Cerca:rhythm is rhythm

Briefly available on a 12" Island single in the UK to promote Bunny's 'Black Heart Man' album but this is the first time it has been coupled with the awesome Sylvan Morris and Karl Pitterson mixed dub version that first appeared on Bunny's criminally neglected 'Dub D'sco' album. Here we have a totally different mix demonstrating the strength and ability of this authoritative rhythm to take any amount of interpretations. 'Amagideon' was also versioned by Augustus Pablo for his seven inch Message release 'Pablo's Armageddon'.

Apple Cores is the latest full-length album from New York tenor saxophonist James Brandon Lewis, "one of the fiercest sounds in jazz today" (The Guardian) with a "penchant for unbound exploration" (Pitchfork). Informed by the rhythms and textures of hip-hop and funk while remaining rooted in jazz, Apple Cores was recorded with Chad Taylor (drums/mbira) and Josh Werner (bass/guitar) over the course of two intense, entirely improvised sessions. The album takes its name and intention from the column that poet and jazz theorist Amiri Baraka wrote for DownBeat in the 1960s. In addition to Baraka, the influence of another jazz giant looms mightily over Apple Cores: trumpeter and multi-instrumentalist, Don Cherry. In a testament to Cherry"s influence over the music that the trio is playing, Lewis designed each song title as a cryptogram of sorts, making subtle references to Cherry"s life and music. Apple Cores further cements Lewis as one of the provocative and prolific musical voices of his generation. It follows his breakthrough with JazzTimes" Album of the Year Jesup Wagon (2021), a dreamlike mosaic of gospel, folk-blues, and catcalling brass bands inspired by inventor George Washington Carver, and Eye Of I (2023), his joyous and exploratory debut for ANTI-.

Emotional Response is proud to welcome renowned multi-instrumentalist Alan Briand aka Shelter, to the label with a striking new EP that delves deep into the realms of modern Digi-Dub.

Over a myriad of releases Shelter’s dextrous ability to straddle genres, from ambient, Balearic, improvisation and most recently a series of acid ragas, releasing on an impressive roster of today’s electronic labels including Antinote, Growing Bin, International Feel, Séance Centre and his own Protopost imprint.

After making waves on Emotional Response's All Trades compilations with his standout track "The Four Knights Dub," Briand returns to further explore his passion for digital dub and UK roots. Across four tracks, all recorded live, he merges sound design, found sounds, and world music with seismic basslines, creating a truly immersive sonic experience.

The rise of Digital Dub is often traced to the groundbreaking "Under Me Sleng Teng" by Prince Jammy / Wayne Smith, but it was the UK's later reversioning – adding electronic drums to roots and steppers rhythms – that gave birth to the unique sound of Digi-Dub.

Shelter pays homage to this tradition, drawing inspiration from the likes of Alpha & Omega, Bush Chemist, and Jonah Dan. His process is as raw as it is innovative: building an analog setup with a MIDI sequencer, DCO synth, live vocals, and sound effects fed through Boss pedals. Digital drums from the KPR77 and DD10 are layered in, with everything mixed live to tape, no overdubs, capturing the raw, live energy of the performance.

This EP must be experienced as a whole – a continuous live set of steppers 4/4 rhythms, cryptic titles (a nod to chess tactics) that acts as rewinds, paying tribute to dub classics of the past.

Fresh from beasting the end-of-year charts with her 'I Miss Your Love' remix project, Ghost Assembly, aka Manchester DJ and writer Abigail Ward, is back with a double A-side: RESIST! / I Keep on Making the Same Mistake.

RESIST! (Extended 12" Mix)
Laid down quickly and angrily after attending a demo in Manchester city centre, RESIST! aims to capture the galvanising spirit of protest and put it on wax.
A 111bpm acid chugger that will leave dancefloors of an ALFOS or Optimo persuasion begging for more, this is uncompromising machine funk at its crudest.
Duelling 303s twist around each other whilst a taut, snaking 707 groove underpins unexpected blasts of Arabic rhythm, almost as if DJ Pierre had remixed 'Get UR Freak On', relocating it to the Middle East.
As a stuttering Harper Hay vocal sample urges us to RESIST!, the track climaxes with an ice-cold acid house string coda banged out on a disobedient synth. Please note: the sub on this record may trouble your duodenum.

RESIST! (Utter Kunt Mix)
The Utter Kunt mix is a sparse and daring Sleng Teng-inspired avant-dub affair strictly for discerning dancefloors only. Improbably combining hints of the Mission Impossible theme, Les Negresses Vertes' 'Zobi La Mouche' and the rough-hewn sampling of 'Duck Rock', this is a radiant obstacle in the path of the obvious. Warning: collectors of On-U, EBM and New Beat could experience a spate of nocturnal emissions upon purchasing this record.

The A-side closes with a BONUS BEATS version of the Utter Kunt Mix: a must-have DJ tool.

