Late 70s Westcoast Yachtpop you can almost dance to!
Man nannte sie nicht umsonst die - Me Me Me Generation'. Die sehr von sich überzeugten bärtigen Musiker (und die Musikerinnen in wabernden Kleidern), die Mitte/Ende der 70er in L.A.'s Strassen rum hingen und sich selbst feierten. Der geschmackvolle Teil der Musik-Welt hätte diese Musikrichtung noch vor einigen Monaten nicht mit der Zange angefasst. Zu sanft, zu übertrieben, zu luxuriös, zu offen hedonistisch, zu ausladend. Zu unecht, zu gekünstelt, nicht authentisch, und dann noch diese unfassbaren Akkordwechsel...Aber ' Too Slow To Disco - vol. 1' hält sich nicht auf mit solchen alten Geschichten und Klischees. Wir alle wissen, sobald Musikgenres alt werden, scheinen die wichtigen, relevanten Teile auf einmal durch und diese Zusammenstellung versteht sich als Dokument eines fast vergessenen Teils der West Coast Musikwelt Mitte bis Ende der 70er Jahre.Es hat ein Jahr gedauert, die von uns ausgewählten, meist unbekannteren Songs aufzutreiben. Songs von Musikern, die damals gerade ihre ersten, oft wenig erfolgreichen Schritte unternahmen, bevor sie Jahre später mal eben eine Handvoll Welthits aus dem Ärmel schüttelten und die - grosse Welle' der Musik der kalifonischen Küste surften. Also, willkommen zu Volume 1 unseres sogenannten PRM (Personal Rediscovery Movement).
Celebrating a monumental decade for music, birthing numerous timeless classics that pushed music to new heights Smash Hits The 80s takes the very best tracks from the decade across 2LPs providing the soundtrack to the era. This must-have collection contains hits from artists of all genres, featuring New Order, Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, The Smiths & Talk Talk.
Tune after tune, Coops consistently delivers truly original and unique music, his newest single 'Jetpack' taken from
the recently announced 'No Brainer' project is no exception. Twist up a paper plane and take ight with Coops as he transports us out of the mundane into completely uncharted territory with this perfectly executed audio/visual experience. At High Focus Records, we are rm believers in artistic freedom, so when an artist as versatile as Coops delivered this 14 track project, it was a 'No Brainer' to share these highly innovative creations with the
world. 'Jetpack', alongside previous singles 'That Jazz', 'Bob Dylan' & 'What You Want' can all be found on Coops'
forthcoming 'No Brainer' project which is now available to pre order on limited edition splatter vinyl, CD, cassette tape and on all digital platforms. This forthcoming record showcases Coops' versatility and creative approach to his craft displaying a broad palette of sounds and moods. The cosmic cover art shows the two sides of the brain, representing the different approaches Coops has taken when crafting this project, ranging from experimental modern soundscapes to that classic Hip Hop sound. 'No Brainer' isn't really a album but more an experiment... I made most of these tracks alongside music I'd been making for an album... People have always tried to categorise me as a "Boom-Bap artist" but that I have never been. I am constantly making music of different styles and never work on one project at a time. Sadly some of these tracks never see the light of day, even though they are still of high quality and sick, so this time it was a 'No Brainer' that I put some of these tracks out.' - Coops
Coops - 'No Brainer' is offcially released on the 27th of April 2018 on High Focus Records.
20/20 Vision continues to flourish even well into its third decade. For its next trick, the Leeds label welcomes back Brett Johnson, who was last here 20+ years ago. Releases on Classic Records, DJ Heather collaborations and Derrick Carter championing his work all make him a bona fide house hero and 'Broken Machine' confirms it. 'Unstuck' opens with a mutating disco bassline that refuses to settle, while 'Juiced' dives deep into his signature boompty swing with a drop designed for pure devastation. The title track is the centrepiece - a trippy trip that stretches time entirely before 'iRemember' closes with starry-eyed ambient pads laced above a deep, slow, gorgeous groove. Sophisticated, playful and musical as always.
