All music was written, mixed, and produced by Pedro Vian & Raül Refree in Barcelona. Special thanks to the Blancafort family for providing the positive organ for the recording of the album. Also thanks to Mar, Gina, Teo, and Balthazar for the support.
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Better Together Records, a label created with the idea of unity at its core, aims to share the sounds of the beloved harbour city, Sydney/Eora.
For the first release on BTR, label boss Chetch takes the reins and delivers six analog ethereal cuts from his hard drive, creating an oasis of escape from the drivel of modern day.
By believing passionately in something that still does not exist, we create it. The nonexistent is whatever we have not sufficiently desired... In this OASiS we believe in the unreal and manifest the nonexistent...
Solace in unity at the end of eternity.
4/5 REVIEW IN SHINDIG! ''Incorporating afrobeat and a more spiritual sound in amongst its heavy beats and super-tight musicianship''
As pioneers in the burgeoning modern funk scene of the '90s The Poets of Rhythm created new standards, transcending the parameters lesser groups were defined by. With Discern / Define the Poets took their brand of classic funk to the next level by blending elements of rock, psychedelia, afro-beat, jazz and heavy, heavy drums to create a wholly original brand of transcendent, funky soul.
Anyone who has tried to cop an OG in the last twenty years knows how difficult of a task that has proven to be - not necessarily due to rarity, but more to the fact that people simply DO NOT get rid of this album. It's a testament to the fact that Discern / Define has no shelf life. It's a bonafide classic that any discerning funk and soul fan must have in their collection. Now sporting a deluxe gatefold jacket with reimagined artwork, it is an honor to get these back on the shelves of a record shop near you. Cop one today!
"They have the unique power of being able to depart from tradition in order to bring advancement music and unsuspecting listeners, yet still please the purists with home-cooked "Funk-of-Ages" values"
- Lyrics Born
- A1: Flug 8 - Puerto Rico (The Velvet Circle Mix)
- A2: The Black Frame - Sacrosanct (Mount Obsidian Remix)
- A3: The Novotones - Liberty Bell
- A4: Sascha Funke - Mathias Rust
- A5: La Finca - What Clouds Say
- B1: Paulor - The Last Coke In The Desert
- B2: Mount Obsidian - Fade Feat Charlotte Jestaedt
- B3: The Velvet Circle - Our Tribe
- B4: Seb Martel Feat Las Ondas Marteles - Dark Mambo (Joerg Burger Mix)
- B5: Mount Obsidian - Marole Feat Charlotte Jestaedt
Kompakt unveils the third volume of Jörg Burger’s Velvet Desert Music compilation series, dedicated to music that hits the sweet spot between the cinematic, the (pop) ambient, and the psychedelic. With Velvet Desert Music Vol. 3, Burger and his friends wander afar, taking trips away from, or adjacent to, the dancefloor that’s acted so long as the crucible for the Kompakt aesthetic. Like its predecessors, it’s a gorgeous, lambent collection of late-night mood music.
Because it’s such a broad church, Velvet Desert Music admits all kinds of new experiences, as well, with Burger looking for music that "leads out of the desert into the velvet universe". Indeed, of all the volumes in the series, this third instalment feels closest to an album made by a true collective. The roster has changed, with new contributors Flug 8 and Seb Martel, both with his trio Las Ondas Marteles and with Chocolate Genius and Zsela as La Finca, joining regulars The Novotones, Mount Obsidian, The Golden Bug, Paulor and Sascha Funke.
Burger himself reappears, too, alongside Fritz Ackermann (of The Novotones), Max Würden and Thore Pfeiffer, in The Velvet Circle. Their contributions are pure lush life electronica: “Our Tribe” hitches a ride with a low-slung groove, flickering psychedelic reels of acoustic guitar traipsing across moody bass and taffeta layers of drone; their opening remix of Flug 8’s “Puerto Rico” gently introduces the album with softly tangling electronic tones, while guitars, drenched in reverb, pirouette in the background. A Mount Obsidian remix of “Sacrosanct” by Burger’s The Black Frame -project is a swirling treat for the ears.
