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Pink Rhythm was one of John Rocca"s mid-80"s solo side projects and a somewhat evolution of his pioneering early-80s band, Freeez. After Freeez ended, John still had some ideas left over which he explored with Andy Stennett of Freeez. John also re-worked one of the final jazz funk songs written (but unused) by Freeez called "India". He named the project Pink Rhythm after his self-funded, entrepreneurial record label that he used to launch Freeez. Pink Rhythm lasted a brief year or two, between 1984 and 1985. In 1985, three singles were released, including "Melodies Of Love, which has become a cult favorite. It has been described as "timeless drum-machine soul music" and a "cult funk slow jam". Over the years, John Rocca"s music has been sampled by many, including Jamie xx, Empress Of, Brandy, Burial, Todd Terry, Coolio, Cut Chemist and more. Often credited as one of the pioneers of brit-funk, John"s music is iconic and has been used in TV/Movies like; Better Call Saul, Midsommar, Irma Vep plus the fashion world for brands including Calvin Klein, Louis Vuitton and more. "Melodies of Love" - though never a pop hit - was recently been used the Joaquin Phoenix film Beau is Afraid as well as in the acclaimed British Film Blue Jean. It was also recently featured in a high-end ad campaign for Piaget. It is pure, smooth 80s drum machines, it is synth sounds, saxophones and keyboards.... it"s retro, but it could also be current. Either way, it"s as refreshing now as it was then.

Abstrack Records is back with a new EP, putting the emphasis on instrumental music. Angers based band Auroboros, whose paths crossed on numerous time with Abstracks, largely on the occasion of infamous Freaks Pop festival, delivers twenty minutes of a progressive and cosmic, rocky jam.
«Camel» feels like a pursuit, a chase after an uncatchable vanishing point. The relentless acceleration of the tempo and the increasing power of the instruments feel like they’re leading us to an inconcei- vable paroxysm.

During the breakdown, everything strangely feels faster and calmer at the same time, we think we’re catching a glance at this horizon, even believing we’re reaching it as drums are fading away. But the ascent starts again and the trance is non negotiable. The power stream of the instrumental energies washes over the immobiles and the sceptics.

On the B side, two very different reworks complete the picture. Romain FX distills the dancefloor essence of «Camel». With a cosmic, almost oriental approach. The original piece gives birth to a proper peak-time banger, pure leg shaking material.

Mytron gives us a more playful and trippy remix. Seven minutes of a vibe that seems to be spinning and drifting, without ever breaking the patiently settled groove, filled with tribal spirit and sometimes even humour.

Private Joy?! With a namesake derived from the mighty Prince’s catalogue, and its lustful connotations, Private Joy is the producer of soul band Lovescene and a supreme vocalist of the Manchester scene. With collaborations working with the likes of Ruf Dug, Finn, and Lenzman, a solo EP was inevitable and a statement this is.

Pops Roberts’ first solo EP debuts on Rhythm Section INTL bringing together influences from Streetsoul, 80s ‘babymaker’ RnB records and a slice of 00s soulful house in there for good measure. In just over 18 minutes, Private Joy welcomes you into her world of sensuality and soulful warmth. Musical hugs galore, the production balances synths, harps, saxophones, tight beats and meaningful lyrical content; eschewing millennial whoops for Sade indebted dulcet tones.

Each track draws from personal experience; be it heartbreak or reconnection, an emotional diary
conveying the trials and tribulations of love, loss and ultimately, desire.

“Desire has been the drive and beginning of so many decisions, highs and lows in life...” - Private Joy

'Dream Pictures' ist das brandneue Studioalbum des US-Singer/Songwriter Andrew Combs aus Nashville, Tennessee. Die 12 neuen Songs bewegen sich galant zwischen Americana, Indie-Pop und Country-Folk.

Combs produzierte das Album gemeinsam mit dem Schlagzeuger Dom Billett. Die beiden Musiker begannen 2017 gemeinsam zu touren, und ihre Freundschaft ist auf dem Album fast durchgängig hörbar. Mit Ausnahme des Instrumentalisten Spencer Cullum, der die Pedal Steel beisteuerte, wurde Dream Pictures komplett von Combs und Billett aufgenommen und eingespielt. Die beiden nahmen alle Unvollkommenheiten in Kauf, die mit dem hausgemachten Aufnahmeprozess einhergingen und brachten die Rohheit der Aufnahmen mit der Finesse von Combs Songwriting perfekt in Einklang. Sie nahmen sogar Combs Gesang mit einer Reihe von Live-Auftritten im Studio auf und widerstanden so der Versuchung, verschiedene Takes zusammenzuschneiden, um ein poliertes Album er erhalten.

Dream in Dream Cornelius Vinyl Release Sales Sheet BIO Cornelius is the brainchild of Japanese multi-instrumentalist Keigo Oyamada; the genre-defying producer and multi-instrumentalist. Last year Cornelius released the highly anticipated seventh studio album, 'Dream in Dream’ via Like Ltd, which marks the first full-length album since the critically acclaimed 'Mellow Waves' in 2017. What can only be described as breezy and sun-drenched ambiance, 'Dream in Dream' seamlessly merges elements of avant-garde jazz, soulful R&B, and psychedelic acoustic electronics, resulting in a genre-blending masterpiece that pushes the boundaries of musical innovation.

With his breakthrough album Fantasma, Cornelius gained international recognition for his cut and paste style reminiscent of American counterparts Beck and The Beastie Boys and was released internationally by Matador Records.

Being called a "modern day Brian Wilson" for his orchestral-style arrangements and production techniques, Cornelius subsequently became one of the most sought after producer/remixers in the world, working with a wide range of artists including Blur, Beck, Bloc Party, MGMT, and James Brown. 'Dream in Dream,' Cornelius expands his sonic universe, incorporating angular guitars and lush synthesizer interplay that dance around syncopated drums throughout the album.

"Bright and poppy while inviting an air of contemplation, this track takes notes from ‘00s indie rock, alt-pop, and a touch of electro to form a solid comeback.

Dream in Dream Cornelius Vinyl Release Sales Sheet BIO Cornelius is the brainchild of Japanese multi-instrumentalist Keigo Oyamada; the genre-defying producer and multi-instrumentalist. Last year Cornelius released the highly anticipated seventh studio album, 'Dream in Dream’ via Like Ltd, which marks the first full-length album since the critically acclaimed 'Mellow Waves' in 2017. What can only be described as breezy and sun-drenched ambiance, 'Dream in Dream' seamlessly merges elements of avant-garde jazz, soulful R&B, and psychedelic acoustic electronics, resulting in a genre-blending masterpiece that pushes the boundaries of musical innovation.

With his breakthrough album Fantasma, Cornelius gained international recognition for his cut and paste style reminiscent of American counterparts Beck and The Beastie Boys and was released internationally by Matador Records.

Being called a "modern day Brian Wilson" for his orchestral-style arrangements and production techniques, Cornelius subsequently became one of the most sought after producer/remixers in the world, working with a wide range of artists including Blur, Beck, Bloc Party, MGMT, and James Brown. 'Dream in Dream,' Cornelius expands his sonic universe, incorporating angular guitars and lush synthesizer interplay that dance around syncopated drums throughout the album.

"Bright and poppy while inviting an air of contemplation, this track takes notes from ‘00s indie rock, alt-pop, and a touch of electro to form a solid comeback.

Repress!

Today – Friday 9th July – artist, producer, DJ and club culture icon Peggy Gou releases the second of a pair of summer singles. Released via Gou’s own Gudu Records, “I Go” is an incredible piece of club-focused electronic music and showcases a very different sound to previous single “Nabi”.

Described by The FADER as “the kind of dazzlement you get from light dancing off of ocean water on a hot day: pure dopamine activating bliss” and Resident Advisor as “a refreshingly low-key jam”, “Nabi” was an evocative piece of slow-burning, 98bpm electronic pop, inspired by 80s synth classics, the piano pieces of renowned composer Erik Satie and the 80s and 90s Korean songs Gou's mother used to play at home during her childhood.

“I Go” takes inspiration from a similar era but this time the energy comes from Gou’s love of 90’s dance anthems, many of which she revisited during lockdown and an enforced break from touring. Both retain the hallmarks of Peggy Gou’s unique take on electronic music; at once both nostalgic and totally modern. But on “I Go”, the tempo, 808s and 909s are dialled right up for a self-motivating anthem that is set to soundtrack a summer when we can all hopefully dance together in our thousands again.

