Cerca:hits dance

Als "Mr. Isaacs" 1977 erstmals als LP-Vinyl erschien, war der Grundstein für die internationale Karriere zum Superstar des Reggae gelegt. Unter der Federführung von Produzent Ossie Hibbert und seinen Musikerkollegen von den Revolutionaries wurde der Interpret Gregory Isaacs zum Markenzeichen im Albumformat! - Mit einigen seiner größten Songs wie "Set The Captives Free", "Slave Master" (im Kultfilm "Rockers" prominent vertreten), "Storm" (der Riddim kommt in über 75 Versionen zum Einsatz), "Smile", "Get Ready" (Reggae-Cover des Rare Earth Hits), kommt der Longplayer dieser Tage als Kevin Metcalfe Remaster als 9-Track Originalalbum in einer Fan-Edition mit Sleeve Notes und bedruckter Innenhülle inklusive großformatiger Fotos.

Among the most important full-length album works from one of reggae’s greatest singers, "Mr. Isaacs" shows the great Gregory Isaacs in the prime of his career in 1976/1977. Better known for his love songs, Isaacs was equally adept at cultural themes. The tracks "Set The Captives Free" and "Slave Master" are among the most popular in his catalogue, the latter immortalized on film in the movie 'Rockers'. The track "Storm" became an early favourite in the dancehall, its rhythm track (aka the Storm riddim) is re-imagined no fewer than 75 times over the last 40 years. Gregory Isaacs love of Rocksteady shines in his cover of the Silvertones’ "Smile", and his soulful side comes through on a cover of The Temptations’ "Get Ready". The breadth of material on "Mr. Isaacs" is the hallmark of a reggae classic!

Further facts and collector's info:
- The album was one of the first titles ever distributed by VP Records, "Mr. Isaacs" reissue coincides with the label’s 40th anniversary celebrations.
- This pressing features the earliest known cover art and producer Ossie Hibbert’s original Earthquake labels, as found on the pre-release edition.
- "Mr. Isaacs (Remastered)" comes with a printed inner sleeve featuring extended liner notes by Harry Hawke plus a great artist photo on the other side

- 2023 Edition - Pressed on Clear Red Wax - LP housed in an expanded Stoughton tip-on gatefold jacket - Includes fold-out poster, sticker and insert, along with a download card for full album, non-album single B-side "The Cowboy Song" and an unedited October 1978 BBC audio interview with John Lydon // Reissue of the pioneering group's debut album First Issue. In 1976 Johnny Rotten and the Sex Pistols set the agenda for punk's year zero with 'Anarchy In The UK', a song that summed up the spirit, sound and attitude of the band in one shocking package. Two years later, the Sex Pistols were in tatters, but Rotten was as unsentimental as you'd hope. He reverted to his real name - John Lydon - and set about forming a band whose very identity kicked against press and media manipulation. Featuring bassist Jah Wobble, drummer Jim Walker and guitarist Keith Levene, his new group were Public Image Limited. The public image would be limited. PiL were a very distinct prospect from the Pistols, founded with a greater thought for rhythm, and with a sound that turned the page from snarling punk to a more experimental sound fusing rock, dance, folk, ballet, pop and dub. But that's not to say Lydon's new outfit lacked vitriol. 'Public Image' hits out against the notorious British tabloid press, who never gave Lydon an easy ride, and against his own Sex Pistols public image - "You only saw me for the clothes I wore". The debut single (and the album that followed) operated as a theme song and a manifesto: "_my entrance/My own creation/My grand finale/My goodbye," as the lyrics had it. It is, essentially, the sound of four people letting loose in a studio - and not caring what anyone else thought. The album was never officially released in the USA back in the day, its sound considered too un-commercial by major-labels for an American release. First Issue has been lovingly reproduced from the original UK 1978 release and this special reissue also comes with a clutch of post-punk era treasures. The 2023 LP edition includes an expanded gatefold jacket, an archive replica fold-out poster, a PiL sticker, insert, and Download Card for the album, the archival BBC interview, and "The Cowboy Song." All of which were approved and coordinated with John Lydon and his personal management.