La Finca’s electronics and voice miniature, “What Clouds Say”, is a masterclass in poetic restraint; Martel’s “Dark Mambo”, remixed by Burger, is one of the collection’s big surprises, for it indeed does what the title says, a drifting, surrealist take on the mambo form, full of pensive chords, rich with unrequited longing, a breathy saxophone whispering under the song’s sly rhythmic carriage.
Elsewhere, The Novotones chime in with a slyly propulsive, Krautrock-esque charmer, “Liberty Bell”, and the guitar-led tone-drift of “Valley of Oblivion”; Paulor’s “The Last Coke in the Desert” is a chiming, lilting dreamscape; Mount Obsidian are joined by vocalist Charlotte Jestaedt for two modern takes on early-hours art song, “Marole” and “Fade”; Sascha Funke’s “Mathias Rust” is a lavish dancefloor dream, vocal samples drifting through the song as it slowly envelops the listener in its opulent radiance.
This is just a taste of the rich pleasures of Velvet Desert Music Vol. 3, a triumph of a compilation that takes the psychedelic visions of its predecessors and looks for the desert within, a dusty kiss, a road-movie hallucination flickering on the listener’s eyelids, a cinematic projection from deep inside the mind.
New Fair Deal is back with its second release featuring Girlcop, a Miami based artist with roots in noise, punk, and dance music who has been been fast at work creating a manifesto of electronic beats for freaks. 'Cold Sweat' offers more bang for your buck with 5 tracks that will turn any dance floor into a steam room plus a bonus downtempo electro number straight from the void. Jack beats for sweaty feet, acid lines for twisted minds, and plenty of drum workouts to shake a$$. This is Chicago-inspired house music deep fried for the modern pookie head.
- A1: Billy Boomer - I Like What She’s Doing
- A2: P.j. City - Straight Forward (Non-Stop)
- A3: Maxwell - Realize
- A4: Cecil Lyde - I’ll Make It On My Own
- B1: Mixed Generation Enterprize - Take To The Sky
- B2: Mark Meadows - You And Me
- B3: Alice Cohen & Fun City - Save The Best ‘Til Last
- C1: Banda 22 - A Luz Que Brilha Meu Viver
- C2: Zé Da Lata - Mistério Brilhante
- C3: Rogers Mitchell - Dame Solamente Amor
- C4: The Eleventh Commandment - Then I Reach Satisfaction (Vinyl Only)
- D1: Billy Boomer - You Can’t Hide
- D2: Freedom - High On You
- D3: The Lost Family - Blow My Mind
- D4: The Family Tree – As
Pink Vinyl[30,04 €]
Compiling the follow-up to a very successful first album is always a tricky task, but just 12 months since the release of volume one in the 'With Love' series, miche has excelled himself once again with another glorious, deep dive into the world of rare soul. 15 tracks of independently released music, created by magnificent artists with stories to tell and primed for rediscovery.
The ambition to celebrate under-the-radar artists has remained, but instead of a facsimile of volume one, what we have here is a selection shaped by life changes. Volume two is for the dancers; still soulful, still ultra-rare and slept-on records from the USA, Chile, Brazil and beyond, but the dynamics of the collection have shifted slightly. It represents a move from being immersed in a week in week out environment of beautiful, soulful music in a cosy, dimly lit hi-fi bar to playing livelier, more energetic, dancefloor-focused music in nightclubs. This volume will get you on your feet, make you move and unleash whatever it is that makes you get down.
