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First Word Records are extremely proud to welcome aboard Allysha Joy and her first EP

for the label, 'Light It Again'.

Well versed in poetry and performance, Allysha Joy's potent lyricism, unique musicianship and killer vocals have garnered legions of attentive fans the world over. She's an integral member of the Melbourne soul jazz scene, known as part of the acclaimed 30/70 Collective and for her own equally revered solo work.

'Light It Again' is a 4-part expedition across a variety of grooves and deep lyricism that marks a defiant statement of intimacy and hope. Produced and engineered by twice Grammy nominated artist Clever Austin, the EP features accompaniment from an all-star set of Melbourne artists; Horatio Luna, Ziggy Zeitgeist, Danika Smith and Josh Kelly. This EP marks a new sound for the young artist, transmitting her honest and raw expression through the signature crunch and sonic landscape of Clever Austin.

Allysha is already well established across Europe, performing on the live circuit alongside the likes of Sampa the Great, Matthew Halsall, Ezra Collective, Bradley Zero and Children of Zeus, as well as currently hosting two regular radio shows, on Worldwide FM and Reform Radio in Manchester respectively.

Her 2018 debut album 'Acadie : Raw' on Gondwana Records won 'Best Soul Album' at the Music Victoria Awards, was nominated for a Worldwide Award, and featured in many an end-of-year list, including Bandcamp's Top Soul Albums, whilst she's also featured on releases on UK labels such as Rhythm Section, Total Refreshment Centre and now an EP for First Word, 'Light It Again'.

The EP touches on love, shame, mental health, grief & spirituality. 'Watercolours' sets off on a mid-tempo neo-soul jazz tip. Allysha says "I wrote this in the hope that maybe we could all feel the beauty that is present in the every day - in nature, in art, in each one of us mirroring each other so intrinsically. Then maybe we'd all start to live out a message of love."

'Better' follows on an uptempo vibe influenced musically by The Senegambian Jazz Band, who Allysha would watch regularly at Bar Oussou in Melbourne. Lyrically the song explores the external and internal struggles that occur trying to create a more inclusive and compassionate world. "It's about catching myself pointing the finger outwards to challenge social / political systems and certain individuals, then coming to the realisation that I must turn that finger back on myself to ask, "how can I do better, how can I know better?"

Lead track 'Light It Again' begins with Allysha's keys gliding a steppa-like rhythm - head-snap snares and punchy bass accompany ethereal harmonies and delicate vibes on an ever-evolving groove before switching entirely mid-track. This time the subject matter is mental health and "the cycle of addiction and pain, the coping mechanisms that hold us back from reaching our true potential".

The EP closes out with the beautiful 'Mardi'; deep Rhodes, sax and synths build ahead of deliciously slushy percussion and jilted drums. Named for her grandmother, 'Mardi' is a tribute to the spiritual connection they shared before her passing. Allysha writes, "it's about the connective forces of the matriarchal lineage and the drive to step into my own sense of self, in all the beauty and pain which that entails".

Allysha's lyrics weave together a heartfelt mix of love, power, desire, wonder, anger, faith and hope for change. An artist that presents a palette of intricate grace and optimism, whilst unafraid of adding uncomfortable truths. Allysha is an incredibly powerful live performer; her husky vocals sonically synced with her formidable Fender Rhodes playing, whilst her influences are a solid base of jazz, hip hop and R&B; all glazed with the unique special sauce the Melbourne soul scene has become known for globally. A gloriously meditative, raw soul, we are delighted to be able to share her music with you.

'Light It Again' is released on vinyl & digital worldwide, November 20th 2020.

Atalanta’s hotly tipped Stefan Ringer comes correct with a four-track breeze through deep, hazed out, syncopated house for Second Hand Records. Following standout releases on the likes of NDATL, People's Potential Unlimited and Argot and comparisons with the likes of Marcellus Pittman and Kyle Hall, Ringer is a talent you do not want to pass up.

