2020 reboot for Detroit's legendary Metroplex.
The Label Say "Cologne based producer Bas Grossfeldt has crafted an outstanding release perfectly aligned with Juan Atkin’s brilliant Metroplex aesthetic. As a relatively new name in the scene, Bas Grossfeldt’s music sounds as if it were the results of decades of focused experience in the studio.
With a background in installation, choreography and performance art, Bas Grossfeldt is the artists alias to focus on the musical side of things. His deeply rooted interest in the relation of space and body is also translated into his music. The fusion of spaced-out textures, rhythmical distortions, cold waves of synthesis, and enough modern production prowess ensures a release saturated with innovation and abundant imagination. A rare release for the seminal Detroit label, which also represents Juan Atkins’ interest in the arts world and new, different approaches.
The exchange between the label head and the artist, initially came to life because internationally renown conceptual artist Mischa Kuball, knowing Juan from a joint project, sent him the demo of Bas Grossfeldt. Especially intrigued by the track „Lost In Translation“, Juan and Bas started exchanging, approaching the record as an „art project“ and a classical EP at the same time, for example leading into the cover being made by Bas Grossfeldt/Søren Siebel himself and including numerous hidden references to the sound.
Each track embraces an incredible array of sounds and styles, from soundscapes to mind-bending Techno – all equally as effective for the brain as the dancefloor.
“Lost In Translation” opens the release with a cinematic piece of electronica permeating with frozen emotion and melancholic soul. The beautiful track captures a foggy morning’s haze, the first chill of winter with only a gentle kick-drum keeping the cold from completely taking over. It is also accompanied with a hypnotizing abstract video by film-artist Svenja Voß.
Continuing in a dubby, winter haze is “Lost In Sensation” which floats alongside a sharp, metallic rhythmic arrangement and a gentle, ever-present kick drum. Deep, heavily saturated atmospheric textures sleep underneath the sounds while lucid melodies float in and out.
“Your Orbit” rounds out the release with the most club-ready production. Disorienting melodies and gritty synths capture a dreamlike perception while a tough kick drum and clattering percussion drives the music deeper into undiscovered dancing territories just left of center. "
Cerca:pro t o n
- A1: Stolen Hours
- B1: Love And Desire
PATRICE YVONNE HOLLOWAY was born in Los Angeles and is perhaps best known as the younger sister of Motown’s Brenda Holloway, the darling of the Northern Soul scene, particularly in recent years. Patrice also signed to Motown and recorded an unreleased version of “The Touch Of Venus” made famous by Edna Wright (aka Sandy Wynns).
In the mid-sixties Patrice signed to Capitol records and recorded “STOLEN HOURS”, arranged by the great Gene Page and written and produced by his brother Billy Page – she was only 15 years old at the time. It failed to hit Stateside but some thirty years later it became a Northern Soul anthem of the nineties, although it was originally played in the early days of Wigan Casino.
Our chosen flip-side, the follow-up single, “LOVE AND DESIRE”, was also penned, produced and arranged by the Page brothers. It failed to even get a commercial release in the U.S. although it was released in the U.K. and commands big money in today’s collectors market. Her final 45 for Capitol came in 1972 and was a credible version of the Sam Nesbit classic “Black Mother Goose”. Sadly, ill health, forced Patrice to step back from performing and she died before her time of a heart attack in 2006.
Patrice was also known as ‘Valerie’, singer with the animated girl-band Josie And The Pussycats produced by Hanna-Barbera and aired on CBS in 1971. She would beome the first black character to regularly appear on U.S. commercial TV.
- A1: O-O-O Baby, Baby
- A2: Stay In My Corner
- A3: Who's Lovin' You
- A4: A Woman's Prayer
- B1: Innocent 'Til Proven Guilty
- B2: I Lost My Rainbow
- B3: Ace In The Hole
- B4: Woman Can't Live By Bread Alone
- B5: Don't Send Me An Invitation
The Honey Cone (Carolyn Willis, Edna Wright and Shellie Clark) charted nine R&B hits, including two number 1s, ‘Stick Up’ and ‘Want Ads’, the latter of which also reached number 1 on the US pop charts
This is their 1972 album released on Hotwax / Invictus Records. Their fourth studio album that is seen as a hidden classic with stand out tracks ‘Who’s Lovin’ You’, ‘Stay In My Corner’, ‘Ace In The Hole’ and the much sampled ‘Innocent ‘Til Proven Guilty’ Reissued with original artwork with printed inner sleeve and pressed on 180g heavyweight classic black vinyl.
Repress
Pink Vinyl
The DJ Producer is a legend and has been a force to recon with for well over 2 decades. Unlike some veterans this hot piece man meat still keeps reinventing himself, pushing the envelope with every new piece of music he creates. That's what true artists do, they push boundaries and keep their hearts and souls in it full force till the bitter fucking end and amen for that.
So yeah.. about this record.
Can't Describe It (Finally) is a killer uplifting Rave slammer using a classic sample from the past in a track for the future.
Cant Fuck With Me on the flip is a 210 BPM UK Hardcore Techno banger that embodies everything great about that signature UK sound filled with a ton of Fuck you's for that extra dose of Fuck Off Power.
No A or B sides on this Pink Punk as Fuck vinyl. This one is AA all the fucking way!
Blast these fuckers loud & proud people. This ain't no easy listening elevator music I can tell you...
A creative partnership between Tom Laroye and Yam Who, Qwestlife is a trans-continental boogie trip between the two producers' respective homelands of Paris and London. Fulfilling the Glitterbox philosophy by crafting great songs the old school way with analogue and weird electronic gadgetry, Qwestlife's 'Give Me A Minute' appeared first on Glitterbox's Disco Revenge compilation and now graces vinyl for disco connoisseurs everywhere. Featuring the vocals of a frequent Yam Who collaborator, soul diva Jacqui George, 'Give Me A Minute' is an instant party anthem. Disco-fuelled synths and strings plus live sax, trumpet, guitars and bass give a glorious saturated dancefloor vibe rolled into one by sticky hooks and a timeless catchy chorus. Accompanied by the Dubbed Out Version, plus an Accapella and Bonus Beats, this sweet vinyl release provides all the good stuff that Qwestlife have to offer.
Abstrack proudly introduces the first of its new series of edits. The music on the record is a direct echo of the vibes found at Abstrack parties. These have been going on for over 8 years, taking place at roughly any time of day or night. The music on the record, dancing somewhere between dreamy slow motion tracks, peak-time weapons, and french singing anthem, was intended for the party rather than for the record and they’ve been rocking Nantes’ best-hidden dances for a while already. Now we’re happily putting them out for everyone to enjoy and rock their own party.
Producer, arranger, composer, saxophonist, band leader Willie Henderson started working for Brunswick. Records in 1968 and his sound and musical talents can be heard across many of the labels hits such as Tyrone Davis, Jackie Wilson, Chi-Lites and Barbara Acklin. With super funky instrumental takes on soul & funk classics, this 1974 album includes highlights such as ‘Loose Booty’ sampled by the Beastie Boys, ‘The Funky Chicken (Part 1). 1974 album is reissued on 140g classic black vinyl with original artwork and printed inner sleeve.
If you are passionate about local music scenes as much as we are you might already know about the current brood of great bands going on in Cardiff, Wales.
Chain Of Flowers were the first to hail from the Welsh capital, followed by related side projects such as Night Thoughts, more recently came Private World of which the two boys we’re about to introduce are also live members of.
A new wave/synth act from the same city called Plastic Estate is emerging this year.
The duo composed by Nicholas James and Stanley Fouracres have released a few digital singles in 2019 as they’ve opened for The Murder Capital at Sŵn Festival and played alongside the likes of M!R!M, Josiah Konder and The Love Coffin. This Place is their first physical release and it’s due on 7-inch vinyl and digital on June 19.
On the two songs that compose the single, Plastic Estate clearly draw influence from the best UK new wave and pop artists such as Dave Gahan, Paddy McAloon, Roddy Frame and yet there is a sophisticated casualness and an innate freshness in their songwriting that makes them not sounding dated at all.
Amazing composition skills for such a young band and a perfect balance between electronic dance elements and acoustic instruments allow them to pay homage to the above-mentioned masters and to be a perfectly contemporary group at once.
Although it’s possible to pick out some darker lyrics, the overall feel is up-beat and breezy. It’s a contrast that runs through a lot of their music – like a dichotomy between dark, melancholia and happier, brighter feelings.
Whether it’s a happy pop synth riff mixed with sombre lyrics or vice versa, the young Welsh duo is delivering the best 80’s-inspired modern pop craft.
RIYL: Echo & The Bunnymen, Prefab Sprout, Depeche Mode, Orange Juice, Wild Nothing.
The Oystercatcher is the first collaborative LP from Cucina Povera (Maria Rossi) and ELS (Edward Simpson)
Recorded in London over two days, hours' worth of improvisations have been edited down to form these six tracks.
A fragile interplay is at work between Maria's drifting vocals and the ominous churn of Edward's modular synth. Each sonic element takes a turn at leading the way.
The opening track 'Mantle' is formed from sparse, monolithic electronics, woven gently with a thread of vocals. In the closing track 'Eon' Maria's voice shepherds spontaneous bursts of sounds, almost Rave-like if order were imposed, through 15 minutes of turmoil and resplendent until the end.
Maria's vocals make their own trails amongst the noise, bringing to mind the the exploratory language from Ursula K. Le Guin's album 'Music and Poetry from the Kesh', recalling the same understated mystery.
The overall effect of this collaboration is a completely unique creation albeit within a recognisable lineage of predecessors.
The artwork reflects the vision of these two artists, collaged together. Both images are from a trip to Helsinki. Edward's photograph of Tulips caught after dark are reviled by a flash. Maria's seemingly abstract drawing is a graphite rubbing taken from a granite slab of a pavement somewhere in Kallio. Together the two images represent two different methods for capturing a city's haptic landscape.
The album moves with a feeling of transience, which is no surprise given that the idea to collaborate was formed in Helsinki, realised in London and edited together in Rotterdam.
The Oystercatcher tells a fragile tale, one that spins out into the unknown. A cold union of voice and machine, still tentative and probing, learning to co-exist. A kind of fundamental shift whereby shared moments have been turned to sound.
The Oystercatcher is a bird that can freely travel between the earth, sea and sky. The motif is taken from a Tove Jansson short story. A dead bird washes ashore, two different versions of events are presented to how the bird came to die. The album feels like two different stories being presented on top of one another but ultimately coming to the same tragic conclusion.
Cucina Povera is Maria Rossi - Vocals
ELS is Edward Simpson - Synthesisers
Recorded in London across two days during the Summer of 2019
Mastered by Russell Haswell
- A1: Goldie & The Gingerbreads - Look For Me Baby
- A2: Debbie Williams & The Unwritten Law - Love Seems So Hard To Find
- A3: The Belles - Melvin
- A4: Glenda Collins - Thou Shalt Not Steal
- A5: The Chymes - Quite A Reputation
- A6: The Rums & Coke - Glad All Over
- A7: Sandy Edmonds - Come See Me
- B1: Denise - Boy, What'll You Do Then
- B2: The Chicks - The Rebel Kind
- B3: The Wrongh Black Bag - I Don't Know Why
- B4: The Bea's - Nothig Can Go Wrong
- B5: The Debutantes - We Gotta Get Out Of This Place
- B6: She - Piece Of You
- B7: Girls Take Over - Stardust Come Back
A collection of guitar-wielding all-girl bands, drop-dead female frat rock, garage girls and axe-centric she-pop from the 60s. 14 hot nuggets, each one hand-picked with vinyl lovers in mind.
Features a bevy of genuine all-girl bands – namely Goldie & the Gingerbreads from the environs of New York; the Debutantes from Detroit; Florida’s the Belles; the Rums & Coke and Girls Take Over, both from Wisconsin; and Ace favourites She from California, all of whom give their male counterparts a good run for their money. The Belles, incidentally, released only one record – a killer rendition of Them’s ‘Gloria’, gender-switched as ‘Melvin’ – before drifting apart, never dreaming that copies of the disc would one day change hands for $500 a pop.
Some of the other girls receive help from male colleagues. Glenda Collins, for example, is backed by producer Joe Meek’s favoured house band the Outlaws featuring guitarist Richie Blackmore; Merseyside ex-pat Sandy Edmonds is accompanied by the Pleazers, New Zealand’s answer to the Pretty Things; and teenage trio the Chymes are supported by the Turtles.
Pressed on 180g transparent violet vinyl, with a swanky inner bag sporting a fact-filled 4,000-word track commentary and an array of rare photos.
Compilation and note by Mick Patrick
Flaming Pie is the tenth solo studio album by Paul McCartney, first released in 1997.
Having been heavily involved in The Beatles' Anthology project, Paul had time to reflect on the standards he and his bandmates had set during their career, and applied these to what would become his first album in four years. Made in a much more spontaneous style, with songs recorded here and there, mostly on holiday, it's an album that luxuriates in its own sense of fun.
Featuring producers George Martin and Jeff Lynne, as well as musicians including Steve Miller, Ringo Starr and his own son, James McCartney, Flaming Pie would go on to become one of Paul's most acclaimed albums. Sales were brisk, with the album only kept from the Number 1 slot on both sides of the Atlantic by the cultural phenomenon that was the Spice Girls' Spice album.
Half-speed master of the remastered main album tracks cut over 2LPs for the first time
1LP of the Demos and Home Recordings
o E1. The Song We Were Singing Home Recording
[p] E2. The World Tonight [Home Recording]
[q] E3. If You Wanna [Home Recording]
[r] E4. Somedays [Home Recording]
[s] E5. Young Boy [Home Recording]
[t] F1. Calico Skies [Home Recording]
[u] F2. Flaming Pie [Home Recording]
[v] F3. Souvenir [Home Recording]
[w] F4. Little Willow [Home Recording]
[x] F5. Beautiful Night [1995 Demo]
[Home Recording
Demon Records presents three new reissues from the cool ruler of Reggae, Gregory Isaacs.
Often described as the ‘ultimate rude boy Reggae star’, Gregory Isaacs recorded some of the greatest Reggae albums of all time and became known for his iconic, laidback vocal style.
‘I Am Gregory’ was first released in 1993 on Jet Star’s Charm label and was co-produced with Gregory’s wife June. Highlights include ‘Goosie Gander’, ‘Mommy Doesn’t Understand’ and a cover of Bob Marley’s ‘I Am Still Waiting’.
Demon Records is proud to present the first vinyl reissue of ‘Work Up A Sweat’, pressed on 140g black vinyl and featuring a printed inner sleeve.
While Nat Birchall is naturally best known for his jazz work, he's no stranger to the world of dub and reggae. In fact, "Tradition Disc In Dub" is his second full-length collaboration
with roots reggae musician, producer and mixer Al Breadwinner (the first, "Sounds Almighty", dropped in 2018). It's a little more spaced-out than its predecessor,
with both Birchall and Breadwinner emphasizing weighty riddims, echoing instrumentation (sax, flute, organ etc.) and the kind of analogue effects
that marked out the golden age of dub. In fact, the "golden age" reference is particularly relevant, because while there's plenty of subtle variety on show throughout,
it's closer in tone to King Tubby and Lee 'Scratch' Perry's 1970s work than, say, Mad Professor or Iration Steppas. More importantly, it's also superb.
Brussels-based trio schroothoop (Dutch for ‘junk yard’) is formed by Rik Staelens (wind & string instruments), Timo Vantyghem (bass & clarinet) and Margo Maex (percussion). Their tribal oriented debut mini-album features homemade instruments built from lost and found objects like wood, scrap metal or anything that would end up in a landfill. The band’s music is infused with sounds from around the world orchestrated by PVC flute melodies, jerry can beats and washtub bass lines. The trio effortlessly incorporates jazz with North African chaabi, cumbia, reggaeton, Eastern oriental melodies and Afro-Cuban rhythms, resulting in a danceable and hypnotic trip in 7 compositions through the Brussels melting pot. The musical members are part of groups such as La Clinik du Dr Poembak, Raksinaksi, Sea (Peoples), Borokov and Sea Shark Minor.
Infernal Sounds show no sign of letting up during 2020 as they present their 5th release of the year, this time with a debutant to the label, SWR. The relatively unknown artist (formerly known as Widowmaker) has been making fluctuations since arriving on the scene - his release with Cocobolo Sound receiving high plaudits as he created two tracks which perfectly paid homage to the original '06 sound. As for his Square Soulja EP for IFS022, he's plated up four cuts that showcase his vast variety in skill and sound, taking influence from grime and lacing a future sound within his productions. Whether you prefer the more surreal sounds of 'Vertigo', the downplayed filth on 'Isshin's Theme', or the more in your face skankers in both 'Square Soulja' and Cypher Zero', this is a 12" you'll want to be packing.
Having already received heavy support from the likes of Truth, N-Type, and many other reputable artists in the scene, this is an insta-bag.
Young gun and badman producer Retina returns to Foundation Audio for his debut vinyl release and quite frankly it slaps!!!!
‘Dusted’ kicks things off with a hyper 4x4 beat and an eratic bassline – this one comes flying straight out of the gates! ‘Nameless and Nothing’ a meaner, beast with its eerie atmospheres and plodding bassline takes the A2 spot. Flip the record and we have ‘No Fear I’ a subby monster best described by the word SUB. ‘If Not The Orb’ closes proceedings with a 07-08 old skool antisocial kinda vibe wrapping up the ep perfectly. Dubstep goodness from front to back and solid proof that Americans can also do the dubstep.
The next release in the Phonica Special Edition series comes from Ukrainian duo Asyncronous who first came to our attention after hearing their critically acclaimed debut on Berlin label Slow Life, 'The Art of Fighting In A Dream'.
A Phonica favourite, it provided the soundtrack to many days in the shop throughout the year, culminating in its inclusion in our top ten Best Singles of 2019!
The Phonica Special Edition series is focused on one-off projects, special remixes or collaborations, highlighting music that is slightly left of the dance floor and pairing it with unique artwork.
This time featuring a beautiful piece by celebrated Ukrainian artist, Mykyta Storozhkov.
The pair initially joined forces in an effort to explore human imagination and life experiences through music, focussing on creating feelings and atmosphere rather than be constrained by genre limitations. The result on this EP is a hazy cosmic trip through their universe of synth swells, deep sub bass and meticulous percussion.
The journey begins on 'Padma Kirtanam' with a constant drone providing the backbone to a building tension scattered with drums. The tension releases and makes way for A2 'Shinkansen', a beautiful track with minimal drums and dubbed out synths which echo around the listener's ear. Closing the A side 'Volta' continues this aesthetic but adds a 4x4 kick drum upping the groove to a cosmic deep house jam.
'Avalanche' kicks off the B side of the record with a syncopated bass line and skitterish hi hats. The energy is at its highest level here and only stops to make way for the next track 'Blocks of Despair'. The tempo drops and drum hits reverberate above stretched out bass notes creating arguably the most heartfelt tune of the release.
The EP ends with 'Midnight Sun' an ambient excursion that invites you to drift off with Asyncronous into outer space.
Today we have many opportunities to discover the world and travel through it without leaving your own room. In the age of globalisation, with the help of knowledge, technology and imagination, you can instantly teleport yourself to mystical temples of India or see the sun above the polar desert at midnight. No more borders - we are connected like never before, as if we are not at different ends of the globe, but on a single and indivisible continent that is not mapped but exists in a plexus of global events, information flows and digital environment.
This is our common home. Our new Pangaea.
YELLOW VINYL LP
It's hard to speak about unspeakable things - violence, abuse, addiction and abandonment; especially when these things rupture the innocence of childhood. But one of the merits of Luke Jenner's new solo project is that he not only speaks of these things but he does so in a way that wrests them from the dark, small cubicle of shame, placing them firmly in the light so that we, as listeners and fellow survivors, can start to maybe walk with our head high. In this moment of empty pop music séance, the scope and ends of this project - to try and help people - feels almost revelatory. Revelatory is the right word here in that it carries with it, of course, the sense of religious or spiritual insight. As front man for the legendary post-punk NYC band, The Rapture (a band name that already attests to Jenner's abiding faith and interest in the force of spiritual reckoning), Jenner has never shied away from his belief in God, community, family - all as a means of recovering the fractured x of y. "How Deep is Your Love", "Grace"...
Berlin based producer and sound designer BLUSH_RESPONSE presents VOID IN, his first full length for MEGASTRUCTURE_.
VOID IN features 10 tracks of meticulously crafted sound sculpture that transmit the listener into a deep atmospheric liquid metal world. Blush’s signature synthetics create an ever changing sound palette that ebbs and flows through the album. Generative granular textures meld with echoing voices and rolling, distorted beats to create realities that contract and expand like gravitons spiraling through a black hole.
This album is a showcase of Blush’s prowess as a producer and sound designer, and presents yet another chapter in the ever evolving world of BLUSH_RESPONSE. Having contributed recent design work to companies such as Arturia and Elektron, Blush follows through on his commitment to personal timbral evolution. Join in once again for his annual report from the sonic dimension.
- A1: Berserk In A Hayfield - After Dusk
- A2: The Lord - Controversial
- A3: Silicon Valley - Electro Switch
- A4: Neutron Scientists - Cabaret Futurama
- A5: Lives Of Angels - Artificial Ignorance
- B1: Modern Art - Golden Corridor
- B2: The Lord - Gonna Dream My Life Away
- B3: Echophase - Controlled Experiment
- B4: Disintegrators - Radioactive
- B5: Mystery Plane - Burning Desire
- B6: Modern Art - Dimension 2
Here is the highly anticipated sixth volume of the well received electronic compilation series from the relaunched 1980's color tapes label. As with the other volumes you can find great examples of cold wave, minimal wave and synth electronics and pro to EDM made by obscure British bands in the 1980's such as: Berserk In A Hayfield, Lives of Angels, Silicon Valley, Modern Art, Disintegrators, Echophase, The Lord and Mystery Plane
"Up there with V-O-D selections, the Color Tapes series so far has provided invaluable insight to hidden or much lesser-known currents of the ‘80s cassette subculture which gave birth to myriad artists, styles and industry conventions whose influence can still be felt over 30 years later. " - Boomkat
“Electronic work that’s way different from mainstream pop of the period - often forgedout of the same instrumentation as the hits - but in a stripped down way - with lots of dark and moody corners!” Dusty Groove
“Evil Synths and evil beats” - Norman Records
“Gary Ramon’s re-born Color Tapes imprint is every bit as essential as it’s Minimal Wave and electro-focused predecessors” - Juno
Limited edition of 500 copies comes with poster insert
Vinyl reissue of the now classic 1971 album. Produced by Transamericas in collaboration
with the band from original master tapes, in a fully analog process at recording studios in María Pinto
(Chile), London and Haarlem (Holland).
