Hip-Hop Vinyl New Releases - News

Gerald Cleaver's second electronic album, jointly released by 577 Records sub label Positive Elevation and Meakusma. It sees Cleaver further exploring the depths of electronic music offered by his hometown Detroit, combining those influences with his personal musical background as a jazz drummer.

'syncho Sound System & Power' Features The Music Of Nigeria Fuji Machine,
Which Includes Some Of The Country's Finest 'fuji' Master Drummers And Singers, And Is Newly Recorded By Soul Jazz Records In Lagos, Nigeria. Fuji Is The Heavily Percussive And Improvisational Style Of Nigerian Popular Music, At Once Modern And Yet Deeply Rooted In The Traditional Islamic Yoruba Culture Of Nigeria.
Here On This Album Nigeria Fuji Machine's Striking And Powerful Lead Vocalist Taofik Yemi Fagbenro Soars Above A Wild And Energetic Backdrop Of Polyrhythms Played On Traditional Talking Drums, Trap Drums, Electronic And Street Percussion To Create A Powerful Wall Of Intense Sound. Fuji Is A Hi-energy Street Music, Heavily Percussive Which Evolved Out Of The Islamic Celebration Of Ramadan, Which Became A Major Event In Mid-20th Century Lagos. Groups Of Young Men Walked Through Muslim Neighbourhoods At Night Singing Improvised 'wéré' Music To The Accompaniment Of Pots, Pans, Drums, Bells
And Anything Else Available, Waking Believers For The Early Morning Prayer. By The Early 1970s This Music Had Crossed-over Into Popular Nigerian Culture Where It Came To Be Known As Fuji, First Made Popular By The Artist Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, As The Music Began To Be Performed Commonly At Parties And Social Events. In The 1970s And 1980s Three Nigerian Artists - King Sunny Adé, Chief Ebonezer Obey And Fela Kuti - All Secured International Major Record Deals Bringing Popularity To The Nigerian Musical Styles Of Juju (adé And Obey) And Afro-beat (fela Kuti's Unique Mixture Of Highlife, Funk And Jazz) Abroad, But In The Process Ignoring Much Of Nigeria's Rich Musical Landscape. Fuji Is, Alongside Highlife, Juju, Afro-beat, Sakara, Afro-reggae, Waka, Igbo Rap, Apala And Numerous Others - One Of These Central Styles Of Nigerian Music. The Singer Barrister Described The Music As Follows: 'fuji Music Is A Combination Of Music Consisting Of Sakara, Apala, Juju, Aro, Afro, Gudugudu, And Possibly Highlife.' Juju Performer King Sunny Adé Described The Difference Between The Two
Styles Of Fuji And Juju Somewhat Competitively Thus: 'fuji Music Is More Or Less Like My Music Without Guitars. It's Like I'm Singing In A Major Key And They Are Singing In A Minor. The Music Itself Is The Music Of Juju Music.' Today Fuji Remains A Powerful Popular Music With Deep And Powerful Islamic Roots
Which Continues To Modernise And Attract New Generations Of Young Nigerians And Nigeria Fuji Machine's 'syncho Sound System & Power' Is A Powerful And Intense Musical Experience. This Album Is Released As A Limited-edition Heavyweight Vinyl Edition (+free Download Code), Deluxe Cd And Digital Format.

Blue Marbled Vinyl

Conceived and produced by Luciano Cantone, co-founder of Schema Records, and written by Alex Puddu, The Afro Soul Prophecy is a musical project that stands out of time and trends and that finally releases a full-length after some 2017 singles/Ep's. "Heat in the City" is an almost completely instrumental black funk music-based album, that often indulges in afrobeat, latin, disco and urban blaxploitation music. The multi-ethnic nature of this project ensures a multi-faceted work, where the music language has been able to unite musicians from all over the world.

Repress Soon!

From the creator of Deep Reggaeton and the hit record "¡Estéreo Bomba! Vol. 1", DJ Python, returns with the first masterful full length album "Dulce Compañia". Comprised of eight ethe-real, banging hits of the most unique and thought provoking calibre - mixing Deep House, Shoegaze, Trance, and of course, Reggaeton - these songs-not-tracks slide over the Dembow in the unique way only Python can dream up. Rated E for Everyone.

