22a main man Tenderlonious returns with a brand new 4 track EP, seamlessly cooking up a blend of hybrid house and broken beat with his unique analogue productions and signature flute instrumentation. The title track 'After The Storm' picks up where 2019 album 'Hard Rain' left off (Bandcamp's electronic albums of 2019) - a stormy, atmospheric 4/4 groove, with flute flurries, build the track to a state of euphoria. The EP continues with 'G Flex', a tune dedicated to Tender's mentor Sterling Styles, aka Equinox (Scientific Wax). Broken drum machine loops are brought to life by classic Tender flute and synth solos. Fans of his 2016 'On Flute' EP will be feeling this one!
Suche:re up
Outta Sight’s collectable ‘Classics’ series continues with two real heavyweight’s of the rare soul scene, face-to-face for the very first time. Together, these two icons helped define, not only Northern Soul, but the soul music genre… and now, almost sixty years on, they go head to head.
In the blue corner is former commercial artist and amateur heavyweight boxer Mr Roy Hamilton who set the dancefloors trembling across the North of England when his 1962 “Earthquake” was finally unleashed on the Northern Soul scene. Hamilton was already a huge star in America scoring two R&B No.1’s in 1954 and ’55 with the standards “You’ll Never Walk Alone” and “Unchned Melody”. But, he will forever be remembered in the U.K. for his Northern anthems “Crackin’ Up Over You”, “The Panic Is On”, “You Shook Me Up” and the explosive “Earthquake”.
In the red corner is the multi-talented actor, pianist, arranger, producer, songwriter and singer Mr H. B. Barnum who’s early belter “It Hurts Too Much To Cry” belies its 1962 recording date. Barnum also scored on the rare soul scene with “Three Rooms With Running Water”, “The Record” and the awesome “Heartbreaker”.
But his contribution far exceeds his personal output with writer, producer and arranger credits on a slue of floorfillers inlcuding Judy Street’s “What”, Earl Wright’s “Thumb A Ride” and The Magnificents’ ”My Heart Is Calling You”, to name but a few.
Brooklyn-based cellist Clarice Jensen’s gorgeous
sophomore album and first for FatCat’s pioneering
130701 imprint, ‘The experience of repetition as death’
was recorded and mixed by Francesco Donadello at
Vox-Ton studios in Berlin in late 2018 and mastered by
Rafael Anton Irisarri.
Following up her hugely impressive 2018 debut, ‘For
This From That Will Be Filled’, which included
collaborations with Jóhann Jóhannsson and Michael
Harrison, all of the material on this new album was
written and performed by Clarice alone and all of the
sounds on it were created with a cello through a
variety of effects and effects pedals.
Clarice has recorded and performed for a host of
stellar artists including Jóhann Jóhannsson, Max
Richter, Björk, Arcade Fire, Nick Cave, Jónsi, Stars of
the Lid, Dustin O’Halloran, Joanna Newsom, Nico
Muhly, Dirty Projectors, Frightened Rabbit and Beirut.
Receiving glowing critical acclaim, both her previous
releases made it into Pitchfork’s End Of Year charts.
For fans of Jóhann Jóhannsson, Hildur Gudnadottir,
Stars of the Lid, Max Richter, Pauline Oliveros, Harold
Budd, A Winged Victory For The Sullen, Sarah
Davachi, Resina, Maria W Horn, Ellen Arkbro, Kali
Malone, Christina Vantzou, Abul Mogard, Galya
Bisengalieva, Richard Skelton, GAS, Steve Reich.
Alien Recordings was born in the late 80's by Andy Panayi and
Alec Stone, out of a love of music and DJing. They also ran a
night around London called Alienation, playing a mix of house,
electro, breakbeat and techno. They're back as (An) Alien with
new material for your listening pleasure; alongside music by
legend Terry Francis as well as Panayi and Stone themselves
(A²), the likes of Stopouts (Rob Collman + Navigator) were
staples of the imprint and they front up for "Tales From The
Archives Part 2.2". There's the brooding Drexciyan electro funk
of "Kill All Humans" originally from 1998, a remastered version
of "Sandstorm" from their release on Robin Ball's
Groovepressure imprint in 1999 and on the B side is the
underwater cybernetic epic "Freaks" by A².
- A1: Paleta (With Quetzal Guerrero)
- A2: Head Above Water (With Sean Rogers)
- A3: Head Above Water (With Amparo Sanchez)
- A4: Are We Better Now? (With Brian Lopez & Charlie Moss)
- A5: El Curandero (With Depedro)
- A6: Early In The Morning
- A7: Eres Oficial (With Quetzal Guerrero)
- B1: Me Dejo Llevar (With Raul Marques & Esther Valverde)
- B2: El Chumina (With Quetzal Guerrero & Mexican Institute Of Sound)
- B3: No Te Esperaba (With Chetes & Joey Burns)
- B4: Little Space (With Nick Urata)
- B5: Why You Looking That Way (With Quetzal Guerrero)
- B6: Bora Bora
- B7: Hoodoo Voodoo Queen (With Gaby Moreno & Carrie Rodriguez & Moira Smiley)
Sergio Mendoza (a longtime member of Calexico) grew up on both sides of the US/Mexican frontier. On the band’s 3rd album, “Curandero,” His musical melding of that experience explodes from the speakers. Boogaloo, cumbia, ranchera & rock’n’roll.
NORTHERN SOUL ESSENTIALS!!! 2020 finally sees the long-awaited follow-up to the mega-succesful Frank Wilson 45 in our ‘Soul Essentials’ series. And they don’t come more “essential” than The Tempests “Someday”. What a fabulous record and a top notch dancer to boot! For many, “Someday” is the Northern Soul sound of the millenium, and it is! But we have to go much further back in time to find it’s roots on the scene. Back another twenty years in fact, back to the eighties to the “discovery-city” of Stafford where it was first played to an astonished and eager audience. It was originally released as an LP-only track on the album ‘Would You Believe’ on Smash Records in 1967. And what an incredible album it is offering up a number of potential B-sides for our single: the title track, plus a very credible rendition of “Ain’t No Big Thing”, “Happiness”, “I Cried For You” and “What You Gonna Do” – all totally fantastic. But, we went with the stunningly sublime and pleading “I Don’t Want To Lose Her” dripping in tortured emotion that sends shivers across the dance floor! The Tempests were originally an all-white 10-piece outfit formed in the early-Sixties in Charlotte, North Carolina. They went through a number of personel changes over the years but by the time they signed to the Mercury owned ‘Smash’ label their unique sound featured black vocalist, Hazel Martin. It is Martin’s implouringy desperate delivery that resonated instantly with the Northern Soul scene propelling the band to iconic status. Now, over fifty years on, the two standout tracks from the album are available back-to-back for the very first time! Also available the No.1 oldie “Do I Love You” by Frank Wilson.
Wan Chai Records is a Hong-Kong based label, specialized in rare Asian records and quality reissues.
For their first release, they wanted to highlight a promotional record released at 500 copies only in Hong-Kong for a famous Soda brand.
It was offered with a pack of bottles in 1977 and never been
released.
Produced and arranged by Noel Quinlan, this Album is a mix of
Funk and Soul covers. The result is an awesome LP including
groovy covers, from the classic Lowdown' by Bob Scaggs, to a
Funky I Shot The Sheriff' by Bob Marley with a deep Fender
Rhodes, and 12 other outstanding tracks.
Nico Nightingale as "Neud Photo" has been on a tear lately and this latest offering for Mysidian shows up as his most dark and menacing.
The electro meets techno sound we know him for is still prevalent but the amnesia-inducing ‘Dreamz’ also carries thumping EBM and New Beat influences. R&S meets Subway meets Mute.
While each track plays on it’s own themes independently with tasteful vocal samples and industrial energy, the thing they all have in common is obvious. They completely satisfy aural wishes excited only during states of R.E.M. They are simply and undisguisedly realizations of wishes.
- A1: Lost In Space / Greatscott / 22-26
- A2: Innerstellar Love
- A3: I Love Louis Cole (Feat Louis Cole)
- A4: Black Qualls (Feat Steve Lacy, Steve Arrington, & Childish Gambino)
- A5: Miguel's Happy Dance
- A6: How Sway
- A7: Funny Thing
- A8: Overseas (Feat Zack Fox)
- B1: Dragonball Durag
- B2: How I Feel
- B3: King Of The Hill
- B4: Unrequited Love
- B5: Fair Chance (Feat Ty Dolla $Ign & Lil B)
- B6: Existential Dread
- B7: It Is What It Is (Feat Pedro Martins)
Thundercat drops his new album ‘It Is What It Is’ on Brainfeeder
Records. The record, produced by Flying Lotus and Thundercat, features musical contributions from Ty Dolla $ign, Childish Gambino, Lil B, Kamasi Washington, Steve Lacy, Steve Arrington,
BADBADNOTGOOD, Louis Cole and Zack Fox.
A unique voice transcending style and genre: “This album is about
love, loss, life and the ups and downs that come with that,” says
Thundercat. Thundercat has previously worked with the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Pharrell, N.E.R.D., Erykah Badu, Childish Gambino, Mac Miller, Anderson .Paak, Little Simz, BADBADNOTGOOD, Moses Sumney, Kamasi Washington and many more.
For fans of Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino, Flying Lotus, Kamasi Washington, BADBADNOTGOOD. Album photography by Eddie Alcazar. CD in softpack. Deluxe 140g picture disc LP housed in a 6mm spined gatefold sleeve with gold foil detail and OBI strip. Includes digital download code.
Deluxe 140g pink clear vinyl LP housed in a 6mm spined gatefold
sleeve with gold foil detail and OBI strip. Includes digital download
code. Red 140g vinyl LP housed in a 3mm spined sleeve with OBI strip. Includes digital download code. Thundercat will play his biggest UK shows to date in April.
M Parent brings us a soundtrack of American dystopia, one that gives a pointed sonic voice to the bubbling frustrations and anxieties of our time. While American politics play out like a circus on the world stage, M Parent responds to the question of what it means to be American through dirty acid riffs
and eerie electro synth stabs. The album opens up with the title track where a deep voice bellows, “The American Dream was a lie,” setting the stage for what comes next. A warped sense of reality bubbles over in Lose Your Mind, as a wailing electric guitar plays a distorted rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. On the track They Gave You What, a glitched out 808 breakbeat unwinds as
psychedelic paranoia sets in over a stiff melodic hook.
But it’s not all doom and gloom, as it wouldn’t be a complete encapsulation of the American dream without a sense of hope. Balancing the LP out are playful tracks and aural details that keep the American tradition of funk alive. Fucked Acid offers a bright acid track with a funky falsetto synth line.
At the album’s cheeky climax, Electric Snake, a reptilian beast is lured out with 808 toms and beat back by unrelenting snare rolls. Maniacal laughter and an acidic bubbly lead race towards the album’s conclusion in the track Get In. The LP finishes with Groovy, an uplifting track that adds a fragile sense
of optimism.
Criminally unavailable, home-recorded fully digital soul JAM from 1990.
Ed and Joe Wartts, the rowdy younger brothers of acclaimed gospel singer, Andrew Wartts, go hard here with a conscious approach to love and politics; a passionate plea for a more compassionate world. Agitated bass tones cascade only to vanish under a supernatural synth lead that floats somewhere between neo soul and phantom G-funk. Ed's idiosyncratic playing and Joe's raw, emotional vocals deliver an earnest commandment for any era. Electronic instrumentation and voice mingle in a noble and metallic way, giving the track a kind of tough, sophisticated, griminess. A spectral strangeness, rising up from somewhere …
We instantly fell in love with Razen the first time we saw them live in September 2018. It was during a unique Sunday morning mass at the Friedenskirche (which translates literally to mean ‘the church of peace’), as part of the Meakusma Festival. Slightly sleep deprived and still euphorically intoxicated from the night before, their performance in front of a full mass of devotees had a biblical aura to it from the first note they played. They delivered a stunning set which was somehow, paradoxically, both relaxing and formidably tense.
Two years later and the group are now bringing their talent for restraint and slow tension-building to the fore on “Robot Brujo”. Each of the six improvisations on this double LP is made up of the barest of materials, with the three musicians relying on a limited combination of tones. They lay their focus on small variations in timbre, timing, articulation and vibration, which creates a narrowing of consciousness, and feels something a bit like staring meditatively at the minute changes of leaves blowing in the wind.
Recorded over two sessions, in what Razen themselves refer to as their detached playing style, "Robot Brujo" stands as an auditory magnifying glass of concentration, in all its uncanny and minimal glory.
It is yet another new step up from the deep listening ensemble from Brussels, after 10 years exploring music together.
Franky Rizardo announces the launch of his new label, LTF Records with four-track EP ‘Primrose’. The culmination of a number of years hard work, the Dutch DJ, producer, promoter and now label head proudly presents an outlet for his own music.
Encompassing an immersive feeling of energised focus, involvement and enjoyment of his journey within the industry so far, LTF Records (Listen To Flow) is Franky Rizardo’s new platform to transport its listeners and followers into a flow state of mind.
One of The Netherlands finest exports, Franky Rizardo has established himself as an international touring artist, as well as name renowned within his own country. Being an ever present on Dutch national radio station, SLAM! has provided him with the perfect platform to develop and nurture a label that is crafted with clear intentions and identity. Building a career based on strong philosophies, Franky has consistently aimed to do his own thing, keep everything in perspective and most of all, having fun.
From ingraining himself within the ANTS and elrow camps, to releasing on labels such as Strictly Rhythm, Rejected, Saved and 8Bit, Franky has become a name synonymous with deep driving house music that blurs the lines between Techno and House. The multi-faceted Dutch artist has also represented himself and his brand FLOW, at events such as Tomorrowland, Fabric – London, Shelter – Amsterdam, Amnesia – Ibiza and Soho Garden Dubai, further cementing his status as a one of electronic music’s most dynamic individuals.
Across four-tracks on the ‘Primrose’ EP, Franky focuses his energy firmly on the dancefloor, keeping people locked into his flow state. Opening with ‘Primrose’, the tracks low-end rumbles throughout, supplying the perfect atmosphere to keep the crowd moving. ‘Faze’ offers a wonky blissed out vocal alongside stabbing synth. Whereas ‘DC Terrace’ is a nod to the peak-time movements at Ibiza’s famous club, DC10. Closing the EP ‘Clouds’ provides an energised up-tempo focus track to engage to zone.
The label launches at time when authenticity within the industry is key, Franky continues to focus on his own output, never taking himself too seriously and always keeping full perspective on the task at hand. Inviting you to join him with LTF Records, Franky wants you to enter his flow state.
"Small Worlds" (2004) a is 42-minute composition for improvising sextet by Austrian double bassist, composer and improviser Werner Dafeldecker. The score is written for any instrument and divides the players into two virtual trios whose constellations change every 3 minutes. No restrictions are made regarding material or playing techniques, the only specification is that in each 3-minute trio, one player has the role of the "dynamic leader" which means that no other player within the trio should play louder than the one on that leading position. Apart from that, the only other restriction concerns how pauses are to be made when two players interchange their positions within the trios.
According to Dafeldecker, the object of the piece is to provide a structure that doesn't curtail the qualities of the musicians, yet forces them to listen very closely to each other and make focused decisions about parameters that are often overlooked in completely free improvisation. Especially, the given structure avoids the emergence of certain clichés that are often present in Free Improvisation, while retaining a very high level of openness with regard to how the piece is performed.
The first published recording of "Small Worlds", by Australian ensemble Quiver, was released in 2017 on CDr by Tone List. This LP contains a recording made in 2004 at Taktlos Festival in Basel, Switzerland, that features the line-up that Dafeldecker originally had in mind when he wrote the piece: Burkhard Beins (percussion), Martin Brandlmayr (percussion), Werner Dafeldecker (double bass), Klaus Lang (organ), Michael Moser (cello), and John Tilbury (piano). Partly, this constellation later also played together in the long-running avant-garde group Polwechsel.
Edition of 300 in regular sleeve with three inserts: two featuring an extensive conversation between Werner Dafeldecker and Matthias Haenisch discussing "Small Worlds", Polwechsel and Free Improvisation in general (German and English), the third reproducing the score of the piece.
The longtime portuguese dj-producer Dedy Dread lands on DJ's CHOICE label for his first full-on original production. "Don't Wanna Wake Up" kicks off the collaboration with the soulful Hawaiian-born singer Olivia Ruff, a velvety warm r'n'b banger which will certainly tear through the airwaves. On the flip side, a "bikini-dub" version by The Rebel – helped by the sax of Danilo Desideri (Funkallisto) – which will make you wish summer comes sooner rather than later.
It's album release time for this Madrid-based soul/jazz organ trio who have been burning up stages and festivals throughout 2019 and who have already had a successful single out on Rocafort Records. Beat Bronco Organ Trio have not rewritten the Hammond musical handbook, but they do what it says on the tin rather splendidly – a Road Trip that grooves, swings and sashays around the familiar but much loved funky jazz theme.
Although it's impossible to listen to the album without summoning up the ghosts of Jimmies McGriff & Smith and the like, nearly all tracks here are originals and shout out personality, verve and respectful homage to the tradition. Featuring the usual leitmotifs: Shaftish film sountrack, lo-fi lounger, gospel-tinged toe-tapper, the hip shaker and much wah-wah frenesi, there's nothing not to like if the genre is your bag.
The steaming horn section on "Hard Play" thickens the sauce à la JBs and the Meters, aided along by a unique orchestra of handclaps. Vocalist and guitarist Alberto Palacios Anaut storms in with "Hey Hey", an old Dave Bartholomew classic from New Orleans, just to remind us where Fats Domino and Ray Charles got it all from. Chip Wickham makes two welcome appearances on flute, adding an extra jazzy touch to "Squirtly" and "Electro Pi" – the latter a fabulous trippy, spacious head-nodder that demands in our opinion some kind of a wigged out drum'n'bass remix. Every track is clearly dominated by variations on the vintage keyboard, be it Hammond, Clavinet or Minimoog; all roads lead to that sexy, sacred sound.
Spain is already prominent on the modern-day Funk map thanks to groups like The Sweet Vandals, Speak Low and Mighty Vamp – and it comes as no surprise that our hero trio featured at various times in all these bands. Gabri Casanova (keys), Lucas de Mulder (guitar, percussion) and Antonio "Pax" Alvarez (drums, percussion) have been busy reviving the funk gospel for some time now. Road Trip is an elegant culmination of their efforts in keeping alive a revered and timeless tradition that still today serves as a reference to where all the good stuff came from: The Church!
‘Rock Sutra’ is the new space rock album from Sun Araw.
‘Roomboe’, the first track, illustrates this process.
Experience is elastic. Humans alive right now tend to think
there is some sort of ‘baseline’ experience of a thing, a
room, a person, a feeling, some version we all agree on.
This isn't true at all: experience is completely dependent
on the quality of attention of the experiencer. There is a
granularity to experience that, when tuned up, reveals
deeper and deeper space inside of things. When you zoom
in (by pure observation: by not-articulating, not-thinking),
you create ‘room’, you make space. Just like that. For
instance, ‘Roomboe’ has an extremely limited tonal
framework; about 9 notes for the main guitar melody. As
the guitar pushes against these melodic limitations with
continually renewed attention and energy, it begins to
create space around itself. And all of the sudden (at about
4:57), out of this constriction, space balloons up from
everywhere simultaneously. ‘Roomboe’ is a clue about how
to open a portal outwards into free space.
‘78 Sutra’ is about orbital motion. ‘Catalina’ is about taking
a walk. ‘Arrambe’ is about a peculiar feeling you can get
when you zoom in far enough. The music is offered in a
spirit of generosity and adventure; it doesn’t stay put and
it keeps zooming in to reveal more and more.
The album was recorded live-to-midi with the band and
this is the first Sun Araw album recorded like that. That
band is Jon Leland on drums and percussion and Marc
Riordan on synthesizers and Cameron Stallones on
synthesizers and guitar and vocals.
F.S.Blumm enters Andi Otto's studio with a whole palette of strings and a mission to create quirky, peaceful soundscapes. The artists intertwine acoustic and electric guitars, harps, electric bass, psaltery and cello in eleven electronica compositions ranging from neo-classical gravity ("Entangleland") to spaced-out dub jams ("Active Fault Map"). "Yukiyama" evolves in multilayered patterns braided over warm tape-noise. "Kilani" reminds of Rabih Abou Khalil's ECM recordings, with its oriental scale and a beat that counts to seven. The tunes shine most when silence takes over, when the sounds find space to unfold and decay. Far from being trivial ambient lullabies, these compositions burst with detail: Bells rattle, a kalimba resonates, and vintage synths induce their voltage into the acoustic framework. Andi Otto and F.S.Blumm have been musical collaborators in the studio as well as on stages between Berlin and Tokyo for more than a decade now, the heyday being their previous duo album "The Bird And White Noise" in 2014. On "Entangleland", Andi Otto contributes the cello, harp and synth recordings and takes care of the mixing. Compared to his recent releases on Multi Culti or Shika Shika, these tracks are less dancefloor oriented. The calm of this album is a flourishing environment for Otto to pluck the acoustic cello which we usually hear in a more processed way in his solo works. F.S.Blumm contributes guitar and bass recordings as well as saturated percussion echoes from his self-made spiral box. Blumm is famous for his acoustic solo productions since his early outings on Morr Music or Tomlab. He has also appeared on Pingipung a few times, for example with his album "Up Up And Astray" or as a Lee 'Scratch' Perry collaborator with the "Quasi Dub Development" project. He recorded three duo albums together with Nils Frahm and is a member of the mighty "Jeff Özdemir & Friends" collective in Berlin. "Entangleland" sees the two artists weave together a mass of acoustic motifs, synthetic melodies, riddims and improv jams where the magic emerges from the sum of the parts. "It's not about accompanying a cello theme with the guitar or vice versa," Andi Otto says. "Entangling sound means letting go of hierarchies, that no one is first. Our studio is not a control room, it's a place of imagination where we take things apart and make things whole."
Two essential and eternal classics from New York Hammond legend Larry Young with vocals by the talented Linda "Tequila" Logan.
Rare groove standard "Turn of the Lights" I would hope needs no introduction, I well known album track that does actually exist on a rare promo arista 45 but it is HARD to find and goes for around $250+ when it turns up once in a blue moon (probably more now people know it exists).On the flip Linda's amazing free vocal on "Fuel for the Fire" is cut on 45 for the first time, one of those out there records you play on a good night when people are feeling open and it all comes together. I have spun both these records for over 20 years and no format surpasses the cut done here by Timmion Lab from the new Sony masters, I'm very happy I don't have to break out the album tracks any more.
Larry died in 1978 from untreated pneumonia and Linda disappeared from music apart from a few writing credits on 90s pop artist Betty Boo's tracks. If you love that voice be sure to check out her great vocal on Tony Williams Lifetime track 'You Make It Easy', great folky Jazz.
Substance, the second album by producer Moisture, sets out to deliver an immersive tech-noir fantasy of emotional and physical deconstruction. Inspired in part by William S. Burroughs 1959 novel Naked Lunch, the conceptual narrative of the album follows a humanoid subject through an urban landscape and the exploration of its depravations.
Sampling and filtering sounds from other music, movies and own field recordings, the tapestry of Substance is a three-dimensional world of hard industrial spaces and fluid organic matter. While it's conception is rooted equally in literature and film as well as music, one can draw comparisons in particular to Barry Adamsons 1989 album Moss Side Story, in that it also works as a chronological narrative; the tracks aligning to make a world of its own.
