Search:plan b

What kind of band would choose a double vinyl, gatefold LP for their first release The Hare and Hoofe. Their eponymous first release consists of two discs. Disc One rounds up their 'hits' so far - 2018's smash hit White Blindness, the space gregorian
chant that is Voyager, and the pastoral tale of Appledore Fayre. The second consists of their rock opera, The Terror of Melton. Time-travelling scientists. Giant laser-eyed robots. A rock opera to end all rock operas...

Pitched somewhere between The Who, The Stooges, ELO, Sparks, Pink Floyd, Voivod, Pete Townshend, Brainiac, Bowie and Judas Priest, The Terror of Melton is a headspinning,
ambitious journey. In turns stomping, tear-jerking, full-on rocking and dreamlike, it will transport you. Prog Magazine's Dom Lawson described it as 'absurdly entertaining and deliciously weird... An unmissable trip for fans of the fuzzy and farout'.
2018 saw the band recording a BBC6Music Marc Riley session before even releasing a physical record. In addition, they've had plays on Stuart Maconie's Freak Zone. The band have also gained a monstrously good live reputation, playing an instantly
legendary set at Hastings' Beatwave festival, as well as headlining Tannerfest, Pitch Fest, playing with Focus and The Fierce and The Dead, and the John Snow Society's annual celebration of the eminent epidemiologist.
Some describe them as 'educational psych', others prefer 'polytechnic beat', still more as 'a seventies garage band'. There's certainly primeval drums, fuzz bass, lashings of guitar and synth noises from another planet.
Formed from a gang of friends from Folkestone, Hoofe members have played in groups including The Heliocentrics, The Priscillas, Ye Nuns, Jail Cell Recipes, The Frank Sidebottom Oh Blimey Big Band, Chalet and Hyperglo.

Part of the Atøms √ë¢tœrs Pix£ls Gh©sts™ series with The Designers Republic™.


-
Info:
Valance Drakes and Kero team up for their first collaborative endeavor. The EP, Abstract Thought is an evident fusion of both artist’s unique styles, bringing together elements of glitch, Hip hop, Detroit techno, and a whole lot of space vibes.


-




My hands float before my face, drifting in defiance of gravity, willfulness brought on by forces beyond my own. Things stop very abruptly with a crash the shakes my eyes in their very sockets, rattling reverberation pushing painfully through my skull.


One thousand days in space feels like nothing and everything all at once. Children grow, faces fill with wrinkles and I stay still.


Until my eyes begin to shake and everything turns to television static flashing somewhere inches behind vision. Is someone stepping on my throat?


I’ve crashed into something hard and barren. Is that electricity I see, clinging to my hands?


I spring across an earth or planet or meteorite that crumbles beneath my boots and sways in the air moving so swiftly about my body, dust flying up into the visor of the helmet that saves me, threatening cracks, ruckus.


I can hear my heartbeat in here. I wonder if this is what it sounds like in the womb. The rope connecting me to the ship is something like an umbilical cord. Is it not? Maybe it’s a vacuum. Maybe I’m not born yet after all.

Born out of a chance encounter in 2012 that led to a lasting friendship, Rhythm Section Int'l & producer, DJ, label boss, radio host, and record store owner Ruf Dug join forces to present 'The Committee'. Sitting somewhere between fictional band and studio collaboration, the record is the first fully in-house production for Rhythm Section, recorded start to finish at their own South East London studio and featuring vocals from label founder Bradley Zero and label mate FYI Chris's Chris Watson.

Right from the studio's initial creation, Ruf Dug felt inspired by the space's unique musical identity, jumping at the opportunity to create a collaborative record there over a two week studio residency. And between his DJ residencies at Pikes, Gottwood and NTS radio the Manchester-via-Ibiza computer game freak and renowned vinyl digger found the time to meld his wide range of influences. Having been a key driving force behind Be With's Holy Grail reissue of Bô'vel's - Check 4 U , Ruffy has more than earned his stripes as a boss level Street Soul collector, pre-empting the resurgent interest in the genre, which began in the mid 80s and is still a popular sound in Manchester today. This new release draws parallels between the DIY attitude of Street Soul labels like TSR, Intrigue, Jam Today & Elite and the modus operandi of the RS studio.

A wholly synergetic work, the project's title 'The Committee' reflects the collaborative nature of this release, as Ruf Dug states: 'Authorship is a strange concept at the best of times but this genuinely is a group effort and I very much enjoyed feeling like just one piece of a larger entity - the complete opposite to my usual production experience of being all alone in my room for days at a time.' The EP also features additional production from Rhythm Section's own Mali Baden-Powell, who DJ's and produces as Z Lovecraft and comes from a background in Street Soul music, his father was also in legendary UK acid jazz collective D'Influence. In addition, the record features a dynamic range of vocalists: sultry deliveries from Natalie Wildgoose and Sienna Mustafa, a rap from her sister Nadina, and the vocal debuts of FYI Chris's Chris Watson and Bradley Zero. 'I had been joking with Bradley that he needed to be on the record somehow and he did appear, playing an egg shaker at one point, but his singing wasn't in the least bit planned... I got back from lunch, and the next thing you know he just starts singing...So I dragged him reluctantly down the corridor to the studio and that's it- now he's a pop star!'

Also playfully melding digidub, soul, chicago house and acid jazz, the release not only marks a new chapter in the development of the Rhythm Section sound, but also catalogues a crucial turning Point in Ruf Dug's musical development. Still oozing with the cheeky DIY approach that won his own label, RUF KUTZ an army of fans, this latest Collab steps things up and opens a whole new realm of possibilities for one of Manchester's favourite sons.

Das technisch versierte Naturtalent Leafcutter John (Planet Mu, Staubgold)präsentiert sich mit seinem siebten Album auf Border Community in Höchstform. "Yes! Come Parade With Us" ist ein kleines, perfektes, freudiges, utopisches Folk-Electronica-Kunstwerk, erstellt aus mehrschichtigen, gefühlvoll-modularen Synths, gelegentlichen Drum-Features (von Tom Skinner/Hello Skinny und Sebastian Rochford/Polar Bear) und Field Recordings, aufgenommen im Sommer 2017 auf einem 60-Meilen-Spaziergang entlang der Norfolk-Küste. Limitierte Formate.

The fourth AF Trax release is a three-track EP from our long time ally The Fantastic Twins, who has the following to say about her EP:

This EP is a small collection of works I crafted over the past couple of years in the process of working on my live show. I have been performing versions of these tracks countless times and yet never played them twice the same way. To me, they have been material in constant motion, so shaping them into a 'finished' form was a risky challenge. Something I was also wary of - would it mean they would become set in stone Would it mean I'd have to somehow 'rationalise" the music - via the mind - as opposed to letting it run into the wildness of its physical live experiences

Whilst editing these tracks into a format that could be released, I realised that instead of shaping them into the mould my mind first intended to give them, I could in fact use the power they revealed each time I performed them to an audience and inject some of that energy - as much as it is possible to capture and recreate it in the studio - back into this EP. Then of course, it meant letting go on things I usually like to control more, and better.

