Suche:h o w project

This is the second release from the Parisian label Aperçu, which has uncovered European producers for this compilation featuring 4 titles.The story of this compilation came about gradually, with one thing leading to another as the artists involved met up all over Europe and their musical affinities became apparent. Two years after their EP Stara Zagora,Metshka and Roman Delore are issuing the second release of their label, Aperçu, promoting three producers well deserving of attention. Ben Kaczor, the resident DJ at the legendary, intimate Elysia Club in Basel, Switzerland has his own label, KCZ, and is an adept of dark, sharp-edged sounds such as in 'Navel,' which plays out like a hypnotic, melancholy adieu but with well-defined kicks.Temiri, a native of southern France having spent time in Berlin, now lives in Switzerland as well. With the Swiss mountains and Geneva's rave parties shaping his sensibility, he created 'Love Intentions' - a soft gift to the world. HiromaKeo, a Lisbon-based French producer, champions a wide-ranging, contemporary approach to electronic music. After three years spent comanaging the collective and label ESITU (between Lille and Brussels), he has started a new project in Portugal: Vilamar. In 'SonheiContigo' we find his signature precision and the Japanese influences he likes.
Last but not least, Metshkaand Roman Delorecontinue to appear at parties and events in Paris and to work on hybrid events through their Pauza collective. At the crossroads of techno, ambient and experimental music, here they give us 'Ocre,' a work of slow violence.

'Sublunar', comes from a lovely and spontaneous collaboration between some of the guys who mostly contributed to the growth of Suburban Avenue, since its beginning: Asymptote & Z.I.P.P.O

The whole Ep, is quite far from the style they are used to propose in their singolar projects; it's rather an infusion of their nearest influences, that you can listen especially in their eclectic dj set: from electro, to acid house, ambient and reverberating stuff from their Soul.

A1, 'Sublunar' is a Dystopic, with Drexciyan reminisces Electro track; A2 'Green Line' is an emotional and 707 dreamy stuff, the perfect bridge which prepare to the A3, 'Alienata': an intense and expertly executed ambient trip.

The entire B side is a Fabulous, Acidic and party-guaranteed package, ready for the heated dancefloors.

A true love never ends.

Earlier in the year, Red Light Radio co-founder Hugo van Hejiningen and Identified Patient joined forces to debut their new musical project, Stallion's Stud. Artificial Dance is ready to release the first fruits of the duo's studio collaboration.
The four-track EP digs deep into their shared love of electronics, post-punk era experimentation, DIY music culture and dubbed-out drum machine rhythms. The results are undeniably dark and intoxicating, with former punk singer Hugo fronting proceedings via mind-altering vocals and twisted lyrical flows.

Opener 'Promising Promises' sets the tone for what follows, with Hugo's spoken vocals wrapping themselves around ricocheting industrial dub rhythms and raw, delay-laden electronics. The delay trails to oblivion remain a force to be reckoned with on the creepy, fuzz-fuelled cold-wave doom of 'Instrumental Aria', while the throbbing and clanking 'Unpredictable' and 'Voice of No' ratchet up the intensity by several notches via end-of-days guitars, heavyweight bass and face-melting percussion.

