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Let's get it straight: "This is" is THE album by Ghia. It catches the band at its peak and features 10 songs, including not only their impeccable hit, "What's Your Voodoo?" but a full arsenal of yet unheard, timeless, and soulful music without equal. The songs on the album, which were recorded between 1988 and 1991, could be considered forerunners of the downtempo genre, with one foot in the late 1980s street soul direction but sparkling with touches of synth pop and contemporary jazz-funk. Genre limitations aside, all that Ghia ever wanted to do was create music-good music-and you will hear this in the depth of the compositions.
The album starts with "Keep Your House In Disorder," which has yet again become another classic song from the band's catalog since it was featured as the B-side of the "What's Your Voodoo?" reissue. The song is about a relationship in which the woman has trouble adapting to her boyfriend's turn in life. He tells her to "keep your house in disorder," meaning don't take things too seriously, don't stand still, and you will do better to take the sideroads in life.

"This Is" continues with the downtempo numbers "Crystal Silence" and "Close to You." Both are deep, one-of-a-kind, and previously unissued street soul ballads. On these two tracks, you can still hear the band's roots in jazz-funk. Hence, as a follower of the band's output may have yet recognized, instrumentals of these two tracks can be found on their first LP, "Curaçao Blue." In fact, "Close to You" was one of the band's first compositions. Earlier recordings of the song exist with different singers and different vocals, but it wasn't perfect until Lisa laid down the final version and a choir was added. It's difficult for us to recall any late-80s soul tune as beautiful and intriguing as this one. The final section, which begins with "so much baby we can say," sounds ahead of its time, reminiscent of mid-90s contemporary R&B.

Next up is "Eskimo," an equally brilliant and soulful downtempo composition, but with more focus on synth sounds than the previous tracks. Once more, it showcases the creative lyricism of the song writers, Boberg and Simon, imagining a train ride during a rainy and cold night: "feeling like an Eskimo in an igloo in New York."

Eskimo leads to the aforementioned classic, "What's Your Voodoo?" Originally released in 1991 on the small Mikado label, it was reissued on our label in 2019. We already called this "one of the most wonderful and mystic slow motion synth pop tunes ever recorded"-and we still mean it! Let's face it: this was done before British bands like Massive Attack, Tricky, and Portishead laid the foundation of trip-hop. Dare we call Ghia's music "proto trip-hop"? As a special bonus, the digital version of the LP features a previously unreleased mix of the song, which includes added samples; this should clarify how close Ghia actually was to the sound of the mid-'90s.

"Angel On Your Shoulder" and "L O M E" are two more completely unissued and great tracks from the band's shelved works. Being a bit more uptempo than the rest of the album, they fall between contemporary soul/R&B and synthesized pop music. And of course, another downtempo hit needed to be featured on the album: "You Won't Sleep on My Pillow." It was the original A-side of their single release in 1991, and since then it has been featured on various compilations.

The album concludes with a really strong ballad entitled "I Haven't Got The Power." Here we hear only pianist and keyboardist Lutz Boberg with Lisa Ohm, without further instrumentation. Basically recorded in a live session, this showcases once more the talent and ingenuity within the Ghia project.

Whether you agree or not, "This is" may easily be considered one of the best German late 80s/early 90s soul pop and downtempo albums ever recorded. Cautiously, it may even be submitted as the missing link between mid/late 80s soul by bands such as Sade, and later trip-hop groups like Massive Attack. Let us celebrate Ghia and their music, which had been shelved for more than 30 years but has now finally been released on The Outer Edge.

In 2003, Belgian composer, percussionist and multi-instrumentalist Chris Joris released his Magnus Opus "Out of the Night" on the Belgian jazz label W.E.R.F. records. The album - an emotionally infused tribute to his late wife - became a commercial success and received several reprints over the years. Meanwhile, the release has been out of print for some time. On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of one of Belgium's most important jazz records of the past three decades and on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of W.E.R.F. records, this gem is being reissued, for the first time ever on vinyl.
Especially for this reissue, the album has been enriched with some never before released tracks and alternative takes from the original recording sessions.

Blue Spirits was the last of trumpeter Freddie Hubbard’s 1960s studio albums for Blue Note. This bluesy and spirited offering featured five evocative Hubbard originals including “Soul Surge,” “Outer Forces,” and “Jodo,” each given a richly textured arrangement for an ensemble including four horns.