For over 30 years the Midwest machine menace that is Paul Birken has been developing and exploring his love for the limitless potential that exists when you chain together synths, sequencers, samplers and beat makers, he is a true audio explorer communicating his own unique sonic exploration through his machines + odd dreams. Starting out back in the day merely with a Commodore 64 computer and a few synths, his studio gear arsenal has constantly evolved over the years into a myriad of unfathomable boxes, cables and bangin’ in his attic allowing him to freely manipulate his random audio creations into the most serious and fun grooves anywhere in the techno realms. Along-with his own imprint Tonewrecker Recordings, Paul’s appeared on a huge stack of the most impressive labels including Don’t Recordings, Fun In The Murky, Earwiggle, Mord and of course a plethora of remixes and tracks on our very own RIOT Radio Records.
From within a tomb in ancient lands comes this 'Bandage Boogie.' A hallowed homage to all things that are non-stop breakin' n' stompin' n' boppin' to the RIOT beats that have now manifested themselves on a 'Mummificated' dance floor near you. This aint street life, this is tomb life, and you'll need as many sacred tanna leaves to keep you movin’ as your fiendish high priest will bestow upon you. This brewed techno fluid that we're administering will ultimately invoke 'The Curse of RIOT’ and you’ll be doomed to eternal bouncin' aboot to its 'Pyramid Pongo' beats that go mysteriously THUMP in the night. Each track on here, and especially in his infamously legendary live sets, are unique in that they get erased from his machines after their creation and won’t ever be spawned again, but ssssssssssssssh, Mummy's the word.
The full digital release also features two bonus immortal tracks delving you deeper into the life-giving sounds of this ‘Mummy Wrapsody.’
WARNING: THESE UNWRAPPED TECHNO BEATS CREATE A WONK-A-THON YOU WILL NOT ESCAPE FROM
Some records are about rhythm. Others are about atmosphere. Hidden Soul EP exists somewhere in between -- a collection of electronic transmissions where intricate programming, analogue textures, melody, breaks and acid come together in a constantly shifting landscape. For their debut on Analogical Force, The 89th Passenger delivers five tracks that move between detailed electronic structures, hypnotic rhythms and deeply atmospheric passages. Beneath the machines and intricate programming, there is an unmistakable sense of melancholy, giving the record a depth that goes beyond its electronic foundations. Hidden Soul EP moves between intricate electronics and abstraction, reaching unexpected emotional heights while maintaining a strong sense of sonic depth and physicality. A record for close listening, late-night journeys and those moments when machines become something more than machines.
Repress 2026
Two years after releasing the acclaimed Crash Recoil, Anthony Child aka Surgeon returns to Tresor with new LP, Shell~Wave. Retaining the minimal equipment list and studio-version-of-live-show-sets approach of the previous album in order to focus on the work itself, Shell~Wave is a deeply personal document of both where Surgeon is and has been, converging three decades of experience with a continued curiosity in the untested.
“To make this project, I had to dig really deep in terms of what my relationship was to techno; I’ve been involved with it for a really long time and there’s a lot about it I feel dislocated from, so I had to really think hard about what techno is to me. I often get asked “what is techno to you?” but I can’t answer that with words; this album is the answer.” From the complex, twisting track Infinite Eye to the caustic Soul Fire, the eight tracks that make up the body of the album are single-take explorations of the vast, hard yet minimal techno Child is synonymous with.
Neatly dividing the record in two, the emotional centre of the record comes in the form of Dying, a vibrating, beatless piece that with a mantra-like vocal loop steeped in reverberating effects. Further echoes of dub production appear throughout the record as tracks like Divine Shadow, and Empty Cloud have an almost ever-present mist of reverberation, driven by the appearance of a new delay unit in the equipment list; while much of the philosophy of Crash Recoil’s creation is present, the process and the instruments have changed as Child again switches up his approach to studio work.