Emotional Rescue returns to the music of Takenoko, the Bordeaux based synth-pop project from 1982-1988, to follow their LP collection L'Amour Est Mon Arme (ERC062), with an EP of remixes from Dresden's cult-like producer, Sneaker DJ.
The meeting of Takenoko and Sneaker offers a perfect marriage of left field cold wave tones, inventive drum programming and pop lyrics, with a master-mixer, programmer and DJ of today.
Following releases on cult labels like Uncanny Valley, Rat Life and Frigio as Sneaker and numerous labels such as Macadam Mambo, Bordello A Parigi and Bahnsteig 23 under several pseudonyms, Sneaker first contacted the label after his trance-inducing, drum heavy remix of C Cat Trance , with the suggestion to research an idea to create a reissue / remix project out of a band he had discovered, Takenoko.This was soon expanded to become a stand-alone album and remixes EP after the discovery in the vaults of a cache of unreleased songs. The breadth of styles found on L'Amour Est Mon Arme is matched with these "Mixes", as Sneaker takes 3 of their singles and indelibly puts his marker on them.
Starting with his retake of their second single, Lee Harvey Oswald, he reworks their pop ode to the Kennedy tragedy and strips it groove back for a near 9 minute vocal-meets-discodub that lets the lyrical structure remain, before stretching it out and letting the instrumental interplay between keys, guitar and rhythm machines glide before bringing it all back for finale.
Next, their 1988 single Trans Amor Express is given what is becoming a trademark Sneaker treatment. In a similar vain to his remix of C Cat Trance, here he rips the original apart to extend a single vocal refrain with the raw percussion elements for mind-inducing results.
Finally, his mix of the anthemic John Wayne is almost gentle in comparison, adding 909 overdubs but letting much of the original stay, showing again a modern mastery of mixing desk technique and craft.

The new album from Danish electronic trio System is a special kind of collaborative effort with piano magician Nils Frahm. His purpose-built improvisations on synth, organ and piano served as source material for the members of System (Thomas Knak, Anders Remmer & Jesper Skaaning), who merged his warm acoustic tones with their minimalist digitalism and set out to translate their distinctive clicks 'n' cuts electronics into vivid soundscapes. Over two years in the making, the resulting nine tracks are as sonically intriguing as they are touching. Ranging from the mellow bliss of the title track to echoes of 90's and 2000's electronica and ambient sequences frequented by mesmerizing movements and sounds. The blending of piano and digital tones and noises into emotive pieces might instantly recall the work of Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto, though System and Frahm come to quite different results.

Thomas Knak met Nils Frahm at one of his concerts in Copenhagen. They stayed in touch, exchanging thoughts and ideas. Two years later, Anders Remmer was also introduced to Nils. From then serious ideas for a collaboration formed. As Nils was a fan of System's self-titled debut album (released in 2002 via Pole's Scape label) their talks centred around Dub and minimalism, elements that constitute most of System's music as well as their side and solo projects. This in mind, System began producing sketches and brought them to Nils´ Durton Studio in Berlin in December 2015, where they recorded ten hours of him playing keys and effects to their drafts. Back in Copenhagen, they decided to change direction. - As Nils had told us about his fascination with our debut album, we tried to rediscover this minimal clicks 'n' cuts era. But hearing Nils playing to our rhythmic beds, we felt the need to scrap those beats and instead head in a more cinematic direction.'

So they started building new pieces from the Durton recordings, maintaining some of the minimal and static quality while new layers of synth sounds and noises created a richer and more organic quality compared to older System albums. The solo projects of Thomas (Opiate), Anders (Dub Tractor) and Jesper (Acustic) always relied on steady beats or rhythmic material, so the productions of 'Plus' with their focus on acoustic and melodic elements, ambient layers and cinematic moods, sees them pushing forward into new areas.

This way, the trio avoided copying what they had already done years ago, when they built a reputation as Denmark's prime originators within electronic music in the 90's and 2000's. 'Plus' is a triumphant example of collaborative experimentation and may be the dawn of a new era for System: - For us it was really satisfying to focus more on actual sound rather than rhythmic aspects. There is a lot of potential in this field, so it would only be natural for us to pursue this, maybe as a series of collaborations with other people who's music we admire.'

