Repressing of Larry Heard's return into the spotlight with another classic release after all those years! A fantastic 12 presenting the gifted Memphis based vocalist Mr. White (aka Chad White). 'You Rock Me' is a soulful affair, created to be timeless, while 'The Sun Can't Compare' is a fun play with vocals over a typical Larry Heard acid track. Must have for all fans of good house music!!
Gavin Belton's move back to the UK after years in New Zealand brought him back into the fold with old Littlemen cohort Steve Lee. They played a few gigs together then got back in the studio for the first time in 15 years. Belton's use of the Korg Opsix is what gives these deft deep house cuts their character while Lee adds the vocal lines to 'People Are You Ready' for a ghostly, shadowy, low-lit sound. LA-based DJ, producer and HAWT promoter Mikey V steps up on the flip for the lithe dub house of 'Smooth' while Giom pulls it into darker territory that echoes the old Murk sound. Lee rounds things out with a remix of the A-side that has a persuasive late night bump.
"Once Turin-based producers Mattia and Massimo joined forces under the Voodoos & Taboos moniker, they quickly became a notable force in contemporary club music. A crafty take on house music, combining groove with sculpted production work and a bent for lush melodies, drawing from a wide range of influences - anything that borders on the electronic genres really, and beyond - fueled their own namesake imprint with 6 EP's and landed them spots on a variety of top-tier labels. We have been keen to work with these artists for a long time, and are thrilled this finally materializes with the release of ALT027. Title track "Sempre Sognar" immediately sets out the duo's floor-focused intentions. Breakbeat-laced drums gradually build momentum before a formant lead drops in. It trades phrases with an equally infectious organ that's eventually joined by a 303 pattern for the track's finale. Similar vibrating, buzzy leads thrust "Take Me" forward. Amid heavily delayed vocal samples, the proggy beat takes a more trippy turn however. Synthesized idiophone interludes create room for moments of repose, although not entirely unambiguous ones. A subtly detuned lead and more sleek acid lines are supported by the type of arp bass that characterizes Voodoos & Taboos' sound on the B-side's "Revolution". A collage of broadcast and war-movie lines alike not only adds color, but underlines the sense of indeterminate imminence that looms throughout the track. B2 "Afterhouse" sees the BPM drop a notch, yet the palette shows no signs of winding down; it is downright exuberant. As different arpeggiated melodies play call and response, tape-delayed chords, alarm-like risers, and sprinkles of guitar add extra flavor. This does not lead to excess, however. Everything is carefully measured and kept in check: after all, at the helm are two artists who understand that perfection lies in getting a great many small things exactly right."
Celestial Echo Records brings back Sweet Mixture’s “House Of Fun And Love”, a killer slice of crossover soul from 1973.
Produced by Ron Rice and originally coming out of Chicago’s Bazar label he ran, “House Of Fun And Love” sits right in that sweet spot between modern soul and boogie before the lines were fully drawn. It has that glide you want from a great crossover record: warm vocals, a rolling groove, tight drums and enough lift to move from a soul room into a dancefloor set without forcing it.
There’s a nice full circle moment with this one too. “House Of Fun And Love” was one of the earliest releases on Discs of Fun and Love, the label run by miche and Frederika. It sold out quickly the first time around and years on, it feels like the perfect record to bring into the Celestial Echo catalogue, another holy grail for 2026.
On the B-side is “I Love You”, a sweet ballad that is smooth, heartfelt and beautifully understated. A beautiful slow number that’s common on a lot of these early soul records.
A rare soul grail made available again, respectfully cut, properly pressed, and ready to play.
Semi Delicious kicks off a three-part VA series, bringing together a carefully curated selection of cuts that set the tone for what’s to come. The first chapter in a series built to deliver something special.
Semi Delicious closes out a standout year with Café Gelato, a sprawling new VA compilation bringing together 17 tracks from the label’s extended family and wider orbit.
A&R’d by head honcho Demi Riquísimo, this three part collection captures the broad, playful club sound that has become central to Semi Delicious.
Across the compilation, familiar faces sit alongside new additions, with contributions from Kamma, Regularfantasy, Big Miz, Retromigration, BELLA, Manuel Darquart, DaisyBelle & Medlar, Baldo & Revivis, Kepler and Demi himself among a 17-track cast.
Landing as the label’s final release of the year, Café Gelato puts a full stop on a major chapter for both Semi Delicious and Demi Riquísimo in 2026, celebrating the community of producers that has grown around the imprint while maintaining the musical pillars at its core.
Big, colourful and built firmly for the dancefloor, Café Gelato closes the year by taking stock of where Semi Delicious is now, while offering a taste of where it heads next.
Semi Delicious’ second instalment of its three-part VA series continues the journey with another carefully curated selection of cuts. Chapter two brings more essential sounds to the table, building on what came before.
Semi Delicious closes out a standout year with Café Gelato, a sprawling new VA compilation bringing together 17 tracks from the label’s extended family and wider orbit.
A&R’d by head honcho Demi Riquísimo, this three part collection captures the broad, playful club sound that has become central to Semi Delicious.
Across the compilation, familiar faces sit alongside new additions, with contributions from Kamma, Regularfantasy, Big Miz, Retromigration, BELLA, Manuel Darquart, DaisyBelle & Medlar, Baldo & Revivis, Kepler and Demi himself among a 17-track cast.
Landing as the label’s final release of the year, Café Gelato puts a full stop on a major chapter for both Semi Delicious and Demi Riquísimo in 2026, celebrating the community of producers that has grown around the imprint while maintaining the musical pillars at its core.
Big, colourful and built firmly for the dancefloor, Café Gelato closes the year by taking stock of where Semi Delicious is now, while offering a taste of where it heads next.
Semi Delicious brings its three-part VA series to a close with one final selection of carefully curated cuts. The closing chapter completes the series in style, rounding off a collection built for those who know.
Semi Delicious closes out a standout year with Café Gelato, a sprawling new VA compilation bringing together 17 tracks from the label’s extended family and wider orbit.
A&R’d by head honcho Demi Riquísimo, this three part collection captures the broad, playful club sound that has become central to Semi Delicious.
Across the compilation, familiar faces sit alongside new additions, with contributions from Kamma, Regularfantasy, Big Miz, Retromigration, BELLA, Manuel Darquart, DaisyBelle & Medlar, Baldo & Revivis, Kepler and Demi himself among a 17-track cast.
Landing as the label’s final release of the year, Café Gelato puts a full stop on a major chapter for both Semi Delicious and Demi Riquísimo in 2026, celebrating the community of producers that has grown around the imprint while maintaining the musical pillars at its core.
