Buscar:grit

BITE label head Phase Fatale aka Hayden Payne drops his first EP in 5 years 'Nailed To The Net' and his first solo release on his own record imprint. The Berghain and Khidi resident develops his sound further into the dancefloor and techno sphere while still maintaining his signature post-punk influence. The innovative techno producer and DJ combines his spectrum of dystopian, gritty, industrial electronics with his deep understanding of synthesis and sound design. This sonic approach is all the more exemplified in Rrose's remix of 'Desecrating Vows'. The release finds Payne taking his productions to new levels by including different musical elements such as breakbeats, arpeggiations, and massively layered chordal sequences. Reflecting the last year when he produced it in Berlin, injecting all broken hearted emotions from then, each track contains more groove and nuance while having dense, shoegaze-alike atmosphere and melodies. Even containing distant voice and guitar elements, 'Nailed To The Net' maintains his trademark balance between the dancefloor and his eclectic influences.

Following up his debut “Sycomore” EP signed in 2015 on Arboretum with a remix of Samuel Kerridge, the Italian born, Berlin based electronic music producer Mogano returns on Voidance Records with his new work “Terrarium!. By revisiting the initial approach of re-processing traditional eastern instruments such as the Egyptian Rebab into cinematic landscapes and sharp gritty textures, this work also consistently moves towards more Industrial, Techno, IDM and Drum&Bass territories. The Mediterranean cultural bridging got even more refined by the contribution of the Maltese producer Llimbs wich reveals a vibrant, ritualistic reinterpretation of the opening track “Terrarium”.

The unmistakable Skatebård classic “The Bells of Mist” has received special remix treatment by Bård’s friend and co-conspirator Lauer. Twice! Accompanying the original are two new takes on the tune, stirring up the heavy grit of the original with some complimentary upbeat melodic rhythms. “Lauer Flute Mix” is a punched up house version with melodic keys and a spacey backdrop, enhancing the playful elements of the track. The “Marshall Mix” adds a distorted gritty touch topped off with classic piano riffs. Together with the memorable dubbed-out disco tune “Farver/Flimrer” also found on CDIII, this release reunites us with two Skatebård hard-to-find-on-wax originals and hot interpretations by Lauer. On red vinyl!

Bartosz Kruczyński, also known as artist Earth Trax, is arguably among the leading names in Poland’s current electronic music scene. Based in Warsaw, his music is deeply emotive and explores a wide-ranging sonic palette that is complemented by well-defined artistic concepts. He has already featured on labels including Phonica Records, Growing Bin, Into The Light and Shall Not Fade –with whom he released his acclaimed debut album in 2020–.

His Lapsus release 'Closer Now', takes a different trajectory to his previous album 'The Sensual World' Shall Not Fade, 2022, fundamentally an energetic and high tempo club record. In contrast, 'Closer Now' focuses on fresh and disparate ideas, with tracks that could typically be classified as more unrestrained B-sides that deconstruct sounds aimed at the dancefloor.

‘Closer Now' is influenced by liminal spaces and cultivates surreal and dreamlike qualities. Conversely it also possesses a sense of strength and grit, highlighted by moments where electronic distortion bares its teeth. It is an album that both refers both to IDM and chill out rooms.

Fedele’s Obscura Music continues to set a precedent for underground electronic music through a wave of carefully curated exploratory releases from hand-picked global talent alongside the Bari-based label boss himself. The latest shining example of Obscura’s ever-expanding avant-garde ap-peal is also the second chapter of Fedele’s ‘The Awake’ chronicle - following the well-received arrival of Pt. 1 in July 2022.

Spike Express’ opens ‘The Awake, Pt. 2’ with an expectedly potent and pumping Indie Dance thun-derbolt from the label boss. Boasting pulsating grooves and a plethora of concrete analogue musi-cality from start to finish, it’s another head-turning frequency-rich stomper from Fedele that keeps you well within a firm grip for the entirety.

