Sound the alarm, we’re back! PAGER15 is our first VA since 2020, and it’s a special one— dropping soon with four tracks, four unique voices, and enough groove to shake your neighbor’s picture frames off the wall!
First up, our homeboy Phil Evans, aka "the coach” aka daddy cool, with Chocolate Funk. Imagine warm pads, crispy drums, and a bassline so addictive it should come with a warning. Add his signature offbeat stabs and a swing smoother than the creamy drizzle on kimchi fries, and you’ve got a groove that lingers long after the needle lifts.
Fresh blood incoming! Wavelength Infinity marks the Pager debut of the Parisians Aline Umber & Maxime dB, and they’re making waves. Deep, undulating basslines meet shimmering pads in a hypnotic blend of rhythm and texture. It’s a groove-roller that pulls you in faster than a free drink at the bar.
Flip it over, and California Sunshine Boy Rocky delivers debut number two with Aquatic Maneuvers. Flowing pads and bubbling percussion weave together a lush, evolving soundscape. Organic and intricate, it shifts like underwater currents, with each layer wrapping around you like the warm embrace of an after-hours vibe you never want to end!
And then there’s the Gude-Launebär himself—Markus Sommer, aka Frau Hommer, answering the eternal question: Does it Funk? Spoiler: absolutely. Rolling basslines, sharp percussion, and cheeky melodic twists come together. This is Hommer energy at its peak!
You know the drill: Either you grab it while it’s hot, or you’ll be left watching it spin on someone else’s deck. PAGER15 is calling—don’t let it go to voicemail!
Throughout the 1980s, Michael Antener, born and raised in Bern, Switzerland, initiated an array of sonic endeavours in the realm of industrial, dark, aggressive music. Of his times as a post-apocalyptic hunter, he says today: I found a musical niche where I could express myself, along with other people who were not afraid of dark themes. It would have been hard to sing about love in my music, so I included sounds and cries of pain taken from horror movies.
It was a fortunate coincidence to come across one of his self released records, the 1986 EP Strangler of the Swamp, which marked the beginning of our quest to find this all but forgotten musician whose work seemed nowhere to be found. Eventually, we got in touch with Michael, who is still living in Bern, and began the process of searching through all his surviving musical and visual material.
The triple vinyl release is all about documenting Michael Anteners adventures during that intense 1980s period. We tried our best to select the most interesting material from his two earliest projects, The Strangler of the Swamp and Bande Berne Crematoire, comprising materials from vinyl records, cassettes, and live recordings, some of it unreleased. The release also includes a deep dive into Michaels visual archive of posters, photos, and sleeve artworks.
The disjointed, tumultuous body of work presented here marks the testament of a fringe musician who was disruptive and confrontational, keen to shock and alarm people (much to our liking), and who could easily have been lost in oblivion.
In this electrifying 2024, Flexi is still spinning, louder and prouder, as it marks 40 years of igniting dancefloors and fueling underground happiness. From its humble beginnings as a haven for vinyl enthusiasts to a cultural stronghold amidst the turbulent waves of the music industry, Flexi has become a name synonymous with passion, resilience, and the relentless pursuit of quality sound. To honor this milestone, Flexi’s indie label, Flexi Cuts, is dropping a second, limited-edition compilation. Aptly named "Musica Solida," this collection is spread across three or possibly four lush 12-inch samplers, each showcasing a handpicked selection of tracks from Flexi's cherished circle of artists and producers. This release is more than just a celebration; it’s a declaration—a call to arms to keep the spirit of the scene alive and thriving in Italy and beyond, against all odds.
"Musica Solida #2" doesn't just hold tracks—it’s got stories, moments, and grooves that demand movement. Each cut is a slice of that raw, unpolished energy that Flexi has championed for four decades.
Featured Artists on Musica Solida #2
Minimono: The powerhouse duo of Fabio Della Torre (founder of Bosconi Records) and Ennio Colaci take us on a hypnotic journey with their floor-filling "Before Morning." It’s the kind of track that keeps the dancefloor alive until the break of dawn.
DJ Rou: Going minimal yet impactful, DJ Rou delivers "Elastic Body," a dancefloor-ready cut that blends a stripped-back groove with robotic vocals—a futuristic twist that keeps things unpredictable.
Relative: Flexi’s proud owner kicks things off with an electro track that was conceived, birthed, and brought to life in a single whirlwind afternoon—an anthem for those who live for the moment.
Delphi: One half of the renowned Tiger & Woods, Delphi isn’t afraid to dive deep with a heavy-hitting house track, loaded with acid stabs and thick, pulsating basslines. A track that’s both a nod to the past and a push towards the future.
The record will be released in about 200 vinyl copies no more.
Packaged in the classic discobag 2- holes, with a distinctive letterpress print in a beautiful red cover.
• John Lee Hooker is not an artist who plays by the rules that govern what we generally accept as “traditional” blues music—he very rarely plays in 12-bar format when he performs his songs. On his most popular tune, ‘Boogie Chillen’, his lyrical and musical phrases last anywhere as short as nine or ten, or maybe fifteen or even nineteen measures long, depending on how long he wants to “boogie” on his guitar riffs that roll and tumble between his patented vocal phrases.
The first-ever vinyl reissue of the classic 1986 debut album from perennial pop icon and pin-up Samantha Fox. The only British female solo artist to score three Top Ten hits on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1980s, Samantha made her name as the nation’s favourite Page Three girl before launching an enviable music career.