But isn't it the power of music to let it take you where you didn't plan to go And how incomplete would the music be if our inspiration didn't feed off the collective experience of dancing to music together I've lost myself (and my twins) many times throughout the process - not only on German soil - I have sometimes landed in the wrong place, but I may have found one answer yet in the form of another question. Why are we here if we can't dance

That reminds me of the words of Pina Bausch 'Dance, dance or we are lost'. Lost in our internal struggles as individuals (or imaginary twins). Lost in a society where our relation to the other is often marked by fear, power or violence. We feel the need to resist. Yet nowadays, taking a political stance as an artist is too often being instrumentalised as another tactics or accessory to gather more popularity, reducing the political message to nothing else but a branding attempt. Isn't it anyway the power of capitalism to assimilate everything, even contradictory or once-upon-a-time subversive voices All to end up on a 'Rave' or 'Feminist' H&M t-shirt. Slogans that have been emptied of their initial force and substance, now replaced by their commercial value. I strongly doubt that more empty words poured in vain on social media will help us much. But, like Pina Bausch, like JD Twitch, I have always firmly believed in dancing as a physical, social and fundamental act that leads us to share a common space with others and embrace otherness. Standing together, dancing together when everything else forces us to divide.

Jakarta/Indonesia based DJ/Producer/Akamady Records boss Gerhan Ferdinal & friend's project "KOMODO" made 2x floor killer tunes. Many people have been waiting for this 12" since Ene boss CHIDA played "Night Time" at his Boiler Room show in 2014. And "Make It Scream" is massive & heavy killer tune too. Underground music/party scene in East South Asia has grown up so fast these years. and still there are many great artists world unknown. Ene planning to release more Asian artist, new stuff from friends in the world in 2019.

Australia based Brit Jamie Blanco serves up Kilsha's superb second EP and capitalises once more on a fine recent run of form.

Blanco has previously released on Felix Dickinson's Cynic as well as Futureboogie and more recently on Pelvis & Tone Dropout. He is one half of Ess O Ess as well as a solo artist making waves with his wonderfully off kilter sounds, and has played all over the planet in the last couple of years. Eclectic in taste and inspired by Balearic beats as much as driving percussion and acid, he is all set for a busy 2019.

Right from the off, 'Unit of Pleasure' gets in your affections with its mix of original live recorded percussion, aircraft noise and hypnotic bass. It's a wilfully diverse mix of sounds and scenes that is utterly compelling. The excellent 'Progressive View' then dips into broken beat and classic electro territory, with raw synths and cavernous hits driving things forward over a rhythmic b-line.

Keeping up the unpredictable mood of the EP, 'Grapefruit Agenda' is a tripped-out piece of left of centre house music, with paranoid melodies and circling pads amping up the energy and taking you on a real journey. The superb 'XOX18' closes things out with downtempo electro moods that are futuristic and dystopian, all with an effective analogue edge.

These four tracks confirm Blanco is a fascinating artist with a fresh take on dance music and provide another superb instalment for the supremely promising Kilsha Music.

moogmemory is the latest album from multi-award winning pianist and composer Matthew Bourne, who has turned his considerable talents to the world of analogue synthesizers.

Very much in demand as a collaborator and co-conspirator, Bourne has his fingerprints on a huge number of projects, having worked with artists as diverse as John Zorn, Annette Peacock, Nils Frahm, Nostalgia 77, Amon Tobin and Broadway Project.

Growing from spontaneous improvised live performances, the album took shape in the studio as Bourne explored and moulded the vast sonic possibilities of voltage-controlled oscillators, creating beautiful, brooding landscapes of thick impasto and translucent sunbursts.

The seed for this project was planted when Bourne acquired an uncooperative 1982 Memorymoog, having it painstakingly modified and upgraded by Rudi Linhard in Germany .

Created without the use of computers or sequencers,Moogmemory is the first album to be recorded using only the Lintronics Advanced Memorymoog.

Bourne will tour moogmemory in collaboration with brilliant visual artist Michael England, who has worked with Autechre, Bola, Leila, Demdike Stare and many more.

The album will be available on CD and as a limited edition LP (with CD) in an intricate embossed sleeve designed by England.

Album press release written by Bourne fan Graham Massey (808 State).

The album follows the critical success of Radioland: Radio-Activity Revisited, a visceral live audio/visual experience created to mark the 40th anniversary of Kraftwerk's seminal album, with Franck Vigroux and video artist Antoine Schmitt.

Bourne's first solo studio album, Montauk Variations (The Sunday Times' Leftfield Album of the Year in 2012), was celebrated for its sense of stillness and serenity, marking an important musical turning point in his career and the beginning of a new creative direction.

Tracks from Montauk Variations have appeared on compilations by Bonobo and Needwant.

Connaisseur posthumously releases Daso's self-titled long player to create a final memento for his musical legacy.

We first came in touch with Daso when we saw him performing live at the
Dachkantine in Zurich around 2006. He really had this stage talent which
fascinated us straight from the beginning. At this party we agreed on the first release on Connaisseur, the "Adventure EP" including the strong "Sam n Max", which was a great presentiment of the many releases to come.
Daso was a unique character with a lovely sense of humour, and surprising quirks which could be like marvels to us. One moment, we would be worried just seeing him crossing a busy street and in the next, he would be rocking the stage with major self-confdence and the attitude of a real rock star.
In our history of Connaisseur, he defnitely was one of our most important
artists, and some of his best music was released with us. He played many label nights, and together we enjoyed uncountable laughs, discovered cities and countries while touring and collected invaluable memories.
It is the way of the world that we as a label eventually focussed on new artists, and Daso, too, embarked in new directions. We still stayed in touch, even though the gaps between our contacts became bigger with time. The frst time we realized that Daso was ill was in the frst quarter of 2016. We had invited him to our 10th anniversary party in Berlin, but he didn't feel well enough to be able to come. Shortly after this, he went to the doctor and was diagnosed with cancer. We were shocked. Daso was always such a positive person, it simply didn't add up for us that someone like him could get sick.
Obviously an irrational and unjust thought, but it just felt so unfair.
When he started chemo therapy I spoke to him on the phone, and my label partner Martin, who lives in Berlin, gave him a frst hospital visit early in summer of that year. A bit later we visited him together, and yes, he was optimistic, still full of humour and also motivated to pick up his career again as soon as possible. This impression was of course only from a distance, but I was delighted to see how confdently he presented himself on socials after all his treatments, and how after recovery he started playing gigs again.
At some point I realized Daso hadn't been active on his socials for a while, which concerned me. This was in the frst quarter of 2018. His last post on Facebook had been made on November 30th and I knew this couldn't bode well. After contacting some common friends I was told his prospects were not good. I was about to go on an Easter holiday but planned to visit him on my next monthly trip to Berlin. I didn't have the chance. On Easter Monday, April the 2nd, 2018 Daso passed away.
At Daso's funeral, which was on a wonderfully sunny day in late spring, his father came up to me and asked if I might be interested in releasing this album, which Daso had been able to fnalise in the last months and weeks of his life. We didn't decide on doing so lightly, knowing that the release of a post-mortem album can bring up certain issues. However, in the end, we agreed to do it, as we sincerely strive to create a fnal memento for Daso's musical legacy.