One of the jewels in the crown of this compilation is a joyous, anthemic gospel version of Stevie Wonder's 'As' by The Family Tree (a project produced by the fantastic Julius Brockington). We are also treated to a rare and sought-after Pennsylvanian funk / AOR bomb by Maxwell, a stunning modern soul tune 'High On You' by Freedom, and self-released Brazilian 45s by Banda 22 and Zé Da Lata. P.J. City's 'Straight Forward (Non-Stop)' is gospel-disco perfection, and we also have 'Dame Solamente Amor’, a sublime, soul beauty from Chile by Rogers Mitchell. Many of these artists featured in this compilation aren't household names, but they deserve their moment to shine, to be heard, loved and appreciated for their artistry.
As Miche says it, “I hope this compilation helps in some way to keep this glorious music alive and play a part in connecting generations of music lovers from the worldwide soul family. As always, it has been made ‘With Love’.”
Amine Edge & DANCE bring their soulful sound to Hot Creations with their uplifting new release ‘It Was’ featuring Pershard Owens backed by a remix from Shermanology. Maintaining a constant presence at the top of the charts, with an impressive catalogue boasting releases on esteemed labels such as Defected, Nervous Records and their very own CUFF imprint, French duo Amine Edge & DANCE have solidified themselves as frontrunners when it comes to the modern house landscape. Up next, their partnership takes them to Jamie Jones and Lee Foss' Hot Creations imprint for the first time with their latest single 'It Was' featuring Pershard Owens, with brother-sister duo Shermanology on hand on remix duties to bring the heat.
‘It Was’ opens with rich piano chords, led by luscious melodies, Pershard’s tender vocals and bright keys crafting a delightful serving of summer house grooves before Shermanology flips the track shifting the focus onto pulsing drum hits and playful rhythms full of energy, perfectly crafted for open-air dance floors.
The third installment of our four-part 12" series features our favorite artists from around the world.
Melbourne's Pugilist opens the gates with 'Flip Trix.' It's a dub-drenched, broken techno hybrid with earth-shattering low-end throughout. This lengthy 130bpm track, with foggy breaks and frosty pads, smartly concludes on a 4x4 beat to ensure a smooth exit. 'Flip Trix' is certainly a future percy for all.
Next, we have Bristol-based Henry Greenleaf, a music producer who provides jaw-dropping moments throughout his work. 'Stopper Knot' starts off with a murky low growl and soon evolves into a fully-fledged UK techno beast with ups, downs, twists, and turns. It's like the soundtrack to all of existence captured in 4 minutes and 37 seconds. An absolute tune.
Closing out the release, we have a very special track from Ebb, a resident of New Zealand's South Island. This tune comes with a Product Safety Warning. *We strongly advise never listening to this tune in small groups or while sitting down. 'GTAM' is a weaponized, peak-time, world-ending, acidic bass mutant designed for use only between 2 am and 4 am*. In true Ebb style, heavy and precise production.
Enjoy responsibly.
Y'all ready to mangle peoples heads??? Most of you are, but not YOU,-YOU know who you are, get out of here with your NU Garage chipmunk vocal Bass-Hop shit...
Mr. Cool aka Louie Fresco aka El Cabrone has some heat right here.
Get it- heat, cause he's from Mexico City, and cause the ep is Picante.
Pride is some dank ass bassment shit right here.
Percussive grooves for days, mind melting sounds and a nice tripped out vocal to round it all out.
Pride has a modern minimal shuffle, and that swingy greasy percussion that the Mexicans do
so well,its even low rumble that hits just right in the booty.
A perfect combo of blended brains and brawn!
On the flip we have the K-Dot. I hope it's referencing some new drug that is microdot acid and K combined in a mind warping 250Mg tablet.
This song sounds just like that, mind bending, face melting grinding madness, it rolls and rolls and evolves and evolves.
Put that record on and just watch people make twisted faces and dance like they are puppets getting their strings pulled.
Mr. Cool nailed this, and I question his sanity, and life choices. Nobody normal makes music like
this.
If you don't like this record now, you probably will in 18 years when it's the jam all over again cause a 65 year old Raresh drops it at Sunwaves 309.
Mind you if we keep this global warming shit up, all our vinyl gonna melt. Live in the moment and buy records now.
