Suche:off the record

Culross Close follow up their 2016 debut album HOME with a potent offering entitled MOMENTS. The
quartet (a moniker of K15) meld fusion and future grooves to create a captivating ride through some of their recordings. From the opening MANIFESTO, the listener is thrust into a world of purpose and understanding. SLOW YOUR STROLL is where the record begins to unfold, as floating synths and
percussion carry the groove. What follows next is the hypnotic INNA TRICE, the rawest of all the
recordings where snares and sincerity collide. The record closes with UNISON (a future groove if there
ever was one), a number that showcases the quartet's ability to truly explore their moments.

Yoruba Records is proud to welcome back Toto Chiavetta with our latest release, 'Nagnu Jubo' (Remixes). This follow up to the debut album, 'Impermanence', includes remixes by Osunlade as well as new and unreleased work from Toto himself. Kicking off proceedings is the Yoruba Soul Mix of 'Nagnu Jubo', a deep and smooth groove rich in personality. The warm chords reel you in as the underlying rhythm engages and inspires. The Yoruba Soul Dub retains the warmth of the original without the track's signature chant. This is followed by a new, previously unreleased, version of 'Minds'. Originally appearing on 'Impermanence', this version is decidedly more floor focused. A 303-style bassline keeps this moving right along as percussive elements add texture and drive to this forward thinking dance tune. Finally, closing out this release is 'Hunters', a track which showcases Toto's dark and techy side. This expressive tune is ripe with emotion and will have discerning listeners locked in introspection while their feet do work on the floors below them.

Following the success of the Retro-Zouk mixtapes series (4 volumes / 15k plays on Soundcloud), Secousse Radio proudly presents its first official vinyl reissue of a long lost Zouk banger.

Originally released in 1993-1994, those two tracks have been road-tested in various clubs and parties for months and the feedback is clear: it's dancefloor devastation business.

Their author is Jules Henri Malaki, an established and self-produced artist from Guadeloupe, a French overseas island in the Southern Caribbean Sea.

As the popularity of Zouk music keeps growing every day in Europe, America and Asia, just whisper the name Makiyaj' to any of the best DJs from the current tropical diggers scene and watch their eyes scintillate... This secret weapon shall not remain secret very long.

Fresh from his 'Let's Roll EP' on Radio Slave's Rekids, Hopeworks curator Lo Shea further cements his status as a true innovator of the UK underground with the 'Iterations EP' on Dusky's 17 Steps.

Leading the charge, 'Iterations' is 8 dark twisted minutes of tripped-out melodic techno that will sweat the walls of warehouses from London to Tokyo - drawing a lineage from The Omen, Atomic Jam and The Orbit through to Berghain, De School and - indeed - Hopeworks itself.

On the remix, Stockholm's Peder Mannerfelt takes it down an industrial rabbit hole of terror-core synths, rave sirens and sonic paranoia.

Across rest of EP, Lo Shea flexes his sonic diversity with 'Ornithurae' offering an intruiging mix of bruising bass, twitchy layer loaded percussion and sinister soundscapes - somewhere between d&b don Dillinja circa '96, early Claude Von Stroke, Radioactive Man and fellow Sheffield legend Oris Jay.

Dark, soulful and ravey, 'Higher' closes things off with a uniquely UK hybrid that traces lines through militant Tresor-heyday techno, vintage Strictly Rhythm diva house and hardcore vibes.

Bleu Nuit (BN) is glad to introduce to you to its second release Red Light City (BN02) by Nice-based French duo Gabardines.
Rising French DJs from the South of France, Gabardines is composed by Olivier aka Ghini-B and Régis aka Redj.
If Ghini-B and Redj already have a couple of vinyl-only releases to their respective solo alias, Gabardines is about to release his first EP under this name. Indeed, in 2017, Gabardines brought out Sweat Things EP on Simple Things Records via bandcamp as well as a remix of Lady B's Liaisons on their own imprint Swipe White Limited a couple of years before.
Red Light City EP follows the lead or rather, the musical line, introduced by both the label and Gabardines' predecessor Flavio Folco (BN01). As can be listened from all three tracks, Gabardines are sticking to these break and gangster beats, offering a balanced release with some warmup (A1), peak-time (A2) and closing/after spirit (B1).

