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Skyf Connection (pronounced skAyf) was a short lived project by long time friends Anthony Mthembu and Enoch Nondala. At the time they were working for Annic Music, an independent label run by married couple Anne and Nic Blignaut. Although the label was known mostly for Zulu, Sotho, Tsonga and other traditional styles, they had a few Disco releases on the label including groups like Keith Hutchinson’s Focus and Enoch’s discovery Lena, who went on to have huge success under the name Ebony a few years later.

In 1984, when an artist didn’t show up for a booked session they decided to make use of the studio time and began working on a demo. At the time Anthony and Enoch had been playing for a year at a new club called Gamsho, located on a farm on the outskirts of Kliptown Soweto. Along with Blackie Sibisi, Sepate Mokoena and Elijah “chippa” Khumalo they made up the resident house band. Due to cultural boycotts and American artists refusing to perform in the country, locals took it upon themselves to fill the market with the American sound the crowds demanded. The demo they recorded at Blue Tree Studios was going to be their product they could use to promote their brand of the American sound. They then took the demo to Universal Studios where their friend and trusted engineer Jan “fast fingers” Smit was working. It would be here that they would polish their demo into something they could take to their bosses and have pressed. Equipped with a DX 7, Linn Drum and some Juno synthesizers they were on their way. Jan lived up to his name and programmed the drums, it is rumoured he could program in almost real time, a skill that translated to the local arcade where he held high scores on many machines. Enoch would be singing and playing guitar while Anthony would do all the Bass and Keyboards. The result was 4 funky party anthems with synth work like no other recording at the time. Their take on what they believed the crowd would want to hear at the beloved club they called home.

From start to finish the 4 tracks portray what would have been a standard night at the Gamshu. Although the club would open earlier and the standard hours of most clubs was 6 to 6 , the band would start playing at 10pm. With their standard set time and Anthony and Enoch unique view on what a Disco should be, they chose the motto Ten to Ten as the album title because those were the hours when they were the stars and Disco ruled the dance floor. To get to the club was a bit difficult, you needed to drive along an empty road where thieves waited for any patrons trying their luck walking after dark. Since there was no transport during the night, the safest way to get home was to wait till the next morning to walk home. Even though in the summer months of Johannesburg light begins to peek in just after 4am, crowds refused to leave and stayed enjoying good music and company until 10am. The lead off track “Let’s Freak Together” has powerful lyrics encouraging people to let go of their worries, put aside any differences and let the music bring everyone to freak and dance together. The whole album is about the joy we can all feel when we share the same moments and how music can bring people together in a unique way, a philosophy shared with the original nightclubs of 70s New York. This approach to music is where the name Skyf Connection comes from, translating from slang to mean the connection we create through sharing, in this case Music and good times.

Skyf Connection would go on to play at Gamsho till the club’s closure in 1986. In those years their popularity lead to being booked for private events like weddings and birthday parties, as well as gigs in some other venues like Mofolo Hall. They would share the stage with many artists through the years learning artist’s songs and providing support as a backing band. After the club closed Anthony would go on to join the house band at The Pelican, another famous club located in Orlando East, as well as dabbling with songwriting for artists like Phumi Maduna and helping Enoch on many projects through the years. Enoch would ditch live music altogether and immerse himself in studio work, starting full time as a house producer and A&R for the recently formed Ream Music. He would go on to produce hit albums for pop artists like Percy Kay and Makwerhu but made his mark discovering countless artists that would become stars in the traditional market. They would remain friends until Anthony’s passing in 2016 and although Anthony is no longer with us his spirit lives in the grooves he left on this one of a kind record. His wife Vinolia will be accepting his portion of the profits on his behalf.

”The Rain" ist das zweite Album der South Londoner Jazz-Rap-Gruppe Summers Sons. Summers Sons sind Turt (Rap) und Slim (Produktion). Sie sind Brüder, Summers ist ihr Nachname.

Summers Sons haben seit 2017 bei Melting Pot Music das Mini-Album “Undertones” und zusammen mit Pianisten und Sänger C.Tappin ihr Debütalbum “Uhuru” veröffentlicht. Sie waren mit Features auf Alben von Twit One und Flatpocket vertreten, mit Children of Zeus auf Tour und haben Shows mit Melodiesinfonie und FloFilz gespielt. Letzterer hat neben Twit One und Cap Kendricks auch einen ihrer Songs geremixt. Die beiden Summers Sons-Projekte “Undertones“ und ”Uhuru“ haben mehr als 3 Millionen Streams erreicht und die Gruppe hat eine starke Fangemeinde in Großbritannien und Deutschland aufgebaut.