Touch Me features four hit singles: the international smash ‘Touch Me (I Want Your Body)’ (#3 UK and #4 US), ‘Do Ya Do Ya (Wanna Please Me)’ (#10 UK), ‘Hold On Tight’ and ‘I’m All You Need’. Immediately establishing Samantha’s signature pop-rock sound, on its original release the album hit #17 in the UK, going silver, before reaching #24 in the US with a gold certification. Pressed on striking black vinyl with white and pink splatters to complement the original aesthetic, this edition boasts painstakingly rebuilt artwork and a newly designed inner bag featuring full lyrics. A strictly limited-edition picture disc is also available. Touch Me is reissued alongside Samantha’s self-titled second album and 1989’s I Wanna Have Some Fun.
After Dull Boy Johnny's previous release, a double EP with a tropical A-side and an erotic B-side, this time the three gentlemen are out on the dance floor. After all, the neighbours decided as much.
Unlike the recordings of their previous work that took place abroad, this time they stayed in a steamy attic room in Belgium, where guitarist and producer Jan built a studio. Unable to record at night because of neighbours who did not (yet) appreciate Dull Boy Johnny's music, they dove into Antwerp's nightlife.
The group's previous work took you on a cinematic journey where every musical nuance takes you to a specific setting. Be it an erotic seventies scene, a beach party in the Bahamas, or a blood-curdling chase in the Wild West, Dull Boy Johnny covers it all. Nard Houdmeyers, Rik De Bal and Jan found each other in a shared interest in film genres such as blaxploitation, neo-noir and spaghetti westerns. And therefore also the artists inherent to these genres such as Isaac Hayes, Curtis Mayfield and Ennio Morricone. Dull Boy Johnny's conceptual approach to music can be traced back to this passion for cinema.
For the new EP, however, they traded that cosy movie-watching for turbulent nightlife (the angry neighbours, you know). Besides, it was about time to get their inspiration in the flesh. Dull Boy Johnny immersed himself in the pulses, flashes and swell of downtown Antwerp. Thunder chasing crept under their skin and then into their guitars. In grandfatherly fashion, they then turned to composing, first with just bass, guitar and vocals. In that small lineup and with the sounds of the night still reverberating in their minds, the first pieces of the puzzle were laid out. After that, the sound was opened up and a solid rhythm boost was added. This defined the catchy, up-tempo nature of the upcoming EP that centres on themes of dancing, flirting and partying. Expect rousing riffs, catchy hooks and swinging rhythms. Details were meticulously laid out and bricked into the songs with delicate grouting. The fine polishing of the songs was done with patient finesse and a constant attitude to serve the song. With songs like Suspicion, She Can Groove and Dynamite, it is immediately clear that the gentlemen got their mustard from the club: action, party and spunk! All without losing their typical sensuality.
Despite the different working methods for the third EP, there are a lot of recurring elements that define Johnny's fresh sound. The essence? Catchy high vocals contrasted with a sensual baritone voice, carried by a groovy bass and rhythm section. Around it, the details that give the songs the right atmosphere swirl.
Dull Boy Johnny's music prefers to function as a soundtrack to your own imagination. As you listen, you are invited to wander through the various landscapes of their musical world, regularly giving a nod to the more lustful side of your brain. The songs have already been praised for their compelling melodies and irresistible energy.
With this release, Dull Boy Johnny proves their ability to create timeless music that both touches the soul and moves the body. So surrender to Dull Boy Johnny's punchy grooves and dance the night away. Long live the neighbours!
Last May, Hard Times captivated us with The Lost D.A.T.S (Part One)—a remarkable collection of unreleased and freshly unearthed gems from the vaults of NYC legend DJ Romain. But the story didn’t end there. To our surprise and delight, Romain had delivered an even larger treasure trove of beats—too many to reveal all at once.
Now, Hard Times is proud to present the next chapter: DJ Romain – The Lost D.A.T.S (Part Two).
"1996-97? Yeah, that’s when New York was still NEW YORK!
That was around the time we really started to get hold of exotic herbs. Copper Haze, hydroponic! The vibes in the studio were always lovely. I had hair at the time! Dread-Locs down to my shoulders... I was still rockin’ the Wallabees, or British Walkers as we called them - representing for Brooklyn and my West Indian roots!
There was no social media, no supervision, nobody all up in our business… It was classic "mind your own business" NYC Vibes! I was DJing at a lot of the hot clubs and THE hottest afterhours in the city. There were nights when I saw Micheal Douglas roll into the afters with Grace Jones - they were there to party and unwind and I was there dropping the dope tracks for the people.
When it was studio time, with my homie Matt Echols...I was probably setting things off with some quality herbage, a big ass bag of Funyuns and my trusty SP-1200, lol. I had picked up some tips and tricks from Todd Terry and by '96-'97 I was a Shaolin with it myself! This was around the time tracks like "Flowers" and "Only Love Can Break Your Heart (Dub)" were tearing up the clubs. I wanted to be able to get my ideas out with no problem, and by then I had a lot of confidence...
Being able to Dj in some of the hottest NY hot spots at the time, I was able to really see what worked and what didn't on the dancefloor. The best House Dancers from around the world and around the Tri-State area would be at my jams. I'm talking Ejoe, Voodoo Ray, maybe kids from the Mop-Top Crew... I was definitely taking note of the kind of rhythms and sounds that would make them go crazy on the dancefloor!
And that's how we went about it - I laid down the rhythms that made it happen in my sets and translated the vibes I was picking up from NYC itself. Matt threw down musically and we were just being as creative and inventive as possible! But we always kept in mind that our job was to make the people on the dancefloor jump!
A lot of the jams from those days got signed to various record labels, we dropped a lot of them on our own label...and some of them ended up in the archives - until now!"
