Pop & Rock Vinyl New Releases - News

De Witte Kunst is for lovers of Ton Lebbink, Palmbomen and New Order. De Witte Kunst is Lyckle Willem Pier de Jong and Koen van Bommel. Lyckle Willem Pier is a teacher. He plays the instruments. Koen is a singing mime. On their second EP 'Spek & Bonen they dream about sunken lands and cities of gold, while standing at the sidelines of society. Between all the sharp and playful lyrics (written by Koen) you'll find instrumental intermezzos of another level.

Just a single album and a bunch of singles, rising star Linda Di Franco debuted in 1985 and left the scene all of a sudden in 1986. Her first album was a combined effort produced by Don Was (Blue Note’s Renaissance Music Man and previously leader of post disco combo Was Not Was), a gentle selection of soul-pop ballads and lushy synth arrangements. With leading single ‘My Boss’ the album shows an ethereal continuum with an excellent rendition of Burt Bacharach ‘The Look Of Love’. Recorded in London, Detroit and New York the Rise Of The Heart is definitely a keystone in the rising club culture revolution verging on the more existentialist pop aesthetic. RIYL: Sade, Lizzy Mercier Descloux, Carmel, Antena.

Proto-future Pop exhumed from '86, Romie Singh's 'Dancing to Forget', could easily be mistaken for an up-to-the minute R&B instrumental from '22. The song's elastic swing reminiscent of a vintage Wally Badarou Compass Point session. Instead masterminded by studio maestros Günther Janssen (more lately of Donna Regina) & Peter Hantke, while Romie's vocals soar above. It's a timeless call to escape life's ill's via the dancefloor.

Collected here on Strangelove the cavernous, dubbed out 'D.T.F.' (12" version) sits alongside the prescient hope/dystopia of LP cut 'Future World' (cue Covid World) and the killer balearic-beat sass of 'Credo' A short sharp 3 track jolt into the trio's cult 80's catalog. Shouts to Basso for the original resuscitation!

The first EP of L'Impératrice, signed by Cracki Records in 2012, is finally proposed in its vinyl version!

The opportunity to rediscover "Le Baron Rouge" or "1998" and relive the beginnings of the group that has become today unavoidable.

L'Impératrice is beautiful and cruel. Maybe not even real, a Venus with graceful movements, whose haughty look burns with the heat of summer. She rules the groove as well as the hearts, and will know how to bend you to her desire. The first opus will sound like a revelation, meteor sneaking in between funk, 90′ French house and hip-hop. Here the joyful references to the sound of our childhood, there the melancholy of journeys far from the earth, and always this bass more powerful than the Black Star, a brilliant sound, a ray that pierces the immensity of our shady minds. Don't be afraid anymore, join the Empire.

2001: Guillaume Atlan is nominated with 'Starlight' at the MTV Awards in the best French artists category. 20 years later, the first generation French Touch (Modjo, Demon, Cassius, Stardust, Etienne de Crécy etc.) is almost gone. Among the few still active, The Supermen Lovers, who will release his fourth studio album, 'Body Double', end of May.

A reference to Brian de Palma's film and its perfect plastic, the disc bears witness to the many artistic encounters and tumults of love that feed Guillaume during his trip to Kyiv from 2018 to 2020. Love can move mountains but can also destroy a man. Demons and emotions will make him go back to the studios, firstly in Kyiv, which reminds him of Paris in the 90s : strong energy, a thirst for discovery, creation and pure spontaneity. Straddling 2 musical bodies, the heart of Body Double balances between vocal electro-disco and clubbing, without forgetting this analog/digital jumble dear to Guillaume. He is an electro producer, a DJ, but above all a multi-instrumentalist. Machines in contact with “real” instruments…

WITH VOCALS FROM THE LATE DETROIT SOUL GREAT BELITA WOODS ON THE A AND HIS LATE SISTER-IN-LAW LENI MAY ON THE B, THESE MID 80S CUTS FROM THE FRETLESS BASS BOOGIE VIRTUOSO LAMONT JOHNSON HAD BEEN THOUGHT FOR DECADES TO BE LOST TO TIME.

BUT THE MASTER TAPE FOR “BURNIN’ PART 2” AND “BURNIN’ PART 3” HAS REDISCOVERED AND BOTH TRACKS ARE BEING RELEASED AS A LIMITED 7” FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER ON ANY FORMAT.