- A1: Villa - Silhouetten Der Nacht
- A2: Chontane - Ceoid
- A3: Levzon - Planga
- B1: Benkhlifa - Basikstruktur
- B2: Umwelt - Echoes Of The Storm
- B3: Kashpitzky - Timeline Off
- C1: Dax J - Passing Clouds
- C2: Lpv - Arrival
- C3: Hadone - Euphoria
- D1: Stef Mendesidis - Magma
- D2: Chlär - Raw Audio Models
- D3: Nnamael - One Step Closer To The Truth
- E1: Benkhlifa - Predator In The Zoo
- E2: Selective Response - Mars
- E3: Jehra - Take It Or Leave It
- F1: Mattia Trani - Dreampunk
- F2: Vil & Cravo - Plane To Lisboa
- F3: Jadzia - Surface
- F4: Pablo Bozzi - To The Edge
The World of Monnom Black makes it triumphant return, unveiling the highly anticipated third iteration of its iconic release and ushering in a wealth of new artistic voices into its ever-expanding universe. Celebrated for curating the finest handpicked music, the series remains a beacon for championing the true essence of techno. Presented on triple vinyl and graced by 19 esteemed artists, marking this as the label's most innovative and important release to date. Welcome to The World Of Monnom Black 3!
- A1: Dj Efx (Beta Test) - Star Trax
- A2: Wechselspannung - 220V (Extract)
- A3: Jupiter 6 - A8
- B1: The Ultraviolet Catastrophe - The Trip (Trip Harder)
- B2: Electroliners - Loose Caboose
- C1: High Lonesome Soundsystem - Champion Sound
- C2: Single Cell Orchestra - I Hear The Dj’s Here
- C3: Jim Hopkins - C’mon Now
- D1: Central Fire - Kamba (The Lost Mix)
- D2: Dj Emma - The Duster (Fuck Off And Dance Mix)
Vol.003[28,53 €]
In the late 1980s, Disco was taking a backseat to the burgeoning psychedelic scene in San Francisco, marking a pivotal shift in musical culture. A dynamic transformation was underway as the younger generation sought a fresh auditory adventure, all while the devastating AIDS epidemic cast a somber pall over the city's nightlife. Amidst this evolving backdrop, a subtle yet distinct sonic movement quietly emerged within the confines of San Francisco’s vibrant club scene, often referred to as "The Beat." Although Hip-Hop, New Wave, Gothic, Punk, and the burgeoning Modern Rock genre held considerable sway, the pre-RAVE clubs in SF witnessed the fusion of these genres into a unique amalgam of sound that insiders dubbed “The Beat.” This musical tapestry encompassed everything from Hip-Hop and Freestyle to Industrial, New Wave, Boogie, Miami Bass, and Techno – the unifying thread being the distinctive vibe that characterised this eclectic mix.
As House, Techno, and Raving gradually gained prominence along the West Coast, a distinctive interpretation of these evolving sounds took root. Drawing inspiration from influential hubs like New York, Chicago, Detroit, Europe, and notably the UK, which saw a wave of talented young DJs migrate to California, San Francisco became the backdrop for its own version of the second Summer of Love. While the exact chronology might spark debate – some recalling '92, while others leaning towards '93 – what remains indisputable is the era spanning from 1990 to 1994, an unparalleled epoch of exuberant dancefloor revelry on the western shores.
In the face of limited backing from major labels or established independent dance music entities of the time, a grassroots movement of labels and producers emerged organically, ardently championing this distinct sound and catapulting it onto the global stage. This sonic identity was deeply influenced by “the Beat,” acting as a creative wellspring that informed the musical landscape. While the tracks compiled in these volumes might not encompass the entirety of this transformative musical epoch, they offer a vivid snapshot of the melodious tapestry that coloured San Francisco and the broader West Coast during that era. Each track featured stands as a 100% Sure Shot that was played heavily by DJ Spun back in those very heady days.