We are overjoyed to present this album, another one from our bucket list and another one to set the record straight and illuminate the history of another much loved, but until now mysterious group. The Invaders made some of our all time favorite records - back in 2013 we issued five 45’s of their brilliant, sometimes plaintive, sometimes hopeful and sweet early roots music. Their sound touches folk and gospel in lovely subtle ways that elevate them above the many harmony groups of the early roots reggae era. Since the start of DKR we were striving to learn more about the group - and despite being able to license a portion of their output for reissue, and get anecdotes about them here and there, we were never able to connect with the group themselves. But we never gave up asking about them, and finally in 2024 we were able to link with Delroy “Bongo Pat” Forde, the surviving member of the group. Unfortunately other Invader, Lloyd “Paddy” Campbell passed on several years back. To hear and learn their full story, you need to check out this album and read the liner notes. This 13 song LP corrals much of their output - some of the tracks we previously issued but have been long out of press, some more never before reissued, and some great related solo works by the duo. And to cap it all off we’ve added two new voicings on a couple of our favorite vintage rhythms, by Invader Bongo Pat himself, live in 2024, singing two Invaders songs written way back in the early 1970s but never recorded back then. All together this is a long overdue document of one of the 1970’s finest groups and one dear to our heart.
DJ Quik is a giant of West Coast hip-hop. With 1995’s Safe + Sound, he scaled new levels of musical magnificence with his signature new age P-Funk/laconic G-Funk. A quintessential, sun-scorched LA album, this is pretty much essential. Typical for mid-90s albums the original vinyl copies are now rare so here’s the Be With re-issue, complete with “Tanqueray”, the hidden track from the original CD release.
A preternaturally gifted producer/rapper, DJ Quik has produced scores of LA gangsta rap classics. He’s released platinum and gold records of his own, as well as helped craft them for the likes of Tupac, Snoop Dogg, and Dr Dre. Quik has always been quirkier and more interesting than his gangsta rap peers, both musically and lyrically. An old-school funk producer at heart, he’s also incredibly nice on the mic. His raps often deal in boasts, jokes and good times but also cover his beefs, his trials and his trauma. Partying and pain, all mixed up. DJing and producing hype beat tapes from age 14, Quik’s tracks blended the languid funk and rubbery synths of Zapp and George Clinton with a gangsta aesthetic, creating a more danceable foil to Compton’s more typical nihilistic hedonism. Ultimately, his records sound custom engineered to drift out over sun-soaked barbecues.
By the time of his third album DJ Quik was a household name on the West Coast - California’s premier rapper/producer not named Andre Young. Released on Profile in 1995, Safe + Sound was certified gold. Less reliant on samples and more focused on live instruments, it elevated him from producer to fully-fledged composer. This sound — the quick, winding basslines, tinny high hats, smooth instrumental solos, soulful pipes, and Roger Troutman’s talkbox — defined him. This is an album of full-blown masterpieces. Rich soundscapes and masterfully arranged orchestrations with dense layers of sounds, intricate rhythms, and well-balanced songwriting.
The first track proper, “Get At Me” samples Cameo whilst Quik takes aim at the Judases in his life, the horn-laced chorus providing a triumphant feel. On the horizontal “Diggin’ U Out”, the soulful electric piano of Warryn Campbell lays a relaxed groove for Quik to talk over about one of his favourite topics: sex. Title track “Safe + Sound” chronicles Quik’s formative years over a slick instrumental. The moody bass locks a laidback infectious groove, the hook is catchy and Quik’s delivery is in fine form. On the uber-chilled “Somethin’ 4 Tha Mood”, Quik cooks up a breezy, feel good track of sparkly keyboards, syncopated claps, shuffling hi-hats, woozy synths and a floating two-minute flute solo courtesy of Robert “Fonksta” Bacon. Analysing the highs and lows of an average day in the hood, it echoes Cube’s “It Was a Good Day”.
“It’z Your Fantasy” is a silky smooth soundtrack to Quik’s detailed retelling of a sexcapade with a young lady and whilst “Tha Ho In You” is musically perfect for that midsummer family BBQ, its lyrical content is unsurprisingly decidedly less family-friendly. A real highlight, the infamous “Dollaz + Sense” is one of the most ruthless diss tracks of all time. The brutal lyrics ride a laidback West Coast beat, flipping a sample from Young & Company’s “I Like (What You’re Doing To Me)” as Quik fires lyrical shots at his arch Compton nemesis, MC Eiht. On the loping, hazy “Let You Havit”, Quik is again in gangsta mode, with more bars of barbs aimed at Eiht, rhyming over sun-kissed synthy-rollerskate funk.
Some of the finest tracks on Safe + Sound are those designed to de-stress. The evocative “Summer Breeze” is a classic warm-weather jam, anchored by a twangy funk guitar, breezy string arrangement, and a soulful hook delivered by Dionne Knighton. Quik’s nostalgic lyrics are not far from DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince’s “Summertime”, reminiscing over barbecues at the park, young love, and the brevity of halcyon youth. The relaxed and jazzy “Quik’s Groove III” is another highlight, as bass, guitar, piano and flute combine to create a smooth, soulful instrumental.
The swaggering “Shack Up”-sampling “Sucka Free” features a cameo from Playa Hamm, all funky braggadocio and over much too quikly (pun thoroughly intended). The jazz-flavoured “Keep Tha ‘P’ In It”, again featuring Playa Hamm but this time extending the cameo invitations to Hi-C, 2nd II None and Kam, is pure laidback P-Funk. The deep bass and industrial drums make sure the groove hits hard.