Though never in doubt, 'Side Notes' sets out Ringers stall for all to see. At points MPC crunched samples lay over the top of punchy basslines and echoed ad libs, at others free flowing keys dance around layered drum loops and off kilter percussive hits.

There’s a cut here for everyone - a deft magic, versatility and spark that you need in the bag.

Worldwide Award winners First Word Records are pleased to welcome back Souleance; a duo that have been releasing music with us for a decade now, and triumphantly returning to the fold with some brand new music for 2020.

This vinyl / digital EP, 'Les Mouches', is their first release for First Word since the acclaimed beat-tape 'French Cassette' from early last year.

Expanding on the original Normand-Parisian super-duo of Fulgeance and Soulist, the Souleance crew now includes Vincent Choquet on synths and Guillaume Rossel on drums as part of their live outfit. Whilst sonically their style remains unchanged, the formation into a full band sees the Souleance sound become bigger, more realised and more formidable than ever.

The title track 'Les Mouches' sets off the EP in a playful disco manner - a chugging bassline, assorted synthesisers, disco claps and a four-to-the-floor drum track, inspired by the likes of Larry Levan and Candido. Meaning "flies", Les Mouches was a legendary Manhattan club that existed around the era of Studio 54, and was infamously a hangout spot for Imelda Marcos. The club itself was named after a play by Jean-Paul Sartre.

Next up is the single 'Aquarelle' (meaning watercolours), which contains more layers than a Bob Ross painting. With its various elements splayed across its aural canvas, sprinkled with some subtle scratches, it's four minutes of funk presented in Souleance's inimitable way.

'The Bounce' follows and enters a more soulful side of the dance, dropping the tempo a touch and inviting in a huge bassline, squelchy keys and intermittent vocal hooks.

'Mont Maudit' takes more of a latin jazz direction with big drums and cymbals rocking throughout, whilst an infectious piano hook cruises throughout, and an ethereal gospel choir switches up the proceedings mid-way.

Things get deeper still with the epic broken beat-esque 'Maneuevers'. Crunchy rhodes dominate this slightly tweaked-out rhythm, a delectable piece of heads-down nujazz fused with Souleance's unmistakable funk once again.

'L'Opuleance' closes out this EP with some more traditional Souleance fare - the tempo a little more head-nod, this one is comprised of some deliciously wobbly bass, chopped samples and hefty breaks.

This EP is essentially a set of grooves marinated in nostalgia whilst managing to sound entirely current. Analogue synths, live bass, sleek cuts and intoxicating drums. This is another round of sure-shot dancefloor fire from our favourite French family.

Previous support has come from OkayPlayer, Bill Brewster, BBC 6 Music's Gilles Peterson, Tom Ravenscroft & Huey Morgan, and various DJs on Worldwide FM, NTS & Le Mellotron,

Over the years, the sonic world of Heist has grown into a place where energetic house, live instruments and worldly electronics move together in the most natural way. We're very proud of the fact that we can showcase artists that cross boundaries or simply create their own universe, while keeping a strong connection with the identity of the label.

Our next release, the 'Exposures EP' by Teleseen, fits perfectly into this aesthetic. Teleseen is the main project of nomadic DJ, producer and multi-instrumentalist Gabriel Cyr and draws influence from deep house, afro house, samba, batucada as well as the experimentalism and sound system cultures of his home town NYC. His sound leans heavily on polyrhythmic programming and he's nothing short of a synth wizard. His 'Exposures EP' features 3 originals, and a remix by Berlin based Italian house guru Black Loops.

The record features a number of collaborators and recordings of various instruments, ranging from percussive sections to synths and guitar. This live approach to electronic music is one that is deeply rooted into Gabriel's work. His upcoming release on Soundway as 'Thaba' is another good example of this approach and also shows how diverse his sounds really is.

The title track is a thrilling synth affair with tribal-like chants running through a vocoder. The combination of handclaps, crunchy synths and steady drums make for a thrilling afro house track that hints towards early motor city electronics.

