissfully in the hills: "House parties full of country folk dancing to disco, reggae, soul, country, hip-hop. All night. I recorded it at home under the influence of Stevie Wonder." It's one of the funkiest records you'll ever hear. "Sometimes Shooting Stars" was recorded in Nashville and mixed by the legendary Dennis Bovell. It's deep, dubby, majestic. A thing of fragile, melodic beauty. The party ramps back up again with the undeniable groove of "Short Cut Home" before the profoundly moving "Disappointment" arrives. One of many songs he's recorded with good buddy Benedic Lamdin (aka Nostalgia 77): "We were going for a Leon Thomas meets Richard Brautigan meets Alice Coltrane kind of thing". We think they nailed it. "Days Are Mighty", like a lot of the tracks on this collection, "started life as a demo, an attempt to get something down while it was fresh. No frills, nothing fancy, just feel." And what feels!

The irrepressibly funky "Don't Dance With Me Tonight" is a deeply moving, slow-mo organ-drenched head-nod-funky country-ballad. Next up, the breezy "You Got It Wrong" was recorded in Wales with some of Jeb's good friends and neighbours, The Westwood All Stars, featuring Clovis Phillips and Will Barnes. Skanking fiddle-flecked gem "Ring The Bells" was the first thing Jeb recorded when he moved to Wales. A combination of all his loves; country, reggae, soul. It's followed by "Let's Make It Up", a truly sumptuous string-drenched emotional groover. "When Did You Stop Loving Me" is another Nashville track, written and recorded during a time Jeb was spending a lot of time with the Muscle Shoals crew, Donnie Fritts, Spooner Oldham, George Soule and Dan Penn: "It shows, I'm sure, their influence." Oh, you bet it does!

The swaggering country-funk of "Just Beginning" should grace many groove-focused DJs' sets whilst "Wintering Of The Year", again made with Clovis, is pastoral, campfire soul. The glacial, gorgeous "Let It Rain" is from an unreleased record Jeb made with the great British jazz bass player Andy Hamill and "We Tell Each Other Who We Are" is freaky country-soul made by a man with a love for strutting, wonky hip-hop stylings. Rounding out the side, "Trip To You" is pure, uncut amphetamine-propelled drum-machine soul.

The spare, beautiful "Dirt" is from an EP Jeb made with Julian Moore in his house in South London: "All first takes, straight to tape." Swoon! "Heaven Right Here" was a very minor league hit in America: "It was produced by the brilliant and much missed Wayne Nunes. It was started in the countryside of Missouri, finished in the countryside of Wales, and recorded in the countryside of Sussex." Double swoon! "If Later Ever Comes" is electronica meets J.J. Cale business whilst "Remember The Season" is truly wonderful and breezy guitar soul. "A Little Love" was made with Wayne Nunes as well, after a night of listening to Studio One and Northern Soul. Bouncy dub closer "Weary Traveller" was written by Bill Monroe, the hero of Jeb's youth: "Monroe's music was heavily influenced by black southern churches; I've tried to keep some of that feral feel." This was the final recording by Jeb's 1990s Country-Dub band, Fellow Travellers.

The name of this compilation comes from a time when Jeb lived in Peckham, south London and he used to DJ and sometimes perform at a local bar: "The owner of the bar, a Jamaican named Count Percy, once asked me what I called my music. I told him I wasn't sure, I guess just pop music. He thought about it for a minute and then said, 'no, more like mom and pop music'. Rather than call me a country singer or a folk singer he always referred to me as The Music Maker."

With the long overdue deluxe overview of his beloved music, we hope to finally shine a light on the unheralded genius of Jeb Loy Nichols. RIYL Larry Jon Wilson, Townes Van Zandt, Bobby Charles, country got soul artists, dub, deep soul, disco, dancing, heartbreak. This deluxe collection, spellbinding from beginning to end, should hopefully go some way to ensuring Jeb reaches an ever bigger, ever more appreciative crowd of followers. Mastering for this special double vinyl edition was overseen by Be With regular Simon Francis and it was cut by the esteemed Cicely Balston at Abbey Road Studios to be pressed in the Netherlands by Record Industry. The artwork has been lovingly put together by The Music Maker, himself, Jeb Loy Nichols. "Be With is the perfect home for this mongrel music. I am forever in their debt." The pleasure is all ours, Jeb.

