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Italian duo Agents Of Time have been incredibly busy over the past few years, from releasing a string of classic singles – including their recent single for Afterlife, “The Mirage”, which earned more than five million views on Instagram – to remixing The Weeknd’s “Take My Breath”, which appeared on his recent Dawn FM (Alternative World). But the biggest news is here now – their second album, Universo, is ready. Elevating their trademark melodic techno with an exquisite pop-ness, Universo has found its ideal home with Kompakt, following their Music Made Paradise 2020 debut EP for the label. It’s a meeting of minds that makes perfect sense.

Andrea Di Ceglie and Luigi Tutolo, the two members of Agents Of Time, used their time during the pandemic to work on Universo, an album loosely conceptualised around their ‘personal universo’, a manifestation of the world Di Ceglie and Tutolo built both within and around their studio. This accounts for the sparkle and brightness of Universo – it’s full of personality, vim and vigour, the duo experimenting with their music, exploring its furthest corners. If you come to Universo expecting just another album of melodic techno, get ready to be pleasantly surprised – there’s a whole lot more going on here, and it’s all equally compelling.

After a typically poetic opening gesture – the swirling, synaesthetic, self-titled intro track – expectations are immediately blindsided with the two-step pop of “Fallin’”, sung with gentle clarity by guest Audrey Janssens, a dream of a song that harks back to the glory days of early ‘00s UK garage. “Interstellar Cowboy” is a confident, lithe, disco-fied strut; the gentle minor-key piano of “Liquid Fantasy” spirals into a gorgeously melancholy techno-pop epic, Vicky Who?’s voice rich with yearning. Janssens also reappears on the electro-swirl of “Poison”; “Dream Vision” revisits their single “The Mirage”, soft with sweeping strings, loaded with drama; “Part Of Life” sashays into view with a schaffel-stomp.

This rich variety throws the more dancefloor-focused tracks, like “Ciao”, into even starker relief – they’re more decisive, streamlined, yet rich with detail, chugging, Moroder-esque bass meeting strobe-lit synths that fire melodies out into the firmament. Universo feels texturally dense, but it still breathes, its sounds so tactile you want to reach out and grab them, its tunes so seductive you can’t get them out of your head. Universo is a fiercely beautiful album, brave in its spirit, a perfectly poised meeting-point of pop melody and stylish, lush techno: Agents Of Time in excelsis.

Das italienische Duo Agents Of Time war in den letzten Jahren unglaublich fleißig, von der Veröffentlichung einer Reihe klassischer Singles - darunter ihre jüngster Beitrag für Afterlife, "The Mirage", der mehr als fünf Millionen Aufrufe auf Instagram erhielt - bis hin zum Remix von The Weeknds "Take My Breath", der auf dessen aktuellen Album “Dawn FM (Alternative World)” erschien. Aber die bahnbrechendeste Neuigkeit ist erst jetzt endlich da - ihr zweites Album "Universo" ist fertig! “Universo" verbindet ihr Markenzeichen, melodischen Techno, mit einer besonderen Pop-Haltung und findet nach der EP "Music Made Paradise 2020" sein ideales Zuhause bei Kompakt. Eine Seelenverwandtschaft, die absolut Sinn macht.

Andrea Di Ceglie und Luigi Tutolo, die beiden Mitglieder von Agents Of Time, nutzten die Zeit während der Pandemie, um an "Universo" zu arbeiten, einem Album, das lose um ihr "persönliches Universum" herum konzipiert ist, eine Manifestation der Welt, die Di Ceglie und Tutolo in und um ihr Studio herum aufgebaut haben. Das macht den besonderen Glanz und die strahlende Helligkeit von "Universo" aus - es strotzt nur so von Persönlichkeit, Elan und Kraft, das Duo experimentiert mit Musik und erkundet auch noch deren entfernteste Ecken. Wer bei "Universo" nur ein weiteres Album mit melodischem Techno erwartet, wird angenehm überrascht sein - hier ist viel mehr los, und alles ist gleichermaßen spannend.

