Voted DJ Mag’s Underground Hero in 2022, DJ & producer Lauren Flax has been a fixture in Brooklyn’s electronic scene for two decades. On her latest project Liz & Lauren EP, she teams up with Liz Wight of shoegaze techno duo Pale Blue, whose sultry vocals explore questions of love and isolation to the tune of Detroit house and acidic techno.
Flax and Wight became fast friends in 2021 after being introduced by Pale Blue member & 2MR co-founder Mike Simonetti, who’d enlisted Flax to remix Pale Blue’s “Breathe.” Naturally, when Flax needed a vocalist for some tracks she was working on shortly after, she knew just who to call. “I was in my last year of grad school doing an internship in community mental health helping kids cope with the trauma of the pandemic,” Wight says of the time. She channelled this experience as she wrote and recorded the lyrics to Liz & Lauren EP from her home in Los Angeles.
As a result, the lyrics on Liz & Lauren EP are open-ended musings on connection, isolation, and convention. Lead single “Fix Everything” can be read both as an indictment of the trappings of marriage or, on Flax’s view, a rousing call to action, applicable to issues ranging from the degradation of the environment to the attack on LGBTQ+ rights in America. As the EP progresses, Wight’s airy vocals consider the pitfalls of love, from the destructive power of infatuation to the pain of outgrowing a relationship.
Sonically, Liz & Lauren EP feels like a natural progression from Flax’s first release on 2MR, 2021’s Out Of Reality, which saw her exploring a more minimalist production style for the first time in her work. “I Don’t Want To Hurt You” and “Fix Everything” pulse with bright, dynamic production, while slow burner “Return To Love” takes a sparser approach, anchored by a muted drumbeat and a simple, earworm synth refrain. “I’d Risk It All To Be With You” is a masterful balance of both; it even gets the club treatment on the EP’s closing remix, courtesy of Flax’s friends Mark Archer and Simon Neale (Shadow Child) of MASC.
Liz & Lauren EP is an impassioned collection that showcases both Flax and Wight’s artistry in equal measure. For both artists, it’s a testament to stepping outside the norm (DJing for Flax, performing in Pale Blue for Wight) and collaborating with others, the fruits of which are sure to be felt on the dancefloor for years to come.
Поиск:m 16
Все
Aqua Viva is the second album by Francesco Fisotti, who returns to tell the exotic and mystical atmospheres of Puglia (Apulia), with a deep and italo house sound, jazzy and fonky, in which synths and drum machines are combined with arrangements by musicians, enriched by rap and sung.
Incl. featuring of Andrea Rossetti, Roberto Chiga, Maurizio Tomaselli, Michela Giannini, Karlino Princip, Neos, Done, Filippo Bubbico, Manu Funk, Max Ingrosso, Emiliano Roca, Marco Chiriatti, Giorgia Santoro, Alyona Tsarbell.
Mit ihren 12 Songs, die von dem spanisch-österreichischen Duo zwischen Barcelona und Wien geschrieben wurden, tauchen ATZUR auf 'Strange Rituals' tief in extreme Gefühle ein, wo wilde und rohe Drums auf dramatische Melodien treffen. Dabei bleiben sie den charakteristischen Elementen ihrer bisherigen EP-Releases treu: Epischer Sound und emotionale Tiefe. Mit ihrem umjubelten Auftritt beim diesjährigen Primavera Sound Festival konnten sie bereits überzeugen und mit Strange Rituals festigen ATZUR ihren Ruf als außergewöhnliche Drama-Pop Band.
Jaga Jazzists legendäres zweites Album, „The Stix“, kombiniert die digitale Dancefloor-Affinität ihres Debüts mit der Ausgelassenheit, Wärme und dem Fluss ihrer Live-Shows. Mit ihren stilvollen Produktionen, ihrer mitreißenden Bühnenpräsenz und ihren internationalen Einflüssen, die aus Hoxton über Oslo bis nach Berlin reichen, wurden sie schnell zu einer der beliebtesten Bands des erweiterten Jazz-Genres.
