Hip-Hop Vinyl New Releases - News

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TWR opens a new railway to France and welcomes the notorious Gary Gritness on board, that you might already know for his unmistakable cyberfunk. This record features a sun-drenched, high speed funk vibe with hot & heavy beats. A 2k20 update of the music that could have been played in the cassette player of a VW Golf mk4, the classic hatchback known in morocco as a "Zebra".

Gary’s Gang are the New York group of musicians best know for their US hit ‘Keep On Dancin’’, which reached #41 on the Billboard Hot 100 and UK #8 in 1978. The single sold over half a million copies around the world. The follow-up was ‘Let’s Love Dance Tonight’ (UK top 49 in 1979) and ‘Do It At The Disco’ and these three tracks have been sampled numerous times.

Five track EP of previously unreleased drum heavy Gallic hard-bop and risqué acidic folk.

The long-lost Parisian skin flick ‘Jeunes Filles Impudiques’ (AKA ‘Schoolgirl Hitchhikers’) marks a particularly vulnerable period in the career of one of the most underrated and misunderstood directors to emerge from the rising smoke of the 1968 Parisian social explosion.

From a director with early links with the Paris underground, the letterists, the surrealists, improv theatre and the free-press comes the reclaimed audio tracks from one of his rarest celluloid moments - but let’s not confuse this for high-art. Finders Keepers make no bones, this is Jean Rollin’s maiden voyage into adult entertainment, directed under the pseudonym of Miche Gentil with a flimsy plot, questionable acting skills and an awesome little schizophrenic soundtrack.

This long-lost movie has been buried for some 40 odd years, with a musical score bursting to jump out of the can and down your tone arm, now made possible by a recently renovated negative print and new source material. These original Pierre Raph (of ‘Requiem For A Vampire’ infamy) compositions from the publishing Library Of Paris’ Musicale Editions Dellamarre (of Acanthus / Unity fame) come straight from Rollin himself as an introduction to Finders Keepers’ new Rollinade series documenting some of the finest musical moments of the director’s career as an avant-gardener, counter-culture vulture and Gallic vamptramp, all housed in their original hand-painted promotional artwork.

The Vega Records 5 Pack Vinyl Unreleased Projects have become very sought after pieces amongst vinyl enthusiasts and collectors, thanks to Vinyl Parties and Performances by Louie Vega at Phonica Records in London and Rush Hour Records In Amsterdam (during ADE).

Previously only available as a 5 pack 12" which now commands high prices on discogs and have never available outside of a few select stores worldwide.

Now available as unique 12"s for the first time the fifth part features Sa'd Ali - Asylum (Louie Vega Remix).

This stunning new release on Soul Jazz Records looks at the explosion of music that came out of the Congo in the years leading up to independence in 1960. Congolese rumba, a wild combination of African, Jazz and Latin influences, created future stars of its now legendary creators – Franco, Grand Kalle, Tabu Ley, Dr. Nico, Papa Wemba – and all feature here in their ground-breaking early groups
such as O.K.Jazz, Brazzos, Rock-A-Mambo, African Jazz and The Beguen Band. The Congo is in fact two countries – The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, formerly Zaire) and the Republic of the Congo. Congo Revolution was first released as a sampler 7” box set for RSD, and this expanded release includes a 50-page booklet/double gatefold and inner sleeves containing
extensive text explaining the evolution of the music and history of the two Congos, and how music, politics and popular culture intersected at the point of independence from the two Congos’ European colonisers – Belgium and France – through songs such as ‘Vive Patrice Lumumba,’ and ‘MNC Uhuru,’ which celebrated the Congolese independence leader prior to his political assassination.
Also included is the stunning images of the Congolese photographer Jean Depara who documented the Congo’s vibrant nightlife in the period 1955-65 as well as being the official photographer for the superstar Congolese artist Franco up until his death in 1989. Depara also documents the rise of the
Bills (Congolese teenagers who dressed as cowboys) and sharp-suited évolués (which later gave rise to the fashion-conscious phenomenon of the Congolese ‘Sapeurs’). These images are reproduced in collaboration with Revue Noire in France.
This album comes as a deluxe heavyweight double vinyl with gatefold sleeve and individual inner sleeves, CD with slipcase and 50-page outsize booklet, and as digital release.