Mit dem "The Rain" betreten Summers Sons Neuland. Musikalisch ist ”The Rain“ das fortschrittlichste Werk dass das Duo bisher abgeliefert hat. Slim bricht mit traditionellen Songstrukturen, während der gewohnte Summers Sons Sound erhalten bleibt. Die Beats auf „The Rain“ sind schlicht und abwechslungsreich zugleich. Slim schafft starke Atmosphären und Melodien, die die perfekte Kulisse für Turt’s introspektive und manchmal schmerzhaft persönliche Texte bietet. Eines der Hauptthemen des Albums ist der Tod von Turts und Slims Stiefvater im November 2018.

„The Rain is a story of loss, love and new beginnings. A Summers Sons album for the Winter."
schreibt Turt in die Liner Notes des Albums. Es bietet "Sunshine for grey days. A promise of blue
skies when the clouds won't clear. This is an ode to absent shadows. For anybody that misses somebody. The sun don't always shine but we need The Rain to grow. The seeds will flower, even out of the darkest cracks in the pavement.”

Kobza Vajk is a Hungarian self-taught psychedelic folk musician who has been playing the oud and other obscure stringed instruments, like kithara or the lute for more than 15 years.
His main influences are folk and ancient music of all kinds, what brings these together is his contemporary approach of composing and the oriental technique he plays his instruments with.

This release focuses on his original work from the late 2000's with a few reinterpretations coming from established e-music producers.
The title track is a live recording from 2008, perfectly setting the mood for the whole EP: psychedelic shaman music with powerful oud chords and a hypnotic Middle Eastern atmosphere.
In his remix Dutch producer, Perdu keeps one of the main patterns of the original but by adding some extra percussion he turns it into an entranced tribal banger.
Next up is Multi Culti boss, Dreems, who revisited one of the most famous Hungarian folk songs creating a uniquely interesting piece with dubish subs and the twisted main melody.
The final track is a more carefully tempered yet driving remix by Hungarian producer and Budabeats staple, Bete (aka Suhov).

“The album title ”Kranen” is the Swedish word for ”the tap”.
This Swedish jazz debut album was recorded spontaneously in one day at this old, beautiful vintage Tambourine Studio in the South of Sweden (Malmö).
Olle Vikström and his 4-piece band (drums, upright bass, clavinet/piano and horns) quickly learned the beautiful compositions and recorded it before they knew it too well as Olle wanted the beauty of the first take and the moments of songs just being created.
The result is touching. Both playful, unpredictable and also catchy. There are moments when the music reminds you of Charlie Haden and Carla Bley, but most of all this is the sound of a brilliant new jazz composer/artist.”

Stating their influences range from Prince, The Weeknd, Janet Jackson to Frank Ocean, Secret Rendezvous call their sound 'Indie R&B' and their latest track - 'Back In The Day' is a sentimental slow jam that showcases flashes of these elements set against bedroom and lofi styles.

Lyrically Morsch reminisces over the 90's, conjuring up imagery of baggy clothes, listening to Tupac on the basketball court, and going cruising with a bottle of Bacardi at night.
Her silky delivery and sing-along chorus is perfectly suited for the 808-led backdrop from Lauw.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Snoop Dogg’s multi- platinum Doggystyle, heralded as one of the most important albums of all time, Death Row Records will be bringing this back to retail with the original 1993 track listing on vinyl.

This new 30th Anniversary edition will include the track “Gz Up, Hoes Down” which has not been on the album since its pressing in 1993. For new and old fans alike, this is the definitive version of the classic album that launched Snoop’s solo career and helped define the sound of Los Angeles in the process.

For the second release on the Norwegian Oslo based label Sunlab, Kristian Suvatne delivers a 90s trance inspired ep. The record consists of 5 tracks spanning from downtempo acid in “Skybartribe” to the eps closing track “Forever” running at 162 bpm towards the sun.

The first release of a series of edits curated by Bounce FM.
Unknown or forgotten gems edited by the crew of vinyl addicts who run a sincere party in Turin since 2011.

Green Vinyl

STAR CREATURE's OURRA spent years chasing down a long forgotten private press jazz CD from Detroit. When he finally did, this global collaboration resulted. Detroit's JAMES MERRIWETHER JR. teams up with Brit OURRA for 3 tunes started in the 90s and finished in 2019. Limited to 300 copies.

Still Loving You, by Twilight, was originally released in 1981. Housed in a low-fi generic album cover, this very polished, professionally produced record sounds like it was made by a super talented band. Strains of Earth Wind and Fire, George Duke and Roy Ayers, flow through a collection of tunes that effortlessly blend soul, disco, funk, Latin and Brazilian vibes.

But looks, as evident with the LP cover, can be deceptive. Twilight was not a band. In fact, with the exception of a guest horn section and one guest vocal, Twilight was, and still is, Lawrence Ross; one man with a clear vision of what his music should sound like, and how he would make it on his own. Working the nightshift at General Mills, Ross was a Head shift packer at a flour mill where, in the twilight hours, there was enough quiet time to create songs.

