After a two-year pause, the PIV label returns with a new release on its ‘Limited’ vinyl only sub label. This time in good company by two legends in the making: Fabe and Alexander Skancke. PIVLIM, as the sublabel is called, focusses on the more underground sound of house music. Fabe provides 3 original very unique sounding tracks, with Alexander showing off his skills on the high energy driving remix. The tracks have shown their effectiveness countless times on dancefloors around the globe, so be sure to get your copy now, as only a limited amount will be pressed on vinyl only.
DJ Support: Lauren Lo Sung, Rossi, Chris Stussy, M-High, Fabe, Alexander Skancke.
deadbeat Records is pleased to announce the launch of their highly anticipated second release, "Farsight - Sorry Mate! EP". Following the success of their debut release, the label continues to push a playfully energetic and late-night sound with this latest offering.
Marshall Smith AKA Farsight brings his characteristically unique flair and top-notch production skills to each track. The release is already getting DJ support from the likes of Emerald, Nikki Nair, Jay Carder, Rnbws, Hunter Starkings, Lex G, Dawn Razor, Plot 45 and Oldfield to name a few - and there are a limited number of records available.
Club U Nite Records is excited to announce the 4 Track EP "Deep Trax Volume 2"
Side A, Track 01: Blak N Orange - Feeling Real Good
Blak N Orange delivers a deep house masterpiece with "Feeling Real Good." This track features a mesmerizing baseline that harkens back to the old-school era of house music. The irresistible vocal example “Feelin’ real good” will make you feel really good on the dance floor!
Side A, Track 02: Black Chunes - Don't Hold Back!
"Don't Hold Back!" by Black Chunes is a house-stomper that combines minimalism with a powerful punch. Its dope and dirty beat is a secret weapon that will ignite dance floors, making it a standout track on this release.
Side B, Track 01: Black Chunes - Feel The Flow
Black Chunes returns with "Feel The Flow," a track that exudes a jazzy, soulful, and groovy vibe. It's a feel-good masterpiece that is sure to bring positive energy to any dance floor, setting the mood for a night of musical delight.
Side B, Track 02: DMA - That Crazy Thang
DMA's "That Crazy Thang" takes us on a journey through classic organ house territory. With a straight, deep, and kicking groove, this track is both timeless and contemporary. Jazzy vocal samples add an extra layer of dopeness to this minimal yet highly effective dance floor weapon.
"Deep Trax Volume 2" is a testament to the enduring appeal of classic house music. Club U Nite Records is proud to present these four tracks, each offering a distinct experience while paying homage to the roots of the genre.
Four tracks from '20 Years Of Phonica' on limited 12" vinyl!
We start off with a collaboration from Paramida & E-Talking. Paramida is the well-respected head of the Love on the Rocks label whilst E-Talking is the pseudonym of Emmanuel Corre, one half of Nummer who have given us stunning releases over the year on their own label, AD93 and Going Good. ‘Read My Lips’ strikes the perfect balance of old-school warehouse acid and early morning Berlin dance floors.
Next up, Dauwd’s bass-heavy monster ‘Slam’. The US born, Berlin residing DJ & producer Dauwd has been pushing his sound through various styles and genres since the early 2010s. From dub-steppy and tech-house beginnings to his most recent house and dub-techno Psssh imprint outputs he has been driving record collectors crazy for his 12’s for over a decade!
On the flip, Daniel Avery's ‘Bell’ finds the Phantasy and Mute artist at his most contemplative and melodic; it’s streamlined stylings reminiscent of UK Artificial Intelligence 90s techno and Kompakt’s golden era.
Finally, Mancunian producer Willow’s ‘Willbush’ shows why she has been a leading name in the underground house scene for over a decade now, including releases on the renowned Workshop label.
Four tracks from '20 Years Of Phonica' on limited 12" vinyl!
At the forefront of jungle’s new wave, Tim Reaper joins forces with Comfort Zone on the drum & bass anthem ‘Subterranean’. One of the heaviest sonic technicians around, Reaper and his collaborator Comfort Zone offer up a quality tune, based around a familiar vocal sample.
Toby Tobias has been a long-time friend of the store, collaborating with the Phonica crew on one of their monthly DJ nights for almost a decade. A prolific produce under many pseudonyms, including Alphonse, and on the Rekids, Klasse Wrecks and Emotional Rescue labels, Toby’s ‘On My Mind’ contribution is a complex house-not-house, bassline-heavy wriggly groover that becomes more compelling at every listen.
NTS Radio presenter and Eglo artist Shy One has been attracting attention with an original sound that is a mixture of live percussion, and funk mixed with UK bass. Here, ’Uncle G’ offers exactly that, combining broken beat, heavy bass and jazz sensibilities for a breezy, refreshing offering.
Finally, our own Kieran Jandu rounds out the 12" with his ‘From My Soul’, a hypnotic house anthem.
Growing up in the 90s in rural upper Austria, Jakobin spent his time with skateboarding and listening to lots of hip hop before witnessing the halcyon days of the Vienna downbeat era and later being introduced to Austrias club culture. Pursuing his growing passion for collecting vinyl, he started spinning his first records in the region and later moved to the Austrian capitol.
There he quickly connected with likeminded people. Quickly getting immersed in the Viennese electronic music scene, he started producing and DJing with his longtime friend Domino under the moniker Jakobin & Domino and became founding members of Luv Shack Records in 2011. After a number of successful releases he started his solo career and began working on his live setup. His growing collection of analog gear helped shaping his productions. An overview of his current sound is expressed on his new record ‚Forever More‘. Heavily influenced on 90s UK house productions this 3-track EP will activate your senses and move your body with its groovy basslines and drums, creating an irresistible rhythm.
L'estasi Dell'oro returns with 'Back From the Woodshed,' a 12" EP that showcases a finely-tuned sound and improved groove, marking this comeback on Danza Tribale. The opening track, 'The Best Yet,' features the vocals of Crystal Boyd-a familiar voice for those in the know, as she made her debut appearance with L'estasi on Voodoo Down 001 in 2012. Sadie LaPierre Ernst, known for her lyrical contributions on Field Records and Macro Recordings since 2015, lends her voice once again on this release.
Label owner Adiel offers a high-speed remix that complements Sadie's words with a steady gallop. The overall aesthetic of this record is beautifully encapsulated in 'The Marsh Flower, a Sad Human Head,' drawing inspiration from Odilon Redon's original illustration from 1885. The EP concludes with a beatless edit of 'The Best Yet' under L'estasi's resurrected Penalune alias-a project that debuted over a decade ago with two albums released on Something Records by STL, followed by a collection for TvO's Broken20 label.
Hailing from Mexico City, Louie Fesco is as cool as his name states, he is never lame. Louie can make a Tiesto t-shirt cool, just by cutting off the sleeves and wearing it. Mr. Cool has graced many top labels over the last decade and made these labels even cooler, his outing on CV
Could be one of his best and coolest, #truestorybro.
On this crispy 12 inch he delivers a masterclass on party rocking grooves, proper basslines and drummy hooks (not to be confused with dummy hookers).
So to speak- a perfect weapon in your vinyl arsenal (not “Vinyl Arsenal” the amateur football team made up of various aging UK Djs).
On the remix duty, we get some heavy hitters from the ever mysterious Gathaspar. We heard he gets his inspiration from tiny elves that are only found in Munich catacombs. When asked about these tiny elves on Instagram, he leaves you on “seen”. His OP vinyl series are instant hits and collectors items among bearded vinyl nerds, and people who use a lot of bedroom hand lotion. These remixes are monsters- I know, I tested them myself in raves to people and they responded by dancing.
In short, if you are a Dj who likes nasty records to rock parties, this is a must, and if you’re a creepy Discogs shark, this is sure to go up in value.
Why do we even write these write ups?
I’m not sure, and if you are still reading this instead of listening to the 12 inch, I don’t know what else to say to you.
I guess I’ll give you the “ your good enough, your smart enough, and god darn it- people like you” words to get you thru the day.
Ever amazed by the external world and its natural surroundings, Belgian producer Dijf Sanders has a habit of turning himself towards the unknown for inspiration. After praised albums based on field trips to Indonesia (Java, 2017) and Nepal (Puja, 2020) he found himself challenged by the traditional chants from Georgia. Diving deep into its sounds, people and heritage with open eyes and ears, he traveled to the Eurasian land in the South Caucasus in 2022. The field recordings and impressions of this journey make the blueprint for new, meticulously crafted compositions that ripened in his studio and transcend its original source material in time and space.
SUPRA offers nine diverse explorations ranging from spaced-out folk, ethereal trance, ambient with a melodic sense of drama and lush electronica channeling 90's IDM energy fields. Bound by dynamic depth in sound design, this is electronic music with a heavy heart - for all tracks share a primal sense of nostalgia in which traditional music from the Georgian motherland baths. From a pastoral love song about a buffalo (Mingrelian Song) or a ceremonial wedding hymn (What You Give Away Is Yours, What You Don't Is Lost) to a lullaby (Bird's Milk)... Georgia is a land of contemplative singing and its music scene today is still dominated by modal vocalists and harmonic choirs with pride.
With the help and recording equipment of the Folklore State Centre (Tbilisi) and in collaboration with Europalia Georgia festival, Dijf Sanders found contemporary choirs willing to lend their voices for this project. Next to these voice samples, the Georgian countryside and nature delivered source material for more samples and textures as well. The name of the record refers to the traditional Georgian feast where a large table filled with food, drinks and singing.
Kimochi Sound welcomes back regular artist Shielding for another standout entry into the label's catalogue, this time on wax with a lovely hand-sprayed sleeve. It's a deep exploration of supple rhythm here with 'Ceiling Licker' mix up diffuse ambient arps and organic sounds from the great outdoors with a bubbling bassline. 'Hundred' is a trippy late night cut with a ghostly atmosphere and muted bells and chords drifting into earshot from way off in the distance. 'Kvadrat' is a late-night collaboration with Maeteriet from Sewer Sender Records that overlays a rubbery minimal rhythm with deft synth details and curious hooks to make for dark but ultimately charming listening.
In striking daubs of bled-out colour and finely sculpted layers of instrumentation, Lord of the Magi arrives on Tartelet Archives with an album of ambient reflections.
Copenhagen-based Theo Nicola Anker has different sides to his musical output. But on Soul Exchange, he shakes off stylistic concerns to focus on a purer emotional expression. It’s an instinctive paean to the pastoral life he grew up with, sent with love from his city-centre apartment. His chosen tools – guitars, pedals, synths – are the medium of the message. “I appreciate music with personality, character, and charisma,” Anker says, “so I always strive to create tracks that tell a story and evoke a specific atmosphere. No single idea for a track is solely melodic, rhythmic, compositional, or focused on mix techniques. It's always about the bigger picture, the overall vibe.”
On Soul Exchange, the overarching mood is an inviting, becalming one, but there’s plenty of space for melancholy and even a little friction. That’s apparent in the natural synergy of the organic and electronic elements as much as the emotional content, rounding out as a wholesome, holistic listening experience.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (OMD) return with their 14th studio album Bauhaus Staircase, over six years after the triumph of their Top 4-charting record The Punishment of Luxury. The album was born from the impetus to kickstart new explorations during lockdown when as Andy McCluskey admits: “I rediscovered the creative power of total boredom.”
The album’s first offering as a single is the title track which serves as a nod both to Andy McCluskey’s love of the Bauhaus era & the power of protest art. “I am a huge lover of visual arts especially mid 20th century movements” Andy comments. “The song is a metaphor for strength and artist passion in the face of criticism and adversity. When times are hard there is a tendency for Governments to look at cutting funding for creativity just at the moment when the arts are most needed to nourish our souls. It seems appropriate that the song and its eponymous album were created during Covid Lockdown.”
Ranging further from the beautiful film noir ballad of ‘Veruschka’ and the dance stylings of ‘Anthropocene’ - a term for the current epoch in Earth’s evolution to the sinister ‘Evolution Of Species’ and the hectic ‘Kleptocracy’ - OMD’s greatest straight-up protest song - the new album is a broad electronic sonic masterpiece that lyrically tackles the topics of the future. The record closes on ‘Healing’ - a moment of reflective calm.
By rights OMD should be in semi-retirement performing classics like Enola Gay and Maid Of Orleans on the nostalgia festival circuit like so many peers. Instead they’ve created a landmark album worthy of their finest work. Bauhaus Staircase remains unmistakably the work of a duo who are still perfectly in sync 45 years after their first gig at legendary Liverpool club Eric’s.
“I’m very happy with what we’ve done on this record" McCluskey summarises. “I’m comfortable if this is OMD’s last statement.”
Lilas Records Unleashes Third Installment, Featuring Pioneering Talent: Tarek Charbonnier and Krif — Lilas Records, the vanguard of underground house music, proudly announces the release of its highly anticipated third project. The brainchild of label founders and revered "Into the Woods" residents, Tarek Charbonnier and Krif, this latest offering transports listeners on a sonic journey echoing the vibrant essence of their signature London sets. Their distinctive soundscapes have thrived within the enigmatic embrace of warehouses and clandestine party spots.
Hailing from the heart of London but now firmly rooted in Montpellier, Lilas Records' latest release is a testament to the duo's unwavering commitment to shaping the future of electronic music. Drawing inspiration from their illustrious careers, Charbonnier and Krif's original productions are set to captivate audiences, uniting diverse elements into an immersive auditory experience.
In an electrifying collaboration, Lilas Records enlists Romanian DJ luminaries Cristi Cons and Nu Zau to reimagine these cutting-edge compositions. With an illustrious history in shaping the electronic music landscape, these maestros bring their distinctive flair to the table, ensuring a riveting reimagining of Charbonnier and Krif's groundbreaking work.
Limited to an exclusive run of 300 copies, this release has already garnered fervent support from a distinguished roster of industry heavyweights including Raresh, Reiss, Ramona Yacef, NTFO, Enzo Siraguza, Silat Beksi, and more. Lilas Records' third offering stands poised to make an indelible mark on the global underground music scene.
Paisley Park Enterprises, in Partnership with Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Records, announces expanded reissue of Prince & the New Power Generation’s multi-platinum album Diamonds And Pearls. This 2LP contains Diamonds And Pearls remastered for the very first time by Prince’s original mastering engineer Bernie Grundman.
Diamonds And Pearls is the thirteenth studio album by Prince, and was the first with his new backing band, The New Power Generation. Featuring six massive international singles, including the hits “Gett Off”, “Cream”, and the iconic title track, the album was a worldwide smash reaching multi-platinum status in the USA and the UK, where it remains his best-selling album.
The New Power Generation was a band that Prince believed in so wholeheartedly that he gave them co-credit on the cover of Diamonds And Pearls, something he’d only done previously with one other band, The Revolution. The group consisted of Sonny Thompson (vocals & bass), Damon Dickson (vocals & percussion), Rosie Gaines (vocals & keyboards), Michael Bland (drums), Kirk Johnson (vocals & percussion), Tony M (vocals), Levi Seacer, Jr. (bass, guitar & vocals), and Tommy Barbarella (keyboards).
Paisley Park Enterprises, in Partnership with Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Records, announces expanded reissue of Prince & the New Power Generation’s multi-platinum album Diamonds And Pearls. This 2LP contains Diamonds And Pearls remastered for the very first time by Prince’s original mastering engineer Bernie Grundman.
Diamonds And Pearls is the thirteenth studio album by Prince, and was the first with his new backing band, The New Power Generation. Featuring six massive international singles, including the hits “Gett Off”, “Cream”, and the iconic title track, the album was a worldwide smash reaching multi-platinum status in the USA and the UK, where it remains his best-selling album.
The New Power Generation was a band that Prince believed in so wholeheartedly that he gave them co-credit on the cover of Diamonds And Pearls, something he’d only done previously with one other band, The Revolution. The group consisted of Sonny Thompson (vocals & bass), Damon Dickson (vocals & percussion), Rosie Gaines (vocals & keyboards), Michael Bland (drums), Kirk Johnson (vocals & percussion), Tony M (vocals), Levi Seacer, Jr. (bass, guitar & vocals), and Tommy Barbarella (keyboards).
