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New York-based duo Bottler, Pat Butler and Phil Shore, are the vanguard of their own distinctly eclectic sound. Raw, emotive, bold and highly creative, the duo has successfully carved out their own path with a series of EPs that represent the broad scope of their production prowess. Over the last five years Bottler have been working on their debut album, ‘Journey Work’, a milestone achievement that marks a pivotal moment in their music career. The LP is a distillation of the duo’s multifaceted upbringing, blending a variety of styles together bound together by an overarching attitude and approach that embraces creative freedom and self-acceptance.



Pat and Phil are childhood friends whose bond is akin to that of blood relatives. Their parents are best friends and they grew up side by side, developing their deep love for music together; sharing discoveries and inspirations, learning to play and perform, and nurturing their creativity together. Now formally ordained as Bottler, they channel their eclectic tastes into a sound that encapsulates the love and trust that forms the foundation of the friendship. The duo blends a myriad of styles to create songs that emanate warmth, joy, sorrow, pain and the full spectrum of human emotion.



The album title, like their music, is open to interpretation. The duo reveals themes related to chronicling life’s many ups and downs, the deep preparation that must be taken ahead of a spiritual ceremony or psychedelic experience, and, simply, the journey taken during the conception and creation of an album. A quote from Walt Whitman also partly inspired the title; “every leaf of grass is no less than the journey work of the stars”. However, the intention behind the title is to allow for ambiguity, giving the listener an opportunity to write their own narrative.



Across 11 cuts Bottler illustrate their distinct take on electronic music, weaving in elements of indie, pop, rock, house and techno with confidence and panache. ‘Journey Work’ starts at ‘Home’, a song that is fizzing with positive energy, Pat’s vocals welcoming the listener to the start of this meandering audio adventure.

‘Chrysalis’ opens with delicate piano keys that guide us into a bombastic bassline and energising drum beats. As it progresses, scintillating layers of synth and strings are added, creating a highly affecting, uplifting atmosphere.



‘Melatonin’ follows up next, merging heartfelt vocal delivery with a sombre instrumental, and a stirring guitar riff. A glorious demonstration of Bottler’s songwriting capabilities, which are also evident on ‘Vinyl’, an uptempo dance number with an unbelievably catchy chorus. Here we see the duo channel their experience of playing in multi-member bands, as the breaks and arrangement feel perfectly suited to a festival-sized crowd.



On ‘Tacoma’, Pat and Phil channel their appreciation of house and techno into a haunting cut that utilises reverse strings and extended vocal refrains to chilling effect. A heady club track for the twilight hours. ‘Meds’ incorporates muted singing, mystical pad work and a mesmerising riff to produce a captivating slice of uncomplicated dance music.



This is followed by ‘Hot Water’, which feels like a trip to a Californian beach, circa 1965. The vocals drift over a bouncing bassline with a complementary guitar riff. ‘Mako’ features Samurai Velvet singing about fireflies and afterlife in a wonderfully heartrending manner, Bottler’s instrumental keeping things simple, yet highly effective.



We head back underground with ‘Weed’, a dense, gloomy cut with inspired use of chopped up vocal clips, stuttered throughout, alongside a mean bassline. ‘You’re Old’ is the soundtrack to an explosion of festival euphoria, dancing shoulder to shoulder with your best friends, forgetting all your troubles and living in the moment. An anthemic song that transposes Bottler’s idiosyncratic style onto the pop blueprint. Finally, ‘Cicada Rhythm’ closes the LP with a pensive, yet joyful feeling. A chunky bassline is juxtaposed with Pat’s angelic vocals cascading over the top. A hint of tribalism comes through, as we approach the end of the Journey Work…



Five years in the making, fuelled by the desire to express their deep love for music of all varieties, Journey Work is symbolic of the long road it takes to accept oneself and be comfortable expressing one’s truth. Diverse, dynamic and daring with a rawness and honesty that is rare to find, the album marks a triumphant debut for Bottler and one that crystalises their unique identity.

HIGHLIGHTS Classic Brazilian soul funk from 1976 in the same vein as Tim Maia, Jorge Ben or Carlos Dafé's recordings from that period. All four tracks are stunning and feature dramatic vocals, fat drum beats and sophisticated arrangements, following the tradition of the best funk music coming from the States in the '70s. First time reissue. DESCRIPTION Tony Bizarro was a Brazilian songwriter, producer and singer who worked with most of the greatest soul and funk artists in Brazil. Boogie and disco music were making headway and soon became popular in the Brazilian market. His own discography comprises just one solo album, released at the peak of his career, a bunch of compactos and some later LPs that did not get any bigger than his best-known hit 'Estou Livre'. This 1976 EP has been a long-time dancefloor weapon for DJs in the same vein as Tim Maia, Jorge Ben or Carlos Dafé's recordings from the same period. All four tracks are stunning! The opening song 'Que Se Faz Da Vida' is a downtempo funk joint with some dramatic vocals by Tony Bizarro, fat drum beats and Isaac-Hayesque wah-wah sounds that could have easily been included in the soundtrack of a blaxploitation movie_ The strings and sophisticated arrangements featured on the flipside elevate this record to the top of the best Brazilian funk ever recorded in the '70s. Very hard to find, especially in good condition, this record now gets a proper reissue for the first time.

HIGHLIGHTS: 1965 samba jazz gem recorded by Humberto Clayber, Hermeto Pascoal and Airto Moreira in the early days of their careers. Includes the killer 'Joao Sem Braço' featuring Hermeto's howling flute and Airto's overwhelming percussion work. This is the only album ever released by this Brazilian all-star group and has remained unavailable for decades. First time vinyl reissue. More: 1965 samba jazz gem recorded by Airto Moreira on drums, Humberto Clayber on double bass and Hermeto Pascoal on piano in the early days of their careers. As the original notes state it, the recording session of the album was such a stunning experience for those involved in the studio work: "After going through 'Aleluia' and 'Samba Novo', as a prelude to a sound cataclysm that was transmitted in the tense atmosphere of the studio, they gave us a composition by José Neto Costa (Hermeto's brother), which left everyone amazed. The arrangement created for 'Duas Contas', soft, whispery, subtle, broke the local tension as if on impact. But behold, when they no longer seemed to see the possibility of new surprises, they then performed 'Nem O Mar Sabia' and 'Arrastao', the first revealing totally unknown concepts regarding the trinomial piano-bass-drums.

