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Prolific soul man Carlton Jumel Smith made a fresh opening into deep vintage soul sounds with his Timmion single debut. Now he's back for more with the dancefloor track "This Is What Love Looks Like", paving the road towards his album, which is dropping on Timmion at the beginning of 2019.

Think of classic funky soul with a little bit of Chicago, some Tighten Up guitar and blaring horn melodies, and you get an idea, where this energizing groove is headed. Carlton gets going with his soulful testimony, while the A-list of Finnish soul and jazz players from Tuomo Prättälä and Jimi Tenor to Jukka Eskola strengthen the Cold Diamond & Mink band to new heights.

If the first single dripped with heartaches and bitterness, this one is a monumental sonic heart emoji instead, seasoned with sweet sunshine. Even though Carlton can play any part the lyric casts him in, the conveyor of positivity suits him well. In real life it's not rare to see the man smiling, and when performing he oozes with peace, love and soul, turning the audience inside out. Here he's laid down one for the dancers!

With one of the hippest jazz albums of recent years under their belt, Jukka Eskola Soul Trio is back with a fresh new single. It's truly a double-sider of the highest order, as both of the tracks deliver a completely distinct flavor.

"Tiny B" on the A side is a neat bossa jazz number, and as usual in top of the genre, the lightness serves only as a facade. The composition starts to evolve before the listener gets too comfortable, transitioning into a beautiful cinematic section, which is followed by tight solos by Eskola on trumpet and Mikko Helevä on organ. The trio rises beyond its numbers, as the maestro Teppo Mäkynen overdubs his drumming with added percussion and vibes.

Hiding on the B side is a furious jazz dance burner, which sees the trio rise to energy levels that surpass even Five Corners Quintet in their tightest form. "Stick of a Branch" is highly syncopated business that takes its cues from a sound refined by 1970's independent afrocentric jazz groups. It's a style, which is inherently modernist, without a slightest interest in mass appeal, and firmly rooted in the blues.

If you need some no nonsense organic jazz on your turntable, it's hard to go wrong with this single.

The Lemonheads' first record in 10 years!
Covers album - Includes versions of Nick Cave, Yo La Tengo, The Bevis Frond, Eagles and more.

Extensive world tour over the 12 months, including Europe, USA and Asia. Banana scented scratch & sniff vinyl sleeve!

'The Lemonheads are no strangers to a cover, the grunge-pop heroes perfect the art.' NME

The Lemonheads follow up the critically acclaimed 'Varshons' from nearly ten years ago with another eclectic collection of covers.
Produced by director Matthew Cullen and mastered by Howie Weinberg (Beastie Boys, Nirvana, The Ramones), their tenth studio album brims with the slowly-matured vocal of Evan Dando as he lures a host of personal faves to his melodic lair. He really has become one of the great expressive singers of our time.
What they said about Varshons:

'Gram Parsons, Wire, and GG Allin: You'd be hard pressed to find three more disparate rock acts, yet on 'Varshons' they all sound like the Lemonheads - boppy, overcast alt-rock delivered at a fast clip and sung in a whiskey tenor.' Pitchfork

'Varshons 2' is a hokey jukebox filled with unique versions of Yo La Tengo, Nick Cave, The Bevis Frond, NRBQ, The Eagles, Paul Westerberg, The Jayhawks, Lucinda Williams and John Prine.
Like Hank Williams slumped in his car between gigs, strumming and hollering, reasoning and weeping, humming it on over, Evan and his Lemonheads make every tune their own.

Todd Osborn. For Many, The Name Conjures Up Myths, Tall Tales Told Within The World Of Electronic Music. Todd: Makes Hovercrafts, Repairs Motorcycles Out Of His Garage, Fixes Vintage Jukeboxes, Creates Handmade Components For Espresso Machines, Flies Fighter Jets, Is A Lego Expert, Owns A Record Label With His Son That Releases Music By Aphex Twin, Madlib And Underground Resistance, Has A Stunning Collection Of Rare Whiskeys. True All Of It, Of Course. Reviewing A Cv Of The Varied Styles And Sounds Of Todd Osborn Is Like A Museum-grade Survey Of Records From Electronic Music's Ultimate Outsider Artist. Yet, Todd Osborn Has Never Been Outside. From Releasing Jungle On Rephlex With Tadd Mullinix As Soundmurderer & Sk-1 To House And Jacking Club Music As Osborne On Ghostly International, To Bright, Chiptuned Boogie As Superstructure, Todd Osborn Has Done It All. From There We Haven't Yet Scratched The Surface. For Over 20 Years, Todd Osborn Has Been A Permanent Fixture In Music, Touring Internationally At Music Festivals, Warehouse Raves, Gabber Parties In Fields To Giving Lectures At Red Bull Music Academy And In Turn Hosting The Most Diverse Programme On Red Bull Radio. To Boot Todd Osborn Opened The Best Record Store In The Usa, In Ypsilanti, Mi. Portage Garage Sounds Is Thrilled, Humbled, To Present This Three Song Ep, Superdisc.

