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The title track "Empty Dancefloor" combines a thumping kick drum, stuttering hats and mesmeric chords, a combination that prove to be the perfect backing track to a captivating synth solo. It's extremely difficult not to find yourself lost in this enchanting track. Fracture" is a track where Skygaze really showcases his ability to combine broken beat, complex drum patterns with bewitching chords, magical marimbas and a curious bassline.
It is a track that really keeps you guessing throughout and one that can really add variety to any DJ set.
First up on remix duties is Jonna, who has put his own stamp on "Empty Dancefloor".
jonna is a DJ, Producer & one of the Label owners of City Fly Records, his sets are prominently House but take in influences from Disco, Techno, Hip-Hop, Funk, Jazz... Basically any music with Soul.
His first artist EP dropped early 2016 on 'Shadeleaf Music' & featured the incredibly talented Erik Rico on vocals with remixes by Atlanta's Kai Alce. The EP achieved great success & Sold Out in the first Month & was supported by heavyweight's Recloose, Derrick Carter, Jimpster & Osunlade to name a few.
Collab Singles (with Samwell) 'Henry Western' Featuring Lady Blacktronika followed on City Fly which was supported heavily on BBC 6 Music, that followed by 'Alright' on 'Future Society', a compilation curated by Seven Davis Jr on R2 Records and more recently the Luke Soloman Edit of 'Through The Night' again on Shadeleaf Music.
He has been busy in the studio since with a release on Secret Crunch (Austria) & 2 EP's forthcoming on Marcel Vogel's excellent Intimate Friends (NL).
The remix of "Empty Dancefloor" is one that is done in the unmistakable Jonna style, it's got groove! By chopping and changing the chords from the original, Jonna has created an entirely new melody, which when combined with rolling bongos and punchy bassline, you can't help but tap your feet.
The all too familiar synth solo from the original resonates throughout and pulls the track together, creating a guaranteed hit on any dance floor. Last, but certainly not least is Chicago based, Garrett David. The Smart Bar Resident has taken time out from his A&R / House buying duties at the famous Gramaphone Records to conjure up a bumping, yet dreamy remix of "Fracture".
He has previous releases on labels including Distant Hawaii, Residual Recordings, Night Sea Journey as well as his own imprint Stripped & Chewed and has really brought some Chicago flavours to the table with this one.

This 12' begins with Collocutor ripping into Miles Davis' 'Black Satin', from the benchmark On The Corner LP, and owning it from the off. A respectful homage is paid to the original with sensational improvised parts being added with a hip groove from the percussive wonders of Magnus Mehta (Magnus P.I.), Maurizio Ravalico and bassist Suman Joshi. The sparks fly as guitarist Marco Piccioni channels the spirits of late '60s psychedelic fires. The melodic riff of Miles' classic is stripped down by Simon 'Shwaa' Finch and Mike Lesirge who subtly encapsulate the original's atmosphere.

The A-side is completed with the label's latest signing, DJ Khalab delivering a sharp, warped assault on Collocutor's 'The Search', just in time for the LP's repress.

On the flip is a live version of 'The Search' recorded during the 'Live at the Fish Factory' Session in 2016 which, have so far resulted in two collector's edition dubplates that are as rare as hen's teeth. The invigorated far out sound has been mixed on this recording by producer Sam Jones who has entrenched himself with the On the Corner approach and brought his 'Sam Jones Construct' vision to the label. Marco Piccioni sold his soul at a highway crossroads on the way to the recording. There are spirits riding on the backs of the ensemble guiding this version of 'The Search' out into cosmic oceans.

The 12' ends with bassist Ruth Goller (Melt Yourself Down, Let Spin, Gufo and Bug Prentice) stewarding her virtuosic groove sensibilities into the twilight zone with this brooding off -kilter abstraction of 'Everywhere'. The stripped backbones of the tracks rhythm are punctuated by a dialogue and mantra summoned by Goller that moves menacingly over a synth bass augmented b-line.

As label founder Pete OntheCorner describes the release: 'This EP ushers in a string of releases that embody the label's vision. The futuristic concept first realised by Miles Davis with On The Corner and more generally during his electric period is at the heart of our collaborative, genre-less burning chalice. Analogue genius being mutated with a charge into something other, a vanishing point of ethereal musical feeling where the space for fresh narratives can be formed beyond genre and out On the Corner.

Victoria's artwork is always stunning and for this series of works she has already conquered the sublime with the sleeve for Black Satin".

music is the silence between the notes.' the french composer claude debussy once said.
the german trio wareika, consisting of florian schirmacher, henrik raabe and jakob seidensticker, love the silence between their notes, even if their music is often fully loaded with many detailed sounds, rhythms, melodies and intercultural sound links.
since 2007 they spread their passion for repetitive club grooves in the minimal house spheres that love to swing in the epic way. with four albums on labels like perlon or visionquest as well as eps for labels like eskimo, tartelet, circus company or bar 25 under their wings, the trio proofed their craftsmanship for multi-layered dance music already arrestingly deep on numerous releases and during tours around the globe that brought them also to japan.
now they deliver a new one hour long sonic journey on the tokyo based mule musiq, the label on which wareika member florian schirmacher already released as part of the glowing glisses project in 2008. also wareika itself are not new to the japanese imprint, as they previously dropped a remix for mule for the mysterious project jemmy in late 2015.
and now water, sky, sun, wood' - an ambitious one-track (on vinyl separated into four parts) love letter that kicks you deep into meditation - assumed you surrender yourself to their complex sounding and grooving story-arc. it all started with an unplanned four-hour jam session between henrik and flo-rian, gaming and messing around on the piano, guitar and drum computer.
later florian edited the happening into a one-hour sensation, henrik added some congas and synthlines and jakob mixed it down. the result is a meticulously edited, deeply absorbing dance between the pi-ano, guitar, conga, mfb tanzbär, mfb dominion 1, ob-6, jupiter 6 and manikin mellotron synthsizer. you can use it to get lost. lost from the daily grind. lost from precast perception.
lost in music. you can use it for your imagination to move to a place beyond words that guarantees some genuine experience. or you just can shut yourself down to it, dive deep into your unforeseeable dream world and dance your sub-consciousness around and around.
whatever each listener chooses to do, wareika's latest adventurous blend of jazz, techno, house and world music will move each soul individual. primarily because water, sky, sun, wood' is a reverbera-tion of the inner notes that are floating and dancing in florian, henrik and jakob. and as the greatest music in the world is nothing but an echo of the inner music, wareika managed to reach a new fresh peak of their multidimensional artistic body of work, that grows and grows to stand out in terms of deepness, permanency, eternalness and silence between all sounding sensations.

Les Shadoks (50th Anniversary Edition) - Collector's VINYL Edition (LP + 7"): High glossy gatefold sleeve, French + English liner notes / poster inlay with Shadok drawing by Robert Cohen-Solal, hype sticker

- Les Shadoks soundtrack by Robert Cohen-Solal available for the first time ever in its entirety, cut and mastered from the original reels, made in cooperation with the artist.
- For fans of musique concrète, electro-acoustic, psychedelic, early electronics, experimental, soundtrack, library, oddities, cartoons, 60s and 70s music, Prospective 21ème Siècle series, Bernard Parmegiani, Jean-Jacques Perrey, Luc Ferrari, Pierre Schaeffer, Pierre Henry, Bruno Spoerri, Groupe de recherches musicales (GRM).