Big, colourful and built firmly for the dancefloor, Café Gelato closes the year by taking stock of where Semi Delicious is now, while offering a taste of where it heads next.
DJ Linus came up with the basic idea for You Are House Music while DJing. He provided the vocals himself and refined them through numerous tests during his DJ residency at Munich's Pacha club. The track is a tribute to the party people and became the secret anthem of Pacha during its six-month production period. The vocals seem to work...
A.O.D.S. - DJ Linus' self-created genre: Adults Oriented Disco Soul. He organizes parties and plays vinyl records from 1975-1985, covering everything from AOR to soul and disco.
Senium refers to DJ Linus's newfound love for the chillwave/retrowave genre, for which he has acquired a small new record collection.
DJ Linus spent a whole year working on the EP, including relentless testing and sound adjustments. DJ Linus: “I am very happy with the result—thank you!”
By the way: DJ Linus released his first records on Compose, Compost's 90s house label.
About DJ Linus
DJ Linus is one of the very first House DJs in Munich and in Germany. He started way back end of the 80s, early 90s.
Linus is said to be a great influence to many a famous Tech House DJ today.
His solo album “Fantasmagorique“ was the first german House Music long player of its kind.
Linus was owner of two record shops and the famous “exun records“ label.
Nowadays he is resident at the incredible Pacha Munich – since 18 years now – and is running his current label “Sujet Musique” with great success since 2013.
Linus is also resident at the legendary “Palais Club” and the asian, high class restaurant “Izakaya“.
He works as a mastering engineer and as a lecturer for DJing and Producing @ Musicversity. DJ Linus won twice the Munich Night Life Award for best DJ “House/ Techno“ in 2013 and 2019.
DJ Quotes:
“Loving the sound of You Are...! Just the kind of percussive, bassline-led house I love to play out!” – Jimpster
“Very nice!” - Fred Everything
“Tune(s)! Big up Linus.” - Bill Brewster
“Nice funky stuff.” – youANDme
“YOU are house music ! :-):-)” - Acid Pauli
“Enjoying the original You Are House Music track. ” - Josh Wink
“Beautiful!” – Reznik
“Mega EP” – Sandrino
“Really like all the tracks on this EP, Linus has been always special about his production work. Will play the tracks out for sure” - Kiko Navarro
“What a beauty!“ - Phuncadelica
Links:
The legendary Charlemagne Palestine returns to Black Truffle with KKKAAARRREEENNNIIINNNAAA, capturing a 2025 performance in London alongside two close collaborators of recent years, multi-instrumentalist Daniel O’Sullivan and guitarist Oren Ambarchi. While perhaps still best known for the ecstatic piano clouds of his ‘strumming music’ performances, Palestine’s life-long search for what he calls the ‘golden sound’ has taken in an enormous variety of methods of sound production. Now stretching back an incredible six decades, his exploration of continuous sound forms has led him to mega-instruments from the carillon bells of the Saint Thomas Episcopal Church to the synthesizer armada of the Moog Sound Lab, with stops along the way at many of Europe’s grandest church organs. Just as important, though, has been Palestine’s practice as a singer, beginning with his childhood experience of sacred Jewish music and growing through his studies of Indian and Javanese musical traditions in the 1970s.
KKKAAARRREEENNNIIINNNAAA reimagines a key work showcasing Palestine’s voice, the haunting ‘magic song’ Karenina for falsetto singing and harmonium, recorded in Paris in March 1997 to honour the spirit of Palestine’s recently departed black labrador. In this trio version, which Palestine describes as the ‘karaoke’ version, O’Sullivan controls three cassette machines playing the original recording, their slow drift out of phase creating complex patterns of delays and ricochets as the recorded voice chants the syllables of Karenina’s name and other trance words. Beginning with a held organ tone that gradually expands to fill out the frequency spectrum, the piece soon grows into a dense psychedelic mass, as Palestine’s electric organs and the echoing pre-recorded voices are joined by Ambarchi’s swirling Leslie guitar tones and O’Sullivan’s viola, synthesizer and additional vocals. Atop it all sits Palestine’s live voice, in an extraordinary performance of keening, shamanic intensity, sometimes delivered in melodic unison with his keyboard playing.
Though clearly a work of Palestine’s design that sits squarely within his oeuvre, Ambarchi and O’Sullivan are far from simple accompanists on KKKAAARRREEENNNIIINNNAAA. As the elements of the teeming, emotionally charged stew writhe and twist, different elements come momentarily to the surface, O’Sullivan’s spaced-out viola taking the lead in moments that recall Kosugi’s Catch Wave, Ambarchi’s gliding chords and signature stuttering tones enriching the details of many of the quieter episodes. Throughout all its transformations, the music is buoyed up by a sacred aura, as Palestine intones his hypnotic prayer for the soul of his departed pet. Arriving emblazoned with a striking labrador painting by O’Sullivan on the cover, KKKAAARRREEENNNIIINNNAAA is an essential slice of modern ritual music.
Kennedy John Charles’ forthcoming album tells a story of his life, explained through deep music and his vocal melodies.
It mixes Broken Beat, House and Soul music genres Fluently!
Kennedy met Andy Compton at the Vocal Booth event in Spain in 2024, and they were both surprised to find they only lived a few miles apart near Bristol, UK.
Kennedy came and visited the PENG studio and shared his musical vision, So Andy (The Rurals) assisted to help produce this beautiful album, oozing with Soul & Love!
There’s some HOT players involved in this musical journey, and it’s now ready for your fine tuned ears!
Celestial Echo Records heads to the Cayman Islands for CER014, produced in association with Whale Rider Records and longtime friend of the label Medlar.
This release shines a light on two incredible sides from the legendary Memory Of Justice Band, one of the Caribbean's best-kept musical secrets. Formed in Grand Cayman during the 1970s, the group blended soul, reggae, funk and island influences into a sound entirely their own, becoming one of the region's most beloved bands in the process.
On the A-side is a gorgeous piece of sweet modern soul — warm, uplifting and packed with the kind of effortless musicianship that makes you wonder how it stayed under the radar for so long. It's exactly the sort of record Celestial Echo was built for: soulful, timeless and impossible not to fall for.
Flip it over and things move firmly onto the dancefloor with a reggae-boogie burner produced by the legendary duo Sly and Robbie. Built around a heavyweight groove, tight rhythm section and infectious hooks, it's the perfect counterpart to the sweetness of the A-side and a reminder of just how interconnected Caribbean music was during this period.
As always, Celestial Echo is here to put proper soul records back into circulation — respectfully cut, properly pressed, and ready to play.