This stereo Tone Poet Vinyl Edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl at RTI, and packaged in a deluxe gatefold tip-on jacket.t

repress

Following on from Soundway’s 2022 compilation, Padang
Moonrise, are two late 1960s tracks from Java, Indonesia. one
instrumental psychedelic organ version of Classic Indonesian
track ‘Bubuj Bulan’ and the other a raw funk cut sung in
Arabic.
Rully Djohan recorded this unique, psychedelic instrumental
version of Benny Corda’s classic ‘Bubuj Bulan’ for his album
of instrumental organ versions of popular Indonesian songs
recorded in 1971-72. With echoes of Indian, Ethiopian and
Egyptian jazz melded with traditional Javanese music this
version is a shimmering, dubbed-out take on a song that
has been recorded by many Indonesian vocalists. Djohan is
backed by The Galaxies Band, and led by one of Indonesia’s
most original band leaders and arrangers Jopie Item, who
also plays sitar and guitar alongside Djohan’s electric organ.
On the flip-side, Munif Bahasuan delivers a deep funk track
sung in Arabic. Munif was a Jakarta-based vocalist who sung
mostly in Arabic and English. Jakarta has a small population
of Arabic, ethnically Middle Eastern people who settled in
Indonesia via connections with Islam and Islamic culture, the
dominant religion in Java, Sumatra and many other of the
main islands in the Indonesian archipelago

Vinyl is available in two versions - classic black or various color limited "Indie Shop Edition".

Both versions have 180g record and printed inner sleeve.

The idea for "PORTRETY" was simple - to invite esteemed drummers to record a song that will be signed with their name. There was no musical framework - they could invite guests or record everything themselves - no need to necessarily use drums. This is how the first PORTRAITS in 2019 were created, and now we present their next installment.


" 'Part two' seems to suggest a series, so just as with the bad joke from four years ago, I'll lead with the short, age old adage: "10 musicians and a drummer". Admittedly, it is rudimentary and unfunny, however, it is significant: It's easy to forget an instrumentalist's other specialities, but here, the drummers don't let themselves to be forgotten.

This series - the brainchild of Marcin "Groh" Grośkiewicz - is composed of up-close portraits. A task which not only shifts accents, but also changes the lives of those normally considered the unsung heroes of the background. One of the tracks from "Portraits" was picked for an advertising campaign for a well known smartphone producer, others topped industry charts and inspired new bands where drums were in the spotlight.

Part two brings us eight drummers who are among the most multifaceted musicians on the Polish music scene. What are they doing here? Teo Olter tells a complex story, asking in the very title, where he is going? Wiktoria Jakubowska, known for backing big stars, shines through with her own composition. Miłosz Pękala - an interpreter of avant-garde composers and an academic lecturer - thoroughly entertains. Famous from Immortal Onion, Wojtek Warmijak energetically explores high tempos, while Wojtek Sobura - those slower, patiently sculpting a club beat with sonoristic* abstraction. Macio Moretti surprises, as expected, stylistically moving towards his hero: Zappa. Tymoteusz Papior impresses, effortlessly juggling accents and chopping time signatures. And Inferno, despite being associated with the group Behemoth, shows he can do it… drum-less. Some invite other musicians, but they always remain - as their studies or professional experience taught them to be - the musician with the widest set (be it drums or skills) on the team.

So, how does the second part of the series compliment the first? It further completes the gallery of collector's cards with Polish Percussion's superheroes and heroines. Each a different personality and an individual set of features. But does it satisfy? Strikingly.

Enough, I won't drum it into you."

Vinyl is available in two versions - classic black or various color limited "Indie Shop Edition".

Both versions have 180g record and printed inner sleeve.

The idea for "PORTRETY" was simple - to invite esteemed drummers to record a song that will be signed with their name. There was no musical framework - they could invite guests or record everything themselves - no need to necessarily use drums. This is how the first PORTRAITS in 2019 were created, and now we present their next installment.


" 'Part two' seems to suggest a series, so just as with the bad joke from four years ago, I'll lead with the short, age old adage: "10 musicians and a drummer". Admittedly, it is rudimentary and unfunny, however, it is significant: It's easy to forget an instrumentalist's other specialities, but here, the drummers don't let themselves to be forgotten.

This series - the brainchild of Marcin "Groh" Grośkiewicz - is composed of up-close portraits. A task which not only shifts accents, but also changes the lives of those normally considered the unsung heroes of the background. One of the tracks from "Portraits" was picked for an advertising campaign for a well known smartphone producer, others topped industry charts and inspired new bands where drums were in the spotlight.