Eden Burns releasing his debut Album titled „Eden Burns & The Makebelievers“. The dance musics prophet, notorious for his ingenious string of club tracks (if you don’t follow —> check the „Big Beat Manifesto“), is gifting the world with yet another, cult creating musical
adventure. Ecstatic beats, melodies that cast a spell on you, if there ever was something to truly, blindly believe in: it’s the power of music? Be Free, set foot into the garden of Eden. All apples are to be bitten, the snakes venom is mildly hallucinogenic. Get your eyes opened for everything that is true enough and beyond. Bless.

2025 Repress

More than once Jay Richford and Gary Stevan’s Feelings has been described as the greatest library record ever released. Of course Be With can’t be seen to be playing favourites, but we have to admit, it’s pretty good. Insanely rare and immensely sought-after, it’s a tough funk, street jazz masterpiece coveted for many years by collectors of all musical genres.

Since its original release on Italian label Carosello in 1974, Feelings has appeared on several labels with different sleeves and even under a different artist. Indeed cult library label Conroy put it out in one of their iconic red sleeves in 1976 and yes, Feelings has indeed had more than one modern re-issue since these “original” releases. But a record this special deserves to be kept in press and we think it deserves the Be With treatment.

No, Jay Richford and Gary Stevan aren’t two of the most Italian sounding names. As the story goes these were the pseudonyms adopted by Stefano Torossi and Giancarlo Gazzani who wrote the album but couldn’t use their real names on the original release for legal reasons. But Stefano Torossi himself later both clarified and confused the tale further by explaining that Feelings was the work of four people not just Gazzani and himself. Fellow composers and musicians Sandro Brugnolini and Puccio Roelens also worked on the album and as Torossi himself explained “we all worked together”, with all four gents “dividing the royalties in equal parts… that’s the story.” Right, so, with that all sorted out let’s get back to talking about the music. And what music it is.

Long hailed as a holy grail of library music, Feelings is the epitome of the sort of cinematic orchestral jazzy funk that is “that 70s library music sound”. Infectiously funky, deliciously melodic and with impeccible, elegant production, this record is the showcase for a stunning set of compositions and arrangements and with performances that are nothing short of virtuoso.

The record’s first side lifts off with “Flying High”, soaring brilliant and shimmering. Funk licks, menacing strings and swaggering horns combine for an ice-cold intro groove that Isaac Hayes would surely have envied, before the steady-paced drums deliver the slo-mo TKO. The string-drenched cop-funk of “Going Home” raises the tempo. All funky quick-fire bass lines and killer electric guitar soloing. A real thriller.

“Walking In The Dark” positively drips in blaxploitation-funk drama strings and horn struts, all laced with delicate drums, velvet piano and more filthy wah-wah. “Fighting For Life” is another funk-fuelled workout built around an effortlessly relentless drum track that refuses to give up until even the stiffest-necked head is nodding.

The loping, open drum break that guides the much-loved “Feeling Tense” through its early stages would be good enough on its own. The heavy bass gloss, swirling strings and ominous horns that follow take things to the next level.

The second side opens with another favourite “Running Fast”, and the track does precisely that. This is one fine rollicking chase theme underpinned by frenetic (yet funky) Fender Rhodes and skipping bass and drums. Those sweeping strings are a gorgeous extra. It’s a deliciously feel-good groove that sets the heart racing.

“Loving Tenderly” envelops us in warm, velvety night-time vibes with easy listening horns and slinky strings dialing up the seduction. Definitely one for the lithe lovers out there. The pace picks up on the electrifying “Fearing Much” where strings dart around deep bass, buzzing guitars and another funky drum break. The lush, melancholic “Being Friendly” is another easy beauty, all warm Rhodes and strings. Majestic stuff that puts an aural arm around you. The climactic “Having Fun” rides a pulsating, bass-heavy drum break with snatches of a funky guitar refrain, some luxurious keys, sweeping strings and triumphant horns. Sensational.