Greville translates the deft drum programming and atmospherics of their previous work on Mad Habitat into a dextrous downtempo odyssey. The tracks pair woody percussion with crystalline pads and figurative sounds that evoke their own biospheres; listen to the woodland motorik of “Marbles” or swingbeat syncopation and coruscating arps of “Time”. The depth of production here is best exemplified by “Night Light” where the “Ambient Mix” strips the track down the dreamy chords and the asynchronous twitter and chirrups of a synthesized bushland - and like the EP altogether, it's a curious sonification of Australia in the summer.

Duisburg und sein Kantpark. Dreckig, kaputt, gefährlich,
düster und voller Junkies... dies hört man, wenn man über
ihn spricht. Doch der Kantpark hat auch andere Seiten, ein
Museum inklusive Skulpturengarten, einen Spielplatz,
Basket- und Boule- Platz, aber vor allem Menschen, die ihn
für ihre ganz persönliche Entspannung als grünen
Rückzugsort zu nutzen wissen. Und er hat Bias & Mettphonic,
die beide, so sehr man auch schlecht über Duisburg und
seinen Park redet, mit ihm verbunden sind. Im Herzen der
Stadt gelegen war er ihre verruchte Wohlfühloase um nach
den Produktionen in die neuen Werke zu lauschen und die
Gedanken schweifen zu lassen. Gedanken, die nur der Musik
und nicht ihrem Ego dienlich waren. So klingt die Kantpark
Chiqueria! Es sollte nicht klingen wie alles, was man mit den
Beiden verbindet und doch wie beide sind. Ehrlich,
kompromisslos, neugierig. Pattak

For our 7th release we are delighted to be reissuing a single that has brought us a lot of joy in recent times. We first came to hear Delores Fuller’s beautiful single One More Chance Lord in the same way we have heard a lot of new music over the last year and a half – through a friend’s lockdown recommendation. Ever since, the single has been a staple in our collection and permanently on our turntable.

Without further ado, new music on MotorCity Wine Recordings from Eddie C feat. Murge. Eddie C is a long time friend of MotorCity Wine, and his debut on the label is long overdue. Eddie’s prolific production and DJ prowess shines bright on this 4 track EP with a track for all the joyful moments. The A-side is uptempo, leading with the effervescent “For The People”— it’s a dose of musical prozac get you dancing wherever you might find yourself. Next Eddie taps in west coast Canadian producer Murge for “Pacific Jam”, a more moody and jazzy affair, with plenty of club bounce. On the B-side Eddie slows down the pace, starting with the midtempo roller “Ama Zone”, an afro-acid-cosmic workout for late nights and sunrises. The release closes with “Dubbing Into Darkness”, a beatdown cut with Eddie’s signature reggae bump to nice up the function.

Introducing Gabriels - an LA based group made up of singer Jacob Lusk and producers Ari Balouzian and Ryan Hope. ‘Love and Hate in a Different Time’ is their new single and the perfect taster of their genre-defying sound. Their debut single ‘Loyalty’ was released on the seminal R&S Records, that and their follow up ‘In Loving Memory’ received support from the likes of Gilles Peterson, Virgil Abloh and Benji B. Both tracks served as solid stepping stones to reach this point in their fledgling career with a full debut EP due for release before the end of the year.

‘Love and Hate in a Different Time’ is the next piece of the puzzle and comes alongside an incredible short film devised and directed by band member Ryan Hope. The song itself envelops you in comforting joy as its soulful funk elements meld with gospel warmth backed by muffled drums and distant hand claps. Its intimacy is in its rawness and honesty as Jacobs affecting voice sews the song together.

The visual is just as unifying; a series of spliced together film footage of the dancefloor over the decades – from as early as 1894 when Thomas Edison became one of the first to film the dancefloor by shooting ‘Buffalo Dance’ - the Sioux Ghost Dance – up to the present day. The video showcases the true power of dance and how it can bring people together through good times and bad as well

as its complicated relationship with technology. The short film ends with footage of Jacob singing impromptu through a megaphone at a recent Black Lives Matter protest in LA – making the footage all that more moving and impactful for the complex present time we’re all living through.