To celebrate tthe 60 years of the release of the first 7 inch of the greatest rock band of all time, rediscover all the tracks that influenced the sound of the Beatles in a double vinyl. With : Elvis Presley, Gene Vincent, Bill Haley, The Everly Brothers, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Ray Charles, The Isley Brothers, Peggy Lee...

New album from South London producer, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Wu-Lu.

Leader of the punk-rap awakening, Wu-Lu pulls inspiration from personal hardship and the underrepresented on his latest for Warp entitled 'LOGGERHEAD'. Miles Romans-Hopcraft based his artistic moniker on the Amharic word for water, “wu-ha”. True to his fluid sound and nature, he decided to change it to something that felt more liquid. He ended up with Wu-Lu, a name he has been using since 2015. His first record GINGA opened the floodgates to a career that would take him to various places, people, and genres. From breaking bones at skateparks as a teenager, to DJing as one of the original members of Touching Bass, and eventually getting signed to Warp in 2021.

As an artist, Wu-Lu seems concerned with feeling and communicating the full spectrum of human emotion. Throughout his varied discography, he touches on disparate themes and sounds, straddling a divide between blissed-out beats and grungy guitar dirges, and often mixing both into one amorphous, unclassifiable sound of his own.

On ‘'LOGGERHEAD'’, Wu-Lu hones his unique sound. On ‘Take Stage’, a despondent spoken word intro opens with sombre strings and underlying bows dragged delicately across them. Then the lights flicker to life on ‘Night Pill’, and the mosh pit with them - the bassline approaches like a hungry shark and the guitars snarl with a homemade 90s grunge energy. This grunge drawl and punk spirit is peppered with dry old-school drum sounds of classic hip-hop, with laid-back beat-oriented tracks are spread amongst those with intermittent growls, scratches, and shrieks. Sonic elements are constantly rearranged and juxtaposed throughout the album, like on ‘South’ where the fluctuating pitch of squealing guitars and screaming vocals is contrasted with the steady flow of Lex Amor.

Listening through the album you are constantly greeted with about-turns, and through the element of surprise and deft use of contrast 'LOGGERHEAD' sits at an exciting point in Wu-Lu’s genre-defying artistry.

Architect by day and musician by night, Jaime Tellado picks up as Skygaze, and returns to the fold of Flumo Recordings with his brand new 12”, the ‘Astral Trip’ EP; combining his knowledge of architecture with a love for sound to construct and merge acid house, broken beat and atmospheric melodicism.

The 'Astral Trip' EP follows releases on Guayaba records, Riverette and Thirty Three Circular. And remixes for Ed is Dead and Contours & Yadava, earning support/plaudits from the likes of Mr. Scruff, Simbad, k15, Andrew Jervis, Gilles Peterson, amongst others.

The common denominator throughout the release is the balance and combination of various elements, exploring a multifaceted contemporary dance sound whilst paying homage to the foundations of the sounds that we listen to today.

‘Minor Mood’ pays tribute to Chicago and Detroit with its high paced house rhythm, acid synths, and piano lines, whilst ‘City Cathedratics’ slows the tempo down to lay the groundwork for a dreamy synth-laden soundscape.

Whilst the majority of the project is a solo exploration in dance music and its multi-layered context and history, the contributions of vocalist Ruben Ondina lift the high-paced, synth house grooves of ‘Gimme Five’ to another level. Meanwhile, the broken beat influence of London is keenly felt on ‘Nigh Heat’ and ‘Wagwan’, their rhythms emphasised further by harmonic and melodic exploration via atmospheric synths, melodic improvisation and irresistible synth bass lines.

Skygaze reconstructs the rhythms and synths into his own fresh and unique package to paint a picture of spiritual wonder, richness and excitement.


DJ Support:

Severino / Horse Meat Disco
Ashley Beedle
Fouk
Just Her
John Digweed
Oliver Dollar


DJ Feedback:

Ashley Beedle - Fantastic EP and difficult to pick one track! 'Wagwan' will be ft. on my April 'Heavy Disco Spectacular' radio show on Worldwide FM.

Michel De Hey - Very nice release

Diynamic / Connaisseur - Very nice cosmic vibes!

Xinobi - serious knowledge of groove on this release.

Lex Ludlow - Super nice!!!

Joshua James - Groove on this...

Just Her - Gimme five is really nice

Fouk - Loving this!

Tom Simpson - some good stuff ....summer is coming.

Junior Simba - peng !

Willie Rosado - nice soulful sound

Spun Out Agency is honoured to present ‘More of that Frightful Oompty Boompty Music’, a compilation dedicated to the Guv’nor himself Mr Andrew Weatherall who should need no introduction on these pages. Released on vinyl in two beautiful parts, the first drops on April 15th with the second following two weeks after.

‘More of that Frightful Oompty Boompty Music’ (yes we are going to write that out every time we talk about it in this communique) showcases a selection of the shining greatness from the agency’s roster. Paranoid London, Fantastic Twins, Mehmet Aslan, Autarkic, Ruf Dug, Sean Johnston, and Manfredas gift exclusive tracks which highlight the sublime acid, techno and house sound that Weatherall would have described as “oopmty-boompty” music.

Spun Out is a London-based artist booking agency which has been run by Caroline Hayes for over 20 splendid years, that looked after the life and times of Andrew Weatherall alongside his partnership with Sean Johnston under their A Love From Outer Space moniker, and the likes of Optimo (Espacio), Ivan Smagghe, Josh Caffe, Man Power, Body Hammer, Kiara Scuro and many more artists, doing it differently.

Kicking off the A-side of the first record is Hardway Bros’ (aka Sean Johnston) previously unreleased remix of We Are The Axis by The Asphodells, the duo consisting of the Andrew Weatherall and former Battant member and Spun Out talent Timothy J. Fairplay. An energetic techno stomper with percussive rhythms, this exclusive remix offers the ideal tantalising dose to tease any dancefloor. The vocals and synth layers give it a punk rock approach, referencing the multi-genre essence of Weatherall’s taste in music.

Tel-Aviv-based Autarkic’s Sleepover closes the A-side with a chuggy lullaby, one that is certainly unsuitable for putting a baby to bed, given its intricate acid lines of total hypnosis. Following on the B-side is Manctalo Banger, a house bop by the Manchester-via-Ibiza computer game nerd and vinyl digger Ruf Dug, and Shizowaves, Turkish-born Basel-based Mehmet Aslan’s soulful touch to the compilation, bringing Middle-Eastern percussive melodies and catchy basslines.