Seeking the overwhelming vibration of the genuine sound wave and its profound echo on the soul, Kenneth James Gibson has spent his career experimenting under a variety of aliases like as many brushstrokes to an ever polymorphic palette - successively releasing as (a)pendics.shuffle, Bell Gardens, Reverse Commuter, dubLoner, Kenneth James G., KJ Gibbs, Bal Cath, Eight Frozen Modules, and Premature Wig... the list is long. Near to two years after his first incursion on Kompakt with his third studio LP 'The Evening Falls', Gibson returns with 'In The Fields Of Nothing', his second full-length delivery for the Cologne-based imprint.

A piece of intricate scales and moods, by turn streaming with the quiet flow of a small meandering rill, then suddenly veering off into an oceanic kind of tumult, 'In The Fields Of Nothing' was conceived as a proper film soundtrack with its rhythmic ebb-and-flow and deep sense of immersion, pulling the strings to an imaginary scenario where the uncanny rubs shoulders with a minute care for the immersion and deep emotional involvement of its whole.

Like entangling multiple levels of consciousness through a millefeuille of textures, piano and strings as well as a flurry of subtly FX-soaked instrumentals, Gibson reflects on his new album - created and recorded right after 'The Evening Falls' came out - as hugely inspired by the lushly forested mountain landscapes of his home region, the bewitching Idyllwild, California. With each track being an essential petal in the narrative corolla figured by Gibson, it's a breathing forest of sounds that deploys, bearing the memories of Kenneth's early morning and late night wanderings in the wild, alone and not, with the ancient trees' vital force for main companion. 
An attempt at capturing a slice of these ephemeral sensations felt when striding along across the steep ridges and stony paths of the San Jacinto mountains, staring at the star-studded dome or gazing into the quiet horizon at dawn, 'In The Fields Of Nothing' eludes the single genre encapsulation, opting for the all-embracing openness of scope as it hops from droney melodic interplays ("Her Flood") and roomy string-laden folk drifts ("Further From Home") through Ligetian webs of sound ("Thirsty Lullaby", "Fields Of Everything") and poignant threnodies ("Unblinded"), onto sorrowful pop ballads ("Far From Home") and lulling ambient scapes ("To Love A Rotting Piano", "Plastic Consequence")

A melt of acid tribe and industrial techno with a bit of old school acid techno... This Ep out from the Dune Records sery offers a Collab spirit for a mode open minded scene.

First Word kicks off 2018 with the welcome return of Quiet Dawn, and a new EP, 'Human Being: The Short Story of The Reed'. A suitably ice-thawing six-track opus to compliment the change of seasons, dedicated to the winter blooming plant's desire to be human.

Parisian Will Galland first appeared on the label in late 2014, releasing his debut album 'The First Day' the following year. Collaborations on that album and subsequent mixes since have included offerings from Oddisee, Miles Bonny, Eric Lau, Bastien Keb, Sauce81 (Eglo), Mayaka McCraven and Sarah Williams White.

Evolving his music from a palette accumulated over the years of Hip Hop, Broken Beat and House, he has expanded his talents for arranging and composing, and now drafted in a wealth of musicians for this sublime new EP, his most ambitious yet. Strings glide effervescently atop of Quiet Dawn's assorted analogue synths, and an array of percussive organics combine to build the tale of The Reed. In-places, the set transcends into the kind of grooves that saunter somewhere between the land of Bonobo and Quantic, and the cinematic library record craft of Alan Hawkshaw et al. Deep, organic and epic.

"The reed from the earth and waters,
Human by the flesh and bones,
Bring by the love and others,
Now, you're not alone."

Each track of the EP tells a different chapter of the story. In the words of Quiet Dawn, "This record is about human behaviour, relationships, happiness, sadness, peace, anger, sex, love, birth, death... But as viewed by The Reed. The Reed is a plant that wants to be human, after observing them all around her. Over the course of the record, The Reed evolves and desires to feel feelings, gradually learning that becoming human is not so simple... ."

Also with artwork by Sophie Bass and Grégoire Marty, this glorious six-track vinyl and digital EP is released February 2018 on First Word Records.

Nat Birchall charts new paths toward spiritual communion, connecting jazz with classical Indian influences guided by the wistful flow of the harmonium.