“The actual definition of the dancefloor is something that has always fascinated me. It’s a space we express ourselves ultimately. However as a huge Adam Curtis fan I’ve always been fascinated with origins and definitions. The complex relationships between subjects and the stories we are told to learn about them. When I started researching the history of the dancefloor and found that Edison was one of the first to film a dancefloor and he monetized it in the way he did. I think of where we are at now and ask what have we really learned? That is the concept behind the film for Love and Hate in a Different Time.” Ryan Hope.

Marc Rapson is a man of many dimensions. From rocking BBC's Maida Vale and Later with Jools Holland as part of Ben Westbeech's touring band, to releasing stellar re-edits of Marvin Gaye and Sarah Vaughan to the acclaim of Gilles Peterson, Marc has spent the last decade quietly building a following amongst those in the know. Dark vs Light seamlessly blends crunchy, low swung Hip Hop beats with Marc's jazz inflected Fender Rhodes and synth sounds. Not one to be confined to a singular style, Marc also fires up the sampler for tracks such as 'Click Loud', combining surgical chop skills with live instrumentation. Dark vs Light is the product of a mind that grew up on Ahmad Jamal as much as A Tribe Called Quest: the jazz pianist with a passion for raw beats. This first time on double vinyl complete edition includes all tracks from the now out of print EP along side additional bonus cuts from the original sessions featuring MC Replife as well as a dope cover of a classic Roy Ayers track. A great way to help celebrate Futuristica’s 15th year!

A must have 7"... this is a big one! Although Danny Krivit had a few well-regarded edits on wax before “Love Is The Message,” it was his head-turning cut-up of MFSB’s masterpiece on TD records that put him firmly and irrevocably on the scene as a go-to man with the razor. The song was already well-established, but existed in many manifestations. Krivit's version focussed on Leon Huff's rippling electric piano solo & breakdown of the powerhouse rhythm section of Earl Young and company, a much anticipated highlight for subsequent generations of disco devotees. For its debut on 7-inch, Krivit has trimmed his famed original mix down to a fully functional five and a half minutes, a tight distillation of an undisputed classic of the genre.

While the four-on-the-floor drums of Earl Young are rightly cited as key inspiration for the rhythmic style of house music, the flip side of Mr. K’s new 7-inch showcases another immediate predecessor, this one recorded more than 1,000 miles southwest of the discos of New York and Philadelphia. “I Can’t Turn Around” is the final track on Isaac Hayes’s 1975 Chocolate Chip LP, and it builds steam like a locomotive, until the Memphis musicians of the Isaac Hayes Movement are open throttle on a hypnotically repeating orchestral funk riff. The song was a huge favorite in Chicago’s Warehouse and its subsequent incarnation The Music Box, and the direct inspiration for early house hits by Steve “Silk” Hurley and Farley “Jackmaster” Funk. Krivit’s edit is lean and tough, with all the fat surgically trimmed and nothing but the gloriously relentless vamp remaining, a fierce force that has left countless dancefloors in sweaty disarray.

Harmonious Channel One production from 1978, reissued on red vinyl

There has always been a Reggae inuence in the music of El Michels Affair. From their cover of "Hung Up On My Baby" done in a Reggae style, to the general sound and approach that permeates Leon's production style. While recording Bailey's 2020 Ekundayo album, they did some straight forward reggae tunes inspired by different eras alongside some modern R&B tracks that would t more comfortably next to Frank Ocean than Jacob Miller. It is this same notion that old and new can live so comfortably together that birthed the idea of Ekundayo Inversions. Traditional dub came out of reggae in the late 60s and early 70s when pioneers like King Tubby and Lee Perry started taking the multi track recordings of songs and running them back through the board adding effects and additional instrumentation. These recordings are called "dubs" or "versions" and are typically instrumentals with ourishes of vocals from the original tracks. El Michels decided to use the blueprints left behind and make something using the inuences of today. He wound up straying so far from the traditional format that it didn't seem right to use the word `Dub', hence Ekundayo Inversions. All the songs are tied together by WhatsApp messages between Leon and Liam that perfectly narrate the story of this record and their working relationship. One of the highlights on Ekundayo Inversions is a guest appearance from the legendary Lee "Scratch" Perry on the "Ugly Truth" version. L$P switches between singing and talking, proclaiming his powers one minute and playing with the track's title the next. On "Awkward take. 2" Leon takes one of the most experimental songs from Ekundayo and actually straightens it out. A track that once seemed to be oating in space has now been anchored by the addition of drums and bass. "Faded", a version of "Paper Tiger", is given the full EMA treatment with the addition of emotive horns over an uncomfortably sparse rhythm track peppered with Liam's voice drenched in delay and echo. "Champions" features a verse from Black Thought of The Roots and halfway through, El Michels sends the rhythm section 50 years back. At the end of the day, Ekundayo Inversions is a testament to how strong the original songs are. Whether they're in a R&B style, reggae style, stripped down to their bare bones, or loaded with production, the songs will move you.