He estimates it took him about a year to write the album, but recording only took a week. Able to get by with only 3 hours sleep he recorded Still Loving You in a seven-day stretch between 10 am and 11 am every morning, just a few hours after finishing work. Ross showed-up to the studio with a master plan to make a record as he heard it in his head, by playing everything himself. “I laid out a tick track from begin to end on the first day,” he explains. “Then I went in and laid down the bass on the next day, and then drums, and then keyboards etc, with each process taking one hour of studio time each day.”

Brooklyn's Breakdown Brass have returned with a monstrous cover of the Rick James classic "Mary Jane", a follow-up to their smash debut 45 "Monmouth b/w Next Episode" (Kept Records). The track blends their trademark heavy sound with the strolling soul vib.

Europe’s leading reggaeton experimenters DJ Clara! And Maoupa Mazzocchetti. exert a tripped-out spin on modern Latin dance and vintage Galician folk styles for Low Jack’s boundary-stepping club division of Editions Gravats. Following the duo’s 2018 debut EP
and Clara!’s ‘Meiga de Acero’ single in 2019 for Les Disques De La Bretagne, ‘Luna Nueva’ binds the duo’s astrological, spiritual and romantic dancefloor cues in a significant new take on Caribbean futurism.

Designed to make you sweat - and maybe check your head -
the album pairs Clara!’s effortlessly nimble vocals with lean and spacious co-production by Maoupa Mazzocchetti in a way that faithfully and daringly plays with reggaeton convention, and, by extension, offers a critique of global electronic dance music currents.

Based in Brussels, Belgium, but originally from northern Spain, Clara! brings a strong knowledge of reggaeton, perreo and trap absorbed from beach parties and clubs back home to a wickedly offset batch of productions by Maoupa, who’s arguably earned a mean reputation in recent years for his killer mixtapes with the PRR! PRR! gang, as well as a slew of 12”s for everyone from Unknown Precept and Mannequin to Arma since 2014.

Together they throw down eight distinctive vocal cuts on disc 1, while disc 2 is loaded with their singular instrumentals. Clara! dispatches ice cool but barbed bars in diverse flows, bewitching Maoupa’s rhythms with on point style in the dramatic ‘Badman’ - a bullet for the male gaze - while layering herself in choral cadence on a spellbinding cover of Faltiquera’s Galician folk song ’Sum Sum’ over unusual tablas and drones...

But while the finer details of Clara!’s pointed but humorous lyrics may be lost on non-Spanish speakers, her co-productions with Mauopa are bound to resonate regardless of tongue, with strong, dare-to-be-different highlights in the hard and psychedelic drive of ‘Gaviléan’ and the bolshy bashment grind of ‘Virgo’, along with straight up freaky gear such as ‘Baja Y Suda’, plus their cold fusion of reggaeton and Mahraganat influences in ‘Secreto Ritual’, and warped hypermodernism in ‘Clarividencia.’ No matter what angle or
language it’s approached from, ‘Luna Nueva’ cycles fresh and luminous with a steadfast yet experimental call to the ‘floor while the world collapses around them.

Repress

There is a long-standing love affair between DJ Harvey and Pikes, Ibiza. As well as coming back for his third consecutive 'Mercury Rising' residency, the legendary 'DJs' DJ has been appointed 'Cultural Attaché' for Pikes, meaning his magic touch and feel-good presence will create even more special moments at Pikes this summer, including the launch of new label, Pikes Records.

In 2015 DJ Harvey made his hugely anticipated return to Ibiza and made Pikes his home for his Mercury Rising debut, a concept inspired by the beauty of the real Ibiza, the incredible history of Pikes and a genuine love for music. The love, the dancing, the music and the Balearic spirit perfectly and poetically encapsulated by DJ Harvey has seen Mercury Rising widely recognised as the most special night to embrace the island in over a decade.

The next step in the Harvey and Pikes story sees him launch Pikes Records - the first record label founded by Pikes owners and Ibiza Rocks Co-Founders Andy McKay and Dawn Hindle. On the label, Harvey explains: I see so many avenues to work together to release music, everything from live recordings from Ibiza Rocks and Pikes, mix tapes, original productions, showcasing new artists, there's all sorts of avenues to open up.'

With the finer details still under wraps, it's safe to say fans can look forward to the first release being Harvey's very own Mercury Rising compilation. But what can we expect from the third instalment of Mercury Rising Putting it quite simply, Just a serious good time really' says Harvey.

The Sound Of Mercury Rising will be released September 1st on Pikes Records and DJ Harvey and his infamous all night long sets return for Mercury Rising from Monday 7th August to 25th September at Pikes Hotel.