Cosmic Language sees the UK-based saxophonist, composer and arranger return to Jazzman Records with a cross-cultural approach: an exploration of the parallel musical paths of jazz and Indian ragas. Here he takes influence from spiritual jazz forebears such as Alice Coltrane and Yusef Lateef and introduces the Indian harmonium to his band, where it takes the place of the piano. Making new connections to realise his transcendental ambitions, it's a logical next step in making music as spiritual cleanser.

The idea for the album was spawned from a one-off performance at a meditation centre, the Maharishi Golden Dome in West Lancashire. Seeking to bring a band set-up that was fitting to the quiet-minded setting, Birchall brought the harmonium with him. A small pump organ, it's an instrument he'd been in possession of for many years but hadn't previously used in his music. Building on the spiritual context of that show, and the associations of that instrument, it led naturally to the musical approach undertaken on the album.

Both the album and the show which preceded it were recorded with the same tight-knit group of players which have featured on Birchall's previous albums. All members of the group are part of the same like minded circle of Manchester-oriented jazz musicians, sharing stages and acquaintances with the likes of Matthew Halsall (a longtime collaborator with Birchall) and GoGo Penguin.

Birchall has always channeled wide-ranging ideas into music that's simple to understand, and this album is no exception. Album opener 'Man From Varanasi' is an ode to Bismillah Khan, one of Birchall's heroes of Indian music who hailed from the northern Indian city named in the title. It also sees him taking cues from the Indian raga tradition which, as with most other traditional Indian music, is a foundation which underpinned Khan's music.

Crucially, the ragas tap into the idea of of music as a means of spiritual release. As Birchall explains, "The whole act of making music is a spiritual experience. It's during performance and when playing music that I look for a kind of truth. It's with music where I find myself feel closest to attaining that 'enlightened' kind of feeling." "On rare occasions I've actually felt as though I was listening to the music being played rather than being involved in making it, almost like an out-of-body experience."

This natural feeling comes from Birchall's attitude toward jazz music. He sees it as an essential part of day-to-day life: instead of brightly-lit, occasional entertainment in lugubrious concert halls, he considers it an everyday, vital source of inspiration. At a moment where jazz-influenced music is undergoing creative renewal and wider appreciation, it's an important perspective that's found resonance elsewhere. His experiences and the world around him are filtered through his music, and he looks to have his music - be it live or on record - absorbed in the same quotidian way. "To me, it's an integral part of society, an everyday thing," he says. "You should hear the music every day."

With their new Horizon EP, Lucien & The Kimono Orchestra open a music box which transports you in a blue and dawnish atmosphere, a morning spent on walking in an old cinematic Paris.

First step in the eighties, Connection starts as a film opening. Then arrives the single, Fresh Start, full of indelible voices and gimmicks. Horizon, sung in French, is a delicate reference to the French songwriting tradition inherited from Michel Berger, Alain Chamfort or Alain Souchon. To get some breath back between two songs, Georges, offers a strong instrumental interlude. Almost at the end, the English-spoken Shell extends the panel of influences with it's downtempo emotion. With its spontaneous declamations and slick guitar riff, Asile closes the journey, as the splendid climax of the foursome's second EP.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Dekmantel's goings on in the world of events, festivals, and great music, the team behind the label have been releasing a record a month featuring some of their favourite artists, as part of a ten-year anniversary series collection. Featuring acts close to the label's collective, debuts, and legacy talents the crew have always wanted to sign, the series has seen the likes of Gigi Masin, Call Super, Fatima Yamaha, and more. This penultimate EP, sees Dekmantel debut releases by Lena Willikens, Space Dimension Controller, and Dutch lo-fi star Betonkust and Palmbomen, in addition to a special cut by Bufiman.The EP kicks off with a new track by Salon Des Amateurs resident Bufiman — real name Jan Schulte — who also goes by Wolf Müller. 'Hymn to the Moonface' ensures that percussion comes first and foremost, in this upbeat, prog-breaks, jaunty, summer cut following up on his Dekmantel debut "Peace Moves". Dutch duo Betonkust and Palmbomen release their first track on Dekmantel with 'Onrust Bij Tihange' - an ode to the Tihange Nuclear Power Station in Belgium. Specialists in crafting lo-fi, nostalgic sounds, Betonkust and Palmbomen do what they do best, with a pulsing, analog, nostalgic electro track that sounds as if its been fed through a VHS player, a top of recording of Miami Vice. What happened at Tihange through is another question. Belfast-producer Space Dimension Controller, a.k.a. Jack Hamill adds some galactic, space-flare, mid-tempo, D-funk to the flip side. With a debut EP dropping on Dekmantel soon, SDC contributes one of his most beautiful compositions to date, highlighting his flair for melody, blending it astutely together with rich techno hat and snare combos. Concluding the record, is Dekmantel favourite, Lena Willikens. After so many appearances across so many of Dekmantel festivals, it's a pleasure to have the astute selector release a rare production on the label. Willikens' dark wavey cut is something one would expect to hear in one of her sets, sounding like a modern take of a long-forgotten, and unknown krautrock band.