And while Adamson was aiming to create an imaginary soundscape of his native Manchester, the geography of Substance is based on the city of Malmö. Using field recordings from it's city streets, the album paints a rain soaked, neon-clad portrait of the city's hedonistic nightlife.
On the opening "The Marketplace" we are teleported to Bergsgatan at night (the track title a subtle nod towards Eden Ahbez 1960 song of the same name).
This introduction is similar in line with the experience Burroughs once had in 1957 upon entering Malmö for the first and only time, which he details briefly in Naked Lunch: "averted eyes and the cemetery in the middle of town (every town in Sweden seems to be built around a cemetery), and nothing to do in the afternoon (...)"
This image of Malmö portrayed with dread and loathing holds a longstanding narrative tradition over the cultural geography of the town. Yet it is often paired with an image of great promise and bohemian splendor, seemingly a paradox but often perversely intertwined. This duality has always been a vital mindset in the underground music scene of the town and its illegal after hours clubs. Substance is a work steeped in the grayscale prism of techno and its post-industrial fetischism. Yet in picking it apart, one can find elements of everything from post-punk, drum & bass, trip hop and new age.
The theme of depravation that soaks through Burroughs Naked Lunch seems oddly befitting to this side of Malmö (one wonders what the author would have made of it had he stayed longer) Through rhythmic excursions and the exploration of repetition, the tracks of Substance are arranged to convey this self-destructive longing for depravity. Michel Foucault's ideas on limit experiences serves as context for this peculiar form of endeavour, as he puts it: "the point of life which lies as close as possible to the impossibility of living, which lies at the limit or the extreme."
Greece is maybe not the first country that comes to mind when you think of Afrojazz. (Interpret 'Afrodyssey Orchestra' unexpectedly hit the scene some time ago after the release of In the Land of Aou Tila, their debut album — while that first album was going to the hands of the few lucky ones who managed to discover the band back then, Afrodyssey Orchestra were already booking more studio time in order to start working on further recordings.
Three years later, we’re proud to present you 'Under the Sun', with seven new compositions, that reflect the logical evolution, the band has experienced during this time, including some fine-tuning in their line-up. A melange of African polyrhythms, jazz, a scent of the Balkans and a fling with Afrobeat that holds hands with their beginnings — all this devised through the prism of the vast Greek musical universe. It's the - one and only - Greek band out there, playing music influenced by the mother continent!
Distorted Sensory Perception is back with a journey of deep space exploration in the form of their 2nd Various Artists release ‘Outer Solar System’. Featuring a diverse selection of deeper Electro and Techno of the broken beat variety.
The A-side boasts a nostalgic stripped back yet progressive cut ‘Persistence’ from Maltese duo Moodex. Next up, a deep ethereal musical statement ‘Early Morning Hours’ from fellow Maltese producer Sound Synthesis in his unique style.
The B-side opens with the moody, new school heavy hitter ‘Impulse Control’ from French producer and label co-founder Oshkossh. The penultimate track ‘Brainacid v2’ comes in the form of dusty machine music from Italian newcomer Caramel Chameleon that is reminiscent of AFX ambient works. Last but by no means least the record is brought to an epic conclusion with the frantically emotive and intricate ‘Grny89’ from France's Foreign Sequence.
Apollo are delighted to welcome Steve Legget & Mark Hand to the fold with their lush new single ‘If You Cannot Try’ featuring the dulcet vocals of Greg Blackman. Originally released as an uplifting bumping house track on Ramrock Records Blackman sent the stems of the release to longtime collaborator Steve Legget for a rework. Legget tore the original to pieces, deconstructing it into a much more ambiguous form. ”I’ve never been a fan of a chorus in a song,” Legget muses. "I like songs that are not direct that leave room for your imagination - Mark and I ended up building a new song around the texture of the original.”
Hand and Legget met in the early 90s at the Northern College of Art in Middlesbrough, and have collaborated at various times in the intervening years, through a shared love of Detroit techno, experimental electronic music, jazz and funk. Their creative process involves sending audio files back and forth - “The release was written in collaboration over the internet Greg in Colchester, Mark in Hartlepool, and me in St Albans."
Hand added spaced out textures and riffs from his collection of vintage Fender Rhodes and classic synths - taking the track into sunny space funk realms that comes on like a lost release from joe Claussell’s Spiritual Life label or Basic Channel jamming with Herbie Hancock.
Using their new version as the seed - Hand decided to try his own ’Teesside Techno’ version - "I wanted to give the track more of a 'machine funk' vibe with my rework” he explains. “I generally like to work by jamming with hardware - the bass line is generated by triggering the arp on my Juno 6..using triggers from a TR606 kick drum and hats replaced by a TR909.. the result being more of a jackin' electronic funk mutation!"
This continuing game of musical pass the parcel has indeed born some juicy fruit -
Epic, panoramic, and intimate all at the same time, the legendary Toronto collective Broken Social Scene. An ideal artist to soundtrack an evening. Their live set was captured, mixed and mastered in real time via the world's only live venue and direct-to-acetate lathe cutting studio. Third Man are very excited to invite you all to be a part of this live recording in the only venue in the world where performance, art and tactile transcription methodologies converge... //// Third Man Records had the pleasure of hosting the legendary Toronto collective Broken Social Scene began as an ebbing and flowing collective of artists in the late 90s, collaborating to create a distinct strand of indie rock that is both perplexingly maximal and straight-up catchy. The band kicked off the set with emotive fan favorite "Cause = Time", then transitioning into "Stay Happy," the lead track from 2017's "Hug of Thunder," in all it's hypnotic, horn-driven grandeur. Then, on the flip side, the album's 2-song B-side wraps with the slow-build anthem "It's All Gonna Break," a song once described as "Bob Seger on acid." Really, how else would you want a show to close? With the release of this live album, Third Man is very excited to invite all to be a part of this special experience, Broken Social Scene's first commercially available live album.
First commercially available live album of Broken Social Scene's cathartic live show - Recorded Direct-to-Acetate, a hyper-direct analog recording method which is, globally, only available at Third Man Records - Features new hits (Stay Happy) and fan favorites (Cause = Time, It's All Gonna Break) Album Focus Track - Stay Happy (Live)
It's number six for Tessellate and this time they're shining the spotlight on France's Xavier Dusclaux AKA Armless Kid. After a number impressive outings on the likes of Rekids, Let's Play House and Traxx Underground, Xavier turns to the London based label with three original tracks plus a remix of the A1.
The title track, Drop Down (Club Edit), eases in with broken beats and a gentle bassline before eventually building into a euphoric, 5am acid banger. Opal Sunn, who are regulars on Nick Höppner's Touch From
A Distance, have dialled up the 303 from the orignal to give it a whole different energy. Flip the record over and we have two tracks aimed straight at the club.
Category, which features MJOG (Daydream/Recordeep), combines shuffling percussion over wiggling basslines. The final track mixes shivvering pads, punchy organs and skippy drums over a wonky sub. It's called Les Bo Jours (Wonky Funky).
Just act like it didn’t happen…
Reznik & Mikesh crack open a fine vintage bottle of conspiracy with the scorching truth bomb ‘The Moon
Landing Was A Hoax’. Following their remix of Telepopmusik last year, the freshly-formed duo of
Keinemusik affiliates deliver such an acid weapon Justin Strauss insisted they release it after it caused
total Panorama Bar meltdown for him.
In case you missed the inaugural edit, ‘The Moon Landing Was A Hoax’ takes off with pure 303 bounces
before sharp vocal cuts pepper the mix leading to a heaven-opening breakdown. Total euphoria; it’s so
powerful it totally misses the lunar landscape and spins us back around our own planet faster and faster
with every emphatic layer. Reznik & Mikesh’s ‘Area 51 Infinite Mix’ adds three more minutes of feels,
creating this immense drama that sits somewhere between Chemical Brothers and Two Lone
Swordsmen.
It’s backed by a giant leap of a remix by Justin Strauss himself. Teaming up with Throne of Blood’s Max
Pask, they take it up through the gears, ramping the rolling acid tension until the last two minutes pays
out the euphoria jolt we’re waiting for. File under rocket-fuel.
There are no small steps elsewhere on this trip either; ‘The Nostromo Swerve’ goes intergalactic with
such tense, epic acid techno thunder it could dodge entire black holes while ‘Kiss My Axe’ goes all-out
Stingray-style electro with its gravity-defying breakbeat swing and sweeping layers of melancholy
synths. Total celestial immersion: in space, no one can hear you scream, dream or even make up
hoaxes… Happy landings.
- A1: An Ardent Heart (Stefan Goldmann)
- A2: Arcade (Santiago Salazar)
- A3: Furniture (Raudive)
- B1: Soon (Patrick Cowley & Jorge Socarras)
- B2: Feral (Raudive)
- B3: Memory Fails Me (Patrick Cowley)
- C1: Vodolaz (Kink)
- C2: Law Of Return (Peter Kruder)
- C3: Stammophorm (Anno Stamm)
- D1: Darksun (Rroxymore)
- D2: Hollow Sound (Stefan Goldmann)
Electronic / acoustic wonder band KUF deliver a special surprise for their third album: eleven sizzling hot takes on tracks drawn from the Macro label's stellar catalog, as originally crafted by some of today's most respected artists in electronic music. KiNK, Patrick Cowley, Peter Kruder (of K&D), Stefan Goldmann, rRoxymore and more get the treatment. With a nod to the label's previous highly original compilations and mixes from the Macrospective and Vinylism series, Re:Re:Re captures more new ground.
KUF's previous albums presented an astonishing inversion of the typical extended electronic set up, in that they paired a plethora of disembodied, sampled voices with acoustic real time interaction on bass, drums and keys. Re:Re:Re shifts the focus of sampling altogether to scanning entire tracks and compositions which are then reimagined with the band's singular approach. Neither just remixes, nor faithful reproductions, KUF engage in careful sound archaeology. From re-programming key sounds to holistic granular deconstructions, the originals's sound palettes are reproduced to serve as a springboard towards entirely new instalments. The resulting tracks range from intimate ballads to full power dance floor movers, spanning a highly engaging arc of sheer listening pleasure.
Titonton Duvante's long and more than essential Residual Recordings clocks up a fantastic 25th release in the form of a fifth volume of the famous Refraction series. This one draws on another masterful mix of names including Nachtbraker, Christopher Rau, Titonton himself as well as a rare killer outing from veteran S-Max. Reaching a milestone in style...
Nachtbraker opens the EP with a swirling house cut that is riddled with FM bass, twinkling keys and balmy pads that reach for the heavens. Christopher Rau goes for a more raved up house cut with feel good energy chords but a nice deep bassline and pensive synths on his Give It. Titonton does as he does best - keeps it deep, loopy yet driven, with a slick tech cut that is dubbed out and perfectly atmospheric as well as being hugely infectious. Last of all, S-Max comes correct with the slick boom bap of his stripped back house roller Lil' Lightyear Wants to Ride, with its dreamy pads and sci-fi feels.
Residual is by now, and for many years been a key label for lovers of tasteful house, as this latest collection proves they are showing no signs of slowing down.
2026 Repress
Four standout remixes to celebrate the 20th anniversary of iconic Australian duo Madison Avenue’s classic, ‘Don’t Call Me Baby’ from Patrick Topping, Spencer Parker, Mousse T and Super Disco Club. Be prepared as one of the world’s most prominent vocal tracks just got bigger.
Australia’s Madison Avenue continue to celebrate their 20th anniversary of ‘Don’t Call Me Baby’ a certified UK, European and US Billboard hit that returned late 2019 to cement no.1 positions across Aria Charts, Beatport and Traxsource. Now Patrick Topping, Spencer Parker, Mousse T and Super Disco Club take it to a higher level that’ll see it dominating clubs for many years to come!
A tale of two halves the A side see’s man of the moment Patrick Topping and veteran of the scene Spencer Parker provide two tech-y interpretations, the former an acid tweaked destructive whirlwind and the later a looped-up dub stomper. On the flip it’s nu disco at its best with a pair of remixes from Mousse T and Super Disco Club.
On Patrick Topping / Spencer Parker remixes:
Ben UFO - Very Nice Acid Mix
Danny Howard (BBC Radio 1) - Absolutely ripped it to shreds and turned into an absolute club weapon for 2020 (Patrick Topping’s Remix)
Annie Nightingale BBC R1 - Great reworks!
Black Madonna - Nice! | Change Underground - Premiere
Hannah Wants - Both bangaaaaaaaas. nice packageeeeeee
Entitled ‘My Heart Is Hungry And The Days Go By So Quickly’ Danish singer and songwriter Jacob Bellens presents his fifth solo album. Thanks to his unique voice and his talent for heartfelt melodies, over the years Jacob, also known as frontman of I Got You On Tape and Murder, has become one of the most distinctive figures on the Scandinavian music scene. Slightly darker in tone than its predecessors ‘Trail Of Intuition’ (2018) or ‘Polyester Skin’ (2016), the new album lets us see the world through Jacob’s eyes.
Somewhere between left-field pop and a classical singer/songwriter approach, the songs were recorded in two sessions with producer Mads Brinch, drummer Tobias Laust, bass player Jonas Westergaard, keyboardist Malthe Rostrup and guitarist Tobias Fuglsang. “So many good friends and amazing instrumentalists have contributed to the sound“, explained Jacob. “And mostly, people were playing what they felt the song needed, which was an incredibly inspiring way of just letting the process develop naturally, and take on a life of its own.” As such, the recordings give off a distinct light-footed and organic feel. Rich in metaphors, the lyrics deal with personal perceptions based on everyday life occurrences that at the same time hint at the meaning of life in general - or at least suggest a higher perspective. The sonical expression is timeless but also modernistic and the lyrical point of view is refreshingly diverse, never just black or white. The sad songs have uplifting, often surreal qualities, and the lighter, uptempo songs also invite to a certain darkness. A flower basket full of difficult emotions, sprinkled with magical fairy dust that somehow makes everything worthwhile.
Since the get-go Pond Life Records has strived to combine jazz and funk infused instrumentation and electronic programming. Humble B Flat, who has helped define Pond Life's sound has played true to this concept since his first release on PL001. Two years later, we are blessed with an four track EP that’s builds upon this blueprint - ‘Harnessed The Wind’
The Devonns dust off the golden age of 70's Chicago Soul with their self-titled debut album on Record Kicks. Straight from the streets of Chicago, Illinois, The Devonns (pronounced "De vaughns") are the brand new soul outfit and the latest addition of the Record Kicks' family, whose self-titled debut album that drops April 03, is an assortment of influences taking us back to the heyday of soul.
Drawing influences from bands such as The Dramatics, The Isley Brothers and Leroy Hutson, yet bringing in their own unique modern twist, influenced by artists such as Jamie Lidell and Raphael Saadiq; singer Mat Ajjarapu explains how unintentionally, the rich heritage of Chicago's history with soul music influenced him.
"The city was at the epicentre of a lot of good music back in the 50's all the way to the 80's, a lot of the labels specialising in soul were based in the Chicago and we even had our own sound known as "Chicago soul". Through several years of crate digging it surprised me how many songs I loved were recorded in this city, for example one of my favourites is this great little song by The Natural Four, produced by Leroy Hutson 'Can This Be Real', and released via Curtom Records."
The band started in 2016 after multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Mathew Ajjarapu dropped out of med school and found himself unemployed and drifting. Listening to music constantly at the time, he found inspired to put a band together and create his own music. Pairing up with some of the best musicians Chicago has to offer, he founded The Devonns: the rhythm duty is entrusted to Khalyle Hagood (bass), Ari Lindo (guitar) and Khori Wilson (drums).
Originally he wanted to focus on 50s style doo-wop, similar to The Flamingos; rich in reverb and vocal harmonies, but in the first initial practise they had it was evident the band clicked on their love of soul music from the 70s, so their music took a natural turn towards that sound, with tracks such as the Wilson Pickett-esque single 'Tell Me'.
The release took almost two years to complete as Mat explains "I am a perfectionist, I had a very specific vision in my head about how it should sound and I wasn't going to rest until I achieved it."
"This is a definitely a throwback soul record, as well as being drawn to lush and intricate arrangements of Motown, I was also inspired by the more lo-fi works of smaller labels such as Chess and Capsoul, and I wanted to capture the magic they had in those recordings in our record, as everything feels too precise nowadays" clarifies Mat.
It was thanks to his engineer Mike Hagler, who introduced him to Paul Von Mertons (Mavis Staples, Paul McCartney, Elton John) who arranges and conducts for Brian Wilson's live touring show and after a 45 minute phone conversation about what Mat wasn't keen on, on the album, he realised Paul totally understood where he was coming from.
After a few months wait for Paul to get back from touring they entered the studio with "Paul's players" and as soon as they hit record, Mat explains "I was getting chills up my neck, it was one of the happiest days of my life, and finally we had nailed it!"
Tracks such as 'Come Back; which Mat wrote in ten minutes on a $300 Daneelectro Singlecut guitar initially, came to life, with Paul's rich string arrangements and features guitarist and percussionist Ken Stringfellow (R.E.M.).
It still took a few months to get the recording process finished but finally after a torturous nineteen months they album was finally finished.
The result is an album filled with lavish arrangements and catchy melodies which take us on a nostalgic musical journey inspired by chic 70s soul, yet the band don't hesitate to add their own unique and elegant contemporary stamp to the record.
3 years after the release of his debut EP « Seize The Day », DJ, producer and founder of Roche Musique Cezaire is back with another evocatively named project : "Attraction".
Faithful to himself, he creates a sensual ambience made of warm and swaying tones, the sweet fruit of the melodic groove which always drives him. Once the eyes closed - the imagination becomes fertile and takes us back in a 90’s daydream accompanied by hypnotic synths. Regardless of the place, it’s all about lightness and smooth vibes.
Between G-Funk influences and francophone contemporary soul, the 5 titles EP unveils the producer’s taste for retro and voluptuous sounds, echoing to the universal theme of desire.
“This second EP is to me a logical follow-up which falls within my path. Of course, its central theme is attraction, but by that, I refer to one thing : making your dreams come true. ”
Self proclaimed "DJ from the sticks in Ireland", Ceili breathes diabolical energy to unforgiving imprint, Techno Is The Devil's Music. Following his "Rough n Ready" release on Obscuur, and a heap of killer sets - many at Techno institution, Jaded - Ceili's discerning ear, honed skills and sense of self shine through in this release. TITDM02 blends hardcore club vibes with melodic, euphoric elements for a sound that's heavy-hitting, yet fresh and exciting.
TITDM002 drops March 13th, via Techno Is The Devil's Music. Frantic opener, "Stern Morning Shake", is a transcendental thumper - booting off hard with an ethereal overlay, note Ceili's tempting dancers into a trance whirlpool. "Straight Off The Plane" offers tripped out acid lines upon ominous rolling thunder. On the flip, "2000 and Ded" goes far beyond the rabbit hole. Rounding out the EP, "Time Is No More" is hard hitting, with little room for respite despite Ceili's mesmerising, robotic interludes. Strobes, dark corners, incentive to dance - TITDM02 is for the ravers.
After Nu Guinea’s LP, Nuova Napoli, and Napoli Segreta first compilation, NG RECORDS follows up with an exploration into the unknown groovy side of Naples by releasing Napoli Segreta Vol. 2 Famiglia Discocristiana, DNApoli and Nu Guinea team up again selecting more tracks from their archives, for a new compilation containing 9 mysterious Neapolitan tracks, found in the most hidden corners of remote flea markets around the Vesuvius.
But forget classical Neapolitan songs, "'O Sole Mio" or "Luna Rossa"... Forget about what you expect to find once you land in town … Oh and also forget about Google Maps.
Take a dodgy local guide, keep your eyes open, and follow it to enter the secret downtown, the underground, the routes that no satellite can detect, but beware there is no easy way out.
Napoli Segreta Vol. 2 is a musical journey into the sonic landscapes of Naples that you have never heard of before. A variety of genres merging soul, disco, funk, blues, new wave, afro-beat and boogie, including lyrics in Neapolitan urban slang, instrumental tracks with progressive flavour, and also some unexpected covers!
In October 2018 DJ Rocca and Almunia member Leo Ceccanti joined forces to deliver “Rhythm Collision”, a three-track EP of jangling, sun-kissed grooves, psychedelic dub disco and Afro-Cosmic flavours on Really Swing. 18 months on, one of that set’s standout cuts has been given a new lease of life courtesy of fellow Italian producer Alessandro Pasini AKA Deep 88. Since making his debut a decade ago, Pasini has earned a reputation as one of house music’s understated heroes – an artist whose hardware driven, retro-futurist take on deep house tends towards the timeless, melodic and atmospheric. With a deep love of turn-of-the-90s dream house, Larry Heard productions and sun-baked chords, his dancefloor-focused productions have often been called Balearic.
It’s perhaps fitting then that his reworks of Rocca and Cecanti’s “Ever Changing Bubbles” are as Balearic as they come. His “Balearic Mix” sets the tone, with Pasini layering trippy, dubbed-out and ear-catching elements – Ceccanti’s eyes-closed electric guitar solos, jangling acoustic guitar chords, warm dub disco bass, echoing spoken word samples, fluttering flute solos, drowsy organ motifs and the pair’s delay-heavy vocals – atop a crunchy, head-nodding, live style beat. While it deviates from the duo’s original version, it inhabits a similar sonic space – albeit in a more dancefloor-friendly way. Pasini excels himself on the accompanying “Balearic Dub”, stripping the cut back to its raw essentials – drums, metronomic bass –while toughening up the percussion and adding delay-laden instrumental snippets. It’s warm, woozy and otherworldly, with echoing voices, tactile musical motifs and restless delay trails combining to create a suitably hazy and intoxicating mood. By the time the touchy-feely flute and acoustic guitars begin to dance across the sound space, you’ll be lost in the groove and too happy to notice.
Produced by Leon Michels. Features vocal and guitar by Kevin martin of Brainstory. When Lizette and Quevin visited Leon Michels at his home in upstate New York an impromptu recording session gave birth to 'Grow Forever', the first ever song from this top-notch duo.
Quevin (aka Kevin Martin) is one third of Brainstory and the man behind the honeyed voice that blessed their hit singles Dead End and Mnemophobia. Lizette is a talented ceramics artist whose voice has a certain 'je ne sais quoi' that is reminiscent of records by Little Ann and Rosie and The Originals. 'Grow Forever' is a mid tempo ballad that will have most collectors buying doubles. Lizette & Quevin trade lines over beautiful chords, fluttering guitar, and crushing drums.
The B Side is an instrumental of the track entitled 'Now It's Your Turn To Sing' that we will be using for a talent contest of sorts. We will be inviting people to write and sing their own songs over the track and sent them into us via Youtube, the three best versions will win Big Crown prizes.
The Allergies are back with a new single A-side, 'Felony' – A storming soul-sensation, dripping with bittersweet emotion and driving, late-night grooves. It marks a return to that classic Allergies sound, full of dusty sampled beats, toughened up with punchy drums and re-worked lyrical loops. A dancefloor sure shot.
On the flip is Rile 'Em Up', a Latin funk bomb that showcases something of a new chapter for The Allergies. As the new album will testify, the duo have swelled their ranks to take in a full touring band, bringing in rapper Andy Cooper, soul diva Marietta Smith, and sax don Mr. Woodnote.
'Rile 'Em Up' represents some of that new live intensity, with its infectious boogaloo samples, party-starting chorus, and club-friendly breakdowns. It's sunshine in a single. And if it's a clue at the new direction The Allergies are taking us in, we like it.