Bastard Jazz is proud to present the next installment of our long running Tempo Dreams compilation series. As with previous volumes of the compilation, we've tapped an established artist that we're big fans of to shine a light on their personal favorite producers, and compile an album up of all unreleased music from emerging & underrated young talent. And with Volume 5, we're happy to welcome in the Los Angeles based but globetrotting selection of Free The Robots.

Rooted in Santa Ana, CA, Chris Alfaro aka Free the Robots has spent over a decade taking his craft to audiences around the globe. Known as one of the pioneering artists to come out of LA's infamous beat movement, the energy and technical skill behind his live performances have landed him among the greats, sharing stages with Dj Shadow, Prefuse 73, Flying Lotus, to Afrika Bambaataa. Crafting stories to tell with his ever-evolving solo project Free the Robots, he has always had the ability to jump in and out of other worlds inspiring a unique signature sound that hints at jazz, psych, electronic, and hip hop, while remaining un-genre-fiable.

Staying almost permanently on the road, Chris has come across an array of artists and scenes around the world. Different tours and temporary living situations have landed him in the middle of both the DIY underground and more mainstream clubs and stages. Some artists he's connected with have either kept it proudly local or breached international borders. Underrated, unknown, or already on the brink; these are just a few of the people that have crossed paths with Free The Robots. He's chosen these songs as a representation of some of the vibes that inspire his music: Jazz, Psychedelia, Dirtwave, Beats, and a little bit of Future Funk make up Volume 5 of his Tempo Dreams series.

As with all previous volumes, the compiler has produced a track exclusively for the album, which Chris delivers in the bass heavy, South East Asian vibes of "Nasi Goreng" (also available on a limited edition 7" with another unreleased FTR track). Other producers included on the album include Mophono, Never Ending Echo, Kuromoji, RSI-MSK, The Breathing Effect, Cazal Organism, Lefto, Chubby Boss, Caliph8, TITLE, Nois IV, The Heavy Twelves, Mu. and Markey Funk.

The 8 track album features new collaborations with DJ Phil, Gantman, DJ Paypal, and Sirr Tmo, and a previously unreleased classic from 2013, co-written with DJ Rashad. WFM will be available in Vinyl and digital formats on September 7th 2018. Listening to WFM, the first thing that jumps out at you is Heavee's masterful use of synthesizers and sound design. You get the sense that these elements have been lovingly crafted during countless hours of sonic experimentation and invention in the studio. As Heavee explains, the primary focus on synths represents a departure from his usual creative process: 'Usually in my method of production, synths or sounds come somewhat close to last, likely after I find structure or rhythm. Basically, it's not something I particularly go for first, but this time around they became the building blocks'. Heavee has made a conscious decision to challenge himself, adopting a different approach to his past productions. In doing so, he moves away from the familiar sampling techniques which characterised his earlier work: 'I am a child of the last days of ghetto house culture as it shifted into juke/footwork. My parents, aunties, and uncles played house and ghetto house music at family functions, BBQs and house parties. That's my roots and where I came from. However, on this record, I chose to stray away from vocal samples, to give myself room to grow in different areas.' Heavee finds his voice in emphatic fashion on Cloud Ride feat. DJ Phil. His lyrical content and flow are on point as the track flips seamlessly from hip hop to footwork and back again. DJ Phil features on 3 tracks in total, a reflection of Heavee and Phil's close friendship and musical connection. As Heavee explains: 'Phil's studio is a safe space for me. Whether he is in the room or not, I don't feel weird about trying something that might be silly, taking it to the next level, or coming from a place of pure inspiration. Phil has historical, musical and cultural knowledge relevant to Chicago. He shares a lot of invaluable knowledge with me' WFM features It's Wack a classic collaboration with DJ Rashad that still sounds fresh today. Heavee remembers how Rashad would always stay connected, even during his relentless touring schedule: 'We'd get calls no matter where he was. We would talk about everything! He ALWAYS had new info; what new music was popping, scenes that were really accepting or supportive of what we were doing, blends that made the party go off, sites, adventures and just fuel us with support from him and give us living proof of the global support that was to come and the journey that was ahead of us.' Although Heavee makes music with the dancefloor firmly in mind, the sheer quality of his music transcends that space. So sit back and enjoy the next chapter in the Teklife story. All that remains is for Heavee to sign out with a message for the worldwide Teklife family: 'First, Thank you to everyone who supports what I do as an Individual, and Teklife Music as an entirety. You don't understand how much your support means to us, it literally keeps us moving. The takeover is far from over! Second, thank you to everyone involved in this project, I couldn't have made it without you. This process taught me so much about what it takes to become the person you want to be. It starts inside of you, and you have to really work for it, you can't wait and wonder. I feel beyond blessed to present this gift to the world, walking this journey of self -discovery through music with you!!!