The endlessly prolific and unpredictable Richard Youngs returns to Black Truffle with Modern Sorrow. As any Youngs fan knows, one of the great pleasures of following his career comes from not being able to predict what the next entry in his inexhaustible string of releases will bring: Unaccompanied voice? Country songs? Shakuhachi? Guitar pieces played with his feet? Shredding fuzz bass over the top of hyper-speed distorted drum machine beats? Continuing in the grand Youngs tradition of exploring new techniques, instrumentation and approaches while bringing to all of them his idiosyncratic touch, Modern Sorrow serves up two sides of twistedly elegiac, radically stark takes on contemporary pop production. The side-long title track is built from a piano sample, synthetic bass notes and organ swells, and an iterative blurt that seems to have wandered out of a 90s jungle track. Eventually joined by a shuffling drum machine, the track moves very slowly through a series of chords, each delayed long enough that its arrival comes as a major event. Over the top, Youngs’ heavily pitch-corrected voice is heard. The processing paints his signature wandering melodic improvisations with shades of contemporary R&B; at the same time, it cuts the natural swoops and glides of Youngs’ melodies into rapid microtonal trills, giving his voice a quavering, middle eastern feel. Unfolding languorously over more than 17 minutes, the piece’s final minutes make room for an extended drumless coda, returning to the stark palette of its opening moments. On the second side, the two parts of ‘Benevolence’ push this minimalism ever further, its first half consisting of nothing more than a remarkably slow drum machine hit, bass-heavy chords and pitch-corrected voice, here so heavily processed that it starts to resemble a shawn solo. In its second part, the harmonic foundation drops out from under the piece while two more voices join; at some moments the voices pause, leaving nothing more than isolated, metronomic drum hits. Though Youngs has explored the sound worlds associated with dance music and contemporary pop in previous work, here these elements are radically reduced, foregrounding a meditative bed of silence with a boldness equal to any more academically inclined contemporary composer. Embracing the accessible digital tools of contemporary music production just as at another moment he would pick up a kazoo, like much of Youngs’ work Modern Sorrow uses simple DIY tools to generous ends, producing formally radical music that remains both free from pretension and deeply moving.

blue marbled vinyl

A thundering take on the classic Hot Pants break leads to eerie synth work, developing a powerful haunting atmosphere. An intense driving bassline intertwines with the beats & hats, challenging the balance between the headphones and the dancefloor.

A deceptively simple break expertly programmed with ASC's trademark punch is layered with dreamy 808 bass and long, swirling pads & synths, creating a luscious smooth vibe to the aptly titled Cosmic Energy.

Expertly programmed yet understated break work punctuates Stargate with an unforgettable kick-cymbal-kick-cymbal sequence, laden with room-filling sub-bass, a collage of effects and "that" whale sample used so effectively it feels fresh again in 2022.

Prophecy effortlessly combines a plethora of samples and effects you'll recognise from classic atmospheric drum & bass spanning the 90's and beyond to create a true "old school brand new" vibe set to a variety pack of jungly breaks and occasional vocal hits, with a lush tonal transition towards the latter stages.

Words by Chris Hayes (Spatial / Red Mist)

Orange Vinyl
Kero & Steph’s landmark collaboration Syndrome now sees a sumptuous release on vinyl and evocative music video, spinning data into densely layered visual treats.

Steph’s coolly ethereal voice and poignant writing drift in harmonies atop the sliced-up, glitched, hard-hitting precision of Kero’s productions. The unforgettable directness of her compositional sense is here, as her long resume of scores and placements would suggest. It finds an urban-technological counterpart in Kero’s frenetic sounds. The DU label boss is in full force straight from the chilling post-pop of the opening titular cut. “Walk in the park” is a production masterwork, punchy organic percussion against grinding bass. “Who am I to complain” is at once arresting and vulnerable with vocals, but still packs an emotional gut-punch in the accompanying instrumental. “Count down from 7” is more stripped down and urgent, melodic hooks propelled by lo-fi rhythmic mechanism’s menace.

