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Five years in the game marks a very special milestone for In-Reach Records, a label born from a love of drum & bass music and a passion to share that love with like-minded individuals. What better way to celebrate that milestone than a compilation of the sounds and souls that have fuelled the labels journey so far. The artists behind all nine of IRR’s past releases have combined, along with some important members of the In-Reach family, to create this exquisitely emotive VA album.

Heading up the release is a very serious piece of wax dropping in September 2023. The 12” vinyl exclusive album sampler comprises two tracks that have been causing waves in the scene for some time. Kicking off with Kid Drama’s remix of ‘Another Place’, we have an expert re-work of an already awesome track from Sam Binary and Deviant. The hissing bass joins the drum break half way through the intro while the vocal sample repeats its mantra. As expected, a gear change hits on the drop with the entry of sub bass stabs, which take on an increasingly melodic form as they evolve throughout the track.


The legendary Madcap takes on remix duties for the B-side with his take on Greekboy’s & AKA's ‘The Jungle’, which first aired on LTJ Bukem’s Radio 1 Guest Mix in 2021. The stepping drum break enters from the outset, building atmosphere alongside the pads and vocal cries in preparation for the extremely weighty running baseline.

German musician Mary Yalex debuts on A Strangely Isolated Place depicting a storied transition from our recognizable surroundings, into a vision of the future.

With releases and music styles across a variety of labels over the years, it has been Yalex’s more experimental ambient work that has stood out amongst her catalog, and in Fantasy Zone, we find Mary fine-tuning this sound to reflect the work of a true architect of storytelling, mood and atmosphere.

Drawing influences from her day-to-day surroundings, Fantasy Zone begins with more vivid pieces; softer melodies and clearer instrumentation, represented as much in song titles such as Air, After Rain Comes Sun, and Half Light of Dawn. The second half of the album transitions into a future state, as Yalex draws on darker manifestations - perhaps intrinsically influenced by the state of the world, and in particular her love of nature, we play witness to more storied, haunting atmospheres, distant voices and slowly shifting gravitational chord movements. Dystopian-bound or pure fantasy, Yalex depicts a future that mirrors some of the more poignant, thought-provoking work of great synthesizer soundtracks of the past.

Released in 2014, "Greater Than Great" is the 5th album by Jamaican singer Skarra Mucci, the first for Undisputed Records, bringing together the cream of Reggae Digital productions from Bizzarri Records, DreadSquad, Irie Ites Records, Weedy G Soundforce, Deebuzz Musik, Hard2Def, Soulove / Delamix, D&H Records, Kskamp and Rawkaz Clan which the toaster comes to ride brilliantly. Greater than great, it's just legend! The album "Greater Than Great" offers eclectic versions navigating between Dancehall, Digital, Reggae and Raggamuffin. Skarra Mucci proves once again that he is one of the rare singers capable of putting his voice on all styles of Reggae with a capital "R" and transforming them into instant classics, like "My Sound », his biggest hit found on this album.

Proudly presenting Nookie’s debut album for Metalheadz – ‘Improvisions’.

A collection of work which Nookie himself calls “the best tracks I’ve ever written”, ‘Improvisions’ embraces the fact that we don’t live in a perfect world. Throughout the project, aided in many parts by Ruth Royall, Nookie expresses his deep rooted love for the music he’s devoted so much of his life to.

Releasing on 13th October on 2x 12” white vinyl, preceeded by a 12” white vinyl sampler on 29th September.

Mr Bongo is thrilled to announce a special RSD Black Friday edition of 'Speak Your Peace,’ a stunningly beautiful album by the legendary Terry Callier. This remarkable record not only showcases Terry Callier's immense talent, but also features production by Bluey (Incognito) and Marc Mac (4 Hero). It includes the single, ‘Brother to Brother’, a song co-written and performed with British musical icon, Paul Weller. This stellar cast of producers and collaborators infuses the album with modern sensibilities while maintaining the integrity of Terry Callier's unique sound.

'Speak Your Peace' is a testament to Terry Callier's enduring legacy as a singer-songwriter and guitarist. Known for his ability to blend genres seamlessly, here he takes listeners on a transcendent journey through soul, jazz, folk, and blues. His captivating voice and exceptional guitar playing create a musical landscape that is both timeless and profound. This collection of songs tackles a range of themes, from love and introspection to social justice and the human experience. Terry Callier's poignant lyrics and soul-stirring melodies intertwine, creating a multi-dimensional work of art. It rates with his incredible Cadet work in its vision, articulation, and execution.

Mr Bongo Records is honoured to present 'Speak Your Peace’ and to celebrate the legacy of Terry Callier and his impact on the musical landscape.