Black Loops is known for his deep grooves and built his fame with his releases on Freerange, Pets and Shall not Fade. His take on 'Exposures' sees him upping the tempo to a pacey 130 bpm, where an introvert vibe of reverbed hits and bleeps take you into full dream mode. He expertly chops up the original into a contemporary track that fits somewhere between high tempo tech-house and minimalistic deephouse.

On the flip we get to hear more of the sonic world Teleseen has to offer. 'Dekalb' is a track that seems impossible to box into a genre. Its mood is set by a lovely section of free-flowing Rhodes chords and the chopped vocals and open synth- bass give the track a whole new feel. It is that ballsy electronic edge combined with dreamy textures and live rhythms that give 'Dekalb' its unique vibe.

The final track of the EP -'Transfer'- takes us down to a mid-tempo percussive workout with a balearic twist. The steady electronic groove and the free flowing guitar take you to yet another corner of Teleseen's beautifully crafted universe.

Enjoy the music and play it loud!

Yours Sincerely,
Lars & Maarten

2020 Split release with contributions by ELEH and NYZ.

ELEH: This side is possibly the artist's most complicated electronic composition. It navigates myriad timbral, tuning and temporal processes while winding itself to completion. It was composed/constructed over a period of months in early 2019.

NYZ: Two crunchy microtonal drone meditations in mono, using techniques of digital FM and hybrid analogue/digital modular synthesis. FM60P::fbk1#03 is from a number of sessions recorded on my very battered SY99 recorded from 2013 to 2014. As the name suggests, this particular session revolved around using feedback in the FM algorithm. EML DRNPi was recorded as part of the 2015 Plum Island Sessions where I had a host of synths on loan from John Brien at Important Records. For this recording I used the EML ElectroComp 101 and my own 4 voice digital microtonal oscillator running a Lambdoma Matrix to make a hybrid analogue/digital system.

This split release between ELEH and NYZ (David Burraston) is packaged in a heavy duty sleeve printed on both sides of the packaging and utilizing metallic inks. This is a first edition of 500 copies and a brand new full length from NYZ is being released at the same time via Important Records.

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.

Soul Jazz Records new release takes us on a serious road trip into the North-West region of the USA, 1986-97, to explore the amazing lost and forgotten sounds of the Grunge era.

This Deluxe massive 28-track Double CD with 44-page outsize booklet features extensive text, band features and interviews, exclusive photos. Also Worldwide digital release + Ltd.Edition Two seperate double-vinyl albums with full notes and free download code.

The underground music scene of the North-west of America arose from the early 1980's, strung out in isolated towns across the vast state of Washington. In its early days bands who showed an allegiance to their roots of punk. Yet, by 1991,Nirvana, the biggest band in the world, had been born from this community of outsiders.

This compilation features some of the many divergent bands who emerged out of the North-west during this era. Intensely researched and documented this album features many bands who have now disappeared from history after releasing maybe just a couple of singles, or an album, or even never making it onto vinyl – alongside some bands that continue to this day.

Perhaps most fascinating is the wide-ranging styles that these grunge bands incorporated - from punk to metal, experimental and more.

All Roads lead to Nirvana: 17 of the bands featured here played alongside Nirvana in the period 1987 to 93. All 23 bands featured feature members who shared a stage with Nirvana. Jack Endino (The Ones) produced 37 Nirvana songs. Dave Foster (Helltrout) was Nirvana's 3rd drummer. Bundle of Hiss became TAD who played more gigs with Nirvana than any other band.

With fantastically in-depth sleevenotes, interviews with most of the bands, exclusive photography and all sonically remastered tracks this is a comprehensive double CD (and 2 volumes of 2x12" vinyl releases) bringing together the hidden, lost and forgotten sounds of the North-west grunge era.

Reviews & Articles: Seattle Times feature here. Irish Times here. Read article by compiler Nick Soulsby in Nirvana Legacy here Read second article by the compiler here. Read article about the artwork here.

