Ebo Taylor is a legendary guitarist, composer, arranger and producer from Accra, Ghana. A leading light of Ghanaian music since the 1960's, Taylor is still touring and recording, and at the age of 80 will be releasing a brand new studio album on Mr Bongo in 2018.
For this album, Ebo joined forces with 12-piece band 'The Pelikans' — from the Cape Coast region of Ghana — led by Bessa Simmona, with rhythm guitarist Fifi Orleans Lindsay. A genuine 'holy-grail' of Ghanaian music and one of Ebo's most saught-after.
The album was released on the small Abookyi label. Named after a nightclub they played in called PELIKANS, and sung in English and Fante, this was the first album where Ebo sang on tracks, such as the classic 'Come Along', on which he also plays keyboard. This song clearly defined a new direction in highlife and has become a Ghanaian funk anthem. 'Come Along' formed the basis of Sadat X's 'Remember That' hip hop jam from 2011.
This official Mr Bongo re-issue is packaged in our new & improved heavyweight 'tip-on' sleeves, printed in Japan, pressed on high quality vinyl, with label designs and artwork as per the original release. Ebo's forthcoming new studio album, 'MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS' is set for release in spring 2018, on Mr Bongo.
Suche:join forces
From the twilight zone of Rhythm Section International comes a new label for 2017: INTERNATIONAL BLACK. This is the offshoot's 3rd release this year and the machine shows no signs of slowing down. Bradley Zero's ear for new talent continues to pay off as we are introduced to yet another young pair of producers, Mallard & LT, going by the name of 'J DEEP'. Mallard, a 19 yo Jazz student who made a big splash with his debut RS INTL EP, 'Verte', returns with a track aimed more squarely at the dancefloor. Although hypnotic and ethereal, it packs a punch, with the arrangement and musicality belying Mallard's
musical training at Trinity College.
On the flip side, Mallard joins forces with another promising producer who goes by the name 'LT' in their collaborational partnership known as J.Deep. Complex jazz chords swim around 909's to create an elevating techno roller that climbs and climbs only to give way to sparse rave stabs and ecstatic snare patterns.
Tried and tested for the best part of a year, these are 2 serious jams, proven to cause dancefloor frenzy.
After a decade's absence, spent working in commercial sound design, New York based electronic musician and producer Joseph Fraioli returns to his Datach'i alias for a brand new album entitled 'System'. Featuring 16 tracks of beautiful yet unsettling electronic music recorded exclusively on a Eurorack Modular synth, 'System' will be released on August 19th via Venetian Snares' Timesig imprint. Speaking about the album Fraioli said, 'I've spent much of the past decade building up my own sound design company, Jafbox Sound, and in recent years have become fascinated by modular synths. I'd been making a series of performance videos, showing how they work and that inspired me to start making music as Datach'i again. I suddenly realized I had a growing collection of tracks that worked together and had something new to say. Aaron heard some of them and encouraged me to start thinking of them in terms of an album and here we are.' Venetian Snares says of the album 'Joseph's special take on live modular production has had me really excited this past year. There are so many great tracks, it was nearly impossible to compile this album. I'm tickled he agreed to release them with Timesig!' The first non-VSnares-related release on Timesig, 'System' will be available on double vinyl, CD and digital download. Those who pre-order the physical release via the Planet Mu website will also receive a bonus CD featuring 19 more tracks recorded around the same time as 'System'. In addition Timesig and Datach'i have partnered with TipTop Audio and everyone who pre-orders the album will also be entered into a draw to win a Z3000 Smart VCO oscillator and 'Happy Ending' kit, the perfect introduction to building your own modular system. Having released 6 albums between 1999 and 2006 on labels including Planet Mu and Sublight, Fraioli has spent the past ten years running award-winning sound design company, Jafbox Sound, where his productions for film, TV and adverts have been recognized by the likes of the Cannes Film Festival and the CLIO Awards. In 2014, Fraioli also joined forces with Interpol's Daniel Kessler, forming 'Big Noble.' Their freshman release entitled, 'First Light," combined Fraioli's approach to sound design with Kessler's guitar work to create cinematic, ambient soundscapes.
