quête:i love

It’s True What They Say is the debut EP from Edinburgh-based, husband-and-wife duo Sarah/Shaun (pronounced simply Sarah Shaun), aka Sarah and Shaun McLachlan (pronounced “McLochlin”).

“Sarah and I both have a love for nostalgia,” explains Shaun. “We watched that amazing old 80’s Sci-Fi, (John) Carpenter movie, Starman, a few months back. Myself and my brother David used to watch it all the time. We must have been, roughly, 5-7 at the time. I remember loving the movie but the end, you know, with the beautiful, atmospheric, synth ending, I love that particular moment the most - best part of the movie, you know, when he goes home… It’s heartbreaking but stunning, all the same. It’s the music that moves you most… It did when I was 5 and it still does to this day. It must have had some form of a (much deeper) impact on me.”

The duo narrates stories across themes of love, hope, family, friends, dreams and sadness - the good that comes with the bad in everyday life, not just on a personal scale but within a community as well.

“Starbed is the first song I have ever written and just came out of the blue really, with Shaun playing a melody and me singing along,” says Sarah. “It’s simple and just about two people in love. Love songs are always the best songs, after all… Music has been a big part of my life from a young age. I was unwillingly dragged to piano and violin lessons, which I’m thankful for now! I’d say the first band I really became obsessed with growing up were the Beatles, and on the back of that a lot of 60s music and fashion. From then on, I had a love for music.”

“Shaun definitely opened my ears to a lot of sounds and got me thinking about soundtracks and all the noises that can be made,” she goes on. “We love just spending time experimenting in the house with instruments, pedals etc and Ali is a real magician to work with, too…”

The recordings took place over the summers of 2022 and 2023, with fellow Delta Mainline member Ali Chisholm (aka Jaguar Eyes) plus long-term friend and collaborator Gavin King. Further collaboration then came via the ‘net from the (international) likes of Chris Dixie Darley (Father John Misty), Darren Coghill (Neon Waltz) and Daniel Land (The Modern Painters), among others (see a full list of credits below).

Both Sarah and Shaun have a love for uber-soundtrack producers such as Hanz Zimmer, Max Richter, Cliff Martinez plus live acts such as Beach House, Spiritualized, M83, Suicide, Moby and OMD (to name a few). Shaun also credits the work of Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein (from Survive) on the Stranger Things score… “Even a moment in a movie, whether it be just 30 seconds during a particular scene, it grips you,” he says. But there’s something much deeper at play as well. “Music is a healer,” he goes on, “and I write from my own perspective but more so for others. Once I've done my bit, it doesn't belong to me any longer. It belongs to whoever wants it or needs it.”

The result is a cinematic, synth-wavey, dream poppy and downright beguilingly beautiful body of work. And they’re just getting started…

REVIEWS/RADIO/FEEDBACK:

“Starbed is folky, flavoured by pedal steel, cello, and brass. Dust Tears, in stark contrast, is a mini synth-pop rave epic. Part Bicep. Part Human League. Keep Your Eyes Closed summons a mood that’s romantic, but also dark and potentially doomed – like David Lynch’s Twin Peaks meets Cliff Martinez’s Drive score. My pick though is It’s True What They Say, whose interwoven jangle and picking recalls New Order’s more introspective moments (Love Vigilantes, Love Less… ). Drums crashing, cathartic. Guitar raising dramatic arcs. Its chorus a rush, like a reprise of Pains Of Being Pure Of Heart’s ‘Higher Than The Stars’.” BAN BAN TON TON
"Dust Tears sees them sharing vocal duties over a synth foundation reminiscent of Moby’s Go - Artist Of The Week” THE SCOTSMAN
"Woozy pop" NEMONE (Mary Anne Hobbs Morning Show, BBC 6Music)
"Nice one, very David Lynch meets Euro dream pop" YOUTH (Killing Joke, Paul McCartney, U2, The Orb, Spiritualized etc)
"Music sounds killer! Real emotion” DAVID HOLMES
"I’m enjoying it” TIM BRINKHURST aka LONDON (IKLAN, Young Fathers, Callum Easter)
“Oh, this is lovely!” SEAN JOHNSTON (A Love From Outer Space)
"It’s totally my cup of tea with milk and biscuit" BRENT RADEMAKER (Beachwood Sparks/GospelBeach)
"Beautiful, ecstatic electronica! Short and to the point" KEVIN BALES (Spiritualized, Julian Cope, Soulsavers, BE)
"Makes me wanna sit in the sun and sip an Arnold Palmer" CHRIS DIXIE DARLEY (Father John Misty)
“Really beautiful - Cocteau Twins / Spiritualized vibes but has its own thing going on, too - worth checking out!” JULIAN CORRIE (Franz Ferdinand, Miaoux Miaoux)
‘Sounded nice on a sunny day, makes me think of Twin Peaks, nice moods’ EAMON HAMILTON (Sea Power)
"Dealing in nostalgia, no bad thing at all, great to play that (Dust Tears) for you” RODDY HART (BBC Radio Scotland)
“I'll give the vocal tracks a spin before the release." VIC GALLOWAY (BBC Radio Scotland)
"Rather good!" IAIN ANDERSON (BBC Radio Scotland)