The self-titled album Daso will be released on April 5th, three days after the first anniversary of Daso's obit.

I cannot exactly remember when the idea of this album was born in my mind. What I am sure of is that I always wanted to complete such a project, which was to realize the dream of a vibraphone and marimba tribute to the music of my favorite musician composer, Frank Zappa. I met Marco Pacassoni about six years ago. I called him because we were looking for a vibraphonist for a tour with the artist Bungaro. We immediately developed a real friendship and when I told him about my idea and my fascination with Ruth Underwood, explaining that for me the best Zappa albums were the ones on which she played, he admitted that he knew only a part of that music, but that he would love to learn more. So I began to feed him tunes to listen to, sharing with him an imaginary track list. When Marco decided to really go for it (about two years ago), his first statement was that it was impossible not to include Peaches en Regalia and The Black Page on the album. That made me very happy because those are two of my favorites, and there was no better way to acknowledge the technical challenges behind this adventure. Marco studied Ionisation by Edgard Varese when he was in Conservatorio Rossini of Pesaro, even before he graduated in percussion at Berklee. It was strange for me that he could know more about Varese than about Zappa! I liked his idea of playing The Black Page alone at the marimba, just adding the beat, as if hearing the footsteps of an imaginary listener turning around. Who could it be My very first wish was to include Pink Napkins with Zappa's guitar solo played at the vibraphone.

You're The Man is the first-ever planned 'lost' Tamla/Motown album from Marvin Gaye. Fifteen (15) of the album's 17 tracks are on vinyl for the first time and three tracks are newly mixed by SaLaAM ReMi. The album also includes the rare long LP version of Marvin Gaye's cancelled Christmas single from '72, as well as an unreleased vault mix of its instrumental B-side, and new essay by Marvin's biographer, David Ritz. The release will coincide with the 60th anniversary of Motown as a label and also Marvin Gaye's 80th Birthday (April 2).

While the tracks have been issued on various collections and deluxe editions, this is the first time they have been placed in their proper context. In addition to context, You're The Man was the album that was proposed to follow-up the monumental What's Going On, and it contains all of Marvin's solo and non-soundtrack recordings from 1972 (his next two albums in quick succession: Trouble Man and Let's Get It On).

"I Remember When" is the sixth album from Tokyo based nostalgic ambient soloist Ex Confusion.
The album finds Atsuhito Omori bringing Ex Confusion back to n5MD after a release each with Plancha and Orchid Tapes. 'I Remember When' finds Omori carefully carving music out of hazy memories. Emotive, abstracted, and overcast (as the cover art itself alludes to). Omori excels at his brand of heart to hands clouded ambient by utilizing faded repetition with ghostly percolating guitars printed to old formats. Omori has been doing this type of minimalist modern compositional ambient for nearly a decade but never has it sounded so focused in its conception.
As a bonus to an album of such understated beauty Omori includes a recent collaboration with Thomas Meluch's Benoit Pioulard pseudonym which further adds to the faded photograph characteristics of "I Remember When."

The now legendary collaboration between producer Terence Fixmer and vocalist Douglas McCarthy continues with a new 4 track E.P. of blistering electronics and intense performance. Long time fans will immediately recognise the strong tradition of EBM that Fixmer/McCarthy have held as their own for 15 years. 'Let It Begin' and 'The Crush' assault the listener with bruising bass lines, heavy insistent drums and mesmorising sound effects. With a Phase Fatale remix bringing a brooding and menacing darkness to any dance floor. The Force Mix of 'The Crush', harks back to the original power, energy and simplicity of how FM fans were first introduced to Terence and Douglas on their 2004 debut album 'Between The Devil'. The brutal love story continues!

Recorded Between The Release Of Sand (1977) And Lost Secrets(1981), Symphonic Songs Is A Formerly Unreleased Work That Chronicles The Dynamic Shift And Development In Experimental Swedish Composer Ragnar Grippe's Canon.

Following His Seminal Release Sandin 1977, Swedish Experimental Composer Ragnar Grippe Worked On Various Art And Performance Commissions, Often Returning To Stockholm During The Summer Months To Focus His Efforts On His Compositional Practice. It Was There At The Famed Ems Studioswhere He Began Employing The Buchla Synthesizer And The Facilities Multi-tracking Capabilities As New Instruments To Map His Mining Of Sound And Movement.

During The Late 1970's, Grippe Formed A Creative Collaboration With Choreographer Susan Buirge, Specifically Writing Compositions For Her Works restes And tamis, Thus Pushing Grippe To Start Working In A More Intricate Studio Environment. These Passages Inspired Grippe Into A More Complex Layering Process That Focused More On Placement And Structure, Rather Than The Aural Floods And Flourishes Of His Previous Sand Album, Eventually Germinating In His First Full 24-track Composition Entitled orchestra.

After Debuting orchestra In 1980 At The Electronic Music Festival In Stockholm, Grippe Holed Up At Ems Studios With Those Lessons And The Fussy Buchla Synthesizer, In Which Grippe Affectionately Recalls needed To Be Tuned And Calibrated Every 20-30 Minutes. He Emerged With A New Commission For Susan Buirge Later Formally Titled Symphonic Songs And Used In Her Avant-garde Theater Piece ci-déla Which Debuted In Paris In 1981.symphonic Songsshowcased Grippe's Sound Au Courant, Pushing Dense Against Sparse, Calm Into Cacophonous, Using Each Track As Its Own Intersecting Plane. Using The Machinations Of Studio And Structure To Drive Symphonic Songs' Voice, Grippe Culled A Haunting, Often Cinematic Electronic Work That Dots And Darts Into Unexpected Corners With Curious Aplomb.

Listen To The Words, Both Terms Have Their Root In Classical Music, But Not In Its Form But Because Now I Had So Many More Stems Or Voices That Could Be Played Simultaneously Compared To My Earlier Pieces. Coming From A Classical Background, But With Big Nostrils For Pop And Jazz Music, I Can Now See A Thread In Which Classical Got A New Costume, Dressed Up In Buchla Synthesizer And Real Bass Sounds Grippe Says. Since Its Live Theater Debut Over 37 Years Ago, Dais Records Releases For The First Time Symphonic Songs, One Of Grippe's Most Ambitious Compositions, As A Deluxe Double Vinyl Lp (with Limited Edition Color Variants) And On Digital Formats. Artwork Packaging By Artist J.s. Aurelius (ascetic House) With Reflective Linear Notes By Ragnar Grippe.