The second installment of this remarkable journey into the underground scene maintains the same profound level of depth and significance as its precursor. Showcasing tracks from Electroliners, High Lonesome Soundsystem, Single Cell Orchestra, DJ Emma, and Spun's own Central Fire project, all harmoniously enclosed within the captivating and arresting artwork by Villain Standard, this release stands shoulder to shoulder with its forerunner. Beyond a mere compilation, it's an indispensable extension of the narrative that has indelibly shaped the culture of underground American dance music within the region, embodying the era and the individuals involved. This is the authentic underground sound that reverberated across San Francisco and its surrounding environs, a truly distinctive and exceptional moment in time and space.
- A1: David Holmes & Raven Violet - It’s Over If We Run Out Of Love (Hardway Bros Live At The Ssl Dub)
- A2: Unloved - Mother’s Been A Bad Girl (Horse Meat Disco Remix)
- A3: Pip Blom - Keep It Together (Ludwig A F. Under Pressure Mix)
- B1: Confidence Man - Holiday (Erol Alkan Ooo Remix)
- B2: Toy - You Won’t Be The Same (Dan Carey Dub)
- C1: Audiobooks - The Doll (Bruise Remix)
- C2: The Orielles - The Room (Shy One Remix)
- C3: Eyes Of Others - Once Twice Thrice (The Orielles Remix)
- D1: Fever The Ghost - Source (Leo Zero Dub)
- D2: Working Men’s Club - The Last One (Forgemasters Remix)
Heavenly Recordings release the next two volumes in their series of remixed classics and unreleased versions. ‘Heavenly Remixes 7 & 8’ sees the label going back into the archive, as well as picking off some more recent remixes, and both albums primarily feature either previously unreleased versions or re-workings available for the first time on vinyl and CD.
Heavenly have always seen immense value in the remix, a value way beyond what it might bring commercially. Since their first release in 1990 (where Andrew Weatherall overhauled a one-off single by club kids Sly and Lovechild) Heavenly remixes have been carefully curated and treated as a key part of the A&R process. It’s an opportunity to view an artist through a different prism, to play out a musical ‘what if’ scenario. It’s the kind of exploration that’s happened consistently through the thirty plus years the label has released music.
The ‘Heavenly remixes’ series continues to showcase the very best remixes, versions, meditations, re-rubs and dubs from all around the world of artists right across the roster of the country’s most exciting record label. In most cases, the albums offer the first physical release for a remix, elevating them from streaming playlists to their rightful, spiritual home on super heavy vinyl (or shiny, super-packed compact disc).
‘Heavenly remixes 7’ heads to Belfast, where David Holmes - a producer who first appeared on Heavenly in 1994 amping up the acid on Saint Etienne’s ‘Like A Motorway’ - appears as solo artist and as one third of Unloved, who get a lift right to the heart of a Vauxhall sweatbox by Horse Meat Disco. It draws a line between Amsterdam and Frankfurt as Ludwig A.F. amps up the electronics on Pip Blom’s ‘Keep It Together’. It stops off in a south London studio where super producer Dan Carey plays the desk with Toy, then relocates LA psych rock band Fever The Ghost to an Ibizan shoreline as the sun sets on the horizon. It cements Sheffield’s reputation as the home of modern British techno with the return of true originators Forgemasters. And it pitches up in front of a renegade soundsystem late night at Glastonbury as Erol Alkan’s mighty rework of Con Man gets its third rewind of the night.
‘Heavenly remixes 8’ opens with Space Afrika’s lush, ambient reimagining of the Orielles’ ‘BEAM/S’ before Justin Robertson stretches Amber Arcades’ ‘Turning Light’ into eight minutes of electronic dub. Elsewhere, Baxter Dury’s peerless ‘Miami’ becomes a string-laden electro skank in the hands of French producer Pilooski; Edinburgh’s bedroom techno genius Eyes of Others’ ‘Safehouse’ turns into an East End bathhouse courtesy of disco deviants Decius; Ashley Beedle’s Black Science Orchestra turns Unloved’s heartworn torch song into seven minutes of glimmering dreamlike percussive house and Katy J. Pearson’s freak flag is flown high thanks to The Umlauts’ throbbing filtered electro mix. It ends similarly to how it began as TONE takes
Fran Lobo’s ‘All I Want’ on a gorgeous slow motion spacewalk.