WRWTFWW Records is delighted to announce the release of the complete soundtrack of cult French animated TV series Les Shadoks (1968-1974) by Robert Cohen-Solal, available for the first time ever in its entirety. Right in time to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Jacques Rouxel and René Borg's legendary television cartoon, this collector's item comes in two versions: a limited edition 12" + 7" vinyl album housed in a high glossy gatefold and with an exclusive Shadok drawing by Robert Cohen-Solal, and a digipack CD. Both versions are cut and mastered from the original reels under the supervision of the artist, and contain liner notes in French and English.

Electro-acoustic pioneer and eminent member of the illustrious GRM (Groupe de recherches musicales, the French equivalent of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop), Robert Cohen-Solal has explored music and sound alongside luminaries such as Bernard Parmegiani, Pierre Henry, Luc Ferrari, and Iannis Xenakis, and is responsible for numerous projects in the field of applied music, soundtracks (documentaries, shorts etc.), and experimental recordings. His work on Les Shadoks is simply extraordinary - a fascinating and bizarre collage of wacky electro pop (à la Jean-Jacques Perrey), drones, musique concrète, classical, and dadaist sound experiments seamlessly mixing into a cohesive and cinematic listening experience. The ideal soundtrack for what will remain one of the weirdest animated TV series ever created!

A true literary, cultural and philosophical phenomenon in France, Les Shadoks caused a sensation while airing between 1968 and 1974. Its unique combination of Alfred Jarry-style surrealism, off-centered British humor, and US comic strip inspiration, all brought to life by illustrated bird-like creatures (reminiscent of Paul Klee's La machine à gazouiller), left a lasting mark, making the term Shadok an often-used satirical expression to describe policies and attitudes considered to be absurd.

Awaken arrives ten years since the release of their first album, and Agrimonia have evolved notably over that period of time. Their sound has always been dense, immersive, ambitious even, and on Awaken, Agrimonia have evolved their prog-infused form of expansive metal into something energetic, dynamic and powerful. 

On Awaken, Agrimonia are digging deep into their subconscious, trying to get an elevated state of mind, to connect the mind with sound and to find the combination of notes and melodies that evolves into a feeling or mood. Agrimonia channel the bittersweetness of life, and breathe air into thoughts, that cannot easily be put into words.
 
About Awaken the band comment "We are thrilled to see the release of our fourth album "Awaken". We are very proud of the outcome and feel that the album is our most dynamic and vital yet, and contains more of everything that is Agrimonia.'...they continue...'Awaken is the soundtrack to our existence, and I hope other people can feel that way too'.
 
Awaken was produced by the band then mixed and mastered by Henrik Udd, who also worked on the previous recording Rites of Separation, then under the Studio Fredman banner but now under his own name, Henrik Udd Recording Studios.

Hailing from Mali, Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia first met as children at Mali's Institute for the Young Blind—both lost their vision at an early age. It was here that they started performing in the institute's Eclipse Orchestra, eventually marrying and began recording together in the '80s.

Over the span of three decades Amadou (guitar and vocals) and Mariam (vocals) developed an international following having recorded eight full-length albums and toured around the world. Their album Welcome To Mali (2008) was nominated for the Best Contemporary World Music Album' at the 52nd Grammy Awards. Tour highlights for the duo include supporting U2 on their U2 360 Tour, performing at the 2010 World Cup for FIFA's Kick-Off Celebration and performing alongside major acts across multiple genres such including Blur, Coldplay and Pink Floyd's David Gilmour.

The album also includes the hit single Bofou Safou,' which Stereogum calls the funk, the whole funk, and nothing but the funk.' The band discussed La Confusion and performed new music on a recent stop at KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic' during their recent sold out North American seventeen city headline tour — watch HERE. The band played major markets including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Montreal.

Amadou & Mariam recently released the Bofou Safou EP via Because Music. The EP includes the first two La Confusion singles, Bofou Safou' and Filaou Bessame,' alongside remixes of the EP's title track by Fatima Yamaha, Africaine 808, Henrik Schwarz and more. The term bofou safou' is a Bambara (the Malian national language) nickname given to nonchalant young men who would rather dance than work. Of the new EP, the group notes, We really like the remixes that were made for the EP. You get to hear our music in a different form, which is great. All five remixes manage to catch the essence of our song while really pushing those enticing afro pop and electronic vibes further.'

A first-ever collection of the highly sought after and largely previously unheard recordings of the one of Turkish pop and rocks best kept secrets - featuring the two rare has hen's teeth 1 Numara 7' singles (which fetch in excessive of £200 on certain internet auction sites) - including a previously unreleased extended version of Evren The missing component in the history of Turkish pop and one of the earliest exponents of Turkish electronic music alongside Ilhan Mimaroglu and Bülent Arel, Gökçen Kaynatan electrified the rock and roll scene of the late 50s/early 60s - sending teenagers wild with his custom built guitars and back lines - helping charge the climate for the birth of Anatolian rock. Then, from the sanctuary of his private studio, he revolutionised the industry with his pioneering use of electronics whilst hanging the sonic wallpaper in the living rooms of an entire generation of telly addicts as in house composer of choice for Turkey's first national television channel TRT 1. Despite having a modest discography of only four 7' singles to his name his influence is a major current that flows through over 50 years of Turkish pop culture. Compiled with unparalleled access to his private studio vault, Finders Keepers proudly presents the first-ever collection of Gökçen Kaynatan's pioneering early electronic works. Featuring a selection of his experimental pop and rock recordings dating from as early as the 1968 it features both of the highly sought after 1 Numara singles - including a never before heard extended version of Evren - as well as previously unheard archive material and songs recorded for and broadcast exclusively on TRT 1 - most of them never to be repeated. In helping Gökçen end his self-imposed 44-year exile from the record industry we can now share with you the first of these important recordings from a genuine maverick who helped shape the face of modern Turkish music, as well as shedding some light on the rise of one of Anatolian rock and pops must fruitful and experimental periods that began with the arrival (and subsequent explosion) of domestic synthesisers on the Turkish scene.

