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In the history of Black American soul music many recording artists have been called “Legends” some deservedly and perhaps some not so deserving of this current over used accolade? I might be a tad biased here, perhaps? but in my book one James Howard McCelland a.k.a Jesse James has surely earned the right to be called a “Legend” this octogenarian performer has weathered many storms and shifts in musical trends and styles over the years but like the trouper that he is albeit in lower keys these days he still manages time and time again to come up with the goods! “Back On Top Again” is Jesse James latest production album, a project filled with recent and current recordings in a southern soul style that has likened in passing by several respected soul scribes to the Malaco Sound I’ll let the record buying public make their own minds up on that one, I’m sure veteran DJ Bob Jones won’t mind me using his quote below:

The album also features two of Jesse’s friend’s with Donnie McKisic providing the rapping and additional backing vocals on the upbeat “I Lost My Baby On Face Book” and Shirley Diamond who you may recall from Soul Junction’s recent 45 release “You Don’t Know Who You Sleeping With” (SJ1021) returning with another excellent Diamond & James duet “Another Love Lay Over” as a further foot note the featured song “I’d Be A Fool 2 Fool Around On You” is an excellent cover version of what was a previously unissued Harvey Scales song until Soul Junction released it as the flipside their thirteenth 45 single release way back in 2011.

Album Sleeve Notes:

At the dawn of the 1960’s a young aspiring soul singer from Richmond, California by the name of James H. McClelland was honing his performing skills in several local nightclubs. At one particular show the compere struggled to pronounce the young performer’s surname and to hide his embarrassment he hurriedly introduced him as ‘Jesse James’, which became Jesse’s Stage name to the present day.

Jesse’s big break came through his aunt who at that time just happened to be dating West Coast Blues and R&B Legend Jimmy McCracklin. The aunt suggested to McCracklin the he should take a listen to her talented nephew, suitably impressed McCracklin produced Jesse on a song he’d written “I Will Go” for the local Shirley label. The release is credited to Jesse James & The Royal Aces a bunch of local musicians that Jesse had grown up with which included Slyvester Stewart a.k.a Mr “Dance To The Music” himself Sly Stone” on guitar. “I Will Go” was quite a popular record locally and led to a further four Jesse James releases on Shirley culminating in Jesse’s most sought-after record the delightful “Are You Gonna Leave Me”in 1966. The following year Jesse recorded the minor hit “Believe In Me Baby” released by the local ‘Hit’ label before being picked up by 20th Century for national distribution. While signed to 20th Century Jesse recorded a self-titled album and three other 45 singles before leaving the label.

Following a solitary 45 release for the Uni Label in 1969 Jesse formed his own Production and Publishing company ‘South Richmond Music’ releasing 45’s on his own label logo’s Zea and Zay before returning to 20th Century for a second time during 1974, releasing two 45 singles of which the sublime “If You Want A Love Affair” reaching #92 in the Billboard R&B charts in 1975, a song that would later receive worldwide acclaimed and is now regarded as Jesse’s signature tune. Ron Carson had been the producer on the later 20th Century releases and it was he that placed one of Jesse’s songs “The Same Thing Happens” on the Happy Fox label’s blaxploitation album “Black Fist”.

Into the 1980’s Jesse leased some of his songs for release on the Atlanta Georgia, Midtown label, a solitary release on the Moonlite Hope Music label (a lead single for a proposed album that never materialised) followed before Jesse joined Max Kidd’s Washington based TTED label. The TTED imprint was to yield Jesse’s biggest hit record “I Can Do Bad By Myself” reaching #61 in the R&B Charts. Following TTED Jesse formed Gunsmoke records releasing “Love On The Side” in 1988, from there on Jesse has continued to regularly release numerous studio albums though the 90’s into the new millennium and on to the present day.

Now well into his seventh decade as a performer this most resilient and enduring performer, has never been one to let the grass grow under his feet. He still performs live shows and is actively writing, producing and recording fresh new material. Soul Junction have now gathered together some of Jesse’s most recent and new recordings to form this album project which is aptly titled “Back On Top Again” Ride on Jesse James!

Having plied his trade around the world for more than three decades, German guitarist, bandleader and musical explorer Jan Whitefield has always instilled in his craft a natural aesthetic of authenticity, a key component which has seen him amass a sizeable and varied catalogue of material which has remained timeless where some of his contemporaries have faded away.

In the early 90s, as various UK bands were signed up by sizeable labels and enjoyed even mainstream chart success in the Acid Jazz and rare groove boom, Jan and his brother Max formed the Poets Of Rhythm, self-releasing their own uncompromisingly hard-edged take on 70s street funk on the then completely unfashionable 7" single format, forerunning the Deep Funk scene by almost a decade. 30 years on, in spite of a legion of retro-focused bands having followed in their wake, few have yet to come close to matching the energy and spirit of those early Poets 45s.