Radio Slave and Bushwacka! remix ‘Eye Of The Storm’ featuring vocalist and
drum ’n bass royalty Onallee, with label boss Archie Hamilton serving up a fresh VIP mix.

Taken from Hamilton’s debut album ‘Archive Fiction’, which dropped earlier this year on Moscow Records, ‘Eye Of The Storm’ featuring Reprazent artist Onallee, gets the remix treatment from two renowned producers with a reimagined garage inspired mix from the boss himself. Two acclaimed British artists, Rekids boss and esteemed remixer Radio Slave leads the release with Hamilton’s VIP mix alongside Olmeto and Plank Records owner and artist Bushwacka!

Radio Slave’s remix of ‘Eye Of The Storm feat. Onallee’ opens with a thundering kick, haunting effects, rolling vox-cuts and rattling hats with an ecstasy inducing breakdown. Archie Hamilton’s VIP mix then goes down a classic bubbling bassline route, featuring crunchy cymbals and phasing synths when Bushwacka! then goes on to close the release with break styled drum programming, rumbling toms, zapping flute like samples and jungle shakers on his remix.

Felix Lee has created a world for his debut album “Inna Daze“, a kind of post-human environment where the sun never really rises and everything is lit with a burnt out glow. These are survival ballads for the near future, whose vocals, mutated to fit into this setting, drift in a haze of dissociation. Musically, at first glance, it's sparse and minimal but with continued immersion, subtle iridescent-light shadows shimmer around grainy colour, sub bass rises through kicks and snares retooled from their surroundings, not so much refixed as decaying. Felix has been here before in his incarnation as Lexxi, making his debut appearance on Total Freedom’s 2012 “Blasting Voice“ compilation, and as a co-producer on Elysia Crampton's “Demon City“ album. He then went on to release his first instrumental EP “5TARB01” in 2016 on his own imprint Endless. He also runs an NTS show of the same name, along with previously holding raves, cross pollinating and interacting with the vanguard of the electronic underground. The punky crunch of those earlier releases is reflected in tracks like “Smoke” made with long time collaborator and southside resident Kamixlo. These club moments inevitably give way to the vocals, conveying a feeling of loss and renewal. Intended to exist both inside and outside the club, it's an electronic music that at times feels like a skeletal take on shoegaze, solidifying that feeling with the intense rising synths of the album closer “Slow Decay“.
Inna Daze's features include Drain Gang members Ecco2k and Whitearmor, Yayoyanoh, Quantum Natives' Oxhy, and Gaika, as well as Felix making his debut as a vocalist, his voice filtered through effects to give it a slippery, steam-like texture, echoing around the songs, giving them a second skin of sensed abstraction. One of the most thoughtful and interesting debuts of 2019, “Inna Daze“ beckons the listener into its simultaneously toxic and beautiful sound-world. Keeping enough distance to provoke more questions than answers, the album unfolds in a different way on every listen.

Cologne’s resident conjurer Hodini steps up for his second solo EP on WOLF Music Recordings. Bringing elements from his hip hop background into this unique five tracker, Hodini dusts off long forgotten cuts, sampled with that MPC chopped graininess, blending lo-fi vocal sound bites with deft jazz loops, all adding a distinct, textured edge to his work.

‘Velved Groove’ and ‘Special Shoutout’ kick things off, snapping in funk fills and skipping guitar riffs behind a concoction of hazy spirals that transfix from the off. The former is an uptempo, twisted, jazz club house jam and the latter a bubbling voyage through the afterhours, bourbons flowing and faces flying from every corner.

A master of misdirection, Hodini also moonlights as one of Germany’s leading underground hip hop producers HulkHodn, proving he can flip styles and meld genres with ease. Featuring his alter ego, ‘Doggo Content’ is his nod to this - a crackling slo-mo trip through the intoxicated mind, soundtracked by stretched vocal snippets, wading bass notes and a crunching snare.