Nach einer poetischen Eröffnungsgeste - dem wirbelnden, synästhetischen, selbstbetitelten Intro-Track - werden mit dem 2-Step-Pop von “Fallin” alle Erwartungen sofort über den Haufen geworfen. Mit sanfter Klarheit von Gastsängerin Audrey Janssens gesungen, ist “Fallin” ein Traum von einem Song, der an die großen Zeiten von UK-Garage in den frühen 00er Jahre erinnert. "Interstellar Cowboy" ist ein selbstbewusstes, geschmeidig über den Laufsteg stolzierender Disco-Track; das sanfte Moll-Klavier von "Liquid Fantasy" entwickelt sich zu einem wunderbar melancholischen Techno-Pop-Epos, mit Vicky Who?’s Stimme voller Sehnsucht . Danach taucht auch Janssens Gesang auf dem Elektro-Wirbel von "Poison" wieder auf; "Dream Vision" greift die Single "The Mirage" auf, sanft und mit schwungvollen Streichern, voller Dramatik; "Part Of Life" dagegen ist ein echter Schaffel-Stomp.

All der Abwechslungsreichtum lässt eher tanzflächenorientierte Tracks wie "Ciao" noch deutlicher hervortreten - sie wirken noch entschlossener, stromlinienförmiger und dennoch reich an Details, pluckernde, Moroder-eske Bässe treffen auf stroboskopisch blitzende Synths, von denen aus die Melodien ins Firmament schießen. “Universo” fühlt sich textlich dicht an, aber es atmet trotzdem, seine Klänge sind so greifbar, dass man sie anfassen möchte, seine Melodien so verführerisch, dass man sie nicht mehr aus dem Kopf bekommt. “Universo” ist ein wunderschönes, mutiges Album, ein perfekter Treffpunkt von Pop-Melodien und stilvollem Techno: Agents Of Time in excelsis.

South-east Turkey born DJ, sound artist and producer Banu uses music as a political tool. For her, the strong message carried through sound is a vehicle to express emotions as well as a means of fighting against oppression. Using participation, social design, ecology, feminist and queer theory to create multimedia installations with sound as a main element, Banu‘s practice is closer to contemporary art and activist spaces than the club realm.

Banu‘s debut album TransSoundScapes is an exercise in female solidarity between her as a migrant woman and her sisters from the trans community, where an artist from one marginalised group is showing support towards her trans sisters, using her platform to help them amplify their voices and building a bridge towards a mutual understanding of femininity.

Conceptually, TransSoundScapes comes in continuation of Banu‘s previous research-based work, using music as a positive tool for change while working with various marginalised communities. The album originated from the very real experience of being confronted with verbal harassment in Berlin on a daily basis, particularly aimed at her transfeminine friends and companions. As a queer woman of Turkish and Kurdish origin, Banu did not only observe the verbal aggression directed at her friends, but also understood most of the insults shouted in languages such as Arabic. Seeing how she got signifi cantly more verbal violence directed at them when in company of trans people made a lasting impression on her, so she wanted to try and use her relative privilege to amplify transfeminine voices through her music.

Coming from a very conservative family, making music has been her lifelong dream. It was the moment she had the opportunity to work with the iconic Arp 2600 synthesiser (a younger sibling to Eliane Radigue‘s infamous 2500 machine) that all her disparate interests came into place to create an empowering soundscape with the aid of analogue drum machines. TransSoundScapes has a very full, porous sound, where every element that comes into play sounds soft yet clear. Across the 7 tracks, Banu conjures pounding subterraneous bassy techno („Surgery“), slithering tentacular EBM („First Time“) and pulsating cavernous soundscapes („Harem“), where oversized dancefl oor elements are woven with poetic spoken word passages, resulting in sensusous yet political anthems. Banu artfully merges loosely related genres such as techno, electro, dub and sound poems into a sound that is at once deeply personal and extremely compelling.

All of the tracks are collaborative efforts, Banu seeing the process as an exchange of care and shared experiences, while integrating research into her writing process. The lyrics in „Transition (part 1+2)‘‘ are an adaptation of Sara Ahmed’s “Living a Feminist Life”, while „Surgery“ was born out of series of interviews with trans people, channeling the metallic sounds of a surgery room to refer to society‘s perception of transness as a medical condition. Tracks like „First Time feat. Patricia“, „Harem feat. Prince Emrah“ or „We feat. Aérea Negrot“ document her encounters with various trans women, centering their life experiences while also developing a deep dialogue through the process of making music together.

The darkest and perhaps the most emblematic track is ‚‘Bianka (In Memory Of)‘‘, dedicated to the late Bianka Shigurova, a 22-year old Georgian actress found dead in her apartment. It was her Tbilisi photographer friend George Nebriedze who told her Bianka‘s tragic story, whose death is suspected to be an assasination due to transphobia. Banu chose one of Nebriedze‘s analogue photos of Bianka as the album‘s cover art.