“Tanqueray” was originally a hidden track on the CD version of the album, but it’s too good to hide. This wild party samples Brass Construction’s gigantic “Get Up To Get Down” and soars in its drunk-ebullience. An apt way to close this party-driven set.
This 2022 Be With double LP re-issue has been mastered for vinyl by Simon Francis, cut by Pete Norman and pressed at Record Industry. Unusual for the time, Safe + Sound was originally pressed as a double, so all that was missing was the CD’s hidden bonus track “Tanqueray”, so we’ve fixed that. The original vinyl release never got a picture sleeve, so we’ve recreated the original’s promo-style silver-sticker and plain black jacket. A subtle cover for a wonderfully unsubtle record.
Tearra’s “Just Loving You” on it’s original U.S Midtown label due to its quality and desirability continues to regularly achieve four figure sale prices on the rare occasion that a copy comes on to the open market. Soul Junction through a licensing deal with Emandolynn Music first reissued this modern soul anthem back in 2017 as part of a dual 45 package that included the previously unissued Delights track “Listen To Me Girl” with the limited 500 copy pressing run selling out in a matter of days. Since then, copies of that Soul Junction release have regularly sold for circa £60 a copy with sales enquiries still being received for either side of this 45 to this day. Therefore, we at Soul Junction have decided to fulfill this continued demand by reissuing “Just Loving You” for the second this time paired with Teeah-Louise’s “You Happened To Me” as the featured flipside (reissued for the first time).
Tearra, real name Teeah-Louise a native of Mobile, Alabama was offered a recording contract by Philadelphian Record Producer/Label Owner Manny Campbell Jr during 1980. Campbell himself had relocated his Emandolynn Music operations from the city of Brotherly Love to Atlanta, Georgia some two years earlier. Campbell had planned to record a whole album on Teeah-Louise under the working title of “Great Love”. He firstly released a lead 45 single, the mid-tempo “You Happened To Me/Got To Keep You Mine” on his Coastal label logo with the artist credited as Teeah-Louise. Teeah’s fiancé didn’t share his future wife’s ambitions of a recording career and her prospective album project faltered and was never completed. Although as a further two tracks had been recorded this allowed a for second 45 release to follow “Ooh Let This Feeling (Last A Long, Long Time)” backed with the desirable “Just Loving You” these were released on the Midtown label, with Midtown by then being Coastal Records main record distributor. This second release was credited under the artist name of Tearra, due to Teah-Louise by now not wishing to use her real name. Both the Coastal and Midtown releases were only ever pressed in 500 promotional copies runs. Teeah-Louise left the recording business for good soon after her marriage.
In addition, a later 12” Coastal Records single issued on the group ‘Tomorrows Wish’ featuring the song “My Love For You” which shares the same backing track as Tearra’s “Just Loving You”. All four of Teeah-Louise’s songs were wrote by Manny Campbell, with Manny sharing the songwriting credits on “Ooh Let This Feeling (Last A Long, Long Time)” with his cousin, Keith “Toppie” Hill notably a former group member of the aforementioned ‘Delights’.
Glad to present you this hard industrial techno vinyl called PARANOID, with a fast (160 to 170bpm approx.), hard, raw and industrial techno, with talented artists from the Netherlands, Germany and Russia.
Studio, the influential project of Swedish musicians Dan Lissvik and Rasmus Hägg, presents their legendary 2006 debut in remastered form, in partnership with Ghostly International. Available in limited edition "Fog Machine Vinyl", CD, and cassette. "One of the finest pieces of electronic music you'll hear this year.” - The Guardian (2006). Included in year-end best-of write-ups by Pitchfork, FACT Magazine, and Rough Trade. Physical copies have long been out of print for West Coast, and the album has also been notably absent from most streaming services until now.
“Somehow, I knew I wanted to make a conceptual record that, although only imaginary at that point, could represent or define how our city sounded,” says Lissvik of Gothenburg's influence on West Coast. Some called Studio, the project of Swedish musicians Dan Lissvik and Rasmus Hägg, “the missing link between The Cure and Lindstrøm,” Pitchfork heard Durutti Column and Can, as the duo’s story became swept up in a loosely developing scene — adjacent first to the label Service (Jens Lekman, The Whitest Boy Alive) and later Sincerely Yours (The Tough Alliance, jj) — and a precursor to the 2010s boom at the axis of electronic and psychedelic music guided by indie greats like Caribou, Four Tet, and Darkside.
West Coast, their seminal 2006 debut, captured a faraway romanticism of Balearic brushed up against Krautrock, disco, dub, and afrobeat, with pop lyricism lifted from new wave, all made modern by two art school grads in Gothenburg. First pressed in a small vinyl-only run via their own Information label, the album has been notably absent from most streaming services, and the internet’s record of its initial impact is all but fossilized from a bygone blog era, while its sound is simply untraceable to any one moment in music.
Outside of three 7” releases, they’d keep the music to themselves for several more years. In 2005, Hägg remembers, “We got our degrees and were kicked out of our studio spaces so all these recordings were just piled up. A year later we dusted them off and started to deconstruct and assemble them in a more drawn-out fashion.” In the same breadth, they cite DJ Screw, J Dilla, and Joy Division, along with early ‘80s European live DJ sets from the likes of Beppe Loda, Dj Mozart, and Baldelli as reference points.