Since then, Jan has applied himself to all manner of new incarnations and innovative side-projects, releasing further funk surveys as the Whitefield Brothers before leading his own band under the pseudonym Karl Hector, with releases on labels such as Stones Throw, Daptone, Ninja Tune, Mo'Wax, Strut and more. An avid music lover, explorer and record collector extraordinaire, Whitefield's music has effortlessly absorbed his expanding interests along the way, particularly drawing influence from Ethiopian Jazz and West African funk and highlife, as well as Kraut-rock and ambient via his Rodinia alter-ego.

More recently, Whitefield has begun to venture into the astral planes of what's now commonly referred to as 'spiritual jazz', and this is very much where we find him manifesting on 'The Infinity Of Nothingness'. A set of mature, delicate and meditative orchestrations, like much of Whitefield's best work the album is studiously true to its key influences - and in this instance the twin figureheads of Sun Ra and Pharoah Sanders are particularly preeminent - but also completely avoids falling into a trap of mere tribute or facsimile. With subtle yet diverse accents of Hip Hop, Library and the Avant Garde appearing wholly unobtrusively, the album is unified by a marked trance-like feel, beginning with the sparse, processional opener 'Nothingness' through to the 3 part 'Infinity Suite' of 'Time', 'Space' and 'Energy'.

As he did as a schoolboy with the Poets of Rhythm, with 'The Infinity Of Nothingness' Whitefield achieves that exceptionally rare feat of creating music that is not only worthy of sitting alongside that of his overarching influences, but will also stand up with it against the tests of time.

Pirates Press Records is proud to present the new LP by 45 Adapters, entitled Unstoppable. The long-running New York City "Maximum Oi 'n B" combo are a band that lives by a few credos. "Dress Well, Drink Heavily." "Don't Trust Anyone Who Doesn't Dance." These values are on full display within the grooves of Unstoppable. Singer Pickabar & bassist Carlos are back with three new recruits to the band, and the group sounds revitalized, laying down the album in just two days at Noisy Little Critter studio with Mike Bardzik at the helm. Regarding the sentiments of the title track and lead single, Pickabar elaborates, "'Unstoppable' is about rock 'n roll and how much it shapes our lives. I've been hooked since I was a teenager and I still feel that same electric thrill listening to it, playing it, even talking about it_ There's something deeper that goes back to the root of what it means to be human. And I'm stoked to be even a tiny part of that." After fifteen years and numerous EPs, singles, splits, and collections, 45 Adapters are finally releasing their first proper LP. Longtime listeners and new fans alike are bound to agree that Unstoppable, at long last, is their definitive statement, and the record that fully captures their acclaimed live energy.

"The new avant-garde isn't about creating something that doesn't yet exist, it's about abandoning and confusing rigid genres. I want to open up, in order to both abolish and reconstruct the musical past." — Noémi Büchi

Noémi Büchi's album 'Does It Still Matter' completes a series of releases whose titles - 'Matière', 'Matter', and 'Does It Still Matter' - place the physicality of music in the center of attention. Büchi's specific sound structures and aesthetic choices question the state of materiality in a world that is becoming more and more fluid and intangible.

From 'Matière' to 'Matter', Büchi subtly transferred from a focus on substance to questioning the enigmatic core of

being, passing from a noun to a verb, and from a single word to an inquiry. 'Does It Still Matter' weighs in on the importance of questioning. Her pieces juxtapose multi-layered analog synthesizer textures, crystal clear sounds and almost brutalistic noises, while they unfold in compositional structures akin to pop songs. Driven by an orchestra of myriad parts, her music creates transcendent intonations that resonate deeply with the listeners' bodies. A daring blend of complexity and accessibility are molded into captivating sound sculptures that challenge and intrigue listeners alike.

Deviating from conventional time divisions, 'Does It Still Matter' immerses listeners in a discordant succession of elements, and guides them towards an eternal present that erases the past with each new revelation, while maintaining it through recurring themes that serve as intimate memories. Büchi's electronic maximalism questions our linear perception of time, offering a glimpse into a world where the past, present, and future converge into a singular moment. Her avant-garde approach rejects predictability, inviting listeners to immerse themselves fully in the present. Everything starts anew at any given instant. Each musical idea exists for one precise moment, rendering the future unpredictable.

'Does It Still Matter' unfolds against a backdrop of collective disaster and biocidal urgency, challenging the very essence of time. Büchi explains: "The world appears to have gone mad. It's all but impossible to reflect on the meaning of avant-garde in music, considering the future in this sepulchral kind of stability of the human condition." Her compositions resonate like an infernal machine, questioning the instantaneous dissipation of everything. Finally, echoes and fragments of sounds remain, haunting memories like ghostly companions.

'Does It Still Matter' is an immersive experience that invites listeners to contemplate the impermanence of our world and the enduring power of sound.

A brand new label coming in hot, from Montreal to the world.
Run by E. Chamandy (part of the Fella's Q-Tips crew) our
label focuses on giving the spotlight to the seers around us
who's craft deserves to shine outside of their hard drive. Here
at Seer Records, we value quality over quantity, delivering
nothing but smooth trax exclusively for the underground.
SEER-001 packs a punch, with the A-side delivering
dance§oor movers of the highest proportions; battle-tested
and approved ! A1 includes a remix by Tony Lionni
(Madhouse Records), while A2 is a tribute track dedicated to
the rare 90s NY house track by Barkim & Langel. On the §ip
side, discover local house-heads 'Maximum Enemi' with their
debut releases on the B-side, mixing it up with deep & dreamy
§avours. Starting it off with a live jam on B1, expect lushychords, chunky basslines and a touch of acid on B2.
Finishing it off in style, label head has provided us with a
downtempo, electro-funk jam that carries an analog feel,
making any body move like it's an 80s groove. Tip!