Tape / Cassette

Prague based FM Label connects music, fashion and design. Established in 2020 by Uncalled 4, the label joins the flourishing scene of Prague with a vision of music in which the new revisits the old. The second release, Enough, comes from our very own Detente 2020 - the killer combo of Uncalled 4 and his studio partner and close friend, Universe Of Everything. Featuring NYC hip hop legend Afu-Ra and Charlie One on the vocals, the eponymous track Enough combines iconic 90's street rap with contemporary electronic sounds, presenting a scenic layer that provides a movie-like feeling. The EP also features the Czech Filharmony drummer Jakub Tengler, who jammed buckets, pots, pipes and any other unusual object at his reach to create the heavily percussive Bucket Tube. Norway's Fett Burger takes Bucket Tube on a ride through NYC with his 'Work Out' remix, providing the ever-astonishing impression of walking around the streets of the Big Apple. Olsvang?r remix of Enough is designed to smash the dancefloor. Heavily influenced by both the past and the present, his rework shifts between intelligence and sheer rawness. As a final touch, the release is accompanied by an acapella track that will also be found on future FM label releases. Enough EP comes in a special cardboard sleeve which can be reshaped into a vinyl display holder.

EP+MC Bundle

Prague based FM Label connects music, fashion and design. Established in 2020 by Uncalled 4, the label joins the flourishing scene of Prague with a vision of music in which the new revisits the old. The second release, Enough, comes from our very own Detente 2020 - the killer combo of Uncalled 4 and his studio partner and close friend, Universe Of Everything. Featuring NYC hip hop legend Afu-Ra and Charlie One on the vocals, the eponymous track Enough combines iconic 90's street rap with contemporary electronic sounds, presenting a scenic layer that provides a movie-like feeling. The EP also features the Czech Filharmony drummer Jakub Tengler, who jammed buckets, pots, pipes and any other unusual object at his reach to create the heavily percussive Bucket Tube. Norway's Fett Burger takes Bucket Tube on a ride through NYC with his 'Work Out' remix, providing the ever-astonishing impression of walking around the streets of the Big Apple. Olsvang?r remix of Enough is designed to smash the dancefloor. Heavily influenced by both the past and the present, his rework shifts between intelligence and sheer rawness. As a final touch, the release is accompanied by an acapella track that will also be found on future FM label releases. Enough EP comes in a special cardboard sleeve which can be reshaped into a vinyl display holder.

"Essential reissue of an under-appreciated West London UK reggae gem from 1983 released on the Lion Kingdom label.
Self-composed, produced and financed by Alex Robertson aka I Benjahman, Fraction Of Jah Action, originally a 7 track album, and the handful of 12” singles that preceded were graced by the hands of some of the highest reggae royalty and courtiers. Alpha Boys School alumni trombonist and The Specials affiliated Rico Rodriguez, drummer extraordinaire Horsemouth Wallace, bassist of smooth liquidity Larry Silvera, veteran engineer Sid Bucknor, the finest fingers in UK reggae production Dennis Bovell as well as West London band Zabandis, to name a few.

Reissued for the very first time, this has the bulk of I Benjahman’s early 80’s output, originals of which are very rare indeed. 12” single versions (including the Jah Shaka favourite ‘Give Love A Try’), dubplate mixes, dubs, unreleased material (including a song that was slated for use on the film Countryman) and sleeve notes detailing the life and career of I Benjahman."

Two new afro-cuts by Marsupials.
Limited 200 copies in a green cover with hand-stamped label.

From label owner Terry Cole, "It was on March 16, 2020 that we closed up our storefront as the reality of a worldwide pandemic began to spread across the Midwest. We had no idea how it was going to impact our shop, our label, or the artists we represent. We were all fortunate to have our family members stay safe and healthy; however, the livelihood of many of our friends and artists were drastically and immediately impacted. No tours, no live performances, record shops closed, pressing plants shut down, etc. And while the level of uncertainty was unnerving, from that uncertainty came the idea for Brighter Days Ahead. We knew we wanted to continue to release new music, but proceeding with our heavy 2020 release schedule as planned seemed ill advised. So the idea was to release individual tracks from many of our artists on a weekly basis and as a musical family, we could all help shine light on each individual artist weekly. Strength in numbers! So throughout the summer and into the fall, that's what we did. We released several dozen tracks and the weekly announcements certainly garnered a strong sense of community for our artists and fans alike. We're very proud to present Brighter Days Ahead: a compilation from our talented stable of artists on both our Colemine and Karma Chief imprints."