On the flip is Rile 'Em Up', a Latin funk bomb that showcases something of a new chapter for The Allergies. As the new album will testify, the duo have swelled their ranks to take in a full touring band, bringing in rapper Andy Cooper, soul diva Marietta Smith, and sax don Mr. Woodnote.
'Rile 'Em Up' represents some of that new live intensity, with its infectious boogaloo samples, party-starting chorus, and club-friendly breakdowns. It's sunshine in a single. And if it's a clue at the new direction The Allergies are taking us in, we like it!
LIMITED EDITION 300 ONLY WHITE VINYL
There was a terrible egregious shift in vibration the day the transmission arrived. It came to me in a dream, as was natural for these particular occurrences, and left no time for preparation. The sound was unmistakable, a low baritone that echoed wildly and reeked of ancient fumes. A deeply monumental and monolithic apparition stood before what appeared to be a crowd of hexagonal beings. The vibrations worked through them in an apparent communicatory way, though would be impossible to translate in any logical linguistic fashion. I don’t know how but I knew they were aware of me, though their disposition was imminent of their consciousness as being collective, rather than individual; and were largely unbothered by my presence.
Once the transmission had finished it was clear that there had been a tamper. The kind of which Id seen before, and had resulted in definite yet undefinable change in the fabric of reality.
I initially stumbled upon the odd and highly dangerous musical practices of Perhaps while on an assignment in Bermuda. There had been rumors of a local tribesman partaking in occult practices, of which I knew was native strictly to the Goat Bleeding Bad Men of the Congolese jungle. These rumors intrigued my journalistic nature, so I took the afternoon off in the hopes to possibly glean something that would be an easy pitch to a tabloid back home.
Upon arrival it was clear there was a strange foreign intervention within the community of the tribe, which was largely uninhabited upon first glance. Much of the surrounding foliage had been strung with the entrails of various animals and there were several disturbing fixtures composed of bones and various organs lining the commune. I managed to track down the tribesman, who appeared to be in some deep trance and was entirely unable to communicate, though seemed to be fixated on a single task: the drawing of a peculiar symbol. My researching the symbol resulted in only one hit, a piece of musical literature by a band Perhaps, who I later found to be recording in the area just weeks before.
It didn’t take long for me to become fully fixated on Perhaps, who were anything but coy about their whereabouts and metaphysical practices. Wherever they went a small commune followed, which was typically composed of deranged acid freaks, occultists, and Norweigian dairy farmers who had sold all their assets to follow the band after “hearing their music speak from the mountains”. After managing to crack into one of their camps that was stationed in an abandoned motel, I spoke with Jim Haney of Perhaps regarding their cultish practices, who gave little in way of detail but claimed to be working towards a deconstruction of reality through a linguistic utilization of vibration.
My stint with the cosmic beings through the telekinetic transmission had lead to one conclusion; that Perhaps have been in the works on something new. It seems as if they may have landed on the result which Haney had mentioned years ago. Through my continued interest I’ve procured the names of other members of this current project, which include: Sean Mcdermott, Tom Weeks, Ricky Petraglia, David Khoshtinat, Ben Talmi, Makoto Kawabata, Lucas Brode, Isiah Mitchell, Olivia Kieffer, Tyler Skoglund, Chang Chang. Though I can’t say exactly what is to come, it seems as if the ideas that were proposed during my initial meet may have been surpassed. Perhaps’ plans have begun to surface, and we are all at risk, for whatever that means. The great column and the vibrational prismic beings have shifted their attention to earthly matters, it would be foolhardy to not heed their warning. Though, self-preservation may be an impossibility.
Sam Hailstone Dec 24/ 2019
Apparel Music is the platform, Chevals the protagonist, vinyl the material, end of March 2020 is the period of time decided for the landing of the Frenchman’s first solo body of work for the “lovers dogs” label. “Be Yourself” is the title of the four tracks EP by the artist which, by the headline itself, sounds like a declaration of intentions, an acknowledgement of his qualities as a producer, shaping up four different aspects of his creative attitude in a remarkable musical effort. The EP takes off with the title track which is a perfect display of Cheval’s capabilities when it comes to the art of developing intersecting harmonies and melodies, setting up the perfect ground for a smooth vocal line that keeps on repeating the concept in a hypnotic loop: “just be yourself”! With “Keep On” the Bpm increases to design a beat driven track that winks to northern European rhythmics in an apotheosis of upbeat acid lines, a vibey overlapping of loops we advise against light-sleepers! Side B starts with a more rhythmically classic composition called “Good Good” which is also the last of the three original tracks; here the strings section mashes up with the vocals, as usual expertly crafted by Chevals and again some hints of acid bass line to form a proper dance floor hit. B2 is dedicated to Madcat’s remix of “Good Good”, where the French producer explains his point of view with a more funky oriented version of the track but keeping the essential parts intact. Impossible not to be excited by this EP by the Parisian producer who finally slams his fist on the table in what is his best musical statement so far. Bare with us until the end of March to listen to this pearl.
Los Afroins was the flagship salsa band of the obscure but beloved INS label from Colombia. Their 1975 LP "Goza La Salsa" is just as hard to find as their first record, and contains 10 bright and sassy salsa dura treasures that light up the dance floor with their incessant rhythms, syncopated trumpets and trombone and buoyant melodies. There are smoking covers of hits by Panama's Bush y sus Magníficos ('Salsa Al Pindin') and Bronx timbalero Orlando Marín and His Orchestra ('Está De Bala') as well as updated renditions of old Cuban chestnuts 'La Masacre' (written by Joseíto Fernández of 'Guantanamera' fame) and 'Matusa' (originally titled 'Macusa', composed by Francisco Repilado aka Compay Segundo).
The entire record makes for a very tasty and satisfying party platter filled with guaguancó, mozambique, pachanga, descarga and bolero that deserves to be more accessible and better known by today's fans of Colombian salsa who may have heard of The Latin Brothers or Sonora Carruseles, but have yet to discover the short-lived but highly sought after Los Afroins. "Goza La Salsa" is presented here in facsimile artwork and pressed on 180 gram vinyl.
“The aptly named Goza La Salsa (Enjoy Salsa) is the second album by Los Afroins, the flagship salsa band of the obscure but beloved INS label (Industria Nacional Del Sonido Ltda., Medellín, Colombia). The combo's repertoire focused mostly on cover versions hit tunes from New York, Cuba and Puerto Rico, both classic and contemporary, but for this record, their sophomore outing from 1975, their arrangements got tighter and there are more original compositions, which makes for a satisfying evolution in both style and content. Pianist Agustín "El Conde" Martínez, who would later work with Joe Arroyo and Juan Piña, led the group and did some arranging, with studio session production by INS artistic director Alfredo "Sabor" Linares. The vocals were handled by a pair of fresh-faced singers, Lucho Puerto Rico and Roy "Tayrona" Betancourt, who would later go on to fame in the 1980s, the former with his own Lucho Puerto Rico Y Su Conjunto Sonero and Conjunto Son Del Barrio (both in collaboration with Alfredo Linares), and the latter with Willie Salcedo, Reales Brass De Colombia, and Los Caribes. Additional arrangements were by Luis Felipe Basto of Los Black Stars and Luis E Mosquera, while the rest of the band was made up of INS related studio musicians. Goza La Salsa is just as hard to find as their first record and contains 10 bright and sassy salsa dura treasures that light up the dance floor with their incessant rhythms, syncopated trumpets and trombone and buoyant melodies. There are smoking covers of hits by Panama's Bush y sus Magníficos ('Salsa Al Pindin') and Bronx timbalero Orlando Marín and His Orchestra ('Está De Bala') as well as updated renditions of old Cuban chestnuts 'La Masacre' (written by Joseíto Fernández of 'Guantanamera' fame, and a hit for Cuarteto Caney) and 'Matusa' (originally titled 'Macusa', composed by Francisco Repilado aka Compay Segundo and made famous by Duo Los Compadres). This time around there are six excellent originals with the hottest pair being Lucho Puerto Rico's theme song 'Puerto Rico Power' and the percussion heavy final track, 'Alejada' sung and composed by Roy Betancourt. Just like the first album, the entire record makes for a very tasty and satisfying party platter filled with guaguancó, mozambique, pachanga, descarga and bolero that deserves to be more accessible and better known by today's fans of Colombian salsa who may have heard of The Latin Brothers or Sonora Carruseles, but have yet to discover the short-lived but highly sought after Los Afroins." Pablo E Yglesias DJ Bongohead of Peace & Rhythm
Originally recorded in 1977, following a limited release in 1979, Ghédalia Tazartès debut album, Diasporas, introduced listeners to the surreal, mysterious and truly unclassifiable statement of Tazartès and his out-of-time place in the French avant-garde canon. Born in Paris in 1947 to Judaeo-Spanish parents of Greek descent, Tazartès spent his early career as an autodidact utilizing his knowledge of repetition and collage, coupled with his Ladino linguistic heritage, to create some of the most unique recordings of the late 20th century. Interest in the works of Tazartès truly sparked when artist Steve Stapleton included his follow up album, Tazartès' Transports, in his famed "Nurse With Wound List," thus adding endless curiosity to the folklore behind Tazartès and his mystical entrée.
From the onset of Diasporas, looping incantations seemingly pile up at the behest of Tazartès. In almost a prayer-like decree, Tazartès chants to the gods in an undefined whail that is both haunting and spiritually divine. Tazartès unique use of tape loops to capture the disappearing traditions of his family's past creates an atmospheric texture that unexpectedly complements his cut-up, manipulated vocal experiments. While contemporaries within the French avant-garde maneuvered academic theory and rigid tradition, Diasporas strays away from these boundaries, working in Tazartès' invented practice of 'impromuz', a method in which he endlessly records for hours and edits only the moments that display any sense of spontaneous enlightenment. Further emboldening the obtuse nature of Diasporas are the seemingly random recitation of poet Stéphane Mallarmé and the traditional 'Parisian-style' piano accompaniment of experimental composer Michel Chion.
Since its initial release over 40 years ago, both Dais Records and Alga Marghen have released reissues of Diasporas in various formats, all of which quickly fell out of print. Dais Records presents an official reissue, newly remastered by Josh Bonati, utilizing the original artwork of Diasporas in its sole album form, for the first time in over four decades.
1970s Detroit American funk-soul group signed to Invictus, part of the legendary HDH label group (HollandDozier- Holland), who helped define the iconic Motown sound. Highlights include 1971 single ‘She’s Not Just Another Woman’ which was picked up by radio stations and
reached #11 in the US Billboard charts. This was followed up by ‘You’ve Got To Crawl (Before You Walk) #28 in US Billboard chart. In 1972 ‘Enny Meeny-Miny-Mo’ reached #29 in the R&B charts and ‘I’m Worried’ was released as a solo single with Northern Soul legend Melvin Davis. Plus the Mick Jagger covered ‘Too Many Cooks (Spoil the Soup)’ Reissued with original artwork, printed inner sleeve and pressed on 180g heavyweight vinyl
DJ Cash Money was one of the most skilled DJ’s to come out of Philadelphia in the 1980s (two time World DJ mixing champion). He teamed up with MC Marvelous in the late 80s to release their only album ‘Where’s The Party At?’, on Sleeping Bag Records. Highlights include; ’The Mighty Hard Rocker’, ‘Play It Kool’, ‘Ugly People Be Quiet’ (which samples Tears For Fears) 1988 album from the golden age of Hip hop, reissued with original artwork, printed inner sleeve and pressed on 180g heavyweight vinyl
Charlotte Dos Santos exists in a lane all her own. As a fiercely independent producer, singer, composer and arranger, she takes full ownership over her art, imbuing it with feather-light vocals one moment and a rumbling piano line the next. Her warm, emotive and jazz-inflected song writing weaves seamlessly between themes of identity, womanhood and human connection.
On Harvest Time, the follow up to Cleo (2017 EP), Charlotte shows no signs of letting up. These are songs written with an honesty that can’t be neatly placed into a box. Rather, they beautifully tell a story of rebirth, growth, self-belief and empathy.
Bastard Jazz is proud to present the sophmore solo album by one of the gems of the New Zealand underground soul scene, Isaac Aesili. Woven through electronic soul, with threads of jazz, funk, R&B and house music, Isaac's 'Hidden Truths' is the stylistic unification of all his previous projects (Karl Marx, Funkommunity, Sorceress) into a dazzling and diverse body of work. Three years in the making, its depth is clear from the first listen, and is peppered with some of New Zealand's finest soul and jazz musical talent, including two stunning female feature vocalists from New Zealand; Ladi6 and Rachel Fraser.
The album opens with an ominous instrumental 'Mirror' setting a dark a tone for the album the start, shimmering with shades of Dilla swing snapping over metallic chords and a graceful trumpet solo that enters midway through. Wild feat. Ladi6' is a heavy downbeat future soul joint with stratospheric synths layered over driving beats that build alongside the elegant vocal weavings of New Zealand's first lady of soul, Ladi6, while 'Player' sees Isaac's unique vocals tell a tale of dangerous seduction within a synth funk-driven dancehall cum house music that feels like the Gap Band on a tropical vacation. 'Jungles' is a deep, native and ocean-like soundscape that begins with syncopated synths and beats that collide dramatically into a frantic, sweeping synth outro, followed up by'Realms' , an intricately crafted song that has sonic elements from techno-house that are other-worldly accompanied by live drums that flip after the breakdown into a swinging conclusion of the album's first half.
'Run Every Way' is an epic percussion-driven electronic blues that begins with a vocal chorus from Isaac that could just as easily be interpreted lyrically as a warning about climate change as it could an expression of the inner-self, while "Refugee" is also a heavily percussion orientated joint that fuses romantic classical strings with otherworldly synth stabs and Isaac's haunting vocals moving climactically into a tender coda conclusion. "Rain Gods" feat. Rachel Fraser is a heavenly pathway into Rachel's luxurious vocals with clever lyrics merging the soaring synths and looped bassline into a short yet memorable chorus'and 'Steps' is classic Isaac Aesili production including deep Rhodes chord changes, a knocking beat with layers of percussion, synths and horns providing a warm emotive accompaniment to Isaac's vocals. 'Last Minute' is a simple yet sophisticated jewel of space and time that concludes the vocal tracks of the album in a proper soulful style, and 'Maureen' rounds out the album as an expressive instrumental outrolude that features Isaac's trumpet.
Isaac Aesili is an Internationally acclaimed solo artist and the producer and creative force behind Funkommunity, Sorceress and Karlmarx. Isaac's original productions have been supported internationally by DJs such as Gilles Peterson (BBC Radio 6 Music), Benji B (BBC 1), and Lefto (Belgium, Worldwide FM). His trumpet playing features on many collaborations including 'Layer' by Julien Dyne (Wonderful Noise/BBE) and 'Midnight in Peckham' by Chaos in the CBD (Rhythm Section). A world-renowned musician on both trumpet and percussion, Isaac is a member of the Lord Echo band. His music fuses Soul, Funk, Jazz, Afro and Latin styles with R&B, Hip Hop and Electronic music. Isaac's much anticipated sophomore solo album "Hidden Truths" is out on Bastard Jazz (NYC) in 2020.
BEHOLD! The inaugural long player from Wick Records - The Mystery Lights! In an era when the city kvetches that there are no good NYC bands, when half of the music scene has split for sunny California, the Mystery Lights are an anomaly. Not only did these bold young men reverse the direction - optimistically migrating east against the tide from the west coast, but they also immersed themselves in the action and diversity of New York City. Organically unfolding over the nights, months and years, the Lights' sound has evolved into a fuzz-fueled, hopped-up 21st Century take on '60s garage pebbles, and artful '70s punk, that is all their own.
If you've ever seen the Mystery Lights live, then you've experienced the otherworldly energy and conviction they exude on stage, compelling their rabid fans to emphatically entwine themselves into an electrified mob. This album is a testament to that. Recorded at The Daptone House Of Soul by (Grammy Award winning) engineer, Wayne Gordon - shortly after their debut single sold out - it marries the Lights' youthful, visceral energy with seasoned song-craft and musicianship far beyond their years.
The Mystery Lights are living proof that vital contemporary music, in this case real-deal rock 'n roll, can still be dreamed, constructed, and thankfully recorded in the Empire City.
BBE Music announces the first repress of the classic Roy Ayers albums ‘Virgin Ubiquity’ 1 and 2 since 2006, on luxurious 180g vinyl with brand new sleeve notes written by Sean P. The music on 'Virgin Ubiquity' was selected and mixed down from previously unreleased multi-tracks recorded between 1976 & 1981, which Roy had in storage. It's all unmistakably Ayers, but is diverse and fresh enough to be more than a mere adjunct to one of his most productive and popular periods - testament to his and his musicians' creative abilities, as much of most revered Ayers output stems from this time. These discoveries take their place beside some illustrious company in a timeline bookended by 'Everybody Loves The Sunshine' and 'Africa, Center Of The World', several solo and Ubiquity albums, collaborations with Wayne Henderson & Fela Kuti, as well as guesting on LPs by Buster Williams and Herbie Mann. Out of print on vinyl and CD for over a decade now, BBE is delighted to re- present these groundbreaking Roy Ayers titles, neatly coinciding with the 45th anniversary of his classic album ‘Mystic Voyage’ and a UK tour to commemorate it during April 2020.
Classic album from Italian post-rock collective port-royal pressed on vinyl the first time....180gm transparent blue 2LP w/download.
Flares was the debut album from Genoa post-rock quintet port-royal. The album was initially released in 2005 by the quality-minded UK indie label Resonant Recordings.
Flares has become a watermark of the more contemporary amalgam of ambient, electronica and post-rock. And, is considered a classic of the genre.
Spintink Music stylistically name-dropped Eno and Explosions in the Sky when describing Flares. Tiny Mix Tapes commented that Flares "reveal(s) moments of unde-niable brilliance." and Exclaim! remarked, "this music is both inherently simple while being intricately complex and deserves to be placed in your stereo." "Intoxicating," "rewarding," and "masterpiece" are just some of the adjectives used to describe Flares upon its release.
To commemorate the album's 15th anniversary, port-royal have teamed up with their current partner of ten years, the Oakland based n5MD, to bring you Flares on vinyl for the first time. Remastered and remixed explicitly for vinyl from the original stems. Flares 15th-anniversary edition will be out March 27th on double 180-gram trans-parent blue vinyl.
SEATTLE -- Pearl Jam will release their much-anticipated eleventh studio album, Gigaton, on Monkeywrench Records/Republic Records on March 27, 2020 in the US. Internationally, the album will be released and distributed by Universal Music Group. Produced by Josh Evans and Pearl Jam, Gigaton marks the band’s first studio album since GRAMMY award-winning Lightning Bolt, which was released on October 15, 2013.
“Making this record was a long journey,” explains Mike McCready. “It was emotionally dark and confusing at times, but also an exciting and experimental road map to musical redemption. Collaborating with my bandmates on Gigaton ultimately gave me greater love, awareness and knowledge of the need for human connection in these times."
Gigaton’s cover features Canadian photographer, filmmaker, and marine biologist Paul Nicklen’s photo “Ice Waterfall.” Taken in Svalbard, Norway, this image features the Nordaustlandet ice cap gushing high volumes of meltwater.
In support of Gigaton, Pearl Jam will embark on their first leg of North American tour dates in March and April. The 16-date tour kicks-off on March 18 in Toronto and wraps with a two-date stint in Oakland April 18-19. Full tour dates follow.
Pearl Jam's North American tour is in addition to the band's previously announced European summer tour.
It’s more than a year since his last EP on the label but it feels like right on time to deliver his most powerful tracks up to date. He hasn’t been quiet all this time, with remixes and appearances on labels like Obscuur Records, Konflkt or Enotaktik, 2019 was a prolific year for the spanish producer.
Four dancefloor oriented cuts including a massive remix of the rising Irish artist and labelfriend Tommy Holohan. Ladies and gentlemen, this is what we call techno. From the driving bass of “Spontaneously” to the rave anthem “Die Suppe”, these tracks won’t let your feet stick to the floor.
Limited release. 250 Copies
With their 2013 debut single "Vintage Voudou," Conjunto Papa Upa cemented themselves as the torchbearers of a rare breed of Afro-Caribbean psychedelic soul, a clear delineation from the wonderful world of Venezuelan poly rhythms. That original song, named after the short lived but heavily influential Amsterdam brick and mortar record shop that band leader Alex Figueira founded, was a perfect clue into the deep exploration that Papa Upa would begin to take on their musical journey.
Like the store itself, known for it's solid connection to the musical footprints put down in relatively undiscovered places like Suriname, Curacao, Cabo Verde, Portugal and of course Figueira's native Venezuela, Papa Upa has captured a sound that is entirely unique, a new concoction of influences that at once sound strange, yet totally familiar (...) Perhaps because Venezuela shared such a rich & diverse mix of sounds from the Atlantic, Caribbean & US, a kindred spirit to their neighboring country, Colombia, an equal in terms of their industry output from the 60's & 70's, yet not nearly as publicized and compiled in recent years. Like many places in the greater Afro-Caribbean nexus, they were musically ahead of their time.
This futuristic mélange of sounds is reflective of Papa Upa itself, made up of musicians from Venezuela, Uruguay, Cuba & The Netherlands, all living, practicing & recording at Figueira's
Amsterdam studio, Barracão Sound. With such a wide range of tropical influences, in a cosmopolitan and diverse city like Amsterdam, it's no wonder that Papa Upa's first extended project would find kinship in a collaboration with New York's Names You Can Trust.
R&S welcome electronic composer Matthew Puffett AKA Future Beat Alliance with his killer single ’Never Forever’ a sublime slice of broken beat techno that originally had a limited release on his “Patience and Distance” album in 2009. It now comes backed with a first rate remix courtesy of R&S regular Afriqua.
A veteran of the UK electronic scene originally from Oxford but now located in Berlin, Puffett made his name in the late 90s with a string of sought after releases on Void Records under the aliases Mode-M and Soul Electrik before settling on the Future Beat Alliance handle. Notching up releases with the likes of Delsin, Rush Hour and Versatile as well as with the storied Tresor imprint, both as a DJ and an artist. In 2019 Matt started his new imprint Reward System to self release new creations.
Life long friend from Oxford, Mo’ Wax and Unkle maestro James Lavelle reached out in 2012, which led to a further creative chapter in Puffett`s story that culminated with him co-writing & programming on Unkle’s 5th studio album ’The Road Part 1’ as well as some singular work in film and television. “The moving image plays a key creative motive in my process,” Matthew explains. “Sound & picture married together is such a powerful combination that always inspires me every time to make my own version, 'Never Forever' is one of my many attempts to try and
capture that.”
Taking cues from modern cinema masters like Denis Villeneuve, Panos Cosmatos, Steven Soderberg and Jonathon Glazer and their respective composers, Puffett's widescreen sonic craftsmanship alongside his irresistible rhythmic sense are a key part of what makes Future Beat Alliance music so alluring; "I want my tracks to guide the listener on a exit route far from this world”
Roy Ayers, at the height of his career, embarked on his own Uno Melodic record label. He wrote and produced for an array of artists including himself on two albums “Silver Vibrations” and “Drivin’ On Up” (amalgamated as “Lots Of Love”) in 1983. From these sessions come the boogie dancer “Everybody” and jazz funk classic “And Then We Were One”, presented here on 7” on original Uno Melodic artwork.
