The Kniteforce White label is renowned for its original content and authentic old skool sound. The deepest of the underground cuts released by Kniteforce, this sub label gives new artists space to experiment, but keeps the vibe rare and sought after by never repressing and never remixing....
In the words of Bill Brewster - DJ History
‘At the turn of the 1990s, there were few more successful New York house producers than Victor Simonelli. Under a dizzying array of aliases – Solution, NY’s Finest, Groove Committee, Critical Rhythm and Cloud 9 being amongst the better-known – the Brooklyn-born DJ/producer delivered a string of underground club hits during the city’s early ’90s house boom.’
BTG presents “Victor Simonelli: The Early Years Vol 1” a collectors edition double Vinyl release - 2 X 12’s in each Vol
Launching the first Behind The Groove collectors edition vinyl series is New York’s finest Victor Simonelli with ‘The Early Years Vol 1 & 2’ double Vinyl releases. Featuring seminal house tracks such as Cloud 9’s ‘Do You Want Me’, Solution’s ‘Feel So Right’, Instant Exposure’s ‘Wanna Be With You’ and rare mixes of Raiana Page and EZ-AL, this collection brings together classic and rare Victor Simonelli cuts that reflect the early raw energy and buzz of the New York House scene. With ‘Vol 2” scheduled to follow shortly after, this is the most comprehensive collection of rare Simonelli cuts that firmly establishes his esteemed role in 90s House Music as well as introducing new fans to his inimitable sound.
Victor Simonelli is one of the early kings of NYC sampling In house music. The real deal - Victor danced at the legendary David Mancuso’s Loft sessions and developed a serious appreciation for good music. He interned for Arthur Baker at his renown Shakedown Studios (where Arthur worked with the iconic Afrika Bambatta on the seminal dance floor ’Planet Rock’ track) and went on to release hugely influential releases on seminal NYC labels 4th Floor and Nu Groove. Victor’s music was championed by the hugely celebrated iconic House Music DJ pioneers, Larry Levan and Tony Humphries at Paradise Garage & Zanzibar/WBLS/Kiss FM respectively.
Revered as a New York house heavyweight and prolific producer since the turn of the 1990s, Victor Simonelli grew up in Brooklyn, NYC, nurtured by a music loving family, with an avid record collecting father who also worked as a local party DJ. He took music lessons in piano, drums, guitar and bass, before discovering his first love, tuning into NY’s Radio Mix Shows on WBLS, WKTU and WRKS,98.7 Kiss FM) where he discovered the art of mixing and in his own words, ’I just simply got lost in the music’.
Graduating from NYC’s Centre For Media Arts, Victor got an internship in the legendary producer, Arthur Baker’s Shakedown Studios. Soon graduating to editing, mixing and then producing he worked for artists David Bowie, Quincy Jones, Debbie Harry, Sinead O’Connor and Talking Heads. Teaming up with fellow NYC producer Lenny Dee to become the Brooklyn Funk Essentials, they released records ‘Critical Rhythm’ and ‘Subliminal Aurra’ on 4th Floor before Victor went solo as Groove Committee releasing the classic ‘I Want You To Know’ on the legendary Nu Groove Records. Paradise Garage legend, Larry Levan broke ‘I Want You To Know’ rocking 2 copies on his last tour of Japan whilst King of NY House Music,Tony Humphries broke Victor’s new ‘Feels So Right’ across New York on his WBLS/Kiss FM Mastermix show and at his legendary Zanzibar club sessions. It was only a matter of time before Victor’s name became synonymous with quality House music ensuring a worldwide platform for his productions.
In the early 90s alongside his own productions, Victor Simonelli worked on high profile projects, including James Brown’s album, “Love Overdue” BeBe and CeCe Winans single featuring Mavis Staples “I’ll Take You There” and Quincy Jones’ “I’ll Be Good To You” featuring Chaka Khan and the legendary Ray Charles. Never straying too far from his clubland roots, Victor worked with Danny Tenaglia on his classic “The Harmonica Track”.