Im Jahr seit ihrem Debüt haben Jaga Jazzist weltweit einen großen Eindruck hinterlassen, insbesondere aber im vereinigten Königreich: die Debütsingle, „Going Down“, wurde damals vom NME zur 12“ der Woche gekürt, wurde u.a. vom jungen Gilles Peterson angepriesen und war eine von Muziks Singles des Jahres - und war folglich sofort ausverkauft. Und nun aber endlich wieder auf Vinyl erhältlich, en detail auf - wie bei Ninja Tune-Releases der Umwelt zuliebe seit einigen Jahren üblich - nicht auf 180 g sondern auf 140 g schwerem und rot-orange schimmernden Vinyl in einem 2LP-Gehäuse mit bedruckten Papp-Innenhüllen und einer 12" Reverseboard-Gatefold-Hülle.
Seminal early '90s UK business right here from Frontier Man, remastered and reissued with brand new remixes from Monstergetdown and Fantastic Man.
Landing on the mighty Hooj Choons in 1992, 'Express It Thru The Dance' is a real snapshot into the landscape of club culture in the UK at the time. The Skank Mix blends elements of rave, breakbeat and progressive house with that rough and ready, heavyweight low-end. Ramping up the levels, the Techno mix is a furiously paced, acid laced powerhouse.
On remix duties, Monstergetdown hits hard with a rave inspired, techy groove interpretation, whilst Fantastic Man heads down the wormhole with a trademark, trance-leaning techno take on this classic.
1 december 1944, Thiaroye military camp, right outside of Dakar, Senegal.
1600 French soldiers of West African origin (Benin, Mali, Ivory Coast, Tchad, Senegal , Gabon, Togo etc.) have been quickly evacuated by the French Army during what was subsequentially called the ‘whitening of the colonial troops’ that happened before the armistice signature. The soldiers are awaiting to be paid for their war effort. Things go sideways, protests erupt, and the French military staff decides to open fire. The official number of casualties is 35, although various sources claim several hundred people died on that fatal day.
Since then, several artists have grasped that difficult topic, screaming for recognition and reparation.
Such is the case with a young Senegalese musician and singer named Maxidilick Adioa, with his very first single ever released, ‘Toubab Bile’, in 1987.
At that time, Adioa had been living in France for a few years. He was considered a master percussionist, playing, recording and touring alongside the great Ivorian artist Alpha Blondy. He had just written a beautiful tune, ‘Nao’, for Aminata Fall, one of the biggest actress and singers in Senegal. It seemed like a good time to launch his solo career.
Toubab Bilé remains Adioa’s biggest hit to this day, and one of the best African reggae tune ever recorded.
Adioa ended up signing an album deal with Chris Blackwell’s Island records and toured the world endlessly during the following years.
In 2012, François Hollande was the first French President to officially mention and pay tribute to the Thiaroye massacre in a speech.
Die britischen URNE melden sich mit ihrem zweiten Album 'A Feast On Sorrow' zurück!
Es gibt Zeiten im Leben, in denen es sich anfühlt, als ob die Dunkelheit das Licht verschluckt. Leid. Verlust. Die Leere, die folgt. Aus der Ferne können wir uns gegen die düstere Unausweichlichkeit von Krankheit, Demenz und Verfall im Alter stemmen, aber wenn man sich näher mit ihren Auswirkungen befasst, erscheint es leicht, sich einen verborgenen Dämon auszumalen, der sich an dem verursachten Elend labt. Aus diesem Schmerz heraus entstand Urnes brachiales zweites Album 'A Feast On Sorrow'. Der Nachfolger ihres Debüts 'Serpent & Spirit' entstand mit Gitarrist Angus Neyra, Schlagzeuger James Cook und der überraschenden Unterstützung von Gojira-Frontmann Joe Duplantier im New Yorker Silver Cord Studio.