It was almost inevitable that growing up with a love for trance would eventually result in Trance Wax releasing his own interpretations of the sound. Following on from the release of his eponymous album in 2020, Trance Wax now shifts into a fresh artistic chapter with his sophomore album, ‘Open Up The Night’.
A sixteen-track journey through nostalgia-infused modern trance, ‘Open Up The Night’ symbolizes Trance Wax’s evolution from his early days of adapting trance classics for the modern dance floor. Now homing in on his own interpretation of the genre with an increase in tempo, the Belfast-born DJ and producer created an expansive sonic palette through original productions (‘Adeya’, ‘Aslan’) as well as sample-powered productions (‘Open Up The Night’, ‘Rhythm Of The Night’) that show he means business in this increasingly popular genre.
“Listeners can expect a switch-up in BPM compared with the last album,” says Garry McCartney (Trance Wax). “It’s a reflection of what I love listening to, be it trance or other genres. There’s some drum and bass influences woven in as well as a bit of breakbeat, which adds a new dimension to the whole thing. It’s the product of a good few years of experimentation that resulted in something really fast and exciting.”
IZIPHO SOUL are thrilled to announce the 7” release of the Modern Gospel Soul Banger JESUS MAKES ME HAPPY by RICHARD HARTLEY & SOUL RESURRECTION - Presented on vinyl is ‘The Joyful Exaltation
Edit’, this excludes the rap from the original version.
On the flip side, HEART AND SOUL, a ballad of epic proportions that builds and builds with the finale possessing some of the most gut wrenching vocals you are ever likely to hear. Richard states towards the end that ‘I should be fading
right now’, but finds the strength to come back one more time!
These tracks are taken from the album Face II Face from 2007, the CD is virtually invisible - Discogs history reveals no sales.
Richard Hartley has had a prolific career as a singer and musical director, travelling across the world to work with choirs and musical icons such as Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross. He is pastor
at Haven International Ministries, New York and star of his own reality television show ‘The Rev’.
"Multila" was the third album by Finnish producer Sasu Ripatti under the moniker Vladislav Delay. It compiles the "Huone" and "Ranta" 12"EPs Ripatti released on Basic Channel's Chain Reaction label in 1999 and 2000. The album features six hauntingly murky dub ambient tracks and the impressive 22-minute techno odyssey "Huone."
More than 20 years after its original release as a full-length CD album (Chain Reaction), these iconic recordings of modern electronic music are now available again as a double vinyl edition, featuring a revised artwork by Marc Hohmann that matches the new design of the "Whisteblower" and "Entain" reissues.
"Life films us exactly. Our experience of it, though, lies beyond images and descriptions. Emotions, coming in irrational flashes, are non-figurable. We lose our little connection to them very quickly. We look for forms which promise to take us to our own experience. We construct forms with this in mind: that they can take us to meet the subconscious. Multila's construction is principled this way. Fragments of experience, moments without definition or localisation are captured within tiny fragments of time and then within one's mindspace. We can look into it and see that experience has left some of its data to us. As we receive it, again and again, we are connected and reconnected to certain indefinable moments. Both during and after its recording, Multila is a tool to learn about the unintentional states of us. It is a way to see our own emotional loops. Multila is a soundtrack for vision." - Vladislav Delay in the year 2000
E-Talking crashes onto Love On The Rocks with a 4-track EP that’s weirder, faster and harder than anything Paramida’s ever-evolving imprint has put out to date; pushing the label into new territory that’s simultaneously unexpected and unmistakably true-to-form.