Mr Beatnick & Richard Greenan present their debut full length collaboration, "??????". Brought together by their twin residencies on NTS Radio, the duo have forged distinct paths in respective scenes over the last decade - as producers, DJs and label heads of imprints Mythstery and Kit Records.
The strength of their partnership is built on contrasting styles; Mr Beatnick's sound orbits the woozier fringes of house and hip-hop, while Richard Greenan has settled in the cracks between ambient, textural experimentation and the avant-garde. Here, these approaches coalesce in unexpected ways - with violin, harp, guitar and saxophone finding themselves serrated by volleys of percussion and punchily melodic bass.
With much of the music recorded during the pair's residency in Margate, the album documents a weekend toasted and skewed progressively sideways. The opening salvo of cascading synth muscle ("Goodnight Mush") and fragmented acoustic stepper ("Superb Crafty Gardens") could evoke Devo and Pete Rock breaking fried toast over a dirty fry up. Side A's pop sensibilities peak on the lucidly string-laden "Harbour Arms", complete with pristine guest vocal by bb sway.
Then, like the work of a pair of pissed beavers, things start to get pretty weird. Familiar structures ferment laterally, from the midi swamp-hop of "Bellows of the Earth", to the cooked techno-funk stylings of "Bronze Pears". "How to Draw Roger" offers a magma-like credits roll, the sun's purple yolk poached over a hoppy sea of amber.
Aphrose reveals her sophomore album, 'Roses,' a captivating amalgamation of Neo-Soul and R&B, delving into the wellspring of ancestral strength and love.
Hailing from Toronto, Canada, Aphrose, also known as Joanna Mohammed, unveils her sophomore album, establishing her as one of Toronto's best-kept musical treasures. Known for her commanding vocal prowess within her hometown, this gifted songwriter and vocalist is rapidly garnering global acclaim and accolades from both fans and music critics alike. Signed to independent Soul label LRK Records, 'Roses' remains firmly rooted in Aphrose's signature style characterized by resounding R&B vocals. However, it also embraces a softer, more introspective aura that brilliantly showcases her remarkable versatility in navigating diverse genres, moods, and musical approaches with remarkable finesse.
This album offers a little something for everyone, catering to enthusiasts of Neo-soul, traditional Soul, Hip Hop, and R&B. Produced by her longtime friends/collaborators at SafeSpaceship Music (Scott McCannell, Chino De Villa, Ben Macdonald), the album serves as a compelling testament to the collective creativity of Aphrose and this exceptional production trio, delivering a kaleidoscope of soundscapes, textures, rhythms, and grooves. 'Roses' weaves together both lighthearted and profound elements as Aphrose explores her life journey, delving into her familial past and present, grappling with the challenges of new motherhood, and contemplating her relationships with herself, her partner, and her friends. Across the 35-minute LP, Aphrose draws inspiration from Neo-soul icons like Jill Scott and Erykah Badu, pays homage to Soul legends such as Aretha Franklin and MJ, and infuses contemporary R&B influences from artists like Frank Ocean, SiR, and SZA. The result is a sound that distinctly bears the 'Aphrose sound,' reflecting her deep admiration for her inspirations while imparting a refreshing twist to familiar genres.
The album commences with its title track, 'Roses,' which was released as a single on August 25th. This song sets the stage, invoking the strength of Aphrose's ancestors, particularly her late Grandmother Rose. Following suit is 'YaYa,' also released as a single on July 7th. This buoyant dance track whisks listeners back to the disco era of the late 70s and early 80s. The album's third track, 'Heavenly Father,' offers a brief interlude featuring a recording of Aphrose's Grandmother Rose engaged in prayer, setting the tone for the subsequent track, 'In The Time Of Sorrow.' This contemplative, chill piece captures Aphrose's musings on navigating a world often shrouded in fakery, while craving authenticity. 'Honey (Don't) Come Back' seamlessly transitions between two distinct musical personalities, commencing with a deep, almost Trap-like bass/drum beat before transforming into a spirited Funk/Soul jam—an anthem of empowerment encouraging the listener to leave a situationship that is no longer working. 'What You Don't See' strips the production down to its core, as Aphrose and guitarist/co-writer Heather Crawford craft an intimate ode to a friendship's sad ending.
The B-side opens with the evocative 'Weapons,' featuring a five-person choir including LRK label-mate Claire Davis, Nevon Sinclair (Daniel Caesar and LOONY), Kyla Charter (Aysanabee and Alessia Cara), Lydia Persaud, and Marla Walters. The track is adorned with a stirring string arrangement courtesy of Jessica Deutsch. 'Chop The Cake' acts as a breather, interlude-style, easing the intensity. 'Soft Nuclear' channels the spirit of the early 2000s R&B movement, bearing traces of influence from Lucy Pearl. 'Good Love,' released as the first single off this body of work on May 19th, transports listeners to the 70s with its soulful resonance, drawing inspiration from the likes of Michael Jackson and Teddy Pendergrass. 'Higher' stands as Aphrose's tribute to Prince, capturing the essence of his music within its hook and production. The album's culmination arrives with 'ZAG,' an acronym derived from Aphrose's daughter's name, commencing with the sound of her daughter's heartbeat in-utero from a sonogram taken when Aphrose was pregnant. This heartfelt composition serves as a dedication to her daughter and all parents navigating the rollercoaster of parenthood, emphasizing the imperative of nurturing love to shape the future.
'Roses' stands as Aphrose's homage to her history—her Grandma Rose and the ancestral trailblazers who paved her path to the present life she enjoys; her current experiences—her self-discovery, her relationships with her partner and friends; and her aspirations for the future—her daughter and the generations to come. This album crystallizes these temporal dimensions, prompting introspection, celebration, laughter, and tears. 'Roses' is a musical odyssey that scrutinizes the multifaceted beauty of existence, inviting listeners to partake in this thing called life.
The radio world has taken notice of Aphrose's talent, with national Radio Capital's Italy Massimo Oldani spinning her latest single "YaYa" for the entire month of July on his show "Vibe." And both singles getting to number 10 in the UK soul chart.Additionally, Aphrose has received national radio play on renowned stations such as BBC in the UK, RTVE in Spain, and Radio France FIP.
Aphrose has also made CBC's Top 100 finalist list for their Searchlight competition.
Huey Morgan played "YaYa" the second track off the album on his BBC radio six show
The Stallions compilations have become a benchmark of Bosconi's position as one of the leading house and techno labels operating out of Italy. This third instalment marks a shift in sound which also comes full circle to the music that first inspired founder Fabio Della Torre as a DJ and producer around the turn of the millennium, when punchy electro production was driving European house and techno into new zones.
All the artists featured on Vol. III are Italian, holding true to Bosconi's commitment to supporting local talent from Florence and across the country. Amongst the familiar faces is Della Torre's own Minimono collaboration with Ennio Colaci, which indulges a proudly manic palette of tweaked bleeps and dirty low-end. Elsewhere, recent additions to the Bosconi fold include veritable legends Alexander Robotnick and Marco Passarani, who infuse their unpredictable approaches to electro-techno and italo disco with ear-snagging synth-pop and driving analogue box jams respectively to create vibrant, impassioned dancefloor monsters.
The Mechanical Man is an alias from Nicola Altieri, who leans in on a classic Italo arpeggio to create a seductive club sound which builds on his recent Bosconi EXV EP, while Cixxx J switches from the mood of his own Bosconi appearance for a new alias Queen Of Coins and a pivot towards heads-down electro-techno-trance with a whiff of International Deejay Gigolos. Lapucci builds on the promise of his 2021 Bosconi 12" with a sentimental fusion track which lands somewhere between old school Italo house, the snappy pulse of EBM and crisp 00s-era electro house. Meanwhile modern day Italian techno legend Lucretio of The Analogue Cops makes his first appearance on Bosconi with the playful video game stylings of 'Gradius'.
A great deal of space on Vol. III is given over to emergent talent, ranging from Miguel Herr's twitchy detroitian synth-pop braindance and Twovi's vocoder-charged electro funk to DJ Rou's jacking ghetto house flavour. Giammarco Orsini and Jacopo Latini appear as Data Memory Access and deliver an emotive, punchy strain of machine soul. Feel Fly rounds the compilation off in bombastic style with an epic, cinematic workout which draws on Moroder-inspired drama without losing the forthright peak-time focus which binds the whole collection together.
Even the artwork on Vol. III serves as an opportunity to celebrate Italian creativity, as pioneering crypto artist Niro Perrone builds on his accomplished work in the field of NFTs and a background in music production to respond intuitively to the vibrant, synthetic sound of the compilation. For all the futurism in the music though, there remains a strong sense of human feeling which has marked Bosconi out since the beginning. The label remains as inspired and inspiring as ever, celebrating the fertile crossover when people manipulate technology to express themselves in an honest, playful way. Independent of wider trends or fashions, Bosconi remains true to its own idiosyncratic passions, and so Bosconi Stallions Vol. III stands proud as a compilation like no other.
Next up on Toolroom’s 4-track vinyl sampler series is 4 killer cuts from our latest repertoire.
Kicking off with another straight up, dance floor weapon, Essel lands back on the label with brand-new single, ‘Sweat’. Her toughest sounding record to date that captures the post-rave moment, cementing herself as one of the hottest new talents to emerge in the electronic music scene.
Next up, Parisian born and US based tech house producer Shiba San debuts on Toolroom with a seriously wonky affair alongside studio buddy, Ayarez, aptly titled ‘Twist It’.
Up next on the sampler, is the return of longstanding label favourite Friend Within with his rolling tech house banger ‘Pilka’. Having landed 2 of the hottest tracks on Toolroom last year with ‘Monkey Bars’ and ‘Bring It Down’ which saw sweeping support flood in from across the scene, including Paul Woolford (Special Request) Salute, LF System, Dom Dolla and many more, friend within is officially back for 2023!
Completing the EP, we welcome sola regulars and one of the freshest, most exciting dance music duos to come out of the UK in recent years, Maur who lock horns with chart topping US based Westend, for a label debut set to become 2023’s festival anthem - ‘Over’.
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
This is the second time out for the Wormholes on AllChival following on from their You Never See the Stars When it Rains anthology release. This one is a previously unreleased album recorded in a concise burst of seven nights in Dublin’s Sun Studios in the spring of 1996. It was originally envisaged as being The Wormholes’ second album, the follow up to their 1994 debut Chicks Dig Scars. Unfortunately the end result of the sessions - Parijuana - would not only be ignored by their label of the time (Roadrunner Records) - but would also just as quickly be dismissed by the band themselves.
Eamonn Crudden, the manager of the band, had manged to extract some money from Roadrunner to record demos of new tracks as soon as the release cycle for their debut was over. The budget was so tight that it covered studio time but was not even enough to buy the master tapes. With things going south with the label – a classic 90’s tale of the A&R man who championed their cause heading off elsewhere the minute they signed - the intention was to go in and aim to record an album rather than demos - with the intention of releasing it on another independent label to keep the momentum around the band going.
However by this stage the Wormholes were totally wrapped up in listening to Can, Faust and generally exploring music based on casual recording, improvisations and extemporization. For them the album was too ‘rock’ and – having been dropped by Roadrunner - they no longer felt under any obligation to release it. To them it was time for a fresh start. Their next recordings would not be ‘for’ anyone but themselves. Today bassist Anto Carroll admits that “at times we were our own worst enemies” and with the benefit of hindsight both he and guitarist Graham Blackmore wish they had gone ahead and released this album at the time. However, back then, they thought they could do better and they did go on to make inventive and unique sounding versions of some of these songs with Stan Erraught producing just a short time later. These recordings were eventually released by Dead Elvis in 1999 - along with a couple of ‘adjusted’ tracks from the Sun Studios sessions - on Parijuana: 4 Years in Captivity.
It’s highly unlikely that listeners today will share the band’s view that the abum was too ‘clean’. This version of Parijuana is dirty, raw, messy with plenty of experimentation and extemporisation. The songwriting is as strong as that on their Chicks Dig Scars debut. The music is played with a new confidence and swagger, very much the sound of a band rooted in a wave of US ‘lo-fi’ finding their own sound. It’s the missing link between their conventional Pavement/Sebadoh influenced debut to the more drawn out, free roaming and extemporised second album proper Scorpio The Album.
Ed Sheeran’s brand-new album Autumn Variations will be available for pre-order on the 24th August at 5pm before a worldwide release on the 29th September. It will be available to stream on all platforms as well as purchase physically as a CD or various limited Vinyl editions.
Ed Sheeran is an era-defining artist who has sold over 52 million albums and 150 million singles across the world. Through his fusion of thought-provoking songwriting, universal pop and multi-genre influence, his rich tapestry is not only perfectly suited to his audience but it’s something that transcends generations.
Since surfacing on the UK circuit in 2010 with his ‘No.5 Collaborations Project’ – an eight-track EP featuring his favourite grime artists of the time – the Suffolk-raised recording artist has resonated with fans across the world through his peerless songcraft and versatility. And now, with six consecutive UK No.1 albums to his name – ‘+’ (2011), ‘x’ (2014), ‘÷’ (2017), ‘No.6 Collaborations Project’ (2019), ‘=’ (2021) and ‘-‘ (2023) – Sheeran continues to reaffirm his status as one of the most in-demand pop stars on the planet.
Prior to the release of ‘=’ (October 2021) – an album that’s now surpassed five million global sales - Sheeran secured two UK No.1 singles in the UK with ‘Bad Habits’ and ‘Shivers’, which sat atop the UK’s Official Singles Chart for a combined total of 15 weeks. Moreover, the LP saw him take home 2 x EMA’s for ‘Best Artist’ and ‘Best Song’; an American Music Award for ‘Favourite Male Pop Artist’; British GQ’s ‘Solo Artist of the Year’; 4 x Los40 Awards; a BRIT Award for ‘Songwriter of the Year’ alongside a nomination for ‘Song of the Year’ at the 2022 GRAMMY’s.
Sheeran’s most recent album, Subtract, secured Ed his sixth No.1 album. Produced by Aaron Dessner, the album was anchored in his love of singer/songwriter compositions and written against a backdrop of personal grief and hope. Ed’s most critically-acclaimed album to date, it housed the heart wrenching UK No.1 single ‘Eyes Closed’ – a song about his late friend, Jamal Edwards.
But it’s not just his recorded music that’s seen the former Glastonbury headliner become one of the sought-after artists of the 21st century. Possessing a mystical ability to turn 90,000 capacity venues into the pub back-rooms that he first started playing in, Ed made history in 2015 after becoming the first-ever artist to play Wembley Stadium solo - without a band, just with his guitar and loop pedal - over three, consecutive sold out nights. Move forward to the summer of 2019 and Ed would re-enter history books after the completion of his mammoth two-year Divide tour, officially becoming the most-attended tour of all time after it culminated with special homecoming shows in Ipswich, Suffolk. Beginning last summer, Ed is currently travelling the world on his ‘+ - = ÷ x Tour’ (pronounced ‘The Mathematics Tour’), which saw him return to Wembley Stadium for a five-night run last June.
Ed Sheeran, who was awarded an MBE for his services to music and charity in 2017, is the proud recipient of 1 x IFPI Award (best-selling global artist of 2017); 4 x Grammys; 4 x Ivor Novello’s; 7 x BRIT Awards (including two consecutive wins for ‘Global Success’ in 2018 and 2019); 7 x Billboard Awards + more. Moreover, to this day, his blockbusting third studio album ‘÷’ remains the fastest-selling album, ever, by a male artist in the UK, while the LP’s lead single, ‘Shape of You’, maintains its status as the most-streamed song in Spotify’s history.
At the end of 2019, Sheeran was presented with the Official Chart Company’s first-ever ‘No.1 Artist of the Decade’ award following a host of accomplishments in his native UK including the most No.1’s across the UK’s Official Singles and Albums chart from the years 2010-2019. Most recently, Ed scored two more feats with the OCC after becoming the first British Solo Artist to claim 52 weeks – an entire year – at No.1 on the Official UK Singles Chart, with only Elvis Presley and The Beatles achieving more overall weeks at the top, as well as becoming the first-ever artist with four albums spending an entire year or more in the UK Top 10.
Halbert kicks off "OUR STORY“ EP with no fear and no compromises to his sound legacy. It has been produced during the last year in the neighborhood of Santa Catalina - where everything is happening - under the experience and influence of local parties such as private villas and small sweaty clubs.