In the summer of 2017 Australia's premiere swamp/grunge/punk/noise band The Scientists unexpectedly sprang back to life and started playing shows and making new music again. Kim Salmon is back with his Scientists - Boris Sujdovic, Tony Thewlis, and Leanne Cowie (the mid-80s line-up) -- and are delivering their first recording in 30 years. For this occasion Scientists have recorded Braindead, a reworking of song from their 1987 Human Jukebox album, and a brand new track called Survivalskills. If you love the band's original fuzz-filled swamprock you will not be disappointed. The band will be touring the US for the first time ever and plan to release a follow up to this single on In The Red later this year.

Planet Mu Are Very Happy To Be Releasing 'vicious Circles', The Debut Ep By Sinjin Hawke And Zora Jones, Who Aside From Producing Music Also Run The Audio-visual Production Unit 'fractal Fantasy'. Zora Released Several Collaborations On Last Year's 'visceral Minds 2' Including 'dark Matter' With Planet Mu's Jlin, While Sinjin Has Collaborated With Dj Rashad, Just Blaze And Mikeq, And Also Produced Music For Monoliths Like Kanye West And Frank Ocean. Remarkably, Given The Breadth Of Their Work, 'vicious Circles' Is Their First Collaborative Ep, And The First Time Either Have Released A Vinyl Record Too. The Ep Is A Great Showcase For The Duo's Emotional, Maximalist Chimeras Of Abstract Pounding Beats. From The Punchy, Circular, Grandiose Build-ups Of Opener 'vicious Circles', To The Unyielding Melancholy Of 'god' With Its Sinister Bulgarian Choir Sample Against A Peak Timbaland-era Rhythm, The Record's Potent Synths And Manipulated Vocals Are Both Simultaneously Fierce And Friendly. 'source Of Conflict' Is A Poised Dance Between Pulsing Ambient Textures And Drilling Beats, While 'lurk 101' Pits A Volley Of Abstracted Juke Toms Up Against A Hammering Drumline. 'babyboysosa' Feels Like Drum-less Drill, Manipulating Vocals Into Strange Alien Shapes Over A Bassline Before Spiraling Toms And Hi-hats Start To Form A Forceful March. The Ep Concludes On The Love Anthem 'and You Were One' With A Chipmunked Vocal Running Through Its Wonky Chorus Of Bent Notes And Chords.

Always Seen With A Smile On His Face, Inja The Poet, Lyricist, Storyteller And Unparalleled Master Of Ceremonies Presents His Debut Album On Hospital Records. His First Drum & Bass Focussed Long-player 'blank Pages' Flexes His Lyrical Style With Heartfelt Sentiment, Roughneck Flows And Quick-fire Wordsmith Wizardry. All Partnered With Heavyweight Productions From Pete Cannon, Nu:tone, Logistics, Serum, Whiney And Anile.
Inja's Back With Partner-in-crime Pete Cannon On 'war Games'. A Funky Bassline Lays The Foundations For This Fear-fighting Tale. As The Breaks Roll Out Inja's Militant And Deep Rhetoric Puts This Track On A New Level, With Signature Percussive Flair From The Sought After Hip-hop Beatmaker.
Inja's Spoken-word Piece For Amnesty International 'she Just Wanna Dance' Was A Viral Online Hit In 2017. It's Now Been Given A Turbo-charged Re-work By Med School Young-gun Whiney. Inja's Poignant Commentary On The Prolific Problem Of Harassment In Club Culture Sits Atop A Grimey Half-time Stepper That Switches Up Into A Lethal Upfront Roller.
Inja Proves He Can 'juk' Any Riddim In 'samurai'. Serum's Steppy Beat And Woofing Bassline Balances Inja's Story Of The Samurai, Slicing Through The Tune Like The Lyrical Sensei He Is.
even With A White Page And Black Ink, You Can Spell Out More Colour Than The Eye Can See.' - Inja