Los Jaivas (“El Volantín”) is the first LP by Chilean rock band Los Jaivas, one of South America's biggest names in the fusion of folk roots and psychedelia during the 1970s. Los Jaivas were born in the city of Viña del Mar, with their five members determined to guide their initial sound through improvisation and experimentation, «trusting that in time a language would emerge that would give us our identity», in their own words.
This debut album (popularly known as El Volantín - The Kite -, because of its cover illustration) combined the free-flow of extended electrical pieces with more conventional three-minute songs filled with references to Chile's popular culture and the musicians’ own upbringing. Theirs was a solitary path, not just for the band but also for the beginnings of Chilean rock. Los Jaivas blazed a trail that was rich in musical references, with ideas inspired by Jimi Hendrix, the Congolese Missa Luba, Argentinian folk (Atahualpa Yupanqui, Ariel Ramírez), South American avant-garde composers (Ginastera, Villa-Lobos, Violeta Parra), the experimentation of pianist Henry Cowell, Caribbean rhythms and Miles Davis’ trumpet re-inventions.
The first 2000 copies of the LP will be available on transparent turquoise or pink vinyl, randomly picked. 'All The Time', Jessy Lanza's first album since 2016's 'Oh No', is the most pure set of pop songs that she and creative partner Jeremy Greenspan have recorded, reflective and finessed over time and distance. Innovative juxtapositions sound natural, like rigid 808s rubbing against delicate chords in 'Anyone Around', subtle footwork flutter giving a nervous energy to 'Face', unusual underwater rushes underpinning 'Baby Love'. The songs also sound more "live" than ever before. Jessy's voice is treated, re-pitched and edited on songs like 'Ice Creamy' and gestural sounds seem to respond to her lyrics in songs such as 'Like Fire', which reward the listener on repeated plays. More than previous albums, the lyrics on 'All The Time' became an important focus for Jessy too, channelling the negativity of anger and frustration arising from some significant changes in her personal situation into the text. These lyrics sometimes process raw feelings, which aren't obvious to begin with, but are soon felt, standing in stark contrast to the cushioned settings of the music. 'All The Time' has ended as a triumph and an abstracted diary of a sometimes difficult, but enduring friendship and creative relationship, and it's their best work yet.
Musique Pour La Danse presents Roomservice, Dutchman Orlando Voorn's forgotten yet unforgettable IDM-leaning, home-listening electronica / techno album from 1994 under his Living Room alias, originally released on the producer's cult Night Vision label.
Praised unequivocally by those lucky enough to have heard it, this criminally underrated record nonetheless deserves pride of place when talking about forward-thinking electronic music from the early 90s.
While it is widely acknowledged that Orlando Voorn's productions are one of the most fascinating prisms through which to experience a European take on the Detroit sound, Roomservice is also a strong reminder that the paradigm shift from sweaty raves to enhanced home listening, championed by Warp's Artificial Intelligence series, early Rephlex releases, along with projects such as The Black Dog, Plaid or Autechre was in fact not only limited to British artists.
As its name indicates, The Living Room is not geared for warehouses but instead interested in a more intimate and domestic setting. As such, it does not contain over the top bangers, but it's hard to find any filler in this album where all the tracks are killer, catchy and memorable. All displaying a sophisticated yet immediate focus on warm melodies and grooves no heavier than a feather, these emotional cuts provide a wonderful and intricate soundscape for introspective listeners to explore, and they will surely find echoes of ideas developped by Manuel Gottsching, Steve Reich and Pat Metheny scattered accross the album.
While some tracks are rhythmic and would fill a dancefloor in a second with their four to the floor or broken beats, the album also gives room for more ambient excursions to occur and develop brilliantly. But once again, it's more likely you'll end up dancing on your couch rather than dozing off.
2020 might be the most difficult year in recent history for dancefloors worldwide, yet that's not going to stop Musique Pour La Danse from reissuing this gem of an album for listeners, dancers, and DJs of today and tomorrow.
Words by Ed Isar.
You think you’ve heard anything? Strap yourself in and get comfortable for the journey! Payola’s first release is ‘Ugly Freedom’ (TOKA Remix) a collaboration between two adversaries – VEE VV and TOKA.
Two specialists in their own right, they have produced something special, something spellbinding, something entirely unique and uncompromising.
Still sitting comfortably? You shouldn’t be! An amalgam, a spark, a blistering fusion of purpose conjoined, sending shards of rhythmic shrapnel into the stratosphere. Pounding sub-bass, seamlessly executed edits of live drums, boiler-bass, searing guitar, soaring keys and vocals featuring a scintillating, lyrical dexterity and skilful phraseology delivered with a poignant authenticity. A totally unapologetic perspective on today’s social mores, “Sentiment, humanity, have no right to reside in this Betfred economy!”
Don’t take our word for it!
Marking his fourth full release on the label, leading UK talent Darius Syrossian returns to Hot Creations this July with Flashlight, a heavy duty two-track release influenced by the 90’s US house sound.
Flashlight embodies the warehouse sound with tough snares, a raw bass and thunderous kicks. On the flip Boujee B' takes inspiration from Darius’ love of the Strictly Rhythm house sound.“I said this year I wanna go back to my roots and focus more on house, those US house 'dubs' that were played by people like Sneak, Van Helden, Gemini, R Sanchez, Derrick Carter etc... this is inspired by that vibe…”
Selector, producer, label curator and radio host Darius Syrossian has dedicated his life to collecting and sharing the highest quality house and techno records. His productions have landed on respected labels including Get Physical, Drumcode, 8Bit, Moon Harbour, We Are The Brave and Defected, with whom his ethos is strongly aligned. Alongside his exploits in the studio and on the road, he has also launched his own record label - Moxy Muzik, which hit the ground running in 2019 with regular sold out Moxy Muzik events at 93 Feet East in London and South Nightclub in Manchester.
Queried on his favourite word in the German language, Masayoshi Fujita will pick 'getragen' - without a sliver of hesitation. Further questioning will reveal that he loves the term's semantic signifiers, its inherent sense of "expansive, deep, quiet and sombre." And yet, 'getragen' leaves plenty of room for interpretation: depending on context, it might also indicate wearing apparel or the state of being carried - two more mundane interpretations that I would rather keep from him. Does Masayoshi's own definition, however, apply to 'Bird, Lake, Objects'? Only to a limited extent. Compared to previous Faitiche releases, 'Bird, Lake, Objects' is certainly the most 'getragen' of them all. Nevertheless, this is by far not the first association that comes to mind. From a distance, these tracks seem rather introspective, cautious even - and reflect the recording situation: deliberately pared down, reduced to a single microphone in space and a separate track for all other instruments, each movement and action is chronicled by the treacherous mike. This confronted me with some unexpected and unfamiliar problems. For example, we had to swap out the seating in the studio as my favoured chair had a characteristic creak. Other, external influences were proved our control: fire engine klaxons, street noise and footfall became part of the recordings and their improvisatory nature. Each movement required careful orchestration, fully aware of its irrevocable nature. Space itself was always present and an audible entity, except on 'Stripped to RM' (recorded without a microphone or vibraphone track). After extensive deliberations, we decided to forgo the vibes on this piece - a very similar version had already been released in 2008 (on the compilation 'Enjoy The Silence', Mule Electronic, 2008). Jan Jelinek, February 2010
The original, the inspirational, the bombastic, the never bettered, the one.
'Don't make me wait' is all of the above and so much more. Classic to the core. Huge earth shattering record right here.
OK, so the scoop, for the uninitiated is this - the Peech Boys were Larry Levan's group, we're talking early 80's NYC here, 1982 to be precise, around the height of the Paradise Garage as Larry was making the transition from superstar DJ to producer. He brought a sparse, dubbed out, narcotic late night feel to the overall sound of this record. This was a short-lived project, but the influence is still felt today, the Peech Boys DNA is inside the veins of modern dance music, as is Larry's. There is no underestimating what an impact this record had. 7+ minutes of electronic bliss, trailblazing stuff, and don't get us started on the dub. Do yourself a favour, BUY this classic if you don't own it already, you'll keep coming back to it time and time again. Guaranteed. This essential 12" is repressed here in it's original 1979 glory, an essential classic that has stood the test of time for the last 30+ years & is now available again, remastered & repressed for 2017 in conjunction with West End Records, NYC.
The third release of Kay Suzuki's Time Capsule imprint rejuvenates Bill Laswell's dub reinterpretations of Ethiopian singer Gigi. Following reissues of Japanese fusionist Yuji Toriyama and Italian new age visionary Il Guardiano Del Faro, the third Time Capsule is a body of dub reinterpretations by celebrated producer Bill Laswell of Ethiopian singer Gigi. Curated by Tokyo record collector, music researcher and seasoned reissue supervisor Ken Hidaka, it is the first time Illuminated Audio is pressed to vinyl after its CD release in 2003.
This superb LP is widely regarded as one of the finest rock recordings ever to have emerged from Wales. Touching on pop, prog, glam rock and even country, it’s varied and expertly played but sank without trace upon its original release in early 1974. It makes a welcome return to vinyl here, together with an insert containing numerous rare images.
Conrad Van Orton and Jheal sign the third release for Eyes Have It, 30D sub-label that, as usual, explores the darkest, coldest and even suffocating side of the techno spectrum.
As it happened in the second release (‘Sei Tracce In Nero EP’ by Reeko & Group), the high contrast between both sides gives sense to the album, giving it a strange but perfect balance, this time quite more oriented to the dance floor. It’s for sure that some people will think that CVO and Jheal might use elements that at first sight might be familiar but, let’s be honest, both have the ability to make everything sound very original.
On the A side Conrad Van Orton, an Italian producer with a lot of experience in techno and the most experimental electronics, elevates the listening to a sonic musical experience, literally. The three tracks, although ‘Dysfunctional Organic Device’ is probably the best example, are pure techno brutality, as highly raw, energetic and obsessive as they are obviously functional. Three true ‘monsters’.
On the B side Jheal, a face already known to the label thanks to his brilliant participation in ‘Close Encounters 002’, brings melancholy (‘150 Wreaths’) and tons of introspection (‘Our Fathers’) to the record. It is not easy for industrial techno to sound as emotional as when Alejandro manipulates it, something especially remarkable for such a young producer. Congratulations.
- A1: Fireflies & Palmwine
- A2: Big Man (Feat Shungudzo)
- A3: Patty Cake
- A4: Rebosando (Feat Chico Mann)
- A5: Body Yako (Feat Kongo Elektro & Thornato)
- A6: Ghost Dance
- B1: Fly Where You Want (Feat Jesse Royal)
- B2: Mi Poni (Feat Zuzuka Poderosa)
- B3: Makubenjalo (Feat Ongx & Epplesauce)
- B4: Yalla (Feat Karenbe)
- B5: Come Along (Feat Sye Elaine Spence)
- B6: Ghazal (Feat Alsarah)
- B7: New Story
The globetrotting beat maestro is back, with a truckload of tropical vibes and the irresistibly danceable soundtrack to your Summer! 3 years after releasing his groundbreaking collaborative album with singer Chico Mann (which landed him live sets on Boiler Room & KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic as well as a feature on NYTimes "Best Songs Of The Week") DJ/producer Captain Planet returns with NO VISA, set to drop June 26th on Bastard Jazz Recordings. In his trademark "Gumbo Funk" sound, the album mixes rhythms and musical styles from the Caribbean, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, over highly danceable electronic beats, all firmly rooted in the hip hop, dancehall and house music that the Captain grew up playing as a DJ. Seamlessly bouncing from Brazilian Baile Funk, to Afrobeat, to Roots Reggae and Latin House, the entire record delivers the uplifting feel of one of the Captain's legendary boundary-crossing DJ sets. Building on these traditions he draws from, the Captain has created something fully original and unique.
NO VISA, the 5th full-length album from producer Charlie Wilder (aka Captain Planet), is both a return to form and a launchpad into the future. With 13 songs that feature vocalists from around the world, long-time fans will recognize several previous collaborators as well as the global influences that have always been central to Captain Planet's music. New friends, like prolific Zimbabwean-American singer Shungudzo (who has recent hits with Oliver Heldens & Rudimental), and Jamaican reggae star Jesse Royal, bring powerful subversive messages to the music as well. Showcasing the Captain's production chops and songwriting talents equally, the album unveils a unique musical landscape, a place where our political boundaries and cultural hierarchies begin to dissolve, where foreign languages mingle together and deep rooted traditions dance with the future.
With NO VISA, Captain Planet unveils a fully matured and truly unique form of electronic music- one that bridges gaps between worldwide cultural diasporas as well as contemporary dance music sub-genres (house, hip hop, dancehall & global bass). Throughout every Captain Planet song, it's clear to hear his inspired appreciation for breaking the boundaries between genres and bridging continents through rhythm.
‘Kind of Tango’ is a kaleidoscope of shifting emotions. Wolfgang Haffner’s conception of tango has drama and propulsion in it but also melancholy and longing, with room for frenetic outbursts too. All this is unified by his inimitable groove and feel that commentators have called “an absolute dream,” “magical” and “profoundly relaxed.” Alongside trusted co-protagonists Christopher Dell and Lars Danielsson, he has two guests with him who defy all the clichés associated with tango: guitarist Ulf Wakenius cut his teeth musically in Oscar Peterson’s band and his Swedish heritage always shines through in his playing; Vincent Peirani is one of the leading innovators on the accordion and he finds new ways to define the instrument’s role in the tango. Also, young pianist Simon Oslender makes a first appearance with the band. Jazz and tango find a natural yet constantly shifting equilibrium - to be heard particularly effectively on ‘Close Your Eyes And Listen’ by Astor Piazzolla. In addition to compositions by Haffner himself and by his band members, pieces by the celebrated Argentinian bandoneon player and composer are the focal point of the album. Piazzolla’s innovations with the tango, such as bringing jazz into it, date from around 1955. Haffner and the tango
seem perfectly matched to each other. Tango is no longer a fixed style nowadays, it is above all an attitude to playing and an attitude to life. Wolfgang Haffner’s approach to tango is both authentic and new. It is his and his alone and it is irresistible.
FELA Jonathan Loma mix When Spain meets Africa. Musician Jonathan Loma from Spain on the mix with this joyful, innovative rhythm, infused with African sounds and samples. Noticeably, Nigerian legend Fela Kuti can be heard during the latter parts of the track behind the shifting drum patterns which give this record a very catchy beat. Swinging hats and rolling snares keep the beat flowing over a loopy and swirling melody. The unpredictable and spontaneous sounds sliding in and out display creativity from the Spanish producer, but the highlight here is the subtle African background chants. Just wait for the smooth sax to appear.FELA H2H mix contrast to the Jonathan Loma mix and edging things into deeper territories, the Chez Damier and Ben Vedren (Heart 2 Heart) take on the track is a deep and driving dance floor mover. Quite literally talking toyou with an African accent throughout the majority of the track, the locked groove engages the listener and has you wondering if it will ever end. Loud claps, well-placed short and sharp snare rolls, and like that ofthe Loma take; spontaneous sounds creeping in and out are all included over this cleverly layered deep beat
Mint Condition continue their mission excavating the outer fringes of classic House and Techno. Unreleased mixes, classics and overlooked gems mined from the last 20+ of contemporary dance music are the order of the day. From Chicago, Detroit and New York to London and beyond, Mint Condition have got their expert digging hats on to bring you exclusive heat and those rarer than rare jams that have been on your wants list for years! Dig in....
Back to 1994 and Charles Webster's lesser used Together Trax alias brings us 4 tracks of that deep, soulful and slamming garage house sound. Released on UR's much celebrated Happy Soul sub-label, famed for its gospel soaked, piano driven uplifting jams, Together Trax serves it up in fine style. Strange for UR to sign 4 cuts from a guy from Derbyshire, but once you hear both sets of mixes of 'Celebrate / Ain't Nothin' Wrong' it all makes sense! Both tracks could have come from the deepest, darkest basement session in downtown Detroit no problem, and it's obvious why Mad Mike signed them. This is old-school house, for the connoisseur who remembers how it used to be, way back. When dance music was fun and put a smile on your fave. Often a rare catch, this 12" fetches tidy sums in the netherworld of Discogs and the like, but now it's here again, lovingly restored and ready to make its way into your record bag once again.
Together Trax has been legitimately re-released with the full involvement of Charles Webster and was remastered by London's Curve Pusher from the original DAT's especially for Mint Condition. 100% legit, licensed and released. Dug, remastered, repackaged and brought to you by the caring folks at your favourite reissue label - Mint Condition!
- 1: Glen Faba - "Arable
- 2: Faltydl - "Ruby Rod
- 3: Todd Osborn - "5" (Feat Luke Vibert)
- 4: Uc - "Wake Up
- 5: Horsepower Productions - "The Doktor
- 6: Cousin Cockroach - "The Complex Mind Of Big Foot
- 7: Spurge - "Deadass
- 8: Xglare - "Flexion Relic
- 9: Dasychira - "Deadnettle
- 10: Benedicte - "Softillusion
- 11: M-Ziq - "Munki
- 12: Brrd - "Ajsfvlajhvffd
- 13: Faltydl - "Focus Group 2
- 14: The Other Functions - "Never-Ending
- 15: Tenant - "New Life
Hello Everybody,
I hope that you will have as much enjoyment from my music here as I had performing it!! I would like at this time to give you a little "History" of myself and as to how I came to love the music that I play! Coming from a "Musical Family"; my father was Tyree Glenn, Musical Director and Trombonist with Louis Armstrong and played with the likes of Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington among others and my brother, Roger Glenn, a very "Talented Musician" in his own right, it was not difficult for me to be "Influenced" and get into "Show Business" as a Musician and Entertainer! My early years in the "Fifties" were spent playing the Saxophone with my "Teenage Band" in New Jersey and later, after 4 years at Marietta College in Ohio, in the "New York City Area" in the "Sixties"! As the song goes: "IF YOU CAN MAKE IT THERE, YOU CAN MAKE IT ANY WHERE" which I did and it was in New York City where I got my "Musical Education" which would become a part of me for the rest of my life! In the "Mid-Sixties", I was offered a "Partnership" in a Night Club in the Algarve Portugal and readily accepted the chance to perform "In My Own Club"! Moving on to Lisbon after a few successful years in the Algarve, I performed in TV and recorded records there in Lisbon! By the way, I played Professional Basketball for "Benfica Lisboa" which was and remains to this day, my "Big Love for Basketball" and was to be a big part of my life! From Lisbon, I eventually went on to live and play in Italy in the early Seventies with Rocky Roberts. Returning to Lisbon in the mid-Seventies, I worked with my buddy from my "New York City Days", the very talented "Singer & Entertainer" Wayne Bartlett, and we formed the "Duo": "Wayne & Tyree" and performed in the Casinos in Portugal! We accepted an offer to perform our show in Germany and as things worked out, I have been living and playing my music here since 1976! I have enjoyed bringing my "R&B" to everyone and showing just a little bit of how it was performing "R&B" in NYC back in the "Sixties"! I hope that you will enjoy this Compilation of my work here in Germany from the past years and I would especially like to thank Tramp Records for making this record possible and being a "True R&B Fan" of Tyree Glenn Jr. and my Music!
First up is Nehuen, an Argentinian born but Barcelona based artist who is notorious for his abrasive dance floor workouts on I Love Acid, BNR Trax and the Classicworks label he co-owns with Cardopusher. Cardopusher is, of course, a true electronic legend from Venezuela. His dizzyingly diverse sound takes in rave, acid, electro, techno and house influences and distills them into hugely
Raw and energetic new forms.
Nehuen's Psyops Part One kicks off with the excellent title track, which contorts acid and electro into a writhing monster filled with dark energy. The visceral 'Toxic' is built on slapping hits and spangled basslines that will tie you in knots as the bumping drums drive things forward. The late-night menace continues on 'Bailar', with tight synth arps layered up in robotic forms over clunky drums that are industrial and futuristic in equal measure. Last but not least, the eerie 'Desire' strikes a more twisted note with double kicks juddering beneath echoing hits. It's pure, filthy, brilliant body music.
Cardopusher kicks off Part Two with the fantastic 'Disobedience' (feat. Lbeeze) a slow-motion drum
workout that is like dark disco mangled through a psychedelic filter, with robotic vocals and stiff arp
jerking your body. 'Abyss Antidote' is then a flurry of drum breaks and electro bass, frazzled synths and whipping hits that keep you on the edge of your seat. Darkness abounds on the gritty 'Initial Decay' (ft. Lbeeze), which layers up taught drums and hits with spraying synths that come from a dystopian planet.
Closing out this epic mini-series is 'Mutant Brain', a cyborg techno meltdown with manic acid for
company.
These are devilishly distorted tracks from two of the best producers around.
- A1: East Man & Streema - Know Like Dat
- A2: East Man & Mic Ty - Everybody Knows
- A3: East Man & Fernando Kep - Ouroboros
- A4: East Man & Lyrical Strally - Ten Ton Riddim
- A5: East Man & Ny Ny - Boys
- A6: East Man & Whack Eye - Who Am I?
- B1: East Man & Eklipse - East Man Theme (Reprise)
- B2: East Man & Darkos Strife - Wow How?
- B3: Ease Up
- B4: Look & Listen (Part 2)
- B5: Machine Gun
- B6: Hi Tek Theme
'Prole Art Threat' is producer Anthoney Hart's second LP for Planet Mu under his East Man alias, after 2018's well received debut 'Red White & Zero'. It brings together a set of MCs from all over London, Darkos and Eklipse from East London and Lyrical Strally from near Feltham who were on the first album, Ny Ny and Mic Ty also from East London, Streema and 'Vision Crew' member Whack Eye from Lewisham plus Fernando Kep, an MC from the burgeoning Brazil grime scene. They work across a cohesive set of tight riddims forged from thoughtful amalgams of grime, dancehall and drum & bass. The album takes its name from a Fall song/mission statement of the same title, the band being self-consciously working class and led by a brilliant autodidact in Mark E Smith. East Man relates that the title is to be taken as “a reflection of working-class creativity and how the establishment marginalise us and (perhaps on a subconscious level) see us as a threat.” Les Back, author of 'The Art of Listening' and 'Out of Whiteness: Color, Politics and Culture (with Vron Ware)' contributes liner notes to the record: East Man understands the force and the democracy of the mic. Listening to Prole Art Threat is like being at a dance. As the mic is passed between each of the MCs, a different tale is ‘elevated... off the map’ as Ny Ny puts it. We hear instalmentsfrom Forest Gate, Lee, Lewisham and Manor Park as these ‘lyrical gaffers’ and ’top boys and girls’ tell tough stories of life under the scrutiny of the ‘Feds’ in a brutal and divided city. The bars and rhymes document what it means to live here; from the double standards applied to the sexuality of young girls and boys to the corrosive violence of everyday life. All this is dissected without compromise. This is not just aLondon story though, the inclusion of Fernando Kep from the burgeoning Grime scene in Brazil is evidence of the outernational reach of the music. The tracks on East Man’s album explode the wilful ignorance of those who see ‘the working class’ in contemporary London as code for whiteness. This is the sound of a proletarian urban multiculture, made from Caribbean and African influences, sound system culture, pirate radio and the inexorable rhythms of Grime, Drum & Bass, Techno and Dancehall. It is the stirring of the "white" & "black" working classes who are living together and coming together on their own terms in sound. ‘Making music because you love it... what the fuck else could you do?’ as East Man says. The tracks and voices you are holding in your hands are, as a result urgent, vital, as hard nails and twice as sharp.
