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As its maiden release, Tbilisi Records presents the recordings by one of the essential Georgian jazz formations of the 1980s. Alexandre Kiladze's Jazz Choral, formed in 1985, featured an impressive lineup of 11 vocalists complemented by a full band. Alongside standards, the ensemble's material contained many outstanding, stylistically versatile originals lushly arranged into the layered vocal harmonies juxtaposed against the band's tuneful, dynamic play. The polyphony Jazz Choral displays draws equally from Georgian folklore and vocal jazz band tradition. This singular fusion of these two culturally distinct elements creates a remarkable listening experience often emulated by newer Georgian jazz formations thereafter.

An unexpected slice of psychedelic Caribbean jazz, with acoustic piano, steel drum and tripped-out conga solos. The soundtrack of that crazy dream where you hang out with Charles Mingus, Herbie Hancock and Mongo Santamaría, sipping up the juice of a freshly squeezed watermelon, under the palm trees of a beautiful beach in Port of Spain.

Building on the success of his Fumaca Preta and Conjunto Papa Upa projects, and a stint playing percussion for Altin Gun, Alex Figueira leads his “one-man funk band” motto into uncharted territory. Constantly looking for ways to expand his sonic palette and musical abilities, he takes on the self-imposed challenge of creating a more danceable and decidedly Caribbean approach to jazz. The result, for those familiar with his output, delivers on all fronts.

“Juicy” is groovy, catchy, trippy and leaves you wondering what exactly it is you're listening to. Drop this song at the beginning or end of any session and watch people come to you with a mixture of awe and joy, wondering which record this is. It will equally please casual dancers, obsessive vinyl heads and anybody looking for music that defies classification.

The flip side showcases once again Figueira’s irreverent production style. Imagine Jamaican melodica icon Augustus Pablo, calypso jazz godfather Ciryl Diaz and Brazilian legend Jackson do Pandeiro hanging around barely lit bars of questionable reputation in an unknown city, randomly placed in the extensive Kingston - Salvador da Bahia axis. They meet a group of lifelong skateboarders and receive a stoic sounding piece of advice that lifts their moods significantly: “to learn, you have to fall”. Words repeated incessantly since the dawn of time are delivered here, most likely for the very first time, over a swinging mix of melancholic calypso jazz, traditional forró, roots rockers reggae and guaguancó.

The unlikely mix of Latin American genres gets an unexpected Afro-Cuban twist towards the end and Figueira takes over the mic to speak directly to the listener. “You thought it was instrumental, right? Haha none of that”. Alex explains, “I was here mixing this song and when this part came I thought, what this needs is a little chorus”, emphasizing that it must be a “very tasty” one.

Lastly, he explains the origin of what he is about to sing, revisiting his childhood in Caracas “when I was a kid, the oldest skaters, those who did all the tricks, used to tell us, “to learn, you have to fall””, before the chorus break out, raising the song’s spiciness to its maximum heat reminding you how essential it is to “learn from your mistakes”.

My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross, ANOHNI"s sixth studio album, expresses a world view by shape-shifting through a broad range of subject matter. Through a personal lens, ANOHNI addresses loss of loved ones, inequality, alienation, acceptance, cruelty, ecocide, devastation wrought by Abrahamic theologies, Future Feminism, and the possibility that we might yet transform our ways of thinking, our spiritual ideas, our societal structures, and our relationships with the rest of nature. On her first full album since 2016"s HOPELESSNESS, she explains the creative process was painstaking, yet also inspired, joyful, and intimate, a renewal and a renaming of her response to the world as she sees it. "Some of these songs respond to global and environmental concerns first voiced in popular music over 50 years ago." ANOHNI"s approach since her last record has shifted from someone tasked with challenging global denial, to an artist seeking to support others on the front lines. "I learned with HOPELESSNESS that I can provide a soundtrack that might fortify people in their work, in their activism, in their dreaming and decision-making. I can sing of an awareness that makes others feel less alone, people for whom the frank articulation of these frightening times is not a source of discomfort but a cause for identification and relief. On "It Must Change," ANOHNI soulfully describes systems in collapse with a note of compassion for humanity: "The truth is I always thought you were beautiful in your own way // That"s why this is so sad." ANOHNI"s voice is sensual and smoothed, selectively reaching to the edges of what it can contain. "We"re not getting out of here // No one"s getting out of here // This is our world," she murmurs. A portrait of legendary human rights activist Marsha P. Johnson taken by Alvin Baltrop features on the cover, reflecting a 25-year relationship with the memory of Johnson that ANOHNI has held space for in the presentation of her own work. Elsewhere, the album artwork states "IT"S TIME TO FEEL WHAT"S REALLY HAPPENING". In some ways it feels as if she is reaching across her life"s expression, and has found a moment of unique composure, wearing her long exploration of disarming intensity, with the maturity of a painter carefully choosing her colors. "I want the work to be useful, to help others move through these conversations we are now facing, to move with dignity and resilience through this bitter dawning."

Catalogue number zero on Gelly. Dedicated ambient rhythm textures by Antep Haze.

Strap in for another standout release from Hell Yeah, and their final 12" of the year. 'Lagos Connect' is a one-off dance floor bomb from Aura Safari, one of the hottest names on the Italian electronic-jazz-funk circuit. Vocals come from Nigerian singer Villy and the artwork is by long-time label collaborator Andrea Amaducci who finishes off this package in style.

Aura Safari are Alessandro Deledda, Andrea Moretti, Lorenzo Lavoratori, Daniele Melloni and Nicholas Iammatteo. They contributed to the first volume of the Buena Onda compilation in 2020 and released the critical acclaimed Hotel Mediterraneo EP after years entrenched in the local scene of Perugia, attending the Umbria Jazz Festival every summer and legendary Red Zone Club during winter, both of which shaped the sound of Aura Safari. Now, they showcase their good-time grooves and vibrant vibes on two brilliant new tracks.

'Lagos Connect' is a gloriously upbeat tune that brims with musicality. The bass is fat, the chords seductive and the guitars slide in and out with funky charm. It immediately drops you in the middle of an open-air dance floor in high summer. Villy's soulful lyrics are socially and politically aware. They talk of living life with good vibrations even in the face of adversity. They speak of how society views those less fortunate and of staying true to yourself. They add realness and emotion to a sizzling and timeless track that will unite hearts and minds around the world. A reprise, radio edit and dub mix are also included, then 'Moving Rivers' ups the jazz-funk. It's another majestic arrangement packed with dazzling Rhodes chords, crashing drums and squelchy bass that demand that you move every limb in your body.

Keep yourself warm this winter with this pair of irresistible dance floor heaters from Aura Safari.

New York-based label Kindergarten Records is thrilled to unveil Ayesha’s debut album, ‘Rhythm is Memory’ – 10 boundary-pushing tracks, a shape-shifting percussive journey with electric moments.
While intended for maximum dancefloor impact, Ayesha’s first LP is also conceptually thought-provoking and playful, exploring how bodies store and channel creative knowledge.

A self-taught producer, Ayesha relies on her instincts to make music: sensing what her body wants to feel and hear. To her, essential to building a groove is channeling what is already inside us –
memories – whether they are based on lived experience or coded in the body: culturally, ancestrally, or intergenerationally. The result is this Indian-American producer’s distinct rhythmic voice, with its
many configurations boldly expressed across her debut album.

Kindergarten first released Ayesha’s material in 2020 with her ‘Natural Phenomena’ EP, a four-track journey which she described as “an undulating love letter to nature and the dancefloor, a space
where her biophilia collides with her yearning for the dancefloor.” Subsequently, she continued to build upon her luminous, scintillating sound with a contribution to ‘Fluo II’ titled “Aspara Dub”, followed
by “Varanasi” and “Downpour” on ‘Ether’, a split release with Sha Ru in 2021. With each release, Ayesha's sound evolved, adding shades, layers, and perpetual rhythmic nuance to a mind palace of
dancefloor possibilities.

That is why her and Kindergarten are a perfect match -- driven by their mutual fascination with exploratory sonics and a shared commitment to the community that inspires them. Kindergarten
Records has shaped itself into a trailblazing label, uniting a diverse and innovative collective of local and international producers, while embodying a strong familial atmosphere.This debut LP represents
a significant step-up for both the artist and the imprint, as they strive harmoniously towards a shared goal: delivering a sonic experience full of colorful, otherworldly bass-fueled expansion.

‘Rhythm is Memory’ captures Ayesha’s signature love for driving techno and organic percussion, while at moments veering into newer electro territory while keeping it psychedelic, spacious, dubby, and
always playful. This feels intuitively right for a producer at a crossroads in her career. All tracks intricately weave together pulsing drum grooves, slinky synths, nuanced melodies, and delightfully
unexpected twists. No single genre can do justice to describing this project as Ayesha delicately nods to many, reveling in the spaces between.

Undoubtedly, across A and B sides, 'Rhythm is Memory' imparts the joy of sonic experimentation to listeners and dancers. Ayesha invites us into her creative process and its steady evolution – rooted in
many days and nights of exploration, reflection, and repetition. "The ritual practice of cultivating and tending a garden is what comes to mind if I were to visualize this record. Beautiful things can emerge
from care and consistent attention," says Ayesha. While she refers to her specific experience making 'Rhythm is Memory,' this powerful album culminates a decade of working in nightlife for Ayesha – a
project slated to leave an indelible mark on the underground. To mark this impressive milestone in their catalog, Kindergarten Records is proud to return to pressing vinyl after a hiatus since 2020,
recognizing the significance of putting out a physical release to behold such a moment in both the label's and the artist's trajectory.