This insistence on trying novel techniques doesn’t preclude returning to old ones, as this use of modern digital machines with live, hands-on takes that are as inspired by 60s producer Joe Meek and 70s reggae as they are by this year’s synthesiser expos.
“For me, it’s an interesting experience returning to old techniques again after 30 years. I’m always exploring and finding myself back at the beginning. Connecting the present with the past.”
This philosophy of ‘time travel’ is inherent to the music itself as the synchronised loops repeat while the delay and effects branch out, forming unique eddies; distinct quantum moments within the circular whole; the future leaking through the spaces between the sounds. All of the concepts on the album are perfectly communicated through the painting by Taiwanese artist Jazz Szu-Ying Chen which suggests the movement of water, sound waves, and the chitinous shells of sea creatures.
Ben Sims and Truncate return under their ASSAILANTS guise and drop the long awaited follow up to 2018's 'Chase Sequences' EP on the jointly run 'Obscurity is Infinite' imprint. Original Hardgroove flavours blended with tough Machine Funk, showcasing the sounds they're both individually celebrated for and delivering some unique fusions on this all thriller, no filler EP
Natural Goofy makes his debut on Unearthed with a raw four-track vinyl cut shaped through analog machines, instinct, and lived moments across Europe and Asia. From late nights in Barcelona to concrete mornings in Berlin, Early Hours EP captures warmth, tension, and that fleeting energy between movement and memory.
Now based in Spain and running Planka Records, Nando delivers a sound that is dry, emotional, playful, and deeply human — no plug-ins, no edits, just hardware and moments recorded as they happened.
DJ Support: Danny Valentino, Michael Gray, David Penn, Purple Disco Machine, Sam Feldt, Don Diablo, Fedde Le Grand, Mark Knight, Husky, DJ Dove, Hutch & more.
Fool’s Paradise’s latest Sampler sees 4 big releases from DJ Fudge, Soul Avengerz, Sparque, Michael Gray, Dr Packer, Danny Kane & Colonel Red.
Electronic mainstays and longtime collaborators Steve Bug and Stefan Braatz return to cult NYC label Nu Groove with the vinyl edition of their four-track EP, Circles. Showcasing a refined blend of new deep house, acid and underground club sonics, the EP opens with ‘Circles’, featuring the Chicago legend Virgo Four whose vocals bring a timeless energy to the record. A driving Beat Mix follows, transforming the original into a tougher, more DJ-ready cut. On the flip, ‘Nu Acid’ dives into raw machine funk and hypnotic pressure, while ‘Thiz Mood’ closes the EP while highlighting the duo’s mastery of tension and rhythmic detail. Rooted in the spirit of classic house while sounding firmly contemporary, Circles EP is another essential addition to the Nu Groove catalogue.
What an unbelievable record. From the wild cover to the iconic breakbeats, Roots from Ian Carr’s Nucleus is one of the dopest albums we know. This is seriously thick, funky-prog jazz-rock heaven. Originally released on Vertigo in 1973, other than a couple of versions at the time for other territories, Roots was never re-pressed since so it’s gone on to become another one of those impossible to find records.
Maybe it was a little too out there for the time, but it’s aged very, very well indeed and this Be With re-issue, re-mastered from the original analogue tapes, shows off just why this deserves to be back in press.
Genius trumpeter and visionary composer Ian Carr was one of the most respected British musicians of his era. He was a true pioneer and saw the potential in fusing the worlds of jazz with rock, just as Miles Davis and The Tony Williams Lifetime did in the US. In late 1969, following the demise of the Rendell-Carr quintet, and tiring of British jazz, Carr assembled the legendary Nucleus. Regarding music as a continuous process, Nucleus refused to “recognise rigid boundaries” and worked on delivering what they saw as a “total musical experience”. We can get behind that.
Under bandleader Carr, Nucleus existed as a fluid line-up of inventive, skilled musicians. This constant evolution and revolution was all part of the continuous musical exploration and discovery that took jazz to new levels.
