Hip-Hop Vinyl New Releases - News

An anagram is a word or phrase formed by rearranging the letters of a different word or phrase. Don Glori, AKA Gordon Li, takes this concept and applies it to his name as well as his music. Deconstructing the sounds and elements of the music that he loves and recontextualising them into his own signature sound. Carefully considered compositions that facilitate heavy doses of improvisation, Don Glori's music reflects a deep fascination in jazz, house and Brazilian music. Tied together by his inimitable spirit and dedication to making it groove.'Dawn Calling' is Don Glori's first offering to the world, recorded live to tape over two sweltering summer days in February 2020, it captures Don Glori and his band at their best. They wear their influences proudly - touching on elements of jazz, brokenbeat, house and Brazilian music. The record traverses between melancholic, textural landscapes with spiritual jazz overtones through to enchanting group vocals and again metamorphosing into synth laden grooves built entirely around the rhythmcentric marriage of the bass and drums.

From Don Glori: "I was lucky enough to record this EP with some of my closest friends and oldest musical collaborators. I'm particularly proud of this body of work as I think it is the truest reflection of my influences and musical aesthetic that has been captured so far. The decision to record this straight to tape was surprising to those who knew the music but it was a necessary choice in order to capture the spirit and energy that we've developed and honed through the live show. From start to finish, Tim, Lachlan and Selene's contributions are both tasteful and impressive - giving each other enough space, taking risks and knowing exactly when to step out and when to step up. This intangible connection that is familiar to so many musicians only happens when everyone approaches the music with open ears and hearts. I can't thank them enough for giving me their time and talent!"

Der Hamburger Produzent I.L.L. Will war zur Zeit des ersten großen Deutschrap Hypes um die Jahrtausendwende aktiv und lieferte Beats für die damals erfolgreichsten Rapper des Landes, u.a. Fettes Brot, Deichkind, Curse oder Eins Zwo.

Da jedoch nur sehr ausgewählte Songs das Licht der Welt erblickten, blieben viele für immer verborgen. Jetzt hat I.L.L. Will tief in seinem Archiv gegraben und droppt einige unveröffentlichte Beats und instrumentale Demo Versionen von bekannten Klassikern dieser Zeit, genauer gesagt aus den Jahren 1995 - 2001. In Anlehnung an den aktuell sehr beliebten Lo-Fi Sound, hat er das Album „Vintage Low Fidelity“ genannt.

Die Instrumentals passen hervorragend in diese vitale Szene, sind dahingehend kein Stück gealtert und präsentieren die Zeitlosigkeit der damaligen Acts. Als besonderes Highlight gibt es einen unveröffentlichten Remix des MC Rene Klassikers „Die neue Reimgeneration“ von 1995.

Vinyl auf 350g Karton, Gatefold Cover
2LP mit insgesamt 52 Tracks.

A dramatic, string-drenched epic, James Ralph Bailey’s Just Me ’N’ You has been a sought-after soul masterpiece for decades. A lush suite of beautiful songs, it was conceived as a concept album; a sophisticated paean to love.

Originally released by MAM Records in 1974, Just Me ’N’ You is a breathtaking jazzy soul album. It’s similar in style to Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On - particularly the performances, orchestrations and chord progressions - but dealing with a different universal subject matter. If What’s Going On was about romance instead of politics, it would sound like this.

Fans of Marvin, Leon Ware, Donny Hathaway, Leroy Hutson and Willie Hutch will love this record. Not as well known - this is definitely an underrated gem - the work of James Ralph Bailey is no less mind-blowing. It’s got to be one of the best soul albums of all time.

The original productions were made on a basic home tape machine and enhanced with strings, rhythmic overdubs and a variety of other instrumentation. These are beautiful arrangements of strings and jazzy horns. Rhythm guitars and bouncy bass serve as the groove foundation, congas provide a Latin feel whilst the vibraphone and harmonica add colour. And then of course there’s JR’s voice.

His style recalls Hathaway, with a delivery akin to Marvin at the time. As he scats and sings, accompanying himself in sweet harmonies, there is still a rawness of pain and longing in his voice, the rawness familiar to all deep soul.

As an album, Just Me ’N’ You is no mere collection of songs. The tender, smooth tunes flow perfectly together into a fluid, single artistic statement. This is one where it’s hard to pick out any standouts. You may have heard the soaring title track before, maybe on Gilles Peterson’s Digs America compilation. The opening track “After Hours” sounds as fresh now as it ever was and segues beautifully into the majestic “Heaven On Earth”. Recorded by Hathaway the previous year, Bailey’s original of “Love Love Love” is incredible and arguably the definitive version. The powerful, dreamy, sax-and-harmony-laced “All Strung Out Over You” has echoes of the Chi-Lites, it’s that good. Goosebumps. And we could go on.

Mastered by Simon Francis, cut by Pete Norman and pressed at Record Industry, this Be With edition of Just Me ’N’ You sounds every bit as brilliant as it should. A joyous celebration of love, this album is perfect in every way. If you don’t already own a copy then now is the time.