WRWTFWW Records is very excited to announce the first ever release for the Cyberpunk 2077: Future Sound of Night City soundtrack - atmospheric music from one of the most celebrated video games of the decade! The compilation, showcasing a who's who of Polish electronic underground, is available as a limited edition 45rpm-cut yellow vinyl 3LP in heavyweight 3-panel gatefold with a sticker sheet. The album is also available on CD with super jewel case, and in digital formats.
Dive deep into the pulsating world of Cyberpunk 2077 with an immersive soundscape perfectly capturing the gritty and neon-soaked streets of Night City. Curated by Rafa? Grobel and Wojtek Sokó? of Most Records, the epic 15-track compilation features a diverse offering of electrifying Polish beats, cohesively flowing between techno, ambient, synthwave, bass music, industrial, and IDM. Ominous, powerful, evocative, and filled with futuristic nostalgia, the music of Night City is a thrill ride in a dystopian urban landscape, heavy hearts riding through the night, menacing streets surrounded by infinite skyscrapers. The music transports you, soul-stirring, cinematic, and timeless, the most beautiful kind of escapism.
The award-winning Cyberpunk 2077 action role-playing game was developed by CD Projekt Red and published in 2020 and has since become one of the most recognized and best selling video games of all time. With a cast including Keanu Reeves and Idris Elba, unmistakable visuals, music, and atmosphere, CP77 has earned a spot in the pantheon of 2020s pop culture.
Points of interests
- For fans of video game soundtracks, ambient, techno, synthwave, vaporwave, industrial, dark electronic music, retro-futuristic moods, neon lights, Tech Noir, Keanu Reeves, bass music, All Foods, cities by night, skycrapers, urban adventures, dystopian universes.
- The soundtrack for Cyberpunk 2077: Future Sound of Night City available for the first time everrrr !
eloelo recordings returns with its most assured release to date: ‘FREAK’, an original cut from label head ELODIE, backed by a club-ready remix from Parisian heavyweight DJ W!LD, and rounded off with the vinyl-only bonus ‘Carla’.
Championed on BBC Radio 1, ‘FREAK’ arrives with momentum firmly behind it. This is a hypnotic, slow-burning seducer rather than a blunt-force club tool - restless, wriggling textures crawl through the mix, weird and tactile, shifting constantly around the listener, while ELODIE’s own hand-built percussion keeps everything taut and unmistakably her own. Equally immersive through headphones as it is over a club sound system, the track reveals new details with every listen without ever losing its dancefloor drive. Sultry vocal hooks thread through the groove, and in the breakdown a trippy, melodic rhythm coils and builds before the track snaps back open. Classy, controlled and seriously sexy.
On remix duty is DJ W!LD, a bona fide legend of the underground. The Paris-based artist, longtime Circoloco resident at DC-10 and founder of W Label and Spit&Die, has long been one of underground house music's most respected figures. Long a torchbearer for deep, dark, sexy house, he flips ‘FREAK’ into a pumping, peak-time cut. Built for the floor and armed with a gloriously warped breakdown, his rework has already been tearing up the dancefloor, causing serious damage wherever it's played.
A long-standing digital favourite finally committed to wax, ‘Carla’ closes the vinyl release: a cult cut long adored by those closest to the label and to ELODIE’s music. Timeless, seductive and deceptively powerful, it has always deserved its place on vinyl — and here it finally gets it.
Refined, seductive and unmistakably her own, ‘FREAK’ is another forward-thinking, groove-driven statement that pushes eloelo records' distinctive, timeless sound further still.
Flashbaxx returns to Groovers Traxx with the groove-packed “Birthday Party EP”, a four-track Disco House
journey built for the dancefloor. Blending classic House roots, soulful textures and infectious rhythms, the EP
showcases his most confident and groove-driven sound to date. This is timeless Disco House for late-night
moments and sweaty dancefloors.
Birthday Party EP dives headfirst into the groove, delivering four straight-up feel-good Disco House cuts built for
the dancefloor. Rooted in classic House traditions, the EP showcases his signature blend of groove-heavy
rhythms, soulful textures and infectious energy. The result of a year spent playing live, absorbing new
influences, digging deep in the crates, and sharpening studio craft, this EP captures Flashbaxx at his most
confident and groove-driven.
Gyros Heroes is the latest release from Adlibitum Tum Tunes, showcasing the unmistakable synergy between label curator Kirill Matveev and trusted maestro Nicolas Barnes, a resident artist renowned for his consistently refined and emotive sound.
The EP unfolds as a sophisticated blend of deep- and tech-house aesthetics, designed to uplift, move, and connect. It balances percussive bounce with emotional subtlety, offering a graceful flow that is both club-ready and sonically rich.
A1. Kirill Matveev – Am I Happy With That and A2. Kirill Matveev – Once At Dawn deliver the opening momentum, channeling sleek grooves and playful introspection with polished restraint. These tracks glide effortlessly between warmth and drive—embracing the listener without overwhelming.
On the flip side, B1. Nicolas Barnes & Kirill Matveev – Naar Shada blends the duo’s sonic sensibilities into a mood-driven piece with elegant progression and percussive intricacy. Closing with B2. Nicolas Barnes – Qeezy, the record reaches its emotional high point: a dancefloor-oriented yet soul-touched cut that radiates both sensuality and controlled energy.
Gyros Heroes is a finely tuned experience—bright yet deep, emotive yet precise—crafted for selectors who value atmosphere as much as movement. This is an EP that invites you into its positive orbit, reminding us how expressive and graceful club music can be when shaped by masters of tone and detail.
Adlibitum Tum Tunes is a division of MixCult Records
Scott Pilgrim EX, the newest video game from the Scott Pilgrim franchise developed by Tribute Games, is out now with an all new original soundtrack from Anamanaguchi. The sprawling soundtrack, which accompanies a brand-new storyline co-written by series creator Bryan Lee O’Malley, perfectly connects the band's legendary electronic past with their fuzzed out garage rock present while maintaining their unmistakable punchy style. Known for resonant world building across past projects, the depth of emotion and the range of styles displayed on Scott Pilgrim EX are uniquely Anamanaguchi while delivering a host of melodically anthemic and new energetic hooks that are sure to pack a punch for both newcomers and old school fans of the band alike.
Anamanaguchi's collaborative relationship with the Scott Pilgrim universe goes back to the early days of the band. After cutting their teeth programming music with playable Nintendo cartridges and helping to bring a wider audience to a largely internet based 8-bit chiptune scene, the band was brought in to score the fan-favorite soundtrack for Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game. The success of this game soundtrack would help them to launch an early crowdfunding success story with their campaign for their debut album, 2013's Endless Fantasy. From there the band would go on to collaborate with virtual pop star Hatsune Miku (resulting in the perpetually viral, Fortnite featured hit, “Miku”), and later develop the intricately soundscaped compositions displayed across their second album, USA, but throughout it all the connection between the band and the Scott Pilgrim universe would remain a pivotal source of inspiration.
After being brought in to score the animated Netflix series, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, in 2023, band members Peter Berkman and Luke Silas would credit the live kinetic energy they channeled when writing songs for the in-universe garage band Sex Bob-Omb with helping them get back in touch with the roots of how they learned to play music even before Anamanaguchi's earliest releases. This process would eventually lead to Peter and Luke alongside the remaining two band members — Ary Warnaar and James DeVito — flipping their typically meticulous digital writing process for the more collaborative, straight to tape, distorted angst that can be found on 2025's Anyway, marking another significant evolutionary turn for the band to come out of their relationship with Scott Pilgrim.
Now fresh off the heels of a nationwide tour in support of Anyway, Anamanaguchi have returned to the 8-bit beat em up world of Scott Pilgrim with a relentlessly high energy and genre defying original soundtrack for Scott Pilgrim EX. A return to form that comes with a depth of knowledge and innovative skills that have allowed the band to continue to evolve and grow alongside the characters in the Scott Pilgrim universe and the multi-generational fanbase that continues to follow along with them.
The new soundtrack for the latest installment in the Scott Pilgrim franchise, Scott Pilgrim EX
zake and bvdub are towering figures in the world of ambient - and prolific ones at that. The pair now return to zake's hugely influential Past Inside the Present label with the four-track long player Erasure. Each piece goes typically long and builds slowly but surely into an all-consuming soundscape despite the fact each one is crafted simply from textured synth drift. There's distortion brewing under 'Effacing The Ephemeral' that nods to the likes of Stephen O'Malley while 'Eclipsing Your Earth' is a much more luminous and celestial mood that empties your mind of everything. 'Erasing Empires' then builds to an intense crescendo before falling away to sultry strings. A hugely dramatic work.
Double LP, pressed on gold vinyl. As part of Lineage II's 22nd anniversary celebration, NC America and Black Screen Records are proud to announce the first-ever Lineage II collector's edition vinyl album, which elegantly combines a track selection reflecting the game's iconic history and memorable musical identity. This vinyl album is now available for pre-order and will hit the stores in November. Arranged by composers Bill Brown (Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six), Jamie Christopherson (Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance), Inon Zur (Fallout 4), and NCSOUND, the track list is a collection of 40 of the most recognized pieces from the original soundtrack, carefully selected to create a cohesive listening experience rather than a complete collection. Published by NC, the album flows between calm, reflective village themes, atmospheric exploration pieces, and more intense, dramatic compositions tied to combat, progression and large-scale conflict. The track list draws from the original soundtrack's most recognized pieces and centers on two major regions: Giran and Aden. Early on their journey, players venture into the world's southern territory of Giran. As they explore the region's villages, tracks such as "Crossroad at Dawn," "Shepard's Flute" and "Caravans Crossing" help create a calm, grounded atmosphere that reflects the peaceful nature of travel through the area. In contrast, the world's northern territory of Aden reflects the game's grander, more conflict driven spirit. As players continue their journey, the Elven Village track "Unicorn's Rest" marks a turning point, gradually giving way to darker settlements and imposing castles through standout tracks such as "Knighting Ceremony" from the iconic Aden Castle and "Expedition March" from the Town of Oren, where tension, warfare and large scale conflict take center stage. Across both regions, the tracks are more than background music; they shape how players experience each location, from villages and hunting zones to moments of intense combat. This collection brings together the sounds that have defined Lineage II for the past 22 years, offering a reflective musical journey for both longtime players and new listeners alike.
One of the most influential dub albums ever made. The remixing techniques used – radically new for 1973 – helped transform the role of the producer and the engineer to that of creative artists in their own right.
First released in Jamaica in December 1972, Upsetters 14 Dub Black Board Jungle is widely regarded as one of the first full-length dub albums and a true landmark in reggae history. Produced by the visionary Jamaican innovator Lee “Scratch” Perry, it marks the decisive moment when dub evolved from incidental B-sides into a fully realized long-playing art form. At a time when Jamaican sound system culture was flourishing, producers were beginning to strip down popular reggae tracks into instrumental “versions,” emphasizing the bass and drums for sound system deejays to toast over while adding echo and reverb effects to make things more interesting and dynamic. While King Tubby, who was in charge of mixing the tracks, was pioneering the technical foundations of dub, Perry expanded the approach by adding the hypnotic and psychedelic sound effects that made this record so rich in ideas, rendering the album more conceptually bold.
The album reworked previously released rhythm tracks by the Upsetters, which were recorded between 1970 and 1972, shortly before Perry opened his own studio – the legendary Black Ark Studio in Kingston. Their tight, groove-driven playing provided a solid backbone for these radical studio manipulations. Using the mixing desk as an instrument, tracks were deconstructed in real time – dropping vocals in and out, isolating drumbeats, pushing bass lines to the front of the mix, and sending fragments of sound spiraling into space through the heavy use of a spring reverb and tape delay effect units. Silence became as important as sound, and the interplay of rhythm and echo created a hypnotic, immersive listening experience.
Upsetters 14 Dub Black Board Jungle established dub as a genre defined by creative studio intervention. It demonstrated that the remix itself could be the main attraction, influencing generations of reggae producers and resonating far beyond into the techniques and aesthetics of post-punk, electronic music, hip-hop, and ambient sound design. By transforming the studio into a creative laboratory and elevating the “version” to an art form, this foundational album reshaped not only Jamaican music, but the whole of modern music production culture.
25th Anniversary Black Vinyl Repress.
Before he was Caribou, Dan Snaith was a 20-something student in a "crappy" Toronto bedroom, recording music on a beat-up computer that used to strain under the weight of digital recording.
Start Breaking My Heart was Snaith's 2001 debut, originally released under the name Manitoba. Twenty-five years on, it still sounds like an artist finding his voice in real time - rainbow melody, hopscotch percussion, and playground laughter stitched into warm, tactile electronic pop.
Reflecting on the record, Snaith said it was the first time something clicked - he'd been making music since his early teens, but this was when he first felt he understood what he wanted his tracks to be. That moment coincided with the chance encounter that changed everything: he met Kieran Hebden (Four Tet) at a UK festival, who helped Dan get this album released - the start of a career that has spanned a quarter century and many albums since.
Few producers embody the soulful heart of House Music quite like Move D. Being a mentor of the label since day one, All That Jelly brings together two defining and desirable cuts from David Moufang’s recent history to one record.
'To The Disco ’77' 2013 original version for the A-side and the 2017 live rework finds its way to the B-side, both freshly remastered by the amazing and sought after Andreas Kauffelt. 'To The Disco ’77', opens with a clean, electro-styled beat that has a restrained power and a controlled tension that gradually blooms as the keys start to lift the mood into something lighter. When the iconic 'to the disco' vocal sample cuts through, it’s like a wink
from the past, threading disco’s golden exuberance through the disciplined swing of classic house. The track is a seamless blend of Funk, Disco, House and Electro with each element raw yet playful, woven into a groove that never stops urging you forward. It’s a masterclass in balance: sleek but deeply human, nostalgic but alive in the moment. It's like listening to the history of dance music in one special track.
'To The Disco ’77 (Move D Live Rework)' stretches the idea out into something even more fluid. The groove loosens, the funk rises to the surface and the extended runtime gives space for guitar and bass lines to share center stage, riffing around each other with organic warmth. The 'to the disco' mantra remains, grounding the track in its celebratory intent. It’s the kind of tune that closes a night perfectly and makes you not want to leave the dancefloor. Reissued together, these versions show Move D’s masterful ability to bridge eras and genres, reminding listeners that the dancefloor is as much about emotion as it is about motion.
Rebolledo is back. And this time, he's bringing his own label: Rated R. What began as a party series — with chapters like Rated R and Wax Upon A Time — now mutates into a record label. Long overdue, if you ask us. Surrounded by talented friends from all corners of the globe, this is the new home for bringing everything back into focus. And yes, on wax too.
Naturally. For the first release, we're kicking things off with something equally overdue: Rub N Tug are back. The track? A certified underground wanderer. Loved, played, and passed around dance floors worldwide for well over a decade, yet somehow never properly released. Or maybe it was. Sort of. It's complicated. Now it returns with a remix of a remix, giving the whole thing a fresh coat of cosmic polish. As if that wasn't enough, Paulor takes things one step further with a particularly special jam of his own. Which means we're now dealing with a remix of a remix of a remix.
Confusing? Maybe.
Necessary? Absolutely.
Makes perfect sense to us.
Frozen Flashes is the new album by Okvsho, the Zurich-based project of brothers Christoph and Georg Kiss.
Recorded through sessions in Zurich and London, the album begins with musicians playing together in the room. Improvisations, rhythms, textures and small spontaneous moments are captured, then sampled, cut and rearranged into nine carefully shaped tracks.
Featuring collaborations with Azekel, Melodiesinfonie, FloFilz, Tenderlonious and Hadel, Frozen Flashes is built around the moments that are impossible to plan — brief flashes that appear in a session, disappear again, and sometimes become the starting point for an entire song.
Catch Okvsho +experience live across Europe this autumn — bringing Frozen Flashes on the road.
What's Left is the new album by Tom Henry, releasing November 20th, 2026 on Royal Oakie Records. Where his debut album Songs to Sing and Dance To leaned into big dreams, What's Left is a record about what remains once the dust settles, delivered with the wit and charm of a young rocker in his prime. The familiar influences are still there — Paul McCartney and Big Star loom large (though there's a little more Third/Sister Lovers this time around), but now the songs are lush and polished, with new sounds creeping in around Henry’s trademark power pop hooks. On a handful of tracks you can even hear strains of Syd Barrett influenced acid-folk alongside psychedelic rock that recalls The Brian Jonestown Massacre or The Beatles at their most lysergic.
Produced in collaboration with David Glasebrook (Patti Smith, Peter Case, Sugar Candy Mountain), and engineered by Glasebrook and Stephen Shirk, the album was tracked across two cities at Shirk Studios in Chicago, IL and The Garden Shed in Oakland, CA, where Glasebrook also handled mixing and mastering. The record's cross-continental origins reflect the movements of Tom’s own life over the past half decade, which found him departing his native Chicago for Los Angeles before returning home four years later, and lend the album its distinctive sound of Midwestern grit mixed with California sunshine across all twelve tracks.
Opener "Someone I Need" sets the tone: an old-fashioned, up-beat rocker built for a roadside diner jukebox somewhere out along the backroads of your mind — it's crunchy tape tones and horn arrangement lending warmth to the song as the narrator asks for a dance and beckons the listener along for the ride. By "It's Not Meant to Be," the record turns inward, wrestling with the exhaustion of trying to find love in the modern age — especially for someone who wears their heart on their sleeve and often comes to find their suitor's wardrobe doesn't have room. "Silverlake Song," reminiscent of early Donovan, kicks off with otherworldly sitar — a wry postcard from the west, tracing how the shimmering promise of L.A.'s Silver Lake enchants, bargains with, and ultimately tries to ruin the starry-eyed dreamer — and very nearly succeeds.
In addition to Tom–who sang and played guitar, bass, and keys–the album features musical contributions from co-producer David Glasebrook, Brian Daley, Joe Daley, Finn Swingley, Lewis Patzner, and labelmates Graham Patzner, Charles Lloyd, and Simon Beins. Liner notes come courtesy of Ian F. Svenonius, who — in the guise of one Johnny Sincere of Integrated Star Management Ltd. — recounts his company's failed attempt to sell Tom Henry a gimmick: a space suit, a coal miner's neckerchief, a lounge pianist's dead-eyed shades. Tom turned them all down. As Svenonius tells it, when reminded that every story's been told and every gimmick's been used, that all that's left is to admire the photographs of what's gone before, Tom simply shrugged: rock 'n' roll is an eternal spring, and if this is what's left, that's just fine with him — it's what he likes to do.
Blu:sh and Georgia Bird channel their shared Berlin orbit into Freq-E Functions, a collaborative exploration of the stranger edges of club music. Chugging tech-house rhythms, rolling percussion and seductive vocal cuts move through the record with a steady sense of tension, creating a playful and distinctly nocturnal atmosphere ready for peak hours and beyond. The EP includes a vocal feature from Coffintexts.
Andreas Tilliander released »Ljud« in 2001 as the first full-length album under his real name. The year before, the Swedish producer’s »Cliphop« album under his Mokira moniker had established him in the world of adventurous electronic music and the clicks’n’cuts scene. »Ljud« was just as minimalistic, warm, and playful as its predecessor while also notably inspired by house music. It is a timeless record based on happy accidents, playful loops, and lively spontaneity. For its 25th anniversary, Keplar presents a vinyl reissue with adjusted artwork by graphic designer Marc Hohmann and updated mastering by the artist himself.
Tilliander laid the foundation for his two first albums when he got rid of most of his music gear in 1998 after meeting Joel Brindefalk, who was already releasing music on the legendary Börft label. Brindefalk was using a computer as his main instrument and introduced Tilliander to the audio editing suite Sonic Foundry Sound Forge. »What he did with that software is what made me sell most of the hardware except my Nord Modular and a Korg MS-20.« The former synthesizer played an integral role while Tilliander made the tracks for »Ljud,« working primarily in the modular studio environment Jeskola Buzz.
»Ljud« came together in an intuitive process. »It’s still how I work 25 years later: I first make loops, create bits and pieces, and build up my own sound library as a foundation,« Tilliander explains. The Nord Modular and Buzz, which allowed him to swap samples and produce new sounds out of pre-existing ones, provided him with material for loops that formed the basis of the ten tracks. »I would start with a few elements, add more into the mix, then take them out again—arranging the pieces in real time while recording.« The casualness and vivacity of this improvisational approach becomes tangible throughout »Ljud.«
»Ljud« was released on Achim Szepanski’s Mille Plateaux, which had published the seminal »Clicks+Cuts« compilation in 2000. »I was part of that scene and I liked the digital aesthetic of the label,« says Tilliander »Coming from a very analogue setup, working with computer music and this kind of minimalism was very inspiring.« When preparing »Ljud« for the Keplar reissue, he ran the music through an analogue outboard and noticed he was still happy with the way it sounded. »It brought back fond memories. I hope the same is true for people who heard it back then, and that everyone who discovers it now will enjoy it, too!«
Half a century after its original release, legendary Lebanese musician and singer Marcel Khalife—renowned oud player and global icon of both music and activism—returns with a new recording. On this album, he reinterprets four of the five tracks from his debut, Promises of the Storm. A bold defiance of time and history.
Why revisit the same album, 50 years later? The reasons are many, but one stands above the rest: history itself seems to be repeating. The narrative unfolds once more in the same dire circumstances as half a century ago, as if time has folded in on itself, returning everything to its starting point. The urgency, the necessity—it all remains, pressing and inescapable. We must begin again.
In 1976, a young Marcel Khalife found himself exiled in Paris, fleeing the Lebanese Civil War and his family’s Christian village, where his progressive, left-wing ideas had placed him under a kind of house arrest. He was one of the few to openly and unwaveringly champion the Palestinian cause. The situation quickly became untenable, especially since, just a month before the war began in March 1975, Khalife—fresh out of the conservatory—had given his first public concert to great acclaim. Then, everything collapsed. What does one do when trapped at home? Read books, play the oud, and turn those readings into songs. In his family’s de facto prison, Khalife began setting the poetry of the great Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish to music. These songs, born of confinement, he carried with him into exile, driving to Paris where a producer offered him the chance to record an album. Naturally, the tracks were the ones he had been improvising at home from Darwish’s poems. The album’s title, Promises of the Storm, echoed the war that was just beginning. Khalife recalls that the album became a hit after a concert at the Fête de l’Huma, where 500 copies were sold in a single day. “Everything started there, and it never stopped,” he remembers. He would meet Mahmoud Darwish shortly after, at a dinner organized by mutual friends. From that moment, a deep friendship blossomed between the two men.
With Darwish’s words and Khalife’s music, the songs of Promises of the Storm are imbued with a powerful evocative force—melancholy, tenderness, and poetic resistance in the face of violence. The album catapulted Khalife to international stardom, leading to endless tours and recordings, yet he never abandoned his commitments.
Now, 50 years later, Promises of the Storm returns in a fresh recording, because history is repeating itself. After the Israeli bombings in Lebanon at the end of 2024, Khalife, who was on tour, found himself stranded in Paris. He remembered a recurring request from his son, musician Bachar Mar-Khalife, who had often urged him to re-record his now-classic debut album. One morning, oud in hand, Marcel knocked on his son’s door and said, “Shall we? I’m ready to record.”
These new versions are stripped down, raw, and intimate—just the solitary strings of the oud. Khalife sings as never before, his voice no longer marked by the fragility of youth but imbued with something deeper, freer, unshackled. It soars high yet resonates low, always clear, as if to escape sadness, to evoke love and violence, desire and exile. In just four songs, Khalife encapsulates a lifetime, and a philosophy of life. Rita tells of a love of Darwish’s, with the haunting line (translated from Arabic): “Between Rita’s eyes and mine, a rifle.” Oummi invokes the figure of the mother as a metaphor for the lost land. Promises of the Storm is a meditation on revolution, the hope for change, the melancholy of defeat, and the power of thought. Passport captures, through poetry, the feeling of being stateless—a citizen of everywhere and nowhere.
Time has only strengthened these texts and this music. History never repeats itself without a valid, indispensable reason for the present. That reason is fully contained in Marcel Khalife’s new interpretations, which have never sounded so clear, so right, so essential.
Fourteen years have passed since Woollen Kits released two albums in a single year (Woollen Kits and Four Girls, both 2012), but Melbourne/Naarm’s beloved Kits are back to remind us what we’ve been missing all this time.
Weather the Storm still draws from the same deck of cards, but opens the door to some more classically renowned influences like The Velvet Underground, Television Personalities, Beat Happening ,Marine Girls, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, et al.
Across ten tracks it’s clear just how well they can write a hook, a verse, a chorus, a song; bringing together themes of everyday life, love and sincerity with aphorisms, stories and the classic sound we know and love.
Woollen Kits’ approach is almost as minimal and primitive as it was back in 2007, when singer/guitarist Tom Hardisty first sent a few channels into the red on an old Tascam tape machine. Simple chords, strong melodies, witty lyrics and a clear message. It’s a hell of a combination when it’s done well, and one they would only refine from there.
Tom (Hardisty) recruited a second Tom (Ridgewell, drums) and a Leon (Applebee, guitar) to help guide his new Cramps/Half Japanese- worship bedroom project into a real-life band, playing their first gig on NYE ’08 before launching into 2009 to record their first canon release, the Teenage Love 7”.
Yes, much time has passed since the band’s last record, Four Girls, came out in late 2012, but in the interim members have released plenty of other music across numerous projects, including Constant Mongrel, Nun, Canine Apathy, The UV Race, TB Ridge as The Director, Calamari Girls & more.
Your head can’t help nodding along, and there’s a good chance that soon your feet will do something very similar: Meandering between dopeness and danceability, hovering between serpentine synthesizers and a wonderfully soulful vocal, the vibe of Lost In this Moment is really all in it’s title. The creative past of Zcelli Forever resonates subtly with the streamlined drive of Chase The Sun, as the producer used to travel around the world to send dancefloors on journeys as part of a certain duo. Pushing the variety of this release even further, Dennis Reich provides a club-ready remix that playfully juggles the intense song structure and the warm melodies of the original in time with a compelling groove.