ON THE A-SIDE, “BURNIN’ PART 2” PERFECTLY ENCAPSULATES LAMONT AND BELITA’S MUSICAL PARTNERSHIP - ONE THAT DATES BACK TO THE BRAINSTORM DAYS - WITH LAMONT’S CONFIDENT BASS GROOVE AND BELITA’S SMOLDERING MULTI-TRACKED VOCALS TAKING CENTER STAGE.

THEN ON THE B-SIDE, “BURNIN’ PART 3” FINISHES WITH A MAXIMAL FUNK CUT. WHILE LACKING THE CLARITY OF ITS A-SIDE, IS A SWEATY LOST BOOGIE CLASSIC EVEN WITH ITS BIT OF TRUE DETROIT GRIT.

VINYL LIMITED TO 500 COPIES

4 Track 12 Inch E.P. featuring 4 smooth midtempo dancefloor gliders from our latest digital
release: TSTD YACHT DISCO EDITS 3 a&b compilation
File under: Yacht Disco, NuDisco, Soul, Funk, Brasil

8 reworks of rare and unexpected italian disco and funky pop music from the 1970ies. Not the usual electronic Italodisco classics, but here come some more organic sounding band-disco music from the time of 1976 - 82. Positive vibrations and high quality dance pop reworked for today's advanced dancefloors by Toy Tonics head honcho KAPOTE and his Italian friends BPlan and Paul Older. Some of these edits already have been released as bandcamp only, but because of extreme demand for vinyl Toy Tonics did this limited edition double vinyl release.

The summer starts beating to our doors and now that the nightmare of the pandemic (looks like) is coming to an end, mysterious dj and producer Hal Incandenza has taken over the control of MM Discos in order to get the things warmer and rock the dance-floors and festivals around the world.

Besides his amazing skills as producer, Henry Saiz the man behind the project of Hal Incandenza, has also made his path in music as songwriter, musician, graphic designer and dj.

This time introduces us to "Incivitas", a killer track that oscillates between House and Nu-Disco ready to dinamite the peak time of the most selected clubs. Hypnotic, selvatic and very wild.

Things turn even wilder with "Ceremony", highly influenced by the legacy of Daft Punk while Marvin & Guy closes the EP with an epic italo-dance version of "Invicitas", if you wonder why the duo from Parma are one of the fitter guys when it comes to burn down the house, just have a listen.
Bomba EP!!

repress

Ilija Rudman adds his outstanding touch to these two Classics - reworking and editing a pair of pearls on either side of a 7”. Favourites of many in their original form, ‘Classics – Versions EP’ sees Rudman strip down the arrangements paying special attention to the essence of the vibe.

A new lease of life injected into the grooves, just like those versions were done in the studio way back when - as special B-sides for special moments.

official re-issue / orange marbled vinyl

Multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer with a discography of vast proportions and spanning three decades, Mr. Pete Warner has contributed to the works of and collaborated with the likes of Patrick Adams, Herbie Mann, Wah Wah Watson, Tramaine Hawkins, The Temptations lead singer David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks, to name just a few, with a total of over 22 million records sold to date.

With Thunderbolt, one of his own secret projects, he apparently signed only this single, which today is one of the rarest and most requested boogie-funk classics of the early 80s, played by some of the best DJs in the world, including Red Greg who selected it in the 2011 Z Records compilation "Under The Influence". According to Mr. Pete Warner the drums and percussion, bass and guitars, horn section, and vocals were recorded live in the studio and were actual musicians. The reissue is fully restored from the original source.

The compilation opens with I Love Her, which is a previously unpublished version of the track released on 'Sizike-U Zemlji Cuda With Lost DATA Tracks' LP. Surprisingly, this version is technically better produced, with better groove and impressive sounds effects. The next is the equally groovy and even catchier, Magic Key. A beautifully vocoded sound of Roland SVC-350, intense dance beats of Roland MC-4B, hypnotically thrilling lines of SC Pro One and Korg Mono Poly synths, make this track so attractive, that it is hard to believe no one had ever heard it previously. The magic continues in next songs: Behind The Soul with its analog, dusty sounds of Roland SYSTEM 100M, TR-808 and SH-101 and Vasiona Desire, a top track of the compilation, with amazingly intense grooves of Roland TR-707, SC Drumtraks and psychedelic space melodies of the very rare RFS Kobol synth. A side closes with Tokyo, an unconventional, experimental song with inventive manually generated sounds effects of SYSTEM 100 and the remarkable Roland VP-330 Vocoder sounds.