‘The Envelope’ matches the searing vibe with another remarkable club-focused cut from the Italian. Undulating drum work and fizzing hat sequences provide a blend of punch and swing whilst gritty lead melodies and atmospheric soundscapes bring the track’s ominously ear-catching persona to life.

On the flip, we welcome two remixers to the project to provide undeniably unique and blistering offer-ings. Electroclash’s founding father, French electronic icon The Hacker pairs with fellow Bari-native Golden Virgo.

• The Hytones were Nashville’s top soul group and under the tutelage of genius producer and songwriter Bob Holmes, made some great music. ‘You Don’t Even Know My Name’ was their first release on the short-lived Southern Artists label before it was released on Bell. It is an exceptionally smooth style of singing by the group - in unison for much of the track.
• ‘Good News’ by contrast is a gritty Stax-sounding mover that was first a 100 Club Anniversary single before being issued as a Kent 45. Now regarded as a rare soul classic, its release on a Southern Artists repro label will be welcomed.

Sublime Frequencies is honored to release the third LP from Baba Commandant and the Mandingo Band. Sonbonbela was recorded in the beginning of 2022 in the Republic of Burkina Faso. The group continue to hone their trademark fusion of Mandingue and afro-beat styles. The Mandingo Band are a hit machine, sculpting seven new tracks of near Beefheart/Magic Band dynamics, Fela inspired groovers dusted out in the Sahel zone, rather than the humidity and sweat of Lagos, creating one of the most original and propulsive musical statements to come from the contemporary West African cultural juggernaut. As with previous releases, the band features the legendary guitar pyrotechnics of Issouf Diabate, truly one of the greatest West African (or Earth for that matter) guitarists of the last forty years. The band is completed by a near bottomless barrel of artistry from the Ouagadougou and Bobo Dioulasso musical talent pool. On bass guitar, Wendeyida Ouedraogo, on drums Abbas Kabore, and on percussion and balafon, Nickie Dembele. Leading the charge again is the captain himself, Mamadou Sanou on the Doso Ngoni featuring one of the most distinctive voices of the modern era. The opposite of the banal trends of auto-tune that have pervaded most of West African popular music, Baba’s voice still impresses with its gravel and grit, showcasing a range that is ancient and defiant in equal measure. This LP is a non-stop hit parade of afro-beat bangers destined to light dance floors and living rooms ablaze!!! This album is dedicated to the memory of Massimbo Taragna, the bass player extraordinaire who was an integral part of the Mandingo Band’s trance stun musical power. He passed away in early 2022. RIP TRACKLIST: Side A: CHASSER LES SACHETS, KAMELEBA, AFRO MANDINGO, SEMAYALA Sida B: SEREJUGU, SONBANBELA, WARIKO

Dana Kelley, aka DKMA, is a much revered writer, producer, remixer, performer and creative force whose releases have become timeless classics and Holy Grails amongst DJs, music heads and collectors alike. A true artist and innovator, his productions possess the unique ability to engage, transport, challenge and enthral as only next level musicians can.

Grounded in the deep, soulful US House sound of the mid '90's, his earliest releases can be found on Strictly Rhythm, before moving on to produce under his DKMA alias as well as releasing music as Callisto on Guidance. Although Dana sadly passed away in 2013, he left us with a remarkable body of work that has remained both exciting and relevant throughout the last 2 decades and beyond.

Boston Boy Vol.2 is the 2nd in a series of compilations that focuses on Dana's visionary work as DKMA, during his most compelling and creative phase between 1997 and 2002. The compilations themselves are collated from an incredible & far reaching archive of over 20 of Dana's original DATs that have been generously shared with us by the Kelley Family. In the archive, some of Dana's most sought after & cherished works were uncovered, restored and meticulously assembled alongside previously unheard archival material.