Iberian Juke Is Extremely Proud To Present 'take Me Back To The South', Sophomore Album By Label Founders Bsn Posse And Our First Ever 12" Vinyl Release. After Their Debut Lp 'forever' For British Label Slime Recordings 2015, The Duo From Málaga Has Been On Quite A Strong Form With A Handful Of Powerful Releases Including Several Eps For Iberian Juke, Modern Ruin Records, Below Music And Breaking Bass, The B-sides, Bootlegs And Remixes Project 'summer Madness Series', And Incursions For Label Imprints Sequel One Records, Hyperboloid Records Or Vandal Records.

With This Album Bsn Posse Want To Reflect Their Love, Respect And Passion For The Footwork Culture In General And For The City Of Chicago In Particular, With Its Guetto Suburbs Being The Origin And Starting Point Of The Juke And Footwork Movement. 'take Me Back To The South' Combines Masterfully In Eight Tracks Elements Of Jungle, Drum & Bass, Soul And Funk With The Classic Juke And Footwork Take At 160bpms.

The Lp Is A Sincere 'thank You' From The Duo To All The Humble Artists That Work Extremely Hard To Put Footwork Into The International Electronic Music Scene. Thanks To This Culture We Have Travelled To Incredible Places And Meet New People With The Only Aim Of Sharing Our Passion For The 160bpms.

Lil Jabba is a creator, possessing immense skills and artistry clearly demonstrated in both his visual and audio work. His profession in the latter has been acclaimed since his early releases, where he successfully delved into the realms of juke and footwork, producing tunes that took the genres to a new level. Since then, the producer has gone on to develop a sound distinct to himself, touching on ways in which he can blend his vast sound palette as seen in his recent projects released via Local Action.

For his first release on GETME!, Lil Jabba provides a five track mini LP that keeps us on our toes, unaware of what to expect next. It takes its listeners into positively weird places, combining aspects from dub, jungle and UK garage to produce sounds unrecognisable to any genre, yet well-fitting. Additionally, he presents us with tracks that are mentally stimulating in their dynamic and intense breaks, also offering songs which exhibit ambiguous dimensions.

Following on from their 'Ususmood' EP in February, Finnish duo Shuffless return to Paris based record store and distribution company Synchrophone this May to deliver the enigmatic 'Puoliaskel'.

Taking inspiration from music, nature and the elements that surround them, Jukka Hänninen and Mika Hanka aka Shuffless have quickly garnered the attention of many within house and techno since making their production debut in 2016. Written at the Vislampi Studio, located in Ruutana City, Finland, using a combination of hardware gear from the likes of Roland, Korg and Arturia, here we see the duo reveal their latest work with four diverse and expansive cuts set for release this Spring as they return to Syncrophone's in-house imprint. Opening up the EP, Hänninen and Hanka fluently introduce 'Chi', a complex and evolving cut that effortlessly fuses deep, rich chords, and delicate, skipping hi-hats, before easing into the flowing groove of 'Lahti' with its jazz-tinged melodies and heady tones guiding the production into lighter territories.

On the flip, 'Nime Ñvailla' introduces a matrix of hazy textures amongst crunchy percussion licks and dubbed out atmospherics as the duo return to deeper, darker realms, before title cut 'Puollaskel' punctuates the package in classy fashion, laying down gritty analog percussion, resounding kicks and subtly programmed nuances to conclude an excellently worked EP.

Swingrowers are known for their mixture of JAZZ, SWING, POP and ELECTRO, they have extensively toured Europe and North America, opening sell-out shows for Parov Stelar, Chinese Man & Caravan Palace. On top of delivering official remixes for Caro Emerald and Swing Republic, Swingrowers also boast musical collaborations with The Lost Fingers, Gypsy Hill, DJ Pony Montana and have had their own songs remixed by Bart&Baker and Jamie Berry.

Following on from their debut album 'Pronounced Swing Grow'ers' in 2012, Swingrowers have released their second album 'REMOTE' in early 2015, followed now by 'OUTSIDEIN', the band's third full-length studio album. This new release shows their expert musicianship and most meticulous production to date, mixing genres from jazz to electronica, from gypsy-swing to full-on rock'n'roll with a melodic pop sensibility.