A trio of guitar, bass and drums, Elektro Guzzi overcome the boundary between analogue versus digital, performing techno live with the drive of a machine and the sonic detail of an instrument - without any computers or loopers. For their upcoming album Polybrass, Elektro Guzzi have drastically expanded their sonic repertoire: both in the studio and on stage, they are joined by an ensemble of three trombonists, opening up a whole new realm of possibilities. With Hilary Jeffrey, Daniel Riegler and Martin Ptak, the band are joined by three brass heavyweights, each of them well renowned for both their solo ventures as well as projects such as The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble, Sand and Zeitkratzer. By treating the three trombones not simply as a set of extra instruments but rather as one coherent body of sound on its own, Elektro Guzzi dissociate the brass instruments from their conventional use and repurpose them into something completely different: a modular synthesizer, with each trombone representing one oscillator. In doing so, Elektro Guzzi add new layers of depth to their music, emphasizing a more cinematic side of their music: like the soundtrack for a movie, Polybrass is bigger, darker, more dramatic, more intimate. Warm and fuzzy textures float weightlessly above fragile soundscapes and complex sonic fragments. At the same time, the band's signature sound runs distinctly through the entire album: solid percussive grooves, stripped down to the absolute minimum it takes to make your body move. Hypnotic repetition, building tension and suspense up to a point where the energy of the music gets so intense you feel like you can physically touch it with your hands, interlaced with organic patterns of sound, constantly changing and evolving, pulsating and oscillating. Vinyl: heavy sleeves + heavy printed inner sleeves, 180g vinyl with download code.

Bear Bones, Lay Low links up with Pizza Noise Mafia's Carrageenan and comes with a monster of a miniLP. BIG TIP!
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Matthieu Levet (Carrageenan / Pizza Noise Mafia) and Ernesto González (Bear Bones, Lay Low / Tav Exotic / Maitres Fous ...) are two musicians based in Brussels who have cut their teeth in the city's freeform underground for well over a decade. Having spent time at numerous shows and parties together, they solidified a friendship after a two week tour around Europe with fellow electronic explorer , Accou, in April 2017.

It was shortly after this moment that the label Random Numbers approached the two with the initial intention of releasing a split cassette with music from their respective solo projects. Several exchanges later, the plan quickly changed into realizing a full-fledged collaboration between both musicians who, while having deep respect and interest for each other's music since they first met, had never found the opportunity to create something together.

The result is the CARCASS IDENTITY EP: a combination of Levet's raw and dub-infused electronics with González's kosmische psychedelic touch. This is music meant for strange parties: the kind where dancing and laying down are equally accepted and ncouraged, where there might be more silence than talking between participants, where small gestures and events reveal their transcendental meaning...

The seventh volume of Drumcode's annual A-Sides compilation hits with no less than 10 debuts for the label, with Charlotte de Witte, ANNA, B.Traits and Scuba's SCB project, among the collection of topline artists to release their maiden productions on the imprint.

Over two decades into its lifespan, Drumcode keeps evolving and excelling, pushing techno forward while remaining wholly respectful of its roots. This reputation for progression was further fuelled this summer with its inaugural festival at the NDSM Docklands in Amsterdam, featuring a long list of heavyweights including Nicole Moudaber, Joseph Capriati, Amelie Lens and Ida Engberg, among others.

As ever, the A-Sides compilation provides a timely opportunity to showcase the full range of its sonic repertoire, with Adam Beyer scrupulously selecting unreleased tracks that have taken prime position in his sets over recent months.

Formidable duo Dense & Pika kick off part 5 with their powerful composition 'Lemur' renowned for their standout studio output they consistently conjure up a unique take on their distinct sound. Tastemaker's favourite Jel Ford makes a welcome return to the fold as he ushers in techno rhythms with bustling breaks with his track 'Nightshade'.

On the B side resident DJ of the infamous GZG parties in Holland, Man With No Shadow supplies his rave infused twisted cut 'Manilla', where his warped bass combines with shattering breaks & heavy weight drums.

Lastly, Locomatica & Blaukoma present 'Unfold' a brooding techno workout with crisp drum programming that features a euphoric vocal bursting with emotion. Set to cement these two producers as acts to keep your eye on in the near future.