Skarra Mucci is a Jamaican Reggae and Dancehall artist born in Kingston. Known as the "Dancehall President", his career counts 7 solo albums, including the essential "Return of the Raggamuffin" (2012) and countless classics and cult collaborations, such as the hit "My Sound" from the album "Greater Than Great" (2014) which exceeds 15 million cumulative Spotify and YouTube streams and the critically acclaimed album "Dancehall President" (2016) with its tour of more than 100 dates around the world, from Mexico to China.

5 years after the release of "Skarra Mucci & The One Love Family" (2018), this essential figure of Jamaican music, with his versatile flow and recognizable voice, announces a new studio album with multiple influences "Perfect Timing", which is scheduled for release on September 29, 2023.

The album opens with a hybrid roots-tinged hip hop riddim. Brass and percussion resonate throughout the track as Skarra Mucci gives way to a mesmerizing voice sample that gives the track “Here I Come” all its depth.

An introduction that sets the tone for an album tinged with a mix of genres by Skarra Mucci and his team of top producers brought together by Undisputed Records. "Perfect Timing" is indeed an ode to Reggae of all eras, full of nods to the Sound System culture, from its beginnings to the present day. From the choice of the featurings to that of the producers, nothing is left to chance to offer us a journey through the highlights of this rich culture which has never ceased to evolve, without any period being left behind.

For his 1st single, it is with a major player in the current Reggae scene that Skarra Mucci has chosen to announce the release of his 8th solo album by inviting the Martiniquais Yaniss Odua on the title "Roots Rock Reggae".

Accustomed to albums teeming with successful collaborations, "Perfect Timing" is obviously no exception to the rule. We find in particular on the title "Street Dance" the essential French producers of L'Entourloop, with whom he released the very successful EP "Golden Nuggets" (2019, 6 titles, 17M cumulative streams Spotify and YouTube) to drop once again a banger between Hip-Hop and Dancehall in line with their huge 2013 hit “Dreader Than Dread” (38M combined Spotify and YouTube streams).

Jamaican legend Johnny Osbourne also takes part in the celebration for a version of his classic of the digital era "What A La La", with Skarra Mucci on the Stalag riddim replayed for the occasion by the beatmaker specialist in the matter: Manudigital.

Skarra Mucci continues his exploration of various styles and influences with the very groovy "Dancehall", produced by the musicians of Dub Akom, in which he lets us perceive all his class and his swing. We also find the massive “Who Fool Them”, a UK stepper track produced by Evidence Music, but also the future Dancehall classic “Rappa Pam Pam”, or the huge “Misty Babylon” in a much more Roots register.

The album "Perfect Timing" ends with the eponymous title, on a riddim and Lovers Rock melodies carried by a joyful piano and a groovy bass. A finale in the form of a declaration of love for Reggae, this music which gave him so much and to which he gave everything.

See you on September 29, 2023 to discover "Perfect Timing", Skarra Mucci's new album.

180gr./4p Booklet/Black Vinyl

Audiophiles 180g Vinyl // Inkl. 4-seitigem Booklet mit Band-Fotos und Song-Texten // Das legendäre Kultalbum aus dem Jahr 1983 mit den Hit-Singles Balls To The Wall, Love Child und London Leatherboys // BLACK Vinyl Edition //

Balls To The Wall ist einer der signifikanten Songs der deutschen Metal-Band Accept. Wahnsinnige Akkordfolgen und stilvolle Soli kennzeichnen die Musik des gesamten Albums. Die 1 0 Tracks sind einzigartig und jeder für sich in einem individuellen Stil gehalten. Balls To TheWall erschien im goldenen Zeitalter des Metals und machte die Band zu einer Ikone ihrer Zeit. Das Album schaffte sogar in die Billboard 200 und hielt sich dort 26 Wochen. Accept ist eine deutsche Heavy-Metal-Band aus Solingen, die von Sänger Udo Dirkschneider, Gitarristen Wolf Hoffmann und Bassisten Peter Baltes gegründet wurde. Ihre Anfänge lassen sich bis in die späten 60er Jahre zurückverfolgen. Die Band spielte eine wichtige Rolle bei der Entwicklung von Speed und Thrash Metal und war Teil der deutschen Heavy Metal-Szene, die Anfang bis Mitte der 80er Jahre entstand.

180gr./4p Booklet/Ft. Lou Reed/3000 Cps On Red Vinyl

Bright Red (Ltd. Red Vinyl) is an album by Laurie Anderson, released in 2022. Bright Red (Ltd. Red Vinyl) includes a.o. the following tracks: “Speechless”, “The Puppet Motel”, “Love Among The Sailors”, “Poison” and more. The album is a Coloured Vinyl, High Quality, Insert pop LP.