"Berlin based Cocktail d'Amore Music and Ene Tokyo join forces for Greenvision's debut - The Italo-American duo formed by Trent and Juan Ramos. pENE d'Amore Pt.1 is the name of their first 12 inch. This is one of those records that makes you start questioning matters of genre and music construction. Sit back, press play and enjoy this ultra-cosmic adventure. The different rhythm patterns included in Surdinia melt organically with the acid lines, the high UFO whistles and spaceship-like sound effects, exploding into an unexpected and comfortable piano house line, solving the puzzle and leaving you thirsty for more. Meccanica is a slow tempo gem, It combines elements of industrial and Balearic with a touch of submarine-like soundscapes. Ramos and Trent's music-making philosophy is as special as unique. The multitude of elements that compose each track has its own life cycle, its own ecosystem.
Spatial Cues is a series of split singles sounding out main(void)'s and Kon Janson's shared musical space. Operating out of Berlin and London, the two artists join forces to showcase their mutual vision of techno music.
CUES003 explores the darker side of the series with a focus on low frequencies, echoing percussions, and vast spaces, evoking a deep introspective motion.
Diffracting a manifold of sounds around its massive kick drum, CUES003 A builds and releases tension through a dramatic sequence of smooth swells and intense surges.
Grounded by its captivating groove, CUES003 B evolves around the sinister funk of fierce FM bass stabs, leading up to a powerful break that introduces a razor-edged hi-hat.
No musician embodies more the dramatic transformation in the British jazz scene over the past thirty years than Courtney Pine. His debut album, Journey To The Urge Within in 1987, was the first serious jazz album ever to make the British Top 40, notching up sales to qualify for a silver disc.
Aside from being the preeminent figure in the resurgence of British jazz, Courtney became a renowned presenter and broadcaster, best known for his long running radio show for BBC Radio 2, 'Jazz Crusade'. He was also awarded an O.B.E in the 2000 New Year's Honours, and was also made a C.B.E in 2009 for services to Music.
As an artist always looking to work outside of and across established musical genres, it is easier to list the musicians and artists he hasn't worked with, but now in 2017 Courtney releases brand new music featuring another British music legend of equal repute, his Freestyle Records label mate and an artist also honoured for his own creative endeavours, Omar Lyefook M.B.E.
Both tracks of this single are taken from Courtneys' forthcoming album Black Notes From The Deep - the 19th of his stellar career. The exciting and fresh interpretation of Herbie Hancocks' Butterfly demonstrates straight away that this is a dream team combination. With Alec Dankworth laying down the bass, Rod Youngs' drumming underpinning the groove, the song also gives the outstanding keyboards of Robert Mitchell space to stretch out - Omars fantastic vocal performance rides sweetly on top of the dreamy backing vocals of Charleen Hamilton - and of course Courtneys' flowing, imaginative and creative solo perfects this modern version of a much loved classic.
Rules is a brand new, collaborative composition by Courtney & Omar - the punchy drums and bass line patterns hints simultaneously at classic jazz and funkier club-centric sounds. Courtney cooks on tenor saxophone and also the organ - whilst Omar marinades the super catchy melody with that unmistakable voice.
As an introduction to the forthcoming album Black Notes From The Deep this single points the way to what 2 British legends, both exemplary in their own right - can come up with when joining forces.
For their fourth release on Compost, SIREN, (Darshan Jesrani and Dennis Kane) offer up Lulu. A haunting and driven song with an emotionally lacquered vocal from Devi Mamboka. The song also features elegant guitar work from Danny Chavis of The Veldt (His twin brother Daniel sang vocals on SIREN'S first release) bass from SIREN engineer supreme Mark Dann, and percussion from Liquid Liquid front man Salvatore Principato. The Italian disco- and cosmic pioneers Daniele Baldelli and Marco Dionigi joined forces for an extraordinary timeless smoothly grooving re-interpretation of Lulu.