“The anything-goes mentality was very encouraging and was a big cornerstone to the Studio sound,” says Hägg. “But there’s so much more to the picture, we were not that young then and had lots of musical baggage in our suitcases, the new thing was that we finally let it all come through, not bound by any borders that was often the case with music identity in Sweden during the 90s.” In the afterglow of the record’s 2007 reception, Studio receded from view, clouded behind a mountain of remix requests (including one for Kylie Minogue that saw release) and label bureaucracy. “It’s easy to wish we would have done some proper recordings of our own instead,” Hägg reflects. But both artists, now well into respective careers beyond Studio, have come to peace with West Coast as their most enduring effort together. Lissvik adds, “It serves as a good reminder for me to keep to that decision and promise and to continue exploring and growing
The time has arrived for the release of the long awaited EP by LEBA, with the prolific title - Into The Lights.
Carefully and thoughtfully crafted over two years, the legendary record producer of High Power Music, General Lee, teamed up with the magnificent Legends Sly and Robbie, to produce the daughter of legendary Jamaican Icon Toots Hibbert: LEBA.
This LP features 7 songs including a feature from Jamaican Portland deejay Blackout JA, on track "No one loves you like me", which was released in 2021. These songs carry you on a musical journey of time and space, on a dub and reggae background, which soothes the ears of its listeners, and gets them grooving to the bassline of the late Robbie Shakespeare OD and Sly Dunbar OD and Taxi Gang.
The songs paint a picture through conscious words and messages, heavy and spacey instrumentation, recorded & mixed at One Pop Recording Studio Kingston Jamaica by Rorey Baker. An atmosphere that will surely transport its listeners into the calm and relaxing space of reggae and dub music.
The million-selling self-titled duet album by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway was the breakthrough record for Flack. Donny already enjoyed some commercial success, but their hit singles “You’ve Got a Friend” and “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” put Roberta on the radar. The sensitive and emotional masterpiece can be seen as one of the best duet albums of all time. It was the album’s third single “Where Is the Love” which dominated the US radio for almost a year, and reached the fifth spot in the Billboard Hot 100. The album itself shows a work of great depth and tenderness, with some of the most impressive vocal harmonies you’ll ever hear. After the success of the album Flack and Hathaway recorded sporadically together throughout the ‘70s, until Hathaway’s tragic death in 1979.
Mint Condition - A record label focused on excavating the outer fringes of classic House and Techno. Unreleased mixes, classics, overlooked gems and never heard before material, mined from the last 30+ years of contemporary dance music are the order of the day. From Chicago, Detroit and New York to London and beyond. Mint Condition have got their digging hats on to bring you exclusive heat and those rarer than rare jams that have been in your wants list for years. Dig in....
Tobias Menguser, AKA Leon De Winter, was a very influential figure in the 90's Frankfurt techno scene, releasing around 100 records under various aliases, including collaborations with Ricardo Villalobos, but it was his Leon De Winter alias that really caught the ears of legendary London label Eukahouse, who originally releases this 12" all the way back in 1997. A one-off, it is not only unique in its sound design but also genre defying, spanning deep house, tech-house, techno, electro and breaks.
A-Side 'Apollo Jazz' is truly that, sounding like it was composed from a freeform jam on a trip to the Moon. Opening with emotive chords, the track lifts off and builds, melodies effortlessly twist and turn, superbly pulling together a variety of well crafted synths, bass and percussion whilst keeping the energy to the fore. Over to the B-Side, 'Metamat', is bold and more playful in its execution, more sonic trickery abounds as the opening riffs and breakbeat percussion give way to a solid 4/4. The bass is as memorable as it is quirky, but again it's the strength in the way all the elements build and combine that creates some real tripped-out musical moments without ever losing its dance floor appeal.
This is one of Tobias's most sought after releases and it's no wonder his collaborative work with Ricardo Villalobos is legendary. The tracks themselves have remained exciting and relevant, achieving cult status amongst the most discerning DJs, record collectors and music heads alike. Legitimately re-released with the full involvement of Tobias Menguser, lovingly remastered by London's Curve Pusher from the original DATs especially for Mint Condition. 100% legit, licensed and released. Dug, remastered, repackaged and brought to you by the caring folks at your favourite reissue label - Mint Condition!
Early support by Alderaan, Charlotte de Witte, Dave Miller (Abstract Division), Dimi Angelis, Dj Almelo, Dustin Zahn, Forkowski, Gareth Wild, Gotshell, Hector Oaks, Joton, Kwartz, Kessell, Kaiser, Lewis Fautzi, Nez, Norman Nodge, Norbak, Phara, Ryuji Takeuchi, Stranger, Takaaki Itoh, Tensal.
After high demand, Fred again.. releases a repress of Actual Life 3 (January 1 - September 9 2022) on March 31st after almost immediately selling out of vinyl copies upon the original release. the third in his series of Actual Life albums.
Actual Life 3 (January 1 - September 9 2022) is the third in his series of Actual Life albums, which saw Fred again.. resume his diary-esque approach to production using intimate use of voice notes from friends,
videos found whilst scrolling on Instagram and samples from important records in his life. It was an autobiographical
chapter of work that pushed forward the heritage of UK electronic music while standing as testament to the power of music in facilitating catharsis, healing and celebrating the realities of friendship, love and life. The album was
instrumental in his breakthrough as a global artist and debuted at #4 in the UK album charts, becoming the highest-
streaming new release globally on Spotify on its first weekend.
The album features his hit singles Danielle (smile on my face), Delilah (pull me out of this), Kammy (like i do) and Bleu (better with time). The repress remains on a clear vinyl, but this time round the vinyl comes in a black inner bag and the tracklist now mirrors the digital tracklist.
Fred has quickly become one of the most talked about live acts as he transformed his Actual Life records into an immersive, communal real-life experience for the first time, selling out shows across the UK and USA. Fred again.., Skrillex and Four Tet recently did a series of pop up events across New York, culminating in a record breaking sold out, 5 hour b2b set at Madison Square Garden. Also been announced that Fred will be performing the penultimate slot at this year’s Glastonbury Festival.
