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Melodies International proudly moves forward with an elusive piece of mid-tempo Chicago soul originally performed by Gloria J. Jennings in 1977.

Gloria was signed to Stage Productions as a gospel singer with pure and raw talent she had developed in the choir of her father's Southern Baptist Church. She was 16 years old at the time. To tutor her for R&B vocals, Willie C. Nance of Stage Productions spent 3 months taking the artist back and forth for vocal training 25 miles each way, 3 days per week.

At the time, Mr. Nance had made plans to work with singer and songwriter Theresa Eagins to record Know What You Want'. However, two days before the recording was set to begin, Ms. Eagins refused to move forward with the recording as she chose to take her religious faith more seriously and forgo the singing of secular music. Hence, Stage Productions turned to Gloria Jay to perform a song that would go on to move people thousands of miles away, many years later.

One of them was Patrick Forge: Back around 1990 I had a residency upstairs at the Wag Club on a Friday night alongside Paul Martin (he was Gilles P's A&R right hand man at Talkin Loud), the night was called Respect and we played mainly Soul, Boogie and Jazz-Funk. Many years later I bumped into Paul at a record shop and he quizzed me about a tune I used to play at the end of the night at Respect. Hhe described it as being an independent Soul seven inch on a red label, slow to mid tempo... and more to the point a bullet of a record. It piqued my curiosity so much I burrowed through my seven inches and even made Paul a compilation of likely contenders, his response was lovely selection, but it's not on there!'. Damn, a mystery! Many moons later whilst I was living in Japan, my tenant in my London flat said she'd found an old mixtape I'd done for her way back when and was desperate to know the identity of something she was calling the choo choo song'. Eventually when I was back in London she played the mixtape and I quickly identified her tune as Fabrica' by Cesar Mariano, however letting the tape play some time later a familiar descending chord sequence catapulted me back to those Friday nights at The Wag, and Gloria Jay's plaintive vocals reminded me of a record that had been absent from my life for far too long. I've no idea what happened to my original copy, I hunted another one down straight away, and I've kept it close ever since. Know What You Want' is a song that goes deep in such a simple, unaffected, almost naive way, Gloria's voice is both sweet and raw, it's built on simple chords and obvious instrumentation, but it's so much greater than the sum of its parts.

Know What You Want' is soul music, pure and unadulterated, there's nothing getting in the way of the feeling, it's straight from the heart.' Carefully re-mastered from the tapes, MEL008 comes forth in its original 7' format with a 14'x14' poster.

Much may have changed over a two-decade period, but Drumcode's commitment to releasing the scene's most cutting-edge and refined techno remains resolute. 2017 has already seen releases from Adam Beyer Vs Pig&Dan, Alan Fitzpatrick, Ilario Alicante, Julian Jeweil, as well as a debut album from Layton Giordani. The label continues push forwards; bringing fail-safe, club-ready music to the techno community.
Perennial pushers of the techno envelope, Dense & Pika are renowned for their standout studio output that seems to constantly conjure up a particularly unique take on their distinct sound, D&P have rather outdone themselves in 2017.
Kicking off the year with a selection of back catalogue remixes from the likes of Danny Daze, Scuba, Slam and Yotam Avni that illustrated the high esteem in which D&P are held by their peers right across the spectrum; From heritage acts to current headliners and cutting edge talent, the duo have gone on to drop bomb after bomb after bomb.

Their universally lauded remix of Tiga's 'Louder Than A Bomb' was the first of a run of chart topping cuts; With a remix of ME & her's 'Wild Rage' on Jamie Jones' Hottrax imprint and their own 'Casino' single both challenging the norm of what techno sounds like in the here and now.
Cooked up with a more melodic vibe and fusing elements of house and techno, Dense & Pika's latest outing on Drumcode offers something different compared to their previous work.

There is still that vintage feel to each of the tracks with analogue sounds and arrangements born and developed from experimental studio jams. Indeed, 'Suki' heavily utilizes the distinct harmonic tones of the Dave Smith Prophet 8 keyboard. While 'Little Sun' - A staple of D&P performances over the last three months - delivers a more classic Drumcode sound. 'Lanky' closes out the release with an infectious slab of wonderfully wonked-out raw funk.

The Passage EP brings together two of the chief champions of far reaching sounds in AYBEE, and Lars Bartkuhn. Bartkuhn best known for his work with his iconic (NEEDS) imprint, and AYBEE for his boundary pushing ethos at (Deepblak). A project spawned of mutual love, and respect the two met at an impromptu jam performance at the Xjazz Fest where the seeds were planted for further collaboration. Committed to stretching out beyond tight parameters they sought to capture the spirit of the dance. As "The Astral Walkers" they set out to combine the fearless freedom of the Jazzfunk era with the endless possibilities within electronic music.

Enrico Mantini's 12 unreleased tracks recorded and performed live at Tresor Club in Berlin on last 8th of April 2017.

Tr One return with 4 very different tracks recorded in one take at their studio in the Irish southeast. 'A Month Has Passed' uses a dubbed out aesthetic merging influences from UK bass and Detroit using shimmering melodic progression. 'The Boutique Of Never Ending Dreams' works towards a synth laden dreamlike peak. 'The Printer' duly merges playful Chicago drums with an organic chord structure to create a head nodding funk. Finishing the EP is 'Road To The Sea', a pensive sway of dubby sonics masked in a fog of reverb.

Tr One are an established name in the Irish electronic music community and are known for their energetic and engaging performances as DJs. They have received critical acclaim for the raw soulful productions from their studio in hometown Carlow, Ireland. They have gained respect for their ability to deftly move between the lines of genres with a strong sense of adventure and connection with Detroit/Chicago/Dublin machine soul. From this they have released music on Lunar Disko, Apartment and Fine Art recordings, with the strains of the US Midwest never far from sonic influence. They have worked in a range of styles from old movie soundtrack disco with New Jackson to punishing techno sharing wax space with the Phantom Planet Outlaws.

Since 2004, Moreno Visini aka The Spy from Cairo, has been sending out dub-based electronic music that has created quite a worldwide following. On his 3rd studio album, he switches his signature instrument, the classical Arabic Oud, to an electronic Oud which reflects a transition in his sound to a more cosmic & electronic dancefloor experience. Written, produced, performed & mixed himself, the album features some of his Brooklyn Gypsies bandmates Fatima Gozlar, Takuya Nakamura & Ilker Ciraci as well as Maalem and Ben Hassan Jaafer.

After the release of his brand new album, "Nothing New Under The Sun" - Wonderwheel has cut a VERY limited edition dub 7" with two of our favorite deep cuts off the album. Echocentric!

Kitschy Jungle - spiritual calypso gets layered up with live guitar, bass and keyboards to make a dancefloor ready, Nigerian style disco funk edit of a calypso classic.
on the flipside is Broken Flute - a fusion of prog rock and Afro funk with a mid speed rolling break to keep feet moving. All includes the usual live guitar, bass and keyboard performances from Andy Taylor himself.

***
I run child-like
with God's anger a step behind,
back to simple sunlight,
wondering
with curled smile
if anyone else
saw or sensed my crime
***

Keyboardist Eddie Russ hailed from Pittsburg and played with many of the greats including Sarah Vaughn, Benny Golson, Stan Getz and Dizzy Gillespie. Eddie is somewhat of an enigma, but he has always been held in high regard in the UK, and he finally was able to perform here in London at the Jazz café in the early 90's a few years before his untimely demise.

His debut album 'Fresh Out' was recorded for the Jazz Masters label and includes the jazz dance classic 'The Lope Song', he also contributed heavily to Sonny Stitt's 'Tornado' album on that label. His band The Mixed Bag also made an album for the Detroit Tribe label. In 1976 he signed to John Richbourg's Sound Stage 7 label and made two great jazz funk albums which were released on the Nashville's Monument label and like his debut were produced by Bob Crawford.