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.

B. Bravo (aka Adam Mori) returns to Bastard Jazz with the long-awaited follow-up to his 2017 debut LP, "Paradise," with a fresh full-length offering: "Vizionz." Replete with his signature future funk vibes, infectiously soulful grooves, and talkbox excursions, "Vizionz" sees the multifaceted artist take the classic West Coast into outer space. If B. Bravo's last album sought to get lost in paradise - enjoying the moment here and now - "Vizionz" looks forward, feet placed firmly in an established LA vibe, while the matured eyes of a veteran producer gaze keenly to the future.

"Vizionz" arrives following a slew of diverse singles, which highlight B. Bravo's stunning versatility as a songwriter, producer, and collaborator. Last year's "Lifted (What U Waiting 4)" came first, at the end of May, 2020, pairing g-funk talk-box verses and synth lines with rich vocal harmonies and a dance-floor-ready beat. Frequent collaborator Reva DeVito (Miami Horror, Kaytranada) makes a standout vocal appearance on "Fly Bye," the second single. Here, Adam surrounds Reva's vocals with ambient pads, a Dilla-inspired beat, and an irresistible bassline, while Reva's dreamily sings about getting away from it all. The final single, "Believe," sees Chuck Inglish (of the famed duo The Cool Kids) rhyme in his distinctive baritone over a bass-heavy instrumental meant to rattle some car stereos.

The singles offer a view into the rest of the album: Solo B. Bravo joints include "Moon Bounce," a talk-box boogie jam begging for late-night drives with the top down; the largely-instrumental synth improvisation, "Midnight Rider;" the upbeat "Penelope," which showcases Adam's vocal and harmonic prowess; a bumping g-funk interlude, with "Flip Out;" as well as the laid back album opener, "Da Essence."

Further vocal assists come by way of Sally Green on the flirty "10/10," and Rojai on the slow jam ""No Regrets" . Both singers have worked on B. Bravo projects in the past, with Rojai additionally joining forces with Adam to form the duo Kool Customer, whose self-titled debut album was released on Bastard Jazz in 2018. Two more hip-hop-leaning tracks are aided by Def Sound ("Back Times Two") and Nico Fasho ("Ms. Stardust"); leaning heavy into outerspace G-Funk Hip-Hop vibes.

Taken as a whole, "Vizionz" is a much needed boost of serotonin: Uncompromisingly positive, sometimes nostalgic, sometimes aspirational, but always funky. The range of styles is a testament to Adam's indelible production chops, songwriting skill, and ability to collaborate. While it has been a long 5 years since "Paradise," "Vizionz" proves more than worth the wait.

Born and raised in California, with roots in Japan, B. Bravo's signature style of Cosmic Funk and late night synth grooves have made him a favorite among DJ's, dancers, and music lovers worldwide. A tasteful producer, sought after remixer, party rocking DJ, master of the talkbox, band leader, and alumnus of the Red Bull Music Academy, Mr. Bravo is an accomplished performer both at home and abroad.

Heavily inspired by the synthesizer-enhanced R&B grooves of the late '70s and early '80s, B. Bravo debuted in 2009 with the seven-track "Analog Starship" EP. A deeper impression was made the following year with a shorter extended play, "Computa Love," the title track of which was supported by BBC DJ Benji B months prior to release. Additional strides were made with a batch of singles and EPs that followed throughout the next few years, as Bravo toured and performed at numerous festivals around the world.

His relationship with the Brooklyn tastemaker label, Bastard Jazz Recordings, began in 2016 with the 7" single "I'm For Real / Stay The Night' (which notably featured a Mr. Carmack remix of the latter). Bravo's debut solo LP quickly followed with 2017's critically acclaimed "Paradise" - which shone a light on vocalists and frequent collaborators Reva DeVito, Trailer Limon, Kissey, and Lauren Faith - with a remix album appearing six months later.

Additional solo releases have found a home on Gilles Peterson's Brownswood Recordings and Frite Nite, while production credits have appeared on releases from the legendary Blue Note Records, HW&W, All City, Friends of Friends, and Tokyo Dawn. B. Bravo has worked on projects with the likes of Salva, Mr. Carmack, Teeko, DJ Lean Rock, Reva DeVito, Lauren Faith, and Kate Stewart.