Fred’s recent Boiler Room performance remains one of the most viewed Boiler Rooms to date, surpassing over 16 million views.
We are happy to finally share with you the snippets and history behind our first release. Written and produced by Wave Particle Singularity, the author marks with this release another remarkable house music maestro work. He opens the EP with the track Zarbeeya, in which he takes us through a journey of soul saharian chords and chants by his best friend's wife Sabrina, straight from Algeria. The artist follows with the A2, Maghzal, a story for the carpet manufacturing process. On the B side, we are immersed in a more micro-minimalistic groove underlying desertic harmonies with Ghardaia on the B1, and a full-swing dubby groover on the B2 to close the EP and bridge a link from the Algerian Sahara to Berlin.
In 2000 and 2001 the original version of 6th Gate raged over mainland Europe hitting top 10 in a dozen countries and becoming platinum and gold in Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Greece, Poland,….
In 2023 the track got 2 make-overs by Reinier Zonneveld and Quintino. 2 years on, 2025, the track gets the commercial make-over it deserves.
Remix by Erik Hubo, the original producer/author of the 2023 worldwide clubhit Metro (Mau P/Kevin De Vries) Armin Van Buuren absolutely loves the track and it made it’s debut on Armin’s show A State Of Trance on November 7th.
Smoove is back with his infamous Multitrack Rework series with volume 8, kicking things off with a seven minute, stripped back bass and drums workout of ‘Engine Number 9’
The flip side has an extended version of ‘Got To Be Real’ with an open drum intro Smoove breaks down the incredible brass arrangements and showcases the stunning vocal harmonies.
The 12” also comes with a spacey dubbed out version of ‘Star Of A Story ‘ with upfront haunting backing vocals, super tight drums and dreamy fender Rhodes.
You’re NEXUS 21, central to the dizzy zeitgeist of the 1991 adrenaline rammed UK House Music juggernaut, and you have just recorded a masterpiece of an album MIND MACHINES.
DON’T DO IT LIKE THAT - somehow even though your record label love the album it does not get released.
DO IT LIKE THIS - it finally gets issued now.
When Mark Archer and Chris Peat flew back from a seminal recording session at Kevin Saunderson’s KMS Studio in Detroit there was a palpable feel of excitement. Instead of merely paying homage to their Techno forerunners, they were now creating their own just as innovative waveforms.
In the can was a gem - DON’T DO IT LIKE THIS, DO IT LIKE THAT. Motor City songstress Donna Black had unconsciously seemed to add Ma to the start of her name and her recorded in the dark vocals helped conjure up an almost Madonna and a drum machine meets Techno hybrid. This it was agreed could be a huge breakthrough single which - preceded by strategically released set up tracks - would build up Nexus 21’s surely inevitable rise to glory. And the release of the MIND MACHINES album. But it never happened. Instead one day Mark and Chris burst into Network’s Birmingham office excitedly brandishing no less than 8 new recordings infused with a propulsive Rave energy flash compared to their more cerebral Nexus 21 work. The label agreed that the new tracks should be released under a new artist name and an initial suggestion. Alien 8 replaced by Altern 8. What was planned as temporary dalliance became a long term relationship. You all know the score - Altern 8 became surf riders supreme on the rave tsunami, not just music makers but myth creators. The plan has been to run Nexus 21 and Altern 8 parallel, a kind of schizophrenic experiment by two men, a drum machine and a mad for it record company. History shows that Altern 8 became too DOMIN 8 and the lovingly recorded Nexus 21 album was left on the proverbial shelf (actually a box in Birmingham)
So now MIND MACHINES finally meets the World. First thing that screams out that it hasn’t half aged well. Obviously it is a wet dream for the anoraks of electronica, that goes without saying. But above and beyond the history lesson of how 2 young UK techno mad kids got the dots from Detroit and deconstructed them to create something very British the music they created, sometimes naive but frequently knowledgeable, sounds .. well just great.
The four Detroit recordings - NEXODUS, TOGETHER, DON’T DO IT LIKE THAT, DO IT LIKE THIS and EVERYTHING (NO STATUES) - variously feature contributions from Motor City luminaries Marc Kinchen and Anthony Shakir.
Only two of the twelve recordings were properly released in 1990/1991 with two more making it on a withdrawn white label 12 inch at the time. Three of the tracks, including a live recording at London’s Brain Club that has been retrieved from a DAT that was thought to have disappeared, are previously unreleased. And as well as two previously unreleased much altered versions of Nexus 21 gems there is the legendary much tougher mix of the duo’s signature techno treasure Self Hypnosis.
Introducing our latest release by Barcelona based corsican DJ and producer Groenogen, a captivating exploration of the duality between light and darkness.
This EP features four distinct tracks, each representing a unique identity within a syncretic soundscape. Dive into complex chopping and interrogative feelings, as he constructs an emotional journey inspired by the 90s progressive house. Expect electro patterns and dreamy outcomes reminiscent of iconic Italian and German Electro House tracks, all infused with tight grooves and unexpected drops that harken back to the golden era of 2000s Tech House.
Nous'klaer Audio proudly presents Paerels III (aka Pearls 3), the third and final edition of its beloved 3x12" compilation series. This release brings together a refreshing splash of sounds, unbound by genre, blending deep-listening pieces with driving techno, rave-tinged house, and a few playful surprises. Contributions come from both familiar faces and new voices on the label, with some tracks pulled from the archives and others fresh out of the studio - curated by label-head Oberman. Featuring artists like Megan Leber, Mattheis with a remix from Pye Corner Audio, Marie K, Mattias El Mansouri, Cooper Saver, Kems Kriol, Martinou, Human Space Machine, Koraal, Eversines, Erik Luebs, Mathilde Nobel with an Oceanic remix, Mary Lake, and lastly Gotu Jim.
