Search:mi k

Erik Rico returns to Cosmocities with The Rare Groove Project, a limited-edition EP featuring funk-heavy, soulful covers of groove gems from Matt Soulie’s vinyl vault, alongside standout remixes from Gerd, DJ Nature, and Aroop Roy.

The EP opens with a brassy, high-energy take on P.J. City’s Straight Forward, followed by Gerd’s Chicago house-inspired remix and a funkier alternate version full of disco-era charm. Rico then revamps Franklyn’s Future Love into an electrified P-funk boogie blast, while NYC’s DJ Nature turns out a synth-laced, bass-driven after-hours groove.

Rico also reworks Star Lighters’ Disco Funk into a high-impact, slap-bass purple tinged stomper, with UK house and jazz funk expert Aroop Roy rounding things out with a dancefloor house flavoured summer anthem.

Limited pressing—act fast.

[w] B10 Minmi– Who's Theme; Lyrics By, Music By [Melody], Producer – Minmi; Recorded By – Yoshitaka Ishigaki; Vibraphone – Katori, Yoshihiko*

The analog version of the masterpiece EP "I'll", released in 2018 as a work that expresses the continuation of the world view of the debut album "Grace",
has been repressed on turquoise blue vinyl!

Haruka Nakamura herself is in charge of the lyrics, composition, and all the instrumental parts. Janis Crunch, who was in charge of vocals on "Grace",
is featured again. The dreamy number "I'll" evokes the beginning of spring and hope, which synchronizes with the fantastic world depicted by photographer
Shiori Iwakura, who collaborated with Haruka Nakamura on the jacket and music video, "Arne", a reconstructed version of the famous song "arne" from the
debut album "Grace", and "Lilium", a song that was used in the climax scene of the movie "Every Day", for which Haruka Nakamura was in charge of the
music, are newly recorded and included.

The B-side includes "Anne", which can be called a different version of "Arne", which was included in Schole's compilation "Joy" in 2013, and is exclusive to the LP.
It connects the worlds of "Grace" and "I'll". It also contains warm songs that bring to mind childhood scenes, such as the nostalgic "Abandoned School Organ" and
"Your Canon", which combine church organ, muted piano, and field recordings.

The artwork, like the 8cm CD, depicts beautiful natural scenery, and the jacket and insert feature a series of photos by the immensely popular photographer
Shiori Iwakura, creating a package that beautifully blends the sound world of "I'll" with the scenery. As with the analog version of "Grace", the mastering was
done by Gen Tanabe, a close friend of Haruka Nakamura's who works on the sound of his works. It is a deep sound production that will give new discoveries
to listeners who were captivated by the release of the 8cm CD.

[a] A1 Big Mike's; Drums, Bass, Clarinet, Organ, Mixed By, Written-By – Dijon (7); Guitar, Piano, Vocals [Additional], Organ, Mixed By, Written-By – Michael Gordon (30); Mixed By – Jack Karaszewski; Slide Guitar – Noah Le Gros
[b] A2 Scratching; Mixed By, Written-By – Dijon (7); Producer [Additional] – Michael Gordon (30); Producer [Additional], Mixed By – Jack Karaszewski
[c] A3 Many Times;Drums, Baritone Guitar, Written-By – Michael Gordon (30); Guitar [Additional], Written-By – Dijon (7); Programmed By [Additional Programming], Mixed By, Written-By – Andrew Sarlo
[d] A4 Annie; Acoustic Guitar, Written-By – Dijon (7); Bass – Michael Gordon (30); Mixed By, Written-By – Jack Karaszewski; Saxophone [Casio Sax Replica] – John Keek; Vocals [Additional] – God's Children (11)
[e] A5 Noah's Highlight Reel; Clarinet, Guitar, Mixed By, Written-By – Dijon (7); Vocals [Additional], Bass, Synth, Written-By – Michael Gordon (30); Vocals [Additional], Written; By – Noah Le Gros
[f] A6 The Dress; Bass – Gabe Noel, Sam Wilkes (2); Drums, Synth, Written-By – Dijon (7); Guitar – Noah Le Gros; Keyboards – John Keek; Mixed By – Andrew Sarlo; Vocals [Additional] – Michael Gordon (30); Written-By – John Keuch