- A1: Johan Kaseta - Venua Flieder
- A2: Mathias Reiling - Give And Take
- B1: Liem & Eddie Ness - Exodorus
- B2: Lucky Charmz - Trance Song Cover
- B3: Rainboy - Heaven Fallen On Heaven Flesh
- C1: Epikur - Speedrunner Iv
- C2: Liem - Truly Super
- D1: A Trap Jr. Feat. Dj Slyngshot - Lonely Is The Night
- D2: Dj Assam - Looking For Revenge
- D3: Johan Kaseta - Mahagoni Cruisin
One of four unique hand-stamped Cover Artworks by Jan-Paul Müller
For our 10th release, we put together a ten track compilation featuring new material by us and our friends titled 'Nie wieder Streit'. The four sides showcase some familiar Lehult sounds as well as some unexpected surprises: Original crew members Liem, Lucky Charmz, Eddie Ness, Johan Kaseta and DJ Assam are all on board with new material, while Matthias Reiling, A Trap Jr. & DJ Slyngshot, Rainboy and Epikur also join the party. For the special occasion we wanted to compile a collection aimed at the DJs that have been buying our records and supporting the little outlet we founded a couple of years back. LHLT10 is one of those versatile records that offers something for every situation, one that never leaves your bag. There's chilled, intricate songs for the early and late hours on the dance floor, dark and vibey Jams for the dungeons, joyful and weird peak time stuff, and some straight up groove monsters - all on one release. Liem & Eddie join forces for the seemingly deteriorating, jumbling peak-time cut 'Exodoros' while Liem's other contribution, 'Truly Super', serves up sweaty basement magic. Lucky Charmz shows a unheard shade with his 150-BPM Kitch-Anthem 'Trance Song Cover', while Johan Kaseta's opener 'Venue Flieder' and Assam's floaty groover 'Looking for Revenge' stay in line with their trademark fruity/meditative sound. Epikur, a project between Eddie Ness and his longtime partner in crime Kryptofauna, snatch their debut release with the club-ready, synth-laden groover 'Speedrunner IV',
avorite Recordings proudly presents Natureza, first album of Joao Selva. The story of Natureza is made of the meeting between two passionate artists who are Jonathan "Matuto" Da Silva and Bruno "Patchworks" Hovart.Born and raised in Ipanema and son of a pastor, Jonathan Da Silva grew up in a community of ex-prisoners and converted artists. He made his first guitar notes before his 10th birthday, under the watchful eye of Wanda Sa (muse of the bossa nova), and influenced by a father who in addition to his work, was also a true music lover with a collection, where black music, rock and classical meet. From the age of 18, Jonathan began a life of entertainer, traveling the world to offer shows for disadvantaged children and intensively practicing the Brazilian traditional music arts (Capoeira Angola, Maracatu, Samba de Roda, Coco de Roda...). It was later in France and in Lyon that he put down his instruments. There he formed the trio Forro de Rebeca in 2008, touring the all country and winning many praise in media. The trio recently joined forces with American producer Maga Bo on the project Sociedade Recreativa, whose album was released in 2016 on The Jarring Effects label.Bruno Hovart is a recognized producer, multi-instrumentalist, and remixer. After passing through Angers, Birmingham and London, he's based in Lyon since 2001. Bassist and guitarist for various bands, he switched to production in the mid-90s. Passionate about music and tireless creator, Bruno has practiced in almost every imaginable style, when it comes to groove music, collecting many aliases and projects for more than 10 years: Patchworks, Voilaaa, Uptown Funk Empire, Mr President, Taggy Matcher, Mr. Day, Hawa, John Milk, Lightnin 3, The Dynamics or Metropolitan Jazz Affair ... Nothing resists and escapes his talent and production skills. Thus, when he discovered and met Jonathan and his music, Bruno saw an immediate opportunity to broaden the spectrum of his discography a little more, by looking at Brazil. Beyond its traditional heritage, Brazil has always been a land of extremely varied music, influenced by the international scene. Soul, Jazz and American Pop did inspire many local stars such as Chico Buarque, Carlos Jobim, Gilberto Gil, Tom Zé, or Erasmo Carlos. Both fervent lovers of this movement and these names, it's with the idea to pay them a faithful tribute, that Jonathan and Bruno began the Joao Selva adventure. Together they gave birth to Natureza and embark us for a trip into the heart of the Tropicalist Pop influences of Jorge Ben and Caetano Veloso, the intoxicating Funk of Tim Maia, and the social poetry of Vinicius de Moraes.