Up next to bat for the Astral Black label is Glasgow's Bushido and he looks set to hit his debut 4-track EP straight out the park. Over the past 18 months Bushido's playful, dance-hall infused take on UK club-music has built a steady reputation, with his soundcloud page showcasing a blaze of radio rips lifted from 1xtra, Rinse & NTS. His Beach Stage set at last years Outlook Festival was picked by The Daily Street as their personal highlight and his collaborations with label-mate DJ Milktray & contributions to releases from Liminal Sounds & LuckyMe's 14/15 advent calendar have picked up DJ support from the likes of Hudson Mohawke, Mssngno & Nina Las Vegas as well as press from the likes of The Fader & FACT.

On 'Grandmaster Cash', Bushido turns in 4 sweltering, hyper-tropical, club tracks - the arpeggiated cowbells & vocal chops of opener 'Palm Trees' sounding like you've hit the jackpot on a fruit machine. 'Palm Trees' has become a firm favourite in sets from the likes of Mr Mitch & Murlo and its clear to see why. The sino-centric 'Cherry Blossom' is up next, it's half-step breakdowns offering some mild respite before culminating in an arsenal of pan-flute chops & triplet hi hats. The mavado-sampling 'Just Us' rings out at the top of side B, a stripped back offering of anthemic vocal-chops, 808 kicks, sub bass and rim shots. Finally, leaving the B'more bounce of Boxed-favourite 'Jersey' to seal the deal.

No Fakerz Records Limited Edition Vinyl release : ONLY 300 copies

Was würde der Re-Mixer Pit Baumgartner mit unbegrenztem
Zugang zum Sample Archiv von Pit Baumgartner anfangen?
Bekannte Motive, unbekannte Perspektiven... Stark eingefärbt
durch seine Affinität zum Reggae entstand ein munteres „DePhazz“-Mash-up, bei dem Kenner der Band das eine oder
andere Original in neuem Kontext wieder erkennen, mal mit
federnden House-Grooves unterlegt, mal mit Dub-Bass tief
aus dem Keller.
Die Liste der Künstler, die Baumgartner remixen durfte ist
lang: Boy George, Yello, Kool & The Gang, Aha, Kurtis Blow...
- nun hat er also in der eigenen Klang-Schublade gestöbert,
modifiziert, ge-dub-t, gewürfelt...und neu zusammen gefügt,
mit der ihm unverwechselbaren Klangästhetik und phazz-adelischer Eleganz!

Malian music is arguably deeper, more sophisticated and lyrical than any other form of African music. Those of us deeply entranced by Malian culture, and, in particular, the immense hypnotic beauty of Malian music, have put together a selection of songs from across the country.

Compiled by Vik Sohonie & Dave 'Mr Bongo’ Buttle, the story of this release began in 2015 when Dave happened upon the Soul Bonanza blog. A treasure chest of rare finds from around the world! One mix in particular stood out and totally enthralled Dave - le monde à change: a tribute to mali 1970 - 1991. He already knew of Malian legends such as the Rail Band, Salif Keita, & Les Ambassadeurs du Motel de Bamako, but this mix was something else! Deep & culled from the collections of some of the heaviest African music collectors in the world; legends like Vik Sohonie, Hidehito Morimoto, Philippe Noel, Gregoire Villanova, and Rickard Masip. Dave immediately contacted Vik and a journey of discovery tracking down the rights-holders began. He also turned to the font of Malian music knowledge; Florent Mazzoleni. Florent has written the definitive book about Malian music – 'Musiques modernes et traditionnelles du Mali’. He proposed some incredible tracks to include and provided the back bone of the sleeve notes and photos that are used in the album. No Malian album would be complete without a striking front cover photo, and ours is sourced from the late great Malian photographer Malick Sidibé.

On this album you will find well-known artists sitting next to rarer discoveries. The Rail Band, who are one of the best known of all the big bands in Mali, gave us the stars Mory Kanté and Salif Keita. Les Amabassedeurs du Motel de Bamako were another big act that had Idrissa Soumaoro, Kanté Manfila, and for a while Salif Keita in their ranks. Sometimes Salif would play in both bands in one night, quite a feat considering the bands were fierce rivals. As an albino Salif has had to face considerable prejudice from society, focusing on his musical career to help overcome this.