Oberman Knocks makes a welcome return to aperture records since his last release Dilankex in 2014, which featured an outstanding 17 minute remix from autechre.
Working on other projects during this time seems to have charged his creativity and Knocks now propels himself back into the fold for his third album Trilate Shift with cleaner, more polished production and a change of direction which should certainly see his appeal rise across a wider audience.
Last year Knocks produced the soundtrack to The Red Tree, an award winning documentary film from Still films (New York/Dublin) and in 2016 he was commissioned by The Lowry in Salford to produce a sound installation, 30 Days of The Smiths, forming part of their Week 53 festival, a version of which was also performed live.
Trilate Shift sees Knocks serve up fourteen lustrous tracks of proficiency and divergent ingenuity encompassing interjections of disembodied vocals, setting the scene for a distinctive musical trajectory.

Ukrainian label Muscut celebrates its anniversary - Muscut X (10) Test Pressign II - is the tenth record in a row. The first release was published in 2012 on 7 inches and was called simply Test Pressing. Like six years ago, the current vinyl is a compilation of Muscut's 'residents', as well as new friends of the label. Test Pressing II is 12 inches on which there are exactly ten tracks. Both sides are significantly different in color of mood. Party A starts with dub-drone sketches of key figures of the Odessa underground - Wildstyle Crew and Bryozone. Then we hear the mantra-like M2 - the work of the creative union of Nicola Ratti, Mads Emil Nielsen together with Nikolaenko. The Canadian sound-artist Mark Templeton continues the line of rhythmic textures crowned with unhurried percussion - it is in all senses of Soft Education at number four. The first part is completed by an exquisite curtsy from the Andrew Pekler label frequenter called Underwater Nocturne as a soundtrack for the perfect tea ceremony.

The second side confidently sets a completely different compilation rhythm from the very start - the tribal tribal dance from the Berlin project Native Instrument instantly introduces into a trance. It is followed by a warm, enveloping minimal synth track from the Ukrainian trio Nisantashi Primary School. The middle of the second side is decorated with the pensive house-ballad of St. Petersburg producer Fadeev known as AEM Rhythm Cascade. Another Russian settled next to him - Muscovite Oleg Buyanov, aka OL, with a massive broken dub Nutmeg. The final composition consists of burning afrosint motifs from luminary Odessan Vakula.

The latest release on Arma comes from Dutch legend and devoutly deviant underground operator Ruud Lekx, aka Rude 66. With a legacy that reaches back to the early 90s and the rough and ready Dutch electro sound of Bunker Records and The Hague, he's maintained a distinctly non-conformist approach that touches on acid, Italo, techno and more besides, all finished with the punky attitude that sets him and peers like Unit Moebius and I-F apart.

The tracks gathered together on The Witch Trials EP come from throughout Lekx's career. As the artist himself says, 'tracks from wildly different eras and sessions suddenly can combine to form one coherent EP. It's almost like the A-side tracks were waiting for 20 years to be combined with the B-side tracks.'

The overriding theme that binds together these timeless machine excursions is that of medieval witch trials - a global phenomenon that peaked in the 15-1600's. Considering the suspicion, propaganda and mass moral panic involved in this strange curio of distant history, Lekx points to the parallels with the current age, 'of political polarization and fake news accusations flying all over.' The EP title is also a tribute to two records close to his heart: The Fall's Live At The Witch Trials, and the one-off Witch Trials project by members of the Dead Kennedys, Adrian Borland and Christian Lunch.

'Werewolves & Poisoners' and 'The Crusade Against Idolatry' are both archive tracks from the 1994-5 period when Lekx made his first albums for Bunker Records. The first track's charging arps, rugged kicks, nagging acid lines and discordant paranoia all speak to that trailblazing period, while 'The Crusade...' revels in canny programming of interwoven synth lines feeding into an unhinged, psychedelic rampage that reflects the righteous fervour and spiritual confusion of the EP concept.

'The Absence Of Diabolism' opens up the B-side with a different tone, having been produced in 2016 and demonstrating the deeper acid undulations Lekx has become known for in more recent years. Still delivered via the same trusted tools he was using in the 90s, the sound feels like an extension of the Rude 66 vision rather than a separate entity. 'Envious Are All The People, Witches Watch At Every Gate,' a cut from the late 90s, closes the EP out in a spacious, snarling exploration of broken acid electro laden with cinematic sweeps of synthesizer and a constant sense of unresolved tension.