Part two brings us eight drummers who are among the most multifaceted musicians on the Polish music scene. What are they doing here? Teo Olter tells a complex story, asking in the very title, where he is going? Wiktoria Jakubowska, known for backing big stars, shines through with her own composition. Miłosz Pękala - an interpreter of avant-garde composers and an academic lecturer - thoroughly entertains. Famous from Immortal Onion, Wojtek Warmijak energetically explores high tempos, while Wojtek Sobura - those slower, patiently sculpting a club beat with sonoristic* abstraction. Macio Moretti surprises, as expected, stylistically moving towards his hero: Zappa. Tymoteusz Papior impresses, effortlessly juggling accents and chopping time signatures. And Inferno, despite being associated with the group Behemoth, shows he can do it… drum-less. Some invite other musicians, but they always remain - as their studies or professional experience taught them to be - the musician with the widest set (be it drums or skills) on the team.

So, how does the second part of the series compliment the first? It further completes the gallery of collector's cards with Polish Percussion's superheroes and heroines. Each a different personality and an individual set of features. But does it satisfy? Strikingly.

Enough, I won't drum it into you."

The trio Amiira of Klaus Gesing, Björn Meyer and Samuel Rohrer has returned after a layoff of six years since their debut LP. It would be unwise to expect for them to pick up exactly where they left off, given all the turbulent change that the world has encountered since this time, and indeed the new Album Curious Objects reflects a clear expansion of the players’ abilities. The fundamentals that guided the
debut album – spatiality, refined coolness, the non-verbal “narrative” quality - are still very much present, but are this time reinforced with an even more pronounced feeling of communicating across wide
physical and conceptual spaces. Altogether, Curious Objects is a potent antidote for spiritual and musical fatigue; especially
recommended for those who have already left behind the limitations posed by genres. It is more than the sum of its parts, and its crossing of numerous different boundaries never feels like the goal in and of
itself: instead, all this activity feels like a tool for unlocking and decoding even more supposedly irreconcilable qualities and ideas.

In the fall 2021, Belgian saxophone player Robin Verheyen was invited by Kunstencentrum KAAP and W.E.R.F. records to play a solo concert during AMOK festival in the beautiful Bruges baroque church Walburga. The haunting concert was recorded in its entirety and additionally an extra recording session was scheduled in the Chamber Music Hall of the Bruges Concertgebouw. Both rooms have one thing in common: special acoustics. The playful dialogue Robin created with both spaces created an extremely unique sound and formed the basis for the title of this first solo album: Playing The Room.
Over the past two decades, Robin Verheyen has proven to be not only one of Belgium's brightest saxophonists of his generation, but also that he is a musical jack-of-all trades. Within his band with dEUS frontman Tom Barman - TaxiWars - he demonstrated his ability to rock, while with Bach Riddles he showed that he is no stranger to baroque music either. In his own bands he was often surrounded with illustrious American jazz greats like Joey Baron or Marc Copland, but with 'Playing The Room' Robin proves that he can hold his own as well and what an exceptional musician and improviser he is.
Playing The Room offers the listener a musical journey full of discoveries on the edge of spirituality and virtuosity. The album will be officially released on W.E.R.F records on Friday, May 5, and will be available in a limited edition on vinyl. An absolute must-have for any musical connoisseur.

Recorded when Johnny Walker was touring Worldwide with Veteran Jazz Star Lionel Hampton in 1982 and originally released on his own Private Press label: Walk On Productions.

This neglected underground classic LP has been off the radar since then except for the appearance of "Dipping" on the Kev Beadle ‎– Private Collection (Independent Jazz Sounds From The Seventies And Eighties) compilation on BBE Records.

Almost unknown and unjustly negected, it's a funk drenched jazz journey with some crunchy fat beats laid down by the excellent rhythm section complementing Johnny Walkers cool horn stylings.

Reminiscent of the albums of that early Jazz Dance era by Tom Browne and Rahmlee but with less of a commercial edge and wholly instrumental this is Funky Jazz that has not dated and sounds like it was fresh out of the studio in 2022.

Funk all the way on "Dipping" and "Dirkie" while "Arrival" is one for the Jazz Dancers.

Triple edition, packaged in thick PVC cover with a foldable double sided poster and download card.