On March 15th Erased Tapes presents the invigorating and powerful debut solo album Lines of Sight by Australian-born, Liverpool-based composer, saxophonist and founder of Immix Ensemble, Daniel Thorne. Deeply moving, full of otherworldly beauty and rapture, the album is alive, throbbing like a circulatory system, colourful and glowing. It literally dazzles - effectively capturing what the birth (or death) of a planet might sound like.

In Daniel's own words, 'Thematically, this music was inspired by birds-eye aerial images and the idea of perspective - how something incredibly complex like a river or the surface of the ocean is reduced to a simple line or shape when viewed from the heavens. The line between natural and man-made becomes increasingly blurred.'

Every strand is fresh, vital and purposeful. The description 'seamless' might suggest a smooth, bland fusion, but here elements overlap in intermittent, undulating layers of mesh. Avant-garde, noise, electronics, ecclesiastical, classical, a touch of jazz and traces of Wyatt-style contemporary folk come together, each occupying their own space while acquiescing with the whole.

'Several compositions are derived from ratios and processes, and are highly calculated, while others evolved in a much more organic way. I wanted to create music that blurred lines between acoustic and electronic, organic and synthetic, composition and improvisation.
I've long been a fan of studio-based composition, but have always found the infinite possibilities on offer daunting and, often, a stumbling block. To get around this I set myself a challenge of limiting myself to the physical instruments in my possession - a few different saxophones and a bass synth, with no more than four tracks to record them,' he adds.

Lines of Sight follows Thorne's work as artistic director of the acclaimed, collaboration-focussed group Immix Ensemble. Together with experimental electronic artist Vessel, he co-wrote Transition released on Erased Tapes in 2016, described by BBC Radio 6's Mary Anne Hobbs as 'a remarkable new piece of music'. More recently, he worked with acclaimed modular synth wizard Luke Abbott, to create a four-part suite, which was premiered live in June 2017. Immix Ensemble have also performed special live commissions with Kelly Lee Owens, Dialect, Jane Weaver and Bill Ryder-Jones, among others.

Prior to leaving Australia, Daniel was fortunate to work with some of the country's leading new music ensembles as both a composer and performer, receiving commissions from the TURA New Music Festival and the Australia Council, as well as being appointed as Composer in Residence at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. In the UK he was the recipient of the prestigious Dankworth Prize for Jazz Composition, and also undertook a residency at Metal Liverpool, which provided him with the time and space to create Immix.

As the first track under Thorne's own name, 'Iroise' was recorded for the Erased Tapes 10th anniversary release 1+1=X, alongside works by Nils Frahm, Penguin Cafe, A Winged Victory For The Sullen and Rival Consoles. He also recently remixed Manu Delago, known as the live percussionist for Björk and Ólafur Arnalds. After a first solo performance at Sea Change Festival 2018, the new year will see Daniel tour across Europe, promoting the forthcoming release of Lines of Sight.

After Recondite's Daemmerlicht album from last year, here we finally are with a strong and diverse remix package by Dominik Eulberg, Uchi and Alex.Do - Atmospheric reworks for the dancefloor and for the mind!

Giorgio Gigli and Bichord team up for the first LP in the Planet Rhythm Black series. With their intricate drum patterns, sophisticated rhythms, and extended pads, these tracks will fit perfectly in any deep techno set. They take their atmospheric sound and submerge it deep in the ocean where only a few rays of light can penetrate. Nevertheless the music breathes and still has a very spacious and airy quality.

Original photography on the poster by Christopher Michel.

Soul Clap launch their new club music imprint with the duo's first EP of 2019. Two party tested instrumentals filled with that signature electronic funk ready to work any freaky dancefloor.

'Jupiter Crush' takes us on a ride around the moons of the gas planet, sound tracked by the sounds of Roland's Jupiter 8 over a broken-beat house groove. While 'Natural Bliss' brings us back to earth, with warm percussion setting a gentle mood, before evolving into a feel-good, disco influenced house joint.

Everybody's Freaky Under Nature's Kingdom.

DJ Support:

Soul Clap, Lee Curtiss, Luke Solomon

Cologne based trio of dub minded jam hounds with their first LP. (con)fusion music. TIP!

The B-52's The B-52's on Numbered Limited Edition LP from Mobile Fidelity Silver Label
Ranked at #152 on Rolling Stone's List of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time Delightfully Campy, Intentionally Goofy, Lyrically Kitschy: 1979 Set Is Nothing But a Good Time
Mastered on Mobile Fidelity's World-Renowned Mastering System and Pressed at RTI (America's Best Record Plant): LP Bursts Forth With the Color and Vibrancy of the Brilliant Pop Within
The B-52's' Wild Planet and Cosmic Thing Also Available on Silver Label LP Boffo! Beehive hairdos, goofy sci-fi humor, lava-lamp kitsch, thrift-store fashions, party-starting tunes, unconventional perspectives, and the unique blending of the underground aesthetic with mainstream accessibility: The B-52's mix all this and more into a dizzying cocktail on their self-titled debut, which remains one of the most ahead-of-its-time, endlessly enjoyable, and vividly colorful albums ever released.
Ranked at #152 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, The B-52's has its roots in the band's improbable genesis, itself reflective of the record's gleeful moods and quirky charms. The five members first played after sharing a tropical alcoholic beverage at a Chinese restaurant, the ironic silliness and spontaneous irreverence indicative of the music on its breakthrough record. Not to mention how it mirrors the unusual hodgepodge of instrumentation: organs, walkie talkies, bongos, glockenspiels, tambourines, toy pianos, smoke alarms, and more!
Musically, the band proves just as adventurous and whimsical. Using pleasant harmonies as a backdrop and Kate Pierson's squealing organ as a starting point, the B-52's draw upon surf-rock grooves, beach-bound soul-pop, herky-jerky funk riffs, minimalist rhythms, and Ricky Wilson's unusual guitar lines to craft songs that tower above the sarcastic suggestiveness and campy declarations. Of course, the latter are plenty entertaining on their own, but there's no denying the dance-bound persuasiveness and melodic shimmy associated with the classic cult single 'Rock Lobster' and splendid cover of the ubiquitous Petula Clark standard 'Downtown.' You've never heard anything like this.

