quête:ken

Repress

I lean upon this,
I lean on all of this
and I know
her dress upon my arm
but
they will not
give her back to me.
Early support: Truss, Tommy Four Seven, Truncate, Marcel Dettmann, Psyk, AnD, Pfirter, Eomac, Perc, Rebekah, Svreca, Paula Temple, Dax J, Joseph Capriati, Joachim Spieth, Henning Baer, Lag, Takaaki Itoh, Go Hiyama, D. Carbone, Par Grindvik, Max M, Wire, Paul Mac, Kriz, Octave, Drvg Cvltvre, Dimi Angelis, Joe Farr, Ryuji Takeuchi, Slam, Rivet, Gary Beck, Nuno dos Santos, Manni Dee, Luis Ruiz, Mark Morris, Mattias Woot, Mike Darkfloor, Erphun, Radial, Exium, P.E.A.R.L., Mr. Jones, Joseph Mcgeechan, Joton, UVB, Juho Kusti, Aiken, Operator, Jeff Rushin, Martyn Hare, Inigo Kennedy, Sebastian Kokow, Roberto, Shards, L.A.W, Ricardo Garduno, Space DJz, Operator, Blank Code, Patrick DSP...

Forest Green Vinyl

Seafood Sam is a futuristic artifact. If that description might sound confusing at first, it matches the eclectic dualities found in true originals. With his effortless cool and timeless style, the North Long Beach native defies convention and exact comparison. He's a virtuosic rapper, a stop-you-in-your tracks singer, and a symphonic producer. Welcome to the lavish life of a laid-back transcontinental man of mystery, rolling in old school Cadillacs, eating caviar with a blade in his pocket, and making plays in vintage Pelle Pelle gear. A blaxploitation icon for the Instagram age, blessed with the bars of a `90s legend and 23rd century swagger. Seafood Sam is a true hero of modernity. On his full-length album debut for up-and-coming label drink sum wtr (Kari Faux, Deem Spencer, Aja Monet) debut, Standing on Giant Shoulders, Sam splits the difference between Snoop Dogg and D' Angelo, Curren$y and David Ruffin. The songs reveal a forward-thinking sensibility rooted in ancestral soul. He creates spiritual hymns for the streets that tap into universal ideals and irrepressible groove. In an era plagued by short-term thinking, his ambitions reveal a crate-digging depth of music history and a meticulous ear for detail. The giant shoulders in the album's title refer to James Brown, Bobby Brown, and Miles Davis - the holy trinity who inspired Sam's process. From the Godfather of Soul, Sam took a perfectionist's rigor and focus. The example of Bobby Brown lent an unshakeable confidence and self-belief. While the constant artistic left turns of the trumpeter that birthed Ccool offered an aspirational archetype. The story starts in the glory days of Long Beach hip-hop. As a young child, the G-Funk era soundtracked rides in Sam's father's car. Some of his earliest memories are trying to memorize Snoop's verse on "Nuthin' But a "G" Thang." Beyond gangsta rap, the LBC has historically doubled as a capital of lowrider soul and carwash oldies. At any intersection, you could hear Dogg Food or Brenton Wood, Warren G or Barbara Lynn. This too was absorbed via osmosis. It also just so happened that the art of performance was always in Sam's blood. So at family functions, he and his sister supplied entertainment by singing karaoke renditions of The Isley Brothers. While his Harlem Shake remains a thing of local lore. Long Beach is a culturally diverse mecca of skate parks and gang life, street fashion and tricky dance moves. This is the place that raised Sam on a diet of Wu-Tang and Nelly Furtado, Lil Bow Wow and Allen Iverson. He was the middle ground between his two older brothers: one who gangbanged, the other who graduated with a master's degree from UC-Santa Barbara. But it wasn't until the end of high school that Sam started to take rap seriously. Alongside long-time collaborators like Huey Briss and Reaper Mook, Sam's name began to make waves on the northside of the city, but he was partially distracted by a modeling career that paid the bills and took him all to way to walk in Paris' fashion week. The first turning point arrived with 2018's "Ramsey," a self-produced, slick-talk anthem with over 10,000,000 streams across all platforms. With each subsequent release, Sam showcased his peerless consistency, building buzz both online and in the city streets. Spin hailed his "smooth and unhurried cadences and understated lyricism_ that sounds like nothing else in Long Beach." Clash raved about Sam's "evolution as an artist, cruising through nostalgic production with slick, witty rhymes." The culmination arrives with Standing on Giant Shoulders. It's the evidence of a master, a young sensei in the model of Quincy Jones. All rhymes, singing, production, and arrangements were handled by Sam - with an assist from his close Long Beach kinsman Tom Kendall from the group Soular System. It's hard-edged and lyrical enough for disciples of Larry June and Roc Marciano, but orchestral and melodic enough for fans of Anderson .Paak and H.E.R.