[h] B2 Did You See It; Instruments [All], Written-By – Dijon (7); Mixed By – Jack Karaszewski
[i] B3 Talk Down; Bongos – Henry Kwapis; Drum Programming, Mixed By, Written-By – Jack Karaszewski; Drums, Synth [Strega], Mixed By, Written-By – Dijon (7); Guitar, Baritone Guitar – Michael Gordon (30); Keyboards – John Keek; Written-By – John Keuch
[j] B4 Rodeo Clown; Clarinet – John Keek; Mixed By – Jack Karaszewski; Written-By, Guitar – Dijon (7); Written-By, Guitar [Additional], Bass – Michael Gordon (30); Written-By, Slide Guitar – Noah Le Gros
[k] B5 End of Record; Baritone Guitar, Bass, Synth – Michael Gordon (30); Mixed By – Jack Karaszewski; Mixed By [Stem Mix] – Andrew Sarlo; Written-By, Guitar, Mixed By – Dijon (7)

'Jamz' is a vibrant offshoot of the album Keep Me On The Dancefloor, born from spontaneous jam sessions with the talented musicians who helped bring Riva’s vision to life. These free-flowing studio moments, crafted with the dancefloor at heart, radiate playful energy and infectious groove. Featuring standout collaborators like Australia’s Close Counters and Naples’ Dario Bassolino, Jamz delivers a sun-soaked collection full of musical warmth and feel-good vibes. Already championed by Gilles Peterson on his radio show, this release is primed to move both hearts and feet.

The record is largely sung in Scots language, one of Scotland’s three official languages along with Gaelic and English. “Scots gives me a way of expressing myself which is connected directly with the landscapes I love. It brings the songs alive and it is a fascinating language. The name of the record is in Scots - Forefowk means the people who came before, or ancestors. When we say ‘mind me,’ we can mean a few things- remind, remember, watch over or care for me. The record explores how tradition needs to be constantly reconnected with, built upon, looked after, and shared.”
Quinie sings with a style inspired by Scottish Traveller singers. “I began singing unaccompanied Scots Song in 2015 after hearing Scots Traveller singer Sheila Stewart on the radio. Initially I felt like I shouldn't sing these songs because I'm not a Traveller, and I saw people around me doing that in a way that made me uncomfortable. But on the other hand this music made sense to me and I felt driven to learn. Over the years I have met Traveller friends who taught me that settled people sharing these songs could contribute to raising awareness. Scottish Travellers are marginalised and discriminated against in modern Scotland, despite being custodians of so many of our important traditions. So I started to perform them and tell this story. From there I built on my repertoire and started writing my own songs”.
To develop this record, Quinie travelled across Argyll with her horse. They went on a pilgrimage of sorts through the ancient landscapes of the West of Scotland to explore the interconnected relationships between people, ancestors, animals, and place. The album’s vinyl release is accompanied by a book and film, documenting this unusual research process.
Forefowk, Mind Me was recorded in August 2024 at The Big Shed in Highland Perthshire with support from Creative Scotland. Quinie is accompanied by an ensemble of musicians: Ailbhe Nic Oireachtaigh (viola), Oliver Pitt (duduk, bouzouki, percussion), Harry Górski-Brown (small pipes, violin), and Stevie Jones (double bass, recording, and mixing). Each of these artists brings their own distinctive voice, bridging contemporary experimental practice with worlds of traditional and early music.