The second release of Dilated Pupils on their own platform DPBEATS.! Techy yet classy vibes.! All beats are ready for the club.!
About DP:
Dilated Pupils is a collective group of likeminded friends home-based in the Netherlands. When forces are joined in one of their many studios each individual brings his own influences and styles to the table. Together they share a distinct flavor in productions and raw one-take jam sessions created with the use of analogue machines and often recorded on tape. Each of them have their own solo productions as well as other collaborations, but when united as Dilated Pupils they prefer to be known jointly as one entity with their own unique and distinguished sound. Since 2014 the group has developed an interesting and widespread discography with releases on labels such as Fear of Flying, Sol Asylum, Mode of Expression, Tabla, Music is Art, Dorcas, Make Sense and Mayak
The concept of this record is simple, 4 artists join forces to create these non compromising, focussed DJ tools which marks the start of a new release series. The Berlin based producers Avgusto, Jamie Anderson and STRISC. are no stranger to Florian Meindl's FLASH Recordings with several releases on the label and Rekord 61 from Moscow is a new addition to the roaster. Vinyl only.
German producer Christian Burkhardt teams up with fellow countrymen Chris Wood & Meat for a three-track release on Jamie Jones' Hottrax this May.
Burkhardt has been flying the flag for minimalist electronic music for a decade now, releasing on labels such as Cocoon, Oslo and Pressure Traxx. Likewise, Freebase Records founders Meat + Chris Wood have been purveying deep and minimal cuts individually since the '00s, joining forces in 2009 before releasing on labels like Desolat, Housewax and Tiefschwarz' Souvenir. Between the three of them they've continually garnered support from the upper echelons of House and Techno, making regular appearances in the sets of names like Ricardo Villalobos, Sven Väth, Seth Troxler and Jamie Jones.
Intricate percussion and a compelling bassline make up the foundation of 'Closer 2 U' as an echoing vocal and tense strings operate throughout. Meanwhile, 'Plain' is a more downtempo cut in comparison with its dusky atmospherics and distorted spoken word samples that subtly permeate throughout the mix. On the flip, 'Trumpad' is deep and dubby whilst integrating trippy synths and mesmerizing effects for a rhythmic conclusion.
Farron continues the course of Shaw Cuts with his 'Legend Of The Bat' EP, following in the footsteps of Chu Liu Hsiang: the journey to Bat Island.
The voyage begins with 'C.I.T.G', its relentless break-beat fundament combined with coarse synth lunacy to wipe out the first dark shapes - moonlit slaughter.
Joining forces with rivals, Chu Liu Hsiang is no longer alone as he advances on Bat Island. 'Semi-Final Thoughts' accompanies the newly-formed crew to the mysterious ground - a melody of warm synth and light churned by industrious oldschool drums. But who to trust
The fleeting harmony ends when several combatants unveil their guise and true motives. Loyalties revealed, massacre ensues. 'Unlimited Mind' pulsates, its bassline and sharp percussions decapitating those who dare to deceive.