Vocalisations like ‘Hooo’ and ‘Huhuh’ form the wordplay on Use Knife’s upcoming release as these sounds are meant to summon strength, overcome fear and unleash unwavering sonic assault. Set for November 20, the EP ‘Hooo Huhuh’, on the band’s own Hooo Huhuh record label, is Use Knife’s first release since its acclaimed 2nd album ‘État Coupable’ on VIERNULVIER records in 2025.
The journey of Use Knife began in 2020 during a music residency in art centre VIERNULVIER (Gent, be) when Iraqi percussionist Saif Al-Qaissy, Stef Heeren and Kwinten Mordijck, as well as the multidisciplinary artist and scenographer Youniss Ahamad, came together to form Use Knife, later joined by Jerusalem In My Heart’s Radwan Ghazi Moumneh as mixer and guest musician. The project quickly gained the attention of prestigious platforms like The Wire, The Quietus, BBC6's New Music Fix, KEXP, NTS, Inverted Audio, METAL Magazine, Ma3azef, A Closer Listen, and others documenting the universal resonance of Use Knife's message.
Since releasing its debut album ‘The Shedding of Skin’ on VIERNULVIER, a remix EP ‘Peace Carnival’ on Morphine records, and follow-up album ‘État Coupable’, Use Knife has played its visceral audio-visual liveshows at many prestigious festivals like Le Guess Who?, Tremor, Colours of Ostrava, Les Trans Musicales, Rewire, Sonic City, Resonator, Roadburn, Donau, Fusion, Rage Sacrée, Micro, Clandestino, E-fest and many more.
Praised by The Quietus and The Wire for its vibrant and wholehearted performances, Use Knife has been described as an electrifying live act that fully engages its members and audience alike. Their sound, dubbed 'industrial Iraqi EBM', is celebrated for its ability to immerse the audience in a hypnotic state, erasing global borders through real-life connection and dazzling visuals on gigantic projection fabrics, resulting in exhilarating sensory experiences.
Further extending Use Knife's influence, Radio alHara in Palestine has hosted Use Knife's 'Feeding the Gentry' show since 2023, where the band aims to build a community by opening their platform to other guests like Saint Abdullah & Eomac, Monstera Occulta, Cinna Peyghami, Bader, Anthony Sahyoun, ... thus broadening the band's international reach and impact.
Earlier this year, Use Knife collaborated with Rabih Beaini from Morphine Records to re-remix the band’s track ‘To Feed the Gentry’ (feat. Radwan Ghazi Moumneh), blending in the beautiful track ‘Kunna’ by Rully Shabara. The resulting track was included in Beacon Sound’s compilation ‘Gaza is the Moral Compass’ to help support Palestinian-led mutual-aid groups on the ground in Gaza.
The forthcoming 'Hooo Huhuh' EP, releasing on November 20, advocates for the resilience and determination of the people, their collectives and communities, with energetic vocalizations, distorted percussion and throbbing saxophones. The title track, originally mixed by Radwan Ghazi Moumneh and mastered by Heba Kadry during the ‘État Coupable’ sessions, has been surgically reworked into the clubby rant that is ‘Ho Hahaa Huh’ and the drone-like mantra ‘Nobody Can Separate Us محد يكدر يفركنا’.
The limited vinyl edition comes with a 3-color risoprinted sleeve designed by Lebanese artist and graphic designer Farah Fayyad.
SIDE B presents the first installment of a new series aimed at eroding classic structures within club music from inside the playing field. 'The Unshaped Series' pushes depth into the label's mission statement, isolating tone and texture, and confronting its listeners by raising not only the experimental undertones of the music it has been showcasing. This new take provides an opportunity for these spaces to be described and for new emotions to glow between the same walls in turn.
For 'The Unshaped Series' first volume, SIDE B emphasizes its name by challenging ten techno producers to detach themselves from their habitual arrangements. If the rhythm that we hold so dear is taken out of the equation, what is left? This question is answered by the bleeding edge of the international scene and pressed on wax to offer a unique product in concept and quality. Techno has spearheaded sonic research and its artistic application since its beginnings, so to honor this tradition, SIDE B compiles these pieces to boil down the true essence of club music into what it truly is : sculpting time and space.
Soma's 35th anniversary remix series continues with SOMA35.4, turning its focus to one of the label's more recent defining tracks - Slam's 'Activate'.
Originally released as part of Slam's catalogue over the last decade, 'Activate' quickly established itself as one of the duo's most recognised and widely played tracks of the period. For SOMA35.4, the track is handed over to four artists who each bring a distinct perspective to its driving, functional foundations.
Luke Slater takes 'Activate' and applies his trademark precision and raw club-focused approach. Oscar Mulero delivers a tougher, more industrial interpretation, pushing the track deeper into his characteristic high-pressure sound. Phil Berg brings a hypnotic, groove-led edge to his version, while Nastia Reigel offers a more contemporary, atmospheric take that reshapes the track through a different sonic lens.
SOMA35.4 continues the ethos behind the 35-year project: bringing together established figures from Soma's history and artists operating within its wider sonic sphere.
Tracks 1, 3 & 4 Mastered By Conor Dalton @ Glowcast Mastering
Track 2 mastered by Carlos Koschitzky
In statement to Its identity, Fergus Sweetland's Pain in the Brain EP initiates the linage of the unapologetically physical, vinyl-only Wobble Wax.
His release at its core is a computerised gallop, grounded in playful but mature musicality. Fergus' chord aware contemporary detailing emits a breezing alchemy of wiseful restraint from an artist who understands the assignment.
The ever-welcoming theme of Sweetland's signature percussion ensures each of the 4 excursions deliver a cohered reference, but not without unique imprint. Speaking to the subtle, non fixed states, that Wobble's manifesto arguments.
Notable entries include: B2's 'Pain in the Brain'- a sharply composed stab anchored in acidic static'ism. And A1's 'Lean into Fuzz'- An aura farming ode to synth-tropic minimalism.
Following the release of Electric Rescue's new album, "Different Horizons", Laurent Garnier's COD3 QR returns to its signature various artists format for a new vinyl-only release featuring six new tracks, by WheelUP, Rapson & Kathy Brown, Mirko Loko, Costello, Jules Wells, Rod20 and James Warburton.
WheelUP is West London producer and DJ Danny Wheeler who's released music on CoOperation Records, Jamz Supernova’s Future Bounce and his long-time home Tru Thoughts. After appearing on COD3 QR in July with a track alongside Blu James, he now teams up with regular collaborator, music producer, DJ and keys player, Rapson, alongside acclaimed US vocalist Kathy Brown for the intensely soulful "Music".