180gr./Printed Innersleeve/500 Cps Red Vinyl

Dutch singer Anouk released her sixth studio album, For Bitter Or Worse, in September 2009. The album's lead single, "Three Days in a Row," was an epic blues rock ballad where Anouk expresses her love for someone she only knew for three days but believes their love story will continue. The song reached number 1 on the Dutch charts. "For Bitter Or Worse" also performed well, reaching number 1 in the Netherlands and number 2 in Belgium. Three additional singles, "Woman," "For Bitter or Worse," and "Lovedrunk," were released from the album.

Rudi Zygadlo returns with his third album ‘Doggerland’, his first in ten years and most expressive yet. A bubble of hope in a sea of doom, saluting the oncoming tides with big hooks and a wry sense of humour.

“Those familiar with my music will notice this album is a lot different from previous releases which were written around the acoustic guitar. I often ask myself if it is a mistake to release an electric album (and a pretty heavy one at that) but in the end I thought what the hell you only live once! “

“Being Generation X these songs are heavily influenced by that period which I consider in pop/rock history, musically arguably the best. I know it will probably be criticized for being too “old fashioned” by some but I can honestly say I’ll take that as a compliment as my musical “D.N.A” is defined by that period in time”.

Written during a year of hedonistic isolation whilst exiled to a forgotten mining village, 'Alecs in Wonderland’ is the debut self-produced rap album by rap enigma and ‘one man band’ Alecs DeLarge.

Alecs navigates ‘Wonderland’ with a bulging backpack of references to 90’s Toonami imports, king skins and rap nerdology, multi-syllable boxing through beats in a smoked out stream-of-consciousness drawl. From the cartoonish braggadocio on ‘Scooby Snax’ and ‘AM To AM’, to proclaiming his love for his anthropomorphic MPC 2000 on ‘Girl Joint’, Alecs emphatically proving that he’s much more than just the man behind the boards.

Merging classic New York rap sensibilities with sarcastic British humour, 110’s and Berghaus coats taking the place of Timb boots and Lo sweaters.

Wonderland is Alecs’ custom built version of The Matrix, a perfect world created to escape the one outside his council flat window, idyllic living in Lynchian reality. A therapeutic outpouring of the lonely man’s psyche, or maybe just a slow descent into madness, polished and delivered to your ears in Long Play form.

180gr./Gatefold/Pvc Sleeve/Black Vinyl

The Allman Brothers Band was one of America’s greatest Southern rock bands. Both their massive hits as the hidden gems are now all available on the exclusive 2LP Collected release. It covers the music from their late ‘60s to the ‘90s, including hits like "Ramblin' Man", "Jessica" and "Melissa". Besides tracks from the band The Allman Brothers Band Collected also includes songs by the related projects The Allman Joys, The Hour Glass and solo work from Duane & Gregg Allman.

After the famous 1971 live release At Fillmore East, The Allman Brothers Band represented an artistic and commercial breakthrough. With their extended live jam improvisations they became famous all over the world. As one of the pioneering bands in the Southern rock they recorded several successful albums and singles. The group largely infused hints of the blues, jazz, and country into their music.

Wakeman Howe//180gr./8p Booklet/Yes/Black Vinyl

Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe was the self-titled debut album by the reformation of the classic Yes line-up, consisting of Jon Anderson, Bill Bruford, Rick Wakeman, and Steve Howe. It was also the only studio album they released under this name as they reunited as Yes later on

180gr./4p Booklet/500 Copies On Yellow Coloured Vinyl

Hotel New York is an album by Anouk, released in 2023. Hotel New York includes a.o. the following tracks: “Girl”, “More Than You Deserve”, “Jerusalem”, “One Word” and more. The album is a Coloured Vinyl, High Quality, Insert rock LP.

/180gr./Insert/1000 Cps Orange Coloured Vinyl

Paradise And Back Again (Ltd. Orange Vinyl) is an album by Anouk, released in 2022. Paradise And Back Again (Ltd. Orange Vinyl) includes a.o. the following tracks: “ Cold Blackhearted Golddigger”, “ Daddy”, “ Breathe”, “ Smile & Shine” and more. The album is a Coloured Vinyl, High Quality, Insert pop LP.

180gr./Printed Innersleeve/1000 Copies On White Vinyl

Queen For A Day is the tenth studio album by Dutch pop/rock singer Anouk, originally released in 2016.

It features the hit single “Run Away Together”, a collaboration with singers Jennie Lena and Shirma Rouse, both known for being contestants on the hit show The Voice of Holland, where Anouk is one of the coaches. A preview of the song was premiered on the show.