A1 "OLEEVA" features a weird half-tempo break, grooving along a 4x4 kick and Bmore loop style. The "Spanish" trumpets act as an irresistible hook, leaving a long lasting impression. A fusion of folklore and timeless sounds, "Oleeva" is a true party anthem that defies genres. Continuing the journey, A2 "WHAT IS IT?" is a playful cocktail-Molotov made of fat FM rolling bassline, slap bass guitar, arabic strings, and other mind-bending surprises. Get ready to let loose and immerse yourself in this freaky gem.
On the flip, B1 "SECRET PATH" delivers a functional old catchy house jam with a non-directional arrangement where organic meets dark electronic synth sound. An ideal companion for a pool party or daytime vibes. Wrapping up the EP, B2 ”POWER UP!" shines as a high energy breakbeat tune influenced by Plank Records sound. Featuring an evolving big guitar synth stab, lively percussion, uplifting trancy synths and robust old school bass.
Mixed by Halbert and Hamid at MariaDiaz Studio. Mastered by Marco Pellegrino at AnalogCutMastering Berlin.
Next up on Toolroom’s 4-track vinyl sampler series is a juicy selection of the hottest new releases from 2023. Long-standing member of the toolroom family, Martin Ikin lays down an absolute stomper on with ‘Oscill8’. German DJ and production duo Raumakustik and French DJ and producer Tony Romera, land with their deep club weapon ‘That Groove’.
One of dance music’s hottest acts right now Low Steppa, drops his seriously exciting debut collaboration with label favourite Crusy - ‘BFG’. Rounding off the package is another main label debut from Eden Prince who arrives with new single, ‘Get Down’.
First released in 1996 on the one off label Quake Records, K.G. Beat’s (a.k.a. Kenneth Graham) “Breathing Engine” EP is reissued by Coming From… Returning To…
Tiella Sound is a project born in 2019 from the mind of Italian DJ Luca Bigote that started as a radio show currently airing on French LYL Radio, and now debuting in the record label ecosystem with its first official release, pressed in a limited edition of only 200 copies.
The vision and mission of the entire project are quite clear and based on the principle of musical eclecticism. Luca Bigote, in fact, from the very beginning has never wanted to set boundaries to his creature, which, following an open-minded approach, flirts with the most disparate sounds, not exclusively club-oriented ones, focusing on the quality and research that have always distinguished his path.
For its first release, Tiella Sound has chosen Perugia-born DJ and producer Daniele Tomassini, already known for his records under the Feel Fly moniker, who presents us with the first LP from his alter ego VAISA.
This work consists of unreleased tracks composed between 2014 and 2016, during the intense creative period that saw him involved in more experimental and alternative projects such as Palenque Pacal trio and Wunder Camera duo. This material finally sees the light, a few years after the inspiring live performance during the second edition of Esperimenti (January 2017), the music festival curated by Luca himself together with his friend and colleague Matteo Lieto in Gaeta, Italy.
“VAISA is a dense, raw, evocative project. A lo-fi maelstrom of field recordings, sound collage, mysterious vocal samples from ancient cultures, obscure rhythms and layered tribal percussions, ambient clouds, dub echoes, with the martial tolling of the kick drum beating out the slow electronic ritual” (Caveargento): a deep and timeless journey, ready to drive all the lovers of the most abstract and primitive sounds into ecstasy.
Cover versions of international songs have long thrived in South Africa’s music industry. Often unable to license the original tracks (until the early 90s the result of an international boycott of the country) labels instead hired producers and session artists to re-record them for the local market. Early house music in SA was no different.
When Ron ‘Robot’ Friedman, former bass player for local rockers Rabbitt, was winding down his label On Records in the early 90s, he reached out for new inspiration as the popularity of ‘bubblegum’ disco waned. For one of the label’s final releases he hired young DJ/producer Quentin Foster, obsessed with the new soulful house sound coming out of the US, to take the reins on a studio project dubbed Citi Express.
On Robot’s insistence it included a cover of Stevie Wonder’s ‘Living for the City’ (from 1973’s Innervisions) as the title track. Foster set to work in his home studio, dubbed Tone Def, selecting and re-working other US and UK tracks — ‘It’s Too Late’ (originally released in 1989 by Kelli Sae), ‘Love is the Message’ (influenced by the 70s soul anthem and credited to Gamble & Huff but bearing a closer resemblance to Better Days’ 1990 release written by Steve Proctor), ‘People of The World’ (recorded by Sorell Johnson in the UK in 1990) and ‘Victim of Your Love’ (released in 1990 by Gary Vonqwest as ‘Victim of Love’) — adding some signature South African touches in the process that foreshadow the imminent rise of kwaito. One original composition was added for good measure, ‘Open Invitation’.
The result offers a glimpse into those early days of house, a uniquely South African take on a global sound that still resonates today — reissued for the first time on Afrosynth Records.
Crucial Toronto rapper / producer / DJ myst milano. returns with thrilling new album Beyond the Uncanny Valley, an exhilarating ride through hedonistic experimental hip-hop and house music that reinterprets the breadth of Black electronic music with addictive singular energy.
“I offer Beyond the Uncanny Valley as a working anthology of Black electronic music across generational, geographical and genre lines,” myst milano. writes. “I thought a lot about staples of Black art across the world that can be traced back to Africa, and that link the diaspora regardless of where our people end up and throughout all eras.”
A mighty example of this omnivorous and multifaceted awareness of Black creativity, Beyond the Uncanny Valley is a tidal wave, swallowing up Canadian House, Detroit Electro, Chicago Footwork, UK Jungle and Dubstep, Jersey / Baltimore / Philly Club, Southern Hip-Hop and West Coast Funk into the trail of euphoric destruction left by myst milano.’s trademark grimy, sweaty, lusty neo-R&B take on contemporary hip-hop.
Opening with “Thirteen”, the album hits with punch and immediacy. The track’s thumping kick and swirling, haunted synthesis represent myst milano.’s keen ability to nurture perfect symbiosis between production, arrangement and lyrical theme. It is equal parts dreamy, provocative, sexy and powerful, and, together, entirely unique to myst’s creative voice. As with Beyond the Uncanny Valley as a whole, it is evocatively storytelling, mixing vivid imagery with slick wordplay. We are introduced to myst’s groupie (formerly “a hater”), as their crew “causes damage you can’t afford”, while witty threats and erudite posturing flow out over a steadily expanding instrumentation that mimics myst’s breathless, sweatbox DJ sets.
“Ring Ring” is another key track. Glitching nuclear alarms give way to a bulldozing kick drum and in-the-red distortion on myst’s voice. The vocals hit at breakneck speed while the production retains a dirty, dirging stomp. It is formidable, intense, fun, and intimidating in all the right ways.
Underpinning the album is a mechanised female voice that has possessed the record like a replicant ghost. “When we go beyond the uncanny valley, we reach a state of perfect harmony where the robot has mimicked the human to the point of being indistinguishable,” myst says. “Who are we when we become perfect imitations of what the world wants instead of who we really are, which is imperfect and flawed and a little uncanny, anyway?” While the music of Beyond the Uncanny Valley is human, with real emotion and expression, it occasionally flirts with the beyond, reaching into a near future where reality and technology bleed into one.
Beyond the Uncanny Valley is myst milano.’s second full length, following 2021’s rapturously received debut Shapeshyfter, and a monstrously successful accompanying house remix on the UK’s legendary Defected Records.
The latest Greyscale vinyl release is here and is destined to be a dub techno club staple. Featuring one of the best current dub techno producers in Federsen. This physical release is jam packed with club tracks as the flip side features remixes by the amazing Deadbeat and our own grad_u.
Federsen is elite with making catchy grooves like in the first featured track 'Penumbra'. The hypnotic sounds work terrifically in unison to form one of the most seductive tracks we have heard recently. Subtle movements and engrossing tribal rhythm make this a sure-fire dancefloor groover.
'Viridis' focuses more on the melodic chord side while it balances a wonderful deep dub bassline. Spatial and hypnotic are words that come to mind when we heard this for the first time. This is one of those tracks you sway and close your eyes too. Pure dream state stuff.
Deadbeat's dancehall dub Penumbra is magic. This has classic stamped all over it. The Dancehall description might put some classic dub techno fans off. Just come listen and experience this unique song. You just can't deny this! Sick.
Knowing that he is sharing a side with legendary Deadbeat, grad_u puts some extra muscle into his remix of 'Viridis'. Flighty and techy, we just love this futuristic fast-moving sound and we can't get enough of it. An awesome way to end the record.
Also, for an extra treat, there will be a 2 special remixes by Basicnoise of each main track added as bonuses to those who purchase the vinyl.
Greyscale vinyl #11 is sure to be one of the hottest techno records out this year!
Red hot Italian DJ and production collective Aura Safari is back with a second full-length album, Island Dreams. It lands on Hell Yeah Recordings on September 15th and is another live and sun-kissed odyssey through balmy Mediterranean evenings, gorgeous sundown sessions and funky analogue grooves.
Andrea Moretti, Lorenzo Lavoratori, Daniele Melloni, Nicholas Iammatteo, Lorenzo Francioli, Ruggero Bonucci and Nicola Pitassio are Aura Safari, and between them they play drums, percussion, bass, keys, and guitar. They contributed to the first volume of the Buena Onda compilation in 2020 on this label, a year after serving up a debut album on London's Church Records. Since then they have become ever more entrenched in their local scene in Perugia, playing summer sets at the Umbria Jazz Festival, winter warmers at the legendary Red Zone Club and host their own Tropical Climax parties each month in the town centre.
Aura Safari are also deep-digging music collectors who have extensive and far-reaching tastes. When cooking up their sounds they draw on everything from Afro to Italo, house to disco, 80s boogie to world music, jazz and Balearic beats. This new album shows that once more across four sides of vinyl that sweep you up and transport you to somewhere idyllic.
The title track kicks off with steamy Mediterranean grooves embellished with lush Rhodes chords and sprinkles of cosmic magic. 'Sur Mon Balconnet' then slips into dubbed-out disco territory with 80s synths and leggy drums while 'Riserva Naturale' is a new-age jazz house sound with majestic lead synths and heart-melting chords that speak of a sunset dance on the beach. 'Onda' has squelchy boogie bass with hip-swinging drums, 'Wave Riding' is a lo-fi funk excursion with hints of West Coast Californian swagger and 'Magic Malbe' is loose-limbed Balearica with clear blue skies and blissed-out chords.
'Dancing in the Moonlight' feat. Zeke Manyika has all the vibrant feelings of bubblegum pop with Afro vocals and steel drum sounds next to rich xylophone sounds. There is plenty of heat and exotic charm to the proto-Afro house of 'Tropical Climax' and as well as dub versions of 'Sur Mon Balconnet' and 'Dancing in the Moonlight' come the scuffed-up Dam-Funk style beats and boogie of 'Disco Mantra' before closer 'Patagonia' shuts down with elastic drums and bass and playful synth leads that send you home wanting more.
Island Dreams is a tropical escape to a rich world of fusion sounds that look back to go forwards. It's a feel-good record to accompany hot nights and lazy afternoons, cocktails at dusk and dancing till dawn.
‘Gentle Persuaders’ is the Love Love debut from London based neo-noise-jazz outfit Sly & The Family Drone. In the form of a four track long player, Sly vomit forth a smooth serving of curious and clattering noise not devoid of fun.
With the ingredients of shattering baritone saxophone, splurges of analogue noise, rolling drum derangements and snarling feedback it is immediately clear that these formidable noise-mongers have honed their methods of ear-attack adeptly. Textural spaces are peppered with bouts of densely packed controlled-chaos creating a tension that builds almost imperceptibly until the crushing pay-off that comes with the final track.
The politest of bludgeonings, ‘Gentle Persuaders’ has a real sense of cohesion and style, at times subtle and at others shudderingly direct.
With their unusual and interactive live shows, the group cut their teeth stunning the audiences of punk and noise scenes across the UK and Europe. Now, Sly & The Family Drone present their most complete recording to date; a rush of sheer ataxia ushering in a new age of noise.
Club U Nite Records presents 'Purple Kush': A Captivating Journey through Energetic House and Reggae Dub Fusion
Named after the renowned cannabis strain, 'Purple Kush' exudes a captivating blend of energetic house tracks and relaxing reggae dub elements.
On the A-side, prepare to be enchanted by the groove of 'Let The Spirit Flow.' This track's driving beats, pulsating rhythms, and deep house organ theme create an irresistible dancefloor anthem that will elevate the energy of any party.
Continuing the sonic journey on the A-side, 'La Bahia' takes us back to the roots of old-school house music. With its addictive organ riff and swing beat, this song instantly transports listeners to a nostalgia-laden dancefloor where the vibe is contagious.
Flipping the record to the B-side, 'Make Your Mind Up' keeps the momentum going with its pumping beats and soulful vocal samples. This track demands to be heard on a club's sound system, as it kickstarts an infectious dance atmosphere that will keep party-goers moving until the early hours.
Rounding off the vinyl, 'Purple Kush Theme' takes us on a mellow yet captivating journey. Seamlessly blending house vocal samples with the laid-back vibes of reggae dub, this track presents a refreshing fusion that invites listeners to let loose and unwind.
After Jamuse Records favourable outcome, the Swiss label is delighted and honored to unveil its latest vinyl release featuring the talented Romanian artist Lumieux.
Titled "Gemini Road," this EP consists of three tracks. The title track presents a captivatingly glitchy and rhythmic style, adorned with warm sub-bass and distinctive vocal elements. The offbeat rhythm adds a unique touch that sets the track apart.The offbeat rhythm adds a unique touch that sets the track apart. "Fuzzy Formats" skilfully blends human and robotic voices with beats, accompanied by inviting warm bass and crisp treble notes.Bringing the EP to a captivating conclusion, "Lemesleep" takes listeners on a hypnotic adventure enriched by evocative pads and skillfull glitches.
In its entirety, "Gemini Road" guides your auditory senses on a mesmerizing journey through the realms of magical minimal house music. This sonic voyage is not solely characterized by its warm sub-bass and glitchy elements but also by its diverse and eclectic textures. Lumieux's inspirational touch is the driving force behind this EP, elevating it to a gem within its genre.
Continuing where Oddkut and Abstrakt Sonance’s FKOFv007 left off, our 8th record is a collaborative affair – three artists, four tunes and a whole lot of weight. 11th Hour is one of our long-standing collaborators, having appeared on our second ever EP back in 2013, and Substrada is quickly following in Jason’s footsteps with his latest outing with us. And, as you’d suspect, we’re delighted to welcome Charles back after his epic (collab) FKOFd046 in 2020. Last, but definitely not least, we welcome Kusmo to the FKOF family – an artist we’ve super excited about.
“FKOFv008’s been doing the rounds for most of 2022, with two solo outings for Substrada and two collaborative efforts. We’ve had some epic DJ support from the likes of Mala, but it’s hard to choose a favourite from across this record. ‘Coolin’ With The Gang’ is signature Substrada; all spooky atmospheres, suffocating sub pressure and a few vocal samples that have upset a few radio stations over the last 12 months. It’s a banger. The second A- side is the meditative ‘Predator Flow’ – eyes down power and our favourite beats, bass and space recipe. Watch for this one! The third inclusion, the Kusmo collab entitled ‘Wump’, does what you’d expect. It is, as it proudly exclaims, “the shit”. We’re excited to see where these two take their efforts (separately and together)! The record closes with the absolute scenes ‘Colossus’ has inspired across the dance floors this year, with Substrada and 11th Hour joining forces to create one of our tunes of the year. It is relentless.
“FKOF Records celebrates its tenth birthday in 2023 and we’ve got some epic physical releases coming to celebrate our decade of 140bpm. Substrada’s FKOFv008 gives you some idea of what we’ve got coming, and we hope you enjoy these four tunes (from three of our favourite producers!) as we close out 2022. Thank you for all your support this year, and we’ll see you on the flipside.
Julian is back on Subtil Records with Metamorfoze EP Part II, presenting four highly energetic, deep hypnotic cuts.
This EP will enthrall listeners with its intricate rhythms and captivating underlying melodies, pushing further Julian’s research of hypnotic patterns and raw textures.