Indeed, the B-52s were about a decade ahead of the alt-rock revolution when they recorded this delightfully campy, intentionally goofy, lyrically tawdry, and undeniably harmonic 1979 new-wave set that comes off as the best dance party you might ever hear. This is 40 minutes of nothing but a good time.
Mastered on Mobile Fidelity's world-renowned mastering system and pressed at RTI (America's best record plant), Silver Label numbered limited edition LP presents the B-52's brilliant debut in a fidelity it's never previously enjoyed. So detailed and realistic are the timbres, accents, and harmonies, you'll think the band's bright outfits are appearing right in front of you. Plus, the LP is worth the cost alone for the iconic album cover, which spotlights those bouffant 'dos.

Rian Treanor will release his anticipated debut album 'ATAXIA' on Planet Mu this March. The striking full-length follows singles for The Death Of Rave and Warp's Arcola imprint as well as live sets at Boilerroom x Genelec, Nyege Nyege festival, tours in India and various high profile EU shows.

The title 'ATAXIA' means 'the loss of full control of bodily movements' and relates to Rian's music which is 'intended to make people's bodies move in unpredictable ways.' He adds 'the angles in the letters, the phonetics seem to mirror the geometry and idiosyncratic patterns in the music.' Rian explains that components of the tracks were made by generating a series of irregular events and re-structuring them, or by destabilising a pattern that is constant.

When asked how the album compares with his previous releases, he says 'My earlier EPs share a similar interest in angular and asymmetrical rhythms that are designed for club sound systems,' adding 'they were more improvised, focusing on sequencing and pattern modulation, using standard drum sounds and synthesiser patches. ATAXIA is more focused and stricter, it's more co-ordinated in terms of the track selection and the rhythmic structures. I spent more time refining the synthesis and sound design, pushing it further than the previous releases.' He expresses an interest in exploring opposites in his music: 'fluidity and syncopation,' 'systematic and unpredictability,' 'reduction and extremity,' 'irregular symmetry,' 'easy listening and brutal'.
There's clear a conceptual backdrop, but the music itself is not overthought. There's an immediate joy to much of the album - check out ATAXIA_D3 with its wonderful cut-ups and modulations of the phrase 'people don't understand people.'

The roots of Rian's playful sound are directly linked to his love of the music he grew up with. Coming from Sheffield, you can hear elements of industrial, synth-pop, bleep, extreme computer music and speed garage at play. From Cabaret Voltaire to Warp and beyond; the sound of his city has been, and is, an integral part of his musical development and is still a direct influence.

Last year, he noted in an interview that "I'm not a computer programmer, I'm not an articulate person in that kind of way. I'm a visual artist." Now he elaborates 'I meant more that I'm a visual thinker.' Drawing and visual art have been a fundamental part of his life 'since I was a child. I got really into graffiti as a teenager and around the same time I got into mixing and these both developed together.' You can sense the mind of a visual artist at work in his music which is also reflected in the artwork he created for this project.

As well as his visual art, installations and multichannel sound works he is involved in numerous collaborations such as with composer Nakul Krishnamurthy exploring the common ground between Indian classical music and electronic music and his work with improv saxophonist Karl D'Silva, plus his time studying with Lupo at Dubplates and Mastering in Berlin (who taught him the 'importance of reduction') have all helped shape and push his sound into other unique and adventurous zones. Treanor is developing on different levels and in different forms all at the same time, re-imagining the intersection of club culture, experimental art and computer music, presenting an insightful and compelling musical world of fractured and interlocking components.

Resilience is an album that calls on the classic rave sounds of Chrissy's Midwestern youth to explore themes of love, positivity, perserverence, acceptance, and the fight against cynicism. Get ready for big piano melodies, chopped breakbeats, heavy bass, and jacking Chicago drum programming, plus guest appearances from some of Chrissy's friends: vocalist Carrie Wilds, Portuguese DJ/producer/singer Maria Amor, and Berlin-based techno artist Dean Grenier. RAWAX will present it on three ep's!


Chrissy is a genre-bending DJ/producer with releases on Classic, Freerange, Razor N Tape, Hypercolour, and Planet Mu, and a 20-year DJ career spanning Chicago house, disco, rave, jungle, footwork, and more. He ran the influential 'My Year of Mixtapes' blog, and currently runs two record labels: The Nite Owl Diner and Cool Ranch.

'Chrissy is one of the best DJs to ever walk the earth and I am just going to keep saying it until everyone agrees with me.' — The Black Madonna.

Khaliphonic 11 Is A Truly Epic Release From One Of Our Most Prolific Artists, Brendon Moeller Aka Echologist, Aka Beat Pharmacy. In Just The Last Two Years, Moeller Has Released On Labels As Varied As Echocord, Silent Season, Kynant, And Rohs!, To Name Only The Most Well-known. Recognized Globally For A Singularly Organic And Dubwise Approach To Techno, We Are Proud To Have A Close Working Relationship With An Artist Who Coaxes Humanity And Warmth From Machines Like Few Others. The Dub Purpose Ep Is One Of His Finest Achievements.

As We Planned A Third Zamzam Release From Our Favorite Well Of Hardware Sonics, Four Tracks Emerged As Comprising A Set That Simply Did Not Want To Be Separated. The Four Tunes That Make Up This Ep Felt Like Chapters In A Single Gorgeous Narrative, And So A 12' Was Born.

We Asked Brendon How Dub Influences His Process, And What This Ep Specifically Is About. He Replied:

"dub Facilitates Whatever Vision I Have With Music, Which Is One Of The Reasons I Incorporate A Dub Approach In Everything I Do. Whether Infusing Nyabinghi Rhythms With Epic Strings, Roots Dub With Industrial Dread Or Grungy Modular Antics With Stepping Vibes, Dub Is The Glue That Keeps It Together. The Inspiration Behind These Tracks Are On-u Sound, Wordsound And Bill Laswell, Travellers Who Understood The Possibilities Of Dub."

The Dub Purpose Ep Does In Four Tunes What Many Lps Struggle To Do In Eight - It Builds A Cohesive Narrative Arc That Moves From Menace, To Exploration, Through Mystery, Closing With Beauty. And Just Wait Til You Hear It On A Proper Sound...

Mastered By Sam Precise.

Following his highly praised album 'Word Color' from last year, Gacha Bakradze offers up this stunning EP on Fever AM. 'Monument' sees the Tbilisi based art- ist taking us on a refreshing, sublime journey over 4 pieces featuring his signature melodies, broken beats and striking sound design. Gacha pulls off a very well rounded EP here that works perfectly on headphones at home or on a sound system in the club.

This is also the first artist besides labelheads Mor Elian and Rhyw to appear on Fever AM, opening up a new phase for the label.