Having toured throughout the US, Latin America, Europe and Asia, he's shared the stage with performers like Erykah Badu, Flying Lotus, DāM-FunK, Hudson Mohawke, at a world-spanning range of festivals such as Detroit Electronic Music Fest, HARD LA, Northern Nights, Laneway Singapore, Sonar in Barcelona, Snowglobe, SXSW, Basscoast, Do-Over, Low End Theory, Boiler Room, and Soulection.

B. Bravo's "Vizionz" LP is out on Brooklyn's Bastard Jazz Recordings Spring, 2022.

After the boundary breaking, experimental excursions of recent album 'In The Wild,' Brooklyn- based FaltyDL was hungry to return to the dancefloor music that made his name. That hunger shines through on his 'Rich Prick Poor Dick' single - a sleek, stripped back duo of dancefloor stalkers.- Recommended for fans of Floating Points, Four Tet, Machinedrum, Martyn.
- Heavyweight 180g 12' vinyl in a 3mm spined sleeve.

In My Memory is a tribute to the 8 years that Nur Jaber lived in Berlin. A city of chaos, darkness and beauty all at the same time. As always, Jaber releases an EP that highlights vocals and collaborations with artists that coincidentally come into her life at a perfect timing. B1 is a collaboration with a German rapper that she met after one of her gigs in Leipzig; On the dancefloor at sunrise, she heard him rapping and instantly knew this was the next creation. After sending him the text she wrote during the pandemic (tired of all the rules, regulations & lack of dancing) he made some adjustments "Energie & Liebe" was created. A2 "In My Memory" brings power where you can feel Jaber's double personality of light and dark fighting each other brilliantly, which is also represented in her DJ sets. B1 is a banging remix from the one and only O.B.I. whose tracks are found in almost every one of her sets. Ending the EP on a melancholic & hopeful note, B2 introduces "Dance Dance (with the morning light)" with featured vocals from the artist herself. "I kept waking up singing these words, after a dream of us dancing under the moonlight in a big rave somewhere by the mountains." says Nur.

E.L.I. lands on MRT shores and pollutes them with all sort of filth. The label second last instalment takes us to Britain and it is one of the most aggressive so far. The distorted screams, the ultra darkness, the violent atmosphere it creates is tinted in black and white by the stroboscopic lights of underground clubs. A perfect mixture of relentless basslines and straightforward rhythmic patterns for the dancers with no cause, with no hope for tomorrow. Places made famous by death and disaster.

- Released in 2014, Dorian Concept's 'Joined Ends' was a stunningly original electronic album. Made by a young man with virtuosic musical ability and amazing vision, it married true musicianship and writing to a thrilling electronic palette. Now Ninja Tune are proud to present a set of remixes of songs from 'Joined Ends', from a collection of musicians who can - like Dorian - count themselves in the electronic vanguard. Reflecting Dorian's own work, the mixes cover both the experimental (Tim Hecker, Bibio) and the dancefloor (Nathan Fake, Kuedo).

Originally released in 1979 by Salsoul Records, Instant Funk is the self titled debut of Philadelphia’s nine piece group Instant Funk.

Orignially released as a single in 1978, their chart topping hit ‘I Got My Mind Made Up (You Can Get It Girl)’ synthesized the group’s racy, unstoppable sound with their fun-loving approach to funk and disco.

The 8 tracks on Instant Funk deliver the bombastic horns, hopped up guitars & impeccable vocal harmonies that earned the group a gold record and a spot on every dancefloor in New York City.

Re-issued for the first time since it’s original release, Instant Funk is available on 23rd September on limited edition red translucent vinyl.

Double LP documenting a realtime collaboration between Terrence Dixon (Metroplex/Tresor/Rush Hour) and Jordan GCZ (Off Minor/Minimal Detroit/Rush Hour). Finally the full results of these special sessions see the light of day (a ltd edition 12" of exclusive tracks owas released in 2020).
BIG TIP!

"In September 2019, Motor City techno legend Terrence Dixon made a rare trip to Europe. He was introduced to Jordan Czamanski AKA Jordan GCZ, a serial collaborator and electronic music improviser best known for his work as part of Juju & Jordash and, alongside David Moufang and Gal “Juju” Aner, as Magic Mountain High.