The former goes first with the deeply stylish tech-house number that is 'Deeper Love', with its bumping drums and goes bass get you in the vibe right off the bat. Next comes 'Subsistance', a minimal house cut that is tightly coiled, vibrant and damn infectious.
Flip this one over and you'll be treated to the brilliant brace of gems. 'Meta' groove with warped deep space sound designs and airy drums that float.
This varied and vital EP is shut down with 'Signs', a mature track that shows Julian's brilliant skills in music production and evolvement as a producer.
1 december 1944, Thiaroye military camp, right outside of Dakar, Senegal.
1600 French soldiers of West African origin (Benin, Mali, Ivory Coast, Tchad, Senegal , Gabon, Togo etc.) have been quickly evacuated by the French Army during what was subsequentially called the ‘whitening of the colonial troops’ that happened before the armistice signature. The soldiers are awaiting to be paid for their war effort. Things go sideways, protests erupt, and the French military staff decides to open fire. The official number of casualties is 35, although various sources claim several hundred people died on that fatal day.
Since then, several artists have grasped that difficult topic, screaming for recognition and reparation.
Such is the case with a young Senegalese musician and singer named Maxidilick Adioa, with his very first single ever released, ‘Toubab Bile’, in 1987.
At that time, Adioa had been living in France for a few years. He was considered a master percussionist, playing, recording and touring alongside the great Ivorian artist Alpha Blondy. He had just written a beautiful tune, ‘Nao’, for Aminata Fall, one of the biggest actress and singers in Senegal. It seemed like a good time to launch his solo career.
Toubab Bilé remains Adioa’s biggest hit to this day, and one of the best African reggae tune ever recorded.
Adioa ended up signing an album deal with Chris Blackwell’s Island records and toured the world endlessly during the following years.
In 2012, François Hollande was the first French President to officially mention and pay tribute to the Thiaroye massacre in a speech.
Long Beach legend Scotty Coats links the West Coast eclecticism of Stones Throw to the NYC cool of DFA and Rong to the Balearic gods of DJ Harvey et al. He personally introduced Be With to Ned Doheny 10 years ago and he was immortalised on Smith & Mudd's last LP. And he's the main man behind the mysteriously titled duo Todd Russell & The Dangerous Coats, alongside Erick "Todd" Coomes (Lettuce founder/bassist).
In very real danger of being lost forever, we unearthed two of their private recordings and present them as a double A-Side 12", adorned with S-T-U-N-N-I-N-G artwork, courtesy of Arizona artist Frank Gonzales.
"Playa Larga" is a melodic, mellow masterpiece and is quintessentially Balearic. It's stretched out, low slung, guitar-soaked drum-machine soul music. It's multi-layered and contains multitudes: it builds and builds and builds and mesmerises as it does so. On the flip, "1900 Ocean Avenue" is a super slo-mo, sunbaked drug-chug which is already blowing minds thanks to early leaks of this cosmic, psychedelic detonation.
On first listen back, Erick said to Scotty: “So wait, nothing really happens, I mean nothing bad happens but nothing really happens”. Apparently these tracks were a bit foreign for Erick, musically, because of the lack of structure in the songs.
One morning, years later, Erick called Scotty and excitedly declared: “dude, I get it now!”. He was listening to random music with a lady friend while watching the sunrise in his 1900 Ocean Ave apartment and "Playa Larga" came on randomly. He'd forgotten all about it and said he had to get up and see what song it was because "it was the perfect soundtrack for a psychedelic sunrise over the ocean."
And that's exactly how we came across it, circa 2018, randomly popping up on a playlist while we were busy doing other things. It stopped us in our tracks but, when trying to find any info on iTunes, we were out of luck. It was only years later that we worked out Scotty had sent it to us. Ever since, we've been working on getting this out to you all. It's finally time.
We've only 500 pressed for the world, with many of them spoken for by those lucky enough to be already ITK, so these are gonna fly: be warned!
Scotty is a world class raconteur so we'll hand over to him to explain how these songs came about and why they mean so much to him in the context of his wider raison d'être:
"These were made 13 years ago when I was a new dad and left my job at Ubiquity Records to provide security for my newborn son, Nolan Liam Chai Coats. I became miserable working a job outside of music for the first time in my life and I was laid off 4 months into it. I was left wondering how the fuck am I going to provide for my family?
I lived in Long Beach and Erick lived a few blocks away. I would walk to his house when Jen finally got Nolan to sleep so I could escape my panic, drink some beers (is it beerlearic?) and make some music. He lived overlooking the ocean with the Queen Mary on the horizon, so I guess mellow Long Beach nights unintentionally inspired the music. These songs were the first two songs we ever made and they embody the desperation and hope I really needed at that time. 12 years later, when Rob at Be With expressed an interest in releasing it, we had Erick's brother Tyler Tycoon Coomes play drums on it at Jazzcats Studio in LBC, with Jonny Bell.
Shortly after I was laid off, I discovered The Stepkids. I was blown away by "Shadows On Behalf" and sent it on to Gilles Peterson. He played it on Worldwide the next day. The Stepkids pulled me back into music and made me realize I wasn't prepared to do anything but be involved with music. After I heard their unreleased album, I knew there was something there so I sent it to my good friend Jamie Strong who was at Stones Throw at the time. Jamie passed it along to Peanut Butter Wolf and the band asked me to be their manager. I didn't think I was the right guy for the job but wanted to see them do well so I told them I would help shop their album. Jamie suggested I take his place at Stones Throw, just as he did when he left Ubiquity Records. I always joke that Jamie can call me Scotty Coat Tails because I had been riding his for years.
Wolf told him that "Scotty is a nice guy but has horrible taste in music", which was ironic because he was literally trying to sign the band that I brought him. The Stepkids signed with Stones Throw and found a real manager. 6 or so months later Jamie sent me a note saying "Stones Throw is hiring and you should apply lol". I told him I was going to send my resume and the subject of the email was to read I HAVE GREAT FUCKING TASTE IN MUSIC. I did just that and got a call the next day from their new GM asking me to come in for an interview. When I walked in I was in Wolf's office where I had been 6 months before, signing The Stepkids
deal. Wolf and Jason McGuire were asking me some questions and wanted to introduce me to Jeff Jank. Jank walked in and said "Isn't this the guy that Jamie wanted to bring on 6 months ago?" They confirmed and he threw his hands up and walked out saying "I've seen enough". I got the job. I worked there for 2 or 3 years until I left to join forces with Jamie Strong at his label and stayed there for almost 7 years."
Scotty wanted to use a painting by his good friend, Frank Gonzales, for the front cover image. Frank was incredibly generous in letting us use this one, and Scotty was completely honoured. We think you'll agree, it's pretty striking. Simon Francis carefully mastered the original audio for both tracks and Cicely Balston's precise cut for Alchemy at AIR Studios ensures this double A-side 12" sounds appropriately outstanding. The immaculate Record Industry pressing will ensure these previously unheard, recently discovered recordings finally get a chance to shine.
Life has changed in the eight years since the release of II. In ours, yours and Gala Drop themselves. Most times without noticing it, partly due to those two years of a semi-existence that still resonates and with the ongoing predatory gentrification process changing the landscape and life of Lisbon, home to the band since ever. Close to a decade and a half of existence, with various mutations along the way enacting new perspectives and moments of stillness and reflection to a sound that's been mutating itself to its own internal rhythm and agency under the guiding light of the core duo of Afonso Simões and Nélson Gomes. Now a trio, with Rui Dâmaso transitioning from II after the departure of Jerry the Cat and Guilherme Canhão, Gala Drop sound even more focused as a working band, with their new album title Amizade – friendship in Portuguese – making perfect sense in a celebration of their, by now, patented soundworld of cosmic inspiration: krautrock's endless and hypnotic potential, dub's sense of transient space, the throb of house, balearic dreams, polyrhythms and a communal sense of belonging.
Again, this sprawling sphere of influence opens itself to new shapes and inspirations, but there's a deeper sense of accuracy and direction, with the band channeling those legacies into something we can only grasp as the Gala Drop sound. An organic outcome of working steadily as a trio, made possible by a residency promoted by gnration in Braga, Amizade dwells on the psychedelic nature of the group through seven tracks made up of dreamy synth washes, loads of percussion, echoes, chilled guitars under a radiant aura. Gala Drop have never sounded as openly dubby as on 'Dub da Meia Noite' and 'Areal Dub' or capable of converging different tropes of the hardcore continuum – rave stabs and cut up vocals – on a slow burner as memorable as 'Monte do Ouro'. Or given free reign to electricity as on the narcotic guitars of 'Guitarra Voadora' – excepting the one off with Ben Chasny on 2012's Broda. 'Amizade' points towards all of that with comforting escapism and wrapping things up 'Raio' turns dubstep's original bass weight meditations into a cosmic funk workout. One last hug before we leave. An album that feels like a collective moment of celebration, just when we most need it.
Afonso Simões - Drums, percussion and synthesizers
Nelson Gomes - Electric guitar and electronics
Rui Dâmaso - Electric bass & guitar and synthesizer
Recorded by Budda Guedes at Estúdio Mobydick, Braga
Mixed by Gala Drop and Hugo Valverde at Estúdio Cão Andaluz, Lisboa
Mastered by Anne Taegert at Dubplates & Mastering, Berlim
Cover photo by Sara Graça
Design by Nicolai Sarbib
After our debut vinyl release “Cosmic Vibrations” with Rush City x Handerk we are ready to present our second vinyl release. This time one of our label founders Jonathan Lopez A.K.A Jonahlo wants to take you in a psychedelic journey on his new EP “ACID DAYS”; a four track EP where each track gets you through a different state of mind.
Jonahlo is an amazing musician, jazz bass player and producer from Bogotá, Colombia. He has released music on labels such as Nomada Records, Night Young and Otayana Records.
This trip starts with “Acid Days”; a superb Deep House anthem with layers of evolving sounds, exquisite melodies and uplifting chord progressions that make us take off and start feeling 100% positive. You can hear samples from cinema describing how it feels when you start connecting and being one with nature.
The following track is “Particles”; on this track Jonahlo goes deeper, evoking hypnotic and far-sighted moods of melancholy. At this point we start pondering about the universe’s infinite dimension and imagining particles vibrating as we fall into our deepest thoughts.
On the flip- side we bump into “Lost Mind”, a percussive deep techno with spacey and bleepy sounds reminding us that 90’s uk old-school style. Now is the time to get lost in the moment after going through the trip’s hard peak where you really start letting go.
The release closes with “It’s Alright”; a good vibe deep sampled house track that tell us to take it easy, to just relax and appreciate life.
The Album cover was disigned by incredible Colombian artist Jose Mejía which represents a flower going through the process of questioning oneself and coming out transformed on the other side. It is a process of exploration, discovery, and rebirth.
‘The Nature of Nature’ is the debut LP by Hanegi Koen, the Japan-based creative duo composed of British ¦lmmaker Sam King and Canadian label head Sean Mallion (ADSR Collective). Picking up where they left off with their 2021 EP ‘Well Worth A Visit’, this album continues the legacy of spaced-out ambient guitars and driving analog beats the band nicely cued up for us. It has continuity from their previous work, going even deeper this time, further de¦ning the contours of their sound. As the title suggests, Nature was a big influence on the record. Many of the track titles are from the season they were recorded in – for example, ‘Hanafubuki’, when the cherry blossoms fall, ‘Tsuyu’, the rainy season, or ‘Kaminari’ which was written during a crazy thunderstorm. The sights and sounds of those times are reflected in the tracks, with ¦eld recordings helping to supplement the atmosphere. Hanegi’s founding ethos of only using analog instruments and drum machines to compose and perform, minimizing the need for the computer as an interface, is alive and well in this album. The tracks got tested in front of an audience and improved on, based on feedback from playing them live, leading to a psychedelic, synth-rich, analog journey. “We like all things analog. We both use computers and digital screens a fair amount in our day job, so it’s nice to give our eyes a rest from that and allow the music to be created from everything we have on the table.
Similarly vinyl records, ¦lm photography, and simply walking around outside in the forest – all these things are a way of slowing down and escaping the digital world.”
Greatly influenced by the wild contrasting outdoors of their home in Japan, the mountains, forests, and ocean, ‘The Nature of Nature’ is an open invitation to unplug to reconnect, a feeling that Hanegi Koen want to share with you. Released on August 18th, on vinyl and digital via Subtempo. Credits: Written and composed by Sean Mallion and Sam King Mixed by Aoki Takamasa Mastering by Manmade Mastering Album art by Laine Butler Design by Rocco Tyndale
Odd Mob returns with a kaleidoscopic new record ‘Been Dreaming’ and introduces his alter ego GD Vandal. As the first official release under this moniker for Brisbane-based Harry Hope, he sets out to combine the very best of Odd Mob’s banging basslines with the lo-fi, disco stylings that GD Vandal has become known for in his exclusive raw cuts.
Swirling with a mysterious ‘90s-tinged vocal loop, his flair for working a sample is on full display throughout ‘Been Dreaming’, which is both dynamic and determined to get you moving. Propelled forward by energizing percussive grooves and one tasty guitar riff working flawlessly in tandem, prepare to be magnetized to the dancefloor as Odd Mob’s signature juicy low-end takes over.
On the flip, the dance floor warper ‘XTC’, melding industrial leaning sounds with a thumping baseline and hypnotic vocal.
Whether it’s as Odd Mob or GD Vandal, or combining the best of both worlds, one thing is certain: there’s no doubt he knows how to craft an absolute banger.
David Byrne & Fatboy Slim’s acclaimed 2010 album Here Lies Love receives its first-ever vinyl release to coincide with a new production opening on Broadway this summer. Here Lies Love is a double-disc song cycle – improbably poignant, decidedly surreal, surprisingly thought provoking – about the rise and fall of the Philippines' notorious Imelda Marcos. It was conceived by David Byrne; composed by Byrne and DJ/recording artist Fatboy Slim, AKA Norman Cook; and performed by a dream cast drawn from the worlds of indie rock, alt country, R&B and pop. Byrne's taste in collaborators is as imaginative as it is impeccable, including Cyndi Lauper (who recounts, to lighthearted disco beats, Imelda's courtship with Ferdinand Marcos), Steve Earle (as the power-hungry Ferdinand), Dap-Kings vocalist Sharon Jones (recalling Imelda's introduction into New York society) and Natalie Merchant (as spurned Imelda confidante Estrella, anticipating the onset of martial law). Along with vocals turns from such stars as Tori Amos and the B-52's Kate Pierson, Byrne works with rising indie rockers St. Vincent and My Brightest Diamond; New York chanteuses Nellie McKay and Martha Wainwright; and dance-music divas Róisín Murphy and Santigold. Byrne himself appears as the voice of imperialistic America on ‘American Troglodyte’, a send-up that wouldn't have seemed out of places in Talking Heads' True Stories.
Byrne originally envisioned this as a musical theatre piece, to be mounted in disco and nightclub settings, reflecting the globe-trotting Marcos' taste for such velvet-roped spots as Studio 54 and Regine's. In 2006, he performed work-in-progress versions to enthusiastic audiences at New York City's Carnegie Hall and the Adelaide Festival in Australia. While plans for a US theatrical production continued to evolve, he delivered this unique recording. The award-winning theatrical production eventually premiered at The Public Theater in New York in 2013, travelled to London’s National Theater for a sold-out run (2014–15), and was remounted at the Seattle Repertory Theater (2017).
Here Lies Love has an effervescent disco feel, redolent of Fatboy Slim's own dance-floor anthems, with warm undercurrents of the Latin rhythms that have percolated through Byrne's recent solo work. The sunny arrangements act in counterpoint to the reality of the Marcos' increasingly repressive regime, reflecting the imagined inner life of the glamour-obsessed Imelda. Explains Byrne, "For me, the darker side of the excesses are, for the most part, a matter of record. A lot of the audience is going to come with that knowledge already. What's more of a challenge is to get inside the head of the person who was behind all of that, and understand what made them tick." Byrne offers no judgment and avoids the obvious – there is no mention of Imelda's infamous shoe collection.
