quête:groove dis

Sourcing rare records to reissue can involve meticulous research and years of digging, but then occasionally, Lady Luck smiles upon you. We probably would have never heard of the Medium Wave Band if Gary from Mr Bongo hadn't known Wolverhampton-based record dealer, Steve Ward. Whilst offering Gary some records for sale, he remembered he had a spare copy of an old 7" single that he thought Gary might like. Steve didn't know much about the release, and it had never sold on Discogs. Looking at the record itself, it was minimalist in appearance and information, there wasn't much to go on other than that it was from the Birmingham area. The mystery drew us in…

The A-side, 'So Tender’, is a late-night, jazzy slow-jam, with beautifully sultry, soulful female vocals which sounded vaguely familiar. On listening to the B side, 'Games (Instrumental)’, you are rewarded with a superb example of Britfunk / independent UK jazz-funk. The pulsating, bass-led dancefloor groove and sensibility is a sound reminiscent of productions usually found on labels such as Elite, but the 7” was not released on a label, it was a private press by the band themselves. So who are the enigmatic The Medium Wave Band?

After some fruitful internet digging and correspondence, we got the answers. The band lineup featured Elliot Browne on guitar (lead & rhythm), Ron Lyseight on guitar (rhythm), Andrew Proverbs on keyboards, Tony Peart on drums, Paul Snook on bass, Linton Levy on saxophone, and surprisingly, the beautiful vocals we had been enjoying were those of Jackie Graham, aka the hugely successful UK vocalist, Jaki Graham. Maybe best known for her pop hit with David Grant, 'Could It Be I'm Falling In Love', but also featuring on the cult classic track 'Fire In My Heart' by Escape From New York.

Influenced by artists and bands including George Benson, Ronnie Laws, Weather Report, George Duke, Azimuth and Chick Corea to name a few, the guys booked into a studio near the Botanical Gardens in Birmingham and recorded the two tracks that make up this 7”. Only 200 copies of the original 7" were ever pressed and were sold mostly in Birmingham at Summit Records by the band’s friend DJ Frenchi, as well as at live shows. Despite its limited distribution channels, the record received solid support from fans and those in the music industry, including Morgan Khan of the influential record label, Street Sounds. DJ and journalist, Lindsay Wesker, reviewed the release and this led to the band travelling to London for several radio interviews. They played live shows across the country, including at the prestigious Ronnie Scott's in London, and supported both Shakatak and Weapon of Peace in Birmingham.

Thanks to all those involved bringing this release into fruition and for solving the mystery behind a wonderful Britfunk and UK soul record that could have otherwise been lost in the mists of time.

INTEGRAL RECORDS—SEVENTEEN YEARS OF FORWARD THINKING D&B

London, August 2024 ––Integral Records, a leading independent record label synonymous with forward
thinking Drum & Bass music is announcing ‘Seventeen’ ––a new Various Artists LP in celebration of 17 years.

Fast approaching their second decade in the business of DNB, Integral Records has left an indelible mark on the underground scene, consistently delivering quality releases that continually push the boundaries of drum and bass music.

Since its inception in 2007, the label has been at the forefront of innovation within the underground scene globally, and is renowned for continually discovering, nurturing and developing exceptional talent; breaking a number of new artists through its 17-year journey.

Consistently delivering high-quality music with crossover radio appeal and with a consistent release schedule maintaining quality over quantity and dedicated to keeping the vinyl community alive.

Founded by the visionary Artificial Intelligence back in 2007 and with Emma G at the helm over the past decade, the label has remained dedicated to its core values of musical integrity, cutting edge sound

With a back catalogue of who’s who in the soulful world of the spectrum; the archive includes the likes of
Calibre, DRS, Alix Perez and Lenzman; more recently, Dawn Wall, Mohican Sun, Satl and currently the new
wave of D&B’s rising stars––Thread, TZ and Tatora to name a few.