The landmark 1980 album, representing a period of consolidation for Patrice Rushen. Her studio reputation as a go-to pianist and arranger among other artists and musicians was well established and was growing exponentially. Although never originally planning a career as a solo artist, she had built this side of her work through three Prestige albums and two sophisticated soul and disco albums for Elektra, 'Patrice' and 'Pizzazz'. "I was lucky to have a group of musicians that I knew well by the time of these recording sessions," remembers Patrice. "I had my pick of really incredible players because of all of the studio work I was doing. I also played with Lee Ritenour, Harvey Mason and others almost on a weekly basis at The Baked Potato club in L.A." Tracks include the singles 'Don't Blame Me', 'Look Up!' and 'Never Gonna Give You Up'. "'Never Gonna Give You Up' came out of playing ideas at home. Bassist Freddie Washington was living with my family while he tried to get a foothold in L.A.'s music scene and that groove came out of those jams. With 'The Dream', I had been listening to Minnie Riperton's 'Come To My Garden', one of my favourite albums. With Charles Stepney's arrangements, I saw that he didn't have to use large instrumentation to be orchestral in his approach. So, 'The Dream' was a homage to that kind of writing." "After 'Posh', we had a much better idea from the performance side what was important in our music and that informed my next album, 'Straight From The Heart'. We took a little break after 'Posh' was released, although I was still writing and working regularly on scores for film and TV. That had always been my main focus in my music."
A winter evening after leaving a nightclub. On my way home freezing winds numbed my skin. „Kalt, so kalt“ was pulsing in my mind. I thought about Neo‘s replication scene from The Matrix where he felt so cold. With my phone I recorded the vocals and caught this moment as a base for this track.
The title track „enigmatic 1999“ lifts you you up in space with a Lo-fi drum setting that drives your emotions into something enigmatically while the upcoming melody scratches the atmosphere like a skyscraper.
Zion X forms a ritual environment with a complex rhythm structure, followed by a human-like drone voice, before it twists into a minimalistic rave hymn for a few seconds to stoke up the hunger for more.
Residual-Self-Image invites you to dream with its resolving character, truly water shaped beat and breakdown rhythm.
New asset on the granted Future Me Records: up-to-date hostile trio project, nomads from the unknown suburb. 4 grungy ritualistic tunes building up a hedonistic code for the dancefloor.
Spectral fog on “Tuxedo” opening the EP, increasing the voodoo environment with “Lebabon”. It falls to the slow-erosion beat “Ancient Prog” to shut the A side.
An obscure timbre marks the B side: it’s the stabbed rough track “Torpedo”!
Ending with the very radical Kluentah’s imprint assaulting “Torpedo” — crafting a nasty remix which whips out the deranged flesh of the original track.
- A1: We No Be Machine
- A2: Mr Ali
- A3: Yenimno
- A4: Material Microdots
- A5: Hey No I Say
- B1: Digital Timeline
- B2: Fire
- B3: Makoma (Feat Wiyaala)
- B4: Smoke Screen
- B5: Nipa Bi
- C1: Free Up (Feat Morena Leraba, Spoek Mathambo & Syntax)
- C2: Safari Ya Muziki (Feat Pendo & Leah Zawose)
- C3: Gamashie Choice (Feat Afla Sackey)
- C4: Sohaa Gb3K3
- C5: Waters Of Congo
- D1: Onipa (Feat Wiyaala)
- D2: Kukuru
- D3: Kon Kon Sa (Feat Wiyaala)
- D4: Promised Land (Feat Jally Kebba Suso)
Afro futurist sensations Onipa unleash their debut album, combining Afro grooves, electronics and fierce energy for an effervescent celebration of cultural and musical encounters.ONIPA means ‘human’ in Akan, the ancient language of the Ashanti people of Ghana. It’s a message of connection through collaboration: from Ghana to London, our ancestors to our children, Onipa brings energy, groove, electronics, Afro-futurism, dance and fire! Born out of deep collaboration between long-time friends K.O.G (Kweku of Ghana of KOG and the Zongo Brigade) and Tom Excell (MD, guitarist and writer of acclaimed jazz/ soul afrobeat pioneers Nubiyan Twist), the group features KOG on vocals, balafon and percussion, Tom Excell on guitar, percussion and electronics, Dwayne Kilvington (Wonky Logic) on synths and MPC and Finn Booth (Nubiyan Twist) on drums.
The group have worked closely with Ghanaian star Wiyaala who features on three tracks, singing in the Sisaala language from the North of Ghana. The album also features collaborations with South African rapper Spoek Mathambo, Lesotho star Morena Leraba, Ghanaian percussion master Afla Sackey and Tanzanian sisters Pendo & Leah Zawose, each adding their own flavour to the project. “Through the musical prisms of London and Ghana our influences join together to create, a fundamental thread of traditional African rhythms, instrumentation and storytelling, interwoven with electronics, urban soundscapes and synth bass. We use technology, but it should never use us, our music is live and about deep human connection.” (Onipa)
- A1: Gift
- A2: Company Book
- A3: Your Favourite Thing
- A4: What You Want It To Be
- A5: Gee Angel
- B1: Panama City Motel
- B2: Can't Help You Anymore
- B3: Granny Cool
- B4: Believe What You're Saying
- B5: Explode And Make Up
Sugar were the US alternative rock trio fronted by ex-Hüsker Dü vocalist / guitarist Bob Mould. Released in 1994, File Under: Easy Listening is the group’s second and final full length studio album. Includes the singles ‘Gee Angel’, ‘Your Favourite Thing’ and ‘Believe What You’re Saying’. Following on from their successful debut release Copper Blue and critically acclaimed EP Beaster, ‘FU:EL’ found the group continuing to experiment with dark textures and pop melodies.
The album became Sugar’s third top ten release in the UK album charts and continues to draw a cult following today. For the first time, the album is presented on heavyweight 180g clear vinyl.
Two years after the drop of his latest solo effort, 'Strangers', Budapest cross-dimensional vibes trader Imre Kiss clocks in on Dalmata Daniel with the eagerly awaited followup to his widescreen, sci-fi ready sonic adventures. Here again, the Hungarian producer - who's made a name for himself through discerning blends of kosmische-infused nostalgia and uplifting emotional apexes, takes us off to a world of sense-awakening wonders and hidden alien treasures, well supported in his quest by Den Haag's legend Intergalactic Gary, up on the flip with a heat-seeking belter of a remix.
Written during a tour across Japan, the title-track 'Oimachi' breaks things in on a punchy yet immersively emotional note, flexing out the blunt Casio arpeggios and muscular bass leads for what results in a soul-whelming, wildly enjoyable trip away from the gridlocked 4/4 paradigm. The further jagged and wonky 'Whipromance' extrudes a weirdo-friendly piece of stretchin' electronics from its squelchy gangue of acid subs and straightforward drumwork, all set against a refreshingly contemplative dawn of pastel-brushed pads and ample beat-free sequences that shall leave weary dancers in a daze.
Flip sides and here comes 'Soft Obsession' - a fine-tuned assembly of organic envelopes, plurally sourced sample library and that idiosyncratic sense of otherworldliness the name of Imre Kiss has become synonymous with. Opening the sunroof onto a luxuriantly arranged and incredibly deep forest of rhythmic folds and textures, this is the very kind of track to send you off to the zone on a one-way trip. Rounding off the journey in true Moebius-esque fashion, Intergalactic Gary lets his unmatched jockey know-how do the talk through a mind-expanding finisher that'll be sure to please both the lovers of stadium-sized epics and all-night-long chock-a-block sweatbox action.
/Baptiste Girou/
Clear Vinyl
Between Sleeps is a french producer based in Paris, passionate about sound design and synthesizers. His stage name and musical world evoke the state of semi-consciousness, when neither awake nor asleep. With dreamy pads and strong rythms, his music mixes electronica, house and techno. Boards Of Canada, Lone or The Field are among his main influences. All the tracks included in the EP Fantasia have been composed with the same hardware set-up: a sampler, an FM synthesizer and a substractive analog synthesizer. Every track has been recorded in one stereo take.
Noraj Cue returns home to Happy Camper Records to introduce his latest musical adventure ‘Inner Glitch’, a fantastic full length album series. It comes as an emblematic sampler on vinyl followed by a trilogy of digital releases.
This Dutch artist likes organic sounds filled with real world dust and compelling grooves. He explores every corner of the house realm and always makes musical stories that keep you locked. Constantly tinkering with drum and synth, Noraj Cue has applied his unique talent for experimentation to one studio and one album.
And in a career that spans 15 years, his creative touch has impacted the EP's of Tale and Tone, Katermukke and Connaisseur Recordings.
Noraj Cue offers up a musical thesis with Inner Glitch. He explores what he posits is the three aspects that comprise the being of human beings. He suggests that in life we are either presenting our outer self (polished, camouflaged, rehearsed), our inner self (vulnerable, protective, emotional) or our core self (connected to life itself and fundamental to the fulfillment of our self-expression).
His music explores the amorphous space of each self and the indistinct places they meet. "Your feelings and perceptions, is that you? Or are these them?” The exploration of which has taken this courageous artist on a musical epic. And now, simply by closing your eyes after hitting play, so can you. Things kick off with the lush deep house synth-scapes of 'This Won't Last' and take in wonky melodic grooves.
- A1: I See The Rain ( Marmalade )
- A2: And Your Bird Can Sing ( The Beatles )
- A3: It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue ( Bob Dylan )
- A4: Who Knows Where The Time Goes? ( Fairport Convention )
- A5: Cinnamon Girl ( Neil Young And Crazy Horse )
- B1: Alone Again Or ( Love )
- B2: The Warmth Of The Sun ( The Beach Boys )
- B3: Different Drum ( Stone Poneys Featuring Linda Ronstadt )
- B4: The Kids Are Alright ( The Who )
- C1: Sunday Morning ( The Velvet Underground )
- C2: Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere ( Neil Young And Crazy Horse )
- C3: Care Of Cell 44 ( The Zombies )
- C4: Monday, Monday ( The Mamas & The Papas )
- D1: She May Call You Up Tonight ( The Left Banke )
- D2: Run To Me ( Bee Gees )
- D3: Village Green Preservation Society ( The Kinks )
- D4: I Can See For Miles ( The Who )
The first collaborative album between alternative rock artist Matthew Sweet and Bangles singer/guitarist Susanna Hoffs. First released in 2006, Under The Covers Vol. 1 finds the duo celebrating their mutual love of song writing from the ‘60s across 17 cover versions from the era. Highlights include a fan-favourite version of ‘Different Drum’, ‘Cinnamon Girl’ and ‘Sunday Morning’. Pressed on two heavyweight 180g silver vinyl.
- A1: Anymore Time Between
- A2: I Hate Alternative Rock
- A3: For Knox, King Solomon
- A4: Next Time That You Leave
- A5: Egøverride
- B1: Thumbtack
- B2: Hair Stew
- B3: Deep Karma Canyon
- B4: Art Crisis
- B5: Roll Over And Die
The self-titled 1996 studio album from Hüsker Dü and Sugar vocalist and guitarist, Bob Mould. Reissued on vinyl for the very first time. Housed in a reverse-board sleeve and pressed on heavyweight 180g clear vinyl. Recorded and mixed after the break up of Sugar, Mould moved away from a band approach and played every instrument on the album himself. Includes the singles ‘Egøverride’ and ‘Fort Knox,
King Solomon’.
- A1: Star Machine
- A2: Silver Age
- A3: The Descent
- A4: Briefest Moment
- A5: Steam Of Hercules
- B1: Fugue State
- B2: Round The City Square
- B3: Angels Rearrange
- B4: Keep Believing
- B5: First Time Joy
Silver Age is the critically acclaimed tenth album from Hüsker Dü and Sugar vocalist and guitarist, Bob Mould. The album was a return to the alternative rock sound which Mould had perfected over his career, featuring his distinctive pop melodies and scorching guitar sounds.
“Silver Age's bounty of direct, distorto-pop hits measures up to Mould's gold standard” - Pitchfork. Pressed on heavyweight 180g silver-coloured vinyl for the first time
- A1: Come Around
- A2: Titled
- A3: Judas Cradle
- B1: Jc Auto
- B2: Feeling Better
- B3: Walking Away
Sugar were the US alternative rock trio fronted by ex-Hüsker Dü vocalist / guitarist Bob Mould. After the resounding success of their debut album Copper Blue, Sugar followed up with the Beaster EP in 1993. Unlike the pop sound of their previous release, Beaster found the group experimenting with a much darker, heavier sound. Highlights include ‘Tilted’ which Stereogum hailed as “possibly the best song in Mould's entire catalogue” and the epic ‘JC Auto’ described by Pitchfork as ranking with ‘anything on In Utero in
terms of sheer force’. The EP became the group’s highest charting release when it reached #3 in the UK album charts in April 1993.
For the first time, the EP is presented on heavyweight 180g clear vinyl.
- A1: Gift
- A2: Company Book
- A3: Hoover Dam
- A4: After All The Roads Have Led To Nowhere
- B1: Where Diamonds Are Halos
- B2: Slick
- B3: Going Home
- B4: Running Out Of Time
- B5: Frustration
- C1: Changes
- C2: Can't Help You Any More
- C3: Helpless
- C4: If I Can't Change Your Mind
- C5: In The Eyes Of My Friends
- D1: Clownmaster
- D2: Gee Angel
- D3: Explode And Make Up
- D4: The Slim
Sugar were the US alternative rock trio fronted by ex-Hüsker Dü vocalist / guitarist Bob Mould. Recorded at the legendary First Avenue in Minneapolis, November 1994, The Joke Is Always On Us, Sometimes captures Sugar during their ‘File Under: Easy Listening’ tour. Includes live renditions of classic tracks including ‘If I Can’t Change Your Mind’, ‘Hoover Dam’ and ‘The Slim’. For the first time, the album is presented on heavyweight 180g clear vinyl.
The third in the releases where label favourites are represented for today and backed with a remix / version by a contemporary producer of repute, presents 80s leftfield pop-rock band In Embrace. Appearing here are two versions of The Living Daylights, the original long version and a re-recorded live take, plus additional versions by Timothy J Fairplay.
Coming out of the midlands Post Punk / fanzine scene Gary Knight and friends formed the original incarnation of In Embrace in 1981. Picked up by Glass Records, the early, edgy live recording were re-proposed as Knight developed his 'non-musicianship' with an interest in the possibilities of the studio.
The original "Uncut" version takes it's anti-war themed vocal and lays it over a Jah Wobble inspired bassline and tense electronic rhythm. As it builds, the pressure mounts a visceral sense of oblivion of 9+ minutes of deep dubbing and repeating refrain.
Next to this the "Live In Studio" version sees the later 3 piece band replay it out in an energetic raw form that makes a worth addition. Handing the versions, plus backing tracks to Timothy J Fairplay offered a radical departure. His brooding Redub and Bonus mixes take the track to a darker place, drawing out the induced, relentless madness Knight always intended.
After a period of quiet, Area is back with friends on Kimochi Sound.
All the tracks here are reworks of Area productions, but the collaborators take the originals in new and exciting directions.
Gauss' Natan H offers up a stomping version of Dare To Be Different, whereas Freerotation's Leif contrasts with a fleetfooted rendition of The Face Yours Reminds Me Of. Longtime label contributor Benjamin Brunn gets the whole B-side to traverse tempos and textures and round out the emotive release.
hand-numbered white vinyl 12" in spray-painted sleeve limited to 200 copies (comes in different coloured sleeve we cannot guarantee which one you will receive)
“I Do It,” the A1, is a 90s R&B jam—imagine Aaliyah—recontextualized into an acid-flecked big-room chugger. “Do It,” which follows, starts on the same foot, but strips the vox and charges straight into business, upping the BPM a smidge
along the way.
Then, “B3,” a nimble, electric ditty that fits its percussion squarely at the front and center of the mix, making it into a subversively deadly drum track. Rounding out the record is Baltra's version of “B3,” which takes the essence of the original and wraps it tight in atmospheric wigginess. It's a head-spinner and gives the EP a slightly psychedelic conclusion.
The outstanding 1971 debut by piano player and arranger Osmar Milito features his amazing cover of Herbie Hancock's Cantaloupe Island plus several classic Brazilian songs by Marcos Valle, Jorge Ben and Ivan Lins among others. Fierce samba jazz and bossa all the way through! The line-up of performing artists could hardly be more impressive: Quarteto Forma on vocals, Luis Ea, Marcos Valle, Pascoal Meirelles. This brilliant album is up there with the best work of Arthur Verocai and Marcos Valle. Presented in facsimile artwork and pressed on 180g vinyl
During the 90s, a walk around London’s Camden Market inevitably meant listening to the music with groove that the most popular DJs had made fashionable at the time: soul jazz instrumentals and Brazilian music targeting the club dancefloors. Among all those songs that ended up becoming classics of the scene was the amazing cover version of Herbie Hancock’s ‘Cantaloupe Island’ that Osmar Milito had recorded in 1971. This song was probably the main reason that made his LP for Som Livre one of the most sought after Brazilian records by collectors from all over the world. Now we finally have a new opportunity to enjoy this album, reissued on vinyl for the first time.
Along with the aforementioned version of Herbie Hancock’s song, this first album by piano player and arranger Osmar Milito is full of versions of Brazilian classics, from Marcos Valle to Jorge Ben or Ivan Lins. Fierce samba jazz and bossa all the way through! Note that Milito spent the first years of his career as a member of the backing band of big artists such as Elis Regina, Jorge Ben, Nara Leão... and after two years working with Sergio Mendes in the United States, he returned to Brazil and recorded his first LP.
The line-up of performing artists on this album could hardly be more impressive: Quarteto Forma on the vocals, Luis Eça, Marcos Valle, Pascoal Meirelles (what an amazing drummer he is!)... and both sides of the record hide a seamless sequence of solid tune after solid tune with similar doses of instrumental and vocal tracks. Just listen to the magnificent ‘Garra’, ‘Que bandeira’ or ‘Rita Jeep’, or the sweet samba that gives its name to the record, and you will see why this LP should be up there, next to the best works of Arthur Verocai and Marcos Valle.
With their much anticipated stadium tour underway, the Spice Girls announce the re-release of Spice Girls - The Greatest Hits, available for the first time as a limited edition picture disc vinyl. The special version contains no less than nine No.1 smash hit singles including ‘Wannabe’, ‘2 Become 1’, ‘Spice Up Your Life’, ‘Viva Forever’, ‘Goodbye’ and many more.
Originally released as an album in 2007, the double sided picture disc, released via UMC/Virgin EMI will be available from June 28th and comes packaged in a die-cut sleeve, with 12”X12” insert and a digital download code. With their much anticipated stadium tour underway, the Spice Girls announce the re-release of Spice Girls - The Greatest Hits, available for the first time as a limited edition picture disc vinyl. The special version contains no less than nine No.1 smash hit singles including ‘Wannabe’, ‘2 Become 1’, ‘Spice Up Your Life’, ‘Viva Forever’, ‘Goodbye’ and many more.
Originally released as an album in 2007, the double sided picture disc, released via UMC/Virgin EMI will be available from June 28th and comes packaged in a die-cut sleeve, with 12”X12” insert and a digital download code.
“Soul is My Salvation is a collection of dance friendly gospel songs. The mission is to simply uplift your spirit through music and word. Dance floor’s around the world mirror the reactions of Churches from the 70’s and 80’s when experiencing these recordings.” - Tone B. Nimble.
Released as a series of eight limited vinyl-only 45, when assembled together the covers reveal a beautiful design courtesy of designer Charlotte McCrae. A true collectors item.
Chapter 3 features The Gospel Truth - He Can Do It, a rare cut that barely has a trace online, on the flip you’ll find the instrumental version of McKinley Sandifer’s I Am The Vine, another tough and under the radar tune.
We were first introduced to Marumo’s ‘Modish’ album via DJ Okapi's amazing resource the ‘Afrosynth’ blog, which archives South African bubblegum/disco from the 80s & early 90s. Aside from this blog, this music would otherwise remained unknown outside of South Africa, apart from the most hardcore of digger and record collector.
‘Modish’ was originally released on Spades Record in 1982 and was recorded by producer West Nkosi, who was a member of supergroup ‘Mahlathini & The Mahotella Queens’. He worked with the big hitters in South African music such as Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Teaspoon & The Waves, Patience Africa and many more. Marumo were made up of a group of musicians from the Athlone School for the blind in Bellville, close to Cape Town. The band members, John Mothopeng, Munich Sibiya, Simon Falatsi and Marks Mbuthuma, had previously played in the groups Batsumi, All Rounders and The Orations and came together to record this versatile album. It covers a wide number of genres from Sotho soul, Mbaqanga, disco-funk, gospel & spacey-synth slow jams.
Flash forward 30 or so years later and lost dead-stock copies of the album start to appear and Marumo’s music begins to be heard across the world in the DJ sets of Motor City Drum Ensemble, Invisible City Editions, Floating Points, DJ Okapi and others.
We included the afro-disco-funk beauty of 'Khomo Tsaka Deile Kae?’ on our Mr Bongo Record Club Volume Three compilation, but felt ‘Modish’ needed to be available and heard in it’s entirety. We hope you enjoy!
The independent UK label Six Nine Records Ltd, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, proudly presents the third outing on the label for no one less than Randy Hall. The stunning new song “A New Way Of Love” quickly reached the top of several radio charts and is a sure-shot winner with its hard-hitting bassline, infectious melodies and the unmistakable voice of Mr. Hall! Definitely not to be missed as it is a limited UK press with small hole and full colour printed picture cover!
Following his last EP for the label, "Immaculata", VOITAX mainstay Makaton returns to form with his second solo EP - "Crime Wave". His meticulously crafted brand of techno spans over four dance-floor cuts, covering all the bases for the mind, body and soul.
Early support by A Made Up Sound, Aiken, Ancient Methods, Blue Hour, DVS1, Etapp Kyle, Eric Cloutier, Inigo Kennedy, James Ruskin, Mark Broom, Marcel Dettmann, P.E.A.R.L, Peder Mannerfelt, Phase Fatale, Pfirter, Psyk, Positive Centre, Rhyw, Scalameriya, Stephanie Sykes, SLAM, UVB, and Vincent Neumann
With the original UK 7” of this release now as rare as hen’s teeth, and with the group having recently ‘reformed’ for one last album together, the Mr Bongo replica re-release of this 1990 masterpiece by Gang Starr couldn’t be more timely.
The now-legendary duo of DJ Premier and Guru dropped this at the height of hip-hop’s sampling of jazz, which had led to a creative leap forward for the genre. Yet while others plundered in the dark, this instant classic wore its influences on its sleeve and paid verbal homage to the musicians they were sampling. The “melodious funk” of “Thelonious Monk” gets namechecked, while the track samples two of his records, including 1958’s Bop gem ‘Light Blue’.
While both versions presented here have common elements, the ‘Movie Mix’ – so-named for the song’s appearance on the soundtrack to Spike Lee’s mythic jazz biopic ‘Mo’ Better Blues’ – goes in a few different directions to the ‘Video Mix’. Rather than just drop in an instrumental for the B-side, DJ Premier instead shows his versatility by switching up the base track (Kool & The Gang’s 1971 ‘Dujii’) and layering in other samples. In more ways than one, his virtuosity here echoes the improvisation of a jazz musician, akin to Denzel Washington’s Bleak in the movie.
Of course, he’s not the only show in town. The late Guru’s voice is as mellifluous as an instrument itself here, his potted history of the genre and the artists of jazz delivered with his own unmistakable cadence. Without this record, would he have gone on to make his ‘Jazzmatazz’ projects.
With the collective generosity of all those involved along the way, from mastering, manufacturing, affiliated record stores and PR to the artists themselves and PDD, all profits from this special one-sided Artwork remix of Mildlife ‘Zwango Zop’ will be donated to two charities combatting the bushfire emergency in Australia via Prime Direct Distribution; Wildlife Victoria and the Australian Red Cross.