Two of the harder-hitting club tracks close out the EP, both focused around hypnotic bassline carousels and looping layers. ‘Where’s The Wine’ interjects Rhodes flickers with bongo rhythms and unsettling laughes, as ‘One4Fries’ marries off-kilter, piano stabs alongside jazzy flourishes and fizzing percussion.

DJ Haram is a producer & DJ who distinctively ties her New Jersey musical history with more recent involvement in the Philadelphia DIY noise scene, whilst paying homage to her Middle Eastern roots. A close affiliate of New York's Discwoman collective, she is also one half of 700 Bliss with rapper & poet Moor Mother, who features on this EP. Haram’s non-traditional understanding of Islam, paired with a nuanced perspective on folk tradition and mythology, underpins the EP, bringing fantasy and colour to this in-between place. On opener ‘No Idol’, a darbuka rhythm pairs with offbeat claps around a dark synth and a contrasting airy flute melody, illustrating the theme of duality running through the music. The melodies of ‘No Idol’ are revisited in the final track remix, sped up with a classic Baltimore club beat and energetic bedsprings samples.‘Interlude’ is a combination of the sounds and patterns from each song. ‘Gemini Rising's synth is reminiscent of John Carpenter, paired with a darbuka rhythm and war drums that transmit a religious sci -fi horror aesthetic. ‘Body Count’ is propelled by Jersey Club kicks with a distorted drum crunch and ticking rim shot in triplets, and an ethereal melody. ‘Grace (K.O.D.)’ has menacing cinematic stabs that feel like acid raining on the scattered percussion. On the 700 Bliss track ‘Candle Light’, Moor Mother's distorted and doubled up vocal chorus evokes a frantic yet solemn energy as she speaks on themes of life and death.‘Grace’ is an EP constructed through deep feeling, transmitting vital dancefloor energy. It’s music is versatile, imbued with a strong will, personality, and colour.

Spearheaded by James Dean Brown (also known from Perlon's Narcotic Syntax) and Victor Sol, and featuring other rotating members, Hypnobeat is a true product of the open-ended spirit of DIY music that proliferated in the 1980s. The prescient project championed deft, machine-powered rhythm programming as its modus operandi long before the practice would become a dominant global cultural form. Since Hypnobeat was revived in 2012 with Helena Hauff joining JDB on stage for improvised live performances based on one 707 and three 808s, there have been a string of archival releases shining a light on the early and more recently recorded works of this forward-thinking venture.

This latest collection for Artificial Dance comprises three freshly unearthed iterations. Long-form A-side track 'Polychrome Desert' is a pure percussive exercise, programmed and recorded by JDB in 1986 with a chain of three 808s filling out a stereo panorama. The intention was to create a pure, meditative rhythm drawing on African influences and reinterpreted through what was then the music technology of the future. 'Spies In Malaysia' is a live recording from a concert Hypnobeat performed in 1985. Its lurid melodic passages and crunchy percussive blasts formed the closing track of the set, which was met with rapturous response. Recorded in the same year, 'Sumatra Railway' was the product of an impromptu session between JDB and Victor Sol. The song finds the pair exploring a more shadowy, surf-inspired sound, laden with echo and freewheeling through seven minutes of sun-kissed, subtly tropical subversion.

With each successive release, the plot surrounding Hypnobeat thickens in a tangle of 1/4' jack cables and ancient effect pedals. From its shifting line-up to the diverse sonic repertoire, it remains one of the wondrous plants of German electronic music in the pre-techno era.

Three incredible reimaginations of Nina Simone classics from Francois K, Tony Humphries and Coldcut each with their own unique touch and trademark style weaved within.

Francois K kicks off with a sublime deep house rework of 'Here Comes The Sun'. Reminiscent of Larry Heard's output, Francois nods to Mr Fingers with a bassline that harks back to those early Chicago classics, coupled with deft mbira touches that create an other-worldy feel to the remix. Celestial waves and singing rides mix with a buzzing top line melody that lay the foundations for Simone's spiritual voice to hang in the air with a perpetual elegance and grace. A timeless slice of house music that earned Francois' version a spot on one of Innervisions acclaimed 'Secret Weapons' compilations.