A major discovery on the album has been Idrissa Soumaoro et L'Eclipse de L’Ija. L'Eclipse de l'Institut des Jeunes Aveugles was a Blind teenagers institute and their record was produced by the German association that took care of blind Malian teenagers in Bamako. It was never properly released commercially and was the first recordings by the legends of Malian music Idrissa Soumaoro, Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia. Amadou & Mariam later got married and became household stars, including making an album with Manu Chao.

This album is a concerted global effort to showcase the most vital cornerstone of Malian culture in an attempt to preserve its reputation in the face of its current, grim reality. We hope our highlights of Mali's rich history of musical innovation will serve as a starting point for reclaiming an image tainted by unnecessary conflict. May peace and music return to Mali soon.

THE DEFINITIVE RE-ISSUE - supervised by Arthur Verocai from the original Continental master tapes. Limited Edition gatefold sleeve red vinyl

For a very long time, we have been trying to re-issue this record; a true and complete album masterpiece in every sense of the word, considered by many people to be one of the greatest ever made, regardless of genre.

Recorded at Studio Somil, Rio De Janeiro in 1972, the album was produced, arranged, directed by the self-taught, Arthur Verocai. Previously he had worked on many records in various capacities, with artists including Jorge Ben, Ivan Lins and Celia, this album gave him the chance to do his thing in it’s most pure form.

The 29 minute masterpiece, perfect in it’s arrangement and fusion of sonics, epitomises the sound of Brazil at the time; strings, guitars, pianos, break beats, basslines, synthesizers, vocals from the wonderful Célia and percussion from Pedro Santos. Bossa nova, samba, jazz, MPB, psychedelics and funk sit side by side effortlessly.

The album transcends the genre of Brazilian music, and infact all genres. Highlighted in part by the number of artists that have sampled from it; MF Doom, Ludacris & Common, Little Brother, Jneiro Jarel aka Dr Who Dat?, Dibiase and Action Bronson amongst others.

The original Continental versions of the album now fetch around $2000. Our definitive re-issue is an exact replica of the gatefold original LP and the source master is taken from the Continental tapes, re-mastered in 2012 under Arthur’s supervision.

"Cosmic Shift" by Swiss-based DJ and Producer 'Lexx', with real name 'Alex Storrer'. He's a smartly crafted blend of styles from start
to finish. Soulful sounds of the inner city meet distinct melodies with a longing for an island in the sun.

The Album encompasses Neo Soul, Dub, Pop and hints traces of the Producers twenties as a Hip Hop addict in the golden era of the genre.
Collaborators include the Los Angeles based Woolfy and Harriet Brown, Ella Thompson from Melbourne, Jonnny Spencer of Chicken Lips fame and up and coming songstress Asé from Zurich.

After a long list of official remixes for many renown labels; occasional singles, Lexx ultimately felt the urge to tell his own story. It’s intimate, the sound of dawn, of twilight. Right before the night falls...

Friends, it is time for a finish. Here's the seventh and last chapter of the festivities that we put together for our 50th catalogue number. Once again, the mighty graphics wizards Doppeldenk from Leipzig provided us with a delightfull artwork. And once again, you'll get a record that sports a kaleidoscope of sophisticated dance music from Uncanny Valley veterans and newcomers. This time with the emphasis on bright and positive timbres which can be associated with the colour yellow. Cuthead starts things with a bang and his PARTY CHORDS set the tone perfectly (including neck pain after nodding your head to the beat like there's no tomorrow). If chords could be president this would get a lot of votes. Massimiliano Pagliara shifts down a gear with the acoustic road trip SUNSET FUNK, a masterfully arranged track, made up for driving around on your bike, skateboard or whatever vehicle you are using to get from A to B. The slow and sexy IWESU YEWISU from the soul brothers of Duererstuben is a longtime favorite in the Uncanny Valley headquarters. We are super happy that this groover will finally see the light of day. Panthera Krause provides the subtle but euphoric THE NAKED NOW, a House music lesson that's bubbling under the surface. And finally, Uncanny Valley first-timer Daniela Da Luz closes the record with WHEN YOU GO ALL IN AND WAIT, a drum heavy but also embracing excursion into your own neural circuit

“Never forget our past, our history” so goes the refrain at the end of “Mama” one of the songs from David Walters’s bold and affecting release from earlier this year on the Parisian label, Heavenly Sweetness, “Soleil Kreyol.”