Originally written and produced as the centrepiece to his 2014 FabricLive compilation, Erol Alkan’s ‘Sub Conscious' arrives on 12” vinyl and to streaming platforms for the first time, accompanied by two charismatic remixes from Manfredas.
Shimmering and undulating, the original cut of ‘Sub Conscious’ was designed with Fabric’s cavernous main room in mind, taking full advantage of any finely tuned soundsystem with a patient, rhythmic trip. Remastered here, the track evolves out of hazy darkness towards halcyon euphoria in a uniquely Alkan style.
Resident at Opium Club in Vilnius, cult DJ and producer Manfredas provides two hugely creative and alternative takes on ‘Sub Conscious’. The first works hallucinatory magic with a supple bassline and much of Alkan’s original stretched and repurposed around vampish oscillations and a westward vocal sample.
On the contrary, the ‘Stream Of Consciousness' mix sees Manfredas pitch down and strum the bones of ‘Sub Conscious’, unexpectedly delivering a lovingly lethargic, bottom-heavy jam that’s pure dub-side pleasure.
Djebali and Jorge Savoretti combine to deliver their ‘Fraires’ EP on Infuse, accompanied by a remix from Stephan Bazbaz.
Two producers at the heart of today’s modern house and minimal scenes, Paris favourite Djebali and Argentinian DJ and producer Jorge Savoretti have grown to become two of the most consistent and impressive talents active within the scene today. With over thirty years of experience between them, releasing material via the likes of Freak’n’Chic, Raum…musik and Cadenza plus Djebali’s own self-titled imprint, the pairing now turn their attention to new ground as they make their collaborative debut on FUSE sister imprint Infuse this summer, offering up three fresh productions via their ‘Fraires’ EP alongside a remix from Tel Aviv’s Stephan Bazbaz.
The slow-blooming and hypnotic sonics of ‘101’ open the EP in style as the two talents merge sweeping synth lines atop of warped electronics and slick percussion shots, whilst Stephan Bazbaz’s remix ups the tempo and builds on the original with a combination of energetic builds and icy hats. On the flip, ‘Pigalle’ delves into a deep journey guided by a resonant lead line and hazy background murmurs, before closing with the classy ‘Devote Ville’ – a smooth and well measured production which oozes sophistication and quality from the opening minute.
Punk icons Crass have announced details of their latest EP, ‘Normal Never Was’. Featuring two new remixes of tracks from their seminal 1978 album, ‘The Feeding of The Five Thousand’, with the profits going to charity Refuge.
Heading up the remixes are Richard Russell, head honcho of XL records (under the guise of rLr), and synth-pop artist Glasser. Each of them tackling tracks, ‘They’ve Got Bomb’ and, ‘Do They Owe Us A Living?’ respectively.
Limited red vinyl 12". Edition of 1000 copies.
Principal is the new solo project by producer and musician Rasmus Allin, who’s first album Treacherous Dub will be released on the Copenhagen-based label StereoRoyal in July 2020.
Best described as an homage to old-school Jamaican dub, Principal’s music features live recorded drums and other instruments. Fused with electronic elements, it celebrates the sound of the original dub pioneers.
Born in 1970, Rasmus Allin has been working as a producer, musician, and songwriter since the mid-nineties, primarily within the realm of electronic music. Inspired by the British trip hop and drum ‘n’ bass scene, he soon gravitated towards Jamaican dub, rocksteady, and reggae. "I found my inspiration in the old Jamaican dub masters like Lee Scratch Perry, King Tubby, Augustus Pablo, and Scientist. I’ve spent endless hours in the studio trying to replicate their sound, using old tape delays, filter boxes, and modulation effects,” he says.
In 2002, Allin formed the band Junkyard Productions, playing major venues and festivals like Elysee Montmartre, Le Triptyque, Télérama Dub Festival, and Roskilde Festival while touring through Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, and France. Alongside this, he continued to hone his skills in producing, co-writing, and remixing music, working with top Danish pop and reggae acts the likes of Natasja, Pharfar, Wafande, Shaka Loveless, and the British girl band All Saints.
Treacherous Dub will be released on vinyl and all major streaming platforms, and will be Allin’s first album of pure instrumental dub tracks —an ambition he’s been wanting to fulfil for years. Marking his debut as a solo artist, the album also marks his premiere as a visual artist, with the album cover lithograph made by Allin himself. For Rasmus Allin, the collaboration with StereoRoyal offered “the perfect opportunity to give the tracks the finishing touches.”
StereoRoyal is a Danish library music label founded in 2010 by and specializes in off-kilter music for film and TV. Originally, the label focused on electronic genres, but over the years has grown to include a broader variety of music produced by some of the most talented composers in Scandinavia.
Something a little different from Athens of the North, Crisrail (Chris Rael) is an almost-LP of mad out there funky post punk from Silver Spring, Maryland, USA. Rated and played this out for some time but it has remained mostly under the radar due to scarcity. I could compare it to The Cure but it's so much more. 500 ONLY
"Playing instruments didn't come naturally to me, but I loved it so much I kept doing it and got better. When I started composing seriously in my early twenties, I didn't have much confidence in my voice or instrumental abilities, but my imagination was on fire and I was determined to create music that sounded like nothing else. I would find my place in the constellation of sound by carving a niche that was so unique, musical virtuosity wouldn't be a factor. I was inspired by Tom Scott of the Muffins, Maryland's legendary progressive jazz quartet, and owner of Black Pond Studios in Rockville, where Game of Music was recorded. It was my first solo release; I played everything except Tom's horn and flute parts. Lacking confidence to perform, I was very much a studio rat and became facile at overdubbing solo tracks. New music reviewers praised it at the time, but its distribution was limited and it's been out of print for decades. Listening now, it's more musically muscular than it felt to me at the time. It's incredibly gratifying that more people can hear it again, thanks to Athens of the North." - Chris Rael
Artist previously known for his work as “Mirage Man” returns as “Kaltstam” presenting a three tracker of techno and electro jams.
The streamlined yet gloomy opening track “Reach 4 the heat only if you’re bustin’” sets an energetic tone for the release to start with. This should cater your needs easily if you’re into dancing in the more aggressive manner.
“The Divide” interprets nordic melancholy in the form of trancey pads, echoed stabs and a distorted bass drum. An observant listener might pick up some classic breakbeat vibes from the drum section as well.
“Cattle prod” is the oddball of the trio. Is it nu school breaks? Is it electro? Does it bang? ... Find out by listening to the title track of the record. - Play it fast or slow, it’s your call.
L’Escalier des Aveugles, or The Stairway of the Blind, was commissioned in November 1990 by Spanish National Radio (Radio Nacional de España). Asked for a piece to premiere as part of the European Day of Music, Luc Ferrari returned with a radiophonic concept that organised his anecdotal music into montage form, sequencing short, elusive narratives in a successive way.
The completed composition is formed of thirteen chapters containing a mixture of environmental and synthesised sound, commentary, chatter, and encounters with people and places. Each focuses on a small event within this playbook, and Ferrari notes that each “in addition to being a realistic photograph, will be the subject of a ‘setting to music’: fragments of voice and atmosphere will be sampled and will produce musical matter or a ‘song’.”
The sonic language of Madrid forms the setting to which Ferrari lays out the persistent theme of the piece, that of the composer being guided throughout the city by a young woman. Using a game-like structure (liners for this edition include Ferrari’s “Regles de Jeu”, or “Rules of the Game” which act as a script or score to the piece) the motivation is posed: imagine that one day you are told “I know a place in Madrid that sounds amazing (or bizarre)”, to which you reply “Let’s go to it together.” The recordings toy with the relationships between guide and tourist, translator, director and actress, and masculine and feminine that emerge as Ferrari and the actresses follow this action, documenting the shared experience and connections they make as they visit these places.
Six actresses guide Ferrari (and the listener) through locations simultaneously ordinary and sonically rich: the metro; the El Corte Inglés department store where we hear the gossip from changing rooms set against music emanating from the PA; vagabonds declaiming their political stance in the Conde de Barajas plaza; interactions buying apples in a market; the reverberant and spacious halls of the Prado Museum where one actress gives a moving description of her favourite painting - Goya’s The 3rd of May 1808.
Ferrari replies in French to their comments in Spanish, and there are several self-referential plots, devices, and word games that flirt with the poetics and rhythm of language and sound. A recital of Lorca’s poem "La Casada Infiel" in “Hommage À Lorca” in amongst the location recordings feels striking, and the call and response of “La Nouvelle de L’Escalier”, where one of the actresses descends the staircase of the blind - a long stone stairway in Madrid proposed to Ferrari as an interesting location to visit during the trip by producer José Iges. She replies to Ferrari’s vocal enunciation of the place (and title) in French - L’Escalier des Aveugles - with the place-name in Spanish: La Escalera de los Ciegos.
Using this repeated title and image of the staircase of the blind as a symbolic place, a line is drawn to a situational landscape experienced and diffused through snapshots and allusion rather than holistically overviewed, sound conjuring pictures within the imagination. In the sensorial qualities of Ferrari’s treatment of emotion and language—fortified with electro-acoustic motifs and musical properties—the piece accelerates towards a render that is truthful, beautiful, yet also surreal; somewhere between theatre and reality, a gonzo cinema of the ear.
O YAMA O explores a certain domestic and democratic quality of everyday life, born through associations to folk music of Japan and a folding of myth, tradition, and routine; the non-spectacular and the sublime.
Formed of musician and artist Rie Nakajima and Cafe OTO co-founder Keiko Yamamoto, the group has performed since 2014 at venues and festivals such as noshowspace, Ikon Gallery, Wysing Arts Centre, Supernormal, Borealis Festival, Mayhem, and allEars Festival.
Nakajima’s performance often focuses on the use of found and kinetic objects, using modest items such as rice bowls, toys, clockwork, balloons and small motors as instruments to create a “micro orchestra”. Elements are layered into impressive and immersive atmospheres. Yamamoto alternatively floats and charges through this with body and voice; chanting, incanting, thundering, whispering, stamping on the floor.
Their debut album consolidates their musical conversations into keenly paced studio music, the duo working with additional instrumentation and a resolved focus on melody to provide vivid portraits of folkloric Japan in song.
They move between pop and the philosophical, defined by the overall space afforded to texture and movement. In small, delicate sound an intimate musical climate is established that reflects on life, telling stories of improvised clockwork, whispered dreams, small movements of the hand and the rhythm to be found in the shuffle of a deck of cards.
Grandly theatric and dramatic flourishes add solidity to these illustrations, operas driven by the swooping energy and power of Yamamoto’s voice can be playful or emotionally charged, particularly when the duo arrange themselves in ensemble with violinist Billy Steiger and percussionist Marie Roux. Production by David Cunningham creates the shadowy presence of a leftfield Flying Lizards dubwise depth that adds subtle strangeness to the atmosphere. The result is something raw, full-bodied; full of energy, grace and mystery.
For this project called 'the joint venture', Inner Shift are teaming up alongside Deep Explorer. This part on Inner Shift follows the first part which was released earlier this year on Deep Explorer. .Mahal. is a Japanese producer and dj with a history of playing music with previous releases on Rough House Rosie. The "Space Space Ep Part 2" contains 3 original tracks that dive into deep house with a more abstract edge. Red & Blue immediately captures your attention with original sensual guitar and vocal lines. Remix duties are courtesy of the Deep Explorers Above Smoke and Dubbyman taking Red & Blue into a broken beat downtempo space. On the B side Behind the Scene has a more abstract edge, and Mind Games with its driving acid bassline is complimented by lush chords keeping it warm and deep.
Having re-launched the Secretsundaze label last summer with their 'Stand Up' EP, the Secretsundaze production team make a marked return with the aptly titled 'Devious' EP. This follows on from a bunch of releases on the label from Silvestre, Carista, Eliphino and Joe Claussell.Secretsundaze also recently started a new re-edit series 'Secretsundaze Edits' with a contribution from themselves and Ge-ology topping Juno's Bestsellers charts (no.1 All Genres) for a good stint of February, gaining love from the likes of Gilles Petterson, Mary Anne Hobbs & Antal along the way. The pair have also recently released on esteemed labels such as Live at Robert Johnson, Phonica and Mule Musiq.
Two leaders from very different musical worlds, the innovative pianist Bruce Brubaker and scientist-now-electronic-artist Max Cooper collaborate to create this latest expression of music by Philip Glass and tell a story of diversity and vulnerability.
Commissioned by and introduced at the Paris Philharmonie in 2019, Glassforms melds the acoustic concert grand piano with synths and cutting-edge electronic production techniques to create a compelling album and a dynamic live experience.
Rather than just reworking or augmenting via traditional means, Max Cooper and Bruce Brubaker fundamentally rewire Glass’ forms in a manner that’s not possible with human composition tools. Max built a new system for musical expression through coding with software developer Alexander Randon, creating a tool for taking live data from the piano and transforming it into new but intimately related forms which drive his synths on stage.
The result is that each of the pieces by Glass becomes its own electronic “instrument,” an instrument Bruce plays in addition to, and simultaneously with the original piece. As Bruce plays the piano and controls synths with his playing, Max modulates and augments, sometimes adding his own melodies to form hybrid variants.
According to the feudal system which was introduced into England by William of Normandy, the king was an absolute monarch, so he could do whatever he liked.
(from Origins of the Magna Charta).
In a cardboard media background, where cliche is law, where the digital essence of the personal data is more meaningful than the person itself, the Bait e Borghi project arises. The natural environment beyond anthropization, the technic and technologic strained clutch inside the places that inspired the album. The traveller meant as the one that makes the trip his own life, and that inevitably moves so far away from common archetypes that defeats every possible storytelling but the sound evocation. A sound that becomes the last unreal notebook like the matter which dreams and memories are made of. An unlikely but possible distopia where our last Thule remains the passage between body and machine, cyberpunk myth yet beautifully imagined and illustrated during the eighties. Not by chance Bait e Borghi share the same starting point, the same region that assumes twisted features if observed from the mid Adriatic offshore oil platforms point of view. Squalo, Giovanna, Ombrina are the point at issue, monumental media short-circuits, disclosed and hidden truths at the same time
Bélver Yin's soul mining odysseys have been unjustly overlooked for three decades. An anomaly in the Spanish alt-pop scene, their forlorn instrumentals and ethereal romanticism would have struck a chord in the British league of Felt, The Chameleons, Cocteau Twins and Dif Juz, leaving their 1991 debut Luz Bel deserving of reappraisal.
While coining their band name from a Jesús Ferrero novel and quoting Laozi philosophy on album sleeves, Bélver Yin create illuminating textures that unlock a wordless language of memory and adolescent emotion. Formed in Salamanca by self-taught musicians Pedro Ortega Sánchez and José María Martín, the guitar-bass duo spent two years crafting their divine interplay with interim drummers before submitting a demo to Noisex Music, their only attempt at label courting. The phone rang mere days later with owner and producer Bernar Marks (The Dust Sessions) offering to cut an album and the band ventured to Valencia with cloud-touching optimism soon after.
Championed by local press, the release fell short of expectation, fueling the mythology of a vanished band known only to the initiated. Varying lineups would, however, continue to work in the shadows under Pedro's direction, recording two spatially arranged follow-ups at their own pace in 1996 and 2005.
A glorious debut that undeniably set a high watermark, Luz Bel is finally available again, faithfully remastered by Mikey Young and featuring bilingual liner notes from John Gómez, the authoritative ear behind Outro Tempo.
After seven years, the second release of Max Loderbauer on Non Standard Productions arrives again in his style of post - german - electronic - avant garde. “Donnerwetter” is the perfect blue print of modern reduced electronic adventures. Carefully chosen out of a pool of recordings produced by Max in the last years, slightly edited and arranged into a full length album.
- A1: Kosei Fukuda - ?? - Enso (4 18)
- A2: Uchi - Zro (6 42)
- A3: Ypy - Circulation (6 44)
- B1: Recent Arts - My Default Emotion (5 43)
- B2: Renick Bell - Organize And Unite (4 09)
- B3: Ma + Kosei Fukuda - ????(????)- Enso No Ma (Furutsuki) (1 30)
- B4: Yvesdemey - The Chosen Home (6 11)
- C1: Tobias - He Turned Into Him (5 52)
- C2: Katsunori Sawa - The Stonewall (5 21)
- C3: Yuji Kondo - Zenith (6 09)
- D1: Rabih Beaini - Circle (8 03)
- D2: Ena - 42 1 (4 36)
- D3: Lemna - Moments In Eternal Recurrence (5 00)
Japanese sound artist and producer Kosei Fukuda’s presents a collaborated vision of the first edition of ENSo¯, a two-day audio-visual event collated around the REITEN label. The ENSo¯ Festival invites its artists and audiences alike to appreciate the merging of the improvisational, with the contemplation of rhythmic cycles, based around the conception of enso¯ – ?? – meaning a hand-drawn circle created by one uninterrupted stroke. Now, with an elongated stretch of time in front of us before the next edition of the festival, the compilation stands to provide a sustained glimpse into the world imagined by Fukuda. Blending spontaneity and gravity alike, the record features an array of idiosyncratic artists set to play ENSo¯, all purveyors of their own shaped sound-worlds.
For the A-side, we have Fukada’s own contribution ‘?? – ENSo¯’; a slice of ambient techno dotted somewhere within a faraway galaxy. Venezuelan noise artist UCHI crafts a fourth-world hymn with tribal percussion on the expansive ‘ZRO’, and Osaka based experimentalist YPY aka Korshiro Hino shapes an elusive polyrhythmic ambience on ‘Circulation’. The B-side presents a colossal improvisational track ‘My Default Emotion’ from Berlin based duo Recent Arts. Formed of Chilean artist Valentina Berthelon and German musician Tobias Freund, the duo are masters in audio-visual experimental performances that both surprise and challenge an audience. Renowned artist, programmer and teacher Renick Bell is noted as a pioneer for live coded performance, conducting mutated rhythms that cut across the landscape of electronic sound. His addition to the compilation is a luminescent IDM piece, titled ‘Organize and Unite’. A polished ambient club track from Fukada and MA titled ‘????(????)’ provides a state of organized tranquility, whilst the track ‘The Chosen Home’ from Belgium artist YvesDeMay, whose move from breakbeat to experimental producer has produced gratifying results for all, is a welcome slice of pensive dub- techno.
The C-side brings us a textured and haunting techno track ‘He Turned Into Him’ with revered German artist Tobias, veteran mainstay with an expert hand in shimmering sound design; Kyoto based 10 Label heads Katsunori Sawa and Yuji Kondo brings sample-heavy rushes of sound, the former with ‘The Stonewall’ and the latter with ‘Zenith’, both multi-faceted in their reference points. The D-Side presents the grainy and expansive ‘Circle’ from Lebanese producer Rabih Beaini, who expertly combines club tropes and avant-gardism in his DJing and music. Hypnotic skeletal beats circulate on the pulsating ‘42.1’ by Tokyo artist ENA. Japanese composer Lemna, the alias of Maiko Okimoto rounds it off with a dreamy noise ambience on ‘Moments In Eternal Recurrence’. Released on vinyl July 24th, the compilation stands as a traversable artefact of the festival, rich in spontaneous beauty.
"Beat scientist Soreab signs our second release at the peak of his rhythmic experimentation. Four swirling, hyperactive, sketchy tracks dedicated to overturning the classic hierarchies of beats.
Folding the solidity of grooves and sound palettes coming from dance floor music to the hypnotism of techno scenarios and seasoning everything with an exquisite sense of sound design- capable of opening up into melodies without losing his ruthless intensity."
- A1: Pezulu (Way Up) (Way Up)
- A2: Thulula (Fill It Up) (Fill It Up)
- A3: Kuthwasi Hlobo (Spring) (Spring)
- A4: Half Moon
- A5: Yini Njalo (Stick Around) (Stick Around)
- B1: Kwa Thula (Thula's Place) (Thula's Place)
- B2: Joe's Jika (Joe's Groove) (Joe's Groove)
- B3: Nobomvu (Red Head) (Red Head)
- B4: Qonqoza (Knock) (Knock)
- B5: Phola (Cool It!) (Cool It!)
- C1: Pezulu (Extended Take)
- C2: Pezulu (Alternate Take)
- C3: Studio Interlude
- C4: Half Moon
- D1: Izulu Liyaduduma
- D2: Sibuyile (Take 1)
- D3: Sibuyile (Take 2)
- D4: Church Mouse
- D5: Untitled (Andromeda) (Andromeda)
Pressure Cooker South African Township Jazz and Mbaqanga
• Dudu Pukwana’s 1968 debut album, recorded in London, released only in South Africa.
• A second album of mostly unreleased 1969 recordings featuring Richard Thompson, Simon Nicol, Joe Mogotsi, Chris McGregor, Mongezi Feza, Louis Moholo, members of Osibisa, and others.
• Originally produced by Joe Boyd.
• Re-mastered audio, double gatefold album, heavyweight 180g vinyl.
Underground Mod Obscurity from South Africa
• South African take on the London Beat scene, mixing British beat, R&B, reggae and funk.
• “Reggae Shh!” and “Reggae Meadowlands” - both issued on 45 in the UK and Italy - became huge underground hits on the Mod scene.
• Zorro Five were top-flight session musicians whose once-off inspiration won them the 1971 South African Recording Industry award for “Best Beat Group”.
• Zane Cronje (organ, keyboards) was a prolific composer, Johnny Fourie (guitar) was later called out by John McLoughlin as “one of the greatest guitar players of our epoque”.
Black Truffle is pleased to announce a new solo album by Eiko Ishibashi, her first for the label, following on from the duo recording Ichida alongside bassist Darin Gray. Hyakki Yagyō (Night Parade of One Hundred Demons) was produced for the ‘Japan Supernatural’ exhibition at The Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney focusing on ghost stories and folklore from the Edo period onwards. As with The Dream My Bones Dream (Drag City, 2018), the album is a response to troubling questions about Japanese history, and the influence of the past upon the present, but finds Ishibashi shifting further away from her earlier piano-led songwriting and showing a deepening interest in electronics and audio collaging.