There’s a particular magic that happens when seasoned producers with global roots come together under a shared ethos - not for hype, but for connection. That’s precisely what MISINGO represents. A cross-continental studio experiment born out of Covid-era isolation, the group spans hemispheres and histories: Yorkshire's Doorly, L.A. legend Gary Richards (aka Destructo), and Australian duo Colour Castle. Their debut offering, Give You Love, lands via UK House Music institution Hard Times Records, and it’s as emotionally resonant as it is built for the floor.

Anchored by a slow-burning acid line and moody, immersive synthwork, 'Give You Love' carries the DNA of classic house without feeling like pastiche. DJ Rae’s smokey vocal, recorded in Doorly’s Ibiza studio, sets the tone - raw, intimate, immediate. Gene Farris enters with a gravelly, magnetic counterpoint, flipping the call-and-response into something spiritual. It’s a record that feels both new and deeply lived-in, a jam session from afar that somehow lands with unity and purpose.

For the remix suite, Hard Times dig into family ties and deliver a heavyweight lineup that spans generations of dance music lineage.

First up, DJ Pierre, the Phuture pioneer himself, brings a Wild Pitch revision that is pure summer sleaze and shimmer. Glistening keys, kinetic snares, and a syrup-thick bassline collide in a mix that’s tailor-made for golden-hour sets and open-air systems.

DJ Romain brings that New York swing. All velvet chords, stabbing pianos, and organ swells that spiral skyward. It’s gospel-house energy that doesn’t need to shout to be heard, a reminder that soul still moves the dancefloor.

Closing out the package is Charles Lavine of Soul Clap fame, whose Boston-bred funk sensibility steers things into new territory. He strips back the mix, lets Rae’s vocal ride the groove, and injects a subtle bounce that turns heads and hips in equal measure.

With 'Give You Love', MISINGO and Hard Times haven’t just released a single, they’ve bottled a moment: one born of distance, stitched together with soul, and destined for collective release on dancefloors worldwide.

Khadim is a stunning reconfiguration of the Ndagga Rhythm Force sound. The instrumentation is radically pared down. The guitar is gone; the concatenation of sabars; the drum-kit. Each of the four tracks hones in on just one or two drummers; otherwise the sole recorded element is the singing; everything else is programmed. Synths are dialogically locked into the drumming. Tellingly, Ernestus has reached for his beloved Prophet-5, a signature go-to since Basic Channel days, thirty years ago. Texturally, the sound is more dubwise; prickling with effects. There is a new spaciousness, announced at the start by the ambient sounds of Dakar street-life. At the microphone, Mbene Diatta Seck revels in this new openness: mbalax diva, she feelingly turns each of the four songs into a discrete dramatic episode, using different sets of rhetorical techniques. The music throughout is taut, grooving, complex, like before; but more volatile, intuitive and reaching, with turbulent emotional and spiritual expressivity.

Not that Khadim represents any kind of break. Its transformativeness is rooted in the hundreds upon hundreds of hours the Rhythm Force has played together. Nearly a decade has passed since Yermande, the unit's previous album. Every year throughout that period — barring lockdowns — the group has toured extensively, in Europe, the US, and Japan. With improvisation at the core of its music-making, each performance has been evolutionary, as it turns out heading towards Khadim. “I didn’t want to simply continue with the same formula," says Ernestus. “I preferred to wait for a new approach. Playing live so many times, I wanted to capture some of the energy and freedom of those performances.” Though several members of the touring ensemble sit out this recording — sabar drummers, kit-drummer, synth-player — their presence abides in the structure and swing of the music here.

Lamp Fall is a homage to Cheikh Ibra Fall, founder of the Baye Fall spiritual community. The mosque in the city of Touba is known as Lamp Fall, because the main tower resembles a lantern. Soy duggu Touba, moom guey séen / When you enter Touba, he is the one who greets you. After a swift, incantatory start Mbene sings with reflective seriousness. Her voice swirls with reverb, over a tight, funky, propulsive interplay between synth and drums, threaded with one-two jabs of bass. Cheikh Ibra Fall mi may way, mo diayndiou ré, la mu jëndé ko taalibe... Cheikh Ibra Fall amo morome, aboridial / Cheikh Ibra Fall shows the way forward, he gives us strength, he gathers his disciples... Overflowing with grace, Cheikh Ibra Fall has no equal.