DJ gigs across the world started flooding in and Victor found himself recording for a dizzying array of labels including Tribal America, Sub-Urban, Bassline, King Street Sounds and Vibe, under a wide range of aliases. He also produced, wrote and remixed for artists such Nile Rodgers (Chic), Afrika Baambata, Hall & Oates, Frankie Knuckles, Kerri Chandler, Madonna and Michael Jackson. Famed for his own productions “It’s So Good” by Creative Force, “I Know A Place” as Sound Of One - the first release on Roger Sanchez One Records -, “Dirty Games” as well as the “Street Players Vol 1 EP”, Victor went on to set up Suburban Records with Tommy Musto and Bassline Records with two other partners. Notable releases on this label include “Do You Feel Me”, Connie Harvey’s gospel inspired, “Thank You Lord”, Urban Blues Project’s “Deliver Me”, Colonel Abrams “Not Gonna Let”, and Mone’s “Better Way”. Never ceasing to produce, DJ, run his own label and host radio shows like Groove Lift, Victor has worked with virtually every NYC producer and has nurtured a next generation talents including Angel Moraes, Jazz ‘N’ Groove, Urban Blues Project, Harlem Hustlers, Jay Jay and Julius Papp. Victor’s releases have also been used on M&S’s “Salsoul Nuggett” hit and Eddie Amador’s underground smash ‘House Music’.
In the late 90’s Victor launched his new Westside Productions, notable for the “Latin Impressions 1 & 2” releases, opened up a studio in Italy as he found himself increasingly working in Europe and now divides his time between New York and Italy. Suffice to say his unique sound of uplifting and spiritual music has kept him at the forefront of House Music and he is credited as one of its leading exponents with his string of classic releases and remixes.
Behind the Groove, branches out from its digital platform to embark on a programme of releases from the iconic pioneer producers of House Music. Esteemed for their high quality features and mixes that continue to explore, celebrate and venerate the contributions of highly respected, scene-shaping Labels, Artists, DJs and Special Events, BTG seeks to bring these talents and tales to the attention of the wider community. Unlocking the stories surrounding the pivotal roles they played and continue to play today in shaping the underground music scene we have come to know and love.
BTG presents “Victor Simonelli: The Early Years Vol 1” a collectors edition double Vinyl release, released on May 12th 2023. ‘Vol 2” follows on May 26th 2023 . These releases are the most comprehensive collection of rare Victor Simonelli cuts that firmly establish his esteemed role in 90s House Music and introduces new fans to his carefree sound.
Dynamite Cuts begibt sich in den erstaunlichen Sound und die Welt der Library Music. Musik, die ein Gefühl oder Modus in einer einzigen Note oder Groove einfangen kann. Die 4-Track-Auswahl stammt aus der 'Sound Music' Albenreihe der Deutschen Bibliothek, deren Originale heute zu dreistelligen Summen gehandelt werden.
During the summer youth program of 1970 and '71 at St Paul's Catholic church a young Tunnie Smith was singled out by Father George Artist for his outstanding singing abilities. He was soon introduced to Joe Delpit and Reginal Brown to sing along with their show and dance band "The 13Th Amendments. It didn't take long before Tunnie was a full member of the band and became a featured singer performing throughout Louisiana. After a year and a half of performing at nightclubs, military bases and universities Tunnie landed a record deal with Rick Hall's Fame/UA record label. His first single from 1973 was a wonderful mid-tempo number entitled "Finders Aren't Always Keepers" flipped with "Do That To Me"It gained National distribution and had some good success. Tunnie left Fame records and was introduced to Stax record executives Al Bell and John Smith. After signing with Stax, Tunnie met legendary writer and performer David Porter where they recorded an album which was scheduled for release around 73/74.Unfortunately Staxs association with CBS came to a halt and the project got shelved. From those session arose the wonderful "U And Me Together", leading on from the well produced "Finders Keepers" cut the song builds up with an epic 1:30 string and drum arrangement that really sets the picture for Tunnie to arrive with vocals way above his young age would suggest. A story of a boy and girl determined to make it and be the great combination that their love affair deserves. We can’t believe a gem like this has been waiting to come out and should have catapulted Tunnie to the next level or artist rosters. Alas, Tunnie went home and carried on performing around the Louisiana area with his new band Sweet Music Orchestra Fast forward to 1983 Tunnie whilst recording some vocals at River City Recording met Chicago producer and arranger George "Paco" Patterson. George was musical director and had worked with The Isley Brothers Wilson Pickett and many other well known artists. During this period Tunnie along with George formed a great partnership and along with some top session musicians record some incredibly lush, well produced and atmospheric songs The A Side "Join Together " is from the same session as "Dancing On Da Clouds" and could have easily be picked for his first single on Pass The Baton records. It oozes the same heavy production with opening piano cords and layered scatting then bosh, in comes the drums and Vox taking you on a mesmerising space like 2 step extravaganza. So, there you have it, once again two amazing slices of soul on one single from Tunnie Smith. Let’s hope this artist finally reaches his potential from that young man who started recording in 1973.