NEW LABEL ALERT!!!

Tropical Pop arrive on the scene to serve peak-time refreshment to the stale dancefloors of the world.

Bursting with flavour, artificial sweeteners and a whole load of E numbers, these cuts deliver totally tropical disco pump and tangy technoid madness - teased, tweaked and transformed for maximum sugar rush.

LIMITED EDITION - ILLICIT INGREDIENTS

Feel the fizz, folks.

It’s a tough call which is the bigger cult classic, the Tank Girl movie or its accompanying soundtrack, but on balance, we’d have to go for the soundtrack. Yeah, the film had a cast composed of some of the most colorful characters (Iggy Pop, Ann Magnuson) and character actors (Malcolm McDowell, Ice-T, and of course the almighty Lori Petty!) in show biz. And, its dystopic, resource-starved desert setting, intense action sequences, and lead female character mark it as a feminist (albeit funnier) precursor to Mad Max: Fury Road. But check out the soundtrack’s bona-fides: assembled by Courtney Love herself, it features a Who’s Who of ‘90s female rock including Hole, Björk, L7, Veruca Salt, and Belly among others. Plus, it even has tracks that were exclusive to its release, like a unique version of Devo’s “Girl U Want,” “Mockingbird Girl” by The Magnificent Bastards (a side project of the late Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots), and a duet of “Let’s Do It, Let’s Fall in Love” between Joan Jett and The Replacements’ Paul Westerberg. In short, if there ever was a score that needs to be on wax, this would be it. We’ve done it right, too, with a gatefold jacket featuring the trademark comic book art and stills from the film, and a neon yellow vinyl pressing limited to 750 copies!

Repress!

Next up on Toolroom’s 4-track vinyl sampler series is a tasty collab from label founder, Mark Knight who teams up with rapidly rising talent Crusy for a staunch collaboration ‘Daddy Shhh’. A fiery club heavy cut, focusing on Toolroom’s founder’s speciality of Tribal Tech House, ‘Daddy Shhh’ is a record made for the dance floor specifically. Mixing high energy grooves, Latin percussion and rolling tech bass line that’ll keep you moving until the early hours.

Next up, we’re welcoming UK selector and producer Huxley who drops brand new single, ‘All I Need’. An artist not bound by conventional genres, Huxley’s sound shifts and melds into whatever fits the record, and that is certainly true when listening to ‘All I Need’. Coming through with a lush, Deep House synth vibe and an earworm vocal that melts into the mix before launching into Classic UK House style bass stabs means only one thing, a straight up belter.

Up next is another heater from Liverpudlian DJ and producer ESSEL who returns to the label with ‘Lennon’. An artist well versed in the art of hit-making; ESSEL has been a firm fixture of the Toolroom family over the past few years. A darker take on her typical vibe, ‘Lennon’ is a record that skirts the edge of her sound, tipping over into clubland and we have to say, it’s absolutely class. If there’s ever a glass ceiling above then ESSEL is sure to smash straight through it, she certainly is an exciting new prospect and without doubt one to watch.

Last but not least, we see the return of powerhouse DJ and production duo Leftwing : Kody who team up with fast-rising producer James Hurr on their debut outing ‘Music Is the Medication’. Reggae vocalist I Jah also features, bringing some Ragga styled heat to the record. ‘Music Is The Medication’ is a sublime record, mixing a tough, Tech House focused vibe with UKG styled breaks and a straight to the point Ragga vocal overlayed for maximum delivery means only one thing, a certified banger.

DJ Support: Danny Howard, Annie Mac, Mistajam, Pete Tong, Charlie Hedges, Kraak & Smaak, Maxinne, Todd Terry, Alex Preston, Full Intention, GW Harrison, DJ Rae, Rudimental, Alaia & Gallo, Illyus & Barrientos, Johan S, David Penn, Sam Divine, Riva Starr, Claptone, Nice7, Dario D’Attis, Mousse T, S-Man, Huxley, KC Lights, Friend Within, Dombresky, Gorgon City, Chris Lake, Format:B, Pirupa, TCTS, Alan Fitzpatrick, Low Steppa, Mat.Joe, Raumakustik, Eskuche