Repress!

DEE DEE SHARP was born Dionne LaRue in Philadelphia in 1945 and broke the Billboard Hot 100 while still a teenager with Slow Twistin'' (performed with Chubby Checker) in 1963. Follow-up hits included Mashed Potato Time' and Ride' which both earned her Gold discs. In 1967 she married Philadelphia producer Kenny Gamble who signed her to his fledgling Gamble label, co-owned by his writer/producer partner Leon Huff.
Ms. Gamble (nee Sharp) is no stranger to the UK Northern and Rare Soul scene having enjoyed over 40 years of DJ action with Comin' Home Baby', Deep Dark Secret', Standing In The Need Of Love' and in more recent times with The Bottle Or Me' and Happy 'Bout The Whole Thing'. She was also a featured vocalist on the Philadelphia International All Stars hit Let's Clean Up The Ghetto' alongside Lou Rawls, Billy Paul, Teddy Pendergrass, The O'Jays and Archie Bell. BUT, without doubt, it is her 1968 recording What Kind Of Lady' that continues to pack dance floors across the country. First played at the legendary Golden Torch in Stoke-on-Trent, almost as a new release at the time, heralding the seventies and Northern Soul's golden years. The song was penned and produced by Gamble and Huff and released in September '68 while the duo were still hot from their million-selling Cowboys To Girls' by the Intruders, released in March of the same year. What Kind Of Lady' has remained a firm club favourite and is reissued here, for the first time, coupled with the aforementioned The Bottle Or Me'.

This new opus marks a major comeback for Samuel Sanders, who made a name for himself in the 2000s with his first productions alongside Max Walder on Ghoststyle, whose track "Cyclone" was covered by big names such as Ken Iishi, Marco Bailey, Frank Biazzi, Technasia, Marco Carola ... but also on the Invasion label with "Dependance" (N.E.W.S label) and among others on the Kevlar "Illusion" label, where this EP received great support from Dave Clarke, Carl Cox, Chris Liebing ... He also produced alongside Manu Kenton on the Kentek, Frenchtek and Fanatix labels. With N.O.B.A, he returned to production, choosing Vibes Addikt for his comeback.

The A-side "Do You Like ... 2024" is a remake of a track he and N.O.B.A created in 2008 on Reaktion, in a much more Hard Techno version with a spirit all its own.
Side B is dedicated to Samuel Sanders himself and presents his new productions:
B1 "Desolation" a hypnotic spirit with a touch of Acid on the cover for lovers of this spirit
The B2 "Don't Be Afraid" is close to Hard Techno with a more clubby style for fans of this style.

Standard version on 2LP black vinyl in gatefold sleeve. ‘Lefto presents Jazz Cats' is back with volume 3 and still doing what it does best: putting you in the front row of what the thriving Belgian jazz scene currently has to offer and revealing a melting pot of the musical talent.



'Lefto presents Jazz Cats' is back with volume 3 and still doing what it does best: putting you in the front row of what the thriving Belgian jazz scene currently has to offer and revealing a melting pot of the musical talent coming out one of the smallest countries in Europe. Never change a winning team they say, so we're happy to have Belgian DJ and eclectic connoisseur Lefto on board again.

Although you expect thecompilation to be talking jazz, volume 3 explores a broader array of styles, genres, and sounds than ever before, arriving at a point where the 'young cats' of today don't bother no more. It may focus on the Belgian scene, but let's face it, seeing the influences, this one could be compiled from all over the world. From the empowering and bittersweet voices of Oriana Ikomo and Adja, over the more acoustic-electronic productions of Moodprint, Ciao Kennedy, Kassius and echofarmer. It's even expanding the Jazz Cats universe to dub and bass-heavy tracks with Kin Gajo and Le Ministère, Ethio-jazz from Azmari, while sending you back to earth with bodies' swirling sax and drums. That saxophone still rings in your ears when you end up in the orbit of the march-like drums of Bodem, Orson Claeys' piano testing your ability to follow him, slamming the breaks to go smooth cruisin' with HONEY (Morricone meets Khruangbin, anyone?), to crashing in a raging tempo on that last track of Bruno x Soet x Moene. And there you are, back with us.