The second record is introduced by Paranoid London, with a Spun Out dedicated acid techno banger appropriately titled Spinning Out and Fantastic Twins’ EBM track Kali’s Tongue Was A Weapon. On the B-side is Lithuanian chug legend Manfredas’ Hfuhruhurr, and Naum Gabo, who closes the compilation with the chaotic analogue-synth frenzy, Cold Sold. The name Naum Gabo may evoke the pioneer of Russian constructivism, who rose to fame thanks to his crazy kinetic sculptures. However, here it manifests as one half of Spun Out’s Optimo duo Jonnie Wilkes (JG Wikes) and James Savage. The duo’s impeccable manipulation of electronic hardware couldn’t give a better homage to him.

Some highlights for Spun Out artists this summer include 9 acts from the roster playing at Houghton Festival, Paranoid London’s show at Sonar Festival, Love International Festival and Ransom Note’s festival with Optimo Watching Trees.

A 12” filled to the brim with talent, Schrödinger’s Box have collected three juggernauts of wave tainted electronics for the latest. Dmitry Distant teams up with Norwell for a partnership of serious intent. The pair deliver a trio of blackened tracks, opening with the ghoulish caverns of “Transient State” before the long shadows, acid stains and painful echoes of “Visionary.” The duo venture into brighter territory with the computer funk of “On A Verge of Veil”, crisp beats and bubbling melodies changing the tone. Following Beyond the War, Cute Heels returns to occupy the flip. The Colombian is immediately on it with the swirling mirrors of “Kuriyaki Horizons,” a kick drum offering solid footing in this entrancing piece. An aloof, yet alluring, disco hook takes hold for “Litua”, a low thump keeping time. The finale arrives with the clipped industrial gait of “Determinated In Order.” Marching to a military beat, this work is industrial inspired with Cute Heels keeping a close ear to the pressure release gauge.

Lee Gomez aka Wipe The Needle has made music in many complimentary styles.
His debut on Local Talk featured Alex Littmore's soulful vocals and took us on journey that goes beyond the house genre.

This time his bruk roots are heavily featured, sprinkled with a touch of soul, jazz and boogie to create an impressive collection of songs.
Fans of Bugz In The Attic and bustling West London broken beat mixed with grit, this one's is for you...

The Vision arrive with their first original output, where the Bristol-Boston collab deliver a soulful dose of house goodness. This release from genre defying musician Ben Westbeech and crate digger royalty KON also features Ben’s long-time collaborator Andreya Triana, whose powerhouse vocals you may recognise from Breach’s ‘Everything You Never Had (We Had It All)’. On the A-Side sits KON’s edit of ‘Heaven’, a funk-laden and vocal-led cut destined for the dancefloor. On the flip is ‘Home’, a soulful lament that showcases Andreya’s flawless vocals as much as the duo’s exquisite production abilities. This release shows the music obsessed pair take inspiration from deep in their record collections, and as more releases build up in the pipeline for 2019 this is an exciting preview of things to come.

After releasing his last album "Spontaneous Order" Yamaha is back with a new EP "Built Back Bangers". Build It Up on the a-side is a stompin' and pumpin' track that builds and builds. A slow and long burner in true house fashion. "Own Nothing" is an organ lead techno track that sounds more like the Fatima Yamaha we all know and love. Permission is a vocal ear worm with vocals from Wiwa, rapstar from his native Holland. And last but not least is the eerie, slightly bombastic sound of Reset Me Nots.

"Off-kilter melodies, dense instrumentation and lyrical explorations of the darkest side of the human condition" -- The Guardian

With B FLAT A this much acclaimed quartet from Gdansk, Poland have
produced their most epic and visceral statement to date.

A universe where echoes of Can, Syd Barrett and Fugazi lovingly collide. Cryptic and possessing of a great moral force, Trupa Trupa is a band for these times, whether we are ready for them or not.
The frst single "Twitch" is already out and is receiving strong airplay from BBC6 Music. Clash magazine wrote "Polish art-rock group Trupa Trupa return with the storming 'Twitch.' The band's imposing physicality is matched to some truly ground-breaking artistry - imagine a kind of Eastern European answer to Swans and you'd be close. With their intense live shows and crunching studio output,
Trupa Trupa have built an imposing catalogue, one with an international reach."

UK GIGS
19.02.2022 – UK – London – Lexington
21.02.2022 – UK – Brighton – Green Door Store

DOWN TO EARTH became an overnight sensation in certain Soul music circles when their previously unreleased album was unleashed six months ago. This long-lost suite of soulful gems was recorded back in 1996 and finally get’s it’s debut vinyl release via IZIPHO SOUL - proud to release this collection of ‘All killers, no fillers’.

Since the 1990s London-based Stevie Paul and Laurence ‘Lol’ Williams have been making songs, creating harmony and performing the world over. The pair’s songwriting styles stem from their love of Soul music.

The long player’s running order has been organised as THE MEAT SIDE AND THE SWEET SIDE for your listening pleasure!

Presented with OBI strip in a clear sleeve and available in two choices of vinyl colour: gold or black.

Muddy Monk was revealed alongside Parisian artists Myth Syzer, Ichon and Bonnie Banane on 'Le Code'. From his native Switzerland, he imposes a fine, synthetic universe that plays a major role in the renewal of French-language song. The journey began in 2018 with 'Longue Ride', a cathartic first album that he describes as 'a kind of therapy' and that was unanimously acclaimed by the critics. In 2020, he returns with 'Ultra Tape', a mixtape which, with the benefit of hindsight, is the first step towards his second album. We discover a more raw universe. Darker too. A superb launching pad for his second album.

With Ultra Dramatic Kid, Muddy Monk delivers a radical new piece, a bubble of just over thirty minutes in which he manages to work his magic and make us dance on the edge of his emotions. As if everything could change in an instant towards happiness or chaos. An electric album and a sublime dive into his universe, which draws equally from Daft Punk, Rage Against The Machine and Travis Scott. A project that takes the form of a global experience, both auditory and visual, since almost all the tracks on the tracklisting have been put into images by Felix de Givry, the whole forming a short film to be discovered with the release of the project. In the end, Ultra Dramatic Kid is an uncompromising album in which it is a pleasure to get lost. An album that further establishes the Swiss artist as one of the artists capable of redefining the contours of French-speaking music for many years to come.