Another single off this album is “Wanna Little Something”, a soulful dancerock song. Other well-known tracks are “New Day” and “Dirty Girl”.

This is the first time the album is released on coloured vinyl. It’s a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on white vinyl and includes a printed innersleeve with song lyrics.

Back in Black is the third album by American Hip-Hop group Whodini. The album was certified Gold in the US and spawned three singles; "Funky Beat", "One Love" and "Growing Up". All singles charted in Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Like the group's previous work, Back In Black is produced by Larry Smith, who also co-produced with Russell Simmons on Run-DMC.

Back In Black is available as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on smokey coloured vinyl.

Like a well-wrought character in a Hollywood movie, 'Standards from
Film', guitarist Mike Moreno's fourth Criss Cross album, exists atop a
solid, cogent back story
Recorded in December 2021, when the world and New York City - Houston-born
Moreno's home for more than two decades - were no longer on COVID lockdown,
it documents the leader's exhaustive investigations into the provenance of ten
iconic standards that, as he puts it, "are the summer jazz workshop tunes" - they
say you have to learn these songs if you want to be a jazz musician. You learn
them very young or in the beginning days of your journey into this music.
The album was recorded December 22, 2021 at the Samurai Hotel Recording
Studio in NY. Recording engineer Mike Marciano also did the editing, mixing and
mastering at Systems Two in NY

Subotage Records is proud to present Teffa's release, the "Periodic Wave EP." Taffa, an emerging Dubstep artist, has crafted a collection of four deep Dubstep tracks that will captivate listeners and transport them into a realm of hypnotic sounds. With his unique style and passion for electronic music, Teffa pays homage to the genre's roots while exploring innovative directions of his own.

Each meticulously composed song on the "Periodic Wave EP" showcases Teffa's ability to experiment with various sonic elements, resulting in mesmerizing soundscapes that push boundaries. This EP promises an exceptional listening experience for both Dubstep enthusiasts and electronic music lovers. Immerse yourself in the infectious beats and distinctive melodic arrangements of Teffa's "Periodic Wave EP" and discover the future of Dubstep. Subotage Records is honored to be a part of Teffa's musical journey.

During the 60s, Glenda Collins and The Riot Squad both found a home at Joe Meek’s legendary 304 Holloway Road studio. Ms Collins was briefly paired with the Riots by Meek for a planned collaborative album of cover versions, primarily featuring soul and R&B tracks which had been hits for other artists.

Recorded in late 66/early 67, titled ‘It’s A Riot!’, and, according to the tape boxes, possibly to be released under the name Glenda, Nero and The Riots, the album itself was never completed, and unknown until the Tea Chest Tapes’ recent restoration and transfer. The album’s six tracks are less heavily processed and more laid back than much of Meek’s work, and with Glenda’s now mature, soulful voice to the fore, these live, single take recordings hint at a new approach the production maestro may have been exploring, eschewing his usual reverb-laden, heavily overdubbed sound for something more rootsy. If so, he was once again a year or more before the curve, foreshadowing the back-to-basics approach which would be adopted by so many artists in the wake of psychedelia’s over-saturation.

There are as many flavours of Jazz as there are pebbles on a
beach, but the majority combine rhythmic invention with
instrumental virtuosity to create a sound that can transport the
listener to a different plane. Our compilation features duos,
trios, bands and orchestras playing music inspired by Africa,
Brazil and all points in-between. Film themes, standards, charttoppers and relative obscurities have been carefully assembled
to provide a wide-ranging picture of the Jazz instrumental.

It only took fifteen minutes for Bob Gaudio to pen the lyrics to Sherry,
which was originally named Jackie Baby as a tribute to First Lady
Jacqueline Kennedy. Producer Bob Crewe had suggested to Gaudio that he should write a song which exploited Valli's remarkable vocal range.

It reached Number 1 in America and stayed there for five weeks along with top-ten success in the British charts. Under his guidance, the group followed up with Big Girls Don't Cry and another Number 1 in the American charts ensued.

The Four Seasons were one of the few American acts to survive the British invasion of 1964. Indeed, they are the only act to have a US Number 1 hit before, during and after the Beatles successfully invaded the USA.

It was in early 1960, with Sweet Nothin's, that things really took off for
Brenda Lee on both sides of the Atlantic. Like all of her hits, it was
recorded in Nashville by legendary hit-maker Owen Bradley who produced hits for Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynne and Kitty Wells.

He was the man credited as the creator of "the Nashville Sound". With just five minutes left at the end of a session, Brenda cut I'm Sorry and in the Summer of 1960 it would become her first U.S. No.1. A second U.S. No.1 followed in I Want To Be Wanted. Amidst the overwhelming sweep of the British Invasion in 1964, she retained her UK following for five successive years, Brenda Lee was voted Best World Female Vocalist in the New Musical Express poll.