Unprofessional's Debut Featuring Four Unrelenting Tracks That Echo The Golden Years Of Italy's, Everything Goes, Rave Heyday. Her Tracks In This Release Are Characterized By Epic Synths, Jacking Hi-hats, And Lo-fi Hip-hop Style Sampling. Beyond Musical Characteristics, A Fantastical Sense Of Humor Pervades The Release With Self-conscious Samples Embedded In Many Of The Tracks And Overtly In Titles Like civilization At The Bio Store' Or grand Unified Theory.' Before This Release, She Has Been Performing Live The Darker Corners Of Europe's Electronic Music Scene. In The Last Year She Has Been Featured In The Mixes Of Alienata (killekill), Bill Kouligas (pan) Or Pure (praxis Records, Aufnahme + Wiedergabe).
Unprofessional Herself Comes From A Small Town On The East-coast Of Italy. She Began Producing In Her Early 20s In Milan Before She Moved To Berlin And Began Organizing Small Uncompromising Local Parties, Which Featured A Pretty Disparate Group Of Musicians.-
Mastered By Mike Grinser (d&m)
Artwork: Bartosz Zaskorski
Design: Teo Schifferli

PAUL LABRECQUE (SUNBURNED HAND OF THE MAN) and GHAZI BARAKAT (PHAROAH CHROMIUM) present two epic cosmic, dystopian tracks where guitars, synths and traditional instruments blend into an anarchic sound system.

After excessive years in rock bands like THE GOLDEN SHOWERS or his solo project BOY FROM BRAZIL, time had come for the German-Palestinian artist GHAZI BARAKAT to develop a new aesthetic - the birth of his alias PHAROAH CHROMIUM where BARAKAT creates "meta-music for meta-people in a meta-world", or in other words:a mutoid blend of post-krautrock, psychedelism, free jazz, ancient rituals, science fiction and electronics. So far the Berlin based sonic performer released a couple of solo albums on labels like GRAUTAG or TAPEWORM and a triple LP with krautrock legend GÜNTER SCHICKERT. For his latest output he decided to simply use his civilian name BARAKAT, as does PAUL LaBRECQUE (SUNBURNED HAND OF THE MAN) who contributesguitar and synthesizer to the two side-long tracks. "Jajouka Pipe Dream" is a clear reference to the MASTER MUSICIANS OF JAJOUKA, with lots of flutes and percussion, a very rhythmical, ritualistic track, while "Planet R-101" turns out a spacey trip with elements of krautrock and Kosmische Musik / Berliner Schule.

What may sound contradictionary on paper functions perfectly on LP - freeform / free-floating music, absorbing and integrating a wide range of influences and inspirations, sounds and styles - and highly psychedelic!

Credits:

Ghazi Barakat: guembri, moog synthesizer, beats, Rauschpfeife

Paul LaBrecque: guitar, synthesizer

Mastered and cut by Rashad Becker at D&M, Berlin

Artwork + photography: Nicolas Moulin

After a 17-month break from releasing music, La Fleur's Power Plant imprint returns with the stunning 'Aphelion EP' from the label-boss herself. 'Hunting Grounds' was birthed first, a brilliant masterclass of groove-drenched dynamics brimming with personality and spirit that already highlighted her sets for Cercle and last year's acclaimed BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix. Perfectly complemented by 'Aphelion' whose foundations are built on deftly crafted drums before the Swede's distinct flair for melody sees sublime chords fill the space.

Planet E present the Michele Chiavarini and DJ Steve Crawford remixes of 'Just Like Muzik' and 'The Sabath' taken from Terrence Parker's 2017 album 'GOD Loves Detroit'. The three-track remix EP is due for release March 8th. Handpicked by Terrence Parker himself, both remixers offer fresh takes on two of the standout tracks of the original LP. For the first and last track of the EP Michele Chiavarini reworks 'Just Like Muzik', with a bass lick which dances in and out of shuffling hats, channelling the high energy of the original house patterns and stabs into something different. Soulful pad progressions merge with Merachka's original vocal, before energetic strings and vibraphone solo take over, carrying the listener along. DJ Steve Crawford's remix of 'The Sabath' sees him transpose the arpeggiated synth rhythm and pads of the original into a fresh grooving 4/4 affair. Congas and punching kicks meet with harmonious string melody and slapped bass, creating a head-nodding reimagining of the master.

April 2017, Osaka, Sakura, the beautiful time of the cherry blossom. We quickly get a warm coffee from the drinks vendor down the street, then off to Kabamix' LMD studio downtown. Time is short, the off-days are counted on tour. As the year before at the SVS label camp in Budapest, we stick to the plan: one track a day. This time we have guests! Marimari, Arihirua and Ryoko epitomize the perfect antipodes to the lonesome samurai on his white horse (Shiroi Uma) we had in mind on our first EP (SVS010). Everything flows, everything is improvised, the music itself is the place where we meet, no much talking about what´s happening, we just carry on doing the thing. The studio of Kabamix, longtime soundengineer of Haruomi Hosono, has built up over many years, it´s a hoard of like-minded people. Gekko No Odoriko translates to 'Moonshine Dancer'. The rhythm, as usual a driving force in our music, is converting every listener unwillingly into a squirrelly moving dancer. Heavy, yes, bassy, yes, yet never isolated drums build the foundation of the beatgrid as well as the arrangement. With an ascending condensation of musical events, the track enfolds it´s physical energy vertically and horizontally. And just as the spacey synth enters the track, Mari Mari has entered the studio, a Korg Prophecy under her arm, straight into the recording cabin, recording 'it'. Vocals by Ryoko aka Mt.Chills and us happy bunch. Holy Water: Visiting the holy mountain near Nara national park, the impossible seemed so simple: capturing water. An old man mumbling on the floor next to the entrance, little volvic bottles making their rounds to this special zone, bamboo growing high all over the place, deers walking close by as if there was no distinction between us living beings.

The new sampler on Siena has arrived! Number 4.0 is a real dance floor filler. The A1 comes from Lonely Planets Records artist; Sinan Alakus, who opens the EP with his raw drums and sharp synths. To keep the A-side housey, A2 is collab between the mates Tetelepta & Amro. Rollin' bass and smooth melodies. House 2 tha Bone it is!

On the flip, Tom Liem opens the B-side. A perfect dreamy minimal joint. Jocelyn, who had his debut EP on the main ESHU Records last year, delivers the last one on the EP. This B2 is a badass trip you don't want to end. Mean body in the low end, spacey chords on the up. From the start till the end you will dance!

In 1997 legendary producer Orlando Voorn delivered two tracks for the Get Lost and Past-Present+Future compilations, as well as the idea of a full length album for his Ultra moniker. This was completed in 1998 shortly before the initial shutdown of Multiplex. Some tracks were scattered onto other releases, but this Planet Ultra EP is compiled of five previously unreleased compositions from the Multiplex album of the same name, plus the Barwork track - finally on vinyl after more than twenty years.

DJing since at the age of 12, he won the Dutch DMC championships in '86. Going on to produce a multitude of club bangers since the early 90's. Spanning many genres, his short lived Ultra alias was reserved for a deep electro vibe.