The two sidelong parts of Hyakki Yagyō feature layered synthesisers, acoustic instrumentation, recited verse and field recordings, at times densely mixed but always with a subtle interplay of changing elements. The influence of European and American forerunners as diverse as Alvin Curran, David Behrman and Strafe Für Rebellion can be traced, yet at the same time Ishibashi evokes the flute and string sounds associated with Japanese storytelling, and draws directly on the subversive literary tradition of Kyoka (‘mad poetry’) with a verse by the 15th-century poet Ikkyū Sōjun repeated throughout the album. Revisiting what has gone before, re-thinking what is possible musically, as a way of articulating what else might be possible in the future.
As Ishibashi’s liner notes make clear, the album reflects an attention to persistent dangers, myths and evasions in Japanese culture – as well as the lurking uncertainties that might threaten positive change. This would seem to be manifested in the emerging melodies soon met by dissonance, erratic collisions and near silence, as well as the eerie manipulation of the double-tracked vocals. Ishibashi’s underlying concerns ring true more widely of course. Hyakki Yagyō is a work of multiplicities, and mystery, a landscape where nothing is as it seems at first, and everything is vulnerable to sudden violent interruptions.
The album was produced with regular collaborators Jim O’Rourke (double bass) and Joe Talia (percussion), and features dancer and choreographer Ryuichi Fujimura performing Ikkyū’s satirical tanka. O’Rourke’s immersive mix creates a three-dimensional effect, with Ishibashi’s various sound sources enmeshing and interacting in captivating ways.
Pressed on coloured vinyl and presented in a deluxe package with an inner sleeve featuring and artist portrait and liner notes from Eiko Ishibashi. Cover and label design by Shuhei Abe.
Back cover design by Lasse Marhaug. Mixed and mastered by Jim O’Rourke.
key selling points:
- Black Truffle is pleased to announce a new solo album by Eiko Ishibashi, her first since her acclaimed 2018 Drag City release The Dream My Bones Dream.
- This album finds Ishibashi shifting further away from her earlier piano-led songwriting and showing a deepening interest in electronics and audio collaging.
- Hyakki Yagyō (Night Parade of One Hundred Demons) was produced for the ‘Japan Supernatural’ exhibition at The Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney focusing on ghost stories and folklore from the Edo period onwards and is a response to troubling questions about Japanese history, and the influence of the past upon the present.
- Produced with regular collaborators Jim O’Rourke (double bass) and Joe Talia (percussion), O’Rourke’s immersive mix creates a three-dimensional effect, with Ishibashi’s various sound sources enmeshing and interacting in captivating ways.
- The two sidelong parts of Hyakki Yagyō feature layered synthesisers, acoustic instrumentation, recited verse and field recordings, at times densely mixed but always with a subtle interplay of changing elements, hinting at an influence of European and American forerunners as diverse as Alvin Curran, David Behrman and Strafe Für Rebellion.
- Pressed on coloured vinyl and presented in a deluxe package with an inner sleeve featuring an artist portrait and liner notes from Eiko Ishibashi. Mixed and mastered by Jim O’Rourke.
For that 15th Acid Avengers split EP, we welcome two providers of acid music who know each other very well, as they're also associated in the duo Nite Vision.
On the A-Side, English producer Perseus Traxx, known for his raw house & electro bombs on Bunker, Solar One, I Love Acid or his own imprint Future Flash.
On the B-Side, Barcelona-based producer Mantra, also know under his aliases Myriadd or Acid Phreex, and responsible of several ravey bangers on Pinkman, Creme Organization, Bunker and Polybius Trax.
Two virtuoso producers for five acid pearls!
Re-release of the record originally released on 2016-02-05!
Remastered and cut by Rashad Becker at D&M Berlin and presented in an exact replica sleeve of the original 1966 release by Stephen O'Malley.
sales information: Black Truffle is honoured to present the first vinyl reissue of the classic debut album from AMM, AMMMusic. Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of its recording in 1966, this reissue makes one of the cornerstones of the experimental music tradition available again in its original form, replete with Keith Rowe's beautiful pop art cover and the terse aphorisms by the group that served as its original liner notes. A testament to the interaction between the experimental avant-garde and the countercultural underground, the album was originally released on Elektra, recorded by Jac Holzman (the label's founder, responsible for signing The Doors, Love, and The Stooges) and produced by DNA, a group that included Pink Floyd's first manager Peter Jenner. (Pink Floyd paid tribute to AMM's influence on their improvisational sensibility with the track 'Flaming' on their debut album, named after the piece that occupies AMMMusic's first side, 'Later During a Flaming Riviera Sunset').
Formed in 1965 by three players from the emerging British jazz avant-garde - Keith Rowe and Lou Gare had played with the great progressive big band leader Mike Westbrook and Eddie Prévost played in a post-bop group with Gare - AMM quickly evolved from a free jazz group into something decidedly more difficult to categorise. By the time these recordings were made, two more members had joined the group: another Westbrook associate, Lawrence Sheaf, and the radical composer Cornelius Cardew. Then at work on his masterpiece of graphic notation Treatise, Cardew brought with him extensive experience of the post-serialist and Cageian currents in contemporary composition. Using a combination of conventional instruments and unconventional methods of sound production (most famously Keith Rowe's prepared tabletop guitar, but also prepared piano and transistor radio), the group performed improvised pieces often running for over two hours and ranging from extended periods of silence to terrifying cacophonies.
Evan Parker famously described the improvisational logic of AMM's music as 'laminal', in contrast to the 'atomistic' approach more common among the generation of British improvisers (Bailey, Rutherford, Stevens and co.) to which he himself belonged. AMM improvised in layers: layers of sound subtly rising and falling or abruptly starting and stopping without being propelled by the implied pulse of free jazz improvisation. Rather than a pulse, AMM's music began with the sound of the room in which it was played, the Cageian anarchy of silence. By embracing the non-synchronous simultaneity of layered sound, AMM was able to create a musical container into which nearly anything could be incorporated at any moment: on AMMMusic, long tones sit next to abrasive thuds, the howl of uncontrolled feedback accompanies Cardew's purposeful piano chords, radios beam in snatches of orchestral music (and, on the LP's second side, an extended fragment of 'Mockingbird').
AMM's clearest break with jazz-based improvisation concerned the idea of individuality. Where improvised music has tended to foster the development of idiosyncratic stylists who move freely from one group to another, AMM, initially through an engagement with eastern philosophy and mysticism and later though a politicized communitarianism, sought to develop a collective sonic identity in which individual contributions could barely be discerned. In the performances captured on AMMMusic
the use of numerous auxiliary instruments and devices, including radios played by three members of the group, contribute to the sensation that the music is composed as a single monolithic object with multiple facets, rather than as an interaction between five distinct voices.
- Francis Plagne
- A1: Keep Yourself Alive
- A2: Doing All Right
- A3: Great King Rat
- A4: My Fairy King
- B1: Liar
- B2: The Night Comes Down
- B3: Modern Times Rock'n'roll
- B4: Son And Daughter
- B5: Jesus
- B6: Seven Seas Of Rhye
- C1: Procession
- C2: Father To Son
- C3: White Queen (As It Began)
- C4: Some Day One Day
- C5: The Loser In The End
- D1: Ogre Battle
- D2: The Fairy Feller's Master Stroke
- D3: Nevermore
- D4: The March Of The Black Queen
- D5: Funny How Love Is
- D6: Seven Seas Of Rhye
- E1: Brighton Rock
- E2: Killer Queen
- E3: Tenement Funster
- E4: Flick Of The Wrist
- E5: Lily Of The Valley
- E6: Now I'm Here
- F1: In The Lap Of The Gods
- F2: Stone Cold Crazy
- F3: Dear Friends
- F4: Misfire
- F5: Bring Back That Leroy Brown
- F6: She Makes Me (Stormtrooper In Stilettos)
- F7: In The Lap Of The Gods...revisited
- G1: Death On Two Legs (Dedicated To
- G2: Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon
- G3: I'm In Love With My Car
- G4: You're My Best Friend
- G5: 39
- G6: Sweet Lady
- G7: Seaside Rendezvous
- H1: The Prophet's Song
- H2: Love Of My Life
- H3: Good Company
- H4: Bohemian Rhapsody
- H5: God Save The Queen
- I1: Tie Your Mother Down
- I2: You Take My Breath Away
- I3: Long Away
- I4: The Millionaire Waltz
- I5: You And I
Universal Music are proud to release all hit Queen studio albums sourced from the original master tapes mastered by Bob Ludwig. This 18 vinyl LP box set comes with a lavishly illustrated 12 x 12 inch 108 page hardback book which features introductions to each album, quotes from Queen themselves, hand-written lyrics, rare photograhs, memorabilia, and information on singles and videos. *Re-press
The Beneficiaries ist ein brandneues Detroit-Projekt von Jeff Mills, für das er sich mit zwei weiteren Detroiter Legenden zusammen tat: dem nicht minder visionären Detroit Techno-DJ/Produzenten Eddie Flashin' Fowlkes und der Poetin Jessica Care Moore, bekannt durch ihr 2015er Album "Black Tea: The Legend Of Jessi James" (feat. Roy Ayers, Talib Kweli, Jose James, Ursula Rucker), ihrem Beitrag zu Rawkus' legendärem Spoken-Word-Sampler "Eargasms", aus Russell Simmons' HBO-Serie "Def Poetry Jam", sowie Kollabos mit Nas ("Nastradamus"), Jeezy und den Silent Poets. Ferner wirken Amp Fiddler (Keyboards) und die beiden Perucssionisten Sundiata O M und Efe Bes mit. Die 6 Tracks haben eine Länge zwischen fünf und vierzehn Minuten.
Mr Bongo presents a new and exciting collaborative project with Swedish label Piano Piano Records.
Hearing the Swedish outfit Sven Wunder for the first time is as refreshing as an ice-cold Limoncello after an Italian meal. One of those bands that feel instantly familiar like an old friend, yet simultaneously fresh and new. Straight away we fell in love with their sound and knew we had to work with them.
The Sven Wunder 'Wabi Sabi' 7" is the second collaborative release between Mr Bongo and Piano Piano Records. 'Wabi Sabi' is Sven Wunder’s follow up to the already contemporary cult-classic album 'Doğu Çiçekleri (Eastern Flowers) from 2019. Not one to be complacent and recreate a carbon copy of their previous works, Sven Wunder switched from the psychedelic-Turkish-funk sounds of 'Doğu Çiçekleri' to the Japanese inspired ethereal funk of 'Wabi Sabi'. We have selected the tracks ‘Hanami’ and ‘Shinrinyoko’ for this collector’s edition 7’. Japanese artists such as Hozan Yamamoto, Tadao Sawai, Kazue Sawai, spring to mind, but also David Axelrod and Dorothy Ashby on the beautiful string-led 'Hanami' with it's laid-back funk breaks. 'Shinrinyoku' has a slightly more raw cinematic-funk sound, yet is cushioned with warm strings and tripped-out keys - pure, rare-library music vibes.
We are delighted to be able to release these amazing tracks, cut at the Timmion Records Cutting Lab in Finland.
Label say : We couldn’t be happier to put this disc out there. Kush’s first time on wax (his Strictly 4 My CDJs series on his Bandcamp site is essential) is four tracks that just relentlessly provide for the DJ in you. Representing the new era of NYC dance music along with artists like AceMoMa and DJ Swisha, mixing footwork and other influences with classic house and techno forms to get busy._
_The whole 12” is lethal stuff that recalls Dance Mania at it’s most melodic and spaced out, or prime-time Boo Williams. “Earth Note” pulls bright synths thru swinging Chi foundations, “Ari Dub” rocks the bells and the bass in Bronx fashion, “Worldly Rhythm” piles UR melodies and techno grandeur on a vicious bassline, and “Reso”
closes things out with a devastating mixer full of blue-hot string work. Relentless and essential. TIP TIP TIP!_
the second release of montreal based veteran producer guillaume&the coutu dumonts on mule musiq. the title track featuring dave aju is uplifting jazzy vocal house.groovy dance floor killer. “astronomie” on b1 is cosmic jazz fusion deep house and “grand signal” on b2 is classical jazz house which is remind us “once again by henrik schwarz and kuniyuki”… all of tracks were originally produced by his band project and he has reproduced for more dj tool version.
THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ONE AND NONE IS N TRANS HUMAN OBJECT (THO) //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// THE SUPERIOR FUNCTION ************************************************ X1N SAYS: //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// IN THE VAST SURFACE OF ALL MATHEMATICAL EQUATIONS, ONE CAN SENSE EVENTS WHICH SEEM TO COME FROM OTHER DIMENSIONS - RIPPLES AND PATTERNS. THE ZERO POINT NINE INFINITE NUMBER LINE NEVER REACHES ONE, YET IS ONE, NONETHELESS. 0.9999... READ THAT SEQUENCE LIKE A MANTRA. A MANTRA OF DEATH. //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// “I TALK IN ALPHA NUMERALS” ************************************************ ### denotes “end”. No more messages to follow.
Wu Hen is the sophomore album from Peckham visionary Kamaal Williams -- an invitation to elevate to a higher state Cinematic strings from Miguel-Atwood Ferguson and virtuoso saxophone from Quinn Mason are textural additions that make for a deeper, multi-layered experience than previous releases.
Bringing groove back to the forefront, Wu Hen oscillates between celestial jazz, funk, rap and r&b reinforced with the rugged beat-heavy attitude of grime, jungle, house and garage - a self-styled fusion Kamaal describes as Wu Funk.
New players on this record include LA’s Greg Paul on drums (of Kalayst Collective), Rick Leon James on bass, Quinn Mason on saxophone alongside vocal features from cult rapper Mach-Hommy and Kaytranada collaborator Lauren Faith. Multi-talented renaissance musician Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (who has worked with Ray Charles, Flying Lotus, Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, and Seu Jorge) contributes signature strings, which add vivid colour and rich depth, evoking vintage David Axelrod.
Kamaal rose to prominence with the hugely acclaimed Yussef Kamaal alongside drummer Yussef Dayes and a catalogue of 12”s for imprints such as MCDE, Eglo, and Rhythm Section as Henry Wu that became essential DJ tools. In 2018 he launched Black Focus Records with the Kamaal Williams debut The Return, which charted in the UK and saw sold out shows and festival appearances across Europe, North America and Asia.
- A1: Interlude (5:25)
- A2: Seventh Avenue (6:21)
- A3: I’m The One That Loves You (7:07)
- B1: Sho You Right (9:47)
- B2: Sir John (6:59)
- B3: Aquarian Mood (4:06)
Justo Almario comes from Colombia, plays sax and flute. The first of his dozen jazz albums was recorded for Uno Melodic, largely composed and all produced by Roy Ayers. Before this solo album he recorded with Mongo Santamaria, Jon Lucian, Dom Salvador and then on sax for the first time with Roy Ayers on the 1976 album “Vibrations” which included “Searchin’”. He also played with James Mason on the album “Rhythm of Life” which included “Sweet Power Your Embrace”, then again with Roy on the “Lifeline” album which included “Running Away”. Demand for this album has grown in recent years through the aforementioned associations and for the stunning title track
- A1: Flying Between The Clusters Of Trees Without Buoyoant, Floating Wing Beats
- A2: He Was Beginning To Despair Of Ever Knowing
- A3: Like Sleepwalkers Ghosting Through A Dreamscape
- A4: Lions In The Supermarket Don‘t Sound Like Humans
- B1: Misty Fog Covering The Side Window
- B2: He Or She Will Then Drill Into The Pulp To Reach The Root Canal
- B3: Into Your Brain - A News Report Said The Line Carried 13,000 Volts Of Electricity
- B4: The Film Is About A Clown Who Leaves His Circus And Lives In A Building Near The Railway Station
- B5: She Wanted Her To Grow Up In A Nice House With A Backyard, So She Could Play
- C1: The Drawings Were Rearranged, As If By Magic
- C2: He Didn‘t Seem The Kind Of Guy Who Would Just Get Talking To A Stranger
- D1: Pigeons Dancing On The Roof
- D2: When They Returned Home After Midnight
- D3: I Wanted To Hold Her Close And Whisper In Her Ear That She‘d Be Fine
- D4: Good Bye My Love
This time, RØDHÅD tunes into a place of reflection and reformation on his most avant-garde project to date: WSNWG – BACK TO ZERO. Intended to provide a space for solo releases, the imprint comes at a crucial turning point, as society circles in on itself during the pandemic.
RØDHÅD christens the label with MOOD, his first ambient experimentalist release, comprised of his own solo archival material mostly from 2017/2018, working on a plane of spontaneity, devoid of set structures. The result is a life-giving, intimate and solipsistic work. Awash with field recordings, droning loops and subtle granulations, the sparse soundscapes on the 18- track album are deeply profound and satisfying.
Collating a myriad of emotions through this sonic venture, RØDHÅD demonstrates his kaleidoscopic nature as a producer of atmospheric and ambient soundscapes, as well as his legacy provider of dance floor energies. The album will have unique artwork contributed by DJ & producer Silent Servant.
- A1: Bigger Than Me
- A2: Fun
- A3: Really (Feat Yo Gotti, 2 Chainz, Soulja Boy & Ti)
- A4: Fuck Yo Feelings (Feat Lil Wayne & Chris Brown)
- B1: On One (Feat Ty Dolla Sign & King Marie)
- B2: Married To The Game (Feat French Montana, Sam Hook & Dubb)
- B3: The Purge (Feat Stacy Barth)
- B4: Trouble On My Mind (Feat Dubb Jake & Papa)
- C1: Cellphone (Feat Dubb)
- C2: Best Head Ever (Feat Tyga & Eric Bellinger)
- C3: Or Nah (Feat Too $Hort, Problem, Av & Eric Bellinger)
- C4: Take That (Feat Tyga & Pharaoh Prophet)
- D1: Food For My Stomach (Feat Dubb & Skeme)
- D2: Hit Em Hard (Feat Bobby Shmurda, Skeme & Freddie Gibbs)
- D3: Black On Black (Feat Young Jeezy & Kevin Gates)
repress
One of the rare outing's of Dopplereffekt , the beautiful abstract and hypnotizing "Linear Accelerator" album is getting a proper double vinyl treatment on WeMe records after the initial cd only release on Gigolo in 2003. Linear Accelerator is a continuation of Der Zyklus's Biometry album with its abstract hypnotizing soundscapes and its controled sterile atmopshere. Tracks like the slowly unfolding 21 minute long 'Photo Injector' are unique and all the 6 tracks all are stunning beauties with Myon-Neutrino bridging the gap between the old Dopplereffekt works and the further evolved outings on this album that garantuee a long and tranquilizing trip. Inspired by the high energy particle psychics being explored at DESY, Dopplereffekt appear to be similarly pulling the very fabric of their sounds apart and thinking on a subatomic level. 17 years after its initial release this is still avant garde and one of those few releases that captured the true meaning of techno! Groundbreaking, Astounding, Alienating, but always with a soul!
"AVALPBOX4", Limited Edition- 1.000 Copies' 28-Page Hardback-Book: 10" Vinyl, Hand signed Programme, Tour Poster & DVD.
By the time The Beatles travelled to Blackpool for the first time,
they had toured with the legendary American singer, songwriter, Roy Orbison; recorded several BBC radio shows, including Saturday Club, Easy Beat and Pop Go The Beatles; appeared on many, highly popular television programmes; released their debut album, Please Please Me and issued their first three EMI singles, ‘Love Me Do’, ‘Please Please Me’ and ‘From Me To You’.
Their fourth, ‘She Loves You’ had just been recorded and mixed ready for release. It was an exciting time for the band so, when they reached the popular, seaside resort for the first time, on 7th July 1963, optimism was filling the air. This stunning AVA Editions collectors pack contains a 10" Record feat. two appearances made by the Beatles on the ABC television show, Blackpool Night Out; an impressive 28-page book, crammed full of previously unseen colour images of the group and a high-quality reproduction of an original, 1963 concert programme signed by Skiffle legend, Chas McDevitt, who supported the Beatles on several occasions.
Also included is a full colour A3 poster and an exclusive DVD feat. a new, 30-minute interview with him, alongside his previously unseen, candid, colour footage of the group backstage, and in performance at the ABC Theatre in August 1963.
So too is a unique, fully colorized version of their 17-Mins. appearance before the cameras for Blackpool Night Out in August 1965. For Beatles and music fans alike, this pack serves as a wonderful opportunity to own a unique slice of music history.
*** Side A: Recording 19th of July, 1964
*** Side B: Recording 1st August, 1965
To say Fredfades and Jawn Rice are House music producers would be sneering at their efforts across genres like Hip Hop, Soul, and Jazz. The Mutual Intentions collaborators have forged a sound together in classic House, siphoning a myriad of influences through their intricate constructions in the studio as solo acts since first meeting in 2007. Becoming fast friends over a shared love of the dusty beats of an SP1200, Jawn Rice and Fredfades started working together while the Mutual Intentions collective gestated around them. Individual works by Jawn and Fred dot the collective’s back catalogue like various nodes of evolution through the course of MI’s output.
“We’ve always been sharing sketches,” explains Jawn Rice, “but I feel that these past years have been more productive in getting some of these sketches out as songs with Fredrik. It’s just a continuation of our friendship.” Emboldened by this friendship and with their finely tuned skills in the studio,
honed to near-perfection, they eventually started making music together. Following two seminal solo LPs – Fredfades’ Warmth and Jawn Rice’s Highlights – the pair consolidated their music as a duo in 2019, striking out with their electrifying debut, Jacuzzi Boyz. In a fusion between Jawn’s electronic inclinations and Fred’s soulful eccentricities, Jacuzzi Boyz established the duo as a new force workingNew Release Information within the broad scope of House music, with a sound imbued in the origin story of House and the genre’s hip-hop allegiances.
In 2020 they continue to pursue music together in the sophomore LP, Luv Neva Fades. Following the release of the title track and lead single, Luv Neva Fades finds the producers cementing their artistic voice and re-enforcing their commitment to a singular sound. Lush Rhodes keys and bouncing percussion lay the foundations for the album, while buoyant bass-lines and sparkling synthesisers provide
the catalyst for a crooning vocal or ruminating melody. It’s a record that thrives in a sultry mood; an LP that basks in the warmth of its analogue origins and cools in the shade of languid chord progressions.
Like Jacuzzi Boys, this album is an extended collaborative affair, as Mutual Intentions’ reach stretches across the Atlantic with guest appearances from Byron the Aquarius, Javonntte, Arthur Kay, Bendik HK and the SP1200 that started it all. Shimmering melodies, hazy harmonies and boisterous beats draw Fredfades and Jawn Rice out of the jacuzzi and onto the dance floor, moving under shimmering stars, where the duo cement what they started with Luv Neva Fades.