After the successful 7-inch release of Agip, Roman producer and composer Azzurro 80 is back on Four Flies with another triple-single that continues his love affair with dreamy synth-pop and Italian Eighties culture and society.

"Notte Inchiesta", on side A, could be the title music to an imaginary '80s investigative/true-crime program broadcast on late-night television. Clearly reminiscent in mood and texture of the soundtracks of late-70s/early-80s Italian detective-action films, it brings back the jazz-funk, post-prog and fusion overtones that characterized the music of those films. In short: a contemporary-retro sound nestled somewhere between Goblin's funk-oriented recordings, Azymuth's "Jazz Carnival", and electronic disco with a sprinkle of new wave.

Side B opens with "Equilibrio", which could serve as additional, more dynamic music for the same TV program mentioned above. The style is once againelectronic jazz-funk, but here we have abreak built upon a trail of notes chasing each other.

In contrast, "Sambuca", the single's closer, is deliberately nostalgic and melancholy. Perfectly suitable for visual narratives of an Italy that no longer exists, it sounds like one of those great Italian soundtrack themes that are able to convey tension and calm at the same time. The track is titled after the anise-flavoured liqueur that Italians often drink after their espresso, because "making references in my music to things that are part of our national popular culture is really important to me", as the artist has explained.

repressed !

After an amazing debut 12inch for Slices Of Life in April 2012, we are happy to announce a follow up EP of BAAZ with three massive and rolling house pieces.
- Swimmer' on the A-side comes right in time for the 2013´s summer season with it´s strong driving beats and drifting chords that awake your lust to run through high summer grass. - Can´t get enough' (B1) is a warm sounding bundle of energy with weird vocal samples and light footed percussions that fit perfectly on a cosy dancefloor. - Chummy', the 2nd track on the B side,  starts with a very dry and simple 4/4 bassdrum + snare figure before building up into a driving dubby disco piece carried by a nicely filtered loop and Baaz´s typical open high hats.
The Berlin based Baaz stays true to his unique style of producing house music and again convinces with pure and powerful beat structures, warm basslines, clear strings and floating chords, from which it is difficult to tear oneself away.

Heavyweight vinyl, gatefold sleeve, colour, download card etc.
After captivating the scene with different singles and EPs released on labels such as Crosstown Rebels, Clown & Sunset and All Day I Dream, Be Svendsen presents his first full-length album entitled 'Between a Smile and Tear'

Be Svendsen - Dancefloor heavy hitter and pioneer of the desert-tech sound, releases his first full length album on Copenhagen's Music For Dreams label. Here he reaches beyond the dusty dance floors that brought him recognition, and connects with nostalgic roots of music from his childhood. After a series of very well received singles and ep's on labels like Crosstown Rebels and All Day I Dream, we now get a deeper peep into what it's like Be'ing Svendsen.

Between A Smile a Tear is a wide spanning album in terms of mood, instrumentation, tempi and style, with clear references that reach back to a time where experimental innocence met the futuristic and forward thinking. Be Svendsens describes his music as 'Tarantino Techno'. He brings in emotional guitar melodies and dry strings, and adds it to his club universe where moods can change in an instant. With many talented musicians featured on the album, Be Svendsen shows us his diversity that spans from innovative deep new-disco cuts, galactic journey melodies, analogue ambient atmosphere to classic song writing, soundtrack'esque epicness, and a deep-tech organic collaboration with Henri Texier. We even get a taste of Be Svendsens own vocals.

The four horsemen are the rhythm section of The 18th Parallel riding down the plains to the sound of an heavyweight stepper inspired by the late 70s playing of the Revolutionaries at Channel One. Slow, refined and powerful, the interaction of the drums, bass and organ leaves room to an otherworldly horns chant calling everyone to dance and sing along. Probably one of Fruits Records heaviest release ever!

The first 7“ of this series features Spanish based UK singer Benjammin known for his superb work with Roberto Sánchez. He chants down all ‘Warmongers’. His singing style reminiscent of BurningSpear’s greatest days sends shivers down your spine! Dub by Roberto Sánchez on the flip.

Warehouse find!

While the German producer Martin Matiske averages a new release under his given name every few years, there was a long stretch of time in which sightings of his Blackploid alias were much more rare. After dropping an EP for Frustrated Funk in 2006, fans found further material hard to come by over the next decade or so. However, Matiske has reinvigorated Blackploid in recent times, with the project making a few compilation appearances and dropping a couple of EPs across 2020.

That run now culminates inCosmic Traveler, a four-track affair which marks Matiske's debut appearance on Sheffield's Central Processing Unit. Given the long wait, it's great just to see Blackploid back among the fray once again. But for the project's CPU curtain-raiser to be an EP of such high-quality techno jams? Now that really is spoiling us.

Cosmic Traveler's title nods towards the sort of stargazing aesthetics one finds in classic Detroit techno. However, while there are undoubtedly ties to the Motor City in this music, the record ultimately steers less towards spacious atmospherics and more towards the taut, lean machine-funk of seminal practitioners like Dopplereffekt.

Matiske sets his stall out from the off. Opener 'Electric Engine' begins with a run of stiff-necked 808 kicks before hissing hi-hats, a grizzly bassline and all manner of futuristic sounds enter to warp the tune into hyperspace. Following cut 'Night Drive' repeats the trick of 'Electric Engine' but adds a pleasingly dinky synth lead in order to nudge itself slightly towards bleep-techno territory.

The two cuts on Cosmic Traveler's B-side are pure late-night goodness, a pair of mid-set heaters primed for dark basements. 'Pleasure Activism' delivers on the promise of its title and then some, pushing the Kraftwerk template to extremes by bringing a load of gnarly synth lines into play over a wobbling acidic chug. Finally, EP closer 'The Race' is reminiscent of both the twisted machine-funk of Gerald Donald's Japanese Telecom project and the playful modern evolutions of artists like fellow CPU high-flyer Jensen Interceptor.

The resurgence of Martin Matiske's Blackploid project continues withCosmic Traveller, an EP of timeless electro-funk and techno.

FFO: Dopplereffekt, Japanese Telecom, Jensen Interceptor, Cardopusher

Bobby Caldwell's second album, Cat In The Hat, from 1980, is one of his greatest moments and another masterwork of soulful sophistication. Featuring the eternal "Open Your Eyes", brilliantly sampled by J Dilla for Common's "The Light", it's about as essential as records get. Like its eponymous predecessor, it's been out of print for far too long. To finally release the hugely-anticipated reissue is one of our sincerely proudest moments.

Whilst Ned Doheny is known in Japan as "Mr California", native New Yorker Bobby Caldwell has always been "Mr AOR" to his Far-Eastern friends. His distinct charm is an irresistible blend of soul, jazz, and pop influences. He possessed phenomenal songwriting prowess, smooth vocal performances, was both a great soul guitarist and dextrous keyboard player and known for genius chord progressions. It all added up to a multi-layered brilliance entering the studio, and the singular sound he landed on was laced with soulful, sweeping strings and funky horns, touching lightly on disco, while allowing his supple voice to carry the stunning tracks he'd crafted.

Right from the off, it's easy to tell that Cat In The Hat is a deeply special record. It's fantastically produced and incredibly well-rounded, carving its own lane with deep soul, warm jazz and a stunning vocal delivery that really helped Bobby reach out to some big new audiences at the time. Goosebumps at the ready for the rolling power-piano funk of "Coming Down From Love", opening up the album with a track as good as anything Steely Dan or The Doobies ever crafted, with a vocal performance from the heavens. Pumping AOR wonder "Wrong Or Right" is up there with the slick, classy rhythms of prime Ned Doheny whilst the cool, skipping soul of guitar-drenched "To Know What You've Got" is a funky ballad par excellence, with elemental traces of "What A Fool Believes". No bad thing. Closing out Side A, the folk-funk of "You Promised Me" is a bright, soulful strut with a wonderful vocal coda that just builds. Sensational.

The delicate bounce and falsetto self-harmonising of "It's Over" offers a truly delightful introduction to Side B, and serves as a great precursor to what follows. Bobby's dynamite "Open Your Eyes" is likely the reason you're all here. As if he needed it, the eternal J Dilla further immortalised Caldwell in the hip-hop canon with his production of Common’s epochal “The Light,” which heavily samples the magical “Open Your Eyes.” On a post paying tribute to Bobby in March 2023, Questlove claimed that he "got word Brother Bobby loved it". Bobby's original has seen new life even more recently from the likes of Dwele and Kendrick Lamar and deservingly so, as its insistent drums and staccato piano created a modern-soul classic. You'd think that would be hard to follow, wouldn't you? Not so, when you're Bobby Caldwell. Indeed, the horn-drenched stepper "Mother Of Creation" is absolutely ace, and, whisper it, possibly the album's finest track, all funky piano and guitars with horn lines to die for. Exquisite ballad "I Don't Want To Lose Your Love" rounds out the album beautifully.

Bobby sadly passed away on 23rd March 2023, after a long struggle with mitochondrial damage and oxidative stress, due to an adverse effect from a fluoroquinolone antibiotic. The reissue of Cat In The Hat will be available on vinyl across the globe, ensuring that fans of his incomparable talent - and soul music enthusiasts worldwide - can radiate in the deep beauty of this seminal album. Meticulously remastered and cut by both Simon Francis and Cicely Balston respectively, it has been pressed to the highest possibly quality at Record Industry in Holland.