Red vinyl pressing of instrumental harmonica dub out of the Raspect Muzik production stable.

7" (on crystal clear vinyl)

Liam Bailey follows up his 'Ekundayo' album with this heavy hitting remix 7" featuring two absolute legends. The A side is a remix of Champion featuring Black Thought of The Roots. Black Thought kills the first verse finding the pocket over the Leon Michels produced reggae banger designed to bust up woofers and blow out dance floors. Liam and Thought combine to sing praises to a woman worthy of all the admiration they can muster, and in doing so, they take what was already a classic to another level. The B side is straight from the far flung corners of outer space. Producer Leon Michels strips down and revamps the album cut Ugly Truth, making room for the most special of guests, the one and only, Mr. Lee "Scratch" Perry. The Upsetter switches between singing and talking, one minute proclaiming his powers and the next playing with the title of the original tune. Some proper Lee Perry business alongside the already unstoppable chemistry of Liam Bailey and Leon Michels...An absolute Big Crown Surehot.

With their debut album on Hamburg's taste making hafendisko, Deo & Z-Man proceed their research in contemporary electronic music beyond stylistic boundaries and present a wide-ranging lucky bag of songs. The Italo-rooted brothers melt influences from modern House music, HipHop, Electronica and even jazzy elements into a fresh and life-affirming total work of art. And here it is in all its glory - 'No Bullshit' . With a healthy dose of tongue-in-cheek humour and a seemingly endless supply of fresh ideas, Deo & Z-Man might have pulled one of the most creative albums of the year. Effortlessly gliding between wigged out house for the dancefloor, synthy space weirdness, hip-hop infused beats and twisted, smoked-out electro pop - 'No Bull-shit' is a rare thing, a collection of esoteric and eclectic influences that hang together perfectly as a proper album. The boys have long since created their own special vibe through their well received singles, live performances and DJ sets - mixing musical knowledge, party rocking skills and a sense of fun that is all too often lacking these days. Even more rare is to capture that magic in the studio over the course of an album. Yet 'No Bullshit', as the name cheekily suggests, nails it. Listening to the album it's easy to see how Deo & Z-Man cut their teeth with HipHop - tracks like 'Tamastar Santini' (feat Janos), 'Two Blue Bros' and 'YRUAG' reveal a background of beats and rhymes that infuses the whole vibe of the album. Equally at home in the club, recent single 'XTC', 'Chopped Memories' and 'Tales of Love' are lessons in leftfield club dynamics - deep, musical grooves that hint at the brothers' leg

Into The Deep Treasury presents RIDDIM POETRY. Shining the light on the emergence of the reggae movement in France, through a selection of hidden gems from the 80's,
Carefully restored and remastered, Riddim Poetry is an off-beat journey composed of 7 masterpieces influenced by several styles (Pop, Library, Raï, Disco) which characterized the strength and diversity of the French culture in the 80's.

Astral Black welcome Eahwee (pronounced errr-wee)to the fold for his 'Solitude' EP. Through his production work with MC's such as Mutant Academy's Koncept Jack$on & High Focus' Coop, a handful of releases on Dallas-based label Sunday Dinner and a flurry of bandcamp beat tapes - the London-based producer has quietly made a name for himself on the international beat scene. With the release of 'Solitude', Eahwee joins the ranks of Astral Black alumni & his production peers Budgie, Shy One & JD. Reid amongst the labels forward-thinking-producer blessed catalogue.