Called “a killer album of funk and soul” in an internet reminiscence, Magnum’s combination of jazz and funk were advanced for their

time when the album came out originally in 1974. The sound is still fresh almost 30 years later with songwriter and vocalist Michael Greene’s groovy organ licks played against Harold Greene’s smooth bass. The eight-member group collaborates on many songs, bringing a variety of sound that ranges between sweet soul ballads and aggressive funk. Producer Cal Wade generates all the heat and light that bring to mind Tower of Power and made this a lost funky classic for a quarter century. Their small but devoted following has persistently requested the album in its original vinyl form. This remastering by Tom Moulton brings out the music digitally in its full stereo strength.

Oldies fact: Phoenix Records was a West Coast label distributed nationally by Jamie/Guyden. The label’s only two groups were Magnum and Great Expectations.

Opale was born in 2012- from the musical affinity shared between Rocío and Sophia, a connection that blossomed into the duo’s debut, L’incandescent, released on May 26, 2013. - On the Record-Labels Heia Sun (FR), Stellar Kinematics (FR) & We Be Friends (US).

Opale have toured in Europe, the United States, and Canada with acts such as Austra, TRST and Xeno & Oaklander. Without ever making a promise to time- and while remaining faithful to their intuitive direction, Opalehave constantly produced music to satisfy their creative impulses.

Opale has collaborated with artists such as Maya Postepski
(Princess Century/Austra/Trst) & Maya features on their upcoming Second Album. Invariably-Sensitive to the Authenticity of their Music- and infinitely attached to their aesthetic, Opale have created an ethereal air that the listener can float through its density!

THE REGIME - NEVER GONNA STOP / DEUZY VIBE

Super talented and unique Australian funk soul collective THE REGIME, recorded the effortlessly beautiful ‘NEVER GONNA STOP’ earlier this year. Soul-filled vocals, a groove and feel set by their inimitable rhythm section, accompanied by guitar, saxophone, piano and flute.

Can this record get any better? With a brand new track on the flip, yes it can!

‘DEUZY VIBE’ the funkiest of jams: Hearty brass tones, synth riffs, thumping bass line, intricate percussion and ‘call to the dance floor’ chants.

After more than 10 years of activity in the B-Boy and Party Funk music scene, Funky Bijou’s Marrrtin & Deheb are back with an ambitious Limited edition LP of 12 tracks. The duo took some time to make another album, because of their full time other projects - Marrrtin had produced soundtrack music for a TV Show, managing his label Stereophonk in the same time, and Deheb worked with Dancers and prepares a new house music project. This New LP comes with many
screen-printed, handmade vinyl versions, 300 ex only, which will certainly satisfy Vinyl and Funky Bijou aficionados. Adventures In the land of Breaks is not the usual Funky Bijou material, and is more composed and organized as a Movie Soundtrack for an imaginary « action and suspense » thriller. It could have been a Tarantino movie or some Pinky Violence soundtrack. All tracks are joined by some dialogues and extracts of the mysterious film. If you are down with Blaxploitation movies, Roy Budd, Lalo schrifrin, KPM library or all 70’s soundtracks, this one is for you! Action Funk, Runaway grooves! Most of the tracks have also been played during the world biggest
Breakdance Events such as Red bull Bc One and many others.
The Track Yekatit Rmx has been made from a track originally composed by Mulatu Astakte, replayed by The Selenites Band, in their LP Ethio Jazz Groove Project.

2 legendary DJ/turntablist classics on one 7"

Nas has had a career of generally consistent excellence, punctuated with a few lulls. He’s an incredibly skilled rapper sometimes accused of having a tin ear when it comes to choosing beats – especially on albums (and the entirety of ‘Illmatic’ aside, obviously).

‘Made You Look’ was a shot in the arm for Nas at a time when he’d shed some of his core, street fanbase. After the unfocussed ‘Nastradamus’ and ‘I Am…’ albums he’d had a return to some kind of form with ‘Stillmatic’, but many felt he came off second best in the ensuing battle with Jay-Z.

This single, a club and street classic almost from the moment it dropped, is exactly what he needed to reconnect with his fans and to show he could still throw down. Lyrically, it’s hardcore bragging 101, delivered with panache and numerous quotables that themselves would go on to be sampled.

Key to it all, however, is that beat. Salaam Remi was no stranger to resurrections, having almost single-handedly turned The Fugees from forgettable also-rans to major-players. The beat here is deceptively simple, one of hundreds of records to chop up Incredible Bongo Band’s ‘Apache’ but doing so in a way that felt instantly fresh. Nearly 20 years later it still has the power to get a stationary crowd moving, an empty dancefloor to fill, a still head to nod.

This original version has never been on 7” before. It’s presented with full artwork.