Celebrating the 20 year anniversary of highly revered Jazz collective, Build An Ark from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 2003 and releasing albums between 2004 and 2010, the Carlos Niño co-ordinated project included contributions from luminaries such Phil Ranelin, Big Black, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Adam Rudolph, Derf Reklaw (R.I.P.), Dexter Story, Dwight Trible, Gaby Hernandez, Mia Doi Todd, Munyungo Jackson, Nate Morgan (R.I.P.) Waberi Jordan, Avotcja & many more.

This set was compiled by band leader Carlos Niño with recordings from 2001 to 2008 that have previously been released on Kindred Spirits.

Gilles Peterson says "It's a beauty!"

This album, entitled "Walimizi" will be composed of three original tracks: "Tseki", "Tsindzaka" and "Laisse-moi danser" by Sarera x Blanc Manioc, as well as four remixes by well-known artists of the pan-African electronic music scene: Cornelius Doctor & Tushen Raï, Deena Abdelwahed, PANGAR and Praktika! All these artists are close to the Blanc Manioc and Kayamba collectives, and have already come to Mayotte for the festival. They will be considerable assets to increase the international visibility of the project.


Also, a remix contest will be organized and open to anyone living on the island or originating from the island in order to select a remix created by an artist from Mayotte that will be integrated into the fnal online album.

Phi-Psonics is a meditative, deeply soulful immersive jazz group from
Los Angeles, led by bassist Seth Ford-Young and featuring Sylvain
Carton on woodwinds, Mitchell Yoshida on electric piano, and Josh
Collazo on drums. Their deeply soulful music draws on jazz and
classical influences together with Ford-Young’s own musical
experiences, relationships, and his introduction to spirituality, yoga and philosophy at a young age, along the way they create something
uniquely their own, beautiful landscapes for your thoughts to roam
within.

Octava is their second album and like the Cradle before it’s emotional,
introspective, and unusual approach to spiritual jazz offers us a
beautiful space for uplifting contemplation and wields a quiet power to create a spiritually inspiring world of timeless, warm melodies and
instrumental exploration for the deep listener. Originally from
Washington DC area, Ford-Young moved to California in the early 90s
and fell in love with the deep sounds of the upright bass and the music of Charles Mingus, John and Alice Coltrane, and Duke Ellington along with Bach, Chopin, Pärt, and Satie. He immersed himself deeply in music and keen to learn combined intense personal study with
collaborations, tours, and recordings with artists such as Tom Waits,
Beats Antique, and John Vanderslice. In 2010 he moved from the SanFrancisco Bay area to the Los Angeles hills and continued his
explorations and although Phi-Psonics music has been described as
spiritual jazz, or deep immersive listening music but this is music for
fans of Radiohead and The Invisible as well as fans of Alice Coltrane
and Pharaoh Sanders.

The album opens with Invocation as we embark on our journey. The
repeated melody at the end feels ancient but also contains an energy
that is driving forward. An Offering is a humble but beautiful tune full of texture and colour. We Walk in the Gardens of Our Ancestors shows clear eyed reverence for those who came before us as we walk through their gardens. Green Dreams is a tender, gentle love song to Seth’s wife.Where We've Been Is a group improvisation centered around the drums. Lunar Reflections is a romantic ode to nature that draws inspiration from where Seth lives a green oasis within the sprawling cityscapes of LA. Becoming draws on memories of the dark days of 2020 but this was a period that was also full of beauty and light and this song elevates and uplifts us. Finally New You offers hope of change

Three years after the release of ARTEMIS’ critically acclaimed self-titled debut album, the ensemble returns with a marvelous follow-up that highlights the improvisational strength of its members as well as their respective gifts as composers. In Real Time showcases a new lineup of the collective with founding members pianist Renee Rosnes, drummer Allison Miller, trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, and bassist Noriko Ueda joined by newcomers tenor saxophonist Nicole Grover and multi-reedist Alexa Tarantino. The 8-song set presents compelling new band member originals along with choice covers of pieces by Lyle Mays (“Slink”) and Wayne Shorter (“Penelope”).

'“I get something out of listening to Coltrane, Shepp and Coleman; I’m really pleased that young players are trying to change things. If they go back the roots and come up with something new, that’s fantastic.” This comment was made by saxophonist Hal Singer to Gérard Terronès for the magazine Jazz Hot in 1968. Two years later Terronès would issue Singer’s album Blues And News, on his label Futura Records.

Though born in 1919 Hal Singer claims, just like the precursors of free jazz, “to always be looking for something else”. When he started out he played in numerous swing bands, then worked in bop with Don Byas, Roy Eldridge or Red Allen, before joining Duke Ellington’s band. In 1948, he recorded a successful single, Cornbread under his own name, which allowed him to travel to the four corners of the earth with his own group.