On ice for two decade these classic electro tracks reference the early UK breakbeat of the 90's as well as the obvious sci-fi connection. To that effect we kick off with "Teflon" and "Plasma", followed by the funky "In The Galaxy" which adds a touch of Herbie Hancock. On the flip side "Ultra Light" evolves to an all-encompassing, atmospheric trip, before the deep "Barwork" and finally "Open".

As humans living on the planet today, we have become so removed from our original, natural habitat—the forest—that we forget our wild roots, our primal, animal origins. Music is one of the things that can bring us back to that place, that can put us in contact with a felt world of instinct, immediacy, and presence: a world where language and the problem-solving mind are not needed, where the music keeps your mind and body in the present moment, and the point of dancing becomes the dance of our inner wildness and animality itself. Hans Berg's Sounds of the Forest Forgotten affirms that music can bring us to a state of mind and body that can help us feel what we've forgotten from the forest. The overlaying project of the album is to conjure musical and conceptual resonances between mysticism and nature, summoning the incredible depth and force of nature that we usually miss, especially living in contemporary urban cities. Sounds of the Forest Forgotten channels the creativity, playfulness, and freedom of a life both before and beyond ours through the sounds of analog and digital synthesizers, a modular system, drum machines, and computers. Recorded between Hans's studios in Berlin and on the Swedish countryside, the album similarly shuttles between contemplative and ecstatic, between delicate and powerful, mixing sublime psychedelic techno compositions like 'Emerald Sea' with acidic dance-floor bangers like 'Storm' and 'Milk Thistle,' all nestled between contemplative and textural ambient compositions like 'Butterfly' and 'Glow Worm.' Berg is known for his enthralling productions and energetic livesets that capture dance floors with his particular brand of hypnotic techno, replete with angular lines, affecting melodies, pulsating basslines, and big drums. He also produces atmospheric scores and ambient soundscapes to accompany the video art and installations of long-term collaborator and celebrated artist Nathalie Djurberg. Berg's live sets have found a home in nightclubs around the world, with recent gigs in Berlin, Stockholm, New York, Tokyo, and Melbourne, to name a few. In addition to 2MR, he has released his solo work on record labels including Ian Pooley's imprint Montage, Klasse Recordings, and The Vinyl Factory. His ongoing collaboration with fellow Swede Johanna Knutsson - as Knutsson/Berg - has led them to start the label UFO Station Recordings, on which they release their own material. The duo also has released on labels such as Idle Hands, Default Position, Kann, and Random Island.

New installment in the Slow Life catalog by Primary Perception, two blood brothers born and raised in the Canary Island, but living in Berlin for the last years. It's in the German capital where they got to meet and support the Slow Life crew since their beginnings, and where they developed their fresh but
matured sound shown on this their first album. "Evidence of a Primary Perception" clearly has the trademark Slow Life character, combining broken beats, pads, acid bass lines, ambient passages, and overall, groovy deepness. They have more music coming soon in 2017, so as the label suggest: "They
are here to stay!".

Alt. folker Will Oldham - better known as Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - is set to drop a joint record with gently psychedelic crew Trembling Bells

Just four years after their debut album Carbeth, Trembling Bells are amassing a formidable body of work at a startling velocity. Just twelve months after the release of their critically acclaimed third album The Constant Pageant, the Glasgow quartet return to share the billing with a similarly restless creative spirit. A few thousand miles separate Will Oldham and Trembling Bells' drummer and principal songwriter Alex Neilson, but their stories intersect as far back as 2005, when the young Leeds-raised Neilson found himself playing drums on Alasdair Roberts' No Earthly Man, with Oldham producing. In time, a friendship between mentor and student became one between two kindred musicians. Neilson augmented his work with free-psych-drone practitioners Directing Hand by playing with the Bonnie 'Prince' Billy band. The drummer's eagerness to experience new epiphanies yielded unforgettable memories. In Big Sur, he recalls, 'we took mushrooms at midnight, then visited a natural hot spring built into the dramatic cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The stars were as vivid as frozen fireworks.' All of which is worth dwelling on, because without that background of mutual openness and empathy, it's hard to imagine The Marble Downs existing.

Neilson recalls a conversation about a 'collaboration' in the summer of 2010, though stresses that it 'was nothing too formal at first'. By the end of that year, a limited-edition seven-inch New Year's Eve Is The Loneliest Night of the Year showed what an inspired match the vocals of Trembling Bells singer Lavinia Blackwall and Will Oldham made. The cut-glass precision of the classically-trained student of medieval music and the worldly, careworn tones of Oldham created an unlikely chemistry. It must have seemed that way to Neilson too. He set about assembling a cache of songs with the purpose of further harnessing that chemistry. The result is an album that has, once again, redrafted the boundaries of what Trembling Bells can achieve together. Indeed, genre-lines aren't terribly helpful this time around. Yes, Trembling Bells' love affair with traditional music remains a constant — most emphatically so on the unaccompanied Blackwall/Oldham two-hander, My Husband's Got No Courage In Him. Then there is Blackwall's musical setting of Dorothy Parker's poem Excursion Into Assonance — and the thorough-going new-found classicism of Neilson's increasingly assured songwriting. Albeit delivered with Trembling Bells' rain-lashed sense of abandon, Love Is A Velvet Noose sounds like a standard of sorts — a warped consequence of Neilson's increasing fascination with the songbooks of Cole Porter and Hoagy Carmichael. 'I'm not saying I stand any chance of emulating them,' he adds, 'but the appreciation is definitely there.'

The knowledge that Oldham and Blackwall would be sharing centre-stage on The Marble Downs gave Neilson extra impetus to flex his songwriting muscles. I Can Tell You're Leaving finds both vocalists on irresistible form, dissecting their dying relationship with no heed to the other's feelings. 'You treat me like a child,' sings Oldham. 'I need a man,' she responds, barely catching breath. 'Now like Merle Haggard, you'll see the fighting side of me,' he later promises. 'I guess that's one of the lighter moments on the album,' ponders Neilson, 'I was trying to get a Planet Waves-era Bob Dylan feel there, with the piano and walking bassline.'

Here and elsewhere, the band — Blackwall, Neilson, bassist Simon Shaw and guitarist Mike Hastings — has never sounded more psychically attuned to one-other. On the slow-reveal sonic establishing shot of I Made A Date (With An Open Vein), two minutes of manic modal chaos elapses before Oldham takes the narrative reins of a majestic call-and-response folk-rock epic. The electrifying free-folk portent of Riding — a revival of the Palace Brothers classic — is no less compelling, calling to mind the words of broadcaster Stuart Maconie when he praised Trembling Bells for their ability to invoke simultaneously 'the charm of folk music and the power of rock.' Ditto Ain't Nothing Wrong With A Little Longing, in which Neilson slams down a four-to-the-floor beat over a synergy of demonic krautrock keys and a dialogue between Oldham and Blackwall that scales Nancy & Lee levels of romantic intrigue.