Many of Byrne's lyrics are, astonishingly enough, constructed from actual Imelda quotes, including the project's title, the words that Imelda, now returned to the Philippines from US-assisted exile in Hawaii, would like to have inscribed on her gravestone. In addition to his new liner note, Byrne illustrates the story with archival photos. In a detailed preface, he reveals what drew him to this subject and the bumpy route he took to launch the project and, ultimately, record this album. The booklet is indeed a page-turner, just as Here Lies Love is a wonderfully old-school album that rewards start-to-finish listening. Once again, Byrne – beloved as musician, thinker and bicyclist-about-town – reveals the breadth and singularity of his vision.
The new production of Here Lies Love will premiere at the Broadway Theatre in New York City. Performances begin June 17, ahead of an official opening night on July 20. Tony Award winner Alex Timbers (direction) and Olivier Award nominee Annie-B Parson (choreography) reunite with Byrne (concept, music, and lyrics) and Fatboy Slim (music) to bring Here Lies Love to Broadway, continuing a ten-plus year collaboration on the project. Tom Gandey and J Pardo contribute additional music. Here Lies Love is produced on Broadway by Hal Luftig, Patrick Catullo, Diana DiMenna for Plate Spinner Productions, Clint Ramos, and Jose Antonio Vargas. The staging at the Broadway Theatre will transform the venue’s traditional proscenium floor space into a dance club environment, where audiences will stand and move with the actors. A wide variety of standing and seating options will be available throughout the theatre’s reconstructed space. The producers of Here Lies Love said, “As a team of binational American producers – Filipinos among us – we are thrilled to bring Here Lies Love to Broadway! We welcome everyone to experience this singularly exuberant piece of theatre. The history of the Philippines is inseparable from the history of the United States, and as both evolve, we cannot think of a more appropriate time to stage this show. See you on the dance floor!”
David Byrne’s recent works include the launch of Reasons to be Cheerful, an online magazine focused on solutions-oriented stories about problems being solved all over the world (2019); Joan of Arc: Into the Fire, a theatrical exploration of the historical heroine that premiered at the Public Theater in New York (2017); The Institute Presents: NEUROSOCIETY, a series of interactive environments created in conjunction with PACE Arts + Technology that question human perception and bias (2016); Contemporary Color, an event inspired by the American folk tradition of color guard and performed at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center and Toronto’s Air Canada Centre (2015); Here Lies Love; Love This Giant, a studio album and worldwide tour created with St. Vincent (2012); and How Music Works, a book about the history, experience, and social aspects of music (2012).
Byrne curated Southbank Centre’s annual Meltdown festival in London in 2015. A co-founder of the group Talking Heads (1976–88), he has released eight studio albums as a solo artist and worked on multiple other projects, including collaborations with Brian Eno, Twyla Tharp, Robert Wilson, and Jonathan Demme, among others. He also founded the highly respected record label Luaka Bop. Recognition of Byrne’s various works include Obies, Drama Desk, Lortel, and Evening Standard awards for Here Lies Love; an Oscar, Grammy, and Golden Globe for the soundtrack to Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor; and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Talking Heads. Byrne’s work as a visual artist has been published and exhibited since his college days, including photography, filmmaking, and writing. He lives in New York City. In addition to 2019’s cast album for American Utopia on Broadway, Nonesuch has released eight other David Byrne records since 2003, including 2018’s American Utopia studio album and two versions of his musical Here Lies Love.
Next up on Toolroom’s 4-track vinyl sampler series is another tasty collab from label founder, Mark Knight with legendary House DJ and producer Todd Terry and the Darryl James & David Anthony Project. Diving straight back into that classic 90’s House sound, Mark Knight delivers a taste of his finest production to date after unearthing Todd Terry’s edit of ‘Buddah’ by Darryl James & David Anthony Project, shaping up a seriously killer reworking of this gem fresh for the dance floor in 2023.
Next up, renowned German selector Eddie Thoneick makes a label debut with his club orientated big room weapon ‘Take It Back’. Taking it back straight through to the dance floor, Eddie Thoneick has become a name synonymous with high quality productions, providing remixes for Armand Van Helden, Steve Angello, Bob Sinclar and David Guetta. Eddie’s chunky production style shines through on ‘Take It Back’, offering up a slice of raw Tech House with deep, rumbling bass lines, metallic percussive elements and a resonating hook which will cause uproar in any club its played in.
Up next is another heater from DJ, producer and Toolroom Academy tutor Pete Griffiths who drops what can only be described as a House anthem in the making, with his brand-new track ‘Get Together’. A peak time record that sees Pete Griffiths dive deep into the sound of 90’s nostalgia, dropping a seriously well-produced and classy House banger. Also featuring on the record is American R&B, Gospel vocalist Ann Nesby, formerly the lead vocalist of the Sounds of Blackness ensemble who brings her powerful vocals to the forefront, elevating this release to anthemic status.
Last but not least, Hungarian duo Muzzaik return to the label with StadiumX on their collab track ‘Echoes’. Together, Muzzaik and StadiumX bring their signature sound to Toolroom with ‘Echoes’, a record that’ll command any dance floor it’s dropped on. Featuring a toughened-up groove, rolling bass line, and chopped vocal cuts mixed with just the right amount of edge.
Water Machine is an office romance between Hando Morice (they/them), Flore de Hoog (she/her), Jimmy Gage (he/him) and Goda Ilgauskaitė (she/her). An unassuming supergroup formed out of Glasgow institutions including Goth GF, Passion Pusher, Brenda and Soursob, their sound careens between punk, country and alt-rock underpinned by the unique quality they call “Raw Liquid Power”.
Following last year’s self-titled demo tape on Gold Mold Records, and fresh off of shows with the likes of Holiday Ghosts, The Cool Greenhouse and The Orielles, as well as a rollicking Viagra Boys afterparty, the four-piece will release their highly-anticipated first studio effort ‘Raw Liquid Power’ on Upset The Rhythm on August 4th.
The EP opens with a menacing, modulating synth melody. Gage’s guitar enters with a mighty bend before breaking into the chugging rhythm of ‘Water Machine Pt. 2’. This timely reminder to refill your water bottle - “don’t be late, hydrate!” less a wellness mantra than a threat - builds to a spacey outro with flashes of the art-punk weirdness of Suburban Lawns. ‘Stilettos’ marches on indignantly with a spiky riff punctuated by Ilgauskaitė’s cowbells. Staccato talk-singing tells a playful tale of stray cats following you home, but belies a darker subtext as the breakdown gives way to paranoid duelling guitars evoking The Fire Engines.
The anti-anthem ‘At the Drive In’ skewers joyless DIY crowds, reminiscent of much-missed Glasgow punks Breakfast Muff. Water Machine’s irrepressible sincerity can’t help but shine through in the final moments though, as jibes about “late night trade potential” give way to plaintive vocal harmonies. Morice tears public transport a new one on closer ‘Bussy’, a First Bus diss track bemoaning precarious employment amidst crumbling infrastructure. “That’s why I’m not on time!” they roar over de Hoog’s frantic, pounding bass, bringing the record to a skidding, screeching halt.
Sounds Of The Universe | The 12" Singles, a deluxe collector's
edition box set, contains seven 12" vinyl discs presenting
singles--including Wrong, Peace, the double A-side Fragile
Tension/Hole To Feed--alongside B-sides, remixes, dub
versions and other recordings contemporaneous to Depeche
Mode's 12th studio album, Sounds Of The Universe, originally
released by Mute Records in April 2009.
Sounds Of The Universe | The 12" Singles offers a full range of
ear-grabbing mixes--radio, club, dub and more--of Depeche
Mode originals with three discs (Discs Two, Four and Seven)
newly compiled for this collection, bringing together B-sides
and mixes first released across CD and maxi-singles
contemporaneous to the album's release.
When it came time to record the Sounds Of The Universe
album, DM's classic core (Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andrew
Fletcher) returned to the studio to make their second album
with producer Ben Hillier, whose intuitive contributions to
their previous studio album, 2005's Playing The Angel, had
created new sonic possibilities for the band expanding
Depeche Mode's vision and repertoire while continuing their
tradition of issuing monumental 12“ singles.
Italian DJ and producer Sourires (aka Andrea Antognoli) joins the Samosa stable for his debut with an explosive release that will take your breath away.
The EP kicks off with the title track, Pampasosa - a furiously groovy number which gets up right in your face from the get-go. Like an unstoppable train, Pampasosa hurtles along at 127bpm with its horns blaring and furnace blazing. De Gama is on the Re-Groove here, expertly applying the bells and whistles to this all powerful locomotive stomper.
A2 brings us ‘Liam’, which sounds like a track very close to Sourires heart. Think of glorious evening sunshine after the rain for this emotionally charged piece of music. The bass has you hypnotised, the strings make you soar and the vocal haunts your dreams. It bares its soul to you and you can’t help but love it for that.
On the B-side, ‘Keep Rolling’ (De Gama Re-Groove) gives no illusions as to what its intentions are. A rolling, bass-driven start builds to filtered vocals and punchy brass - we’re in house territory but it’s so much more than that. A prime-time fist pumper of a tune, this will have dance floors offering their souls to Sourires in exchange for good times.
Finishing off this four tracker is ‘Flavor’ (De Gama Re-Built). At 124bpm, it sneaks past you and taps you on the shoulder. Continuing the house vibe, Sourires brings us a swinging beat accompanied by dreamy vocals and subtle filtered keys. Strings and delicate guitar licks build to a glorious breakdown which reveals itself in full technicolour. Summery, sassy and sexy stuff.
Sourires has deliverdd a modern classic with the Pampasosa EP. This has to be in your record box for the summer - just watch the dance floor go!
Bobby's 2019 tour ended in New York City and he had two days off before flying home to Finland. Leon invited him to the Diamond Mine to record some music. Bobby had been talking about wanting to stretch out lyrically and write about more esoteric subject matter, Leon was game. They recorded "Reasons" in one session which put the chemistry between the two on the world stage and sparked the idea of doing a full length album together. More than halfway through the recording process, they have decided to treat us to another two-sider of the new material. On the A side, "Whatcha Know" Bobby explores death and the human experience, putting his philosophical ponderings into his music. Michels' production and overall ethos is the perfect compliment to Bobby's desire to stretch out his sound. EMA provides a gorgeous backing track that compliments Bobby's style and simultaneously broadens its scope. The B side "Losing It" is a dramatic and moving number that Bobby sings in Spanish and English. A gorgeous guitar riff is countered with eerie sound effects that crescendo when the drums come in. Bobby professes he's "Losing It" over a love too strong and El Michels Affair's production turns the whole affair into a saga that thunders through speakers.
For the first release out on Entered Records it's EYA boss and London tastemaker, Jos, stepping up with four cuts of moody spirited machine sounds.
Entered, a label set up with the intention to create connection between the U.K, European and Naarm (Melbourne) scenes through music offerings. First up, the EP is full of spiraling emotive melodies and throbbing bass. This includes the introspective title track ‘Absence Of Thought’ with a refreshingly modern breakbeat rethink from Naarm based artist Dashiell alongside it.
Moving onto the B side you have rumbling 909 toms with dramatic swells of synth tension. Coiled energy in the restless amorphous zone, combining progressive elements of techno, electro, acid and everything in between. The EP closes fusing sci-fi melancholic synths, forward moving beats and a bass-line designed to ignite the dancefloor.
Heads-down, locked in music full of precision and class. A perfect alignment of analog sounds channelled from two sides of the globe. Out in July on Entered Records.
Welcome to Soul4Real’s second album, a collection of originally unreleased tracks which feature a whole host of soul royalty.
First off are two songs from the inimitable Bobby Bland, both of which hail from his prolific period at Duke Records.
Sandwiched between two stunning Chicago recordings by Etta James is the later “I Never Meant To Love Him”, taken from a Philly session she recorded with Bobby Martin.
Fontella Bass brings this side to a close with a mysterious Chicago recording of which, to this day, hardly anything is known.
Side two transports us to Detroit, when Motown was at the peak of its output. 1966 was not a good year to secure the approval of quality control, as proven in the rejection of this wonderful Velvelettes´ version of “Your Heart Belongs To Me”.
It was in that same year that Ashford and Simpson arrived at Hitsville as both singers and songwriters. Their “Love Woke Me Up This Morning” was recorded by Brenda Holloway and produced by Norman Whitfield. Despite being overlooked at the time, its appeal was undeniable, and it later resurfaced on albums by Marvin & Tammi, Valerie Simpson, and the Temptations.
As an integral member of the Motown family for over 14 years, it is surprising that to date only three songs recorded by Johnny Bristol have surfaced. In collaboration with ‘Mickey’ Stevenson “Tell Me How To Forget A True Love” was completed in May 1964.
“One Lucky Day I Found You” was inexplicably not included in the ‘David’ project. Ruffin´s later work with Van McCoy is also featured on this album.
From almost the start of his career, Marvin Gaye had endeavored to project himself as a great balladeer, and nothing could illustrate this better than his rendition of “I Wish I Didn’t Love You So”, which brings this chapter to a perfect end.
Kinn turns the Post-Rock continuum inside out with his sophomore album, Dogtooth.
Shifting focus between his present self and his misled teenage years, 'Dogtooth' sees London born and raised sound art graduate Fred Lomas contemplate the vulnerability of youth, addiction and suicide as Kinn. Unabashed in their creative ambition, Kinn's tongue-in-cheek 'dread-voyeurism' is underpinned by a palpably sincere vulnerability that seeps through their dynamic and rewardingly dense records.
An insight into Fred's formative years can be unraveled from his nickname "Dread", originally given to him by his parents. Growing up in North London as a 'constantly out of the house' youth, Fred only had eyes on any counterculture he could find to defy the city's notorious empty capitalist centric mainstream culture, skateboarding, graffiti, and terrible punk bands which would only last 1-3 rehearsals (max). As a teenager he experienced the notorious 2011 Tottenham riots, which is often referenced in the artist's output and greatly informed their sensibilities. Barely an adult, he was confronted first hand with concepts of constant hostility and corruption which were seemingly welded to his surroundings, corruption formed by high rises and international political scandals taking place only a short journey away.
Even today, Dogtooth reflects on this contrast of community and anger and surmises it to be part and parcel of modern metropolitan life, looking to peel away the bad looking for meaning, comfort and ways of goofing off amidst oppressive forces, sirens and snake oil salesmen everywhere.
This latest instalment of ARTHUR BAKER Presents DANCE MASTERS finds the production/ song-writing/ remixing maestro taking the spotlight for a long overdue snapshot of his own classic 12” mixes during a crucial evolution of dance music, club
and pop culture.
“I’ve always felt like I was on a mission to make music from the time I heard Motown, Philly and Sly and the Family Stone. My mission started as a hobby and still feels like one now. You’ve got to keep on pushing and hustling. It can be a drag sometimes but
if you really love what you’re doing, it’s worth the work. I still really love what I do.”
Arthur Baker helped codify the remixer as artist. His genre-fluid approach to projects
has resulted in a joyous myriad of classics that spans many decades. This ’80’s focused DANCE MASTERS collection offers a welcome glimpse at Baker’s illustrious career and many long out-of-print 12” versions and previously unavailable mixes.
This 35-track, six LP expanded edition includes a wide array of selections from the likes of Robbie Nevil’s “C’est La Vie,” Fleetwood Mac’s “Big Love,” Neneh Cherry’s “Buffalo Stance”, Jeffrey Osborne “Soweto”, Freeez “I.O.U”, Rockers Revenge “Walking On Sunshine” and of course the juggernaut “Planet Rock” with Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force.
Complete with in-depth liner notes by Bill Coleman, track by track notes written by Arthur Baker himself, previously unseen session photos from Arthur’s personal archives and a signed insert.
All tracks remastered by Nick Robbins at Sound Mastering
Mind Maze is, amazingly, Trees Speak’s fifth album to be released on Soul Jazz Records in the space of little over two years– an output matched only by the intensity of their music created during this short time.
The first pressing only of the album comes with a bonus seven-inch single containing two tracks that are not available on vinyl anywhere else.
As with all their previous releases, ‘Mind Maze’ is a mind-boggling tightrope walk across an array of musical influences that seamlessly create the unique present-day world of Trees Speak.