I KEEP ON MAKING THE SAME MISTAKE
Picking up the pace to 120, 'I Keep on Making the Same Mistake' sees Ghost Assembly returning to her string-drenched sad banger comfort zone, pairing a chilly breakbeat with a bass riff reminiscent of Joey Beltram having a gut-wrenching cry wank. Keening vocals supplied by Hazel Grove are chopped up, tormented and eventually hurled down a K-hole as the strings build and the drama escalates.
When the credits roll on this cinematic masterpiece we hear a wistful French lesbian talking about 'borrowed bliss'.

A future comedown classic; also sounds good slowed down to 33rpm.

The E.P. signs off with a stunning string-a-pella that will linger long after the needle hits the run-out groove.

Big Crown is proud to present Crown Jewels Vol. 3. As we are approaching seven years as a label these compilations have given us an opportunity to put the different artists on the label together on the same release. These compilations are something of a calling card for the "Big Crown Sound" where we get to put the most well established next to the newest on the roster and through that paint a picture of the overall ethos of the label. It's been extremely satisfying for us when the fans of one Big Crown artist discover another one because they are label mates. We put out these Crown Jewels comps with the hope that it will continue that process. Even though not all BCR artists can be found in the same aisle of the record store, after listening to Crown Jewels Vol. 3, it should be clear how they all fit on the same record label. When we started Big Crown we wanted to have a label that's only boundaries were defined by our taste, not by genre. Seven years later, we can say we have been able to do that. There is a sound, but that sound stretches into a lot of different directions, but that sound is uniquely ours. Thank you to everyone who has supported us thus far and please stay tuned as we continue pushing our sound and putting out tunes we believe in.

Seit ihrem Debüt als Brijean hat sich das Projekt der Schlagzeugerin/Singer-Songwriterin Brijean Murphy (der perkussive Herzschlag für Live-Bands wie Mitski, Poolside und Toro y Moi) und des Multiinstrumentalisten/Produzenten Doug Stuart mit Einfallsreichtum bewegt und Psych-Pop-Abstraktion mit Dancefloor-Sensibilität verschmolzen. Durch Körper und Geist, Rhythmus und Lyrik geben sie den Welten um sich herum und in ihrem Inneren einen Sinn. Das Album "Feelings" von 2021 zelebrierte die Selbstreflexion, die EP "Angelo" von 2022 verarbeitete persönlichen Verlust und fiel mit der ersten Headliner-Tour des Duos zusammen. "Macro", das im Juli 2024 auf Ghostly International erscheint, ist das zusammenhängendste, dynamischste, kollaborativste und songorientierteste Werk von Brijean. Hierzu holte sich die Band verschiedene Gastmusiker in ihr Wohnzimmer in LA, mit dabei sind u.a. Chris Cohen und Khruangbins "DJ" Johnson Jr.. Farbenfroh, kollaborativ, anspruchsvoll und mit viel Spaß belebt das Album einen Makrokosmos mit Charakteren, Stimmungen und Standpunkten, die in der Vorstellung verwurzelt sind, dass kein Gefühl endgültig ist und der einzige Ausweg ein Durchgang ist.