On “Soleil Kreyol” David Walters achieved the apparent impossible - evoking such disparate worlds as New York’s ‘70s club culture and his own familial Afro-Caribbean roots, singing much of the album in Martinican Creole, against a shimmering, percussive soundtrack.

“Mama” returns on his latest, "Nocturne" in a stripped down version alongside a trio of master musicians: the renowned Malian kora musician Ballaké Sissoko, whose previous credits include Taj Mahal and Toumani Diabaté; Sissoko's previous musical collaborator, French cellist/bassist Vincent Segal who also appeared on Walters's “Soleil Kreyol” and veteran percussionist, Roger Raspail, originally from Guadeloupe, who through his four decades has performed genres as diverse Congolese funk, gnawa music from the Sahel and jazz.*

What’s striking about Walters’s "Nocturne" is that despite the players' diversity and the album's array of musical influences - album standout “Freedom” fluidly moves between Walters’s delicate falsetto to a rapped verse in a setting buffered by a pensive cello, interlocking percussion and kora - it remains fully cohesive throughout.

Opener “Papa Kossa" is an album highlight. Immediately ushering us into the album’s distinctive mood, which is in part innovative folk - think Mano Negra, albeit with a Martinican Creole base, rather than Spanish - and something uniquely its own: whispered melodies, in French, English and Martinican Creole, set against a bed of encircling rhythms and harmonies.

The Marseille-based composer/guitarist/vocalist David Walters has long created music that transcends fixed borders. Whether as a DJ/producer remixing the Buenos Aires/ Paris Gotan Project; as a founding member of Zimpala - an electro hip-hop collective - or during his travels to Africa, where he studied alongside Ali Farka Touré, Walters’s approach has always been refreshingly eclectic, albeit stamped with the imprint of his West Indies origins. Walters is Paris born, his mother is from Martinique, his father comes from Saint Kitts and Nevis.*

Dating back to his first releases - some of which appeared on Gotan Project's ¡Ya Basta! record label - David Walters has affirmed and reinvented his Afro-Caribbean musical ancestry, transforming this rich heritage into the foundations of his distinctive musical voice - reinterpreting, for example to “Mesi Bon Dyé” by the seminal Haitian composer Frantz Casseus for the label in the early 2000s.* While more than a decade later, Walters visited New Orleans for the "Nola is Calling" project that united musicians from the US, Benin and France.*

In a cultural moment where the era's best music is characterised by multicultural, polyglot origins and focus on Black identity and culture, “Nocturne” provides a welcome French - or Martinican Creole - perspective. Because of the music's innovative, fully immersive nature “Nocturne” will appeal to a wide range of listeners curious to engage with music that while deeply personal resonates widely.

“Nocturne” is a profoundly moving and intimate listen: a new kind of folk music, with a French/Afro-Caribbean accent, that is modern and ancient at the same time.

The genre, electro (or electro-funk), is sometimes perceived to have a separate identity to hip-hop; however, this electronic cousin was integral to the early development of the hip-hop sound. Drawing on drum machines, such as the Roland TR-808, and influenced by funk, these two genres were intertwined and rode a parallel axis for a while, with rap, breakdance, and graffiti as pillars of the culture and community. The mechanical sound of electro would later go on to inspire a different set of producers and played its part in influencing contemporary electronic dance music. For this 7" release we are taking things back to 1984 and 1985 with a split single from The Egyptian Lover and Jamie Jupitor.

First up is a track from The Egyptian Lover, AKA Greg J. Broussard, the cult Los Angeles-based producer, vocalist and DJ, who is a true hip-hop / electro-fusion pioneer. 'Computer Love (Sweet Dreams)' is a seminal electro-fusion / machine-funk classic that saw a release on the iconic label Freak Beat Records (owned by Greg himself). The original 7" release is now very sought-after by collectors.

On the flip we have another electro jam from The Egyptian Lover disciple, Jamie Jupitor. 'Computer Power’ was additionally produced and arranged by The Egyptian Lover, and was released on Egyptian Empire Records (the label that evolved from Freak Beat Records). For this release we have opted for a special 7" unreleased radio edit, that has Greg kindly provided us with, which differs slightly in composition from the previously released versions. One for fans of Dãm Funk, electro and 80s funk.