»Tides« marked a radical change in direction for Arovane. After Uwe Zahn had made a name for himself with cutting-edge IDM rhythms and slick ambient textures on a slew of releases, his sophomore album saw the prolific producer opt for a sample-based approach that resulted in a more organic sound and laid-back downbeat grooves. Having reissued Arovane’s seminal »Atol-Scrap« as a double LP in 2021, the Berlin-based Keplar label now makes »Tides« available on vinyl for the first time since its original release in 2000 through the legendary City Centre Offices. The new version has been remastered by Kassian Troyer at Dubplates & Mastering and comes with a brand new cover artwork. It shines a new light on a release for which Zahn quite literally ventured into previously unknown territory — »Tides« is an album that emits a timeless, quiet calm and nonetheless stays constantly in motion.

»The idea for the album came to me after a vacation in France«, says Zahn. Inspired by the landscape, especially the coastline and the sea, he made field recordings throughout his trip that were also used on the record, giving it its sensual feel. The foundation of the album however, the loose yet gripping grooves at the heart of every track, result from Zahn working extensively with samples. »I wanted to make use of drum sounds and small excerpts from old jazz vinyl records«, he explains. He maintained the unique sound signatures and rhythmic flutter of the source material while building intricate beats with them. Most of the material was culled from the record collection of Christian Kleine, whose spontaneous guitar improvisations over the first musical sketches were recorded and edited by Zahn and can be heard on four tracks. Also employing the occasional cembalo or spinet sound, he worked with a hardware sequencer and a delay to integrate the different, discrete elements into nine tracks that feel both dense and light at once.

What’s astonishing still 22 years later is how spacious »Tides« sounds. This is due to the fact that Zahn not only paid close attention to the sonic idiosyncrasies of his source material, but also to what happened in between those sounds. »Mark Hollis’s solo album was a huge inspiration at that time«, says Zahn. »What I find fascinating about it until this day is how silence and the subtle hiss of the mixing boards were being used on that record.« Silence was also an important stylistic element on »Tides« and adds greatly to the overall atmosphere of an album that with the appropriately named »Theme« immediately sets the mood with intricate spinet melodies: Zahn opens a door for his listeners and invites them to follow him to see a specific part of the world through his very own lens.

As a whole, the album mirrors Zahn’s trip that took him along the steep cliffs on a foggy day (»Seaside«), to an abandoned house in which he found old maps (»A Secret«), along the coastline during a long car ride (»Deauville«), to a sleepy village and the slowly moving sea (»Tides«) and finally back home to his native Germany where he started reflecting upon his experiences, ultimately deciding to translate them into music (»Epilogue«). »Whenever I listen to this album now, the images and memories it evokes are incredibly vivid and vibrant«, he says. It’s not hard to see — or rather hear — why. »Tides« may have been a deeply personal project, but it effortlessly evokes universal feelings by (re-)building an entire world in the course of only a few pieces of music.

Calexico's Joey Burns and John Convertino return in 2022 with their luminous 10th studio album, El Mirador; a hopeful, kaleidoscopic beacon of rock, bluesy ruminations and Latin American sounds, to be released on April 8.

Convening at longtime bandmate Sergio Mendoza's home studio in Tucson, Arizona, the ensemble recorded throughout the summer of 2021, crafting one of their most riveting and whimsical productions to date. Convertino, who now resides in El Paso, and Burns, who relocated to Boise in 2020, channeled cherished memories of Southwestern landscapes and joyful barrio melting pots into an evocative love letter to the desert borderlands that nourished them for over 20 years.

Repress

VERY LIMITED COPIES!

Masters for this Danny Styles Dark Jungle classic were long lost. This edition is carefully restored from Mint Vinyl, Professionally Remastered and Recut as a 4 track EP with the addition of a Nicky Allen Remix of Dark Secrets.

"This limited release is a collaboration between Monkey Timers DISKO KLUBB and a Japanese record label from Amsterdam trusted by fans & artists around the world, Sound Of Vast.

Monkey Timers are gaining support in Japan and abroad as a DJ / production unit that is pioneering the next phase of the Japanese new house and disco dub music scene. They will be releasing their long-awaited full-length album ‘KLUBB LONELY’ in collaboration with DISKO KLUBB and Sound Of Vast as a 2LP set limited to 500 copies worldwide.

The album will be packed with collaborations with vocalists / producers / musicians from Japan and abroad including a cover of Dusty Springfield's ‘That's The Kind Of Love I've Got for You’ featuring Lisa Tomlins, who is known for her vocals on Lord Echo and Recloose albums. Also featuring are Berlin-based Mr. Ties; Keith Sano, a promising talent from Okayama who is gaining international attention; MIRRROR, an up-and-coming Japanese-American hip-hop unit; DJ Sammo Hung Kam-Bo (Omoide Baka Yarou ATeam); Marimba player Mami Tsunodou, who is a supporting member of cero, KIRINJI, etc. and many more.

Mixed and mastered by Justin Van Der Volgen (MY RULES). The cover design was done by C.E designer Sk8Thing. "