From this first album 'See The Light' the title track is a great take on the Earth Wind And Fire song, 'Poko Nose' is a great funky groove oriented track, but it is the magical 'Zaius' that has become an all time jazz funk classic, a track that has maintained its popularity over the past 40 years.

The Monument albums include some great musicians including Marcus Belgrave and Larry Nozero, and on the Take A Look At Yourself' album Motown's Eddie Willis, a very young Kenny Garrett and the funk group Quazar.

Written, performed and produced by Thomas Moen Hermansen @M57 Studios Asker Jan-Sept 2016

Published by Smalltown Supermusic/Sony ATV Scandinavia

Mastered by Schnittstelle , Photos by Ragnhild Fors, Design by Metric Design

After the slightly more conceptual "Principe del Norte"album, "5" takes two steps forward and one step back
collecting a batch of tracks that was recorded right after it's preceder and in tandem with the recent "Square One"album with Bjørn Torske.
A "freedom"album of sorts, beyond the slightly misleading album opener "Here comes the band" there's a variety in these tracks tracing inspiration from 35 years (unhealthy)obsession with all things "good music" played enthusiastically.
"5" also marks the launch of my new label "Prins Thomas Musikk".

A run through the tracks with a couple of hints to titles and inspiration:

"Here comes the band"
A planned album of a fake band consisiting of me only was ditched. This is their only entry...
Very loosely inspired by "Bandwagonesque"era Teenage Fanclub

"Villajoyosa"
Melodic ideas hummed into a handheld recorded and specific notes about instrumentation scribbled down while on holiday in Villajoyosa in Spain turned into this little ditty when back in slightly colder Norway.

"Bronchi Beat"
Made in bed during a rough patch of bronchitis. Heavily influenced by prescription cough medicine.
Orbe from Madrid made a dizzy techno version which comes out soon enough...

""
I find great inspiration in working on new ideas while travelling the skies. Partly inspired by a detour into the soundtrack of my early teens (Paul Hardcastle, Warp 9, Maze, Mtume...)this particular one was started on a bumpy flight home from Athens and later finished in my tiny M57 Studio(R.I.P.)

"Æ"
Another bronchitis-ridden idea. Slow and low is the tempo. Beat originally inspired by Brian Briggs "AEO", melodies beamed in from Wally Badarou.
"Æ"is the norwegian pronounciation of the A in Acid refering to the 303 screeches going through the "song"

"Ø"
By the title you might think I'm running out of ideas. Not sure what happened here and why...

"Lunga Strada"
The track that took me the longest to complete hence the "long road".
Personal favourites The Pilotwings from Lyon sent over 2 ridiculously good and fun remixes which will
be released on a separate 10"

"London til Lisboa"
Another idea made on a plane when I should have tried to catch some sleep.
Direction steered by Plaid and Pat Metheny. Thank you for the inspiration

"Å"
Initially the final track AND then: scrapped idea for the alphabet soup of "Principe del Norte".
Later evolved into what we have here. Comes with a really nice remix by Pional on a separate 12"

"Venter på Torske"
The final recorded addition to the album. Made while waiting for Bjørn Torske to reply on a text message...

"Aske Hermansen"
In all seriousness, this is probably as soppy as it gets with me.
Tears into my computer keyboard, made on the road missing my wife and kids.

Apart from their own works composers, musicians and producers Brandon Wolcott and Emil Abramyan already had a joint release with YouAndTheSpace Between, the opener on the Don't Break My Love release on Nicolas Jaar's Clown & Sunset label in 2012. In the same year the two have approached by theater artists Michael Silverstone and Abigail Browde of 600 Highwaymen to compose music for a new work of live performance called The Record. Aside from a simple series of prompts and directions, the music was composed independently of the choreography. Drawing from backgrounds in theatrical sound design, classical composition and experimental electronic music, Brandon Wolcott and Emil Abramyan sought to create a diverse tapestry of sound, striving for a dynamic emotional arc that might elude a sense of genre or recognizable form. The music is performed live, with Emil on cello and structured into six songs on the Mini-LP Music of The Record to be released at the end of November 2017. Brandon Wolcott is a Brooklyn based sound artist, composer and theatrical sound designer. His work has been heard at venues including The Pubic Theater, Lincoln Center, Park Avenue Armory, Mass Moca, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and Centre Pompidou. He has released music with Wolf + Lamb Music, Archipel Records and Nicolas Jaar's Other People. His dance-music project Smirk, has been presented at venues and festivals around the world, including Communiky, Mutek, Save, Dispatch, and UnSound.

The Remixs:
Pointsman - we dont know who he is but he provide a deep big room monster.
Tripmastaz - Probably the only funky Russian you will ever meet. The only Russian artist with releases on Cocoon, Minus, Desolat, Cadenza. The only Russian artist with 4 vinyl labels. Hes funky housey remix is the most faithful of the four.
bpmf - Schmer label head provides a grimey and noisey big bottom Soviet style jam.
Steve Stoll - NYC Acid legend made a hard banging acid tracer.

In 1996 Serotonin label heads Selway and Szostek went to Moscow to perform at the invitation of Magazine. Synapse performed at the Waterclub' and met the legendary DJ Compass Vrubell. They went to his studio' where he had perfected the art of making entire tracks out patterns on the Yamaha DX-5. Szostek brought a DAT of these jams back to NYC and Schmer-003 DJ RX-5 A Taste for Crap' was released as a small run white label in 97. The run sold out and disappeared to be forgotten forever...

Until 2016 Szostek casually mentions its existence to Techno Uber-Nerd Nina Kraviz who just had to have it for her Fabric 91' CD. So DJ RX-5 was back from the ash heap of history and Schmer got a NEW release from him on Schmer07.

Then Schmer got the word out far and wide that they'd like a remix EP for two of the originals: Compass provided stems because like a miracle he still had the patterns after 20 years. Heeding the call were Pointsman, Tripmastaz, Steve Stoll and Schmer's own BPMF. So this is what you get: A Taste for Remix'. It will leave your lips wanting more, for sure!

Label head honchos Sleep D are back with another production out of The Jackal Studios, located in Melbourne, Australia.

'Red Rock (IV Mix)' kicks off the release, a mid-tempo mover originally performed live at Inner Varnika 2017, re-imagined in the studio taking you back to the alien-like surrounds of rural Victorian landscape Bookaar.

'Bunyip Beat' reinforces the mood, forcing your mind to explore the flow of the odd-ball rhythm.
Flip it over and you have almost 8 minutes of hypnotic aural madness on 'Sandman', a real late night outdoor atmospheric finish on this diverse release.

First Word Records are very proud to present an EP by Manchester's finest Hip Hop and Soul exports, Children of Zeus. This is 'The Story So Far...'

Konny Kon & Tyler Daley met back in 2005, after both performing a show near Paris in their respective crews, Broke'N'£nglish and Body Roq. The duo met up back home in Manchester, spurred on initially by a mutual admiration of each others music, and produced their first track together, aptly entitled 'Coming Home To You'.

A few years later, Tyler approached Konny about producing a full EP together. These sessions included the creation of a track called 'Still Standing', which ultimately saw the light of day last Summer on First Word. Still a highlight in their live sets, the Lenzman rub won "Best Remix" at the 2016 Drum & Bass Awards. The original has become somewhat of a British Soul anthem since its release, with people that missed it first time round still clamouring for it on wax. So we've included it on this EP.