Kicking things off on our next 4-track vinyl sampler series is Toolroom's very own Martin Ikin who returns to the label with ‘Make U Sweat’! He was the Best-selling Tech House artist on Beatport in 2020 and 2021 and has over 1m monthly listeners across streaming platforms. Recent studio collabs have included Noizu and Joshwa and tours have seen him travel far and wide to the US, Brazil, Bali, Ibiza, Italy, Croatia and of course, his hometown of London. This new record is the follow up to 'Oscill8' that dropped in March 2023 and sits in a similar lane, in that it's pure, unadulterated club weaponry! Next up is Italian house legend Flashmob with the frenetic, high-energy club vibe of new cut ‘My Body’. Flashmob's sound, production and go-for-broke DJ sets have changed with the game, embracing the vitality of new house music rather than hankering after sentimental sunsets. His ethic and aesthetic move relentlessly forward, using the old and new to craft unique sonic alchemy from big festivals like Tomorrowland to the intimacy of small clubs on the international circuit. ‘My Body’ is typical of Flashmob's current sound, combining solid drums and some insane synths and fx, alongside an earworm vocal sample that results in yet another memorable club cut from an established master. Canadian Tech House maestro Nathan Barato debuts on Toolroom kicking off the B-side to the vinyl alongside studio partner, Matheo Velez with 'Weapon'. A record that has already caught the attention of the underground elite with Michael Bibi premiering the track at his first appearance back at DC-10 in Ibiza last Summer. Both artists are enjoying great success across key labels such as Viva, Circus, Snatch and RAWthentic. This is an addictive, bumpy club track

that packs a huge punch on the dance floor and actually features Nathan's very own 'Move me… Rock me' vocals! Rounding things off is UK DJ/producer duo, Jenn Getz & Alfie who are residents at Dubai's #1 nightlife destination, Soho Garden, where they warm up for legends such as Sonny Fodera, MK, Claptone, Solardo & Fisher on a weekly basis. In their relatively short 3 year career they have already released on Solotoko, Abode and Toolroom Trax and now debut on Toolroom with 'Vibration'. Both girls are incredibly passionate about house music and are also big advocates for a life centered around well-being and meditation, and the idea of this record was to combine their 2 passions in life, so they proceeded to co-write these original lyrics to accompany the track, which in itself is very inspiring! This is a super cool club record that will excite fans and DJ's alike, welcome to the Toolroom Family, Jenn Getz & Alfie!

Countless radio plays on Radio 1 from Danny Howard, Sarah Storie, Pete Tong Other notable radio plays – Kiss FM, Toolroom Radio, Sirius XM, Data Transmission Radio, Radio 1 Dance Anthems, Radio 1 Party Anthems, Rinse FM, Select Radio, Tomorrowland Radio

Repress!

Landing next on Toolroom is our most recent instalment in our 4-track vinyl sampler with some of our biggest recent releases including Kurd Maverick vs Adeva, Friend Within, Retna, Toolroom head-honcho, Mark Knight and label favourite, GW Harrison.

First up is Kurd Maverick vs Adeva who makes a huge return with the infectious 'In & Out My Life'. A straight up cut of 90's house & rolling tech house influences mixed into one, sampling cuts from the feel-good classic 'In & Out My Life' by Adeva, turning the original on its head.

Next on the sampler is fresh heat incoming from DJ and producer Friend Within, the artist behind previous toolroom hits 'Lonely', 'The Truth' and 'Waiting'. Having been a secret weapon of choice for the likes of Paul Woolford, John Summit, Dombresky and Danny Howard to name a few, 'Monkeys Bars' has been bubbling for months and is now set to blow!

London based producer Retna returns to the label with Mark Knight as the pair deliver a debut collab that's been carving up dance floors worldwide in 2022. 'What I Need' takes things to the next level, focusing on Retna’s raw, arpeggiated synth line that cuts through the records tough, chunky bassline and groove. Throw in Mark Knight's magic touch for creating top-quality, club focused productions that'll tear through any system it's played through, and you'll get their latest outing – 'What I Need'.

Abode resident DJ and frontrunner GW Harrison completes the package with latest outing, ‘Feels Good’, enlisting the powerful voice of Laura Davie, the vocalist behind some of Toolroom’s most popular releases from Mark Knight’s ‘If It’s Love’ to Illyus and Barrientos’ ‘Disco Hearts’. Feels good’ offers a summertime piano house belter featuring a staunch bassline and pumping groove that pushes that euphoric, hands in the air feeling to the max.

Four killer cuts that you will not want to miss, this is ‘Toolroom Sampler Vol. 3’!


Radio:

Radio plays on Radio 1 from Danny Howard, Sarah Storie, Pete Tong
Alongside plays on Kiss Fm, Toolroom Radio, Sirius Xm, Data Transmission Radio, Radio 1 Dance Anthems, Radio 1 Party Anthems, Rinse Fm, Select Radio, Tomorrowland Radio


DJ Support:

Danny Howard, Annie Mac, Mistajam, Pete Tong, Charlie Hedges, Kraak & Smaak, Maxinne, Todd Terry, Alex Preston, Full Intention, Rudimental, Alaia & Gallo, Illyus & Barrientos, Johan S, David Penn, Sam Divine, Riva Starr, Claptone, Nice7, Dario D’attis, Mousse T, S-Man, Huxley, Dombresky, Gorgon City, Pirupa, TCTS, Alan Fitzpatrick, Low Steppa

Repress!