Then, in 1965, Hal Singer came to live in France: in Paris, he played at clubs like the C’hat qui pêche’ or ‘Riverbop’; in the studio, he multiplied his experiments and experience. It was one such session that gave us Blues And News: joined by Jacques Bolognési (trombone), Jean-Claude André (guitar), Siegfried Kessler (keyboards and flute), Patrice Caratini (double bass), Art Taylor (drums) et Alain Charlery (percussion), the saxophonist himself goes “back to the roots”, to also “come up with something new”.

Things kick off with “It’s My Thing”, a soul jazz number reminiscent of Cannonball Adderley or Lou Donaldson. After the pretty balled “Lina”, comes “Malcolm X ”, a luminous homage which resists the storm whipped up by Kessler on piano. Getting back to swing, Singer makes music with his communicative ’joie de vivre’ (“Du Bois”, “Pour Stéphanie”) before signing off with a flamboyant blues dedicated to him by Kessler for the occasion: “Blues For Hal”. But was another title possible?... Blues For All!!!'

24 Highlight-Tracks aus der lange gestrichenen 6CD-Box gleichen Namens. Diese exklusive Purple Splatter Doppelvinyl präsentiert die unterschiedlichen Facetten seines Schaffens über 30+ Jahre. Inkl. 'Visions Of You', 'Becoming More Like God', 'L1', 'Happy Tibetan Girl' und 'Tightrope'.

'Blowout', das neue Album von John Carroll Kirby - GRAMMY Award nominierter Produzent, Komponist und Keyboarder aus Los Angeles - wurde von den Menschen, der Musik und der Natur Costa Ricas inspiriert.

'Blowout' enthält alle Merkmale des charakteristischen Sounds, den John Carroll Kirby im Laufe von sechs Soloalben und Dutzenden von Kollaborationen entwickelt hat - Verspieltheit, Humor und Überschwänglichkeit.

Kirby hat mit Superstars wie Solange, Frank Ocean und Harry Styles sowie mit Indie-Künstlern wie Yves Tumor, Liv.e, Remi Wolf, Eddie Chacon und YuSu zusammengearbeitet. Für seinen Beitrag zu Steve Lacys Gemini Rising und die Leadsingle 'Bad Habit' wurde er für einen GRAMMY nominiert.

With its cinematic mood and compelling groove, “Bona Fide" is a fitting title track for the debut album from the duo Michael Leonhart (producer/multi- instrumentalist) & JSWISS (emcee). The high level of lyricism and dynamic feel are key characteristics of the work they create together. "Bona Fide" is defined as “genuine"and “real", an apt description of the partnership. Leonhart & JSWISS come together from two different musical worlds, organically intersecting at a place where their outlooks and backgrounds create genre-bending music. It's the type of record that's gold for a pure hip-hop head, but also has an energy and groove that anyone with a heartbeat can get into. The Side B “Instrumental” showcases the rock-solid swagger of Nicholas Movshon (drums), Elizabeth Pupo-Walker (congas) and Leonhart (bass) with flourishes of harpsichord and upright piano along with dusty choir and strings courtesy of Leonhart’s mellotron. TRACKLIST: 1. Bona Fide 2. Bona Fide (Instrumental)

Between electronic music and traditional Indian music, dive into the heart of this subtle mix thanks to the leading artists of the genre!

Following the success of his vocal debut Chet Baker Sings in 1954, Pacific Jazz brought the rising star trumpeter back into the studio the next year for the sequel Chet Baker Sings and Plays which showcased both sides of Baker’s artistry on a set of standards including his timeless rendition of “Let’s Get Lost.”

This mono Tone Poet Vinyl Edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl at RTI, and packaged in a deluxe tip-on jacket.

Stanley Turrentine’s 1964 recording Mr. Natural featured the soulful tenor saxophonist and Blue Note stalwart at the helm of a cutting-edge modern jazz group with Lee Morgan on trumpet, McCoy Tyner on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, Elvin Jones on drums, and Ray Barretto on congas for three songs.

This stereo Tone Poet Vinyl Edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl at RTI, and packaged in a deluxe gatefold tip-on jacket.

With a little patience and a lot of finesse, Jakobin & Domino cooked up a fine new five track House EP for Luv Shack Records.

The eponymous opener "Lost Memories" effortlessly blends jazzy rhodes and emotive string samples with a funky percussive track and a stomping four to the floor beat.