2018's 'Lefto presents Jazz Cats' included tracks from some of Belgium's biggest hitters, including Black Flower, STUFF. De Beren Gieren and Glass Museum who have all gone on to receive global acclaim. The album was given the accolade of 'Album of the Week' on Worldwide FM and also received further radio support from Jazz FM in addition to numerous glowing reviews. The 2022 follow-up 'Jazz Cats volume 2' paved the way for a new generation inspired by its peers, entering another era of very talented individuals and collectives. Maybe even more so than 4 years before. It uncovered a beautiful balance of more established but also obscure musicians and artists. Opening up to electronics and dance, enter bands like ECHT!, Stellar Legions and TUKAN. Thrilling innovative soundscape grooves and jazz fusion with Bandler Ching and L?p?GangGang, not to forget about the weaving musical odyssey that is M.CHUZI. In addition, there's the balanced unease of One Frame Movement, the laidback 'acoustic electronica' of Boombox Experiments, the classic funky jazz stylings of Cargo Mas and cinematic The Brums, all of these have set volume 2 on the map as an essential release for any jazzhead with a passion for new sounds.

Tastemaker, selector, curator, DJ and producer, these words often get mentioned when Lefto's name pops up in discussions. And rightly so. If you've ever had the pleasure to listen to one of his incredible Boiler Room sets or one of his many radio shows, you'll know why. Famed for his gloriously eclectic taste on the decks, he switches effortlessly between hip hop, funk, breaks, neck-snapping beats, future bass, South-American influences, bruk riddims, some wild African rhythms and of course, jazz.

Growing up as a child, his father would have the sounds of jazz flowing through the speakers. Which led him to bars around town to hear the latest jazz ensembles. Falling in love with the genre, he would later refine his knack for record digging and fine ear for music working at Belgium's legendary Music Mania record store in his hometown Brussels. Which makes that Lefto is consistently a couple steps ahead. He doesn't wait for the next thing to land in his lap, but actively seeking it out.

Lefto on Jazz Cats volume 3:
"Another release in less than two years! I am very impressed by the amount of creative "jazz" talent we've managed to compile over the last couple of years. Thanks to the internet, young musicians find inspiration from around the globe and incorporate diverse influences into their work. Given the history and heritage of jazz in this country, it has managed to create a healthy jazz scene supported by festivals, venues, press, and labels. Therefore, I am very proud to present to you the thirdinstallment of Jazz Cats. This compilation is dedicated to the young and hardworking musicians who are the present and the future of Belgium's jazz scene."

The debut album by the italian singer-songwriter influenced by soul, jazz, funk and hip hop.

Love Letters is the debut album of urban singer-songwriter Raffaella Zago. The first album of the Paduan-born, Milan-based artist contains ten tracks influenced by soul, jazz, funk and hip hop that deal repeatedly with the theme of love. In 2023, Raffaella Zago quickly attracted attention with her first official song, a nu-soul reinterpretation of "Money Trees", a song by the most praised rapper of the last decade, Kendrick Lamar, for which she composed a new melody. The other pieces of "Love Letters", in which she addresses people who have been or are part of her life, reaffirm her vocal, writing and composing skills.

repressed !

Regular Offcial Authorised Vinyl Version, Original Soundtrack, 350g Sleeve, Black Inner, Sticker, 12 140g Vinyl - The first ever OFFICIAL vinyl release of the soundtrack for Mamoru Oshii's legendary science fiction anime film GHOST IN THE SHELL (1995). - LP cut from the original master reels at Emil Berliner Studios, official Ghost in the Shell artwork

We Release Whatever The Fuck We Want Records is thrilled and honored to announce the first ever official vinyl pressing of the soundtrack for Mamoru Oshii's critically acclaimed and all around legendary science fiction anime film GHOST IN THE SHELL (1995), adapted from Masamune Shirow's groundbreaking manga series of the same name. Cut from the original master reels at Emil Berliner Studios (formerly the in-house recording department of renowned classical record label Deutsche Grammophon), the album comes as a LP accompanied by a bonus one-sided 7 housed in official Ghost in the Shell artwork sleeve with silver gilt printing and a Japanese obi, and contains extensive 24-page liner notes. The haunting score is composed by Kenji Kawai, one of Japan's most celebrated soundtrack composers, alongside Joe Hisaishi and Ryichi Sakamoto, whose work includes Hideo Nakata's Ring (1998) and Ring 2 (1999), Death Note (2006), Hong Kong films Seven Swords by Tsui Hark (2005) and Ip Man by Wilson Yip (2008), and countless others. Kawai's compositions see ancient harmonies and percussions uncannily mesh with synthesized sounds of the modern world to convey a sumptuous balance between folklore tradition and futuristic outlook. For its iconic main theme 'Making of Cyborg", Kawai had a choir chant a wedding song in ancient Japanese following Bulgarian folk harmonies, setting the standard for a time

Charlie Ingui a veteran blued eyed soul singer who formed the band The Soul Survivors In the 60's is back with a brand new single.