For the remixes, Oberman Knocks unleashes utter digital destruction - computer memory banks dropped through a wormhole. That thoroughly deconstructs Mtch into composite textures -- and opens “Walk in the Park” to near-unrecognizable, yet somehow danceable mayhem.

The new physical and motion elements find a visual language for these sonic strata of imagination and digital construction. From designer Christoph Grünberger, known for his tome The Age of Data: Embracing Algorithms in Art & Design, we get the packed outer sleeve and 2D design. These enshroud a calm-looking Steph in a Shibuya Crossing-style trip inside Defasten’s geometries, opposite a catalog of branching visualizations and glyphs.

Defasten, known for his live AV work fusing virtual reality and performance, here explodes faceted 3D cubes, in the cover and further in the music video. These pulsing crystalline hyper-geometries delve into data as expressive medium, shifting and vibrating with the glowing tones and crisp percussive hits of Kero and Steph’s composition. It’s a rare music video that matches the music in intricacy and form - a world that can only exist in virtual space, but that feels as immersively dreamy as the sound score.

“Sugar coated fabric … in braided covers” and “silver linings” were never so tempting.

The Cult brings on board a legend. From DMC scratch champion in the late eighties to the missing link between Detroit and Amsterdam in the nineties. Dutch producer Orlando Voorn needs little introduction and with seminal hits like his dancefloor destroying KMS smash ‘Fix’ under his belt, it is no surprise that the ever-innovative producer is as in demand today as he ever was. Having worked alongside techno originators such as Juan Atkins and honed his production skills under an incredible number of monikers over the years, we bring the multi-talented producer into the Cult. Here he produces an EP of techno brimming with the musicality and inventiveness that is regularly stamped all over his productions.

Opener ‘Between the Surface’ rolls along effortlessly with its Detroit house leanings, loose jazz drums and buoyant walking bass line driving the groove onwards. Hitting hard, ‘Dazed’ is up next with its jackin’ DX style bass and deep evolving arpeggios, that hark back to the glory days of early house music. Finally, ‘Immortal’ ventures into deeper territory for a twisted journey of discordant synths, electro bleeps and haunting synth melodies. His debut on Rhythm Cult is rich with ideas and showcases the creativity that has made Voorn a force to be reckoned for nearly three decades in the game. Joining the dots between Amsterdam and Detroit this new EP brings fresh inspiration with every listen.

The superb Make Up series hits release number three and in doing so heads back to the trio that started it all. The combination of Chicago house originator Chez Damier, Adeen label head Camille and Italian talent Nico Lahs is a dream team indeed and they serve up some crucial edits that cover a wide sonic range. There are standout cuts on the first 12" such as 'Dance to Freedom' and 'African Bump' while jazzy grooves define 'Sunny' and 'Changes' is all about getting that dance floor vibing. This is another in-the-know musical voyage from this crew that more that deserves a spot on your shelves.

Madonna is the first and only recording artist to have 50 number 1 hits on any single Billboard chart. To celebrate this historic milestone, Madonna has curated a new collection titled Finally Enough Love which includes her favourite remixes of those chart-topping dance hits that have filled clubs worldwide for four decades.

This collection highlights You Can Dance, Madonna’s first ever remix collection. Celebrating 35 years this year, You Can Dance has sold more than five million copies worldwide and is still the second best-selling remix album of all time. The collection also pays homage to “Everybody,” Madonna’s first single. Each remix is newly remastered for the collection by Mike Dean, who produced Madonna’s two most-recent studio albums, Rebel Heart (2015) and Madame X (2019). Along with those rarities, this album also introduces the “Offer Nissim Promo Mix” of “Living For Love” as its first official release.