- A1: The Wasteland
- A2: Know Your Honor
- A3: Introduction "Let's Experiment
- A4: Spiral Jetty
- A5: Rule By Being Just
- B1: Pure Radio Cosplay
- B2: Weight Of The Sun (Or The Post-Modern Prometheus)
- B3: The Ship Impossible
- B4: Summer Of All Dead Souls
- B5: Strange Epiphany
- B6: Pure Radio Cosplay (Reprise)
- C1: Cover The Days Like A Tidal Wave
- C2: Racing And Hunting
- C3: Fall Of The Empire
- C4: Ebb Away
- C5: The Fairlight Pendant
Black Vinyl[25,63 €]
Reissue of the 2011 album Tao of the Dead by American alternative rock band ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of The Dead. First time available on vinyl since its release year. Features a replica of the original comic book insert. Tao of the Dead is their seventh album. The band stripped down to its core four-piece lineup for the record, deviating from the past two records that featured a filled-out six-piece band. This resulted in a stripped-down record with heavy emphasis on guitar. It’s a two-part record, each side with a specific musical tuning; Part One in D and Part Two in F. The album can be listened to as 16 different movements or two lengthy tracks. Part One: Tao Of The Dead is split into eleven tracks, whereas Part Two: Strange News From Another Planet is five songs combined into one. Lead singer Conrad Keely described the album's composition; "It's the way I listened to albums when I was a kid, seeing as some of my favorite records were Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, Yes' Relayer and Close to the Edge... I always liked listening to records that were just a continuous piece, like an orchestra or a symphony."
Die bereits mehrfach für die GRAMMYs nominierte brasilianische Sängerin Bebel Gilberto veröffentlicht ihr mittlerweile achtes Studioalbum 'João'. Das Album ist eine Sammlung von Liedern ihres Vaters João Gilberto, der weithin als Erfinder und Wegbereiter des Bossa Novas gilt und 2019 nach einer 70-jährigen Musikkarriere verstarb. Bebel begann schon als kleines Kind mit ihm zu singen und die Lieder, die sie nun in neuem Gewand präsentiert, begleiten sie schon ihr ganzes Leben - 'João' ist ihr ganz persönlicher Liebesbrief an João Gilberto und seine Musik.
- A1: Island Band – Idle Hours 4 55
- A2: Chaz Jankel – Manon Manon 4 56
- A3: Gilbert O’sullivan – So What (Nail Edit) 8 44*
- B1: Rheinzand – Kills And Kisses (Scorpio Twins Remix) 8 10*
- B2: Canada High – Le Chiffre 5 02*
- B3: Lanowa – Burning Up 6 38*
- C1: Khruangbin – So We Won’t Forget (Mang Dynasty Irreverent Dub) 7 16*
- C2: Fernando – 1998 7 00*
- C3: Debbe& The Code – Code Of Love 6 02
- D1: Jana Koubková - Nijána 6 15
- D2: Ipg V Hot Toddy – Open Space 7 32*
- D3: Smashed Atoms & Backdoor Man – Hey Dreamer 6 50*
This July the esteemed scribe, proper DJ, and discreetly deft twiddler Bill Brewster, drops the latest instalment in his ‘After Dark’ series, for Late Night Tales.
A throbbing, louche and leisurely affair, groove is very much at the heart of this freestyle selection, a vibe which Bill de- scribes as “a basement, a red light and a sound system. Or, as the Beastie’s once rapped, slow and low, that is the tempo”.
There’s Hawaiian drum machine bossa balearica from Island Band, percussive afro post punk from Czech jazz singer Jana Koubkova, and breathy-bubbling-dubwise-slap-bass-soul from Debbe& The Code.
There’s also sultry deep house mood music from Lanowa, infectious bouncy jazz funk breaks from Canada High, and Nail’s life affirming re-edit of singer songwriter Gilbert O Sullivan’s electro pop gem ‘So What’.
Bill’s own studio skills are present and correct too, featuring an undulating bassy version of country troubadour Jeb Loy Nichols, reworked along Alex Tepper under their Hotel Motel moniker, and a chugged-up squelchy disco take on Khruang- bin, this time paired with Raj Gupta, as Mang Dynasty.
Chock full of exclusives, tracks are either completely brand new, or available digitally for the first time, whilst others are wallet-rinsing rarities if purchased elsewhere. Whichever way you slice it though, every tune is a highlight, working equally well as standalone nuggets, or within Bill’s fluidly cohesive mix.