Having initially forecast his production energy into his own Tartan imprint, Wallace’s music quickly developed a cultish following among record collectors and influential DJs including Gilles Peterson, Optimo, Hunee and Ryan Elliott. Another supporter has been CWPT’s founder Palms Trax, who, following releases on Studio Barnhus and Rhythm Section, snatches four highly sought-after tracks for the seventh release on the label, each showcasing Wallace’s inimitable and enviable skills as an engineer and a willingness to stoke the sort of organic euphoria that DJs dream of igniting.

Amongst the curios, rarities and other finds that have peppered Palms Trax’s sets this past summer, it’s title track ‘Willow’ that has levitated entire club and festival dance floors like few others. Escalating from a disco percussion loop, ‘Willow’ soon brings on high-energy melodies and a captivating sense of something more ethereal, seemingly reinvigorating old tricks with exciting new flavours: if you only raise your hands to one climactic snare roll this year, we ask you to make it this one.

This refreshing intersection between flourish and function is felt even more heavily on ‘Breathe’, a contemporary electronic battle weapon whose breaks-and-bassline arrangement fluctuates between weightless wonder and heavy business. Frontloaded with the detail and atmosphere of a vintage Chems or Leftfield cut, 'Breathe' exhales then explodes all the skill and reverie of the most memorable 90s techno.

Wallace appears to dip into the chillout room for the swampy rhythm of ‘Masada’, before proving his slow-motion mettle, a Sergeant Peppering of psychedelia creating true hedonistic density and groove. In conclusion and on the contrary, ‘River Dancers’ maintains subtle hypnosis at a similar pace with much less, employing simple timbres and a stuttering, innocent vocal inflection to conjure wide-eyed whimsy far downstream from the EP’s earlier, maximal wonders.

DJ Support: Danny Howard, Annie Mac, Mistajam, Pete Tong, Charlie Hedges, Kraak & Smaak, Maxinne, Todd Terry, Alex Preston, Full Intention, GW Harrison, DJ Rae, Rudimental, Alaia & Gallo, Illyus & Barrientos, Johan S, David Penn, Sam Divine, Riva Starr, Claptone, Nice7, Dario D’Attis, Mousse T, S-Man, Huxley, KC Lights, Friend Within, Dombresky, Gorgon City, Chris Lake, Format:B, Pirupa, TCTS, Alan Fitzpatrick, Low Steppa, Mat.Joe, Raumakustik, Eskuche

Leading the charge with the next Toolroom Trax vinyl series is Mark Knight’s remix on a euphoric dance anthem from Dave Spoon (aka Shadowchild) & Nick Reach Up who update Elaine Mai & MuRli's track 'Ready'. An underground House work-out that's been tried & tested on the dancefloor throughout 2023 and inspired by the euphoric House sound of the 90's, Mark’s mix makes use of the original's hypnotic vocal, combined with driving bass and big euphoric synths. House heavy-weight CASSIMM lands back on our Trax vinyl series with another essential club cut 'Wanna Feel Something'. The Italian, London based hit machine rose to new heights in 2023 with a Beatport House #1 'LOVE DESIRE' on Claptone's Golden Recordings, and chart-topping releases on Toolroom, Spinnin', Myth Of NYX and more. Full of fun, funk and house goodness, CASSIMM yet again delivers another irresistible party starter! Label favourite, Crusy steps up on remix duties for this next offering and a milestone 300th release for the label with an updated mix of Superchumbo & Victoria Wilson James’ ‘The Revolution’. An influential anthem from 2001 'The Revolution' spent over two decades in clubland since icon Danny Tenaglia originally broke the record at the infamous WMC Miami, later going on to recieve support from global superstars such as Pete Tong, X-Press 2, Roger Sanchez and more. Crusy’s signature drums, percussion and grooves drive through

that Latin influenced energy throughout. Last but definitely not least, James Hurr and Electro pioneer Arthur Baker team up with their unique blend of underground house and 80's hip-hop in new club controller, 'Powder In The Nose'. This collaboration marks a triumphant return for James Hurr on Trax who has previously released successful club cuts on the label, and an exciting debut for Arthur Baker, an artist who needs no introduction. The Boston-born producer is widely recognized as one of the pioneers of the Electro genre, with a career spanning over four decades. Baker's unique sound, which fuses elements of hip-hop, funk, and electronic music, has made him a household name and a highly sought-after collaborator. Together, Hurr and Baker are a powerhouse duo, with their combined expertise and passion for dance music 'Powder In The Nose' is nothing short of spectacular.

ountless radio plays on Radio 1 from Danny Howard, Sarah Storie, Pete Tong Other notable radio plays – Kiss FM, Toolroom Radio, Sirius XM, Data Transmission Radio, Radio 1 Dance Anthems, Radio 1 Party Anthems, Rinse FM, Select Radio, Tomorrowland Radio

"The Eighties spawned many iconic films such as Footloose, Dirty Dancing, Ghostbusters, Rocky and The Breakfast Club. Despite all the different genres, they all had something in common: great film music. 80’s Movies Hits Collected is a collection of music that is inextricably linked to Eighties movie classics, including Queen, Billy Ocean, Lionel Richie, The Bangles, Duran Duran, Pat Benatar, Tina Turner and Survivor amongst many others. 80’s Movie Hits Collected is available as a limited edition of 1500 copies on translucent blue (LP1) and gold (LP2) coloured vinyl. This 2LP-set includes an insert with liner notes, photos, and credits. "

80'S Movie Hits Collected by Various Artists, released 24 May 2024, includes the following tracks: "Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder - Together In Electric Dreams (From Electric Dreams)", "Limahl - Never Ending Story (From The Never Ending Story)", "Los Lobos - La Bamba (From La Bamba)", "Ray Parker Jr. - Ghostbusters (From Ghostbusters)" and more.
This version of 80'S Movie Hits Collected comes as a 2xLP. This release comes with (a) Insert(s).