Across the 12-tracks here on 'Solitude', Eahwee contorts a gold-mine of 70's soul samples into a psychedelic reflection on isolation & the human experience, presented in the form a life affirming 17-minute long mixtape. From the exultantly ethereal sounds of 'Duuduu' & 'Windough' to the heart string pulling 'Naybahuud' & 'Rarecandy', Solitude is a testament to how Eahwee has developed his craft into an effortless touch. Though largely instrumental, peppered along the way are a handful of vocal performances in the form of guest appearances from Blah Records commander-in-chief, Lee Scott, the mafioso memoirs of extra terrestrial MC Melanin 9 and neo-soul sage, Ninjah Aragniz – who closes off proceedings with the infinitely loop-able summer anthem 'yah yah'.

The 7" vinyl edition is limited to 100 copies and includes tracks 'LOOOL', 'Shame' & "yah yah' featuring Lee Scott, M9 & Ninjah Aragniz respectively, alongside their instrumentals. Whilst the cassette edition, limited to 30 copies, features all 12 tracks in full on the A-side, with all 12 instrumentals on the B-side.

The Artwork, a comment on working with the best & worse of human nature, comes courtesy of Eahwee himself with yypography & additional design by Morgan Hislop.

The Italian Duo Club Paradiso coming from diverse and ever-evolving music backgrounds, they started their collaborative project in 2016. Romagna, Adriatic Riviera, is what they call home and also the primal inspiration behind Club Paradiso. Their first album “Esotica Erotica Psicotica” is out on april 26th on Mondo Groove with Kompakt distribution, follow up to the acclaimed 2017 single Panoramica, and is a wonderful patchwork of colours. Opener Romagna Tropicale transports Riviera to a tropical island, Tuco mixes arpeggiating lines with a western harmonica and a distant spoken, Solo tu with the voice of Francesca Amati is a sensual, slo-mo synth-pop beauty, and Echoes a throbbing deep house number. The B-side opens with Flauto Cosmico, a killer Afro/Cosmic track with a folky flute, Okinawa has the voice of Niconote aka the legendary Nicoletta Magalotti of Violet Eves fame and it’s simply a memorable song with an eastern vibe in the music, La Rabbia Saudita, with a special Daniele Baldelli & Marco Dionigi featuring, is half part Arabic and half part funky, and the closing track, Mirage, is, yes, like a mirage. You can’t miss this.

The first vinyl release from the Texas based cassette label eastdowntothesouth, run by doomshop affiliate DJ Akoza and Textasy. This compilation is the debut of the jungle producer Ksetdex, and it also features tracks from DJ Agony and Textasy

Lifted From Hubbard's Lauded 1979 Lp 'the Love Connection', This Sublime Piece Of Melodic, Deep, Soul/Jazz Will Have Ears And Minds Open With It's Instantly Recognisable Opening String Sequence.

Used To Devastating Effect On Pepe Bradock's All-time 1999 Deep-house Classic 'deep Burnt', Those Sweeping Strings Capture Us And Lead Us Into A Epic Journey With The Wondrous Vocal Stylings Of The Legendary Singer Al Jarreau.

This Is Prime Early Morning Music, Pushing All The Right Buttons & Spreading Light Wherever It Is Played, A Beautiful Beautiful Record Indeed! What Is Essentially An Extended And Rearranged Version Of Hubbard's 1967 Original, The '79 Version Of 'little Sunflower' Boasts A Sumptuous Arrangement & Production From The Mighty Claus Ogerman (Ben E King, Mel Torme, Bill Evans, Antonio Carlos Jobim & More).

A Truly Wondrous Piece Of Music, Reissued On A Single Side In It's Full 12" Length Of 9+ Minutes From The Source Archive Audio. Fully Legit, Licensed And Reissued With Love By Above Board Distribution And Columbia Records/Sony Bmg For Record Store Day, 2019.

The mysterious afro-soul of The Shaolin Afronauts first echoed across the dance floors of Australia in late 2008. Heavily inspired by the sounds of 1970's West Africa, Ethiopia and the pioneering avant-garde jazz artists of the same period, The Shaolin Afronauts draw on the this highly innovative and sometimes volatile era in music, using it as inspiration to create music with the same fire and intensity. Though there is something refreshing and original about the Afronauts, their music could be described as somewhere in between the heavy Afrobeat of Fela Kuti and the Ethio-Jazz of Mulatu Astatke. The key to the Shaolin Afronauts unique sound is the line-up, which comprises of a three piece horn section, 5 piece rhythm section and three percussionists, and this polyrhythmic approach layers the groups sound with a mesmerizing and hypnotic texture.