Following 2022' acclaimed 'Topical Dancer' album with Charlotte Adigéry, here comes 'Letter To Yu', the debut solo album by Bolis Pupul : produced by fellow Belgians Soulwax & released on DEEWEE/Because Music. Exploring many themes including loss, grief, ancestry, culture, belonging/not belonging and identity. It's no coincidence that Bolis Pupul's music sounds the way it does. Born in Belgium to a Chinese mother and Belgian father and raised in the super-cool creative city of Ghent, Bolis' music is a joyous cross-cultural assemblage. Mixing widescreen electronica with the warm-hearted and wonky naivete of Belgian New Beat, Bolis' singular sonics are at once playful, emotive, unrelenting and tender. The real key to unlocking Bolis' musical secret, however, is that conversation he has between his Eastern and Western roots. The creation of the album is built around Bolis' trip to Hong Kong earlier this year, made to reconnect with his late mother's roots.

Bosq & Pat Kalla unite again for an uptempo disco funk floor filler with blazing horns, heavy percussion and disco tinged guitar & bass. Pat’s vocals, alternating between his trademark falsetto & hypnotic chants, perfectly tie together the tracks 70’s Funk, Disco & Afro influences.

The B-Side dub mix is a perfect DJ tool that focuses on the percussion breakdown, stretching out the groove and pushing the drums to the forefront.

Carla Durisch unveils her debut EP ‘I Just Wanna Dance’ on Crosstown Rebels, with long-standing label favourite and close friend Seth Troxler on remix duties.

An exciting name who looks set for a breakout year in 2023, DJ/producer Carla Durisch is an artist whose passion and deep- rooted understanding of electronic music led to her being marked as a talent to keep an eye on. An integral part of the Swiss electronic and club landscape through residencies at the likes of Nordstern (Basel), plus both Hive and Zukunft (Zurich), her recent explorations within the studio have seen her deep and groove-led style translate into her own productions. These explorations are on display for the very first time as she debuts on Damian Lazarus’ renowned Crosstown Rebels imprint, following appearances at Get Lost in Miami and Watergate Berlin, plus forthcoming Ibiza sets alongside the label boss this summer at Hï.

Led by the captivating words of Nanghiti and Carla’s own vocals ‘I Just Wanna Dance’ is a warping and colourful ride through rich synths, refined drums and bright stabs as it builds and descends across an engrossing near-seven-minute journey. Next, ‘Be The Thing is a stripped-back, hypnotic house effort as snaking percussion merges with sharp lead melodies and further vocal interjections.

Needing little introduction, Seth Troxler’s remix of the title cut is an example of the American at his best, fusing bubbling acid-dipped bass patterns with skittering percussion and surging synth lines for a trippy, late-night take. To close, ‘4AM’ picks up those early hours sonics as crisp claps, echoed vox snippets and dubby grooves take a hold.

Monsieur Dimitri from Paris works his magic on Casbah 73's organic disco grooves with a remix treatment that surpasses all expectations.

'To Be Free' and 'Doing Our Own Thing' had a fantastic response when released on 12", at the end of 2019. It received wide support from people in the know like Red Greg, Danny Krivit, Folamour, Soul Clap, Kenny Dope and many others. The first pressing quickly sold out and the tracks were sounding strong on discerning dancefloors until, well, "The Thing" hit and everything stopped.

Despite this, the record has continued to grow by word of mouth, and so we thought it would be wonderful to have a 7" version with an edit or even a remix of the jazzy funky disco banger 'Doing Our Own Thing'. No one better than Dimitri from Paris for the job, one of the DJs who happened to tell us he loved the track. His two-part edit of 'Doing Our Own Thing' is a bomb that will make people dance for years to come.

Die Erfolgsgeschichte von Charlie Cunningham entwickelt sich weiter.

Der britische Musiker hat bereits über eine halbe Milliarde Streams erreicht und steht kurz vor seinem 500. Auftritt.
In seinem Heimatland Großbritannien spielte er bereits unter anderem in Londons berühmter Queen Elizabeth Hall, während seine Fangemeinde außerhalb des Vereinigten Königreichs organisch
gewachsen ist und Charlie regelmäßig in den renommiertesten Konzertsälen Europas auftritt.

Charlie Cunninghams charakterstarke Songs zwischen melancholischem Klavier und Akustikgitarre berühren das Publikum.
Zusammen mit seiner warmen Stimme entsteht etwas Zeitloses.

Auf seinem neuen Album "Frame" erweitert Charlie Cunningham seine
Singer-Songwriter-Wurzeln mit Art-Rock, Jazz- und Neo-Klassik-Referenzen.
Das dritte Album "Frame" zeigt eine Weiterentwicklung von Charlie Cunninghams Sound. In den Songs taucht Cunningham in die Themen des menschlichen Daseins ein: Herzschmerz, Spiritualität, Trauer und Klimaangst.
Charlie Cunningham hat aus seinen eigenen persönlichen
Beobachtungen und Erfahrungen universell nachvollziehbare Emotionen gesponnen.

ChôKô Enûma composition is a 170 BPM sweet captivating sparkling acid Hardtek tune exploring sweetness : Instead of getting more and more violent, it goes more and more Trance with its evolution... Rare kind of tune !

Statek composition is a roaring threatening acid tribal track, mental stable secret weapon.

This time again, Cult Collective deliver a super sound :
Mastered by StefanZMK
Cut by Simon Davey at The Exchange.
Visuals by Collision.
Pressed at records Industry.

Techno, Disco, Italo, Electronics, House, Library, Cosmic and Ambient frequencies - These are the bedrocks of the Midnight Drive ethos and sound. A label shining a light on overlooked or unheralded creations and respectfully reissuing them for the contemporary audience. A label that respects and understands the connection between these disparate and sometimes forgotten forms of musical expression and celebrates them.

The third release on Midnight Drive takes us back to the heady days of 1984, New York City. We find Clive Stevens, a UK born saxophonist, producer, writer and poet whose career has seen him collaborate with artists like Manfred Mann, Gilberto Gil and Billy Cobham has assembled a truly staggering cast of international musicians known as 'Brainchild' to record an LP entitled 'Semjase' for Brazilian label Vôo Livre. The LP featured incredible session musicians whose CV's include work with some of the biggest names in popular music including Chic, Kate Bush, Miles Davis, David Bowie, Eric Clapton, Tom Petty and more (the list is endless). One track from this fairly obscure LP - 'Mystery Man' - somehow managed to find it's way into the hands of one of modern dance music's most intrepid DJ's and selectors, the legendary Daniele Baldelli. Based in Rimini, on Italy's Adriatic coast, Baldelli was famed for his Disco sets at beach-side, ultra-modern club 'Baia Degli Angele' where he was resident for a couple of years. Having served his time at the 'Italian Studio 54' throughout the late 1970's he built quite the reputation for being an adventurous selector, however, it was the second 1980's phase of his DJ career where things became even more open and interesting. Baldelli found himself helming a new wave of musical programming, where BPM, genre constraints and purist attitudes were ignored for wanton experimentation with records, a new feeling and style emerged from this called 'Cosmic', named after the club where he was now resident. This is where 'Mystery Man' comes in, now looked back on as a 'Cosmic classic' it was a special track that Baldelli favoured and can be heard in his self-distributed mixtapes from the time, it's a truly unique record melding electro-style programming with live percussion, synthesizers and vocals into a blistering slow motion Disco jam that stays with you for a long time afterwards and is the perfect example of the 'Cosmic sound'.

Here at midnight Drive we are honoured to be able to reissue this amazing track, but imagine our surprise when Clive Stevens emailed to say that he had the original 1984 session parts and that a remix could be an exciting proposition! We decided there could be only one choice for the remix, we needed people who understood the roots of the record, people who would respectfully reimagine the track while adding their own flavour, enter - Gerry Rooney and Joel Martin aka Velvet Season & The Hearts Of Gold. We gave them the '84 session parts with Clive's blessing and they turned in their 'Ever evolving ever transforming' remix. Gerry and Joel's pedigree is impressive, Gerry helmed the infamous Black Cock re-edit's label with DJ Harvey way back in the mists of time and is a respected DJ and selector across the globe. Joel is one half of the cult Quiet Village project and his Disco mixes as DJ Zeus and reputation as a world-class collector and DJ is unparalleled. Arguably the best men for the job! Velvet Seasons have carved out a deservedly celebrated reputation as remixers and editors of note over the last 5 years or so and this, their wondrous, sprawling, dubbed out mix of 'Mystery Man' is definitely a high-point. Midnight Drive is hugely proud to be able to offer this classic record with a brand new remix to you - our most trusted and valued listener.

In the music, such as in the life, musn't exist infrastructures which could block or limit feeling transmission and irrationality in thought.,,Beautifull and retrospective sound theories from Cobo, K Alexi and Gari Romalis.,,
Each track here is different from the last, and each remixes is a refreshing proposition, from two House Masters, of a Chicago sexy tune. Dont miss Flamingo Hipanema

Debut vinyl by Cruz Perro Maldito, a Tenerife based trio forever imbued in the collective imagination and folklore myths of the magical and misty mountain of Agua García, located in Tacoronte district at the foot of Teide Volcano (Tenerife/Canary Islands). Their music is an explosion of free jazz improv where sophisticated sound textures emerg-ing from modular synths and processed guitar create abstract and random rhythmic patterns with complex saxophone lines guiding the ensemble from quiet to menacing passages of sudden bursts of noise and frenzy.