The band’s sound is characterized by a combination of German krautrock motoric-beat rhythms, angular New York post-punk attitude, 60s spy soundtracks, psych, rock, jazz, and 70s synthesizers and vocoders. There is also a cosmic spatial awareness to their sound; both personal inner space and galactic outer space, as well as a wilful pushing of sonic boundaries.
Trees Speak are a musical duo based in Tucson, Arizona, composed of Daniel Martin Diaz and Damian Diaz. Their music is heavily influenced by the cosmic magic of the natural desert landscapes of Arizona, creating a unique and captivating sound that is both experimental and innovative.
Here you will find the myriad sounds of 1970s German electronic music (everything from Can to Cluster, Popul Vuh to Tangerine Dream); 1980s New York post-punk and synthcore (from No Wave to Suicide); John Barry’s 1960s movies, John Carpenter’s 1970s horror. You will also hear the influences of French and Italian progressive rock (Magma, Goblin) as well as cosmic, new age and experimental space soundscapes …. an almost endless list of diverse influences that ebb and flow like an ocean of sound, in the process creating a truly unique soundscape that Trees Speak have made wholly their own.
The name Trees Speak reflects their interest in the concept of using future technologies to store information and data in trees and plants, with the idea that trees communicate collectively. This interest in nature and technology, combined with their passion for experimentation, has led Trees Speak to create a truly one-of-a-kind listening experience that is both unique and engaging.
If you ever wanted to hear Can, Neu!, Destroy All Monsters, Pere Ubu, electric eels, John Cage, Liquid Liquid, Tangerine Dream, Suicide, Laurie Spiegel, Art Ensemble of Chicago, John Barry, Mother Mallard’s Portable Masterpiece Company, Sun Ra, Stockhausen, John Carpenter, Electro-Acoustic and Musique Concrete and Mars in one band - then this is it! Trees Speak are a band that defies categorization and offer an eclectic listening experience, both exciting and memorable.
The two bonus tracks (‘Seraphim’ and ‘Orpheus’) included with the album give us a further window into the complex mind maze of the group - two stunning acoustic tracks that explore a distinct early 70s sound of Yes, Argent and other progressive rock accolytes.
The long-awaited release by Orlando Voorn on NOUN Records is almost here and we're thrilled to share it with you. The tracks on this release are characterized by their pulsating rhythms, driving basslines, and hypnotic melodies, all of which showcase Voorn's exceptional talent for producing top-notch dance music. We hope you'll enjoy this latest offering from Orlando Voorn as much as we do. Stay tuned for its upcoming release and be ready to experience its mesmerizing beats.
Rossi. invites Mad.Again to HOMEGROWN. as the first guest artist on the label for his ‘Beware Of The Dog’ EP, accompanied by a remix from Liquid Earth.
Home to two stand-out releases from the label boss himself to launch the project, Rossi. now opens the doors of his bubbling HOMEGROWN. imprint for the first time as he welcomes an emerging talent making plenty of early noise. Introducing Mad.Again, a DJ/producer from East London whose early support from the likes of tINI, Enzo Siragusa, and Jamie Jones has already seen him lining up alongside artists such as Dungeon Meat and Tania Vulcano. Following material on Dansu Discs and his Kennel Club Records imprint, he arrives on the label with three powerful originals across his ‘Beware Of The Dog’ EP, with Los Angeles’ Liquid Earth stepping up on remix duties.
Opener ‘Steppin’ is a lively, rave-drenched production as vibrant stabs work on top of a bumping bassline and skippy percussion, while ‘Dolce Far Niente’ draws for tough-hitting drums and bendy synths. On the B-Side, ‘Point5’ is a skippy effort guided by hip-hip samples and spaced-out breakbeats, before Liquid Earth closes the show in style with a trippy, wonky and off-kilter take on the lead track as he journeys deep into the hazy early morning hours.
DJ Support
Sally C
Pete Tong (Radio 1 Support)
Chris stussy
Enzo Siragusa
Raresh
Cristi Cons
Voigtmann
Reiss
Archie Hamilton
Rich Nxt
Nu zau
Sepp
Sit
Janaka Stucky is a poet, performer, and author of two poetry collections published by Third Man Books & Records. Janaka’s poems are at once incantatory, mystic, and epigrammatic.
His esoteric & occult influences, combined with a mesmeric approach to performance, create an almost ecstatic presence on stage. Of his live shows, VICE writes, “Janaka Stucky performs poetry readings like he's part fire-and-brimstone preacher, part doom-metal frontman … For him, lighting incense, dropping acid, and creating some of the most ecstatic lines of verse you’ve ever read is just another day at the office.”
Praised by Jimmy Page as “riveting,” Janaka Stucky’s book length poem, Ascend Ascend, published by Jack White’s Third Man Books in 2019, gets a mesmerizing treatment on this album by the same name, accompanied by experimental cellist Lori Goldston. Goldston, known for her work with a number of acts—including Nirvana, Cat Power, and Earth—provides otherworldly layers of distortion and natural reverb over Stucky’s dirge-like vocal performance.
Recorded at the All Pilgrims Church in Seattle while Stucky was on a 7-city tour produced by Atlas Obscura in 2019, the performance is served well by the room’s ambiance and was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Mell Dettmer—who has engineered albums for acts such as Earth, Sunn O))), Master Musicians of Bukkake, and Wolves in the Throne Room.
One of the gems on the smash hit album 'Soulmatic', Purple Disco Machine & Boris D'Lugosch's, 'Love For Days' gets the remix treatment three ways.
First up the master Kenny Dope - crisping up that shuffling rhythm with some added percussion and synthesiser arps to turn what was already a peak time soulful anthem, into a close to 8 minute extended journey drawing you in more and more with each build up and breakdown. Next up the PDM offers up an extended mix of the original, a welcome sight for those DJs on the club scene who have been rinsing this since the album dropped last year.
Finally, Motez takes you into raunchy, r&b tinged, garage territory, really honing in on Karen Harding's incredible vocals whilst incorporating brooding pads and sweeping fx's to create a special twist on the original.
DJ Support:
Aeroplane (Aeropop / Eskimo Recordings), Klingande / Kungs / Michael Calfan c/o (Unity Group Promo Sorter), Autograf (Counter Records), Treasure Fingers (Psycho Disco! / Fool's Gold), Malente (Southern Fried Records), Satin Jackets c/o (Eskimo Recordings / N.E.W.S.), Eric Sharp (9G Records), Gregor Salto c/o (Spinnin' Records), DJ Blake Jarrell (Armada Music), Jerome Price (Throne Room Records), DJ Licious (Spinnin' Records), Travis Emmons (Weapons Music), Electronic Youth (KMS), Solidisco (Fool's Gold / Ultra) :: Mark Knight c/o (Toolroom Knights), Mike Mago (Boemklatsch), Muzzaik (Spinnin' / Toolroom), The Disco Boys (We Play Music), Trevor Mac (Jalapeno Sound System), Ferdinand Weber (Spinnin' Deep), LCAW (Ultra), Plastic Plates (Sweat it Out), Mark Lower (Nurvous), Don Diablo c/o (Axtone / Spinnin' Records), Eton Messy, Après (Love & Other Records), Spada (Ego Music / Hysterical), Eelke Kleijn (Spinnin' / Suara), Horsemeat Disco (Strut Records / K7! Records), Horsemeat Disco (Strut Records / K7! Records), Adriana Lucia (Get Physical), Broc Roc (Dj B-Roc of The Knocks), Chordashian (Mullet Records), Hector Romero (Saw Recordings), Just Kiddin (Nervous Records)
Idris Elba c/o (Connaisseur Records / 7Wallace), Klingande / Kungs / Michael Calfan c/o (Unity Group Promo Sorter), Shiba San c/o (Suara / CUFF), Malente (Southern Fried Records), Rudimental (Asylum / Big Beat), Sirus Hood (Under No Illusion / Dirtybird), Marc Spence (This Ain't Bristol / Skint), Martin Solveig c/o (Spinnin' Records), Horsemeat Disco (Strut Records / K7! Records), Riva Starr c/o (Hot Creations), Mike Mago (Boemklatsch), Kokiri (Love & Other), Fred Falke (Work It Baby Records), Claptone c/o (Exploited), Roger Sanchez (Stealth Records / Astrx), Don Diablo c/o (Axtone / Spinnin' Records), Icarus (FFRR / SubSoul), Pezzner (Dirtybird), Jourdan Bordes (Phonetic Recordings), Mahalo (Toolroom / Bunny Tiger), AC Slater (Night Bass), Chordashian / Felix Feygin (Mullet Records), Fei-Fei Wang, Kristina Sky (Ultra / Armada), Thee Cool Cats (Toolroom / Bunny Tiger), Solidisco (Fool's Gold / Ultra), Infected Mushroom c/o (HOMmega Productions), DJ Blake Jarrell (Armada Music),Travis Emmons (Weapons Music), Human Life (LIFEX / Exploited), Treasure Fingers (Psycho Disco! / Fool's Gold), Hector Romero (Saw Recordings), and Danny Howard (BBC Radio 1 / Nothing Else Matters)
Reekee returns on Time To Play rec. after his first release “don’t look back” last year.
“No One” offers a laidback beat driven by the soulful and jazzy vocals of of Anna C.. A real Soulful house tribute!
On the other side the Italian talent Gary Superfly reinterprets the essential elements of the original track providing a Detroit inspired, dub instrumental version with a killer bass line and deep texture.
Reekee concludes the ep with his instrumental version.
Two lost Disco classics appearing for the first time on a single 12” featuring soul legend Leon Ware and Jo Ann Harris, a little known backing singer for Bob Dylan throughout the 80s.
Both songs originally appeared on the ‘20 Minute Workout’ Video and LP released in 1983 by Canadian label Ronco, ‘What Does It Take’ providing an uptempo crescendo to the third part of the workout and ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ the final warm down track. Licensed from producer Ira Newborn, Hollywood soundtrack royalty who composed the scores for an incredible run of films including The Blues Brothers, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, The Naked Gun trilogy, Weird Science, Ace Ventura and Uncle Buck. Ira’s lawyer persuaded him to get involved in the project for Ronco and it was Ira who hand picked Leon Ware and Jo Ann Harris to add vocals to two tracks to aid the commercial potential of the album.
There are two original versions backed with extended instrumentals sourced from a rare Lazer Disc Version of the album. It feels right to shine a light on one of Leon Ware’s lesser known performances, whilst the Jo Ann Harris cut has a distinct Balearic air featuring sultry keys and sax at a tempo of 98 BPM.
Erstes Soloalbum des Queenryche Sängers Todd La Torre. Die durch die Pandemie verschobene Queenryche Tour bot Todd La Torre die Gelegenheit,das lang geplante Soloalbum zu verwirklichen. Todd tat sich mit seinem langjährigen Freund Craig Blackwell zusammen. Wie bei Queensrÿche's The Verdict spielte La Torre Schlagzeug und übernahm die Vocals, Blackwell spielte Gitarre, Bass und Keyboards. La Torre und Blackwell produzierten das Album selbst, zogen jedoch Queensrÿche- Produzent Zeuss hinzu. Gastauftritte von Jordan Ziff (Age Of Evil, Metalhead, Ratt) und Al Nunn. Insgesamt zeigt sich der Solo-Output vielseitig, ohne die progressive Basis von Queensryche zu vernachlässigen. Die Grundlagen sind allerdings mehr im klassischen Metal verortet und werden mit verschiedenen Einflüssen kombiniert. . Der Opener "Dogmata" oder "Vanguards Of The Dawn Wall" kommen mit mächtig Speed um die Ecke und mixen Heavy mit Speed und Thrash. "Pretender" erhält einen leichten epischen Touch und La Torre bewegt sich stimmlich in überraschende Höhen. Metallisch klassisch wird es mit "Hellbound And Down", dem starken "Vexed" und "Rejoice In The Suffering". Der progressive Part kommt bei "Darkened Majesty", "Apology" oder "Critical Cynic" zum Tragen. Die Balladenfreunde hören in "Crossroad To Insanity" rein.Zum Schluss gibt es mächtig dunkle Töne zu entdecken - "One By One . Craig Blackwells Gitarrenspiel setzt den Gesang von La Torre musikalisch perfekt in Szene. Todd findet sogar Vocals, die noch nie zuvor von ihm gehört wurden, wie auf dem Titeltrack und dem bestechenden "Vanguards of the Dawn Wall" zu hören ist. 2021 nur in den USA veröffentlicht, macht ROAR dieses Juwel nun endlich auch in Europa erhältlich, zusätzlich in 2 luxuriösen Vinyl Versionen. "Rejoice The Sufffering"ist ein herausragendes Opus von einem spät berufenen Sänger, der völlig losgelöst beweist, wie man eine wuchtig-moderne und vitale Metal Scheibe schreibt, arrangiert und produziert Für alle Queensryche Fans und Liebhaber des klassischen Metal.
Beijing based Leele, Tokyo based S.O.N and Detroit transplant Camille has come together to give you something soothing from Adeen records. Their debut live studio album A Band Of Brothers is a nice warm welcome from the label that's known for house and techno. The late 70's early 80's Japanese fusion jazz influenced offering is split into two discs with one being all jazz, and disc two being remixed into breezy house tracks. Rather is an easy chilled out vibe or a night on the dancefloor, A Band Of Brother got you covered for all occasions.
Mouche (real name Tim Karmouche) returns to Australian label Research Records with another full-length of imaginary soundtracks, instrumentals and sun-kissed digital jazz. Active on the Melbourne scene in projects such as Crepes/The Murlocs/Swazi Gold/Dreamin' Wild, Tim's first album Live From The Bubble arrived back in 2020 as an ode to his aptly named studio space - The Bubble.
Lake Songs builds on those same atmospheres, showcasing the inward-looking craft of his one-man band. Cicada field recordings and light keys open proceedings, reflecting the warmer side of 80s new age, though before long we're introduced to a variety of stylistic shifts incorporating elements of cosmic funk, lounge and library-style compositions. There are traces of Steve Hiett, Max Groove or even the recently re-discovered Ronald Langestraat, though the strength of Mouche's talent for harmony shines through on its own level.
Shifting between moods yet reflecting an overarching sense of positivity, listening through the ten tracks gives off a real sense of place, though time is somewhat irrelevant. The warm climate and sandy beaches of Australia seem eternally embodied in 'Juice' or 'Crystal Water'. Perhaps where Live From The Bubble was dedicated to the very studio that birthed it, Lake Songs is dedicated to the vast land that surrounds it.
The Kyoto-based musician Yusaku Arai is known for his production work in the avant-garde scenes of Japanese hip-hop and R&B. On this solo album, though, he offers more lengthy, piano-centric meditations that use the techniques of musique concrète.
Arai’s compositions on the A-side emerged out of a reflection on the corporeal and interwoven relationship between his own body and things he encountered in the world—the ocean, a flower petal, a plastic sheet, a hand. His intent is to represent a process in which colors gently well up in inside of an object, pass through its entirety—and eventually permeate into the body itself. The B-side consists mostly of a long composition, which is about an unavoidable surplus that crops up in communication, whether of gestures or of language. This narrative work describes humans as beings torn between enthusiasm and emptiness.
The album’s artwork is by photographer Azusa Yamaguchi and designer Hejiro Yagi. Mastering by Sean McCann of Recital. An 18x24 inch poster is included.
Symphony Orchestra is a new group from Maximilian Turnbull and Michael Rault. Both Rault and Turnbull are accomplished songwriters, performers and producers in their own right, with Turnbull leading The Badge Epoque Ensemble, playing with the group Darlene Shrugg, and once releasing records under the name Slim Twig and Rault having released several psychedelic rock & roll classics under his own name in the past decade. The pair have worked together in various capacities for many years, writing and recording together on U.S. Girls' In A Poem Unlimited, and contributing to each other's releases, but the debut LP from Symphony Orchestra (due out May 12th on Telephone Explosion) marks their first release as an official entity.