The tracks themselves are bold, clever and inventive, characterised by a need for innovation. Passages of deep soulful house underpin more forward thinking electronics without ever losing dance floor appeal. Jazz solos sit imaginatively on top of gritty swinging rhythms, deep infectious b-lines, eerie textures and chord sequences are warm and effortlessly soulful yet with a sound design, sonic range, dynamism and a technical prowess that most could only dream of.

These compilations celebrate the life, vision and art of one of house music's most hallowed producers. Unique and essential, these collections pull together DKMA's most coveted works. Respectfully sourced, restored and compiled from all audio sources courtesy of the Kelley family and Above Board Projects.

Mastered by Frank Merritt at The Carvery, London, with special artwork by Atelier Surplus featuring a special unseen image of Dana from his family's photo albums.

Half a year after the Dutch DJ/producer’s debut release on his new Maximalist_Minimalist imprint, SAMA makes his return with MXMN002. Cementing the venture into his new, gritty sound, the release sees his pitch-perfect production moulded into another set of four hard-hitting, club-ready techno tracks.

Leading the release, ‘End All’ combines gritty shakers, hard kicks, and synth stabs for an eerie, atmospheric lead track. ‘Kill The Heat’ follows with dark arpeggiators over modulating rhythms and robust drums. On the flip, ‘Forced To Revolt’ kicks off the B-side with an intense vibe, placing the focus on evolving and interweaving synthesis, before ‘Tripping Over Wires’ closes the release with its groovy percussion and trippy melodic sensibilities.

2023 REPRESS in Ltd Transparent Vinyl

Strut are proud to announce the first ever internationally released new studio album by one of the all-time legends of Nigerian music, Orlando Julius, in a mouth-watering new collaboration with London super-group The Heliocentrics. At his club residency in Ibadan, Orlando Julius was one of the very first to begin fusing US R&B with traditional highlife during the mid-'60s with his Modern Aces band. His 'Super Afro Soul' album from '66 set the blueprint for a whole generation of Afrobeat and Afro funk stars and, in an illustrious career, Julius met and played with Louis Armstrong, The Crusaders, Hugh Masekela and Lamont Dozier among others, famously co-composing the classic 'Going Back To My Roots' in 1979 whilst based in the USA.
or 'Jaiyede Afro', Julius takes us back to his own roots, revisiting several compositions from h s early years whi ch have never previ ousl y been recorded. The title track recal l s his experiences as a boy: 'my mother would go to group meetings with other women. They would sing together and play drums, I would play along with them and we would sing this song together.' Infectious chant 'Omo Oba Blues' is a traditional song sung at Julius' school which he re-arranged in 1965 for his Modern Aces band. The epic Afrobeat jam 'Be Counted' stems from his years in the USA: 'this was written around 1976 while I was living on the West coast. I did start recording it for the 'Sisi Sade' album around 1985 but it was never finished.'
Other tracks include 'Buje Buje' and 'Aseni', both re-worked arrangements from his rare 'Orlando Julius and The Afro Sounders' album from 1973.
Recorded at the Heliocentrics' fully analogue HQ in North London, the band follow their memorable collaborations with Mulatu Astatke and Lloyd Miller by taking Orlando's sound into new, progressive directions, retaining the raw grit of his early work and adding psychedelic touches and adventurous new arrangements. They also contribute live favourite, the James Brown cover 'In The Middle' and a series of memorable shorter interludes.

Raw, heavy, aggressive and at times genuinely creepy, Kent metallers Graphic Nature are one of the most energized and exciting new bands to emerge from the British metal scene in years. Taking their name from a track on Deftones’ Koi No Yokan album, in 2019 Graphic Nature announced themselves with the single Grit, and immediately began carving a name for themselves as a ferocious new force in British metal. With their first EP New Skin, mixing moments of snarling nu-metal aggro and the scalding fury of Slipknot’s debut album with instrumental passages that at times recall the genius of Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor, they have found their sonic identity, and are ready to release their first LP, produced by George Lever. As the band continue to rise – having already shared the stage with the likes of Employed To Serve and Palm Reader - there’s even more confidence now in who they are and what they’re doing. Things are only going to get bigger. Graphic Nature are here to stay!

