Hip-Hop Vinyl New Releases - News

Great retrospective of Lil Bob and the Lolipop’s discography. Classic Louisiana swamp soul / R&B, recorded in the early to mid 1960’s. Includes the popular dance floor fillers “I Got Loaded” and “Stop” as well as some real beautiful obscurities. Ballads and stompers to make life better.

- 180 GRAM AUDIOPHILE VINYL

Plantation Lullabies is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter, rapper, bassist, and vocalist Me'shell NdegéOcello (also Meshell Ndegeocello). The album was originally released in 1993 to widespread critical acclaim and has since been viewed as a landmark neo soul record.

Meshell's music incorporates a wide variety of influences, including funk, soul, jazz, hip hop, reggae and rock. She has received significant critical acclaim throughout her career and has had ten career Grammy Award nominations.

Plantation Lullabies received a nomination for a 1995 Grammy Award in the category of Best R&B Album, If That's Your Boyfriend' was nominated for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song.

I get messages from the stars, when you're making love to me, I get messages from the stars, you must be from another galaxy...'

With its heavy drum machines, funky bass line, female vocals and analogue synths, Messages from the stars' is an Electro-Pop / Cosmic / Boogie-Synth club classic. Remixed, sampled and played a million times by worldwide DJs, here's the original 12' which set dance clubs on fire back in 1983.

Newly remastered sound.

- 180 GRAM AUDIOPHILE VINYL
- GATEFOLD SLEEVE WITH SPECIAL UV-SPOT FINISH
- INCLUDES PRINTED INNERSLEEVES
- COMPLETELY REMASTERED
- FEATURING THE HITSINGLE HAPPY GO FUCKED UP'
- FIRST PRESSING OF 500 NUMBERED COPIES ON
TRANSPARENT VINYL

For those who think of rap-metal fusion as something invented by bands like Korn and Limp Bizkit, Urban Dance Squad returned in 1999 to remind you that they've been doing it for ten years now, and from a home base in Holland.

Artantica is the fifth and last studio album by Urban Dance Squad. The album was a return to the band's hip-hop roots and received critical acclaim. Artantica marked the return of DJ DNA, who had been absent on the band's two previous recordings. Stylistically the album is very diverse, as are most by UDS, with vocalist Rudeboy often singing and rapping in the same song. The single Happy Go Fucked Up' became a hit in Europe. Urban Dance Squad disbanded the following year, though they did perform together again in 2006.

For the first time since its original release, Artantica is pressed on vinyl. The first run of this limited edition of 500 numbered copies is pressed on 180 gram transparent vinyl.

(A) A1. Open The Gate Bobby Boy
(B) B1. Open Version

Noplace is an improvised collaboration between Aidan Baker (Nadja / Caudal / B/B/S/), Simon Goff (Molecular, Bee & Flower) and Thor Harris (Swans, Shearwater, Thor & Friends).
Having known each other for a number of years and previously contributed to one another's recordings this trio finally came together as a whole on May 7th 2017 at Redrum Studios in Berlin. In a short, improvised session of just a few hours they set about laying down as much material as possible which was then subsequently edited and re-worked (without overdubs) to form this album.
The same evening the trio played together as part of a 9-piece Thor & Friends ensemble which also included Christopher Hefner (on musical saw) whose artwork graces the cover of the record and gave it its name.
Noplace is a hypnotic and deep listen. Kinetic rhythms pulsate throughout whilst the guitar and violin jostle and weave around the metronomic beats, creating a cathartic and all-encompassing experience. The very nature of the instrumental repetitions give it an immediate avant/krautrock feel but the whole record is coated in a wonderful psychedelic atmosphere that's both melodic, textured and innovative.
Without doubt a perfect marriage and the sum of its parts. You would be forgiven for thinking Noplace took years to craft but that's testament to three excellent musicians who have produced a real treat of a record. Broken down into seven pieces but very much best enjoyed as a thrilling whole, Noplace is a powerful and highly addictive album.