The vinyl is pressed as a translucent, blue disc. Another vinyl is pressed as a translucent, gold disc.

Donny McCaslin is an artist consistently at the forefront of musical innovation. Building on the foundation laid by his critically acclaimed 2023 album "I Want More," described by Mojo Magazine as an "emotive electro-jazz" masterpiece and celebrated for its adventurous spirit by De Volkskrant, Donny McCaslin continues to chart new territories in sound with his latest 7in vinyl and digital release, "Kid." This new project, encompassing the tracks "Kid" and "Maxine," which not only encapsulates the direct, bold, and charismatic essence of McCaslin's sound but also signals his relentless pursuit of artistic growth, refusing to rest on the laurels of past achievements.

"Kid" is a testament to the fruitful collaboration between McCaslin and Tim Lefebvre, reflecting a deepening of their artistic development as collaborators, writers, and bandmates. This instrumental track, enriched by David Fridmann's visionary production, explores the complexities of musical narrative through its intricate harmony and dynamic saxophone lines. The bass subs introducing an electronic vibe into the track signify the duo's forward-thinking approach, blending genres and sounds into a cohesive whole. The saxophone, treated with effects of delays and reverb, veers away from traditional jazz solos, creating textures that support an overarching sound world, inviting listeners to immerse themselves in the music rather than focusing on individual performances. "Maxine", on the other hand, presents a more introspective journey. Originating from a track sent by Colby Keyz, McCaslin develops this piece into a poignant love song, layered with saxophone melodies and solos that evoke a deep sense of longing and emotional depth.

The production, handled masterfully by Steve Wall, enhances the track's unique sounds, demonstrating McCaslin's ability to create profound musical experiences even in the absence of live band interaction. Together, "Kid" and "Maxine" highlight McCaslin's virtuosity and innovation as a musician. His commitment to evolving his sound and the depth of his collaborations exemplify why he remains a progressive force in the music world. With "Kid", Donny McCaslin reaffirms his position as an artist unafraid to explore, develop, and redefine the boundaries of contemporary music, making this release an essential addition to the collections of aficionados and newcomers alike.

2024 Reissue

This is a very collectable EP within the breakbeat/hardcore scene with copies changing hands in excess of £350.00. Written by London born Mixmaster Max whose first step into public life was that of a breakdancer in the early 80’s when he was just a kid with a crew called The Back Street Warriors, showcasing his talents at the infamous Covent Garden jams of the same era. He then got into DJing and scratching and entered the DMC Championships and is credited as the inventor of the Topsy Turvey – stacking turntables on top of each other for a DJ routine!

As like many DJ’s around the late 80’s in London he gravitated out of hip hop and into the rave culture and from here he started to perform at many events such as Fantazia, The Pirate Club, Turnmills and the Hacienda in Manchester as well as a residency on a Friday night alongside John Saunderson - the General Manager of DMC - at Camden Palace. From his club work he started to play on the London pirates Kool FM and Centreforce and on legal stations Peoples Choice and Avenues FM.

These tracks are precursors to the soon to blossom jungle scene and highlight Max’s musical history with his creative sample play. You won’t find much more authentic hardcore than this EP, which really highlights the sound of London back in 1993.

NAKID presents the first album in years from Max Loderbauer (Sun Electric) and Tobias Freund’s cult Non Standard Institute. Delving deep into the aether with a double LP - almost an hour and a half in length - featuring ruined, vaporous and engrossing ambient variations on a theme.

Planing axes between iridescent new age ambient, sublime folk and avant-classical, to miasmic drone and plangent shoegaze; ‘A Day or Two’ charts the Non Standard Institute’s first actions in 6 years and serves as a compelling reminder of their intuitive work in abundance. Expanding and contracting their sound across 18 parts, they arc from heaving, oddly-tuned drones to smoggy, surreal soundscapes, bringing a wealth of fine-tuned instincts to the table. With Max Loderbauer’s 35+ years as Berlin ambient pioneer with Sun Electric, jams with Villalobos, and roles in Vladislav Delay Quintet and the Moritz von Oswald Trio, he’s matched by Freund’s 40 years of deep engineering expertise embedded in the experimental industrial and techno trenches.

The melancholy, Satie-laced piano meditations that grounded 2018's '5863' are gone, and the human touch that's been present since their very first collaborations is placed under the microscope, enhanced by their use of the Haken Continuum Fingerboard, a gestural synth that was developed to open up new modes of playing. Loderbauer's experience with the piano helps him make the most of the instrument's touch-sensitive 3D surface, while Freund uses two multi-channel loopers, piping the sounds through his arsenal of pedals.