As they've grown within the family of Manchester's music scene, they've provided a tonic to the city's bass-orientated club scene, breathing Soul back into the city, whilst maintaining their heritage of Hip Hop swagger. As an MC, Konny takes no prisoners, whilst Tyler (a prolific MC in his own right) has gained a rep as one of the UK's strongest Soul voices. Both artists have been blessed with the talent of beat-making. A combined craftsmanship upon the boards and in the booth.

From building a grassroots following of fans, they've since travelled the globe, sharing stages with giants and catching the ear of peers far and wide, from Pete Rock to Zed Bias. As well as hosting their own monthly radio show on NTS, they've collaborated with numerous Hip Hop acts, both sides of the Atlantic, as well as Soul royalty in the form of Caron Wheeler and Drum'n'Bass legends, such as Goldie (Tyler featuring heavily across his latest album).

Children of Zeus have finally begun the process of crafting together their debut album. This EP is a compilation of the creations the duo have produced themselves over the past decade, put together to appease their loyal followers thus far, and as an introduction to those yet to discover their talents. A snapshot of what has been, and a mere taster of what's to come. It features brand new tracks such as 'Smoke With Me' and (vinyl-only cut) 'Tonight', the anthemic 'Crown' (featured on First Word's 'Two Syllables' compilation previously) and fan favourites such as 'No Sunshine Tomorrow' and 'Push On'. A collection of raw, gritty, Hip Hop Soul music.

The debut album will drop in 2018.
This collection signals the end of the first chapter. A prologue even.
Get on board now. The time is right. This is the story so far...

There is no end to composer Peter Broderick's creative output, and so we present to you his new album titled All Together Again — available worldwide on November 17th 2017 via Erased Tapes.They say music takes you on a journey, and this collection of commissioned work by Peter quite literally does that. From a ferry boat ride in Istanbul, to walking down the aisle at a wedding, these songs were created for particular situations, yet Peter found a way to work without any sort of limitations and on his own erms. The result is an assortment of works from the past ten years, coming together as one: Peter's new album. Words from Peter, October 2017: Ever since I started releasing records in 2007 (10 years ago now!), people have contacted me periodically to ask if I'd be interested in making music to accompany their projects. Most of these projects have been things like films, dance pieces and theatre plays . . . but every so often I get the odd request for something a little different. Peter, would you write a song for my wedding My one year anniversary A ferry boat ride
In early 2015 I was asked to perform 12 minutes of music during a runway show as part of New York Fashion Week. I agreed and began composing a 12-minute piece which I could perform on my own with a few different instruments and some looping pedals. I made a recording of the piece and sent it over to my contacts at the fashion show . . . but a few days before I was to fly out to New York, they wrote back and told me they actually just wanted me to play a few older songs that they were already familiar with. Feeling slightly disappointed, I shelved the other piece, giving it the title If I Were A Runway Model.It is with great pleasure that I now present this piece in a collection of commissioned works spanning the last decade . . . it's All Together Again. This group of oddball works does indeed include a couple pieces written for weddings (Our Future In Wedlock and The Walk), and a song someone asked me to write as a gift for his wife on their first year wedding anniversary (Emily). And indeed, there's a 17-minute piece written to accompany a ferry boat ride in Istanbul (A Ride On The Bosphorus). A few of the pieces were written for films (Robbie's Song, Atlantic and Seeing Things), and one for a kind of interactive installation (Unsung Heroes).In my early days of recording, I took pride in playing all the different instruments myself and doing the recording myself as well. And then at some point I started branching out, working with other musicians and recording engineers. But this record is very dear to me in that it's a return to that original approach . . . playing all the different instruments myself, working with my limits on each one, and my own limits in recording and mixing. I've always held a broad curiosity for all different instruments and all different styles of music, and if nothing else I hope this record will portray that curiosity, and my pure love for this thing we call music. Can you dig it The cover art was made by Peter himself in his hometown of Portland, Oregon, by cutting and sticking different coloured paper fragments to depict the individuality of each track.

Hot off the back of "On Top" that featured on our "Deep Love 2017" compilation, Lorenz Rhode returns to the label with his debut full length EP "Risa". A gifted musician, known for his fierce take on funk, performance prowess on German TV show "NEO Magazin Royale" and as part of Detroit Swindle's live outfit, he's sent us a three-tracker packed full of vibe and musicality.

Opening the A-side "And I Said" is an uplifting, funked-up house jam. Exuberant and alive it's built around a Rhodes riff with a romantic twist, swelling stabs and straight forward percussion direct from Lorenz' collection of Roland machines. The following "Risa" is loaded with energy. A gritty analogue snare and raw drums punch as central synth lines and rippling arps ramp up the intensity to bursting.

On the B1 the mysterious Amsterdam based K.98 returns with his second ever remix! After the huge success of the "Thrilogy" remix for WOLF Music in 2015, we are extremely happy to see Lorenz' original turned into a blasting 909 frenzy, 100% guaranteed dance floor action on this one!

Closing we have "Xpandau", a feel-good indie/disco gem reminiscent of Lindstrøm and Röyksopp. The central lead that sounds like something sampled from a dusty African guitar recording, actually came from a vintage Oberheim Lorenz recently fell in love with. Warbling key melodies dance over the top along with tuned percussion, maintaining the light hearted, tropical tinged tone to the end.

Music for post-apocalyptic deserts. Experimental synth-sounds with hypnotic percussions - imagine Moondog performing with John Carpenter and Cabaret Voltaire.

Relating to their live appearances, Phantom Horse might be named a lazy combo since they are not to be found on stage all too often. Yet their withdrawn approach fits this album very well - Als Ob' is once more a journey through inwardness, a contemplative excursion to the electronic outback, still friendly asking for your attention. There's plenty of things to discover if you listen mindfully, the Phantom Horse rides out where you as a listener like to be lonely. Those ancient synths are still around, playing their melodies as if* there were no time thieves waiting around the corner (*That is what Als ob' means).

Altogether, the sound has become more electric yet not eclectic, the duo has dekrauted, describing their sound as more ritual but of course avoiding any kind of mysticism and fairy-tale dullness.

Since 2015's Different Forces' (also on Umor Rex), Phantom Horse have fleshed out their friendly stoicism that hauls their experimental synth sounds into the area of songs - maybe even pop songs that aren't tangible at least. Welcome to the insular state of Phantom Horse.

'Macht Macht Zement'—what does it mean 80s drums, synths and vocals, almost without context. Fallbeil, two soon-to-be men (aka boys), finish tracks at the rate of butchers kneading meatballs. Due to laziness and a lack of technique, everything gets recorded on one track and immediately thrown into the frier. Nothing is planned. First up, school detention followed by rough LoFi rap.The album contains a wide variety of themes, from mailmen to warthogs, from latecomers to sensible conversation, every track is created out of spontaneity. Two very short tracks on this album date back to 1999, when the boys performed as 'Funky Granatos' in the local youth centers. Sadly, their performances weren't successful. Nobody wanted to listen to them and almost every concert ended in mass brawls. The track 'Postman' comes from the duo's side project Grand Malheur and was recorded in 2015 in Bronxfeld. More output from this project will appear on various EPs in the near future. The album title 'Macht Macht Zement' originates from Tom Pötgen. Tom always wanted to throw the sacred hand grenades. We hope he does that right now!

The Doors had one of the most extraordinary debut years in music history in 1967, releasing a string of hit singles and two platinum albums, beginning in January with the band's self-titled debut, followed by Strange Days in September. The latter peaked at #3 on the Billboard album chart and featured classics like Love Me Two Times,' When The Music's Over,' and the title track Strange Days.'

STRANGE DAYS (50TH ANNIVERSARY DELUXE EDITION) was produced by the album's original engineer Bruce Botnick. It includes the original stereo mix of the album on CD for the first time in a decade, with sound that's been remastered for the first time in 30 years. The second disc features the album's original mono mix, which has been remastered for this set and is making its CD debut. Accompanying the set are liner notes by music journalist David Fricke, as well as a selection of rare and previously unseen photographs.