The album appeared suddenly - Within about a week, A Family Light was
pretty much fully written - "Despite the old cliche, the inspiration for this
album stemmed from heartbreak," describes band member Sergio
Trevino
"Fresh out of a failed relationship, I took to writing, resisting the temptation to
create bitter or angsty love songs. I tried to channel my emotions into something
larger. Looking back, with the benefit of time and distance from the album, I
realize that it kinda became a response to my observations of the family
dynamics, and how strange and complicated those predetermined roles are.

With fresh energy and bright intuition, Abby Johnson's confident selftitled debut (due in late 2021) offers timeless folk songwriting teeming
with a classic Nashville golden-era sheen
Johnson draws upon genre-spanning influences and wrangles them effortlessly
into her own expression: "I want my songs to sound familiar, but tell you
something new," she says. The duality of Laurel Canyon nostalgia and indie rock
blend effortlessly in her songs, polished further by the airtight backing band of
fellow Nashvillians, Ornament (and produced by the band's drummer, Ryan
Donoho).
Raised in North Carolina on the earnest mythos of Taylor Swift, she describes her
first songs as "diary entries -- playing guitar alone in my bedroom until I was
twenty three." Moving to Nashville for college introduced her to an immersive
musical community, where she steeped in the influence of folk- and- country
stalwarts like Emmylou Harris and Bonnie Raitt in equal proportion to more
contemporary indie songwriters like Phoebe Bridgers.
In addition to music, Johnson is known and admired for her film and photography
work. Capturing the mood of a scene in a single snapshot is an ability she
translates to her vivid songwriting: bringing the subtlest details into sharp focus --
vignettes in a soft- grained atmosphere. Intimacy and longing push and pull
thematically, as well as a sense of motion: driving through the desert; penning
love letters in the mountains; and pulling up a chair to a grandmother's kitchen
table. These songs are rooted but travelling, moseying through American folk-pop
traditions and toward something altogether fresh and dreamlike

Haunting in situ recordings from Parchman Farm Maximum Security
Prison in Mississippi (usa) producer Ian Brennan (Tinariwen,Ustad Saami,
Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Zomba Prison Project) recorded the prison's Sunday
gospel service and the results are unforgettable
The performances range from solo a-capella to a floor- shaking electric band. The
repertoire includes both traditional and newly penned spirituals. "some
Mississippi Sunday morning" is an unfiltered and deeply resonant journey into a
musical world rarely seen or heard

Schallplattensammler haben sie eifersüchtig gehütet, die Original-LP „Träume heißen Du“, so der damalige Titel des Cole-Porter-Albums von Hildegard Knef. 28 Wochen hielt es sich auf den vorderen Rängen der Charts. Heute ist die Scheibe ein absoluter Klassiker. "Sei mal verliebt" ("Let's Do It), "Nichts haut mich um ­aber du" ("I Get A Kick Out Of You") und "Ich bin leider viel zu faul" sind aufgrund ihrer humorvollen, aber auch emotional-nachdenklichen Übertragungen unübertroffene deutsche Versionen aus dem American Songbook. Hildegard Knef singt Cole Porter wurde nun wieder neu aufgelegt und erscheint als Gatefold-2LP auf rotem Vinyl und als 1CD.

It’s been a few years since Captain Mustache took a ride with Kompakt – 2021, to be exact, when he released the “Everything” single, and subsequently made an appearance on that year’s entry in the Total series. But this visionary French producer has been busy, indeed fiercely productive, ever since, appearing on Helena Hauff’s Return To Disorder and John Digweed’s Bedrock, collaborating with Dave Clarke, Popof, The Advent, Paris The Black Fu, Keith Tucker from AUX88... and two beautifully eloquent albums, Tourbillon Nocturne and Indigo Memories. But with The Super Album, Captain Mustache returns to Kompakt with his most sublime collection yet. On The Super Album, the Captain soundtracks an imagined “whole day for party people.” He welcomes friends old and new on board: opening with the poetic club banger of “About Love”, with guest appearance from Speakwave (aka dynArec), The Super Album shifts gears into the lush, sunny “Shifting Basslines”, where Captain Mustache’s pulsing electro-disco is the perfect fit for a third collaboration with electroclash pioneers Chicks on Speed. After the deep techno pulsations of “Laser Me” and the glitzy pop shine of “Gimme Ya Mustache”, more guests arrive: Arnaud Rebotini of Black Strobe on the slinky “I Love Watching U”, and then a spoken cameo from the truly legendary French disco diva Amanda Lear on “Mustache Of The Universe”, a glitzy glitterball of a song that’s shrouded in ghostly synths. All those tracks appear on the 12” version of The Super Album – download the digital version and you get six more slices of Mustache magic. Here, the narrative turns more insular, more dancefloor focused – the party people have moved through the daytime and they’re in their element, diving deep into the night-time economy. The album spirals, beautifully, into stark electro, driving techno, with great moments of beauty and melancholy – see the pointillist arpeggios of “Everything” (which features Play Paul), the disco stomp of “Acapulco Citron”, and a breath-taking double-bill of stripped back psychedelic electro on “Pulsions Organiques”, and the layered, luscious, swooning “Clair-Obscur”. From there, it’s an astral glide into the Dopplereffekt-ish “Galaxian Symbiosis” before Foremost Poets join Captain Mustache to wave the night goodbye with the brittle, brilliant “Floorwax”. It’s a day in the life, but all in service to the pleasures of nightlife; the dancefloor is The Super Album’s beacon, your body the pliable material moulded into evocative new shapes by this dense, hypnotic, brilliantly pop album.