The debut studio album of American hip hop group Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, originally released in October 1982 on Sugar Hill Records and featuring arguably the most influential hip-hop single of all time in “The Message”, together with “Scorpio” - one of the greatest electro recordings ever produced.

A gritty, plain-spoken and vividly cinematic portrait of black street life in New York circa ‘82 and a fascinating time capsule of rap's early attempts with the album format - this album earned respect on its own terms.

Out of print for many years, we are very pleased to make this iconic and revered hip-hop album available again for fans old and new to enjoy.

At the very coalface of the UK rave/breakbeat/techno/call it what you like scene since the 1990s, Jerome Hill is something of a hidden treasure amongst the plethora of DJs and producers to have dropped both bangers and bloopers over the ensuing three decades. With minimum of fuss and fanfare, Hill has steered record labels like Super Rhythm Trax, Don’t, Fat Hop and Hornsey Hardcore to revered acclaim, as well as firing out a consistent stream of releases for imprints such as Matthew Herbert’s Accidental Jr, Exalt Records, and I Love Acid, to name but a few.

Surprisingly, ‘Flow Mechanics’ is Hill’s debut album after a production career that kicked off in 1998 as one half of Groove Asylum. And its collection of unabashed acid and rave bangers is a perfect fit for the Hypercolour label, whose personnel over the last few years has included Luke Vibert, DMX Krew, Shelley Parker and Gary Gritness. Tracks produced directly for club play; the album features 8 cuts destined to fit in cross-genre sets.

With pumping electro cuts such as ‘Deafening Lull’ and ‘Knob Jitter’, four to the floor acid stompers like ‘Walk The Plank’, the mutant garage of ‘Brought Up Badly’ and the house groover ‘Stax Had The Funk’, ‘Flow Mechanics’ is a joyous romp through rave’s sound palette, replete with playful samples and skits (featured on the vinyl LP version), and a mischievous demeanour that affords the listener an lively album that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Returning to Phantasy for a triumphant fourth single, ahead of a debut album to be released later in 2023, Josh Caffe dons ‘Meine Lederjeans’ for a gloriously tight squeeze of electro-funk, accompanied by an unapologetically gritty, stroboscopic remix from Caffe’s frequent collaborators, Paranoid London.

Dialing the tempo down from the frenetic club play of previous releases ‘According To Jacqueline’ and ‘Do You Want To Take Me Home?’, ‘Meine Lederjeans’ finds the British-Ugandan DJ and performer melting into a hedonistic slow jam of Prince-indebted grooves driven by drum machines oozing Chicago spirit with additional playing from Alex White of cult groups Fat White Family and Saint Leonard. Celebrating and subverting queer tropes in double measures, ‘Meine Lederjeans’ is an exquisite blend of soul and sexuality.

Paranoid London, the duo of Gerardo Delgagdo and Quinn Whalley (Caffe’s principal studio partner, and producer of ‘Meine Lederjeans’) deliver a characteristically merciless remix of Caffe’s original, looping their vocalist into an acid-soaked stupor. Throbbing, insistent, maximal yet minimal, this is PL in particularly raw form.

Gotts Street Park are a proud bunch of throwbacks. The Leeds-based trio - Josh Crocker (bass, production), Tom Henry (keys) and Joe Harris (guitar) - met through various music studies and friendship networks. Individually their tastes are diverse: from North Indian classical to experimental jazz, soul to alternative hip hop but their vision is united: “The idea of doing things live in one room has always been important,” remarks Josh. “That’s how they used to do it. Our identity evolved from that.”

The inception of the collective goes back to around 2012. There have been minor line up tweaks - they currently record with a rotating list of drummers - but the philosophy has stayed the same: an ongoing pursuit to capture the raw, unparalleled vibe that comes from recording music together, usually as one take, sometimes to analogue tape.