Label boss Nachtbraker is finally making his solo debut on Quartet Series after a successful EP last year on Heist Recordings. Widely known for exploring different sounds and angles with his productions, this record is the most club-orientated to date. Intricate ghetto house with a slight French touch to straight up 4x4 with a pinch of jacking flavour would be an accurate description of this release. The use of 90's hip hop samples within this auditory concoction successfully highlights Nachtbraker's excellent ear for detail and penchant for exciting, eclectic and downright weird changeovers. The main hitter taking over the full A side is the title track 'Small Towel People". An uplifting bass line accompanied by heated 909 percussion and a hypnotic thriving arp to seal the deal. On the flipside, you'll find 'Kippendijen' on the B1. A heavyweight in the house category, some glimpses of early days jacking house and a little French touch on the filter. Throw in a breakdown even Houdini wouldn't be able to handle and you'll find yourself putting this track on repeat. Then when the needle hits the B2 groove, 'Zomaar' kicks off with an energetic mpc style breakbeat before morphing into a deep jam of lush chords and a thrusting 4x4 beat. The track closes after switching back to the first part of the record and ends in a sublimely deep and dubby breakbeat.

A multi-platform production that explores the overlap between the digital and the organic through field recordings of Inuit throat singing may sound, on surface level, to be something that is a rather niche. However, Zoe Mc Pherson's exploration of this world on String Figures is a deeply rhythmic, immersive and forward-thinking piece of electronic- leaning music that remains just as danceable as it does experimental.
The album is fundamentally one of duality, exploring the traditional and the contemporary, organic and electronic, audio and visual, history and the future. Rooted in this duality is also a core theme around string being one of the most ancient and playful art forms and the seemingly infinite possibilities it offers in terms of shapes, structures and figures lines up with this as a trans-global art project. One that over time will involve video art, choreography, 3D motion design, macro film, instrumental and electronic sound. Although for now is being presented through an AV performance, films and a record with Mc Pherson collaborating with director Alessandra Leone.!
Over the seven tracks (which are laid out as chapters) the record explores glitchy electronics, dub-tinged grooves, polyrhythms, and a huge array of instruments that takes in quiet blasts of atonal sax alongside wonky synths. This of course cross-pollinates with the throat singing and experimental field recordings to create an utterly inimitable sonic sphere. For Mc Pherson it's about mixing worlds, histories and timeframes and she uses a 1991 quote from Laurie Spiegel to hit home how she has elaborated upon this original thought of history and future overlapping. 'Folk music is considered anonymous common property in a culture and that's what a lot of computer music and other kinds of music data may end up becoming.' However, there's also a purer reason for the exploration of these worlds and colliding them together. 'Basically I thought that electronic music that is only digital is a bit boring and as I'm connected to jazz music for many reasons, I wanted it to sound organic: real instrumentation, field recordings.'

The next collaborative release between Freeride Millenium and Pauls Musique is a terrific two-tracker from Manchester artist Joseph Louis Harland Manning under his new alias Los Angeles with the 7 vinyl release artwork designed by Daniel Rajcsanyi as part of his 'BABY' exhibition in Austria. Joseph Louis Harland Manning was the drummer of the band Wu Lyf and is involved in projects like Los Porcos, the Mancunian boyband Menage a Trois and Dream Lovers. Under his other aliases he released on Aficionado, Cracki, Ocean Records and Is It Balearic sub label Uber as well as having made music videos for Molly Nilsson. Here he is fine form across a pair of delicate and moving synth tracks. Opener 'L'amour' is a gentle cut that starts with celestial chords and wide-open expanses of synth before a buried deep groove slowly comes to the fore. Breathy vocals also add to the loved-up, dreamy feel and the whole thing carries you away in a majestic reverie that shifts from ambience to new age house. The track features the artists own field recordings from the streets of Berlin, twisting up sounds from the sidewalk into percussive notes that give an organic feel. The perfectly soothing second offering is 'I Wanna Go To Heaven' is a gorgeous synth piece that suspends you in a crystal clear blue sky on a warm summer's day. Chords are smeared and stretched whilst angelic, wordless vocals drift by. It is the sound of a blissful passage to the afterlife and will leave you feeling cleansed. This is a truly emotive package of music that marks another first rate release on this ever evolving label