The 18 tracks are billed as "unplanned atmospheres" that arc from sombre, drone-heavy material to humid, tape-saturated imaginary-island jams such as 'Listening To Cells' and 'Are You One Of Them'. On the latter, the duo work patiently, letting dusted string plucks tumble across each other while warbling pads hum below, bending like flutes. On 'Unlikely Events', anxious didgeridoo-like wails are ruptured by environmental rattles, before ominous voices lead us into a pocket of industrialised resonance. In time, the skies open up and the sounds morph into pastoral song, the drone blurring into hopeful pads almost as lucid and eloquent as AFX's 'SAW Vol. II', with sonorous synths that float over formless strings. Reflective, cinematic arrangements for flute and silvery ambient give way to diffusions of denser, resonant polychromatics and pucker up in outernational, alien ambient impulses recalling Connor Camburn jamming with dirashe folk pipes.

The Flying Dagger is Cressida's first release on Shaw Cuts, which deals with themes of greed, revenge, honor, chivalry and the internal struggle between good and evil that exists within all of us.
Yu Ying happens upon the scene of an atrocity and double murder. She outrageously kills the perpetrator, who is the son of the infamous Green Dragon Clan boss Jiao Lei. The broken rhythm and heavy hitting drums of "Cat's Claw" shine a light on the shocking act of violence.
Upon learning the surprising news, Jiao Lei proclaims war on her and attacks Yu Yingo's father Yu Yuan who manages to escape with his children although he gets severely injured. The pounding drums of "Radiate" and its thrilling ambiance boosts up the families energy and keeps everybody safe.
The pursuit is on and Jian Lei is hell-bent on killing them all, preferentially with his throwing knifes. However, he is thwarted in his plans by the emergence of the mysterious stranger Yang Qing whose ability to throw projectiles rivals that of Jiao Lei.

"Medusa" and its percussive lunacy paired with unexpected groove twists guide our hero through times of many tough challenges and evil encounters.
Chief Jiao tries to tempt Yang Qing with money to join his Green Dragon Clan, but our hero cannot be bought. With the help of the furious "Do I Stay" and its steamroll drum pattern, pushing bassline and raw atmosphere, he comes to the rescue of several victims of the Green Dragon Clan instead.
Yang Qing uses his martial proficiency to fight on the side of society, but is he strong enough for the rousing finale? The bass-heavy vibe of "Let the Devil In" and its swirling vocal cuts blended with funky breaks and warm pads, send out one more energy before everything is heated up to the max. Step further!

"Weatherday is the noise-pop project of the mononymous Swedish artist Sputnik. While they have also found success with their side project, Lola's Pocket PC, it is their cult-acclaimed album Come in that has garnered them a large and dedicated following through its raucous musical universe and serpentine sparklepunk stylings. Often heralded as an achievement of lo-fi bedroom pop tangled with threads of emo and DIY, Come in is better described, in its author's own words, as a 'life goal.

The initial spark that ignited the fiery, heated debut from Weatherday originated from Sputnik's desire to write, perform, and produce a record all on their own, from the ground up. Starting in 2014-2015, their preliminary attempts at what would eventually become Come in first materialized as a shoegaze EP, and then a dream-pop meets chamber-pop LP. Ever the perfectionist though, Sputnik wasn't satisfied with the results and deleted the releases without a trace, finally deciding to set out in the direction of something more akin to their longtime influences of emo and its various subgenres.

After two years of tinkering in this stylistic sweetspot, Sputnik settled on the eleven knotted, maximal tracks that comprise Come in. From the caustic, harsh peaks of 'Sleep in while you're doing your best' to the soothing piano-laden passages of 'Embarrassing paintings' and experimental, granular coda of 'Water dreamer the same,' the range of Weatherday's debut is doubtlessly a product of an artist who refuses to compromise a single shred of their vision."

Bruno Berle, the young songwriter and poet originally hailing from Maceió, the capital of Brazil’s Alagoas state, crafts songs that are simple, direct, and full of tender nuance. With his first album No Reino Dos Afetos (which translates to "In the Realm of Affections” and was released in 2022), Berle firmly established himself as a unique and important voice in the burgeoning scene of new Brazilian artists making a global impact, including peers like Ana Frango Elétrico, Tim Bernardes, Bala Desejo, Sessa and more. Now back with his second album, No Reino Dos Afetos 2, he stretches that further.

Bruno Berle’s music lives between two worlds – a traditional Brazilian folk talent steeped in history, and a contemporary, dreamy electronic pop; the result is songwriting that’s genre-bending, intentional, iconoclastic and consuming, spacious and sinewy and singular, a striking reflection of its composer while leaving space for the listener to settle in. The album follows Bruno’s relocation to São Paulo, and the songs are a reflection of his past and present. A rebuke of former categorizations of his work in Brazilian music scenes, and an idea of where his music can move, unfettered.