DINTE presents a cassette-only two-part Japanese post-punk, goth & new wave mixtape, the first in a tranche of regionally-focused mixes produced in partnership with Philadelphia's punk archivists World Gone Mad.
DJ Support: Danny Howard, Annie Mac, Mistajam,Pete Tong, Charlie Hedges, Kraak & Smaak, Maxinne,Todd Terry, Alex Preston, Full Intention, GW Harrison,DJ Rae, Rudimental, Alaia & Gallo, Illyus & Barrientos,Johan S, David Penn, Sam Divine, Riva Starr, Claptone,Nice7, Dario D’Attis, Mousse T, S-Man, Huxley, KCLights, Friend Within, Dombresky, Gorgon City, ChrisLake, Format:B, Pirupa, TCTS, Alan Fitzpatrick, LowSteppa, Mat.Joe, Raumakustik, Eskuche
Coming out the traps strong, our next 4-track vinylsampler series kicks things off with Toolroom’s very own Mark Knight who continues his impressive string of collaborations with Darius Syrossian appearing alongside him for the first time on the label. Mark and Darius, along with studio maestro James Hurr,stumbled on this classic ‘Let’s All Chant’ sample and together proceeded to write a peak-time, tech house slammer around it. With relentless energy and lush vocal licks and that all-familiar 90’s sample, this one works a treat on the dancefloor.International House don Low Steppa is next for a special release with Malta’s finest, Jewel Kid. Their track ‘Big Busta’ oozes ATTITUDE! Slamming tech house drums, an insatiable groove and a tongue-in-cheek vocal that will raise many a smile on the dancefloor. Another certified club weapon for sure! CASSIMM kicks off the flipside on the vinyl with another peak-time club weapon as he returns with ‘Say Yeah’ alongside vocalist Mahalia Fontaine. The Italian born House music maestro is on fine form as always here, hot on the heels of his ‘Love Desire’ record that went stratospheric in late 2023 on Claptone’s ‘Golden Recordings’ label. With a big bassline and oodles of dance floor energy alongside Mahalia’s rasping, diva style vocal adding that classic house vibe to proceedings! Finally, we round things off with the once mysterious but now ‘unmasked’ house duo ‘Wh0’ with a rip-roaring club banger! Remixing for the likes of The Prodigy, Basement Jaxx, Calvin Harris and Meduza whilst collaborating with Armand van Helden, Nile Rodgers and David Guetta under his Jack Back alias.This track is a heads down, no-nonsense, tongue-in-cheek club weapon! Seriously powerful drums, aplayful acid line and a very cheeky vocal that will cause a stir on many a dance floor!
Countless radio plays on Radio 1 from Danny Howard,Sarah Storie, Pete TongOther notable radio plays – Kiss FM, Toolroom Radio,Sirius XM, Data Transmission Radio, Radio 1 DanceAnthems, Radio 1 Party Anthems, Rinse FM, SelectRadio, Tomorrowland Radio
James Johnson Jr AKA Kukri is one exceptionally talented electronic music producer, composer and DJ known across the world for his hard as nails techno sound. His calm demeanour belies the massive amounts of energy he creates in his highly technical DJ sets and from within the ethereal beauty of his live performances, with many top-flight DJs swearing by his output, dropping his tracks relentlessly throughout their sets.
Continuing with the ‘Limited As Fuck’ series of releases, on our fiercely independent techno label based in Scotland, we’ve got on our heavy duty high explosive under pants for this relentless detonator of a release comin’ at you all the way from across the pond in Ohio, USA. There’s more ruthless techno dynamite in this one release than if you strapped twelvty grenades to a set of decks and pulled all the pins out simultaneously, the roofs are all gonna blow off wherever this one goes KABOOM in clubland. And along-with the three original blast shattering tracks, Lee Holman, making his RIOT Radio Records debut, is on remix shenanigans for the fourth with an aggressively merciless Detroit infused mangling to ignite the crowds even further.
The full digital release also features the original version of ‘Detection’ which Lee Holman accepted an unceasingly intense RIOTous mission to reconstruct.
WARNING: AFTER DETONATION THE RIOT SENTINEL SHALL APPEAR
To coincide with its 20th anniversary, Clint Mansell's haunting score to Darren Aronofsky's 2000 film, Requiem for a Dream, performed by Kronos Quartet, returns to vinyl. This was Mansell’s second of several collaborations with Aronofsky, following 1997’s π, and features arrangements by David Lang of Bang on a Can. The film stars Academy Award-winner Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly and Marlon Wayans, and was adapted from the 1978 novel by Hubert Selby, Jr. (Last Exit to Brooklyn), who also wrote the screenplay with Aronofsky. Set on the rusted mean streets of Coney Island, Brooklyn, Requiem for a Dream tells the parallel stories of four people pursuing their dreams of better lives. The reissue features the original soundtrack, plus two bonus tracks.
Clint Mansell, a musician, composer, and founding member of the band Pop Will Eat Itself, first worked with Darren Aronofsky on the score for his 1998 film π. Also released by Nonesuch are Mansell’s scores for Aronofsky's The Fountain (2006), nominated for a Golden Globe, and Noah (2014). His other scores include The Wrestler (2008), Moon (2009), Black Swan (2010), Filth (2013), Stoker (2013), High Rise (2016), for which he received an Ivor Novello nomination, and Loving Vincent (2017).