Entitled Truquetin Resorte, the album takes inspiration from the rich history of mechanical automata, such as Talos, the bronze giant who defended the island of Crete and was eventually defeated by Jason and his Argonauts. Or Apega de Nabis, a replica of King Nabis’ wife whom crossed unsuspecting victims with its iron spikes hidden in the device's lower arms, hands and breasts.

Or even René Descartes and his infamous daughter- like Automaton replica, an eerie creation from the renown philosopher to evoke his dead daughter
These myths and more serve as reminder of a mechanical world’s past, a world of complex automata stories with me-chanic ‘imitating’ beings as its problematic protagonists. An eerie counterpoint to our current uber modern digital world and its rapid advancing A.I.s.

Chicago House legends Marshall Jefferson and Curtis McClain together again for the first time since they unleashed 'Move Your Body (The House Music Anthem)' in 1986 on the pioneering Trax Records Chicago based label. Curtis is back singing over four new tracks that Marshall has written. This is House royalty at its very, very best.

The lights are low and the champagne is on ice.

Welcome to the mysterious parallel universe of David Fostex and a stellar cast of Yacht Rock legends, supervised by Shawn "Silver Fox" Lee.

Irlam's infamous upstarts DJ Absolutely Shit are at it again with four more tracks to rattle yer spines and rupture yer spleens.
Utilizing the classic approach of sourcing a sick sample, adding a rugged breakbeat, then tweaking out the buzz for maximum enjoyment, the pair deliver an explosive EP of global hypercoloured mayhem that burns hotter than an oz of 'Ells Angels sputnik.

'Bridge To Your Heart' grabs Sade by the hand, shoves two purple doves down her throat and queue-jumps to the front of Bowlers for an endorphin-rushing hardcore workout full of modern beat engineering and sample manipulation.

Switching approach, 'Bolivia' shuns the dreamy feminism for an altogether more masculine affair - roping in the Wu for an argy-bargy, elbows-out speaker shaker full of hi-definition laser stabs and destructive, land mine subs.

Hitting the accelerator, 'Rocking You Eternally' traverses the jungle boarders in a blacked out Nova, Ab Shit's flair and panache at drum programming and contemporary production chops beautifully on show throughout this big system roller with a carp-hunting vocal hook.

'Gong' closes off proceedings, merging moods inna more seductive flavour. E-soaked pianos and a gentle throb coaxing us to that end-of-night climax that'll have us humming the piano line all the way down the M65 home.

No jokes cru, this is some of the best tackle to emerge outta the DJ Absolutely Shit studio to date. One of two, vinyl-only EPs and ahead of their debut album that follows on C90 tape.

Boing boing boing, boing boing boing, boing boing!!

It's the one all the massive have been waiting for! Part 2 of the Salford sage - DJ Absolutely Shit's 'Memoirs Of A Crust Monster'. More hyped up tear outs, soundsystem ruffage, and bass 'n breaks love songs from our Hell's Angel-dodging beat freak.

Kicking things off with glowing neons and super-charged subs is 'Higher', a modern jungle monster decorated with classic hip-hop samples and a well known diva vox squealing through the melee.
A serious 'watch your bassbins' track - RL HQ have safety tested this on the most robust car stereo systems and so far have yet to avoid any cabinet damage - proceed with caution!

'Lost In Space' rolls outta the speaker stacks with a b-boy swagger and loose breaks. A tribute to classic breakdance electro galvanized with Ab Shit's intricate trademark production chops. You'll want to crack out your finest red Puma classics and a slick tracksuit for this one.

Onto 'Out On Love' and between you and me, someone needs to call the social service for samples - as it's unlikely you'll ever witness a more blatant case of sample molestation. Squeezing every last drop out of a catchy piano lick, TV snippet and drum break; the track really does highlight the unrivaled programming prowess of our Irlam renegade who's taken SP1000 trickery to its absolute zenith.

'Money Talks' sees our cheeky ragamuffin dictate a life affirming sunrise over Pomona - pre-gentrification of course; a thousand smiles and memories of old Mancunia shimmering in the early morning industrial haze. And an abject slight at those who put profits above people - another poignant ode to our changing cityscape driven by the most addictive boogie-based groove and clattering Linn drums.

Spine-tingles and fanny flutters guaranteed ALL DAY on this one cru!
Look out for the full 16 track album due on C90 cassette and digi download coming very soon...

RL x

Tom Zé and Faust collide in Domenico Lancellotti's "machine samba"

Domenico Lancellotti's SRAMBA reaches back to the roots of samba whilst completely revamping its blueprint, indoctrinating guitar and percussion-led rhythms with analogue synthesisers, courtesy of album producer Ricardo Dias Gomes.

The majority of SRAMBA was recorded over two months in The Cave - Domenico's home studio in Lisbon, the city both Brazilian ex-pats reside in, where the arrival of a couple of Russian-designed synths purchased by Ricardo influenced the direction of their initial experimentation: "Ricardo had these instruments, modular machines" remembers Domenico, "and I had my guitar, some percussion instruments. On the first day we started making sounds and recording them, and songs started to appear, sambas started to appear."

The son of a renowned samba songwriter, at home Domenico would watch his father play and compose. At parties, the adults would hand his father a tamborim (a small tambourine) and ask him to play along. "I grew up inside samba, it's my roots", he says. "For me, everything is samba, I bring it into whatever style of music I am making".

Domenico and Ricardo instantly saw how the synthesisers were not at odds with the sambas they were playing, instead they had a similar sound to its typical percussion instruments (ganza, repinique, surdo, tarol). What's more, they saw a connection with roots samba, the samba that existed before bossa nova and samba jazz came along. This was rhythmic samba, with grooves that could go on ad infinitum. "It's samba de clave, geometrically structured" says Domenico. "It's ostinato samba", adds Ricardo.

"Diga" is a great example of what their proposal is capable of, as what begins as a glitchy machine whirring into action soon turns into a glorious samba in which the gurgles and scratchy beats coming from the analogue equipment only add to the arrangement. Likewise, on "Tá Brabo" it's an aching melody from one of the synths that gives the guitar rhythm its needed counterpoint, and shows how the duo's greatest accomplishment is not in invention alone, but in creating a great samba album. It's an album that can go from the opening track "Ere" with its reverberant bass thud, mantra-like vocals and staccato rhythms to the string-accompanied "Nada Sera de Outra Maneira", a swooning samba that pays tribute to the Brazilian ensemble Tamba Trio, who along with Tom Zé's Estudando O Samba, Domenico names as the biggest influence on their treatment of samba.

Other important reference points are made clear on "Um Abraço No Faust". One of three instrumentals on the album its title riffs off a JoãoGilberto song, "Um Abraço no Bonfá", but whereas JoãoGilberto was giving a hug (um abraço) to bossa nova guitarist Luiz Bonfá, Domenico and Ricardo are giving theirs to the German avant-gardists Faust. "Quem Samba", with its horn section and dramatic melody give a whiff of Domenico's Italian ancestry, while "Descomunal" is devoid of rhythm whatsoever, guest vocalist Tori singing over a bed of electronic drums, cello and swirling synths, that highlights the duo's unwillingness to stick to a particular formula.

Both Domenico Lancellotti and Ricardo Dias Gomes are revered names within Brazilian music over the past 20 years. As a member of the +2's, with Moreno Veloso and Kassin, Domenico released a trio of albums on Luaka Bop in the early 00s that pioneered a new Rio samba sound with elements of funk and psychedelia. With Veloso and Kassin he would later form Orquestra Imperial, a big band intent on reviving ballroom (gafieira) samba, and that has worked with guest vocalists such as Seu Jorge, Elza Soares and Ed Motta. SRAMBA is his fourth solo album. Multi-instrumentalist Ricardo Dias Gomes first came to notice as a member of Caetano Veloso's band Cê which helped reinvigorate Caetano's career with a sound influenced by British new wave. As well as collaborations with Lucas Santtana, Negro Leo and Thiago Nassif, and work with his own group Do Amor, he has released a series of acclaimed solo albums that reveal a restless music-maker.

SRAMBA is a glorious showcase of the duo's style, uniting Domenico's playful lyrics and rhythmic, samba-rooted songs with with Ricardo's assured accompaniment of unorthodox textures and instrumentations. It may be a new language for samba, machine samba (samba de máquina), but as Domenico says, "samba da máquina is samba".

On the eve of her 80th birthday, Dona Onete - ‘the grande dame of Amazonian song’ - returns with Rebujo, a love letter to her hometown of Belém, situated deep in the Amazon.

Rebujo brims with two music styles born in Belém: carimbós, influenced by African grooves, and bangues, a ska-type rhythm, plus there’s a cumbia, brega (‘romantic’ music) and samba.

Since the release of her 2017 album Banzeiro, Onete has become a superstar in Brazil – she composed and sung the theme song for one of Brazil’s biggest soap operas (A Força do Querer), been awarded the Brazilian Ordem do Mérito Cultural in recognition for her contribution to Brazilian culture + her video for ‘No Meio do Pitiu’ has an impressive 9.2m views on Youtube.

Outside of Brazil she’s performed at Roskilde, Womad (UK, NZ & AUS), Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide Festival and TFF Rudolstadt and is a global spokesperson for indigenous cultures.