Talking about “I Go”, Peggy says:

“When I was a teenager in Korea, we didn’t have rave culture like there was in the UK. “I Go” is a tribute to that era, my own reimagination of the sounds I grew up loving. The lyrics are inspired by a note I wrote on my phone in 2019, staring at myself in the mirror of an airport toilet – I looked so exhausted but there was no way I wasn’t going to keep going! “I Go” is basically me motivating myself, finding courage and returning to a feeling of innocence. I hope people feel the same sense of positivity when they hear it”

Meanwhile, Peggy Gou is set to make a handful of DJ appearances in Europe over the summer. These include a huge sold out London event in August in the form of The Pleasure Gardens; an outdoor party in Finsbury Park created and curated by Gou herself and featuring a stellar supporting line up including DJ Harvey, Anz and Spencer.

Track List:

On 'Be Am' (now available only vinyl), Norwegian pianist, composer and
producer Bugge Wesseltoft has allowed his creative impulses to wander
where they may - no pre-set rules to govern the composition and
production, no obligations to (not) use electronics, not even a will to be
totally alone: this is pure playing and composition, where the music
speaks freely by whatever means it will
In the 25 years since Wesseltoft founded Jazzland Recordings, he has engaged in
numerous group projects and collaborations such as New Conception of Jazz,
duos with the likes of Sidsel Endresen, Henning Kraggerud and Henrik Schwarz,
one- off projects such as Trialogue, Bugge and Friends, and OKWorld! And of
course, the super- trio Rymden. However, it is in his solo material that we can
glimpse the true soul behind the effervescent and mercurial mind of one of the
most influential and important Norwegian musicians of an entire generation.
Many of the pieces here have the feeling of being wordless songs - indeed, no
words are needed when the notes convey all that is needed on tracks like "Tide"
or "State". The arrival of Håkon Kornstad on the track pairing of "Emergence" and
"Roads" shifts the mood from one of peace within solitude to peace within
company, the latter track being an understated dialogue, a musical soundtrack for
watching the world hustling and bustling, or sleeping its way towards a new day.
Tracks such as "Messenger", "Green" and "Be Am" throw more angular shapes,
musical shadow-play where unexpected progressions shift to moments of gospel
uplift before taking unanticipated shifts towards unexpected harmony. With "Life",
kalimba accompanied by birdsong loops, carrying us into a piece that takes
tentative but exact steps between positions, like tai chi in musical form.
"Sunbeams through leaves softly rustling" closes the album with that beautiful
Satie-like melodic simplicity that Bugge has made his own.

Die New Yorker Pop-Experten Charly Bliss möchten, dass ihre neue LP Dich unter der Last purer Gefühle erdrückt. Sie wollen Dich in einen Herzschmerz-Hurrikan stürzen. Sie möchten, dass Du beim Mitsingen bei ihren Gigs und allein in Deinem Schlafzimmer Deine Seele ausschüttest. Kurz gesagt, so Sängerin Eva Hendricks, wollen sie Dich zerstören … aber auf eine unterhaltsame Art und Weise. Co-produziert von Jake Luppen (Hippo Campus) und Caleb Wright (Samia) ist "Forever" Charly Bliss' bisher grösste und hellste Power-Pop-Charge. Voller klanglich dichter, emotional aufgeladener Songs, die die Lustzentren in Deinem Gehirn aktivieren, egal ob allein per Kopfhörer oder bei einer überfüllten Liveshow. Die Songs schimmern und explodieren wie ein Feuerwerk.
LP auf Transparent Clear Vinyl im Gatefold samt Lyrics-Einlage

Die New Yorker Pop-Experten Charly Bliss möchten, dass ihre neue LP Dich unter der Last purer Gefühle erdrückt. Sie wollen Dich in einen Herzschmerz-Hurrikan stürzen. Sie möchten, dass Du beim Mitsingen bei ihren Gigs und allein in Deinem Schlafzimmer Deine Seele ausschüttest. Kurz gesagt, so Sängerin Eva Hendricks, wollen sie Dich zerstören … aber auf eine unterhaltsame Art und Weise. Co-produziert von Jake Luppen (Hippo Campus) und Caleb Wright (Samia) ist "Forever" Charly Bliss' bisher grösste und hellste Power-Pop-Charge. Voller klanglich dichter, emotional aufgeladener Songs, die die Lustzentren in Deinem Gehirn aktivieren, egal ob allein per Kopfhörer oder bei einer überfüllten Liveshow. Die Songs schimmern und explodieren wie ein Feuerwerk.
LP auf Transparent Clear Vinyl im Gatefold samt Lyrics-Einlage

High Roller Records, black vinyl, ltd 300, insert, download code, 425gsm heavy cardboard cover, Cloven Hoof aus den Midlands gehören wohl zu den legendärsten Bands der gesamten New Wave Of British Heavy Metal Bewegung. Die Ursprünge der Gruppe gehen auf das Jahr 1979 zurück, als sie sich zunächst unter dem Namen Nightstalker formierte. Im Jahr 1981 wechselte die Band jedoch zu ihrem neuen Namen: Cloven Hoof. Der ursprüngliche Sänger David Potter, der Gitarrist Steve Rounds, der Schlagzeuger Kevin Poutney und der Hauptdarsteller Lee Payne am Bass nahmen die Bühnencharaktere 'Earth', 'Fire', 'Water' und 'Air' an. Nachdem sie Demo-Versionen von Songs wie "Return Of The Passover" und "Nightstalker" aufgenommen hatten, veröffentlichten Cloven Hoof 1982 ihre erste 12"-Vinyl-EP "The Opening Ritual" auf Elemental Music. 1984 wurde das selbstbetitelte Cloven Hoof-Album veröffentlicht, gefolgt von "Fighting Back" (1986), "Dominator" (1988) und "A Sultan's Ransom" (1989). Nach der Trennung in den 1990er Jahren kehrten Cloven Hoof 2006 in neuer Besetzung und mit einem neuen Album namens "Eye Of The Sun" zurück. Im Jahr 2014 wurde "Resist Or Serve" aufgenommen, gefolgt von "Who Mourns For The Morning Star?" (2017), beide auf High Roller Records. Das Album war eine Art Wendepunkt für die Band, da sie damit zum ersten Mal in ihrer Karriere in Nordamerika auf Tour gehen konnte. Seitdem haben Cloven Hoof zwei weitere Studioalben veröffentlicht, "Age Of Steel" auf Pure Steel Records im Jahr 2020 und "Time Assassins" auf FM Revolver zwei Jahre später.

Mit Songs wie "Do What Thou Wilt", "Sabbat Stones" und "The Summoning" markiert ihr brandneues Album "Heathen Cross" die Rückkehr zu High Roller Records. "Wir sind jetzt wieder da, wo wir hingehören", schmunzelt Lee Payne. "Heathen Cross" ist Cloven Hoofs bisher düsterstes und schwerstes Album! Es hat die satanischen Untertöne unseres Debütalbums, aber mit dem besten Sänger, den die Gruppe je hatte. Für mich persönlich ist es mit Abstand mein liebstes Cloven Hoof-Album. Wir wollten den Geist und die übernatürliche Majestät des Debütalbums wieder einfangen. Wir haben mit den Fans gesprochen und ihnen das gegeben, was sie am meisten wollten: eine Rückkehr zu den Wurzeln der NWOBHM. Sie werden es lieben!" Der Bassist ist in der Tat voll des Lobes für den neuen Sänger der Band, der ausgerechnet einen gewissen Harry "The Tyrant" Conklin verpflichtet hat: "Harry Conklin ist ein Weltklasse-Sänger. Er ist super engagiert und hochprofessionell und wir wussten, dass er nahtlos in die Band passen würde. Seine stimmliche Leistung auf dem neuen Album hebt die Band in neue Höhen, und ich kann es kaum erwarten, dass die Fans ihn hören. Harry ist ein erstaunlicher Sänger, er ist so vielseitig. Er kann hoch, tief und immer mit Kraft und Leidenschaft singen. Er weiß, wie man einen Song lebt und verkauft. Harry ist wie ein Schauspieler, der eine Geschichte erzählt, niemand interpretiert meine Texte so wie Mr. Conklin. Ich kann ihn nicht genug loben. Wir hätten schon vor Jahren zusammenarbeiten sollen."