Having a larger budget for Strange Days allowed the band to spend more time experimenting in the studio. They used an eight-track recorder for the first time, which resulted in some memorable overdubs like Krieger's double-tracked guitar on When The Music's Over.' Surprisingly, the trippy keyboard sound heard on the album's title track is actually one of the earliest appearances of a Moog synthesizer in a rock song.

Strange Days mixed new songs written on the road with some written before the band's 1967 debut. In fact, the band performed Strange Days' during its 1966 residency at the London Fog in L.A., while My Eyes Have Seen You' dates back to 1965. Another early track is Moonlight Drive,' which was one of the very first songs that the band practiced together, and where the band heard Krieger's haunting bottleneck guitar playing for the first time. It's also the song Morrison sang to Manzarek at Venice Beach in 1965 when the two former UCLA film students reconnected and decided to start the Doors.

Since making their debut on the imprint in 2013 with 'Blue Aconite', the Italian duo Hiver has since released two more EPs on Curle; 'Same Mistake Twice' in 2015 and 'Soundescence' last year. Since the release of the latter mentioned EP, Hiver have been busy behind the booth, performing in the UK, China, Germany, Holland and, of course, in Italy, where they still hold a residency at DUDE Club. Kicking off the EP is 'Elipse', a stunning four-minute track that nods to avant-garde artists such as Wolfgang Voigt's GAS alias or Brian Eno, as the pair gradually weaves several layers of shining, atmospheric tones before slowly fading into the background. Title-named track 'Air Castles' follows, with the tight selection of drums combined with the ebb and flow of soaring synths creating a melodic style of techno that has become synonymous with their name. Next is 'Aleutine', a song that similarly blends Hiver's characteristically ethereal, hazy synths alongside more vibrant analogue bleeps to great effect. These delicate synths are later given the chance to gleam as the track comes to a close.Closing this excellent four-track EP is deep-groover 'Leisure', seeing Hiver up the tempo through their clever use of percussive elements, sharp synths and headstrong drums.

Legendary James Brown's protégée Martha High teams up with mighty Japanese Osaka Monaural to pay homage to "JB's Funky Divas" in her new album "Tribute to My Soul Sisters".

Original Funky Diva Martha High has been an integral part of James Brown's life and career for more than 30 years. She was his backing vocalist, hair stylist, payroll master and his always loyal and reliable confidant.

The idea for this project was hatched back in 2014, when Martha was visiting producer DJ Pari, head honcho of the Soulpower organization and manager of soul legends like The Impressions, Lyn Collins and Marva Whitney. While reminiscing about tours with her fellow James Brown veterans, Martha felt that a tribute to the great soul sisters of the JB Revue, better known as "James Brown's Original Funky Divas," was very much needed.

"I looked up to these ladies of soul," says Martha, "Given the opportunity and the pleasure to perform their songs, is my way of saying: thank you, you're not forgotten. To record the music of the Funky Divas, would mean a lot to Mr. Brown. He always wanted the world to know he had powerful women on stage that could hold his crowd while he was off the stage. They were just as powerful and funky as he was."

Without further ado, following DJ Pari's advice, Martha partnered up in Tokyo with one of the hottest names of the new funk renaissance: Japan's Osaka Monaurail. Deeply influenced by the work of James Brown, Bobby Byrd, Curtis Mayfield and with nine albums under their belt, Osaka Monaurail have been leading the international funk scene for more than two decades, appearing at festivals such as Montreal Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival and Womad's, as well as recording and touring with funk legends like Marva Whitney and Fred Wesley.

This unique collaboration gives new life to 13 soulful pearls, masterfully interpreted as only an Original Funky Diva can do. To name a few: "Think (About It)", made famous by the female preacher Lyn Collins, "Mama's Got a Bag of Her Own", Anna King's answer to Brown's "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," "This Is My Story", of which Martha recorded the original version with The Jewels, and the soul classic "Answer to Mother Popcorn" by Vicki Anderson.

Born in Victoria, Virginia, and discovered by rock 'n roll pioneer Bo Diddley, Martha started her career with the soulful, legendary doo-wop group The Four Jewels, with whom she scored the national hit "Opportunity" in 1964. Soon, The Jewels caught the attention of James Brown and joined the James Brown Revue in 1966. The Godfather of Soul recorded and released several songs featuring The Jewels until the group disbanded. Nevertheless, Martha stayed with James Brown and continued to work with him as his personal vocalist for 32 years. She was with him at the Boston Garden during the iconic 1968 gig after Martin Luther King's assassination. She was by his side when he performed at renowned "Rumble in The Jungle" event in Zaire. Mr. Brown produced several of Martha's singles on his own People label such as "Georgy Girl", "Try Me" and "Summertime." Meanwhile Martha launched her solo career in 1979 with the self-titled debut LP for Salsoul Records. Since, she has released five albums under her name and, being one of the "hardest working women in show business", she became one of the leading singers of saxophonist Maceo Parker's legendary funky music machine, working with him for 16 years.

Throughout her career Martha has shared stages worldwide with iconic artists like Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Temptations, Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Michael Jackson and George Clinton. Martha has been carrying the torch of soul music for her whole life, like a true soul sister. Now, with this new effort, she is keeping the music of the Funky Divas going, and we are sure that the Godfather of Soul and her faithful audience would appreciate it.

Last year's On the Corner underground smash release, the 12' EP Santuri's Embaire Umeme, introduced Uganda's Mugwisa International Xylophone Group (M.I.X.G) to the world.
The recordings center on the Embaire, a giant xylophone native to Ugandan folk music, which is dug into a pit for a natural, earthy bass resonance as gargantuous as the instrument itself. The instrument performs a key role in village life, with ceremonial playing sessions lasting for hours on end.
These recordings may be esoteric in nature but they add important context to the Santuri's Embaire Umeme 12' and are a vital documentation of the Iganga village's culture, as well as that of Uganda. Jones has artfully chopped the epic session into a series of short evocative chapters to create a pioneering masterpiece. Remix duties are led by Griot House innovators, The Diabolcal Liberties, who have raved-up some Sun Ra frequencies for the cosmic junglist crew.
Last but never least, Victoria Topping has created beautiful artwork using the session photography taken by Jones during the recordings

For the label's 50th release, Emotional Rescue returns to the music of Woo to close a trilogy of reissue collaboration albums, in A La Luna. Following Whichever Way You Are Going (1982) and Into The Heart Of Love (1990), their opus A La Luna (1991) was the last of the bands song based albums and represents a wonderful way to close this association.

Reworked, re-ordered and remastered especially for this first time vinyl release, brothers Mark and Clive Ives again present their unique, ground-breaking and at the time, heart-wrenchingly overlooked music, that seems to fit the folk-new age-electronics of today as well, if not better, than when first released.

Across 20 plus songs Mark's guitar, clarinet and vocals are as ever drenched in Clive's mixing desk mastery. Echo and reverb shimmer as the short pieces rise and fall like the wind blowing across nighttime trees. With no song going much beyond three minutes, A La Luna flows as one piece. The unmistaken sound of Woo wraps itself around you in an essence, warmth and glow that is addictive, meditative and uplifting.

Featuring the original vocal performance of Mark's love ode, Magic In The Dark stands as a centerpiece where, as with all their albums, vocals appear at a minimum, as part of the musical journey.

The underlying somber nature of the album comes as the band ended more than a decade of recording with little critical or commercial success. The fact they did not release a full album again and moved towards a more meditation outlook was a loss, however, their recent rediscovery and the excellent releases by Drag City and Palto Flats included, has finally given the Ive's brothers not just a place in appreciation, but has shown that there really is no one like Woo. Enjoy the magic.