Coming straight from the United States, soul music became an essential genre in the mid-1960s. In France, Claude François, marked by the discovery of serial hits from the legendary Tamla-Motown label of Detroit, became one of its first promoters. Proposed in their French adaptations, the pulsating rhythms and irresistible melodies from the Four Tops, the Supremes and other champions of soul music spread across France. On stage, Claude François also adopted the spectacular performances of his models from across the Atlantic and surrounded himself with the Claudettes, dancers-choristers echoing the famous Ikettes of Ike & Tina Turner. An exceptional showman and performer! Ads –London Macadam Reviews –London Macadam, R2

American singer, actor, dancer, and civil rights activist Eartha Kitt was
celebrated for her highly distinctive singing style
Her recordings of "C'est Si Bon" and the Christmas novelty song "Santa Baby"became instant classics and are presented here along with many other hits.

Limited edition audiophile pressing on 180gram premium vinyl.
Eartha Kitt epitomized the idea of the sex-kitten chanteuse, rising to fame with a nightclub act centred on her slinky stage presence and her throaty purr of a voice. As much as she enjoyed vamping it up, she also projected the image of an exotic international sophisticate. She brought a definite zest to her torch songs and Orson Welles once called her "the most exciting woman in the world".

Eartha Kitt , lead vocals on all tracks,

plus: Henri René Orchestra,
Maurice Levine Orchestra,
Shorty Rogers Orchestra,
Anton Coppola Orchestra.
New York, 1953-59

In the 1950s, Jamaican dancehall regulars were crazy about the haunting sounds of American Rhythm & Blues. But in the mid-1950s, Rock 'n' Roll began to replace RnB in America, and Jamaican dancehall owners like Duke Reid and Clement Dodd turned to local musicians to record their own versions of American RnB.
The trend of covering foreign hits exploded during the Ska heyday of the early 60s and continued through the Rocksteady and Reggay eras. Jamaican musicians have covered virtually every genre of music, from jazz and rock to film scores, television soundtracks, pop, classical music and more. Over the years, they have also recorded many "versions" of already existing covers. Cover of cover of cover…
Admittedly, some of these covers were futile but many were sublime as this new and eclectic collection of Ska, Rocksteady and Reggay nuggets, compiled by the very competent and very charming D.J. Héléa, brilliantly demonstrates. Attention we are here "undercover", there are no well-known covers. Some of the tracks selected are rare, others unknown or forgotten - but all are excellent and blended in an impeccable mix, in line with previous the Harlem Shuffle compilations... All Killer, No Filler!
REGGAY UNDERCOVER is an exciting musical kaleidoscope of Jamaican and Reggae music from the early 60s through to the mid 70s.
We hope you will enjoy listening to this album as much as we had composing it for you.
All aboard for REGGAY UNDERCOVER!

Jonas Kopp pumps the drums hard on opener 'Shibu'. It is pure peak-time material, fit with siren-like synths, heavy kicks and hi-hats to get the shoulders moving. Kopp's tracks are always masterfully tailored for the dancefloor, and this is no exception; the six-and-a-half-minute ride is richly detailed with ups, downs and subtle changes. Dadub take the record deeper with 'Force Continuum Abuse'. For the first three minutes of stretched soundscape, the percussion warms up with sparse and off-kilter hits. The track's second half sees fierce breakbeats cut through the walls of reverb, and with that can Daniele Antezza and Giovanni Conti really show-off their unique talent at sound design. They blend a gift for rhythm and titanic production to engaging effect. Eomac begins the B-side with 'I Am Starting To Believe'. The track's echoing synths hang free in a spacious mid-range, intermittently making way for long chords and elusive vocal snippets. Eomac draws on the light/dark contrast and unsettling motifs that made his Monad release special, and delivers a techno epic so rich it requires repeated listens. Last but not least, Chevel; his sound is distinctive amongst the SA roster, mostly due to his acute focus on the percussive elements and intriguing take on minimalism. On 'Alicia', he works a groove out of tripping drums and metallic perc, all with a UK-influenced flair that lends itself to a wide range of DJs. Chevel's track ends what may be the most varied collection of 'Chapter V' material yet, leaving a lasting reminder of the depth and quality of artists SA have accrued.