Med School's most innovative release series returns. Responsible for delivering the drum & bass scene early stories of Etherwood, Royalston, Stray and Whiney, 'New Blood' is definitive of Med School's ethos when it comes to discovering and nurturing quality talent. With artists constantly redrawing the boundaries of 170BPM, this '018' edition breaks the mould showcasing the weird and wonderful sounds from the genre's most promising new talent.

Interdimensional waveman Lakeway has mustered up a jukey-jungle hybrid in the form of 'Lock Off'. Panpipe synths and some big beat steps combine to make the ultimate banger. Keeping things correct is Bristolian serpent Constrict. Choppy snares and flirty 8-bit synth stabs slither together to create 'Tight Coil'. Both choice cuts for any DJ looking for that D&B curveball.

This internationally spread line-up also features some of Russia's best D&B exports. A.Fruit's 'Tender Love' is a delectable fusion of footwork and techno rolled into one and Soela's 'I Wish You Would Come' is an ambient spaced out down tempo number.

A myriad of styles from across the globe are the key ingredients for the 'New Blood 018' LP. Med School has once again proven its A&R prowess, signalling to the world there is no better home for fresh talent.

A generation younger than the founders of the Teklife crew, DJ Rashad and DJ Spinn, DJ Taye was originally a rapper and beat maker before hooking up with the collective and jumping into the world of footwork production and DJing.
However, it was Rashad's untimely passing in 2014 that was the unlikely catalyst for developing the sounds and ideas for this album. He says, "When Rashad passed away I felt inspired to continue evolving the music that I loved so much coming up in this world. So, I had to do something...make something brand new."

100% committed to pushing further the potential of the footwork template, Still Trippin' is ambitious in its range and scope. Taking two years to formulate, the record broadens the possibilities of the sound, forcing it to adapt to songwriting, and also revives Taye's talent for MCing and producing beats to which he can rap and sing. Furthermore Taye definitely ups the ante with his complex and precise drum programming, never losing sight of footwork's ability to confound. The album features a range of guests that span contemporary music, the eccentric, instructive rapping of Chuck Inglish of Detroit duo the Cool Kids is featured on 'Get It Jukin', Odile Myrtil, a young vocalist from Montreal, lends her smokey soul to 'Same Sound', Fabi Reyna, the editor of the celebrated women's guitar magazine She Shreds, sings and plays bass and rhythm guitar on 'I Don't Know' and Jersey club queen UNIIQU3 offers production and rapping on 'Gimme Some Mo'.Also, Teklife members DJ PayPal and DJ Manny assist on production, and DJ Lucky is a guest MC on 'Smokeout'. Taye is ambitious in his hopes for the album, "I took this as an opportunity to not have boundaries with footwork. Different approaches to our 'underground' sound to make it broader. It's only underground until it crosses that visible threshold.' This album brings all of this to the forefront.

* Back with the heat, Chicago native DJ Jana Rush kicks off Objects Limited's 2017 with her debut album 'Pariah'. Jana Rush received attention for her mind-bending drum acrobatics on last year's 'MPC 7635' EP also released by Objects Ltd. Jana started djing aged just 13, releasing her first record on Dance Mania back in 1996 but having a hiatus from music between 2000 to 2013. With 'Pariah' she has created an album rooted in Chicago's footwork sound, but with a myriad of influences, such as jungle, acid, soul, jazz and house, developing her sound on from 'MPC 7635'. By popular demand from a kickstarter, now on vinyl!


* We kick off with 'Midline Shift' whose breathy, clipped erotic vocals intertwine with a pulsing bass and dry 808 rims creating a shimmering robotic effect. Moving on, the frantic 'Beat Maze' confuses the mind with white noise rushes and interlocking snares. Changing the scene, 'Divine' is sweetly soporific and charming, a beautiful, almost eerie track. The pace picks right back up with ' ', whose warbling jazz clarinets cut into a juke bounce. The stripped back beats of 'Break It' give one room to breathe before the croaking bass and distorted acid of 'No Fuks Given'. 'Old Skool' is exactly what you'd expect, its sample syncopated around a feverish rhythm throughout. Both 'Rapid Fire' and 'Acid Tech 2' are bangers, hitting you deep in that sweet spot. Jana brings it back down with 'CPU''s computer noises and sub bass hits. 'Chill Mode' gives time for reflection after all that fire, but its no ambient track, theres still that Chi-Town vibe. We finish with 'Frenetic Snare' whose Amen breaks will have Brits thinking of jungle, but it's a different beast altogether.