Mirko Loko is a prominent Swiss talent, known for his work as resident DJ at Couleur 3 and Loft Electroclub, artistic director of Polaris festival and releases on Planet E, Border Community, Cocoon and Visionquest returns once again to COD3 QR with the Detroit-influenced "Silent Failure".
French electronic DJ and music producer, Costello returns for his sixth track on COD3 QR, having also released on Solomun's Diynamic, Chloé's Lumière Noire and most recently Maceo Plex's Ellum Audio. His bright Techno groover, "Cocotte" closes the A-side.
Another COD3 QR regular, Jules Wells opens the B-side. Influenced by the Motor City, Jules has released on labels like Electrofunk, Submerge, Twilight 76, KMS, Planet E, Brique Rouge and Logos. Here, he takes the EP into atmospheric territory with "The Rooster".
Benny Rodrigues has previously delivered tracks for COD3 QR as The Lost Souldancer. But now he reprises his Rod20 alias with "Stars Of Bethlehem". Rod20 is the dedicated hardware-only techno project he began in 2020, which prior to its standalone vinyl imprint, launched with a self-released compilation, followed by a dual-part album on Jeff Mills' legendary Axis Records.
To close the EP is the experimental ambient work of "You Are Carried On Waves Of Endless Love" by James Warburton. James is a composer and multi-instrumentalist whose work has appeared on TV and film including Netflix’s "Squid Games", HBO’s "Succession", the title music for Channel 4’s "Manhunt" and the original score for Endemolshine/Banijay’s hit TV series "Murdertown" and NBC Universal’s "Faceless" podcast.
The Deviants (formerly The Social Deviants) were a British psychedelic rock band originally active from late 1966 to 1969. The bandname was later used as a vehicle for the musical work of writer Mick Farren until his death in 2013.
Musically, the Deviants were something like the British equivalent to the Fugs, with touches of the Mothers of Invention and the British R&B-based rock of the Yardbirds and the Pretty Things.
Their roots were not so much in the British Invasion as the psychedelic underground that began to take shape in London in 1966-1967. Mick Farren said that they were influenced by The Who, Charles Mingus, The Velvet Underground and Frank Zappa.
The Deviants is their 3rd album and is now available as a numbered limited edition of 1000 copies on yellow vinyl and it contains a replica of the original mini booklet.
Antonio Carlos Jobim was definitely one of the most important artists in the bossa nova movement of the 1960s. The pianist and guitarist wrote the iconic "Desafinado" and, probably the most famous song in the genre, "The Girl from Ipanema". His elegant style of playing the music became the blueprint for the genre and inspired many.
Stone Flower is the album where you hear Antonio Carlos Jobim evolve in response to the new trends of the 1970s. His gentle and signature melodies are still there, but there are new elements; you here for example an electric Fender Rhodes. These changes only add to the timeless sound of Stone Flower.
The album has an impressive line-up of artists that were at their creative peak such as Ron Carter, Airto Moreira, and Eumir Deodato. Producer Creed Taylor and engineer Rudy Van Gelder give it the warm, high-quality sound that's typical of many CTI releases.
Stone Flower is available as a limited edition of 2000 individually numbered copies on transparent/black marble vinyl.
xtal makes his debut on mule musiq with a four-track ep that explores the space between club functionality and left-field experimentation. opening with “off-axis,” warped electronic textures and elastic grooves subtly recall early-2000s dance music while retaining a distinctive sense of lightness. “ arches” develops a hypnotic atmosphere through intricate arpeggios and minimal rhythmic patterns, finding depth in repetition and subtle shifts. on “lilt,” warm dub textures and supple rhythms merge into a fluid, dreamy deep house excursion, balancing understated euphoria with an effortless sense of movement. closing with “morse signals,” fragmented synth phrases and playful rhythms evoke a kind of retro-futuristic communication, bringing together experimental instincts and dancefloor sensibility. moving freely between minimal repetition, dub-inflected atmospheres and off-kilter electronic rhythms, xtal makes a compelling first appearance on mule musiq, delivering a release full of unexpected details, musicality and understated eccentricity.
Gilles Peterson has partnered with Jean-Paul “Bluey” Maunick to reinvigorate the loose, protean energy of the early-80s Brit-funk scene. STR4TA sees them mine new musical possibilities outof that shared formative era. On “Aspects”, they revisit that
important period and the spirit that guided it: self-taught, DIY vitality, and a raucous energy built on live performance. Bringing a fresh slant to a sound first developed by groups like Atmosfear, Hi-Tension, Light of the World and Freeez – with Maunick, it should be noted, also a member of the latter two bands – it’s the first material that Maunick and Peterson have released together in over a decade.
It’s an idea that had been in the works for a while, but which was encouraged by a surprising catalyst: the award acceptance speech by Tyler, the Creator at the 2020 Brit Awards, where he shouted out the influence of “British funk from the 80s”. It was an acknowledgement of the particular sound that Maunick and his peers had honed, where their US influences were reoriented through their own circumstances. “Like everybody else who plays music, we tried to emulate our heroes,” Maunick says. “But we didn’t have the tools, we hadn’t studied music: were all playing by ear, and we were coming off bits and pieces that we liked off certain records.” This record is guided by the same ethos. An array of musical touchpoints have fed into the album’s direct, no-frills entries: each track’s parts are cut back to the bare bone. In writing and recording the album, the pair of them would work together to strike upon the point of departure – more naive, less considered – that had produced that killer Brit-funk sound. Peterson would dig out records that showed particular flashes or moods as jumping off points, and Maunick would then work with collaborators to build new directions out of those prompts or suggestions.
It’s the latest chapter in a story that started with Peterson interviewing Maunick in his parents’ garden shed, the first interview that the former had ever conducted. Later, they would reconnect to put out a string of celebrated Incognito albums on Peterson’s pioneering, now-defunct Talkin’ Loud imprint. Now, linking up once more, they unpick an under-appreciated flashpoint in a vital musical lineage, one which each of them has been instrumental in shaping.
With this album, Ballake pays tribute to his father, Djelimady Sissoko, a brilliant kora player of whom very few recordings remain. His father was affectionately nicknamed Djelimady No. 1 because of his prominent role in Mali's national orchestra (the Instrumental Ensemble of Mali), which he co-founded in 1962. Ballake has brought together a small ensemble for the project: two additional koras, a ngoni, and a sokou (violin). On vocals, he has invited Piers Faccini and singer Fatim Kouyate.
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