'Derby' epitomizes the tension of the final showdown with low rolling tones, echoing chords and heavy percussion weaving the air like the rival in pursuit. With teamed forces and clever combat the traitor is annihilated from head to toe - bloodbath and game over...
Joining the Unknown Precept forces are C.G.I. Records' label head Matthew Wei- ner teaming up with Christopher Daresta as Pyramid Club. Being known for their T.W.I.N.S. and Anticipation solo activities, Cyclic Obsession comes as the debut re- lease of the four-handed formation taking its name from the eponymous venue which helped define the counterculture and queer sound of lower Manhattan in the late 70's. Recorded in their stronghold of Atlanta following a handful of tracks released via the jointly-operated D.K.A. Records, it shows the duo taking over primitive body music in its most physical and psychedelic dimension. Thick as a brick bass lines for the basement turmoil — reflecting the hazy vortex smoldering out of an ill-lighted nightclub. Think of spasmodic synth-driven tunes interspersed by convulsive vocals and throbbing snares, in which one could see the whites of the dancers' eyes right before the lights turn back on.
- A1: Smith & Mudd - Mhor (Lexx Mix)
- A2: Freshro! - Pacifc State (Phil Mison Mix)
- B1: Okinawa Delays Feat. Satoko Ishimine - Nariyama Ayagu (Max Essa Dub)
- B2: Mudd & Pollard - Far Away (Ron Trent Mix)
- C1: Paraíso -Teu Sorriso (Jex Opolis Remix)
- C2: Bison - Familiar Stranger (Baldelli & Dionigi Remix)
- D1: Jack Cutter (Feat. David Harks) - Serpent Strut (Fingers Deep Mix)
- E1: Paqua - Ruby Running Faker (Emperor Machine Extended Vocal)
- F1: Smith & Mudd - The Surveyor (40 Thieves Remix)
- F2: Bison - Salmon Spungcake
- G1: Smith & Mudd - Nether (Bjørn Torske Extended Mix)
- H1: Paqua - Late Train (Mushrooms Project Remix)
- H2: Zee Erf - Southern Freeez (Sean P's India Navigation Mix)
- I1: Holger Czukay - Music To Be Murdered By
- I2: Leo 'Almunia' Ceccanti - Andromeda Bound
- J1: U-She - Blue Sky (Mudd Mix)
- J2: Statues - River Darkness
10 Years Boxset
In the spring of 2007, musician and producer Paul 'Mudd'
Murphy decided to launch his own label. Named after the house
he grew up in, Claremont 56 would release beautiful music by
friends, associates, collaborators and like-minded musicians.
In the 10 years that have passed since, Claremont 56 has more
than surpassed Murphy's modest expectations. It has built up
a cult following around the world, with listeners responding
positively to the label's combination of magical music, beautiful
artwork, and impeccable packaging.
To mark the label's frst decade, Murphy has put together
a sumptuous vinyl box set of previously unheard material,
produced and presented with the same attention to detail that
listeners have come to expect.
Each copy of Claremont 56: 10 Years contains fve weighty slabs
of wax and a bespoke info sheet, housed in a specially designed,
hand-numbered box with debossed logos on the front and rear.
However impressive the packaging, it's the music that makes
Claremont 56: 10 Years stand out. Featuring a mixture of
unreleased tracks and brand new remixes of vintage label
releases, the highlights come thick and fast.
As you'd expect, some of the most impressive contributions
come from those artists you could describe as legendary',
including Chicago deep house originators Larry Heard and Ron
Trent. Can legend Holger Czukay kindly contributes one of the
standout moments, the eccentric 'Music To Be Murdered By',
from his own unreleased catalogue, while Afro-cosmic pioneer
Daniele Baldelli joins forces with Marco Dionigi to deliver a
typically spacey remix of Bison's 'Familiar Stranger'. There's also
an epic, Afro-tinged dub disco remix of Smith & Mudd's 'Nether'
by Norwegian scene founder Bjorn Torske.