Needless to say, there is a potent creative chemistry between Rault and Turnbull and Radiant Music showcases the alchemy between their distinct skill sets. The album is an exercise in pure collaboration. After years spent focusing on solo projects and working as hired guns on other projects, the duo came together with no specific intentions other than to work free of boundaries and direction. Freeing themselves from the familiar pressures of deadlines and expectations, they found a sense of discovery through togetherness. Duties on this project were split between Rault acting primarily as a one-man rhythm section and lead vocalist with Turnbull bringing chord sketches and his trademark aphoristic lyrical musings to the table. Trading off roles on guitar and keys from song to song, the duo's deft approach to melody bleeds through their instrumental parts as much as it does through Rault's vocal melodies. The majority of this album was self-engineered over the course of three sessions in 2018, at Michael's Montreal studio. Dormant during the pandemic, Rault's move to Los Angeles and the birth of Turnbull's twin sons, work reignited in 2022. The latterly tracked instrumental 'Concerto' and ballad 'Unthink The Thinkable' provide a dynamic depth to the album perhaps attributable to this tumultuous pause. Mixing came courtesy of Steve Chahley & Tony Price (U.S. Girls, BÉE, Jane Inc, etc).
In all of their work, Rault and Turnbull have made a hallmark of elaborately precise production and arrangement, Radiant Music is no different, though its pared-back simplicity provides a streamlined directness. The pairing of Rault's soulful, elastic vocal with Turnbull's evocatively cerebral lyrics provides a thrilling sensation unlike anything else in their respective catalogs. With an explosive, groove-forward approach, kaleidoscopic walls of vocal harmony and technicolor displays of guitar work, these 31 minutes of music will most certainly stimulate the mind of any fan of classic pop rock and funk. The blown-out breakbeats, winsome woven vocal melodies and propulsive wah-wah guitars of the title track evoke memories of an after-school cartoon special that never really existed outside of a lysergic daydream. "Harp In The Wind" is a perfect moment of overcast melancholy complete with ribbons of weeping synthesizers and velcro-fuzz guitar that could rip a clean line through Kevlar. "Know Thyself" and the harmony-rich "Intersection" are standout tracks that find a kinship in Stereolab's space-age effervescence. "Concerto" is a slab of beaming, mischievous funk that nods to Billy Preston's extraterrestrial keyboard explorations.
Radiant Music, like the best pop music, is life-affirming, confectionary, and enticing. Symphony Orchestra have created an album that hits you right where you need it, anchoring heady, adventurous sonic ideas down to a solid foundation of masterful songcraft, virtuosic instrumental performances and undeniable groove. Not a bar, nor beat is wasted.
Finally back on tape, officially reissued. Must have! 3 Feet High and Rising is the debut studio album by hip hop trio De La Soul and was released on March 3, 1989 It marked the first of three full- length collaborations with producer Prince Paul, which would become the critical and commercial peak of both parties. Critically, as well as commercially, the album was a success. It contains the singles, "Me Myself and I", "The Magic Number", "Buddy", and "Eye Know". The album title came from the Johnny Cash song "Five Feet High and Rising". It is listed on Rolling Stone's 200 Essential Rock Records and The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums. When Village Voice held its annual Pazz & Jop Critics Poll for 1989, 3 Feet High and Rising was ranked #1. It was also listed on the Rolling Stone's The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Released amid the 1989 boom in gangsta rap, which gravitated towards hardcore, confrontational, violent lyrics, De La Soul's uniquely positive style made them an oddity beginning with the first single, "Me, Myself and I". Their positivity meant many observers labeled them a 'hippie' group, based on their declaration of the 'D.A.I.S.Y. Age' (Da. Inner. Soul. Yall). Sampling artists as diverse as Hall & Oates, Steely Dan and The Turtles, 3 Feet High and Rising is often viewed as the stylistic beginning of 1990s alternative hip hop (and especially jazz rap).
*MILKY CLEAR VINYL - 300 COPIES ONLY FOR WORLD!!* Technology + Teamwork’s fizzling synths, interweaving textures and punchy rhythms are beguiling on their long-awaited debut album We Used To Be Friends. However, at the heart of it all it’s the connection between the group’s two members, Anthony Silvester and Sarah Jones, the friendship the much-travelled duo have managed to maintain for nearly 15 years and a showcase of the slow-burning construction of the electronic world that they’ve surrounded themselves with. We Used To Be Friends is ultimately the tale of two storied artists in their own right, holding onto each other through personal and career twists and turns, relocations and broader movements through respective phases of their lives. Silvester and Jones first met and then collaborated as part of biting post-punk five-piece XX Teens in 2008, eventually breaking off to forge their own path together even as the latter’s demand as a drummer grew. Performing with everyone from Hot Chip, Harry Styles and Bloc Party among many others, Jones has been a constant percussive presence across the sphere of alternative UK pop music – she’s also found time for her own solo project Pillow Person and played on records by the likes of Puscifer and Kurt Vile. Silvester meanwhile has performed in art galleries across Europe including: Fridericianum in Kassel, Kölnischer Kunstverein in Cologne, and Vleeshal in Middelburg, as well as providing sound design and composing work for several art films. Technology + Teamwork is the constant throughout all of that though. “Technology + Teamwork's name perfectly describes how we work” Silvester explains. “Sometimes the teamwork is between each other and sometimes it’s between us and the technology.” Although going by the name Technology + Teamwork as far back as 2014, two events conspired that pulled the project into focus for the pair of them: firstly, Silvester spent a year constructing a soundproof studio shed on the border of London and Essex where he lives. Secondly, inevitably, the pandemic brought the globe-trotting Jones back home to just seven miles away from her long-time collaborator and friend. “We probably hung out more than we had for a few years” says Silvester. “Also, after all her Pillow Person releases Sarah had gotten really good with recording vocals and knowing what did and didn’t work and had a really good home studio set up. We still worked separately though, exchanging ideas via email and WhatsApp.” As with many artists through 2020 and early 2021, working separately was a new necessity that they were forced to adapt to. However, it became clear that there were creative benefits to it. “It really changed our sound and our sounds became a lot more focused as a result” Jones says. “I wanted to use the same ideas of improvisation that I might use while playing the drums for myself and apply that to melodies and lyrics.” The album bristles with hyperpop modernity. You can hear it in the manipulated vocals most prominently on Big Blue’s disco strut and on Moving Too’s heady mix of pitched up voice and burrowing sub bass. However, the pair also looked to San Francisco and the West Coast synthesis movement of the 60s, Silvester inspired by the likes of Suzanne Ciani and Don Buchla. The plaintive lo-fi and melancholy of Amsterdam incorporates Mutable Instrument’s Marbles by Émilie Gillet which – inspired by Buchla’s own synthesis work – outputs random voltages to give the track an air of unpredictability. It’s something that occurs throughout the album, the duo revelling in the happy accidents that disrupt the flow of their hook-laden pop. “The ‘Buchlian’ ideas of music having randomness and uncertainty, completely freed us up” Silvester explains. “It felt a bit like having more members in the band, machines that didn't do what you expected or intended.” Perhaps more subtly, is the influence of 17th and 18th century Baroque music, with Silvester drawing a line between it and the 90’s R’n’B he and Jones both love – exemplified perhaps best on K+B’s percussive claps and sultry grooves. The portentous juddering synthpop of the title track, meanwhile, alludes specifically to Handel’s Sarabande. It’s typical of an album that only needs a scratch of its seemingly glossy surface to unearth a myriad of contorted touchstones and reference points that’ve fermented beneath it. Thematically there’s an anxious sense to the record, with tracks often balancing above a quiet sense of unerring tension even at their most bombastic. Moving Too is the result of an existential doubt that hit Silvester while out cycling, with the outro refrain "it's not enough to die you also have to be forgotten" a take on something Samuel Beckett once said. These worries are echoed on the album’s closing track What A Year, which borrows a lot of lines from the late drag performer and fashion designer Dorian Corey including the grimly defiant "you're gonna leave your mark somewhere in this world just by getting through it”. Those clouds offer a counter point to We Used To Be Friends, but then isn’t that what great pop albums do? Technology + Teamwork undoubtedly love the craft of the hook and the song, but they always position themselves left of centre, prepared to scuff things up, pull something out of shape or manipulate something to leave it sounding warped. Much like their friendship, nothing here is particularly linear – and it’s all the better for it. Bio: Anthony Silvester & Sarah Jones first collaborated as part of biting post-punk five piece XX Teens in 2008, eventually breaking off to forge their own path together even as the latter's demand as a drummer grew. Performing with everyone from Hot Chip, Bat for Lashes, Harry Styles and Bloc Party (among many others), Jones has been a constant percussive presence across the sphere of alternative UK pop music - she's also found time for her own solo project Pillow Person and played on records by the likes of Puscifer and Kurt Vile. Silvester meanwhile has performed in art galleries across Europe including Fridericianum in Kassel, Kölnischer Kunstverein in Cologne, and Wleeshal in Middelburg, as well as providing sound design and composing work for several art films. Technology & Teamwork is the constant throughout all of that though. "We Used To Be Friends" proves that Technology & Teamwork undoubtedly love the craft of the hook and the song, but they always position themselves left of centre, prepared to scuff things up, pull something out of shape or manipulate something to leave it sounding warped. Much like their friendship, nothing hear is particularly linear - and it's all the better for it.
For Fans Of... Sunny and the Sunliners, Rene Y Rene, Ray Camacho. The second offering by The Revues continues to explore the intersections between Tejano music, Latin Soul, and funk. This updated take on Rene y Rene’s coveted version of “Mi Corazón Esta Llorando” is tough but with a touch of sweetness. On the flip side we get the instrumental version only with the vocal melody being swapped out for tenor and alto saxes, heightening the Tejano influence and flavor. Also Available From The Revues: Take Me For A Little While 7”. Tracks: 1. Mi Corazón Esta Llorando 2. Mi Corazón Esta Llorando
Vincentiulian is the kind of name that needs no introduction. He is one of the best-known DJs and producers from the famous Romanian scene, and his evolution throughout the years tells its own story. He has played alongside the biggest names in the industry, shared the decks with household DJs like Priku, Rhadoo, or Cezar, and played the most important festivals out there.
His Subbass EP on Vivus Records cements his aura even more as a wonderful producer.
The opening track, Works, kicks things off wonderfully and subtly. It’s certainly a perfect track for the warm-up moments in the club, but its intricate background noises add a lovely layer of complexity as the track goes on.
Then we head off in a different direction: At Chalet is a much stronger track with an imposing bassline that dominates the sound and perfectly complements the mysterious vocals.
The titular track, Subbass, has a natural futuristic vibe and feels like a
ready-made club banger. The spacey atmosphere is something that only adds charm to it. The Tobias Laun Remix is a more chill but equally powerful way to end this mesmerizing EP, with Tobias showing his prowess at adjusting the pace just at the right rhythm for the dancefloor. The strong bass complements superbly with the sublime background noises to make this the perfect last chapter.
In the fall 2021, Belgian saxophone player Robin Verheyen was invited by Kunstencentrum KAAP and W.E.R.F. records to play a solo concert during AMOK festival in the beautiful Bruges baroque church Walburga. The haunting concert was recorded in its entirety and additionally an extra recording session was scheduled in the Chamber Music Hall of the Bruges Concertgebouw. Both rooms have one thing in common: special acoustics. The playful dialogue Robin created with both spaces created an extremely unique sound and formed the basis for the title of this first solo album: Playing The Room.
Over the past two decades, Robin Verheyen has proven to be not only one of Belgium's brightest saxophonists of his generation, but also that he is a musical jack-of-all trades. Within his band with dEUS frontman Tom Barman - TaxiWars - he demonstrated his ability to rock, while with Bach Riddles he showed that he is no stranger to baroque music either. In his own bands he was often surrounded with illustrious American jazz greats like Joey Baron or Marc Copland, but with 'Playing The Room' Robin proves that he can hold his own as well and what an exceptional musician and improviser he is.
Playing The Room offers the listener a musical journey full of discoveries on the edge of spirituality and virtuosity. The album will be officially released on W.E.R.F records on Friday, May 5, and will be available in a limited edition on vinyl. An absolute must-have for any musical connoisseur.
CLUB U NITE RECORDS PRESENTS: Your Daily Dose Of Dope Vol.2
We're kicking off spring with new House gems that will make your sweet behind move.
A01 starts off with 'Everyday', an old-school stomper with a touch of soul and funk, while A02 gives you a satisfied smile with the 'Deep Dub Journey' and a jazzy piano.
B01 hits you with a dry kick and spoils you with deep Rhodes samples in 'Get Up'. The 'Jump For U Version' wraps up this EP full of old-school vibes..... for you!
Revolver, die die Band 2020 auf ihr Cover setzten, bemerkten, dass AUGUST BURNS RED "den Schmerz so gut annehmen". Eine Wahrheit, die nie offensichtlicher war als auf "Death Below", ihrem atemberaubenden neunten Studioalbum. Aufgenommen mit den langjährigen Produzenten Carson Slovak und Grant McFarland.
Lord knows we have put out some rare R&B records here at Real Gone Music, but this one may take the cake! Mary Mundy’s 1980 album for the obscure Image label goes for hundreds of bucks if you can find it at all (which, as of this writing, you can’t). Loaded with bassheavy, disco-soul grooves over which Mundy’s voice floats like
a butterfly and stings like a bee, Mother Nature lives up to the collector hype. That Mundy’s discography consists of this album and a few scattered singles just adds to the mystique of this intriguing one-off, which sees its first reissue in any format here. Remastered for vinyl by Mike Milchner at Sonic Vision. We’re only making 1000 copies and you better not tarry…pink vinyl pressing!
This EP gets off to a perfect start with "Keep It All Inside", a straight track with dirty kicks and snares meeting rough chords and melodies. Uhhh!
"Luv The Way" cannot be surpassed in its purity and its efficient minimalism. This track should be played at high volume!
The B-side gets us a little deeper with two versions of "Join The Jam" and rewards us with everything that enchanted us in the 90s: smashin' grooves, deep chords and soulful vocal samples become an incomparable musical and equally danceable highlight. Hypnotizing!
Junior Jack’s timeless 2004 disco/house fusion ‘Stupidisco’ receives a spread of dynamic remixes from some of the most talented remixers around.
Kicking things off is Spanish DJ and producer David Penn, who takes the stems and gives them an immaculate polish! Taking JJ’s Pointer Sisters sampling goodness and working into a re-sliced, disco-house filter journey with punchy kicks, tremulating basslines and an anthemic piano that is guaranteed to bring the sun out from the clouds.
Next up is Germany's Deeperlove with the toughest mix in the package with it's tech house inspired drums and bassline.
On the flip side, Aussie based Kiwi Jolyon Petch jumps in, delivering 2 killer remixes with his Italo inspired Jolyon Petch Remix and a nu-disco treat under his Elektrik Disko alias.
Omni AM presents the long-awaited reissue of “Can We Get / Keep Doing That.” This timeless record sent dance music in a new direction. Euphoria Record’s vaults are open and finally, for the first time since 1997, this seminal tech-house classic is available to everyone for the very first time in over 25 years. This 1997 indie record was Euphoria Records second release – and their first international record. Whether you agree with it or not, many people consider this one of the pioneering records of American Tech-House. Both sides and several mysterious alternate versions have graced the decks of DJs like Evil Eddie Richards, Terry Francis, Derrick Carter, Tyler Stadius, and Magda. The list goes on.
We were lucky. Curve Pusher lovingly remastered the original four tracks from the 1997 studio masters. Then, he went a step further, and remastered some previously unreleased versions – including a live version in Chicago that encapsulates what Omni AM was back then: ambient house. There’s a bit of Chicago, a bit of London, a bit of New York, and a bit of Tokyo in every second of these classic, genre-defining tracks.
A1.
“Can We Get” happily sits with the finest works of Ron Trent, Chez Damier, and Mood II Swing – and goes further, as Omni AM has never feared genre definitions. It opens with classic deep house chords, floating synth pads, and sparse vocals. The bassline is deep and warm. Marky Star and Adam Collins expertly work the percussive effects but always keep the theme simple and clear. Everyone knows this is a classic house track because it hypnotizes you.
A2.
“Keep Doing That” continues the theme with another classic late-night killer. However, this one is totally different – almost industrial, yet clearly housey and ambient. It drives deep into a tough groove that just builds and builds. The dub-influenced bass line gives way to a more angular synth riff that both offsets and adds to the track's forward thinking sound design. It’s dark and dirty, yet terribly sexxxy at the same time. It was and always will be mesmerizing. Once again, musical magic by Marky Star and Adam Collins.