Their indispensable efforts continue to assist the emergency response, rebuilding homes and habitats, supporting rescued animals and the shelters that house them, alongside aiding the evacuation centres and recovery hubs created in many communities and implementing recovery plans for those who have been devastatingly affected by the bushfires.
Certified man of the people, king of the content and all-round good guy Artwork has been there, everywhere, and done it all - in more guises than many would even know about. From Magnetic Man to Grain, D’N’D to Artwork he’s a master producer, well versed at knowing what dancefloors want and more importantly need.
Now take Mildlife, the boundary pushing, critically acclaimed Melbourne-based space jazz four-piece, who’ve managed to seamlessly blend jazz, funk and disco into one multi-coloured, multi-layered melting pot of auditory excitement. A band whose hype is certainly lived up to, with the likes of DJ Harvey heavily championing them to the point of including ‘Magnificent Moon’ on his ‘The Sound Of Mercury Rising’ VA LP.
A wash with improvisation, soaring synths, stratospheric bass riffs, and a fluidity of grooves, ‘Zwango Zop’, taken from Midlife’s debut album ‘Phase’, is kaleidoscopic cosmic gold. For this special non-profit release, Artwork extracts that undeniable funk energy and turns into a 10-and-a-half-minute, highly hypnotic, instantly addictive creation that it is as psychedelic as it is slamming.
Just one of many examples of the dance music community coming together as a power of good to raise funds for those affected by the emergency in Australia. Support the cause, through the medium of music.
The Pendletons return with a brand new track and a slew of in demand remixes all in one package. First up is "Don't Turn Your Back" featuring Kool Customer vocalist Rojai featuring a bubblin' bassline, analog synths galore and Roj's vocals taking the lead on the cut backed up by Trailer Limon & E Da Boss's unmistakeable vibe. Next up, Bastard Jazz mainstay artists Potatohead People hit the nail squarely on the head with their restrained and eternally funky remix of the last album's hit single "You Do You" featuring the legendary Howard Johnson (previously only available on an unreleased Bandcamp bonus 7") while NYC DJ producer and edit king Jacques Renault does what he does best with "Keep It Working" featuring UK soulstress Gizelle Smith - extending the groove out and letting the bassline ride while keeping the original feel of the song intact. Lastly, Pendleton's member E Da Boss extends out the "Keep It Working" OG for the hardworking DJs across the land giving the intro & outro some breathing room. Also included is the Jacques Renault Instrumental.
Fast-rising Lisbon-based DJ/producer PEDRO has shared details of his long-awaited debut album, ‘Da Linha’, which releases on March 20 via Enchufada. First teased with the release of bubbling lead single ‘Calores’ in January, ‘Da Linha’ crowns a defining breakthrough three years for PEDRO that has seen him establish himself as one of Portugal’s most vibrant and exciting new-school producers. His debut EP, ‘EP ‘Damaia’ (2017) – named after the suburb of Lisbon he was born in – immediately signposted a bright, borderless club sound rooted in experimentation, which has since been best emphasised by 2019 releases including the Buraka Som Sistema-sampling ‘Rapazes’ and a breathless collaboration with Nigerian MC, Magugu (‘Too Much’), both of which feature on the LP tracklist.
First inspired by his older brother, who would introduce PEDRO to the latest electronic music coming out of Portugal, he still references DJ Rolando’s ‘Knights Of Jaguar’ as a memorable early touch point – a record he still credits with influencing the melodies he writes to this day. Living and growing up in Damaia, PEDRO also went to school with friends of Angolan, Cape Verdean, Brazilian and Mozambican descent, exposing him to a whole patchwork of new sounds and genres like kuduro and kizomba from a very young age. With such a rich and diverse musical upbringing, it is perhaps no wonder that ‘Da Linha’ is bursting with energy and colour across all 10 tracks, melding together the hyper-specific sounds, instruments and voices that have sound-tracked PEDRO’s life so far. From the marching, militant rhythm of ‘Stuck On You’ ft. standout Ghanaian MC, Bryte, to the silky, bubblegum vocals and gloopy, earworm melodies of closing track ‘Para Ti’ featuring Xcelencia, you’d be hard pushed to find a debut record that captures a city so viscerally.
Following up on their explosive and critically acclaimed debut album Free To Believe (2015, Do Right Music), Canada's premiere deep funk outfit The Soul Motivators are back with their sophomore album Do The Damn Thing. The 9-track album delivers a heavy dose of the band's signature funk sound, incorporating the soulful sensibilities of lead vocalist Shahi Teruko, who has been performing and touring with the band for the past two years and makes her recorded debut here.
From the high-octane 'Mindblastin' and 'All the Way to the Bank' to the moody ''Black Rhino' and the car-chase MSFBs-inspired 'Savalas' which show off the Motivators' instrumental grooves, Do The Damn Thing is guaranteed to appeal to the most discerning funk fans.
The band continues to broaden their definition of soul music from a spiritual, political and social standpoint, as evidenced by the album's most poignant and introspective moment, 'Modern Superwoman' featuring lyrics penned by Teruko. The Soul Motivators have toured tirelessly in their hometown of Toronto and all across the country. Their diverse crowd always turns out for their propulsive live show, and their mandate has always been the same: inclusivity, community, togetherness, and getting down on the dancefloor.
Nantes-based Australian drummer and percussionist Will Guthrie returns to Black Truffle with Nist-Nah. Like his previous solo record on the label, the abrasive hip-hop concrète of People Pleaser 'BT027', Nist-Nah finds Guthrie branching out in a new direction, this time in a suite of six percussion pieces primarily using the metallaphones, hand drums and gongs of the Gamelan ensembles of Indonesia.
The music presented here is grounded in Guthrie’s travels in Indonesia and study of various forms of Gamelan music, from the stately suspended temporality of the courtly Javanese Gamelan Sekatan, to the delirious, thuggish repetition that accompanies the Javanese trance ritual Jathilan, to the shimmering acoustic glitch of contemporary Balinese composer Dewa Alit and his Gamelan Salukat.
However, far from an exercise in exoticism, Nist-Nah develops out of Guthrie’s extensive work with metal percussion in recent years (as heard, for example, on his 2015 LP for 'IDEAL', Sacrée Obsession), where gongs, singing bowls and cymbals are used to build up walls of hovering tones and sizzling details.
Though Guthrie is broadening his palette to explore Gamelan instrumentation and pay tribute to his love of this sophisticated yet elemental percussion music, the pieces presented here are equally informed by Guthrie’s interests in free jazz, electro-acoustic music and diverse experimental music practices, exploring long tones, extended techniques, and non-metered pulse.
'Nist-Nah' presents a variety of approaches across its six pieces, from the crisp, precise rhythmic complexity of the opening title track to the droning textures of ‘Catlike’ and ‘Elders’.
On the epic closing ‘Kebogiro Glendeng’, Guthrie offers an extended, layered rendition of a Javanese piece belonging to a repertoire primarily used for warmups, beginner’s groups and children first learning Gamelan, elegantly gesturing to his own amateur status while using the piece’s insistently repeated melody as an extended exploration of the hypnotic effects of repetition, falling in and out of time with himself to create woozy, narcotic effects until the piece eventually dissolves into a wavering fog.
unperson’s forthcoming ‘The Ghosts That Gave’ EP will be released digitally and on 12” vinyl via Negative Space Ma, kick-starting a new chapter for the enigmatic producer as he glides between ambient, techno, breakbeat, footwork and UK funky with unquestionable prowess across 6 varied but inter-woven tracks.
The EP is framed around the concept of juxtaposing moments of euphoria and melancholy found within club music, delicately expressing intricate textures and emotion for the quiet corners whilst maintaining a dance-floor sensibility.
“Ultimately, I wanted to build a body of work that explores and extends upon various corners of the Harcore Continuum. Through the juxtaposition of fleeting moments of euphoria scattered amongst twisted, melancholic soundscapes, I aimed to express fluctuating emotions which denote the spirit and energy of the club/UK sound-system culture”. unperson
4TRK-029 sees label head Dj Hyperactive team up with Jason Patrick for the Inflexion EP. The release kicks off with, “Shadows Of The Underground” a stripped down acid Techno track that builds in a mutating fashion with it’s 808 cymbals, filtering shakers, and pitch bent synth stabs Mississippi Mud Hound gets underway with a growling bassline that morphs throughout alongside additional synth elements and percussion bits. On side b, “Harrier Env” provides a jacking feel that manages to also have stutter step bass groove in conjunction with 909 percussion, a spacey drone, and a mysterious melody. Closing out the release is “Bandaid On A Bullet Wound” an atmospheric stripped down track with powerful bass, sci-fi bleeps, and a lead synth riff that pushes and pulls in intensity throughout the track.
Låpsley releases her highly anticipated second
album. Titled ‘Through Water’, it is the follow up to
her 2016 album ‘Long Way Home’, one of that
year’s most acclaimed debuts. Released while she
was still a teenager, ‘Long Way Home’ featured
Låpsley’s breakthrough moments ‘Station’ and
‘Falling Short’ and spawned one of the biggest club
tracks in recent years (DJ Koze’s edit of ‘Operator’)
as well as inspiring a new generation of
electronically minded songwriters including Billie
Eilish, who namechecked it as a key influence on
her sound.
‘Through Water’ is without doubt Låpsley’s most
accomplished work to date, written and recorded
during her transition into young womanhood. With
Låpsley as the major producer and songwriter, the
ten songs (whittled down from over one hundred)
reflect her newfound confidence, clarity and selfawareness as an artist, documenting a wealth of
personal experiences and coming-of-age stories
set against a thematic backdrop of water, climate,
weather and the elements.
- A1: Marc Melià – Permanent Waves (04 26)
- A2: Pletnev – Marc O’polo (06 31)
- A3: Douglas Greed – Vancouver (04 11)
- A4: Middle Sky Boom – Missing Drive (05 13)
- B1: Thomass Jackson – Mithra (07 07)
- B2: Goldmoon - Bells (04 08)
- B3: Krikor – Sally Hardesty (05 34)
- C1: Morgan Blanc – Werde Der Du Bist (04 52)
- C2: Cora Novoa – Virtual Aesthetics (04 35)
- C3: Nsdos – Al-G (05 43)
- C4: Rebeka Warrior – Ich Komme Zurück (04 49)
- D1: Theus Mago – Idealistic Stone (07 33)
- D2: The Populists – Prehistoric Lemurs (05 19)
- D3: Acid Love Triangle – Instant Track (06 42)
Back in 2018, Lumière Noire celebrated its first anniversary with a compilation featuring thirteen exclusive tracks by an eclectic group of electronic musicians – a family portrait of sorts. A few months later, a second volume of From Above, compiled by the label's artistic director (and DJ) Chloé, once more brings thirteen established acts together with promising upstarts. The first compilation was the embodiment of the label policy advocating for both artistic excellence and a widening of electronic aesthetics – bopping from deviant house music to adventurous IDM and to the rigor of dancefloor techno, among other electronic explorations. Some of the artists featured are now closely associated with Lumière Noire, while others were more established performers such as Benedikt Frey, Lauer, Jonathan Fitoussi, Il Est Vilaine, Dave e Brun (half of Swayzak) and Frank Agrario, as well as upcoming artists such as C O N T R A (a side project by none other than Iñigo Vontier), Sutja Gutierrez, Théo Muller, Markus Gibb, Bajram Bili, and a sprinkling of UFOs circling the genre (Suuns' Ben Shemie, Drvg Cvltvre, and electro-acoustic combo Lumi). This group photo laid down a number of paths for a label in perpetual evolution.
Since then, the Parisian entity has continued to grow within the international electronic scene, releasing Local Suicide's Leopard Gum EP, Iñigo Vontier's first LP, and planning another slew of releases for 2020. The lineup for this second volume of From Above is once again equally intriguing, offering a crescendo-like track listing over a double LP format, which is a feat of sorts for a "Various Artists" compilation.
Marc Mélias' fascinating, unsettling Permanent Waves gets the proceedings going with a contemplative track that provides a serene opening to the odyssey on which From Above will be taking the listener. Pletnev continues on with the playful, hooky Marco O’Polo, a fundamentally techno track built over a seductive 90s-inspired breakbeat. Douglas Greed (whom Chloé remixed on BPitch a few years back, and had himself remixed track from her album Endless Revisions featuring Ben Shemie’s vocals), supplies Vancouver, a slice of ambiance à la Boards of Canada, supported by a gripping breakbeat. The rhythmic arpeggio of Israeli producer's Middle Sky Bloom makes his contribution a hypnotic, disconcerting slice of dark disco. Thomass Jackson, a safe bet in the new wave of the Latin-American electronic music blowing its sometimes hot, sometimes cold wind, proposes Mithra, a dancefloor incantation to the Antiquity's bull god. With Bells, Goldmoon delivers a track that is both melodic and nostalgic, tinged with rhythmic samples, Moog basses and solar backgrounds. Longtime friend of Chloé, Krikor, who has released two albums on L.I.E.S. Records (Pacific Alley and Saudi), offers a moment of respite with Sally Hardesty (a nod to fans of horror movies), a heavenly and bewitching track that, paradoxically, hints at the highly energetic second half of the compilation. Discovered with Confidences EP released on Lumière Noire, the young French producer Morgan Blanc asserts himself here with Werde Der Du Bist ("Become who you are"), a song with luminous chords and midtempo rhythms to start the second half of the compilation by raising the tension. Galician producer, DJ and designer Cora Novoa continues the rollercoaster's ascent with her Virtual Aesthetics, which once again brings those acid tones – this time without the vertigo. Equally corrosive, but tenser and more percussive, the uncategorizable NSDOS' AL-G attempts to give order to a chaotic electronic world full of violence and danger. Rebeka Warrior (half of the duo Kompromat alongside compatriot Vitalic), takes on a more nostalgic vibe with Ich Komme Zurück, a French/German techno chant evoking a secret dream of a track from a bygone era. Three years after the release by Lumière Noire of Moderna and Theus Mago's stroboscopic Dog Is Calling You, Theus Mago makes a solo comeback with Idealistic Stone, a most acid of club tracks, rattled by the modulations of the inevitable TB 303. French electro-rock saltwarth Yan Wagner's dancefloor alter ego The Populists' Prehistoric Lemurs gives an almost Orientalizing twist to Kraftwerk's techno-pop. To close things off, the collection's last track, the appropriately-named Instant Track by impromptu encounter between Hervé Carvalho (Acid Arab), Jacques Bon (Smallville) and Demian (Kompakt) Acid Love Triangle, releases the pressure with a long, bittersweet reverie that leaves the listener, at the end of these thirteen musical adventures, to rest languorously on an artificial and welcoming shore.
Three artists discover the wider field of dark electronic dance music. Although young, these producers already have a big understanding of sound. A sound which is past-oriented but every track has a certain twist which makes the music contemporary and timeless.
On A1 – Dein Letztes Hemd – Nicola Toma from Berlin combines acid cuts with German Vocals (by Camila Strasdas) and a pushy bassline. Nothing else needed. Zurich’s Prioleau opens up a totally new world on A2. ‘Never Trust A Mirror’ is an energy driven tune without compromises. A dark new wave-y and kraut influenced masterpiece.
On the b-side are two tracks produced by Hesychia369, a well-known producer from Zurich under a new alias. With ‘Dmbrisded’ and ‘Diffspherez’ he shows his love for acid basslines and fast rhythms.
Vinyl Only, Limited to 150 copies
Mysterious Berlin label MASK return in 2020 with a vinyl only release consisting of a pair of raw cuts entitled ‘Marilyn’.
MASK preserve their esoteric philosophy of delivering well-crafted, modulated house and techno cuts produced on hardware equipment and ‘Marilyn’ certainly follows suit. MASK releases are the result of anonymous artists live jamming together in unison with the first five releases picking up support from the
likes of Laurent Garnier, Marcel Dettmann, Elena Colombi, Machine Woman and many more.
The A side is 13-minute voyage featuring fluttering, resonant drums, lo-fi synth stabs and growling oscillations that take the focus in the later stages while on the B side sweeping pads, spacey undertones and squelchy, acid soaked sci-fi elements keep the sonical experience obscure yet fascinating throughout.
Matt Karmil's fifth album is a meditative collection of woozy loops and soft focus house. STS371 is the follow-up to IDLE033, - - - -, ++++ and 2018's acclaimed Will. Matt Karmil is British born - growing up in the rural town of Salisbury, near Stonehenge. Suffering a prolonged illness as a child, he spent much time indoors whiling away the long hours by playing with a classical guitar. Eventually he was well enough to see the world that had almost left him behind, and he spent his early twenties as an international traveller, DJing, record collecting and working as a producer-engineer in London, Paris, Stockholm and Berlin. In 2012 he decided to settle on Cologne âÇ" a city famed for its excellent club scene and ultra-minimal take on techno via the collective of artists and producers around the Kompakt label. With a studio established in Cologne, Matt made his LP debut with the well received (but hard to Google) "----", combining dusty samples and elegant tape hiss with scuba-diving grooves and minimalist vibes. In the same year he released the jubilant club anthem 'So You Say' on Tim Sweeney's Beats In Space label and remixed John Talabot and Axel Boman's (Talaboman) single 'Sideral'. Recent years have seen a raft of new releases from Matt, remixing XPress 2 for Skint, the albums idle 033 and ++++, as well as 12"s for YumAc Records, Idle Hands, Endless Flight and Studio Barnhus, received with great reviews in publications from The Wire to Resident Advisor and beyond. 2016 also saw Matt much in demand for his skills in engineering, mixing and mastering, working extensively with Matias Aguayo for Crammed Discs, Kornel Kovacs for Studio Barnhus and Talaboman for R&S, among many others. At the invitation of artist Christine Sun Kim, Matt composed a sub-20Hz piece for Bounce House at Sound Live Tokyo 2015, while his video collaboration with Boston's MIT Media Lab, Time Moods, was premiered in late 2017.
Two are surely better than one. Following Lory D and Fadi Mohem, Toronto based producer Graham Bertie aka Nautiluss also steps up for his second outing on Seilscheibenpfeiler, marking the label’s 10th overall release. Once more, Nautiluss is transforming playful and rhythmically intriguing bass music into prime dancefloor cuts, encompassing a rich array of sounds and moods ranging from upfront rave action to delicate deepness.
„Guccifer“ kicks things off with a dark, shuffling beat, creating a subtle hardcore/jungle vibe with atmospheric overtones. „Snakes And Ledgers“ is a percussion-heavy tune led by a fat and thumping bassline and completed with muffled chants by Toronto rapper Matthew Progress. Next up is „WiFi Oasis“, again fronted by a memorably melodic and reverberating bassline while the track explores airy and enigmatic IDM territory. „Moment Of Clarity“ rounds off the EP with ethereal synth pads and big breaky beats, providing an ideal closing track for every extended club night.
"Available again for the first time since original release in 1974, Outernational Sounds proudly presents one of the deepest custom press jazz recordings of all – Jaman’s spiritualised and funky Sweet Heritage.
The history of jazz is often told as though it was principally a history of releases and recordings. On those terms, it’s easy to mistake a small recorded footprint for obscurity or silence. But that is to put the cart before the horse, for the true history of the jazz is the story of the music as it was played night after night in the clubs, bars, concert halls and backrooms of cities and towns across America and the world. Only a tiny fraction of this living tradition ever makes it onto a recording. The far greater part is embodied in the musicians and their music as they play it and live it. And even though 1974’s Sweet Heritage is James Edward Manuel’s only release, the pianist and educator better known as Jaman has undoubtedly lived it.
Brought up in Buffalo, New York, Jaman studied classical piano before beginning formal jazz studies under greats including Earl Bostic and Horace Parlan. Quickly becoming a respected regular on the club scene in Buffalo, Jaman held down innumerable residencies and worked with top local musicians – one of his early trios included the renowned bassist John Heard and drummer Clarence Becton, both of whom were poached one night by a visiting Jon Hendricks; sometime Sun Ra Arkestra bassist Juini Booth and regular Ahmad Jamal sideman Sabu Adeyola (also of Kamal & The Brothers) have graced his groups too. At famous night spots all over Buffalo’s East Side and on excursions to Manhattan’s storied jazz clubs, Jaman has shared the stage with some of the most illustrious names in jazz and blues: Big Joe Turner, Muddy Waters, Joe Henderson, Ruth Brown, Frank Morgan, Woody Shaw, Sonny Stitt, and too many others to mention. His eponymous group, Jaman, was formed in 1970; they toured the US and Canada steadily in the years that followed. He became, in short, one of Buffalo’s true jazz stalwarts, and so he remains.
But despite a life lived deep within the music, Jaman only recorded a single LP, 1974’s Sweet Heritage. Pressed in tiny quantities by the Mark Records custom service, and issued with a stock landscape cover, Sweet Heritage featured the regular Jaman group playing a mixture of covers and originals. The whole LP showcases an ensemble in compete control, and with the flying, spiritual sound of ‘Free Will’ and the upful, Latin-tinged ‘In The Fall of The Year’ – both Jaman originals – the album has since become a legendary collector’s classic. Unavailable since its original issue, Outernational Sounds is proud to present Jaman’s Sweet Heritage – the soulful and spiritualised sounds of a master at work."
Originally released in 1978, Music By William Eaton is a private-press album from the accomplished experimental stringed instrument builder. The atmospheric recording techniques, mixed with a hint of Fahey/Takoma-lineage make for a listening experience akin to the mountainscape drawing represented on the album cover. The experience may seem simple at first, but like any great trip in nature, new details consistently reveal themselves upon each listen.
“When I started building instruments, playing guitar took on a whole new dimension. From the conception to the birth of each instrument, new layers of meaning unfolded. Cycles, connections and interdependencies became apparent as I contemplated the growth of trees from seed to old age, and the transformation from raw wood to the building of a musical instrument. I sought out quiet natural environments to play and listen to the “voice” of my 6 string, 12 string, 26 string (Elesion Harmonium) and double neck quadraphonic electric guitar. Deep canyons contained a beautiful resonant quality and echo. A starlit night with a full moon provided all the reflection and endless space by which to project music into the cosmos. The sound of a bubbling stream and singing birds added a natural symphonic tapestry to a melody or chord pattern. As I perceived it, everything was participating in a serendipitous dance. Everything was part of the music.
During this time, I decided to record an instrumental album of music. The idea was simple; it would be a series of tone poems with no titles or any information attached, only the words ‘Music by William Eaton.’ While some of the songs evolved out of composed chord progressions, most of the songs were played spontaneously, only on the occasion of the recording. These improvised songs haven’t been played since.” -- William Eaton
Recommended for fans of John Fahey, Harry Partch, Robbie Basho, Laraaji
It's been a long, winding road to Hailu Mergia's sixth decade of musical activity. From a young musician in the 60's starting out in Addis Ababa to the 70's golden age of dance bands to the new hope as an emigre in America to the drier period of the 90s and 2000s when he mainly played keyboard in his taxi while waiting in the airport queue or at home with friends. More recently, with reissue of his classic works and a re-assessment of his role in Ethiopian music history, Mergia has played to audiences big and small in some of the most cherished venues around the world. With 2018's critical breakthrough "Lala Belu" Mergia championed himself and consolidated his legacy, producing the album on his own and connecting with listeners through the sheer creative power of his version of modern Ethiopian music. His subsequent performances revealed an artist who is in no way stuck in the nostalgia for the "golden age" sound. The press agreed, including the New York Times, BBC and Pitchfork, calling his music "triumphantly in the present" in its Best 200 Albums of the 2010's list. Mergia's new album "Yene Mircha" ("My Choice" in Amharic) encapsulates many of the things that make the keyboardist, accordionist and composer-arranger remarkable_elements that have persisted to maintain his vitality all these years, through the ebb and flow of his career. The rock solid trio with whom he has toured the world most recently, DC-based Alemseged Kebede (bass) and Ken Joseph (drums), forms the nucleus around which an expanded band makes a potent response to the contemporary jazz future "Lala Belu" promised. "Yene Mircha" calcifies Mergia's prolific stream of creativity and his philosophy that there is a multitude of Ethiopian musical approaches, not just one sound. Enlisting the help of master mesenqo (traditional stringed instrument) player Setegn Atenaw, celebrated vocalist Tsehay Kassa and legendary saxophone player Moges Habte from his 70's outfit Walias Band, Mergia enhances his bright, electric band on this recording with an expanded line up on some songs. Mergia produced the album which features several of his original compositions along with songs by Asnakesh Worku and Teddy Afro. An artist still reinventing his sound every night on stage during his marathon live sets, this 74-year-old icon refuses to make the same album twice. The album feels as urgent and risky as his concerts can be, pushing the band to the outer limits of group improvisation and back with chord extensions during his exploratory solos. "Yene Mircha" captures this live experience and fosters an expansive view of what else could be in store for this tireless practitioner of Ethiopian music.