The third long player on Night Defined Recordings sees SUED affiliate SW. presenting his new mini LP ‘Night’ and walking a tightrope between jazz and club music. The tracks manifest and dematerialize themselves almost in a non-tangible and floating way, which can be seen as more than just a musical approach but rather shows the artist referring to issues of volatility and evanescence. While listening, some may find themselves in the dark and dusty atmosphere of a jazz club, where the band in the corner at the other end of the room is playing their instruments just when the beat kicks in and puts you right into the club atmosphere.
Written & produced by SW. at SUEDstudio Mastering by Mattias Fridell
Artwork by Studio Belser
‘Love & Peace’ sees Steve mixing up all of his much-loved ingredients to deliver a fresh new record that offers the perfect antidote for the troubled times in which we live. Full of hope for the future, it’s a great mix of boogie, blues, rock, Americana and folk – all delivered in Seasick Steve’s unique style. It’s a sizzler of an album that he can’t wait to release.
“In these crazy times seems to me there just ain’t enough love and peace to go around,” says Steve. “I ain’t exactly sure what this here record got to do with love and peace, but I figured I’d call it that anyways!”
Produced and written by Seasick Steve, this album sees him breaking with tradition. While some of it was recorded in his barn, the majority was recorded in Los Angeles at Studio 606 and at East West Studio 3. The album was mixed by Vance Powell (Jack White, Chris Stapleton) and Steve at East West.
The first-time teaming of Poland’s dynamic Marcin Wasilewski Trio and bigtoned US tenorist Joe Lovano brings forth special music of concentrated, deep feeling, in which lyricism and strength seem ideally balanced.
The alliance plays four new tunes by Marcin and one by Joe, as well as Carla Bley’s classic “Vashkar” (in two variations), plus collective improvisations with strong input from all four players; Slawomir Kurkiewicz’s bass skills are particularly well-deployed in the spontaneous piece “Arco”. Joe will be joining the Polish trio for a number of selected concerts in the autumn.
Arctic Riff was recorded at France’s Studio La Buissonne in August 2019, and produced by Manfred Eicher.
Personnel: Joe Lovano: tenor saxophone; Marcin Wasilewski: piano; Slawomir Kurkiewicz: double bass; Michal Miskiewicz: drums
Ramrock Red Records are incredibly excited to present Kameelah Waheed – straight outta New Jersey. Brought to our attention by London DJ/promoter, Barry King, Kameelah immediately delighted us with her direct, no messin’ delivery, compelling, earworm hooks and beautifully crafted lyrics.
Teaming up with Kelly Murray on co-production on the ‘Original Version’, Kameelah unleashes a stripped back, jazzy hip-hop vibe punctuated with a Donald Byrd’ish trumpet riff. The North Street gang take the Donald Byrd flavour a step further with a full on nod to the Mizzell Brothers in the first North Street West dusty funk production. Releasing digitally around April 24th as a five track EP with a further 7” vinyl release around May/June, ‘Holding On’ is set to tick a lot of musical heads boxes.
Growing up in an Islamic household, sneaking snippets of worldly music into her household was close to pulling off a major heist during Kameelah’s teenage years. She was introduced to the world of sound from MTV, rap and house music and the live bands of the 80's courtesy of her older sister, along with tribal and island music that her mother played. Kameelah was encouraged to consider song writing as a career option when she received an opportunity to write for Bunny Sigler of Philadelphia International Records. Heading up the hip-hop rock band band, Gov’t Cheaze in 2000, Kameelah performed at Philadelphia’s Black Lily Film Festival as well as a set at the very first Roots Picnic.
Previous releases have included ‘Traveling’ by Kameelah Waheed & GC, produced by Larry Gold, featured on the ‘Beat Generation Compilation’ released on BBE, making the Top 10 Most Played on UK urban radio stations. In 2011, Kameelah Waheed and Government Cheaze signed with indie label, Philly Through My Ear (PTME) founded by Will Smith Sr. The self-titled CD can be found on iTunes.
Futuro de Hierro, hailing from Barcelona, is the project by one of the Màgia Roja label/club/community collaborators… mostly known for this work with Dame Area but his solo project Futuro de Hierro is equally (or more?) interesting… the loud repetitive broken beats, noises and powerful delivered Spanish vocals make up for a punk influenced industrial techno sound which borders rhythmic noise at times… like something in between Liaisons Dangereuses, Esplendor Geométrico and Sonar…
This is an uncompromising EP filled with harsh tracks that still work for the dance floor… especially for those fed up with hearing the same beat over and over and over again…
Visions Recordings present here two new jams from Alex Attias productions with a collaboration featuring long-time friends Mark De Clive-Lowe, Justin Chapman AKA Just One and Hajime Yoshizawa.The A side is a latin house bossa organic track with Justin on vocals and guitar over beautiful lush Rhodes and synths played by the incredible Japanese musician, Hajime Yoshizawa. The track is a 10 minutes’ journey into a jazzy soulful vocal jam. A summer vibe to warm us up before the sun comes back.on the B side, Mark de Clive-Lowe delivers keys and piano sounds on top of Alex ‘s funky and groovy mpc house beat for maximum impact on the dancefloor. Two strong tracks to have in your collection for those who love house music with soul and jazz.
Time for some magic as longtime friends Guti and Djebali present their debut collaborative LP ‘Almost Finished’. The two artists decided to get together in Djebali’s Paris studio when Guti was in the French capital in April. With no real plan besides the chance to have a jam together they ended up locked into a four-day session, producing six tracks. In the months that followed, both men roadtested the music around the world, receiving positive feedback everywhere they played. Feeling they’d created something special, the decision was made to arrange a second session at the end of the summer.They found themselves fully immersed in another intensive recording session, where the idea was to make more music based on the existing tracks to create a cohesive body of work that would form an album. Guti and Djebali composed an intro, an outro, interludes and new tracks that complemented those they’d made earlier in the year. Artwork has been specially commissioned from Mister Piro, a protégé of world-famous Madrid-based artist Okuda. The result is a dancefloor-focused collection of 8 tracks (plus a digital bonus) and stunning artwork, which comprise the ‘Almost’ Finished LP
BB Soul are the official Boogie Back productions and remix team,
founded by bassist and producer Ernie Mckone, and multi
instrumentalist Toby Baker.
They are already responsible for many successful remixes from artists such as Kindred & The Family Soul, Paul Johnson, Agape Soul, The O’Jays and many more.
Under the name BB Soul they are producing Original Soul Dance
music for Boogie Back Records, this time on their latest release ‘Make
It Alright’. The Single features the wonderful Laura Jackson, known for her work with the band Cool Million.
- A1: Walkin' My Baby Back Home (Nat King Cole With Orchestra)
- A2: What Does It Take
- A3: Walkin
- A4: I'm Hurtin
- A5: Where Were You
- A6: Angel Eyes
- A7: Nature Boy
- B1: I'd Rather Have The Blues (Nat King Cole In The Charts)
- B2: Unforgettable
- B3: Autumn Leaves
- B4: Pretend
- B5: Mona Lisa
- B6: Too Young
- B7: Smile
- C1: Hit That Jive Jack (The Nat King Cole Trio)
- C2: (Get Your Kicks On) Route 66 (Get Your Kicks On)
- C3: Sweet Georgia Brown
- C4: Straighten Up & Fly Right
- C5: Laura
- C6: Embraceable You
- C7: Dream A Little Dream Of Me
- D1: Besame Mucho (Nat King Cole Goes Latin)
- D2: Rex Rhumba
- D3: Rhumba Azul
- D4: Calypso Blues
- D5: Boulevard Of Broken Dreams
- D6: Rhumba Blues
- D7: Papa Loves Mambo
With the sole exception of Louis Armstrong, Nat "King" Cole was one of therare black artists to enjoy such celebrity in the Forties and Fifties. He began his career as a pianist, forming a trio in 1937 with guitarist Oscar Moore and bassist Wesley Prince, but he was so successful as a singer that he went on to make many recordings as a vocalist.
Capitol, his record label, was quick to capitalize on Nat Cole's velvet tones. The hits came one after another: Straighten Up and Fly Right (1943) sold a million copies, and Nature Boy (1948) and Mona Lisa (1950) sold over three 3 million each. Some of his other (numerous) popular hits can be found on Side B.
Nat Cole's popular songs, however — some were so sentimental they were even slushy — should never conceal his talents as a pianist and musician, which he displayed with the best jazz orchestras around (Side A), his own trio (Side C) or in outings with Latin rhythms (Side D).
His fame earned him his own NBC television show in 1956, while Presidents Truman andKennedy would consult Nat on complex racial issues. He also appeared in some fifty films, and continued to record profusely (at least a hundred of his titles entered the sales charts). Nat "King" Cole deserved his title: not only did he sell over fifty million albums, but he also belongs to those artists who wrote jazz history.
ANNA HOMLER & ALESSIO CAPOVILLA - VASI COMUNICANTI
Vasi Comunicanti is the oneiric record born from the collaboration between L.A. performer and avant-garde artist Anna Homler and Alessio Capovilla, co-founder of Gang of Ducks.
Alessio Capovilla (1985, Turin, Italy ) is an Italian composer interested in sound modelling.
Imperfect sounds, unpunctual distortion and unsuitable atmospheres are constantly researched by Alessio.
A dialogue between ancient tools and new technologies through synthesis, computer music and field recording, crossing beats and genres towards something not easily definable.
Co-founder of the collective Gang Of Ducks, on which he's published two releases ("NO" and "Eocity") under the moniker of XIII, alter-ego through which he mainly examines the most tactile and digital part of his sound.
Anna Homler is a multy-disciplinary artist working on a blurred line between music, performance, spiritual and visual arts and giving birth to several different projects.
In 1985 she released, in collaboration with composer Steve Moshier, the seminal album "Breadwoman & Other Tales", shamanic and meditative songs brought to life with astonishing live performances.
The record was then re-released in 2016 by NYC label RVNG Intl, bridging the gap with a new generation of listeners, discovering the universal and unique world of Homler.
Capovilla, who was born in the same year of the original release, is one of them. His work focuses on imaginary landscapes and oneiric feelings. He has released two records on Gang of Ducks with his XIII moniker, dedicated to his digital and more computer-oriented sound.
The two of them met for the first time for an improvised live performance in Torino in 2017, after which they decided to spend studio time together exploring where this connection could lead.
The record flows along 5 tracks, with Capovilla taking care of synths, drums programming and audio engineering, and Homler singing in her melodic phonetic language, mixing unique voice and sound effects .
"De'la cocce" moves around on a slow quasi-dub rhythm accompanied by whistle and vocal interventions. In "Ricordo" Anna's voice is more prominent, travelling through a digital dimension made of flutes, Buchla Music Easel sequences and rainsticks.
The B side starts with "Bread Dance", where different layers of vocals and drums repeat themselves in an obsessive and haunting atmosphere.
"Be'ya Sa'di" is an ambient and cinematic piece, which quietly introduces "Mem", the most emotionally and intense song of the collection, transporting the listener into a different dimension.
The whole record creates a world with no geographical coordinates, where humans meet their primary feelings in a suspended time, escaping the present and the intelligible world.
The second release from Wax Ninja, a Moscow-based record-shop-turned-record-label, is the longed-for gem cut by Artem Xio, the humble leading light of the local underground scene. Can't Stop Now EP is a universal musical weapon, perfect for a DJ bag in which a variety of genres - from hip-hop and jungle to garage house and techno - coexist peacefully. Each side reflects Xio's stages of formation: not only as a collector, DJ and artist, but primarily as a an educated listener with a sensitive ear. The title track Can't Stop Now was written in 2010 to be rethought 10 years after and become a house banger powered by emotionally charged vocals. The dramatic opus that is Crucial Moment pleases with its Detroit-style anguish, while the U Took My Love, an ode to electric organ, gives out some proper Jersey house vibe. Raw and heavy, True School was born out of an unreleased remix for the local rap group, and finally Now U Know takes you back to the beginning of 00s thanks to Cream Soda d'n'b rework. In other words, this "unstoppable" EP is a true delight both for nostalgic old school heads and for those who expect some quality time on the dancefloor.
DJ Feedbacks: (please find all feedbacks in the pdf sheet)
Laurent Garnier: “GREAT EP -- Love the whole thing”
Tensnake: “can't stop now is big thanks”
Robert Owens: ''cool tracks!"
Ka§par: "“For me the house tracks are fun and all, but it's the
Cream Soda jungle mix that's got me into this release,
thanks!”
Anja Schneider: “Great thx .”
Portable: “Wonderful summer vibes post lockdown!”
Black Madonna: “Nice!”
Moodsetter: “Damn Yeaaah !!!
This is classic New York underground sound...
what a vibe !!!
I just L. O. V. E. I. T !!!
Names You Can Trust is proud to present a special collaboration with Barbès Records and the legendary godfathers of cumbia amazónica, Los Wembler's de Iquitos. Featuring two songs mixed expressly for 7-inch directly from the reels of their 2019 album, VISIÓN DEL AYAHUASCA, it's the latest entry in the group's historic canon of a particular brand of bonafide psychedelia, a worthy addition to a catalog of recordings that have made their way around the world to fans, DJs and sound systems since the group's beginnings in the late '60s.
The band's 50 year-old origin story begins when electric instruments started showing up at the port city of Iquitos, Peru. This seminal moment of international trade at the gateway to the Amazon inspired a shoemaker named Solomon Sanchez to start a band with his five sons. Los Wembler's were the first band in the capital of the Peruvian Amazon to play popular local rhythms with electric guitars. Their revolutionary sound, fuzzy lysergic guitar helixes wrapped around melancholic melodies, would go on to have an enormous impact on the whole of South American popular music, echoing throughout the continent and further, into the States and eventually across the world.
The past few years have seen a new wave of interest in the band's music. Los Wembler's, the sons, now fathers and grandfathers themselves, have brought their trademark sound on recent tours to Mexico, Europe and North America, where it has been embraced by a new generation of musicians and listeners.
As Los Wembler's prepared for a lengthy tour in 2020 to coincide with this new 7-inch issue, the world abruptly changed course. The COVID-19 outbreak has had particularly devastating consequences in the Peruvian Amazon. With an urban density of around a million people, Iquitos is the largest isolated city in the world, reachable only by boat or plane and surrounded by the vastness of the rainforest. A buzzing multicultural city, Iquitos was catapulted into modernity during the late 19th century's rubber fever. It is home to not only the members of Los Wembler's, but several legendary and influential musicians who helped lay the groundwork for the roots of chicha, the distinctively Peruvian brand of cumbia.
Blowing in like a cool breeze on a sultry Caribbean evening, LA reggae veterans the Lions drop by Names You Can Trust with a perfectly timed sentimental summer blast. Lovingly taken for another dance by the west coast crew, the Derrick Harriott 1967 rock steady classic "The Loser" is canon, a masterpiece of Jamaican sweet soul instantly identifiable from its first chiming piano notes. In a nod to the "disco mix" DJ versions pioneered by Harriott, the Lions mic man Black Shakespeare provides a period-perfect chat backdrop to the Impressions-istic harmonies of the band, giving the tune an au courant spin while staying wide of heavy-handed faux ragga. All said, we wouldn't have felt right about releasing this without running things by the family, so we consulted Duane Harriott who approvingly called it "a brilliant take on one of the best rock steady songs of all time! Not an easy one to cover well and the Lions smash it out the park."
Finnish multi-dimensional artist Jimi Tenor is back with a new 7" on Philophon to announce the upcoming album Aulos, which is going to be released in October.On Sugar And Spice he reunited with Ghanaian drummer Ekow Alabi and German producer Max Weissenfeldt.
Sugar And Spice is the perfect summer hit for Jazz, Boogie, Soul and Afro-Beat lovers. A bouncy bass with hip chords, some sharp horns and a sweet voice are driven forward by Ekow's rolling beat. On Lover's Bridge Jimi creates some reminissence to the classic Sun Ra compositions from the 50s and early 60s. A singing organ calls some heroic horns, carried away by a rhythm section, which practice the power of repetition formula par excellence.
Songs for dancing, having fun, and vibing out, B. Bravo's latest project, the "Cosmic Mind" EP, brings listeners to the dancefloor by way of a healthy dose of talk-box, retro synths and irresistable boogie grooves.
Los Angeles producer, talk-boxer, remixer, DJ & instrumentalist, B. Bravo, has been flipping interstellar references and laying down galactic beats for over a decade. From 2009's Analog Starship to 2020's Cosmic Mind EP, the funk in him is alive and well. Born in California with roots in Japan, Bravo combines his love for jazz, soul, hip hop and electronics into his own signature sound of swinging grooves, melodic synths and bouncing analog basslines.
Night Gaunt Recordings is pleased to announce “Ambitions of Guilt”, the newest offering from Brighton, UK based producer L/F/D/M. L/F/D/M is Richard Smith who first emerged in 2013 and has been steadily cranking out the hits ever since. Following his stellar release on Cititrax titled “Dream Bleeds”, Richard Smith is back with a new batch of misshapen heaters. A master of blending fucked up rhythms with chiseled body music that’s both danceable yet also makes you question humanity. Every track crafted to hit deep in the bowels of any warehouse, “Ambitions of Guilt” seeps with acid, techno, noise, and anything in between. With sleazy dance hitters that bring to mind midwest acid/techno, such as Gene Hunt, and also taking from British and Japanese industrialists by the likes early Richard H. Kirk and Sympathy Nervous, Smith creates a feeling that’s both familiar yet still wildly unnerving. L/F/D/M consistently seems to know how to explore emotions in this sphere of cold, repetitive machines, creating an exciting soundtrack to a contorted world.
Hey Existeers!
The new Pudel Produkte release has arrived!
This time, it’s more like a record for yellow press readers – due to the high celebrity density on the two tracks! First, there’s Richard Fearless. The guy has been on the “Mission Impossible” soundtrack and he was famous in New York and London as DEATH IN VEGAS. He composed the music on this record and recorded it together with the slackers of Circuit Diagram, which is why the project was aptly named DEATH CIRCUIT. That’s logical, that’s correct, excellent!
One track of theirs is called “Strom Dub”, and the full length of it has been pressed onto the A-Side of the record. It sounds like Synthesizer music usually sounds: Sexy and warm and cold. The tears of technology dripping onto your head for eight and a half minutes while the spirit of the 80s sneaks in through the back door.
Like the B-Side, this track is a grower, a slow creeper you’ll want to hear again and again. Ac-cording to science, this is just what the people need in these days of unhealthy acceleration. And yes, the B-Side: There’s the track “Teeparty am Waldbrand” which translates to “Tea Party at the Forest Fire”, and it features the fat-mouthed DAS BO and RALF KÖSTER. Trust us, it’s just as hard for native speakers to decipher what they’re saying, but we were assured there’s even a “political dimension” to the track, so I guess we’ll have to listen again. Soundwise it’s a beautifully clut-tered mess, a cold wave sprinkled with bizarre brittle that lures you out into nature.
Ah yes, Pudel Produkte – it’s still minority music from the planet of the apes for people that know where to go, and that is elsewhere than the others.
In 1976, seven Cabo Verdean musicians going by the name Voz Di Sanicolau gathered in a small recording studio in Rotterdam where they laid down an album of fearsome coladeira songs inspired by the music of their home island of Sao Nicolau.
The album took only a few days to record, which may explain the unexpected urgency that fires each track. Treble-soaked electric guitar lines snake back and forth through percussion-and-cavaquinho driven rhythms rooted in the sound of the islands established by the previous generation of Cabo Verdean emigres; subtle keyboards wash through the background, and the vocals, traded between Joana Do Rosario and To-Ze, alternately push the music forward and soar above it. The resulting album is both deeply felt and fiercely executed, and in its grooves one hears the sound of some of the finest Cabo Verdean musicians of their era locked in complete unity of purpose.
It should have been the beginning of something extraordinary; but the pressures of making ends meet forced the musicians back to their day jobs, and Voz Di Sanicolau vanished as quickly as they had appeared, leaving their lone album, Fundo de Mare Palinha, as sole proof of their existence. Forty-four years later the album sounds as fresh as it did the day it was recorded. It is unknown if dutch sound engineer Frans Rolland, who oversaw the recordings, knew he was helping to make history: during these sessions, Joana Do Rosario, whose majestic vocals were crucial to the sound of Voz Di Sanicolau, became the first Cabo Verdean woman ever to appear on a long playing record.
The summer sun is high in the sky. A cocktail in hand. The soundtrack? Chiara. Steeped in Latin rhythms, produced with the golden touch of Francesco de Bellis (Francisco), this two-tracker is set to a serious groove. Beats chatter and mingle in the evening heat of “Rec”. Bass smoothness and brassy blasts are sweetened by Chiara’s vocals before dramatic strings flash like lightning, igniting this already energy-packed encounter. “Studio Line” continues that theatrical touch. Bold keys, echoing the cinematic grandeur of Italy, are supported by dynamic drum patterns as a vocal sample circles. Styles spin and spiral, the track twirling between genre tags refusing to be pigeonholed. Elements of East and West glide and pirouette hand in hand across this stunning 7”, Chiara offering the perfect soundtrack to dance from dusk to dawn.
Lennard Poschmann returns to Oliver Hafenbauer's Die Orakel label with a brand-new EP under his O-Wells alias.
'Ebecs' showcases the Robert Johnson resident's subtle, distinct approach to Detroit-ish,
IDM & ambient-influenced electronic music.
Opening track ‘Ectid’ is a free-floating introduction revealing a glorious acid undercurrent. ‘Bbmore’ demonstrates a different kind of approach with the same wistful ingredients, unravelling a tightly wound drum structure from the inside. On ‘Exolite’, the inverse unfolds, as Wells blends experimental textures and introduces stabs of cathartic and deep bass.
Introducing the other half of the release, ‘Culling Virus’ is Wells' take on simmering, paranoid electro. On the pairing of LL0P 1 and LL0P 2, he provides an intermission with two tense locked grooves before concluding the release with the cascading and dense ‘Shnuck’, a psychedelic transmission of complex layered sound design.
Brigitte Barbu's Muzak pour ascenseurs en panne (Muzak for broken lifts) marked a bold new addition to the Circus Company repertoire. In a gilded haze of resonant tones conjured by traditional and non-traditional methods, Brigitte Barbu created an inviting sound world brimming with life and doffing its cap to 1970s signal processing. Out of such sonic research and development comes a wealth of material for other artists to sink their teeth into, and so we proudly present an accompanying remix EP that takes Brigitte Barbu's distinctive stamp into new territory.