With nine songs gone and one remaining, the album's sonic undulations find an arresting denouement in the form of an inspired cover. Adapted from Robin Gibb's 1970 solo masterpiece Robin's Reign, Lord Bless All sees Trembling Bells tease out the hymnal qualities of Gibb's original with a slow volcanic upswell which — on four minutes — explodes into heavy psychedelic technicolour. What pleases Alex Neilson when he listens back is 'a sense of a common vocabulary and identity being forged.' If, by that, he means that there isn't another band on the planet that quite sounds like Trembling Bells, it would be hard to disagree. The evidence is right here.

'I didn't know anything about Trembling Bells. I just heard them and was knocked out. I instantly became a fan.' Paul Weller

'Trembling Bells are my kind of band.' Joe Boyd

"Jesus fucking shit! These jamz claw so hard at the tatties below methinks the Lord misnamed them, having intended to say Trembling BALLS." Will Oldham

'A poetic incantation of British identity far brighter than Michael Gove's GCSE syllabus.' Stewart Lee

'This time, I'm attempting to reclaim the art of songwriting from the charity shop bargain bin.' Alex Neilson

Resilience is an album that calls on the classic rave sounds of Chrissy's Midwestern youth to explore themes of love, positivity, perserverence, acceptance, and the fight against cynicism. Get ready for big piano melodies, chopped breakbeats, heavy bass, and jacking Chicago drum programming, plus guest appearances from some of Chrissy's friends: vocalist Carrie Wilds, Portuguese DJ/producer/singer Maria Amor, and Berlin-based techno artist Dean Grenier. RAWAX will present it on three ep's!


Chrissy is a genre-bending DJ/producer with releases on Classic, Freerange, Razor N Tape, Hypercolour, and Planet Mu, and a 20-year DJ career spanning Chicago house, disco, rave, jungle, footwork, and more. He ran the influential 'My Year of Mixtapes' blog, and currently runs two record labels: The Nite Owl Diner and Cool Ranch.

'Chrissy is one of the best DJs to ever walk the earth and I am just going to keep saying it until everyone agrees with me.' — The Black Madonna.

Of course the 1982 original is a modern soul anthem. Since 2016, when we released it on a 7'' single for the first time, Gregg and I dreamt of One For The Road's next blessing. Our mutual love of Philly Soul meant there was only one man on the planet who could fulfil this dream; Nigel Lowis!

Imagine the elation when Nigel conjured up not one, but two distinct and incredible versions. Ladies and gentlemen, we are proud to present The Nigel Lowis Uptown & Downton mixes of One For The Road!

Gregg's wife, Amina sadly passed away last year and we dedicate this record to her loving memory.

First Word Records are thrilled to announce a brand new addition to the label - LA beatmaker and producer 14KT.

Known for his deft, soulful hip hop production, KT has broadened his palate for his FW debut to create 'For My Sanity', the first offering from his jazz-influenced project IAMABEENIE.

The album will be released in early 2019, but we couldn't wait that long to share this taster of what 14KT created as a form of escaping from his "normal" ways of making music. Case in point: the first single taken from the project - 'The Power of Same' feat. Muhsinah.

Strongly rooted in KT's spiritual practice, 'The Power of Same' is a bass and synth-heavy ode to consistency and unconditional love, laced nicely together by his signature drum lines, harmonious guitar riffs (played on the track by Stro Elliot) and the unmistakable sound of James Poyser (The Roots). Vocal powerhouse Muhsinah adds layers of emotion via her endearing delivery of the core message, and, deep in the background you can hear KT sharing a very personal routine with us all - giving thanks to God.

How much of a personal project this is, in 14KT's words "This was inspired by a bible study plan I was reading called The Power of Same. It spoke about the power of being consistent in our lives. I thought about how consistently God's love and my family's love have gotten me through my journey of life. Once I made a "skeleton" of the song, I reached out to the brother James Poyser who I was extremely blessed to work with. My brother Stro Elliot was living right down the street from me at the time. One night he walked over to my house, I played the record for him, he picked up my electric guitar and played the first thing that came to mind - which was perfect. I played the record for my brother Tall Black Guy, who suggested I reach out to Muhsinah to add vocals. I sent the record to her and two days later she sent me exactly what you hear. Amazing. That was definitely the spirit of God working. Huge shout out to my Playlist family. Love y'all."

To date, 14KT has released seven solo albums, as well as his collaborative hip hop album, 'Takin' Ls' with emcee Ozay Moore, R&B/soul album, 'Saturn Return' with singer/songwriter AB, and 'The Big Knock', together with Mayer Hawthorne as Jaded Incorporated.

Last year saw another duo collaboration album with Michigan rapper Ro Spit, entitled 'RSXGLD', a project held in high regard by the global hip hop community.14KT is also part of Jazzy Jeff's Playlist Retreat, alongside our very own Eric Lau, Tall Black Guy and Kaidi Tatham, who also turns out an unmistakably dope remix on this 7" single.

A very warm welcome to the family, KT!

'The Power Of Same' is available on 7" and all digital platforms on March 1st 2019.

The sensational contribution of the Roman project Fire at work, risen over the millennium end, delivers the next 12 release of the label.
The sounds and visions of the two producers are coming directly from the most radical electronic counterculture's pot, the industrial dimension and the radical sound choice seem to be the best and right way to tell the story of a dystopian reality, a meaningful choice useful to criticise humans and their civilisation. The complex of the Fire At Work production represents an act of cultural resistance, therefore Monolith Records seems to be the right and natural follow up of a long multidisciplinary journey. This release is the meeting point of two generations sharing a similar electronic countercultural background, in the middle of the ruins of a modern world which is nothing but a ripped-off planet, a consumed scenario where the radicalisation of the exclusivity leads the beings to the recurring Post-humanistic alienation. The music journey develops through cuts deliberately violating the borders of genre and style, leaving to the dark decaying soundscapes the duty to shape coherence. The overall dimension of this work floats in a tension between the mental form of the synths and the implacability of the concrete drumming asset, that alternates straight and broken beats merged by the same obsessive character. In order to consistently remark the intention behind the production, the Remix by hypnoskull for 'Re_Sample The Future', a tool shaped by an heavy distorted timber that brings lyrics to clarify the common denominator of the EP: a totalitarian vision of reality involving the rejection of the status quo, together with the roles and the scopes of a totally dehumanised system. The 2.0 Man is unarmed and similar to a cadaver, and his desires and senses are reconciled by a perpetual stream of information, a data replacement of reality. The one way direction streaming can be interrupted by noise, as the element able to distort meaning the unexpected element occurring in the middle between the matrix of the message ed his audience. Given such conditions the style choice becomes part of the concept itself, and it is far from any kind of 'induced' choice.