A leading figure and respected elder in the Teklife family, Traxman has waited patientlywhile releases from young upstarts like Taso and Dj Earl have been enjoyed by footwork lovers all over the world. Now the time has come for Traxman to take centre stage, presenting a collection of new material that demonstrates his mastery of the footwork sound. Tekvision arrives hot on the heels of Teklife 005: Greenlight by DJ Manny, bringing an interesting contrast of production methods and styles. A prodigious crate digger, Traxman has provided the sample sources for many of Footwork's classic tracks over the years. So while DJ Manny recorded the majority of the vocals on Greenlight himself, Traxman uses his expert sample flipping techniques to add the human element to his productions. Traxman is a mainstay of the Chicago underground, with a discography stretching back to the golden era of Dance Mania Records in the 1990s. Ghetto House was an important precursor to Footwork, and Traxman was a key figure during this transition.

Echoes of the Ghetto House sound resonate through Tekvision, with tracks like Drop It Down and Twist The Party Out paying homage to the origins of Juke and Footwork music. Be Gagen feat DJ Earl is a beautiful opening track, with a soulful, melancholic synth unfolding patiently over a half-speed beat. When the bass kicks in after 1 minute 10 seconds it has a profoundly uplifting effect, and the late arriving vocal rounds off the composition perfectly.

Many of the tracks demonstrate brilliant and playful manipulation of vocal snippets, with Let Me Get Up and Control Ya Bitchezzz among the finest examples of this art. Finally,Tone Deaf and Whop Line show yet another side to Traxman's sound with an intoxicating and angular mix of bass and bleeps.

* Includes a DIN A2long poster inside the 12" sleeve with edition number and music download code

* Rogue Style 1 EP is an international homage to b-boy culture, where the worlds of breakbeat music and breakdance collide. Sinistarr (USA), Kiat (Singapore), Kabuki (Germany) and HomeSick (Canada) are connected in many ways, now they lay bare their hip-hop roots and give something back with a fresh take through the eyes of drum & bass and juke/footwork. Here is what they have to say:

Sinistarr: "As a teenager I grew up as a b-boy, dancing anywhere I could: schools, parks, festivals, you name it, my crew was there with cardboard and a speaker. I eventually got deeper into DJing and making music and learned to bring a sound that's not just for the crowds and the purists, but also for all the dancers!"

Kiat: "Hip Hop has taught me to keep evolving, to explore new forms in all my art. Progression is the key to evolution. -- I met Sinistarr online thru myspace and we had a musical connection which led to our first collaboration 'Black Diamonds' which is still one of my personal favourite tunes I've been fortunate to be part of it's creation. With Kabuki, i've always been a fan of his work since his 'Makai' alias on No U-Turn, despite meeting him only recently thru the label.I've always known him to be constantly progressing his ideas in his music which I respect alot."

Kabuki: "B-boy culture has always been a strong influence on how I pursued my art, mainly because of its DIY ethos and attitude of perfecting your craft. Incidentally these were also the aspects that drew me to Jungle when I first discovered it in the nineties. -- I'm happy to rub shoulders with Kiat, Sinistarr and HomeSick on this release, as I'm a fan of their music foremost, but also because we became friends through the music."

HomeSick: "I was only a child in the 90s and as a result I feel like my understanding of b-boy culture was experienced second hand thanks to 90s/early 2000s hip hop music. I appreciate the parallels I can see with footwork culture, particularly the similarities to the community mentality of break dancing. -- I know Sinistarr through booking him for our local party night in Alberta, Canada called Percolate. Our city must have left an impression on him because a year later he made the move here from Detroit. Had the pleasure of hosting him as a room mate for a little over half a year, the home was a very potent creative space during this time. Kabuki hit me up a few years ago and we very quickly got to sharing tracks and collaborating together. Mans a master of production and a super important part of the global scene."

The idea for a reminiscence of b-boy culture stem from label owner Booga:

"Why am I interested in this so much I grew up in East Germany and as the movie "Beat Street" premiered in 1985 over here I was age 13 and blown away by the energy, the music, the wit, the style - everything in this movie was better than everyday life in Leipzig. So I started saving for a cassette recorder and taped music shows from West German radio and prepared tapes for school disco gigs to the hope somebody would do the "robot" to Arthur Baker "Breaker's Revenge". Unfortunately that never worked out hahaha. But I was hooked since then and as the wall came down in 1989 I travelled to West Berlin just to buy the Beats, Breaks and Scratches 1-4 vinyl box by Simon Harris. The fascination for breakbeats never stopped and before I discovered Jungle around '94 I was down with the British cut up house thing from the likes of Marrs, Krush and Coldcut as another form of breakbeat music. The "do it yourself" spirit from hip hop culture inspired me to start a local website called breaks.org in 2000 to locally promote the drum and bass scene with emerging producers, djs and mcs for a wider audience and I threw in some interviews with Storm, Kabuki, Rob Playford, Klute and John B. That turnt into a multi author blog called itsyours.info in 2004 which still exists - that is where I had the pleasure to introduce Kiat and Ash in 2007. All these years I was listening and playing drum and bass tunes when the occasional "bboy tune" came up, some were obvious like Alex Reece "B-Boy Flavour", Lemon D "B Boyz", Commix "Change" and some were not so much self-explanatory like Digital & Spirits "Phantom Force" and the remixes by T-Power & Codeine or Fracture's Astrophonica Edit - but I felt the hidden force of breakdancing nevertheless. With the Rogue Style series I have the first class opportunity to ask established and new Defrostatica artists to present a current interpretation of b-boy culture. This is a dream coming true."

Fresh off the back of his debut as Cucumb45, Bjarki presents another outstanding release. 'Slysó EP5 Cyclops í poka' is a 5-track, vinyl only EP on bbbbbb records, the label he runs alongside Johnny Chrome Silver.
Whilst the recent 'Something Weirdcore' challenged our understanding of genre, the latest release takes things further, playing with our perception of acousticspace.
Immersive textures are introduced without warning, just as quickly as they are withdrawn, never to be heard again. From the nostalgic harmonies of 'Cyxlobblobs5' to the unnerving glitches of the title track, high velocity drums of 'Aqua Elba' and mangled juke patterns of 'CATpitchd5', the EP darts its way through a range of new territories without hesitation.
Never one to conform, Cucumb45 rejects familiar structures, rapidly jumping between ideas whilst manipulating the physical properties of his sound.

Cosmic Club 17's in the house, and for this one Skylax have delved deep into the mystic universe of the ultra prolific photonz with a four track EP quite simply out of this dimension ! Photonz is the artist name of Marco Rodrigues, a London-based DJ and producer who's been championing the new sound of Portuguese house and techno worldwide since the early 2000s. He has done tracks for various labels such as crème organization, unknown to the unknown, hot haus, the "cult" dissident and many more. His first cut "memories of burma" that gave the title to the ep is an infinite groove that builds and builds with arabic synths, a perfect crossover between balearic & old school jackin house. "Baronrevxp" & "agape" moves into the same territories with some sharp clap, hi hats and some big retro vintage sounds. While "stealth predator" catches him at his most experimental, upping the tempo and unleashing an ambitious techno juke roller, think about drexcya, 1990s techno, Plink Plonk and you're not even close ! Photonz music sounds extremely big for the big rooms, and still very large indeed for the smaller ones.His music is praised by The Chemical Brothers, Jackmaster, Optimo, Ivan Smagghe, Daniel Avery, James Holden, Ewan Pearson, Auntie Flo, Tim Sweeney, just to name a few. 'Memories of Burma' EP is not just a cosmic experience, but a voyage into the realms of a producer in a world of his own. Must have. Essential item. SKYLAX RECORDS 4 EVER !

The 5th Myor Massiv release also marks FFF's 3rd outing for the label. No split this time, but a full 4 track solo ep by the Dutch Amen manipulator extraordinaire. No time for funny business on this one. FFF takes you straight into moody sci-fi territory and heavy yet intricate choppage on 'It Began In Man's Mind', followed by 'We Sleep', on which he takes a slightly less throat-cut approach, slowly building things up to a dark hoover climax. 'Would D Think It's Smooth Enough' displays a beautiful mish mash of slick sounding synth stabs, 808 Juke drums and break beats. Dedicated to Dyanko. The ep is finished off in style with 'Murder Comet', which kicks off with a loud and clear clash message to all soundboys out there, followed by a spot of smoothness, only to take a turn for the worse again after about a minute or so, before all mayhem is finally unleashed via a set of mentasm stabs halfway through the tune. No prisoners, no mercy..