Roman Flügel makes a first appearance Circus Company with two versions of "Dae-Boj DeMoya" that showcase this constantly versatile lynchpin of European techno. First up is his "kraut remix", which unsurprisingly channels the grainy beauty of Neu! and early Kraftwerk, before his "synth remix" dials back the drums and diverts our attention towards an expansive arrangement of melodious flourishes from classic synthesisers.
John Tejada and Reggie Watts reunite as Wajatta following their triumphant LP Don't Let Get You Down on Brainfeeder to deliver a particularly inventive, soul-stirring vocal techno version of "Couvre chef en peau de taupe". Watts soars over the signature warmth of Tejada's production, while Brigitte Barbu's mysterious tones linger in every fold of the mix.
Matthew Herbert offers up a "Butter Dub" version of the album interlude serie "Trou Vert" that pits his signature stark sampling methods against Brigitte Barbu's material and creates a fruitful dialogue of crooked 4/4 mechanics with all the playful curiosity of the original and a strong dose of Herbert's inimitable musical personality.
What is Randolph & Mortimer? A folk duo, a pair of accountants, a techno act…a law firm? What started off as an ‘art project’, influenced by 80s Industrial, 90s rave music and inspired by the documentaries of Adam Curtis, has morphed into a full on New Beat / Body Music dance-floor moving machine. Their studio releases have gained support from some of the biggest underground DJ’s in the world like Ancient Methods and gone on to top various genre sales charts on Bandcamp. Whilst the R&M live shows have seen them share bills with Godflesh, Youth Code, PIG and 3Teeth.
In 2019 it was time for R&M to throw a marker down and so came “Manifesto For A Modern World”, the debut album comprised of tracks from the “$ocial £utures”, “Hope Tragedy Myths” and “Citizens” EP’s plus some additional songs. This album is basically a greatest hits of Randolph & Mortimer. A statement of intent. All killer and no filler. The original limited edition CDs and tapes sold out and it had some incredible reviews. A Model Of Control called it “An absolutely outstanding release” and super cool New York DJ Andi Harriman (Synthicide) made it one her of top 10 albums of 2019 on Post-Punk
So here we are in 2020 and the Randolph & Mortimer story has seriously stepped up a gear with this double vinyl version of the album featuring all Manifesto tracks plus the acid styled dance-floor favourite “Apply Yourself” and four brand new tracks (“Crystal Peaks”, “Stateless”, “What Are You?”, “Fantasy Land”) which make up a whole new EP.
Limited edition of 400 copies with folded poster/insert and sticker.
We are happy to welcome UK-based producer Native Cruise on Slam City Jams. The guy was on our radar since his releases on No Bad Days and Fruit Merchant that easily combined house music with new-age synths, a wave/EBM touch and balearic sounds.
His „Human Nature“ EP is no exception with five outstanding tracks that differ in tempo and vibe.
The opener „Crew Talk“ is a percussion heavy tune with lots of cowbells, a funky DX7 bass line, deep pads and dramatic chords that build up and up towards the end.
„Elsewhere" is the most housey track on this record, with four-to-the-floor 808s and bittersweet strings that burst out into euphoria. Closing down the A-side is „Fooled Again“, a balearic cut that feels like a day in the sun with it's little synth blips and arps.
On the flip we find the title track „Human Nature“ that might be the hidden jam on this EP. Hard hitting Linn Drums, digital synth bells and those haunting vocals we can’t get out of our heads. Finally we have „Not Long Now“ a perfectly atmospheric deep tune, that sits somewhere between ambient and reggaeton and will make fans of DJ Python more than happy.
- A1: Chairmen Of The Board
- A2: Everything's Tuesday
- A3: Pay To The Piper
- A4: Twelfth Of Never
- A5: All We Need Is Understanding
- A6: Patches
- B1: It Was Almost Something
- B2: Bridge Over Troubled Water
- B3: Hanging On To A Memory
- B4: I Can't Find Myself
- B5: When Will She Tell Me She Needs Me
- B6: Children Of Today
1970s soul group established after the legendary producers and songwriters Holland, Dozier, Holland left Motown Records to start their own label group
1970’s Invictus Records album features the distinctive vocals of General Johnson and this is the last album with
the original quartet. Highlights include.
Album highlights include ‘Hanging onto a Memory’, ‘Patches’, ‘Everything’s Tuesday’
Reissued on 140g classic black vinyl with original artwork and printed inner sleeve
- A1: Get It Up For Love 4.33
- A2: Fool For You Anyway 5.38
- A3: A Star In The Ghetto 7.01
- A4: The Message 5.17
- B1: What Is Soul 4.34
- B2: Someday We'll All Be Free 5.13
- B3: Imagine 4.56
- B4: Keepin’ It To Myself 4.30
Widely and rightly regarded as one of the best ever soul and funk bands, the now legendary Average White Band tore-up the rule book and conquered the US, UK & International charts with a series of soul and disco hits between 1974 and 1980. AWB’s repertoire has been a source of inspiration and influence for many R&B acts and they are one of the most sampled bands in history, remaining relevant today, continuing to reach new generations of younger audiences. Snoop Dogg, Fatboy Slim, Ice Cube, Puff Daddy, TLC, Rick Ross, will.i.am and Mark Ronson amongst countless others, have all borrowed sections of their grooves. ‘Benny And Us’ is the 6th album by AWB, who were joined by Soul/R&B legend, Ben E. King and originally
released in 1977. The album reached #33 in the USA. ‘Benny And Us’ includes the singles ‘Get It Up For Love’ (later covered by Tata Vega), ‘The Message’, a new version of ‘Keepin’ It To Myself’ and the classic ‘A Star In The Ghetto’. It was produced by Atlantic’s legendary producer, Arif Mardin and Jerry Greenberg
- A1: Your Love Is A Miracle 6.04
- A2: Same Feeling, Different Song 5.16
- A3: Daddy's All Gone 4.38
- A4: Big City Lights 4.52
- B1: She's A Dream 5.36
- B2: Warmer Communications 4.07
- B3: The Price Of The Dream 3.59
- B4: Sweet & Sour 4.50
- B5: One Look Over My Shoulder (Is This Really Goodbye?) 3.55
Widely and rightly regarded as one of the best ever soul and funk bands, the now legendary Average White Band tore-up the rule book and conquered the US, UK & International charts with a series of soul and disco hits between 1974 and 1980. AWB’s repertoire has been a source of inspiration and influence for many R&B acts and they are one of the most sampled bands in history, remaining relevant today, continuing to reach new generations of younger audiences. Snoop Dogg, Fatboy Slim, Ice Cube, Puff Daddy, TLC, Rick Ross, will.i.am and Mark Ronson amongst countless others, have all borrowed sections of their grooves. ‘Warmer Communications’ is the 7th album by AWB, originally released in 1978. The album reached #28 in the
USA. ‘Warmer Communications’ includes the single ‘Your Love Is A Miracle’, which reached #33 in the USA. It was produced by Atlantic’s legendary producer, Arif Mardin.
- A1: When Will You Be Mine 4.23
- A2: Please Don't Fall In Love 3.42
- A3: Walk On By 3.56
- A4: Feel No Fret 6.22
- B1: Stop The Rain 4.28
- B2: Atlantic Avenue 3.12
- B3: Ace Of Hearts 3.48
- B4: Too Late To Cry 3.40
- B5: Fire Burning 3.27
Widely and rightly regarded as one of the best ever soul and funk bands, the now legendary Average White Band tore-up the rule book and conquered the US, UK & International charts with a series of soul and disco hits between 1974 and 1980. AWB’s repertoire has been a source of inspiration and influence for many R&B acts and they are one of the most sampled bands in history, remaining relevant today, continuing to reach new generations of younger audiences. Snoop Dogg, Fatboy Slim, Ice Cube, Puff Daddy, TLC, Rick Ross, will.i.am and Mark Ronson amongst countless others, have all borrowed sections of their grooves. ‘Feel No Fret’ is the 8th album by AWB, originally released in 1979. The album reached #15 in the UK and #32 in the USA. ‘Feel No Fret’ includes the singles ‘Atlantic Avenue’, ‘Walk On By’ and ‘When Will You Be Mine’, as well as the much sampled ‘Stop The Rain’. ‘When Will You Be Mine’ reached #33 in the US
This was the Band’s final complete studio album for Atlantic Records, which they produced alongside Gene Paul.
The third, and final part, of Luke Vibert’s entertaining and infectious cavort through some of dance music’s key motifs, delivers a singular collection of tracks that the creator defines as Rave Hop.
‘Luke Vibert presents Rave Hop’ finds the British producer and musical trail blazer kick back on a bunch of lazy hip hop breaks and breezy samples. Soulful vocals, suave raps and buoyant riffs are expertly infused with dope as fuck beats and booming basslines.
‘Rave Hop’ concludes Vibert’s trilogy of albums for Hypercolour that has gifted us absorbing musical dispatches from the breakbeat and rave frontlines. With an enviable recording career that has taken in countless projects for labels like Ninja Tune, Warp, Planet Mu and Rephlex, Luke Vibert still holds the crown for king of the beats
Los Angeles based hardcore punk band Entry shall release their debut full length, Detriment via Southern Lord on 17th July on LP and digital formats. This follows their sold-out 7” No Relief on Dune Altar.
Entry started as a project between Sara G and Clayton Stevens (of Touché Amoré) inspired by the likes of Discharge, Minor Threat, Converge, Tragedy, The Cramps, and The Exploited. The punk community at large is as inspiring as it has ever been to them.
Compact and ferocious, Detriment is a diverse album and a breath of fresh air in the genre. The debut showcases Entry’s appreciation for different aspects of punk and hardcore, and their imaginative songwriting that is condensed into nine succinct musical statements of intent.
As a collective, Entry firm belief in the power of punk and the uniting nature of music, and with Detriment they reflect themselves and their community with integrity and authenticity, this caught the ears of Southern Lord label owner Greg Anderson. He remarks "The unhinged intensity of Entry’s live performance at the last Power of the Riff fest blew me away. They embody many of the characteristics of powerful underground music that I have been obsessed with since my youth!.”
Entry are:-
Sean Sakamoto- Bass Guitar
Sara G- Vocals
Chris Dwyer-Drums
Clayton Stevens- Guitar
Bass player Sean Sakamoto plays in the indie pop band Sheer and is a recording engineer in LA, while drummer Chris Dwyer is also a recording engineer in LA, Sara’s musical origins come from punk bands in Pennsylvania, and Clayton also continues to play guitar in Touche Amore on Epitaph Records.
Entry have played the Olympia Hardcore Festival, and Ceremony's Homesick festival in Los Angeles. Opening for bands like Career Suicide, Krimewatch, Sunn, Dangers, Despise You, Sect, and Show Me The Body.
Introducing Idle Minds Workshop / Melbourne based duo Hooves & JPS debuting on Plasma Audio. Staples of the Melbourne music scene, working together as the production outfit "Idle Minds Workshop". Dropping with a slung half time beat "Take Time" features dubbed out lyrics from Rider Shafique, alongside "Opportune" a driving dancefloor half time riddim. Original hand drawn calligraphy brushed by Akane Ito of QQQ Design brings essence into the package giving the feeling of beautifully crafted release, pressed on 10" Vinyl and digital/steaming available on 26th June.
Sometimes, what seems “to be” ... isn’t. And what “was” actually wasn’t. What’s "in" is sometimes out. And what was thought to be "north" is sometimes south.Similarly, up until now, there just wasn’t enough ... of TOO MUCH.
That’s how its been, ever since dynamic-duo TOO MUCH — Rich Morel & Ian Svenonius – let the world listen in on their once-in-a-millenia electro-beat gobstopper “PATENT LEATHER” (MERGE RECORDS); the monster hit which defined dance floors since its release in 2019.
“PATENT LEATHER” a bewitching blend of lechery and love, was tattooed on the brain of every loitering lothario in every night-club, roadhouse, and streetlight latrine in both the free and not-so-free worlds.It was so incessant; it shook houses down, burned parliament, and crashed the stock market. Dancers everywhere pleaded for more.
TOO MUCH have finally relented and deigned to give the heaving, begging, prostrate mass a new mess of motor-robot rhythm rockers. Yes, that's correct. TOO MUCH have a full length record and they call it ... “CLUB EMOTION.”
CLUB EMOTION is nine songs of pure ecstacy perfectly suited for the club, the car or the closet.Its a pure joy to listen to in one’s bedroom or at the beach. On a stroll, at a drive-thru, or while careening through the astral-plane, looking for a ro- mantic rendezvous.
- A1: Mose Allison - If You're Going To The City
- A2: Les Mccann - Sad Little Girl
- A3: Lee Morgan - Psychedelic
- A4: Eddie Harris - Listen Here
- A5: Harold Mcnair - The Hipster
- B1: Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers - Kozo's Waltz
- B2: Joe Gordon - Terra Firma Irma
- B3: Blossom Dearie - Now At Last
- B4: Blue Mitchell - Mi Hermano
- C1: Jimmy Smith - A Walk On The Wild Side
- C2: David Axelrod - Get Up Off Your Knees
- C3: Brand New Heavies - Sphynx
- C4: Marlena Shaw - Look At Me, Look At You
- C5: Charles Williams - Trees & Grass & Things
- D1: Geoffrey Stoner - Bend Your Head Down Low
- D2: Blacks & Blues - Chains
- D3: Leon Thomas - Just In Time To See The Sun
- D4: Norman Connors - Mother Of The Future
- D5: Kamasi Washington - The Rhythm Changes
A follow up to 2018’s Jazz On The Corner which has now sold over 10,000 copies, and last year’s equally successful Soul On The Corner, this compilation see Martin and Eddie return to the world of jazz for another bite at the cherry after Volume one was declared to be “the best jazz compilation of the last 20 years” by Jazz FM’s Chris Phillips
The concept came from a radio show that Freeman and Piller put together for BBC Radio 6 Music which was so well received that the pair decided to dig deep into their record collections and build a double album of some of their favourite tracks.
The concept is simple: an album packed full of jazz gems which they hope are slightly off the beaten track. This year we have hidden gems from Nina Simone and Nicola Conte, classics from Roberta Flack, Roy Ayers and The MJQ, whilst the new British jazz generation is represented by Emma Emma-Jean Thackray. Running the gamut from hard bop, to progressive fusion via Latin beats, it’s an exhilarating listen from start to finish.
Nightports is based on a simple but unbreakable rule of restriction: only sounds produced by the featured musician can be used. Nothing else. These sounds can be transformed, distorted, translated, processed and reprocessed, stretched, cut, ordered and reordered without limitation.
Nightports is about amplifying the characteristics of the musician – celebrating what’s particular about them, finding sounds that nobody else can make, constructing a complex sonic weave that, however radical the transformations, still bears the watermarks of its origin.
“Within the depths of the drum takes, we found hidden melodies, chords, structures and bass lines which we distilled and exaggerated to realise this album,” Slater explains. “On the one hand, this album is fully improvised in that all drum performances were spontaneous, intuitive and responsive; however, they were then subjected to editing and manipulation to arrive at a sound that is neither purely improvised nor constructed.”
Nightports w/ Betamax will be released on CD, digital and limited edition vinyl LP. As with the prev-
ious album, the vinyl is packaged in an intricate die-cut sleeve, designed by Split.
Recorded in one day in February 2018 with The Comet Is Coming’s Betamax at Malcolm Catto’s Qu-
atermass Sound Lab studio.
The Comet Is Coming continue their stratospheric trajectory, this record follows 2019’s Trust In The Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery.
Siti of Unguja tells the story of pioneering women, of the ‘golden
voice’ of Siti Muharam, heiress to the singular legacy of her great
grandmother, the mother of taarab, Siti Binti Saad.
On the Corner teases this first taste of a landmark recording that the
label embarked upon two years ago on Zanzibar. Siti of Unguja has a
transformative atmosphere, brimming with romance, passion and
protest.
Zanzibar is an Island archipelago that lies 6 degrees South of the
equator and 30 miles off the East African coast out in the Indian
Ocean. Known for its spices, traditional Dhow sailing boats and being
a mercantile trading capital of Swahili culture.
The modern history of Zanzibar can be animated through the life and
legacy of one artist, Siti binti Saad. Born in 1890 in the small fishing
village of Fumba, on Unguja (Zanzibar’s largest island), she became
the first Zanzibari recording artist and her recordings sold in tens of
thousands across the swahili world.
The tracks recorded for Siti of Unguja demonstrate Siti Binti Saad’s
eclectic influence on Zanzibari taarab and her great granddaughter,
Siti Muharam imbues the compositions with feeling. Siti Muharam’s
golden voice carries the poetry and invects a timeless passion. It is
Muharam’s deep humility and love that brings the spirit of these two
women together.
With Sam Jones at the controls, taarab’s conservative layers were
opened up and given more than a little wiggle room. Under the
direction of Matona, the recording of this album paid homage to Siti
Binti Saad’s innovations by bringing back the percussive Kidumbak
style of music that originated on the streets of Zanzibar. By strippping
back the typically dense string section of taarab a space was created
for Muharam’s beguiling timbre that is gilded with emotion.
Coming next on the Brookside imprint is a double sided, colour vinyl 12” banger featuring two new versions of First Choice’s epic “Armed and Extremely Dangerous” reworked and dubbed out by none other than Hot Mix 5 & Chicago House legend Ralphi “The Raz” Rosario.
Ralphi returns to Brookside and updates the track with a brilliant reworking on the drums and vocals, while adding a soulful keyboard track to give it an updated feel. Flip it over to the B Side and we have a new version of “Love & Happiness” remixed from the original multi track tapes by NY DJ/Remixer Mike Maurro who takes the track to over 10 minutes with instrumental extensions and beefed up drums keeping it respectful to the original as always.
Produced by and dedicated to the late legendary Reid Whitelaw.
Back in February Risk Assessment hit the headlines via a high-profile outing on Glitterbox Recordings that proved the fast-rising artist's ability to create fresh and funky revivalist disco-boogie jams. This four-track missive on Midnight Riot showcases the producer's re-edit skills.
No messing around, "Bad Times" is an '80s wonder dripping with sleazed up synthwork. Yam Who? straps it to a rocket and fires it into the stratosphere with those punchy basslines and beefed up percussive hits that knock you straight for six.
On the B side "You Must Be The Girl" powers through, with Risk Assessment turning a colourful early '80s synth-disco jam into an attractive, tooled-up disco-house romp. "Bionic Lover" closes out proceedings with a house style revision of another low-slung, guitar-laden chunk of disco-rock funkiness.
Newcomer Hekla releases her uniquely beautiful debut album for solo theremin and voice Á through Phantom Limb Records - run and curated by former FatCat Records, Thrill Jockey and Royal Albert Hall execs James Vella, Ken Li and Mark Pearse.
A Berlin-residing Icelander, Hekla's sparse, delicate, fractal music exists within these two worlds: dark and magical as Iceland's permanight folklore; and (though beatless) as deeply sonic and intense as Berlin's electronic scene. A long-term scholar of solo theremin, Hekla (shortened from her own name Hekla Magnúsdóttir) uses her instrument as an otherworldly and highly evocative Siren-call. A spectral, wailing, howling, lamenting yearning second-voice that underpins a soft vocal delivery, as if her studio had been haunted with a chorus of ghostly backing singers.
While a handful of reference points share a similar ground to Á - Colleen's interplay of voice and instrumentation; the richly immersive filmscore work of sadly passed fellow Icelander Jóhann Jóhannsson's; 'grandmother of theremin' Clara Rockmore's close relationship with such a singular instrument; Julia Holter's intelligent and classically-aligned songwriting - Hekla's music still exists singularly. A one-off talent, emerging from no particular scene, ascribing to no particular rules.
As a creative tool, the theremin - bizarre, unique, rarely heard - can be expressive, intuitive and highly adaptable. In Hekla's hands, her instrument covers an enormous range, from skittering birdsong of high frequency chirrups and chirps, to grinding, tectonic sub-bass. We are given the throbbing, apocalyptic dread of 'Muddle' and the baroque beauty of traditional Icelandic hymn 'Heyr Himna Smiur' in sequential tracks on the album's a-side. Appropriately, she also writes that the album title - Á - is similarly multifaceted in her native Icelandic: 'a river is an á and also it means ouch like when you hurt yourself, and also when you put something on top of something you put it á (on) something.'
The album was written and self-recorded by Hekla in her home studio in Berlin around her son's daycare schedule. Icelandic super-musician Mr Silla (a part-time múm member) guests on a number of tracks. Tallinn-based engineer Jose Diogo Neves - a stalwart of Icelandic and Portuguese music - mixed and mastered Á.
James Vella formed Phantom Limb in June 2017 after eight years in A&R for FatCat Records. Mark Pearse (formerly head of contemporary music programming at the Royal Albert Hall) and Ken Li (formerly of Thrill Jockey, now of Nettwerk) joined the team shortly after.
One of the biggest selling hits by T. Rex from late spring/early summer 1971. These bare alternative versions were recorded in London during January 1971. 500 copies pressed on red vinyl in T.REX House Bags, 500 copies pressed as picture discs. All royalties go to The Light of Love Foundation (These recordings and many more were amongst the tapes stolen from Marc & Gloria’s home in 1977, some of this material was returned to The Light of Love Foundation last year). This year sees T. Rex inducted into the U.S Rock n Roll Hall of Fame in May and has already seen the profile of T.Rex heightened.