The long-awaited reissue of this rare Eastern and psychedelic Jazz LP by the famous Hungarian guitarist, originally
released in 1968. For the first time and as extended Edition with four bonus tracks: radio version from 1968/69 7”
singles 7”. Deluxe 6-sided Digipak CD with 20 page booklet and Gatefold Vinyl comes with long, exclusively written
inner notes by the famous researcher and biographer Douglas Payne.
“The performances on this LP have a restrained, introspective quality. Szabo’s work is lyrical, rather economical, and
somewhat angular, and his tone is warm and glowing.” – Harvey Pekar, DownBeat
“Gabor Szabo is at the musical zenith of his career. This album could rank as his best to date.” - Billboard
“But for sheer lyrical beauty, few players are in Szabo’s class. His startling use of dissonance is a delight, too, and
time and again he will alter a final phrase just slightly, totally reorienting a familiar tune.” – Alan Heineman, DownBeat
“This is definitely one of my ‘go to’ Gabor albums.” Mike Stax, Ugly Things
"Gabor Szabo’s Bacchanal documents one of the earliest and finest examples of what was then known as “jazz rock.”
Years before this new jazz style evolved – or devolved, according to some – into “fusion,” jazz rock was mostly
fashioned by younger jazz players whose ears were open to the emerging sounds coming out of rock and roll,
especially those of the Beatles and, later, Jimi Hendrix. " - Douglas Payne
After recording four albums for Impulse in 1967, the distinctive guitarist Gabor Szabo cut three strongest records for
the Skye label in 1968-1969: "1969", "Dreams" and "Bacchanal" all of them became a legendary classic. This time
EBALUNGA!!! are rediscovers "Bacchanal". Szabo's regular group of the era is heard on record for the last time:
guitarist Jimmy Stewart, bassist Louis Kabok, drummer Jim Keltner and percussionist Hal Gordon. With the exception
of two Szabo originals, the material is comprised of current pop tunes including two songs by Donovan, "Love Is Blue,"
"The Look of Love" and "Theme from the Valley of the Dolls."
Gabor Szabo was one of the most original guitarists to emerge in the 1960s, mixing his Hungarian folk music heritage
with a deep love of jazz and creating a distinctive, largely self-taught sound.
Born in Budapest, on March 8, 1936, Szabo was inspired by a Roy Rogers cowboy movie to begin playing guitar when
he was 14 and often played in dinner clubs and covert jam sessions while still living in his hometown. He escaped
from his country at age 20 on the eve of the Communist uprising and eventually made his way to America, settling
with his family in California.
He attended Berklee College (1958-1960) and in 1961 joined Chico Hamilton's innovative quintet featuring Charles
Lloyd. Urged by Hamilton, Szabo crafted a most distinctive sound; as agile on intricate, nearly-free runs as he was
able to sound inspired during melodic passages. Szabo left the Hamilton group in 1965 to leave his mark on the popjazz of the Gary McFarland quintet and the energy music of Charles Lloyd's fiery and underrated quartet featuring Ron
Carter and Tony Williams.Szabo initiated a solo career in 1966, recording the exceptional album, Spellbinder, which yielded many inspired
moments and "Gypsy Queen," the song Santana turned into a huge hit in 1970. Szabo formed an innovative quintet
(1967-1969) featuring the brilliant, classically trained guitarist Jimmy Stewart and recorded many notable albums
during the late '60s. The emergence of rock music (especially George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Jimi Hendrix) found
Szabo experimenting with feedback and more commercially oriented forms of jazz.
During the '70s, Szabo regularly performed along the West Coast, hypnotizing audiences with his enchanting,
spellbinding style. From 1970, he locked into a commercial groove, even though records like Mizrab occasionally
revealed his seamless jazz, pop, Gypsy, Indian, and Asian fusions. Szabo had revisited his homeland several times
during the '70s, finding opportunities to perform brilliantly with native talents. He was hospitalized during his final visit
and died in 1982, just short of his 46th birthday.

Two years and one pandemic after his previous release, the Italian, London-based solo project M!R!M is back with a new full- length album.

Inspired by the synth pop classics, as well as from cold and dark waves, multi-instrumentalist Jack Milwaukee has been releasing material on labels such as Fabrika and Manic Depression until his first record on Avant! ”The Visionary” back in 2020.

On April 22 his fourth LP ”Time Traitor” will be released and we’re excited to say this is Milwaukee’s most personal job to date.

If you are familiar with his work, you know the DIY/lo-fi approach of his first recordings was already gone with his previous LP but these new ten recordings dig even deeper, drawing the outlines of a fantasy world lost within the foggy memories of a collective childhood.

Possibly locked in his bedroom for the necessary time, Milwaukee has been able to recreate an imaginative realm of 80’s FM suggestions, scattering a number of acoustic clues from different parts of this parallel, yet so familiar dimension. It’s almost like M!R!M is sending us a message in a bottle with each of these new tracks and each message tells a different story.
Post Fight has a punchy pop-punk riff drove by solid synthwave beats, Faultless Pitch hosts a mellow, funky bass line over a solemn drum gate, Desert Love screams italo like nothing else and it was indeed composed four-handed with fellow artists Nuovo Testamento, Say Nothing features SDH singer Andrea Pérez’s backing vocals to invoke a dream-like scenario.
There is even a Turquoise Days’ Grey Skies cover that is just one more perfect example of Milwaukee’s ability to take a single item from the suitcase of the past and make it extremely current in a handful of minutes.

All this is adorned by semi-instrumental postcards with suggestive names such as Moody Moon, Peninsula and Goodnight Galaxie that will guide you through this journey across M!R!M sound-&-memory experience.

Re-mastering by: Ray Staff at Air Mastering, Lyndhurst Hall, London

Charles Tolliver / Music Inc ‘Live In Tokyo 1973’ 180g Vinyl (Pure Pleasure) 5/5

It’s incredible to witness this resurgence of Strata-East’s recordings over the last few years – an appreciation for the label’s ground-breaking approach to music-making, backed by a phenomenal catalogue, continues to attract listeners both new as well as its devoted faithful once again giving rise to its revered and cult-like status. The label’s return to prominence and its subsequent reintroduction to new audiences has been aided, in no small part, by reissues like these – Pure Pleasure as a prime example of a label that lovingly curates these treasured releases, repackaging them for vinyl enthusiasts the world over.

There’s certainly a keen eye that goes into the joyous task of plunging through the Strata-East vaults and although Charles Tolliver and Music Inc’s ‘Live in Tokyo 1973’ isn’t as forgotten a treasure as previous Pure Pleasure reissues of projects like Stanley Cowell’s ‘Such Great Friends’ may be, it’s no less of an incredible project to revisit in this way.

Recorded 7th December 1973, the fifth album by trumpeter Charles Tolliver and his quartet of musicians comprising Music Inc performed a 50-minute set in Tokyo’s Yubinchokin Hall. The performance was initially released through Strata-East the following year and would even be revisited a further time by Mosaic Records in 2005 as part of a three-disc box set – all of this a true testament to the masters of the craft gracing the stage on this night.

Despite the slew of releases with Music Inc, Tolliver boasts an incredible resume that has seen him perform alongside luminaries including Horace Silver, Andrew Hill, Roy Ayers, Gary Bartz amongst others. Born in Jacksonville, Florida, and raised in New York from the age of 10 years old, Tolliver’s inspired contributions to jazz couldn’t be celebrated enough – from his innumerable successes as a musician in his own right to his achievements as co-founder of Strata along with Stanley Cowell. Despite neither having any formal or business training, Tolliver and Cowell’s pioneering efforts positioned them as beacons for being an independent, black-owned success story.