That approach is a deliberate call back to the methods made famous by legendary studios like Sun and Stax in Memphis, or FAME and Muscle Shoals in Alabama and their in-house bands. That’s why for years, GSP set up their own studio in a shared house in a tough (but, crucially, affordable) corner of west Leeds, Armley. Gotts Park (historically the home of industrialist Benjamin Gott) was close by - the group’s name was a nod to their local geography but also the fact it sounded like an area plucked straight out of some of their favourite East Coast hip hop releases.

Their work was quickly noticed, and it was from that base where they began working with an eye catching list of collaborators: Rejjie Snow, Kali Uchis, Cosima, Yellow Days, Chester Watson, Greentea Peng and Benny Mails. Tom also played keys in Mabel’s band. Early on, while performing as a band for hire for those artists, they were simultaneously honing their own sound; a deliberately retro “heavy, saturated” atmosphere that married the languid vibe of traditional soul with the pin sharp clarity of contemporary hip hop. Old leanings, sure, but upcycled with their own modern twist. “We’re constantly trying to build a catalogue,” says Tom. “Writing new stuff and sending it out to people.” That’s why after the release of their debut EP, ‘Volume One’, in 2017 the invitations kept coming; most notably from Brits Rising Star award winner Celeste, with whom they recorded two tracks on her debut EP ‘Lately’.

‘Volume Two’ once again features an impressive raft of vocalists - all female - from established names to fresh talent. This time, musically, the overall tone is lighter; less gritty, more optimistic. “It’s definitely not as gloomy,” says Josh. “Still though, there is this kind of dark, mysterious thing that we do a lot that works,” he continues. “Like the song we’ve done with Grand Pax, for example - it’s got that kind of witchy darkness to it. I think if you do a really straight male soul voice, it can be a bit cheesy and sound like you’ve heard it a million times before.”

Their collaborations might be some of the freshest of 2020 but make no mistake: Gotts Street Park are out there looking to create something timeless.

Maceo Plex's Lone Romantic label signs up new school techno innovators Any Act for the powerful Deti Techno EP.

Since their self-released protest EP ‘Civil Act’, Yaroslavl-based collective Any Act have put out music that is physically, socially and politically powerful. That debut from the TRAM Planet Records associates was an evocative offering that paired dynamic guitar riffs with samples of a policeman's voice and acid-laced basslines. They now continue their mission to unite and strengthen young music communities in their native Russia, as well as around the world, with this new standout release.

The bristling title track opens up with a killer electro-techno groove. Distorted synth stabs and dark vocal samples make for an intense and edgy atmosphere that will fire up any club. 'Jug A Jug' is another visceral track with razor-sharp synths ripping up the groove as busted bass blasts down low. Add in angular riffs and booming kicks and you have an explosive techno rave-up.

The excellent 'Bayla' is another no-frills, lo-fi, high-impact banger with thumping drums and brain-frying synth textures that are all coated in grit and grime. 'Till I Die' shows a different side with its sleazy feel and ghetto bass. A freaky female vocal and pixelated melodies bring late-night rave vibes before closer 'Chin Chin De' takes off on rugged electro drum programming. It's an explosive cut with raw attitude and unbound energy that places you at the heart of a strobe-lit warehouse.

This is a direct and potent EP from the hotly tipped Any Act.

Eli Brown steps up to unveil his highly anticipated debut release on Drumcode.

The UK artist hailing from Bristol has long been on Adam Beyer’s radar. He made his debut on Drumcode’s sub label Truesoul in 2019, teaming up with Will Clarke for their standout EP, ‘Our Love’. Since then, Eli Brown’s sound has continued to evolve and develop, with his signature dark and subversive sonics exhibiting on labels such as on Filth On Acid, We Are The Brave and his Arcane imprint earning high praise in techno circles.