- 3rd album of funky Brazilian/Amazonian grooves from the ‘Diva of the Amazon’, mastered @ The Carvery
- David Byrne, Caetano Veloso, Gilles Peterson, Cerys Matthews all big supporters

LSB's Footnotes label returns in 2023 with 'I Remember' from DRS, Tyler Daley and Calibre alongside 'Too Late' from DRS, Tyler Daley and LSB himself.

The first release of 2023 on SHERELLE and NAINA’s Hooversound imprint comes from London based DJ, producer and AV artist, Drumskull.

Drumskull is the moniker of Joel Harrison, started during lockdown in 2020. His debut album, ‘Interlocked’ garnered support from the likes of Addison Groove, Ahadadream, Doc Scott as well as receiving radio support from Tom Ravenscroft on BBC Radio 6 and Avalon Emerson on her BBC Radio 1 Residency.

In joining the Hooversound family, he again showcases his style of meshing jungle, footwork with deep house and breaks across two tracks. 'Muscle Memory’ also features two huge remixes from Nottingham’s Lone and LMajor - both making debuts on the label.

The EP wraps up a busy year for Hooversound who also put out releases by RAVETRX, Prayer, Thugwidow and Bruised Skies as well as remixes from Response and Denham Audio. Since launching in 2020, Hooversound has become a go to label that pushes the bass continuum, being championed globally by Resident Advisor, Crack Magazine, FACT, Groove, Mixmag and more.

Pressure is a new garage project produced by Dusky. Still typically resemblant of their trademark sound, this musical excursion looks back to their formative years and early productions that were heavily influenced by UK and US garage. Covering everything from murky 2 step sounds to uplifting vocal bubblers and soulful US influenced 4x4, the project includes collaborations with Manchester's garage revivalist Interplanetary Criminal, two-step pioneer El-B and London-based songwriter Mariella.

"When we were writing our most recent album JOY we really enjoyed the process of creating 'Eros', one of the more garage influenced tracks on the album. It reignited our interest in the genre's sound world, so once JOY was complete we got stuck into writing a load of similar material and this project is the result.” - Dusky

Hannah Nicholson and David Page are London based boat dwellers who have cruised the river Thames whilst writing, playing and self-producing their debut album. Named after their boat Ederlezi it became their muse, refuge and recording studio during 2023.

Ederlezi have taken inspiration from the classic songwriting of the 1960s. Hannah is influenced by songwriters such as Scott Walker, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell and is always looking for a story. David is influenced by the guitar based Rock'n'roll of the 50s, the psychedelic 60s and the bass styles of Serge Gainsbourg with some prog rock mixed in.

David is the bass player in The Pretenders and has worked with Jonathan Jeremiah, Young Gun Silver Fox, Rio 18, His Lordship, Nell Bryden, Edwyn Collins, The Black Pumas as a guitarist, bass player, singer and collaborator touring extensively around the world. Hannah is a solo artist in her own right, a prominent troubadour and songwriter on the London Folk scene. She has also worked with Hannah Williams & The Affirmations, Ellie Goulding, Gary Barlow, Jonathan Jeremiah and Nell Bryden as a backing singer and instrumentalist.

Warm Fiction proudly announces the label's fourth record from Erell Ranson. The latest of a string of a recent string of releases by the French producer sees him experimenting in cerebral styles that recall techno/electro of a foregone era.

Each track expands beautifully on a HiFi system or PA, inviting the listener to dive in.

Originally released in 2010 on their own label, Brooklyn nu-disco group Escort’s ‘Cocaine Blues’ is lovingly revisited by Glitterbox Recordings over a decade later, re-introducing the dancefloor essential to a new generation of disco fans. A loose remake of disco-reggae classic ‘Cocaine in My Brain’ by Jamaican DJ Dillinger, Escort’s ‘Cocaine Blues’ with its relaxed, disco approach and catchy vocal soon became a hit. Now arriving in a 12” package, up first, legend of NYC’s house and disco scene John Morales delivers his M+M Mix. A long-time friend of Glitterbox, this is John’s first release on the imprint, with the signature sparkling sound that brought him to prominence in the 80s sounding fresh as ever on this remix. Up next, original Escort member JKriv revisits the track on his funk-filled Disco Bumps Mix, before regular Roísín Murphy collaborator Crooked Man delivers his Crooked Line 1 and Crooked Line 2 versions, gloriously deep fuelled by bumping bass and attitude. Crooked Line 2 is exclusive to this 12”. Sounding just as good as it did when it first hit dancefloors, this unmissable vinyl remix package gives ‘Cocaine Blues’ another lease of life.

Repress!

We have been long time fans of ETCH and he covers a multitude of styles as usual on this 180g Ltd Edition orange splatter vinyl. Utilising his influences to the maximum, each track on the EP is perfectly executed by the Sussex based producer.

"Té De Flores Silvestres" is the result of the dialogue between the Belgium photographer Michael Roemers and the Argentinian musician Federico Durand initiated by IIKKI, between February 2023 and May 2024.

Federico Durand’s music is a weave of sound searching introspection and delight through simple melodies, made in the heart of Argentina. Federico likes music, gardens, John Keats’ poetry, collecting stamps and Earl Grey tea. Since 2010 he has been released on some labels such as 12k, Home Normal, IIKKI, Spekk, White Paddy Mountain, LAAPS and more.

Michael Roemers, a child of the borders, was born in 1987 in the Belgian village of Plombières, studying sound at the Institute of Broadcasting Arts in 2008. He discovered the power of the image, and became passionate about photography. He began his photographic career following Belgian underground music bands as they toured Europe, capturing crazy moments on stage and backstage. Then, he decided to devote himself to a personal project, to capture his native Wallonie region, highlighting the richness and a part of these Belgian traditions region while exploring the themes of identity, memory and membership.
Since 2021, Michael Roemers has added a new string to his bow by running the Vice Versa podcast with his partner Sébastien Van Malleghem. This podcast explores the themes of photography, art and culture by giving voice to renowned guests in these fields. Té De Flores Silvestres is his first book.

Fine Art Book, Ltd. to 400 copies:
Hardcover book printed on Glossy Modern Paper 170g/m2 // 80 pages, 19cm x 22.5cm, 50 photos // Front cover points and back cover logo embossed // Selective UV varnish // Hand-numbered.

Tessellate is a South London party that has been running for the last four years predominantly at Corsica Studios in Elephant and Castle. The label is a natural progression of their events, featuring artists and friends they have booked and met over the years.
The debut release comes from a new alias of a regular guest to their nights. Firmin crafts two tracks for the club - La Selva for the sunrise and Energetic Solution for the peak time.
Brassica (Feel My Bicep) and Tel Aviv's Moscoman both deliver with two different takes of La Selva on the B-side.

Careening from the Black Sublime of Dadawah to the, er, Foxy Brown of Jennifer Hylton, Dug Out lets off this early~nineties r'n'b~spiced piledriver, recorded by Lloyd Pickout Dennis at Dynamic, with the Firehouse Crew - George programming drums, Danny the bass, and Wrong Move the other keys

Fred P back again with a dreamy 4 track EP!

2023 pressing on Metallic Silver vinyl.

This is Fugazi's second full-length record, released in 1991.
This 12" LP was re-cut and re-issued in September 2009.
The CD was remastered at Silver Sonya in 2004.
Originally Released: 1991
Ian MacKaye vocals & guitar Guy Picciotto vocals & guitar Joe Lally bass Brendan Canty drums
Recorded At Inner Ear Studios Produced By Fugazi

Major Keys return with another jazz funk gem that has never before been released on a 12 inch. We go back to 1977 for one of the era defining albums, Gary Bartz magnificent Music is My Sanctuary. The title track from the double Grammy award winning saxophonist’s LP is an evergreen floor filler, finally seeing it’s long overdue 12 inch debut; a remastered, high volume DJ’s delight. Featuring Syreeta Wright on vocals, Bill Summers & James Mtume on percussion with arrangement by the one and only Larry Mizell, we have an assembled players list at the top of their game. The lyrics, joyful and heartfelt sum up exactly what music means to people, all underpinned by that glorious sax. One for the Heads and the feet, it’s a record that you will go back to time and again.

On the flip is the lesser known Carnaval De L'Esprit, a masterclass in jazz funk, this truly is the sunshine sound. It will lighten the weariest of souls and signals Major Keys as a buy on sight label.

our Flies' 45s series continues to pay tribute to the golden age of Italian film music, this time with the first 7-inch release ever of two super-groovy themes from Gianni Marchetti's soundrack to Milano: il clan dei calabresi (known in English as The Last Desperate Hours), a 1974 poliziottesco film directed by Giorgio Stegani.

"M2", on side A, is a re-versioning of a timeless classic – Quincy Jones' "Ironside" theme – where the punch of funk comes to the fore and is fused with the acid sound of early 70s Italian prog rock. This combination of jazz-funk and prog rock is found also in "M3", on side B, which weaves a tapestry of powerful horns and gently weeping guitarover a driving, funk-blues bass line.
A must-have for lovers of rare grooves and poliziottesco films! But don't wait around, it's a limited edition!

Hospital Records proudly present the debut solo album from drum & bass icon Grafix. ‘Half Life’ is an introspective glimpse into the influences and sonic development of the Bristol-based producer, who over the years has established himself as a pinnacle of the dance music world. Grafix’s first ever studio longplayer as a solo artist consists of 14 hotly-anticipated pulse pounding anthems, featuring killer collaborations from the likes of Metrik, Lauren L’aimant, Reiki Ruawai and Chrissie Huntley in his hit singles ‘Somewhere’, ‘Feel Alive’ and ‘Skyline’.