Fusing dexterous hand-percussion, hypnotic guitar riffs & soaring melodies, Waaju rise from London’s rich cultural palette with their latest album ‘Grown’, proving UK Jazz doesn’t have to sound the way we expect it to. Led by drummer and percussionist Ben Brown (Alfa Mist, Dizraeli, Ashley Henry), the band comprises percussionist Ernesto Marichales (Jordan Rakei, Sigala), guitarist Tal Janes (Nubiyan Twist, Bahla), Sam Rapley (Fabled, Maria Chiara Argiro) and Joe Downard (China Moses, Judi Jackson), each with their own strong presence on the UK’s extensive music scene. Waaju’s refined and divergent sound connects the dots between the likes of Ali Farka Touré, Alain Peters, Los Muñequitos de Matanzas, Oscar D’Leon and Beth Carvalho. Waaju formed as a means of exploring music’s hidden connections, from trance-inducing Moroccan Gnawa to Caribbean carnival music, and embracing them to reflect different shades of London’s own musical culture. It was the band’s love for Mali’s folk music – and Ali Farka Touré’s stylistic prowess in particular – that first set the project in motion. London’s Jazz Cafe invited Waaju to reinterpret classic tracks from Farka Touré’s catalogue to sold-out audiences in 2018 and 2019. According to Brown: “Ali’s one of the best. He has such a unique sound. His playing is so gnarly. His spirit and attitude are things I always think of when making music.” Waaju (meaning ‘to urge, inspire or influence to take action’ in Malian language Bambara) blends pulsing Latin polyrhythms, psychedelic Malian blues licks and cinematic textures. Following the group’s 2018 self-titled debut record, Grown presents a group more unified and distinctive-sounding than ever with six fresh, bold compositions. The record begins with Moleman, a potent reminder of the intricacy and energy Waaju’s become known for. Gritty, clattering metal defines the landscape for sizzling builds, hinting at rave culture styles like Bashment and Jungle. Listening Glasses follows and it’s clear why this is the album’s lead single – its Afrobeat-like energy and joyful interplay between guitar and tenor sax lies somewhere between Tony Allen’s grooves, Chimurenga guitar and Headhunters’ funk. On late night jam Rollando, Joe Downard’s skulking bass frequencies rule and wonkiness reaches new heights as heavy dub grooves almost tear themselves apart. Time’s Got a Hold was co-written by Waaju and Jordan Rakei for a show together in November 2018. Kicking off side B, this version features special guest vocalist Will Heard over bouncing triplets evocative of 1970’s Sega from La Reunion. A kind of looseness found only at night, the quiet drive of Wassoulou is sparse yet purposeful. Pulling back the tempo and dimming the lights, cavernous percussion fills each corner of the room, springing back as spectral reverbs. The title and final track shows the many dynamic sides of the outfit’s far-reaching sound, with its expansive harmonies and explosive psychedelia, spanning Yoruba Andabo to Hendrix, signing off an exciting and energetic second LP from Waaju at their most scintillating.
DNGDNGDNG is Dengue Dengue Dengue's new alias for this release of extra sensory perception. The duo have projected rhythmic visions of lost continents, unknown worlds and the unseeable past and future that is present all around us. By channeling rhythmic patterns from the matrix they're able to translate the waves of radiation around us which originated at the cosmic event which created the universe. DNGDNGDNG reach deep into their sonic imagination to draw from interlocking time signatures and variant tempos. From the cosmic interference and mathematics DNGDNGDNG create a polyrhythmic theme that brings the sound of continents lost and imagined to our ears. Dengue Dengue Dengue have established themselves as one of the most pioneering artists on the leftfield electronic scene in recent years with heavyweight support by the likes of Boiler Room, Resident Advisor and Bandcamp weekly.
Produziert und aufgenommen von Arca, definiert KiCk i eine neue Ära in der Multiplex-Welt der venezolanischen Künstlerin, Sängerin, DJ, Performerin und Komponistin. Mit Björk, Rosalía, Shygirl und SOPHIE hat Arca zum ersten Mal Kollaborateure in ihre Welt eingeladen. Zuvor produzierte sie für Björk, Kayne West und FKA twigs, komponierte Musik für das MoMA, erschuf gewaltige Noise-Skulpturen oder legte bei Festivals als DJ auf. Mit KiCk i wird nicht nur die Freude gefeiert, die Arca in ihrem Leben finden konnte, sondern auch der manchmal beschwerliche Weg, den sie dafür zurücklegen musste. Ihre Bemühungen, ihr venezolanisches Erbe und ihre trans-lateinamerikanische Identität zu versöhnen, entpuppen sich als Reggaetón und spanischem Pop. Aber KiCk i ist nicht nur eine Pop-Platte oder eine experimentelle Platte, oder auch nur eine Mischung aus beiden, sondern alles auf einmal - und noch so viel mehr. Je nachdem, wo man die Nadel aufsetzt, findet man Bubblegum, raue Geräusche, elektronische Psychedelia, Balladen, Knaller, Gelächter, Tränen, Leidenschaft und Glaubensäußerungen - Klänge und Ideen, die nicht einfach miteinander verschmelzen, sondern gleichzeitig in einer Quantenüberlagerung koexistieren. "Ich möchte nicht an ein Genre gebunden sein", erklärt Arca. "Ich will nicht als eine Sache abgestempelt werden." Wo sie jetzt ist, endet das Nicht-Binärsein nicht mit ihrer geschlechtlichen Identität. Es ist zu einer Denkweise geworden, bei der keine eine Sache nur eine Sache sein muss, bei der mehrere Bedeutungen, mehrere Realitäten in überlagertem Gleichgewicht koexistieren können. In diesem Raum zwischen den Staaten, in dem das eine Ding das andere ist, hat Arca ein riesiges Feld unerschlossener kreativer Kraft entdeckt.
Alinka makes an eagerly anticipated return to Crosstown Rebels with the outstanding Control Transmission, her last appearance on the label featuring in 2016 collaborating with Shaun J. Wright. This solo release demonstrates her versatile sound that is inspired by her experience in scenes across the world.
Control Transmission begins with robust 909 drums as the claps resound with force. The bass, a razor-sharp, distorted and filtered charge is introduced commanding attention, further electro inspired samples and effects are layered in this powerful track. Day Zero captures the spirit of the Mayan jungles, with synth that propels with energy, ebbing and flowing with mystical chords that give a nod to the famous festival spearheaded by Damian Lazarus.
Born in Kiev, Alinka has a unique power on the decks and in the studio, influenced by the city of Chicago, with toes tipped in Detroit techno and Europe’s key cities. Immigrating to Chicago with her family as a child she immersed herself in the scene, digging for records and becoming resident for Justin Long’s Dotbleep party at Smartbar. In 2012 an impromptu meeting with former Hercules and Love Affair vocalist Shaun J. Wright changed her life. The pair launched their Twirl parties and label whilst continuing to evolve their collaboration.
The result has been an impressive catalogue of material from, with music featured on Jackathon Jams, Crosstown Rebels, Leftroom, The Classic Music Company and of course Twirl. Now living in Berlin, Alinka has used this base to play at parties across Europe including the likes Panorama Bar and Circo Loco, whilst regularly returning to the US to play for promoters such as Ladyfag. 2020 will she Alinka’s evolution continue, with a packed schedule of releases and her newly launched label Fantasy Life.
In terms of "legendary" House records, it doesn't get any better than LNR's "Can't stop the house".
Originally released in the golden year of 1987 the Chicago duo of Larry Thompson and Rick Lenoir (with a helpful production assist from the mighty Adonis and a dope remix from Steve "Silk" Hurley) crafted this anthemic slab of chunky, funked out jacking House. "Can't stop the house" is a straightforward, stripped back club track, no special FX - just straight up party music for sweaty dancefloors. This official 2016 reissue contains 4 mixes of this stone cold classic - The vocal mix, basement mix, house of trix mix and the rapid edit, all culled from the numerous pressings that came out in 1987 - 1989. In a sense, this is "the complete" collection of this cornerstone of Chicago House. The full set. All audio has been lifted from Rick Lenoir's private collection of reel to reel tapes from his basement and remastered accordingly. This reissue has been realised with the full involvement of Thompson & Lenoir and is 100% legit! Don't snooze, this one deserves a spot in any self respecting House heads record bag or DJ set, classic material made available again for 2016 - You can't stop it!
- A1: Can't We Be Friends?
- A2: Isn't This A Lovely Day?
- A3: Moonlight In Vermont
- A4: They Can't Take That Away From Me
- A5: Under A Blanket Of Blue
- A6: Tenderly
- B1: A Foggy Day
- B2: Stars Fell On Alabama
- B3: Cheek To Cheek
- B4: The Nearness Of You
- B5: April In Paris
- C1: Don't Be That Way
- C2: Makin' Whoopee
- C3: They All Laughed
- C4: Comes Love
- C5: Autumn In New York
- D1: Let's Do It
- D2: Stompin' At The Savoy
- D3: I Won't Dance
- D4: Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good To You?
- E1: Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
- E2: These Foolish Things
- E3: I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
- E4: Willow Weep For Me
- E5: I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket
- F1: A Fine Romance
- F2: Ill Wind
- F3: Love Is Here To Stay
- F4: I Get A Kick Out Of You
- F5: Learnin' The Blues
Waxtime Boxset Series Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong - The Essential Albums ‘Ella & Louis’ and ‘Ella & Louis Again’ Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald were capable of producing magic that few jazz singers could match.
Their infrequent studio collaborations yielded true masterpieces. After cutting several sides backed by big bands for Decca in the late forties and early fifties, Ella and Louis were summoned by producer Norman Granz in 1956-57 to make three albums that would become legendary jazz classics. This 3-LP set compiles their two complete small group albums, Ella & Louis (Verve MGV4003) and the 2LP set Ella & Louis Again (Verve MGV4006-2).
Ella & Louis *****Down Beat “Ella & Louis is one of the very, very few albums to have been issued in this era of the LP flood that is sure to endure for decades.” (Nat Hentoff) Voted number 636 in Colin Larkin’s All Time Top 1000 Albums
Ella & Louis Again (2lp Set) ***** Down Beat “This set is more relaxed and more successful than their previous cooperative venture. It can hardly fail to break sales records for them both.” (Leonard Feather)
Bari's based Dj/Producer, Innocent Soul, brings his Disco, Italo and House influenced sound to French label Happiness Therapy’s eight release. Having previously teamed up with Black Loops on a few acclaimed productions on labels such as Toy Tonics, Rough Limited and Defected’s sub-division Classic Music Company, his biggest impact has possibly been with his DJing. Having found success and notoriety as a resident in Barcelona’s club scene, Innocent Soul, makes a bigger name for himself as a producer with his latest release ‘Poison’.
Opening up is title track ‘Poison’ a throwback to the 80’s dance music with an italo touch, driving percussion and mesmeric synths. This track highlights the diversity of Innocent Soul’s production style. The following track is ‘Don’t Make It’ a heart pounding, trance inducing progressive disco track with a prominent foot stomping kick drum, looping Afro-Caribbean percussion, rolling bassline and spacey synths. Next up on the release is a heater, ‘Feelin’ Love’ is a raw soulful house track with an infectious rhythm that gets your head nodding from the get go, beautiful female vocals with bright and uplifting melodies. If you’re looking for a feel good track this is it! Closing out the EP is ‘Bring Your Mind’ a bumpin loop oriented house track with hypnotic basslines, horns and vocals. The perfect after hours track.
(This…) edition of 100 hand-numbered copies worldwide, all housed in an 8″ floppy disk sleeve (…) provides three untitled tunes on this 7″ single, starting with a gooey, yet fascinatingly melodic, multi-layered, ever spiralling Acid workout on the A-side whilst the flip provides both fast-paced, jumpy ElectroAcid as well as an interesting, hypnotic antigroove take on the genre for a second cut .
Attraktors are JFlower: Antronhy: Jhon:
Former members of Six.BySeven: Bivouac: Julian Cope: The Selecter: Nectarine No9
Inspired by Minimalism: Fripp: Eno: Marcel Duchamp: Krautrock: Proto-Punk: Soundscores: Sci-Fi: Computer Science.
"Michoacan, has been producing music since 2002. and after a few years hiatus this ultra cool, left of centre producer, returns to freak us with the 'Knights Are Cold EP'.
On 'Knights Are Cold', the A side is all about left leaning, synth led, shiny disco-ness with shades of the 80s, while the B side - 'Be Side Me' is a moody, low slung, cosmic disco destroyer. "
- A1: Frenetics - The Madman Talk
- A2: Vox Rei - Le Ombre Dei Soldati
- A3: The End - Tears In My Eyes
- A4: Les Blusons Noirs - The Scream
- B1: Illogico - Africani Gemiti
- B2: Blaue Reiter - My Inner Tought
- B3: Polaroid - Vita Immaginaria
- B4: Atelier Du Mal - Back To Taiwan
- C1: Sex - A Sickness Called Distress
- C2: Ship Of Fools - Metal Box
- C3: Ideal Standard - Another Loser
- C4: Nadja - Possession
- D1: The Age - Uer
- D2: Dark Ride - Apocalypse
- D3: Mono - From Planets & Satellites
- D4: Tv Dance - Schneller Leben
Searching for new languages beyond the bitter and nihilist dialect of punk, bands like Gaz Nevada, Litfiba, CCCP, Diaframma, Neon, and many others, began spreading their message all along the Italian peninsula during the early eighties and many of the members of these bands are now some of the best musicians/producers in the Italian independent music panorama (Giovanni Lindo Ferretti, Piero Pelù/Litfiba, Bisca, etc.). 16 tracks by 16 Italian underground bands from 1982-1984: bands who faded into oblivion before ever releasing anything of their own on vinyl. It should, however, be stated that if these sixteen bands had been found on an album, EP or single, they certainly would not have lowered the average quality of albums in that genre…not even in terms of sound quality, which has actually been improved upon here (considering that the original tapes had been lying around collecting dust for at least a quarter of a century) by careful restoration.
Carac Records is a Swiss bred record label aiming on promoting young artists from Switzerland. Our first vinyl release welcomes two members of the Geneva crew “La Gourmandise”- Reyaz & L1.
This record is a club oriented ep that blends different influences; fast shuffling house with sharp synth melodies to dubby pads as well as chords to acid lines with touch of broken drum patterns.
Hope you’ll have as much fun playing these as they had creating the cuts
200 hundred copies don’t sleep on this one !
Italian producer Clap! Clap! returns to Bristol's Black Acre with his third album, ‘Liquid Portraits’. Born and bred in Florence, Cristiano
Crisci’s musical career extends back to the mid-90s where he started out as a rapper, before picking up a saxophone and exploring
both jazz and jazz/punk fusion with Trio Cane, and then returning to his electronic roots with A Smile For Timbuctu project - a
collaborative effort that released four albums and performed across Europe. By 2008, Crisci decided to strike it out on his own as Digi
G’Alessio, channeling the same hip-hop meets electronic music energies as those animating the nascent Los Angeles beat scene for a
string of EPs and albums. Soon Crisci hit upon a new formula when he started combining samples from the African continent with
energetic drum programming. The results led to the birth of Clap! Clap! in 2013, which has since been recognised and supported by the
likes of Paul Simon and Gilles Peterson. The stripped-back, high-energy yet inventive sound caught the attention of Black Acre with
whom Crisci has been working with ever since, including his first and second albums ‘Tayi Bebba’ and ‘A Thousand Skies’. Returning
to Black Acre, Clap! Clap!’s third album once again deploys his inimitable technique in fine style, however with new eyes as this new
project signifies a definite shift in his work having spent the last few years learning the art of mixing which has lead to some
breakthroughs: “In recent years I’ve spent a lot of time studying essential mixing techniques. I then built an acoustic-treated room and
set up my new studio. I started to convert digital into analogue and vice versa with good converters and achieved sounds that I’ve
never heard before from my speakers. This had a huge positive impact on my mixes and result on my music.” Entitled ‘Liquid Portraits’, the album - as the name suggests - is a collection of sonic paintings, an attempt at capturing furtive, subconscious memories through sound. The tracks reference trips Crisci took and people he met – from southern Italy to Hokkaido via the Kif Mountains of Morocco – as well as more abstract ideas of loss, calmness, and childhood. Having been approached by Paul Simon to work on his 2016 album ‘Stranger To Stranger’ after Simon discovered ‘Tayi Bebba’ through his son, Clap! Clap! is no stranger to collaborations and this album features a small cast of talents, such as south Italy percussionist Domenico Candellori (‘Southern Dub’), Belgian artist Martha Da’ro (‘Moving On’) and harpist Kety Fusco (‘Rising Fire’)
Maestro Egisto Macchi (Gruppo di Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza - The Group) recorded this mystical ethnographic trip to the South of Italy imbued with its rites, superstitions, magical symbols and popular mythologies in 1977 for the TV Documentary 'Sud e Magia'. Astoundingly evoking the intensity, magic and psychedelia of its subject with the use of inventive and unconventional techniques (aerophones, crystal glasses, prepared piano), Macchi harmonizes kindred spirits from transcendental, religious and metaphysical sound forms. Produced in the Feeling Records Studios, Turin, which had the highest level of equipment and technicians, this pinnacle of experimenal library music is released for the first time with audio restored from the original masters tapes.
Black Vinyl Edition
The Log and the Leeway follows a 6 year journey of personal exploration and drastic change for Bram Bosteels and his singular Kaboom Karavan universe. What entails is a sound-curiosity of rare format, following a metamorphosis that goes beyond the musical.
Early in the process, Bram was struck by the word/concept of a Leeway : the gradual departure from an intented course due to external influences. Following a boyish fascination for explorers travel journals, logbooks and the far fetched corners of the world, he could not have forseen how fitting of a title he had chosen. Drastically all of a sudden one day, completely unexpectedly, Bram experienced his own father dying in front of him from a rare disease. Shocked and confused by this intense encounter, his perspectives and musical course departed from its original path. But at the same time it was an enlightenment and a necessary influence for him to realise the initial idea and finish this album, started over half a decade before.
The ones familiar with Kaboom Karavan already know that nothing really sounds quite like it. Bram’s musical (and non-musical) universe is of the rare breed that seems to be entirely his own. Self-contained, but never opaque. Quite the opposite actually. Bram never pushes us away, instead, by listening to his music we are given view to a synesthetic wunderkammer of images, places, objects and possibilities. Distant but magnetic, alien but intimately familiar, Kaboom is folk music from another dimension. Listening to The Log and the Leeway is like waking up next to a bonfire in the middle of a swamp wearing somebody else’s clothes: You may not know how you got here, but whatever is happening seems to very directly involve YOU. What will happen?
Note from Erik K Skodvin (Miasmah): All the sounds, fabrics, instrumentation and stories that binds The Log and the Leeway together go far beyond what can be touched up in this simple writeup. As someone who have followed this journey since the beginning, and seen it shift from lighthearted fun to the most crepuscular personal experience, heard the stories behind (almost) every field recording and gone through boundless amounts of clips, visual details, notes, and inspirations – I can only say that it is with great pleasure and certain nostalgia I can present this record in full through Miasmah and close this quite extraordinary chapter. Bram is without doubt the most fascinating person I know. Like I told him in April 2020 during a trying time: “If everything fails, we´ll open a Kaboom Karavan museum” - an idea that might not be as far-fetched as it sounds.
Featuring: Cover painting by John Lurie. 16 page booklet of Musical illustration / collagés by Walter Dhoogh & Erik K Skodvin that more or less connects (or confuses) the dots between the music and stories behind. Mastered by Lupo at Loop-O
Scand resident Steve Allman brings together the fast-paced sounds of Detroit and London electro in his debut EP on EON Records.
A key part of London’s longest running electro night Scand for ten years, the south London producer has played alongside the genre’s most important figures The Advent, Detroit in Effect
and Andrea Parker included - delivering consistently high velocity all vinyl sets. Allman’s approach to the dancefloor comes out in its full majesty here on Brainwave. Driven with analogue bass from the Novation Bass Station 2 that’s central to his studio set up, the EP is an uptempo booty moving selection of tracks. Sonically the EP is an expression of Allman’s ear for fast-paced 90s era Detroit electro and the UK’s rave edged take on the sound calling upon freaky synth work, heavy bass patterns and eerie rave stabs to colour the release. What we hear on Brainwaves across the three original tracks is pacey, buoyant and sub-weighted - a record ready to be played loud when the systems are turned back on. Closest influence and mentor Sync 24 drops a bomb of a remix for the title track Brainwave, weaponising it a step further adding a deadly acid scrawl.
Motown soul artist David Ruffin had one of the finest voices of the 60s and 70s, primarily as lead singer of The Temptations. He also recorded as a solo artist across three decades, and while still at Motown in 1977 recorded an album “In My Stride” with writers/arrangers/producers Van McCoy and Charles Kipps. Both the sides on this 7” release come from the album and are among the most enduring recordings by David the solo artist. “I Can’t Stop The Rain” has become increasingly more collectable on 7”, while “Questions” has never previously been available on 45.
Vinyl Only
The duo Discult Soundsystem is very proud to present their vinyl only imprint: Lets Discult. For their debut release the Berlin based label is dropping a massive Various Artists shaped for the dancefloor. 4 tracks EP including one from the label heads themselves, Intr0beatz, Leo Woelfel and Dimi Wilson.
Craigie Knowes continue their long-running War Child fundraiser series with a new 2x12" release featuring tracks from Eluize, DJ Python, Stellar OM Source, Innnershades, No Moon, The Burrell Connection and more. From ambient and downbeat through to techno and electro, the release spans the sounds that Craigie Knowes have embraced over the last 5 years. The fourth installment of the project also sees a completely new sleeve and center label design by Kyle Morrison. All profits donated to War Child UK, a charity helping children in areas of conflict around the world.
- Alexandra
- Held Down
- Strange Girl
- Only The Strong
- Blow By Blow
- Song For Our Daughter
- Fortune
- The End Of The Affair
- Hope We Meet Again
- For You
Laura Marling’s exquisite seventh album 'Song For Our Daughter' arrives almost without preamble or warning in the midst of uncharted global chaos, and yet instantly and tenderly offers a sense of purpose, clarity and calm. As a balm for the soul, this full-blooded new collection could be posited as Laura’s richest to date, but in truth it’s another incredibly fine record by a British artist who rarely strays from delivering incredibly fine records.
Taking much of the production reins herself, alongside long-time collaborators Ethan Johns and Dom Monks, Laura has layered up lush string arrangements and a broad sense of scale to these songs without losing any of the intimacy or reverence we’ve come to anticipate and almost take for granted from her throughout the past decade.
Friends, it is time for a finish. Here's the seventh and last chapter of the festivities that we put together for our 50th catalogue number. Once again, the mighty graphics wizards Doppeldenk from Leipzig provided us with a delightfull artwork. And once again, you'll get a record that sports a kaleidoscope of sophisticated dance music from Uncanny Valley veterans and newcomers. This time with the emphasis on bright and positive timbres which can be associated with the colour yellow. Cuthead starts things with a bang and his PARTY CHORDS set the tone perfectly (including neck pain after nodding your head to the beat like there's no tomorrow). If chords could be president this would get a lot of votes. Massimiliano Pagliara shifts down a gear with the acoustic road trip SUNSET FUNK, a masterfully arranged track, made up for driving around on your bike, skateboard or whatever vehicle you are using to get from A to B. The slow and sexy IWESU YEWISU from the soul brothers of Duererstuben is a longtime favorite in the Uncanny Valley headquarters. We are super happy that this groover will finally see the light of day. Panthera Krause provides the subtle but euphoric THE NAKED NOW, a House music lesson that's bubbling under the surface. And finally, Uncanny Valley first-timer Daniela Da Luz closes the record with WHEN YOU GO ALL IN AND WAIT, a drum heavy but also embracing excursion into your own neural circuit
The second volume of Nothing Is Real’s self-titled compilation builds on their towering reputation as leading lights within the global electronic music community. As the label’s first release distributed by the respected Dutch record label and store Bordello A Parigi, the collection is set to further establish their international presence and spread their eclectic sound far and wide.