-TRANSLUCENT PINK GLASS VINYL-

Soft-spoken with the look of a slightly disaffected 1950s matinee idol, Aaron Frazer possesses a unique voice that's both contemporary and timeless. On Introducing... -- his debut solo album produced by The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach, co-released on Easy Eye Sound and Dead Oceans -- Aaron melds mid-`60s soul with Auerbach's particular sensibilities (`Over You'), songs with a message in the key of Gil Scott-Heron (`Bad News'), and uplifting tales of love told through a blend of disco, gospel, and doo-wop (`Have Mercy'). The Brooklyn-based, Baltimore-raised songwriter first came into the international spotlight as multi-instrumentalist and colead singer of Durand Jones & The Indications, but he's more than a revivalist act. "I didn't want Introducing... to be an exact recreation of an era or a style," Frazer says. "I'm excited to keep breaking some of the expectations around what exactly I'm supposed to be artistically and musically, or what this scene as a whole can be." On Introducing..., Aaron expertly calibrates consciousness-raising and the desire to be enveloped by love. Where previous records were written in a partial state of turmoil, Aaron's debut LP shows maturation and range. Introducing... is both loving and gracious, critical without losing hope, and a showcase of a young artist on a seriously soulful ascent.

Mannequin Records is elated to present a double-LP compilation of the Dutch industrial-experimental heroes Doxa Sinistra.

Preciously selected by the expert ears of Frank Brinkhuis, head of Trumpett, "Universo" is spanning from 1982 to 1988 through their entire discography.

Doxa Sinistra was formed in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, early 1982. On the strength of live performances at Paradiso and Ultra venue Oktopus, the two piece band was invited by Trumpett to record an album in the Freakowitz & Einstein Studio in Den Burg on Texel. Armed with their Korg MS-10 and Korg MS-20 synths they took the ferry to the West Frisian island, and spent a week recording in the legendary Trumpett HQ. The result, the debut cassette Via Del Latte, was released in June 1982. Just months later band member R. K. kidnapped the band name, formed a new duo and played one live date. After that the project fizzled out.

Until early 1984, when Trumpett and Doxa Sinistra received an invitation from Italian cassette label ADN to record a new album. The invitation was accepted and Doxa Sinistra Mark II was born. Conveyer Belt, recorded between June 1984 and February 1985, appeared as an ADN/Trumpett co-release in August 1985.

After the move of the Trumpett Studios to Amsterdam late 1986, Doxa Sinistra started demoing a new album in the Summer of 1987. California based Undergroud cassette label Ladd-Frith were keen to release the ultimate results. Recorded early 1988, Newsflashes, the group's third and final album, was released as a Ladd-Frith/Trumpett co-release in the Summer of 1988.
Limited edition of 300 copies.

Tape / Cassette

George's sound is unique and unmatched in the electronic music industry. His tracks take you on a journey of groovy, melodic and harmonic sections.

The debut album by Gil Scott-Heron, reissued on vinyl for the first time utilising the original masters. 180g vinyl pressing in heavyweight reverse board sleeve.

Small Talk At 125th And Lenox' was the start of a 45-year recording career for Gil Scott-Heron. He became one of the best-loved and most respected artists of the late 20th Century, but never again released an album as simple and hard-hitting as this. Recorded in 1970, Small Talk' featured Gil and three percussionists performing his poetry, the rhythmic backdrop and the style of his delivery making it more than a spoken word record. Today it is seen as a classic that stands head and shoulders above similar albums recorded at the time.

Gil was resolutely a poet, and there is little doubt he could have made his career as an author, as he had originally planned. Throughout the album he writes as a reporter, viewing his community, attempting to make a difference. Better-known today in the band version from his next LP, the original version of 'The Revolution Will Not Be Televised' here is enthralling and compelling in its own right. 'Whitey On The Moon' contrasts the money being spent on the space race against the poverty of the housing projects, while 'Paint It Black' compares the black situation in the northern and southern states. There are also three songs, including the Donny Hathaway-esque 'Who'll Pay Reparations On My Soul', that hint at what was to come.

Gil had gone to Flying Dutchman owner Bob Thiele hoping to record his music. The producer didn't have the funds at the time, so compromised with this album. Its success prompted him to put Gil and his songwriting partner Brian Jackson in the studio to record with some of New York's finest session players. The resulting Pieces Of A Man' album pointed the way forward for Gil's career, but Small Talk At 125th And Lenox' was a spectacular start.

Stripped down to the roots, these 13 contemporary new versions of classic Jamaican recordings, originally from the likes of the Trojan and Studio One studios, are triumphantly fresh and channel Jamaica’s rebel music history.
With Rastafari sewn into its sonic seams, Inna De Yard remind us of Jamaica’s vast contribution to popular music around the globe with a cast of golden-generation roots artists whilst introducing a new class of roots-enthused artists from the island.

Following the release of the album is a feature-length Inna De Yard documentary-film directed by Peter Webber (3 Oscar nominations for Girl with a Pearl Earring), set for its UK and international cinema release alongside European tour and summer festival dates including a special beach performance at the music industry Midem Festival in Cannes.

After a sell-out debut tour in France in 2017, the trailblazing quartet of Ken Boothe, Cedric “The Congos” Myton, Kiddus I and Winston McAnuff join forces to front a cross-generational super-group of roots-reggae visionaries, featuring Jamaican vocal trio The Viceroys and Bob Marley backing vocalist and artist Judy Mowatt, as well as Jah9, Var and Derajah, three of Jamaica’s most stirring and spiritually-connected artists on the scene today.