Next up, Zanzibar royalty Tony Humphries lays out a bumping remix of 'Turn Me On' turning the bluesy soul leanings of the original on their head and flipping it into an uplifting summertime groover. Simone's words take on a different tone with this revitalising rework backed by staccato guitars and chopped up vocal melodies that give a playful yet soulful character to this slab of sunshine.

Rounding off the EP in classic Coldcut style, the duo meld 'Save Me' into a chopped, screwed and crunched remix. Lo-fi percussive elements and distorted textures blend with glitching samples and stuttering sequences that turn Simone into a tripped-out goddess. An atmospheric piece of electronica but with a harden edge purpose made for the dancefloor.

We are very excited to present you this new signing and debut EP by Dampé. A studio and live project from South East London. Since moving to the city, Dampé has been intimately involved in its club culture " from running warehouse spaces and booking venues to DJing and performing in groups across the city and Europe, under a slew of different aliases.

The music is made on a boat on the Thames and is a combination of dusty analogue gear, live instrumentation, and samples. For Dampé, influential parties were "Co-Op, FWD>>" and "You're A Melody" and echoes of those dances can almost be felt in the sound. Across five original tracks, the EP explores weirder and worldlier ends of house music, all with a nod to undeniably UK sounds.

"Peach Shuffle" is a made-for-the-floor, broken beat work-out that has this great warped and chopped Persian vocal sample giving the track a unique and world-wide touch, followed by "St James" Road", a crunchy live Rhodes jam and ode to a favourite street south of the river. "Move Me" is all garage-infused vocal loops and singing bowls and acts as an experiment-come-DJ tool. "Carn" is a super-swung hip hop beat featuring "SMBD" aka "Simbad" providing additional keys. Closing out with "Zongo Junction, At Night", a late night roller with material pieced together from saturated CR 78 samples and field recordings made when Dampé was recording sound for a film about witchcraft and the internet across rural Ghana.

To round up this exciting EP we ask a fellow SE London enthusiast "Nebraska" to make a remix of the title track "Peach Shuffle". Cutting up the vocal of the original, adding some mean bass and pouring a smooth "dance floor" sauce over it. The delicious end result is something we are very proud off and we hope you will enjoy as much as we do!

Big news on the Apparel Tronic side. We're here to celebrate another step forward of our newest label introducing the 7th release on the catalogue & 2nd on vinyl, by an artist we really admire and we're delighted to have on board with us: Julian Habib aka Inkswel, on this project with his alias 'That Dude Inkswel'. The man himself created an 8 tracks LP which truly represents our spirit of experimentation, this time round steering towards a more jazzy influenced hip-hop, shaped up staying true to the sound we love. 'The Sound' LP features dope collaborations such as the Detroit vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Brownstudy singing on the opening and title track, the amazing progressive artist Maia Von Lekow giving her voice for B1 track 'Mother' alongside Mista Monk, the superb Han Litz's flute and Trujillo on Kellin' it & also Divine Species on 'Galaxies' and Mr. Shem rapping on A3 track 'Dedicated to Mr. Schem'. This work is a bold and captivating selection of different styles belonging to the same soul orchestrated by Inkswel and his musical mastermind, listening to 'The Sound' is like jumping on a caravan for a journey where every track is a different stop: crunching beats, deep bass lines, psychedelic melodies. The ingredients for this amazing recipe are all coming from different parts of the planet, a place that Inskwel seem to have written on his palms seen his capability of bringing different music influences under the same roof, where he finally invited Apparel Tronic to hang for a bit.
racks such as 'Snooker Club' and 'Viejos' delve into more caliginous, IDM territory. The result is a rich and varied collection that demonstrates Apparel Music's unwavering ability to continue to keep listeners guessing.

