quête:out of city

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

The life of the solo electronic artist is equal parts privilege and loneliness. You hurtle across the sky to spend a few hours in a dark club, behind the decks or on stage at the microphone. A brief grasp at transcendence, then the lights are on. Afterwards, you chat with friends you made last month, last year, or an hour ago. Back on the train, the plane. A couple weeks of this, then home. Repeat. It was against this backdrop that Ana Roxanne and DJ Python (Brian Piñeyro) struck up a singular friendship and collaboration, culminating in the shared musical language of their new project, Natural Wonder Beauty Concept. Brian and Ana met in New York City in the winter of 2020. They’d respectively put out critically acclaimed albums but due to extenuating global circumstances, the real-world implications of those records were yet to be seen. Ana’s debut LP, Because of a Flower, released in fall 2020, trades in both ethereality and directness, stretching timeless pop and R&B forms into shimmering ambient magic. When the Bay Area-born, Mills-trained artist sings, on record or live, time slows down and we enter a languorous yet ecstatic present. The second album from Queens-based deep reggaeton innovator DJ Python, Mas Amable, also subverts easy temporality. Released in spring 2020, Mas Amable floats in liminal space—not quite a dance record, a downtempo record, nor an ambient record—unfurling at a wistful pace, naturally suited for a strange period when each day felt the same yet wildly different.

“I’ve always loved mistakes; it’s the hidden beauty in all art” - Andrew Weatherall


Transparent Sound are the original dons of UK electro, not exactly household names yet an act with so many under-repped classics that once you dive into their catalogue you might end up emptying your bank account on Discogs.


To save you going down this calamitous path as well as to finally, raise TS to the level of notoriety they deserve, Tresor Records is very proud to announce the release of Accidents 1994-2023. Formed by Orson Bramley and Martin Brown in Bognor Regis in 1994, Transparent Sound have managed to create 30 years’ worth of some of the best electro from the British Isles, despite claiming to not know what they were doing nor how their instruments work.


It’s likely that it’s this lack of knowledge that led to the quality and longevity of their output - the pair experiment and tinker with the machines until something pleasing appears then follow that sound
down whatever path seems fruitful: “the confidence of ignorance” as a slightly more-famous Orson, Orson Welles, once put it.

This tactic has paid o well and found them stumbling into many notable adventures, from remixing The Cure to performing during an intermission between two halves of a lecture - none of which they understood as it was in Spanish.


The compilation collects a lucky-for-you 13 of their most glorious electrical accidents on a three-disc set including the dancefloor hits Punk Mother Fucker (a mainstay of Villalobos sets at the time of release), and No Call From New York (as heard on Helena Hau’s perfect 2017 Essential Mix). The package also comes with ‘Windows To Your Sole’ from the unreleased white label Transparent Sound 007, other unreleased tracks, and special 2023 edits as well as six digital bonus tracks.

Spanning a decade of sophisticated funk from the Motor City, two midtempo picks from the crates of Mr. K get his trademark classy edit treatment on this Detroit-themed 7-inch.

G.C. Cameron was a solid singer in the Motown stable, a vocal chameleon whose range extended from clear tenor to soaring falsetto. Though this agility is most easily heard via his lead vocal on the Spinners’ “It’s A Shame,” he shows off the same versatility in the rare groove classic “No Matter Where,” a 1973 Curtis Mayfield-esque burner that’s the subject of Mr. K’s latest release on Most Excellent. For Krivit this has been a lesser known & hard to find floor filler for years. Intro cleanly extended, now ready for the big stage and modern club play.

Our flip side stays in midtempo, rare groove Detroit territory but jumps ahead a decade to the early ’80s with Candye’s “Time Is What You Need.” Candyce Edwards got her start in the Detroit funk powerhouse One Way (her predecessor was Alicia Myers) and soon became connected with the group’s wunderkind songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Kevin McCord. McCord had already taken Myers to the top with “I Want To Thank You,” and seeing if lightning could strike twice with Edwards. Although only resulting in this solo debut, time and the untiring excavations of latter-era vinyl junkies have subsequently made her collaboration with McCord (a union that briefly included marriage) a sought-after boogie gem in the rough. Mr. K plucks perhaps the most winsome LP-only cut and subtly extends intro and outro to provide a useful 7-inch version that should get plenty of warm weather play.