Kojaque and Luka Palm have dropped their new collaborative project, ‘Green Diesel’. Additionally, Kojaque has been confirmed to tour with slowthai across Europe in October.

Describing how the pair’s ‘Green Diesel’ project came about, Kojaque says: “we started out wanting to make a short project, 4 tracks or something, but the more we worked together the more the tunes piled up, until we had like 11 tracks together, we kept working on um and finessing then and chose the ones that flowed together the best. The project is all energy, we pushed each other to make it and to get it to a place we’re both really happy with. I think you can see a lot of passion in the project and some bangin fuckin tunes.” The mixtape sees production from New Machine (Phoenix), the Soft Boy label’s peers - Kean Kavanagh (Date Night, Airbnb + more), Matt Finnegan (Spit Dat Out) and a special feature from Scottish MC ‘CHLOBOCOP' on ‘Chew Toy’.

2019 has already been a remarkable one for Kojaque, whose ‘Deli Daydreams’ project continues to take him far beyond the city of Dublin that inspired it. A conceptual tape based around a week in the life of a Deli worker, the project became the first of its kind to be nominated for the prestigious Choice Music Prize in Ireland (following an outcry from critics and fans alike at its initial eligibility). Along the way, Kojaque has built an impassioned global audience (all totally DIY): from a rack of sold-out headline shows – including the likes of XOYO in London – and worldwide festivals (SXSW, Glastonbury, Longitude) to being invited to tour with Slowthai and Lana Del Rey (in Dunlin’s 30,000-cap Malahide Castle). Kojaque was also recently selected for YouTube Music’s ‘Foundry Programme’ alongside the likes of Omar Apollo and Flohio (previously shortlisted artists include Rosalia, Dua Lipa and Dave) as he continues work on his next solo album this year.

A fellow Soft Boy alumni, meanwhile, Luka Palm is a Swedish-born rapper from Stockholm who grew up in Dublin, and has been a staple of Ireland's underground hip-hop scene since the release of his track ‘Pink Lady’ in 2015. Currently a member of Kojaque's live show and a close collaborator on previous tracks such a ‘Politiksis’ and ‘Date Night’, it was a natural occurrence for them both to collaborate and create a record together.

-LTD. COL. EDITION-

We are always sitting on a handful of unreleased songs that didn't make their way to albums. Listening back to these gems we decided to launch a new series entitled Big Crown Vaults and the first volume features the music of Lee Fields & the Expressions. These tunes were cut during the Special Night & It Rains Love sessions. Listening to these tracks you can imagine how difficult some of these decisions were in the first place to leave them off the albums. An absolute standout is "Regenerate," a song that finds Lee in the country soul realm, a style that Mr Fields, a North Carolina native, flourishes in. A drum break starts the song and then drops into a chorus where El Michels, Paul & Big Bill Schalda belt out the earworm chorus. Lee sings an encouraging tune about finding your way out of a low point in a relationship while The Expressions lay down an airtight groove. "Thinking About You" takes it back to the dance floors with what will surely be a hit at Soul parties around the globe. An uptempo drum break opens the song and Lee launches into a tale about the unbreakable bond with his significant other and how they keep each strong through moments of hardship and pain. People who have seen Lee perform live in the last decade might have been lucky enough to hear his rendition of Little Carl Carlton's "Two Timer". For those of you who haven't heard it, Big Crown Vaults has got you covered. A faithful version of the song showcases Lee's gorgeous voice and the Expres- sion's unwavering groove. Another treat on here is the fuzzed out funk banger "Do You Know" where Fields uses his platform to address some of our societal woes in a "Make The World" style. A deeper from the vaults number is "Out To Get You", an instrumental that Lee never laid down vocals to. Even as just a rhythm track it stands as a testament to The Expressions musical prowess, the band that created 5 studio albums with Lee Fields which will go down in history as stone classics.

* A UK roots / dub classic produced by Nick Manasseh, with Time Unlimited member Orville Smith on vocals.
* Originally released on the Orville's 'Walking on Tightrope' set in 1996, now on 7” for the first time, backed with first-time-on-vinyl-dub version.
* Crucial steppers fodder with ton-weight Manasseh dub.

Saint DX is the incarnation of the contemporary crooner. Singer, composer and producer, his style reveals an obsession for love and an exacerbated sensitivity. Raised in the Buddhist spirituality of his parents and cradled by the soundtrack of The Big Blue (1988), Aurélien Hamm tells us about the fragility but also the beauty of our love stories, and the reincarnation of our wounds in the repetition of our days. Oscillating between English and French, swaying bass and ethereal layers, self-tone and naked voice, he cites Sade as well as Mylène Farmer, Better Person, Kanye West and Prince among his influences.

Since 2018, he has released 3 singles ('Regrets', 'First Fantasy' and 'I Still Care'), accompanied Charlotte Gainsbourg on stage and performed many of her opening acts. This 9-track mini LP will be followed by many concerts and marks the beginning of a very promising solo career for Saint DX.

British singer-songwriter and front woman of trip-hop group Morcheeba, Skye is celebrating the 10 year anniversary of her second album ‘Keeping Secrets’ with the exclusive, limited edition, white gatefold 180g vinyl for this year’s Record Store Day.