C.O.W. ist ein Deutsch-Chinesisches elektronisches Produzentenkollektiv und Kunstprojekt. Mit der Vision neu und frisch zu sein haben sich C.O.W. im Dezember 2015 gegründet. Die vier erfahrenen Produzenten aus Deutschland und China entschließen sich dazu ihre Identitäten zu Gunsten der Kunstfigur C.O.W. aufzulösen. Mit der Gründung von C.O.W. verlieren sie sich der multimedialen Welt des Internet. Verschmelzen im Digitalen. Erzeugen eine neue Wirklichkeit.

Sie produzieren und spielen insbesondere instrumental-elektronische Musik, die von jazzigen Interludes bis hin zu no-brainer-beats das volle Repertoire ausschöpft. Die musikalische Verwirklichung von C.O.W. spiegelt sich auch in ihrem prägnanten visuellen Konzept wider. Um ihre Anonymität zu wahren treten die Künstler hinter 8-bit Pixelmasken auf. Ihre selbst-kreierten Visuals untermalen dabei das digitale Konzept des Kollektivs. Die Persona von C.O.W. kommt vor allem durch die Kombination des Optischen und der Musik voll zur Geltung.

Gewagt, extravagant und frech schaffen sich die Künstler somit ein eigenes Genre. C.O.W. sind schwer zu platzieren: Wenn man muss, kann man sie neben Flying Lotus und Hudson Mohawke ins Regal stellen. Wir allerdings empfehlen einen gesonderten Platz für besondere Kunst und geile Musik!
$hanghai Mone¥
Mit - $hanghai Mone¥ veröffentlichen C.O.W. die langerwartete Fortsetzung ihrer ersten erfolgreichen C.O.W. EP. Während sie Ihrem einzigartigen Stil treu bleiben, zeigen die Produzenten mit $hanghai Mone¥ eine funkigere wenngleich dunklere Seite ihrer Kunst. Die Bässe sind betont schwerer und länger und das gesamte Setup theatralischer. Der Hörer wird perfekt auf den Herbst vorbereitet. Mit der neuen EP veröffentlichen Sie auch ihre erste Vinyl, die die beiden EP's beinhaltet und so die Vielseitigkeit von C.O.W. zeigt - von Frontcover zu Frontcover.

Pressestimmen
- Sie sind das größte Musik-Mysterium seit Daft Punk und den Gorillaz: C.O.W. . Wer hinter dem Quartett steckt Offiziell bekannt ist nur, dass sie aus Peking und Berlin kommen sollen. Das ist aber eigentlich auch gar nicht wichtig, denn die Musik spricht für sich: Ein bisschen Trap, ein paar Vocals, die durch den Autotune gejagt wurden und sehr viel Elektro.
Bayrischer Rundfunk/PULS // Mixtape-Rezension (Online)

- Ihr Future-Bass-Trap-Amalgam ist dabei eines der Ausrufezeichen dieses Abends. Beweise für die Verschwörungstheoretiker-Hypothese, dass Daft Punk und Justice sich dahinter verbergen könnten, ließen sich aber auch während dieses selten Liveauftritts des Kollektivs nicht ausfindig machen. Ob es C.O.W. 2017 gehen wird wie Banksy oder Elena Ferrante Um diese Gruppe wird man in den nächsten Monaten jedenfalls nicht herumkommen.'
Süddeutsche Zeitung // Puls Festival 2016 (Print & Online)
- Originally a German-Chinese musical project, the quartet better-known as C.O.W. developed to a holistic artistic persona looking for company in a local Asian grocery store wearing nothing less than a drag-cow-costume. they make energy-infused beats with strong jazzy intros followed by drops that are super attractive to dancers and music-lovers alike'
ixdaily (Kanada)
- Ein neues Musikkollektiv namens C.O.W. macht die Runde. Angeblich eine Beijing-Berlin-Connection, alles ein bisschen ominös. Was man weiß: vier Leute aus verschiedenen Ländern, alles bekannte Beatmacher.
Bayrischer Rundfunk/PULS // Band Der Woche (Online)
- À mi-chemin entre Flying Lotus, et Hudson Mohawke, à mi-chemin entre la la Chine et l'Allemagne, le collectif de producteur et DJs C.O.W. , se présente comme une grosse Weißwürste électronique copieu- sement arrosé de sauce soja et de húqín.'
- Darauf treffen Futurebeats auf Einflüsse aus Jazz und TripHop. Hinter C.O.W. stecken vier Beat- Produzenten aus China und Deutschland, die anonym bleiben wollen. Angeblich haben sie sich auf
einem Opernbalkon kennengelernt.'