Kicking off with Journey Through Time (also released as the A side of the limited edition 12 inch vinyl single: FSR091) the multiple layers of percussion and rhythms indeed unleash an unstoppable groove, which is nicely balanced against the albums slower, more introspective moments, such as Rise With The Blind which along with haunting, mellow Scarab prove that contemporary afrobeat rooted music doesn't always have to be an unrelenting, uptempo assault on the senses and can provide moments of sheer beauty and reflection.

This added element of subtlety sets The Shaolin Afronauts music apart from much of the recent crop of other bands with similar influences, That said, these guys are still a collective capable of burning some stone cold classic and killer grooves, The Shaolin Afronauts are the band to watch out for in 2011!

"Disco Fashion" is certainly one of the rarest, obscure and mysterious record ever produced in Italy. At the same time one of the most experimental and psychedelic recording mixed in a classic disco style. The author is unknown; his name doesn't tell us anything or anyone we can associate to him. The musicians were most probably turnists (amazing turnists I mean) with fantasy names. The name "Electric Machine" was used only for this project as far as we know, as well as for the label. The founder of the publishing company who licensed the reissue passed away and the family carrying on the business is not aware of any stories behind this project. What better occasion to loose yourself to the listening of this incredible find

The Amazin' Five Soul/Funk band from Moscow comprises Jazz, Reggae, Hip-Hop, Blues musicians and DJs, who are also playing in other bands, and arе united by their love of 1960s/70s US, European and Soviet-era Soul and Funk music.

The band has played everywhere from breakdance festivals to local pubs, clubs and bars – wherever you can dance or enjoy the sound of Soul whilst sipping your beer!

Olesia, the Amazin' Five vocalist, writes lyrics that come from the heart and from her own life experience. They tell of the journey from love to despair and back; of everyday life, our hopes and dreams. We hope that you too can feel it.

**LIMITED 2ND PRESSING with DIFFERENT LABEL ARTWORK**

The Amazin' Five Soul/Funk band from Moscow comprises Jazz, Reggae, Hip-Hop, Blues musicians and DJs, who are also playing in other bands, and arе united by their love of 1960s/70s US, European and Soviet-era Soul and Funk music.

The band has played everywhere from breakdance festivals to local pubs, clubs and bars – wherever you can dance or enjoy the sound of Soul whilst sipping your beer!

Olesia, the Amazin' Five vocalist, writes lyrics that come from the heart and from her own life experience. They tell of the journey from love to despair and back; of everyday life, our hopes and dreams. We hope that you too can feel it.

"Year Of The Funky" is the second album from Bei Bei () & Shawn Lee. After their debut collaborative album "Into The Wind" (Ubiquity Records, 2010), the Chinese guzheng virtuoso / composer and the prolific multi-instrumentalist / producer join forces again on 12 new tracks. "Year Of The Funky" marries a unique blend of ancient tradition with studio trickery. Eschewing all notions of superficial "Asian/Fusion", this uplifting, genre-bending, and sophisticated sound brings together both East & West with musical aplomb. The new album continues as a logical progression from "Into The Wind". It ventures into both new tempos & moods while deftly connecting the past, the future and what lies beyond.


About Bei Bei

The Guzheng is over 2000 years old and belongs to the Asian long zither family. It was used in both folk and court music in the ancient China. Falling in love with the 5 foot tall x 1 foot wide 21-stringed Chinese instrument at first sight, Bei Bei began playing at the age of seven and received her professional musical training at the Central University of Nationalities in Beijing, China and the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in Hong Kong. She also studied Jazz music and improvisation at Fullerton College in California. Bei Bei roots her art in classical music and expands into other styles, combining new with old into creative new expressions, especially in her collaborations with musicians from different genres such as funk, jazz, alternative, electronica, hip-hop, and dance. She is a multi-award winner of many national and international awards. In 2011, she and her music were included in the American college textbook "World Music" by Michael Bakan. In 2015, she was featured as one of The Most Fascinating People of Los Angeles by LA Weekly Magazine. As a studio musician, she recorded for Sci-fi Channel's "Battlestar Galactica" and award-winning video game original score "Revelation" (). As a composer, she composed music and performed for the China Central TV documentary series "Dun Huang", Chinese movie "Copycat", and for Canon web promo video "Tiger's Heart" . She released her debut album "Quiet Your Mind And Listen" in 2006 and her collaborative album "Heart of China" (Universal Music), with Richard Horowtiz, in 2008. Her last collaborative album "Into The Wind" with Shawn Lee was released through Ubiquity Records in 2010. As an educator and author, she has published two books "Gu Zheng Sessions Vol.1" and "Bei Bei's Easiest Guzheng Course Book 1" with accompaniment CD and videos. She is the director of Lotus Bud Guzheng Academy in Orange County California and business owner of The Guzheng Shop.