Elsewhere, Good Timin' man Jex Opolis turns an overlooked
track by Paraiso into a samba-boogie killer, Sean P dubs out
Zee Erf's beautiful cover of 'Southern Freeez', and Phil Mison
turns FreshRo's laidback electrofunk cut 'Pacifc State' into a
breezy, Balearic gem. Look out too, for the emotion-rich beauty
of Statues' 'River Darkness' - a track arguably worth the cost
of the box set on its own - and the deep space explorations of
Almunia's Leo Ceccanti.
We could go on, but we're running out of space. Sufce to say,
Claremont 56: 10 Years is a lovingly compiled, curated and
presented celebration of the label's frst decade.
Rising Amsterdam-based star Esther Duijn leads the charge with a hypnotic, understated slice of dub techno that grooves in all the right places. Label boss Brothers' Vibe then steps up with a sharp-edged, percussion led workout that blooms into a fulsome, acidic jam laced with techno futurism and pure machine soul. German production duo youANDme are regular collaborators with Brothers' Vibe, and here they join forces for the tough, drum-pounding Playing With Toys. Rodriguez also takes the opportunity to unveil the Silent Rodgerz alias, championing the Toad Red vision with a daring, experimental trip through abstractmodular-synthesizer processes that build towards a jacking rhythmic throw-down.
FOUR313 is a Detroit group of Deejays, musicians and producers from the 1st wave of the Detroit techno dance movement. Blake, Eddie, Santonio & Thomas have joined forces as the unit FOUR313, a group name with meaning and purpose, and that is to preserve Detroit's "true" history in dance music and support the DJ culture through vinyl releases. The debut album of FOUR313 will be released with the launch of their new record label called "Ther Label". FOUR313 will collectively release special limited edition vinyl of brand new recordings starting at the beginnning of 2017.
Breakbeat Paradise Recordings is turning back time to the early 70s when funk music was made by talented musicians joining forces in bands with the objective to create the next big funk anthem. So many big tunes and classic funk productions came out of this era and it also harnessed a new breed of funk bands across the globe who is dedicated to continuing the legacy of the funk music in the new millennium.
Breakbeat Paradise Recordings has proudly collected 4 bands to represent the new era of funk from various parts of Europe. German based Grand Slam, Swiss funk band Grand Mothers' Funck, Nasa Funk from Greece and A Man About a Dog from the UK has all provided original funk jams to this groovy 12" vinyl.
Leading the way on the a-side is Grand Slam who has created a big summer tune which sits in well with some of the current radio funk jams and will be sure to bring the ladies on the floor. Grand Slam has been around since 1985 by incorporating various flavors from Rock, Jazz, Soul and Hip Hop. The Get On Down jam from their upcoming release due May 2017 shows just how its done to do classic oldskool P-Funk which sounds as fresh as anything else on the radio here in 2017! Produced by (and featuring) veteran P-Funk legend Gary "Mudbone" Cooper!
Grand Mother's Funck means business on the straight up funky The Dog tune taken from their brand new album Take The Money. A special edit was done for this release as they are celebrating their 12th album release from a legendary veteran funk band who has been tearing up the Swiss funk scene for over 23 years now.
On the flipside the funk is riding equally high as Nasa Funk rolls in their Stand Up jam. Straight outta Thessaloniki, Greece comes this 5-man band with vocalist George Perin leading the way. This tune is produced with old friend of label Basement Freaks.
Last but certainly not least we turn our attention to the UK where the band A Man About a Dog has cooked up a latin-inspired and jazzy funk tune called Pollos.
That sums up the first all original funk release to be dropped on Breakbeat Paradise Recordings. After digging in a sampling so many great funk tunes over the years, this seemed like only right way to pay our respect to the genre of music we love and cherish so much.