Lee Payne - Bass Guitar, Harry (The Tyrant) Conklin - Lead Vocals, Luke Hatton - Lead Guitar, Chris Coss - Lead Guitar, Ash Baker Drums / Backing Vocals, Chris Dando - Keyboards / Backing Vocals

Since its founding back in 2014, Blume has carved a unique place in cultural landscape, issuing free-standing works, spanning the historical and contemporary, that represent singular gestures of creativity within the field of experimental sound. Joining their broad efforts in building networks of context and understanding that already includes the works by Werner Durand, Sarah Hennies, Bruce Nauman, John Butcher, Jocy de Oliveira, Mary Jane Leach, Valentina Magaletti, Alvin Curran, Julius Eastman, Alvin Lucier, and shortly after returning with the first ever vinyl release to attend to James Tenney’s legendary “Postal Pieces”, the label is now offering a brand new, ambitious work by the American composer Ben Vida, entitled “Vocal Trio”, conceived, performed, and recorded in Bremen, Germany, during the Spring of 2022. A truly stunning work of compositional conceptualism, combining the ideas of systems based synthesis with real-time vocal collaboration - issued in a highly limited vinyl edition of 200 copies mastered by Stephan Mathieu, featuring specially commissioned liner notes by Bradford Bailey and a leporello insert offering the piece visual score - it’s a landmark in contemporary experimental practice and arguably the most forward-thinking and exciting piece by one of the most exciting American artists working today.

Ben Vida first emerged during the mid 1990s within a loose constellation of experimental musicians, centred around a performance series of improvised workshops at the Myopic Bookstore in Chicago, alongside Jim O'Rourke, Kevin Drumm, Chad Taylor, and the other future members of Town and Country - Jim Dorling, Joshua Abrams, and Liz Payne - the band within which he would gain widespread recognition over the following years. Like many other members of that scene, Vida remains a restless product of a fleeting context - Chicago during the 1990s and early 2000s - continuously undermining concrete notions of idiom and signifier within a practice that witnessed him rendering bristling abstractions within Pillow, glacial melodies with Town and Country, the art-rock mayhem of Bird Show Band, and the angular, driving indie rock of Joan of Arc, before becoming immersed in a practice of systems based synthesis, beginning in the 2010s, that guided much of his first decade of output as a solo performer and composer.

As early as 2013, he began to incorporate acoustic sound sources - specifically the human voice - into his work. It was this shift, evolving and refining itself over the last decade, that underscores radically the leap in his practice represented by “Vocal Trio”, a work that encounters Vida composing for the human voice with the ideas that allow for synthesis - transferring the underlying concepts and structures of both subtractive and additive synthesis to the acoustic realm - without using a synthesiser.

During the Spring of 2022 Vida was in Bremen, Germany, collaborating on a dance piece with the choreographer Fay Driscoll, when the production fell into delays. Finding himself with time on his hands, a space at his disposal, and the company of two dancers - Amy Gernux and Lotte Rudhart - who were also singers, the idea for the piece - to utilising the larynx as audio paths (multi-harmonic or harmonically pure) while conceptualising each person’s mouth as a filter to sculpt the timbre and resonance of a given tone - began to take shape in his mind. Considering how typographical scores might be developed into a non-linguistic social framework, Vida drafted a single page of text - what became the score for “Vocal Trio” - accompanied by a set of harmonic suggestion and loose parameters, seeking a core meaning from each word's phonic make-up by each of the three singers (Vida, Gernux and Rudhart) singing as slowly as possible.

At the core of the pulsing vocal drones - intoxicating, harmonically rich long-tones - that make up the duration abstraction of “Vocal Trio”, is Vida’s regard for music as a social space. It is an experiment that seeks liberation through the act of collective music making, by challenging the terms through which the act of composing is perceived and then relinquishing control. The piece’s rehearsals were simply the three performers hanging out, allowing their knowing each other and natural dynamics to contribute to its form as the score, before recording during a single afternoon at the end of a number of days sharing company and space.

Creatively visionary and groundbreaking on numerous terms, as well as being intoxicatingly beautiful and remarkably listenable, Ben Vida’s “Vocal Trio” represents a striking step forward for one of the most ambitious and outstanding sonic artists working in the United States today. Issued by Blume in a highly limited vinyl edition of 200 copies mastered by Stephan Mathieu, featuring specially commissioned liner notes by Bradford Bailey and a leporello insert offering the piece visual score, this is hands down one of the most important contemporary records we’re likely to encounter in 2024.

sentiment is a meditation of the poignant emotional terrains of loneliness, nostalgia, sentimentality, guilt, and sex. The album"s narrative arc is guided by delicate musical gestures and artistic vulnerability, audaciously synthesizing disparate and unexpected influences. claire rousay is a singular artist, known for challenging conventions in experimental and ambient music forms. rousay masterfully incorporates textural found sounds, sumptuous drones and candid field recordings into music that celebrates the beauty in life"s banalities. Her music is curatorial and granular in detail, deftly shaped into emotionally affecting pieces. rousay"s vocals and guitar take center stage on sentiment. Her intimate, diaristic lyrics contrast with her mechanical-inflected vocal effects, emphasizing a powerful desire for connection, a deep yearning and a lingering sense of separation. The spare guitar playing and laconic tempo both drive the songs and exude a sense of resignation. Her delicate mastery of nuance draws on her explorative musical past that she, with sincerity and admiration, seamlessly interweaves into her adventurous textures and distinctive compositions. "I want to belong to the worlds and communities I look up to. Same as someone using a Fender guitar or dressing like Kurt Cobain. Emulate your heroes," says rousay. The album balances the poetic soul of her influences with a documentarian heart, rousay capturing moments of her life while living alone in houses across the country, learning to play guitar, and reconnecting with pop music. Her innate ability to conjure pure feeling from sound derives from her delightful embrace of pop forms, the vulnerability found in field recordings, minimalistic arrangements and innovative sound choices. sentiment is blissfully, achingly melancholic, and an undeniably sensual listening experience.

HLZhas comes correct with his debut solo single on Utopia Music.

For true drum & bass enthusiasts, Emilio Dimitri akaHLZ's name should already be on your radar. These tracks offer creativity and integrity, pushing the boundaries of his own respected style within the genre and nodding to times past with a modern update.

"Black Core" kicks things off with its icy break workouts, featuring raw, rasping drums with an industrial edge. It's not a high-speed roller but rather a sneaky creeper that satisfies those who want intricate beats backed with nightmarish overtones.

With "Arcane,"HLZtakes us on a journey of pure pressure in the way he knows best, stepping rhythms, stabbing yet gut-punching bass design, working in tandem with groovy tablas, clever fx builds, topped with lush euphoric pad work, 170 in the truest form.

PRZ comes to Sync 24's Cultivated Electronics with his first double Album ''Lost Art''. In the ever-evolving realm of electronic music, where sonic innovation is the currency, PRZ (Gal Perez) emerges as a luminary, crafting sonic landscapes with a distinct style that blends intricate rhythms, ethereal melodies and pulsating beats. As a producer, DJ and co-founder of the Chateau Royal label and Pluto Junkies member, PRZ has spent the last decade shaping his sound and releasing tracks on some of dance music's most respected labels including Clone West Coast Series and Hilltown Disco. With a boundless imagination and unwavering commitment to sonic exploration, his ''Lost Art'' release is a fully-formed album rather than just a collection of tracks, opening with the atmospheric intro of ''Introvert'', before the playful sonic antics of tracks like ''Lazerton'', ''Lost Art'' and ''Voice Over''. Other tracks bring pure Electro darkness like ''Velocity Shift'' alongside the ElectroTechno of ''Time To Decide'', the EBM-esque ''Azaya'' or the retro funk of ''Back From 89'' - all primed for dance floors, before closing on the melancholy ''Miss You''.

DimDj is a legendary figure of the Greek electronic music scene. After establishing his reputation as an excellent dj already since the 90’s, he continued to grow his personal myth with the delicate production of a wide variety of singles and EP’s. Following his many releases in various labels worldwide (Mathematics, ALLEY VERSION, June, TH Tar Hallow, Lower Parts, Anopolis Records), he now delivers a mini-LP for To Pikap Records. Chicago house blends with Detroit’s Afrofuturism and 707 grooves meet warm melodies, acid basslines and jazzy leads. Six tracks of pure dancefloor mental wellness by Thessaloniki’s 303 maestro.

Comes with insert and download coupon.