Both tracks have been carefully remastered for this release & have never sounded better.

Drumcode is set to release ‘Elevate’ a 10-track compilation showcasing cuts from a fresh array of label family and friends, including BEC, Juliet Fox and rising talent Chelina Manuhutu, Tini Gessler and DJ Dee. The project is also testament to techno’s global appeal with artists coming from Japan, China and Australia, as well as across the UK and Europe.

Always with an eye on the future, ‘Elevate’ sees a total of seven artists make their Drumcode debut split across three vinyl EPs. The third and final part sees Tini Gessler, Marie Vaunt and BEC let loose three future Drumcode classics.

Repress!

Amazingblaze is the latest red-hot new talent to be signed up by Charlotte de Witte's KNTXT label. The Russian artist serves up four fierce techno weapons on his Venture EP, due for release on 25th February 2022.

Though a relative newcomer, Amazingblaze is already making big moves mixing up heavy-hitting hard trance and techno. He has a sound that combines old school influences with new school sound design, and it never fails to captivate the dance floor. On this first EP for KNTXT, all of the signature Amazingblaze essentials are here: weighty drums, massive synths and authentic atmospheres.

Says the artist, "The Venture EP was started when I was living in Saint-Petersburg and there was a pandemic situation. Experimenting with different shades of techno I created a pretty authentic sound which works very well on the dance floor. After leaving Saint-Petersburg I decided to move to Moscow, gladly the pandemic restrictions there were lifted and I became inspired by the new city and parties where I've never been before, I completed the EP adding some new bangers with an already experienced touch.”

Says Charlotte de Witte, “My eye fell on Amazingblaze for the first time during the preparation of my Tomorrowland Around The World Set, where I closed with his beautiful track "Stratosphere". A couple of months later, I fell head over heels in love with his track "Venture", which, I'm proud to announce, turns out to be the title track of the newest EP on KNTXT. Venture captures every crowd of people I’ve played it to, ever since I debuted it in my set at Exit Festival. The entire EP is an out of the box masterpiece.”

First up is the mighty 'Venture' with its pummelling drums and turbo-charged trance stabs. They are bright and bring the energy while a rapped vocal adds something utterly fresh. 'Inner Fire' ups the ante further with a diva female vocal straight from the classic trance era. She brings waves of euphoria and, after a spine tingling breakdown, the machine-gun grooves fire on. There is terrific turbulence in the synth stabs of techno gem 'Flashback' as well as industrial textures and walls of white noise that bring real tension. ‘Neutron’ closes down with the most fierce groove of the lot, this time rippled with cosmic psy trance chords and irresistible video game synths to take you into the next dimension.

Venture EP is a superb outing from Amazingblaze.

Ain’t no stopping him now. Krystal Klear’s streak continues with Automat Kingsland. The recipe remains, perfectly seasoned to taste. The extended menu of four tracks is musical testament to the artist’s life of the last six months. Emphasizing movement at a pace that is hard to hold on to, but embraced nonetheless. Trying to transport that „lost in translation“ (and transit) sense of normal life due to constant motion to a dance floor near you. Euphoric melancholia meets rave romance, shutters open to let happiness crawl in and anxiety turns into excitement through the usual cocktail of tearjerkers and white noise risers. Recorded between Paris, New York, Dublin and London and brought to your city via Running Back. Automatic non stop existential output.

Glasgow’s infamous basement dwelling, La Cheetah, make good on their promise to bring you transmissions from the city and it’s surroundings by tapping Burroughs for the 5th outing on the clubs in-house imprint.