A generation younger than the founders of the Teklife crew, DJ Rashad and DJ Spinn, DJ Taye was originally a rapper and beat maker before hooking up with the collective and jumping into the world of footwork production and DJing.
However, it was Rashad's untimely passing in 2014 that was the unlikely catalyst for developing the sounds and ideas for this album. He says, "When Rashad passed away I felt inspired to continue evolving the music that I loved so much coming up in this world. So, I had to do something...make something brand new."

100% committed to pushing further the potential of the footwork template, Still Trippin' is ambitious in its range and scope. Taking two years to formulate, the record broadens the possibilities of the sound, forcing it to adapt to songwriting, and also revives Taye's talent for MCing and producing beats to which he can rap and sing. Furthermore Taye definitely ups the ante with his complex and precise drum programming, never losing sight of footwork's ability to confound. The album features a range of guests that span contemporary music, the eccentric, instructive rapping of Chuck Inglish of Detroit duo the Cool Kids is featured on 'Get It Jukin', Odile Myrtil, a young vocalist from Montreal, lends her smokey soul to 'Same Sound', Fabi Reyna, the editor of the celebrated women's guitar magazine She Shreds, sings and plays bass and rhythm guitar on 'I Don't Know' and Jersey club queen UNIIQU3 offers production and rapping on 'Gimme Some Mo'.Also, Teklife members DJ PayPal and DJ Manny assist on production, and DJ Lucky is a guest MC on 'Smokeout'. Taye is ambitious in his hopes for the album, "I took this as an opportunity to not have boundaries with footwork. Different approaches to our 'underground' sound to make it broader. It's only underground until it crosses that visible threshold.' This album brings all of this to the forefront.

Up next from the Rhythm Buro label is an EP from Cyspe, who might be better known as Robin Koek or for being one half of the almighty Dutch techno duo Artefakt. RB003 marks a special occasion for the label in releasing a full EP from a single artist. After This World seems to proceed forward fittingly on the same path once paved by Cyspe's debut record 'Amnesia', released on Koek's own label, Insula, in 2014.

From the label's inception, Koek has been a supporter and close friend of the Rhythm Buro team. Playing live at Rhythm Buro parties as Cyspe as well as live with Artefakt, the two have worked and partied close together. A release from Cyspe became a very welcome natural step for all.

A1 bursts open with 'Nexus,' a cerebral-atmospheric-blanket of a dance track, arguably the strongest offering on 'After This World'. Apparently, quite the story can be told in just seven and a half minutes for those attuned to listening. 'Mindscape' comes next, providing a notably nice ambient contrast to its dance floor-feeding predecessor. A2 maintains a similar vein and flavor of the sublime, if not a further development toward the heavenly and spiritual. The B-side proves to be a prime example of what 'deeper techno' is capable of: grooves that drive the dancer from this realm to the next. Both 'Earwitness' and the title track are sure to be rich vehicles for those sacred 'closed-eyes' moments on the dance floor.

After a more than well-received first release, Black Carpet returns with 4 fresh industrial tinged techno behemoths.

The Amsterdam centred producer Shrouds has been given the honours to do so, with Zhark veteran HUREN on remix duty.

A1: Starts of firing on all cylinders and does not stop doing so. Stomping four-to- the-floor on some serious up-tempo business. Ghostly sounds dominate the breaks, only for a short-lived period, continuing relentlessly with stomping kicks to warrant you a safe but not so sound journey home.

A2: An off-beat Industrial monster, for the dankest of warehouses. Eerie voices and squelching synths at a bonafide break-neck tempo.

B1: Heavily robotized techno with an Industrial swank for those sweaty 5-AM sessions, dancefloor destruction clearly is at mind here. After the second break, vocals intensify and so does all the other mayhem. An absolute monster on the loose.