With her hypnotizing voice and vivid lyricism, Jackie Mendoza makes fantastical, intimate electro-pop propelled by ukulele-based dance grooves. Having grown up between her birthplace of Chula Vista, California and Tijuana, Mexico, the 29-year-old singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist bridges these two worlds with dynamic soundscapes that pull from Latin pop, electronic music, and indie pop. She creates a musical universe that exists beyond strict borders of genre and geography, giving her the space to traverse the vast expanse of her interiority. Mendoza first started performing in 2014 as the vocalist for Brooklyn dream pop bands Gingerlys and Lunarette. She then broke out as a solo artist with her 2016 pop hits "Islands" and "La Luz," which showcased her imagery-packed, yet deeply introspective lyrics. On LuvHz, her 2019 adventurous debut EP that was initially inspired by a painful breakup, she turned her personal experiences into songs that observe greater truths about the world around her. As a result, the project became a broader reflection on varying forms of love, in relationships with your partner, your culture, and the natural environment. Mendoza expands this approach on her debut album, Galaxia de Emociones (Galaxy of Emotions), which sees her exploring a great range of feelings, from depression, celebration, outrage, numbness, hopelessness, and thrilling love. She uses each emotion as a portal to convey the intricacies of her experience as a queer, first-generation Mexican American woman, who actively defies and criticizes machismo and the Christian culture she was surrounded by. Brought up in the suburban border town of Chula Vista, she recalls being told by her parents to not mix English with Spanish, but speaking "spanglish" quickly became inevitable. It wasn't until high school, that learning to play ukulele and singing in school musicals allowed her to authentically express herself. "This album is about finding the courage to not only face my emotions, but also sharing them by singing them out loud." Mendoza says. The project was co-written and co-produced by Mendoza and Rusty Santos (Animal Collective, Panda Bear), with a contribution from Grammy winning producer and accordionist Ulises Lozano. As Galaxia de Emociones cruises from shimmering indie pop to accordion-laced electronic norteño, Mendoza proves there is both power and tenderness in embracing the fullness of your being and not doubting your instincts that might have been discouraged by society. She says it all in the opening song, "Natural," which blooms with spacey synths and twinkling ukulele plucks. "There is no use in controlling what comes natural to you," she sings in Spanish in a spellbinding loop. With her new album, she hopes that listeners can connect with her words and look within to explore their own galaxy of emotions.

Brandneue Dance-Hits deiner Lieblingskünstler für die intensiven Club-Momente in den frühen Morgenstunden. Zusammengestellt von Denis Stockhausen (KOMPAKT) zum 11-jährigen Jubiläum seiner renommierten Partyreihe "MY DEAR" im Gewölbe, Köln.

"My Dear,

ich möchte mich auf diesem Wege für deinen Besuch und diese unvergessliche Nacht in meinem Lieblingsclub bedanken. Mit Dir zu tanzen und dabei nicht nur das Gefühl für die Zeit, sondern auch alle störenden Gedanken loslassen zu können, war so erfrischend und kostbar für mein Seelenleben! Noch immer trage ich den einen oder anderen Ohrwurm und all die schönen Erinnerungen in meinem Kopf.

Der wilde Höhepunkt der Nacht hat so viel Spaß gemacht, doch je mehr sich das Ende des Raves abzeichnete und der Morgen langsam anbrach, desto wundervoller wurden Musik und Atmosphäre. Alles wirkte auf mich so befreit und wahrhaftig und ich hatte den Eindruck, dass es den Menschen um uns herum genau so ging. Es kam mir vor, als wären wir alle mit unserer Sehnsucht in diesen irren Rausch der Musik eingetaucht, um schließlich bedingungslos darin zu versinken. Selten hatte ich so intensive Glücksmomente auf einer Tanzfläche. Pure Magie!