B side rings with Italo disco atmosphere. The opening song Love To Me is a fantastic example of Jevtic and Bezek talent for composing dance-oriented songs: quality analog rhythm production in combination with memorable, sentimental themes. Such artistic mark is also evident in the next songs Daydream and Danger Lover, while Happy Together is a classic ode to the genre. The last song, Future, fascinates with its naivety and charm, while showing that dance music can carry further sensitivity besides mere fun.

Although Consequential's music relies heavily on an arsenal of vintage synths and its 80s production, it still sounds impressively fresh today. It will immediately resonate with the community of diggers, aficionados and DJs, since it is so very rare to come across an unknown music from the past, that happens to be so danceable. Fully remastered, with exceptional artwork (also executed by the artists themselves), this record stands out as an act of bravery, an incredible achievement of restoration of the forgotten 80s soundscape to which we can dance, laugh, yearn and dream.

2022 repress

Official LP reissue of 'Peace & Harmony' by Nigerian funk royalty Harry Mosco, Originally released in 1979. Incl the big tracks ''Sexy Dancer'', ''Step On'' and ''Do It Together''

Isle Of Jura digs deep going back 40 years for the reissue of Harry's 1979 album which is something of an undiscovered gem that touches upon Disco, Funk, Boogie, Soul and Dub. Harry passed away in 2012 and we’ve worked closely with his son on the reissue.

Harry Mosco is best known as the founder of legendary 1970s Nigerian Afro-Funk band The Funkees. Originating as an Army band after the Nigerian Civil War they lead the wave of upbeat music produced by young artists in Nigeria in response to the darkness of the recently concluded civil conflict. Following a notable hit single ‘Akula Owu Onyeara’ the band split in 1977 and Harry pursued a solo career.

‘Peace & Harmony’ was Harry’s third LP continuing the rich vein of form found in previous albums ‘Country Boy’ and ‘Funkees’ (For You Specially). He was a visionary who wrote, arranged and produced each song on the LP assisted by Mark Lusari on engineering duties (P.I.L, Jah Wobble & Prince I), whose Reggae and Dub influence can be felt on title track ‘Peace & Harmony’ and ‘Peaceful Dub’. The LP contains two certified floorfillers of Studio 54 era Disco Funk in the shape of ‘Sexy Dancer’ & ‘Step On’ and two slow jams, the soulful ballad ‘She’s Gone’ and horn lead album closer ‘Do It Together’. Mr Funkees was printed on the cover to help record buyers make the connection between Mosco and his former band

More Late 70s/early 80s Westcoast Yachtpop you can almost dance to!
Buoyed by the incredible love felt for TSTD Vol. 1 in summer 2014, Berlin's renowned pop archaeologist, that master musical excavator DJ Super-markt, has leapt straight back into the soft-top and been out digging for the lost gems you'll find here on Volume 2. This is another perfect collection of missing-in-action, late-70s/early-80s smooth, singer/songwriter, AOR-paced, yacht-based pop and blue-eyed soul. Every song brims over with that West Coast sunshine, and for Volume 2 we've dug even deeper into obscure corners of LA, London, even Cologne, to create an even more potent soundtrack to that lost world that's somehow always with us. So join us on another sunset trip as we soundtrack summer 2015 in the company of these lost luminaries. Bask in every detail of that glorious over-production, and recall an era when the music industry had the time, money and sheer musical talent to make everything BIG. Pay no mind to the cynics, the cooler-than-thou-erati, or the buzz kills of the sincerity police. These are big tunes that deserve to be hits, even if it's taken 40 years to get there, driving slowly up that winding California coast road in the wonderful warm summer air.

Ed Banger Records proudly presents “Remedy” , Breakbot’s new EP. Creators of classic songs such as “Baby I’m yours”, Breakbot & Irfane are back with 4 new songs. Following “Remedy”, next single will be “The Light”.
Limited Solid White Vinyl Edition.