Working together with producer Fritz Fryer and engineer Roger Wake, the seven compositions by Carr, Brian Smith and Dave MacRae that make up Roots flirt with perfection, and Nucleus at that time made up of the cream of 1970s UK jazz with Brian Smith on tenor saxophones and flutes, Dave MacRae on piano and electric piano, Jocelyn Pitchen on guitar, Roger Sutton on bass, both Clive Thacker and Aureo De Souza on drums and percussion, Joy Yates delivering the vocals and of course Carr on trumpet.
The spellbinding title track immediately renders the album indispensable. Riding the illest of loping breakbeats, “Roots” is low-slung, doped-out heist-funk. An absolute monster. If it sounds familiar then that’s likely down to it being sampled by Madlib for Lootpack and Quasimoto’s “Loop Digga”, as well as by a whole host of beat manipulators. “Roots” conjures prime instrumental hip-hop / beat music, only 20 years ahead of its time. Truly, these are the roots. Through sinuous bass, twinkling keys and a hypnotic guitar riff, a smoky brass motif weaves its way into a gloriously deep haze around Carr’s solos. “Roots” is over 9 minutes long, but there’s not a single wasted second, not surprising given that this is a condensed version of an originally 40 minute long commissioned composition.
The soothing vocal fusion delight of “Images” follows. Meticulously constructed, with gorgeous flute work from Brian Smith, with Joy Yates’ silky vocals and Dave MacRae’s Rhodes never sounding better. The cool, driving “Caliban” closes out the first side. Originally the third movement in a four part commission to celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday it stands up on its own, all robust rhythms and blended brass. Keyboard colour and Carr’s trumpet are splashed across the funk drums and basslines (and there’s even some bamboo flute). This really is fusion: the elements of jazz and rock coming together in beautifully synthesis.
Side two opens in riotous fashion with the short, thrilling samba of “Wapatiti”. Next up, “Capricorn” forms a smoothed-out, jazzy constellation. Mellow and dreamy, its twinkling percussion and languid horns slowly build the vibe before head-nod drums and a killer bassline enter the fray. With a distinct heaviness that Black Sabbath would’ve envied, “Odokamona” is a venomous slice of riff-soaked jazz metal (yes, you read that right), elevated by Carr’s wah-wah horns.
The album closes with MacRae’s exceptionally cosmic “Southern Roots and Celebration”. Very much in conversation with Weather Report, it opens as a languorous, spiritual jazz of chiming keys and serene guitar that turns slowly, gorgeously into a mid-paced, brass-laced banger. It’s another sure-fire party starter and the sound of the band having a righteous blast, building an ecstatic chaos that ends with Yates screaming.
And of course we need to talk about Keith Davis’ cover for Roots. Perhaps the coolest record cover of all time? Certainly one of the most bonkers. Just your run-of-the-mill high-gloss, acid-tinged airbrush dystopian/utopian living-room party scene. Consider this your chemical flashback trigger warning.
Front-and-centre the hip-to-death green robot holds court with their giant ball of yellow barbwire wool, hooked up to… something(?) being teased out from under the stairs (probably best not to ask). A thoroughly zoned-out, long-legged Pop Art party-goer lounges half-plugged in to the painting behind her as a pair of legs flail into shot from the the top of the stairs opposite. We won’t even begin to guess what the chap’s up to in the middle, but the view out of the windows is rather nice, and someone’s already got the hoover out ready to tidy up. All of the Nucleus sleeves are something special, but this particular one? Crikey.
This Be With edition of Roots has been re-mastered from the original Vertigo master tapes, Simon Francis’ mastering working together with Pete Norman’s cut to weave their usual magic with these wonderful recordings. The crazy cover has been restored at Be With HQ as the finishing touch to this long overdue re-issue.