‘Keeping Secrets,’ showcases her instantly recognisable, smooth vocals written, produced by Alexis Smith and Emmy nominated Grace Jones collaborator, Ivor Guest. This is the first time the record has been on vinyl, with the digital release last year.

The second release is coming with 4 new-talented players: Embezzlement Society, Daisuke Kondo, LB aka Labat and The Game crew. Following their various artist model, each producer delivers an organic crate based track, from blunted hip-hop to jackin' house bangers with jazzy soulful grooves.

Mastered by Jose Rico

Alex Cortex delivering the heat!! Mr Cortex is kicking hard with a direct and mental techno tracks! Oscillon, A1, is a bleepy affair, direct and repetitive, but please, play it loud and watch. Rheometric is in the same alley as Oscillon but bringing the bleeps and glitches trip even more in your face. Combined with the fat but quirky bassline, it does the peak time techno thing extremely well. B1's title "Shear Wave" does the track justice. Backed by a fat downtempo beat, the distorted 303-reminiscent synth line cuts through the mix in a way that's impossible to ignore. Strain Rate Tensor rounds up the previous three cuts, also in a very dancefloor-friendly manner. Bubbly main lead and anxiety-inducing pad sneaking in the background seem to be the main thing, until another synth hits you as a counterpoint and flips everything upside down. Proper no-nonsens stuff!! (comes on 180grams vinyl)

Big Crown Records is proud to present Adult Themes, the latest full length offering from El Michels Affair. This album takes the band's "Cinematic Soul" aesthetic literally and sends the listener on a journey through a whirlwind of moods and energies. With their 2005 debut album Sounding Out The City, EMA spearheaded an instrumental funk / soul movement that inspired a slew of bands and even lead to the creation of a few independent record labels. El Michels has since lent his signature sound to artists from Adele to Dr John, Lana Del Rey to Aloe Blacc, and a who's who list of others. In 2016 he co-founded Big Crown Records and has since produced the lion's share of its output. A short stint as the touring band for Wu Tang Clan in 2007 led to the cult classics Enter The 37th Chamber (2009) and Return To The 37th Chamber (2017). Adult Themes marks the long awaited, highly anticipated return to an album of original compositions from El Michels Affair. In 2017 in between producing, playing, and recording on other artists' records Leon Michels began creating compilations of short interludes intended to be sampled by hip hop producers. Some of these wound up becoming songs by Jay Z & Beyonce, Travis Scott, and Don Toliver. These minute-long snippets were inspired by the dense moody work of `60s composers like David Axelrod, and Francois de Roubaix, as well as Moondog's brand of classical jazz. Michels was having so much fun creating these instrumental / orchestral nuggets that he decided to expand on some of the ideas and create what would become the soundtrack for a movie that has yet to be made, an imaginary film entitled "Adult Themes." The album plays like the colors on an artists pallet. Songs like "Rubix" and "Villa" are densely orchestrated with the hard-hitting drums that El Michels Affair is known for. On "Life of Pablo", Leon's son makes his first appearance on record and intros a song with an epic arrangement and a moving mood. "Hipps" is a drum heavy ballad that could've easily fit on EMA's debut record, Sounding Out the City. Other compositions like "The Difference" and "Kill The Lights" are bare, melodic mood pieces with sparse drums and sophisticated chord movement. All of these tunes come together to make perfect backgrounds for dialogue and action. One of the beautiful things about instrumental music is that the listener can decide what the narrative is. With Adult Themes El Michels Affair has created a "choose your own adventure" in musical form.

Big Crown Records is proud to present Adult Themes, the latest full length offering from El Michels Affair. This album takes the band's "Cinematic Soul" aesthetic literally and sends the listener on a journey through a whirlwind of moods and energies. With their 2005 debut album Sounding Out The City, EMA spearheaded an instrumental funk / soul movement that inspired a slew of bands and even lead to the creation of a few independent record labels. El Michels has since lent his signature sound to artists from Adele to Dr John, Lana Del Rey to Aloe Blacc, and a who's who list of others. In 2016 he co-founded Big Crown Records and has since produced the lion's share of its output. A short stint as the touring band for Wu Tang Clan in 2007 led to the cult classics Enter The 37th Chamber (2009) and Return To The 37th Chamber (2017). Adult Themes marks the long awaited, highly anticipated return to an album of original compositions from El Michels Affair. In 2017 in between producing, playing, and recording on other artists' records Leon Michels began creating compilations of short interludes intended to be sampled by hip hop producers. Some of these wound up becoming songs by Jay Z & Beyonce, Travis Scott, and Don Toliver. These minute-long snippets were inspired by the dense moody work of `60s composers like David Axelrod, and Francois de Roubaix, as well as Moondog's brand of classical jazz. Michels was having so much fun creating these instrumental / orchestral nuggets that he decided to expand on some of the ideas and create what would become the soundtrack for a movie that has yet to be made, an imaginary film entitled "Adult Themes." The album plays like the colors on an artists pallet. Songs like "Rubix" and "Villa" are densely orchestrated with the hard-hitting drums that El Michels Affair is known for. On "Life of Pablo", Leon's son makes his first appearance on record and intros a song with an epic arrangement and a moving mood. "Hipps" is a drum heavy ballad that could've easily fit on EMA's debut record, Sounding Out the City. Other compositions like "The Difference" and "Kill The Lights" are bare, melodic mood pieces with sparse drums and sophisticated chord movement. All of these tunes come together to make perfect backgrounds for dialogue and action. One of the beautiful things about instrumental music is that the listener can decide what the narrative is. With Adult Themes El Michels Affair has created a "choose your own adventure" in musical form.

Nein, neu im Geschäft ist El Michels Affair nicht. El Michels hat hart gearbeitet, in unzähligen mitternächtlichen Studiosessions und auf einer Welttournee für den Wu-Tang Clan. Und eins ist klar: Die Band ist dabei auf eine gute Art gealtert. Nachdem es 2005 wie aus dem Nichts mit dem Instrumentalalbum "Sounding Out The City" aufschlug, hat sich das Studio-konzentrierte Kollektiv, angeführt vom Multiinstrumentalisten und Komponisten Leon Michels, Fans auf allen Kontinenten erspielt. Die Gruppe ist für ihre schwelgerischen Soul-Instrumentals bekannt, aber auch für ihre Wu-Tang-Covers, wie die explosive Reaktion auf ihre zwei Alben "Enter The 37th Chamber" (2009) und "Return To The 37th Chamber" (2019 beweist. Das alles ist aber längst Geschichte, denn das rundeste und reifste Album der Band mit dem passenden Titel "Adult Themes" beweist, welche neuen instrumentalen Höhen sie erklommen hat. Das Album, das Michels als "Soundtrack für einen imaginären Film" beschreibt, ist eine Sammlung von opulenten, abgründigen, komplexen und oft sehr funkigen Stücken, die die Ohren zum Schwingen und die Köpfe zum Nicken bringen.

Soul/Disco/Funk single here for the first time ever on vinyl! The independent label Six Nine Records Ltd. UK, based in Newcastle upon
Tyne, proudly presents J Daw featuring Tim Tucker and SkyFunker and the two magnificent electro boogie tracks "Flying First Class" and "Shake That Fnkn Booty”. Definitely not to be missed as it is a limited UK press with small hole and full colour printed picture cover!

Formed by a bond stronger than blood — friendship — the seven members of Phase 7 made their mark on Hawaii’s nightlife in the 1970s with their high caliber musicianship and on-stage antics, captured in their highly coveted 1980 debut LP, Playtime.
Phase 7 clinched an unprecedented residency at the Infinity nightclub in the Sheraton Waikiki — the hotel had only ever hired mainland acts, including the Burgundy Express and the Lewis & Clark Expedition, before bringing in Phase 7 to fire up the dancefloor.
Their musical talents paired with their penchant for mischief often raised the bar while raising eyebrows.
Tracks like “Playtime” and “Dance The Night Away” show off their love for stone-cold grooves. “So Good To Be In Love” takes us on a trip to a dancefloor filled with funk, disco, and tropical rare grooves. Tunes like “Slip Away” and “You And Me” prove the band can pen not just dancefloor hits but top-notch slow jams.
“In the studio, every one of these guys spent as much time in the control room as on the other side of the glass, adding their talents to every phase of the production,” reads the LP’s original liner notes.
“But although they’re superb studio musicians, vocalists, and writers, Phase 7 is foremost a performing group. To capture their true essence you really have to see them live.” Encouraged by Infinity’s resident DJ, Travis Davis, Phase 7 entered Broad Studios to cut Playtime.
Playtime is a testament to the band’s musicianship, vocal talents, songwriting skills, and aptitude for tomfoolery, in the studio and on stage.

Formed by a bond stronger than blood — friendship — the seven members of Phase 7 made their mark on Hawaii’s nightlife in the 1970s with their high caliber musicianship and on-stage antics, captured in their highly coveted 1980 debut LP, Playtime.
Phase 7 clinched an unprecedented residency at the Infinity nightclub in the Sheraton Waikiki — the hotel had only ever hired mainland acts, including the Burgundy Express and the Lewis & Clark Expedition, before bringing in Phase 7 to fire up the dancefloor.
Their musical talents paired with their penchant for mischief often raised the bar while raising eyebrows.
Tracks like “Playtime” and “Dance The Night Away” show off their love for stone-cold grooves. “So Good To Be In Love” takes us on a trip to a dancefloor filled with funk, disco, and tropical rare grooves. Tunes like “Slip Away” and “You And Me” prove the band can pen not just dancefloor hits but top-notch slow jams.
“In the studio, every one of these guys spent as much time in the control room as on the other side of the glass, adding their talents to every phase of the production,” reads the LP’s original liner notes.
“But although they’re superb studio musicians, vocalists, and writers, Phase 7 is foremost a performing group. To capture their true essence you really have to see them live.” Encouraged by Infinity’s resident DJ, Travis Davis, Phase 7 entered Broad Studios to cut Playtime.
Playtime is a testament to the band’s musicianship, vocal talents, songwriting skills, and aptitude for tomfoolery, in the studio and on stage.

Bradley Zero celebrates five years of his Rhythm Section International imprint with 12” compilation SHOUTS Vol. 1 & 2. Vol. 1 represents the more club ready side of the label whilst Vol. 2 explores more mellow territories. Famed by Mixmag as one of the Top Ten DJs of 2019, celebrated as a “figurehead for the exploding south London scene”, and “responsible for spreading the gospel of the city’s new Jazz sound”, it’s clear to see why Bradley Zero is quickly becoming the taste-maker of his generation and Rhythm Section INTL as one of the most respected outlets for authentic global cuts. A go-to label for the
connoisseurs Rhythm Section INTL is a UK staple. The raison d’être has always been to unearth and nurture new talent, not just via the catalogue but through the now established network of radio shows,
concerts and club nights Rhythm Section has become known for. The SHOUTS compilation and accompanying celebratory tour is a continuation of this mission. SHOUTS is a nod to the online radio culture that birthed the movement. SHOUTS is the label using its
voice to amplify its peers. SHOUTS is Five years of Rhythm Section International.

"For some folks, melancholy is the pleasure of being sad. However, Viktor Hugo's famous saying always applies to A Rocket In Dub - the long sleeping project of Düsseldorf-based producer Stefan Schwander, also known under pseudonyms Antonelli Electric. or Harmonious Thelonious - that recently awoke after having a 17 years long studio nap. Under the alias Leroy Versions, Schwander released a terrific dub-inspired single in 2017. But the dub-laden bass of A Rocket In Dub swings higher, further out. Now it's back. Just a little more relaxed, a little closer to Earth. In the past, A Rocket In Dub tracks were driven by club-leaning atmospheres and taught genres like house and minimal Jamaican dub deepness. Today they dangle more deliberately, with a cruise control at 105 BPM and a classic floating dub-harmonic, in which the off-beats dance contagiously as tripped-up chords. There are also new, partly unusual sounds sources, such as classic Caribbean steel drum melodies or the looped noise of a rolling train that functions as a groove rhythm to send a track like "Train Dub" on a weightless bass journey.

All nine tracks also distribute the feeling as if they were traditionally created on a mixing console and not welded from dripping sequencer passages and digital groove patterns. A rocket from the past, now decelerating towards the future, minimally accentuated thanks to a skeletonized, transparent groove motor. In the future, all this will get also presented live, because A Rocket In Dub wants to bring its Jet force to the stage in order to create states of limbo in the presence of human matter. It should also be mentioned that "Normal Dub" comes as a 4x7-inch box with screen-printed cover and sees the light of the day on a new label: Krachladen Dub, the fresh subdivision of the free-spirited Düsseldorf experimental label Krachladen, which will make more dub inspired music available in the future, seen!"
Artwork by Hendrik Krawen

“Play On Mr Music” by the Upsetter Revue featuring The Heptones, The Congos and Junior Murvin, had long been the Holy Grail for roots reggae connoisseurs, until Rocka Shacka issued it on a 10-inch EP.

The result of an impromptu studio jam - captured on celluloid for Jeremy Marre’ s Roots Rock Reggae documentary in May 1977 - the track celebrates the undeniable pull of Perry’ s musical artistry, with both musicians and onlookers enhanced by the uplifting qualities of a marijuana spliff.

You can also enjoy the unreleased dub mix of the deep rasta tune "Rejoice Jah Jah Children" by The Silvertones, and an irie roots rock version of Curtis Mayfield "People Get Ready" by Junior Murvin, and Jimmy Riley’s soulful vocal on “Give Me A Love”.

The third artist album on Omena is here, 'For The Dreamers' by Saine.

An effortless blend of crisp beat-work and delicate textures, the album feels equally suited for playing out loud or for those hazy summer night headphone marathons.

Album artwork by Rickard Ljungdahl Eklund
Label artwork by Ivo Kiusalaas (bildansvarig)
Mastering by Andreas Saag

Reissue of this long lost funky Afrobeat/Reggae classic from 1978
For fans of Fela Kuti, Peter Tosh, Bob Marley, Segun Bucknor

The year is 1978 and one hot thing from the musical underground is Reggae music from Jamaica, the USA or the UK, where most of the acts had musicians of Caribbean descent. Reggae had the groove, the rebel spirit, and the relaxed attitude all in one, to enchant a big part of the world’s inhabitants. And while at least Jamaica as a relatively poor and so-called "Third World“ country proved to spawn Reggae acts of the highest quality, literally nobody dared to look further and dig deeper into the underground except of a few maniacs who were not satisfied with spinning Marley over and over again. And maybe they stumbled over the 1970s Afro Beat sound from countries like Zambia or Nigeria and then got interested. What did they find in the simmering metropolises of this still mysterious continent? Somewhere in Nigeria, they would have certainly caught a glimpse of mind-blowing performances of The Sea Lions, a six-piece group mixing the then hip Reggae and Afro Beat styles to generate fresh and furious music with a hypnotizing atmosphere.



Polyrhythmic beat patterns build the foundation, the utterly fruitful soil for the heartwarming melodies wailed out by the guitars and the commanding vocals with their conjuring charm. Great organ work builds the link between the groove section and the melody instruments. You can imagine what a pleasant experience this band might have been live back in 1978 when their sole album "Free The People“ got released. And this album, of which copies in only good conditions already fetch prices of $450, while nice clean pieces might go up to $1200, lives up to the expectations one might have from watching a live show by the Sea Lions. The sound is vivid, transparent, powerful, and clean enough to make the music a real pleasure listening to, but earthy enough to present nothing but the band going wild here. The songs all have a similar pace, not too fast, but swinging and pulsating to spread their energy to and among the listeners. The melodies are simple but come from the depth of the heart. This feels typical for African 70s music and despite being kind of reduced, these melodies keep haunting you still even hours after the record been taken off the turntable and put back into its sleeve. They bring images of an ever pulsating city by night, warm climate, palm trees, people at the bar, a witches cauldron of sounds, smells, voice, and pictures. And you feel the magic floating through the air while this groove will not let you go so easily.

You can either dance your soul out to this ultimate reissue or you can sit down, listen and let the music tell you a story of the dark corners of the big city, the narrow alleys that lead you into a boiling labyrinth of mystical dreams. And in songs like "You Can Make It If You Try“ you will find the whole magic of the African world, a world so fascinating for us Europeans but still so unapproachable in some ways and dangerous for the weak. Do not try to resist, this is your pleasure. Grab a copy and the Sea Lions will carry you off to their place. I haven’t heard such a killer Afro Beat and Reggae album with songs this exciting and wild in a long time. If you equally love Peter Tosh, Bob Marley, Segun Bucknor, and Fela Kuti, look no further. Here is the spiritual essence of all these great artists merged into one giant act.

Snips is the founder of Barbershop Records and co founder of Livin Proof, with over 15 years experience as one of Londons most prolific DJs and over 10 years worth of production credits across Hip Hops underground. 2018 has seen Snips emerge as a budding solo artist, fusing the production styles of Hip Hop, House, Soul and Funk in the same fashion as he is known to do behind the turntables.

With his debut album "The Barbershop" making waves on both sides of the Atlantic and his Single "The Product" On Classic Records garnering support from a cross genre selection of heavyweights such as Karizma, Benji B, Eli Escobar, House Shoes, J Rocc, DJ Spinna and Henry Wu, Snips returns on his own label Barbershop Records and delves into Edit territory once aghain. This 45" veers slightly away from the Hip Hop focused edits of his last two releases cleverly turning a couple of soul and latin classics into club ready future anthems

“Play On Mr Music” by the Upsetter Revue featuring The Heptones, The Congos and Junior Murvin, had long been the Holy Grail for roots reggae connoisseurs, until Rocka Shacka issued it on a 10-inch EP.

The result of an impromptu studio jam - captured on celluloid for Jeremy Marre’ s Roots Rock Reggae documentary in May 1977 - the track celebrates the undeniable pull of Perry’ s musical artistry, with both musicians and onlookers enhanced by the uplifting qualities of a marijuana spliff.

You can also enjoy the unreleased dub mix of the deep rasta tune "Rejoice Jah Jah Children" by The Silvertones, and an irie roots rock version of Curtis Mayfield "People Get Ready" by Junior Murvin, and Jimmy Riley’s soulful vocal on “Give Me A Love”.

Two versions of this much-loved gem (covered by Led Zeppelin and Roger Daltrey from The Who more recently), ‘As Long As I Have You’ was the

title track of Garnet Mimms’ first solo album from 1964 which made a brief appearance as a seven inch and now goes for £500.

The slightly longer ‘Single Version’ made it to demo-only in France in 1967 and is a super rare cut - an edited live version with brass courtesy of

The Senate that goes for around £400 if you can find a copy. Remastered here from the original sound source.

Pressure Cooker South African Township Jazz and Mbaqanga

• Dudu Pukwana’s 1968 debut album, recorded in London, released only in South Africa.

• A second album of mostly unreleased 1969 recordings featuring Richard Thompson, Simon Nicol, Joe Mogotsi, Chris McGregor, Mongezi Feza, Louis Moholo, members of Osibisa, and others.

• Originally produced by Joe Boyd.

• Re-mastered audio, double gatefold album, heavyweight 180g vinyl.

Complete with more gorgeous artwork from our favourite graphic designer, Animisiewasz, DP number 28 pops up offering four dance floor ready edits from one of our favourite young producers.

London based producer, multi-instrumentalist and artist Hoffy brings us five explosive disco/house monsters tailor made for when the clubs re-open and everyone goes ever so slightly nuts. With a couple of ridiculously uplifting releases on Forgot Records and a remix or two for Wah Wah 45s, of course, he knows how to move a crowd. His productions illustrate his deep love of classic (but never cheesy) disco, and an ability to create surges of energy even on the most docile of dance floors.

We hope you enjoy this craftily concocted quintet of soulful stunners that could easily sit alongside O'Flynn, early Romare and Dave Lee on your shelves. Another essential slab of foot friendly heat courtesy of your favourite Dubplate provider!

Destructive broken beat futurism built for deep-space sound exploration.
Another selected cut from the Itinerant Dub archives, "To The People".