Bewitching Avant-Pop album from impromptu supergroup built around acclaimed Japanese duo, Tenniscoats. Featuring members of Notwist, Jam Money and Joasihno.

In these dark and uncertain times, there's an ever-growing collective of peaceful, loving types, bound together by an understanding of one peculiar word: Tenniscoats. Aside from being the name of an influential Tokyo-based duo, it represents fun, artistic freedom, experimentation and - perhaps most important of all - inclusivity.

A Tenniscoats gig is rarely the audience watching the performers. Instead, Saya and Takashi regularly shun the stage in favour of any particular spot that takes their fancy, whether it's an empty seat in the auditorium or the roof of a neighbouring cafe. In the world of Tenniscoats, music can happen anywhere, and everyone is invited to join in.

During the winter of 2016, the music happened in Munich. As a long-time fan, Markus Acher (Notwist) jumped at the chance not only to put Tenniscoats on the bill at the Alien Disko festival he was organising, but also to invite Saya & Takashi to a small apartment studio, together with Mat Fowler (Jam Money) and Cico Beck (Aloa Input, Notwist). This is where Spirit Fest was recorded over the following 14 days.

Tenniscoats are known for their collaborations - some of their finest work was done in conjunction with Tape, The Pastels, Jad Fair and many others - so making good use of the time and friends available was natural to them. For me, timing is important,' Saya said. We met in season, and the song flowers are now blooming!' Mat Fowler recalls the Spirit Fest sessions taking place in an idyllic, festive atmosphere. Every morning we'd all share breakfast, chat and learn about German Christmas customs. We'd catch the bus in the morning and walk home in the evening. The journey ran parallel to the beautiful flowing Isar River that bubbles, ebbs and flows right through the middle of Munich.'

While Tenniscoats sit at the heart of proceedings, it isn't their album alone. Markus, Mat and Cico also brought songs, providing a solid base on top of which the artistry could evolve. Mat explains that, a melody would begin, and slowly, each of us - in our own time - would find our way into the music.

Producer Tadklimp would sensitively set-up around us in this narrow window of time, so as to document that first and intuitive moment of collective discovery.' Nearly everything was recorded live,' agrees Markus, playing and singing together in one room with piano, guitars, percussion and some keyboards.' The collaborators came from Germany, Japan, the UK, Greece and beyond. That sense of inclusivity is palpable.

From the tender beauty of Markus's River River' and Saya's Mikan' to the electro-Merseybeat of Tenniscoat's Nambei' and the half-crazed pianica-reggae of Shuti Man', the resulting album is a testament to the manner of which these musicians are able to channel their songwriting through their spontaneity. It's also a snapshot of a gentle and intuitive moment in time - a beautiful meetup that expands this community, happily, even further.

Jon Willks (Grizzly Folk)

RECORD EXCLUSIVELY TO PLAY ON YACHTS AND IN OPERA HOUSES.
These songs were not born in the club, nor were they written by producers' algorithms. So where did these hits come from Maybe from poolside changing rooms (Aldona Orlowska is the Polish champion in butterfly style swimming) Or maybe from opera singing lessons with Professor Olga Olgina, the melodist born at the beginning of the 20th century in Tsarist Russia She feels as good in performing on yachts as in beautiful churches. Aldona marries the virtues of an opera singer and a disco star. She creates together with her husband, an outstanding instrumentalist and unconventional producer. They don't care about trends, they go where the music is. For a quarter of a century they've been splitting their lives between Malmö
and Mallorca, Swedish piano houses and beaches. Aldona Orlowska. WOW!

The soundtrack for this epic western movie featuring the great Lee Van Cleef bears the signature of Ennio Morricone: Guitars, flute, piano, timpani, drums and a Native-American choir style make this motion picture a kind of original masterpiece in the maestro's oeuvre. I Cantori Moderni di Alessandroni perform here in their own unique way with Alessandro Alessandroni on evidence with his original whistling. The main musical theme was employed by Quentin Tarantino in Kill Bill vol.1 and in Inglourious Bastards!

- FIRST TIME COMPLETE EDITION ON DOUBLE VINYL LIMITED EDITION OF 500 COPIES ON COLORED VINYL
- CONTAINS INSERT WITH TRACKLIST AND ORIGINAL MOVIE PHOTOS

MICK HARRIS (SCORN, QUOIT, PAINKILLER) returns after several years of hiatus with ten tracks of blasting landmine bass and interlocking shrapnel rhythms.I've been asked to write a press piece for the dark lord MICK HARRIS.Where does one even start Especially for someone with decades of releases over various solo projects, collaborations and pseudonyms, whether it's doing blast beats in the original NAPALM DEATH to crushing techno brutality as MONRELLA, or savage drum & bass as QUOIT. Then of course there's the mighty SCORN and his numerous collaborations with fellow luminaries such as JOHN ZORN and BILL LASWELL (in PAINKILLER).Rather than being tied to genres or scenes, MICK HARRIS is one of those producers who creates a whole sonic world uniquely of his own, in which varying tracks, styles and tempos take form, but yet in which everything sounds unmistakably characteristic of the creator. Needless to say his work has influenced legions of producers like SURGEON, REGIS, ONTAL, VATICAN SHADOW / PRURIENT, FAUSTEN, SHAPEDNOISE et al, and pretty much anyone in the world of powerfully dark, abrasive music you could name-drop. And yet after all this time, it is impressive that HARRIS still stands way above his successors and has never been surpassed in his own production/performance game.After a hiatus of several years, he is back with a new album under the guise of FRET.Working at a faster tempo than his SCORN material, the FRET project first surfaced years ago on the DOWNWARDS label, rooting it firmly in the dark, industrial and technoid world, and appeared more recently on Tresor (Kern mix by OBJEKT), maintaining the characteristic colossal bass-heaviness and textural depth.And now a full album on KARLRECORDS, Berlin. HARRIS fans will be delighted to know that despite the 130 bpm tempo, the newest FRET still resolutely avoids any straight four-on-the-floor kickdrums, every track lurches, stumbles, staggers and charges forth with beats in beautifully broken asymmetry.We get 10 tracks of crushing, percussive destroyers, each itself a storm of precision chaos, with colossal low-end frequencies that'll cause stampedes in the right circumstances. The classic HARRIS sound is there, searing waves of feedback distortion, intricate, interlocking rhythms and cold, abattoir atmospheres, especially track 6 "Stuck in the track at Salford Priors" which sounds like you're being continuously suspended in the air from multiple explosions all around, each kickdrum throwing you up in the air, the next one going off before you can fall completely back to the ground.The lazy-minded would probably lump it in with the term "techno", but the disciplined brutality, blasting landmine bass and interlocking shrapnel rhythms are clearly HARRIS' own trademark style, sitting somewhere between SCORN and QUOIT.The tracks appear deceptively chaotic on the surface, yet each is meticulously and masterfully composed with great attention to layering and detail. MICK HARRIS fans rejoice, the dark lord still remains at the top of his game.

(Derek Szeto / Fausten / Combat Recordings)

Grammy-winning singing sensation Gregory Porter - one of the most successful jazz artists of his generation - is back with a new album, 'Nat King Cole & Me', to be released on Decca/Blue Note on 27th October. It is a deeply personal tribute to Nat King Cole - the legendary crooner who ignited Gregory's love of music. It's only natural that I go to the root of my inspiration and where I come from. And that root would be my mother and gospel music and Nat King Cole,' he says.

Recorded at London's AIR Studios, the 12-track album features some of Gregory's favourite Nat King Cole tunes including 'Smile', 'L-O-V-E' and 'Nature Boy'. There is also a Nat-inspired arrangement of Gregory's own song 'When Love Was King', originally released on his million-selling hit album, 'Liquid Spirit'.