Limited edition of a great pre-80s Italian disco production with massive funky basslines and great vocals produced by Marty Celay and Robert Drake (they previously collaborated and wrote some succesfully songs in USA for Roundtree and Chic projects) finally get an official remastered reissue from Best Record. This time we can found here the full extended 11 minuts disco version on the side A and the previously unavailable U.S.A. Version on the flip.

Burner! Massive! Wird Bereits Von Solomun, Trikk, Musumeci, Lehar U.a. In Jedem Ihrer Sets Gespielt. Hier Kommt Die Erste Maxiauskopplung Aus Mr Raoul K's Album 'african Paradigm'. Und Was Für Eine! Die A-seite Birgt Einen Killertrack, Dunkel Aber Schimmernd Schön. Ein Wirbelndes Pad Und Treibende Beats Führen Den Tack Erst In Eine Dunkelheit Und Dann Geht Die Sonne Auf, Wenn Sona Diabate's Stimme Reinkommt. Ihr Kraftvoller Gesang Flutet Licht Über Alle Schatten Und Der Track Schafft Den Spagat Zwischen: 'putting You In A Trance' Und 'raise Your Hands In The Air'. Eleganz Und Energie. Auf Der B-seite: Der Kaito Remix 'african Paradigm', Eine Zwölf-minuten Freigeistige Glückseligkeit Mit Einem Unwiderstehlichen Groove. Das Ist Mr Raoul K's Trademark: Organische Sounds, Traditionelle Instrumente Der Elfenbeinküste, Und Funkelnde Soundlandschaften - Wundervoll Geschmückt Mit Mysteriösen Vocals.

Initially slated for release in 2019, in the innocent days before the pandemic, the debut release from new label Crudo Ricordi is finally ready for the streets.

Three formidable edits from Beard In Dust (AKA Lipelis), all aimed at peaktime dancefloor action.

The title track “Señor Paraíso” might sound familiar to some hardcore Italo fans, but this pumped up and extended version hits much harder in the club. The two b-side tracks “Kirkorovmoroder” and “Coconut Paradise” could be recognised by only the most seasoned of USSR synth-pop connoisseurs, both tracks featuring totally addictive and ecstatic melodies.

Edited with taste and restraint in the typical Beard In Dust style, these high quality edits should not be missed.

Flankup welcomes Ankle Release to the roster, with a stunning release full of disco / nu disco cues across 3 warm & deeply grooving house cuts. The meeting of the HipHop-Underground culture of Triplex and the more Disco-Funk side of Fabietto Delgado are the perfect fusion of styles that combine these killer disco tracks. With only a release on Masterwork Music (2018), the Italian producer duo is only just getting started. And as far as starts go: This release on Flankup will definitely open some eyes & ears across the house scene.

"For Volume 5, we looked to a broad church - from Brazil to Cuba, Ghana, Jamaica, Japan, Mauritania, South Africa, Sweden, Trinidad and Tobago, the UK, and the US. We pulled songs from the 70s up to the present day and feature a stellar cast of artists. There’s an exclusive track from Sven Wunder which was recorded solely for this compilation. We also have a track from Admin which was released as a private press 7" at the start of 2021 and one we felt was far too good to only be available for the lucky few. You’ll also discover one of our most treasured Gyedu Blay Ambolley productions, a full-force African disco colossus! We hope you will enjoy this selection of seventeen eclectic songs as much as we do."

Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy presents Balearic Breakfast Volume 1. An eleven track compilation of gloriously transcendent genre-hopping music inspired by one of the most listened to shows on Worldwide FM; most tracks impossible to find on vinyl.

How does one make a Balearic Breakfast?

You need to obviously start with one part blissful sunshine, rising over one part white sand, set to the sound of the sea looping back and forth. But what else - that perfect, idyllic backdrop aside - sums up that most important time of the day, specifically when spent right in the heart of the most glorious archipelago in the western hemisphere?

Luckily, DJ, broadcaster and producer Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy has perfected the recipe.

Colleen has been mixing together Balearic Breakfast shows on Worldwide FM for the last few years after starting in earnest during the first pandemic lockdown. Her shows offer a remedy to the pressures of the outside world; each is curated with the admirable aim of trying to “create a musical atmosphere for escape”, be it from bad weather or bad vibes.