Gut, dass eine Klubnacht auch ein Ende hat, sonst wäre mein Herz an diesem Morgen wahrscheinlich für immer verloren gegangen. So klingt der Soundtrack meines Lebens und ich brenne darauf, ihn wieder zu hören!

Bis bald und vergiss nicht: After The Rave Comes Sun (and after the sun comes rave again) !

Umarmung aus Köln"

The 1990s were a time when hip-hop infused with R&B became pop music, and at the forefront of this movement was En Vogue. Their most commercially and critically successful album, Funky Divas, stands as one of the best pop/R&B albums to emerge from that time, incorporating soul, hip-hop, pop, dance, and rock to create one of the era’s most diverse, dazzling, and exciting pieces of work. The album scored no less than five hit singles, three of which became Top 10 pop hits. It includes the unstoppable “My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It)”, which was one of the biggest hits of 1992 and additionally the remake of “Giving Him Something He Can Feel,” “Give It Up Turn It Loose,” and “Free Your Mind”.

Funky Divas is available as a limited edition of 1500 individually numbered copies on purple coloured vinyl and includes an insert.

It may have snowed yesterday in New York, but summer is on the horizon. Yung Bae, whose real name is Dallas Cotton, wants to kick off the summer a little early with his new studio album: Bae 2.

Get ready for an explosion of disco, funk, hip-hop and soul with this album!

A session of electrifying and groovy hits. From track to track, it's a celebration of rhythm and dance. Tasteful samples that are blended into something new, and unique from their origin in this album.

Fontana's Debut Vinyl Release: "Buena Onda VA"

Barcelona-based producer Fontana is excited to announce the release of his debut vinyl, "Buena Onda VA." This record features 4 tracks from Fontana as well as 3 established producers based in Barcelona: Matteo Floris, Bass Playah, and Sergi. The vinyl is distributed by The Vinyl Temple.

"Buena Onda VA" is a tribute to Buena Onda Social Club, a member's only club that has become a hub for creativity and a home away from home for many artists in Barcelona. Since 2018, this club has hosted some of the biggest names in the house and club music scene. The vinyl is a snapshot in time of the importance of this place for the Barcelona music scene.

Filled with dancefloor ready hits, "Buena Onda VA" is sure to be a hit with fans of house and club music. Get ready to experience the energy and creativity of Buena Onda Social Club with this must-have vinyl release.

2023 Repress

Hypnotic Beats and Melodies to put you in a Trance

Formed in 2015, gaining the reputation of
"The new Middle Eastern music pioneers"
72 shows a year, weddings and festivals
People from diverse ethnicities, Transcending musical borders
Come together on the dance floor

Representing the region of Israel and Palestine
Dabke music with Fresh mix of Dub, Gnawa and Trance
From the hills of Jerusalem, to the dunes of the Sahara
In a Bass heavy 4X4 drive

The music of the Blue Desert is based on the regional music styles
The repetitive hypnotic melodies, burning rhythms and endless virtuosity
takes the crowd into the deep dunes and oasis of the Blue Desert.




Bio:

Yossi Fine, Bass master producer, one of the most well known musicians and producers in the world today. Grammy nominated, Produced over 40 albums around the world, reaching 20 gold and multi-platinum albums. Yossi has produced, recorded and played with David Bowie, Lou Reed, Gil Evans Orchestra, Vieux Farka Toure and many more. Yossi plays bass and a special guitar he built, playing traditional songs and hits from the blue desert.

Ben Aylon is defined as a boarder-breaking drummer and percussionist, best known for his unique "New-African Drumming" style and cutting edge hybrid drumming techniques. Inspired by the deep Senegalese Wolof drumming, Ben creates explosive-burning rhythms with a sound of an entire tribe of drummers using African and modern drums. Ben Recorded and played with: Bombino, Doudou Ndiaye Rose, Awadi, Khaira Arby and many more.