B-Sides
The flip side features two remixes of “Keep Doing That” by UK tech-house legend Mark Ambrose. His bubbly, psychedelic take on the track pumps up the percussive Chi-town groove while going in a distinctly London afterhours direction. Trippy, for sure. Fun for all, for sure. These remixes are guaranteed to make your afterhours weird.
Mind Maze is, amazingly, Trees Speak’s fifth album to be released on Soul Jazz Records in the space of little over two years– an output matched only by the intensity of their music created during this short time.
The first pressing only of the album comes with a bonus seven-inch single containing two tracks that are not available on vinyl anywhere else.
As with all their previous releases, ‘Mind Maze’ is a mind-boggling tightrope walk across an array of musical influences that seamlessly create the unique present-day world of Trees Speak.
The band’s sound is characterized by a combination of German krautrock motoric-beat rhythms, angular New York post-punk attitude, 60s spy soundtracks, psych, rock, jazz, and 70s synthesizers and vocoders. There is also a cosmic spatial awareness to their sound; both personal inner space and galactic outer space, as well as a wilful pushing of sonic boundaries.
Trees Speak are a musical duo based in Tucson, Arizona, composed of Daniel Martin Diaz and Damian Diaz. Their music is heavily influenced by the cosmic magic of the natural desert landscapes of Arizona, creating a unique and captivating sound that is both experimental and innovative.
Here you will find the myriad sounds of 1970s German electronic music (everything from Can to Cluster, Popul Vuh to Tangerine Dream); 1980s New York post-punk and synthcore (from No Wave to Suicide); John Barry’s 1960s movies, John Carpenter’s 1970s horror. You will also hear the influences of French and Italian progressive rock (Magma, Goblin) as well as cosmic, new age and experimental space soundscapes …. an almost endless list of diverse influences that ebb and flow like an ocean of sound, in the process creating a truly unique soundscape that Trees Speak have made wholly their own.
The name Trees Speak reflects their interest in the concept of using future technologies to store information and data in trees and plants, with the idea that trees communicate collectively. This interest in nature and technology, combined with their passion for experimentation, has led Trees Speak to create a truly one-of-a-kind listening experience that is both unique and engaging.
If you ever wanted to hear Can, Neu!, Destroy All Monsters, Pere Ubu, electric eels, John Cage, Liquid Liquid, Tangerine Dream, Suicide, Laurie Spiegel, Art Ensemble of Chicago, John Barry, Mother Mallard’s Portable Masterpiece Company, Sun Ra, Stockhausen, John Carpenter, Electro-Acoustic and Musique Concrete and Mars in one band - then this is it! Trees Speak are a band that defies categorization and offer an eclectic listening experience, both exciting and memorable.
The two bonus tracks (‘Seraphim’ and ‘Orpheus’) included with the album give us a further window into the complex mind maze of the group - two stunning acoustic tracks that explore a distinct early 70s sound of Yes, Argent and other progressive rock accolytes.
Global pointing Brazilian jazz trio releases their new album Agôra, that sparkles with electric funk and Herbie-esque eclecticism. It features a myriad of guest vocalists and musicians including Brazilians Xênia França and Zé Leônidas, Jembaa Groove's Ghanaian singer Eric Owusu and South African artists Bongani Givethanks & Mpho Nkuzo
Re-wiring the concept of 'fusion' for 2023, Agôra is Brazilian trio Caixa Cubo's resurgent new record with the title referring to 'now', based upon the intuitive and fluid nature of the trio's method, and this inspired recording. With shoots to black music culture, from Brazil to Brooklyn, Ghana and South Africa, Agôra is the group's ninth album yet is their first where they've invited guests, mainly singers, onto each track and follows their last, Angela from 2020, released on Heavenly Records, which won a BBC 6 Music Album of the Year (Huey Morgan's selection) granting them much deserved international recognition.
The core musical elements of Caixa Cubo are Henrique Gomide (keys), João Fideles (drums) and Noa Stroeter (bass), all from São Paulo, Brazil and where they met as teenagers and would continue their friendship and musical bond at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, Netherlands. Now all in their mid thirties, João and Noa live back in the city where it all started but Henrique has settled in Cologne, Germany where the recording of Agôra took place, over the course of 3 days, at the home cum studio of Chris 'Dusty' Doepke, their friend and owner of the label they signed to, Jazz & Milk.
In line with all their creations where flow and energy provide the magic, allowing what the moment provides, the album shines not only for its virtuosity but for its minimalism, the depth of space, and for the first time, the ability to figure in and outside of the jazz fold, as the trio decided, for the first time, to bring in singers and add a new aesthetic to their sound.
"Agôra is a wake-up call to reality, a reminder that the infinite possibilities of technological progress should not disconnect us from the earth, from eye-to-eye relationships, and from moments lived in person" the band are keen to point out. "And that we must not be consumed by greed, for all we truly possess.... is the NOW."
Turning hope and metaphor into music, the debut single Sábado, an electrified future- jazz-fizz reflects perfectly the spontaneity that permeated the entire recording of the album. "When we got to the studio, we had no idea what we were going to record. We started playing a groove, kind of inspired by Gilberto Gil's 80s albums, and our drummer João started singing this funny song 'Sábado Barrigudão' (Big Belly Saturday) alongside the bass groove and that was that". Inspired by their city of birth, São Paulo, it features long time collaborator and vocalist Zé Leônidas, with cuicas, tamborim, agogo and shakers providing the most obvious Brazilian affect from the album.
Dreams is the band's first foray into R'n'B melding the group's simple and sporadic instrumentation of drums, keys and bass into a Jill Scott inspired song that could have been born in Brooklyn yet sung by Brazilian singer and Grammy nominated Xênia França and Zé Leônidas in both English and Portuguese. Xênia recently performed online for hip-to-it website Colors and it's her latest collaboration with Caixa Cubo, having first met in 2009 for a series of live performances.
South African artists Bongani Givethanks & Mpho Nkuzo come to the record with a wholly different approach on Ndiyakhangela, providing spoken word and vocal refrains on top of an Afro-Brazilian percussion jam with a delivery and verse in Xhosa, Zula and Ndebele. Asase is the album opener and features vocals of Eric Owusu who is part of highlife pioneer Pat Thomas's live band and most recently, co-leader of Jembaa Groove, an Afro-soul band from Berlin. It's a synth wig out with djembe grooves and offers a brand new take on Afro-soul-jazz.
Other contributions come from Cologne based jazz singer Rebekka Ziegler (Oblique Sunshine), São Paulo based guitarist Eduardo Camargo (Caio & Eric) and trumpet player Matthias Schriefl on Kismeti, a gorgeous and rolling number that ebbs and flows, exemplifying the group's effortless ability to craft a sound energised by a belief in one-self and the idea of having faith without the need to look at each other for verification.
As drummer and percussionist João Fideles perfectly surmised upon arriving for the recording session, "What drums do you have? Whatever you have, I'll use it". Agôra is testament to nearly 20 years of camaraderie, friendship and most importantly, trust.
On April 7th electronic luminary Nathan Fake presents the new longplayer ‘Crystal Vision’ on his own Cambria Instruments imprint, which features collaborations with Clark and Wizard Apprentice.
This is music for music’s sake – recorded without angles, agendas and themes – so Fake was free to simply continue honing his craft and express himself non-literally. Aptly titled, there’s a clarity of execution and ambition, and a peak effectiveness to the record that just sounds right.
Continuing to set a personal bar higher and topping his own best, the mark of master craftsperson is everywhere, but that doesn’t mean it’s polished; There’s plenty of rawness evident, with spiky sonics keeping ears on high alert – full of endorphin-flooded rave energy.
Following a short, scene-setting ‘Arrival’ – a simple major chord arpeggio played on a Jupiter 6 which sounds like curtains opening at dawn, things begin apace with ‘The Grass’, which hurtles like a precision-tuned bullet train through Arctic tundra. The undulating effect of compression is emphasised by the classic techno trope where 2 rhythms jar yet interlock, creating an exquisitely disorientating strobe-like flutter. On the track’s guest, Fake comments, “I fell in love with Wizard Apprentice's ‘I Am Invisible’ and felt our musical styles were similar. Their vocals are smooth and clear and sharp at the same time. They’re like a calm within the storm.”
Inspired by Italo disco but sounding wholly alien and futuristic, ‘Vimana’’s fizzing buzzsaw arpeggiated bassline, popping snares and bright whirling melody are equally an electro trance melange, with an effervescent major chord Arp that kicks in midway.
Reminiscent of what used to be called ‘funky techno’ but with sparklier sounds, ‘Boss Core’ blinds like sunshine bouncing off ice. Using his trusty Boss DR550 drum machine, and inspired by Autechre's ‘Vose In’, the track peaks by reaching that melancholic/euphoric axis for which he is loved.
With chugging slow breakbeats not a million miles from Board Of Canada or trip hop, ‘Crystal Vision’ rolls along, with the melody opening up, revealing more hidden notes as it progresses, building into a fractal, kaleidoscopic mosaic.
An emotional outpouring with serotonin surging through the circuitry, classic breakbeats and layers of lazers, ‘Bibled’ has all the hallmarks of a classic. This is a bonafide festival-set closing, hugging-your-mates, moment – or, with its guitar solo, “a power ballad” – as Nathan calls it.
A minimalistic moment of calm midway through the album, ‘CMD’’s gently comforting dreamscape is conjured with FM stacked and detuned sine waves which are left to breathe, whilst the chunky Chicagoan house jack of ‘Hawk’ brings to mind classic Relief records, but even more detuned and wibbly, and laden with synths.
As the title suggests, ‘Amen 96’ is in Fake’s own words, “me having a go at jungle. I grew up listening to it, and I remember as a teenager it sounded like the most intense and otherworldly music ever. It still does. This track is an experiment to see how my melodic style works against amen breaks”. Closer to the braindance end of the spectrum than ‘proper’ jungle (and all the more interesting for it), Fake channels the spirit of Squarepusher but makes it his own, brimming with melodious twinkle.
A collaboration with Nathan’s close friend and genuine musical hero Clark. ‘Outsider’ finds this dream team alchemising pure gold that’s bigger than the sum of their parts. Skittering, intense, far-reaching end epic, the pair close proceedings on a grandly dramatic note. In 2020 Nathan released the album ‘Blizzards’, which was described by The Quietus as “his best work”, and “his best LP yet” yet by Resident Advisor. The equally well received ‘Blizzards Remixes’ EP which featured Afrodeutsche and Irene Dresel followed in 2021, as did a nationwide UK tour.
An in-demand remixer, Fake has added his magic to tracks by Radiohead, Clark, Perc, Jon Hopkins, GoGo Penguin, Dominik Eulberg, Christian Löffler and Damian Lazarus, working for labels including Ninja Tune, Domino, Warp, Blue Note and Kompakt.
Two little ducks, it's 22! You asked so we have delivered, with this mind and groin boggling 12''. Kicking things off with some monsterous uptempo garage courtesy of Grant Nelson’s Remix of Dave & Omar 'Starlight'. Next up is a forthcoming DJ Fudge production ‘Everything' by Chocolate Fudge Band, featuring lots of live instrumentation and a Curtis Mayfield style vocal.
Flip it over for Dave’s super soulful 4/4 workout of 'Look at the Stars' featuring Maurissa Rose and the brand new Opolopo - 'Looking For You', a deep and bouncy cut filled with soulful Motown vocal chops and an Organ workout worthy of any Sunday service. Take your trousers off, lie back and enjoy.
»Love As Projection« is the new album by Frankie Rose, her fifth studio LP and second for Night School following the reissue of her interpretation of The Cure’s »Seventeen Seconds«. Frankie Rose has forged an enviable musical legacy, from playing with bands like Crystal Stilts and The Vivian Girls but on »Love As Projection« she takes a bold step into electronic pop production. A sumptuous recorded statement, it dances in ecstasy and broods on the tumult of the western world’s decay in equal proportion. At the heart of the album is glowing, confident songwriting, resplendent in hooks and choruses but still touched with an optimism undimmed.
After spending nearly two decades establishing herself across New York and Los Angeles independent music circles, Rose re-emerges after six years with a fresh form, aesthetic, and ethos. Celebrated over the years for her expansive approach to songwriting, lush atmospherics, and transcendent vocal melodies and harmonies, »Love As Projection« is a reintroduction of her established style through the lens of contemporary electronic pop. Recorded with producer Brandt Gassman and mixed with long-term collaborator Jorge Elbrecht this is the album Frankie Rose has been building up to her entire career.
More than a rebirth, a refinement, a resurgence, »Love As Projection« boasts a widescreen scope: a long- form project heavily considered for half of a decade, culminating in the most personal and accessible collection of art-pop that Frankie has ever written. When Rose aims for the pop jugular as in first lead track »Anything«, the result is unstoppable. A majestic pop song built for radio, it erupts into an irresistible chorus that marries classic epic 80s American pop with the cult effervescence of Strawberry Switchblade »It’s like a prom scene in a John Hughes movie. It’s a hopeful song about abandoning fear even if the world is quite literally on fire.. In the end, at least we have each other,« says Rose. »Sixteen Ways« further boasts a propulsive, massive chorus, though tempered by a cynicism built in global post-truth, global malaise. »It’s about getting your hopes up, but simultaneously making lists in your head about how it will never work out in your favour.«
The big anthems don’t let up there. On »DOA« some massive, rolling drums lathered in big mid-80s gated reverb dovetail with a syncopated baseline for the ages as Rose’s vocal sails effortlessly above. The effect isn’t unlike ethereal vocalists Clannad circa Howard’s Way or Enya jamming with Simple Minds in their stadium-conquering heyday. Rose tempers the adrenalin with heart-tugging bittersweet tones and there are plenty of them. »Sleeping Night And Day« takes its time with an off-the-cuff chorus, swirling around in harmony and chorus-bass. »Saltwater Girl« picks up the balladeering baton with another nod to album track-mode Switchblade, deep space opening up in the mid-tempo drum track and soupy, digital atmospherics. Album closer »Song For A Horse«, reimagines modern Pop production a-la-PC Music but shorn of the meta-atmosphere. Pianos, swelling synths, minor keys cut through with major. These moments, also seen in Feel Light offer ballast to the soaring pop choruses. Moments like these are big oceans of emotion to fall into before being led out by Rose into a bright new day.
»Love As Projection« is released in the USA by Slumberland.
Hot on the heels of their sophomore release with DJ Rocca, Cyphon Recordings welcome Tijuana’s Cyborg Nerve to the family for the third installment in their busy label schedule.
A new project helmed by the Cedillo brothers - also known for their work under the monikers Soul of Hex and Mano De Fuego - Cyborg Nerve’s sound tips the hat to the roots of Detroit electro and techno.
The Vicario Musique Recordings bosses have already made a mark under their Soul of Hex alias, pushing their cosmic, vibrant take on deep house. It’s caught the ear of labels and artists across the world; the likes of Delusions of Grandeur, Freerange Records and Quintessentials have shared their music and they’ve even earned the Larry Heard seal of approval, with the legendary Chicago producer stepping up to remix their 2014 track ‘Lip Reading’. As Mano De Fuego they’re also getting their music into the hands of pioneering figures in the American dance music scene - summer of this year saw them release a shamanistic debut via the inimitable Underground Resistance.
For their debut outing as Cyborg Nerve, the pair deliver four tracks of old school electro grooves. Title track ‘Cristalizacion’ kicks things off. A slice of intergalactic electro; celestial pads soar above warm bass and staccato drum rhythms. Their eponymous track follows and takes the energy levels up a notch: a warbling bass line drives the track forward, whirring and revving while crisp hats fizz overhead.
‘Tijuana 3000’ is another cut that's custom-made for the dance floor. As with the title track, the duo call to mind the interstellar jazz-tinged electronics of Detroit outfit Galaxy 2 Galaxy, as they pair cosmic twinkling melodies with a hypnotic acid line that takes centre stage. ‘Machine Effect’ brings the EP to a close. Like its name suggests the track is powered by a raw, machine funk groove and precise drum programming - no bells and whistles, just pure cosmic vibrations to move your body.