Inspired by formative experiences at The Loft in NYC and on the terrace at Space, Colleen’s Balearic Breakfasts are endlessly eclectic and always inspiring, pulling together - in her words - a “hodge-podge of chill out, spiritual jazz, deep soul, percussive house, quirky disco, indie-dance and what may ‘traditionally’ be called ‘balearic’ (whatever that may be).” Basically, the kind of music you want to hear as the sun breaks over the horizon.

For her first Balearic Breakfast album (lovingly compiled for the ever-visionary Heavenly Recordings), Colleen has put together a set of songs that allow the listener to drift with her between myriad genres and join the unseen dots between them. The journey takes in shooting star ambient sounds, deep soulful hypno-house, ecstatic Neu-esque locked grooves, ethereal sea-shore jazz and Southern Hemisphere starlight disco, with tracks by artists such as Friendly Fires, Mildlife, Linkwood and Lady Blackbird (a track praised by Elton John, who called it “a groove that blows my mind”) and producers such as Andrew Weatherall (under his Asphodells alias), Ashley Beedle, Coyote, the late, great Phil Asher and Cosmo herself.

Flowing together, the tracks perfectly create that musical atmosphere for escape - a recipe for daydreaming yourself into a Balearic Breakfast state of mind. Tune in and leave the everyday behind. The sun’s rising overhead and the waves are at your feet, whatever time of day it is wherever you might be in the world.

As we emerge into the Now with a fresh perspective and renewed vigour, Red Laser Records usher in a novel epoch of Manctalo movements for our post-COVID enjoyment.

Entrusting piloting duties to four well decorated RL commandos, the EP serves to remind us all that despite everything that's happened, we can still find solace in red lasers, smoke machines and high-powered strobe lights.

Splitting open the collective dancefloor inertia is Kid Machine's 'Only Machines Allowed'.

A cybernetic b-boy jam straight outta the planet MEGOH circa 4044. Guided by electrified vocoder lines and a plutonium-grade, armoured groove this impenetrable battle rocket should issue the much needed power boost to get your body kinetics firing again when they release the e-barriers to hedonism.

Returning star fleet lieutenant Count Van Delicious has been collecting entities from the outer galaxies since his appearance on RL EP 9 ('Dark Fruit' w/ Senor Chugger).
Here he announces his return with an end-credits epic, an #inabiteveryoneelse theme from this young vet on a pants-off permo-buzz, up-scrolling through technicolored c64 visuals and deploying his now trademark zoopa-arps, euphoric synth stabs and thunderous low end shudder to deadly effect.

Meanwhile, Ste Spandex continues his cybernetic realignment surgery, dissecting a well circulated disco meme and adding voluptuous gender-neutral enhancements that'll be getting the next generation of androids frisky, despite their lack of reproductive organs. Fizzling synths, spherical repetition and a multi-dimensional mix of high voltage rhythms leaving that vocal line permanently downloaded in your memory cloud. No sharing necessary.

Scottish deep space observer Ernesto Harmon provides some cosmic ruggedness to close off our mission. Reinforced & galvanised low-end rhymix coalescing with humanoid synth expression and an infinite, carbon-free energy source keeping momentum plateaued through the morning after the night before. There's no off switch baby!

For astral travellers seeking solace in the new Now, EP12 kindly acts as an upgrade to your possibly dormant dancing system as you stumble out into the new nocturnal environment. Hopefully reminding us that the simple act of moving alongside one another in a pitch black, laser-guided club space hasn't changed that much...

Limited press, with artwork which could be the next top selling NFT, we urge our RL family to bag this collectable chronicle from the Red Laser Corp.

Adeen Records comes with its series of funk, soul, dsco and jazz only edits label called The Bird. And it's first releases comes from label head Camille and Spanish graffiti artist and dj Cad73, and edited by DJ Boring. These two 7" gems came from each selectors childhood memories from living in Detroit and Barcelona respectively. While Camille draws such tunes as "Stop Bajon and Carino" from influences Detroit, Cad73 pulls "Shakedown and The Vulture" from early radio and parties growing up around Baecelona. Already a staple series amongst Adeen's catalog, This "The Bird" series may be the label we've been craving.