'Wake Up Old World' is a song about making the world a better place.

Charlie explains 'This has always been a theme in our songs inspired very much by our collaboration with Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff of Philadelphia International Records whose songs like "Love Train" and "Love Is The Message" had a positive and spiritually uplifting message.'

In 1967, Charlie Ingui formed the band The Soul Survivors. They scored a #2 record with Gamble and Huff' first major hit with the song "Express Way To Your Heart.' They were a bunch of hoods from The Lower East Side of New York.

They were part of the same scene in NY with The Rascals, Joey Dee and the Starlighters, The Soul Survivors, The Vanilla Fudge, and many other Blue Eyed Soul Bands that paved the way for folks like Hall and Oates.

Originally they were a trio and had a third singer, Kenny Jeramiah, who went on to have success in Atlantic City.

They went on to have several other great records. The first was in 1969 with Muscle Shoals producer. Rick Hall. The Swampers with Duane Allman played on that one. In 1974, Gamble and Huff got a custom CBS label – Philadelphia International Music and signed the Soul Survivors once again. They made a fantastic record with their amazing band, Charlie and Richie Ingui, John "Beedo"Dzubak The amazing Fred Beckmeier on bass. He was a major influence

Wake Up Old World is going to be the first side of a limited edition 7" vinyl to come on LRK Records.

Went straight in at num one in the UK soul breakers

Spun on all the indie soul stations like starpoint, solar etc

Be As One is excited to release the long overdue "Romantic & Dead" LP, the debut Album from one of the most talented artists of the recent generational Techno movement, and the label regular "Kashpitzky".

Being the hyped Berlin based producers most crafted project to date, the Buzzing 11 tracks LP is spread over 2 vinyls, astonishing covered artwork and shiny polished product, and reflecting the different shades of techno from several moments of the night, tailored straight from the mind of the most sought after artist of the recent couple of years.

Lining with the label's raw and old school influenced sound Aesthetics of re defining the term "House influenced Techno", Kashpitzky fits right in as one of the imprint's leading figures, compiling the 5th full length artist album to date from the label, after industry icons such as Kenny Larkin, Samuel L Session, Orbe and the label head Shlomi Aber.

As its title, the Romantic & Dead LP is an excepional abstracted and mixtured techno journey for the heads and collectors both, and marks a significant milestones for the young artist and the established label.

Meis heeft geleefd, en daar deelt zij met haar debuutalbum het eerste echte deel van. Na het uitbrengen van haar EP 'Een' werd het soloproject van Aysha de Groot omschreven als 'betoverend, met kleine liedjes over grote onderwerpen.'

In het nieuwe hyper-persoonlijke 'Zwart/Wit' zoekt ze daarin nog verder de grenzen op. 'Hoe oncomfortabel en toch troostend kan ik deze plaat maken?' aldus de Groot. Het kenmerkende, warme, intieme, maar toch schurende geluid waar Meis zichzelf mee op de kaart heeft gezet, is nu nóg directer komt nóg dichterbij en klinkt nóg rauwer.

In 'Zwart/Wit', doet de Groot een boekje open over een periode van ziekte, trauma, herstel, kracht en de zoektocht naar zelfliefde. Het conceptuele album vertelt één verhaal. Geopereerd worden, een totale maagresectie, uit voorzorg. Niet jong ziek willen worden zoals haar moeder en oma voor haar, maar wel moeten leren leven zonder maag. De twee weken die Meis in het ziekenhuis heeft moeten doorbrengen waren zwaar en traumatisch. Om de tijd door te komen, heeft zij een dagboek aan teksten geschreven, die later uitgewerkt zijn tot dit album. Ze pakt 3 periodes: Het toeleven naar de operatie, de periode in het ziekenhuis zelf en het herstel daarna. 'Zwart/Wit' bestaat uit 11 tracks, deels licht, positief en hoopvol, deels donker, zwaar en een stuk harder. Zowel tekstueel als productioneel speelt Meis met het zwart en het wit. Samen met producer en muzikant Nicky Hustinx dook zij in het afgelegen Den Dolder de studio in, om de songs uit te bouwen. Geïnspireerd door de directheid van Phoebe Bridgers, de intieme vocalen van Dodie, het rauwe geluid van Big Thief en de donkere en minimalistische producties van James Blake, heeft Meis de ideale manier gevonden om haar verhaal te vertellen, volledig in haar eigen stijl. Het is geen popmuziek, maar toch is haar muziek herkenbaar, maar weet je niet precies met wie ze te vergelijken valt.