Imagine a Latin remake of Back to the Future. The mad scientist is Arsenio Rodriguez (the godfather of salsa) and the young student who travels through time with him is Eblis Alvarez (Meridian Brothers). This album can only be described as the perfect soundtrack for that movie that never was.

After the massive buzz generated by his first solo album, Mentallogenic, Alex Figueira got back in the studio to work in a more collective fashion this time, carefully assembling the second album of his largest project to date, Conjunto Papa Upa; a team of 6 musicians, spanning 3 generations of some of the best talent in the Latin and avant-garde scenes.

In an era where tropical music is dominated by purely electronic and rhythmically uniform sounds, the ten songs encompassed in “Fruta Madura” (“Ripe Fruit”) wander through the most diverse tempos, rhythms, and motifs effortlessly. A real breath of fresh air that gracefully incorporates soul, funk, jazz, psychedelia, and electronics into a solid tropical, irresistibly polyrhythmic foundation, without ever succumbing to the many genre clichés.

The distinctive production and catchy songwriting of Figueira shine in a very distinctive light on this second full-length. Living up to his reputation (Miles Cleret, founder of Soundway Records, called him “one of the scene's truly authentic and eccentric producers”), he takes the opportunity to show he’s not afraid to keep walking his own path.

Taking the band for a wild ride through the traditions of Africa, America, and the Caribbean; contrasting them with a ridiculously wide plethora of vintage, contemporary, and futuristic sounds, and pivoting on the exuberant musicality displayed by his musicians; the result leaves no doubt: this album is destined to be considered a future classic of the exciting tropical psychedelic music of the 21st century.

Addressing the most diverse themes in this new collection of songs, things take on a much more mature tone, as the title clearly suggests.

The opening track “El segundo es más sabroso” (“The second one is tastier”) sets the tone in the most assertive way imaginable, with the band boldly declaring, through multiple metaphorical references (laid upon a crazy mix of Dominican merengue, Detroit techno, classic and free jazz, dub, and electro), that the bar will be set higher with this second album.

The remaining compositions touch upon the most diverse subjects, with a fair dose of humor, sarcasm, and postmodern “magic realism”. “El Algoritmo” (The Algorithm) is a parranda-cumbia hybrid (for lack of a specific term) about the omnipresence of technology in our lives. The sophisticated Latin soul of the titling track “Fruta Madura” makes a case for the beauty of the maturity process. Some key philosophical teachings of Marcus Aurelius (the role of causality, the impositions of “the logos” and the importance of self-control) get a twisted cumbia treatment on “Reos del Deseo” (Prisoners of Desire). “No le pongas Coca-Cola” (“Don’t put Coca Cola in it”) shows us the most satirical side of the band, accusing those who mix Coca Cola with Rum of committing "sacrilege", on a powerful base of Dem Bow (the grandfather of Reggaeton), intertwined with touches of soul, salsa, and Cuban comparsa.

"Háblame Claro" (“Talk to me clearly”) is a story of heartbreak that evokes in its first part the spirit of the erotic salsa of the 80s (a subgenre deeply despised by purists), and after an unexpected samba interlude, leads to the hardest salsa of the 70s (a subgenre adored by purists), to end up in the surprising form of pure Afro-Cuban ceremonial music.

“Tu mamá tenía razón” ("Your Mom Was Right") is an attempt to exalt the spirit of the Latin American soap opera in the key of “acid bachata”, to recount a real-life case, witnessed by the band on countless occasions: the partying woman who arrives at the show accompanied by her bitter husband, who obviously does not like to dance. A very cheeky song to talk about the very serious and pertinent topic of female empowerment.

“La misma vaina” (“The same thing”) with its indescribable blend of bantú, candomblé, and Mozambique rhythms with abstract synthesizers, is an ode to adventure in favor of the aversion to taking risks and seeking predictability.

“Amigas picadas” (“Salty friends”) is another humorous song recounting another real-life case witnessed by the band on countless occasions: a love encounter sabotaged by the girlfriend's friends, who all happen to fancy the same guy. A jazzy take on the ancient Dominican rhythm of pambiche (grandfather of merengue), with generous psychedelic touches, resembling the classy late 60s releases of Guadeloupe's legendary producer / label owner Henri Debs.

“Vinimos a hablar” (“We came to talk”) takes sarcasm to the highest level, to ridicule the absurdity (also experienced by the band firsthand) seen in live music venues where people pay a ticket to go and have conversations that could be carried out much better on any bar, where no band is playing. The music alternates between a delicate melody with loose, sparse percussion and a full-on, pumping Angolan semba, with a techno kick drum included; bringing things to an apotheotic grooving finale, where the peculiar swing of Venezuelan calypso from the Callao region is thrown on top of all the precedent elements; closing the album in the most uplifting, “end of the carnival parade” feel.

The artwork is a delicate and impactful oil painting by Colombian artist Kevin Simón Mancera, who has collaborated many times with the label before (“Maracas, tambourines and other hellish things” tape and the Lola’s Dice LP).

What the experts are saying:

“Alex (Figueira) dove into this work with a brutal cohesion between lyrics and synths. Timbre poetry, sound poetry (you name it). And that, superimposed on his always impeccable percussive base, confirms the title of “avant-garde visionary of our beautiful Latin music”".
EBLIS ALVAREZ (MERIDIAN BROTHERS)
“Papa Upa's infectious quirkiness is a balm against boredom. A mature album, but without an expiration date”.
GLADYS PALMERA

“Here there is a lot of strength, drum, cadence and psychedelia, lost dance rhythms, united in an intercontinental Latin/African/and Caribbean journey, a unique winning combination that we could consider the new “Ritmo Figueira”.
DISCODELIC

Conjunto Papa Upa are: 



Alex Figueira - Timbales, percussion, vocals. 

Gerardo Rosales - Congas, percussion, vocals. 

Ramón Mendeville - Bongos, percussion, vocals. 

Randy Winterdal - Bass.

Andrew Moreno - Guitar.

Nico Chientarolli - Organ, piano, synths.



All songs written by Alex Figueira. 

Arranged and performed by Conjunto Papa Upa. 

Recorded, produced, mixed and mastered by Alex Figueira at Heat Too Hot, Amsterdam.


For the thirteenth instalment of the Swinging Flavors catalog, Beat Machine Records presents a gem of pure energy by the talented Kyoto-based producer Naco. Set to ignite dance floors worldwide, this release delivers an electrifying fusion of acid, techno, and breaks, with a rave-inspired twist.

Naco, known for his innovative approach to electronic music, defies convention with his genre-defying sound. Drawing inspiration from Bass, Breaks, and Electro, Naco creates a distinctive sonic landscape that captivates audiences worldwide. Since 2017, he has been at the forefront of the music scene, spearheading 85acid, a label dedicated to showcasing emerging talent from Japan and beyond.

"Wavefunk," the lead track on Swinging Flavors #13, is a testament to Naco's unparalleled creativity and sonic mastery. With its infectious rhythm and hypnotic melodies, the fast-paced percussion and minimal character of the release "Wavefunk" transport listeners to a dimension where the boundaries between genres blur and the energy is palpable.

But the journey doesn't end there. Swinging Flavors #13 also features a remix of "Wavefunk" by We Rob Rave. The Polish duo injects his fresh signature style into the track, taking it to new heights and delivering an unforgettable dance floor experience. Transforming it into a full club experience, increasing the beats, and immersing the listener in a rave-like atmosphere fueled by danceable rhythms and an acid edge that cuts through the dance floor.

Another surprise that comes with the latest Swinging Flavors is 'Pure Water,' exclusively on Bandcamp. Let yourself be carried away by the bouncing sounds that make up this Break-style track, closing an energetic and vibrant release.

Naco's music is really pushing the boundaries of electronic music, inspiring both listeners and fellow artists. With a solid track record and a strong commitment to musical innovation, Naco is definitely going to leave a mark on the global music scene.

Bristol's cultured Innate label is back with a first outing of the year and it returns to their various artists format with a mix of talents all making their mark. UK veteran Tom Churchill opens up with 'Unknown Unknowns (Edit)', which brings plenty of fuzzy and lo-fi aesthetic to jacked up drums and spaced-out pads. Rai Scott then shows her class with 'Suasion' that sinks down deep into immersive drums and is subtly lit up with simmering strings. Innate co-founders Owain K and Gilbert then hook-up under their brand new alias Curved Space and showcase their love of electro with 'Reverie,' a dreamy cut that glows with nice celestial melodies and will have dance floors in a zoned-out state. Last of all it's Lisbon mainstay Jorge Caiado who debuts with the chord-laced 'Floating Without Lifting,' a sophisticated and serene jazz-techno cut that takes you to the stars.