‘Visions’ is a new collaborative album from BADBADNOTGOOD co-founders, Matthew Tavares and Leland Whitty. The Grammy Award winning, multi-platinum producers have been performing and writing music together for 10 years. They have achieved international acclaim with BADBADNOTGOOD and Tavares’ recent solo single ’Self-Portrait’ has been championed by tastemakers such as Gilles Peterson and Benji B. ‘Visions’ is the latest upshot of their incredibly fruitful partnership.
Recorded in Toronto, it was produced by Tavares and Whitty - with Tavares also mixing the album and arranging strings. After a three-week writing period it was played in its entirety in one continuous studio session; almost all the tracks on the album are the first take. Tavares is on piano and guitar, Whitty on saxophone and flute. The rhythm section of Julian Anderson-Bowes on bass and Matthew Chalmers on drums completes the players. They make an impressive collective and are performing at the peak of their powers.
Conceptually the album is a canvas for a combination of composition and group free-form improvisation. Tavares and Whitty are the sole composers, but with some tracks collectively improvised, there is also a group dynamic running through the album. The outcome is a sublime melting pot of modern jazz, impressionist classical music and Arthur Verocai-esque arrangements. It is a sound that is hard to date; it is certainly of the now but is also reminiscent of a lost classic. Similar to the process of its creation, the optimal listening experience for ‘Visions’ is in its entirety. As a coherent body of work it draws the listener in with waves of intensity and crescendos that release back into tranquility - there is both darkness and light in the album’s narrative arc. There is also rawness and honesty to the music, which makes it feel like an intensely personal and intimate offering.
- A1: Blood Bank
- A2: Beach Baby
- A3: Babys
- A4: Woods
- B1: Blood Bank (Live From Ericsson Globe, Stockholm Se, Oct 21 2018)
- B2: Beach Baby (Live From The Bomb Factory, Dallas Tx, Jan 23 2018)
- B3: Babys (Live From Eventim Apollo Hammersmith, London Uk, Mar 4 2018)
- B4: Woods (Live From Pitchfork Paris Presented By La Blogothèque, Nov 3 2018)
- Ursprünglich als EP zwischen den ersten beiden Bon Iver Alben veröffentlicht, enthält Blood Bank einige der beliebtesten Songs der Band - Erstpressung auf farbigem Vinyl - mit 4 brandneuen, exklusiven Live-Aufnahmen der EP-Titel, die auf der Tournee 2018, 10 Jahre nach der Entstehung der Songs, aufgenommen wurden - Bon Iver 2020 live in Berlin, Köln und München // Die "Blood Bank" EP wurde ursprünglich Anfang 2009 veröffentlicht, kurz nach dem geliebten Album "For Emma, Forever Ago". Die EP war der Vorbote eines neuen Sounds für Bon Iver: eine Bewegung weg von der akustischen Gitarren-geführten Instrumentierung des Debüts und der Beginn einer Erkundung der experimentellen Klänge, welche die Entwicklung von Bon Iver seitdem mitdefinieren. Die Neuauflage dieser bahnbrechenden EP ist gekoppelt mit brandneuen Live-Aufnahmen aller EP-Titel. Eine Reflexion über die Blood Bank EP von Ryan Matteson: When I reflect on the songs that make up the Blood Bank EP, I am drawn to mantras, both musical and lyrical. The driving and pulsating rhythm of the title track is held steady by the repeated refrain, I know it well, before it eventually yields to a beautiful array of guitar distortion and noise. These moments are significant through all four songs. When the steel guitar makes its entrance on "Beach Baby," it's transportive. A blissful, breezy feeling sweeps into the room and that puts you within the moment. Close your eyes and you can feel it. "Babys" follows perfectly. A piano guides your mind to the new beginnings that come with the changing of seasons. The awareness of time passes and makes way for another day. Then there's "Woods." A flawless finale. Foreign and new. Not just a new direction but a new beginning entirely. A place where boundaries don't exist. It was a signal change of things to come, laying the groundwork for new collaborations. A decade later, the song says so much in just three lines. Most significant to me are the words, "I'm building a sill to slow down the time." Time doesn't slow down, it races.
Lazy Harts Club man Evan Baggs is not one for keeping up a regular release schedule; in fact, his last single of note appeared way back in 2015. This first appearance on Time Passages has arguably been worth the wait, though. The Neu Rochelle EP offers a quartet of contrasting cuts. For example, compare the rough-and-ready, bass-heavy Drexciyan space electro of "UTL", the rolling, acid-flecked old school tech-house of "Neu Rochelle", and the melodious machine jam that is closer "Still Breezin". Best of all, though, is "All Question All Answers", which comes on like an unlikely collaboration between 'Pure Trance' era KLF, bleep types Sweet Exorcist, and late '90s tech-house jams.
Repress
After launching their own De Stijl label last year, Artefakt are back on Delsin with Icarus, a sparkling new four track outing. Known for their intricate sound design and deep yet hard hitting grooves. Always serving up atmospheric music that is artful and filled with rich detail, they continued on their own path once again here. Starting with the smooth and hypnotic, stripped back grooves from Icarus. Followed by the cavernous and immersive ambient trip Ganzfeld Effect. The darker Vapour is still heady and meticulously crafted with deft little details, a rich sound field and supple techno drums getting you in the zone. Delphic then offers crisp breakbeats, dubby drums and electrically charged synths that are physical but emotional. It's another perfect fusion of light and dark, thoughtful and physical techno from this ever impressive pair.
Max Essa completes a trio of terrific releases on Hell Yeah with The Great Adventure EP. It's packed with more grown up dance floor dynamite and later in the year will be collected together with the first two parts to make for a full album.
By now you will know that Essa is part of the UK's Balearic mafia. He's served up big tunes on Is It Balearic?, Aficionado, Music For Dreams, and his music always acts as a sonic raft that floats you out to sea and leaves you bobbing up and down in a state of pure bliss.
Opener 'Tombolo' starts as acoustic music and the sound of a muffled crowd but soon awakens into an uptempo affair littered with toms, guitar licks and claps that are driven by bumping drums. There are elements of old school, Italo and classic house but somehow it feels completely new and fresh as it takes you ever higher.
'The Great Adventure' is masterfully sun kissed disco with crisp 80s drums, love struck chords and a yacht rock feel that is pure joy, something like topless dancing with sand between your toes and umbrellas in your cocktails.
Closer 'Fool in the Pool' sinks into gentle tabla drums and unhurried chords. It's horizontal and thoughtful - the sound of a lazy afternoon somewhere on the Mediterranean coast, gazing at glistening seas through the romantic lens flare in your sunglasses.
This EP is already great feedback from the DJ dons who have been giving it early plays, so act now to snap up your first summer sounds of 2020.
Kareem Cali & LaRosa link up for a debut EP on Sidney Charles's hard hitting Heavy House Society this March, while groove master Nick Beringer serves up a superb remix.
Kareem Cali & LaRosa have linked many times before on originals and remixes that have helped define the house agenda in recent years. They have a laid back but warm style that is functional but full of subtle detail and studio charm.
Opener B21 is a brilliantly off-kilter tune with warped synths and tripped out details all making it perfect after party fodder. The drums are driving underneath it all, so will be irresistible to the floor. Over Ground is more stripped back but just as punchy, with rubbery kick drums and squelchy synths making for a hugely dynamic groove that is infectious and restless.
Rubisco label owner Nick Beringer then steps up after establishing himself as a real underground talent thanks to cult EPs on the likes of Raum, Berg and Taverna Tracks. His version is perfectly hazy and dazed. The balmy pads swirl around like a warm wind, the hi hats are delicate as they spin above the kinetic kicks, and the whole thing oozes warmth and class.
This is another essential EP from this already standout label.
James Ruskin & Mark Broom are back as The Fear Ratio with their third album ‘They Can’t Be Saved’.
180G 2x12"
The duo, who are long-term collaborators have created their own signature style with abstract synths, heavy basslines and experimental soundscapes that fit somewhere in between IDM, electronica and ambient.
Their acclaimed debut album ‘Lightbox’ was initially released in 2011 on Ruskin’s Blueprint Records, featuring remixes from Warp aficionados Plaid and Deadhand. Soon after they formed a long-lasting relationship with cult Manchester based label Skam, with the follow-up album in 2015 ‘Refuge of a Twisted Soul’.
2018 saw a four track ‘Live EP’ release made up of exclusive versions of their Autechre supporting slot at the Great Northern Warehouse in Manchester, Several years and various solo productions later, The Fear Ratio return with an album that solidifies their reputation as experimental producers.
From the ethereal opening bars of ‘Sender’ slowly twisting into a brooding dub breakbeat, to the staccato, bugged out atmospherics of ‘Grey Code’, ghostly electronics of ‘Small World’, tripped out, schizophrenic hip hop haunting bass of ‘Game Plan’ and sun-dappled keys of ‘The Final Vision’ Broom & Ruskin flex their techno muscles ever further beyond the floor.
Known for its 808s, Bass, Alligators, & Cocaine Cowboys, Florida is the home of Vanguard Sound's Chris Mitchell, who follows his contribution to Squirrels On Acid with an EP of four absolute Rippers at the intersection of classic booty bass & new-school goth electro.
“Every Asshole” announces its presence with an up-tempo red-lined booty beat that will shake the walls of the Strip Mall Strip Club in any neighborhood. Funk is the key ingredient, and it is added generously, even when the synthesizer melodies bring in a darker texture. “Grippers” is more sinister, but no less funky. Dirty South Cold Wave at full frequency, propulsive & punk rock, but this is strictly party music at its core. The drum patterns stay in perpetual motion, programed with skill & precision. “Sh4” is another banger. The sound of a malfunctioning Fairlight over intricate drums & angular arpeggios. Mitchell's tracks never sit still, and again here, the drum programming shines. This is someone who has put in their 10, 000 hours on the MPC, and it shows. “Land Of Make Believe” slows things down & turns ups the Goth. Cybertron Sci Fi Soundtrack moods, but rump shaking nonetheless, wordless alien vocal textures & synth strings weave with the drums, which here are slightly more sparse than the previous tracks, but programmed with the same attention to detail.
If you're familiar with Chris Mitchell, this EP will not disappoint, & if this is your introduction to his music, you'll be wanting to hear more. This sixth release from the world of Squirrels is NOT for standing around at the party looking cool. This for shaking the tail, sweating with strangers at legendary all-ages club & birthplace of Miami Bass the Pac Jam in hedonistic abandon.
- A1: Darıldım Darıldım - Akbaba İkilisi
- A2: Misket - Kına Gecesi Ensemble
- A3: Gönül Dağı - Mehtap Tuna
- A4: Topal - Sarı Zeki
- A5: Karanfilli Yar - Handan Yazgan
- A6: Yine Gönlüm Sende - Mehmet Karakoç
- A7: Mercanlar - Sultan Sümbül
- B1: Yaz Dostum - Gülcan Opel
- B2: Nar Tanesi - Mehtap Tuna
- B3: Dom Dom Kurşunu - Sarı Zeki
- B4: Mavilim Hangi Ellidir - Handan Yazgan
- B5: Sarı Yıldız - Kına Gecesi Ensemble
- B6: Asrın Bozuk Düzeni - Aşık Emrah
Uzelli Kaset was established in 1971 by Muammer and Yavuz Uzelli in Frankfurt, Germany. Their music resonated not only with the longing that Gastarbeiter (guest workers) felt for the homelands and families they had left behind and the melancholy brought by their difficult living and working conditions in Germany, but also with the joy that welled up at village weddings on their days off, and the long car or train journeys home. Reaching the remotest corners of Germany as well as Turkey, Uzelli Kaset was soon more than just a music company; it became a companion to Turkish workers living far from home. Not counting the handful of 8-track tapes and 14 LPs released in the early days, the catalog consisted entirely of cassettes.
When they opened their Istanbul office in 1977, Uzelli moved beyond production and became successful in the areas of reproduction, distribution and marketing. Taking the catalogs of other production companies under its umbrella, it continued its rapid growth.
The 90s became the CD decade, and because Uzelli Kaset had not released its catalog in CD format, hundreds of albums remained unavailable to an entire new generation. Because the albums had not been released in LP form either, musical explorers ran into the same problem. Remaining active and serving in various areas of the music industry, Uzelli carefully preserved its visual, audio and document archives, ensuring their survival to the present day.
After an immense amount of work, this catalog, which had long awaited discovery by new generations, was finally released in digital format. For record collectors seeking the spirit of those times, we also began offering this special selection of compilation albums in vinyl format. As we created this series, our goal was to guide listeners toward new discoveries, and open new pages for music lovers to explore. Leaving our rich, multifaceted catalog to genuine musicians, curators and artists, our desire became to approach the recordings of that period from a different perspective.
We are overjoyed to know that our continuing meticulous work will bear fruits whose taste and aroma have been long forgotten.
Uzelli
For the first release of the new decade we are honoured to introduce LA-based Oxóssi who has conjured a captivatingly sinister sonic palette for his debut EP on the label.
Sama
A scorching 8-bar intro catapults us straight into 'Sama', the first track of the release, where abandoned-jungle-ruins atmospheres meet threatening wooden flutes and weighty wobs - Oxóssi is not messing about. The narration proceeds with a melody sung by a penetrating laser-beam-like synth, which adds a space layer to this organic banger, getting more and more detuned throughout the track while kickstarting a call-and-answer march between the flute and synth-wob melodies. Don't expect to uncover the secrets of 'Sama' at a first listen, this intricate creation will keep revealing itself listen after listen.
Saut Dans Le Vide
An alluring pad harmony and a hidden inspirational message from the artist introduce the fascinatingly titled 'Saut Dans Le Vide', a masterful arrangement of unrelenting piano chords, subtle choir stabs, dreamy flute leads and compellingly staggering drums. Elements keep artfully alternating throughout this convoluted composition which arouses a pensive, melancholy-nuanced hopefulness.
Undead
It's time to get glitchy here, as 'Undead' makes its entrance. Shimmering melodies rain down in a glittery shower of eerie purple confetti, surrounded by rattling white noise strikes and playful-yet-mighty bass hits. As the story evolves, an 8-bit synth lead briefly takes us to a post-apocalyptic landscape before we momentarily wake up from this psychedelic daydream, just in time to take a breath and dive back in for round two.
Following on from releases by the likes of Whitesquare, The Cyclist, DJ Octopus and Daniele Baldelli & Dario Piana, Tropical Animals head honcho Ricardo Baez steps up to provide a three track EP of refined, richly textured, deep and brooding cuts.
Undulating synths, introspective chords and a tapestry of rhythms flow from the Florence native, at times moving through the depths of lo-fi, crunching house at others delving into the realms of acid.
The Austrian electronic music label fortunea starts off the new decade
with a bang! This time they come up with a new EP by label fellow
Peletronic.
It’s called ‚Secret Escape‘ and begins with the raw and energetic title
track, that is driven by MPC-style melody chops and a grooving bassline. Definitely a lot of peak time potential here. The original track is accompanied by a remix of charismatic Australian dj- and producer Jad & The, who transforms it into an euphoric deep house weapon with funky breaks and analogue infused acid sequences.
The first track of the B-side is setting up a darker mood. It’s called „My
House Is Your House“ and comes up with spaced out elements that
complement each other into a late night/early morning club atmosphere.
Voice- and effect artefacts sprinkle through the listeners head, while kick and bassline are holding everything together. Jon Gravy makes the remix dutys on B2 and delivers a stomping alternative to the original. A funky reverberant guitar, a staccato male vocal and high pitched piano stabs gives you back these feellings of mid 1990s chicago house memories.
All in all a must have house record for this upcoming festival season.
Don’t miss out!
Support by Rainer Trüby, Mr. Ties, Ame, Tensnake, Robert Owens, Fred P, Kassian, Horse Meat Disco, Loz Goddard, Jeremy Glenn, Intr0beatz, Franck Roger, Carlo, Replika, Just Her, Sune, Orlando B, Reece Johnson
It is hard to think of many 7” singles where both sides are as heavy as this one! "Change The World" & "Try, Try" were released in 1977 by 'Solat', a Dutch-based funk group made up of Surinamese and Dutch-Antillian musicians.
Formed after ex-band members of Reality/Tony And Reality; Eddy Veldman, Franky Douglas, Ivor Mitchell and Glenn Gaddum teamed up with singer Billy Jones, Solat went on to release two singles for Poker records. With it's crossover nature, it pleases disco, funk and modern-soul collectors and DJs alike, plus due to only been released in the Netherlands, the record has now become an extremely sought-after item with a high price tag to match.
Both amazing cuts are aimed straight for the dance-floor, but retain conscious and positive messages that are as relevant now as they were back then. 'Change TheWorld’ is an anthemic feelgood disco funk gem, whilst 'Try, Try ‘ is reminiscent of a Mizell Brothers golden-era production.
Mr Bongo present a replica edition with dinked centre- and original cover- and also label artwork, for all to enjoy!
Three years after their critically acclaimed and sold out Abrada LP the great and joyful Japanese afro groovers Ajate are back with their much awaited brand new album Alo!
Ajate is a Japanese band who plays a unique blend of afro-groove dance music mixed with Japanese traditional festival music called "Ohayashi". Formed in 2011 by the band-leader John Imaeda, Ajate consists of 10 Japanese musicians.
Another unique feature of the band is the use of hand-made bamboo instruments as well as traditional Japanese percussion. The "Jahte" is a bamboo-made xylophone or balafon with a piezo pick-up mic attached to each key, connected to a pre-amplifier to obtain a loud sound and to add some touch of dirty distortion to its warm and natural acoustic sonority.
The "Piechiku" is also a bamboo-made string instrument inspired by the west-African "Ngoni" or Moroccan "Guembri" instruments. The Piechiku uses strings of the Japanese traditional "Shamisen". This instrument is also played through a pre-amplifier and John sometimes adds some wah-wah effect to it. All these bamboo instruments are designed, made and named by John Imaeda himself.
On Alo you will also be amazed by the exceptional sound of the Japanese Shinofue flute, which was not on the previous Abrada LP. Now, add to this unique sound some well-crafted Japanese female and male singing and you get a killer mix of Afro-Funk flavored grooves with traditional Japanese music!
Since the release in 2017 of their Abrada LP on the 180g label Ajate has toured Europe twice and has played a memorable concert at the world famous Trans Musicales festival in France in 2018, which has been followed by another great KEXP Live session.
Here is some music you will not be able to hear anywhere else, by one of the most joyful Japanese band to hear on record and to listen live!
Pressed on Vinyl for the first time ‘Hi- Fi Serious’ was the third album from ‘A’ released in 2002. It includes their hit single, "Nothing", which became the band's first and only top ten hit when it reached number 9 in the UK singles chart. "Nothing" was followed by top 20 hit "Starbucks", named after the coffee chain.
The tour following Hi-Fi Serious saw the band headlining the 5,000 capacity Brixton Academy as part of their Inner-City Sumo Tour. At the end of the year they won the Kerrang! award for Best British Band.In 2004, their single "Nothing" appeared on Beyblade's Let It Rip! official soundtrack. In 2007, "Something's Going On" and "The Distance" appeared on the Surf's Up video game soundtrack.
Red Vinyl LTD
Pressed on Vinyl for the first time ‘Hi- Fi Serious’ was the third album from ‘A’ released in 2002. It includes their hit single, "Nothing", which became the band's first and only top ten hit when it reached number 9 in the UK singles chart. "Nothing" was followed by top 20 hit "Starbucks", named after the coffee chain.
The tour following Hi-Fi Serious saw the band headlining the 5,000 capacity Brixton Academy as part of their Inner-City Sumo Tour. At the end of the year they won the Kerrang! award for Best British Band.In 2004, their single "Nothing" appeared on Beyblade's Let It Rip! official soundtrack. In 2007, "Something's Going On" and "The Distance" appeared on the Surf's Up video game soundtrack.
Ferrum is a large-scale exploration of inharmonic timbres, oscillating between brutal grinding textures and intricate percussive singularities, created by digitally transforming recordings of various metallic objects.
Susanne Kirchmayr's new album takes a close personal look at the spectral richness of iron and other metals, in various shapes and sizes, recorded, processed and arranged to a carefully curated selection of musical miniatures. Some of the results are an obvious nod to her Electric Indigo DJ alias, music that could be played on the dance floor of an alien cargo ship, both highly familiar and foreign at the same time. Others offer almost steady-state like meditative qualities, vibrations from deep within, on a sub atomic level, full of light and motion on the tiniest possible scale. The limitation in material opens up a seemingly unlimited world of colours and rhythms, oscillating, resonating and highly immersive.
After his last release on Dirt Crew in 2017 we are more than delighted to bring back the talented Harry Wolfman.
With impressive records on labels like Phonica, Omena, Outplay and Toy Tonics in the last years he has drawn up a fine new selection of music that spans across many genres and moods. This is also the first release for us in the new year after a lil break and it continues to explore the more eclectic approach we are following for a while now since the outings of artists like Dampé, S3A and Dan Only.
Harry presents an exciting opener for his new EP, together with vocalist Christian Crow he has made the blissful and breaks laden “poppy” good feel tune “A Way You Come Home to Me” that shines a bright light in these darker months. Followed by the deeper club tune “Step by Step”, building around yet another vocal recording. This time it’s Harry sampling his own voice and looping it into a repetitive piece of good feel House music.
We are getting deeper on the B side with “Speaking Raman”, one of these signature Harry tunes, a playful dusty lo-fi piece of music build around a piano theme and embedded in deep bass and driving beats, his sound trademark on all of these more floor orientated tracks on the EP. To close out the record we added two of his cinematic, ambient electronica works that we personally love so much. The haunting “Always 3” is a deep sphere that sucks you in a meditational and soothing womb of sounds. Ending with the electroid cut “Green Trees”, it’s broken and fragile and gives this indie-tronica track a warm and gentle touch.
We hope you enjoy these tunes and that they may be your soundtrack to the upcoming warmer months.
Ionisation is the first LP by Italian poet Adriano Spatola. Born in Yugoslavia in 1941, by the age of 23 he became a major force in the Italian avant-garde. “Towards Total Poetry,” Spatola’s critical study on the state of modern poetry, spells out his position: “to become a total medium, to escape all limitations to include theater, photography, music, painting, typography, cinematographic techniques, and every other aspect of culture, in a utopian ambition to return to origins.” Graphic poetry (cut-up zeroglyphs), volatile and beautiful prose (particularly his books The Porthole and Majakovskiiiiiiij), and of course sound poetry, represented here for the first time. Spatola was the editor of many underground publications: Baobab (a legendary audio-cassette magazine), Tam Tam, and Edition Geiger. Each of his pursuits spread the margins of the format, all done with a relentless, piercing curatorial eye.