The Berlin-via London-based French producer, one half of the duo & collective Nummer, released his studio debut on AD93 in 2018 and his first album on Going Good in 2021, with productions that are dense, intricate and intoxicating, overflowing with ideas and effortless finesse, qualities all on display on this EP in otherworldly abundance.
The ‘Cosmic Egg’ refers to our modern understanding of the universe as ever-expanding; extrapolated backwards in time, it implies a finite starting-time and a small starting-place, from which the entire cosmos metaphorically hatched.
‘Pads & Frogs’ finds E-Talking in the midst of this process; slowly awakening to find himself up to his eyeballs in a shimmering psychedelic rainforest, awash with swirling pads, lush percussion, tripped-out inter-species vocals and tribal rhythms, building and looping into each other in a joyous dance of life-giving. A cosmic field recording from the incubation of this special egg, recorded somewhere between whatever passes for a rainforest in Berlin and deep, infinite space, sat upon lovingly and diligently by Paramida and Alex while in the process of developing a close friendship with its birth-mother – the three of them keeping it collectively warm and preparing to hatch since early lockdown days.
The time, motherfuckers, is now. After a warm, fuzzy beginning, of course, comes a huge, shattering explosion: ‘Rise Up’ is the EP’s first big leap into new territory, turning up the pace considerably and wasting no time in serving up some seriously pounding cosmic techno, LOTR-style, with some unexpected twists and turns halfway through. It’s all in the switches and details here, and they are so good you will want to literally get naked and lick your speakers for momentary sonic relief.
Unfortunately for you, ‘Life Begins Now’ doesn’t let up, proceeding with the same intensity but a more house sensibility, with layers of percussion and grooves building off each other into a drop which could easily carry the track, but is really just a tease for another twist that sends this one off fully into intricate, exquisite orbit. ‘Neidan’ brings us slowly back to Earth for another slamming house workout with all the hallmarks of a future LOTR classic: sun on the horizon, cosmic energy to infinity, all your friends together on the dance floor. It doesn’t get better than this.
Previously, the universe was thought of as eternally old, with no start and no growth. Boring. This EP exemplifies just how wrong that is: an adrenaline-fuelled salute to the constant creative expansion of the universe, and all the weird beings who inhabit it.
Unleash the soulful sounds of the past with "Who Are You," the second studio album from Soul Liberation. Born from the ministry of Tom Skinner, a former gang leader turned preacher, Soul Liberation rose to fame as the dedicated backing band for Skinner's revival-style Crusades. Touring full-time for 20 years, they played over 260 gigs a year and left a lasting impact on the gospel and Christian music scene. The album was recorded in 1982 at Rainbow Sound, Inc. in Dallas, Texas, and features skilled modern soul instrumentals with gospel-inspired lyrics that reflect the band's dedication to their message. Standout tracks like "Who Are You" and the Chaka Khan-inspired "Touch Me Again" showcase the band's virtuoso performances and unique blend of soul and gospel music. This rare album is highly sought after by soul fans and DJs alike, and has been reissued on BBE Music for the first time in vinyl form. The original mix was done by David Boothe, and the remastering was done with love by Grammy-nominated The Carvery Studio. Don't miss out on this chance to own a piece of music history. Get your copy of "Who Are You" today.
With one foot planted in jazz and the other in the township groove of Mbaqanga, saxophonist Sello Mmutung was a powerful crossover figure in the history of popular music in South Africa. Using the stage name Bra Sello, meaning “brother” and used as a term of affection and respect in the jazz community, he came up in the era of shellac 78s as an exponent of the 1960s sax jive sound that brought the swinging rhythm of kwela into the domain of South African jazz. Despite the injection of American rhythm and blues into South African pop in the late-1960s, Bra Sello’s first releases on vinyl on the CBS label saw him backed by the group Abafana Bentuthuko and holding down an unapologetic township sound.