High-octane dancefloor energiser ‘Skyline’ sees drum & bass titans Grafix and Metrik collide for a third time on this futuristic drum & bass cut infused with pure uplifting soundscapes. Enter a world of powerhouse synthesis, relentless basslines and Metrik’s very own vocal performance. This is just the follow up you needed from the mammoth success with the duo’s previous collaborations ‘Overdrive’ and ‘Parallel’.

Grafix draws upon his love for rave culture on the acid heavy ‘Blast Out’ - a no-holds-barred drum & bass system shocker. Skittery vocal chops, shredding bass hits and minimal-funk drums show the side of Grafix well known for tearing up the dance - never afraid to drop a wild card.

From the hypnotic and distorted energies on the likes of ‘CTRL’ and album title track ‘Half Life’, to the forward-facing vibes on LP numbers such as ‘Accelerate’ and ‘The Chance’, the versatile flavours supplied by Grafix throughout are a testament to his years of experience in the studio.

Other album highlights include two tracks with the immensely talented Lauren L’aimant who boasts previous releases on staple dance imprints including Anjunadeep, Colorize and Protocol Recordings. ‘Watch The Sky’ is an anthemic stepper home to Lauren’s spine-tingling vocals and Grafix’s catchy synth hooks. ‘Feel Alive’ captures the pair’s undeniable ability to strike up a euphorically cutting-edge dance music banger.

The ‘Half Life’ LP also features the previously released tracks ‘Radiance’ as well as radio hit ‘Somewhere’ featuring New Zealand’s very own Reiki Ruawai. Both tracks of which are no stranger to worldwide drum & bass listeners.

Grafix’s debut album marks a signature milestone within his musical journey as a solo artist and his achievements so far only scratch the surface. The first single ‘Somewhere (feat. Reiki Ruawai)’ to drop from his album racked up global airwave support with an impressive number of plays from radio tastemakers including Danny Howard, René LaVice, Mollie Collins, the George FM crew in New Zealand and of course, Fred V. With regular support from big hitters including Sub Focus, Wilkinson, Friction, Camo & Krooked and more, Grafix’s music continues to talk for itself when racking up countless DJ spins as well as consistent landings across pinnacle industry platforms such as UKF. Keep an eye out for Grafix at Snowbombing, Hospitality On The Beach Albania and more throughout 2022!

UK jazz metro Greg Foat and Venetian electronic luminary Gigi Masin join forces once again for The Fish Factory Sessions, an exclusive release for RSD 2024.

2023 VINYL REPRESS.
The third full-length release for Portland, Oregon-based LIZ HARRIS.

Harris might have achieved a significant fan base thanks to the whispering, near-ambient vocal crusades of her debut album Way Their Crept and its follow-up Wide, but those with a careful ear would have heard slightly more trapped beneath her fuzzy chain of effects.

Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill marks a departure of sorts for Liz, which sees her turn down the fuzz boxes which caged (and to some degree defined) her sound and allows her voice to ring out above everything else. It is an album steeped in the world of dream-pop and far from shying away from the reference, Liz has instead grabbed on with both hands, creating an album's worth of perfect, left-field pop songs. Using delicate song structures which are at once both familiar and somehow alien, her vocals cry out hauntingly over stripped-down guitar lines and looped environmental recordings.

These are the future soundtracks to love, despair and ultimately, hope.

“This remarkable album is actually what I personally always wanted 4AD records to sound like, only they never quite delivered the hazy pleasures their beautiful sleeve art promised.”—Pitchfork (8.2)

2023 VINYL REPRESS.

IN HER OWN WORDS...

Ruins was made in Aljezur, Portugal in 2011 on a residency set up by Galeria Zé dos Bois. I recorded everything there except the last song, which I did at mother's house in 2004. Iʼm still surprised by what I wound up with.

It was the first time Iʼd sat still for a few years; processed a lot of political anger and
emotional garbage. Recorded pretty simply, with a portable 4-track ,Sony stereo mic and an upright piano. When I wasnʼt recording songs I was hiking several miles to the beach. The path wound through the ruins of several old estates and a small village.

The album is a document. A nod to that daily walk. Failed structures. Living in the remains of love. I left the songs the way they came (microwave beep from when power went out after a storm); I hope that the album bears some resemblance to the place that I was in.

The forever exploring electronical entity of a band, Gusgus, has opened yet a new era in their unique sonic multiverse. With their 12th album, the course is set to a strange mysterious place called DanceOrama. A Rave-Mall in a nostalgic future, DanceOrama is the place to be, where you can experience infinite freedom, genre and gender free. Moving from the pulsating new-wave influenced techno pop of the last album “Mobile Home” (2019), Gusgus emits the vibe of DanceOrama on their new album as an arousing, melody-rich hybrid of 80s/90s parties and raves. The 9- track album is slated for a November 10th release. The release is evenly split up in euphoric fusioned pop anthems and genre-free instrumental journeys.

Gusgus‘ last album “Mobile Home” was the later of twin albums that found the band exploring early 80’s new wave influences and reviving them in the iconic Gusgus soundscape. The highlight on the album was a pulsating techno reggae track called “Higher” that introduced a new member into the band, Margrét Rán, the lead singer of “VÖK”.

Whereas on “Mobile Home”, the concept was stationed in a rural environment of a dystopian side reality, Gusgus now moves to the city. In this city of strange discomforting future omens, DanceOrama stands out as the rave-mall of freedom. Leaving the new wave influences, this album is a strange hybrid of the 80’s and 90’s parties twisted into a genre-free blend of arousing experiences.

The album consists of 5 instrumental tracks and 4 vocal pop songs, ranging from 105-158 bpm and exploring various influences from the 80’s and 90’s and even the 70’s in a strange fusion of techno, trance, italo-disco, house and pop that emits the rawness and innocence of previous decades. The pop songs are quite strictly set as stories related to the mysteries and rumors of DanceOrama. One track in particular will be very exciting for our fans, as it has been a regular final track on our live show since the album “Arabian Horse” in 2011. This is the track “Breaking Down” that was recorded during the album “Mexico” in 2013 with “Earth” and “Högni” on vocals but, due to emotional turmoil, has never been released until now.

HARDT ANTOINE is a London based DJ producer of French and West Indian descent, who continuously combines his hugely colourful and eclectic taste in music. He has also made a name for himself with his Reculture label and club nights.

His KOMPAKT debut clearly shows why he’s one to watch in the years to come. “Nobody’s Watching” is a dark grooving beast with bending synth lines and a haunting vocal; counterbalanced with uplifting Eastern analog pads. It’s from this rare breed of tracks that shine in a frantic peak time set and sexy late night moments alike.

“All We See” follows a similar path. Its mandatory bassline and dark melody evolve into something uplifting, as if to say – ‘We always see light at the end of our tunnel’.

Radial takes a more cinematic approach and largely neglects the dancefloor in a classic KOMPAKT 3-track EP fashion, following a lovely tradition that began with Dettinger’s KOM 2 and later on spawned the Pop Ambient movement.

Hardt Antoine proves himself a jack of all trades… Keep an eye on him!

HARDT ANTOINE ist ein in London ansässiger DJ-Produzent französischer und westindischer Abstammung, der seinen äußerst farbenfrohen und vielseitigen Musikgeschmack kontinuierlich durcheinender wirbelt. Auch mit seinem Label Reculture und Clubnächten hat er sich über London hinaus einen Namen gemacht.

Sein KOMPAKT-Debüt zeigt deutlich, warum man ihn in den kommenden Jahren im Auge behalten sollte. „Nobody’s Watching“ ist ein düsteres, groovendes Biest mit verzerrten Synthielinien und einer eindringlichen Stimme; mit erhebenden östlichen Analog Pads ausbalanciert. Es ist diese seltene Art von Tracks, die in einem hektischen Peak-Time-Set und sexy Late-Night-Momenten gleichermaßen glänzen.

„All We See“ geht einen ähnlichen Weg. Die zwingende Bassline und die dunkle Melodie entwickeln sich zu etwas Erhebendem, als ob sie sagen wollten: „Wir sehen immer Licht am Ende unseres Tunnels“.

Radial verfolgt einen filmischeren Ansatz und vernachlässigt die Tanzfläche weitgehend – in klassischer KOMPAKT-3-Track-EP-Manier, einer schönen Tradition folgend, die mit Dettingers KOM 2 begann und später die Pop-Ambient-Bewegung hervorbrachte.

Hardt Antoine erweist sich als Alleskönner … Behaltet ihn im Auge!

Limited copies..

Repress!

Higher Intelligence Agency was founded in 1992 by Bobby Bird during the heady days of Birmingham's legendary Oscillate nights, where he improvised & performed live, developing HIA's signature sound, as well being a resident selector . In 1993 HIA released the ambient dub classic 'Colourform' LP on Beyond Records.

This record is a reissue of HIA's 1993 Ambient Dub classic 'Colourform' album, originally released on Beyond Records, now re issued on Headphone as 2 x 12" vinyl, with a fresh new cut by the legendary mastering engineer & elecronic music producer Stefan Betke (Pole / Scape Mastering). Colourform received critical acclaim and favourable reviews on its release, and continues to be widely played to this day, with new generations discovering the music of HIA via digital platforms as well as through occaisional live HIA performances. These have included perfromance at the Detroit Electronic Music festival in 2007, at Beyond The Tracks Festival Birmingham 2017 , O.Z.O.R.A. festival Hungary 2018, and Oscillate Club 2019. More live dates are planned for 2020, including at Houghton Festival, Glastonbury and O.Z.O.R.A.