With the Music Inc quartet comprised of bassist Clint Houston, drummer Clifford Barbaro and Stanley Cowell on piano, Tolliver and company present a set of five compositions including tracks from the pen of the trumpeter himself (‘Drought’ and ‘Stretch’) as well as a heralded rendition of ‘Round Midnight’ initially composed by Thelonious Monk. Kicking the project off with the exquisite slow build of ‘Drought’ which starts with Tolliver’s trumpet holding court on centre stage while the glorious crescendo builds around him. ‘Stretch’ eschews in another high-energy number before making way to the sublime lament of ‘Truth’.

‘Live in Tokyo 1973’ is certainly a project that has been afforded its due reverence over the years but once again, an exceptional performance from Charles Tolliver and Music Inc benefits from an unrivalled presentation at the hands of Pure Pleasure. By Imran Mirza/ukvibe.org - est.1993

Spun Out Agency is honoured to present ‘More of that Frightful Oompty Boompty Music’, a compilation dedicated to the Guv’nor himself Mr Andrew Weatherall who should need no introduction on these pages. Released on vinyl in two beautiful parts, the first drops on April 15th with the second following two weeks after.

‘More of that Frightful Oompty Boompty Music’ (yes we are going to write that out every time we talk about it in this communique) showcases a selection of the shining greatness from the agency’s roster. Paranoid London, Fantastic Twins, Mehmet Aslan, Autarkic, Ruf Dug, Sean Johnston, and Manfredas gift exclusive tracks which highlight the sublime acid, techno and house sound that Weatherall would have described as “oopmty-boompty” music.

Spun Out is a London-based artist booking agency which has been run by Caroline Hayes for over 20 splendid years, that looked after the life and times of Andrew Weatherall alongside his partnership with Sean Johnston under their A Love From Outer Space moniker, and the likes of Optimo (Espacio), Ivan Smagghe, Josh Caffe, Man Power, Body Hammer, Kiara Scuro and many more artists, doing it differently.

Kicking off the A-side of the first record is Hardway Bros’ (aka Sean Johnston) previously unreleased remix of We Are The Axis by The Asphodells, the duo consisting of the Andrew Weatherall and former Battant member and Spun Out talent Timothy J. Fairplay. An energetic techno stomper with percussive rhythms, this exclusive remix offers the ideal tantalising dose to tease any dancefloor. The vocals and synth layers give it a punk rock approach, referencing the multi-genre essence of Weatherall’s taste in music.

Tel-Aviv-based Autarkic’s Sleepover closes the A-side with a chuggy lullaby, one that is certainly unsuitable for putting a baby to bed, given its intricate acid lines of total hypnosis. Following on the B-side is Manctalo Banger, a house bop by the Manchester-via-Ibiza computer game nerd and vinyl digger Ruf Dug, and Shizowaves, Turkish-born Basel-based Mehmet Aslan’s soulful touch to the compilation, bringing Middle-Eastern percussive melodies and catchy basslines.

The second record is introduced by Paranoid London, with a Spun Out dedicated acid techno banger appropriately titled Spinning Out and Fantastic Twins’ EBM track Kali’s Tongue Was A Weapon. On the B-side is Lithuanian chug legend Manfredas’ Hfuhruhurr, and Naum Gabo, who closes the compilation with the chaotic analogue-synth frenzy, Cold Sold. The name Naum Gabo may evoke the pioneer of Russian constructivism, who rose to fame thanks to his crazy kinetic sculptures. However, here it manifests as one half of Spun Out’s Optimo duo Jonnie Wilkes (JG Wikes) and James Savage. The duo’s impeccable manipulation of electronic hardware couldn’t give a better homage to him.

Some highlights for Spun Out artists this summer include 9 acts from the roster playing at Houghton Festival, Paranoid London’s show at Sonar Festival, Love International Festival and Ransom Note’s festival with Optimo Watching Trees.

GA-20 ist ein Trio aus 2 Gitarren, Gesang und Schlagzeug. Eine rohe, leidenschaftliche und ehrliche Performance, sowohl auf der Bühne als auch im Studio, ist das einzige Ziel. GA-20 wurde von den Freunden Pat Faherty und Matthew Stubbs in Boston, Massachusetts im Jahr 2018 gegründet und nach dem Verstärker benannt, den die Firma Gibson zwischen 1950 und 1961 herstellte. Das Projekt entstand aus Liebe zum traditionellen Blues, R&B und Rock & Roll der späten 50er und frühen 60er Jahre. Ihre nicht nachlassende Begeisterung für legendäre Künstler wie Lazy Lester, J.B. Lenoir, Earl Hooker, Buddy Guy, Otis Rush und Junior Wells gibt Faherty und Stubbs den nötigen Schub eine moderne Version dieser beliebten Kunstform aufzunehmen und aufzuführen. Das Album ,Lonely Soul" wurde in den Q Division Studios in Somerville, Massachusetts aufgenommen und von Stubbs produziert. Die vorab veröffentlichte Single "Naggin On My Mind", mit Grammy-Preisträger Charlie Musselwhite an der Mundharmonika und Luther Dickinson an der Slide-Gitarre, eröffnet das Album. ENG GA-20 was formed by friends Pat Faherty and Matthew Stubbs in Boston, MA in 2018. The project was born out of their mutual love of heavy traditional Blues, R&B, and Rock & Roll of the late 50s and early 60s. Faherty and Stubbs bonded over legendary artists like Lazy Lester, J.B. Lenoir, Earl Hooker, Buddy Guy, Otis Rush and Junior Wells. Feeling a void in current music, the duo have set out to write, record and perform a modern version of this beloved art form. Live, GA-20 is a trio of 2 guitars, vocals and drums. Raw, passionate and honest performance, both on stage and in the studio, is the only goal. "Lonely Soul", the title track to their debut album embodies their sound: raw, cutting, and authentic.

Double LP of classic tracks from all your favourite Tarantino flicks.

‘Call To Arms & Angels’ is the title of the twelfth studio album from South London collective Archive.

 A 17-track double CD / triple LP recorded at RAK studios in London and released on
Dangervisit/PIAS.