There's a saying amongst the elders: "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning!" When you first hear the pulsating rhythms of "Joy (Hallelujah)," you realize that the darkness of the night has ended, and the glory of morning has arrived. Produced by the legendary DJ Marley Marl and lifted by the soulful lead vocals of House music empress Lady Alma and the powerful refrains of the iconic Kenny Bobien, "Joy (Hallelujah)" delivers nothing less than a pure soul-stirring, hand-clapping celebration. As gospel means glorious good news, and House denotes body jacking, heart pumping and high-energy rhythms, this union gives birth to a spectacular anthem that will serve as a reminder that all music can heal, inspire, convey thanks and give praise all at once. "Joy (Hallelujah)" is an expression of nothing but love!

Over the past decade, Be.lanuit has made a name for himself in Ibiza, both as a DJ, artist and fashion designer. Across disciplines he radiates a deep-rooted bohemian spirit harkening back to the philosophy on which the Ibiza-scene was originally founded. This creative hearth of soulful hedonism has now borne a full-length album, one that reveals a sprawling composing talent and complete mastery of the melodic downtempo terrain.

Be.lanuit says:

“Hippie Picasso is an album inspired by the life of a hypothetical Pablo Picasso with a hippie soul. I have a deep interest in Picasso that sparked when a work by him caught my eye at the Louisiana in Denmark, incidentally on a trip with Kenneth Bager who runs Music For Dreams. Since then, reading his biographies and visiting Malaga where he was born, where the Mediterranean culture, especially through music, spreads out to the world.

The tracks revolve around Picasso’s artworks and moments in his life, all from the point of view of a dream of an imagined life on the island of Ibiza. The melodies are all reminiscent of the Mediterranean with flamenco airs, sometimes melancholic. Jazz has a subtle presence alongside the electronics. The Spanish classical guitar as well, one of his favorite instruments.”

The album features a range of artists from around the world such as the legendary multi-instrumentalist Tupac Peralta, DJ Pippi, Melón Jimenez, Lara Wong, The Swan and The Lake, Jonas Krag, WALTHER and OliO.

Dee Ervin suffered collateral damage from GRC/Aware’s bankruptcy. He only got to release two mediocre sides on Hotlanta but these recordings match anything he created in a successful career throughout the 60s & 70s.

By 1974 he was as much a composer as artist, but he excels at both on these two numbers that were fully produced and ready for release. ‘You Make Me Happy’ is a terrific uptempo dance track that recently featured on CDKEND 512 “Masterpieces Of Modern Soul; Vol 6”.

‘Give Me One More Day’ was issued erroneously in 1975 as a Tribe LP track on ABC, but the session details clearly have it as a Dee Ervin recorded number.

This pairing was slated to be Event 218 in late 1974, but as no copies have emerged, it can be assumed that the single was pulled. It is hard to know why, but judging by its rarity the Anderson Brothers GSF release of ‘I Can See Him Loving You’ was a commercial failure - perhaps Event didn’t want to suffer a similar fate.

This reading of producer Ray Dahrouge’s song is more soulful and vital than the Anderson Brothers which was huge on the Northern Soul scene, but without this take for competition at the time.

Maybe the steamy finale to the Mayberry’s version was a bit too much for radio play, but surely the brilliance of the ballad A side would have compensated for that. Their loss; our gain.

New Balearia Records with Katzuma 4 tracks EP included Al Kent remix.

“The Soul Of Tommy Youngblood” 1970 Kent LP had many fine tracks, especially ‘Tobacco Road North’ though it was not attributed to the rightful writer, Jimmy Radcliffe, at the time. The music has been sampled for various hip-hop adaptations, including one by Ghostface Killah of the Wu-Tang Clan, but the original stands on its own and deserves a 7” format.

The Other Brothers ‘Nobody But Me’ is another UK Kent exclusive that sold out on its first Kent Select press and is still highly sought-after and now very expensive.