Reviews:

Tony Corbin – Echoes 1993:

"Beyond Records' Ambient Dub Compilations have provided us with some of the countries most innovative and exciting electronic dance music over the last couple of years, not least from the Higher Intelligence Agency whose 'Speedlearn' single caused more than a ripple in ambient/trance circles earlier this year. The said single, in all its minimalistic hypnodub glory, is included on this, their debut set, as is 'Ketamine Entity', the ridiculously catchy ascending bass riff and trippy echoed beat highlights the groups dub sensibility….the album is quite a low tempo affair which actually adds to its intensity, particularly on tracks such as 'Influx' and 'Conoid Tone' which contain sounds that remind me of the Future Sound Of London. However HIA's identity is firmly maintained through their liberal use of spiraling 303 style sequences. A brave and bright debut".

Calvin Bush - Burning Bush 1993:

"Colourform sweeps you up and trans-ports you across broad vistas of shimmering ambience via their heavenly slow acid grooves and hypnotic melodies, with plenty of space to just step in and explore. The perfect horizonless soundscape for the mentally unshackled listener".

Benn Wilmot NME 1993:

"Inevitably there can only be one criteria for judging an album like 'Colourform', and that is whether it moves the listener into a state of bliss. Painstakingly constructed without sacrificing spontaneity or soft pedalling on their basic shuddering groove, 'Colourform' is always intelligent and undeniably high. Based on their finely honed live set, it builds from the bassy rumblings of 'Delta' and 'Speedlearn' upwards and onwards, slowly gathering pace until the double climax of 'Re Echo and 'Ketamine Entity'. That state of bliss is comfortably attained "

Rare late 80s reggae/dancehall heat coming yet again on DINTE sub-label 333. This time it's the turn of Hugh Maddo's Pop Style LP. Recorded in Jamaica at Byron Lee's Dynamics & Herman Chin-Loy's Aquarius studios for the Bronx-based Jamaazima label in 1987, it is issued here under license from co-producer and label owner, Nami Harmon. The record features a host of celebrated and renowned musicians incl. Winston Wright, Bobby Ellis, Carlton "Santa" Davis, Dwight Pinkney, Willie Lindo and Mikey "Boo" Richards amongst many others - alongside the sublime vocals of Killamanjaro's Hugh Maddo aka UU Madoo. A must.

One of our favourite artists makes his return to Deep, Dark & Dangerous. The prolifically talented Hypho returns with 6 tracks of pure badness. Brilliantly balanced between minimalism, musicality, quirky uniqueness and big heavy bass. Dingle Bat is quintessential Hypho, including three vocal features from Rakjay, Danko and Megumi Hope.

Boogie Woogie NOW! is een ode aan de Victory Boogie Woogietunnel en de nieuwe verbinding die ermee ontstaat tussen Den Haag en Rotterdam. Boogie Woogie NOW! werd bedacht door David Schoch en het creatieve team achter cultuurpodium PIP Den Haag. Samen met Haagse en Rotterdamse kunstenaars ontwikkelden zij een lichtinstallatie, waarmee zij hun interpretatie van de boogiewoogie laten zien. De installatie is van de hand van David Schoch, Jorick Mulder, Polo Vreedenburgh en Jeroen Meijer van PIP Den Haag. Licht- en installatiekunstenaar Philip Vermeulen voegt hier 2 van zijn werken aan toe. De muziek is speciaal gecomponeerd door DJ's en producers Alden Tyrell en I-F, 2 kopstukken uit de elektronische muziekscene van Den Haag en Rotterdam. Het geheel wordt ingeleid met een poetische ode aan de Victory Boogie Woogietunnel, door Steven van Lummel, Haagse woordkunstenaar, en Dean Bowen, tot voor kort de Rotterdamse stadsdichter. Ode aan de Victory Boogie Woogietunnel

Il Quadro di Troisi presents La Commedia
Everything changes, all things evolve: four years after their eponymous debut, Il Quadro di Troisi return with a new album and a new line-up.

The perfect circle traced by Eva Geist (aka Andrea Noce) and Donato Dozzy (aka Donato Scaramuzzi) becomes a triangle with the permanent addition of Pietro Micioni, who collaborated in the previous recordings and had been part of ll Quadro’s live set.
Nothing stays the same, and the world is a lot different from what it was in 2020. The global crisis generated by the constant escalation of conflict and by the pandemic was mirrored by a time of individual crisis and personal, often irreversible transformation that underscored the entire period of the album’s composition.
The influence of these turbulent times is felt in the writing: La Commedia is about turning a crisis into an opportunity and using change as a catalyst for rebirth. Much like the characters in classic Italian comedies, who are masters in using irony to face life’s hardships, Il Quadro di Troisi explores the vast and unpredictable terrain between the lighter and darker sides of the human experience, matching the magical with the mundane.

La Commedia is about the many facets of life: each song is named after an archetype (e.g. the truth, the night, the Earth, the prophet), as though our existence were a tarot deck and its reading an exercise in collective consciousness.

La Commedia marks the band’s embrace of a more traditional song form, shaped by a very personal and distinctive musical style. The distinguishing elements of Il Quadro di Troisi’s music – classic Italian songwriting with an electronic spin – meld into a unique mix that is both seductive and eerie, elegant and earthy, contemporary and timeless. La Commedia celebrates the band’s cultural roots while constantly moving into new territory, balancing nostalgia with a forward-thinking approach.

La Commedia is a rare gem that confirms Il Quadro di Troisi’s relevance in the international music scene, as demonstrated by the number of top-level artists featured on the album: from Suzanne Ciani, a legend and a pioneer of independent music with a career spanning five decades, to Aimee Portioli, aka Grand River, a Dutch-Italian musician, composer and sound designer based in Berlin, along with Francesca Colombo’s eclectic violin (the de facto “fourth angle” of Il Quadro di Troisi’s frame), Fiona Brice’s strings, cultural agitator and icon of the Roman underground scene Stefano Di Trapani (aka Demented Burrocacao and a member of Trapcoustic and System Hardware Abnormal, among other projects), Maestro Daniele Di Gregorio, an excellent musician and a longtime collaboration of songwriting legend Paolo Conte, and Tommaso Cappellato, whose professional description goes well beyond “drummer” and who has been working with artists like Rabih Beaini and Maurice Louca.
The cover of the album, as well as those of the singles, was designed by Francesco Messina, another icon of Italian music. Messina is a longtime Franco Battiato collaborator and co-author, a cult musician (his Prati Bagnati del Monte Analogo, made in collaboration with Roul Lovisoni, is considered a seminal record by the alternative Italian music scene), as well as a photographer, visual artist and the author of legendary record covers.

This is a four track E.P by little known alias of The Future Sound Of London. These tracks were originally released in 1991 and more recently have become in demand again, driving up the price of rare copies remaining in the second hand market. The early 90s was a time of musical innovation and experimentation within the electronica genre, and these guys lead the way. Issued in original artwork.

Michel Baumann is one of Germany's most respected artists. You probably know him as Soulphiction, his iconic alias Jackmate and head chief of Philpot - a label pushing the sounds of dance music in every possible way since the beginning of 2000.

Now making his debut on the very first release from 18437 Records, after teasing everyone with his recent 12" for Matthew Herbert's Accidental label, Jackmate is back in full swing.

Opening track Modulate Nightdrive is a mind expanding, deep techno affair. Remember when techno had funk and made you sweat? This is it.
Next up is CubanLinx, a percussive machine voodoo exercise. Last but not least, Test Drive shows why Jackmate is still relevant as a producer and worthy of your record collection.
The recipe is simple, a drum machine, a few thick bass notes and whack on some chords - voila - timeless dance music delivered by Michel Baumann.

Label info:
18437 Records is a brand new label by focused on the outer fringes of house and techno.

The series third 7” presents Geneva based singer Jah Bast. ‘Far I Love’ is a chant to the Most High. The riddim and mix get as dread and terrible as Jah Bast message of love gets powerful. Version of the B side for all DJ to mash up the riddim inna dance!

"Creation" is the debut album by British songwriter, singer & pianist James Sayer and includes the three singles "Living It Up", "Chemistry" and Cherry".

After spending many years playing for others, Sayer says that "writing my own music happened completely by accident. But I'm so glad I recorded that one demo which ultimately spurred me on to create a full album all this time later." Sayer, often called an old soul due to his love of classic song writing and bygone eras comments that although technology has changed the landscape of the musical world today, making a record organically was still a must for him.

Originally from Birmingham, Sayer's fascination and love of music began at a very young age when he learnt all thing rhythm & blues and rock'n'roll from his dad's music collection of artists such as Elton John or Jerry Lee Lewis, later also finding a love of soul artists such as Michael McDonald, Aretha Franklin, Van Morrison and Earth, Wind and Fire. Sayer moved to London in 2012 where he began performing almost every night in piano bars, clubs and pubs; spotted by the likes of Tom Jones whilst holding down a residency at the world-famous American Bar at the Savoy hotel.

About recording "Creation" he says: "I've tried to capture all the styles I love - Soul, Rhythm & Blues, Gospel and classic pop music – but still create a sound that is all mine".