Across these four tracks, Lekx displays the scope of his craft as Rude 66 while also proving that timeless music can make sense in any context, and that the threads of inspiration in an artist's journey can be followed, explored and even resolved 20 years later, when you least expect it

Bastard Jazz is proud to present the next installment of our long running Tempo Dreams compilation series. As with previous volumes of the compilation, we've tapped an established artist that we're big fans of to shine a light on their personal favorite producers, and compile an album up of all unreleased music from emerging & underrated young talent. And with Volume 5, we're happy to welcome in the Los Angeles based but globetrotting selection of Free The Robots.

Rooted in Santa Ana, CA, Chris Alfaro aka Free the Robots has spent over a decade taking his craft to audiences around the globe. Known as one of the pioneering artists to come out of LA's infamous beat movement, the energy and technical skill behind his live performances have landed him among the greats, sharing stages with Dj Shadow, Prefuse 73, Flying Lotus, to Afrika Bambaataa. Crafting stories to tell with his ever-evolving solo project Free the Robots, he has always had the ability to jump in and out of other worlds inspiring a unique signature sound that hints at jazz, psych, electronic, and hip hop, while remaining un-genre-fiable.

Staying almost permanently on the road, Chris has come across an array of artists and scenes around the world. Different tours and temporary living situations have landed him in the middle of both the DIY underground and more mainstream clubs and stages. Some artists he's connected with have either kept it proudly local or breached international borders. Underrated, unknown, or already on the brink; these are just a few of the people that have crossed paths with Free The Robots. He's chosen these songs as a representation of some of the vibes that inspire his music: Jazz, Psychedelia, Dirtwave, Beats, and a little bit of Future Funk make up Volume 5 of his Tempo Dreams series.

As with all previous volumes, the compiler has produced a track exclusively for the album, which Chris delivers in the bass heavy, South East Asian vibes of "Nasi Goreng" (also available on a limited edition 7" with another unreleased FTR track). Other producers included on the album include Mophono, Never Ending Echo, Kuromoji, RSI-MSK, The Breathing Effect, Cazal Organism, Lefto, Chubby Boss, Caliph8, TITLE, Nois IV, The Heavy Twelves, Mu. and Markey Funk.

The Limiñanas are a couple and a band. They have produced records in their own garage in Cabestany located in the south of France for about ten years. They played in Australia, the US and toured Europe regularly. United Kingdom included. The first opus of the now series 'I have trouble in mind' was released on the initiative of Bill and Lisa Roe (iconic label 'trouble in mind") in the US in 2014. It combines all the 45t , unreleased songs recorded by the couple for 'Mojo magazine", tribute to Beach Boys, fanzines, micro labels. All the titles which were difficult to find and that fans were looking for. And now, here it is: I ve got trouble in mind vol 2. The Limiñanas now work mainly with the European label 'Because music". Thanks to their common forces, 3 albums were released. «Traité de guitarre Triolectique» with Pascal Comelade, 'Malamore", which was a tribute to Dino Risi and in 2018 'Shadow People' in the company of the American psychedelic pope Anton Newcombe. Marie and Lio work a lot, they record all the time and love 45t, maxi's and still collaborate with small labels from around the world for specific projects like the traditional song of Christmas 'Convenanza 'from Andrew Weatherall. In this second opus some covers of their favorite titles will be available. The lords of the new church 'Russia"n roulette", 'two sisters' from the Kinks which is the first song recorded with Anton and remixed by the American producer of the first White Stripes album Jim Diamond. 'Live will Tell' from Polnareff, a tribute to 'Suicide' recorded in Australia from the live version of the band and many others. The artwork was designed by Elric Duffau, as for the first volume. Small bonus: the two album covers placed side by side complement each other for a single piece.