Instrumentals JID019 captures the musical alchemy produced at the Linear Labs Studio by producers Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. These instrumental recordings encapsulate the spirit of the Jazz Is Dead concert and recording series, celebrating the African-American art form known as jazz through improvisation, musical collaboration and authentic cross-generational and cross-cultural communication.

Bristol's soul jazz kings The Jazz Defenders release a new vinyl 45 single this autumn as a taster for their third album, which is destined for release in spring 2024. Once again, they are bringing together their love of 1960's soul jazz and golden era 90's hip-hop, just as they did on a couple of tracks on their last album "King Phoenix" (Haggis Records 2022). This new single sees them reunited with London MC/rapper Doc Brown, who guested on the track "Perfectly Imperfect", and his flow sits so naturally over the Jazz Defenders' music and beats, you'd think he's a permanent band member.

The A-side "Rolling On A High" is a real old school boom bap style party hip-hop jam. Big beats, rolling bassline (acoustic double bass), Ramsey Lewis soul jazz piano vamps, funky Hammond organ and some punchy horn section business, all topped off with Doc Brown bouncing bars back and forth with that laid back vibe he always brings to the mic. A guaranteed dance-floor bomb, whether you're a breaker, a jazz dancer or simply a Saturday night disco shuffler. The B-side "Looking Back" takes the tempo right down. An 'end of the night' number when the lights in the club are low, the last drinks are being drained and you're thinking and reminiscing about times gone by. The good times and bad, successes and mistakes. And made even more poignant and reflective halfway through when the mellow strings come into the song (once again excellently arranged by pianist/bandleader George Cooper). If "Rolling On A High" is the fire then "Looking Back" is definitely the ice. Proof that the Jazz Defenders can rock the party and grab the dancers but also dig deep with emotive tunes that draw in the discerning listener.

The Jazz Defenders, led by keyboard maestro George Cooper from The Haggis Horns, have been building a reputation as a great musical unit since their debut Blue Note/hard bop-inspired album "Scheming" appeared on Haggis Records back in 2019, which received a huge amount of praise from critics, and subsequently went on to spend 5 weeks in the top ten of the American jazz charts In 2021, their double A-side vinyl single "The Big Man/Love's Vestige" got them the breakthrough they deserved. It garnered heavy support on radio from top folks like Craig Charles (BBC6 Music), Helen Mayhew (Jazz FM), Jamie Cullum (BBC Radio 2), and Worldwide FM resident DJ's Ashley Beedle and Colin Curtis. They further enhanced their reputation as a rocking band with album number two "King Phoenix" and by electrifying audiences at sold out live shows across the UK, including the legendary Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London.

Album number three is well on its way but for now, check out this tasty limited edition 45 single on Haggis Records. The JDs and Doc Brown...the perfect combination, still keeping that sweet jazz/hip-hop love affair alive today.

Repress!

1981 SYNTH CLASSIC BY JAPANESE KEYBOARD WIZARD AND YMO PROGRAMMER HIDEKI MATSUTAKE REISSUED OUTSIDE OF JAPAN FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 40 YEARS. REMASTERED FROM THE ORIGINAL TAPES WITH STRIKING ORIGINAL ARTWORK BY LEGENDARY ILLUSTRATOR PATER SATO INCLUDING ITS STUNNING FULLY ILLUSTRATED
8-PAGE BOOKLET