[B] A2 | Grand Mother's Funck - The Dog (Throw Me A Bone Mix)
It was the spring of 2007 when Paul 'Mudd' Murphy and Kevin Pollard announced the arrival of the former's Claremont 56 label with Villa Stavros', a magical frst collaborative 12'. It
seems somewhat ftting, then, that Claremont 56's fnal release of its' frst decade will be N7 Odyssey, the frst collaborative album from Mudd & Pollard. By the time Villa Stavros' came out, the pair had already been regular studio buddies for a couple of years. Initially, Murphy had recruited Pollard - a hugely talented keyboardist and composer - to play on tracks he was working on for Rong Music. One thing naturally led to another, and soon they were joining forces to make music as Murphy's home studio in
Holloway, North London. As the years rolled by, further acclaimed singles followed Villa Stavros' - the bubbly, Rhodes-laden Balearic disco shuffe of Vincent', and the lilting, intergalactic dub disco of Scaffold', most notably - before the duo's other musical commitments began to take precedence. Murphy had his hands full running the Claremont 56 and Leng labels, while Pollard carved out a successful career as a soundtrack composer for both flm and television. Now, the album they set out to make all those years ago is fnally fnished and ready to be
released. N7 Odyssey - titled in tribute to the Holloway studio they recorded in for many years before Murphy moved - draws together freshly re-mastered versions of their previously released singles with a clutch of previously unheard tracks. Built around the duo's own fne musicianship, with Pollard handling synths, keyboards and electric piano, and Murphy guitar, bass and percussion, the album's ten tracks offer a musical journey through their shared love of shuffing grooves, sun-kissed soundscapes and
gentle positivity. Highlights come thick and fast. There's the swirling strings, futtering futes, jammed-out electric pianos and heady female vocals of Far Away', the enchanting new age ambience of December', and the rush-inducing Balearic disco breeze of Mawson's Walk', a former single blessed with sublime horn solos and rising, cinematic strings. Check, too, the head-
nodding beats, fuid electric piano solos and jazzy guitars of Inatin', the gentle Eastern mysticism and vintage ambient house aesthetics of Anura', and the ultra-deep house pulse of N7 Odyssey'. The album fttingly fnishes with a sublime ambient interpretation of Scaffold', arguably the duo's most celebrated track. It may have taken a decade to emerge, fully formed, but Murphy and Pollard have delivered an album that's beguiling, magical, and hugely comforting. Clearly, it's an odyssey worth
taking.
Ricky L and Marcoradi have been friends for as long as they can remember. They frst met on the dancefoor of one of Italy's most iconic clubs, Red Zone in Perugia, where Ricky has been a resident DJ for the best part of 25 years. Now, they've joined forces in the studio for the frst time, uniting under the Hear &
Now alias for Claremont 56. Those with a keen knowledge of Italian dance music will know their impressive track records. Both have a history of producing fne deep house records and remixes for the likes of Ibadan, Uomo, Reincarnation, Top Tracks, Restricted Tracks and Vega Records. With Hear & Now, they've decided to step back from the dancefoor, instead producing hazy, emotion-rich music for after-hours listening, and mornings spent blinking into the sunshine. A-side 'Hirundo' is a thing of rare beauty: a gently fowering opus constructed from shuffing, mind-massaging drum rhythms, spacey pads, stretched-out
organ chords and Marcoradi's effortless guitar playing. Lilting, alien synthesizer refrains seemingly tumble from the heavens, intensifying the duo's blissful mood. Flip for an even deeper excursion, the softly spun wizardry of 'Sabbia Magica'.
Here, the duo's house infuences gently rise to the surface. This is slow, deep and dreamy house from the top drawer, with jazz-fecked guitar fourishes and undulating electronics combining effortlessly with hypnotic, metronomic drums,
cascading string lines and a wonderfully dexterous electronic bassline. You can dance if you wish, but you may just want a hug instead.




