For more than 40 years, San Francisco’s Kronos Quartet – David Harrington (violin), John Sherba (violin), Hank Dutt (viola), and Sunny Yang (cello) – has combined a spirit of fearless exploration with a commitment to continually re-imagining the string quartet experience. In the process, Kronos has become one of the world’s most celebrated and influential ensembles, performing thousands of concerts, releasing more than 50 recordings, collaborating with many of the world’s most eclectic composers and performers, and commissioning over 850 works and arrangements for string quartet. A Grammy winner, Kronos is also the only recipient of both the Polar Music Prize and the Avery Fisher Prize. Most recently, in 2019, Nonesuch released Kronos’s ground-breaking collaboration with composer Terry Riley, Sun Rings, and, in 2017, Folk Songs, featuring Sam Amidon, Olivia Chaney, Rhiannon Giddens and Natalie Merchant.
We're back with another heavy release for the soundsystems.
This time we welcome Boomarm Nations own Gulls to the label.
Hailing from his dojo in Portland, Oregon, Gulls delivers us a
meditative dub hybrid, combining elements of dub, hip hop and contemporary electronica. The tune is called ''So Blessed'' and is topped by the fine voice of Wayne Daniel outta Kingston, Jamaica.
''So Blessed'' got exactly the vibe you'll need in this challenging time. Keep your head up, feel gifted for what you've got and give something back to the people around you. This tune's backing you up.
If that wasn't enough, the Portland rapper Madgesdiq steps pon the mic for some blazin' bars in his signature conscious style.
Get lost in this wicked production while heading right into the dub version to exceed the border between music and meditation.
To feel the sound through your body and soul, LXC lifted the frequencies again.
Matthew Dear's Black City Can't Be Found On Any Map. It's A Composite, An Imaginary Metropolis Peopled By Desperate Cases, Lovelorn Souls, And Amoral Motives. Like Most Literary Gothams, Black City Is A Place To Love And Hate, As Seedy As A Nightclub's Back Room And As Seductive As The Promise Of Power. Matthew Dear, The Musician, May Live In New York City, But The Matthew Dear Of Black City Inhabits A Sound-world Unlike Any Other: A Monument To The Shadowy Side Of Urban Life That Bumps And Creaks, Shudders And Wakes Up Screaming In The Middle Of The Night. Black City Is Matthew Dear's Third Album On Ghostly International, And It's His Darkest And Most Engrossing Work To Date.
From The rst Notes Of Album Opener "honey", It's Clear That The Love-obsessed Matthew Dear Of 2007's Asa Breed Has Given Way To A More Existentially Paranoid Entity, As Creeping Tempos Dominate, Cavernous Atmospherics Envelop The Listener, And Strange Distortions Crackle On The Horizon. In Black City, Nothing Is At It Seems: Leadoff Single "little People (black City)" Is A Nine-and-a-half Minute Disco odyssey, subverting its gleaming electronic lead with eerily giddy backing vocals and cryptic, ominous lyrics ("a frozen wasted heart / has died", "love me like a clown"); "You Put a Smell on Me" is a sordid sex romp set to hysterically chattering percussion and a serrated synth line that will set your teeth on edge; "More Surgery" at rst recalls the barely-there Krautrock of Harmonia in its burbling minimalism, until Dear's chanted chorus of "Alter genetics / to make my body glow / I need more surgery / there's so much more to know" sends the track hurtling into a dystopian future.
And yet, for all the foreboding moods on Black City, it's the album's sweeter moments that illustrate Matthew Dear's growing maturity as a songwriter. "Slowdance" is a futuristic lullaby in which Dear articulates a lover's helplessness ("I can't be the one to tell you everything's wrong") over breathy, Arthur Russell-esque cello swishes; the album-closing "Gem" is an achingly simple, reverb-drenched piano ballad that ends with a long, slow fade. Even in Matthew Dear's Black City, there is hope.
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.
High impact bangers from Argentinian artist Zisko. You speak your truth, reach a climax, from the ashes and end at the dystopian paradise!
A1 Speak Your Truth - literally sounds like it's speaking out the truth, close to screaming in a funky loop, stomping it out
A2 Climax - a more stripped tune that builds with tension and reaches a climax
B1 From The Ashes - pure power, pure energy, rising from the ashes, incredible, insane and intricate percussion, driving towards the paradise that comes next
B2 The Dystopian Paradise - the first tune that got picked for the EP, the final destination, a beautiful crunch into the dystopian paradise where it's all groovy haha
‘I Gotta Limit’ was the first new music shared from Matt Berry’s forthcoming album “Heard Noises”.
The track sees Matt trading lines with Kitty Liv, over a Sly Stone-inspired arrangement that is part Northern Soul, part Psych.
With an immediate incredible response for the track among fans - long ahead of the album release in January 2025 - Acid Jazz has decided to make the single available as a limited edition, picture sleeve 7”.
It is backed by a previously-unreleased remix of ’Summer Sun’ by Bond composer David Arnold.
Featuring 17 chart-topping hits from the legendary band Earth Wind & Fire, this album is a must for any collector. Earth Wind & Fire's Greatest Hits is perhaps the best collection for both beginners and lifelong fans of the band. Featuring all the hits of the 100 million selling band, this album is bursting with groovy, funky, and soulful music.
With certified classics such as "September", "Let's Groove", "Boogie Wonderland", "After The Love Has Gone", "Fantasy" & "Shining Star", this is a must for anyone with a turntable.
Greatest Hits is available as a limited edition of 3000 individually numbered copies on flaming coloured vinyl, housed in a gatefold sleeve.