Zum 50-jährigen Jubiläum der „Muppet Show“ singt und swingt Seth MacFarlane auf „Sings The Muppets“
beliebte Songs aus der „Muppet Show“, den Muppet-Filmen und der „Sesamstraße“ im Stil opulenter orchestraler Jazzstandards neu. MacFarlane, preisgekrönter Schöpfer von „Family Guy“ und gefeierter Sänger
im Bereich Swing und Jazz, verbindet dabei seine Leidenschaft für das klassische American Songbook mit
diesem legendären Repertoire. Mit Songs von Joe Raposo, Paul Williams und Jeff Moss sowie Arrangements von Andrew Cottee entstand das Album unter der Leitung von Dirigent John Wilson mit einem
erstklassigen Orchester im Studio der Skywalker Ranch. Inspiriert von legendären Arrangeuren wie Nelson
Riddle und Billy May, feiert das Album den warmherzigen Humor und die zeitlose Magie der Muppet-Songs.
Featured on the Suns of Dub 2024 Tour on stages across, Europe, Canada, the Caribbean and United Kingdom, Jah Love is Amazing has become an underground Smasher! Veteran Reggae Superstar Macka B brings an infectious vibe and melody to this deep Dub Steppas Riddim composed by Carlton Shepherd for Suns of Dub.
Hip-hop royalty returns—Bun B and Statik Selektah team up once again for the fourth chapter of their blazing collabo-rative saga: TrillStatik 4. Recorded in real-time with that unmistakable underground urgency, this album is a master-class in modern rap chemistry, blending Bun B’s Southern grit with Statik’s boom-bap precision.
The guest lineup is nothing short of legendary. From DJ Premier setting the tone on “Live From Houston,” to Griselda heavyweights Westside Gunn, Conway The Machine, and Boldy James blessing “Trillselda 2,” every track hits with purpose. Regional flair runs deep, too—Paul Wall, Maxo Kream, and Lil’ Keke represent H-Town with pride, while East Coast lyricists like Termanology and Tek bring bar-for-bar fire.
This is more than a record—it’s a cipher of cultures, connecting street narratives, soul-drenched beats, and coast-to-coast talent.
Courtney Storer is Aerofunk, a UK producer who broke out back in 2023 and has been dropping heat ever since., This new EP for Funk Dubs is no different: 'At The Tone' opens with a blend of woozy synth tones and answering machine messages that are offset by gritty and cold drum textures that remind of early tech house greats. 'Relax' is another cut that blends body-popping and elastic bass with snappy drums and odd samples that work perfectly. 'Wet One' is a hot stepping acid-laced tech house slammer with plenty of machine soul and 'White Heat' then closes with more hefty drums that spark plenty of physical reactions and come laced with tactile synth designs.
Detroit techno visionary Keith Tucker returns through his acclaimed alter ego Optic Nerve with AUGMENTATIONS EP, a forward-thinking exploration of minimalist machine funk, futuristic sound design, and deep electronic movement.
Crafted with precision and unmistakable Detroit character, AUGMENTATIONS merges hypnotic analog sequences, mechanical rhythm structures, atmospheric synth textures, and driving electronic beats into a powerful sonic statement rooted in the city’s enduring techno legacy. Sparse yet immersive, the EP balances raw underground energy with cinematic futurism — designed equally for dark warehouse floors and deep headphone listening.
Pressed as a Limited Collector’s Edition Clear Vinyl 12-inch, PBX-38 captures the sleek, transparent aesthetic of the music itself: pure signal, machine emotion, and uncompromising Detroit innovation.
A1 — Augmented 1 (Optic Nerve Original Mix)
A deep, stripped down Detroit techno workout driven by pulsing drum programming, evolving synth modulation, and hypnotic minimalist sequencing. Functional futurism engineered for late-night motion.
B1 — Augmented 2 (Infinite Worlds Mix)
Built around a rolling funky bass line and eerie flowing string textures, this expansive composition moves through layers of atmospheric electronics and mechanical groove architecture. The track creates an immersive sense of drifting through endless digital landscapes while maintaining a sharp rhythmic intensity designed for the underground dance floor.
B2 — Augmented 3 (Visual Shapes Mix)
Abstract melodic fragments, and precision electronic rhythms collide to form a futuristic minimalist soundscape filled with movement, tension, and cinematic pulsed chords.