About Shawn Lee

Shawn Lee is one of the most prolific musicians of his generation. A multi-instrumentalist, producer, singer songwriter, composer and Radio DJ who has released 35 albums as an artist to date. He has played, produced and written on hundreds of records. He has worked with a diverse range of artists including Jeff Buckley, Kelis, Saint Etienne, Money Mark, Amy Winehouse, Jonathan Jeremiah, Darondo, Adrian Younge, Tony Joe White, Robbie Williams, Incognito and Princess Superstar to name just a few. Lee's music has been used extensively in both film & TV - "Monuments Men", "20 feet from stardom", "House of cards", "Orange is the new black", "Blacklist", "Vice Principals", "Oceans 13", "Eastbound & Down", "Ugly Betty", "Nip Tuck", "CSI," "Confessions of a shopaholic", Cinemaxx, Jaguar, BMW, Barclays, Clarks shoes, Head & shoulders and many many more. He has also created bespoke music for Hermann Miller, Ace Hotels and Wallpaper magazine. As a composer, he has scored two documentary films "Elevate" and "Under the sun". Lee also created the original soundtrack for the feature films "Save Angel Hope", "Live Evil," "12 Dare's" and composed the original scores for video games "Zombie Playground" and "Rockstar's Bully" which was nominated for best score twice - winning once. Shawn Lee is an American and has lived in London England for over 20 years with his wife and his two daughters.

Hillside & Matulah is a Helsinki based instrumental keys/drums duo mixing all kinds of styles and genres with their own unique minimalistic style. Risto Kumpulainen (keys) and Janne Mathlin (drums & percussion) are a known for their collaboration with several finnish blues/rock/soul-artists.

Tykopaatti, part of the finnish hiphop collective Joku Roti Mafia, has released three solo albums along with numerous collabo/band recordings. He has also released english material under one of hes alter egos; Frankly Irrational. Tykopaatti also plays drums in various groups including the finnish rocknroll/blues guitarist Jo' Buddy.

For fans of DJ Format and Ugly Duckling, this is HipHop how it should sound!

Traversing with an understated technical assuredness, the ambitious shapes of Steely Dan, the popping lounge funk of McDonald era Doobie Brothers, the sweet mourning of the Stylistics and Delfonics, and the exquisite song-craft and flawless harmonising of CSNY, Daniel Collas (The Phenomenal Handclap Band), Bart Davenport and Quinn Luke aka Bing Ji Ling have recorded an absolute darling of an album under the name Incarnations. They are three friends with enough musical guises, side-projects, collaborations and production jobs to fill the annual itinerary of your average musician twice over. When three CVs like these get together on a regular basis, it's only logical they speculate and hypothecate on the possibility of an album together. But, how to make those congested diaries synchronise? Bart lives in Oakland and Quinn and Daniel are in New York, all three of them are on tour for the better part of the year. One sunny day in Madrid, Spain, a plan was hatched and a proposal was made. Lovemonk, a small, eclectic and affable Spanish label, dangled the carrot that clinched the deal; 'find two weeks between gigs/productions/recordings and head down to this little place we know in Tarifa, Southern Spain'. A family-run studio, in a house 5 minutes from a wild beach and a short ferry ride from the coast of Africa; the perfect ambience for the fleeting melody and sultry grooves of the Incarnations debut album, "With All Due Respect". Arriving with bits and bobs of half-songs, grooves and melodies, Daniel, Quinn and Bart, sketched and improvised their way to the most intensely evocative songs you'll hear this year. Punctuated by a day trip across the water to Tangiers, all 9 songs were written and recorded inside a fortnight in October 2009 and laid to rest while our protagonists jetted off to their respective diary appointments. Whether it was the beach, the soft weather, the fact that you can smell Africa from the studio, the home cooked Spanish food or the relaxed environment of the recording room, when the band returned to the songs at a New York studio earlier this year, they found an album as fresh and resonant as the moment it came into being. Quickly mixed down with no over-dubs or re-records, "With All Due Respect" captures the combined gifts of Tarifa and the three very talented friends that paid a visit. Incarnations are: Daniel Collas: DJ, drummer, organist, and one half of production team Embassy Sound Productions, the minds behind The Phenomenal Handclap Band. Plays - drums, percussion, organ and synthesizers. Bart Davenport: Collaborator with Greyboy, General Elektriks and The Phenomenal Handclap Band; Singer-songwriter with The Loved Ones, The Kinetics and Honeycut, and most recently a touring member of the Kings Of Convenience. Plays - guitar, bass and vocals. Quinn Luke a.ka. Bing Ji Ling: Part of The Phenomenal Handclap Band, one half of DFA recording artists Q&A and long time member of Tommy Guerrero's band; Solo artist on labels Ubiquity and Lovemonk among others. Plays - guitars, keyboards, vocals The band are named after Encarnacion "Nini" Sagrista, owner of the recording studio in Tarifa, who housed and fed them during their stay.