CREDITS:

Lyrics, Guitars, Keys, Synths, Drums, Drum Programming, Percussion, Mandolin, Glockenspiel: Shaun McLachlan
Lyrics, Vocals, Keys by Sarah McLachlan
Guitars, Synths, String Arrangements, Drum Programming, Engineering: Jaguar Eyes Percussion/Drums/Effects, Fire Extinguisher: Darren Coghill (Neon Waltz)
Guitars by Daniel Land
Slide Guitar by Chris Dixie Darley (Father John Misty)
Brass by Bruce Michie
Keys, pre-production & engineering on “It’s true what they say”: Gavin King
All produced by Jaguar Eyes and Shaun McLachlan and then mixed at Glasgow’s Chem19 Studios by David McCaulay (From Scotland With Love, Rick Redbeard, BBC TV’s Attenborough and The Mammoth Graveyard score).
Artwork: Jamie Walman (Fourteen Admirals)

MORE INFO:

Although Shaun released a pair of solo singles (When We Dance and Give Your Love To Me) during Lockdown, he will be better known to many via his work as the multi-instrumentalist in Edinburgh band Delta Mainline. With two albums released to date, Oh! Enlightened and Bel Avenir, both rapturously received by fans and critics alike, Delta Mainline have developed an international, cult following. Oh Enlightened (2013) achieved widespread critical acclaim on release, earning the band comparisons to Arcade Fire and Echo & The Bunnymen, while 2019’s Bel Avenir pulled in references to The Flaming Lips, Pink Floyd, David Bowie and krautrock. A third DM album is currently being mixed and due for release later this year…

To be released on Ransom Note Records and marking the debut album of Wave Arising project , "(The) Rooted Sky" is an invitation to an initiatory journey where intuitions are channeled into grooves and otherworldly sonic landscapes . A sound where intense rhythms meet circular expansions .

From various improvisations, the experienced & avant-garde musician Sebastian Vaughan decided to take a fresh look and avoid the use of sampling third parties by crafting compositions. An approach to music as a spiritual path driven all the way long by psychedelic dubby vibes , acidic frequencies & hypnotic repetitions coming from his sound-system culture heritage .

While the tracks "It Comes and Goes" , "Ronde Cinétique" , "Electric Shrine" and "Golden Black" draw contemporary almost cinematic ambiences with vibrant and spacious feelings , "Monin Yiri" , "Sound Loves Dance" & "Grow with the Flow" represent a series of energetic deconstructed leftfields , with the omnipresence of a singular tribalism that emphases the african side of Wave Arising .

On its own "Music without chains" is , as the title underlines , a joyful jam free from any boxes or attempts at confinement .

Finally "Subconscience" arrives like a probe , a dreamlike piece full of endless reverbs from Kynsie's voice ; generating mysterious environments and resonating directly with "Soul Whispers" .

Taking on the challenge of fusion , "(The) Rooted Sky" asks the listener to open up through a collection of progressive tracks reflecting the core of Wave Arising’s spirit : Music & Body as a portal . Through this consciously chosen wide range of dynamics , the producer shows his musical ability to create an unique sonic palette yet staying true to his own personality .

Regarding the cover, the outside is a minimalist yet symbolic photograph of the duo’s hands. As for the interior, Wave Arising is very grateful to welcome primitive artworks by the talented artist Rapoon , one of the founder members of the legendary group Zoviet*France . Continuing with this global vision of intertwined arts, the videos accompanying this record are created by Wave Arising .

Ultimately , the recurrent animistic vibes of "(The) Rooted Sky" give to the album a spiritual ethos directly driven by the book of Nature reminding us that, we are all connected to the Source .