Wun Two remains one of the most envied lo-fi hip-hop producers on the planet. Consistently pumping out thematic releases from last summer’s Pirata to his ever-consistent Snow series, his first vinyl release through Fat Beats since his 2016 Baker’s Dozen was spawned by a horror movie binge watch. “Nosferatu represents the atmosphere of Halloween and cold and darker days. I plugged the SP into my TV and recorded movie dialogs and sound samples while watching. At the end I had a lot of material/sound sources...I liked the outcome of it and decided to release it for Halloween.” Wun Two said.

Inspired in part by composers Maurice Jarre and Bernard Herrmann, Wun Two wanted to create a project that didn’t emote the somewhat-depressive feelings of certain scores, but an atmosphere of tension and suspense so often associated with Hitchcock and Stephen King novels. This deluxe picture disc LP not only includes 2 bonus beats not included on the original digital release, but an additional track featuring vocals from CRIMEAPPLE. “My feature list is very short as I prefer to release instrumental tracks.

But CRIMEAPPLE is definitely one of the most interesting MC´s now and it´s really great that we could win him for a contribution,” added Wun Two on the rare appearance from an MC over his beats. Releasing this Halloween in a strict one-time vinyl pressing, Nosferatu is a perfect accompaniment as the weather gets colder and the nights darker.

Instrumental Hip Hop album by Square One’s DJ Edward Sizzerhand on Munich’s Beat Art Department via Compost Records.

Beats and bees are important ingredients in Edward Sizzerhand's life! Born in Brooklyn, New York, he became worldwide known in the 90s with the rap crew Square One. After the end of Square One, the DJ, beatmaker and producer engaged in beekeeping and acquired professional skills in honey production for several years. Now, Sizzerhand is not only masterfully working on the controls, but has also acquired the BA master beekeeper at a university of agricultural economics. Sizzerhand loves beats and bees, and this is reflected in his first instrumental project, in which Edward Sizzerhand composed various honeys to beats.
"A Taste Of Honey" contains spicy beats that can be compared to wildflowers or songs like Chestnut with a bitter finish. Other tracks are as flowery as Phacelia or fresh as Colza. There are 14 honey types on the album altogether.

The revenues of this record are going to be reinvested in Edwards beekeeping. SAVE THE BEES!

It's been 20 years since 'Soul Brother Records' first celebrated the music of Leon Thomas with the "Anthology" collection.
It is also 50 years since the acclaimed avant-garde jazz singer first recorded "The Creator Has A Masterplan" with Pharoah Sanders.

Today his music is as renowned and sought after as ever, and the time could not be better for the pairing of these two songs on 7" single.

Both come from his time at Flying Dutchman in the early 70's and fully reflect the individuality and creative spirit of this masterful vocalist.
Both tracks are reissued here for the first time, originals commanding a sale price of £50.

Pynch are Spencer Enock (vox / guitar / synth), James Rees (guitar), Julianna Hopkins (drums) and Jimmy Folan (bass).

Based in London – the band who hail from various places including Birmingham, France and Ireland, met Enock (who comes from Ramsgate) in London while all studying music. Pynch originally started life as a set of demos written and recorded by Enock in his parents Ramsgate basement taking inspiration from indie stalwarts like LCD Soundsystem, The War On Drugs, The Strokes and Beach Fossils to name a few.

Speedy label boss Dan Carey came across the band when they sent an email containing three demos over to Speedy HQ – the first of which was ‘Disco Lights’. ‘I try and listen to everything we get sent,’ says Carey, ‘which is hard because we get sent a LOT. This came through as I woke up early one morning in a hotel in Berlin where I’d been recording with an artist. ‘Disco Lights’ stood out immediately – and seemed so different to anything we’d done before. I called Pierre (Hall, Speedy co-runner) saying we had to do it, and emailed the band straight away. I loved its pop sensibility – but the demo was really lo-fi. I kept imagining this bigger, more widescreen version of it. In my head I wanted it to be almost like TOY covering ‘Everywhere’ by Fleetwood Mac.’

The resulting cut puts Carey’s vision into fruition. An immediate sun-drenched pop song with nods to Tame Impala and MGMT whilst maintaining that lo-fi Captured Tracks-esque feel, the production gets bigger and bigger as the track progresses culminating in dreamy synth layers being added and a killer solo to boot.

Of the recording process the band says - 'Hands down the best recording experience we've ever had. It was so much fun working with Dan. He was genuinely excited about the song and had so many creative ideas on how to bring it to life. Everything took shape really quickly and we were blown away by how everything was sounding.' 