Ltd Black & White LP

Today sees Belgian-Caribbean provocateur Charlotte Adigéry and her long-term musical partner, Bolis Pupul announce their debut album Topical Dancer, due for release on March 4 2022 via Soulwax’s iconic label DEEWEE.
Cultural appropriation. Misogyny and racism. Social media vanity. Post-colonialism and political correctness. These are not talking points that you’d ordinarily hear on the dancefloor but Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupul are ripping up the rulebook with their debut album Topical Dancer. The Ghent-based duo, who broke out with their 2019 Zandoli EP, are rare storytellers in electronic music: they take the temperature of the time and funnel them into their playful synth concoctions – never didactic and always with a knowing wink.

Their debut studio record – which cements them as a duo under both their names for the first time and is co-written and co-produced by Soulwax – is both a triumph of kaleidoscopic electro-pop and “a snapshot of how we think about pop culture in the 2020s.” It captures Charlotte and Bolis’s essence as musical collaborators and the conversations they’ve had over the past two years on tour, as well as their perspectives as Belgians with an immigrant background, Charlotte with Guadeloupean and French-Martinique ancestry and Bolis being of Chinese descent.

Beyond the album’s thematic heft, Topical Dancer reflects Charlotte and Bolis’s idiosyncratic sound: it’s thoughtful but it bangs. Their take on familiar genres is always off-kilter; songs sound undone or a little wonky; but these are nocturnal heaters to make the club throb. “We like to fuck things up a bit,” laughs Bolis. “We cringe when we feel like we're making something that already exists, so we're always looking for things to combine to make it sound not like a pop song, not like an R&B song, not a techno song. We’re always putting different worlds together. Charlotte and I get bored when things get too predictable.”

Topical Dancer is fizzing with ideas – there’s certainly no filler among its 13 tracks. But above all, perhaps, it has a restlessness, a desire not to be boxed in and to escape others’ narrow perceptions of who they are. It’s summarised by the refrain of their new single, ‘Blenda’: “Don’t sound like what I look like / Don’t look like what I sound like.” “One thing that always comes up,” says Bolis, “is that people perceive me as the producer, and Charlotte as just a singer. Or that being a Black artist means you should be making ‘urban’ music. Those kinds of boxes don’t feel good to us.”

‘Blenda’ in particular references how “I am a product of colonialism,” says Charlotte, “and I feel guilty for taking up space in a white country.” The song was inspired in part by Reni Eddo-Lodge’s book Why I’m Not Longer Talking To White People About Race. “It talks about the colonial past and post-colonial present in the UK,” Charlotte continues, “but that isn’t merely a British or American problem, Belgium is part of that as well.” She says that her home country is likewise “oblivious to a big part of its history” which “results in general ignorance and a lack of understanding and empathy towards Belgian inhabitants of immigrant descent.”

On Topical Dancer, it’s less about finger pointing or being dogmatic about all the things they speak about. It’s about emancipation through humour. “I don’t want to feel this heaviness on me,” says Charlotte. “These aren’t my crosses to bear. Topical Dancer is my way of freeing myself of these issues. And of having fun.”

Super db is a 4-piece band from London, whose sound is a distinctive mix of Pop, Disco, Funk, Rock and Jazz. The band's name plays on the positive, upbeat nature of their music, as well as encompassing the initials of each band member.

The lineup is composed of twin brothers J-M Sutcliffe (guitars & vocals) and J-P Sutcliffe (drums, vocals, keys & percussion), joined by Lorenzo Bassignani (bass) and Matt Dibble (keys, vocals, sax & clarinet). All four members are recognized as some of the UK's top musicians, most of them multi-instrumentalists offering more than one musical contribution to their band recordings, including rotating lead vocalists.

Following on from two very well-received singles in 2020, "Kool Funk" and "Open Line to Me", which were heavily supported by the BBC and taste making media around UK and Europe; Super db released another single "Wait For Me" on 7th May 2021 working for the first time with an array of successful independent labels including Legere Recordings (GSA), Go Entertainment (Benelux), and P-Vine Records (Japan). The anticipated full album "Ecoute Ca" will follow this summer with its global release in July.