As music continuously evolves, times change and new ideas and movements come & go. All of this functions in tandem with scientific, technological, social and political advancements in our society. The biggest component to that evolution is the people. There are creators and consumers. One cannot exist without the other. Throughout art, the audience defines quality, but artist has the power to introduce change and shift perception. Execution is key. The masses are always hungry for something fresh. Sometimes we're at the forefront of new trends and sometimes we find comfort innovating the past. No matter what, musicians have a responsibility to bridge the gap. Raw Poetic and Damu the Fudgemunk meet all of the above. Produced entirely by the artists, the new album "The Reflecting Sea" revisits sonic textures of yesteryear and combined with their own distinct ears for music, have created something uniquely foreign for the music world in our time. Speaking of the times, Raw Poetic's lyrical subject matter is nothing short of relevancy. Speaking from an observatory perspective in addition to his own personal experiences, the album's content is infinitely relatable. Although known primarily as hip hop acts, both Damu and Raw P stretched out to expand what the genre is known for. The combination of elements from the mix of live instrumentation, improvisation and sampling to the range of styles including jazz, fusion, rock, electronic and soul make The Reflecting Sea unlike anything else. Captured and recorded in it's rawest form, the album is honest expression. Masterminding the festival sounds is Damu the Fudgemunk. His voice is absent from the recordings, but his presence is immediately noticed throughout the 40 minute exhibition. Packed with tons of beats, tons of scratching, original compositions, upbeat and signature atmosphere, there's no question who's behind the boards. With the average tempo of over 100bpm, this is one of the most energetic releases in Redefinition's catalog. Raw P and the Fudgemunk aim to revitalize listeners of all types with their original sound. They call it "The Reflecting Sea: Welcome to a New Philosophy." Raw Poetic (MC), hails from the DMV area by way of Philadelphia. In addition to several collaborations with Damu the Fudgemunk, he's recorded 6 albums as a member of Panacea, 1 album with K-def, 1 album with Kev Brown and recent features with Brous One in which all have been met with critical acclaim. Damu the Fudgemunk (producer/DJ) is a DC native who co-owns and operates Redefinition Records. With several successful releases as a solo artist, his music has garnered a reputation in the last decade for it's consistent quality and conceptual structure.

As music continuously evolves, times change and new ideas and movements come & go. All of this functions in tandem with scientific, technological, social and political advancements in our society. The biggest component to that evolution is the people. There are creators and consumers. One cannot exist without the other. Throughout art, the audience defines quality, but artist has the power to introduce change and shift perception. Execution is key. The masses are always hungry for something fresh. Sometimes we're at the forefront of new trends and sometimes we find comfort innovating the past. No matter what, musicians have a responsibility to bridge the gap. Raw Poetic and Damu the Fudgemunk meet all of the above. Produced entirely by the artists, the new album "The Reflecting Sea" revisits sonic textures of yesteryear and combined with their own distinct ears for music, have created something uniquely foreign for the music world in our time. Speaking of the times, Raw Poetic's lyrical subject matter is nothing short of relevancy. Speaking from an observatory perspective in addition to his own personal experiences, the album's content is infinitely relatable. Although known primarily as hip hop acts, both Damu and Raw P stretched out to expand what the genre is known for. The combination of elements from the mix of live instrumentation, improvisation and sampling to the range of styles including jazz, fusion, rock, electronic and soul make The Reflecting Sea unlike anything else. Captured and recorded in it's rawest form, the album is honest expression. Masterminding the festival sounds is Damu the Fudgemunk. His voice is absent from the recordings, but his presence is immediately noticed throughout the 40 minute exhibition. Packed with tons of beats, tons of scratching, original compositions, upbeat and signature atmosphere, there's no question who's behind the boards. With the average tempo of over 100bpm, this is one of the most energetic releases in Redefinition's catalog. Raw P and the Fudgemunk aim to revitalize listeners of all types with their original sound. They call it "The Reflecting Sea: Welcome to a New Philosophy." Raw Poetic (MC), hails from the DMV area by way of Philadelphia. In addition to several collaborations with Damu the Fudgemunk, he's recorded 6 albums as a member of Panacea, 1 album with K-def, 1 album with Kev Brown and recent features with Brous One in which all have been met with critical acclaim. Damu the Fudgemunk (producer/DJ) is a DC native who co-owns and operates Redefinition Records. With several successful releases as a solo artist, his music has garnered a reputation in the last decade for it's consistent quality and conceptual structure.