Interwoven with Wolof proverbs, Dieuw Bakhul is a recriminatory song about treachery, lies, and back-biting. Over moody, roiling synths and ominous, lean bass, Mbene throws out fluttering scraps of vocal, as if re-running old conversations in her head. The music shadows her despair to the verge of breakdown, at one moment seemingly so lost in thought and memories, that it threatens to disintegrate. Bayilene di wor seen xarit ak seen an da ndo... Dieuw bakhul, dieuw ñaw na / Stop judging your friends and companions... A lie is no good, a lie is ugly.

Khadim is a show-stopper; currently the centrepiece of Ndagga Rhythm Force live performances. The song is dedicated to Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba, aka Khadim, founder of the Mouride Sufi order. Serigne Bamba mi may wayeu / Serigne Bamba is the one who makes me sing. The verses name-check revered members of his family and brotherhood, like Sokhna Diarra, Mame Thierno, and Serigne Bara. Though Islam has been practised in Senegal for a millennium, it wasn’t until the start of the twentieth century that it began to thoroughly permeate ordinary Senegalese society, hand-in-hand with anti-colonialism. The verses here recall Bamba’s banishment by the French to Gabon, and later to Mauritania, in those foundational times. During exile, his captors once introduced a lion to his cell: gaïnde gua waf, dieba lu ci Cheikhoul Khadim / the lion doesn’t budge, it gives itself over to Cheikh Khadim. Deep, surging bass, steady kick-drum, and simple, reverbed chords on the off-beat lend the feel and impetus of steppers reggae. A reed plays snatches of a traditional Baye Fall melody; the dazzling polyrhythmic drumming is by Serigne Mamoune Seck. Mbene compellingly blends percussive vocalese, narrative suspense, exultant praise, introspection, and grievance.

Nimzat is a devotional tribute to Cheikh Sadbou, a contemporary of Bamba, buried in a mausoleum in Nizmat, in southern Mauritania. Way nala, kagne nala... souma danana fata dale / I call upon you and wonder about you... If I am overwhelmed, come to my aid. The town holds special significance for Khadr Sufism. An annual pilgrimage there is conducted to this day. The rhythm is buoyantly funky; the mood is sombre, reined-in, foreboding. Punctuated by peals of thunder, Mbene sings with restrained, intense reverence; huskily confidential, steadfast. Nanu dem ba Nimzat, dé ba sali khina / Let us go to Nimzat, to seal our devotion.

Mbene Diatta Seck: vocals.
Bada Seck: bougarabou, thiol, mbeung mbeung bal, tungune.
Serigne Mamoune Seck: bougarabou, khine, mbeung mbeung, tungune.
Text by Mark Ainley (Honest Jons).
Mastered by Rashad Becker.
Everything else by Mark Ernestus.

[a] A1 夢よ、夢よ、我が魂の日々よ = Dreams Of The Past, Memories Of My Soul; Arranged By – Mariam Abounnasr; Lead Vocals – Aisling McGlynn; Lyrics By [Original Lyrics] – Masato Kato; Music By, Arranged By – Yasunori Mitsuda; Translated By [Gaelic Translation Of Lyrics] – Michael McGlynn, Éabha McMahon