The night is what makes a big city come to life. Right after sundown, the hectic buzzing of downtown makes way for adventure playgrounds, bathed in neon light, revealing their countless chances and opportunities. It's when you'll find the subway spitting out it's purpose seeking passengers by the minute. A coming and going of restless people passing through. All it takes is a few hours, before the sunrise makes it all disappear. Mental Bend captures the magic of that very moment in their dreamy soundtracks. If you close your eyes, you can see blurry pictures passing in slow motion, accompanied by their atmospheric songs. Grainy black and white snapshots, fragments of memories lighting up somewhere in the farthest corner of the cortex. 'One Step' is the Berlin-based indietronica duo's visually vivid debut album, released on Enfant Fenou. Mental Bend are all about letting go. Sissip (voc/synth/bass) and Hendrik Havekost (beats/production) know how to trust their instincts, crafting their hypnotic signature sound, somewhere in between electronica, ambient and dream pop. Before founding the band in 2013, the two were already shaping their skills in all kinds of different formations and styles of music. As soon as they got together, they had a viral mini hit with their song 'Take My Hand', praised on various tastemaker blogs and generating over 100.000 likes on Soundcloud in no time. The band's first long play record 'One Step' is all about important experiences and decisions, small as well as big steps, all a part of making progress, which in the end can even be life changing. It was a step, that recently got Mental Bend their record deal on Mo's Ferry's sub label 'Enfant Fenou'.

The Second Single of Prins Thomas brand new - 5th Album - gets unveiled with a Remixes and Bonus Beats by our dear friends - The Pilotwings ! Tracklist: PTM003A_Prins Thomas - Lunga Strada (The Pilotwings _Bubble-Zouk_ Remix) PTM003B_Prins Thomas - Lunga Strada (The Pilotwings Bonus Beats) Thomas on 'Lunga Strada' : The track that took me the longest to complete hence the 'long road". Personal favourites The Pilotwings from Lyon sent over 2 ridiculously good and fun remixes

We are very excited to present the new collabo release between Cosmic Compostions and Jitwam's selftitled album " ".

Born in Assam, Gauhati, in Northeast India, but currently based in New York's storied borough of Brooklyn, Jitwam spent his formative years in New Zealand and Australia, before living in monasteries in Thailand, orphanages in South Africa, and washed out apartments in London. Of everywhere and nowhere, his music draws influence from a litany of iconoclasts including, but not limited to RD Burman, Moondog, The Velvet Underground, Yayoi Kusama, Jay Electronica, Jay Dilla, Moodymann, Leon Thomas, Madlib and Asha Bhosle.

Across " (selftitled)", he utilizes knowledge acquired through years spent digging through dusty crates, and talents honed as a multi-instrumentalist, producer, and vocalist. A series of stumbling, jazz/soul-rooted beat sculptures, each buried beneath a haze of fuzzy psychedelia, broken microphone blues, and articulated through a freestyled process he describes as "first thought, best thought", " (selftitled)" solidifies Jitwam's spot as a major emerging talent.

Recalling the fourth world dreamscapes explored by oddball songwriters like Connan Mockasin, Clarence Clarity, Jai Paul, Silicon, and Unknown Mortal Orchestra, it represents a time of transition and remembrance for Jitwam, while still fulfilling the core qualities he looks for in song. In his words, "Music is a refuge. A shelter from the storm. A place you can go to close your eyes."

Since he first shared his music with IZWID Records boss Kutmah at a Brainfeeder afterparty in London, Jitwam has released through Leaving Records, Cosmic Compositions, and The Jazz Diaries (the label he co-runs with Casey Van Reyk and Nigel Mphisa). He's also written with Inkswel (BBE) and Paul White (R&S), featured on Moodymann's K7! "DJ-Kicks" compilation and been championed by Gilles Peterson, Alexander Nut, Andrew Jervis (Bandcamp), and Funkineven. Mainly mixed and mastered by Matthewdavid at Stones Throw studios in Los Angeles, " (selftitled)" will be available on vinyl and digital formats.

Absolutely stellar proto-disco jam from 1975 on the minute Shield label, Nassau County's Hokis Pokis may not be the most well known of funk / soul outfits but that doesn't mean they groove any less than any of the big guns!

'Nowhere' is a true underground classic, one for the real disco aficionados. One of those grooves that straddles the thin lines between rock, soul and funk. This is a proper club record and in the right hands will keep a dancefloor locked in and moving.
Speaking of 'right hands' this special 12" reissue sees NYC DJ and edit royalty Danny Krivit tastefully extend the original 3.32 7" A-side version into an extended club jam. Never one to utilise tired filters, loops, sweeps and so called laptop 'production methods' Danny turns in a fine extension that is subtle, effective and most of all - funky. A truly glorious slice of uplifting dance music 'Nowhere' is an essential purchase for those of you who dig the real deep stuff.
This reissue is a legit, licensed and proper release. Made by Above Board distribution in conjunction with Henry Stone music and the skills of the legendary Danny Krivit. 2018.

Gili Yalos selbstbetiteltes Album verbindet verschiedene Facetten äthiopischer Musik mit James Brown und Mulatu Astatke, Soul und Funk der Siebziger, Psychedelia und Ethio-Jazz. Die Songs werden von einnehmenden Rhythmen getragen. Groove, Beat und Flow vermischen sich mit einem großen Schatz
betörender Melodien und den Lyrics, die Yalo mit seiner einzigartigen Stimme auf Englisch und Amharisch
vorträgt. Für dieses wirklich außergewöhnliche Ergebnis arbeitete Yalo mit den Produzenten Beno Hendler
(Balkan Beat Box) und Uri Brauner Kinrot (Boom Pam, Ouzo Bazooka) sowie vielen talentierten Musikern aus
der quirligen Musikszene von Tel Aviv zusammen. Zwei Jahre hat Yalo an den Songs geschrieben, getrieben
von dem Wunsch, seine Wurzeln und Vergangenheit im Hier und Jetzt zu verankern. Damit gleicht "Gili Yalo"
der kreativen Aufarbeitung seiner eigenen Biografie. Und die ist nicht ohne: In der geheimen Operation
Moses floh er mit einer Gruppe äthiopischer Juden 1984 während der Hungerkatastrophe im Sudan zu Fuß in
Flüchtlingscamps, durch die Wüste hin zum gelobten Land. Dabei sang er für seine Familie. Es war die
Musik, die ihnen die Kraft gab, weiterzugehen.

Quiet rare sound here with a banging oldschool reverless kicks full EP (exept for the Sloogy tune witch is more/less Pumpion). A sound that really goes crazy when played on sound systems : super dynamic !!! MUST HAVE : ) once again !!!

Im September 2017 haben der DIY-Tausendsassa Angela Aux alias Florian Kreier und der Downbeat-Slacker Leroy Miller eine Kassette mit dem Titel "Grain In Vain" veröffentlicht. Nun, nur wenige Monate später, schiebt das Label Schamoni Musik die gleichnamige LP der Supergroup der Münchner Subkultur hinterher. Leroy kennt man zum Beispiel aus den Bands Das Hobos und Chat Group sowie solo als DJ und Produzent. Angela Aux ist Teil von Aloa Input, veröffentlicht als Heiner Hendrix Kurzgeschichten sowie Gedichte und organisiert das multimediale Kulturfestival Panama Plus. "Grain In Vain" zelebriert mit knisternden Gitarrenakkorden und analogen Beats anrüchige Lo-fi-Hymnen auf das Leben zwischen Grundeinkommen und Überschwang. Das Ganze siedelt mit Mut zur Lücke irgendwo zwischen Blues, Americana, Folk und Indiepop einerseits sowie Freak Brothers und Donald Duck andererseits. Dem Vernehmen nach verbrachten die beiden Künstler nur zwei Stunden im Studio, um so den berühmten Moment auch wirklich einzufangen. Das Experiment scheint geglückt.