B2: HUREN showing the more "subtle" aquatic one of the pack. A slow heavy burner, with the dreadest of bass. Something like an old-skool half-step lurcher meeting with a German industrialist over some coffee.

Paper Recordings' Ben Davis takes off his Flash Atkins cape and mask to launch a new project exploring things left of centre and balearic.

In these disposable times, Stubb will celebrate community and DIY with a limited run of 300 vinyl screen-printed kraft card sleeves of commissioned illustrations by artist Rachel Johns plus hand-drawn labels by Hebden Bridge's The Egg Factory.

We Are Launching is a journey in to psychedelic balearia with one of the most exciting artists of recent years, Jane Weaver
Her Mercury Music Prize long-listed album 'Modern Kosmology' was described by The Guardian as "a lean and thrillingly addictive slice of unearthly pop".
The Stubb collaboration is a sublime head trip to the deep reaches of space and electronica with hallucinatory guitars, burbling synths and arpeggiators that are beautifully set off by Jane's ethereal vocals.

Mike Lindsay is founder and producer of folktronica pioneers Tunng and his distinctive tones sing the praises of doing nothing on Boring Days, which is psychedelic leftfield pop at its finest.
The track is locked down by a nagging fifth bass with vocal pops, hand claps, muted afro guitar, washed synths and arps that build before the choruses hit in a wave of analogue keyboards and fuzz guitar.
After that, a gloriously stretched outro takes you straight to the mediterranean. There's also an edited instrumental that brings out the sunshine...

"We had a little pause on our release schedule, but without further delay we present with pleasure the next bomb by our good friend, DJ Spider!
Thema 46 was hatched from someone so deeply ingrained in the underground that he barely needs an introduction. From his RA "label of the month" featured imprint Plan B Recordings, to his thoroughly played productions on labels such as Rekids, Killekill and The Trilogy Tapes, DJ Spider has been a mainstay on the murkiest, most disorderly dance floors for years. His sound is characterized by disjointed elements lurching around in a off-kilter yet magnetic way that forces you to move in ways you didn't know you could. From the hell scorched, pitch bent echoes of "The Final Revolution" to the lo-fi groove antics of "Distress Signal", DJ Spider proves once again that no one can do it as perfectly weird as he can.

Die zweite Runde von Remixen zu dem selbst betitelten Album von Urbs ist eine fesselnde Zusammenstellung von zeitlosen HipHop sowie Downtempo Nummern.

Marc Mac: Gibt es zu dieser Person etwa noch was zu sagen Als Teil des UK Duos 4Hero hat er Musikgeschichte geschrieben und sein Visioneers Projekt setzte neue Standards in Sachen organischem HipHop. Sein Remix zu - Get Wid It featuring Tyna aus Neuseeland, besitzt alles, was man sich von diesem Musikgenie erwartet. Ein souliges, harmonisches Meisterwerk, welches auch auf einem seiner legendären Visioneers Alben hätte veröffentlicht werden können.

Peter Kruder hat als Teil von Kruder & Dorfmeister sowie mit seinem Projekt Peace Orchestra Musikgeschichte geschrieben. Sein Remix zu - Happy Days feat. Bagi und Sarah Ann ist eine Reise zurück zu seinen musikalischen Wurzeln, welche ihn berühmt gemacht haben - eine relaxte Downtempo-Nummer. Der Remix weckt Erinnerungen an die Zeit, als seine Musik Millionen von Menschen berührte.

Patrick Pulsinger ist der dritte im Bunde aus der Riege der Helden der 90s. Gemeinsam mit Sam Irl, seinem derzeitigen Komplizen, zeigen die beiden was herauskommen kann, wenn ein Studio-Zauberer mit Techno Wurzeln auf ein Musikgenie mit HipHop Wurzeln trifft. Ihr Remix zu - Code Of The Snake feat. Blabbwona ist eine trippige HipHop-Tech-Dub Nummer mit viel Bass und als solches absolut einzigartig.

Jstar aus London hat sich bereits einen Namen gemacht als Produzent von unzähligen Remixen und Edits auf seinem eigenem Label Jstar. Seine Spezialität sind Dub und Reggae Remixe von HipHop Classics. Er ist ein Großmeister des Digital Dancehall und transformierte den Golden Era Sound von - Why We feat Ward 21 (aus Kingston Jamaica) in etwas absolut Futuristisches.