2026 Repress

Mr. G, aka Colin McBean, presents a remastered, 23-track compilation entitled 'OG Retrospective'

'The day I found my original studio masters and got my rights back was the starting point, and then I realised it's 25 years on and it's time to recode, remaster and reevaluate because I've never looked back properly. I've always been like a bat out of hell, never quite thinking I'm good enough or great at what I do, but it's important to celebrate, because there's nota lot of people still here, still doing it after this length of time'.

With new masters provided by Simon at the renowned London mastering house The Exchange London, a direct link to the original mastering done by the late-Nilz (Nilesh Patel) from The Exchange, Mr. G's 'OG Retrospective' marks a reflective period in McBean's life.

'All I've ever done is write and move forward, but more and more, I get the new generation sending me videos of my old tracks and sometimes I don't even recognise them, so finally I thought, 'ok, you're comfortable in your own skin, let's really see how you sounded at the beginning, how you've changed, how have the techniques changed'?

It was quite raw going back over these; some of the memories are riddled with pain and angst - friends dying, where I was in my life at the time, having a heart attack and so on. Having a sound, too, can be a cross to bear. You're only ever competing with yourself, your only game is being better than your last game, so if you dwell on the past too much you can't move forward. Getting to the point where I can look back and feel happy, feels good.

Invariably, what will come from this is 'more', because, with my own label I have endless possibilities and will continue telling my story.'

With Schokolino Choco Loco, Icelandic duo Stilluppsteypa brings a warped dispatch from the outside fringes of experimental sound--part valium-drenched dreamscape, part dadaistic radio hallucination. Like a nocturnal transmission from a parallel universe, the record drifts and mutates through layers of joyous abstraction, laced with a deadpan sense of humour, while at the same time it is strangely sensitive. This LP is less a collection of tracks than a slow-motion joyride through Stilluppsteypa's singular sonic universe--so hypnotic and absurd, it ends up warming your heart.

Featuring: Coby Sey, Mica Levi and Mark Pell (Good Sad Happy Bad / Micachu & The Shapes)

‘Affectionately’ is the debut album by London based songwriter and musician Raisa K. With self produced instrumentals supporting Raisa’s signature vocal performance, the record delves into the intricate emotional cycles of relationships with heartfelt sincerity. Melodies appear simple and direct, while the themes explored present a great level of complexity. Whether about trust, kindness, doubt, frustration, annoyance, regret, honesty, insecurity, loneliness or friendship, each of the album’s twelve songs lie somewhere in between a diary and a letter.‘Affectionately’ is almost entirely produced on Raisa’s laptop and written in her home in London, as well as finding small pockets of time on trains and buses, during breaks at work, during the kids' nap-times, at the playground, in the park. The production's backbone is formed by a synthesiser sample, weaving together a range of recordings and sonic textures.

This creates a consistent expression where diverse electronic styles merge with Raisa's crisp, candid vocals in unique and personal songwriting. Some listeners might recognise Raisa’s voice and musical language from records by the band Good Sad Happy Bad, which she is a part of. While ‘Affectionately’ certainly moves in its own space, a kinship with fellow London artists is also present, as the record includes a feature with Coby Sey as well as instrumental contributions from long-time collaborators Marc Pell and Mica Levi.

Vaneese & Carolyn are Vaneese Thomas (daughter of Rufus Thomas) and Carolyn Mitchell who recorded two singles together at Polydor in 1977 and 1978. From these, the 1978 collaboration has been reissued here, the sides reversed. Original copies have exchanged hands for over £300. Both singers had recorded with Disco producer John Davis and his Monster Orchestra the same year on his album “Ain’t That Enough For You”, but both these songs are more sophisticated classic soul stylings with incredible vocal performances.

50th ANNIVERSARY EDITION
Heavyweight Vinyl 45 RPM Cut / Original glued prints on Thick Cardboard 700 gram / 2 Separated parts hand-glued / Glossy lamination / PVC outer / 30x30 cm insert with interview to Steve Kuhn by Tony Higgins printed on 250 gram Favini Lanilla Yellow / 20 Pages 21 x 30 cm "Real Book" with transcripts of the songs in the "Real Book" style, handwritten by The Maestro Carlo Spanò with main theme, chords and lyrics printed on 120 gram Shiro Eco paper, 100 gram Favini Crush Alghe. Carlo also edited an introduction with technical analysis of the session, which solves some of the little mysteries around this music gem.