DJ Feedback

Richard Sen:
"Lliking the Tom Churchill and Curved Space tracks. Will try and fit them into the show and in the club."

Laurent Garnier:
"A lovely EP indeed!"

Jayson Wynters:
"This is a great release. Nice varied tracks for different moods. Will certainly be playing this."

Anna Wall:
"Lovely VA! Thanks so much for sharing :) Faves are Jorges track and Rai Scott. Really beautiful music!"

Ewan Jansen:
"Great listen mate - a good gang assembled too."

DJ Guy:
"The EP is gonna be incredible..."

Orlando Voorn:
"I like em all!"

Moy:
"This is another really wikid V/A!"

Hizou:
"Thanks a lot, so good music here!"

Appleblim:
"I love the Tom Churchill - very detroity and deep, beautiful!"

Baldo:
"Thanks for this release, I love your track with Gilbert and also Jorge's! pure class!"

Alex Attias:
"Sounding dope! I’m feeling this great ep, thank you so much."

Chris Duckenfield:
"Many thanks for sharing, it’s a strong EP for sure. B2 probably my immediate fave."

Adam Shelton:
"Wicked release! Love all tracks, thanks so much."

Alien Communications:
"Love the EP, really like all the tracks but your own, Reverie, is definitely the strongest for me."

Dan Curtin:
"Sounding so lush...really really great. "

Vine Watson:
"Sounding great!!!"

repressed!

Kerri Chandler delivers ‘Lost & Found Vol.1’ this March, a four-track collection of revisited, unreleased archive cuts, including Kerri’s own Grampa, Calvin Reed Sr. as a featuring artist on the opening track.

New Jersey’s Kerri Chandler has been at the forefront of house music since the beginning of his career in the early 90’s. Over the past three decades he’s released an extensive back catalogue of material including several albums on his own Madhouse and Kaoz Theory imprints as well as the likes of DJ Deep’s Deeply Rooted, Apollonia, Jerome Sydenham’s Ibadan and Watergate Records.

Here we see Kerri dig up some never before heard archived material from the 90’s and early 2000’s for this four-track EP. Up first is ‘What Will We Do ft Grampa’, featuring spoken word and vocal lines from Kerri’s Grandfather Calvin Reed St. atop gritty swinging drums, organ lines and rounded subs. ‘Tonight’ follows and tips focus over to airy chord sequences, choppy bass notes, dreamy arpeggio lines and dynamic drums.

‘Into The Night’ opens the b-side next, bringing a raw bass hook, tension building strings and vocal chants of the track’s title into the forefront while bumpy stripped-back drums keep things driving. ‘This and That’ then rounds out the release, bringing twitchy resonant synths and phaser sweeps into the mix alongside stuttering drum programming for a funk-infused, loop driven eight minute workout.

DJ Feedback:

Honey Dijon - Classic
Kerri still has his A Game intact! Great Ep!

Laurent Garnier - Kompakt, MCDE, F Communications
PURE LOOOOOOOOOVE

Jimpster - Freerange, Delusions Of Grandeur
Kerri!!!! Classic tracks with that inimitable groove and production which makes him such an icon. Big ups!!

Terry Farley - Junior Boys Own
BACK 2 DA RAW

Fouk - Heist, House of Disco, Razor N Tape
Super hard to pick a fav as each track has its own vibe! LOVE THIS <3

Enzo Siragusa - Fuse London, InFuse
Quality as always from Kerri!

Harvey Sutherland - MCDE, PPU, This Thing
always.

Roy Davis Jnr
Full support.

Jason Kendig Honey Sound System
Always fire tracks from kerri!

DJ Bone - Subject, Metroplex
Love the entire release!

Politics of Dancing (Guillaume & David)
one love for Kerry as always :)

Joyce Muniz - Exploited Ghetto, 20:20 Vision
Nice Ep!

Massimiliano Pagliara - Panorama Bar, Ostgut Ton
groovy!

Shadow Child
king.

Tobi Neumann - What Came First
Brutally good House Music. This one I wanna have on vinyl. Thanks master Chandler for the music!

Chrissy - Chiwax, The Nite Owl Diner
Very excited for this one

Halo Varga - All Inn Music, Surface, Inmotion Music
Kerri is GOD

Mutiny - Azuli, Skint
Kerri on that deep classic vibe..Love

Alinka - Permanent Vacation, Twirl!
Brilliant as always

Diz - Robsoul
90's freshness!!!

Fish Go Deep - Innervisions, Defected
The long-awaited follow up to She's Crazy! Beautifully done. The other tracks also slamming, packed with dancefloor drive and emotion. Can't wait to play loud.

Art Of Tones, Llorca
Superb EP !

Lupe
The Grampa one, instant cult hit, very endearing! Great stuff

BD1982 - Diskotopia, Tokyo
Classic material from an absolute legend

Johannes Albert - Need Want, Mirau, Berlin Bass
vibes for days!

Joseph G. Bendavid
kerri can't fail, always bomb tracks

Terry Grant
Stone. Cold. Legend.

Harri - Sub Club
Lovely

Severino - Horse Meat Disco
oh yes quality

Finnish drummer/Producer Teppo "Teddy Rok" Mäkynen returns with his alias The Stance Brothers with "Sao Paolo / Timmy", a new 7"/digital single release on July 26th on We Jazz Records. Lauded by the likes of DJ Koco aka Shimokita, Kenny Dope and Gilles Peterson, Mäkynen's studio creation released the new album Duktus in November 2023, the project's first full length in more than 10 years. Back a new version of album cut "Sao Paolo" polus an unreleased new track, "Timmy", the project a treasure-trove for everyone into crunchy jazz funk à la Bob James & CTI, but this is no retro exercise. Teddy Rok moves forward in all directions, constantly bringing new elements into his sound, which is more layered and deep than ever before. At the same time, the crunch & the breaks are there when you need them.

The Stance 7" sides are often dominated by crunchy drums and crystal clear vibraphone melodies, and that's the overall vibe here, too. That being said, Mäkynen keeps things moving forward at all times, achieving moments of pure bliss with tracks that sound compact but expand far and wide both emotionally and musically.

The Stance Brothers are active live as a four-piece band, appearing live over the summer in Finland at Odysseus Festival and Flow Festival in Helsinki, plus G Livelab Tampere.

On his new album, Samurai, Lupe retreats inward to give fans one of his most personal albums in his deep catalog. “I sometimes get tagged by my fans as not doing personal records,” Lupe says, “but I always tell people there's me in there if you listen closely enough. This album is one of my more personal records to date. It's not a full biography, but my personal experiences are tied up in all of my music. A lot of the records are me. Some are from the POV of a character. and some are me. The album weaves things from my life as an artist, touching on things other artists go through.” The narrative follows a battle rapper through various moments in his career, starting with how they honed their battle rap skills, following their career through different moments. Musically, the new album finds Lupe delighting in the simple pleasures of assembling assonant syllables into playful and poignant narratives. The 8-track album is smooth, yet cerebral, brimming with ideas, but always radiating Lupe’s pure love for the art of emceeing and committing himself as a servant of the rap game. The album was produced in full by longtime collaborator and friend, Soundtrakk (“Superstar,” “Kick, Push,” “HipHop Saved My Life”), their second time linking up on a full album after 2022’s DRILL MUSIC IN ZION, and is also the first time Lupe, Trakk, and longtime manager Charles “Chill” Patton were in the studio together since Patton’s release from prison in 2023. “It felt great to be back in the studio again as a family,” Lupe says. It’s the first time they’d worked together in the studio since Lupe’s seminal album, The Cool in 2005. “The word ‘samurai’ means to serve,” Lupe says on the album’s title. “My relationship to that word has always meant that you need to be at the service of other people, either in the overall community, or in this instance, the rap community at large that I’ve been a part of for years. You have some duty, some purpose to serve. The title alone is very important to me. Before rap even, martial arts was my whole life, and it still plays a huge role in my life. The album is me, but also inspired by a quote I heard from one of my favorite artists. The overall themes of the album speak to the constant fight and the battle one goes through being in the entertainment industry. Some of the things we need to defend.”