The B-side ‘Orla Carey’s Pynch Your Lights Out Dub’ is a dub remix done by none other than the producers 14-year old daughter (having previously mixed tracks for Scottibrains, Goat Girl and Girl Ray) proving the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

The band have also acquired an unexpected fan – in that of Libertines frontman Pete Doherty, who invited them to play a few dates with The Libertines. Of the unlikely relationship Enock says, ‘It’s quite funny really. My parents live near Margate and about two years ago my dad bought an ice cream van to use during the summer and struck up a friendship with Pete. He then played him a few of our songs and Pete quite liked them and let us open for them at the Kentish Town Forum. It was super cool of him.’

Another essential Speedy disco-very. Pynch yourself. It’s real.

Vanishing Twin is songwriter, singer and multi-instrumentalist Cathy Lucas, drummer Valentina Magaletti, bassist Susumu Mukai, synth/guitar player Phil MFU and visual artist/film maker Elliott Arndt on flute and percussion; and on this album they have made their first artistic statement for the ages.

Some of its great power comes from liberation. The album was produced by Lucas in a number of non-standard, non-studio settings. 'KRK (At Home In Strange Places)' summons up the spirit of Sun Ra's Lanquidity and Broadcast And The Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults Of The Radio was simply recorded on an iPhone during a live set which crackled with psychic connectivity on the Croatian island of Krk.
The magical Morricone-esque lounge of 'You Are Not an Island', the blissed-out Jean-Claude Vannier style arrangement of 'Invisible World' and burbling sci fi funk ode to a 1972 cult French animation, 'Plane`te Sauvage', were all recorded in nighttime sessions in an abandoned mill in Sudbury. The only two outsiders to work on the recording were '6th member' and engineer Syd Kemp and trusted friend Malcolm Catto, band leader of the spiritual jazz/future funk outfit The Heliocentrics, who mixed seven of the tracks (with Lucas taking care of the other three).

Vanishing Twin formed in 2015 - their first LP, Choose Your Own Adventure, which came out on Soundway in 2016; followed by the darker, more abstract, mostly instrumental Dream By Numbers EP in 2017. The band explored their more experimental tendencies on the Magic And Machines tape released by Blank Editions in 2018, an improvised session recorded in the dead of night, offering a glimpse into their practice of deep listening, near band telepathy, and ritually improvised sound making. These sessions formed the basis of The Age Of Immunology.

Vanishing Twin is songwriter, singer and multi-instrumentalist Cathy Lucas, drummer Valentina Magaletti, bassist Susumu Mukai, synth/guitar player Phil MFU and visual artist/film maker Elliott Arndt on flute and percussion; and on this album they have made their first artistic statement for the ages.

Some of its great power comes from liberation. The album was produced by Lucas in a number of non-standard, non-studio settings. 'KRK (At Home In Strange Places)' summons up the spirit of Sun Ra's Lanquidity and Broadcast And The Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults Of The Radio was simply recorded on an iPhone during a live set which crackled with psychic connectivity on the Croatian island of Krk.
The magical Morricone-esque lounge of 'You Are Not an Island', the blissed-out Jean-Claude Vannier style arrangement of 'Invisible World' and burbling sci fi funk ode to a 1972 cult French animation, 'Plane`te Sauvage', were all recorded in nighttime sessions in an abandoned mill in Sudbury. The only two outsiders to work on the recording were '6th member' and engineer Syd Kemp and trusted friend Malcolm Catto, band leader of the spiritual jazz/future funk outfit The Heliocentrics, who mixed seven of the tracks (with Lucas taking care of the other three).

Vanishing Twin formed in 2015 - their first LP, Choose Your Own Adventure, which came out on Soundway in 2016; followed by the darker, more abstract, mostly instrumental Dream By Numbers EP in 2017. The band explored their more experimental tendencies on the Magic And Machines tape released by Blank Editions in 2018, an improvised session recorded in the dead of night, offering a glimpse into their practice of deep listening, near band telepathy, and ritually improvised sound making. These sessions formed the basis of The Age Of Immunology.

Teddy Mike is back! After the success achieved with his previous album “On Point”, Teddy Mike returns with a new album entitled “Dynamite” - It's a 8-track masterpiece returning to the sound of the 80's funk. ... Don’t miss it, grab yours!