In May 2021, Super db sadly announced the untimely and sudden death of their much loved founding member, Matt Dibble. In Matt's honour, the remaining band members continue to be dedicated to sharing and promoting the music they made together and vitally shall maintain the positive vibes and lust for life that Matt always brought to the project and life in general. "Ecoute Ca" represents everything that 4 piece loved to create as a unit and its release is now as significant as ever.

."Ecoute Ca" as a record, pays homage to 70s and 80s West-coast 'Yacht-rock' music, along with a joyful synthesis of the band's varied song-writing approaches.

The sound encompasses funky bass lines, riffing guitars, smooth sax, and a unique blend of vocal harmonies offering a delicious combination of the familiar and fresh all rolled into one. "Ecoute Ca" is a collection of songs that will provide a feel good, joyful soundtrack to the most needed summer vibes the world has ever wanted for!

In the early 80s Japan was in a flourishing bubble, becoming the world’s second-largest economy, threatening to overtake the West with its cutting-edge innovation. Middle class Japanese citizens indulged in luxury clothes, imported wine, and international travel, enjoying unorthodox freedom. City pop emerged as the soundtrack to this cosmopolitan lifestyle: an ode to bright colours, sunny beaches and naive romances, with a clear West influence. Such influence also brought together the first health and fitness wave to Japan: for the first time, taking care of oneself was trendy, and Aerobic, the word in everybody’s mouth.

Hyped by the momentum, both the Aerobic Fitness Association (A.F.A. U.S.A, still running) and the Nippon Aerobic Association put together a program to help audiences follow Aerobic classes on channel TBS. Not surprisingly they hired one of the most inspired young talents of the Era, the guitarist Yuji Toriyama (now well known as one of the fathers of Japanese fusion), to perform, together with Ken Morimura (keyboardist for the salsa band Orquesta Del Sol) a series of tracks that could help the viewers keep their body moving.

As surprisingly as it seems, that fusion of killer boogie guitars and synths with kitsch aesthetics was made for exercising. Aerobics is a soundtrack made up of boogie beats that span the genres of funk, technopop and even City Pop with the purpose of getting folks off their heinies and moving around rhythmically. As this album plays fully instrumental, Toriyama’s rhythms and glossy arrangements melt together perfectly with uplifting synths and programmed drums to give birth to a distinguible cheerful atmosphere. An Aerobic Jam.

A refreshing and vibrating experience from beginning to end to kick off the summer in perfect shape.

If you live anywhere outside of Richmond Virginia you may have never heard of Sharpp. The group formed in the early 80s consisting of high school friends led by keyboard player Josh Fertel. They played cover songs mainly, performing around the fan, and at high school dances. With some gig money they managed to record two original titles at the defunct Harbor Sounds Studios. That would be their sole output, released locally on a 7” single, handed out to band members, friends and fam.

Box full of house music

The much loved and highly sought after Hot Toddy Remix of Never Gonna Reach Me is finally getting a long overdue vinyl repress from the original masters and artwork. It's no exaggeration to say that NGRM has become a bona fide disco classic since its first release that has stood the test of time. Crazy P band member Chris Todd took the original version from the band's Stop, Space, Return album and remixed it up for the dance floor adding disco drums, rhodes keys and arpeggiated synth sequences. On the flip side there is another sublime remix from Still Going, the New York duo best known for their output on DFA. All in all an absolutely essential addition to any record collection...

FIRELP232 is the 12' black vinyl LP, download card included. ESG's fusion of sweet soul and punk attitude with an intuitive understanding of dance music remains.' The Guardian This is still funk with an alien otherworldliness the likes of which George Clinton never envisioned, stripped to its barest essentials for maximum impact.' All Music ESG are as cool as ever.' The Guardian Pumping their way out of the South Bronx of New York in the early 80s, this rhythm and dance-punk outfit made unforgettable funk that was also unusually rooted in post-punk. This powerhouse of raw and cutting edge music ultimately made them ahead of their time. ESG enjoyed success sharing stages with PiL and Gang Of Four and have been heavily sampled as many musicians including TLC, Wu-Tang Clan, Beastie Boys and Liars. A band-approved reissue of 'Step Off' will be released the same day with artwork from award nominated illustrator Hannah Alice, who recently gained critical praise for her work on the Bert Jansch reissue of Avocet'.