The pair hit it off immediately, so Czamanski powered up his studio and the pair began to jam. Over the following five days, the pair improvised extensively, stopping only periodically to drink coffee and discuss music, life and much more besides. While in the studio, they barely uttered a word to each other, instead responding almost psychically to the rhythms, grooves, riffs and musical motifs the other was spinning into the mix.

The results of these surprisingly magical 2019 studio sessions are showcased on Keep In Mind, I’m Out of My Mind, the pair’s first joint album and Dixon’s most significant musical collaboration since the Detroiter’s 2018 hook-up with German techno and ambient veteran Thomas Fehlmann.

In keeping with the project’s improvised roots, the six-track set is notable for its immediacy, pleasing looseness – it was mostly created using outboard equipment including synthesizers, drum machines and effects units – and sonic fluidity. It offers a neat, symmetrical blend of the two producers’ trademark styles, with Czamanski’s attractive chords, melodies and jazz-flecked motifs rising above hypnotic, cymbal-heavy rhythms that have long been the hallmark of Detroit’s sci-fi-fuelled techno sound.

This unique and appealing, dancefloor-focused sound ripples through album opener ‘Fretless’, an ultra-deep chunk of heady liquid techno, and the breathless bustle of ‘Operation Delete’, where bubbly synthesizer motifs, cascading ambient electronics and urgent bass cluster around a killer broken techno groove.

It’s there, too, throughout the surging, deliciously percussive ‘Space Chime’, an alien-sounding concoction that sounds like it was beamed down from some distant galaxy, the warming-but-intoxicating minor key swirl of ‘Axis Mundi’ – a two-part slab of techno psychedelia full of trippy electronics, dystopian jazz riffs and intergalactic intent – and the pitched-down, mind-altering oddness of closing cut ‘Above Ground’, when the pair goes all-out in pursuit of leftfield techno perfection.

Created from scratch in a few days by two of electronic music’s most accomplished improvisers, Keep In Mind, I’m Out of My Mind is an exemplary meeting of musical minds and sonic sensibilities."

Matt Annis

Comes with insert with photographs by Atelier Fantasma (Jop Verberne).

While so many follow the status quo, Mat Zo has always danced to the beat of his own drum. From his days topping both the drum & bass and trance charts simultaneously (releasing on Hospital Records as MRSA), to his current status as a big room innovator, collaborating with Public Enemy's Chuck D and dropping genre-blurring 70-track contributions to BBC Radio 1's Essential Mix, the precocious talent is destined to play by his own rules.

Supported by DJs as diverse as Skrillex, Madeon, Pete Tong, Above & Beyond, Steve Aoki and A-Trak, the LA-living producer's much anticipated debut LP 'Damage Control' is a bold, brilliantly diverse statement of intent from one of the scene's most unique talents. In a world of EDM sound a likes, this is electronic dance music with integrity and ambition. The release of the album will coincide with an extensive upcoming world headline tour, which sees Zo playing renowned dance music hubs such as Ministry of Sound in London, Light in Las Vegas, Create/Avalon in Los Angeles, Miami's LIV nightclub, Toronto's Guvernment and New York City's famed Pacha. (See full list of dates below).

The product of nearly three years dedicated work, 'Damage Control' represents a star of the future coming of age. Including his Beatport No.1 smash 'Easy' (feat. Porter Robinson) and recent hook-up with hip-hop legend Chuck D (Public Enemy) on 'Pyramid Scheme', Zo's 14-track LP also features the sun-soaked melodies of his innovative future single 'Lucid Dreams' - another track that perfectly embodies his uniquely quirky take on big room sounds.

What really sets the album apart from the pack are its diversions away from the dancefloor. 'Damage Control' takes in everything from electro-charged French house ('Only For You' feat. Rachel K. Collier), classy trance vibes ('The Sky' feat. Linnea Schossow) and big room progressive, through to wonky, trap-styled beats ('Caller ID' and 'Little Damage'), UK garage updates ('EZ') and hip-hop ('Moderate Stimulation').

Retaining a cohesive thread throughout thanks to Zo's unmistakable sense of fun and infectious grasp of melody, 'Damage Control' is tipped as one of the most forward-thinking debut artist albums of 2013.