For Gregory Porter, the influence of Nat King Cole on his life and music runs deep, a through-line that reaches back into some of his earliest childhood memories, and culminates in the release of his new album 'Nat King Cole & Me'. Gregory explains, At five or six years old, Nat's music filled a void in me. My father wasn't in my life and wasn't showing interest in me or raising me and Nat's words were the life lessons, words of wisdom and fatherly advice I needed.'

Gregory's love for Nat's music blossomed so much that he wrote a semi-autobiographical musical, also called 'Nat King Cole & Me', which premiered in 2004. After the play, I felt a lighter feeling about my father and a deeper appreciation for both my mother and the great music of Nat King Cole,' says Gregory. He also found his voice through his own songwriting - It wasn't until I wrote the musical that I was fit to call myself a songwriter. Before that, I would write different poems but they had no music.'

'Nat King Cole & Me' is the follow-up to his Grammy-winning albums 'Liquid Spirit' (2013) and 'Take Me to the Alley' (2016). 'Liquid Spirit' took Gregory from being the biggest name on the jazz scene to being one of the most sought-after singers around today, performing sell-out shows across the UK and being invited to perform on high profile TV programmes including The Graham Norton Show, Strictly Come Dancing and the BBC Music Awards. He has become an adopted national treasure in the UK, having sung for the Queen multiple times, as well as major music festivals including Glastonbury, where he performed on the Pyramid Stage alongside the likes of Muse, Adele and Coldplay. Gregory's ability to transcend genres even extends to his surprise dance hit 'Liquid Spirit Claptone Remix' which became one of the most popular tracks in Ibiza.

After winning over audiences with his rich and soulful voice, there can be no better time for Gregory to return to the music which first inspired him to become a singer. On Nat's legacy and influence Gregory affirms, He was one of a kind. He left such great music - such beautiful things to listen to that you can't help but be influenced by that extraordinary timbre, style, and ultimate cool.'

***Strictly Ltd Edition (500) 12' Blue Colour-In-Colour Vinyl & Limited Edition Matt Sewell Phenakistiscope Print With Initial Copies***

Matt Sewell's A Crushing Glow' was a great success upon release in spring 2014. A Compilation album like no other it was lovingly curated & designed by Matt. A most carefully crafted & truly genre-blending collection, it was valued & appreciated by many including Lauren Laverne on BBC6 Music. Recognising the magic within Matt's unique design package, she awarded the
collection her coveted compilation of the week.

Sequentially, last year followed the 50 minutes of The Gayatari Mantra on a golden 12'. Performed by Bollywood playback singer Anuradha Paudwal & her daughter Kavita Paudwal, this holy mantra drew plaudits & acclaim including BBC6 Music plays from Jarvis Cocker & Soho Radio & love from tastemakers Test Pressing & Vinyl Factory.

Now, CTR is proud to offer a brand new A Crushing Glow collaboration with esteemed London based producer DrumTalk, whose output has graced labels such as Tru-Thoughts, Soundway & Huntley & Palmers. Matt has curated this release & created, once again, very lush sleeve artwork.

Speaking of the 12' Matt suggests that Commissioning DrumTalk to make some new music for A Crushing Glow Presents was a crystal clear choice to make. He continues: Those that are down
with his house trax will be aware of a depth that runs through his music. I've known DrumTalk for years and I know that current runs deep. Surfing on synth waves of endless barrels of cosmic
vibrations, DT takes us on a journey from the blackness into the blue and beyond.

DrumTalk himself describes A Crushing Glow imprint as: A series that has been continuously loved by many. Variously described as 'cosmic', 'spiritual', 'joyful', and indeed 'transcendental'.

This latest release in the series, we suggest, is no exception...

DrumTalk aimed to craft a 12' that would unravel gently & then encapsulate the very unique essence of A Crushing Glow. Decide for yourself if you consider this done.

Caroline True Records are very proud to present this deep and lovely work - housed in lush artwork conceived & produced by Matt especially for this release.

Juris Boiko (1954-2002) and Hardijs Ledinš (1955-2004) were the core members of the NSRD, which is best known as Latvian avant-garde, postmodern, experimental and underground music group active in 1980s. BIG TIP! STROOM BRINGING IT...! comes with download code.
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Their activities were widely multidisciplinary and they can not be considered as purely musicians since none of them had a professional musical education. Their creativity was manifested through variety of media - music, performance and action art, visual arts, poetry, samizdat, the introduction video art in Latvia etc. NSRD also made a significant contribution to the explanation of the theoretical aspects of art in the interpretation of the postmodernist movement, and developed the independent concept of 'Approximate Art'. At the end of the 80s, NSRD got connected and performed with several artists and musicians living in West Germany, including Indulis Bilzens, Micky Remann and Maximilian Lenz aka Westbam and others.

"French Londoner, producer, live performer and troubadour, Remi Mazet marks the end of the summer with a release that was well worth waiting for. Eccentric, particular, specific and always surprising.

From the laid back ethereal and atmospheric scene-setting intro, through upbeat dance floor cuts, percussive workouts and back again, everything about this collection says depth, groove and flow. Sax, keys and sublime samples nestle among, beats, breaks and 4/4 rhythms to create a sonic excursion where nothing is hurried and every track is distinct yet cohesive.

Following on from releases on Colors and Love Fever Recordings, Safran (SJ002) is a continuation of his ongoing explorations. The EP is a perfect extension of his early work, a contagious evolution and transformation in a more personal way."

2022 Repress

HQ Gatefold, 3x12 140g Vinyl, black innersleeve, download code
EXTRAWELT are back! Although in fairness, they were never gone. On the contrary, since their first release on James Holden's Border Community Label dropped in 2005, Arne Schaffhausen and Wayan Raabe have been responsible for a plethora of classics including "Schöne Neue Extrawelt" and "In Aufruhr", their two seminal albums on Cocoon Recordings. The duo are one of the most booked live acts worldwide, commanding a huge fan base. Their performances are the stuff of legend, making them the absolute highlight at every club and festival they play. So it's with great pride and respect, that we can announce the release of Extrawelt's third album for Cocoon Recordings. "Fear Of An Extra Planet" completes the Cocoon trilogy and the excitement growing among their fans represents a new high in the history of EXTRAWELT!
Musically, of course, there's enormous pressure on EXTRAWELT to deliver, but this is dismissed with a playful disregard and they are clearly focused on the job in hand. The album title "Fear Of An Extra Planet" sounds cinematic, like some art-house science fiction film, without giving too much away.
However, from the first seconds of the opening track "Superposition", the album title makes 100% sense and sets the scene for the rest of the trip. We are immersed in wide open spaces and invited to explore dark and dusky worlds that transport us back to their Border Community years. Timeless and elegant, "Superposition" perfectly captures the epic, dream like quality that made James Holden's label so influential.
New Release Information Second up, "Gott ist Schrott" takes a much more minimalist approach with its retro 80s drum programming, monster bass lurking in the breaks and playful Rhodes/synth riffs that span the divide between early German techno and deep Detroit electro with a distinctive film soundtrack aesthetic. "Oddification" continues this theme, adding extra spice reminiscent of the techno-synth vibe of Detroit with a punchy, almost Prodigy-style breakbeat complete with shredded vocal samples that gives us a taste of what's in store. "Gentle Venom" then takes the breakbeat motif to the next stage. The main focus here is the classy sprinter of a bassline, peppered with a flurry of intricate and subtle effects and modulations, that immediately trigger an intense, movie-like 'in pursuit' feeling.
With - Das Grosse Flimmern" we cautiously approach the album's high point. It's still in keeping with the soundtrack aesthetics, but faster and with more urgency. Almost hypnotically, Extrawelt invade us with an energy and impetus that always radiates from their music. Next in line is "Silly Idol" and here Arne Schaffhausen and Wayan Raabe opt again for a more minimal tack, focusing even more intensely on the dance floor to reveal a pulsing, twisted heart to the album.
"Punch The Dragon" is the hidden gem of the collection, utilising and melting together the most bombastic and playful elements. This one is totally off the hook, a sensory overload in an acoustic widescreen format! Then we have the title track "Fear Of An Extra Planet" which perfectly sums up the album concept. It opens up like a film score, with minimal passages following dark sequences that morph into dreamy melodies, all grounded by cool, constantly alternating analogue drum patterns. If you're not listening closely, you might get the impression that three or four different titles are mixed together; such is the effortless flow of the album.
As we near our destination, "The Friendly Coroner" really does honour its name. The morbid charm of the title is captured by a fluid bassline and melodic arrangements that border on the absurd, until the funky drum beat finally drops. In our mind's eye we see a cheerful medical doctor removing his bloody gloves, hanging his smock in the closet and vibing out in his neon drenched workspace. And there we sit, glued to our cinema seat, submerged in the different textures EXTRAWELT have conjured up on "Fear Of An Extra Planet". Over the course of the last title, the strings usher in the final acknowledgments as the credits roll. The dramatic end of "2084" leaves us transfixed in front of a black screen in a large, dark room safe in the knowledge that we've just witnessed a science fiction epic.