Personnel:
Steve Kuhn - Vocals, Piano
Airto Moreira - Percussions
Billy Cobham - Drums
Ron Carter - Bass
Gary McFarland - Arranged by


Notes:
The album features the group playing Gary McFarland arrangements of Kuhn's compositions, accompanied by a string section on several tracks, with Kuhn delivering stream of consciousness lyrics in an unplanned and largely improvised fashion in the studio. However, that wasn't the only surprising aspect to the session. Airto Moreira's appearance was more by chance than design, he having just popped by the studio, again, unplanned. The 'Steve Kuhn' album is all the stronger for these extemporaneous and serendipitous elements and showcases a band at the top of their game; tight and funky yet relaxed and flowing like molten gold, with stabs and washes of keyboard from Kuhn. Splashes of free playing enter the session, but the band never stray too far from a melodic and harmonious centre of gravity. Kuhn's deft keyboard skills provide melodic embroidery to the impressive rhythmic textures and tonal colours of Carter, Cobham and Moreira. As if the music wasn't enough, the album is given extra significance by the fact that, within a few months of the recording, McFarland would die after being mysteriously poisoned by methadone in a New York bar. In a sense, it is a valedictory album from McFarland, channeled by Kuhn and the band.

It's among the hardest of Kuhn's albums to find so this reissue is most welcome. Luxuriate in the glow of Kuhn's Fender Rhodes and the pliant funky bass of Ron Carter; immerse yourself in the percussive interplay of Moreira and Cobham, a pairing that has rarely sounded so good. This is such an exquisite album; you will lose yourself in its delicate power and find yourself coming back to it again and again.

Parsley Sounds was the glorious debut album for Mo Wax by Parsley Sound. The album was one of the iconic label’s final releases before it closed in 2003 and locating a clean copy has been extremely tricky of late, unless you're flush enough to drop 150 notes on it. Mercifully, the Be With reissue, put together with invaluable assistance from the group, should remedy this situation. It's a lo-fi, bass-heavy, blunted beat treat, warped with heat haze and dreamy soft-psych and has been criminally under-heard for far too long.

As with most cult-like records, Parsley Sounds has many influential fans, far and wide. From Four Tet and Caribou to NTS's modern day breakfast hero Flo Dill, its reputation has only grown in stature. At the time, the notoriously hard-to-please Pitchfork garlanded it with a scarcely achievable 8.8 whilst, just recently, the Numero Group's Rob Sevier described it as a "visionary bit of proto-Salvia Palth (or Steve Lacy)" via a Ghostly International missive.

Parsley Sound comprised super-talented duo Preston Mead and Dan Sargassa. They released an early single (the perfect "Twilight Mushrooms", featured here) on Warp Records as Slum, before signing to Mo Wax. Hidden behind a wall of sound - fuzzy layers of beats, bleeps and symphonic synths - they were convinced they made mainstream pop music. And, in many respects, Parsley Sounds really is a beautiful pop album. It overflows with memorable, gorgeous melodies and inspired songcraft. As the contemporaneous Pitchfork review correctly had it: "Parsley Sounds is one of those rare records that manage to sound modest while frequently pushing the sonic envelope."

Killer opener "Ease Yourself And Glide" is a thing of aching, soft-psych, wonky beat-beauty. A melodic masterpiece, part Crosby, Stills & Nash, part proto-Koushik, it presents a melancholy falsetto, surging bass and blunted lead guitar. As it climaxes, gorgeous strings are ushered in to see us out. Sublime. "Twilight Mushrooms" is up next and it's an acid-drenched, strung-out acoustic-led campfire wonder. Amid layers of tape-hiss and beautiful, sun-dappled strings, its understated vocal track provides a haze of wistful innocence.