Whether he’s taking the roof off a club with his unique selec- tion of deep and tough house music, enchanting a backroom with a genre-bending set of disco, Balearic, rock and hip hop or playing chillout music in a bay in Croatia, Bill Brewster is the man for all occasions.
In a former life, Bill was a punk rocker, a chef and also the co-editor of football magazine When Saturday Comes but has been a record nerd all of his life. He began DJing in the 1980s, but came into his own in the early 1990s, particularly during a two-year stint in New York running DMC’s office, where nights at the Sound Factory and hanging out with Danny Tenaglia gave him the musical grounding you can still hear in his music today.
Bill was also one of the founding residents at Fabric in London, a position he held for five years. There are few still playing regularly today that have his dedication, eclecticism and encyclopedic knowledge of music.
His parallel life is as a writer, and with his long-term part- ner-in-crime Frank Broughton, they have written four books together, including the acclaimed ‘Last Night A DJ Saved My Life’ (latest edition published last July), ‘How To DJ (Prop- erly)’ and ‘The Record Players’.
He has been working in the industry’s fringes for over 40 years including the running of various labels from Twisted UK and Forensic in the ’90s to Disco Sucks and Anorak in the noughties.
He is one of NTS radio’s new residents for 2023 and his ‘Low Life Loves You’ show is available on the first Tuesday of every month.
Eli Escobar returns for his 9th full length LP. While his last few projects found him exploring downtempo beats, EBM and ambient in§uences, this latest offering of Eli's studio craftsmanship marks a return to the sound of his early releases like Up All Night and Happiness. Warm samples expertly woven into classic drum machine rhythms and searing synth lines, The Beach Album takes listeners on a journey through golden era hip hop beats, feel-good NYstyled house grooves into sweaty techno bangers. Similar to Eli's DJ sets, the 16 track long player has something for everyone. Created during the uncertainty of the pandemic when as Eli put it, "It didn't feel like the right time to release dance music," The Beach album celebrates the return of NY nightlife and optimism for the future.
Die Australier VOYAGER legen mit ihrem brandneuen Album "Fearless in Love" ihren bisher epischsten Electro-Progressive-Pop-Metal vor.
Das Album ist eine berauschende Mischung aus 80er Jahre Synthpop und modernem Progressive Metal und bietet ihr bisher mitreißendstes und hymnischstes Werk.
Mit den Eurovision-Favoriten "Promise" und "Dreamer", dem pulsierenden "Prince of Fire", dem beschwingten "Submarine" und vielem mehr ist "Fearless in Love" Prog-Metal auf höchstem Niveau, der alle Genregrenzen und Erwartungen sprengt!
On June 16th momentum continues apace for Alex Paterson’s Orbscure records, with the new album by Chocolate Hills – his duo project with Paul Conboy. Purveying world class melodic ambience and plenty beyond, colours in this high-fidelity-headphone-wonderland range from languid chill, kitsch exotica, library music, space age pop, ye olde folk and even drum and bass – all seasoned with (in)appropriately random plunderphonics from Paterson’s infinite goodie bag. Loosely based around a nautical journey to the Bermuda triangle and back, this is a fantastic voyage, but seas remain calm – more ‘Life Aquatic’ than ‘Moby Dick’. Tracks gently bob and float on bass which is roomy and buoyant like the hull of a ship, whilst luxuriously fluffy clouds meander overhead, before their vessel dives deep below to marvel at aquatic delights, guided by sonar. Paul Conboy’s approach as a member of cult analogue tinkerers Metamono – who use no computers, only old pre-digital gear – has carried over into his new joint venture. Both groups write, record and perform at same time, then later edit for release. For ‘Yarns from the Chocolate Triangle’ Paul set himself and Alex up with assorted gear, including a record deck, synths and drum machines, then the pair recorded the raw version of the album on the fly. These long live jams where then then discreetly augmented, embellished and edited, with a nip and tuck in Logic. As well as releases as A.P.E. on Dorado and Far Out recordings, TV and film scores plus his ongoing membership in Metamono, Conboy recorded three albums as part of Bomb The Bass, with whom he also toured Australia jointly with The Orb. On a boat trip over to Bali, Paul made Paterson pancakes, and their friendship was sealed. Having stayed in contact, many years later the duo began an exploration of ideas with their 2019 debut ‘A Pail Of Air’ on Painted World records (who’ve also released records by Nik Turner from Hawkwind, Youth, Roger Eno and Jaz Coleman). So far the duo have performed a low key gig at Paterson’s unofficial lair The Book And Record Bar, plus a bigger stage at the Roundhouse, alongside Leftfield, GAS, Ulrich Schnauss and System 7. Clearly making a lasting impression on Alex, the duo’s name was first referenced on The Orb’s own ‘Chocolate Hills Of Bohol’ remix of their single ‘Assassin’ in 1992, which was the same year Alex got blown away when visiting the prehistoric geological formations and enchanting jungles of the Bohol province in the Philippines.