John Carpenter is a legend. As the director and composer behind dozens of classic movies, Carpenter has established a reputation as one of the greatest filmmakers in the history of modern cinema, as well as one of its most influential musicians. The minimal, synthesizer-driven themes to films like Halloween, Escape From New York, and Assault on Precinct 13 are as indelible as their images, and their timelessness was evident as Carpenter performed them live in a string of internationally sold-out concert dates in 2016. Anthology: Movie Themes 1974-1998 collects 13 classic themes from Carpenter's illustrious career together on one volume for the first time. Each theme has been newly recorded with the same collaborators that Carpenter worked with on his hit Lost Themes studio albums: his son, Cody Carpenter, and godson, Daniel Davies.

Anthology is a near-comprehensive survey of John Carpenter's greatest themes, from his very first movie, the no-budget sci-fi film Dark Star, to 1998's supernatural Western, Vampires. Those sit alongside the driving, Led Zeppelin-influenced Assault on Precinct 13 theme, Halloween's iconic 5/4 piano riff, and the eerie synth work of The Fog. Carpenter and his band also cover Ennio Morricone's bleak, minimalist theme for The Thing.

We also get vital new recordings of the themes to '80s classics and fan favorites Big Trouble in Little China, Escape From New York, Christine, and They Live, along with the romantic Starman, which earned Jeff Bridges his first Oscar nomination as a lead actor. The collection is rounded out by the menacing, heavy themes to Prince of Darkness and In the Mouth of Madness, the latter a Metallica-inspired riff originally played for the film by Kinks guitarist Dave Davies, and now played by his son Daniel.

In the weeks following Anthology's October 20 release, Carpenter will return to the road, playing both classic movie themes and material from his two Lost Themes albums. The performances will once again affirm the power of the Horror Master's brilliant work as a composer and musician, and undoubtedly send audiences rushing home to their DVD libraries to dive yet again into the most rewarding filmography in genre cinema.

Deluxe color vinyl editions come with 7" including the themes to Village of the Damned and Body Bags
Collects the classic themes of John Carpenter on one volume for the first time
Lost Themes is the best-selling album in Sacred Bones history

Musique par Andrew Chalk & Timo van Luijk

avec:

Tom James Scott - piano

Jean-Noël Rebilly - clarinette

Daniel Morris - guitare pedal steel

Mastered & cut by Rashad Becker at Dubplates & Mastering, Berlin 0417.

Having been entranced by both Andrew Chalk's work with MIRROR (and back to his solo works as FERIAL CONFINE, plus multiple collaborations with David Jackman, The New Blockaders, Daisuke Suzuki, etc ) and Timo van Luijk (as Af Ursin, In Camera, La Poupée Vivante, and collaborations with Kris Vanderstraeten and others) for many years, I was naturally intrigued to hear about and hear their duo project ELODIE. The project formed in 2010, and has spanned eleven beautiful albums already, to date.

"Vieux Silence" for Ideologic Organ is their first release presented outside of their own record publishing nook, Faraway Press & La Scie Dorée. However this is not the first encounter between Ideologic Organ & ELODIE, they performed at a night in London I curated in February 2012, alongside Jessika Kenney & Eyvind Kang. Elodie's performance was among the most delicately engaging and savant I have witnessed... so very quiet, with snow falling in London outside Cafe Oto's windows, the audience palpably entered a high intensity listening focus. The impression of this vivid memory is striking, considering how spare each of the individual elements present that night were.

"Vieux Silence", and ELODIE in general provoke a visual imagination in an instant, perhaps filtered through aged watercolour, tape grain, antique lenses, forgotten levels of listening and observational patience. On this gorgeous album Chalk & van Luijk also collaborate with piano, pedal steel and clarinet (played by , Tom James Scott, Daniel Morris and Jean-Noel Rebilly, respectively).

Each detail carefully considered and colouring step by step, like an impressionist watercolour.

- Stephen O'Malley, Les Lilas 2017

Black Truffle is thrilled to announce the first ever vinyl reissue of legendary performance and sound artist John Duncan's forgotten gem Klaar, originally released by Extreme in 1991 and partly created in collaboration with Andrew McKenzie (The Hafler Trio). Duncan is perhaps most well known for his notorious early performances pieces, which explored violence, self-denial, and the establishment of extreme psychological and physical states in both artist and audience. Alongside these transgressive experiments, Duncan began to create audio works primarily using short wave radio. Where some of Duncan's earlier recordings are composed of magnificently sculpted but abrasive walls of noise, Klaar, recorded while Duncan was living in Amsterdam, occupies a more meditative territory.
Opening with 'Delta', which layers long tones seemingly sourced from slowed down voices over a distant, watery field recording, the remainder of the first side is occupied with the epic title piece, which arranges shortwave radio abstraction, vocal experiments, and field recordings (street sounds, fireworks, monastic chants) into an episodic cinema for the ear. The second side is dominated by the long, brooding 'The Immense Room', where layers of shortwave interference and field recordings are gradually built up into a pulsing, wavering bed of sound infused with a subtly disturbing sense of psychological unrest. This rises to the surface near the end of the piece as sexual moans and ominous rumbles crisscross the stereo image before being abruptly brought to a halt.
A singular work of electroacoustic composition, Klaar is both compositionally sophisticated and infused with a sense of mystery and a vital reality often lacking in more academic experimental music; it sits proudly alongside contemporaneous recordings by Duncan's friends and collaborators Jim O'Rourke and Christoph Heemann and is a must for anyone interested in their work.
- Francis Plagne

Optimo Music is delighted to release a first album by Fantastic Twins (formerly known as The Twins). We'll let them tell you the story behind this inspired and beguiling record -
Obakodomo (Au Balcon Du Monde) is a soundtrack I created for a piece of contemporary dance, performed by two dancers for a young audience from the age of 4. It is the story of an imaginary journey in Antartica where two explorers go on an adventure. They encounter a colony of penguins and will progressively learn to understand their habits and respect their environment. Essentially, Au Balcon Du Monde is a metaphor of how to exist next to each other, how to share a territory, how to learn to live together and share resources.
The scenography and stage accessories were designed in a minimalistic and non-obvious form to leave all the space for imagination. The penguins were made of translucent material to provide light effects and were programmed to move in a swaying motion, allowing interaction with the dancers and the music. LED system could be wireless piloted.
With the soundtrack, I wanted to create an atmosphere that would immediately transport the children into this terra nova - a poetical space, like a cold sphere, where the strange meets the frightening and the playful. Translating the immense vs the small, the far-off vs the near, the collective vs the individual, the strange vs the familiar or the cold vs the heat. My intention was to follow the thread of the story in a narrative, yet non-caricatural way. Music for children doesn't have to be 'childish'. Children love to be scared or even just challenged. They love to love and react instantly to what they hear through their emotions. Ultimately, the soundtrack aims to provide different levels of 'reading' so that it becomes something more universal. So we, adults, just have to accept the invitation.