2 track Single from Chosen Few released by Crystal/Dub Store Records

2 track Single from Cornell Campbell released by Bunny Lee/Dub Store Records

2 track Single from I Roy released by Crystal/Dub Store Records

Few would challenge the claim that the 1960s and 70s have been the most fertile two decades in the history of popular music ever - a period which, regardless of genre, laid the foundations for everything that has followed. What is more, this period was so fertile that the speed with which tastes changed left a colossal amount of incredible music to gather dust - perhaps most famously a profusion of funk, soul and jazz. It was a musical legacy that lay mouldering until the rise of sampling in late 80s hip-hop precipitated a mad scramble for lost crates and suddenly, the music that became known as 'rare groove' - for obvious reasons (it was rare and very groovy) - experienced a phoenix-like rebirth.

A quarter of a century on and a million funk, soul, jazz-funk and 'rare groove' compilations, re-presses and re-releases later, you'd think that cupboard was bare and yet, even now, there are gems to be found. PT is re-releasing the rarest of cuts that often were originally only limited runs or private pressings and new compilation Down & Wired is just such a collection.

Always soulful, this features everything from mod groovers and northern stompers, to funky bumps and latin heaters. Yet while the quality of all cuts is immediately apparent, only one of the eleven has ever been previously been compiled because when PT 'do' rare, they don't mess around. In fact, if these tracks were steaks - they'd still be walking around eating grass.

Get ready for two brand-spanking new chapters in Perfect Toy's high octane, Down & Wired series of garage-mod-soul nuggets because the label has once again persuaded the man responsible for Volumes 1 and 2 - crate digger par excellence 'Chan The Man' - to unearth even more gems from his record collection!

The goodness kicks off with The Revival's virtually unknown, but irresistible, blues-funk head nodder I Chose To Sing The Blues followed by Take 5+2's stank slice of fuzz-heavy rnb, Motherless Child, originally (not to mention bizarrely) released on an EP handed out as a election promo giveaway for a man who later became mayor of Bonn - Hans Daniels of Germany's Conservative party, the CDU. Elsewhere, Heather Black delivers a blisteringly fast version of Third Avenue Blues Band's Come And Get It while The Turks provide an equally scorching take on Hendrix's Fire. The covers (and the treats) continue with teenage band The Aftermath's heavy take on Junior Wells' Messing With The Kid and Hunger's Brian Auger-ish Mind Machine. Elsewhere, Pump as well as the Sancho Brothers deliver two solid freaked-out instrumentals.

This is a super-hot collection of vintage rarities (accompanied by detailed liner notes and never-before-seen photos of the artists!) imbued with all the glorious imperfections of the golden age of the analogue era that artists now often strive so hard to recreate. Little surprise then that these cuts should sound so fresh today. Available on vinyl LP, CD and digital download.

Killer Gospel Crossover from Evangelist Rubeinstein McClure, first time cut on a 45 for these two killer album cuts, dancey on the A and low slung on the B!

From Shrine to Stax, Isaac Hayes to Gloria Ann Taylor, The Mad Lads to The Staples Singers, Detroit to Atlanta, Kendrick to Pusha-T, Dale Warren’s singular voice is the lone constant. Beneath the ethereal beauty of his productions was a genius crippled by his unbridled id. His everevolving 24-Carat Black project spanned the ’70s, producing a masterpiece and an unfinished follow up. Discovered in a storage space were Warren’s 1980s demos cut with grown n’ sexy divas Princess Hearn, Vicki Gray, and LaRhonda LeGette right before his untimely death at the age of 50. III is an unfinished symphony that peels away the final layer of Dale Warren’s mysterious oeuvre.

A mainstay on the label, Dresden-born / Berlin-based B-boy Worf is up there with Kiat as the most consistent and prolific artist in the collective since his ‘City Of Meth’ EPs in back in 2018. Following various appearances and cameos on the imprint since, his emotional, hip-hop influenced designs are back in the form of his most accomplished release so far.

* imited quadfold 180 gram Double Mint & Electric Blue 2xLP + poster
Building on the sample-based approach of their classic albums Since I Left You and Wildflower, but stepping boldly into new terrain, We Will Always Love You is the new full length masterpiece from The Avalanches. Set for release around the galaxy on December 11. Features Ann Druyan (Director of the Voyager Golden Record Project) on the album cover, her cosmic love story with Carl Sagan inspiring this body of work.