The brilliantly entitled 1619 Bad Ass Band covered myriad different styles from mellow sound to furious funk on their superlative and self-titled debut long player back in 1976. Two of it's standout tunes now get pulled and pressed on this red hot 7" from P-Vine, complete with a flip-back sleeve.
That LP is a rare one amongst the famous TSG catalogue and first up from it is the mid-tempo dance gem 'Nothing Can Stop My Loving You' while on the flip there is the more heavy funk sound of 'Step Out' which anyone who has listened to any DJ Shadow will know he sampled.
Freestyle Records presents Albert "Alchemist" Thompson's Promise Land, an EP featuring vocals from reggae & dancehall greats Frankie Paul, Joseph Cotton, Prince Malachi & Anthony John, representing a musical collection that has gradually evolved, matured & marinated over the course of the past 32 years - now finally seeing it's first ever release.
Albert Thompson (brother to the great Peter Chemist) was chief engineer at the storied I&I Sound Recording Studio after it moved it's base from Los Angeles to Jamaica in 1989, working with a wide range of heavyweight artists such as Dennis Brown, Bunny Wailer, Mighty Diamonds, Gregory Isaacs & many many more. During some studio downtime in early 1991, Albert laid down the rhythm track (itself a take on Aswad's Love Fire riddim, made most famous by Dennis Brown's iconic Promised land vocal track) with musical assistance from Tony Thomas.
16 years and a move to London later, Albert had founded his Alchemist Recording Studio on Brixton's Acre Lane in a space above the legendary Supertone Records - recording dubplates with talented local artists and touring Jamaican artists alike. Digging out the Promise Land tape, he proceeded to cut these 4 vocals on the version during the course of 2007. Another 16 years gone, and after hearing the tracks following a chance encounter with Albert in South East London, we felt they were finally ready to see release!
Following up on their accomplished first collaboration “Fever Dream” and its accompanying remix album “Parasomnia”, Snowbeasts & Solypsis head out on wax for the fantastic “Firelands” LP. The dependable industrial beats and synths of Snowbeasts programmer Robert Galbraith (also known to many as a superior mastering engineer), the haunting voice of Elizabeth Virosa, and the nefarious bass and electronics of the prolific Solypsis come together once again to produce a ride through a fiery terrain of slowed tempo, half-remembered nightmares, and cavernous low end. With vocals ranging from ethereal to evil, spooky grooves charting a pathway to inferno, and distortions applied at the perfect moments, Firelands is a memorable journey. Heavy on synthesizer funk, and intricate percussions to drive the beat, the album erupts with the black lava of downtempo destruction. Slow, driving horror and collaborative interplay make this a sophomore album worth taking home. For Fans Of: Scorn, Autechre, Insect Ark.drum
If 2021’s “Sometimes I Might Be Introvert” catapulted Simz into the big leagues, crashing into the top 5 of the albums charts, collecting Mercury Music Prize, Mobo, Ivor Novello and Brit Award wins and earning her the biggest live audiences yet in the UK and Europe yet, “NO THANK YOU” is yet another delicious left field turn for 29-year old Simbiatu Ajikawo.
Sleek, succinct and utterly propulsive, it’s Simz’ defiantly punk rock, two fingered salute to conformity and fame, and all the expectations and restrictions that come with. Recorded with her regular collaborator Inflo, this is Simz at her most free, daring and spontaneous.




