After a decade's absence, spent working in commercial sound design, New York based electronic musician and producer Joseph Fraioli returns to his Datach'i alias for a brand new album entitled 'System'. Featuring 16 tracks of beautiful yet unsettling electronic music recorded exclusively on a Eurorack Modular synth, 'System' will be released on August 19th via Venetian Snares' Timesig imprint. Speaking about the album Fraioli said, 'I've spent much of the past decade building up my own sound design company, Jafbox Sound, and in recent years have become fascinated by modular synths. I'd been making a series of performance videos, showing how they work and that inspired me to start making music as Datach'i again. I suddenly realized I had a growing collection of tracks that worked together and had something new to say. Aaron heard some of them and encouraged me to start thinking of them in terms of an album and here we are.' Venetian Snares says of the album 'Joseph's special take on live modular production has had me really excited this past year. There are so many great tracks, it was nearly impossible to compile this album. I'm tickled he agreed to release them with Timesig!' The first non-VSnares-related release on Timesig, 'System' will be available on double vinyl, CD and digital download. Those who pre-order the physical release via the Planet Mu website will also receive a bonus CD featuring 19 more tracks recorded around the same time as 'System'. In addition Timesig and Datach'i have partnered with TipTop Audio and everyone who pre-orders the album will also be entered into a draw to win a Z3000 Smart VCO oscillator and 'Happy Ending' kit, the perfect introduction to building your own modular system. Having released 6 albums between 1999 and 2006 on labels including Planet Mu and Sublight, Fraioli has spent the past ten years running award-winning sound design company, Jafbox Sound, where his productions for film, TV and adverts have been recognized by the likes of the Cannes Film Festival and the CLIO Awards. In 2014, Fraioli also joined forces with Interpol's Daniel Kessler, forming 'Big Noble.' Their freshman release entitled, 'First Light," combined Fraioli's approach to sound design with Kessler's guitar work to create cinematic, ambient soundscapes.

Formed in Washington, D.C. in January of 2014, the EFFECTS are Devin Ocampo, Matthew Dowling, and David Rich.

A multi-instrumentalist, Ocampo is a former member of the bands Faraquet, Medications, Smart Went Crazy, and Deathfix, all of whom released music on Dischord. He has also toured and recorded with Mary Timony, Beauty Pill, and J. Robbins.

Dowling was the bassist and co-leader of Deleted Scenes, while Rich was the drummer in the instrumental group, Buildings. Both released music on the experimental-minded (and now defunct) local record label, Sock- ets. Devin met both Matt and David years before and while there had been talk of a possible collaboration everyone had their own projects at the time. However, by 2014 all were between bands and it finally made sense to get together and start something new.

For the trio, playing together was a nice change in routine. It was a new configuration of musicians, rather than a recombination of old friends and former bandmates, which happens regularly in the close-knit music scene of Washington D.C. Matt and David offered a fresh perspective and (possibly) gave the Devin a nudge out of his comfort zone.

Since then, the EFFECTS have performed sporadically throughout the East Coast and digitally released four two-song singles. Their full-length debut, Eyes to the Light, will be out this fall on Dischord.

After a two year hiatus, Kiani returns to his Far Out Systems alias for this EP, his first offering for a label outside of his own Tanzbar Records.

Thomas Neyens first left his mark on the dance scene under his alias Kiani & His Legion, with two releases on Red D's We Play House Recordings in 2013 and more recently on Something Happening Somewhere, quickly demonstrating his accomplished production flair. This led the Belgian establishing his own imprint, Tanzbar Records, where he dropped two EPs under his Far Out Radio Systems moniker - bringing a more 'dancefloor focused' sound. Now after a two year hiatus, Neyens returns to his Far Out Systems alias for this EP, his first offering for a label outside of Tanzbar Records.

'Spheres' kicks off the release, with its soft bassline perfectly complimenting the hazy synths, syncopated drums and the mesmerising nuances from the hang drum that feature later in the track. The slow burning style continues on 'Jane Goodall', with the track's atmospheric textures gradually overpowered by a steady selection of drums, percussion and off-kilter effects. 'Vaquita' sees Far Out Radio Systems up the tempo whilst still sonically retaining the melancholy, hypnotic sound of the EP, as the snare-led rhythm gradually gains in momentum over its seven minute duration. Closing this excellent four track EP is 'On A Quest', a pulsating number that combines soaring, ethereal synths with a club ready groove that is perfect for the shadowy dancefloors the Belgian DJ/producer performs to.



DJ FEEDBACK

Early support from

Joris Voorn: Great atmospheric EP!
Blawan: really nice stuff here ! really like Vaquita
DJ Deep: nice release
Aera (Innervisions): Vaquita is a real beauty!
Baikal: whole release is dope. big fan of kiani. big up.
Norman Nodge (Berghain): "On A Quest" sounds promising!
Richie Hawtin: downloaded for r hawtin
Ripperton: Great EP every track get something! Thanks!
Âme (Kristian): thanks
Red D (We Play House): Needless to say I have preordered this one on vinyl ;-) 'On A Quest' is gonna be the one for me. It's got that Kiani-going-emotional vibe I dig so much.
Anthony Collins: Jane goodall track is tight !
Nuno Dos Santos: ah sweeet thanx man!
Brothers' Vibe: Solid pieces, def support!

'Exit Entrance' is the DFA debut for Kohei Matsunaga aka NHK yx Koyxen.

Kohei has been making / releasing music since 1997 and has recorded for such iconic labels as Mille Plateaux, Important, Pan & Diagonal.

His latest recordings explore intricate drum programming, lush melodies & sparkling arrangements. Touchstones include the legendary 'Clicks & Cuts' compilations from the 1990's as well as Aphex Twin & Autechre. RA called his music bombastic techno funk....unpredictable but rarely disappointing'.

'Exit Entrance' is a collection of new songs that snap and flicker unlike anything Kohei has done in the past. There is a clarity and beauty to these tracks that bursts out of the speakers in a three dimensional way, matching the 3D glasses that the artist wears during all his live performances. The elegant arrangements and crisp drum breaks match the concise song titles - Kohei foregoes the typical impenetrable track names made up of numbers and shorthand, and opts for a more direct emotional sincerity through the sonic themes of the record. Not all the music here falls into the same exact formula.

As the album heads towards a close, after several tracks of harmonious beauty, we get 'Outset (for Mika Vainio)', a sombre hushed techno tune, dedicated to his late friend and musical collaborator, who unexpectedly passed away earlier this year as the record was being completed. What follows after this track is perhaps the real catharsis, as 'Dented' ominously kicks off with acidic stabs and rolls into a tumultuous dirge of gritty techno.

In this regard, 'Exit Entrance' can play out like a life cycle, a mini opera of birth and beauty, of sorrow and mourning.

It is one of the most direct and honest records Kohei has ever made, and DFA is beyond proud to present this work from such an esteemed creative force in the electronic avant-garde world of music.

For fans of Aphex Twin, Actress, Zomby, Kraftwerk, Four Tet.