An exploration of the vibrational relationship between light, sound and spirit, We Will Always Love You doubles as “an exploration of the human voice” and a spiritual reckoning via the big questions “who are we really? What happens when we die?’”. So says Robbie Chater, who alongside bandmate Tony DiBlasi and collaborator Andrew Szekeres has moved beyond the party-up exuberance of The Avalanches’s youthful music to a tender, reflective sound infused with hard-earned life wisdom.

If there’s a single spark for We Will Always Love You it’s the story of the love affair between Ann Druyan and Carl Sagan: “science communicators” whose writings and TV programs brought the ever-deepening mysteries of astronomy and astrophysics to the mass audience. Chater was profoundly moved by the fact that the couple’s romance was captured and carried into space, thanks to the Voyager Interstellar Message Project. Druyan served as Creative Director in charge of curating the Golden Record: earthling music and assorted terrestrial sounds gathered for the contemplation of any alien civilisations that might be out there and be advanced enough to construct a playback system.
Originally, Druyan was set to be a presence on We Will Always Love You: a studio was booked to record her telling her own story. That never transpired, but Druyan “gave us permission to use her photo on the album cover,” says Chater. “We photographed it off a static-y television set and ran it through a spectograph to make the cover image. So that was a beautiful way that Ann could still be part of the record. We turned her into sound and back again”

No Cover

The Four Owls swarm into 2020 by announcing the long-awaited news of their third studio album Nocturnal Instinct dropping via High Focus Records on 17th April 2020. Since their inception in ‘11, The Four Owls have become best known for their thought-provoking, emotive and undiluted lyricism. They’ve never shied away from delving deep within and in doing so have carved a unique space for themselves within the Hip-Hop landscape.

With the collective comprising of Leaf Dog, Fliptrix, Verb T & BVA the foursome perfectly demonstrate the age-old idea that you can’t choose your family but you can choose your friends, The Four Owls have fabricated an honest bond of brotherhood that spills out into their music which can only be described as Hip-Hop in its purest form. At the production helm, Leaf Dog is responsible for creating not only the entire album but The Owls signature sound which they have become so infamous for.

Nocturnal Instinct is set to become a cult classic and features artists you rarely see collaborate with musicians on this side of the pond. Super-producer DJ Premier, who only ever works with The Owls in the UK, lends his golden era beats to single ‘100%’ - with his signature scratched chorus proclaiming The Owls as 'kings of their throne' - the follow up to their first monumental collaboration, ‘Think Twice’.

Also gracing the project is RA The Rugged Man, an artist has also worked with the likes of Notorious B.I.G, Mobb Deep, & Wu-Tang Clan, now welcomes The Owls into his hall of fame. RA chops it up on ‘Air Strike’ and brings his own East Coast style and fast-paced flow. Up next is arguably one of the biggest names to come from the underground in recent years, Roc Marciano. Marciano lures you into a meditative state in ‘Dark Days’ by carefully finding his place within The Owls unmatched beats. Nocturnal Instinct is a series of hand-picked tracks designed to challenge the status quo and educate.

The Owls continue to school throughout the entire album with
other appearances from the likes of Smellington Piff, Kool G Rap,
as well as Masta Killa (Wu-Tang).

Four tracks by one of the biggest names in South African disco: Condry Ziqubu. A regular on the local soul scene since the late 1960s in groups such as The Flaming Souls, The Anchors and The Flaming Ghettoes, by the mid-80s he had qualified as a sangoma (traditional healer), recorded with Harari (the biggest group in the country at the time), fronted his own group Lumumba, and travelled the world as part of Caiphus Semenya and Letta Mbulu’s band.

In 1986 he ditched Lumumba and released his first solo hit, ‘Gorilla Man’. Opening with an audacious 20-second intro, the song tells the story of a man preying on women in downtown Johannesburg. It highlights Condry’s winning formula of lyrics that touch on everyday South African issues and places (without drawing the attention of apartheid censors). Musically the song draws obvious influence from Piano Fantasia’s 1985 Euro-disco hit ‘Song for Denise’.