Whatever the "Source" means for each one . . .

The rarest and best genuinely outsider soul 45 to come out of America (I know that's a controversial shout), Lee Tracy's super rare single outing from the outskirts of Nashville is a dream of something bigger that never came in time for him. A beautiful, haunting song cut to cassette with help from his friend Isaac Manning (on the Casio). Flipped with an almost unrecognizable version of Whitney Houston's hit "Saving All My Love For You" which stands all tall as what was the original B-Side. Beyond essential cut of outside soul.

repressed !

● Essential 14 track collection of "WaJazz" music selected and compiled by renowned Japanese jazz expert Yusuke Ogawa, owner of the Universounds record store in Tokyo.

● Gatefold 180g heavy double vinyl LP. Comes with extensive track-by-track liner notes by Yusuke Ogawa.

● All tracks licensed by Nippon Columbia, Tokyo, Japan.

● Mastering and lacquer cut by Jukka Sarapää at Timmion Cutting Lab, Helsinki, Finland.

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Universounds, HMV Record Shop and 180g team up for an exceptional release: from blazing hard bop to free jazz, to introspective saxophone solos and massive big band sounds, renowned Japanese jazz expert Yusuke Ogawa presents an essential 14 track collection of "WaJazz" music taken from the Nippon Columbia vaults. Featuring Jiro Inagaki, Minoru Muraoka, Hiroshi Suzuki, Hozan Yamamoto, Count Buffalo, Takeshi Inomata, and much more!

"Japanese jazz has been recognized and celebrated by music lovers worldwide for decades. The origins of this trend may be traced back to the rare groove movement that flourished in the 1990s, but its current deep and wide popularity seems to be connected to the fact that Japanese people have been reevaluating their own jazz since the mid-2000s, locally referred to as WaJazz ("Wa" meaning Japan but also theShōwa emperor period, from 1926 to 1989). Since the beginning of the 2000s, there has been a growing trend to move away from the DJ-focused perspective and to appreciate jazz with a deeper understanding. Nowadays, there is more and more interest in the background and roots in which jazz has developed in Japan, with Japanese jazz as a whole now considered as its own distinctive genre.

Of course, even if we speak about "WaJazz" as one genre, there is a truly wide variety of styles within it. However, when Japanese musicians play, there is something uniquely Japanese flowing through that creates a kind of synergy. It may be the melody, the rhythm, or even something deeper, like an inexpressible flicker. I would be happy if some of its charms and secrets emerge from the fourteen tracks included in this collection." (Yusuke Ogawa)

Yusuke Ogawa has been running the Universounds store in Tokyo since 2001, specializing in jazz and second-hand, rare, and collector records. He is also a reissue supervisor, label manager, DJ, and music writer. Known for his vast musical knowledge, eye for detail, and archival skills, Ogawa has worked on more than 250 reissues and compilations – including the highly praised Deep Jazz Reality and Project Re:Vinyl series. He is the co-author of the Wa-Jazz Disc Guide and the Independent Black Jazz of America books.

Malted Milk's 1975 album tackles subjects that concern the band's singer in particular, but also paints a picture of a society with which many people identify. Difficult present times, a broken family and dependent children. The character oscillates between moments of great lucidity and optimism, and moments of anger. Feelings that are reflected in a general vision of the world we live in today, devastated by the abuses of the powerful ones and rendered insensitive to the "false" freedoms they offer us. Could it be that the personal condition of the album's character is also the result of a twisted society?

Malted Milk takes a stylistic journey from strong soul and funk roots to resolutely more modern musical influences, all seasoned with sweet hooks ranging from disco to folk-world. Malted Milk is newly committed to speaking openly about uncomfortable subjects and honestly reflecting its passion for American and pop music. The result is an authentic album, in which the singer becomes kind of a spokesman for the band and the listener.

London producer Kel McKeown celebrates the release of his tenth album as Kelpe, with a vinyl edition of uncategorisable dance music on Kit Records.

Kelpe's work combines live drumming with synthesis and guitars. Like the nine records that came before it, LP10 treads the line between gauzy melancholia and bustling, dancefloor-ready energy.

Listening to Kelpe's music can feel like fluttering through a photo album at speed. Familiar faces and locations are revealed, nostalgic scenes assembled then scattered by unruly rhythms and samples.

Analogue percussion takes centre stage on LP10. This restless drumming - gear-shifting from hip-hop through to jungle - showcases McKeown's chops as an instrumentalist, while harking back to the scrambled beats that were a hallmark of his early releases.