"Hypnotica" delivers what the title suggests; haunting arpeggios go hand in hand with eerie 7 chords and hushed vocal samples, albeit with a jacking groove laying the foundation.

On "Molecules", Jakobin & Domino evoke classic Chicago house vibes with a shuffling beat, a funky synth bass and uplifting chord stabs to boot.

The arguably most classic J&D sounding track on the EP is "Needed", a hard hitting joint that blends a sombre piano chord progression with dreamy acid lines, evoking major dub house feelings.

"Unbogeba" is a laid back slice of deep house that nicely wraps up the EP, with a lingering afro vocal sample and super lush organ chords, it's the perfect track for hazy afterhours.

U.S. Cinematic outfit Whatitdo Archive Group returns to explore the worlds of Mid-Century Exotica and Library Music with "Palace Of A Thousand Sounds," out on May 5th.

From the instrumental cinematic-soul outfit behind 2021's critically acclaimed The Black Stone Affair comes Whatitdo Archive Group's most recent foray into the realms of the esoteric and arcane, and their most adventurous album to date: Palace Of A Thousand Sounds, available May 5th, 2023 on Record Kicks on limited edition LP, CD and digital platforms.

After The Black Stone Affair enthralled record collectors by traversing the cinematic landscape of an imagined 1970s Spaghetti Western, Palace Of A Thousand Sounds finds Whatitdo Archive Group entrenched deeper in the worlds of mid-century exotica and library music—from the Tropicalia-steeped Amazon to the minor key tonalities of the far-out Near East.

When the dust finally settled from their debut album, composer and tireless sound scientist Alexander Korostinsky set out to discover the band's new direction, with the ultimate goal to breathe new life into the mid-century era sound with the compass of modernity as his guide.

From its conception in 2021, Palace has sought to carry on a legacy set in motion by the likes of Martin Denny, Les Baxter and Juan García Esquivel. Korostinsky, guitarist Mark Sexton, and drummer Aaron Chiazza recorded the album in marathon sessions from Korostinsky's Studio "A," in Reno, Nevada—a mysterious sonic laboratory where the year 1970 has yet to happen, and vintage analog equipment interfaces with modern musical perspectives and experimental recording techniques to produce era-defining sounds.

Not content to appeal to the sensibilities of armchair anthropologists, Palace Of A Thousand Sounds finds the band interrogating the genre itself while making studious tributes to the real places and times it draws from. It's in this tension between here and there, fantasy and reality, that Whatitdo Archive Group find their groove.

Drawing from a century of pop and folk sounds from around the world the way only 21st-century crate-diggers can, Palace is rooted in an undercurrent of heavy funk that is decidedly here and now. Whatitdo Archive Group showcase the breadth of their influences with disarming confidence, equally at home behind sweeping harp, loungey vibraphone or Turkish bağlama saz. A lush seventeen-piece orchestra commanded by award-winning composer Louis King (Janelle Monáe, Monophonics) completes the instrumental mélange, enticing listeners to imagine a borderless planet unified by melody and rhythm.

The album is unafraid to explore the strange and uncomfortable in pursuit of an authentic musical identity, subverting expectations in pursuit of forwarding the genre while paying homage to its past. Fans will appreciate the architectural complexity of the record accessible only through multiple listens—each visit to the palace yielding new details to marvel at, curiosities to ponder, grand mysteries to explore.

Once the needle drops, W.A.G carefully guides you from room to room, sound to sound within the walls of the album's sonic palace. Listening becomes an aural journey providing glimpses into different worlds both real and imagined; you are everywhere and nowhere all at once—a guest in the grand halls and hanging gardens of time and sound.

Steeped in obscurity, a cult following of crate-diggers and musical oddity collectors has been brewing over the mysterious releases of the Whatitdo Archive Group. Surfacing in 2009 from the high deserts of Reno, NV USA, this three-piece recording collective(Alexander Korostinsky, Mark Sexton and Aaron Chiazza) focuses solely on curating, performing and preserving esoteric soundtrack, library and deep-groove collections. As an onlooker, it's hard to tell whether the music they are procuring is actually archival, music of their own creation, or both. Their debut LP The Black Stone Affair, the formerly lost soundtrack music of a once-shelved Italian cinematic masterpiece, was released in 2021 and received praise from the likes of Wall Street Journal, Mojo Magazine, Uncut, Shindig, Blues & Soul Magazine, BBC 6, FIP Radio (FR), KCRW (US), JazzFM (UK) and more. Two years later, the Whatitdo Archive Group is back. Get ready for an exotic adventure with their sophomore full-length effort: Palace of a Thousand Sounds.