Never ones to rush things, the aptly named ’Strungout’ was first passed to Outer Zone over 4 years ago, alongside ‘NREM’ and the EPs names sake ‘The Whole Damn Drift’.

The tracks have seen multiple phases and iterations since, with the process baring 3 emotive tracks that rubber stamp the evidence of Burroughs lifelong dedication to his craft.

Young Detroit-native Kenny Hooper steps up for his debut release on Elypsia Records with not one but three 12 inches full of prime Motor City techno and electro escapism. Titled ,,Detroit Orbiter Volume 1 - 3", each EP features four tracks, showcasing Hooper's brilliant personal take on classic Detroit sounds. The twelve tracks of the ,,Detroit Orbiter" trilogy signal the arrival of yet another Motor City talent ready to rake the world and dance floors by storm with his chunky and funkafied sonic fictions. Elypsia Records is proud to welcome Detroit's next generation!

During the summer youth program of 1970 and '71 at St Paul's Catholic church a young Tunnie Smith was singled out by Father George Artist for his outstanding singing abilities. He was soon introduced to Joe Delpit and Reginal Brown to sing along with their show and dance band "The 13Th Amendments. It didn't take long before Tunnie was a full member of the band and became a featured singer performing throughout Louisiana. After a year and a half of performing at nightclubs, military bases and universities Tunnie landed a record deal with Rick Hall's Fame/UA record label. His first single from 1973 was a wonderful mid-tempo number entitled "Finders Aren't Always Keepers" flipped with "Do That To Me"It gained National distribution and had some good success. Tunnie left Fame records and was introduced to Stax record executives Al Bell and John Smith. After signing with Stax, Tunnie met legendary writer and performer David Porter where they recorded an album which was scheduled for release around 73/74.Unfortunately Staxs association with CBS came to a halt and the project got shelved. From those session arose the wonderful "U And Me Together", leading on from the well produced "Finders Keepers" cut the song builds up with an epic 1:30 string and drum arrangement that really sets the picture for Tunnie to arrive with vocals way above his young age would suggest. A story of a boy and girl determined to make it and be the great combination that their love affair deserves. We can’t believe a gem like this has been waiting to come out and should have catapulted Tunnie to the next level or artist rosters. Alas, Tunnie went home and carried on performing around the Louisiana area with his new band Sweet Music Orchestra Fast forward to 1983 Tunnie whilst recording some vocals at River City Recording met Chicago producer and arranger George "Paco" Patterson. George was musical director and had worked with The Isley Brothers Wilson Pickett and many other well known artists. During this period Tunnie along with George formed a great partnership and along with some top session musicians record some incredibly lush, well produced and atmospheric songs The A Side "Join Together " is from the same session as "Dancing On Da Clouds" and could have easily be picked for his first single on Pass The Baton records. It oozes the same heavy production with opening piano cords and layered scatting then bosh, in comes the drums and Vox taking you on a mesmerising space like 2 step extravaganza. So, there you have it, once again two amazing slices of soul on one single from Tunnie Smith. Let’s hope this artist finally reaches his potential from that young man who started recording in 1973.

It all started with waiting music for the city of Ghent information telephone line.


City composer Fulco Ottervanger (Cruise Lento) envisioned a music in which waiting time would serve as an invitation to stillness and presence. Long-term friend and producer Lieven Van Pée (Vectrex) turned out to be the ideal companion.


However, the music was never used, yet it had not missed its magical effect. The two gentlemen were now determined to make a full ambient album in which silence would play a leading role, both intuitive as well as elaborated down to the smallest unit of time... An additional approach was to make music to lull their newborn sons to sleep. With melodies simple, sounds sweet and silences deep.

Inspiration came from Haruomi Hosono's 1984 obscure classic Watering a flower, Eric Satie's Vexations and how could it be otherwise, John Cage's 3'44. What these progressive yet universal compositions have in common is a refinement of repetition and both a soothing and stimulating character.


As a listener you can't help but dive into the silence and experience an certain sweetness. The ideal record to rest to, to wake up to and enter a wider field.