Friendship. Gratitude. Music Passion. Turbo Recordings is proud to present the feel-good story of the year with the debut release from Tiga & The Martinez Brothers.

"This is a true labour of love,' says Tiga. 'Two of the most refreshingly positive figures in dance music teaming with me, the heartless cynic with a heart of gold. Positivity and actual quality: the best of both worlds."

Tiga was originally meant to produce tracks for the DJ duo, but the sessions soon evolved into a full-fledged collaboration. The three men manned the studio in psychic unison, laying real-time drum programming and minimal storytelling over a techno foundation to create a truly dynamic dynamic. The result is some of the best work of their careers.

'Chris and Steve brought a deep knowledge of house music and DJ energy-flow, while I left my deep hatred of live studio jam sessions at the door," adds Tiga. 'These tracks are tougher, funkier and weirder than 99.3% of contemporary dance music, and it's all because we were brave enough to get sincere and real."

The material was written and recorded over the course of two sessions at Montreal's Lost Star Studios, a haven for vintage gear and laid-back vibes right out of your most casual dreams. It was easily the most fun anyone's had in a studio since 2014.

"You can keep your VIP laminates and hot flavors of the moment,' concludes Tiga. 'I'm here to tell you that there's nothing cooler than the magic of friendship.'

Part II of the collaboration is set for release on The Martinez Brothers' Cuttin' Headz label under the name The Martinez Brothers & Tiga, an inspiring nod to the importance of fairness in project credits

Grey Marbled Vinyl

*Black vinyl press* Reissue of his debut album from 1980. Beautiful experimental sound design which results in proto-techno soundscapes. A gem in the genre!
Minimal Wave is honored to present a reissue of Sympathy Nervous' pioneering debut album originally released in 1980 on Vanity Records out of Japan. Sympathy Nervous was Yosihumi Niinuma's lifelong project which he started in his Tokyo living room in 1979. Through Sympathy Nervous, Niinuma was able to channel his energy into what he loved - building his own synthesizers and speakers from scratch. Niinuma was inspired by German Krautrock and through his music created intense proto-techno soundscapes. Now finally available for the first time ever, remastered from the original tapes used for the 1980 release, is the timeless masterpiece in its entirety.

Sometimes Magic Happens. Sometimes, Emotions Enwrap You In A Way You've Rarely Experienced Before. Sometimes, It's Just A Matter Of Freedom: The Freedom To Create, Improvise, Process, And Re-process, Without Specific References, Deadlines, Or Obligations To Please Whatever Markets Or Audiences With Clear-cut Styles And Sound Signatures.

Actually, This Tomat Petrella Affair Is Quite Unexpected. It's A Game Of Two: Turin-based Davide Tomat, Who Has Over Twenty Years Experience As A Multi-instrumentalist, Band Leader, And Sound Designer In Several Italian Projects (niagara, N.a.m.b., And Founder Of The Superbudda Collective); And Musician Gianluca Petrella, Hailing From Southern Italy But In Fact A Citizen Of The World And - More Importantly - One Of The Most Revered And Inventive Jazz Trombone Players In The World From The Last Decade Or So (as Stated On Several Down Beat Critics' Polls And Proven On His Blue Note And Ecm Releases).

'kepler', Their Collaborative Effort, Is A Beast Of A Different Nature. It Has So Many Textures, Intuitions, And Complexities That You Can Hardly List This Simply As A 'jazz-meetselectronica' Project.

So Much Cheesy, Well-educated, Nicely Predictable Music Has Been Produced Under That Moniker, But So Far None Of Them Have Had 'it'.

Freedom To Spend's first catalog wide deep dive into an artist's career focuses on four albums from Rimarimba, beginning with 1983's Below The Horizon, followed by 1984's On Dry Land, 1985's In The Woods, and finally, the once-imagined, now-realized assembly of 1988's Light Metabolism Number Prague.