Bringing together diverse influences from across the spectrum of electronica and into new wave and ambient music, Nothing Is Real stand at the forefront of modern dance music as sonic innovators that continue to push boundaries with each offering.
Curated by Alberto Iovine and Alessandro Fumagalli, also known under the stage name Modular Project, this four-track collection takes listeners on a journey through the outer atmosphere of techno, expanding and evolving the genre into new forms along the way.
Cantor’s opening track kicks things off with a hypnotic, driving groove built on acidic synths before Niv Ast & Roe Deers bring a human touch to the proceedings with a vocal-led heater that recalls classic ‘80s sounds. Dharma pairs shuffling rhythms with extraterrestrial soundscapes that recall Squarepusher and Aphex Twin, before Argia closes the record with force and momentum, surrounding voltaic synthesizers and tribal drums with expressive atmospherics.
Gwendoline is the project from Micka (a.k.a. Mikoune) and Pierre (a.k.a. Daniel). Based in Rennes, musically influenced by the classic cold wave which originated in their country, precarious and aimless, they shape Gwendoline to their own image. Pure DIY ethics, quick recordings at their home studio. Dark lyrics, self- mockery, criticism, sarcasm derived from the world’s mediocrity.
“Après c’est gobelet!” is their first album. Melodic but dark, ironic but direct, sophisticated but absolutely minimalistic. A testimony of today’s world viewed under a grey prism of sarcasm and wrapped around beautiful melodies and rhythms.
We are really happy to present you this very special record on a limited, hand numbered edition of 140 copies, housed in a matt finish sleeve and including a download code. The digital download includes two bonus tracks.
The notorious London White vinyl only project returns with more original Rave material!
Selected by Gareth Wild this cut through VA sees excellent additions to the series via standout material from JK Flesh, 7XINS, Keikari and Voicedrone.
Tried and tested, dance floor killers!
All tracks written and produced by the artists.
Mastered by Simon at The Exchange.
Graphics design by Grade A.
Absolute Unity' is the new Dance Music project from Ryan Grieve, a cofounder of Hole In The Sky Records. Ryan has produced as one half of bands Canyons, Fred Cherry and Heart People, among others, with releases on labels DFA Records, Modular Recordings, Universal Music, Warner Music, Hole in the Sky & I'm A Cliche.
Returning from the haze of major record label obscurity and confusion, Absolute Unity is a return to roots with a focus on simple, raw sounds aimed for DJs to play to dance floors.
For the third instalment of the Dispatch Blueprints series, another of our favourite artists presents their unique take on the Blueprints ethos.
Continuing the theme of exploring organic musical progression, DLR delivers two exceptional tracks that perfectly capture the spirit of the label.
An idea in development for several years, 'You Leave' began life as a hardware-based tune. No longer using the same equipment when returning to finalise the idea, the track was rebuilt with modern emulation, combining old school inspiration with contemporary techniques.
'Intermix' is a stripped-back, two-step journey. Slowly developing changes progress into dynamic and unexpected directions.
Optimo Music presents “Vanessa 77” the debut album from New Zealander Vanessa Worm. Originally due in May it was rescheduled due to the lockdown but we couldn’t wait any longer to get it out into the world, so here it is, on vinyl and digital.
After entrusting us to release 3 much loved singles it seemed right to let Vanessa stretch out across an album and show the world what she is about and how talented she is. Vanessa is exactly the kind of artist Optimo Music dreams of finding; her music fits in with no genre and no scene – it is its own genre and its own scene. Musically free and anarchic, Vanessa conforms to nobody’s dogma. Before lockdown Vanessa played a series of Southern Hemisphere live shows that entranced all who saw them. Hopefully next year she can come and do the same in the Northern Hemisphere.
We asked her for a few thoughts about her album. Vanessa says – “Vanessa 77, like most creative endeavours is a journey of self discovery. Mentally, emotionally and creatively. I spent most of my time alone in winter 2019 – focused solely on personal development & self realisation via the creation of this album. It was a way for me to put my mental state onto a plate – the joys, the fears, the epiphanies, and so on. I so desperately wanted to share what I was learning with the world too – I intended for Vanessa 77 to help others to heal, self-realise and alchemise. It was a 9 month process of death and a re-birth from the old into the new. Much like the world is experiencing now entering 2020, I hope this album can provide some form of healing, soothing, celebration and act as a sub-conscious guide for us as we enter into this New Earth. Thank you to all who listens, enjoy!”
Decha’s Hielo Boca LP was released in early 2019 and quickly was embraced by many as an exceptional experi- mental yet very personal and soulful piece of art. Artist Viktoria Wehrmeister (half of renowned duo Toresch along- side fellow Düsseldorfian Tolouse Low Trax) is already working constantly on her sophomore album for Malka Tuti that will come some time in the near future. In the meantime, longtime fans of Viktoria, many friends of the label asked to participate in the remix project that fol- lowed Hielo Boca. On this record we will present 4 remixes that are as imag- intive, inspirational and clever as the original composition. Tapan, Eva Geist, Khidja & Philipp Otterbach took upon themselves to reconstruct Viktoria’s ideas in very surpris- ing, intriguing and “out of the box” ways.
This is the 4th ep that continues a volume of a 5 ep project. Its own kind of album type edition so to speak. Destination celebrates the drum and bass genre with its own style reminiscent of Aphex Twin and Squarepusher. type programming. It fuse’s eclectic beats with a more common flow of bass licks that cruise throughout the track. With a more psychedelic presence this track offers a complexity of rich sounds that will encapsulate any avid lover of electronic music from the headphones to the dance floor. Bouncy and fun yet with deep exploration of ‘Abstract sounds’ bringing a serious edge, Destination is equipped for any explorer seeking any type of Destination. Then comes Arrival. Not an ordinary piece of music, with the artist expressing themselves from past musical influences, to curve their own piece of storytelling art, through audio sonic means. An inner world reflective explanation can be as follows - An epic piece revealing the adventures of seeking depth, from ones dense conscious reality, tribal like mannerisms, traveling to a higher frequency of light and wonder, breaking through to the heart centre of ones own unique truth. By doing so, welding together the whole aspects of being, Arriving at ones own true balance of self. Reuniting with the dense tribal like self yet with a complete transformative understanding of life and self in relation to life as a whole. Ones outer world of reflective explanation can be this - starting from earth, leaving the tribal terrains of earth based reality, exploring out into the cosmic wilderness, looking back from a distance, witnessing Earths magnificence and enigmatic beauty. Continuing to swim out to the depths of the galaxy to ‘Arrive” at an unexpected splendour unknown to the human consciousness ,to a cosmic giant….. giant what? This remains to be unseen! It’s left to the imaginators discretion of wonder within the experience of the audio sonic delights presented in,….. ‘Arrival’.
Tropical psych outfit, Lola’s Dice, return with an exhilarating double AA side 45 on “Cacri 'e Playa” b/w “Señor Cartujo” . Venezuelan strains of Caribbean rhythms blend with South American grit and humour; aided and abetted by studio maverick and renown bandleader Alex Figueira ( Fumaça Preta, Conjunto Papa Upa).
Lola’s Dice, an ensemble born and battle-tested by years of punk and hard rock before fusing into its current form, a consolidated tropical-psych quartet. The band’s evolution has resulted in music that is a pure body-moving delight — a fuzzy blend of guitars, synths and musical sabor that is very much rooted in the percussive sounds of Latin America, where all band members hail from, yet still comfortable in its punk-ethos.
One such fusion of sounds took place at the Barracão Sound studio in Amsterdam where they first asked rhythm sensei Alex Figueira (who currently joins them on stage whenever his agenda allows him) to help them twist their sound and bring it into the incendiary tropical realm his production work was known for.
Together they vandalized all sorts of rhythmic traditions. The resulting 4-track EP, “Viaje al Centro de Ritmo”, was a perfect match of genre-defying psychedelic madness and Caribbean cool and was duly signed and released by on-the-pulse NY based Names You Can Trust label.
After two years and a plethora of stages Lola’s Dice returned to Figueira's Barracão Sound for another dose of experimentation, diving deeper into their Caribbean roots and twisting them even further. The first fruits are now offered for release jointly by Names You Can Trust (later this year) and Figueira’s own Music With Soul.
The African Caribbean vibrations of “Cacri 'e Playa” tell a story of a stray dog whose sole habitat consists of the beach. A common phenomenon all across the Caribbean coastline shared by Venezuela and Colombia. Wonky synths and surf guitars interplay over a stomping extra syncopated drum beat. All things collide towards the end into a 1970’s style Salsa street party, the relentless cowbell driving everyone forward.
On the flip, “Señor Cartujo” contains a humorous tale about the most popular brand of anise liquor in Venezuela ("Cartujo") and a shameless ode to the glory days of "Techno Merengue", when Latino rappers in the US started making Dominican Merengue with hip hop influenced vocals and house production techniques and equipment. Lola’s Dice, however, take a more psychedelic approach to this merengue, oozing with funky guitars and percussion.
Chicago based DJ/producer ANDREW JOSEPH drops his 2nd EP under his PTO alias (following the “DRINKS/CASUAL FRIDAY†12″ released in 2018). The record is a celebration of the 808 and its renowned ability to get the party started. The 4 track house EP feats an electro remix of the title track from living legend EGYPTIAN LOVER! Italian producer NICO LAHS of ADEEN RECORDS fame gives it a smooth but dark and moody deep house remix followed by the electro jam “WAY OUT".
Commodo returns to Black Acre for the first time in over two years with surprise new three-track EP, ‘Loan Shark’. Slated for release on May 22, ‘Loan Shark’ will land as his third release with the label, following 2018 standout ‘Dyrge’ and 2016’s blistering debut album, ‘How What Time’. A quietly elusive producer, Commodo’s recent work for Deep Medi, Bandulu and Black Acre has seen him established as one of UK bass music’s contemporary frontrunners, who continues to influence the wider landscape through the strength and imagination of his output alone. His latest EP continues this theme apace, melding together supreme bass weight, texture and meticulous sampling (‘Loan Shark’, ‘Hot Pursuit’) and vivid, sepia-tone melodies (‘Contraband’) across a record that, as the track titles suggest, plays out like a filmic, magnum-plated car chase.Tracklist : A1/Commodo - Loan Shark B1/Commodo – Contraband B2/Commodo - Hot Pursuit
Very very limited please aware
AD and Worldline deliver Toy Opulent’s third release - and it’s first vinyl imprint.
Soft Serve Angel projects a clear and present sense of techno drive and a delightful symphony of melodic synths. The beginning is minimal and evolves into a full cacophony of beauty and craftsmanship, layered with the vocals of the mysterious Crisis Luxury. Here, meanderings of childhood tones echo from an East L.A. ice cream truck. From the hailed vehicle emerges the soft serve angel - with a vanilla cake cone prepared, just for you, on a sunny California day. This track is incredibly versatile.
A Soft Serve Angel remix is presented to us by a master of his art, Persuader. He shows us, once again, that minimal drive that we can all count on to provoke thought and movement with modern engineering skills and a familiar old school flair.
Bubble Gum Eyes is minimal perfectly pitched protocol of TR-909 love with a morphing bassline and epic-scale science-synth work. The track addresses both a question and an answer.
Rocket POP! I mean, who don’t love a good rocket pop? This dubby dub dub mix contains fragments of the entire release that sums it up, and finishes it off perfectly - the cherry on top of the soft-serve angel.
Originally recorded direct to disc and released by Incus in 1978, this new edition from Treader is pressed from the original stampers. Hand-finished sleeve.
‘Parker uses rapid tonguing techniques and circular breathing to create a sound all his own, marked by the simultaneous intonation of multiple notes. One hears a note as well as all the residual tones around it; each breath ends up sounding like a battle between the different registers of the horn. At various times, Parker’s saxophone sounds like dolphin speech, electronic tape squeals, or human murmurs; namely, anything but what it actually is. His language on the instrument is essential listening for anyone interested in acoustic experimental music’ (AllMusic).
‘Eight years after Topography Of The Lungs, and two years after his Saxophone Solos, Monoceros was the most muscular statement of Evan Parker’s solo saxophone muse. Superbly recorded, it seemed to place the listener within the chaotic air flows of the saxophone’s own tubing. Philip Clark said: ‘Parker’s dialogue with the saxophone throws up so much that is unexpected, and indeed unknowable, that the problem he faces is how to keep pace with his own invention’’ (The Wire, Best Albums Of The Year).
"On this seven track album we hear MinaeMinae (alias Bastian Epple) playfully scurry through his dense soundscapes on a tightrope. The sounds lying somewhere on the crossroads of psychedelic trance, exotica, ambient and melodic dance music – veering further off orbit with nontypical rhythms and dystopian percussive patterns.
MinaeMinae understands musical material similar to documentary footage which he would cut up, repitch, and rearrange freely. Most of his tracks are a mix of analog, synthetic sounds and recordings of ethnic percussion and guitar. Recently Bastian began experimenting with modular synthesis and self made tape echoes - seeking a more reduced and minimal composition style compared to his earlier quite whimsical tunes.
Growing up in a small village in southern Germany, Bastian was never interested in kitschy folk sounds that everyone would mindlessly clap and sing along to, rather he took solace in the time he would spend delving into patterns and repetitions that pleased him. His guitar strumming and what sounded to his mother like a young Philip Glass on a cheap Casio keyboard encouraged little Epple to continue on this self-taught path of developing his musical language. He then started to experiment with a tape recorder and layering sounds with non-musical samples, which his former village friends found too weird – then to eventually working with a small freeware DAW. Bastian went on to study Media Art at the Center for Art and Media (ZKM) in Karlsruhe – initially enrolled in music but the frustration and doubt of not being able to produce the music he wanted led him into film and documentary media. During his studies, Bastian was living with Florian Meyers (Don’t DJ) for several years where they would philosophize life and music into the wee hours – he encouraged Bastian to start sharing what he’s been quietly working on all these years and slowly emerge from this anonymity which eventually led to his first release on Human Pitch last fall.
Disproportionate forms, color changes, backdrops weaved into the foreground, all lay the dense earth for Gestrüpp through Benjamin Kilchhofer’s artwork."
RIVAL CONSOLES IS 21-YEAR OLD ELECTRO ACID-SMITH RYAN LEE WEST FROM LEICESTER. INFLUENCED BY IMPRESSIONISTS LIKE CLAUDE DEBUSSY AND MODERN ELECTRONIC ARTISTS SUCH AS AUTECHRE AND SQUAREPUSHER, HE CREATED HIS UNIQUE SIGNATURE. A PLAYFUL AND BRUTAL MIX OF IDM ACID BEATS AND WARM, EMOTIVE SYNTH STRING ARRANGEMENTS. IN FEBRUARY HE RELEASED AND TOURED THE MORE QUIRKY "VEMEER EP" UNDER HIS SECOND MUSICAL ALIAS APARATEC, WHICH SOLD LIKE HOT CAKES AND EARNED HIM A LOT OF FANS. RYAN RECENTLY REPRESENTED ERASED TAPES RECORDS AT THE BRITISH MUSIC WEEK 2007 IN COLOGNE, GERMANY AND CRAFTED REMIXES FOR UPCOMING LABEL COMRADE AND PRODUCER JUSTIN LOCKEY (YOURCODENAMEIS:MILO). "THE DECADENT EP" WILL HIT THE UK SHOPS AS A FUSION OF TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY FORMATS - A 10" VINYL RECORD WITH A DOWNLOAD CODE, THAT ALLOWS THE PURCHASER TO BE ABLE TO GET THE ENTIRE EP PLUS BONUS TRACK DIGITALLY FOR NO EXTRA COST.
Like many electronic artists, Ryan Lee West aka Rival Consoles spent his early years experimenting with IDM, glitch and dance, but one consistent element in his musical journey has been his desire to create a more organic, humanised sound. Through these experimentations he has found a process of producing electronic music that feels close to this urge. Restricting himself to a small selection of analogue equipment, West engages his hands directly with instruments and is very selective about what he then records into the computer. He reduces musical parts even further, leaving enough space around the sound for it to breath.
‘Odyssey’ is a reflection of West’s quest to create atmosphere and space from minimal arrangements. ‘I don’t like music to sound overly laboured, so I restrict how much is going on. I’m kind of obsessed with the idea of reduction.’ The new 5-track EP was mastered by Naweed and will be released worldwide on October 21 in the form of a 12" Vinyl and Download via Erased Tapes.
‘Odyssey’ and ‘Voyager’ are both incredibly stripped down and have a great sense of space throughout them. It's all about using the right ingredients at the right points in time. A lot of these ingredients are short recordings, such as ice cracking, mechanical clicks, clicks from synth errors, sounds of debris, guitar plucks etc., which interact with the simple arrangements and create little hints of rhythm. I also love the technique of swelling in music, but I realised that hardly anyone has done that in electronic music. So when I first got the synth to swell in and out with the opening chords of ‘Philip’, it was a great moment. Because it creates a human mood in a matter of seconds, which is very difficult to do with electronic sounds. That track is very important to me, and I think it will influence how I make music in the future.’ – Ryan Lee West
West will perform alongside his contemporary composer mates Ólafur Arnalds and Nils Frahm for a special electronic Erased Tapes night as part of London’s The Hydra series on October 18. The same day will also see a special in-store event at Phonica Records, where West will showcase the ‘Odyssey’ EP amongst other tracks on his beloved analogue gear, joined by South London artist Supermundane creating a live art piece in the shop window.
Luar Domatrix (Rudi Brito) is perhaps more recognizable as half of the artsy-duo Yong Yong that emerged in 2012. After a long season spent in Glasgow, and with editions by Naivety (Naive’s sublabel of Inês Coutinho aka Violet) , Sucata Tapes (Discrepant) and with a track inserted in a VA from 12th Isle, comes back to Lisbon (his hometown) clearly soaked by the sounds of the Scottish industrial center.
“Baía Stamina”, produced in Glasgow, is strongly inspired by the local club scene and evokes the utopia of a heavenly bay somewhere in Italy. Although always looking to bend the barriers of that “squarish” side of dance music, “Baía Stamina” is a dance record. It starts with “Bo Teias”, a track full of percussive elements and unusual sound effects that presents itself as a hymn of the “Baía Stamina” - pure boilling energy. “Take” is the least functional theme on the record. Metal percussion layers are overlapped over a string, creating a certain unrest and discomfort. A vocal incites consumption ("Take, Take, Take") to the point that a pad clears the way for liberation creating a more relaxing and dreamy ambience.
Closing the A side “Bo Teias” gets a remix from the Glasgow duo General Ludd, with whom Rudi used to live. In this version, and as the name implies, “Bo Teias (Gen Ludd Disco Problem Remix)” moves the focus away from the dance floor, ands transforms itself into a rhythmic exploration over the void, punctuated by some recognizable elements. “Outra Face” is a track made to blow up soundsystems! Anchored in distortion and in a broken beat led by the kick of the infamous TR-808 there is an almost epic vibe to it, that shows the confidence that Rudi Brito has acquired in his relaxed production style. “Heavven” closes the record in a completely British tone. The soulful vocal reminiscent of some garage tracks, echoes Bristol production and a time when dubstep producers decided to lower their bpms to something closer to the house. Without ever rushing the theme moves through different sonic landscapes and electronic glitches until a Portuguese voice announces “Acabou-se a brincadeira” (“Playtime is over”). This is peaktime; it's time to go dancing.
We all go through phases. We don’t always feel the way we felt yesterday. Despite all these phases, we’re always drawn to music. It accompanies, touches and feeds us. This debut album is the story of Austrian Apparel and their journey up to this day. “AAplus” stands for inclusion - it takes paths into the openness of sound. It shows two sides. light and dark. While the light side features tracks outside of the four-to-the-floor realm, the dark side showcases their club oriented material. Never leaving behind their signature sound forged from their expertise on stage and in the studio. In coherence with their previous work, Austrian Apparel continue to explore an unconventional approach with their audio equipment, departing from a habitual studio process and emerging with a carefully condensed sonic episode of their journey.
We were very surprised at Versatile when we received this file
from flocofloco And we still have very little info on the track that was
there. “On m’a dit…” by Floco Floco is a lo-fi afro-disco stomper hailing straight from the new ghettos created by confinement. Something had to give and we are glad that Floco Floco, whoever he is, has chosen us to ease his lockdown mind: “I’ve been told to stay at home, on WhatsApp all day long, working in the studio, reading books I haven’t read, I hope it won’t be too long, I don’t know if I can hold, smoking weed day & night, like never I have been before”.
Not a message, just a statement. The answer on the track was so good that we decided to come with more versions… We asked our friend Bufiman aka Jan Schulte to put his magic and he came with two
versions. One stellar arpeggio, with no beats but a serious drive as well as an instrumental Disco version. Gilb’r slowed down the whole affair and turned it into a cosmic nonsense vocal reprise, with a different bassline, chords and arrangement. A great summer pack!
Ragoo Records celebrates its debut on wax with an highquality record, “Break It Down”. The release features an
original cut from Astratto & Brine plus three stunning
remixes from the best young talents in the Italian house
scene. Recorded and fully composed on the first day they
met in the studio, the Original Mix is a dusty deep house
jam perfect for the club or for chillin’ wherever you want
to. For Astratto, Ragoo Records co-founder, this
represents his first official vinyl release. Brine has
delivered hot tracks through the infamous Irma and has
recently appeared on Boogie Cafè Records and Trend
Records. On the A2 Sam Ruffillo offers an impressive
remix that merges the Original to the land of jazzy vibes
with some smooth Rhodes and an extra groovy bassline.
Over the last years Sam Ruffillo has been releasing great
EPs via Irma Records and the Bristol-based Boogie Cafè.
DJ Rou’s remix occupies the flip side with a real classic
deep house joint full of warm pads and rolling drums. Chief of L'Archivio record store in Bologna, charismatic DJ and
outstanding producer, DJ Rou has released his music
through labels such as Bosconi Records, Cognitiva, Red
Rooster and Daphian Prod. The B2 remix is produced by
D’Arabia, Red Rooster founder and House of Disco
affiliated artist, who accomplishes an hot groove
explosion, with a special Jamiroquain feeling, perfect for
burnin’ the dancefloor. This EP is intended to be a
snapshot of Bologna’s house music scene. All artists
featured on it are based in the city and contribute to its
musical landscape.
































































































































