The future and history of bleeding edge dance music collide on DJ Nigga Fox's new Crânio EP, where the relentless young artist crafts an even deeper level of musicality into his innovative, riotous creations.
Following his appearance on the seminal CARGAA compilation series, this collection feels deeply fitting for a Warp project, as it manages to un-self-consciously straddle the bass and bleep alchemy of the label's early club classics while sitting firmly in the artful post-genre nexus of the current roster of artists.
Ever pushing forward, DJ Nigga Fox (néRogério Brandão) has enlisted a veteran percussionist from his home country of Angola to expand the manic palette of his sound. The outcome is a constantly shapeshifting form of psychedelia made for dancefloors, that still manages to spark synapses as a complete listening experience. Yet another beguiling leap forward for the sound of contemporary Lisbon.
Limited to 1000 copies worldwide

Vinyl Only

The mystical undefined tales returns after the last release in 2019 - *warning*: this split EP made by Cosmonaut & M4771 will gravitate you all to the dancefloor. Two heavenly heavyweights on the a-side by Cosmonaut, catapulting you into space. On the flipside we have Lapucci under his monniker M47714 providing a unique blend of deep, dark and acid - get ready to be beamed up -

Back in stock!

We say it’s better to dance on a full stomach. That’s why Snaretrade kicks it’s music-label existence off with a wholesome recipe for a vegetarian pasta. Inspired by, but definitely not an authentic pasta alla carbonara. After that, we use some familiar dance tropes in an attempt to nudge you and your full tummy to the floor. Further Instructions was made after downloading a 5 euro Rhodes sample pack, and Beekkant is named after a Molenbeek Metro station. We’ll let you decide in which musical genre they belong.

What do notions of freedom and movement mean to us as we experience unprecedented restrictions on travel, culture and socialisation? Henry Keen’s Freedom In Movement offers a soundtrack to both remember and look forward to freedom through music, movement and community.

The memory and feeling of the Plastic People dancefloor were often in Henry Keen's thoughts as he produced the tracks on this new LP. Inspired by the London club nights he frequented – Balance, CDR, and CoOp – Freedom in Movement is Henry’s first vinyl self-release, an embodiment of self-expression that compliments his contributions to projects Electric Jalaba and Soundspecies.

The soulful tracks on the album pick up where Henry Keen’s 70's Baby (Maddjazz Recordings, 2017) record and EPs as The Room Below on the Don't Be Afraid label left off, bringing a range of tempos to get heads nodding while hips and feet work out. Lovingly made, the collection of songs offer meditations on questions evoked by the record's title and respite from the heaviness of challenging times.

The lead single from the album is Dexter’s Breakfast, featuring London-based woodwind expert, and previous collaborator Ben Hadwen on baritone/tenor saxophone, and flute.

Dexter’s Breakfast was released digitally on 25th June 2021 and gained support from the likes of Adam Rock (Jazz Re:freshed), Kev Beadle (Mind Fluid), Simon Harrsion (Basic Soul), Psycut (Music Is My Sanctuary) and Laani and Papaoul (Worldwide FM) amongst others

Spanish producer Divorce From New York (AKA Alvaro Granda) returns with his brand new LP ‘Sausalito’ on London’s High Praise. With his previous full-length 2021 offering ‘This Ain’t Jazz No More’ having gained support from Tom Ravenscroft (BBC 6 Music), Jamz Supernova (BBC Radio 1Xtra), Worldwide FM, BBC Radio 1, Errol (Touching Bass), DJ Mag & many more - the stage is set for this heady and potent sophomore release.

Known for his work as one half of San Sebastian based production duo Reykjavik606 (who have previously collaborated with the likes of Tenderlonious and Ishmael Ensemble) Granda creates a rich web of broken beat flavours, uplifting sonics and syncopated rhythms - melding elements of jungle, house and bruk with jazz sensibilities.

Featuring seven brand-new and flavour-packed tracks, ‘Sausalito’ is an uplifting and joyous listen from start to finish. Immersing himself in his extensive collection of Jazz, Soul and Disco vinyl, Alvaro channels golden sunshine-injected influences into a wonderfully cohesive and infectious record. First single ‘Last Ray Of Sunset’ sees Alvaro join forces with long-term collaborator Piek. As its classic disco sounds meet jaunty, MPC- driven drums, and an irresistible bassline - leaving us dreaming of hazy summer terraces, and those last fleeting moments of daytime as evening takes hold.