His maiden contribution to Drumcode is in the form of his high-octane four track EP ‘Deep Down’. The title track ‘Deep Down’ has been a go-to weapon for Adam Beyer who’s been slaying it at Awakenings, Ultra Europe x Resistance and Loveland. It’s a dynamic, vocal-led production driven by a squelchy psy-laced synth line. ‘Nazareth’ is a pumping acid-infused stomper that galvanised the masses at Tomorrowland. Brown draws inspiration from Detroit for ‘Can’t Stop The Feeling’, a track that delicately balances an exuberant soul vocal with a nostalgic rave vibe. The EP rounds out with the thrilling highlight, ‘Pressure’, as 90’s house chords and gritty synths combine with a luring vocal hook for an ecstatic conclusion to the EP. It went down a treat when Beyer played it at Drumcode’s Off Sonar party in June.

James Brandon Lewis is a New York-based jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. His instrumental voice marries the emotional power of gospel and the grit and groove of blues and R&B to the modal and vanguard influences of Albert Ayler and John Coltrane, and Sonny Rollins" expressive melodic and tonal discipline. Moments, his 2010 debut, was followed by two outings for Sony Masterworks" revived OKeh imprint: Divine Travels in 2014 and the widely celebrated Days of Freeman the following year. After working American stages and clubs, he toured European and Asian festivals. Radiant Imprints, a duo outing with drummer Chad Taylor, appeared in 2018 and was followed by the quintet offering An UnRuly Manifesto a year later. In 2021, after he was selected as the "Rising Star Tenor Saxophonist" in the Downbeat International Critics Poll, Lewis issued The Jesup Wagon, his debut for Tao Forms. Along the way, Lewis drew the attention of many improvising artists, most notably the saxophonist and jazz deity Sonny Rollins, who doesn"t offer effusive praise very often. Moved by Lewis" deep, spirit-seeking sound, Rollins said "When I listen to you, I listen to Buddha, I listen to Confucius ... I listen to the deeper meaning of life. You are keeping the world in balance." Eye of I opens with 44 seconds of gritty, high-throttling low-down groove, an ear pulverizing opening designed to cleanse all traces of ordinary from the palette. From there, Lewis offers a prayerful cover of Donnie Hathaway"s "Someday We"ll All Be Free" and then the first of his disarmingly addictive originals, "The Blues Still Blossoms" in addition to many others.

green vinyl / printed sleeve / 180 grams
Hadone's nine-track LP shares a first glimpse of his immersive 'Things We Never Did' concept.

November 2022 sees the inception of not only Hadone's first ever feature LP but also his artistically driven and expansive label project 'Things We Never Did'. Marking the first release on the imprint, 'What I Was Running From' spans nine individually unique records, including a special collaboration with friend and fellow French producer Askkin. One of the standout breaks tracks on the LP, it was the first track they made together.

A culmination of all things influential in modern underground techno, blending 4x4 raw techno tracks with more spirited melodic pieces, Hadone's debut LP is a telling celebration of several immersive sub-genres combined with his renowned sonic despondency. The result: a careful balance of richly electronic emotional cuts and racy industrialised techno with a gritty minimalist feel. "Not only the music is destined to evolve, but the whole environment that goes with it will be rethought on a recurring basis" adds Jeremy.

Title track 'What I Was Running From' was made after he finally found inspiration after the pandemic and was written in an hour. "I think my best tracks are made fast, as they don't reply in any intention but feelings only, therefore they are natural and reflect my true style" adds Jeremy.

Its fast paced bassline and jittery stabs, give the track a choppy break beat influenced vibe opening the album with true intent. 'What I Was Running from' offers a transcendental eye through the looking glass at a project that incorporates music, a digital interactive universe, a fashion collaboration with precocious
Parisian footwear brand Phileo. A creative collaboration which has resulted in a limited collection of 2 styles, available on both TWND's digital universe and Phileo direct.

For the 1st year designs, graphism by Raphael Clerget "leverages the power of art to underline the importance of saving our relation to time and improve focus." Raphael brings his vision of complexity and darkness through refined aesthetics carried out for the digital universe, label and merchandise.