UK Bass titan and Swamp 81 label boss Loefah makes his Teklife debut with Jump Start, three new tracks full of raw house energy. Taking cues from the Chicago tradition of feral 909 jams, these pummelling rhythms are met with eerie atmospheres and haunting speech. The late ghetto house godfather DJ Deeon adds his touches to the title track, stretching its acid squelches out and taking them even farther into space. It’s pure warehouse music, trippy yet ominous, perfect for getting lost in a dark corner at a rave.

A love story tracking list with a true Free Party sound, a soul in the music. Or a music in the soul. A pure sound from nowhere.

7A Records are proud to present our deluxe reissue of Mungo Jerry’s Electronically Tested. Released on July 19th, the album has been remastered and expanded with four bonus tracks and features extensive liner notes including Ray Dorset’s own recollections.

Electronically Tested, Mungo Jerry’s second album, was first released in March 1971. Even the title clued in listeners that this was no ordinary record. As Ray Dorset reveals, “I came up with the name of the album. Durex used to have ‘electronically tested’ written on their packets. I thought that was quite the talking point, if people in the know said, ‘That’s the same name as on the packet of condoms!’ It was taboo to mention stuff like that.” Electronically Tested offered hints of the familiar via its inclusion of the UK #1 Hits “In the Summertime” and “Baby Jump,” but elsewhere, the album was pure, eclectic Mungo Jerry. Every side of Dorset’s talents as a singer, songwriter, and musician came to the fore on Electronically Tested, with his bandmates John Godfrey, Paul King, and Colin Earl–as well as producer Murray– joining him to create a joyful noise: “It’s got a lot of tracks that could have been singles in their own right. It was good for me to be able to play all that kind of stuff”. Mungo Jerry’s singular sound has been described as rock, folk, blues, country, good-time music, jug band music, pub rock, and gypsy rock–and that’s just a partial list. One can hear all of those elements in the disparate, timeless songs that form Electronically Tested. How would Mungo himself describe it? “It’s kind of rocky stuff. It’s got social commentary. It’s got all sorts of influences in there. It’s really best to say it’s Mungo Jerry music.” Electronically Tested originally peaked at # 14 on the U.K. Albums Chart the week of April 14, 1971.

Having spent the last decade evolving into one of dance music’s most sublimely effective producers, CWPT is delighted to welcome Theo Kottis at the peak of his powers, delivering a further four tracks that demonstrate a playful mastery of widescreen sounds for wide-eyed dancefloors.

Capturing the light still shining from his beloved ‘Lighthouse’, finally released earlier in 2024 via Dekmantel and escalated into notoriety thanks to support from trusted selectors such as Ben UFO, Francesco Del Garda and our own Palms Trax, title track ‘Rain’ retains a similar, blindingly authentic nineties reverence, finding ecstasy in a wash of cascading synths, powerful plunges of sub-bass and layer upon layer of elasticated everything.

The Scottish producer’s positive education in the foundations of club music with real personality makes itself known without indulgence; a belief in the subtle tweaks and imagination of classic tech-house, alongside a welcome flirtation with the over-the-top elements that create something potentially anthemic. In this regard, ‘Benirras’ proves to be pure pleasure for dancers who love to be toyed with, its stripped back opening giving way to slowly-escalating, wobbly-jawed hysteria.

On the flip, ‘Grazie’ proves as cordial as its title, a warm and refined slice of sleek house minimalism, a roller with Alfa Romeo sensibilities. Things take a more aquatic turn on ‘Lowkey’, a logically headsy conclusion that sees Kottis sensually bounce the word ‘electro’ around in that very style, its slower tempo and wider space allowing the impressive intricacies of his productions to float up for fresh air.

2024 Repress

Innercity Griots, the second album from Freestyle Fellowship, is perhaps *the* essential West Coast left-field rap album of the early ’90s. Released in 1993 on 4th & Broadway, it’s a towering, progressive hip-hop masterpiece that expanded rap’s boundaries through lyrical elevation and production innovation. Their talent was ahead of everybody else by light years. This is pure b-boy jazz.

The original single vinyl LP is now hideously scarce, and of course the sound suffers from not being officially released as a double. This Be With re-issue fixes both problems, and for completeness also includes “Pure Thought” from the CD version of the album. This incredible display of imaginative hip-hop sounds better than ever.

Freestyle Fellowship were some of the earliest technically dazzling rappers to come out of California. Mikah 9, P.E.A.C.E., Aceyalone and Self Jupiter - along with DJ Kiilu - forged their famed lyrical dexterity in the ultra-competitive crucible of the Good Life Cafe. Founded in Leimert Park, South Central LA in December 1989, this earthy health-food store and cafe was where the city’s finest microphone fiends would gather to showcase their freestyle skills at the Thursday night open-mic.

Innercity Griots has been described as the Rosetta Stone for rap styles. The group’s dense, vibrant wordplay and enviable interplay quickly earned the attention and respect of the city’s hip-hop underground. Frenetically trading acrobatic rhymes with agility and grace, the Fellowship used their voices as instruments like true virtuosos, spraying improvised raps like a Coltrane sax solo.

With the bulk of the album’s production handled by The Earthquake Brothers, and Bambawar, Daddy-O, and Edman taking over for some of the tracks, Innercity Griots dances between organic and programmed music, largely forgoing sampling and instead built around live jazz jams. The likes of Freddie Hubbard’s “Red Clay” and Miles Davis’s “Black Comedy” were used more as templates for house band The Underground Railroad Band to spiral out from. As Pitchfork noted in their recent 9.0 review of this classic album, “Freestyle Fellowship embodied the style and spirit of jazz on a molecular level. They shared the effortless cool and tough countenance of the great bebop players from the ’50s without verging into jazz-rap parody. Their innate jazziness felt tangible and hard-earned”.

The unusual approach to the music was matched by the Fellowship’s lyrics. Eschewing the tired rap tropes of the time, this multifaceted album instead explores their ruminations on greed and homelessness, weed, sex, survival, insecurity and tribalism.

Remastered by Simon Francis for double vinyl and cut by Pete Norman, we hope this long-overdue re-issue of Innercity Griots satisfies the legions of fans that have since been bewitched by the majesty of this record. It should also introduce some new listeners to yet another overlooked classic.

Repress on rosewood coloured vinyl. HOST is the name of a devil worshipping ministry, that in order to spread their unholy gospels and, furthermore, trick mankind into believing that the end is ultimately a good thing, have decided to use the ever so popular rock music medium as a way to achieve their ends. Standing motionless and anonymous beneath the painted faces, hoods and robes which their sect demand, the six nameless ghouls of Ghost deliver litanies of sexually pulsating heavy rock music and romantic lyrics, that glorify and glamorise the disgusting and sacrilegious, with the simple intention to communicate a message of pure evil via the most effective device they can find - entertainment. In May 2010 Ghost were contracted to a UK based gramophone company called Rise Above Ltd, who swore an oath stating that they will assist the group in the task of spreading their musical blasphemies through formats such as Compact Discs, Long Playing Vinyl Records and Digital Downloading. The first full length Ghost album Opus Eponymous will be released in October 2010 and it is understood and agreed that Rise Above Ltd will invest money in areas such as magazine advertising and retail marketing and will employ the services of music publicity specialists in order to expose the music of Ghost to the wider public. Specific attention will be paid to targeting people (research suggests these are most likely to be adolescents) who have a void in their life, perhaps caused by some form of emotional trauma or upset, that can be filled by the music and philosophies of Ghost.

To celebrate 10 years of one of London’s most loved underground club nights, Tangent, Mr Bongo are thrilled to launch this new compilation series. Crafted by its two residents, John Gómez and Nick the Record, it aims to transmit a taste of Tangent’s spirit. A party rooted in inclusivity and open-mindedness, whose name captures the spontaneous switches in musical direction that are a defining element of their nights. For the compilation, the pair have cherry-picked a selection of their prized, rare and dancefloor-ready tracks from around the globe, that have soundtracked the past decade of parties.

Friends for close to 20 years, music lovers, record obsessives and internationally renowned DJs in their own right, John and Nick have two lifetimes worth of musical knowledge to draw from. John a long-standing NTS Radio resident and compiler for Music From Memory. Nick one of the UK’s go-to record dealers, resident DJ since the ‘90s at one of Japan’s pioneering parties, Life Force, and co-captain / co-edit-expert of Record Mission with Dan Tyler (Idjut Boys).