His name may not be instantly familiar, but Hideki Matsutake has had a huge influence over Electronic music. Starting his career as the assistant of Japanese Electronic Music master Isao Tomita in the early 70s, he went on to work with Ryuichi Sakamoto and then Yellow Magic Orchestra as their keyboard programmer and unofficial fourth member. In 1981 he started his own Logic System project recording "Venus" that year in Los Angeles with Don Grusin, Nathan East and Michael Boddicker, brilliantly mixing Synth Funk, Ambient and Boogie with a touch of Fusion Jazz predating Vaporwave by a mere 30 years. Wewantsounds is delighted to reissue this visionary album, which
comes remastered from the original tapes and features Pater Sato stunning artwork including the rare beautiful 8-page insert with an exclusive interview of Hideki Matsutake by Hashim Kotaro Bharoocha.
The early 80s were prolific for Hideki Matsutake. As the go-to keyboard programmer for the tokyo music scene, he worked on Akiko Yano's "Gohan Ga Dekitayo", YMO's "BGM", Ryuichi Sakamoto's "B-2 Unit", Mkwaju Ensemble's "Mkwaju" and found time to record two Logic System albums in 1981. While the first album, "Logic" had a harder techno feel, the second one "Venus" was different affair. Recorded in Los Angeles at the new state of the art Yamaha Studio, it was loosely themed on the Greek goddess Venus and had a funkier more organic sound. For the album Matsutake had asked a handful of American musicians to provide songs he would then add his synth magic touch to. Michael Boddicker, Don Grusin, Nathan East and Roger Powell duly complied and also played on the album.

The updated sound was achieved by switching from the Moog III to the E-mu modular System (which Matsutake brought over to LA) and other synths like the Prophet 5, the Roland MC-8 and TR 808 and the Yamaha GS-1, a forerunner of the DX7.

The result is an amazing futuristic mix of electronic music and early 80s funk, announcing many genres to come, from techno and house to French electro and Vaporwave. From the breezy ambient synth of "I Love You" to the city pop edge of "Be Yourself" (originally written by Nathan East for Debra Laws) and the vocoder-led Daft Punk-ish "Take A Chance", Venus is a fascinating album that both pushes the boundaries of electronic music and is yet strangely accessible and beautiful.

The other key elements of Venus is the artwork designed by Japanese legendary illustrator Pater Sato. Sato had started in Japan in the early 70s doing many album covers for Japanese artists including Tatsuro Yamashita's cult Spacy LP before moving to New York in 1979 to pursue a career in fashion and advertising. His airbrush style became hugely influential over the years and in 2018, Stella McCartney dedicated a whole Men’s collection based on his Venus. Star make up artist Pat McGrath also regularly posts his artwork to her 3 million fans on her instagram.

The original album came with a beautiful 8-panel insert illustrated by Sato which Wewantsounds has reproduced on this deluxe reissue also featuring remastered sound, OBI strip and a second insert featuring credits and line up plus liner notes by Hashim Bharoocha. The notes will feature an exclusive interview with Hideki Matsutake reminiscing about the making of this visionary album which Wewantsounds is delighted to reissue.

»This River Only Brings Poison« was released in 2002 as the sixth full-length album of Chris Hooson’s Dakota Suite project. This first-ever vinyl edition of the record includes four bonus pieces and makes it possible for fans to re-evaluate one of the most crucial Dakota Suite albums in the project’s vast discography while also providing new listeners with an entry point into its intricate musical cosmos. With contributions by artists as diverse as steel guitarist Bruce Kaphan and drummer Tim Mooney from American Music Club, Derald Daugherty, and Laura and Chris Donohue as well as long-time collaborators such as David Buxton, Colin Dunkley or Ed Collins, »This River Only Brings Poison« turned out as a sonically rich and stylistically versatile as it is emotionally multi-layered.

»Writing music for me has always been a cathartic exercise,« explains Hooson. While the instrumental pieces generally serve to express a raw sense of his internal struggles, his vocal-led songs communicate them more directly. »Those are the words I cannot say openly. It’s not that I cannot voice them in a conversation, it’s just that they only seem half-formed and not ›true‹ unless they are located within a song,« he says. What makes Dakota Suite unique is that throughout the project’s history, the music and lyrics have always had a single addressee: Hooson’s wife Johanna, whose photographs were used for the album artwork and who is featured on clarinet on »sand fools the shoreline.«

»The title of the record was something that I had said when Johanna and I first met to make her see that the journey she was considering taking would be full of love, but also come at a cost,« explains Hooson. »The songs were written at a time when I was really struggling to think I could be the person that she deserved.« In the end however, »This River Only Brings Poison« marked a turning point in Hooson’s oeuvre after highly productive time with Dakota Suite: it would take another five years until he returned with a new album. »The reason for that was that I needed to accept that she had made her choice to be with me and that was a big thing for me to get my head around,« he says.