Guy J is one of the leading artists in the world of underground dance music. However, his artistic appetites are far more diverse. His Malta-based label is a platform for cutting-edge producers, but Guy J rarely releases his production on the label. He has released only one of his musical pieces on Armadillo, an opening track (Aurora AM Mix) on a V.A. Fields Vol.2, until now.
94 Blossom is his twelve-minute showpiece, revealing his skill in the context of the finest electronica. The material is a sonic expedition based on contrasts of a hypnotic arrangement taking a conceptual journey from darkness to light. Guy J fuses arpeggio soundscapes and electronic percussions with improvised elements enabling the balance of mathematical structure and freestyle. The most memorable part of the journey is the Balearic-influenced end theme, thoroughly sticking the landing. Will electronic music be the classical music of the future? J is one of the artists who could make that possibility come true.
It's lucky number 3 for Terrazzo and this time we've got Cromie, Aldonna, Ahmet Mecnun and Mtty clocking in with 4 jizzy cuts, aimed at keeping the d-§oor soaking wet
Sampler 1[13,87 €]
Sampler 3 Blue Vinyl[28,53 €]
Sampler 4 - Purple[28,53 €]
Sampler 1 - Yellow[14,08 €]
In anticipation of Kerri Chandler’s forthcoming album Spaces and Places, his first in 14 years, that sees the New Jersey legend celebrating club and soundsystem culture by recording, writing and performing a track in twenty-two of the worlds most distinguished nightclubs, Kaoz Theory drop the second in a series of vinyl album samplers.
Sampler 2, a sublime gatefold, double 12 inch package sees Kerri soak up and channel the atmosphere of Dublin’s District 8, Glasgow holy grail Sub Club, NYC’s Output and Lisbon’s crowning jewel Lux into four trademark Kerri cuts, doubled up with a further mix of each track for good measure too. Piano-laden deep house, heads-down groovers, vocal-tinged soulful gems, recorded directly from each space, it’s brimming with future classics from start to finish.
Chart-topping afro house label MoBlack Records, favoured by the likes of Dixon, Black Coffee and Ame, returns with another scintillating four track sampler. Deep, emotive, richly textured afro-infused house cuts from the likes of Emmanuel Jal, Zakes Bantwini, Mowgan, Yass and Fnx Omar.
Boot proudly present Micall Parknsuns 6th studio LP "Still..." on limited edition single black vinyl. With killer features from Kyza, Scriblah, Joker Starr, AyePee, Josiah and Naughtz. Produced by Micall Parknsun, Aypee and Apollo with cuts by Jazz T. Killer artwork by Glen Stone. Includes the smashes "Still... "and "Kept Going"
Woo York - supreme electronic music duo make their debut on Watergate Records.
The Ukrainian duo have a watertight reputation for crafting stunning dancefloor compositions, having released music on Life And Death, Soma, Dystopian, Drumcode and Afterlife, the latter home to their
critically acclaimed 2018 album ‘Chasing the Dream’. Their appearances at Watergate have been numerous over the years, making them an obvious choice to join the label family.