Chet Baker had a long and complicated relationship with Italy. It was a country where he was both imprisoned and adored. His first visit there took place in 1955, during his first successful European tour. His first preserved recordings in Italy date back to a concert at Conservatorio Cherubini, in Firenze (Florence), on January 24, 1956.

Baker made his way back to New York in mid-1956 and wouldn't return to Italy until the 1959 trip that yielded the recordings included here.

We are proud to present the official 40-year anniversary issue of Imagination's debut album Shake It. Remastered from original tapes, this deluxe edition is a double vinyl LP with gatefold sleeve, featuring a newly available lyric insert.

Shake It covers a diverse spectrum of styles and sounds, all combining to a unique soulful amalgam that ranges from sunshine AOR funk ("Mornin' Lights") and leftfield disco ("Strawberry Wine") to psychy, epic, downtempo, vocoder grooves ("Can't Stand Without You") and more. Originally released in 1980, it fast became one of Germany's most collectible privately-pressed LPs.

Shake It was the creation of young thoroughbreds working hard on becoming professional musicians, trying to take their next big step in the music business. Starting out as a pure jazz-rock combo in the mid '70s (as we hear on the recently released lost studio tapes, I'm Always Right (The WDR Tapes 1977)) Imagination left behind their instrumental roots, incorporating new musical trends and styles.

Uwe Ziss, their saxophonist and flutist, became one of two lead singers in Imagination. He would be joined by the younger Roger Mork, a student of original guitarist Willi Hövelmann, around 1979. Roger's voice would best be heard on the aforementioned "Mornin' Lights", one of the various standout tracks on Shake It. However, there is much more that this album offers.

There are brilliant soulful soft rock ballads like "Clouds Flee Before The Wind" and "Waitin for your Call" or the catchy "California" song that switches from a dreamy Westcoast sound (as the title implies) to danceable rhythm & blues with equal ease. Last but not least, we have unearthed three unissued bonus cuts. On one, the demo take of "Clouds Flee Before The Wind", we hear, for the first time ever, the original refrain of this song, which, for some strange reason, was taken out from the final mix on Shake It.

When all eight original songs were recorded and mastered in June, at the well-equipped West Aix-La-Chapelle studio, the stage was set for Imagination's long-desired career push. They'd initially press about 2500 copies of Shake It selling it mainly, locally, directly to their hometown fanbase in Düsseldorf. Meanwhile, their manager would attempt to arrange a record deal with a music label. Unfortunately, this became more difficult than expected. Negotiations with a smaller publishing company were made by Imagination, and Shake It was repressed on Nash Records in 1981 without their consent, under the false promises of a nationwide promotional tour which would never come to fruition. At the same time, the group would face a UK band under the same name achieving mainstream success, making it difficult (not to say entirely impossible) to perform as "Imagination". Though the band would remain active after Shake It, they'd split shortly after Nash's duplicitous reissue hit store shelves.

Luckily, through time, Shake It itself has remained worthwhile, creatively, for those who stumbled upon it and financially, too, becoming quite the sought after gem in record collecting circles. This deluxe anniversary double vinyl issue makes the LP available once again at a far more reasonable price, featuring the original, illustrious, eye-catching, Roy Lichtenstein-influenced banana art, as well as previously unavailable press pictures and more.

Initially quietly published then deleted via the 2020 pandemic-obscured Fresh Bread website - this all-genre Sam Gendel anthology showcases unreleased tracks collected from Gendel’s personal archive of home recordings and public performances spanning the years 2012-2020. Comprising predominantly solo works, contributing players on select tracks include Carlos Niño, Jamire Williams, Daniel Aged, Gabe Noel, and Philippe Melanson.

This 2LP edition was specifically curated by Sam Gendel to highlight Fresh Bread moments across two LPs, and includes 18 of the 52 tracks from the digital release, at a total runtime of 1hr 24 minutes.

First release from Ten Lovers Music in 2023 is from Stefano De Santis with a superb 7″ featuring two tracks Barra Nova and Partido#2, Barra Nova is an up-tempo Brazilian Broken Beat Fusion piece carrying on from where his last tack on Ten Lovers Music “Song For George D.” TLM030 left off. The AA side drops a few gears for some slow Broken Beat action with the track Partido#2 but still retaining his unmistakable sound, keeping it jazzy. Stefano is a multi instrumentalist, playing the Rhodes Piano, Moog, Prophet 5, Solina Strings Ensemble, Juno 6, Upright Piano and Percussion on both tracks. This 7″ is release 40 number on Ten Lovers Music, so this a very proud time for us to be able to put out such amazing music.