In 2014, the pair decided to bring some of Life Force’s grassroots principles to the UK, whilst channelling underground clubbing institution Plastic People’s meticulous attitude to sound. Tangent grew from being a small gathering of friends, to an established fixture in London’s nightlife, whilst always maintaining a strict no guest DJ policy. “As London’s clubs have become increasingly reliant on international guests, we wanted to emphasize the importance of a club night growing through its residents”, John and Nick reflect. With 10 years of the duo at the helm, an intimate connection between DJ and dancefloor has been built, allowing for freedom of expression on both sides of the decks.

Tangent reaches around the globe and across different eras to make connections that stimulate emotional reverberations in the unfamiliar. Where the blissfully Balearic ‘Laberinto’ by Miguel Perikás, goes hand-in-hand with the Cameroonian hip-house of King B.’s ‘Love is Crazy’. The thundering ‘Amek Amek’ by L'Innovateur Djoe Ahmed et le Zoukabyle, rubs shoulders with the soulful Caribbean-influenced touch of Champagn’s ‘Bel Ti Négress’. And Pellegrin El Kady’s afro-cosmic ‘Seiva de Carnaval’, crosses paths with Kajou’s Kompa disco anthem ‘Tet Chajé’.

Tangent’s longevity is in part down to it having always embraced contemporary sounds. The sub-rattling bass of Srirajah Sound System’s stunning Molam dub stepper ‘Si Phan Don Lovers Rock’ and the slow, woozy mantra of leftfield dancehall explorer Androo’s ‘Lyriso’, are two shining examples.

This compilation represents an ongoing dialogue between past and present, transporting listeners to the heart of a pure musical experience, where open minds and open hearts are eager to follow the tangent.

“MARK” is the new solo record from acclaimed drummer and composer Mark Guiliana: an auditory manifestation of one of theworld’s most creative and innovative musical minds. Ever since the first day he picked up a pair of drum sticks, Mark Guiliana has been instinctively exploring and absorbing themusic and rhythms that have been ever-present in his life. Fast forward to the present day and he has earned a formidable reputation as a world-class drummer, composer and thinker at the forefront of contemporary jazz and beyond. Guiliana’sartistry defies convention, weaving together a musical output beyond jazz with the ultimate goal of creating compelling musical narratives.

His songs serve as a conduit for his relentless quest for creativity, striving to share his sonic visions withthe world in their most unadulterated form. Guiliana’s new album “MARK”, represents an introspective voyage into his creative depths. On the record, Mark performs soloon a wide array of devices; you can hear his quintessential grooves intermixed with intriguing percussive soundscapes,sublime tapestries of synthesisers and fragments of spoken word. “MARK” is an album that peels back the layers of Guiliana’sexperiences, reflections, and the wisdom gleaned from a life immersed in music. It transcends genres and defiescategorisation, floating in the boundless space of pure expression.

Through music and through life, Mark looks into the mirrorand asks eternal questions of identity and growth: who am I, where am I going and what do I stand for? This album invites listeners to share in Mark’s personal dialogue, offering a sanctuary where they can begin to untangle and examine themselves track by track. “MARK” is an exploration of new and uplifting musical territory, unrestricted by norms andfree from preconceived ideas or satisfying (but ultimately unfulfilling) genre expectations. It embodies the impact of Guiliana’sjourney, marking his evolution as an artist. This record echoes the spirit of freedom, the courage of inquiry, and the beauty of unfettered expression.

Pearlescent White Vinyl with A5 card inserts.

Lionheart is the sixteenth studio album by English heavy metal band Saxon, released in 2004. The title is inspired from Richard the Lionheart, a 12th-century King of England. ""Beyond the Grave"" was released as a single with complementary video. Lionheart is a pure heavy metal album -- the Saxon that old-timers know and love. Such standouts as the album-opening ""Witchfinder General"" and ""Man and Machine"" would not sound out of place on such earlier classics as Denim & Leather and Power & the Glory. Lionheart is available as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on gold colored vinyl and includes an insert. This special edition contains an additional and exclusive cover print.

A new album is finally on Drivecom. A 2xLp full of new tracks recovered and rearrenged around 2022-23. No doubt the legacy of the past works are represented. Some arpeggios and melody lines will remember us to sonic landscapes from the “La Hora de las Máquinas” or “The Source” albums by Boris Divider but with a new and refreshed production sound, for sure this will be a must item for all the electro community and fans of the label.

The album opens with the intro track “The Way You Feel Me” a mix between electro and synthwave with a moog bass and arpegio reminiscent of some Arpanet’s “Wireless Internet” tracks. Then followed for the “Letters From A Sleeper” theme. As the track’s name reflects, it's a clear tribute to the synth era of David Harrow/Anne Clarke’s “Sleeper in Metropolis” just like a reply from a postnuclear future, with a big role carried out by the initial synthline. Then the first slow bpm track is for “Distante” where synthlines a la Tangerine Dream are crossed and mixed with vintage digital rhythm machine sounds and the pattern seems to be taken from those Dire Straits’ “Money for nothing” intro drum arrange in an infinite and repetitive way.

In the B Side “You Know What I Know” track is again showing an Arpanet-ish intro synthline followed by a sequential prophet's arpeggio which bring us back to the old “La hora de las máquinas” sound. Closing the first 12 inch is “Sin Mirar Atrás”. One of the most important tracks of the album for the author. A big dimensional and introspective track full of vintage synthlines and reverb. Time for “Your Light” track is again here. This song was already presented with its own reference on Drivecom. A future pure Electro classic which was announcing the album months before.

In the same side, we find another slow tempo theme called “Recursos Infinitos” an instrumental track which implements several synthlines that interlink themselves into an infnite Tangerine Dream’s soundtrack that serves as a little break to the power and darkness of “Cenital”. Electro rhythm patterns and dark arpeggio synthlines in the vibe of Vangelis’ Blade Runner are mixed in this cold dystopian agressive dancefloor track. Later we find the theme that gives name to the album: “ Memories From The Dust” a slower track which mixes sounds and melodies between “La Hora de las Máquinas“ and other 80's digital keyboard sounds. The last track is just an outro theme called “Out of Sync”. Its name is a clear statement of its own musical arrangement, synthlines are full out of timing and synchro, it was recorded in realtime from a modular synth to a digital device in one take.

Going solo while still keeping intact his devotion to RS Produções, Nuno appears as a true heartbreaker. Silky, space soul, why not even risk the patented future r&b? But this music exists and manifests itself apart from the established production centres, the golden arches of hype edifices and synthetic promotion regurgitated by a thousand cloned fingers. "Sai Do Coração" is a very brave, romantic improbability, shying away from DJ bravado and dancefloor top speed. Through these grooves comes a pure distillation of love, an alchemical sublimatio resulting in the much sought-after "higher substance", a bright globe issuing rays of affection all around.

With love we most likely also buy into a degree of suffering, and though this is not at all the ID of the album, Nuno explicitly connects the two sentiments in "N'Dengue", a cathartic cold cut one grows to cherish intensely by the time it is over. It's a key moment, grief pours out, liberation achieved in the dance - "I will love, I will suffer, I will shout, I will dance". Flip to the other side for "Confusão No Ghetto", another gritty expression, a richly percussive, slow tempo observation of things gone wrong. All the rest in the album feels simple, direct and yet sophisticated like photosynthesis. Like the soil, through which geological becomes biological. Nuno whips up a variety of textures and flavours into the invisible form of Music, romantic fiction into action.

Gravity Loss will be the first EP released as part of Dsum's eagerly anticipated album, 'Water In The Moon.' Since his last album in 2022, he is pleased to announce a 12-track project focused purely on electro sounds, aiming between experimental ambient and Detroit techno, and which might be his most musical album to date.



To be released on his label Back Door, Dsum's fourth album has been years in the making and sees him go back to the sound of his electronic music roots. The album's inception traces back to the lockdown period of 2020, serving as a tribute to his introspective musical exploration and honoring the genesis of electronic music.



Featuring an analog sound loaded with lush pads, spatial synths, and solid raw 808 electro rhythms, tracks are brought together with a succession of short variations and instrumental snippets, contributing to a vision of what sound in outer space should be.



'Gravity Loss' alongside 'Double Distance' will be the two EPs bringing "Water In The Moon" to life, both to be released on vinyl as well as digital. This project's wax version sees ten tracks spread across 2x12" records releases in June and July, followed by the full album release in a digital format with extra exclusive tracks featuring all twelve songs in their original intended order.

Triple edition, packaged in thick PVC cover with a foldable double sided poster and download card.