1972 Detroit Guitar Groove - Proudly Pressed in Motor City!

The Detroit axeman's debut bursts with soulful, uniquely-styled instrumentals: impossibly-funky workouts from the man who rigged his guitar to burst into flames while playing it-- with his teeth! A guitar-led celebration of groove, this LP includes the oft-covered/sampled "Zambezi," "Rev. Lowdown," a soulful read of "Ain't No Sunshine," and much more!

"Hot Thang is a document of its era, crossing the bridge from soul to funk. Eddy's guitar work is the frontman of this album, played on a Hagstrom acquired on tour in Europe. In Eddy's own words, 'We didn't want to be too technical or overly fancy. We want to keep it simple, funky and plain. We don't want to overdress it, we don't want too many horns, too many strings or too many keyboards. We want to keep it as raw as we possibly can get it.' The album was recorded at Detroit's Pac 3 Studio with Eddy's lead guitar backed up by Rudy Robinson on keys, Roderic 'Peanut' Chandler on bass, Sam Witcher on second guitar, Curtis Sharp on drums, Eddie 'Bongo' Brown on congas, Johnny Clapton and Thomas Hale on tenor sax, and Gordon Camp on trumpet. With stripped down layers and impressive playing, Eddy shows his range with the choice of songs, from the up-tempo blues sounds of the title track to the tranquilly romantic soul that is 'Message of Love.' Eddy's cover of Bill Withers' 'Ain't No Sunshine' is stridently tough, changing the hauntingly mournful notes of the original version into a tune that takes no prisoners and keeps it moving no matter what emotions are being experienced. Eddy's style comes through on the trippy tropical funk of his take on 'Zambezi.' The blues can be heard again along with the frenetically paced beats which contrast with the slow Southern guitar sound of the aptly named 'Down Home.' The laid back and grooving 'Rev. Lowdown' and 'Just Feeling It' capture the early '70s Blaxploitation era perfectly, Eddy's staccato guitar licks telling a story as well as any lyrics. Though he's undoubtedly the star of this show, Eddy isn't afraid to give the spotlight to his fellow players. Check out the organ solo in 'Jubo' for testament to this fact. In paring down the components, every musical part contributes to the whole picture just enough. Hot Thang stands out as a timely document from a uniquely talented musician with roots in blues, soul and classical music."

- Kevin Herron (Wax Poetics)

An artist gifted with brilliant yet revolutionary ideas often finds himself embarking on a road beset with frustration and emotional turmoil. Lee 'Scratch' Perry is such a man. Hailed as a wayward genius from his earliest days, he pioneered many of the recording techniques which underpinned the Jamaican reggae movement that shocked, and then enchanted the music world. A powerful presence and a remarkable personality, 'Scratch' would become famed for his creative influence on many charismatic performers who became international stars. Let's celebrate his musical
achievements through the medium of this double LP, packed with extraordinary performances. Welcome to a world of hypnotic themes, haunting vocals, strange effects and crafty rhythms.

The legendary Wu-Tang Clan is among the most successful and influential groups in hip-hop history. As one of the nine original members, Masta Killa has been an important part of the Wu-Tang legacy since the group's debut in 1993. He's contributed verses to countless Wu classics ( Glaciers Of Ice', Winter Warz', Triumph', Duel Of The Iron Mic', Wu Banga 101'), released three critically acclaimed solo albums, and always remained true to the core Clan aesthetic: razor-sharp wisdom over dusty, soulful production. Now, Masta Killa is back with a brand new album, Loyalty Is Royalty. The highly-anticipated project boasts an impressive list of guest appearances, including Method Man, Redman, KXNG Crooked, Sean Price, RZA, GZA, Prodigy, Inspectah Deck, Cappadonna, and more. As fate would have it, two of those MCs have since passed away, making their contributions particularly special. All praises due to the memories of Sean Price and Prodigy of Mobb Deep,' says MK. Two hip hop legends.' With production handled by the likes of 9th Wonder, Illmind, P.F. Cuttin, RZA, True Master, and Dame Grease, Loyalty Is Royalty delivers the kind of classic hip-hop experience fans have come to expect from Masta Killa.