Berle’s music is purposeful in being a true portrait of himself, and a reflection of the music, art, and fashion scenes he personally moves through. Berle aims to provide an entrypoint for Black queer joy in his music, in his storytelling, in his presence and vision as a creative. For him, it feels subversive to be playing MPB laced with dubstep and lo-fi, a sort of intentional sacrilege, capturing a dialogue of modernity in traditional music.

Berle wrote most of the arrangements and co-produced his new album, Reino Dos Afetos 2 with longtime friend and musical partner Batata Boy, who is also from Maceió; the album was recorded in Rio de Janeiro, Maceió, and São Paulo, his new home, and picks up the conversation begun in 2022 on Berle’s debut album No Reino dos Afetos. Both records are the result of a nonlinear but coherent seven-year music creation process culminating in these albums, holding hands across space and time.

“Tirolirole,” the first single from the record, was released at the end of 2023; sun-soaked rhythms and soft voice coat the song, the lilting refrain of “Tirolirole” throughout – hushed, gentle, but somehow almost tactile, a golden-hour moment unlocked in the mind. “Tirolirole” is a triumphant future classic about the temporality of a blossoming love, with Bruno’s stunning vocal soaring over melodies which ebb and flow like the waters on the Atlantic shore. Of the track, Berle explains: “Despite ‘Tirolirole’ being an expression that evokes my childhood, just like the light words about nature, the harmony, and the poetry are epic, carrying a great hope for love.”

In fact, the guiding theme of No Reino dos Afetos 2 is a relationship, unfolding in the arc of a weekend. It traverses the innocence of an early young love, how that can be formative, can stretch on to take new shapes, or shape you. The album happens at the genesis of meeting someone and falling for them, before the relationship is thrown into overdrive – set in a big city, against a backdrop of major life changes, rising energy, the sound of São Paulo.

Something transcendental emerges in “Dizer Adeus,” with an arrangement that echoes a gospel atmosphere (evangelical and Catholic environments were pivotal to Berle’s upbringing). On “É Só Você Chegar,” piano and flute gracefully intertwine, a dance, while “Quando Penso” skews sparser, the voice-and-guitar minimalism somehow cultivating an entirely different shape – somehow both cozy and melancholy, with the background sound of a rainy day. Coupled with the lo-fi aspects that shape much of the album’s personality in the vocals and the production, No Reino Dos Afetos 2 is meticulously elaborated by Berle’s sonic alchemy, like on the mid-album instrumental “Sonho,” which feels like floating. “It’s the apex. It’s when lovers are sleeping together,” Berle explains of the feeling he wanted to encapsulate in the song.

On “Love Comes Back” Berle interprets Arthur Russell, the late Iowa musician who only reached greater visibility after he died in 1992. “His way of making music is similar to mine,” Berle explains. “He sings in a more fragile way, has more of an experimental way of recording, letting ‘chance’ appear in the final work.”

Even so, Berle doesn’t want his music to be buried in sentimentality – and the purposefulness of his craft serves as a sort of north star. The production, the arrangements, his restraint and intentionality in crafting his songs feel just as vital as their emotional cores. His songwriting is amorphous, fluid, an encompassing genre-bending movement in-and-of-itself, quietly daring. The songs are often in conversation with other works – drinking in fountains as diverse as the filmmaking of Ingmar Bergman, the poetry of Walt Whitman, the rhythm of Djavan, and the painting of Maxwell Alexandre. Musically he weaves together a rich tapestry of Brazilian folk, UK 2-step garage/dub, trip hop and sun soaked west coast songwriters; something akin to the worlds of Milton Nascimento, Arthur Russell, James Blake, Feist, and Sade colliding into one. But even then No Reino Dos Afetos 2 floats separately, a romanticism driven by a simplicity and intimacy, an open-ended possibility, Berle’s singularity as an artist at the helm of the ship.

Repress!

Landing next from toolroom is a 4-track vinyl sampler of some of our biggest recent releases including a label debut from Liverpool based DJ & producer Essel with her single ‘love vibration’, Dutch DJ & production powerhouse Guz who teams up with Italian production duo havoc & lawn for ‘come back’, fellow Italian DJ & producer Qubiko who delivers brand new single, ‘confused’ and UK duo wh0 and Brighton based Kideko for their new collab ‘soul searcher’. Four killer cuts that you will not want to miss!

Countless radio plays on radio 1 from Danny Howard, Sarah Storie,
Pete tong Other notable radio plays – kiss FM, toolroom radio, Sirius XM, data transmission radio, radio 1 dance anthems, radio 1 party anthems, Rinse FM, select radio, Tomorrowland radio

Dj Support From Danny Howard, Annie Mac, Mistajam, Pete Tong, Charlie Hedges, Kraak & Smaak, Maxinne, Todd Terry, Alex Preston, Full Intention, Gw Harrison, Dj Rae, Rudimental, Alaia & Gallo, Illyus & Barrientos, Johan S, David Penn, Sam Divine, Riva Starr, Claptone, Nice7, Dario D’attis, Mousse T, S-Man, Huxley, Kc Lights, Friend Within, Dombresky, Gorgon City, Chris Lake, Format:B, Pirupa, Tcts, Alan Fitzpatrick, Low Steppa, Mat.Joe, Raumakustik, Eskuche