Also included on this new anthology is another song from the same album, the politically charged ‘Confusion (Ma Afrika)’, as well as ‘Phola Baby’ from his 1988 album Pick Six – a call to men to “stop pushing your woman around … what kind of man are you?” – and ‘Everybody Party’ from 1989’s Magic Man, a straight-up party song with no political or social intimations, other than as a brief escape from the harsh reality of the time, one that still resonates today.

Gorilla Man will be released on vinyl and digitally in early 2021 on Johannesburg-based Afrosynth Records (AFS047), distributed worldwide by Rush Hour in Amsterdam.

Limited Edition of 450 12" Vinyl LPs, handstamped, inner & outer protection sleeves ,cover inlays plus info sheet

JISR is bandcamp weekly LP of week, إن شاء الله ! "Bandcamp Weekly October 6, 2020 Essential debut albums by Lex Amor and The Quiet Ones, plus JISR mash Munich and Morocco on our LP of the week" ♡

next shipping is on 7th December 2020 !

Attention US customers: due to the COVID-19 pandemic transatlantlantic safe shipping takes almost 4 weeks, no faster shipping available at the moment.

Includes unlimited streaming of JISR جسر too far away (free soul inc.006 / spirits high above series I ) via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

oralle startet ins neue Jahr mit dem Release seines zweiten Albums „Fonografie“.

2020 gleichte einer Achterbahn für den italienischen Beatmaker Koralle. Seine Heimat Bologna wurde schwer COVID-19 getroffen. Währenddessen war Koralle jedoch produktiver denn je und veröffentlichte bereits acht Singles von „Fonografie“, darunter Kollabos mit Kölner Beatschmied Twit One, Londoner MC & Aktivistin Isatta Sheriff, Houston Rapper Anti Lilly und Turt von den Summers Sons. Die Singles waren ein großer Erfolg und konnten bis dato insgesamt über 2,5 Millionen Streams generieren.

„Fonografie“ besteht aus 16 Tracks mit weiteren Features und wird als digitales Album und auf Vinyl erhältlich sein.

Latest solo release by legendary Grammy nominated producer Salaam Remi that reflects his perspective of what it means to be "Black on Purpose", with features from Nas, Busta Rhymes, Jennifer Hudson, Super Cat, Common and more.

Under exclusive license from Paul Tillman Smith and Jon Bendich
℗ & © 2020 HIGH JAZZ* Records - HJLP008

Bridge - Hailing from Oakland/Berkeley, California.. in 1981 they spent four weeks in Boulder, Colorado cutting an album for the Bang label that never saw the light of day.
This Double LP is a collection of the demos that helped the group land the Bang deal. Never released until 2000 on First Experience Records, it became an instant Modern Soul classic and highly sought after. 16 beautiful tracks featuring incredible vocal performances from Debravon Lewis & Derick Hughes. No fillers. One of the best and most beloved records in its genre. A must have!

Produced by Paul Tillman Smith & Jon Bendich for Drawbridge Productions.

"These selections reveal a sophisticated fusion of soul, jazz, rock, and latin elements that placed Bridge well ahead of its time. "
- Lee Hildebrand

"Derick was amazing, like a young Donny Hathaway, so spiritual, so pure!", "And Debra had a way of letting her vulnerability come through. When we were producing her in the studio, you felt everything that she was singing. There wasn’t any faking, and the tone that she had, Debra would make us cry!"
- Jon Bendich

With this release on La Fête Recording, Yann Polewka wanted to honour a very punchy house that will transport you directly under the palm trees and the summer sun, enough to prolong this summer period so special
this year.
Going from a smooth Grover Washington Jr. atmosphere with a jazz/hip hop beat on "UFO" to more dancefloor-scratching sounds like "The Ghetto" or "You got it" and his shattering vocal, Yann reveals the extent of his talents which is not limited to house with this record.
On the second side, we find the track "Dressed Like A Fella" in its original version along with a remix by Ethyène, founder of the french label Moonrise Hill Material, who once again illustrates his own style.

* A heavyweight slice of UK roots & dub, originally released on the Jah Warrior label in 1996 gets a welcome reissue by Partial Records

* Produced by veteran Jah Warrior, featuring vocals by the elusive Naph-Tali with harsh words for all wolf’s in sheep’s clothing and false rasta’s.

* Featuring four cuts (one vocal and three dubs mixed by Dougie Wardrop).

* 300 copies only