 Deluxe editions of the album also include a bonus ‘Super8’ album of new and
exclusive instrumentals, as featured in the band’s ‘Super8’ documentary that will
accompany the release of the album.

 Produced by Archive and long-time collaborator Jérome Devoise, ‘Call To Arms &
Angels’ is the band’s first studio set since 2016’s ‘The False Foundation’.

 Talking about the new album, Darius Keeler says, “Writing our twelfth studio album
was an extraordinary time for the band. The song writing became an unfolding
narrative as the world got stranger and more disturbing every day. With people’s
freedoms being pushed to the brink, the suffering Covid caused and the terrible
events in the US lead by Trump and the rise of the Right, anything seemed possible.

 “To reflect on these times as artists brought up a darkness and an anger, but also a
strange kind of inspiration that was at times unsettling. It really made us appreciate
the power of music and how lucky we are to be able to express our feelings in this
way.

 “It seems there is light at the end of the tunnel, but there are always shadows within
that light.”

 Deluxe 2CD album plus ‘Super8’ bonus CD in 40-page casebound Polaroid
bookpack.

 2CD album.

 Deluxe vinyl box set with white coloured vinyl 3LP (exclusive to this box set), ‘Super8’
bonus LP on white vinyl (exclusive to this box set), deluxe 3CD with Polaroid booklet
and 12” x 12” art print.

 Triple LP on gold vinyl in triple gatefold sleeve.
 Triple LP on green vinyl in triple gatefold sleeve.
 Triple LP on black vinyl in triple gatefold sleeve.

Memorial are a duo, Jack and Ollie. Neither are in any great hurry, with their songwriting process originally found spent solo, several hundred miles apart in Brighton and Manchester. Voice memos zipped across the internet, all half thoughts and feelings seeking the other's encouragement.

Headline shows in London and Brighton and supports in 2021: Bess Atwell, Chartreuse, Richard Thompson, Courtney Marie Andrews, Amber Run, Samantha Crain. Nominated for AMA's 'UK song of the year', award ceremony in January at Hackney Empire.RADIO:
Sessions on BBC Radio Wales with Janice Long Interview with Robert Elms on BBC Radio London Chosen as John Kennedy's Hot Ones and X-Posure Big One on Radio X Consistent radio plays on Radio 1's Chillest Show with Sian Eleri, Chris Hawkins on BBC 6Music and on Amazing Radio Further spot plays from Elton John on Beats, Roddy Hart on BBC Radio Scotland, Soho Radio and more.

FOR FANS OF:
Airto Moreira, Gilberto Gil, Chick Corea, George Duke, Jorge Ben, Sabrina Malheiros, Hermeto Pascoal, Chico Buarque, Stanley Clarke, Jaco Pastorius, Carlos Santana, Jose Neto, Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Milton Nascimento


First new studio album in over 15 years by the “Queen Of Brazilian Jazz” Musician line-up includes Airto Moreira, Jose Neto, Diana Purim and Celso Alberti.

One of the all-time greats of Brazilian jazz fusion, Flora Purim, returns with her first studio album in over 15 years, ‘If You Will’, released on Strut on 29th April.
Conceived as a celebration of her music and collaborations, the album explores new compositions alongside fresh versions of Flora’s favourite personal songs and positive lyrics from across her varied career. Title track ‘If You Will’ reprises a song from her inspired collaborations with George Duke: “You will find... good love, real joy, so much peace of mind, if you will…”; the resilient ‘This Is Me’ updates an Airto jam band tune ‘I Don’t Wanna Be Myself Again’; ‘500 Miles High’ marks the heyday of the late Chick Corea’s Return To Forever band and ‘Zahuroo’ interprets a song by Claudia Villela about “a shapeshifting animal creature, a messenger who acts as a bridge between our thoughts and the universe.” A family affair recorded primarily in Curitiba and Sao Paulo, ‘If You Will’ brings together many of Flora’s closest circle of musicians including Airto Moreira, guitarist José Neto, her daughter Diana Purim on vocals and percussionist Celso Alberti.
The album is the latest chapter in Flora’s long, illustrious and varied career. As well as her celebrated partnership with Airto and her early days with Quarteto Novo, Flora has worked with Stan Getz, Gil Evans, Miriam Makeba, George Duke, Chick Corea (as an original member of Return To Forever), Dizzy Gillespie’s United Nation Orchestra, Uruguayan band Opa and many more. Her solo albums on Milestone remain true jazz fusion classics.
‘If You Will’ is released on CD, LP and digital, supported by a full international PR and marketing campaign worldwide. The album was co-produced by Flora Purim and Roberta Cutolo with package photos by Mel Gabardo in Brazil and cover illustration by Gabriela Barbalho.

FOR FANS OF:
Airto Moreira, Gilberto Gil, Chick Corea, George Duke, Jorge Ben, Sabrina Malheiros, Hermeto Pascoal, Chico Buarque, Stanley Clarke, Jaco Pastorius, Carlos Santana, Jose Neto, Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Milton Nascimento

First new studio album in over 15 years by the “Queen Of Brazilian Jazz” Musician line-up includes Airto Moreira, Jose Neto, Diana Purim and Celso Alberti.

One of the all-time greats of Brazilian jazz fusion, Flora Purim, returns with her first studio album in over 15 years, ‘If You Will’, released on Strut on 29th April.
Conceived as a celebration of her music and collaborations, the album explores new compositions alongside fresh versions of Flora’s favourite personal songs and positive lyrics from across her varied career. Title track ‘If You Will’ reprises a song from her inspired collaborations with George Duke: “You will find... good love, real joy, so much peace of mind, if you will…”; the resilient ‘This Is Me’ updates an Airto jam band tune ‘I Don’t Wanna Be Myself Again’; ‘500 Miles High’ marks the heyday of the late Chick Corea’s Return To Forever band and ‘Zahuroo’ interprets a song by Claudia Villela about “a shapeshifting animal creature, a messenger who acts as a bridge between our thoughts and the universe.” A family affair recorded primarily in Curitiba and Sao Paulo, ‘If You Will’ brings together many of Flora’s closest circle of musicians including Airto Moreira, guitarist José Neto, her daughter Diana Purim on vocals and percussionist Celso Alberti.
The album is the latest chapter in Flora’s long, illustrious and varied career. As well as her celebrated partnership with Airto and her early days with Quarteto Novo, Flora has worked with Stan Getz, Gil Evans, Miriam Makeba, George Duke, Chick Corea (as an original member of Return To Forever), Dizzy Gillespie’s United Nation Orchestra, Uruguayan band Opa and many more. Her solo albums on Milestone remain true jazz fusion classics.
‘If You Will’ is released on CD, LP and digital, supported by a full international PR and marketing campaign worldwide. The album was co-produced by Flora Purim and Roberta Cutolo with package photos by Mel Gabardo in Brazil and cover illustration by Gabriela Barbalho.