Their Watergate Records debut maiden offering is sparkling. The title track begins as a chugging key-laden cut before a stirring folky melody rises to the fore with beautiful intent. With its unique sonic signature,
‘Samum’ will stand out in any set. Woo York show a new side of their outstanding musical talent “For this release we wanted to push boundaries of the melodic techno sound. For Samum we have worked with a bag pipe, one of the oldest instruments to give the track an almost „housy" note.”
The accompanier is ‘Prophet’, an emotional slice of dance music, hopeful and melancholic in equal doses, this is custom made for big dancefloor moments.
Accompanying the package are remixes of ‘Samum’ by fellow Ukrainian producer and live act 8Kays, who turns in a dark and shimmering re-rub, not losing any of the original’s power. Meanwhile Greek artist Echonomist crafts a rich and multi-faceted reinterpretation that fits for the club and home listening alike.
Castanea Records welcomes Nu Zau for its 12th release, accompanied by Dubtil on the remix duties.
"Night Shift EP" presents Nu Zau in top form, with total control over the groove and atmosphere of all three original tracks on display: the drums and bassline are driving, the pads are warm and expansive, and the bleeps and sampled cuts are as glitchy as they are bouncy.
A-side's 'No Thank You' and 'Over and Over' put basslines at the centre of attention, filling the space with a rolling groove where playful vocal sampling, warm pads, and deep atmospheres keep its structure dreamy and exciting. B-side's 'Night Shift' continues the playfulness introduced before and pushes its attention to a cinematic atmosphere under a panoply of funky synths. Dubtil completely changes the gears and offers an expertly produced remix that is as moody as it is dreamy, pushing the swing and hypnotic character of the original to a whole new dimension.
This is the second volume of the compendium of artists connected through their dark sounds called “Atlas of Penance”. Its main objective is showcasing the different explorations of occult aesthetics from around the world.
The EP opens the A side with a gloomy, feet-dragging, post-punk track by Hanging Freud, goes to a dream-like techno-ebm rave with Kenny Campbell and finishes this side with an industrial infused half tecnho/half electro track of Syndikat Kommando 98, a project by Viktor Lenis (Cute Heels, Modernista).
The B side is no less stronger, starting with a straight up techno banger by the prolific producer Drvg Cvltvre, moving on to a genre defying track filled with experimental elements fuelled with modular sythesis and harsh kicks by Black Potion, and ending the EP with an anxiety inducing dark ambient track by Dim Garden.
'Nicolò's music was born in the foggy winter of the Adriatic coast, and raised in the dusty grooves of Milford Graves LPs. It travelled to London and Berlin, where it collected sweat from crowds dancing in dark basements, leaving it with an organic hue and rhythmic patterns both broken and free.
This is bass-driven music from outer space. RRRing The Alarm!'
Produced and Mixed by Nicolò.
Mastering and lacquer cut by Kassian Troyer at Dubplates & Mastering.
Art by Paolo Bazzana.
Photo insert by Flavia Serrão.
Design by P.Bazzana & F. Serrão.
2023 Clear Vinyl Repress! nthng finally follows up his four stunning EPs with a full album proper, arriving in a whopping 3xLP pack.Arriving a good 6 months after the LT029.5 album sampler which debuted both Soms and In My Dreams, nthng adds another seven hazy, hooded techno bangers to those to make up a pretty dazzling body of work.Opener 'Touches' is true ambient bliss, with shrouded, blissful synths fuzzing into view and cut through by a soft low distant sunlight. Both Galaxy and Eternal thump into view with a hi-paced drums colliding and clashing with syncopated stabs and smooth dusty baselines, recalling the tender techno-trance precipice danced by Dutch producers at the start of the 90's. The huge mysterious fan favourite and title track It Never Ends gets it's pride of place with 9 mins of deep, cavernous techno, all rippling with epic string-synths and washes of mountainous reverb.Even deeper numbers are extracted from the hard-drive, including the pensively, digitally-bubbling computer jam Unity sitting tidily alongside the super deep and subtle rolls of Abyss. Rounding the album out is the appropriately-titled Last. A dark, shimmering, almost emotionless number that cements a different idea of the future. A hard, pounding, yelping, depth-charged technoid closer. For us, the album feels like a real masterpiece, conjuring a spectrum of intimate and emotive moods, feelings and nostalgia-tinged memories that float into the mind, like the settling fog in the valley on a crisp winters morning.