Kelpe has worked closely with the visual artist Nikita Iziev on this record. Inspired by pioneering film director John Schlesinger, the serendipitous geometry of new wave cinema is mapped out in fractured moments across the music and artwork.

While the track 'Schlesinger' echoes the bouncing unpredictability of the sleeve, 'The Palace Guard Loop' pours neon fertiliser over fender rhodes jazz keys. Adrenalin reaches a zenith on 'Events Proved Me Wrong', as Kelpe hits his stride for a homespun drum and bass workout.

LP10 will be the final full length Kelpe album.

This batch of releases is what Deeper Knowledge Records is really all about - showcasing and making available fantastic music that has been rarefied, but with no correlation to its quality. That is to say, music that we feel is every bit as great as well known, much-loved and canonized classics, but just never reached the ears of as many folks, only due to its unavailability. And the music made by the close-knit foursome of Trevor Byfield and Clive Matthews as artists, and Norman "Fox Fire" Vassell and the late Clinton "Percival" Williams as producers, is just that. Starting in the late '70s and into the early '80s, this foursome cut some of the best and heaviest roots reggae tunes of the era. We will be issuing eight great singles from these folks. Clive Matthew's "Live Not For Vanity", a serious warning given thru a heavy tune, backed with a great dub mix.

Man Power debuts on Rekids with ‘We Trawl The Hurts’ ft Louisahhh. The duo’s first collaboration, a huge spoken vocal house cut, comes alongside three interpretations from Deetron.

DJ, producer, promoter, composer, and cultural agitator Man Power makes his debut on Radio Slave’s Rekids with ‘We Trawl The Hurts’ featuring Louisahhh on 12th April. The first fruits of a long-term friendship see Man Power (Me Me Me/Throne of Blood/Optimo) serving up a stomping, big-room cut that tips its hat to late-90s NY house and serves as a bed for the inimitable Louisahhh’s (RAAR) breathy vocal delivery of classic Prefab Sprout lyrics.

An intimate, spoken-word vocal from Louisahh weaves through a world of vibrant pads and chords. The gorgeous lyricism of their ‘We Trawl The Hurts’ is underpinned by an uplifting and emotive swirl of melody and a rock-steady beat. Man Power’s love of Murk and Tenaglia shines through.

The evergreen Deetron delivers three versions of ‘We Trawl The Hurt’s ft Louisahhh’: a remix that flips the original into a thumping deep techno cut featuring loopy synths and pixelated leads, a stripped-back and powerful dub, and his DJ tool ‘drum and bass’, built for those who like to mix.

Universe City's 1976 12 inch promo release, featuring 'Can You Get Down' and 'Serious', gained cult status in the disco scene. Produced and arranged by John Davis, the limited release and the subsequent demand over several decades, fuelled in part by regular plays from tastemakers like Sean P and Dave Lee, highlight the enduring popularity and influence of this particular record within the disco community. John Davis, a highly influential figure in the disco music scene, particularly during the 1970s. As a composer, arranger, and producer, Davis played a crucial role in shaping the sound of disco and funk music that can be heard throughout this release. Presented here officially for the first time since it’s limited promo release 48 years ago, this exclusive RSD release, lovingly remastered will be an essential purchase for any disco lover! Mint copies regularly changing hands for £100, this is a 'do not miss!' Delivered in a glorious Universe City band sleeve, limited to 500 units.

New selection of Acid Jazz songs this time from the funkier side of this music. Groove, rhythm and a lot of happy feeling.

Inside some classic artists of the genre such as Black & Brown, Jestofunk, LTJ Xperience, Funky Destination, Lo Greco Bros & Fusion Funk Foundation, Man Sueto, Vito Lalinga (Vi Mode Inc. Project), The Smoke Orchestra, The Last Minister , Gazzara with many versions not available on vinyl for some time or never released on this support.
Limited edition double vinyl.


Groove, rhythm and a lot of happy feeling.

Long awaited new record YOIONWAXOO9 is finally here!

We've been preparing for it for a really long time.
But there's a reason for that.

First of all, meet a brand new kind of records in our series - printed vinyl! Let's tell you a secret, our distributor made it exclusively for YOI, for which we thank him for such support and faith in our art! Now the incredible artwork made by our boss Alexey Mikheev is even easier, more exciting and fun to watch! So YOI becomes the first and only dance music label who makes printed vinyl with animated artwork.