Celebrating the 20 year anniversary of highly revered Jazz collective, Build An Ark from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 2003 and releasing albums between 2004 and 2010, the Carlos Niño co-ordinated project included contributions from luminaries such Phil Ranelin, Big Black, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Adam Rudolph, Derf Reklaw (R.I.P.), Dexter Story, Dwight Trible, Gaby Hernandez, Mia Doi Todd, Munyungo Jackson, Nate Morgan (R.I.P.) Waberi Jordan, Avotcja & many more.

This set was compiled by band leader Carlos Niño with recordings from 2001 to 2008 that have previously been released on Kindred Spirits.

Gilles Peterson says "It's a beauty!"

After backing future Mike Oldfield producer Tom Newman and playing in psychedelic outfit July, percussionist/flutist Jon Field and guitarist Tony Duhig joined forces with bassist Glyn Havard to form experimental prog act Jade Warrior, their non-standard 1971 self-titled debut a work of excellence unjustly overlooked. Veering between acou-stic introspection, searing acid rock and world music interludes, with melody and percussion from Africa and India and nary a drumkit in sight, this pure musical gemstone of uncommon beauty is ripe for rediscovery, and this edition comes with a rare alternate of ‘Telephone Girl’ to boot. Mega!

‘SUNNY DAY’ PRO UNO presented by THE REGIME

Smooth loved-up and sun kissed soul, melting over jazzy road-trip and summertime vinyl dust. The Regime’s sophomore release is strictly vintage, playfully psychedelic, smothered in funky soul, and irrefutably ‘on the One’.

Spawned from 70s soul, jazz and funk, combined with the plethora of free time the covid pandemic demanded, THE REGIME’s jazzy-soul outfit PRO UNO rose from the ashes, dousing the public with a whiff of the good ol’ days, where music was real, authentic and pure. Their 70s aesthetic and full in house production combines sounds reminiscent of Al Green, Steely Dan, Bill Withers and America, to create a state of total nostalgia and peace love n harmony vibes. This iteration of the Funk Collective THE REGIME is their most exciting and tasteful project yet. Expanding on the original hip hop, funk niche, ‘SUNNY DAY’ in undeniably one for all, and indeed all for one.

SABÏRE has now returned in 2024 with a 15 track epic, self-styled "half-concept" album, "Jätt", 5 years in the making. SABÏRE began at the tail end of 2010 as an idea to have a band that played simply what came naturally on guitar to Scarlett Monastyrski with no set genre or category. Simply the natural music. Shortly thereafter, the concept grew to accompany that sound with a big show and distinctive stylisation. The biting and sharp sound production, along with their personal lyrics, birthed for them a label for their music: ACID METAL. Not to be confused with the mind altering substance, Acid Metal took its name from the concentrated corrosive fluid not unlike the blood of the Xenomorph in the Alien films. The instruments are awash with acidic modulation, "like a drop of acid in the dark." The lyrics all hold a tinge of biting realism that once realised by the listener, stings them like a droplet of acid resting upon their skin. To take their metaphor further, their distinctive production style let's stand apart from the rest of the "modern" sound that degrades the potentcy of many new bands. They call it "brick culture," because it all sounds the same. Concentrated acid burns all the way through anything solid leaving a hot trail behind it, like the band continues to do so with garnering the attention of the world of heavy music. Band leader Scarlett Monastyrski comments : " 'Jätt' is meant to be THE sound of SABÏRE. A monolith to what we stand for artistically. We wanted this album to be its own art piece rather than simply a collection of arbitrary songs, a really 'blue' coloured sound. The physical copies hold beautifully styled texts detailing the concept for those chosen songs, as well as small epistles to accompany each track," says . “ 'Jätt' is a “blue” sounding album; the colour. You may understand that more when listening to the album yourself. The cover of 'Jätt', “Dante and Virgil in the Ninth Circle of Hell” - Gustav Doré, 1861, could be seen through a symbolic lense in which the listener is symbolised as Dante, the artist as Virgil, and the bodies locked within the ice of frozen lake as the music surrounding them; we as the artist are shepherding the listener through the mire. This could be perceived like this, or you may just see it as an attractive album cover. “ "We put our heart and soul into this one and can't wait to give our Wild Ones and Acid Fiends what they've been so patiently waiting for

“There are lots of outstanding Joe McPhee LPs. Nation Time being chief among them, but there’s also Pieces Of Light, Oleo and Topology. The Poughkeepsie, New York-based multi-instrumentalist, by now an international star of free music, has amassed a daunting discography, no doubt. If you want to peer deeply into the soul of Joe McPhee, however, there’s no way around it, you need to spend some quality time with Tenor. “Tenor is McPhee’s first solo record. He did not set out to make it. It was an afterthought, quite literally, born of a gathering of friends at the Swiss farmhouse of cellist Michael Overhage. A beautiful meal, some drinks, warm conversation, and ... why not, an impromptu recital. Hat Hut producer Werner X. Uehlinger was there and a year later issued it as McPhee’s third LP for the label (Hat Hut C in their famed letter series). “The existential blues ‘Knox’ sets the stage, indicating that this will not just be a toss-off postprandial singalong. ‘Good-Bye Tom B.’ carries on with aching melancholy, through burred notes and hushed harmonics. The relatively jaunty ‘Sweet Dragon’ is also emotionally loaded with Ayler-esque vibrato, slurs, wipes, and blasts of tone. The side-long title track comes without a theme, as a kind of pure investigation of the horn, its potential, its limits, its expressive capacity. There have been few solo sessions as comprehensive and devastating as this spontaneous after-dinner diversion in rural Switzerland in 1976. We’re very lucky someone pressed record.” —John Corbett (excerpt from the liner notes)

Skylax Records Is Overjoyed to Introduce the Exceptionally Talented Irish Producer, Hammer, to Its Esteemed Roster. This Rising Star, First Brought to the Forefront by the Influential Bicep Crew, Has Been Making Waves in the Electronic Music Scene With Numerous EPs Released on Renowned Labels Such as Optimo Music, Sulta Select, Shall Not Fade, And, of Course, Feel My Bicep, Among Others. Hammer's Distinctive Style Has Gained Him a Dedicated Following Within the Leftfield and Italo-Disco Communities, and His Upcoming 12-Inch Release Is Poised to Set Dance Floors Ablaze. the Ep Kicks Off With "Swerve," a Track That Effortlessly Channels the Pure Essence of Bicep's Iconic Style. the Rich, Immersive Soundscapes and Dynamic Composition Capture the Spirit of the Duo's Renowned Productions, Delivering a Nod to the Genre's Roots While Propelling It Forward. Next Up, We Encounter "Swivel," a Genuine Italo-Disco Gem. With Its Lush, Retro-Infused Synths and Irresistible Basslines, This Track Pays Homage to the Italo-Disco Era That Continues to Influence and Inspire Contemporary Electronic Music. "Swivel" Is a Sonic Time Capsule, Transporting Listeners to the Heyday of This Beloved Genre. Flipping Over to the B-Side, We Have the Outstanding "Tbilisi," a Probable Tribute to the Vibrant and Ever-Evolving Electronic Music Scene in the Bustling City of Tbilisi, Georgia. Hammer Masterfully Crafts a Sonic Narrative That Captures the Essence of the Scene, Incorporating Elements of Techno, House, and the Avant-Garde. This Track Is a Testament to Hammer's Versatility and Ability to Seamlessly Navigate Different Musical Landscapes. the Ep Reaches Its Conclusion With "Push Repeat" Takes Center Stage. This Electrifying Track Promises to Be a Sensation on the Most Discerning Dance Floors, With Its Driving Beats, Infectious Melodies, and Undeniable Energy. Hammer's Mastery of Groove and Rhythm Is on Full Display in This Opening Number, Setting the Tone for What's to Come. in Sum, Hammer's Upcoming Release on Skylax Records Is Nothing Short of a Masterstroke. It Not Only Solidifies His Position as a Standout Talent in the Electronic Music Realm but Also Highlights Skylax's Commitment to Delivering Innovative and Genre-Defying Sounds to Discerning Listeners. This Ep Is Poised to Become an Essential Addition to the Collections of Music Aficionados and a Testament to the Ever-Evolving and Boundary-Pushing Nature of the Contemporary Electronic Music Landscape. Get Ready to Embark on a Sonic Journey Through the Mind of Hammer, and Experience the Future of Dance Music....