Flip: Rapveteran von Texta aus Linz, der zuletzt durch sein Soloalbum auf dem New Yorker Raplabel Ill Adrenaline Records aufgefallen ist, bringt einen Remix zu - Holdin' Back feat Wordsworth. Mit einem genialem Chuck D Sample und einem funky Beat setzt dieser Remix Tanzflächen von Alaska bis Auckland in brannt.

Trishes: Last but not least: Moderator der legendären HipHop Radioshow Tribe Vibes auf FM4 und integraler Bestandteil der Wiener HipHop Szene. Für seinen Remix zu - Concussion feat BluRum13 von Oneself, setzte er auf einen heftigen Groove mit lauten Becken um einen Underwater-Funk-Beat zu kreieren und somit einen neuen Hintergrund für diese echt verrückte Geschichte zu gestalten.

Über das Album 'Urbs':
Ganze elf Jahre sind seit - Toujours Le Meme Film', dem letzten Album von Urbs vergangen. Auf Kruder & Dorfmeisters G-Stone Label lieferte der Wiener Musiker, DJ und Producer damals den Soundtrack zu einem fiktiven Film Noir, zog sich aber nach einer Europa-Tournee fast gänzlich aus der Öffentlichkeit zurück. Er sieht sein Schaffen nicht als Karriere, sondern als Teil seines Lebens, welches in den seltensten Fällen einer konkreten Planung unterliegt, und deshalb hat Urbs sich auch bewusst viel Zeit gelassen für sein aktuelles -unbetiteltes - Album.

Urbs: - Der Vorgänger "Toujours Le Meme Film" kam bei sehr vielen Leuten extrem gut an, und über die Jahre habe ich mitbekommen, daß es manchen Leuten richtig viel bedeutet. Das war eine gewisse Belastung, weil man diese Leute natürlich nicht enttäuschen will. Mittlerweile denke ich, daß genug Wasser die Donau runtergeflossen ist, um vielleicht den einen oder anderen mit etwas ganz Neuem zu überraschen. Die Leute, die mich kennen, wissen ja, daß ich im Grunde immer dopen HipHop produziert habe.'

Konsequenterweise handelt es sich diesmal nicht um ein Instrumental-Album sondern um eine Sammlung von 12 souligen HipHop Nummern, die mit handverlesenen Vokalisten der internationalen Rap-, Dancehall- und Soul-Szene aufwarten. Neben den New Yorkern Wordsworth von EMC sowie R.A. The Rugged Man, finden sich unter anderem Ward 21 aus Kingston, Jamaica, Voice Monet aus New Orleans, Blu Rum 13 von One Self aus Washington DC, als auch alte Weggefährten wie dem Wiener Skero oder dem Wahl-Münchner Blabbwona von Abstract Art auf dem Album.
Auf die Frage, wie es sich anfühlt, nach mehreren Instrumental-LPs erstmals ein Album mit Vokalisten aufzunehmen, erwidert Urbs mit einem Augenzwingern: - Generell war es für mich schwierig die Songs loszulassen und mich den MCs auszuliefern. Man verbringt viel Zeit mit einem Stück und baut eine gewisse Beziehung auf. Die Musik erzeugt Bilder im Kopf und hat oft eine schwer fassbare Bedeutung für den Producer. Dann geht ein MC drüber und es ist ein bisschen als würden die brutalen Freunde deines älteren Bruders dein Kinderzimmer verwüsten- in deiner Anwesenheit.'

Wieso das Album keinen Titel trägt, ist auch schnell beantwortet: - Dieses Album ist nun sozusagen meine Leistungsschau auf diesem Gebiet und durch den unendlich langen Reifeprozess, ist es auch schön intensiv eingekocht und auf dem Punkt. Deshalb auch keine Intros, keine Interludes, kein Titel, no Gimmicks, einfach 12 gute Songs - Punkt.'

Neben dem Album werden auch zwei EPs mit Remixes von Retrogott, Brenk Sinatra, Visoneers (Marc Mac von 4 Hero), Peter Kruder, Cookin' Soul, J*Star, Flip (Texta) und anderen veröffentlicht. Für das Artwork zeichnet DJ DSL verantwortlich.