TCB aka Chris Beißwenger, our boy on Jah bless road, goes a little something like: 1977, born cross-eyed, parents like Boney M; 1984, suburbia USA, DSNY, still cross-eyed; 1988, 98.7 Kiss FM New York on the school bus radio; 1989, Frankfurt Am Main, hyperactive, outsider, got lazered; 1991, drums and piano in cheesy school band; 1993, kicked out of Omen, kicked out of school band; 1994, kicked out of Omen again, got his own band; 1995, kicked out of band, finally in at Omen, The Box, Wild Pitch Club; 1996, got first car, Fasttracker, EMU ESI-32; 1999, no more car, no more Omen, Robert Johnson instead; 2002, first release, High Tide; 2003, Ableton 0.1 Beta, less MIDI, more gefrickel; 2004, exchange High Tide for CB Funk, kicked out of Cocoon; 2005, a silly move to Düsseldorf, Burkina Faso, more synthesizers; 2006, again silly in Düsseldorf, Brontosaurus, disco-house, love; 2007, Cologne and Frankfurt, back to piano, more love, still no car; 2008, with love to Frankfurt, Arto Mwambe on the road, storyteller; 2009, Mwambe still on the road, bored of work; 2010, Live At Robert Johnson, four-day week (thank God), four bike accidents; 2011, Europe, bored of piano, invention of The Citizen’s Band; 2012, modular cookery, thoughts of moving; 2013, Burkinian's death, Delphi's rise, almost made it, 2014, broke out of seven-year cycle too complicate

Inaugural release on Manchester’s latest electronic label Selby Soul. This debut 4-track EP from Alps 2 is a baptism of liquid grooves, cathartic progressions and spaced out synthetic rapture. Purifying the more melancholic elements of artists like MssingNo, Kieren Hebden, Baba Stiltz and Burial into crystalline sugar. A much needed temperate tonic to assuage the oncoming winter.

The band C.R.A.C. was formed in 1974 by bassist/vocalist Rick Cua, drummer Tommy Rozzano, keyboardist Larry Arlotta, and lead singer/percussionist Ricky Chisholm. Their name is an acronym for the founding members' last names. Playing mostly popular covers, the band's main gig was four nights a week at a Syracuse, NY club called Big Daddy's. It didn't take long before Big Daddy's was packed whenever C.R.A.C. was there.
As they gained popularity, a variety of opportunities presented themselves. Soon, they had enough new gigs to leave Big Daddy's and focus on their budding career.
Drawing inspiration from other bands in their genre, their passion for music, and the success of their first radio single, "Of The Lites," they continued to add to their repertoire of songs written by members of the band. Fresh off the high of their radio debut, they added two new members: guitarist Ronnie DeRollo and singer/percussionist Duane "Spoon" Walker. C.R.A.C., or as they became known at this time, CRAC, continued on their upward trajectory as one of New York's premier funk and R&B bands. The band continued to expand throughout the late 70's as their territory moved throughout New York and New England.
The busier the band got, the more their talent grew, and this afforded some members the honour of playing with such well-known artists as Maynard Ferguson, Melba Moore, Sea Level, Duke Jupiter, and The Outlaws.

When it comes to underground New York Disco, Donna McGhee's highly sought-after 1978 LP, "Make It Last Forever," ranks among the best in the genre, thanks to Donna’s singing and the production skills of legendary producers Greg Carmichael and Patrick Adams.

Featuring five songs penned by the producing pair, it's got their quintessential Disco sound of the late 70s topped by Donna McGhee's superb vocals. These have also blessed recordings by The Fatback Band, Phreek, Bumblebee Unlimited and The Universal Robot Band around the same time.

The album has been an elusive affair since it first came out in 1978 and this is one the first times in decades it is widely available in its original form with newly remastered audio. Donna McGhee has been one of the key female singers of the New York disco scene, gracing several cult albums with her superb singing. The Brooklyn native began her career singing Gospel in her grandmother's choir from an early age, honing her skills and making a name for herself locally as a talented singer.
Her first break in the industry came when she was spotted by bass player Johnny Flippin, who invited her to join his band.
The group was none other than The Fatback Band led by drummer Bill Curtis. This was 1975 and the album was "Raising Hell."

McGhee's vocals can be heard throughout the album including the dancefloor classic "(Are You Ready) Do The Bus Stop" and after this initial collaboration, she stayed with the group for a another few years recording “Night Fever” in 1976 and touring with them all around the country. Following an encounter with producer Greg Carmichael, Donna McGhee jumped ship and started working with the prolific producer and his partner Patrick Adams.
A string of collaborations followed with singles and albums that have become the stuff of legend over the years: Donna can indeed be heard singing with Bumblebee Unlimited, Universal robot Band and on Phreek's classic self-titled album from 1978, singing on the track "May My Love Be With You."
In 1978, After Greg Carmichael set up his own label, Red Greg Records, he and Adams decided to get McGhee in the recording studio and produce her first solo album. With the pair playing most of the instruments, they got five tracks out of the session. The result, "Make It Last Forever" is an all-time Adams/Carmichael classic: funky disco arrangements with a touch of synths over a pulsating groove magnified by McGhee's superb sexy singing.

All five tracks have become classics in their own right.

Two tracks produced by DJ Mitsu the Beats from Japan . First up is GAGLE – The Sendai Japan hip hop trio who DJ Misu creates all the music for . The instrumental version of Vanta Black is a lush ,string heavy soundtrack piece with Herb Albert ish trumpet solo's underlayed by beats. On the flip DJ Mitsu delivers a concept piece for the Turntable Hostel in Shibuya .Double bass takes centre stage with this jazz fused work out underlaid by field recordings taken from Tokushima.