Henrique Oliveira aka HNQO, is the man responsible for this exciting full album release on DOC Records.

HNQO

is one of the fastest rising young stars in the techno, house and indie dance scene in Brazil.
Causing much attention and hype with his recent EP release on DOC Records (Balinese Death - also featured in MAGNUM VOL 1) and having reach the

#1 spot at Hot Creations Top selling single, it is time to introduce his first album "The Old Door", (influenced by Marlin Stimming and Anders Trentemøller, two of his heroes).
A weird string sound marks the opening of "The OId Door".

By mixing old sounds with new ideas, while recording different instruments, the track shows HNQO's life and it features Urzula Amen in the vocals.

"The Death of the Elephant' is a soundtrack to remind us how destructive human kind has been to the nature. Using sounds of Pizzicato Violin, "40s Cartoon' continues to take us to a journey through the artist's imagination.


The album is filled with the Henrique life moments during the year it took to produce the album.

For an example in "Egyptian Lover" HNQO describes how nice it would have been to have a lover flying overnight.

On this track Russian singer Cotry interprets the lyrics.

"Fallen Angel" is a dramatic piece telling a story still about flying.

"If" is another collaboration with the amazing Urzula Amen.


As we get closer to the end, when its finally time, 'Light a Cigarette' reaches a melancholic state where all melodies were recorded with eyes shut and in complete darkness.

A spiritual moment that became Henrique's favourite track of this project.

The scratch of a match, the flame and then a foggy synth that releases all the feelings in sound waves.
The album cover was inspired on a door.

A door that HNQO was able to enter by playing certain keys on his synths, percussions and strings that allowed him to reach a organic level while making it all a bit more human in terms of groove construction.
A poem from Rai Knight was perfect fit to give the density for the digital bonus track.
To get a better feel of what this album has to say, HNQO invites you to open 'The Old Door"

Like a message in a bottle, carried round by the ocean streams for decades, Henrik Rylander's album 'Fran En Obestamd Plats I Rummet' has floated around in the space of Swedish underground music. Hoga Nord pulls the cork and unfolds the message that is a piece of music that was ahead of its time, sounding 'now' 20 years after its first release in the late nineties. This album is a well-kept secret even for the most initiated music lovers in Sweden! The music, influenced by Flying Saucer Attack and other reverb/distortion drenched acts from the early nineties, Harmonia and some of Kraftwerks earlier works and minimalism, still sounds fresh!

Rylander, a member of legendary acts such as Union Carbide Productions and The Skull Defekts, has been pushing the envelope for electronic music, varying between ambient and noise. Rylander's solo works could be described as sophisticated music and 'Fran En Obestamd Plats I Rummet' combines the sophisticated sides with his band oriented works that holds another kind of tension.

This record is the first release on the sub label 'Hoga Nord Arkiv' on which releases from the past, that hasn't got as much attention they deserve gets re-released in an appropriate context.

Purveyors of enigmatic dreamscapes and organic, danceable electronica, Leeds-based, electronic-soul quartet Noya Rao are set to release their debut album, Icaros, this November. Founded by producer Tom Henry (Cosima, Yellow Days) Noya Rao was originally conceived as a solo production project with a separate live band representation. Alongside bassist Jim Wiltshire and drummer Matt Davies, whom Tom had met playing in other bands within the Leeds music scene, the project grew to become a collaborative effort mixing Tom's production ideas with the attributes of Jim's unique bass synth lines and Matt's polyrhythmic beats. Their compositions drew on the influences of jazz, hip-hop and electronic music whilst incorporating the sounds of the bass-heavy-dub music synonymous with the Leeds music scene. Their sound really came into focus when they met vocalist Olivia Bhattacharjee who brought her gospel style and complex choral harmony to the band. Developing from raw, psychedelic improvisations, their sound became more defined and minimal, underpinned by live instrumentation and more structured song writing. This co-existing electronic and organic thread gives the band a strong identity and their powerful live show sets them apart from other producer-led bands. Matthew Halsall from Gondwana Records saw the band perform at an intimate show in Manchester in 2016 and blown away, signed the band on the spot.

Icaros takes the listener on a journey through the band's unique sound-world amplified by Tom Henry's bold and inventive production techniques. Sometimes fragile, sometimes raw and visceral the album opens with the ethereal Azimuth. It's contrasting sections and mysterious chords offer echoes of the band's instrumental beginnings whilst the repeated vocal harmony layers at the end demonstrate a signature feature of the new Noya Rao sound. Moments is the first tune they wrote together and reflects upon taking joy in the everyday: the opening womb-like chords are another distinct sound of the band. The gritty Golden Claw describes the effects of a manipulative heartbreaker, it's darker, more driving and has a ruder '80s flavour. Midas demonstrates the band's use of linear structural forms and complex rhythms influenced from around the globe. It tells the story of someone who, led by greed, made some regrettable decisions. The atmospheric Dreaming Part 1 and Part 2 are sumptuous dreamy soundscapes. They were born from the same epic improv-based writing sessions as Fly, which has a trippy disco vibe, offset with wonky chords and crunching vocal harmony. The hook-led I Feel points to future ventures for the band: mixing their electronic textures with a more formal song-writing approach. A sublime slice of dreamy space-jazz, Same Sun Will Rise, finds Olivia contemplating mankind's utter selfishness and a desire for change, "Over borders we've assigned, same sun will rise'. Minimal and spacious, This Time demonstrates the merging of ethereal edginess and delicate songwriting. It is this combined with their electronic and live approach and more than a hint of Leeds attitude that gives Noya Rao their unique sound.

Melodies International proudly moves forward with an elusive piece of mid-tempo Chicago soul originally performed by Gloria J. Jennings in 1977.

Gloria was signed to Stage Productions as a gospel singer with pure and raw talent she had developed in the choir of her father's Southern Baptist Church. She was 16 years old at the time. To tutor her for R&B vocals, Willie C. Nance of Stage Productions spent 3 months taking the artist back and forth for vocal training 25 miles each way, 3 days per week.

At the time, Mr. Nance had made plans to work with singer and songwriter Theresa Eagins to record Know What You Want'. However, two days before the recording was set to begin, Ms. Eagins refused to move forward with the recording as she chose to take her religious faith more seriously and forgo the singing of secular music. Hence, Stage Productions turned to Gloria Jay to perform a song that would go on to move people thousands of miles away, many years later.