Seventeen – the LP will showcase 8 tracks carefully curated from the label's impressive camp
of talent, capturing the essence of the Integral Records sound––featuring legendary artists and rising stars alike. Track features will include (in alphabetical order) Artificial Intelligence, Lenzman, Phil Tangent, Redeyes, Satl, Steo, Tatora, Thread, and Zero T and more.

From soulful liquid future classics to heavier-hitting tech rollers and everything in between, this compilation encapsulates the diverse and ever-evolving nature of Drum & Bass that will always remain dear and will certainly never die.

`Dope Music On Vinyl’ cue up their next release, pairing up some classic West
Coast hip hop with some even more classic Disco grooves. “Going Out With A
Fifth” is a boom bap rendition of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony with a sprinkling of
boys from the Hill. On the flipside, Dr. Dre’s stepbrother, Warren steps up to knock it
out of the park with some backing from René & Angela

When Acid Jazz was in its mid-1990s pomp, it released a lot of great records. Sometimes they flew past at such a pace, we had moved on to something else before we realised how good they truly were. ‘Lovesick’ by the Night Trains is one such record.

A phenomenal mixture of a distinctive sample turned into a un-ignorable groove, an unforgettable melody (and the soulful vocal from Marcia Johnson), weaved around a Miles-like trumpet. It should have been a hit. But it wasn’t. Instead, it is a cult classic, which we are being fully indulgent in releasing on a 7-inch single.

Night Trains were the brain child of Hugh Brooker, and they released the first ever acid jazz single in 'Open Channel D’, appearing on early groundbreaking Acid Jazz compilations. It resurfaced on the label in 1993 with the ‘Sleazeball’ album, from which Lovesick was the lead single. Hugh has in many forms kept the group going until the present day. A testament to persistence and good taste, in the face of industry indifference. Hugh is one of the originals and we are proud to still work with him to this day.

This is the first time that ‘Lovesick’ has appeared on a 7", and it is flipped with the previously-unreleased on vinyl ‘Only Know About Love' on the B-side.

Fred Ventura and Rafał Lachmirowicz, aka Also Playable Mono, have teamed up, All We Need being the pairing’s audio vision of italo disco.

Steady kicks and cascading cowbells pave the way for an infectious synthline before a vocoder-enveloped Ventura smoulders with a burning intensity. Bold chords and pulsating rhythms are at the robotic heart of “System Breakdown On Wikileaks”. Bombastic and brilliant, this electrified disco dreadnaught swings with the power of a wrecking ball; a power that only amplifies the track’s impacting message of our very civilisation’s future. Scaling notes spiral ever higher in the addictive groove of “In The Night”, A.P.Mono’s computerised words adopting the mantle of his machines. Circling samples introduce “The News”. Rhythms are clean and tight, snapping at the tails of soaring synthwork with Ventura’s smoky social commentary, coupled with the silken and sonorous Chelsea Muller, offering something better for us all.

Relentless Middle Eastern groove icons Sababa 5 return with an essential 45 for Batov Records, this time featuring the distinctive vocals of Turkish singer, songwriter and musician Canay Dogan.

DJ Support: Sharam, Hot Since 82, Cid Inc, Groove Armada, Shadow Child, Technasia

In 2015, two remixers on their respective thrones in techno and house were contacted to rework the classic.

Matador and Shiba San both delivered compelling renditions that capture the original's darkness, paired with their unique styles of delivery.

Matador's remix extends the dark subversiveness of the original, incorporating sweeping, reverb-drenched textures and ominous synth patterns. The looming mix is a sure-tobe room filler at this year's ADE.

The second remix is exactly what you'd expect from Shiba San a distinctly G-house groove built around gigantic bass and a distinct sexiness that will resonate with crowds regardless of their appreciation for house music.

Les Disques Bongo Joe is reissuing Au Revoir, the debut album by Société Étrange, originally released in 2015 on the Lyon-based label S.K. Records, and now considered a cult classic. This Lyon trio, composed of Antoine Bellini (electronics), Romain Hervault (bass), and later joined by Jonathan Grandcollot (percussion), explores a minimalist instrumental soundscape, where repetition and tension play a central role.

Au Revoir was created with a raw and intuitive approach, mostly composed during the group’s earliest days. At the time, Antoine and Romain were working as a duo, experimenting with drum machines and electronic sounds inspired by the post-punk of the 80s, the robotic grooves of Neu! and Cluster, and the DIY spirit of early hip-hop. The result is a music that is both hypnotic and introspective, where the presence and absence of sonic elements balance with minimal precision. Between electronic layers and winding bass lines, the tracks move forward like on a foggy road, uncertain but captivating.

For this reissue, Société Étrange offers two new recordings. One of them is a revisited version of Voiturin à Phynance, renamed Voiturin à Fifinance for the occasion, with Jonathan Grandcollot now fully integrated into the group. His percussive style, both organic and melodic, has profoundly transformed the group’s sonic dynamics, adding richness and texture to this new version. The previously unreleased track Blanchard completes the edition, offering another facet of their universe, more spontaneous and free.

This reissue is more than just a re-release of an out-of-print album. It is a testament to the evolution of Société Étrange, a group that blurs genre boundaries, seamlessly blending post-punk, krautrock, dub, and electronic minimalism. With Au Revoir, the trio crafts a singular instrumental sound, where each note seems to carry a unique weight and intention, borrowing equally from abstraction and narrative.

In making his long awaited return to Periodica, Milord steps away from the mysterious electro and new age mysticisms of past releases, and instead delivers the freaked out boogie funk free-for-alls brain-bending disco dubs, and summertime pop perfections of ‘Party Line’.

The club mix is an extended excursion through hypnotizing and ever-evolving club psychedelia, with wild phonecal detritus accenting a riffing and body-rocking banger led by svelte lyricisms, energized chants, and future gazing vocoder treatments. Elsewhere, the dub is a building body bomb of Afro-tribal grooves techno bass, echoing cascades of drum fx, and pianos soaked in interstellar aether. And for the ultra infectious radio mix, touches of Kraftwerk meet sunshine pop jam band as a molten bubblegum bass guitar bounces on an earworm drum groove, while all around, vocals soar and six-strings jangle through solar-soaked licks.

GFATC Exploring hip-hop’s dustier grooves, sounding similar at times to his early solo work or the 2020 Fly Anakin collaboration Fly Siifu’s.

GFATC’s mode and presentation help distinguish it: It has the air of a daisy-chained DAT tape reel that somehow found its way into your speakers. Without separated tracks, the beginnings and endings of songs (producers include Siifu’s alias iiye, Tony Seltzer, XVII, MVW, West, and IMDEAD) are left to the listener to determine. On paper, it’s a suite; in practice, it becomes more like a sculpture, where multiple angles of engagement over time bring a more weighty understanding.

LTD BLACK VINYL TO 150 COPIES ONLY

Comes with 2 unreleased bonus cuts.

Production: iiye, Tony Seltzer, XVII, MVW & West, IMDEAD
Sound design: iiye x Apollo Rome
Featuring: Butch Dawson, Peso Gordon, Turich Benjy, Apollo Rome
Mixed: iiye, zeroh, kei$ha, anwalk
Mastered: devin burgess, zeroh

Part 2 in the GFATC series. Fav episode by Boy Q

GFATC Exploring hip-hop’s dustier grooves, sounding similar at times to his early solo work or the 2020 Fly Anakin collaboration Fly Siifu’s.

GFATC’s mode and presentation help distinguish it: It has the air of a daisy-chained DAT tape reel that somehow found its way into your speakers. Without separated tracks, the beginnings and endings of songs (producers include Siifu’s alias iiye, Tony Seltzer, XVII, MVW, West, and IMDEAD) are left to the listener to determine. On paper, it’s a suite; in practice, it becomes more like a sculpture, where multiple angles of engagement over time bring a more weighty understanding.

BLACK VINYL LTD TO 150 COPIES ONLY

Production: Ahwlee, Por Vida, Tony Seltzer x Grimm Doza, Michael White, LastNameDavid, Crem'e, Bobbyy
Sound Design: iiye
Featuring: Cleo Reed, Judah, Ahwlee, VonBeezy, Tyah, Turich Benjy
Mixed: iiye, ahwlee, zeroh, kei$ha, anwalk, bryan
Mastered: devin burgess, zeroh


[b] 02 DEADASS [REMINDER]

The Holiday Album That Turned Mariah Carey into the Queen of Christmas: Featuring the Standard “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” the Singer’s Blockbuster Merry Christmas Exudes Joy, Spirituality, and Conviction
Sourced from the Original Master Tapes, Presented in Audiophile Sound for the First Time, and Strictly Limited to 3,000 Numbered Copies:

Mobile Fidelity’s UltraDisc One-Step 180g 33RPM LP Set Plays with Superb Detail, Openness, and Definition
1/2" / 30 IPS / Dolby SR analogue master to DSD 256 to analogue console to lathe

Mariah Carey didn’t become the Queen of Christmas just because of her fervent love of the holiday. Or as the result of a brilliant marketing plan. The iconic singer earned her title by way of her blockbuster Merry Christmas, a 1994 album that quickly joined the likes of Bing Crosby’s White Christmas, A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra, and Nat King Cole’s The Christmas Song as an all-time holiday vocal classic. Featuring a balanced mix of inspired originals and well-chosen covers, Carey’s fourth studio record has only grown in stature as new generations discover its magic. Mobile Fidelity’s 30th anniversary edition reissue of Merry Christmas makes her spellbinding performances and upper-tier register come alive like never before.

Sourced from the original master tapes, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing, and strictly limited to 3,000 numbered copies, the pioneering label’s UltraDisc One-Step 180g 33RPM LP set of Merry Christmas plays with superb detail, depth, and dimensionality. Available in audiophile quality for the first time since its original release three decades ago, and featuring the bonus track “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen,” the nine-times-platinum set breathes with a newfound openness and transparency that enhance the spirituality, passion, and festive tenor of Carey’s singing.

Benefitting from superb groove definition, a nearly inaudible noise floor, and dead-quiet vinyl surfaces, the music takes on a heightened energy and anticipatory emotion synonymous with the holiday season. Carey’s signature vocals explode with liveliness and dynamics, the full scope of her acrobatic range presented in clear, transparent sound that practically places her on a small stage in your listening room. This collectible version also breathes with the kind of warmth, intimacy, and coziness you want from a landmark vocal album.

Recorded when Carey helped put “diva” back into everyone’s vocabulary, Merry Christmas gave the New York native another smash right out of the box. What nobody knew at the time was the degree of the album’s staying power — and how, many years removed from its initial promotion cycle, its legend would still grow and even spark a 2010 sequel. Having re-entered the Top 200 charts every year since 2019, Merry Christmas ranks as one of the three most commercially successful holiday LPs ever made and, in due time, will likely earn the top distinction in that class. A global blockbuster, it seamlessly ties together Christian, gospel, and secular threads and speaks to a boundless audience, independent of denomination.

Most obviously, the record remains inescapably connected to “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” an uptempo anthem that towers as a holiday standard and one of the biggest-selling singles in history. Punctuated with celesta chimes, sleigh bells, springy keyboards, and joyous beats, the song echoes the simple albeit engaging melodies and doo-wop style of beloved holiday classics of yore — and blends such elements with contagious dance-pop rhythms to create an atmosphere rich in joy, wonder, and excitement. Radiant with golden soulfulness and sincere conviction, Carey’s exuberant singing and on-point phrasing put it all over the top. And how.

The song stands as the only effort in Billboard history to top the Hot 100 chart during at least three separate runs. Carey’s blockbuster has already hit No. 1 during five runs, spanning every year between 2019 and 2024. That’s just one of the many records the singer holds — and only one of the multiple highlights from Merry Christmas, which includes two other Carey-penned originals, “Miss You Most (At Christmas Time)” and “Jesus Born on This Day.”

Though slightly lesser known, Carey’s remarkable rendition of Darlene Love’s “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” further links her album with the big, lush, Wall of Sound heritage that helped inspire its production. Carey’s heartfelt take and transformation of the traditional “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” into an animated tune that even adults can believe, as well as her clairon reading of “Joy to the World” — cleverly augmented with bits of Three Dog Night’s 1971 hit of the same name — further reinforce her status as Queen of Christmas.

At the peak of her powers, Carey finds equivalent success when tapping more spiritual veins. Witness the reverence she brings to the timeless carol “Silent Night,” the piousness she invests in “Jesus Oh What a Wonderful Child,” and the sacred feeling she conveys throughout “O Holy Night.” You’ll also never think of “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” and “Gloria (In Excelsis Deo)” the same way again after hearing Mimi pour her heart and soul into them, and pair the songs together.

Indeed, it’s Carey’s pliable voice, melismatic technique, and five-octave range — on display here in definitive fashion — coupled with her undeniable love for Christmas and understanding of the religious significance of the season that make Merry Christmas a must-have holiday staple. And on Mobile Fidelity’s LP, something you better add to your wish list.

Emilia Sisco's debut album on Timmion Records, "Introducing Emilia Sisco", takes you on a smooth ride in the world of vintage soul, featuring 10 beautifully crafted original songs written by Sisco in collaboration with the renowned Cold Diamond & Mink band. The album showcases this young talent's unique ability to blend classic soul influences with contemporary flair, building mesmerizing harmonies by layering her voice, and through these channeling a sound that is both timeless and fresh. From the opening track "Say Yes" - grooving like an independent gospel soul jam that somebody discovered in dank Midwest cellar - to the closing "Secretly," each song is a testament to Sisco's deep connection to the emotional core of soul music. As one of the album's highlights, "Don't Let Nobody," stands out as a sweet anthem of love and encouragement for your fellow human. With its heartfelt lyrics and Sisco's gently floating vocal performance, the song displays the essence of the album_soulful, sincere, and deeply moving. The Cold Diamond & Mink band provides lush, downtempo arrangements throughout the record, perfectly complementing Sisco's voice and bringing her compositions to life with a rich, organic sound. In "Introducing Emilia Sisco" the singer's signature style of downtempo soul shines brightly, offering listeners a blend of introspective ballads and uplifting grooves. After her string of exquisite and well-received singles on Timmion, this album documents the impressive progress of a formidable new voice, one that is sure to resonate with fans of classic and contemporary soul alike.

BRUK welcomes the daring shapes and inquisitive textures of ELLLL for her debut album, Earth Rotation. Across 13 scuffed cuts and grubby miniatures the Irish producer shapes out a distinctive sound world, steeped in sample science and powered by low-slung grooves. There's no direct message permeating Earth Rotation, but burning issues around embattled ecosystems hang in the air as ELLLL pushes her sound palette until it bites. Extended instrumental techniques lend the album an in-the-room tangibility, while dislocated micro-loops speak to less grounded atmospheres. Starting from densely packed collages and diligently chipping away until spacious, head-knocking arrangements remain, the end results of ELLLL's process call to mind the wayward sample acrobatics that made trip-hop and jungle so emotionally resonant and eerily alien in the same beat. There's rarely anything like conventional boom-bap or a cosily familiar break, but ELLLL finds compelling rhythms in unlikely sources of funk, whether plucked, bowed, sequenced or sculpted. Even when teetering towards techno on 'Titan', her particular approach is gloriously skewed and, by extension, innovative. No matter how serious the techniques involved, Earth Rotation is a celebration of the magic that happens when sound gets mistreated. If there are foreboding ideas lingering in the album's tendency towards dissonance, ELLLL also knows how to inject her work with a necessary mischief, making her a perfect fit amongst the maverick BRUK alumni.

2024 Reissue

Samuel van Dijk releases his third album as VC-118A on Delsin Records. It dives deep into the sonic narrative of VC-118A --who is also known as Mohlao-- and mixes up his unique sounds with evocative musical imagery. An album that goes from sparse, mysterious grooves to shiny underwater electro to frazzled and distorted techno via absorbing passages of ambient and overdriven machine workouts. It marks his first original work on Delsin, having released his distinctive brand of electro and techno on Frustrated Funk, Radio Matrix and Tabernacle before now.

DJ Support: Greg Wilson, The Reflex, Jkriv, DJ Harvey

Four new edits LUXXURY’s infamous series now on wax showcasing some of the LA-based producer’s most sought after cuts: 'Is It Real, Now' dubs out a popular modern Aussie indie disco hit, while 'Rap Chore' highlights the slinky bassline from an early new wave/hip hop crossover classic. 'Groove Prove' similarly highlights the sick 16th note bassline from another beloved 80s pop hit by a NYC female; and 'Disco 82' takes us halfway around the world to bring the Indian funk.

Indian born, UK artist Michael Diamond, co-founder of Vasuki Sound label and club night, announces new EP Placid Wakefulness, featuring single ‘Reverse Entropy’. available on all platforms 5th December via Vasuki Sound.

A uniquely multifaceted talent, Michael Diamond’s unforgettable ‘jazzed electronic’ sound is informed by a spectrum of influences, not least by intersection of the scientific and practical worlds of electronic music. From the music scholarship he won to read Medicine at Oxford where he quickly discovered new ways in which the two worlds can co-exist, his days were spent immersed in academic studies of music perception and cognition, while his nights were spent alongside the likes of Ben UFO, Batu & Ross From Friends, playing at one of UK’s most long-established nights ‘Simple’. A chance encounter there also led him to connect with musical collaborator Alex Wilson – the BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year semi-finalist and then musical director of Oxford’s Jazz Orchestra – who appears frequently across Diamond’s compositions and on Placid Wakefulness.

No stranger to a concept piece, Diamond’s previous project, the highly personal and critically acclaimed exploration of culture and identity, Third Culture (album of the month/year acknowledgments from Stamp The Wax, Juno and Phonica Records, also earning him a DJ Mag ‘One To Watch’, a Youth Music Awards ‘Rising Star’ nomination and a Gilles Peterson’s ‘Future Bubbler’ accolade) explored the experience of being a ‘third culture kid’ born in Kerala, India and growing up in the UK with a sense of fractured identity.

On Placid Wakefulness, Diamond honours his academic research working alongside world-renowned musicologist Professor Eric Clarke. Specifically how music may affect our sleepfulness and wakefulness, how instinctively we are soothed by some sounds and energised by others - ‘what it is about dance music that makes people go hard all night long?’ and ‘what is it about ambient music that makes people feel the opposite way - to lull them into this sense of calmness or rest?’, mindful of the unconscious ways his findings were already manifesting in his work as an artist. And while his research provides a framework for some of the ideas within the piece, Placid Wakefulness can be viewed as more of an unintentional byproduct, or case-in-point of his findings, rather than a piece consciously constructed in their image.

Across Placid Wakefulness’s four tracks we find the artist unpacking a range of sonic ideas on this theme, from ambient calm to club-adjacent rhythms. The EP opens with hypnotic lullaby of ‘A Way of Listening’ complete with transcendent flutes provided by Alex Wilson, cello by George Lloyd-Own and a mellow groove. On the more energised ‘Reverse Entropy’, rhythmic ambiguity moves to rhythmic disambiguation with a four-to-the-floor beat as the track progresses, releasing tension and inviting an urge to dance as a jazz sax moment transmutes into glorious techno percussiveness.

On ‘Turning and Turning’ the bpm shifts down a gear, a sonic dreamstate where tough textural rhythms create a kind of liminal state tension. Closing out the EP we return to a sense of restfulness with the EP’s title track, where a gorgeous picked guitar loop interplays with vibrating ambient pads and a slow and steady beat. The Placid Wakefulness EP is a captivating testament to Diamond’s singular artistic talent and the fascinating interplay of neuroscience and how we experience and enjoy music.

RNT drops their fourth installment of the beloved compilation series Family Affair with a diverse offering of vibes, and adds some fresh new faces to their ever expanding roster of artists. On the A side an Afro-electro secret weapon from label co-head JKriv’s DJ set is released into the wild, and German legend Vincenzo delivers a tune that harkens back to the lush deep house of his early 2000s glory era. The 3 songs of the B side bring even more variety, from the stomping hypnotic new disco of Ilija Rudman’s ‘Discoteka Parmida,’ to the head - nodding R&B groove of Yasmin’s ‘Real High’ and the modern live-arranged Afrobeat vibe of Arnau Obiols’ ‘Pagan Mambo.’ With ever gorgeous jacket art that is now the signature style of this series, this record is one for both the listening shelf and the bag!

It’s abundantly clear from the first bars of their 5th studio album Through Other Reflection, that this is, and could only ever be, The Soundcarriers. From the enchanting vocal duets of folk-bidden Chanteuses Leonore Wheatley and Dorian Conway; to the precise bass lines of Paul Isherwood and the limber, jazz-cool, Hal Blaine-esque drums of his his co-songwriter Adam Cann; from the fairy-like flutes, 60s-garage guitars and organ sounds pilfered from the archives of exotica - listening to the Soundcarriers resembles a rediscovery of all the most prized, esoteric corners of the 1960s, all bundled up, warped and refracted through the quartet’s astutely modern cultural lens. Channelling Tropicalia, Middle Eastern psychedelic Jazz/Funk, The French Library sounds of Nino Nardini, and a whole host of lavish obscurites beside, Through Other Reflection delivers another sonic adventure from one of the most unique and distinctive voices of British Psychedelia. After an 8 year wait for their album 4 - 2022’s Wilds - it thankfully didn’t take so long for the follow-up this time round. In many ways, this feels like a companion to Wilds; recording again at their Nottingham warehouse studio, Through Other Reflection retains that same organic glow, all the passions and imperfections of a tightly clipped unit jamming out these living, breathing pop-art nuggets as if straight onto the acetate.”We wanted to keep an air of spontaneity with this album and not get too bogged with the recording process”, explains Cann, “It was more a case of getting the songs as tightly written and arranged as possible first so we could get them down quickly in the studio. It always takes longer than you think” Less packed with strident pop hooks as its predecessor however, the music of Through… has been given extra licence to breathe, stretch out, and wander more uncharted terrains. While gleaming psych-pop of tracks like ‘The City Was’, or ‘Already Over’ confidently carry on from where they left off, from the album’s 2nd track ‘Always’, the trip becomes a little less predictable. Starting out as a smoky Procol Harum-meets-French-Psych organ ballad, the music drifts, as if of its own accord into an eerie, garage trance that lingers, cycles, and hypnotises, growing ever stranger, reaching ever-further away from its point of conception. And almost every track on Through Other Reflections holds that outer-body moment, where the band fix themselves on a limber, lysergic groove, lose all grip on time and reality, and melt themselves away into a liquid state of blind euphoria. There are sequences on this record that feel more like rituals than songs, built upon a single hypnotic rhythm which, like the centre of a vortex, pulling everything under its beatific command. Take the finale to ‘What We Found’ for instance, sounding like a ghostly march across the psychedelic moors, or ‘Feel The Way’, where a single athletic drum-loop rises and rises, growing ever more urgent and suspenseful underneath its frantic harpsichords and rasping flutes. Full of such rich stylisms as these, The Soundcarriers showcase themselves as abstract storytellers par excellence by virtue of their textures and arrangements alone. Resembling Romantic composer Maurice Ravel, but if he had just a four-piece rock band at his disposal, Through Other Reflects is rich with detail; there’s shakers, rattles, clarinets, booming drums; there’s synthesiser swarms, chiming xylophones, vintage organs and experimental Cluster & Eno-esque ambiences. Within all this nuance the music flows like some undisclosed narrative swathed in a magnetic secrecy. “It almost comes across like a story in some ways”, says Cann of the album, “the music is quite sectional with elements of exotica and cinematic type layers, it's a good balance of grooves, tunes and weirdness”. No more is this “epic cinematic feel” heard more proudly than on short instrumental ‘Sonya’s Lament” - its innate, hauntological atmospheres befitting a Peter Strickland soundtrack, or the classics of Lex Baxter, the so-called ‘Founder of Exotica’ himself. On the other hand, providing a greasier undercurrent to all these bucolic sounds is a leaning towards a more “direct” lyricism referencing more “external concerns. Laying down the first tracks for the album in the wintry gloom of pre-lockdown 2020, and drawing inspiration from time spent in Berlin, Through Other Reflections returns to some of the post-apocalyptic futurism explored in 2014’s Entropicalia - a loose concept album inspired by J.G Ballard’s The Drowned World. “The songs explore a disillusionment with the way things are going particularly after 40 years of neoliberalism”, says Cann, “They follow that folk-song tradition of wanting to escape to an imagined time, but here it’s more urban than pastoral. The first couple of ideas I came up with when doing some music in Berlin and had some time to wander aimlessly. And think the atmosphere seeped in, particularly on The City Was and Already Over. He continues, “One aspect of the title, ‘Through Other Reflections’ is about synthesis and layers of influence. How things can be filtered through other things and change the perspective. This is something you get in cities as well.” Though, as with everything The Soundcarriers make, “It can mean anything. It also just sounds kind of cool.”