Only 300 hand-numbered copies. Strictly no repress

With its latest release Matasuna Records continues to explore contemporary Afrobeat from different countries. After the last trip to the Swiss Mittelland, this time the journey goes across the English Channel to discover more new & authentic Afrobeat and serve it on a tasty vinyl single.

Heroes of Limbo is a new studio project from long-time collaborators, producer and multi-instrumentalist Glenn Fallows (The Impellers, Disposable Breaks, Andres y Xavi) and trombonist/arranger Gram 'Canyon' Treldavs.

Reimagining classic and contemporary pop as authentic 70's Afrobeat and Highlife from Nigeria and Ghana, this first release asks you to fire up your time machine in your mind and wonder what would the Happy Mondays sound like if they'd played at Fela Kuti's Afrika Shrine, rather than Manchester's legendary Hacienda Club? What if Disclosure were not a Mercury Prize-nominated electronica duo, but a Highlife Orchestra based in Accra, Ghana?

Madchester Woman takes Ebo Taylor's African Woman and uses it as a chassis for a cut 'n shut reworking of Happy Mondays' 1990 classic 'Loose Fit' - a hot and explosive mixture as you can easily hear!

White Noise, featuring vocals from Clair Fallows (The Impellers, Soul Grenades), re-works Disclosure & Aluna George's electro-house anthem into an uplifting slice of afro-disco dancefloor shuffle.

2 track Single from The Valentines released by Gay Feet/Dub Store Records


b B1. Stop the Violence (Peace Treaty) Alternative Take

Contagious is a solid blending of avant-garde experimentation and electronic music. Formed by two innovative voices from the Improvisation scene of Berlin (Andrea Neumann and Sabine Ercklentz) and Mieko Suzuki, a well-crafted and creative DJ and musician who’s operating in Berlin venues and festivals since a long time.

Contagious is one of the most forward thinking, mind-melting projects to hit the electronic music scene. Intense and powerful, yet rooted in a tradition of crafting and sculpturing of in the most creative ways, all this building up within a solid structure of instant composition and improvisation. The trio plunder each other’s musical spheres, appropriate them and switch roles. Andrea Neumann on her infamous Inside Piano, an instrument she pioneered and crafted, is applying the most creative feedback processing to simple piano strings and sending them occasionally to Mieko Suzuki’s processing rig, who also uses her own pre-recorded sounds and her skills on turntables, while Sabine Ercklentz’s trumpet sounds blast through her processing system and altogether the three musicians communicate into logics of composition and futuristic structures, where fragile sound textures and pulses become monumental.

Contagious is also the debut album recorded and produced by Rabih Beaini. The Trio wanders in new aesthetic areas, sound is a texture where the processing rigs are constantly developing new forms and evolutions. Structures and grooves implode in noisy fragments, growing into a deep trance state.

Classic UK Dub LP from 1994 gets the reissue treatment from Partial Records. This was the first album from The Bush Chemists spilling out of Conscious Sounds studio, London, at a time when the UK dub scene was just blossoming. 25 years after `Strictly Dubwise’ was released, the LP is long-deleted and the demand for this set is strong.
The Bush Chemists consist of Dougie Wardrop and Chazbo, with this album featuring guest vocals from King General, Culture Freeman and Disco Dread.

Italian cult cinematic funk combo Calibro 35 are back! "Stan Lee" is the new single that anticipates "Momentum" new studio album that will be released on Record Kicks next January 24th 2020. The first single "Stan Lee" sees a collaboration with rapper, producer and songwriter Illa J. Former member of super group Slum Village, Illa J is the younger brother of the late legendary hip hop producer and rapper J Dilla and on his solo carrier he has released 4 studio albums for labels such as Delicious Vinyl, Stones Throw, Bastard Jazz and Jakarta Records.

Active since 2008 Milan based combo CALIBRO 35 enjoys a worldwide reputation as one of the coolest independent band around. During their ten years career, they have been sampled by Dr. Dre on his Compton album, Jay-Z Love Child & Damon Albarn, they shared stages worldwide with the likes of Roy Ayers, Muse, Sun Ra Arkestra, Sharon Jones, Thundercat and as unique musicians they've collaborated with, amongst others PJ Harvey, Mike Patton, John Parish, Stewart Copeland and Nic Cester (The Jet). Described by Rolling Stone magazine's as "the most fascinating, retro-maniac and genuine thing, that happened to Italy in the last years", Calibro 35 now count on a number of aficionados worldwide which includes VIP's fans such as Dj Food (Ninja Tune), Mr Scruff and Huey Morgan (Fun Lovin' Criminals) among others.