Produced entirely by the legendary DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill. Feautring Action Bronson, B-Real, Roc Marciano, Sean Price, Conway, and Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire. Meyhem Lauren's Gems From The Equinox is the crown jewel of modern NY rap. A future classic soundtracked by legendary producer DJ Muggs who has redefined dusty hip-hop production into a polished and dark, psychedelic world. The equinox is the one day of the year where day and night are the exact same length and this is the perspective of this album, the equal balance of darkness and the light. The project chronicles the urban decay and wild experiences only to be found in the New York underworld from the perspective of an intelligent hoodlum, Londell Manuver, AKA Meyhem Lauren. Sonic influences from elements of Cypress Hill's Black Sunday, Mobb Deep's Hell On The Earth and Capone and Noreaga's The War Report. The album features include the likes of Action Bronson, B-Real, Roc Marciano, Sean Price, Conway, Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire and more.

Mhysa is in possession of a totally compelling voice and production style, both feeding into a sound that's prone to intuitively explore and reassert the limits of what we know as R&B, electronica or modern soul in 2017.
She makes a big impression with fantasii, her first album proper following dispatches with NON and a lauded mixtape alongside chukwumaa as SCRAAATCH. Think Klein's freeform R&B structures riddled with Rabit-like production tics, and you're in grasping distance of the fractious but idiosyncratically coherent styes inhabited by this highly intriguing addition to the vanguard of new music from the fertile margins of American music.
Against a refreshing general lack of broken glass or gunshot samples, the self-described 'Black queer femme cultural producer, sound designer, womanist + Diva' animates swirling, impossibly balanced structures with a tearaway imagination, keening from vaulted, pitch-shifting gospel in Special Needs Intro to a multi-dimensional, abstract grime cover of Prince in the course of 11 songs.
The Klein comparisons are apt, the pair share a unique perception of R&B and church musics as a gateway to other, dreamlike dimensions. From the way Mhysa appropriates the ecclesiastic psychedelia of physical church spaces in the reverbstorm of Glory be Black to the rugged ambient inversion of R&B's usual warmth in the 6minute highlight Bb, or undermining the conventions of club music in the A-grade anti-bangers Strobe and You Not About That Lyfe, she offers a particular example of the contemporary, young, Black and queer experience.
No doubt, fantasii is a vital addition to the canon of boundary pushing and resetting music and politics also espoused by Elysia Crampton, Rabit, ANGEL-HO or Chino Amobi - we urge you to check this one out if you wanna grasp one of 2017's most rewarding albums.

Advancing the unfolding legacy of instrumental hip-hop at Stones Throw is Samiyam's Pizza Party: 24 minutes of off-kilter mobster music mixed with a warm soul sound that is unmistakably L.A. producer and beatmaker Samiyam. Praised by his collaborators Action Bronson, Earl Sweatshirt, The Alchemist, and Flying Lotus, Sam's independent beat tape ventures and instrumental albums are revered by rappers, respected by producers. Pizza Party is free of samples from the characteristically dusty vinyl grooves and warped tapes of past recordings. Instead, we have originally-played synthesizer and FX in unison with the off-the-grid drum patterns and aesthetic sonic swagger that Samiyam owns. The last track, What Can I Do,' features co-production with Jonwayne.Samiyam grew up Sam Baker in Michigan. He was among a network of post-Donuts producers focusing on instrumental hip-hop beat as the finished work, who found themselves migrating west and huddling in the scene around Low End Theory in east Los Angeles. That's where Flying Lotus met Sam and released Rap Beats Vol. 1 as the debut on Brainfeeder in 2008.Three other albums followed - Sam Baker's Album (Brainfeeder, 2011), Wish You Were Here (Leaving, 2013), and Animals Have Feelings (Stones Throw, 2016) - along with production work for Earl Sweatshirt, Captain Murphy, and Pharoahe Monch.