Hip-Hop Vinyl New Releases - News

Alton Ellis's original 1967 Studio One version of 'I'm Still In Love (With You)' is one of the most well known tracks in Jamaican music history, based on an incredibly catchy rhythm that has seen countless versions over the years, most famously for Althea and Donna's huge worldwide smash 'Uptown Top Ranking' in 1977 and Sean Paul and Sasha's cover version that was a chart hit in the UK and numerous other countries in 2002. Here we present the original 7" version cut super loud and fat on a 12" single. On the B-side there's a funky slice of JA Soul grooviness, the Soul Vendors 'Just A Bit Of Soul', featuring the one and only Jackie Mittoo.
Housed in a heavyweight card Studio One sleeve these won't be around for long! Very Limited edition 1000 copies worldwide 12” pressing.

Highly sought after double A-sided female rocksteady vocals.
Dawn Penn cut of The Uniques - Let Me Go Girl. On the flip side is another popular female vocal tune by Dian Lawrence that was also covered by Norma Frazer for Studio One.

DRS & LSB, two of the most exciting artists in drum & bass today, introduce 'The Blue Hour' on LSB's Footnotes label. A unique, full length LP collaboration that draws together their shared musical influences of jazz, hip hop, indie, classical, 80's and of course D&B.

"We've been writing music on and off for the last 5 years and following on from the Space Age mixes we did online we felt it was a good time to do a full release together. Initially we just considered doing an EP but then went on tour in America twice in 2 months in early 2019. During this time we had 5 days off in an apartment in Dallas. So we borrowed a sound card and using Del's tour mic began writing together. We got 6 tracks written and took them back to the UK to be developed into final versions.

It was then that we thought we may have an album on our hands and as we both wanted to really grow as artists, push beyond what we've both done before...so The Blue Hour was born.

You'll hear DRS pushing his voice a lot more, personal lyrical content, experimental arrangements and live instrumentation that all combine inside and out of the D&B sphere to make an album we're immensely proud of and hope people enjoy listening to." - LSB 2019

... Medjool's story starts in 2010, at "Samar", it's a Kibbutz in the Arava valley in the far south of Israel, based on a unique, hippic and cooperative community. The band's four members met and lived there after their Military service. Being surrounded by musicians they started jamming together a lot, finding a joint creative language.

... In 2011, three of the band, – Ori, Nur & Aviram, moved to Tel-Aviv, trying their luck in the big city. 'Gilad' joined them in 2013 and the four friends became Medjool. The next three years were hectic with shows all over Israel, from small clubs to big festivals, gathering loyal crowd which followed the band everywhere. Nowadays, the band's members turned their energy to other musical projects, saying "we only took a short break which we're not sure when it'll end".

'Gbells' and 'Savana' are two energetic wild Afrobeat tunes.
The fact that the rhythm section comprises of a double base and percussion, grants 'Medjool' its unique highlife, groove color.
The guitar and saxophone travel through middle eastern to ethiopian melodies, suggesting the listeners the option either dancing or riding a camel in the desert, on your way to a flush oasis.

SOS: This two tracks on the 7", ... which were recorded in 2015, were the only music of 'Medjool', they had recorded professionally !!!!!

The second single from the upcoming Nicole Willis album Happiness in Every Style opens up the promised spectrum of joy into new ecstatic states. One In A Million is an unapologetic love song, which while connecting to this most traditional mode in soul music, also makes it correct for the dancefloor. Connoisseur terms such as 'crossover' or 'modern soul' might prove to be accurate here, but a membership in the soul scene is not mandatory to get down.

The main thing is that this up-tempo horn-driven groover, propelled by The Soul Investigators (as the usual suspects), should make things move inside, tickling nerves in scenesters as well as the layman, as their breakthrough hit If This Ain't Love did back in the day.

The world and the music business is different for Nicole Willis and the boys from up north. Nevertheless, One In A Million might be the underground hit that nobody saw coming. Or it just as well might not, but this is no excuse for not making quality music. This and more can be anticipated from the new album, dropping on Timmion Records in autumn 2015.

One of the last "holy-grails" in modern/-funk vinyl collectors circles gets a proper re-issue treatment in the end. RONNY PELLER's interpretation of "Coming Home Baby" is certainly one of the finest versions around. Read the full story in the accompanying liner notes of the full length album ("RONNY PELLERS SATIN SOUND", PT057.LP), which is scheduled for re-release on 20/03/2020.

The second round of Timmion's soul packs features five exquisite 7" singles from the catalogue. Most importantly it works as an introduction to the Stylart sublabel with two highly acclaimed debut performances in Fred's "Love Can Last Forever" as well as Bobby Oroza's "This Love". The latter took the California lowrider scene by a storm in 2016, and became a sleeper Youtube hit in the process.

In addition to these the boxset includes another deep burner by Willie West in "After The Storm", Ernie Hawks' funk jazz workouts "Scorpio Man" and "Journey To The Bottom" as well as the fuzzed-out oddball instrumental "Queen Of Soul" by the current Timmion house band Cold Diamond & Mink. The latter has a key role in most of the output on this set as well as times to come in Timmion.

They Say: “A selection of suspense underscores and drama blackcloths which vary in intensity and cover a wide range of suspense and drama situations”.

We say: A breaky, funky library great masquerading as a horror score. Oh, and the cover art is amazing.

Breath Of Danger was originally released in 1974, and rounded up a killer ensemble cast of library legends including Alan Hawkshaw, Brian Bennett, Alan Parker, David Lindup, Kenny Salmon, Barry Morgan and Ray Cooper.

Lindup’s opener “Cold Sweat” sounds like hip-hop-friendly mode Axelrod and, indeed, was brilliantly sampled by Kool Keith for his Dr. Dooom project. Alan Hawkshaw and Brian Bennett’s “The Manipulator” sounds like it arrived straight out of the same sessions as their legendary Synthesizer & Percussion LP from the same year.

Over on the B-side Alan Parker’s “Psychosis” is a moving and beautifully restrained funk-guitar/cello/harp workout. Stunning. Kenny Salmon’s “Flying Squad” is a sleazy, flute-enhanced gem and the album closes with “Voodoo”, a seventy second riot of sound and colour from the dynamic drumming-percussion duo of Barry Morgan and Ray Cooper.

Sonically, there’s a widescreen vitality in all these tracks thanks to the driving rhythms, vibrant horn sections and blazing guitar work. It renders Breath Of Danger - 45 years old - truly ageless. The Themes series is known for having particularly striking sleeves, which was unusual for library records at the time, and Breath Of Danger’s scraps of comic-book crazy make for one of the most eye-catching.

As with all of our other Themes re-issues, the audio for Breath Of Danger comes from the original analogue tapes and has been remastered for vinyl by Be With regular Simon Francis. We’ve taken the same care with the sleeves, handing the reproduction duties over to Richard Robinson, the current custodian of KPM’s brand identity.

DDCT001 moves beyond genre and tempo limits on their very first release. Renowed Producers and new Talents dedicate this Label-Release to a soundsphere from smooth and laid back grooves to funky uptempo beats. Dedicate brought this artists together to start the funtastic musical adventure beyond current trends.

"Fun! Funtasy! Funtastic Adventures!" brings to you exclusive contributions by Busy Krank, DJ Friction, First Touch, Hans Nieswandt, Ise Jr., Kollege Schnürschuh, LX, Pallaspeople, Phonk D and Studio Gruppe 1.

Widely and rightly regarded as one of the best ever soul and funk bands, the now legendary Average White Band tore-up the rule book and conquered the US, UK & International charts with a series of soul and disco hits between 1974 and 1980. AWB’s repertoire has been a source of inspiration and influence for many R&B acts and they are one of the most sampled bands in history, remaining relevant today, continuing to reach new generations of younger audiences. Snoop Dogg, Fatboy Slim, Ice Cube, Puff Daddy, TLC, Rick Ross, will.i.am and Mark Ronson amongst countless others, have all borrowed sections of their grooves. AWB (aka ‘The White Album’) is the 2nd album by AWB and their first for Atlantic Records, originally released in 1974. The album reached #6 in the UK Albums Chart and #1 in the USA. ‘AWB’ includes the ground-breaking classic ‘Pick Up The Pieces’, also reaching #6 in the UK, as well as the coveted #1 spot in the USA It was produced by Atlantic’s legendary producer, Arif Mardin.

We're delivering you what is truly a passion project for us at Bauhaus Records. When the album came out in 1986 Avi Matos' album "Lokeach Et Hayom Le'at (taking the day slowly) was the first ever reggae and dub album to be made in Israel. Needless to say it was way ahead of its time. Back then, the production has been a milestone and brought together some of Israel's best musicians at the time.
Re-mastered with love to provide the true reggae and dub sound

Gyedu-Blay Ambolley was born on the 11th Street in Sekondi, Ghana 72 years ago. On the cover photo you can see on the right side the house of his birth which was also his parental home. The Ghanian legend’s latest release shows off a pride of heritage, and his honed talent for mixing highlife with other genres like rap, Afro-funk and Disco Ghanaian highlife. Gyedu-Blay Ambolley returns with 11th Street, Sekondi, his 31st album since his debut in 1973. The charismatic stage personality, no stranger to mixing humour into his music and who has performed alongside Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti and highlife bandleader Ebo Taylor, has been a record collector’s staple since his appearance on the seminal Ghana Soundz compilation on Soundway in 2002, which re-introduced the world to his trademark ‘Simigwa’ style. Highlife, which started in Sierra Leone and Liberia, took hold in Ghana in the 1940s as a coming together of the musicians fed up with the foxtrot and quickstep parties originally hosted by English colonists. It began with big band horns and happy lyrics, popularised by artists such as E.T Mensah, before opening up in the ‘50s and ‘60s with a wave of guitardriven, socially conscious and more danceable Afro-funk hits -- a product of the easy movement of people between Nigeria and Ghana. It was then that Ambolley’s trademark baritone vocals burst onto the scene, under the tutelage of close personal friend Ebo Taylor.

Ambolley’s latest album, 11th Street, Sekondi, named after the area of West Ghana in which he grew up, is a look back at the area and musical styles that shaped the musician’s life. Black Woman is a funky number that opens the album with Ambolley on a tenor sax solo, while tracks like Little Small Girl showcase his renowned James Brown-influenced vocal flourishes. Soul, jazz, blues and comedy are present -- in keeping with his fervent belief that music must always be entertaining for the listener. The album is the second of his to be released on German label Agogo records, after acclaimed 2017 hit, Ketan. It also stays true to highlife's social ambitions, with reflections on the misguided pursuit of European ideals ahead of African values. Ambolley's career has been filled with accolades, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Charles R Drew University in Los Angeles, and formal recognition from the Ghana Embassy in Washington DC for producing the first ever commercially recorded rap album.

Following on from their critically acclaimed second album Imaginary People (championed by the likes of David Rodigan, Huey Morgan, Gideon Coe & many more) seminal UK Dub outfit Resonators return to conquer all with their latest offering. Something Special launches headfirst into a hypnotising 4/4 stepper, complete with earth shaking bassline and haunting saxophone lines. Meditative energies run through the dub laced ether, delayed vocals reverberating in the distance. On the flip side Why I (Discomix) moves into more introspective, half time territory, drifting slowly through space. Elevating consciousness and disconnecting from reality.

Resonators are without a doubt one of the most powerful and highly regarded dub outfits in the UK, taking all the influences of original Jamaican sounds and riddims, and bringing it forward into the sounds of here and now. With a plethora of new songs under their belt and a further EP scheduled for release later in the year, as well as what's becoming a very healthy catalogue of crowdpleasers from their last two albums, Resonators are touring the UK & Europe throughout spring & summer.

Following on from the summer hit ‘Sound System Girl’ and the next chapter ‘Jah Love’, we complete the 2019 trilogy with the highly-charged ‘Jumping Sound’ … a stepping jump-up anthem livicated to the power of Reggae & Dub & Sound Systems .. enjoy !!

Sandra Cross needs no introduction, she is a true legend whose career begun at the age of 14 with a no.1 hit in the UK Reggae charts. Since then she has gone on to be one of THE defining female voices of British Reggae. Sandra’s award winning career has seen her hook up with the likes of Mad Professor and Sly & Robbie for a near endless round of hit singles & albums.

Vibronics, the future sound of dub, have been vibrating the world with bass since 1996. Their music is at the forefront of the UK Dub scene, proven by over 60 releases on their own legendary SCOOPS label as well as a host of albums, singles and remixes for a myriad of other labels such as Jarring Effects, Dubhead and Jah Tubbys. In the studio they have worked with Michael Prophet, Iration Steppas, Macka B, Aba Shanti, Brain Damage, High Tone, Big Youth, Gaudi and an almost endless list of dub & reggae luminaries.

Two great 'Tom Moulton' Mixes back to back! 'SOUTH SHORE COMMISSION' were a self contacted soul/funk band from Chicago.
They released their one self-titled, Billboard Dance Chart No.1 album in 1975 on Wand Records from which comes the Bunny Sigler composed/produced track “Free Man” featuring Instant Funk.

It was recorded at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia. This Tom Moulton mix on “Free Man” was an original feature of the album and is considered one of the first proto-house records.

ULTRA HIGH FREQUENCY:
More Philly splendor here from 1973 with “We’re On The Right Track” co-written and co-produced by Norman Harris. Mixed by Tom Moulton. Never previously released before on 12” single.

Kalita are happy to announce the first ever re-release of Stirling March's 1985 Bahamian boogie grail 'Under Cover Lover'. With original copies painfully hard to find and commanding eye-wateringly high prices, we believe the time is ripe to share this masterpiece with the world once more, accompanied by never-before-seen photos and interview-based liner notes.

Falling in love with music at an early age, Stirling listened religiously on the radio to both soul and disco greats, as well as to contemporary pop and rock musicians including Stevie Wonder, The Jackson 5 and Elton John. By the age of twenty-one he decided release his own record in an attempt to demonstrate to the Bahamian music industry his own ability, and in the hope that it would help him launch his musical career. Written over the space of just a few hours, the result was 'Under Cover Lover'. A sun-kissed Caribbean boogie track, Stirling explains that “this was the first song the I had written that I felt was good enough in its arrangement to put to tape”.Recorded at a local studio in Nassau that was available for budding young musicians to give it their best shot at fame, Stirling proudly recalls that it “turned out much better than I had expected. It reinforced my confidence that I could really be good at singing”.

The record was originally released on the sound engineer's own label Illumination Records, but was distributed solely by Stirling, who admits that “I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I knew I had something good but didn't quite understand the industry and nobody picked it up”. Although he recalls the local radio airtime being “phenomenal”, difficulties in elevating the record's status were further compounded by his own financial inability to promote the record as it probably warranted. As a result, the record was therefore soon sadly lost into distant memory.We hope that this re-release brings ‘Under Cover Lover’ the recognition that it deserves as one of the best Caribbean boogie tracks to ever be put to wax.

- The first ever re-release of this highly sought-after Bahamian boogie grail
- Accompanied by extensive interview-based liner notes and never-before-seen photo

ALTA’s debut release, 'Reasons' is the product of many long nights making music together in a back room at Hannah and Julius’ Brunswick home. It was self-recorded over 10 months, from January 2018 to November 2018, using midnight sessions, tape delay effects and a literal room full of wall to wall synths to carve out a world all their very own. "It's a collection of songs written together in our home studio - No cowriters or anything, just us two experimenting making the music,” says the band.

The album was later mixed by Seekae’s George Nicholas in Sydney and mastered by Grammy-winning engineer Chris Gehringer at Sterling Sound (Rihanna, Janelle Monae, Chvrches).

Thematically, the album’s title alludes to the sense of complacency that often sets in when people start making excuses for themselves.
“It’s this internal thing,” Julius explains, ‘always coming up with reasons why things did or didn’t happen, or reasons why someone else did something. Often it’s self-preservation but it’s also bullshit.”

‘Push’ follows on from previous singles ‘Figured Out’, ‘Back On It’ and ‘Twisted’, which have just under 2 million streams on Spotify since their release and are receiving global attention, with spins on BBC Radio 1 and praise from the likes of The Line of Best Fit and CLASH.

At streaming, ALTA have seen huge support locally and internationally, with their 2019 releases featuring in Spotify’s New Music Fridays, Indie Arrivals, The Local List, Just Chill, Front Left, New Dance Beats and The Office Stereo, plus Best Of The Week on Apple Music.

Melbourne fans will witness ALTA performing tracks from Reasons for the first time ever at Northcote Social Club on Saturday 5 October. Tickets are on sale now via Northcote Social Club’s website.

Reasons is an intricate and emotional body of work that will see ALTA step out from Melbourne’s underground scene, and into the international limelight. Pre-order your copy today.

FORTHCOMING ...

Far Out Recordings proudly presents Cry Babies' self-titled debut album from 1969. An early formation of Brazilian funk greats Banda Black Rio, Cry Babies took inspiration from the iconic US soul records of James Brown, The Isley Brothers and Kool & The Gang, all of whom are covered on their first and only album. Pioneering Brazil's funk fascination, Cry Babies paved the way for the likes of Jorge Ben, Dom Salvador, Trio Mocotó and Azymuth: with fat funky drum breaks, big round bass, touches of psychedelic Brazilian surf, and the kind of hazy soulful arrangements that could only emerge from Rio de Janeiro.

Produced by one of Brazil's most prolific musical minds, Durval Ferreira - whose song writing and production credits also include Sergio Mendes, Deodato, Emilio Santiago, Ed Lincoln, Joao Bosco, Quarteto Em Cy and Dila - the Cry Babies sound, while distinctly North American in influence, carries all the sunshine warmth of the samba jazz and bossa nova records that were coming out of Brazil at the time.

With saxophonist Oberdan Magalhães responsible for the album's arrangements, it's no surprise that when Warner Music established themselves in Brazil in the mid-seventies, Magalhães was the man they asked to form a group (Banda Black Rio) to develop this new merging of stateside soul and Brazilian influences. Yet while Banda Black Rio's tight, groove-heavy sound has awarded them cult status amongst lovers of instrumental Brazilian music, their first formation as Cry Babies is a lesser-known story. Since its first and only release, the original record has remained impossibly expensive and hard to find.

Set for its first ever vinyl reissue, Cry Babies has been remastered and pressed to 180g vinyl, with a high-quality replica sleeve, and will be available via Far Out Recordings from 31st January 2020.

Credits: Producer - Durval Ferreira, Coordinator - Nelson Attílio, Saxophone, Arrangements - Oberdan, Bass - Oswaldo, Congas - Carioca, Drums - Luiź Carlos, Guitar - Ovid, Organ - Sérgio Carvalho, Piano - Moacir, Trombone - Serginho, Trumpet - Paulinho, Vocals - Aldo, Rosana, Artwork - Mibielli.

UK reggae star Pablo "Hard Times" Gad returns by hooking up with Reggae On Top's Barry Issac at Conscious Sounds Studio for a heavy roots session.

The debut album of the singer-composer Rita Ray from Estonia packs powerful, warm vocals and crisp production to go with it. "Old Love Will Rust" contributes 8 soul-heavy cuts to the current scene: it's got that slower, classic R&B side of affairs, as well as an uptempo disco delight, that keeps things tight. While miss Ray herself has credits in almost all aspects of the LP, it's a certified Solid Gold Production, led by Martin Laksberg of Lexsoul Dancemachine. Blue-eyed soul hasn't sounded so strong in ages! Rita Ray is a small-town girl whose vocal chords are hardened by a decade in choir singing, spirit toughened by the city life and a foundation built in jazz studies. She's the first contemporary soul diva to rise from the post-Soviet state. Her soul-stirring shows have yet to leave a heart cold - she'll have you in her palm to deliver tender melodies, irony-filled lyrics, catchy riffs and disco-stomping sessions.

The debut album of the singer-composer Rita Ray from Estonia packs powerful, warm vocals and crisp production to go with it. "Old Love Will Rust" contributes 8 soul-heavy cuts to the current scene: it's got that slower, classic R&B side of affairs, as well as an uptempo disco delight, that keeps things tight. While miss Ray herself has credits in almost all aspects of the LP, it's a certified Solid Gold Production, led by Martin Laksberg of Lexsoul Dancemachine. Blue-eyed soul hasn't sounded so strong in ages! Rita Ray is a small-town girl whose vocal chords are hardened by a decade in choir singing, spirit toughened by the city life and a foundation built in jazz studies. She's the first contemporary soul diva to rise from the post-Soviet state. Her soul-stirring shows have yet to leave a heart cold - she'll have you in her palm to deliver tender melodies, irony-filled lyrics, catchy riffs and disco-stomping sessions.

Sly Stone is a songwriter and record producer, mostly famous for his role as front man for Sly and the Family Stone. The band played a critical role in the development of soul, funk, rock, and psychedelics in the 1960s and '70s.

Sly Stone was identified as a musical prodigy at a young age. By the time he was seven, Sylvester had already become proficient on the keyboards and by the age of eleven he had mastered the guitar, bass, and drums as well. While still in high school, Sylvester had settled primarily on the guitar and joined a number of high school bands.

In 1993 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the group.

High On You (1975) is the first solo album by songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sly Stone. For the most part Stone performed a large part of the instrumentation for each song on his own by using multi-tracking. The album prominently features vocalist Rudy Love and includes the singles I Get High on You', Le Lo Li' and Crossword Puzzle'.

Black Repress

New 12" from the "Fonk" french master Dabeull, with a lot of vintage synths, 80's sounds and hairy moustache.
Vintage Funk from today.

Back from a tour in Mexico, Dabeull then toured in Europe as support of FKJ. It is during this period that all his talent as a "doctor fonk" was brought to light with his vintage lab, his eighties sounds and its undisputed mastery of his talk-box table ...

The Golden Pilot is on!

When Air’s Nicolas Godin released his debut solo album, Contrepoint (2015), he channelled the influence of Bach into a rich, resonant and hugely rewarding spread of musical explorations. One soundtrack (A Very Secret Service) later, Godin builds on equally fertile conceptual foundations for the follow-up. Released through Because Music on 24th January, Concrete and Glass is an exquisitely crafted set of variations on architectural reference points: mounted with minimalist precision and delivered with an abundance of pop warmth, it finds Godin in his element, working seductive wonders with poise and style to spare.

For Godin, the album circles back to his formative work as half of ground-breaking French electronic group Air. Revered modern architect Le Corbusier was an influence on the young architecture graduate’s music, notably on his 1997 debut “Modular Mix”. Twenty-plus years later, Le Corbusier featured on a list of modernist architects Godin was invited to compose tributes for, tributes intended to be heard as the soundtrack to site-specific installations around the world.

In its soft ambient pulse and melting minimalism, lead track “The Border” is a perfect entry-point to Godin’s hymns to buildings, arranged and co-produced with Pierre Rousseau. Its levitating synths, vocoder vocals and scudding bass hove into view with understated elegance, all the better to accommodate the discreet slow-build of delicate details within. As with Air, Godin makes gorgeously light work of every angle: this is music that seems entirely unperturbed by gravity, occupying an elevated atmosphere of its own.

Elsewhere, the title-track’s clean synth lines, crisply apportioned arrangements and tender timpani offer another inviting entry-point, sculpted with architectural clarity. While Godin’s vocoder vocals also hark back to Air’s early work, the album accommodates a diverse spread of guest vocalists elsewhere. Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor guests on the falsetto-soul dream-pop of “Catch Yourself Falling”, one of Godin’s sweetest melodies yet. Oxnard singer/activist Cola Boyy brings soul to the righteously engaged “The Foundation”; the squelchy synths and buoyant grooves burn slow, allowing the stealthy arrangements and message room to resonate. Psychedelic soul singer Kadhja Bonet sings with measured serenity over tremulous synths on “We Forgot Love”, while Russian experi-pop artist Kate NV brings a gracefully aching romanticism to the blissful swoon-pop of “Back to Your Heart”.

Additionally, Australian conceptual provocateur Kirin J Callinan contributes a vocal of restrained drama to “Time on My Hands”, a midnight-drift soft-pop ballad with a silky allure. One of the quickest tracks to record for the album, it emerged in collaborations between Los Angeles (”During some lively sessions in Mac DeMarco’s studio,” notes Godin) and Paris. After he missed his flight home, Callinan stayed in France for a day as the guitar solos were recorded, complementing the song's air of sleek luxuriousness.

Between its title-track and the sultry, smoky jazz stylings of closer “Cité Radieuse”, Concrete and Glass is an album that truly travels, in tune with its global pitch. For Godin, it marks another milestone in a musical journey that began when Air’s 1998 debut album, Moon Safari, became the sublimely weightless soundtrack of its time. For Concrete and Glass, Godin builds on his storied past with tremendous finesse, charm and fluency, opening fresh windows of perspective at every lovingly executed turn.

Written, arranged and produced by Oscar Weathers.
(Fantasy Love Records).

“Please Wait“ (Ta-ku & matt mcwaters) releasing their EP „Black & White“ featuring soon to be mega star Masego and others via 823 & Jakarta Records. After releasing last year’s very successful tribute-record “25 Nights for Nujabes” (almost 13 mio. plays on Spotify to this day), Perth-based artist Ta-ku finally returns with brand new music!

... Please Wait is the culmination of numerous online exchanges and years of sharing voice memos, stems, musical ideas & TikTok links between Ta-ku and Canadian producer matt mcwaters. Their cathartic approach to this body of work has been more about self-expression than anything else and has culminated in an EP that covers a range of issues and experiences from different times in their lives.

While the 1st single features Jamaican-American multi-talent Masego and will also have a video, the 2nd single features up & coming singer/songwriter Alayna. Ta-ku’s 823 label represents the appreciation for the people/ideas/places that inspire and push us forward.

The artwork is shot by the artists themselves and each release has an accompanying photo zine that acts as a visual story to compliment the music being showcased.

The Music From Africa series comprises two volumes of never-heard South African library music from the early '80s. They were recorded and produced by Johannesburg musician/producer Tom Mkhize and
released then on vinyl only to be sent to TV and radio stations, as well as cinema productions (never commercially available). Traditional South African rhythms re-imagined, dubbed-out and disco-fied by this legendary producer! Each side of each volume is an A-Side of the original LP's, the B-Sides were only 10/15 seconds loops of the tracks from A-Sides designed as radio jingles and there was no interest in keeping them for the reissues.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!
Let's celebrate the most peaceful time of the year with this fantabolous double-sided soul bomb! "Christmas Is A Drag" starts with a monstrous open drum break and goes straight into a 1960s boogaloo-type funk track! The b-side is a fierce instrumental which might even appeal to the open-minded Northern Soul crowd.

The perfect gift for your record loving husband! Limited edition too!

This debut album, by prodigious keys player, composer and producer Joe Armon-Jones, is buoyant, celebratory and welcoming. With a background in jazz, he draws from influences in dub, hip-hop and soul. Different traditions are infused and commingled together. Soulful brass arrangements are coloured with carefully-tuned atmospherics, individual flashes of brilliance are bound into the album's bigger picture.