Second Acid Skanking! What is this, no teebee 303 this time, but we have a transformer scratching technics main theme this time! this one drops down on the a side to 126 bpm into boom bap and hip house. Scavaged from an originated version from 1996 made with a soundtracker in 8 bit and 22khz. The flipside drops a hardcore house version running up into 150 bpm and adds some crunchy akai 950 amen flavour
breaks.

John FM's American Spirit EP. Active in Detroit's underground music scene for the best part of a decade, John FM is respected by dance music heads for his collaborations with house music pioneer Omar S and NYC producer AceMo. American Spirit puts John's "staggering talent" (Resident Advisor) at the forefront: dance music that feels genre-less and accessible with elements of lo-fi House, RnB and Blues, inspired by the broad sounds of Detroit and the mid-west.

Available on limited edition triple vinyl (via DJ specialty shops) this is a compilation of nine tracks remixed (between 1979 and 1982) by Larry Levan, the DJ behind New York's famously influential nightclub, The Paradise Garage. Levan is a producer and remixer who, though he died in 1992, continues to be cited as one of the industry's greatest and most revered. Each of the nine individual full-length tracks was DIGITALLY REMASTERED specifically for this project. The sound quality is brilliant! The compilation comes complete with comprehensive liner notes giving the label's history, its relationship with Levan and anecdotes about each of the nine remixes and how each came about.

Originally released in 1999 this release has been fully re created for 2016. Released in conjunction with West End.

„King’s Disease“ bereitet den Weg für eine neu konzipierte Zukunft und demonstriert dabei die persönlichen Schlachten als auch die Brillanz des Lebens auf dem Thron. Produziert von Hit-Boy enthält das Album 12 brandneue Tracks zwischen Nas unverkennbarer Gewissens-Lyrik und einer Mischung aus vergnügten Partyhits. Der Titel ist gleichbedeutend mit dem Privileg und der Verantwortung der königlichen Herrschaft, in Anerkennung der Tatsache, dass nicht einmal das Königtum gegen jegliches Leid immun ist. „King’s
Disease“ prüft deshalb das Gleichgewicht des Lebens und gibt damit ein Zeitzeugnis über Black Futurism, Black Joy and das Erbe der Black Community. Denn während die Farbe Schwarz oft mit Gefühlen der Dunkelheit assoziiert wird, stellt Nas den Begriff neu dar, um dessen Reichtum, Komplexität und tiefe Schönheit abzubilden und geht dabei über Rasse, Gesellschaftsklasse oder Glauben hinaus. Unterstützt wird er dabei von u.a. den Rapkollegen Big Sean, Don Toliver, ASAP Ferg und seiner alten Crew The Firm, bestehend aus Nas, Foxy Brown, AZ und Cormega. Mit 13 Grammy-Nominierungen, sechs Nr.1-Alben, 30 Millionen verkauften Tonträgern und unzähligen
Platin- und Mehrfachplatin-Auszeichnungen gehört Nas bis heute zur Crème de la Crème der US-amerikanischen Rapszene und erreicht mit ”King’s Disease” bereits zum vierzehnten Mal die Top 10 der US-amerikanischen Albumcharts.