[d] A4 風と夢の誓い = A Vow Of Wind And Dreams; Arranged By – Mariam Abounnasr; Chorus – Lucy Champion; Lead Vocals – Aislyng McGlynn; Lyrics By [Original Lyrics] – Masato Kato; Music By, Arranged By – Yasunori Mitsuda; Translated By [Gaelic Translation Of Lyrics] – Michael McGlynn, Éabha McMahon
[e] B1 航海 アナザー・ワールド = Sailing (Another World); Arranged By – Nikolaj Busk [Dreamers' Circus]*; Music By – Yasunori Mitsuda
[f] B2 テルミナ アナザー = Termina (Another World); Arranged By – Ale Carr [Dreamers' Circus]*; Music By – Yasunori Mitsuda
[g] B3 運命に囚われし者たち = Bound By Fate; Arranged By – Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen [Dreamers' Circus]*; Music By – Yasunori Mitsuda
[h] B4 溺れ谷 = Fossil Valley; Arranged By – Nikolaj Busk [Dreamers' Circus]*; Music By – Yasunori Mitsuda

[b] A2 Shot Down, Mixed By, Recorded By [Additional] – Warne Livesey
[c] A3 Eve's Volcano (Covered In Sin), Vocals [Chorus] – Dee Lewis, Tessa Niles
[d] A4 Spacehopper, Guitar [Airhead Guitar], Vocals [Screams] – Donald Ross*
[e] A5 Planet Ride, Organ [Acetone] – Paul Crockford, Vocals [Chorus] – Dee Lewis, Tessa Niles

[g] B2 Saint Julian, Cor Anglais – Oboe Kate St John*, Strings [String Machine] – Keith-Richard Frost*


[j] B5 A Crack In The Clouds, Cor Anglais – Oboe Kate St John*, Guitar [Oregon Guitar] – De Harrison*, Strings – Warne Livesey

o C4 Waka Waka (This Time For Africa) The Official 2010 FIFA World Cup™ Song (Single)















[o] C4 Waka Waka (This Time For Africa) [The Official 2010 FIFA World Cup™ Song] (Single)















[o] C4 Waka Waka (This Time For Africa) [The Official 2010 FIFA World Cup™ Song] (Single)

This is certainly both a mysterious one and an elusive one! Who were Grupo Natureza (Nature Group), and why is this release such a rarity? ‘Pode Acreditar’ was pressed on Som Livre Records in 1981 and it is believed very few copies were released into the commercial market. Those familiar with the productions of Lincoln Olivetti and Robson Jorge will no doubt recognise their hallmark sound here and that this single is ‘probably’ the work of the pair or one member at least. They were a regular in-house production team at Som Livre at the time, and there is a definite resemblance to Adriana’s song ‘Sei la Amor’ from 1978 which Lincoln Olivetti was involved in. Very little information is available about this release. A tantalising comment by Brazilian collector ‘bargainvinyl1’ on the original release’s Discogs page suggests ‘Pode Acreditar’ was a reaction to the Baby Consuelo and Pepeu Gomes pro-marijuana song ‘O Mal o Que Sai da Boca do Homem’, which caused controversy with Brazil’s governing military dictatorship at the time. Though condemning marijuana’s use, the word “baseado” (joint) is mentioned in the song, and this could be the reason behind the release being pulled by the heads of Som Livre and consequently it becoming one of the rarest releases on the label. Whilst its backstory is not crystal clear, it is an undeniable sun drenched, laidback boogie groove with AOR touches by the clandestine group. Pure 80s Riovibes, super-catchy and an earworm that sticks with you throughout the day.

- Next installment in BRAZIL45 Series.
- One of the rarest releases on the Som Livre label.
- Pure 80s laid back boogie grooves.

The always excellent Minimal Wave presents a rare EP from Greek electronic pioneers In Trance 95 here. Alex Machairas and Nik Veliotis formed the duo in 1988 and very much helped define Greece's early electronic scene with their minimal synth and EBM-inspired sound, all of it usually marked by analogue warmth, hypnotic melodies and a futuristic sensibility. This release captures their innovative spirit and cult legacy across six unreleased tracks recorded between the late 80s and early 90s in Athens. It sounds magnificent and is a long-overdue glimpse into their visionary archive for new fans, or a fine reminder of their roots for those who have always been tuned in.