A trio of tracks inspired by ‘90s rave mark Roberto Capuano’s first Drumcode offering in two years.
The Napoli-born DJ, producer and sound designer has been a semi-regular contributor to Adam Beyer’s labels stretching back almost a decade. From the Inner City-referencing ‘Vertigo’, to the elegant techno on ‘Wilford’, part of DC150th release, and the 2020 collab ‘Mad World’ with good friend Luigi Madonna, his tracks have always been characterised by impeccable quality and a timeless sonic palette. Reinforcing his breadth, he’s also responsible for one of Truesoul’s greatest tracks to date, thanks to the 2015 classic ‘Never Stop’.
‘When The Lights Go Down’ EP continues the brain scrambling techno approach he displayed on ‘Mad World’, with all cuts featuring throughout the summer, including supports at Tomorrowland, Awakenings ADE, EDC Vegas, and Movement Detroit.
Dishwasher_ are the latest disciples of yet another new wave of talent in the fertile Belgian groove and jazz scene. It would, however, be a shame to limit them to the constraints of any given musical style. Ever since their formation in 2019, the Ghent-based trio have been experimenting with all possible genres to create a contemporary sound they can now rightfully call their own. With their self-titled debut album, to be released in April 2023 via Sdban Ultra, they are closing off an impressive first chapter, delivering a unique and diverse yet coherent collection of groove-driven cuts.
While labeling Diswasher_ as a jazz band wouldn’t do them enough justice, it is a fact that improvisation and a certain free approach turn out to be key in the creation and performance process of the album’s tracks. Werend, Louise and Arno specifically aim to capture their live energy and synergy on the album by experimenting with structures and textures, playing with song lengths and implementing influences from various other styles — electronic music in the first place, but as well traces from (Middle-)Eastern and Balkan music, next to dance, hip-hop and even metal.
As a result, the record tends to be a pure and honest representation of Diswasher_’s musical identity and artistic quest over the past years — both as individual musicians and as a band. Saxophones drenched in effects, diverse layers of synthesizers, a bass guitar hopping from fingerpicking licks to deep and drone-like bass tones, drums can sometimes sound like drum computers, and sometimes as subtle rhythmic chords: it’s pretty clear how deep this trio have dived to search and find something totally fresh and new.
Members of the band are Arno Grootaers, Werend Van Den Bossche and Louise van den Heuvel. Their debut album is coming out on Sdban Ultra, the innovative label of Black Flower, ECHT! and Compro Oro (among others). In 2023 they will fully focus on new talent, by signing Dishwasher_, but also KAU (formerly KAU trio) and Schroothoop. Apart from that, you can expect debut albums or EPs by LũpḁGangGang, Bandler Ching, KVR trio and Adja coming out this year. Stay tuned.
Madrileans Ribé & Roll Dann debut on Klockworks with a massive four-tracker ready for the dance floor. After leaving their signature on labels such as Semantica, Soma and Mord the duo now delivers a sublime collaborative EP of fast paced yet truly minimalistic techno on Berlin’s legendary imprint.
On A-Side ‘Preludio’ is an effortless frenetic groover, offering mighty drops to stir any dance floor and it has been Ben Klock’s secret weapon for a reason. It is followed by the classy, moody cut ‘El Vinculo’ which showcases Ribé & Roll Dann’s connection and their production chemistry. On the flip side ‘Pugna’ is a raw and elegant, atmospheric cut, while ‘Delirio’ delivers precisely what the title promises.