Joining the independent Soweto label under producer Cambridge Matiwane in the mid-1970s, Bra Sello recorded two records in the hit-making bump jive style popularised by serious jazz musician Dollar Brand on the one hand and prolific studio group the Movers, operating in funk and soul territory, on the other. Blending modern American and traditional African elements into joyful hip-swinging rhythms, Butterfly (1975) and The Battle of Disco (1977) reflect the vivacity of urban life in South Africa and document an era when dance music was performed by bands as extended jams laced with jaw-dropping solos. With music trends shifting dramatically in the late-1970s, the title of The Battle of Disco was an ironic call to arms in response to the territory that group musicians were beginning to cede to synthesisers and DJs.
For enthusiasts of African music from the 1970s, a full appreciation of the continent’s output is incomplete without South Africa’s pop-jazz sound providing a regional counterpoint to the funk experimentation of West Africa. Reissued for the very first time, Bra Sello returns in 2023 with limited replica editions from Afrodelic using master tape sources from the As-Shams/The Sun collection. Afrodelic’s unique edition of Butterfly features a previously unreleased track on Side B.
With one foot planted in jazz and the other in the township groove of Mbaqanga, saxophonist Sello Mmutung was a powerful crossover figure in the history of popular music in South Africa. Using the stage name Bra Sello, meaning “brother” and used as a term of affection and respect in the jazz community, he came up in the era of shellac 78s as an exponent of the 1960s sax jive sound that brought the swinging rhythm of kwela into the domain of South African jazz. Despite the injection of American rhythm and blues into South African pop in the late-1960s, Bra Sello’s first releases on vinyl on the CBS label saw him backed by the group Abafana Bentuthuko and holding down an unapologetic township sound.
Joining the independent Soweto label under producer Cambridge Matiwane in the mid-1970s, Bra Sello recorded two records in the hit-making bump jive style popularised by serious jazz musician Dollar Brand on the one hand and prolific studio group the Movers, operating in funk and soul territory, on the other. Blending modern American and traditional African elements into joyful hip-swinging rhythms, Butterfly (1975) and The Battle of Disco (1977) reflect the vivacity of urban life in South Africa and document an era when dance music was performed by bands as extended jams laced with jaw-dropping solos. With music trends shifting dramatically in the late-1970s, the title of The Battle of Disco was an ironic call to arms in response to the territory that group musicians were beginning to cede to synthesisers and DJs.
For enthusiasts of African music from the 1970s, a full appreciation of the continent’s output is incomplete without South Africa’s pop-jazz sound providing a regional counterpoint to the funk experimentation of West Africa. Reissued for the very first time, Bra Sello returns in 2023 with limited replica editions from Afrodelic using master tape sources from the As-Shams/The Sun collection. Afrodelic’s unique edition of Butterfly features a previously unreleased track on Side B.
Inherently dark but aflush with pop sensibility, Constellations is the 2014 full-length debut from synthpop duo Dead Astronauts (Jared Kyle and Hayley Stewart). The follow-up to 2013’s eponymous EP, it’s an album full of post-punk and new wave inspiration, sure to please fans of Joy Division, Echo and the Bunnymen, and Depeche Mode.
Midnight Mannequin Records is proud to present this deluxe reissue of Constellations, on vinyl for the very first time. A nearly decade-old synthwave classic is now poised to become a modern darkwave hit. Dead Astronauts has always had one foot firmly on synthwave ground, but the band’s willingness to eschew genre limitations and explore the vast spaces of darkwave, goth and everything in between is one of the main reasons Constellations still feels so fresh and unique. An album way ahead of its time. An album that sees two artists at the top of their game who complement each other perfectly. When Kyle’s deep baritone meets Stewart’s ethereal, subdued delivery, the results are magic. A timeless album now in a timeless format; that magic captured and preserved, tactile and eternal
Limited edition on 2xLP transparent neon pink vinyl, housed in a gatefold jacket. Includes OBI strip.




