He's part of London's young, jazz-influenced music scene. Drawn from that same close-knit circle, the album features the likes of Moses Boyd, Nubya Garcia and Oscar Jerome. It's playing with those - along with Ezra Collective, which he co-founded, and touring with the likes of Ata Kak and Pharoahe Monch - which has honed his playing and grown his ideas.

It's made for a record with an unmistakable depth. He draws on deep musical understanding, making music which is warm and has a feeling of joy. A document of his vision for bringing together his different influences, it's also a testament to hard-earned, head-turning musical virtuosity.

Ahead of the 5th Blackpool International Soul Festival in June 2020, Expansion are pre-releasing a re-release from one the participating artists, the amazing Maxine Brown.

“Let Me Give You My Lovin’” is one of her most classic songs, originally released on Wand Records in 1966.

Original copies are worth over £100.

Pete Kelly's Solution, fantastic British 2 sider Northern Soul, superb 60s sounds.

Tani Jones "Meet Me Halfway" and Pearl Woods "Don't Tell It All".
What a fantastic 2 sider, superb RnB/Soul dancers from the early sixties!

Gang Starr is undoubtedly one of the most revered, beloved and influential groups in Hip Hop. Over the course of their distinguished career, they became a cultural institution and a brand you could ultimately trust. With a handful of indelible classic albums on their resume, DJ Premier and Guru’s catalogue has not only persevered but mastered the test of time. Simply, Gang Starr did not follow trends, they created them.

Deluxe edition incl. all instrumentals on black vinyl!

Harleighblu heard Bluestaeb’s music for the first time in London’s Jazz Café in 2016 and approached him to work on an album shortly after that. The multinational duo decided to search for new ways to express their common love for uncompromised hip-hop and R&B. Bluestaeb’s soulful approach to beat making complements Harleighblu’s performance perfectly as she stakes her claim on the neo soul and hip-hop territory she always identified with as an artist. Speaking about the collaboration Bluestaeb says: “When I got the first demo recordings from Harleighblu, I was blown away. I’ve worked with multiple singers before, but this time I felt that somebody finally really knew how to handle my beats properly and turn them into songs.“ Their debut project “She” achieves a distinctive sound that merges old school aesthetics with a new school attitude and organic instrumentation, progressive neo soul and beat heavy hip-hop, whilst Harleighblu’s unique vocals push through the sonic boundaries of R&B. “She” was recorded at Manolo Purple Studio, the Berlin homebase of Bluestaeb and his longtime collaborator S. Fidelity, who recorded, executive produced and mixed the album and accompanied the artists throughout the entire creative process. The record also features Blue’s Jakarta Records label mate JuJu Rogers and a variety of instrumentalists hailing from the UK, France and Germany.

Harleighblu introduced herself in 2013 with the charismatic, beat-heavy soul of her Tru Thoughts debut LP “Forget Me Not”, which was championed by 1xtra’s Mistajam and BBC 6 Music’s Don Letts. Since then she has not looked back, garnering critical acclaim for her unique style from the likes of Complex, Dummy, The Line Of Best Fit and Clash to name but a few. She has performed at prestigious festivals such as Glastonbury, Bestival, Kendal Calling, Boomtown and Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide festival.

Hailed as an up and coming ‘queen of soul’ with references to Nina Simone, Lauryn Hill and Amy Winehouse, Harleighblu’s signature sound has matured into a frank, self-possessed voice that pulls no punches and makes no apologies. Bringing us honest, feminine, yet unrepentant lyrical touches and establishing herself as one of the UK's most promising young artists.

On the other hand, Bluestaeb made his name through his releases via German tastemaker label Jakarta Records, where he released alongside Kaytranada, Ta-Ku and Mura Masa. His solo efforts ‘Rodalquilar’ (2015) and ‘Everything Is Always a Process’ (2018) and his collaboration project “LIT - Lost In Translation” with rapper JuJu Rogers have been internationally praised for their warm characteristic sound receiving airplays on Soulection, BBC 1, Rinse.FM and many more. His works have amassed more than 20 million streams and Bluestaeb has played shows and festival all over Europe, including Melt Festival and splash! Festival.