The enigmatic Amara Touré from Guinée Conakry finally getting a well deserved compilation showcasing all of the 10 songs ever released between 1973 and 1980. Cuban influenced music of a different kind featuring amazing spaced-out guitar works!! Analog Africa compiles a complete collection of Amara Touré's Afro-Cuban compositions, originally released between 1973 and 1980."Lamento Cubana and Temedy are the two finest Afro-Cuban compositions ever recorded. As if they were played in a smokey, poorly lit ballroom where dark rum was sipped ever so slowly" - Vikram Sohonie - Ostinato Records
Analog Africa to release a compilation by Amara Toure, the enigmatic Afro-Cuban musician from Guinea-Conakry, showcasing all of the 10 songs he ever released between 1973 and 1980.
"Latin music, is it really foreign to us Africans I don't think so. Listen to the drums, to the rhythm. It all seems very close to us - it feels like it's our own culture," declared enigmatic singer Amara Toure. It is the late 50s, and Senegal is going crazy to the groove of Son Montuno and Patchanga. Brought to West Africa by Cuban sailors in the early 40s, these styles were immediately adopted by a flourishing music scene that did not hesitate to embrace the Caribbean sound, mixed it with their own Folklore, and, in the process, created something new. Through the unique cultural fusion of West African and Caribbean influences, Latin music took on a new and unique sound - the format was reinvented. Producer Ibra Kasseì and his Miami nightclub acted as the spearheads of this movement. They brought a breath of fresh air into Dakar's nightlife, further energising one of West Africa's most exciting cities. The demand for ballroom parties and live acts exploded, attracting numerous musicians from surrounding countries. One of the musicians who answered this call was percussionist and singer Amara Toureì, from Guinea-Conakry. Spotted by Kasseì while performing with Dexter Johnson, Toureì was asked if he would like to be part of a new project. Little did he know that this project would become a phenomenon.Immensely important for the development of Senegalese modern music, Le Star Band de Dakar, led by Mady Konate, became a sort of musical incubator and workshop, where many musicians learned and practiced their trade before moving on to become stars in their own right. Toureì's talent on percussion was undeniable, but it was his powerful and raw voice that captivated the producer. The fascinating way Toure interpreted Cuban music was unparalleled, and it was this feature that encouraged Kasse to recruit the unknown artist.
Although already brimming with incredible talent, Amara Toure's joining of Le Star Band de Dakar in 1958 began the band's meteoric rise to the top. The band quickly became Dakar's number one orchestra, and it cemented the reputation of the Miami nightclub as the hottest spot in the country. The place was packed nightly, and Dakar was boiling.
Amara Toure's Senegalese adventure lasted for ten years when he received an irrefutable offer and in 1968, joined by a few talented Senegalese musicians, headed to Cameroon and immediately formed the Black and White ensemble. Many live gigs later and it was time for the first songs to be recorded. A total of three singles were produced between 1973 and 1976. These singles, representing the first six songs on this compilation, fully epitomise and distill the essence of what Toureì had learned during his career. His Mandingue roots fused with the Senegalese sound that he had mastered - the perfect foundation for the Toureì's Cuban interpretations.
If Toure's intention was to create the most sensual music ever recorded in Africa, he might very well have reached this goal. The musicians on the recording sound like they are playing in a smokey, poorly lit juke joint, where dark rum was sipped ever so slowly, and the pulse of the music took up a life of its own. How many couples have danced, swayed, and melted together to the distinct sound of Amara Toure Nobody can say for sure ...
Amara Toureì's success poured across the borders of Cameroon, and in 1980 he went to Libreville, Gabon, to team up with the powerful Orchestre Massako. Toureì recorded an LP at that time which is hailed by many music aficionados as one of the very best African albums. The songs from that LP are the last four on this compilation. It took only ten songs for Amara Toureì to become a legend. These ten treasures, representing Toure ìs complete discography, have been carefully re-mastered from original session tapes and vinyl records, and will be released by Analog Africa on 22 June 2015. After the release of his LP in 1980, Toureì seems to have disappeared. Apparently he was last seen in Cameroon but it is unknown if he is still alive today. His music though is definitely alive.

On the mean streets of Chicago's infamous Southside, a music pioneer was born... DJ Slugo, born Thomas Kendricks, is most famous for his influential and fundamental position as the original King of Ghetto House. With 20+ years in the game, over 20 albums in his pocket and over 50 CDs on the street, began a journey that lead him to become one of the original creators of a style of music commonly known as Ghetto House, more recently regarded as Juke.

For it's eighth release Apartment delivers it's first long player, by mysterious producer, VernoN (Dixon Avenue Basement Jams / Night Gallery). Little is known of this artist - what we do know is that his formative years were spent in Belgium, immersing himself in the emerging New Beat and EBM sounds emanating from the country's dance clubs. For his release on Apartment he has created 6 tracks that reflect these early influences, whilst also taking in other techno, house and electro influences. Pounding drums, rasping hi-hats, rave stabs, twisting acid lines and grinding synths all come together under the unique tutelage of this most skilled of producers, all the while watched by the experts...