Spatola has dark, drunken wit in spades. In his sound poems, an even more saturated persona is conjured. A desperate humor sneers through this LP, a humor that has surrendered to the severe joke of life long ago - lashing out on syllables and ingrown word games. Particularly, his classic “Aviation/Aviateur” (akin to his “Seduction/Seducteur,” & “Violacion/Violateur” etc.). Read by lesser performers, these pieces would falter and float by in the trough, though Spatola’s bull-like confidence tears through. “Poker Foundation” features the poet hysterically singing “the play of the words” over a classical radio piece, mocking and squawking against the string swells. Steve Lacy plays scissors, knife, and saxophone on “Hommage à Eric Satie,” a piece originally recorded for the luxurious Cramps LP boxset Futura. Collaborators Gian Paolo Roffi and Paul Vangelisti are also featured across the collection.
The LP concludes with the titular work “Ionisation,” recorded just days before his premature death in 1988. Feeling his sinking health, his belly in the quicksand, he prefaces the piece, “a funeral march for my body.” He proceeds to scrape and pound the microphone on his chest, face, and clothing. This thick pumping of Adriano’s torso rapping across the speakers abruptly stops after two minutes. A piercing moment.
I was born the day after Adriano died, which has some poetic meaning to me, naturally. I am indebted to him, his sickly sweet manner. The opportunity to publish these largely unknown sound works is an honor which brings a warmth to my torso. Much appreciation goes to Giovanni Fontana (poet and dear friend of Adriano), who helped produce this edition with me. “Every single word has been a tempest of gestures.“
Sean McCann, January 2020
Like an ode to your Walkman and to those 90-minute tapes that you used to rewind with your pen, DA BREAK's first LP was all about Funk & Hip Hop 90's flavors. Like an ode to your Walkman and to those 90-minute tapes that you used to rewind with your pen, DA BREAK's first LP was all about Funk & Hip Hop 90's flavors. This was completely unexpected, a major learning experience, and above all a lot of fun and gave the Lyon-based gang a whole lot of ideas for the next stage in their musical journey, propelling them towards new musical horizons: infectious riddims with grooving keyboard & guitar licks as their bedrock and free association leading them into jazz, broken beat, soul or disco vibes … During the creation of Let It Shine, all doors were wide open and all musical genres potentially welcome. The production still has a « home made » feel to it, like the previous album, but with a modern, sonic twist when needed- a result of three years on the road together and new creative input from group members. Whether it be on a New York summertime roof-top, or settled in a Low-Rider with some G-Funk, or moving to some phat Jamaican style bass-lines or getting sensual on a tight breakbeat, lead singer Hawa knows how to shine her feminine and versatile brilliance on the project. She gives to the songs the final touch and the emotion needed to share with us her stories about human relationships - everyday tales sharing her real life-experience. This ever-expanding musical spectrum, Da Break play with it, explore it and also let it kick
completely free at times ! Song after song, they bring a magic glow to LET IT SHINE.
Ryan Crosson takes care of the fifth EP on tastemaking Detroit label My Baby Records with a fantastically forward-looking four-track vinyl offering. Ryan Crosson is a complex artistic creature who has roamed far and wide in his storied career. His always innovative music has come on groundbreaking labels including Wagon Repair, M_nus, Spectral Sound, and of course his own Visionquest. Each time he explores a new sound world and draws on things as diverse as musique concrète, Downtown New York funk, and East African jazz. Now he cooks up more beguiling brilliance on this fresh new EP. Opener ‘Speaker Dubs’ is a deep, bubbly rhythm track with dub chords rippling out to infinity. It’s a stylish track full of far-sighted reverence and supple groove that locks you in a trance. ‘Ogilvie’ is a piece of absorbing ambient with found sound recordings of muffled voices that sounds like you’re in an underground station. B-side opener ‘FutureTheory’ is another minimal masterpiece with glitchy sound design and eerie chords peeling off a tight, kinetic groove. Ghoulish voices add more late-night atmosphere and the whole track grows ever darker and more consuming as it unfolds. The excellent ‘OortCloud’ takes you back to the heart of a dance-floor with futuristic menace: the smooth drum loops are militant, the voices are dehumanised and the searching synths speak of a desolate landscape. It’s heady, brilliantly bleak stuff that is utterly infectious. This is another hugely inventive EP from one of the underground’s most consistent talents
"Tracey's 'Microdancer' is the follow up to last years critically acclaimed 'Metamorphosis' EP. 2019 saw Tracey release his debut LP on Dial plus spin at Amsterdam's finest club De School for the first time, The 'Microdancer' EP shows Tracey's contemporary take on IDM + Electro, a timeless sound that's helped shape him as an artist."
Theo Kottis continues his impressive run of form with the sublime ‘Nothing To Lose’ EP, released on his own Beautiful Strangers label on March 13th.
Following an Annie Mac’s ‘Hottest Record in the World’ accolade for ‘Turning Around’, a brace of Mixmag’s Big Tunes and 10/10 reviews in 2019, plus support from many leading tastemakers and DJs, Theo Kottis shows why he is one of the UK’s most exciting producers and regarded as ‘one to watch’ for 2020.
The three-track ‘Nothing To Lose’ EP includes everything from club focused sounds to smooth, soulful melodies. Carefully crafted, the title track ‘Nothing To Lose’ is ready for the dance-floor and described by Midland as “sounds like Floating Points making a record for Afterlife!”. '12 Months' mixes arpeggiated synths with pads and breakbeats to create a perfect peak-time moment. The more chilled sounds of 'Loyal’ showcases Theo Kottis’s impressive range, offering up another stellar groove.
With a forthcoming date at Berlin’s iconic Panorama Bar (22 February) and a Gerd Janson remix of ‘Turning Around’, 2020 is off to an excellent start for Theo Kottis.
- A1: Holy Grail (Ft. Justin Timberlake)
- A2: Picasso Baby*
- A3: Tom Ford*
- A4: Fuckwithmeyouknowigotit (Ft. Rick Ross)
- B1: Oceans (Ft. Frank Ocean)
- B2: F.u.t.w.*
- B3: Somewhereinamerica
- B4: Crown
- C1: Heaven*
- C2: Versus*
- C3: Part Ii (On The Run)* (Ft. Beyonc)
- C4: Beach Is Better
- D1: Bbc** (Ft. Nas)
- D2: Jay Z Blue*
- D3: La Familia*
- D4: Nickels And Dimes
**Double LP - 180 GRAM** Already Platinum. Impeccable design. Although this is one of the more talked about records of his career, there's no doubt that this is a testament to JAY Z's diligence, entrepreneurship, and artistic vision. Picking up where Watch The Throne left off, Magna Carta Holy Grail is JAY Z's twelfth studio album, and a portrait of an emcee embracing fatherhood, marriage, and striking a balance between a past spent coming up and a future shuffling around the top. The LP also includes a limited edition flexi-disc postcard of exclusive non-album track ''Open Letter'' hidden under the artwork on the back cover. Production is helmed largely by J-Roc, Timbaland, Pharrell Williams, Hit-Boy and others, while featuring performances by Beyoncé, Rick Ross, Justin Timberlake, Frank Ocean, Nas, and more. With MCHG, JAY Z understands that hip hop is starting to enjoy the same clout as fine art and, even better, hip hop is alive, a part of the world, evolving, and not cordoned off in a museum. Play it forward and grab a copy now.
In September last year, Josh Tillman stopped by our Nashville headquarters on an otherwise ordinary Tuesday afternoon and surprised us all with a lunchtime solo, acoustic set before his sold-out Ryman Auditorium performance. We, of course, had our 1955 Scully Lathe warmed at the ready to capture the occasion.
As is typical for direct-to-acetate recordings in the Blue Room, Josh warmed up the room (and our engineers) with two songs before we started cutting the LP. He began with the debut performance of his newly penned 'Mr. Tillman' (foreshadowing its release as the first single on God's Favorite Customer 9 months later). We then used the second song as an opportunity to carve a 12' on-the-spot single of 'Now I'm Learning to Love the War,' which was promptly handed it to a lucky attendee for safe keeping. If you want to know more about that, you'll have to scour the depths of FJM's fan net.
Live at Third Man Records covers songs from all three Father John Misty albums out at the time of its recording, heard here stripped totally bare
Virgins)
Mike 'Agent X' Clark is a true hero of the Detroit scene, but he rarely gets the props he deserves, making any outing of his a cause for celebration. El Provost's No Speakers label knows what's up, and they've drafted in Clark for his killer jam "The Heat." The name is no foil, this track will set any party ablaze with its distinctive speech sample and saucy rhythm section. Alongside the original, there is a strong cast of remixers on hand to serve up deadly variations, from the label boss' skipping, psyched-out groover to Ben Sims' appropriately thumping techno workout. Peter Rocket especially impresses with a crafty breaks version that should slot in nicely with the resurgent electro scene.
MIDTGAARD is danish Balearic DJ/ producer Anders Midtgaard. Sommerfugl (means Butterfly in danish) - the Original version was handed out to a few DJs in Ibiza last year. First up Italy's finest, Luca MOPLEN has in masterful style been re-working this piano driven groover that oozes summery flavour all over. The package here also comes with a great balearic re-rub from Denmarks Mike Salta (MFD) and the Original version. Support and kind words from the likes of Kenneth Bager (Music For Dreams), Francois Kevorkian, Phil Mison Colleen Cosmo Murphy, Willie Graff and many others.
The three tracks on "M For" ORBIT01 represent a different path for Natal Zaks under the alias of Picture.
"Milias" is a hard-driven groove, consisting of uplifting stabs and pads, relying on a surface of percussion eternally moving back and forth.
"Malaska" is a melodic trip taking you in various directions with it's enchanting harmony. Synths are ever-evolving and unexpected.
"Main" is an alternative take on the classic ambient B2. It's nature-like atmosphere and crunchy beat, makes your head bop and soothes you.
We promise they'll stick to you for weeks - if not more.
Repress
SUBEE, the sister label of Beeyou Records is back again with a super split EP from upcoming Russian talent b0n & t3x3. This groove infected mixture of house, garage and jazzy cuts has all your dance floor needs covered. b0n takes full control of the A side + mystery men t3x3 handle the B side.
in the labels 15th year history there only been a few reissues in the widely ramified discogra-phy. lydia lynch in 2006, hans-joachim roedelius in 2013, fumio itabashi in 2018 and soon skymark with his jazz album “primeiras impressões”.
the italian producer, composer, record collector and modern sun records label co-runner, that listens to the name marc friedli when he hands his tax report to the government, is no stranger to fans of modern brazil, disco, fusion, house, latin, jazz, funk, soul and all other organically swinging music that grooves classical and deep.
since 2007 he released a string of albums and ep’s on his own label as well as on imprints like neroli, mukatsuku records or rush hour, showing his impressive electric piano keyboard skills and unique communication on and with an array of vintage synthesizers like arp, proph-et, moog, roland or korg.
on his privately pressed, strictly limited to 150 copies album “primeiras impressões” he de-livered in 2013 nine gently jazzing tunes that process his experiences in the heat of the city of rio de janeiro.
they are intensely spiritual. they avoid ornamentation. and they bow before jazz history with a gentle respect, while adding an elegantly searching, thrillingly uplifting freshness to the genre with deep discreet minimal funk and light as a feather piano-melodies, as if the key-board were a saxophone.
What more can be said about Saint Petersburg producer Mikhail Khvasko, aka A Vision of Panorama that hasn’t been said before?
His ”Sentimental Coast’' EP continues to cultivate his unique glistening soundscape characterized by a lush jazz-tinged blissful Balearic ambience. The four original tracks here are a range of sun-drenched, unfolding narratives, full of gentle sounds and chords.
Smooth and vibe-focused ''Atlantic Dawn'' exudes sensuality-tethered vibe that is highly intoxicating. Emblazed with mysterious deep breaths and shimmering sonics that entrances the listener straight away to the whole release.
Disarmingly beautiful ''Mediterranean Tribal'' is an old school-fare downtempo jam with classic chilled out laid back Mediterranean instrumentation.
''Sentimental Coast'' is distinctly deeper and more emotive than his vintage synth-laden sounds and is one of his most fragile and still moments within a superbly arranged delicate piano solo.
On ''Vibechos'' things get more upbeat and aquatic, featuring beautiful chords and textures that float into the track with a sun-kissed vibe reminiscent of Italian dream house. “
- DJ Nova (Nova Planet Radio Show, Greece).
Toyah's personal favourite album of her catalogue, “Ophelia’s Shadow” (1991), features a band line-up including Trey Gunn on stick, Paul Beavis on drums and Tony Geballe on guitar. Two tracks, “Brilliant Day” and “Lords Of The Never Known” feature Robert Fripp and were originally played live by the band Sunday All Over The World (which featured Toyah, Fripp, Beavis and Gunn).
Issued on vinyl for the first time since 1991, with a new inner sleeve, the album is pressed on 180 gram translucent aqua vinyl.
First time on vinyl. Recorded for DC's Black Fire Records in 1976, Theatre West's music never made record until now. Selected works taken from the master tapes of James "Plunky" Branch (Oneness of JuJu, Experience Unlimited etc). Hailing from Ohio and resident in DC, Theatre West was made up of musicians from Slave, Gil Scott Heron's Midnight Band, The Fabulous Originals, Malone & Barnes and others. Serious jazz-funk-soul selections via the vaults of Plunky and Black Fire Records.
For our second 12" vinyl release we invited electronic jazz duo Error Subcutáneo to tell their story on our imprint. Hailing from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic they have blessed us with an outpouring of rhythm and creativity for their eponymous debut album.
An experiment on syncretising Afro-Dominican rhythms with field recordings, jazz tempos, and modular electronic aesthetics, their personality is deeply embedded across the LP through ear-crawling textures, synesthetic imagery, and floor-moving sound. Cacophonous as they are graceful, their rhythmic dexterities come into play with every groove they get their hands on, deconstructing polyrhythms on the fly while still managing to dive on the beat with ease. Space, time, the need to shatter previously conceived notions; these motifs seem to be burrowed along the way for the listener to recall within their own memory.
These two twenty year-olds will surely get you following their careers up-close after listening to this inspiring collection of works, we sure know we will.
Limited to 300 copies only.
If someone had told me in 1992 that one day Kniteforce Records would be releasing music from such esteemed old skool artists as Sublove, Liquid, Hyper On Experience and Acen, I would have not believed it. To add NRG to that list is beyond anything I could ever have dreamed of, and with new music as well? What can I say?
This EP is not only NRGs first new hardcore in a very, very long time, it is also an amazing release which has all of the energy and sublime cleverness that you would expect from such a legendary artist. The first EP with more to come, this one contains four absolute winners. My personal favourite being I Love It because I love it, but Fire is also, well....fire. I am tempted to tell you to turn up Turn It Up and that Helpless will leave you helpless. All true, all amazing.
Amsterdam based Kid Sublime returns in 2020 with his new record: “The Umami EP” on his own Ballroom Radio Records .
Independent release pressed on 180 gram vinyl
A1 The Tool
The opener track of the EP “The Tool” has The MPC running steady with chopped up disco breaks and lush Detroit keys + Soulful vocal samples added on top to hype up the dancefloor.
A2 The London Bug
Inspired by his trip to London last year and a visit to the Bugz In The Attic studio, Kid steps up his game with a Broken Beat banger. A chopped up Jazz Funk breakbeat with a heavy Moog bassline lick and some keyboard action. This Bruk tune will definitely get the dancefloor moving.
B1 Left-Right-Dub
Soulful House action! Originaly released on his LP The Padded Room as “Heroes“ with vocals from Atlanta’s The Dangerfeel Newbies, Kid remixes this tune in a
stripped down Dub version. Smooth and Deep dancefloor vibes.
B2 The Force
A stripped down minimal Future Funk groove with a Seinfield-esque slap bassline and a spaced out sample. The MPC runs steady here for the deejays and the dancers!
nfernal Sounds welcome the return of the illusive Irish producer Darkimh, plating up the scorching 'Tell Me Nothin' EP' as the follow up to his #IFS009 release which hit shelves in 2018. The title track features Manchester MC T-Man (one part of Levelz), a collaboration in the works for some time, providing the ultimate weight deliverance to the dance floor, igniting rigorous energy as soon as the tune drops. Darkimh backs this stand out piece with two different flips - a more trapped out track in 'Gin Swing' and the surreal and spacious number, 'Boneclick'. All tracks are perfect for different vibes and different situations, whether it's at home on your own, out at a house party or ready to lay siege on the dance floor. The release features a full sleeve artwork piece - designed and photographed by Gabrial Deacon.
Having received major support from the likes of Commodo, Sicaria Sound, N-Type and Truth, amongst many other top drawer DJ's, this is a must-own piece of black crack - pressed on 180g vinyl.
LTD editon - Orange vinyl and high quality download codes
Homemade synthesizers, banjo, guitar, recycled toys and broken electronic beats .. there’s more to Solo Moderna than just an unconditional love for analog tweaking. From his native town of Tilburg, Netherlands, Multi-instrumental virtuoso Bas Voorn is peaking in on all corners of the world, infusing Mento, ska, cumbia, Balkan, dancehall, dembow or afrohouse, into his minimal, joyful, 8-bit, approach towards electronica, to create strangely syncopated, ridiculously infectious grooves. It’s as if Kraftwerk and Señor Coconut went on a trip to Africa, the Balkans, the Caribbean and South America, and "Republica Moderna" emerged from these adventures. From the Balkan-Dembow of “Escúchame Como Soy” and the cumbia of the Washington-based Empresarios in “La Bandolera”, to the sun- kissed, afrohouse vibe of “Sonido SID Africano” and the west African “Republica de chonta”, Solo Moderna gleefully shifts from the acoustic to the synthesized to create a surprisingly coherent work. For Solo Moderna, life is not something to be taken so seriously. Instruments are toys, and Earth and it’s cultural diversity a playground. It is this unique lightheartedness and flippancy, moving you to smile, dance and enjoy life as it is, that makes Solo Moderna one of the few artists you can recognize immediately after an 8- bar snippet of a song heard in any club around the corner. Republica Moderna, his 3rd album to date, is a vibrant, delightfully upbeat, timeless homage to the world’s musical diversity.
This is GCLP157
It's an Orange LP and brings download Codes
The big new project for 2020 is the long awaited collaboration Vibronics meets Weeding Dub called "Note fi Note / Dub fi Dub". Two of Europe’s highest regarded and most active dub producers joined forces for this unique project and throughout 2020 there will be a series of 12” vinyl releases, each featuring different vocalists. First up is the opening release featuring Nia Songbird & Madu Messenger we will be touring together mixing dubs live on stage as well as releasing releasing more tracks with some amazing vocalists. This 12” record comes in a beautifully designed & printed full colour sleeve.
Nastia Reigel’s long-awaited sophomore EP on Dustin Zahn’s ‘Enemy Records’ has finally arrived! Disarm to Surrender demonstrates a perfect balance of artistic taste and technical ability.
The EP starts off with the heaviest track "Horses".
Backed by hypnotizing chopped-up vocals, the track hammers through steadily with no compromises. Trace follows in a more restrained and minimalistic fashion but manages to retain perfect tension. The B-side starts off with Natural Desires. It’s equally as hypnotic as the A side but more spatial and groove-focused,
making it an ideal candidate for warming up or winding down.
The titular track Disarm to Surrender completes the EP in a more abstract way. The track hints at the noise and post-punk leaning influence found in her alternative project, Rosa Damask.
Support from Marcel Dettmann, Luke Slater, DVS1, Truncate,
James Ruskin, Dustin Zahn, Perc, etc.
Limited edition 180g 12″ record featuring 5 bangers. Comes with high-quality gloss sleeve featuring Gobsmacked skull artwork.
Taking influences from underground spaces and dark clubs, the GOBSMACKED! 12” series kicks off with a bang, dropping a five track vinyl from Diarmaid O Meara. The Irish producer describes himself as “trying to push the boundaries of electronic noise” and he couldn’t be more right. It’s just 30 minutes long and hugely pulsing, but packs more punch than a gym full of heavyweight boxers. “While working on new tracks in the studio, I’m always trying to create my own personal rave, and when I find myself in the middle of a dark and twisted sound, then I know I’m on to something,” he says of the creative process in his Berlin bunker studio.
The 12” includes a number of previously released digital singles by Diarmaid O Meara, which have been his chart topping and most widely played tracks, that have not yet made it onto black gold until this point. Featured as multiple Beatport number ones, peak time festival big room sounds, countless Boiler Room recordings, the 12” is a collection of club belters, tried and tested over countless sound systems and DJs.
At Diarmaid O Meara’s touch in the studio, the technotic sounds released from his control become alive, while dark vibes take a stormy ride through intense rhythms. Track titles like ‘Selfish Bass’ convey the vibe of music that chews up and spits out razor-sharp techno and rave fusions that race to tempos upwards of 140BPM. There are playful techno tracks like ‘In Your Head’ next to euphoric rave ups like ‘Live In The Night’ and bass contortions like ‘Ripcord’ that are masterfully concise but utterly devastating. Not to mention the ever hypnotic, chugging sounds meets massive crescendo of ‘Improbable Strip’.
“Whenever something crazy emerges through a rig, enough for you to you hear people screaming in ecstasy, and you know the production has delivered”, he says. And it is exactly this momentum that GOBSMACKED! wants to deliver – it sounds loud and obnoxious but also fun that draws on real appreciation for dancefloor destruction as well as countless hours of studio work. Therefore, it is no surprise that the artwork for the series also features the style of the well known Gobsmacked bunker parties run in Berlin venues like the infamous Griessmuehle, where said music has probably been overplayed to crowds with goldfish length memories. .
Cult label Groovepressure returns with its 17th release. A 4-track EP that is one of its best yet. A collaboration between label boss (and Memory Box head honcho) Robin Ball and regular Groovepressure cohorts A². Taking turns to remix each other’s tracks delivering a 4/4 and breakbeat track and remix each. This EP has all the Groovepressure trademarks. Mixing up techno, house, breakbeat and electro with a deep underground vibe. Music for your head and your feet.
First up A² “Delaycious” is an unreleased track from the vaults. A real gem made in the 90’s and thought lost until re-discovered recently on a dusty DAT. And on the flip side Robin’s stripped back teched up “Oh Yea”.
The Devonns dust off the golden age of Chicago Soul.
Straight from the streets of Chicago, Illinois, The Devonns (pronounced "De vaughns") are the brand new soul outfit and the latest addition of the Record Kicks' family, whose self-titled debut album that drops April 06, is an assortment of influences taking us back to the heyday of soul. "Tell Me" is the 1st single from their anticipated full length and sees the lights on limited edition 45 on March 06 and digital. Drawing influences from bands such as The Dramatics, The Isley Brothers and Leroy Hutson, yet bringing in their own unique modern twist, influenced by artists such as Jamie Lidell and Raphael Saadiq; singer Mat Ajjarapu explains how unintentionally, the rich heritage of Chicago's history with soul music influenced him. "The city was at the epicentre of a lot of good music back in the 50's all the way to the 80's, a lot of the labels specialising in soul were based in the Chicago and we even had our own sound known as "Chicago soul". Through several years of crate digging it surprised me how many songs I loved were recorded in this city, for example one of my favourites is this great little song by The Natural Four, produced by Leroy Hutson 'Can This Be Real', and released via Curtom Records." The band started in 2016 after multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Mathew Ajjarapu dropped out of med school and found himself unemployed and drifting. Listening to music constantly at the time, he found inspired to put a band together and create his own music. Pairing up with some of the best musicians Chicago has to offer, he founded The Devonns: the rhythm duty is entrusted to Khalyle Hagood (bass), Ari Lindo (guitar) and Khori Wilson (drums).
Originally he wanted to focus on 50s style doo-wop, similar to The Flamingos; rich in reverb and vocal harmonies, but in the first initial practise they had it was evident the band clicked on their love of soul music from the 70s, so their music took a natural turn towards that sound, with tracks such as the Wilson Pickett-esque single 'Tell Me'.
The release took almost two years to complete as Mat explains "I am a perfectionist, I had a very specific vision in my head about how it should sound and I wasn't going to rest until I achieved it." "This is a definitely a throwback soul record, as well as being drawn to lush and intricate arrangements of Motown, I was also inspired by the more lo-fi works of smaller labels such as Chess and Capsoul, and I wanted to capture the magic they had in those recordings in our record, as everything feels too precise nowadays" clarifies Mat. It was thanks to his engineer Mike Hagler, who introduced him to Paul Von Mertons (Mavis Staples, Paul McCartney, Elton John) who arranges and conducts for Brian Wilson's live touring show and after a 45 minute phone conversation about what Mat wasn't keen on, on the album, he realised Paul totally understood where he was coming from. After a few months wait for Paul to get back from touring they entered the studio with "Paul's players" and as soon as they hit record, Mat explains "I was getting chills up my neck, it was one of the happiest days of my life, and finally we had nailed it!"
Following on from Myele Manzanza's acclaimed 2019 jazz album, 'A Love Requited', we have a 2020 addendum to that project; an EP of remixes by a set of diverse musicians from all corners of the globe.
Detroit legend Theo Parrish starts off the proceedings. Theo & Myele have previously worked together on various projects over the years, such as with live outfit, The Unit, whilst Myele's 'Surgery Session' of Theo's track 'Moonlight' was picked up by The Vinyl Factory last Summer as well. On his remix of 'Itaru's Phone Booth', Theo maintains the tempo & structure of the original track, whilst tempering the horns and adding some spaced-out keys & a little low end theory to the equation, making this a flip seasoned with Theo's unique flavour.
Mark de Clive-Lowe follows with the most uptempo track on the EP, a delightful bruk refix of 'Big Deal'. Fellow New Zealander, regular collaborator (notably on Manzanza's sophomore album 'OnePointOne') and hugely respected musician in his own right, MdCL delivers a hefty groove direct for the clubs; heavy drums & sci-fi synths lead the way atop of the original's powerhouse horns, switching up with some MAW-esque 4/4 tribal business to close out.
Cardiff's finest, Earl Jeffers & Don Leisure, aka First Word label-mates Darkhouse Family, kick off the flipside with their take on the appropriately titled 'Family Dynamics'. Fresh from their solo & combined projects (producing for Kamaal Williams, running house label Melange, and creating beat-tapes like Halal Cool J & Shaboo), the duo turn out some punchy boom-bap vibes which pulsate throughout the track, accompanied by some sweet vocal hooks, transposing the original into a plucky heads-down neo-soul tinged stomper.
Borrowed CS is another New Zealand artist that's been bubbling away in the underground NZ electronic scene for several years now, as a DJ and a musician. He ends this selection of remixes, taking the original jazz components of 'Pencarrow' and transforming it into a synth-boogie lead piece of brooding broken beat - a 'Clear Path Depiction' even.
Released on Worldwide Award-winning UK label, First Word Records, the original album was also co-produced by another antipodean label-mate, Ross McHenry, who released a new album recently.
The son of a Congolese master percussionist, Myele Manzanza's roots in jazz and African rhythm are well established. Adding his long-time influences of hip hop and dance music into the mix, this EP exemplifies his approach to fusion, and his persona as an ever-evolving artist, drummer & composer. Since his days as part of Electric Wire Hustle, he had his debut release on BBE, has released three solo albums, and done tours & collabs with folks like Jordan Rakei, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Recloose & Amp Fiddler. Since moving to London from New Zealand late last year, he has already shared stages with Hiatus Kaiyote, The Bad Plus & Alfa Mist, rocked The Jazz Cafe & Ronnie Scott's, and ably demonstrated his DJ side-hustle chops at stations like Soho Radio, Worldwide FM & NTS, as well as behind the decks in a few danceries across the capital, and behind his drum kit daily.
Already hard at work on brand new material, expect to catch Myele Manzanza live at various shows & festivals across the UK & Europe this coming Summer.
'A Love Requited - The Remixes' is available on 12" vinyl & all digital outlets from March 6th 2020.
Candi Staton’s ‘Now You’ve Got The Upper Hand’, a record that goes for over £2000. Released briefly in 1969, it was soon withdrawn as Candi went on to top the charts around the world with a string of hits. A gorgeous upbeat gem that’s gained a huge reputation on the northern scene, remastered for maximum effect.
The flipside features another super rare side, Chappells’ ‘You're Acting Kind Of Strange’ which is out there for around £350 if you can find a copy. This is the none-strings version from 1969. An emotional rollercoaster from the East Baltimore quintet, remastered for maximum effect.
It would be fair to say that Leng co-founder Paul “Mudd” Murphy is a born collaborator. Since first donning the Mudd alias at the dawn of the century, Murphy has released numerous collaborative albums and singles with regular collaborators Ben Smith (as Smith & Mudd) and Kevin Pollard (Mudd & Pollard), as well as playing a key role in “super-groups” Paqua and Bison. “Susta”, which marks his first single on Leng since 2009, sees Murphy add some new names to his growing list of collaborators. It was made in cahoots with singer/songwriter David Harks, a regular Satin Jackets collaborator who also appeared on Jack Cutter’s superb “Serpent Strut” cut on Murphy’s Claremont 56 label.
“Susta” is a bubbly, evocative and ear-pleasing chunk of mid-tempo nu-disco pop featuring lead vocals from Jaanika Leino AKA JaneLy – a former X-Factor Finland contestant whose sultry and evocative voice simply soars above Murphy and Harks’ sparkling, life-affirming instrumentation. Rich in twinkling synth solos, rich Clavinet lines, chugging arpeggio lines and eyes-closed piano, “Susta” is a strong song that will squat inside your head and stay there for days.
Our advice is to welcome it in – it’s as joyous and life-affirming a track as Leng has ever released. It’s accompanied by a predictably strong remix by British electronic music veteran Andrew Meecham (Bizarre Inc, Chicken Lips etc.), who dons the now familiar Emperor Machine alias to deliver a dub for the ages. Combining his own analogue and modular electronics with snippets of Leino’s vocal and some of the warmest instrumentation from Murphy and Harks’ original mix (think Clavinet and Rhodes for starters), Meecham offers up an epic slice of electronic dub disco that bubbles away for ten mesmerizing minutes. It’s a superb interpretation of a high quality cut.
First single from Monophonics' new album "It's Only Us".
This is the first new material from the group since their 2015 album "Sound Of Sinning" and they're picking up right where they left off, blending authentic soul with hints and leans of psychedelic elements as well. And on the heels of Kelly Finnigan's debut solo record, the group just continues to get stronger and stronger with regard to production and songwriting. This 45 of "Chances" hits stores on February, 21th and their new album will be out on March, 13th.
Bristol-based multi-instrumentalist producer Memotone returns to Diskotopia for the stunning full-length LP Invisible Cities, undoubtedly his most accomplished work to date, effortlessly joining the dots between Martin Denny, Yasuaki Shimizu, Nurse With Wound, and Mark Isham…
Memotone is the principal alias for Bristol-based multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer William Yates. As a solo artist, he has released on labels such as Black Acre, Bedouin, Project Mooncircle, and Brownswood either as Memotone or under his other alias Halfnelson. In addition to doing composition work for film and television, he works as a session musician for the likes of Dmitry Evgrafov, Connie Constance, and Phaeleh. He's also part of the Avon Terror Corps project helmed by Bokeh Versions, Giant Swan. Noods et al., and is a member of ATC-affiliated Pheasantry Society. His music has been championed on the radio, a key influential medium for Yates growing up, by the likes of Gilles Peterson, Mary Anne Hobbs, Tom Ravenscroft, Nick Luscombe, and more.
Drawing from Bristol's own sonic history, from the late 80s to the present, as well as the writing of Italo Calvino, Yates has put together 10 tracks on Invisible Cities that sit somewhere between neo-classical, ambient, fourth-world exotica, and post-krautrock. The mix of different timbres of live string and wind instruments, astute synthesizer touches, and skittish drum machine strokes creates an organic and ethereal energy deftly manipulated into a delicately interwoven narrative through Yates's production prowess. Already garnered support from the music press and radio DJs, the album will strongly appeal to a wide range of music lovers and fans of Ryuichi Sakamoto, Dorothy Ashby, Alberto Iglesias, Labradford, Delia Derbyshire, Peverelist, Toshifumi Hinata and more…
- A1: Grind Feat. Latashá
- A2: Til The World Blow Up Feat. Mike Dunn
- A3: Sauce
- B1: Facts
- B2: You Da Shit Girl Feat. Latashá
- B3: Can't Get Enough
- C1: On Everything
- C2: Worth It Feat. Cor.ece
- C3: No Shade Feat. Ramona Renea
- C4: Look @ U Feat. Moruf
- D1: Round The Way Feat. C. Rich
- D2: Day One (Oh Baby)
- D3: Home Feat. Ceeverything
Mavericks of the musical landscape, Brooklyn’s finest genre-defying duo Dave + Sam release their anticipated debut album ‘No Shade’ on Classic Music Company this spring, a thirteen-track narration of the 21st century experience, told through the eyes of vocalist Dave Giles II and production maestro Sam O.B. With the aim to package love, empowerment and socio-political commentary into a collection of tracks that never compromise on groove or soul, this enchanting album never loses sight of its message as it journeys from deep Chicago house and otherworldly melodies to funk-laden jams and adventurous studio experimentation.
Hinged tightly by the soulful nuances of Moodymann, Mos Def and Gil Scott Heron, Dave’s captivating spoken word delivery is purposeful and considered, as Sam weaves rhythms and grooves so deep you can get lost in them – the two musical narratives working in perfect harmony. Impassioned cuts like ‘Facts’, ‘Worth It’ and ‘Sauce’ leverage hip-hop’s tradition of battle rap against white supremacist rhetoric, a message that remains ever more relevant in today’s political climate. Title track ‘No Shade’, ‘Day One (Oh Baby)’ and ‘Can’t Get Enough’ allow stories of love and loss to unfold to the listener, while the stripped-back grooves of ‘Round The Way’ and ‘You Da Shit Girl’ add another dimension to the album. Featuring a number of collaborators such as Chicago legend Mike Dunn, powerhouse vocalist Ramona Renea and fellow Brooklyn natives Cor.Ece and LATASHÁ, ‘No Shade’ is an evocative, powerful and joyful experience when played in its entirety.
Recorded in Brooklyn’s Bedford Stuyvesant, a neighbourhood bearing the scars of over-policing and encroaching gentrification, the vibrancy of the community and its unyielding history of creative expression shines through on the album’s entirety. As products of such environments, Dave + Sam’s music is resilient, revolutionary and organic in equal parts. An homage to their mutual reverence for early Chicago house and the golden era of underground parties in New York, ‘No Shade’ is a riveting body of work ready for you to lose yourself in.
Salsoul opens the vaults once more to today's top editors and remixers. This incredible 12" sees those PBR Streetgang dudes take the reigns to great effect.
Digging in the vaults for those lesser spotted gems, the PBR crew have tweaked up 2 absolute Tom Moulton related killers here for our enjoyment. Side A is a finely tuned, lovingly fondled version of David Christie's LP cut 'Back Fire' from 1978. A sleazy, almost Euro feeling good timer that does the biz. On the flip, is the Destroyers mammoth 'Lectric Love', another lowdown cruiser of a track, nice cosmic FX and leather vibes for the late night prowl! Both edits are brilliantly done, and with a knowing and respectful nod too, one for the heads right here.
Fully licensed, sanctioned and released by Above Board distribution and Salsoul Records, 2020. Accept no imitations!
The Star Beams album is a bit of an enigma. When we first came across their epic dance-floor monster 'Disco Stomp’ it was on a Disco Calypso compilation, so we assumed it originated from the Caribbean. Years later we worked out how wrong we were and that this nugget was actually from South Africa and taken off an ultra scarce album on JAS Pride records from 1976. The next problem was tracking down an original copy and we don’t think we’ve ever seen our Bongo team member Gary Johnson as happy as the day he turned up clutching a copy under his arm. 'Play Disco Specials' was produced by Ray Nkwe who also worked with Mankunku Quartet and The Soul Jazzmen, with all writing credits on the album going to Ray, the recording credited to engineer Robin Ritchie and the artwork to Carol Knowles. Other than this, the personnel of the record remains a mystery, but sometimes a bit of mystery is a good thing. Aside from the disco-jazz-funk of 'Disco Stomp’, which has found it’s way into the DJ sets of Theo Parrish, 'Play Disco Specials’ will appeal to fans of The Star Beams South African contemporaries The Drive, Batsumi and Pacific Express.
Iron & Wine performed and recorded an absolutely captivating live set of songs in the Blue Room venue at Third Man Records in Nashville. Armed with spartan set-up of a guitar, microphone and his minimal backing band in front of a soldout audience, Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam ambled through his discography, on touchstones like Naked As We Came from classic album Our Endless Numbered Days, The Trapeze Swinger from Around the Well and Winter Prayers from Ghost on Ghost. It was a heartfelt experience without sacrificing any charm, personality or gestalt crowd connection.
Another win for the Glowing Pin as Müller & Wandt drop a fresh new age groover on a killer club dub tip. Elsewhere Phazer Boys, Suzanne Kraft, Philipp Otterbach and River Yarra remix the pscht out of their favourite tracks from ‘Instrumentalmusik..’. Expect Goan hits, cosmic trips, loved up rave and chilled out wave on this flawless five tracker.
Growing Bin becomes Glowing Pin for the most anticipated rematch of the century. Back at the beginning of 2018, Wolf Müller and Niklas Wandt went head to head for a box office smash, throwing a high school percussion tray, wall of hardware and voodoo skull into the ring for the tribal trip of ‘Instrumentalmusik Von Der Mitte Der World’. Now the multi-instrumental duo face off once again, but this time it’s a royal rumble with Phazer Boys, Suzanne Kraft, Phillip Otterbach and River Yarra all bringing the noise to the Glowing Pin.
Müller and Wandt dominate the action on the A1, playing loose with sampler vox, serene pads and future primitive rhythms on the unreleased ‘Fun Dub’ of the also unreleased ‘Dub Dub’. Imagine Ferris Bueller’s trampoline tumble trading Chicago to the Weissenhof and you’ll sense the mood of this New Age groove. Germany’s number one party dudes, those freaky Phazer Boys take a break from dropping killer Candomblé cuts to reach for the lasers on the A2, taking ‘Ahu’ to another dimension. Dripping in neon body paint and armed with fire poi, the Düsseldorf duo power up progressive house sequences, didgeridoo bass and thumping tribal house percussion for a wall-shaking, speaker-breaking remix.
The B1 belongs to synth whiz Suzanne Kraft who revels in glistening, gliding glory on an expansive remix of ‘Auflösung’. Sleek, serene and futuristic, the track shimmers like Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, free from inequality and rendered with the 5D(ub?) majesty of a DMT breakthrough.
B2 hears Salon associate and serious talent Philipp Otterbach take over on a stripped back and psychedelic post punk dub of ‘Expedition’. Angular bass by Süne Große and a stuttering rhythm underpin astral flourishes and the hazy vocals of Lucas Croon before the African elements begin to move to the forefront.
Last man standing is Australian outlier River Yarra, who leads us into the Krautback with a chugging dub of ‘Weltraumsandalen’. Lent a lysergic sparkle by a percolating one-note bassline, this slow motion stunner masters perpetual motion amid the eerie echoes of the bush, organic percussion and electronic animal cries fading into the night. Let the pins glow again.
Patrick Ryder
Again Technician and Overdose team up to show you how it’s done The Hague or Rotterdam or even better to say M.F. RotterHague style. You take the shit from one city, double it up with the shit from another city and you get shit so tough it’s impossible to handle. Need we say more, it’s The Shit!
J.C.'s "Farewell for Walls" gives us three well crafted original tracks plus a remix by Hector Oaks.
It starts with an atmospheric breakbeat work-out followed by a more pounding version by OAKS/KAOS boss Hector.
The B-side continues where the remix stopped, upping the energy and sticking to a 4x4 pattern while retaining breaky elements and chopped vocals.
"Elossa Records" fourth release is a melodic fresh breeze of balearic House from Miro-Benji & Stuster. A very talented duo from Finland who have been active as DJs and producers, for several years in the club music scene in Helsinki. They’ve also gained reputation for their NICE LIFE and Soft Assault Orchestra – projects. 'Magia EP' delivers quality down- and uptempo tunes, with a tropical, electronic touch.
It's always unwise to judge a label that's still taking its' first steps, but Banoffee Pies has barely put a foot wrong since launching a couple of years back. Here, the Bristol-based imprint continues with its' successful split release formula, gathering together a quartet of tracks from up-and-coming producers. Beaner kicks things off with the bumpin', low-slung deep house grooves and delay-laden guitar samples of "It Takes Two", before Philou Louzolo raises the temperature with the looped horn samples and thumping beats of "Alter Ego". Flip for the dreamy Balearic house goodness of Ron Wilson's "Albino Turtle", and the bongo-laden, after-party deep house shuffle of Mome's "Assatta".
The music of Clan Caima´n is primitive and hypnotic. It is located in the pre-rock era and from there, it proposes a different evolutionary path for music from the 1950' s to present day. Like a different musical development in a parallel timeline. Gamelan, Hawaiian music, surf, exotica, rainforest or aquatic; these elements make up the palette which constructs a mystic and profound music that seeks ancestral connection.
Formed in 2016 by Argentinian musician, composer and producer Emilio Haro, looking to create music generated by group dynamics, Clan Caima´n differs from his past two solo albums ( 'Panora´mico' in 2007 and 'Estrambo´tico' in 2012, both on Radiaciones Armo´nicas) in that these were studio works and not meant to be played live.
The quintet's enigmatic sound is built upon the kalimbafo´n, an instrument created by Haro using several kalimbas, Diego Voloschin's wild and hypnotic percussion (no cymbals, no snare), Gonzalo Cordoba's lap steel and baritone guitar, Facundo Gomez's psychedelic guitar tones and Claudio Iuliano's dry and percussive bass sound. This debut album contains eight anachronistic and oddly familiar compositions that range from introspection to trance, tracing their own sonic landscape.
- A1: Why Spend The Dark Night With You?
- A10: On & Off The Beat
- A11: Chant
- A12: From One To Nine
- A2: Moondog Nocturne Suite (Part 1)
- A3: Moondog Nocturne Suite (Part 2)
- A4: Moondog Nocturne Suite (Part 3)
- A5: Avenue Of The Americas (51St Street)
- A6: 2 West 46Th Street
- A7: Lullaby (2 West 6Th Street)
- A8: Fog On The Hudson
- A9: Utsu
- B1: Untitled Chant #1
- B2: Untitled Chant #2
- B3: Untitled Chant #3
- B4: Untitled Percussion Solo #1
- B5: Untitled Percussion Solo #2
- B6: Untitled Percussion Solo #3
- B7: Untitled Chant #4
- B8: Untitled Percussion Solo In Traffic #1
- B9: Untitled Percussion Solo In Traffic #2
Stap me! When you think you've heard it all, someone comes up with more earth shattering music, restoring your faith in humanity (well, almost). Back in the early 2000s, after locating those first Moondog 78s, and adding them to the mix at Honest Jons, assembling the compilation that became The Viking of Sixth Avenue, was a kind of musical cloud nine - a voyage of discovery, attempting to chart the worlds that Moondog had created. Now it's Spring again - as winter encroaches - and Mississippi expose us to some never before heard material. It's killer grade, recorded by yet another genius, Tony Schwartz, the pioneering Folkways field recordist, the first man to record Louis Hardin, aka Moondog, who in the 1950s also recorded a day in the life of a dog canine variety and a New York cab driver, among many others.
Behold! A survey of Moondog’s earliest recorded works - many of them unreleased until now - through a collaboration by Mississippi Records and Lucia Records. From 1954 - 1962 field recordist Tony Schwartz frequently checked in with Moondog, his favorite street musician. Tony Schwartz made recordings of Moondog’s earliest compositions as they were coming into focus. Sometimes these recordings were made right on the street as Moondog busked, sometimes they were made in Schwartz’s studio, and sometimes they were made on NYC rooftops. The resulting recordings, many of which had never been released, were deposited at the Library Of Congress as part of the Tony Schwartz Collection in 2006 when Schwartz passed away, and this record was culled straight from these original tapes.
Side one kicks off with an unreleased version of Moondog’s classic composition “Why Spend The Dark Night With You?” followed by the first ever complete recording of his “Nocturne Suite,” a beautiful piece of classical music performed with members of the Royal Philharmonic. The side ends with the complete “On The Streets Of New York” 7” EP, which was released on Mars records in 1955 and subsequently re-released by Honest Jon’s Records in 2004 on their excellent Moondog anthology. Side B features sketches of Moondog compositions never released, many with the man himself howling and chanting over his homemade percussion set.
Moondog’s music is as universal as it gets - part classical music, part Native American, part European folk, and part something completely unique. Moondog is one of the towering figures of 20th century music. This record comes with liner notes featuring never before released interviews with Moodog by Tony Schwartz and is housed in an old school “tip on” cover. All tracks fully licensed from the Library of Congress.
180g - Vinyl Only
After messing about with vinyl, Ableton and music in general for more than 10 years, Dyzz from The Illuminated decided it's time to take 'matters' into his own hands:
Introducing Degenerate Music - a label focused on bass heavy, chest rattlin', floor shaking & dub influenced soundsystem music - starting off 2020 with his inaugural and sharply curated 040 - 010 EP.
On "That Side" we can find 2 sought after VIP's from the duo Dyzz & Rebus, better known as The Illuminated. Both originals Scavenger & Eindhoviah have been released on New Moon Recordings, the deeper / techy sister label from the Moonshine camp and Underslung Audio (digi only). Scavenger got picked up early by the likes of Skream & Benga (BBC1 Extra radio premiere), Joe Nice (cut on dub), N-type & Walsh (Rinse.fm) and more. Eindhoviah became a warehouse dub for the gentlemen and close friends. The VIP's go way beyond the originals, fulfilling the gunfinger reload requests from the last few years.
On "This Side" we find another Scavenger version, this one fully locked on the triplets and loaded with some vocal samples from a galaxy far far away. Last but not least, Eindhoviah gets the young gun Hebbe treatment, this one's for the heads.
Now all the VIPS, versions & remix get the treatment they deserve, freshly cut on a 180 grams 12" heavyweight plate
































































































































