Hooson’s highly personal approach to writing songs also has an impact on the ways in which he works with his collaborators when recording them. »The people with whom I play really need to understand how I perceive the world to be able to play what I need,« he says. »My instructions would always be things like, ›This is what the song means to me, this is what I am trying to communicate to Johanna when she hears it, so your cello, for example, needs to sound like you have noticed that the cloud is covering the sun, and the weight of the air on your skin is heavier and it has unsettled you.‹«

For this particular record, he reached out to Mooney and Kaphan as an admirer of their group American Music Club. Expecting to be rejected, he instead found himself on a flight to San Francisco together with multi-instrumentalist Buxton shortly thereafter, about to make what he today calls one of his most cherished recording experiences. After the four musicians finished the basic tracks, overdubs were added in Hooson and Buxton’s respective houses as well as Daugherty’s home studio while Hooson was visiting his old friend in Nashville.

Hooson emphasises that revisiting his older releases can be complicated. »I feel intense feelings, as every record is a diary of who I was in that period and what I was feeling. That is why having to play the songs live is always like having PTSD: I need to re-experience the event that caused me to write the song, and I do not enjoy that.« He remains, however, proud of »This River Only Brings Poison,« pointing especially to the opener »the lepers companion« as what might perhaps be his favourite song of his. »But overall I just hope that Johanna feels it spoke to her,« he says, adding that the two do not discuss his records. »For me it's enough that she is listening to the things I mean to communicate to her.«

Originally released on Polydor Records in August 1981, it remains a very special and discrete record and has gone on to achieve a cult status separate from the rest of their august catalogue.

Formed at London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama by way of Paris and the Isle Of Wight, Level 42 marked the union of four talented friends – Mark King, Mike Lindup, and brothers Phil and Roland 'Boon' Gould – complete with Wally Badarou, their very own studio-based synthesiser whizz-kid. From building a fervent following through the nascent Britfunk scene, they signed to Polydor and went on to make a series of fascinating albums.

The sheer invention, melody and imagination of this four-piece was astounding, aided by their secret weapon, French-Belizean Badarou, whom the band had met playing sessions for M, Robin Scott's art-disco ensemble. Although Level 42 had recorded – and made waves – for indie label Elite, they signed to Polydor and released this album, with three of their original calling cards, Starchild, Turn It On and the mighty, UK Top 40 breaching Love Games.

By the mid 80s Level 42 had become arena-filling superstars, with their commercial pop-funk with everyman lyrics that delighted fans not just in Europe, but also in America, too. Hear the roots of that on this frequently surprising, always entertaining debut album. Think of this album as the missing link between Talking Heads and Herbie Hancock.

Out of print on LP for a number of years, this re-issue faithfully replicates the original 1981 Polydor UK release with insert and is pressed onto high quality 180g vinyl.

Blues Lawyer is back on Dark Entries with a new 7” EP of summery alt-pop. Fresh off the heels of their critically acclaimed Dark Entries debut, Sight Gags On The Radio expands the Blues Lawyer universe, one where lovelorn millennials struggle to find their place. The four songs were recorded one afternoon by Rob I. Miller, Blues Lawyer co-founder and chief songwriter, in the band’s Oakland rehearsal space. It was recorded just days before Elyse Schrock (singer, songwriter, drummer, and music video creator) would be leaving the Bay Area – her home for the past decade – due to the soaring cost of living. The first single, “Have Nots,” shows the band moving away from the rapid chord changes that characterized their earlier work towards hazy guitar textures. It is accompanied by a tender music video portrait of the band reuniting in Portland, where Schrock now resides. The video documents the band’s touring life: playing pizza parlors and billiard clubs, sleeping on floors, and killing time between gigs. These touching images are elevated by Schrock’s trademark animations and editing style. Blues Lawyer also experiment with new songwriting configurations on this EP. “True Love’s Only Name,” was musically developed by Blues Lawyer guitarist, Ellen Matthews, lyrically by Miller, and sung by Schrock. Sight Gags On The Radio captures the essence of the band's sound but also reflects their development as songwriters. The outcome is Blues Lawyer’s most compelling artistic proclamation to date. Each 7” is housed in a warm orange toned jacket designed by Eloise Leigh featuring lyrics on the back. Blues Lawyer - Sight Gags On The Radio 7” EP releases Friday, September 29th via Dark Entries days before the band embarks on their first tour of Europe and the United Kingdom.

As Duke Ellington would have said, Dinah Washington was “beyond category”. Subtle and inventive enough to hold an honored place in the jazz pantheon yet tough and forceful enough to command the attention of blues, R&B and rock & roll audiences. Equally at ease performing Broadway songs, pop tunes or jazz material, Washington combined urbane finesse with down-home grit to make music that reflected her strong-willed, larger-than-life personality.