Mantar erreichten mit ihrem letzten Album Pain Is Forever... (2022) Platz 2 in den Offiziellen Deutschen Charts!- Year End "Best" Listen: Metal Hammer Deutschland, LAWeekly (US), Exclaim (CA), Terrorizer (UK)- Vorgestellt auf: All New Metal/Black & Dark Metal/The Pit/Metal Planet (SPOTIFY), Breaking Metal/New Music Daily/Optimus Metallum/Breaking Hard Rock (APPLE MUSIC)- Mantar hat 8,5 Millionen Streams auf Spotify erreicht- Massive Underground-Fangemeinde in Europa und Nordamerika, die auf einem jahrzehntelangen DIY-Ansatz und ausgedehnten Tourneen beruht- Vergangene Festivalauftritte: Hellfest, Download, Full Force, Oya Festival, Getaway Rock, Roadburn, The Fest (US), Wacken, Maryland DeathfestCharts (Pain is Forever...):Germany:#2 Official German Album ChartsAustria:#69 Official Album ChartsSwitzerland: #45 Official Album ChartsUS Billboard:#60 Current Hard Music Album#84 Top New ArtistsQuotes for Pain Is Forever and This Is The End (old):- Album of the Month - Metal Hammer (GER)"So präsentiert sich das räudige Doom-Duo auf PAIN IS FOREVER AND THIS IS THE END in Bestform. 'Art Is Hard', das wussten bereits die Indie-Rocker Cursive. Aber Mantar sind härter." - 6/7pts - Metal Hammer (GER)- Album of the Month - Metal.de (GER)- "Pain Is Forever.. skillfully keeps the balance between brute destructive fury and dense atmosphere in widescreen format with real underground hit potential." - 8.5/10 pts Rock Hard (GER)"So hält "Pain Is Forever..." gekonnt die Waage zwischen brachialer Zerstörungswut und dichter Atmosphäre im Breitwandformat und hat oftmals echtes Underground-Hitpotenzial zu bieten." - 8.5/10pts Rock Hard (GER)- "The blackened doom punk duo's biggest rock moment to date is not a betrayal, but an accomplishment" - Visions (GER)"Der bislang größte Rock-Moment des Blackened-Doom-Punk-Duos ist also kein Verrat, sondern eine Vollendung" - Visions (GER)- "A tremendous hit rate, as if we were not dealing with a regular longplayer, but with a "Best-of MANTAR". Very Strong!" - 8.5/10 pts Deaf Forever (GER)"Und so kann man "Pain Is Forever And This Is The End" eine enorme Trefferquote attestieren, so als ob man es nicht mit einem regulären Longplayer, sondern mit einer "Best-of MANTAR" zu tun hätte. Stark!" - 8.5/10 pts Deaf Forever (GER)"- "Compact and to the point interpretation of Black'n'Roll, which can not only split your skull, but also animate you to headbang and even sing along." - 9/10 pts Powermetal.de (GER)"Ein weiterer Volltreffer aus dem Hause MANTAR!" - 9/10 pts - Powermetal.de (GER) - "Auf dem neuen Album haben MANTAR nichts an Angriffslust und brachialer Wirkung verloren, ihr Repertoire jedoch eindrucksvoll erweitert, sind gewachsen und zu etwas in seiner grundlegenden Ehrlichkeit und massiven Härte unfassbar Schönem geworden, ohne auf ihren urgewaltigen Sound zu verzichten. " - 10/10 pts - Slam (AT/GER)- "Thicker grooves, anthemic refrains, head nodding rhythms and a greater exploitation of the fist-in-the-air-ology school of song writing." - 8/10 pts - Metal Injection (USA)- "...their latest studio album may be their best yet... a burning Molotov cocktail of black metal, sludgy hardcore and classic metal hooks..." - Decibel (USA)- "...they've made the album of their career so far; so buckle up and get ready for forty minutes of blackened punk that'll give you the kick up the ass you've been waiting for." - Distorted Sound (USA)- "I love how far my mind roams while listening to the same album on the repeat; the more I spin "Pain Is Forever And This Is The End", the more things I discover, driving me deeper into MANTAR's moving sand." - 10/10pts - Metal Kaoz (USA)- "Pain Is Forever... clearly takes some inspiration from their recent album of Grunge, Punk, and Riot Grrl covers by elevating this aspect of their sound a little more too, without dulling the unapologetically in-your-face edge of the music." - No Clean Singing (USA)

Mantar erreichten mit ihrem letzten Album Pain Is Forever... (2022) Platz 2 in den Offiziellen Deutschen Charts!- Year End "Best" Listen: Metal Hammer Deutschland, LAWeekly (US), Exclaim (CA), Terrorizer (UK)- Vorgestellt auf: All New Metal/Black & Dark Metal/The Pit/Metal Planet (SPOTIFY), Breaking Metal/New Music Daily/Optimus Metallum/Breaking Hard Rock (APPLE MUSIC)- Mantar hat 8,5 Millionen Streams auf Spotify erreicht- Massive Underground-Fangemeinde in Europa und Nordamerika, die auf einem jahrzehntelangen DIY-Ansatz und ausgedehnten Tourneen beruht- Vergangene Festivalauftritte: Hellfest, Download, Full Force, Oya Festival, Getaway Rock, Roadburn, The Fest (US), Wacken, Maryland DeathfestCharts (Pain is Forever...):Germany:#2 Official German Album ChartsAustria:#69 Official Album ChartsSwitzerland: #45 Official Album ChartsUS Billboard:#60 Current Hard Music Album#84 Top New ArtistsQuotes for Pain Is Forever and This Is The End (old):- Album of the Month - Metal Hammer (GER)"So präsentiert sich das räudige Doom-Duo auf PAIN IS FOREVER AND THIS IS THE END in Bestform. 'Art Is Hard', das wussten bereits die Indie-Rocker Cursive. Aber Mantar sind härter." - 6/7pts - Metal Hammer (GER)- Album of the Month - Metal.de (GER)- "Pain Is Forever.. skillfully keeps the balance between brute destructive fury and dense atmosphere in widescreen format with real underground hit potential." - 8.5/10 pts Rock Hard (GER)"So hält "Pain Is Forever..." gekonnt die Waage zwischen brachialer Zerstörungswut und dichter Atmosphäre im Breitwandformat und hat oftmals echtes Underground-Hitpotenzial zu bieten." - 8.5/10pts Rock Hard (GER)- "The blackened doom punk duo's biggest rock moment to date is not a betrayal, but an accomplishment" - Visions (GER)"Der bislang größte Rock-Moment des Blackened-Doom-Punk-Duos ist also kein Verrat, sondern eine Vollendung" - Visions (GER)- "A tremendous hit rate, as if we were not dealing with a regular longplayer, but with a "Best-of MANTAR". Very Strong!" - 8.5/10 pts Deaf Forever (GER)"Und so kann man "Pain Is Forever And This Is The End" eine enorme Trefferquote attestieren, so als ob man es nicht mit einem regulären Longplayer, sondern mit einer "Best-of MANTAR" zu tun hätte. Stark!" - 8.5/10 pts Deaf Forever (GER)"- "Compact and to the point interpretation of Black'n'Roll, which can not only split your skull, but also animate you to headbang and even sing along." - 9/10 pts Powermetal.de (GER)"Ein weiterer Volltreffer aus dem Hause MANTAR!" - 9/10 pts - Powermetal.de (GER) - "Auf dem neuen Album haben MANTAR nichts an Angriffslust und brachialer Wirkung verloren, ihr Repertoire jedoch eindrucksvoll erweitert, sind gewachsen und zu etwas in seiner grundlegenden Ehrlichkeit und massiven Härte unfassbar Schönem geworden, ohne auf ihren urgewaltigen Sound zu verzichten. " - 10/10 pts - Slam (AT/GER)- "Thicker grooves, anthemic refrains, head nodding rhythms and a greater exploitation of the fist-in-the-air-ology school of song writing." - 8/10 pts - Metal Injection (USA)- "...their latest studio album may be their best yet... a burning Molotov cocktail of black metal, sludgy hardcore and classic metal hooks..." - Decibel (USA)- "...they've made the album of their career so far; so buckle up and get ready for forty minutes of blackened punk that'll give you the kick up the ass you've been waiting for." - Distorted Sound (USA)- "I love how far my mind roams while listening to the same album on the repeat; the more I spin "Pain Is Forever And This Is The End", the more things I discover, driving me deeper into MANTAR's moving sand." - 10/10pts - Metal Kaoz (USA)- "Pain Is Forever... clearly takes some inspiration from their recent album of Grunge, Punk, and Riot Grrl covers by elevating this aspect of their sound a little more too, without dulling the unapologetically in-your-face edge of the music." - No Clean Singing (USA)

Years of simmering mutual admiration between Turbo and Architectural finally erupt with Good Night, Whatever That Is, the Asturian producer's first release on the label.

Nothing gets us hot and bothered like the prospect of featuring a true artist on Turbo. In fact, we are so f-ing jazzed to be working with techno genius Architectural that we even dropped scrappy “fun-house” producer Archie Textures from our roster to avoid confusion.

The Good Night, Whatever That Is EP imbues the timeless platonic forms of techno with an energy, craft and depth that will feel instantly familiar to anyone who has built a cathedral with their bare hands. And yet the unadulterated power of lead single “Steampunk” and the even-less-adulterated power of “Tubular Funk,” confirm that this release also has one foot squarely planted on the secular dance floor, coursing with the searing bio-fluids that drive and torment all sexual beings. Meanwhile, your deep human need for contrast will be sated by the IDM-ambient euphorics of “Eternity Land” and the highbrow breaks of “Rousing Rhythms”.

The third album Fort Sensible by Brisbane alt-rockers Tape/Off is a genuine labour of love, a passionate dose of opinionated heart-on-sleeve rock’n’roll representing not just a place but a time with its cache of meticulously-crafted guitars, robust rhythms and socially-conscious lyrics mining both the personal and the political.

While musically they veer seamlessly between intricacy and intensity their words cut straight to the quick, the songs caustic and catchy in equal measure, making Fort Sensible by far the most ambitious and accessible album in the band’s storied decade-plus history.

Tape/Off’s first two albums - Chipper (2014) and Broadcast Park (2018) - were both longlisted for the prestigious Australian Music Prize, yet Fort Sensible takes the tried and tested Tape/Off aesthetic to a whole new level as the band seek to both share the creative load and fully harness their innate collective chemistry.

The guitars of Nathan Pickels and Ben Green weave together like an electric tapestry, the resultant soundscapes both intricate and ambitious whilst still entirely capable of busting out massive riffs with the best of them, their inherent simpatico now built upon by years of experience playing off each other. From a rhythmic perspective Tape/Off's propulsive drummer Branko Cosic's immense power and Cameron Smith's robust, expressive basslines combine to provide the perfect rhythmic bottom-end throughout the record.

Excitingly Tape/Off's sonic palette has been broadened substantially on the new album, with Pickels' angry and angst-laden diatribes throughout Fort Sensible now augmented by Green and Smith taking vocal turns at junctures, adding a whole new dynamic and dimension to proceedings.

At a time when our leaders seem lacking and the world needs the redemptive powers of art and music more than ever, Tape/Off announce themselves as a serious force to be reckoned with the uncompromising power and beauty of Fort Sensible!