Somewhere out there around the turn of the 1980s, to the left of the post-punk crew, to the right of the minimalists, and surfacing with a friendlier face than the dour industrialists of the time - there existed, seemingly unbidden, an entire, networked, tape-trading community; a community that crossed continents and oceans, that relied on the postal service to do its bidding; a community full of humble visionaries and lost, misunderstood, or just plain ignored home steeped genius.

Exploring that thicket of weirdness in the UK wild, you'd likely stumble across labels like Cordelia, Hamster, and Unlikely; compilations like the should-be-legendary Obscure Independent Classics series, or the Real Time cassettes; and inexplicable one-offs like The Deep Freeze Mice, Jody & The Creams, R. Stevie Moore, Leven Signs, Jung Analysts, and Rimarimba.

Rimarimba was the project of Robert Cox, based in Felixstowe, on the seaside in Suffolk, UK. Rimarimba was not Cox's first entry into the world of recorded music, but was the first time he explored, most perceptively, the parameters of a particular musical mode: one where minimalism is removed from its 'high-art' mantle, Cox inveigling its practices in amongst the doit-yourself creativity of a burgeoning and beguiling underground, letting the music breathe - and most importantly, letting it play, gifting it with imagination.

The first in the Rimarimba series, 1983's Below The Horizon, feature Cox in exploratory mode, figuring out exactly how to make his music. There's a pleasure in hearing how he feels out the parameters of his aesthetic, here - there's a boxy minimalism, slightly clunky and charming with it, that reflects the home-spun, improvisatory tenor of the compositions. It's ambitious music, though, wanting to do the most and the best it can with its limited resources. Cox himself admits to not being 'pre-wired' to making this music, but that only makes it more compelling: 'Were I to be properly musical, it wouldn't actually work as well in some ways; it'd be just another album of contemporary clattery music.'

On October 5, Freedom To Spend will offer Below the Horizon in a one-time edition of 750 copies, followed On Dry Land and In The Woods on January 8, 2019 and February 22, respectively. Each album features artwork reinterpreted from its original edition by Will Work For Good, and accompanying abstracts by Jon Dale.

We head into the final quarter of the year with a very
welcome return to First Word from London producer,
musician, engineer and DJ, Eric Lau. Following on
from his acclaimed early 2017 album, 'Examples',
we proudly present the second volume - another
delectable 28-track beats opus.
'Examples Volume Two' is Eric's fourth
instrumental album, and ably continues where he
left off with an assortment of sonics, ranging through
hip hop, jazz, funk, soul & Brazilian beats. An
elaborate sketchpad of ideas and grooves, this again
gives a taste of the genius production skills of 'The
Commissioner', Mr. Lau.
A mixdown perfectionist, his services have been
drafted into service on a number of albums over the
past few years, including Yussef Kamaal's 'Black
Focus', Mansur Brown's 'Shiroi', The Playlist's
'Chasing Goosebumps', DJ Jazzy Jeff's 'M3',
Masego's 'Lady Lady', and Kaidi Tatham's 'It's A
World Before You', released on First Word recently.
It's through these recent collaborations that we have
a few unique ingredients peppered through this
project, the track 'Jeff's Piano' is based on a sample
taken from Eric's iPhone, capturing a moment when
Kaidi was teaching Masego a few chords at Jeff's
studio. Both integral players to the Playlist Retreat,
Eric and Kaidi have also provided remix duties for
Moonchild, Omar and Leon Ware, and Kaidi Kat also
lends his key playing talents to a few tracks here.
Eric has also worked as a producer for artists like
Oddisee, Guilty Simpson, Dego, Tawiah, Rahel and
Fatima, whilst his DJ skills have seen him tour the
globe with luminaries such as Erykah Badu, Robert
Glasper and Questlove. He's received props over the
years from tastemakers across the world, including
Rich Medina, 9th Wonder, Bobbito, Dam Funk, Phonte, Gilles Peterson, James Poyser (The Roots) and Ali Shaheed
Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest).