Hip-Hop Vinyl New Releases - News

Mothball Record in association with Bordello A Parigi is proud to present one of the strangest and most mysterious recordings from the whole Italo-Disco era. Sitting somewhere between goth, italo and new wave, “Space Melody” is a dedication to ancient Egypt and outer space.
The original EP was almost totally lost to the sands of time, until recently the original mastertape was unearthed by the artist and later painstakingly transferred by Rude 66.

The record is completed by new instrumental versions from the Danish Italo king Flemming Dalum and the Spanish italo duo Futuro.

"BCR070" Taken from Forthcoming Big Crown Label Compilation “Dear Sunny...” Runaway produced by Tommy Brenneck (Charles Bradley, Menahan Street Band). Covers of Sunny & The Sunliners Sweet Soul Classics.

In 2017 we released a compilation of Sunny & The Sunliners Music entitled “Mr Brown Eyed Soul”. Since that, we reissued three of his albums in their original format & dropped five different 7". We were huge fans of Mr. Ozuna before we started working together and we knew that our audience would love his music as much as we do.

One thing we hadn’t anticipated was just how much our own roster of artists were going to fall in love with his catalog. We came up with the idea to have everyone on the label cover a Sunny & The Sunliners tune and do a full length release as an homage to the man himself, Mr. Brown Eyed Soul, Sunny Ozuna.

The full compilation is due out in the Fall of 2020 but this new 45 is a taste of what’s to come. Side A is a cover of Sunny's classic “Smile Now, Cry Later” done by The Shacks. Shannon’s gentle whispered vocals bring a whole new energy keeping to the tune keeping laid back and dreamy and Max’s production does justice to one of Sunny’s biggest tunes. Brainstory covers “Runaway”.

The darling dears of Rialto properly turn this tune into something completely their own. Tommy Brenneck’s (Charles Bradley) production takes this one over top, a modern day slowie classic that is bound to find its way into DJ sets next to the staples of yesteryear!

"SS060LP" Vinyl, dreamy Instrumental Acoustic, -folk guitar from Fouta Toro in Northern Senegal. Fingerpicked Acoustic Guitar with intricate syncopation, a technique inspired by the four-string hoddu, with melodies that go back centuries, from the Almoravid dynasty to the Mali Empire.

In Contrast to the familiar desert blues, Siftorde highlights a very distinct and underrepresented style of Sahelian guitar. Guitarist, photographer, visual artist and folklorist Tidiane Thiam hails from Podor, a small riverside town in the far North of Senegal. A self-taught musician who learned guitar from late-night radio broadcasts, Tidiane is a veritable encyclopedia of Sahel folklore.

Borrowing from this repertoire, he adapts his own technique of fingerstyle guitar, crafting serene pieces imbued with emotive reflection. Recorded at night on a single microphone at home in Podor, and set against the backdrop of crickets, the recordings on Siftorde are stripped down and informal, without any pretense of a studio recording.

The effect is deeply personal and intimate. The album's title, translated by Tidiane in four languages, means 'Remember' - a nostalgic ode to the temporality of the recording, and a plea for the songs themselves, whose survival demands they not be forgotten.

"SS060LP" Vinyl, dreamy Instrumental Acoustic, -folk guitar from Fouta Toro in Northern Senegal. Fingerpicked Acoustic Guitar with intricate syncopation, a technique inspired by the four-string hoddu, with melodies that go back centuries, from the Almoravid dynasty to the Mali Empire.

In Contrast to the familiar desert blues, Siftorde highlights a very distinct and underrepresented style of Sahelian guitar. Guitarist, photographer, visual artist and folklorist Tidiane Thiam hails from Podor, a small riverside town in the far North of Senegal. A self-taught musician who learned guitar from late-night radio broadcasts, Tidiane is a veritable encyclopedia of Sahel folklore.

Borrowing from this repertoire, he adapts his own technique of fingerstyle guitar, crafting serene pieces imbued with emotive reflection. Recorded at night on a single microphone at home in Podor, and set against the backdrop of crickets, the recordings on Siftorde are stripped down and informal, without any pretense of a studio recording.

The effect is deeply personal and intimate. The album's title, translated by Tidiane in four languages, means 'Remember' - a nostalgic ode to the temporality of the recording, and a plea for the songs themselves, whose survival demands they not be forgotten.

More Jazz-funk, Latenite Breaks, Cinematic Prog & Psych From Italian Untapped Film Music Archives (1968-1978) - Lp 180gr. + Cd Bonus Ltd. Ed. 500 Copies

A New Stunning Chapter Of The Esterno Series, Dedicated To The Rediscovery Of Rare And Unreleased Soundtracks And Library Music From Italy.

While The Previous Volumes Consisted Of Unreleased Material From The Mythical Rca Italy Archive, The Research Has Been Extended Thanks To Some New Mysterious Sources, Unveiling Some Of Best Kept Secrets From The '60s And '70s.

The Result Is A Deep Journey Into The Secret History Of Italian Library Music, Dedicated To Sounds That Were Designed For A Cityscape Pervaded With Action, Car-chases, And High-

Tension Scenes Set In Smoky Nightclubs. Jazz-funk, Deep Breaks, Prog And Psych Flavors From Some Of The Most Hip Names From The Italian Scene: Alessandro Alessandroni, Piero Piccioni, Carlo Pes And I Marc 4, Sandro Brugnolini. This All-star Cast Is Completed By Silvano D'auria, Here With Another Terrifying Unreleased Track After The Shocking 'sortilegio', Presented For The First Time In Volume Uno.

Soulful reggae tune by Bunny Clarke, first time reissue with dub version since it's initial release in 1975 with the typical Lee Scratch Perry production sound.

Beatmaker / DJ from Rennes (France) J-Zen stood out with his first album entitled Managua, composed during a trip in South America and recorded between Rennes, Paris, Berlin, New York and Los Angeles is a call to travel, his first source of inspiration.

Four years after this first opus and even more passport stamps, he presents Standa Lone.

Original cut of the well-known "Fever" riddim, voiced by Milton Henry and Junior Byles, credited here to King Medious, an alias Henry says was inspired by the mysterious Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses. Crucial early 70s Lee Perry production. First time reissue on 7inch.

‘’Ruff drum computer- and bubbling ambient excursions from Bonn, Germany, making their first appearance on vinyl for the new decennium’’.

Newly established label Raakvlak plucks a lush synth gem from the depths of 80’s D.I.Y.- cassette culture for their inaugural release. Heil Eris / Enjoy sees the first-time reissue of the work of German synth-wizards Overflow. The group, conceived as the session band of cult tape label Brainstorm-Studio, merely released two cassettes within the timespan of one year, of which Raakvlak now has culled some of the finest moments.

Out of a matrix of drum computers, synths, voices, tape FX and a flute come these five live-takes (no overdubbing used!), dedicated to the trio’s mascot Apumé, which was present at all sessions.

Ranging from the aquatic ambient excursion on ‘’Pressure Wave’’ and the existential cold-wave pop of ‘’Take A Chance’’ to the blissed-out downer ‘’Voiceless’’, Overflow shies away from musical expectations and thereby sounds as up to date as ever.
Restored, remastered and available on wax for the first time! Comes with download card plus three digital bonus tracks.

Bronx duo Camp Lo have teamed up with the one and only Pete Rock to drop "80 Blocks From Tiffany’s", a mixtape series available as a full length. With the projects name paying homage to the BX gangs of the 70's, it’s only right that they bring it back to hip-hop’s
essence in the video, graffiti, b-boys, rhymin’ on the project stairways, two turntables
& a mic. Pete Rock, whose production work helped define the 90's “golden age” is a rare exception.

Rock’s one of the few musicians who made his name in the aggressively unflashy 90's East Coast sound who’s managed to stay continually relevant without capitulating to changing tastes.

"80 Blocks from Tiffany's" offers proof that amidst the expeditions
rap music’s launching into new sonic territories like EDM, noisy psychedelia & quasi-industrial music, the classic boom-bap stuff still has a place featuring Mac Miller, MOP, Ab-Soul, Talib Kweli & more ...

R.A. The Rugged Man and Atmosphere are two of the most important names in underground hip-hop history. Among the original architects of the independent hip-hop revolution, both of these iconic artists have defied the odds to thrive for decades in the ever-changing rap landscape.

Now, R.A. The Rugged Man and Slug of Atmosphere are joining forces for the first time ever to bring some much-needed joy to listeners during these trying times. Featuring a hook by famed singer Eamon, the historic collaboration "Golden Oldies" is a feel-good trip down memory lane taken from R.A. The Rugged Man's new album All My Heroes Are Dead".

This Ltd. Edition 7" Single gives fans the opportunity to experience the nostalgic anthem in all it's old-school glory.

Invisible City Editions reissues a selection of classic street soul tunes from the legendary duo Soul Connection (Toyin Agbetu and Earl Myers). A mix of well loved tracks from Soul Connection's 1988 "Rough & Ready" and 1990 "Raw Street Soul", remastered from the original master reels. This one has been a long time in the making and we are really excited to finally put it out!

You’d be hard pressed to find a more central figure to the story of ’80s UK Street Soul than Toyin Agbetu. A former computer programming prodigy turned musician/artist/producer, Agbetu was one of the principals in the development of a sound that merged the playful romance of soul music with the DIY ethos and raw, drum machine-driven beats of hip-hop and other burgeoning underground movements of the time. With his London-based independent record label, Unyque Artists, and a studio HQ-ed out of his Hackney bedroom, Toyin would embark on a remarkably prolific run as a producer and artist under a myriad of aliases and pseudonyms on associated spin-off labels. One such project was Soul Connection – a collaboration with friend and fellow indie label head Earl Myers that, despite its low-key bordering on phantom profile, yielded two albums, Rough and Ready (1988) and Raw Street Soul (1990) released on UA affiliate Intrigue Records. Though both LPs were well received upon initial release, the years since have only increased their stature amongst fans of elusive grooves. As evidenced by the six beloved tracks collected on Invisible City Editions’ Street Soul EP, Soul Connection’s addictively simple hooks, punchy mid-tempo rhythms, and forays into breakbeat and house remain as easy to appreciate as ever.

Includes 8 page booklet with an interview from Jeff “Chairman” Mao.

Strong roots over a charging rhythm driven by Niyabinghi-style hand drums by the obscure vocal group Truth, Fact & Correct, rumoured to be in fact The Viceroys.

New York rap trio consisting of DJ Curt Catzal and MC’s AJ Rok and MC B-Luv, signed to B-Boy Records, a significant player in the development of hip-hop in the 1980's. The group broke out with an underground hit single ‘Strong Island’ and the song would open their 1988 album Doin’ Damage.

This track is an enduring classic and would become the group’s signature moment. Other highlights on the album include; ‘Stylin’ Lyrics’, ‘The Force Is Buggin’ and ‘Take It Away’.

Wan Chai Records is a Hong-Kong based label, specialized in rare Asian records and quality reissues.

For their first release, they wanted to highlight a promotional record released at 500 copies only in Hong-Kong for a famous Soda brand.
It was offered with a pack of bottles in 1977 and never been
released.

Produced and arranged by Noel Quinlan, this Album is a mix of
Funk and Soul covers. The result is an awesome LP including
groovy covers, from the classic Lowdown' by Bob Scaggs, to a
Funky I Shot The Sheriff' by Bob Marley with a deep Fender
Rhodes, and 12 other outstanding tracks.

Shrink-wrapped 7" in retro USA Atlantic 45rpm sleeve (die-cut card).

On vinyl in the U.S. for the first time since 1977, this 1975 release includes African, Indian, Arabic and 70's era Miles Davis style electric rock fusions. Featuring contributions from former Ornette Coleman bandmates Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins, and liner notes from Stanley Crouch.

The 20th Anniversary of The Slim Shady LP is set to release on 3LP 180 gram vinyl and 2CD on 13th December, 2019 in an updated Expanded Edition including bonus tracks, rarities, a capella’s, freestyles, and instrumentals. Originally released on 23rd February, 1999 The Slim Shady LP turned Eminem from an underground rapper into a high-profile celebrity. The album featured production from Dr. Dre, the Bass Brothers, and Eminem himself. The Slim Shady LP is his first album with a major label after his first album Infinite was released on an independent label in 1996. The majority of the album’s lyrical content is written from the perspective of the rapper’s alter ego Slim Shady, whom the rapper created on the Slim Shady EP (1997). The Slim Shady LP went on to be certified quadruple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and has sold over 18 million copies worldwide.

We’ve worked with Ian Willson to reissue his insanely good, self-released West Coast classic “Straight From The Heart”. Privately pressed and originally released in 1985, this is the only album Ian ever put out. A magical blend of AOR/sophisticated funk/synth-boogie/spiritual jazz and modern soul, it’s a spellbinding record of many colours.

You might already know “Straight From The Heart” for the dubby-disco paranoid-balearic anthem “Four In The Morning”, and it’s easy to assume this is probably just another one of those one-track LPs. But trust us when we say it’s definitely not. This is an impressively slick record from start to finish, just ask those modern soul DJs and AOR collectors who’ve managed to find a rare copy in the last 35 years. It could’ve (should’ve?) been number 1 all over the world back in 1985.

Album opener “Think About It” is all sorts of right. It’s emotional. It’s tops-off. It’s funk in its purest form. And take the proto-modern-funk of the title track (half Dâm-Funk / half Dâd-Funk).

The shimmering, spiritual Bossa-Jazz of “If I Were You” serves as the album’s soaring centrepiece. A gorgeous suite of Cosmic vibes to get Gilles frothing, it sounds like nothing else on the record which makes sense given that it was recorded a couple of years earlier, and is the only track on the LP that wasn’t recorded in Ian’s own studio.

Side B opens with the propulsive ode to love that is “Two Is Better Than One”. Wonderfully sparse when it needs to be, it’s also richly percussive and that special kind of California-warm. Frenetic, speaker smashing synth and horn workout “Funk Invasion” dares you not to dance and “A Game Called Love” is heavily indebted to Prince with its lush, deep funk stylings. The sweeping sax-drenched instrumental “Song For Katelyn” is head-nod, beat-heavy AOR for that melancholic magic hour we spend our days longing for. It all adds up to the ultimate BBQ record.

Almost all of “Straight From The Heart” was recorded over a few months between 1983 and 1984 on Ian’s brand new Otari 8 track in the Oakland, California studio he built just the year before. Only “If I Were You” was recorded elsewhere, at Bay Sound in 1982.

A “full time poor musician” at the time (and he says he still is), Ian produced the album himself and played all of the instruments, except for guitar. That’s Peter Fujii you can hear, his good friend from growing up together.

Tower Of Power, Average White Band, Earth Wind & Fire and Stevie Wonder was the list of influences Ian gave us when we asked. No wonder the record’s just so easy on the ears.

And why did he put the record out himself? Simple, he had no idea how to go about getting a record deal.

When we first got in touch with Ian he had no idea that “Straight From The Heart” had become something of a cult record, let alone that there were those of us out there that thought the album deserved to be pressed again. The original tapes have long since been lost so this re-issue was only made possible by remastering Ian’s one and only pristine copy of the finished LP.

The end results have been worth the work, including reproducing the original’s unmistakeable sleeve. Ian Willson’s “Straight From The Heart” is yet another Be With release that will find an easy home on the shelves of those of you who up to now have only dreamt of finding a copy and also those of you who who never knew it even existed.

"4782657" Vinyl, Originally Release 1996!

Kaleidoscope is the debut studio album by American singer, songwriter and chef Kelis. It was released on 7th December 1999 by Virgin Records and was produced entirely by The Neptunes (Pharrell Williams & Chad Hugo). The album performed well in international markets, including the United Kingdom, where it was certified gold. Kaleidoscope charted on the US Billboard 200, In Europe all three singles; “Caught Out There”, “Good Stuff”, and “Get Along with You” — attained commercial success. After reaching number 52 on the UK Singles Chart on imports alone, “Caught Out There” was given a proper release in the UK, eventually peaking at number four. “Good Stuff” also proved a success, reaching number 19 on the UK chart. The third and final single from the album, “Get Along with You” also charted. As well as producing the album Williams and Hugo also feature on album track Ghetto Children where Slick Rick is a co-writer. Album guest features also include Pusha-T, Markita & Justin Vince. To celebrate the album’s 20th Anniversary Kelis is embarking on a UK and European tour, a Glastonbury performance (strictly confidential), and releasing a double LP on orange vinyl. This vinyl reissue will feature 4 alternative versions of the tracks Caught Out There & Get Along With You, all on vinyl for the first time.

King Solomon Hicks grew up in Harlem and was surrounded by a lot of great musicians. Those influences shine through on Hicks’ debut album, ‘Harlem’, which is an 11-song salute to those roots mixed with Hicks’ own distinctive style. Produced by multiple Grammy Award winner Kirk Yano (Miles Davis, Public Enemy, Mariah Carey), the album showcases Hicks as a writer, player and interpreter. The young, rising blues star debut album will be released by blues connaisseur label Provogue Records on March 13, 2020.

Two sided R’n’B masterclass

Three track Lolita' EP by Lolina, written produced mixed, spending ££ in the city, not-record-label release. Mastering, additional mixing Amir Shoat. Limited edition 10" - TIP on this... don't sleep!

‘Visions’ is a new collaborative album from BADBADNOTGOOD co-founders, Matthew Tavares and Leland Whitty. The Grammy Award winning, multi-platinum producers have been performing and writing music together for 10 years. They have achieved international acclaim with BADBADNOTGOOD and Tavares’ recent solo single ’Self-Portrait’ has been championed by tastemakers such as Gilles Peterson and Benji B. ‘Visions’ is the latest upshot of their incredibly fruitful partnership.

Recorded in Toronto, it was produced by Tavares and Whitty - with Tavares also mixing the album and arranging strings. After a three-week writing period it was played in its entirety in one continuous studio session; almost all the tracks on the album are the first take. Tavares is on piano and guitar, Whitty on saxophone and flute. The rhythm section of Julian Anderson-Bowes on bass and Matthew Chalmers on drums completes the players. They make an impressive collective and are performing at the peak of their powers.

Conceptually the album is a canvas for a combination of composition and group free-form improvisation. Tavares and Whitty are the sole composers, but with some tracks collectively improvised, there is also a group dynamic running through the album. The outcome is a sublime melting pot of modern jazz, impressionist classical music and Arthur Verocai-esque arrangements. It is a sound that is hard to date; it is certainly of the now but is also reminiscent of a lost classic. Similar to the process of its creation, the optimal listening experience for ‘Visions’ is in its entirety. As a coherent body of work it draws the listener in with waves of intensity and crescendos that release back into tranquility - there is both darkness and light in the album’s narrative arc. There is also rawness and honesty to the music, which makes it feel like an intensely personal and intimate offering.

2x7"

Brand new EP from the London's own Mowty Mahlyka aka Dark Angel, well know for his previous Moonshine Recordings killer release 'Propaganda'. Riddims for this double 7" beauty were cooked by the Moonshine all stars - Bukkha & D-Operation Drop. Expect some serious dubwise fayah!

Ronn Colbert is best known for his magnificent soulful stepper from 1981 ‘Just One Kiss Away’ on Silk City Sound, it states on the label ‘In Album Here To You’. The LP was never released; but I thank my good friend Ronald Foster for keeping the tapes safe for nearly forty years!
Three songs on this reel yielded different tempos, all so good they had to be included on a 7”. (B side plays at 33RPM to accommodate two tracks) MY LOVE WAS MADE FOR YOU has been championed on a test pressing by Steve Plumb & Soul Sam; glowing feedback from these stalwarts of our scene is enough to know how special this is. Please give them a listen and if you like what you hear, why not purchase a piece of unreleased magic!

Killer private modern soul / disco funk LP from San Diego released in 1980 on Aidqueen Records.