After a creative break of more than 10 years finally the comeback: In line with the long-awaited new album called "An Excellent Spiritual Serviceman" a limited colored vinyl reissue of the classic Contemporary Noise Ensemble debut record "Pig Inside The Genleman" from 2006.

"Jazz music without jazz, film music without movie but something splendid instead! Despite the band's name suggesting noisy music for the chosen ones, Contemporary Noise Ensemble appears to be a revelation for everyone. Beautiful, hard, romantic piano tunes in the dialogue with brass section. Simple and extraordinary emotional compositions leading to the climax which makes the flesh creeps while listening. Hair bristle on the heads of those who remember the musical past of the The Contemporary Noise Ensemble members..."

"The Contemporary Noise Ensemble impresses with maturity and class. There's elegance as well as punk energy. The compositions are unbelievably spacious but on the other hand all fulfilled with instruments - from the superb rhythm combo to the greatly equipped brass section. The roots of the most of The Contemporary Noise Ensemble musicians reach harder music, sometimes even heavy metal what bears excellent interest. The compositions are vigorous and expressive. The name of the band must be remembered because it undoubtedly is Polish export commodity."

"There’s no doubt that the Contemporary Noise Ensemble is one of the most fascinating musical projects from Poland which catches the attention of both pure jazz fans and people who are interested in experimental instrumental music in general. For fans of Cinematic Orchestra & jazz influenced film sounds."

Catchy melodies are gleaming through a colorful cloud of sounds and spheres, constantly driven by extensive grooves.

Andrej Ugoljew and his 3 ZVO crew carry along and invite you into an energized world between hip-hop, afro funk and a nu jazz aesthetic, containing a lot of nodding and little pathos.

The music floats. It is modern, fresh and astonishingly free of clichés. Cinematic trip jazz.

3 ZVO is a septet led by jazz musician and composer Andrej Ugoljew. Very well known and in great demand as a sideman and studio musician, Andrej has worked with Tony Allen, Salif Keita, Nils Frahm, Andromeda Mega Express, WDR Bigband, Megaloh, The Omniversal Earkestra and many more.

A brand new Berlin brew, the band features guitar virtuoso Keisuke Matsuno, bassmaster Thomas Stieger, violin player Johanna Burnheart, percussionist Max Klaas, saxophonist Bastian Duncker, grooving drummer Hanno Stick and Andrej Ugoljew on trombone and keyboards.

"Morphing Chinese traditional music with bass, Chicago footwork and AI-manipulated birdsong. It's quite a feat to sound this ancient and futuristic simultaneously." The Guardian

"The album presents a world where flute and guanzi find common ground with choral vocals, ambient and AI- manipulated birdsongs." Vinyl Factory

"There has never been a record that sounds like this. And, very possibly, never will be again" Bandcamp

'At once fine-grained and expansive, Lee's work combines traditional Chinese music and historical references with wild electronic experimentation" Pitchfork, 7.6

'Island Birdy' samples Bollywood vocals, 'Foreign Flowers' has hints of warped drum & bass and 'Feather Signifier' is steeped in jazz fusion....Lee's most organic work has plenty of diverse influences" Resident Advisor, Album Of The Day

Swirling layers of OST-style sound design, dreamy choir vocals and traditional Chinese folk combine across eight dynamic and transportive tracks on Birdy Island, the latest album by Beijing-based producer/artist, Howie Lee.

On Birdy Island Lee's intricate brand of traditional pan-asian exploration meets experimental bass weight sound via stripped-back UK Grime sonics and ceremonial taoist music.

Delve into the Dutch jazz scene of the 1950s and 1960s with a selection of classic and rare hard bop and cool jazz tracks from artists like Herman Schoonderwalt, the Diamond Five, Wessel Ilcken and Tony Vos. Holland never sounded this hip before!

"Jazz is garbage and a caricature of the modern orchestra; it is garbage arranged by half-grown musicians for the benefit of common entertainment." In spite of the Dutch cultural establishment's attempts to preclude jazz - as illustrated by this citation from the October 1926 issue of music magazine De Muziek - The Netherlands was one of the earliest adopters of the new music style as it came over to the Old Continent at the end of World War I.