One of them was Patrick Forge: Back around 1990 I had a residency upstairs at the Wag Club on a Friday night alongside Paul Martin (he was Gilles P's A&R right hand man at Talkin Loud), the night was called Respect and we played mainly Soul, Boogie and Jazz-Funk. Many years later I bumped into Paul at a record shop and he quizzed me about a tune I used to play at the end of the night at Respect. Hhe described it as being an independent Soul seven inch on a red label, slow to mid tempo... and more to the point a bullet of a record. It piqued my curiosity so much I burrowed through my seven inches and even made Paul a compilation of likely contenders, his response was lovely selection, but it's not on there!'. Damn, a mystery! Many moons later whilst I was living in Japan, my tenant in my London flat said she'd found an old mixtape I'd done for her way back when and was desperate to know the identity of something she was calling the choo choo song'. Eventually when I was back in London she played the mixtape and I quickly identified her tune as Fabrica' by Cesar Mariano, however letting the tape play some time later a familiar descending chord sequence catapulted me back to those Friday nights at The Wag, and Gloria Jay's plaintive vocals reminded me of a record that had been absent from my life for far too long. I've no idea what happened to my original copy, I hunted another one down straight away, and I've kept it close ever since. Know What You Want' is a song that goes deep in such a simple, unaffected, almost naive way, Gloria's voice is both sweet and raw, it's built on simple chords and obvious instrumentation, but it's so much greater than the sum of its parts.

Know What You Want' is soul music, pure and unadulterated, there's nothing getting in the way of the feeling, it's straight from the heart.' Carefully re-mastered from the tapes, MEL008 comes forth in its original 7' format with a 14'x14' poster.

Native New Yorker Son Of Sound aka Henry Maldonado returns to Delusions of Grandeur with another fine EP including two floor-friendly originals plus a stripped back remix from Aroop Roy. For those too young to have been buying records in the early 90's Henry was a key figure, involved in seminal releases on Strictly Rhythm as House 2 House, Maxi Records as Deja Vu and MAW Records as Rhythm Section. To say this guy has history is something of an understatement having made an important contribution to the first wave of deep house with productions dating right back to '91. More recently he has created magic for Jus Ed's Underground Quality, Classic, Razor n Tape and Local Talk as well as establishing his own District30 imprint.
We kick off with NY Iz All I Know, a warm, soulful yet pumping slice of what can only be described as proper house music! Looped up vocal chops bounce around a classic disco groove until things breakdown into a new chord progression and saw wave bassline which add an interesting twist to the arrangement. Skin Tight drops next introducing a funk break underneath the solid four on the floor kick. One of Henry's trademark chord progressions emerges and the elements build up around to form another masterclass in sample-heavy house perfection.
Aroop Roy steps up for the remix following a run of fine edits and originals on the likes of Freestyle, Basic Fingers and House Of Disco. NY Iz All I Know gets stripped back and pumped up, taking the key elements and adding his own disco inspired groove and Moogy synth business for a floor- pleasing gem that we're sure will help find him new fans from across the house and disco spectrum.

Debuting under his given name for Maddjazz Recordings' second offering, is DJ, producer and synth enthusiast Henry Keen.

Henry's music was discovered after a long night of online digging, and after several exchanges, it was apparent that Henry was making music that defined exactly what Maddjazz is striving to achieve; honest music that's free of form and not constrained by any genre or tempo.

Henry has been making music as Soundspecies alongside brother Olly since 1998 and the duo are also members of London-based experimental Gnawa band, Electric Jalaba. He also produces solo under the alias, The Room Below, initially reworking close friend Paul White's 'Rapping With' album but more recently exploring dance floor territories with releases on UK imprint 'Don't Be Afraid'.

70's Baby is a raw and honest record. A collection of uptempo grooves written in various locations around hectic inner London. It's spirit is born out of the freedom of the CDR sessions at the now defunct club Plastic People, where many of Henry's productions were first shared, and where tempo and genre were irrelevant. It references Henry's love for the instrumentation, recording techniques and sounds of the 1970s, the decade of his birth. Featuring a tasteful blend of worldly and otherworldly sounds, It owes itself to modern and ancient dance themes alike.

We are so pleased and honored to be presenting this mini LP to the world!

Written, performed and produced by Thomas Moen Hermansen @M57 Studios Asker Jan-Sept 2016

Published by Smalltown Supermusic/Sony ATV Scandinavia

Mastered by Schnittstelle , Photos by Ragnhild Fors, Design by Metric Design

After the slightly more conceptual "Principe del Norte"album, "5" takes two steps forward and one step back
collecting a batch of tracks that was recorded right after it's preceder and in tandem with the recent "Square One"album with Bjørn Torske.
A "freedom"album of sorts, beyond the slightly misleading album opener "Here comes the band" there's a variety in these tracks tracing inspiration from 35 years (unhealthy)obsession with all things "good music" played enthusiastically.
"5" also marks the launch of my new label "Prins Thomas Musikk".

A run through the tracks with a couple of hints to titles and inspiration:

"Here comes the band"
A planned album of a fake band consisiting of me only was ditched. This is their only entry...
Very loosely inspired by "Bandwagonesque"era Teenage Fanclub

"Villajoyosa"
Melodic ideas hummed into a handheld recorded and specific notes about instrumentation scribbled down while on holiday in Villajoyosa in Spain turned into this little ditty when back in slightly colder Norway.

"Bronchi Beat"
Made in bed during a rough patch of bronchitis. Heavily influenced by prescription cough medicine.
Orbe from Madrid made a dizzy techno version which comes out soon enough...

""
I find great inspiration in working on new ideas while travelling the skies. Partly inspired by a detour into the soundtrack of my early teens (Paul Hardcastle, Warp 9, Maze, Mtume...)this particular one was started on a bumpy flight home from Athens and later finished in my tiny M57 Studio(R.I.P.)

"Æ"
Another bronchitis-ridden idea. Slow and low is the tempo. Beat originally inspired by Brian Briggs "AEO", melodies beamed in from Wally Badarou.
"Æ"is the norwegian pronounciation of the A in Acid refering to the 303 screeches going through the "song"

"Ø"
By the title you might think I'm running out of ideas. Not sure what happened here and why...

"Lunga Strada"
The track that took me the longest to complete hence the "long road".
Personal favourites The Pilotwings from Lyon sent over 2 ridiculously good and fun remixes which will
be released on a separate 10"

"London til Lisboa"
Another idea made on a plane when I should have tried to catch some sleep.
Direction steered by Plaid and Pat Metheny. Thank you for the inspiration

"Å"
Initially the final track AND then: scrapped idea for the alphabet soup of "Principe del Norte".
Later evolved into what we have here. Comes with a really nice remix by Pional on a separate 12"

"Venter på Torske"
The final recorded addition to the album. Made while waiting for Bjørn Torske to reply on a text message...

"Aske Hermansen"
In all seriousness, this is probably as soppy as it gets with me.
Tears into my computer keyboard, made on the road missing my wife and kids.

"On Suicide's First Rehearsal Tapes, recorded in 1975, Alan Vega and Martin Rev create minimalist aural structures, traces of which would surface on their eponymous debut album, released on the Red Star label in late 1977.

These songs are not a sketchpad of semi-formed ideas. The First Rehearsal Tapes comprise an audio diary of two men out in the ether, measuring themselves as evolving individual artists and as a unit who would rely on inseparability to realize their unique and often confrontational mass in the decades to come. What the tapes also reveal is that Vega and Rev were compositionally ambitious, capable of melody and form, while resisting definition as they headed further into uncharted territory.

The First Rehearsal Tapes afford the listener a glimpse into the creative process of two groundbreaking, true art warriors with their swords and shields leaning against the practice room wall. To understand the absolute brilliance of Suicide's first album as well as their sonic adventures that followed, you have to start here with their earliest recordings."

- Henry Rollins (excerpt from the liner notes)

As the head of Grounded Theory and MANHIGH, Henning Baer has since 2009 presented his downcast, experimental interpretation of modern electronic music to wide critical acclaim, establishing his forceful presence on Berlin's scene with immaculate curatorial skills and equally imposing DJ abilities. His discography so far, concentrated on Adam X's legendary Sonic Groove imprint and his own K209 and MANHIGH imprints, amongst others, keeps step with his formidable reputation and wide-ranging tastes, moving across the spectrum of hard-edged, aggressively modern techno. With 'Shatterproof', his long-germinating debut album for MANHIGH, he offers for the first time his unified vision in extended format, a varied exploration into the outer limits of the genre. At its centre a work of dark minimalism, he sets and maintains the pensive tone on ambient pieces like 'Angel Dust', 'All Over', and 'MIL-STD 461', which foreground the exploratory electronics that maintain their presence throughout. The corroded textures of the sounds, enveloped in decaying reverb, bring life to pieces like 'Never Ending' or 'Bliss', which sit between rhythmic interludes and the stricter dancefloor material found on the remainder of the album. Once he shifts into techno, he does it unremittingly, from the uptempo fury of 'Code Buster' and 'Burning Chrome', whose starkness only heighten the tension, to denser pieces like 'Drama Sky' or closer 'Vermillion Red', where the cavernous impacts of drum hits punch holes through beds of seesawing synthesizers. Shatterproof like its title suggests, Henning Baer's first album unifies and strengthens the work of an artist whose legacy is already assured.

Pittsburgh-born Phillip Ballou's earliest years were spent in the gospel field, after he moved to New York City in the '70s, he teamed up with Bennie Diggs and Arthur Freeman, founding members of The New York Community Choir and singer Arnold McCuller to form the group Revelation. The quartet recorded for RSO Records, scoring some R&B success in the US with tracks like Get Ready For This' and You To Me Are Everything,' touring the Bee Gees among others. Phillip also sang on albums by NYCC recorded for RCA Records and continued with Revelation until 1982.Frequently hired for sessions in and around New York, Phillip teamed up with UK soul music journalist David Nathan (who he'd met in 1974 during Nathan's first US visit) and John Simmons, formerly a member of The Reflections, another New York vocal group to write a series of songs for his own proposed solo record deal. Although a contract did not materialize, one of the songs - Ain't Nothing Like The Love' - got some interest from famed Philadelphia producer Thom Bell who presented it to The O'Jays. Ultimately, the tune was turned down by Kenny Gamble and John Simmons, by then musical director for Stephanie Mills, recorded his own version for a small independent label in 1981.Phillip continued his own musical journey, touring and recording with James Taylor and Todd Rundgren. In addition, Phillip's name graced recordings by George Benson, Billy Ocean, Kashif, Nona Hendryx, Jonathan Butler, Teddy Pendergrass and Melba Moore, in 1981, he began recording with Luther Vandross and became a part of Luther's touring band for many years, as well as singing on productions by Luther on Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick and others, continuing his association with him until Luther's 2003 stroke. Phillip returned to his gospel roots in 2004 as Minister of Music at a Brooklyn church and passed away in March 2005, aged 55. Thanks to renewed interest in the John Simmons' 1981 recording on YouTube, David Nathan has uncovered several tracks from the 1978 and 1979 he did with Phillip and John including Phillip Ballou's original version of Ain't Nothing Like The Love,' gaining its first ever worldwide release as a 7' single on Nefer Records in association with Super Disco Edits

Berlin native Florian Kruse has been a key part of the underground house and tech house scene for years now, and his productions have rightfully been bringing him plaudits for their emotional maturity. Finding a kindred spirit in German vocalist Hendrik Burkhard, as TheGround the pair have crafted a killer new album - 'Dediction', including these four exceptional tracks that will appear on the vinyl edition 'Dediction EP'. 'Homeless Hearts' exemplifies the duo's effect on each other - the slick, nuanced and spacy production gives way to a powerful groove, providing the perfect backing for Burkhard's dreamy vocal. 'Undercover' is a clear dance-floor killer, with Kruse's exceptional flair for programming meeting Burkhard's understated delivery. Co-written by Raphael Hofmann 'Silence' explores some melancholic terrain before finding its way back to the floor via Kruse's & Burkhard's lush production. The EP is concluded with 'Creature' - featuring a thick growling bass and precise, arpeggiated synth lines that cut through the mix like lasers.

In 2005, a new zoo opened in Lausanne, Switzerland. Its wild animals have been going bananas in their quest to create a more dancefloor-friendly world. Now released, the zoo residents can be tracked by their heavy funk smells. Follow their scent past retro-psychedelia and turn left after organic garage.

"Released!" is the debut album by Kind & Kinky Zoo. It is a collection of brand new tracks, early singles as well as remixes and features a guest apperance by rapper Afu-Ra.

Kind & Kinky Zoo are:

Flute : Olivier Bill

Bass & Fuzz: Pierre-Henri Beyrière

Keys : Marc Siegenthaler

Drums & Percussions: Sylvain Rütti

Infused with minty flavours this next blend brings raw grooves, warm baselines and uplifting melodies. Crafted with love they make the perfect accompaniment to twilight settings, tracks supplied from Mattiik (UK), Slim Steve (Italy), DOS (Austria) and James Henry (UK).

This posthumous compilation was originally released in 1994 and features 11 songs recorded between 1966 & 1970. Pressed on double black vinyl.

2024 Repress

Hotel Record is the second release from the duo/couple of crys cole and Oren Ambarchi, following on from Sonja Henies Vei 31 (Planam, 2014). Where their debut recording presented a disquieting portrait of the erotic dimension of romantic intimacy, the follow-up continues to explore the pair's simultaneously musical and romantic relationship in a more subtle fashion, presenting four long-form pieces that touch on the variety of forms the life of this couple takes: as a musical duo, as a pair of travelers to exotic locations, as opponents in a game of cards...
Each of the double LP's four sides presents a distinct sound-world, yet each manages to attain the same suspended, half-sleeping feeling, outlining a space where improbable combinations of the electronic and the acoustic, of extreme closeness and amorphous distance, occur with the gentle insistence of a dream.
The opening Call Myself calmly unfolds a fabric of long tones from electronic organ and guitar, combining the sliding, aleatoric effects of classic David Behrman with a more hands-on feel. Over the top of this slowly shifting tonal bed, cole's voice mutters unintelligibly into a Buchla synth, teasing the listener by suggesting a meaning that remains always out of the ear's reach. Francis Debacle (Uno) builds on the foundations of a heavily amplified session of the titular card game, overlaying vocal murmurs and exhalations and mysterious room-sounds to create an impossible aural environment. On Burrata, a palette of vintage 1980s digital synthesizer sounds combined with guitars create an irregular texture of lush chords and bubbling melodic details, into which cole's voice processed by a vocoder, is interwoven, reading fragments of romantic correspondence. Finally, on Pad Phet Gob, field recordings made in Thailand become an ambiguously acoustic/electronic rainforest, eventually giving way to a mysterious, wavering electronic tone-field punctuated by sibilant, popping mouth-sounds.
Carving out an intimate and human sonic space across a diverse array of compositional approaches, sound sources, fidelities and textures, Hotel Record is the latest dispatch from the continuing explorations of a unique duo. Ambarchi and cole reimagine electro-acoustic music, not simply as 'abstract' sound, but as a diary, a love poem, a dream.
Deluxe gatefold sleeve with photography by crys cole and LP design via Stephen O'Malley
Mastered and cut by Rashad Becker at D&M, Berlin February 2017

This is the second 12" from Taken, the duo effort of Elias Landberg and Nihad Tule.
The duo has done a local show at Under Bron in Stockholm as well as Herrensauna in Berlin, this new EP sounds inspired and fresh as their live sets, setting the course straight away.
The reminiscent sounds of Techno's adolescence goes everything but unnoticed as the reduced and powerful 'Cluster' on the A-side showcases Taken's ambitions.
Going into deeper territories, the B-side 'Elysia' almost smells of strobes and smoke machines for the eye-opening moments of a proper party.
With this new EP from Taken, the sounds have really developed and show their excitement for things to come, from their almost three year debut on Skudge Records.
This is a keeper!

Patrick Schütz (Groove Magazine) '

'both good tracks''



Objekt

''cluster is nice and subtle''



Shifted

''Both track are sick. and its great to see the Skudge sound evolving!''



Anastasia Kristensen

''I dig Elysia a lot, good job

thanks!''



Markus Suckut

''both tracks a sick!''



Jonas Kopp

''Top release , thanks''



Ben Sims

''cluster def my fave, thx!''



Albert Van Abbe

''Taken for President!''



Henning Baer

''CLUSTER!!!!''



Cosmin TRG

''Deep, driving, euphoric, well done Elias and Nihad!''



Anthony Parasole

''dope as fuck''



Eric Cloutier

''"cluster" is massive! love it!!''



Norman Nodge

''Proper relaxed holiday techno, many thanks!''



Blue Hour

''Sounds dope''



Baikal

''cluster is dope''



Matrixxman

''great release''



Mark Broom

''Thumbs up from the Broom''



Mano Le Tough

''nice one. thanks''



Anthony 'Shake' Shakir

''Cluster has a dope groove for the entire track.

Elysia has a spell binding feel that is unrelenting
d
Skudge brings it all the time''

Don't shoot me, I'm only the piano player.

The Scene: The Welsh mountains, remote and harsh, a special place. A good place to produce a special album. The characters: Volker Bertelmann in his friend Adam Fuests' studio, equipped with only a piano and a laptop. The Project: To record a album of piano music. Title: Hauschka.

Piano music is highly personal music, which is the reason why piano solo albums occupy a particular place of importance in a musician's work - not that Volker Bertelmann wants to hype his first foray to that extent, hence the pseudonym. Nevertheless Hauschka is personal music, simply because it has accompanied him for so long, because it has always been there in some shape or form, because it has always been important. The title points to the fact that it is dealing with something of import, not just a few finger exercises or background ivory-tinkling.

Substantial' is a snapshot of a life spent with the black and white keys, and is simultaneously both moment and history, thought and feeling, yet without turning into a unduly meaningful concept album. Rather, Substantial' is based upon the least conceptual of all concepts: Improvisation. Each track is based upon an opening sequence, the theme of which is extended, modulated and varied with, as far as form or length is concerned, no specific objective in mind. What has come out is music of a differing, well, substance: Eleven atmospheric pieces in which a variety of different techniques overlap and rhythmical images with narrative depth unfold, in which further instruments, such as double bass or vibraphone make a fleeting appearance, at once lending a hint of pop, but at no time detracting from the piano as central instrument, in which experimental and electronic music is accessed without compromising the directness and ease of the improvisational approach.

The confluence of Bertelmann's multiple musical personality can be apprehended here: Whilst the pop-oriented musician plays the melody, the electronic producer gently experiments with sounds, leaving the pianist quite literally to manipulate the piano, - plucking the strings with a plectrum, dampening them or bowing them lengthways to achieve a variety of percussive effects. Following the recording, the tracks were adapted, supplemented and finalized. Using multi-tracking, up to four piano tracks were superimposed, electronic sounds from the laptop added, as well Stefan Schneider's bass (Mapstation, To Rococo Rot, Music A.M.) on three tracks.

Underground Jazz, Street Funk & The Roots Of Rap 1968-79. Soul Jazz Records' new release 'Soul of a Nation: Afro-Centric Visions in the Age of Black Power' is released in conjunction with a major worldwide art exhibition, Soul of A Nation: Art in the The Age of Black Power which takes place at the Tate Modern, London, UK (July-Oct 2017) and The Brooklyn Museum, New York, USA.

The album shows how the ideals of the civil rights movement, black power and black nationalism influenced the evolvement of radical African-American music in the United States of America in the intensely political and revolutionary period at the end of the 1960s following the assassinations of Malcolm X, Martin Luther King and the rise of the Black Panther party.

Featuring groundbreaking artists such as Gil Scott-Heron, Roy Ayers, Don Cherry, Oneness of Juju, Sarah Webster Fabio, Horace Tapscott, Phil Ranelin and many others, Soul of A Nation shows how political themes led to the rise of 'conscious' black music as new afro-centric styles combined the musical radicalism and spirituality of John Coltrane and radical avant-garde jazz music alongside the intense funk and soul of James Brown and Aretha Franklin and the urban poetry and proto-rap of the streets.

The Soul of a Nation exhibition draws on the links between Black art forms - art, music, poetry - and how they came together during the civil rights and black power era as part of the wider black arts movement across the United States.

Iconic African-Amercian revolutionary figures such as Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and Angela Davis, John Coltrane, Muhammad Ali all appear in the radical artworks of Barkley L. Hendricks, Romare Bearden, Norman Lewis, Lorraine O'Grady and Betye Saar.
A selection of original radical jazz record sleeves artworks which appear in Soul Jazz Records' earlier groundbreaking Freedom, Rhythm and Sound - Revolutionary Jazz Original Cover Art book will also be on show at the Tate, London throughout the exhibition. The Freedom, Rhythm and Sound book is also newly back-in-print in conjunction with this major exhibition and the release of the Soul of a Nation album.

Stuart Baker (founder of Soul Jazz Records) will appear on the panel of Jazz for Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power discussion at the gallery as part of the show. Soul of a Nation comes with extensive sleeve-notes and exclusive photography in a large 36-page outsize booklet and slipcase. Double gatefold vinyl album edition comes with full colour inners + bonus download code and includes full sleeve-notes/photography.