‘Holly Grove’ evokes a sense of mystery and intrigue with it’s celestial rhodes and flute flourishes, before being joined by syncopated bruk-beats and the alluring vocals of Sarah Zoyaya, who’s tones entwine with some wild synth playing and twisting polyrhythms. Final single ‘I Haven’t Recovered From Last Night With You’ entrances the listener with it’s hypnotic saturated percussion, swirling vocals and reverb-laced key stabs. Creating visions of endless and vast expanses, it shows Alvaro’s ability to weave textures and melody to incredible effect.

With this record, Divorce From New York solidifies his position as one of Europe’s most authentic and original beatmakers. With a range of styles and influences ‘Sausalito’ takes us on a dancefloor leaning journey from sun drenched rhythms through to detroit-techno esque programming. With extensive live performances scheduled for Summer 22 (including a performance at Kala Festival) you can expect to hear this one doing damage on the world’s dancefloors.

Captained by Hugo Mari and Josh Byrne, High Praise is a london-based record label and party. A vessel for uplifting music, made with good energy - they have released music from Yadava, EVM128, Lay-Far, Partner Music & more.

Divorce From New York will release ‘Sausalito’ on 2nd September ‘22 via High Praise.

SoHaSo continues their summer sampler series. Again, the Utrecht based record label brings you some forgotten beauties from the past. Mostly from the Lowlands this time. Perfect Virtue by British trio Shi Take is one of those gems. Tribal house rhythms from 30 years ago, with a bassline that makes you want to wiggle all the way to the center of the dance floor. SoHaSo label head honcho Nuno had been playing a demo of Tools for Fools by Dutch producer Sluwe Vos for years, when he found out the energetic rhythm track never got a proper release. Well, now it has. Flip over for some more forgotten Dutch house history. Jibaros is a project from dance veteran Eric Cycle. It has all the elements that made house music from the lowlands so good in those days: percussive beats, a decent baseline and good melodies sprinkled on top. It's a layercake of sweet stuff that just keeps on building. Very pricey on Discogs nowadays, but luckily Cycle still had the original DAT-tape lying around. Nozem is a bit of the odd one out. It's actually a project by a young dude from the south of Holland but it sounds like he stepped into a time machine which warped him back to the 90s. The vocals (in ancient Greek!) are from Sister of Iris. Closure track Tinkling Sensation by Delta (Alex Dijksterhuis) is more than 25 years old. With it's fast-paced rhythms this piano driven tune could well be something post-progressive from Scandinavia. But this is the real deal. Uplifting rave music from the days people were still carrying fluor sticks.

US talent Serge Devant makes a welcome return to Crosstown Rebels in July with the three-track Hush Hush EP. Damian Lazarus’ flagship label is familiar territory for the NYC talent, where he’s made several acclaimed appearances since 2015.

Flashback feat. Forrest gets the show underway, as soft kicks live beside pulsing synth tones and Forrest’s echoing vocals throughout. There’s a soothing feel to the piece, making it well-built for both sunrise and sunset moments, whilst still retaining enough oomph to make it perfect dancefloor material. Hot Circuit comes next, taking the form of an out-and-out club-cut packed full of low-slung, Ibiza-ready groove, whilst Hush Hush continues in a similarly punchy vein to round off the EP on a techy note.

Serge Devant has an esteemed reputation in today’s dance music industry, from playing at DC-10 to his music turning the heads of Jamie Jones and Damian Lazarus, his talent speaks for itself. Emerald City, Knee Deep In Sound and Circus Recordings are just a few of the labels he’s released on, whilst performances for international brands such as Day Zero, Music On, Get Lost and Paradise prove his standing as a globally-revered DJ and producer.

Our second sound-clash instalment sees Panix lock heads with Dj Snowy Buffet.

Based out of South London, Panix made a name for himself in the dubstep scene, before emerging as one of the most exciting producers of UKG and breaks.

The A1, "Premium Dubz" combines moody bass-lines with ravey stabs to make the ultimate 2-step dance floor killer. The A2, "Hefty" does exactly what it says on the tin.. Hefty basslines and squeaky clean 4 to the floor drums.

Dj Snowy Buffet is another veteran of the dubstep game, producing under the well known WZ. Surfacing as his new alias, the Czechoslovakian producer shows depth to his game with a bouncy UKG sound.

The B1, "Can I Tell" provides skippy garage drums and synths certain to light up any set. The B2, "Club Life" showcases the darker side of UKG, with warping basslines and amen breaks.