Michael Nau's solo career began with songs crafted and composed in private moments, later to be shared with musical compatriots and reimagined with auxiliary input on records like Michael Nau & The Mighty Thread, Mowing, The Load EP, and Some Twist. These early drafts were stashed away in the vault as Nau strode forward, but after a taxing spring of touring in support of his latest album Less Ready to Go, and recording and self-releasing the stripped-down informal release So On So On, Nau found himself hunkering down at home and rediscovering old gems in his archives. The search yielded a new digital collection of Nau's initial forays into solo work, bundled together as Demo Versions, 2014 to 2017. In their initial incarnations, these songs were less about the end result and more about the discovery. "They're the seed," Nau says of the material. "These recordings are essentially the writing of the songs_ written and recorded at the same time. There's something exciting about them for that reason. It feels magical any time the start of a song arrives, let alone gets `finished.'" These early drafts don't just serve to shed light on the creative process or expose the malleability of Nau's songwriting approach; they often frame the material in an entirely new context. Demo Versions' opening track "The Glass" is a bare-bones affair of acoustic guitar, bass, and vocals_a breezy Sunday morning song that sounds markedly different than the layered lounge-rock approach that later appeared on Mowing. "Light That Ever," with its wall-of-sound production, serves as a climax to Some Twist, but in its infant stage on this collection, it's a beautiful, intimate folk song. Ultimately, all ten songs off Demo Versions, 2014 to 2017 reveal a new side to these fan favorites, with Nau's lush arrangements and unorthodox accompaniments largely absent, and the simple beauty and grace at the heart of the material at front and center.

[f] B1 Follow The Drinking Gourd; Arranged By [Arr. By] – Jorma Kaukonen; Written-By – Traditional

Bangers from Nesh Mayday and Wonka, remixed by eachothers : melted styles in an Acid 160 BPM night music sound.

Rave.

The hypnagogic haze of purling, refractive dub is strong on Sleepdial’s debut for West Mineral, introducing a crafty new name to the scene after a teasing preview on that Peak Oil x NWAQ radio show, delivering a heavy-lidded dose of tattered ambient dub inversions.

Sleepdial chases a frayed thread of thought thru the fractal echo chambers of ‘RV Lights’, only their 2nd full-length under this alias, and first on vinyl. The 9-part album is optimised for getting smudged on sunny daze with its pursuit of elusive dub sprites that connote subaquatic or vaporous etheric themes in their elemental diffusions and world-building ecologies.

In equilibrium of ambient and dub-as-method, they tenderly tease the senses with a fine grasp of deferred gratification, oscillating abstract spatial navigations and ephemeral moments of heart-in-mouth euphoria. Where sometimes this stuff can err to a pleasant mess, the dub ballast here anchors proceedings in a rugged groove that really pushes the right buttons and elevates the whole thing in its own air.

Blessed with a compelling sensuality, tracks follow a course from the compressed contrails of ‘Purview’ to the helical shapes of ‘Dovetailing’ and thru beautifully pill-bellied sensations on ‘Icarus Rising’, into ruggeder, insectoid dub in ‘Blue August’ to short circuit agitated and soothing feels. That fractured sort of duality manifests at its most anxious yet enchanted in the unpicked strings and astral scree of ‘Lightplay’, and in the title and feel of ‘Lean Angst’, gently keeping heads on toes into the swirling pressure system of album sign-off ‘Airtank’.

4 bangers, hit combos for the mix from Armaguet Nad.
In a rare kind of mood, melting gabba to industrial hardcore.
Enjoy !

LTD 200

[f] B2 Eminence Front; Electric Piano – Tim Gorman; Synthesizer [Synthesisers] – Pete Townshend; Written-By – Pete Townshend

[h] C1 One Life's Enough; Piano – Pete Townshend; Synthesizer [Synthesisers] – Pete Townshend, Tim Gorman; Written-By – Pete Townshend