A seriously soulful vocalist, Earl George appeared on numerous classic records under a number of different names including Earl Lawrence, L Lawrence, George Earl, George Faith and, on occasion, Earl George.

This album ‘One & Only’ was recorded for Phil Pratt. Originally released in 1978 through West London’s Burning Sounds organisation and credited to Earl George, the set contained his three Terminal single releases and seven brand new tunes.
Produced by Phil Pratt and featuring Sly & Robbie, Tommy McCook, Ansel Collins.

The Magic Mixture were a London based , psychedelic band comprising Terry Thomas (guitar/vocals), Melvyn Hacker (bass), Jack Collins (drums) and Stan Curtis (organ) .

The 60’s were productive years, though if one explores these years, you’ll find that most of the bands that rose during those heady days had some real talent, some sincere visions, and a burning desire to shape a bit of the music scene with their sonic atmospheres.

The magic found within these highly prized and rare grooves shows they did pulsate with the moment, This Is The Magic Mixture, should certainly be considered an essential part of the garage psych movement that flowered during 1968.

The Classic 1977 Folk album .and follow up to Savage Amusement.
Feat: Mick Ronson, Andy Latimer & Keef Hartley.
Recorded at Sawmills Studios, Cornwall, Tapestry Studios, London and Fairview Studios, Hull.
Incl. Extensive Sleeve Notes from Andru Chapman & Marc Higgins
With bonus track: Steel Bonnets (Instrumental)
Limited Edition on 180 gram vinyl

For the twelfth release on the main catalogue and first record of 2022 Haven are proud to present the first full EP on the imprint from label boss Keepsakes for two years. Following on from releases in recent years on South London Analogue Material, Perc Trax, and more, Keepsakes brings the dancefloor heat in this 4-track collection of 4-4 killers.

The A1 kicks things off with "Peak Egotist" - where rolling tribalistic drums, playful vocal samples and 80s industrial-inspired synth stabs interplay in a confronting track of driving techno. This is followed by "Malignant Motion" on the A2, with its swung rhythms and discordant rave synthesiser keeping the club energy high for concrete dancefloors.

"Mr. Shakedown" launches the flip on the B1 with its fast-house-gone-crunchy stylings, where a rolling 16th note synth pattern works with heavy drum patterns and ear-worm vocal shouts to set feet on fire. The B2 closes out the record with "No Acceptance Uptown" - a tried-and-tested frisky club banger with mischievous "yo" vocals and a lively acid-like sequence closing out the latest offering from Haven.

Prolific London producer Lxury returns to the Lost Palms catalogue, this time with his second-ever solo long play - a honey-dipped journey through the rainbow colours of house music and its adjacent styles.

Living up to his name, no room is spared in Lxury's careful curation of full-bodied soundscapes which make for a truly immersive listening experience. Emotion-laden melodies and glistening pads grant permission for shameless self indulgence, whilst flickers of cooler, harsher tones add dynamism and depth. At times, this sounds like anthemic melodies, reverberating claps and sunshine-doused pads ("Motion" and "YT Storm"); at others, like mournful female vocals which are chopped and looped beneath a shuffling drum pattern ("Get Down On"). Elsewhere, highly-processed flutes and video-game-esque samples transport you to a neon speedway ("Ninja H2R Flyby") before industrial-sounding textures and down-tempo rhythms ease things to a blissful close ("Ride"). No matter where it is that Vivid Night Experience takes you, playfulness and warmth are guaranteed: two descriptors which have become synonyms with the Lxury's musical output.

Vivid Night Experience LP drops 29th April via Lost Palms

Berlin and London based avant-pop duo Private Agenda will release their second full-length album – A Mannequin – on Lo Recordings on 22 October via digital, limited-edition LP and music box formats.

A Mannequin: Twelve tracks corresponding to twelve character traits, imagined as personalities in musical form. What are the dichotomies that define us? Our seen and unseen selves, the façade and the fundamental, the real and the imaginary. The result is musical hyper-realism.

Wonderful, originally released in 1999 was the first studio album featuring the original Madness line-up since 1984’s Keep Moving.

Being released for the first time on vinyl (180gram heavyweight) the album includes the singles ‘Lovestruck’ and ‘Johnny The Horse’, as well as the fan favourite ‘Drip Fed Fred’, which features Ian Dury not long before he passed away.

This package includes exclusive liner notes by journalist Stevie Chick (MOJO, The Guardian & NME) including interviews with Lee ‘Kix’ Thompson, Chrissyboy Foreman and Mark Bedford, as well as an exclusive poem by Cathal Smyth (‘Chas Smash’).

Welcoming Joe Koshin to the Time Is Now family with a release of two halves. Time Is Now White Vol.15 takes us on a whiplash journey through the contemporary iterations of breakbeat hardcore before slowing down the pace and stationing in UKG's shadier corners.

With previous releases on Planetaria Music and Gimme A Break Records, Joe Koshin has been making some serious waves with his no-prisoner approach to breaks and jungle. Time Is Now White Vol.15sees the London producer continue in this vein with two raucous breakbeat hardcore tracks, and two dark garage tracks which boast the style's potential to be at once introspective and club-ready.

"Chunk" slams things into action. And if you thought the clattering drum breaks and growling low-ends couldn't do more to rip open a dancefloor, just wait for the switch-up. Stutters that Sully would be proud of. The title track grounds itself firmly in the genre's antecedents: breakbeat which is at once gloriously old-skool and fiercely forward-facing.

Flip to the B side and it is configurations of dark garage that take to the fore: first adorned with a hypnotic melody that floats above pitched-up vocals ("T4LK 2 M3"), and later energised by a buoyant swing which implores you to move ("Spectra Don").

Time Is Now White Vol.15 drops 29th April via Time Is Now.