Secondly, of course, the whole situation in the world cannot go unnoticed, and we cannot and do not want to remain silent about it, because we are as always, as from the very beginning, for unity and art, creation and development, friendship and love, happiness and peace. So this record once again brings together artists from different countries: Mariche from Argentina, Italian Sbruf, label boss Watsche from Russia and Englishman Yogi P, and the artwork reflects our planet, which is spinning thanks to our dancing day and night everywhere where the best house music is played!

Operation_PPRCLP kicks off release SUB010 asking how far will we go in the race for technological advancement, and at what cost? Have we forgotten our humanity as a result? Should we be more focused on how to expand human consciousness rather than trying to command, control and obfuscate or is this just in our habitual nature?

41 Minutes Past Midnight investigates painful emotions around losing loved ones without being able to get any closure, how do we move forward without answers in the face of unexplained, heartbreaking tragedy.

6EQUJ5 aka the Wow! signal first detected on August 5th 1977 shifts the perspective out into the constellation of Sagittarius from where the signal is thought to have originated. In 2022 we learned that 3 distant Sun-like stars within the original antenna-pointed coordinates may provide the answer but at a vast distance of 1800 light years from earth, since then, it's all gone quiet... What world reached out from the cosmos, intentionally or mistakenly...

The final track Celestial Beings asks the age old question of what other life exists across the universe, how advanced are these civilizations that may already be exploring distant galaxies with our shared sense of curiosity and when will we be able to connect collectively with such conscious entities.

A necessary agitator in the city, Bruno Trigo Gonçalves signs, while Phoebe, some of the most desirable sound infusions of the moment. The founder of Troublemaker Records, collaborator of Rádio Quântica, resident DJ at the “mina” party and also one of the faces behind the Planeta Manas space, has multiplied himself in live performances and brought a handful of news in recent years. “If I was simple in my mind, everything would be fine”, under Rotten Fresh label and “Love is Patient, Love is Kind, Love Will Make you Lose your Mind” by Sweet Love Making, a label that he jointly owns with Bleid , demonstrate Phoebe's bird's-eye view. This vision includes allusions to different languages of dance music, ambient music and other personal cosmologies that define him as an absolutely free producer.

- Horse Meat Disco “BOOOOOOM”
- Alison Swing - “hot tracks!”
- FYI Chris - “bangin - love all these tunes <3”
- Nikola Baytala - “JENSEN INTERCEPTOR REMIX !!! AFTERNOON BLAZE !!!HYPEZONE 5000 !!! BASS IN YOUR FACE !!! DISCOS EXTENDES KILLIN IT !!! SUBWOOFER ALERT !!! ”
- Turbojazz - “Supa cool EP!”
- Daniel ( Happy Endings) “Simply brilliant, every single track.”
- Nita Aviance“oof, Go is just naaaassssttttyyyy! very excited to bring this one to the floor. the whole EP goes off, really, FAB release. thank you for sending!”

Out on the street, indie rock was an exciting way of life for boys and girls alike in the gay 90s. Here's a couple of voices from the fertile Denver scene, Lisa and Hilarie of Secret Square, picking a favorite from the Drag City young galaxy of stars. In addition to Secret Square, Hilarie played drums and sang for The Apples In Stereo and today plays and sings in The High Water Marks. Lisa played bass with Neutral Milk Hotel for a little while and later played guitar, sang and led the band Late Night in Los Angeles.

Lisa Janssen: Way back in 1993, I was working in a record store in Denver, CO. My employee pick of the month was Julius Caesar by Smog. I told the kids, BUY THIS, it's the GREATEST record EVER. I love it so much I'm going to MARRY IT. Raw, fragile, desperation, then triumph over desperation. Bill Callahan knew a special, secret language. My lecherous boss had the audacity to ask me, "What does he mean by "I am Star Wars Today?"

Since its the very beginning, Chat Noir Tools has been a home for new and upcoming producers with the goal of discovering the future talents of our scene. We’re glad to present a new debut release by French artist Mitsunobu, founder of the Youtube channel Metroid Vibes. With his Neurodancer EP, he shows his love for 90’s influenced house music. Watch out!

Griffé is back and starts 2024 on a high note with Five Ten, Lausanne based producer & dj, co-founder of Flight Mode. His Surveillance EP highlights his love for acid, breaks & electro while delivering a gloomy and anguish atmosphere. Four powerful tracks for the darker hours of the night.