Completing the band's sound is Sharon Mansur on Synth-Bass and Keyboards, the princess of the Middle-Eastern keyboards. Sharon is at the forefront of the emerging new Middle

Summertime sounds abound on the sixth Drum Chums disc, which comes lovingly dubbed and diced by our friendly Fruit Merchant Hidden Spheres.

Known globally for his free-flowing DJ sets, halcyon house hits and mastery of melody, Tom's been at the top of his game for time now - just check those releases on Rhythm Section and Scissor & Thread - and it's a pleasure to carry his drum sticks for this one. Cracking open his vault of top secret DJ tweaks, Spheres explores sweltering proto-house, tropical disco lilt and deepest waters across three floor-ready cuts.

The Fruit Merchant plucks something ripe from the Kalimba Tree on the A side, starting the party properly with joyous Afro-house jam 'Stolen'. Carnival-friendly drums and a Boyd Jarvis bassline wind up your waist while the call-and-response vocals and exuberant brass send hands and heads skywards before the track transitions into an utterly ecstatic sax-led breakdown. This is magic.

For the B-side, Hidden Spheres treats us to a couple of deep digs from his time in Australia, both originating in the Aboriginal community.
Emerging from the astral vibrations of a didgeri-drone, 'You Better Dance' casually locks into an irresistible 105bpm groove, strolling through the echo-laced dub space as its poetic vocal speaks to your soul.
Balearic-paced and cosmic-minded, this one plays perfectly next to those I-Level 12's.

For finale 'Together', Spheres shifts back into proto-house mode, locking a hypnotic piano riff into some militant snare rolls to lay the foundation for the impassioned vocal. Delivering the occasional diversion into more mournful territories, Spheres reminds us why deep house deity DJ Sprinkles always takes his calls.

100% Drum Fun Guaranteed.

”Look up, into the light” she said, while the camera shutter clicked. ”Like this? Does it look holy?” His neck felt stiff. Her reply: ”Yes, just like that. What do you mean holy? Like religious? ”No, more like trying to look very far, somewhere beyond what we can see.” ”Okay, stand still, I’m going to come close to you now. The light hits your face great.” *click, click, click.

He noticed her fingernails. They were not polished. Natural. Even somewhat rugged, as if something wore out the fingers slightly. What had these hands held besides the camera? What made the edges of her fingernails drift off?

He thought it’s weird to look straight into the camera. The photographer had closed her left eye, the one not looking into the lens. Then it opened, she looked up, perusing the surroundings, then she closed her eye again, then looked up, closed, looking up, very quickly. It all seemed very professional. Maybe she calculated the light, making sure it’s close to perfect. ”What will these photos look like?” – the thought popped into his head briefly. It was liberating to think it wouldn’t matter.

”What’s that song playing?” he asked. ”Wait a sec, Ol’ Dirty Bastard?” she replied. ”Oh yeah, right. But the sample?” ”Hey, could you look up again, like that. No, lower.”

New directions: ”Look out from the window, turn left.” ”My left or yours?” ”Yours, I always try to think from the direction of my model.” How professional! This is a good shoot, so natural. Should I worry about how the photos look like? No, I don’t want to. His thoughts bounced around. What would the story be like? It’s a big newspaper, everyone will read it. Maybe someone drinks coffee and eats a stroopwafel while they do it. Will they place the waffle on top of the mug for a brief while, so that it gets hot and the syrup melts a little? Then it feels wet, and you can bend the cookie.

She broke his train of thought off midway through: ”Now turn right, but look left, and slightly up, but don’t turn your face right.” ”Umm, like this? Sounds like a set of pilates instructions.” she laughed ”You do pilates?” ”Yeah, it’s hard sometimes. Have you tried?” ”No”, she said. ”I’m not good for sports that are done in groups.” ”Yeah, but in pilates you can just be inside your mind, drowning in your private thoughts.”

”What are you thinking in pilates?” she asked, taking more photos. ”Well, mostly just which way is right. And which left.” *click, click.