Generally regarded as the first true 'new age' record, Steve Halpern's 1975 private press LP has long been in demand by collectors. In particular, the very first pressing of the album included an extraordinary long-form jazz funk track called 'Something for Every Body Suite' that was removed from subsequent versions. Eating Standing is proud to reissue Halpern's classic long-lost original version of the album, officially licensed from Halpern himself that includes this heavy groove-laden masterpiece. This is the very first ever full reissue of the first press album with full reproduction of the artwork. Original copies cost over $700 (assuming you can even find one) but now this incredible landmark album is available once more to enjoy. "Reissued for the very first time since 1975 in its original format and track listing, a legendary album that is considered a game-changer in music. Steve Halpern's landmark album 'Christening For Listening (A Soundtrack For Every Body)' is considered by many to be a crucial and defining album that pointed the way ahead. Predating the ambient/experimental work of Brian Eno, Steve Hillage and even Mort Garson's 'Plantasia', Steve Halpern's 'Christening For Listening' was the first album to explore what became known as 'new age' or ambient music, exploring the effect of tones and rhythms on the human body and mind as well as plants and other organisms. Originally issued as a private pressing in 1975, the very first issue of this album had an extraordinary extended jazz funk track on the B side, a DJ/Samplers delight – DJ Gaslamp Killer is a huge fan. This track, 'Something For Every Body Suite', was never included on any of the subsequent represses making the very first pressing incredibly rare and almost impossible to find. It's reissued here for the very first time, with full repro of the original artwork plus a Q&A by Tony Higgins with Steven Halpern himself.

Poet, novelist, musician and academic, Anthony Joseph teams up with legendary UK producer Dave Okumu for forthcoming album, ‘Rowing Up River To Get Our Names Back’

Dave Okumu, known perhaps best as frontman for The Invisible, though digging deeper into his production credits, huge names emerge such as; Grace Jones, Amy Winehouse, Jesse Ware, Rosie Lowe and Eska. On this album, the magic and alchemy of Dave’s production style showcase subtle sonics and deep layering resulting in a contemporary sound to carry Anthony’s afrofuturistic metrical meanings.

Anthony and Dave first came across each other when working with Shabaka Hutchings during Covid broadcasts, and then after Anthony performed some poems on Dave’s 2023 album ‘I Came From Love’, the seeds of collaboration were sown.

With a little more psychedelia, a little more experimentation, Dave’s eclectic vision focuses on the actual sounds on these pieces. Anthony stated that “The best producers guide you, not push you” now add to that the fact that both these humans were born on the same day, a concoction of laid back attitudes in people with strong purpose, some real magic can happen, naturally.

Early writing sessions for this record took place in 2022, around Mount Blanc in France. Anthony was away touring with long-time collaborator, Jason Yarde. Ideas were a little thin and they found themselves somewhat repeating previous work resulting in Anthony rethinking things a little, and so entered Dave Okumu.

LP opener ‘Satellite’ is a fine example of how this new partnership pans out. New musicians have been enlisted; Dan See (Drums), Aviram Barath (Synths), Nick Ramm on Fender Rhodes and Byron Wallen (Trumpet). Add to that the mighty vocal power house of Eska and we have a whole new dimension of soul and depth, to carry Anthony’s statements. “You build a wall, we go under, you build it higher, we go higher, like a satellite” .

On the album's second single, ‘Tony’ - there’s a nod to all drummers and creators of African rhythms, from the point of view of Afrobeat legend Tony Allen. Highlighting this is drummer’s drummer Richard Spaven as Dave’s choice of skin beater. He successfully reminds us that Tony was someone who understood the real power of rhythm and how it is used to unite people.

As well as the new musicians on this LP, Dave Okumu played all the guitars and used the studio as his tool. On ‘A Juba for Janet’ - a poem to Joseph’s mother, and a track so bass heavy that it feels as though it could sit in a deep dubstep set in Plastic People days, - Anthony’s voice reaches straight down your ear canals next to dark drums, huge synths and delayed saxophone stabs from Colin Webster. Slightly more introspective verses on ‘An Afrofuturist Poem’ see Dave’s beats show off the real future sound of this record, kalimba, moog bass and guitars all played by the man himself.

Mellower and deeper moments are also present, Anthony’s cryptic yet informative storytelling is at its absolute best on ‘Churches Of Sound (The Benetiz-Rojo)’ - Caribbean and Windrush history reeled off alongside a linear musical timeline of Black music in the diaspora.

A reminder that this body of work is first of 2 volumes, ‘Rowing Up River To Get Our Names Back’ is not a follow up to Anthony’s previous album, but more a development of his 2006 novel, ‘The African Origins of UFOs’ a book where experimental elements of afro-futurism, metafiction, science fiction, surrealism, mythology are rewritten in Anthony’s innovative language. Look out for Volume 2 also coming in 2025.

Anthony Joseph releases, ‘Rowing Up River To Get Our Names Back’ (Vol. 1) via Heavenly Sweetness 7th February 2025 and he will play live at Ronnie Scotts in London on 14th March 2025, with Dave Okumu as a special guest.

CREDITS:

Vocals - Anthony Joseph

Additional vocals, vocal arrangements - Eska Mtungwazi

Producer - Guitars, Bass, Moog, Synthesisers, Programming, Percussion - Dave Okumu

Drums - Dan See

Drums on ‘Tony’ - Richard Spaven

Synthesiser - Aviram Barath

Fender Rhodes, Synthesisers, Nick Ramm

Trumpet - Byron Wallen

Saxophones - Colin Webster

Trombones - James Wade Sired

ED/MCL (pronounced Ed Michael) and IDN (Ibisazi Designers Nyabyo) have collaborated to create MOSH - both the title of the EP and its proposed genre. Mosh is music to mosh to, like dance is music to dance to. Jungle breaks are slowed down to the tempo of a metalcore breakdown. Super low 808s rumble below the beat. Sampled and recorded sounds are textured to evoke heavy metal guitars. And there are rhythmic shouted phrases, for shared chanting. This EP is being released on Interference Pattern because Tyler Pope saw ED/MCL playing on the street in Williamsburg.
IDN (Ibisazi Designers Nyabyo) is an artist collective based in Rwanda. Their vocals are shouted in a language of their own invention, yet they have crafted catchy vocal hooks designed for call and response. The vocals heard on MOSH were recorded with ED/MCL while they were visiting them in Kigali. The final track is a 10 minute long performance by IDN, from which ED/MCL remixed the preceding five mosh songs.

Tesfa Williams celebrates his personal ancestry and the diversity of black electronic music with a name change on his Heist Recordings debut.

First things first. T. Williams is now Tesfa Williams. And although the dot is gone after the T, by taking that away, the artist openend up a whole world of meaning, personal storytelling and recognition of his roots.

“Originally when I started "T.Williams" it felt like my African first name Tesfa wouldn't be welcomed in the scene. Something I've experienced in general from school, college, work etc….. I grew up in a Rastafarian family with Carribean heritage and my parents decided to give me and my siblings African names to connect us to our African ancestry. I now feel like I’m ready to embrace this part of me as an artist and share it with the world.”

Tesfa Williams is an artist with a long history in UK club music. Long before his critically acclaimed debut album in 2024 ‘Raves of future past’, he was knee-deep in the UK grime scene and throughout the years, he has built a strong reputation in UK funky, soulful house and Garage with remixes of Latch for Disclosure and Sam Smith (yes, that track), bumping originals on Strictly Rhythm, Local Action with Julio Bashmore, and much more. On his debut for Heist, we see the artist dig deep into his black roots and deliver an EP that celebrates his eclectic sound with 4 originals full of high notes.

The ’Beyond today’ EP kicks off with ‘Moments Ahead’, a classic filter-house jam with lovely soulful chops and the perfect amount of grit. It’s the type of funky, peak-time house track that will ignite any dancefloor with its irresistible groove. ‘Get it together’ sees the artists layer some classic R&B vocals over an infectious warehouse groove. It’s the kind of track that’ll grab anyone’s attention on a first listen. The breakbeat loop in the background gives the percussion its dry immediacy and the sparse melodic hits and irresistible vocal chops turn this track into an absolute dancefloor monster.

On the flip, the London producer merges his love for soulful house with contemporary electronics on ‘Brighter life’. There’s something deliciously breezy about this song, where the vocals, chord hits, sweeps, and hits deliver a groove that’s laidback and powerful at the same time. The electronic parts of this track are cleverly laid out to contrast the syrupy sweet vocal and underline the class of the artist’s ability to effortlessly blend genres.

The EP closes with ‘Futures’, a bottom-heavy late-night burner much in the style of Dam Swindle’s 2023 Heist outing ‘Soul’s lament’ or the percussive goodness of Alma Negra tracks such as ‘Conversation’. There’s a nice blend of trippy electronics and driving Rhodes hits, which makes this a track perfect for those moments you simply want to go deep, heads-down, and feel the music.

With ‘Beyond Today’, Tesfa Williams has written a piece of music that pays homage to so many of the genres that have influenced him as well as to his black roots. ‘Beyond Today’ is a contemporary club record that oozes positive energy just the way we like it and we can’t wait to play this one out to all of you.

Enjoy the music and get ready to dance!

Lars & Maarten

Prehistoricisms by Intronaut is a landmark album in progressive metal, merging complex rhythms with deep, atmospheric textures. Originally released in 2008, this album showcases the band’s unique approach to combining elements of jazz, sludge, and progressive metal, setting a new standard in genre-blending. Intronaut, formed by accomplished musicians Sacha Dunable, Joe Lester, Dave Timnick, and Danny Walker, stands out for their technical mastery and innovative soundscapes, drawing listeners into a journey through ancient themes and explorations of human existence. Prehistoricisms is revered for its intricate compositions, with tracks that seamlessly shift between aggression and introspection, highlighting the band's bold musical vision and mastery of dynamics. This exclusive vinyl reissue is carefully crafted to preserve the album's original depth and clarity, making it the definitive version for discerning listeners. Perfect for both long-time fans and new listeners, "Prehistoricisms" remains a testament to Intronaut’s legacy in modern metal and is an essential addition to any vinyl collection. Experience the immersive power of this high-quality pressing and rediscover the timeless impact of Prehistoricisms.

In the neon-lit underbelly of Vilnius, where the pulse of the city syncs with the rhythm of the cosmos, Lithuanian sound architect Tourman emerges with his debut EP on Trance-Atlantyk entitled “Identification Mentale.” This electrifying release is a masterclass in neo progressive house soundscapes, featuring three original tracks and one hard-hitting remix.

The EP kicks off with „Restricted Airspace”, igniting senses with its relentless drive and pulsating bass. The track is a cybernetic symphony, weaving together glitchy synth lines and hypnotic beats that propel you into the heart of a digital dystopia. Embracing a darker, more introspective vibe, “Digitalog” is a proper roller that dances effortlessly between the realms of emotion and energy.

The title track boldly attacks your auditory membranes with its earwormy synth stabs, echoing the familiar yet exhilarating sensations of a sonic awakening. This cut also serves as a true manifesto for the modern trance movement, capturing the essence of euphoria and nostalgia in one exhilarating ride. The last word on the EP belongs to the polish power duo Penera, who transform the original title track into a hard-hitting, uncompromising dancefloor stomper that effortlessly blends hardgroove energy with trance nostalgia. Their remix amplifies the intensity, layering driving beats and electrifying synths that explode with energy.

Black vinyl / 505mcn paper / Insert with extensive liner notes by Tony Higgins printed on 200 gram "Shiro Eco"paper and a special Manifesto with exclusive pictures printed on 90 gram Favini recycled paper.

Personnel:
Clarence Peter - Drum
Patrick Gauthier - Piano
Jean-Jacques Avenel - Bass
Steve Potts - Sax

Notes:
We're delighted to announce the reissue one the most sought-after European private press spiritual jazz albums: The Magnetic Atmospher by Clarence Peters Quartet. Never reissued in its entirety before, The Magnetic Atmosphere is a solid album of deep, post modal spiritual jazz that will appeal to fans of the Strata East, Tribe, and Black Jazz labels.
Resident in France since the 1970s, drummer Peter recorded the album with a French rhythm section: Patrick Gauthier on piano, and Jean-Jacques Avenel on bass. On sax is American-born Steve Potts, resident in France since 1970 and, like bassist Jean-Jacques Avenel, alumni of Steve Lacy.
The Magnetic Atmospher features four killer tracks, all composed by Peter. This is an opportunity to hear a truly remarkable record and sells for hundreds of dollars on the collector circuit. Long thought to be missing in action, we tracked Clarence Peter down and secured the license, direct from the man himself. (Tony Higgins)

Vinyl Only / Sleeve manufactured with 400 mcn Fedrigoni "Shiro Eco" paper / Original unreleased poster with alternative artwork insert with notes by Tony Higgins printed on schedography peach past color paper / PVC outers / original artwork /

Personnel:
Tete Mbambisa - Piano
Basil Coetzee - Tenor Sax and Flute
Zulu Bidi - Bass
Monty Weber - Drums

Notes:
Mbambisa first gained prominence as a pianist in 1961 as a member of the Jazz Giants, this time with Pukwana as saxophonist, bassist Martin Mgijima and drummer Makaya Mtoshoko, setting the sound and shape of a scene that became known as Cape Jazz. Following an introduction from Chris McGregor, Mbambisa formed a band, The Swinging City Six, with saxophonist Ronnie Beer before going on to play at the end of the 1960s in the groups The Soul Jazzmen and Spirits Rejoice with Duku Makasi. As a member of The Soul Jazzmen, Mbambisa recorded the breakthrough album 'Inhlupenko Distress' in 1969 for the City Special label. After a recording hiatus, Mbambisa returned in 1974 with an octet album, 'Tete's Big Sound' released on a newly formed label, As Shams or The Sun, established by South African record store owner and independent producer Rashid Vally. 'Tet's Big Sound' included tracks like 'Unity' and the 'Black Heroes Lamentation', now considered a classic in the South African jazz underground.

The sound that Mbambisa carved in this period was wholly acoustic, and is a style that now is often loosely labelled spiritual jazz, a sound that alludes to deep African textures and rhythms balanced with clear nods to American hard bop and modal jazz, sometimes edging toward free improvisation in echoes of John Coltrane and Pharaoh Sanders. The music is often centred around a fulcrum of trance like vamps with repeated motifs that allow for extended pieces that create a hypnotic effect. This clearly exemplified on Mbambisa's next album, 'Did You Tell Your Mother', released in 1979, once more for The Sun label. (Tony Higgins)

The hornsman instrumental has a long legacy in the realms of reggae music. Don Drummond, Tommy McCook, Vin Gordon, Rico Rodriguez, Eddie Tan Tan. The list players behind this tradition could go on and on. The notes they played across eras from ska to rock steady to the deepest dubwise steppers bellow through the wind and the wire like a Warrior Charge ….

…It is within this tradition that Ital Counselor’s next weighty contribution to the musical world of QUALITY reggae fits…

…From the very first sonorous note emanating from the mighty Soothsayer’s Horn Section the listener can tell the Dub Organiser means business. That’s right. Once again, the Ital Counselor teams up with Chris Lane of Fashion Records for a cantankerous churning steppers meant to burn out all weak heart sound who try come test.

As evidenced from this 12”s namesake, the humble Soul Dragon Temple of Tone Sound System and IC partners in crime out of Philadelphia, USA, the Soul Dragon Anthem breaths some serious fire. The hard hard rhythm churns relentlessly while the bassline rolls like Dragon’s breath calling all in the dance to spring heel skank straight through all four cuts.

The Dub Organiser stirs a cauldron of dense dub at points conjuring aspects of Lee Perry’s classic Black Ark sound while maintaining his own distinctive spin on the mystical mixing arts. Shards of sound echo and delay. Mr. Lane takes the bassline to aquatic depths as the DRAGON DIVES DEEP……Cut 1…Cut 2…Cut 3…Cut 4…

This one is dedicated to all home town hi-fi’s forwarding reggae and sound system culture outernationally. So without further ado, all soundman and woman worth your salt it is time to DROP the needle on this track. Watch the Dragon FLY and let the Dub Organiser and the Soothsayer Horn’s “Soul Dragon Anthem” BREATH FIRE through your SPEAKER BOX!!!!!!

Reissue!

WRWTFWW Records is honored to reissue revered UK electronic duo Ultramarine’s best kept secret from their discography, the superb A User’s Guide album, available as a limited double LP housed in a beautiful heavyweight sleeve with inside out printing.

On the rare occasions that Ultramarine’s story is told, the duo’s fifth album, 1998’s A User’s Guide, tends to get omitted from the narrative. Radically different to anything the duo released before or since, it has remained a slept-on, timeless and inherently futurist classic ever since.

Unavailable on vinyl since the year it was released – in part because the label it originally came out on, New Electronica, folded shortly afterwards – A User’s Guide was the result of a conscious decision by Ultramarine members Paul Hammond and Ian Cooper to change their working methods and the “sound palette” that underpinned their work.

Out went the partially improvised hybrid electronic/acoustic sounds and the collaborations with guest musicians they’d become famous for. They were replaced by painstakingly created electronic sounds and textures, metallic motifs, spaced-out chords, rhythms rooted in contemporary techno and drum & bass culture, and nods aplenty to pioneering music of the period, from the post-rock atmospherics of Tortoise, and the hazy dub techno of Basic Channel, to the tech-jazz of Detroit, the minimalism of Berlin, and the musically expansive warmth of Chicago deep house.

It may have taken a year to create – part of which was spent developing this head-spinning new sound – but the results were undeniably unearthly and effortlessly forward-thinking. Over a quarter of a century may have passed since it first appeared in record stores, but A User’s Guide still sounds fresh and modern – a remarkable achievement given the relatively sparse and basic equipment used in the making of the album.

As this first vinyl reissue conclusively proves, the material showcased on A User’s Guide has lost none of its sparkle in the 26 years that have passed since its release. For proof, check the head-nodding IDM bubbliness of opener ‘All of a Sudden’, the queasy, lopsided tech-jazz of ‘Sucker For You’, the locked-in beats and mind-mangling motifs of ‘Zombie’, the ghostly, out-there electro of ‘Ambush’, the Autechreesque ‘Ghost Routine’ and the triumphant closing cut ‘What Machines Want’, a classic of minimalistic, jazz-flecked techno futurism.

Fully remastered from the original DATs by Jason G at Transition Studios, the 2024 vinyl edition of A User’s Guide thrusts Ultramarine’s most overlooked album back into the spotlight. This WRWTFWW edition also features brand new contextualizing sleeve notes, complete with new quotes on the production process from Ultramarine, by dance music historian Matt Anniss (author of Join The Future: Bleep Techno and the Birth of British Bass Music, and founder of online electronic music platform Jointhefuture).

Points of interests For fans of electronic, leftfield, postrock, tech-jazz, IDM, minimalism, futurist electronica, dub techno, house, experimental, Autechre, Tortoise, Basic Channel, forgotten gems from superb discographies, very good music, and very very very very good music.

Official vinyl reissue of legendary UK electronic’s duo Ultramarine’s timeless and radical album A User’s Guide.