With ‘Terrain,’ Joachim Spieth presents the fourth long player on his Affin imprint.
The follow-up album to ‘Ousia’ (2021), ‘Terrain,’ reflects on the human relationship with nature. The album title is a reference to a musical language that layers Spieth’s music production practices and intimacy with nature.
‘Terrain’ was forged in deep solitude.“It’s an interplay of euphoric flashes and introspection” – says Spieth. The eight compositions take the listener into a captivating cascade of sonic textures resembling internal states fluctuations and emotional release. The tension between the organic warmth and static curves broads tones into liquified roars and empty spaces.
Unlike Spieth’s previous albums, ‘Terrain’ holds more intimate gestures and emotional sensibility. Soothing frequencies here are intended to create a state of awareness in the listener. It is a work of conceptual and emotional beauty, evoking a form of spatial imagery that is as grounding as elevating.

Reshape contains musical interpretations by Alva Noto, ASC, bvdub, Warmth, Markus Guentner, Simone Giudice, zakè and Glos. the works are related to original pieces from Joachim Spieth's past creative phase and thus form a musical conclusion to the 15th label anniversary of Affin.

Moving to England for its second release, Rant & Rave Records presents a proper EP from South Wales-based producer JoeFarr, known for his dancefloor jams on labels such as: 'SLAM', 'Arts', and his most recent success with 2019's epic 12" 'Death Becomes Us'. On the a-side 'In This Anger', which JoeFarr has written with Louisahhh, an anxiously dark, slowly developing atmosphere menaces behind a slow rolling, broken beat for maximum effect. This is punctuated by dark, slightly distorted female vocals with sporadic lyrics subtly encouraging its dance floors to move.. and think. Signature hard and bouncy grooves with infectious in-yer-face techno riffs dominate the rest of the EP with tracks 'Laced Up', 'You Can See Me' and 'You will See Me (Hardcore)', effortlessly weaving in and out of the pulsating groove with an interesting palette of machine sounding synths and heavily processed vocals.

Originally put on the map by Brian From Wheaton, a passionate collector from IL - This record has been fetching upwards of £1000 from those crazy Northern Soul DJs.

Officially licensed and re-mastered. Essential modern soul dancer, now available for the world to enjoy.

After quite a hiatus the Ex-Kölner and semi-new-Neuköllner artist Johannes Klingebiel eventually delivers his follow-up record to his much-loved "Latewood" EP on Feines Tier. And this time he says, go big or go home! Alles oder nichts. All or nothing. The title track is probably the fastest track he ever released (he tried to slow it down a notch... didn't work!) and is overflowing with all kinds of emotions with the utmost urgency any dancefloor can achieve. When this tune is on, it really feels like everything is on the line! The a1 track Xero is more relaxed on that front, grooving and jamming away on a simple synth-pattern, which could basically go on forever if you'd just let it. The remaining original Zopf is label honcho Philipp Fein's secret favorite of the record and a piano house banger maybe not in its purest but definitely in the most Klingebiely form. Some wonky chords and tipsy high notes, what else do you need?! On the flip you'll top class remixes by Innervisions staple Marcus Worgull and Spanish up-and-comer Gullen, who put their own personal spin on two of the tunes.

In 1975, Joyce Moreno, who had just wrapped up a tour with legendary Brazilian composer Vinicius de Moraes, found herself in a studio with producer Sergio Bardotti in Rome, Italy. She had been taking a break from writing and she decided to pick up a selection of her favorite compositions from contemporary Brazilian writers who‘s songs were beacons of hope in times of an ongoing intense Military leadership in her home country. Unlike their previous albums, these recordings live from their reductiveness and intimacy. For a long time, Passarinho Urbano was considered a secret masterpiece and was highly sought after by record collectors, now Week–End Records is glad to be making it available internationally on vinyl for the first time ever.

The music of Justin Walter veers between nebulous and numinous, coaxed from the translucent tonalities of his signature instrument, the EVI (Electronic Valve Instrument).
Destroyer, his latest, and third for Kranky, marks his most multifaceted work yet. Inspired by minimalistic urges (evading grandiosity, condensing scope, embracing spatial restraint) tempered with the drama of triptychs (becoming, destruction, aftermath), the album’s 11 tracks thread a keening suite of aching, opaque beauty, traced in absence and breath.
First begun in the no man’s land summer of 2020, Walter gradually amassed nearly two hours of demos, drafts, and ideas, then steadily whittled them to their essence. Destroyer enlists the sounds of a recently restored pump organ, adding pulses and quaking texture, but otherwise the album is a shimmering showcase of the EVI: miasmic, melodic, intuitive, infinite. It’s music of fraught devotion and uneasy peace, questing yet languorous, forever rapt and untethered.

Tekno substances, from 150 to 170 BPM.
A deep Hard Tekno/Tribe one, mental and hypnotic, daring textures and structures... mMny surprises for a "Mental" EP, addictive ideas that need to be scanned really :)

Super soundcut !!

A must have !

An exciting new addition to the Spazio Disponibile family. For their 29th release Neel and Donato Dozzy welcome close friend and highly respected French electronic musician David Letellier as Kangding Ray. On his Polar EP he pushes his excellent sound design once again and delivers a pack of beautiful sparkling experimental techno.

It's no secret that Dutch artist and producer Reimer Eising aka Kettel is a Lapsus favourite, as well as being a leading proponent in Braindance/IDM over the last two decades. This makes him the obvious choice for the next release in our on-going Perennial series.

'My Dogan', was originally released in 2006 on Sending Orbs and is undoubtedly one of his most iconic works to date, and possibly the most popular album among his adoring fan base.

Part 2 of Khidja's debut LP Transmissions.

5 fresh tracks written & produced by Andrei Rusu and Florentin Tudor

Mastered by maestro Enrico Mercaldi

Artwork by our heros at &Talmor

This record follows on from the string of mid~eighties hits for Firehouse, Jammy's, Ujama and co, for which Dennis Thomas aka King Kong is most celebrated.
Originally released in 1988 as a tribute to his friend Tenor Saw, killed that year in suspicious circumstances in Houston, Texas, at the age of twenty~two, it came as a twelve~inch on Thomas' own Concious Music label (then re~locating from Canada to London), and as a seven (without Try Not I) on Jah All Mighty in New York.For sure this is the great dancehall singer at his most powerful. His grieving, heartfelt vocal is woven through with the haunted quotation of Saw's finest moments.
Both vocals come with dubs, and the rhythm is driving, hard and sombre, with nervous, grubbing synths and ringing claps, and a lethal bass~line.

Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of 'Perfections', Koralle's new EP, now available on Little Beat More!

Koralle, aKa Lorenzo Nada, musician, beatmaker and producer, formerly an underground legend under the moniker Godblesscomputers, returns to put his 'hands in the dough' a few months after the release of his third album 'Insomnia', fusing jazz vibes with the elements that characterise the deep roots of hip-hop in four stylish pearls that capture body and soul in an increasingly intimate dimension.

Listening begins with the EP's title track, "Perfections," a perfect chill awakening, accompanied by fleeting piano notes and a bass drum and snare rhythm in the tradition of the beatmaking masters.
The second track, "Leaf," hints at melancholic and mysterious nostalgic undertones, to be followed by the single "From the Heart," which features the extraordinary participation of Brooklyn lyricist Awon, a mainstay of American jazzrap, who fits in perfectly with Koralle's eclectic sound world.
Finally, the fourth track, 'Come Back to Me Baby,' is a homage to the blues and black music roots of the 1950s, an invitation to rewind the tape and listen to the album all over again.

The EP is enriched by the art of Bernardo "Beerbo" Raspanti: a brightly coloured and variegated coral that tells of the different influences that come together in the artist's work and of a profound and engaging musical experience that will enchant connoisseurs and fans of the noble art of beatmaking.

Gottwax is back with its seventh instalment, and this time, the reins are in the hands of the Beeyou co-founder and FUSE regular, Laidlaw. Laidlaw showcases his unparalleled talent and versatility as a producer in the 'Prophecy' EP, solidifying his status as one of the rising stars in the scene. This four-track EP takes listeners on a journey through deep house, stripped-back grooves, and breakbeat, making it an absolute essential for every discerning DJ's collection.

The EP kicks off with 'Wait Till The End,' a deep house gem with a playful bass line, moody chords, and sparkling top notes. Each element is thoughtfully crafted, blending harmoniously to create an atmosphere that subtly builds throughout the track. 'Wait Till The End' is a flawlessly realised tune, serving as an incredibly strong start to this EP.

Next up is 'Planet 727,’ is a minimal groover with deep, subby bass and hints of tribal drums, infusing the rhythm with captivating movement. This track is one for late-night, ensuring the dance floor keeps moving till the early hours.

As the title track of the EP, 'Prophecy' does not disappoint. This groove-laden breakbeat track is brimming with deep sub bass and intricate textures, leading into an infectious melody. A must-have in every DJ's bag, 'Prophecy' will undoubtedly be the soundtrack for countless future parties.

Closing out the EP is 'That Was Well Quick,' a high-energy composition adorned with mesmerising melodic textures. With its hypnotising baseline groove and captivating top lines, this track creates an infectious atmosphere, injecting an electrifying energy into the dance floor. 'That Was Well Quick' is an absolute essential for all devoted electronic music lovers.

We are beyond excited to welcome Laidlaw to the Gottwax family and share this incredible release you. Prepare to be taken on an unforgettable sonic journey with the ‘Prophecy EP’.