Riccardo Teri, Also Known as Quasar, Is Set to Make a Triumphant Return to Skylax Records With an Exciting New Ep That Pays Homage to the Golden Era of 90s Uk Garage. This Forthcoming 12-Inch Release Comprises Four Mesmerizing Tracks, Each of Which Carries the Distinct Imprint of Quasar's Signature style.

The Ep Kicks Off With "Told You Once," a Track That Immediately Transports You to the Halcyon Days of Uk Garage, With Its Infectious Beats and Soulful Vocal Samples. "For Your Love" Follows, Seamlessly Blending Classic Garage Elements With a Modern Twist, Demonstrating Quasar's Mastery of the Genre's Evolution. as You Move Further Into the Ep, "Morning Bells" Beckons With Its Entrancing Melodies and Rhythmic Grooves, Drawing You Deeper Into Quasar's Sonic World. Finally, "Inside My Love" Completes the Quartet of Tracks, Delivering an Exceptional Experience With Its Lush Harmonies and Finely Crafted beats.

What Sets This Ep Apart Is the Remarkable Cohesion Between Its Tracks. Each Piece Contributes to an Exceptional Whole, With No Single Track Standing Out as a Weak Link. Every One of Them Stands Alone as a Dancefloor Banger, but When United, They Form a Remarkable Sonic Journey That Will Undoubtedly Leave a Lasting Impression. in an Era Where House Music Often Leans Towards Various Sub-Genres and Experimental Directions, Quasar's Work on This Ep Serves as a Refreshing Reminder of the Classic Uk Garage Sound. It Harkens Back to the Days When the Genre Was at Its Peak, and Yet, It Feels Contemporary and Relevant. This Perfect Fusion of Nostalgia and Innovation Is a Testament to Italy's Enduring Love and Respect for the Pioneers of the genre.

In "Told You Once," Quasar Brings Us a Release That Exudes Absolute Class and Authenticity, Showcasing His Profound Dedication to the Essence of Uk Garage. With This Ep, He Not Only Pays Homage to the Masters of the Genre but Also Cements His Own Place Among Its Contemporary Torchbearers. It's a Must-Listen for Anyone Looking to Relive the Magic of 90s Uk Garage While Embracing the Evolution of the Genre. Skylax Records Welcomes Back Quasar With Open Arms, and Fans of Quality House Music Have Reason to Celebrate....