12" with printed sleeve, Artwork by Albrecht Gaebel

DJ bwin follow up Leibniz's inaugural release for the newly-founded hundert imprint with a three-track EP. »Trinity« draws on feverish breakbeats, hardcore influences and about 2,3 gigatonnes of bass. Having released a split EP with DJ OK on Ireland's First Second Label, »Trinity« sees the production duo venture into the realm of the ancient and the mystical, the inexplicable and the possibly made-up. Conceived as a triangle with one foot deep in the past and the other one in a future yet to explore, »Trinity« points all gunfingaz to the startling revelation that, hey, we're all living in a computer simulation anyhow. Informed by the ancient knowledge of the Dubstep elders and Jungle's relentless search for a grain of truth amongst the lies fed to us by the Lo-Fi House empire, DJ bwin bring together the unholy trinity of paranoid hoover chords, melancholic textures and piercing synth notes for an EP that henceforth shall be known as »banging atmospheric Hardcore Continuum derivatives for late-night hours«. This is not a pyramid scheme - or is it

The Fuse label builds on its previous releases from Psyk and GoldFFinch to present another transmission of high-end contemporary techno from Henning Baer.
Great toolish Techno like a faster version of the Lost Tracks series by Dan Bell back in the days.

Next up on Etruria beat, is the Dutch duo Hush & Sleep who have been steadily making name for themselves in the past year. They deliver a stunning two tracks EP with Farrago and Marco Effe on remix duty. The EP starts off on a joyous note with the track Mirth. As this is an old English word for gladness, the main melody takes you on a carefree ride supported by a stomping kick and dreamy pads in the back. Farrago takes a more stripped down approach with his version. He builds on the dreamy pad, making it serve as a warm blanket over his signature tight percussion. Contradicting Mirth, the second original slowly starts to drag you into a feeling of hysteria, hence the name. Taking their signature kick as the foundation, Hush & Sleep use a haunting melody that lingers on in the back and sets an eerie mood. Marco Effe's remix is a deep stunning techno groover. Taking the main melody but twisting it into his own wonderful creation and sending you off on a journey into time and space.

Say You Love Me wasn't "Om" Alec Khaoli's first solo recording but the 1985 EP solidified the bass player and songwriter's standing as one of South Africa's most consistently innovative pop auteurs. He built a career on ubiquitous rock, pop and soul hits with groundbreaking bands like the Beaters, Harari and Umoja.

But Khaoli's seemingly endless fountain of music continued outside these ensembles, where he usually played bass and contributed songwriting and vocals. Khaoli released several successful solo works while he made records with Umoja and worked on other productions with friends. This creativity was aided by Khaoli's own recording studio. He was the first South African to have a privately-owned studio.

As black artists were forced to record during lunch breaks and didn't get sufficient access and time in the white-owned studios, having his studio allowed Khaoli to develop in his own way. Hence his productive output during the 80's and early 90's, releasing 5 LPs with Umoja and 5 solo LPs, along with numerous singles and EPs. There's something broad and dynamic about the almost epic pop sound Khaoli creates on Say You Love Me.

Being the first South African to take control his recording process and thereby free himself from one of apartheid's many strictures, he took his vision of music to new realms and made timeless music for the dance floor in the process.

3 overlooked jams on one 12" single, excavated from the deepest realms of the TK Disco vaults. Remastered, represented and brought back into focus for 2017's DJ bags and dance-floors. Side A sees Wizzdom's 1980 boogie jam 'Free bass' kicking off proceedings. A P-funk-ish, low slung jam indeed, it has everything you'd want including some Furious Five esque shouts of 'Free-Bass!' weaving in and out of the mix. This one is a true heads cut, one for the diggers! Over on side B we get Jimmy 'Bo' Horne's slamming 'Is it in' - a stomping piece of Disco-funk that in the right hands will cause maximum damage. Also, Jimmy's mildly double-entendre lyrics are hugely entertaining! Following up we have a cut from Herman Kelly & Life, 'A refreshing love' was an LP only release and is some serious downtempo Latin tinged soul super soaked in Miami sunshine! All in all, 3 majorly overlooked gems nestled away in the TK archive now brought back into the light. As usual, these TK represses are always done in the proper manner. 100% legit re-edits, from the archive, remastered and released in conjunction with Henry Stone Music / TK Disco - Miami FL.

After nearly seven years absent, FIRM returns with a new LP, cat. no 034.

Eric D. Clark with FIRM's founder Thomas Schaeben, of Kompakt's first hour duo Schaeben&Voss, regularly met in the Cologne based FIRM studio to create and build.

The ensuing result are seven smashing bangers between LoFi-discofunpunk and Hi NRG-hothouse gospel trancefunk without anything scrupulous in their way, no thinking, rethinking or calculating the ideas they put together: hence the moniker FREE RADICALS!

A result of numerous crazy live recording sessions with like minded artists: David Boswell, Dirk Leyers, Anita Davis and Heiko Voss!

'LoFi Hi-NRG' is supposed to be played loud and vinylized, we suggest... The Direction

Repress

This is first release by Seba & Jr Vallo on Secret Operations. Both tracks were written in Sweden just outside Stockholm during winter, hence the title -15.

First Word Records are very proud to present a heavyweight EP in collaboration with seminal groove collective, CoOp: 'Selectors Assemble'.

It's been almost two decades since a bunch of music makers, bored of the genre constraints of their time, began toying with time signature and syncopation to birth what is now known as broken beat. Summer 2017, the 'Selectors Assemble' EP is in our laps and we have a fitting reminder and long-overdue renaissance of one of London's most valuable musical movements.

IG Culture and Alex Phountzi were integral to this movement, the focal point being the CoOp club night, which ran predominantly on the famed floors of Plastic People, up until 2007. CoOp remerged late in 2015 as a Boiler Room session, in which the originators linked effortlessly with new school players such as K15 and Alex Nut. The following day, a session was inspired between an assortment of artists, and the seeds were planted for the 'Selectors Assemble'.

Here we have the first offering. The steady-paced roller of 'Gangz' (IG & Seiji), the dutty wine-ready getdown of Henry Wu's 'Substance', the heads-down low-end theory of '2nd Intention', the dominant soundclash call-out of the 'Spartan Riddim', riding out with the garage-flecked jam 'Can't Hold It', also featuring Sonar's Ghost (Domu). Five tracks deeply rooted in groove and as beautifully diverse as Bruk ever was.

Pressed up lovingly onto 140g vinyl, this release is accompanied with a fully-printed insert, featuring an extensive piece on the history of Bruk, written by Andwot (Touching Bass), classic photography by Sarah Ginn, and full-colour artwork by Mitchy Bwoy, a legendary artist to the original scene in his own right. This is an essential artefact for followers of the sound, new and old.

First Word prides itself on its ethos of musical diversity, and we're ecstatic to welcome aboard the CoOp foundation to the stable. A crew of British dance music pioneers, sound-system legends, and now-school heavyweights, this is but a taste of what's to come. Lead by the don IG Culture, the family spirit has quickly formed, the selectors have assembled.

The stage has been set for bruk's second wind. Be ready.

A A1 | Henry Wu - Substance (IG Culture & Alex Phountzi Remix)