The breezy "Spring's Near" is a krautrock-inspired chiming instrumental of heavenly excellence, its warm, skipping, motorik groove and dreamy synths completely infectious. Another total highlight, the technicolour "Yo Yo" initially presents itself as a more abstract, bleepy offering but as it organically swells into ever more beautiful places, with the addition of a choppy insistent drum loop, flute bursts, horns and sweeping strings, it puts one in mind of early Manitoba and Four Tet releases. Shimmering, blissed-out greatness.

The celestial harmonies and glistening harps of the wonderfully beatless, serenely sullen "Ocean House" are very much in conversation with late-60s meditative psych whilst, closing out Side A, the jaw-dropping, lushly experimental effort "Find The Heat" comes on like Arthur Russell meets Brian Wilson. Yep, *that* good.

Side B opens with the warped, bleepy "Stevie", a brief but beautifully wonky, soulful and intricate instrumental. The more upfront vocals that propel the fuzzy "Platonic Rate" have a refreshing swagger to them, the heavy bass and neck-snapping in-the-red beats too much for any system to deal with whilst the guitars and strings have a sweeping, cinematic feel which just beguiles. The slow, urbane soul of "Candlemice" will stop you in your tracks, no matter what you're doing. It carries a delicate sadness, as does much of the album in that classic "down lifting" style we so love here at Be With.

The fuzzing, buzzing "Templechurchmansions" is a searing, soulful dubwise detonation. Heavily stoned with slow-burning jazzy snatches and a tense, moody atmosphere, it's a Tricky-adjacent gem. The album rounds out brilliantly with the ominous instrumental "Neon Breeze" before giving way to the propulsive, almost incongruous punk-funk / disco-dub of secret "untitled" track "Caution", a scratchy, smacked-out groove-fuelled workout with a female vocal dripping with 'tude. Just sensational.

Under the watchful eye - and attentive ears! - of Parsley Sound themselves, the audio for Parsley Sounds has been carefully mastered by Be With regular Simon Francis, with a few much needed tweaks here and there, according to the artist's wishes. Cicely Balston's expert skills have made sure nothing is lost in the cut whilst the records have been pressed to the highest possible standard at the always stellar Record Industry in Holland.

Preston and Dan always thought the colours on the first vinyl pressing looked a bit "washed out" vis-a-vis the original artwork which was way more vibrant. We feel we've got it popping back to the original intention with the restoration work here at Be With HQ. So with the audio and artwork now approaching completeness after 20 years, this long overdue re-issue could be considered its definitive vinyl release.

Willie Roy Turner a native Mississippian, migrated with his family to the South Side of the city of Chicago during the 1950’s. Initially taking up employment at the Golden Rod Ice Cream Company, his first foray into secular music arose when he was accompanied by Muddy Waters Band at Smitty’s Corner Club and performed an impressive recital of the 1959 Big Jay Neely standard “There’s Something On Your Mind” at an Open Mic Night sometime in 1963. A regular talent show entrant, Duke would eventually meet and befriend fellow Mississippian, Garland Green. Green himself had been spotted at the Trocadero Theater by the then husband and wife team of Mel Collins and “Joshie” Jo Armstead, who signed him to their Giant Enterprises production company where he recorded several excellent singles for MCA’s subsidiary, Revue and Uni labels. Green’s third Revue single release, “Ain’t That Good Enough” was composed by Jo Armstead, brothers Howard and Walter Scott and session drummer Ira Gates. It was Green who introduced Duke Turner to the Scott Brothers. The Scott Brothers Review (later known as The Scott Brothers World), one of Chicago’s most respected bands, operated their own production company, Capri Productions, producing songs on both their own and other labels artists. With the Scott’s, Duke recorded his first 45, the upbeat funk mover “Doggie Dog World” b/w “Put Some Soul In Your Dance”. The tracks penned by Duke and respected arranger Johnny Cameron was released on Don Clay’s Omega label in 1968.



Duke then formed his own company, Spinning Top Records, initially releasing “Shake Your Rang-A Tang (Rang-Dang-Du) to be followed by a second single “(Let Me Be Your) Baby Sitter”. Originally intended for release with a b-side entitled “Friendship Or Friends” the studio engineer on the project Ed Cody persuaded Duke to drop “Friendship” in favour of a part 2 version of “(Let Me Be Your) Baby Sitter”. “Friendship Or Friends” was sadly never revisited and with Duke moving to several different addresses across the ensuing years, the tapes eventually became lost. Fast forward half a century, and following a conversation with collector Malcolm Collins who divulged the existence of a acetate of “Friendship Or Friends” won on e-bay by a British collector Russell Gilbert (now living in the Netherlands), the idea of releasing the song was born. When contacted, Russell was only too happy to loan to us the acetate as a mastering reference. Upon receipt of the acetate, we realized in addition to the unreleased “Friendship Or Friends” the version of “Baby Sitter” was a longer and different mix to the released 45 version. After confirming and reacquainting Duke with his long-lost masters a licensing deal was struck which will see the long overdue release of “Friendship or Friends” along with the alternative mix of “(Let Me Be Your) Baby Sitter” as part of a 3- track EP courtesy of Soul Junction Records that also includes the original 1974 version of “Give Me Some Sugar, Baby”, a song now finding favour with the ‘Lowrider’ scene. “Give Me Some Sugar, Baby” became Duke’s signature song, which he recorded again in 1983 under the title of “Sugar Baby Your Love” with his then band ‘Torch’, which included two young musicians that Duke had previously mentored, Terry Coffey and Jon Nettlesbey, the successful 90’s songwriting partnership responsible for several RnB/Pop hits for Howard Hewitt, Alexander O’Neil, Teddy Pendergrass and Keith Washington. Their credits also include Joey Diggs “Always Coca-Cola” hit commercial jingle.

This album takes you back to Colombia of the 50s and 60s. In those days, the tropical music of the Caribbean and Pacific coasts took over the country's mainland music scene by storm. One of the key figures during this period was Edmundo Arias. Together with Lucho Bermúdez and Pacho Galán, Arias is seen as one of the ‘big three’ composers of Colombian tropical music.

He was a rather introverted person who avoided being in the spotlight at all cost, leading to his work being less known than his contemporaries. With this album we hope to highlight the amazing legacy Edmundo Arias has left us. Think of big bands with sharp dressed musicians playing the finest cumbias, porros and other tropical sounds in fancy ballrooms on a hot evening in Medellin or Bogota.

Liner notes:

Edmundo Dante Arias Valencia was born in Tuluá, Valle del Cauca, on the 5th of November 1925. He came from a family of musicians. His father, Joaquín Arias Cardoza was a band leader and composer who taught his children to play music. Arias learned to play many instruments such as the guitar, bass, bandola (pear shaped string instrument related to the mandolin), tiple (12 string guitar), clarinet and saxophone. He proved to be a very talented musician and together with his father and his older brother Ricaurte he formed the ‘Trio Arias’. The family lived in different cities across Colombia depending on where they found work. When his father died unexpectedly in 1948, Edmundo and Ricaurte had to support their family working as musicians. In 1951, Arias decided to move to Medellín, in those days the heart of the Colombian music industry and the city where the most important record companies and the best musicians were based. It didn’t take long before Arias made a name for himself as a musician, composer, arranger and band leader for Colombia’s leading labels at the time; Zeida, Ondina, Silver and Sonolux. For the latter, he would eventually become the artistic director. Over the years, he wrote hundreds of songs, recorded many albums with his own orchestras or with the Orquesta Sonolux and collaborated with a countless number of musicians, often uncredited.

Together with Lucho Bermúdez and Pacho Galán, Edmundo Arias is seen as one of the ‘big three’ composers of the tropical music of Colombia. But despite the fact that Arias was renowned, very little is known about his personal life. He was a humble man who preferred to work in the background and avoided being in the spotlight at all cost. He declined interviews and kept away from public life. On some live performances of the orchestra that carried his name, Arias asked one of his musicians to pretend to be him, so that he wouldn’t have to come on stage. You might think that Arias was shy or anti-social, but this was not the case. Most people he worked with described him as a very jovial, good humoured person and enjoyed working with him.

His invisibility in public life belied how present he was behind the scenes. If he wasn’t working on his own productions, he was regularly collaborating with other musicians. Arias had his hand in the work of many of his colleagues and was a mentor for young artists. Some even say that in those days all the musicians in Medellín had worked with Arias in one way or the other. He had a strict working regime: composing, arranging and recording at night while sleeping during the day. He was also very productive. The story goes that on one occasion, he wrote arrangements for a 16 piece band in just a few minutes while the band was recording another song. His hard work and productiveness resulted in hundreds of compositions and many records that carry his name.

Edmundo Arias’ career ran over 6 decades until his death on the 29th of January 1993. Over the years, he left us a huge legacy. The songs on this record are a selection of his work during the 50s and 60s. Many see this period as the absolute highlight of his career. We picked out the songs we consider to be the most outstanding recordings from this period. The title of this compilation Guepa Je! is Colombian slang often used in cumbia to express joy or to celebrate. A free translation would result into something like ‘yeah’, ’let’s go’ or ‘groovy’. I guess this title says enough. Enjoy the music. Guepa Je!

Five trombonists and a three-member rhythm section: that sort of unique musical synergy is what Nabou Claerhout brings to life with her own Trombone Ensemble. For years, such a project had been one of the dream projects on her bucket list, and thanks to Antwerp based cultural actor Rataplan, she already saw the creation become a reality in spring 2022. In the summer of that year, the eight-piece ensemble opened both Gent Jazz and Jazz Middelheim.

In January 2023, Nabou was artist in residence at the Brussels Jazz Festival in Flagey, where she presented the Trombone Ensemble as one of three carte blanche projects. In a sold-out Studio 4, American trombone legend Robin Eubanks joined the line-up as a special guest, having previously also contributed during the studio recordings of the young collective during. The band's self-titled debut album will be released on November 3rd 2023 via W.E.R.F. Records.

Nabou composed the entire repertoire for this Ensemble herself, and did so with a fully open vision. While writing the music, she explored the trombone's wide possibilities: "The aim is to both indulge you with warm, soft, carrying parts and then afterwards discover the trombone's spicy and cordial character." That rhythmic playfulness, which we hear more often in Nabou's compositions with her acclaimed quartet N?BOU, also seeps subtly into this band's sound.
Despite the 'unusual' line-up of five diverse jazz trombonists, each with a different background, you still get to hear a very homogeneous sound, which is full of playfulness and small details. "I tried to make room and focus for each individual. And of course there is also a starring role for the rhythm section with guitar, double bass and drums."

When Nabou started looking for the dream fellow jazz musicians for this project, she ended up with artists from her own country, Belgium, but also from far beyond the country's borders: The Netherlands, the UK and Germany. "In selecting the trombonists, I looked for specific timbres, but also for personality. It is important that there is a good balance in playing together, but also that each musician is strong enough on his or her own for the solo parts."
Wanting to push boundaries in her approach to both compositions and the trombone as an instrument, the real crème de la crème of the newest generation proved indispensable. "I selected a handful of European trombonists with whom I may or may not have already played, but who, above all, inspire me very deeply. They are all young people who have a lot to offer and already have significant projects to their name in their own region or country."

EYA Records SIDE
Jeku - Phase Lock
JJ Fortune - The Nightmare

System Error SIDE
Kurilo - Break A Leg
Wrong - C.ru.z


With COLLAB02 System Error continues in the spirit of collaboration and joins forces with London based EYA Records. As big fans and supporters of EYA ourselves this turned out to be a no brainer and the collaboration flowed effortlessly when working on our joined selection for this split EP.

On the EYA side we find “Jeku - Phase Lock” a dreamy but driving midnight city ride kinda tune that you just wanna blast out when cruising through the city or over a crowded dance floor. Next we have “JJ Fortune - The Nightmare” a truely haunting house tune reminiscent of last Halloween keeping things weird and spooky all while steadily punching a hole into your speakers(in a good way!).

On the System Error side we have “Kurilo - Break A Leg” this track slow but steadily will fill up and revive any dead dancefloor from the ground up again. Catchy, not cheesy vocal samples riding on a mad beat that will take you straight to the front of the DJ booth. And if that was not enough yet “C.ru.z - Wrong” provides a bouncy but dark dancefloor weapon to also get the last person from the couch to the dancefloor, this one means business!