The recently Grammy nominated song, I SEE LOVE gets the remix treatment by one of the world’s most celebrated production and remix duo’s: Michael Gray and Jon Pearn. Loving this version so much, IZIPHO SOUL felt compelled not only to release it on a 7”, but opt for the full 6 minute version.
Flip it over for ‘The Sweet Side’ - EARN IT, the extended 7 minute version; a pure soul ballad of epic proportions!
The record has been cut at 33⅓ RPM in order to bring you these long versions on a 7” single and they sound incredible!

A standout choice on any playlist, Master Force’s 1979 release ‘Hey Girl’ c/w ‘Don’t Fight The Feeling’ has become a staple classic across generations tuned into the disco-soul and funk sounds of late-70’s New York and all its makings.

Produced by Greg Henderson and originally released on both 12” and 7”, both singles had different mixes and are equally sought-after. Whilst Greg’s work has been heavily bootlegged over the years, the Master Force 45 mixes favoured by many have remained both untouchable and unavailable to most.

For the first time, Backatcha reissue the original 45 versions on a remastered official 7” licensed direct from Greg Henderson.

Carl Gari is a group of three from Munich: Jonas Yamer, Till Funke and Jonas Friedlich. They released their well received and idiosyncratic debut (NPR mentioned it as one of the 50 best albums in 2016) on The Trilogy Tapes, for which they collaborated with Egyptian singer and spoken word artist Abdullah Miniawy. For the second release on Permanent Vacation they perfected their unique blend of psychedelic ingredients, dubbed out drums, drony sounds and a general hazyness. The mystic chants of Abdullah, who is also featured on two tracks, weave themselves into the band's lively sound texture. Apart from that Carl Gari showcase the diversity of their analogue driven and melodic approach to electronic music through four beautifully detailed tracks.

We proudly present our fifth release on 12” format, a very special EP featuring new versions of reggae anthem “Ode To Joy (Babylon Can’t Control I)” by Cornell Campbell and Soothsayers, which first appeared on their album “Cornell Campbell Meets Soothsayers - Nothing Can Stop Us” (Strut Records, 2013). These versions are remixes and new dub mixes from Ojah and Ruv Bytes and come in a limited edition of 600 copies (no repress), 180g heavyweight 12” vinyl, hand-numbered.

THE NEW ALBUM LAUNCH! Available on LP & CD – Artwork & Sound Attached. 'IZIPHO SOUL RECORDS' cannot contain their excitement any longer. The eagerly anticipated follow up to ‘ONE LOVE’, which was last year’s number one independent soul album of the year, is soon upon us. ABSOULUTELY is an album described by Cornell as ‘Songs that came through my Soul and out of my Heart!’

No sales pitch required - suffice to say it’s all killer - no filler.

Eight original songs and two classic covers from our heroes Curtis Mayfield and Marvin Gaye (Mr Gaye’s heavenly spirit filled the room when CC & Co laid this one down!) Songs: Say Yes, I See Love, Earn It, Come Live With Me Angel, I Could Never, Ever Since, Love Thang, Morning Touch, Ghosted & We’re A Winner.

Double A-side "7in featuring Darondo's most dance-floor worthy tune "Legs Pt.1", a slice of proto-Prince type funk with the powerful and conscious ballad "Let My People Go" on the flip.

The Infamous is the second studio album by the American Hip Hop duo Mobb Deep, released in 1995. The album features guest apperances from Nas, Wu-Tang Clan members, Reakwon and Ghostface Killah. It marked Mobb Deep's transition from a relatively unknown Rap duo to an influential and commercially successful one.

One of the cornerstones of the New York hardcore movement, The Infamous is Mobb Deep's masterpiece, a relentlessly bleak song cycle that's been hailed by hardcore Rap fans as one of the most realistic gangsta albums ever recorded.

This is hard, underground Hip Hop that demands to be met on its own terms, with few melodic hooks to draw the listener in. Similarly, there's little pleasure or relief offered in the picture of the streets Mobb Deep paint here. They inhabit a war zone where crime and paranoia hang constantly in the air.

The product of an uncommon artistic vision, The Infamous stands as an all-time gangsta/hardcore classic.

These amazing Brazilian soul-funk nuggets from Renata
Lú, originally appeared on a 7” compacto and on her self-titled debut album for Copacabana Records in 1971.
The up tempo break-beat funk of 'Faz Tanto Tempo’ has a real dance-floor cross-over appeal and should please Brazilian, funk, hip-hop breaks heads and mod-soul DJ’s & collectors alike.
Renata Lú had a long career releasing records on labels such as Compacaban / CID & Continental through out the 70’s and 80’s and worked as backing vocalist on recordings by Tim Maia and Nonato Buzar.