It has been a good year for Idle Hands. The label reached its 50th release with a release from Livity Sound's Pev and November saw the release of Parris' latest 12' featuring a KMOS remix.
For the labels final vinyl release of 2018 it is the turn of Stockholm's Pistol Pete. Idle Hands boss Chris Farrell has long been a fan of this artists work. He may not have put much out over the years but each release has found a welcome home at the Bristol record shop from which the label operates.
On this release we find three club focused House tracks, each exuding a warmth one would hope for in these cold winter monts. 'Orphan' opens the set with crunchy, swinging drums and the deft use of a sample. 'Lundagatan' continues things apace with some concentrated drum programming and a chopped up soul sample. 'Esqpads' rounds things off with a warm Deep House feel and grooving bassline.

Warehouse Find!

Helsinki-based producer Saine makes his Delusions debut following amazing output on such revered labels as Voyage Recordings, Odd Socks, Omena and Fina. A producer who can flit from hazy instrumental hip hop through to raw, dusty house at the flick of a switch, Saine has built a solid following amongst lovers of left field leanings we've come to expect from the likes of Max Graef, Glenn Astro, Henry Wu and Leon Vynhall.

On lead track Act Natural we find Saine in perhaps his heaviest mood to date, delivering a crunchy uptempo house jam which retains his unique sound despite being aimed firmly at the dancefloor. A speaker wobbling eighth note bassline locks down the groove whilst familiar, much-loved frag- ments from the rave days punctuate the crackling beats. Add to this some simple syncopated chords and you have a winning formula for a timeless track which looks to the future whilst respectfully doffing it's cap to the past.

Jus Right continues in a deeper, more musical fashion with Saine getting busy on his synths, building up layers of warm pads and soloing Moog lines. A prominent vocal brings a soulful touch whilst the minimal, almost hihat-less groove adds an original and fresh feel to this blissful track.
Flipping over we have Low Key, a shuffling deep house number loaded with sliced Rhodes samples, echoing vocal hits, clipped percussion and sublime bass. As the atmosphere thickens, everything falls away to silence before rebuilding, creating some nice tension in the arrangement.

Finally we have Pontchartrain offering up an excellent remix of Jus Right. The Detroit native responsible for some mighty fine releases for the likes of Rocksteady Disco, Lovedancing, Soul Clap, Kolour LTD and Whiskey Disco takes things in a more straight-up house direction with heavier beats, 909 hats pushed to the fore and a distinctively old school feel to the mix.

Todres Records, the uprising middle eastern boutique label from Tel Aviv, is proud to present it's first official 7" reissue release: A double A side bombshell comprising of all the elements searched for by Dj Shadow, J Dilla & Kid Koala.

Led by Dj Todres (The Apples, CRuNCH 22), the label's vision is to expose the world to Israel's finest artists, past or present, all joined by the same common ground: the groove.

A Side:

Composed by organ and keyboard great Haim Shmueli, "Halilit Kesem" was the theme song of his group, "The High Voices", the famous house band at the legendary "Calypso Club" in Ramle, Israel, during the early to mid 70's. The psychedelic, spanish-phrygian flavoured track is built around the Sonata form, with Shmueli's captivating oriental synth solo is shining right at the middle, between beautiful Stop-Time breaks and the African triplet-feel segment. Inspired by Keith Emerson and Jimmy Smith, Shmueli's masterful playing and composing is a unique world to explore.

B Side:

Based on Bach's prelude no 1 in C Major, Shlomo Gronich's re-composing was created while he was under the influence of an Acid trip. The vicious drums, the fat bass line and the flying flute melody, illuminated the track in psychedelic colors, making it one the most unique arrangements a classical piece ever received.

This record comes with a version for every time and mood of a club night: Jo Pariotas Cut of the Original Mix is the ideal warm up tune. Flowing on a synthline that calls Mike Huckabys Waldorf to mind, it is sweet and driving at the same time. The Original Mix by LOVEiTs own Nico Brun might be called - Casual Affair', but comes rolling on a phat wonky rhode that brings the groove! Between the crunchy drums, a relaxed vocal snipped and warm synth unfold like the first rays of sunlight. The JK & LDS reduction is punchy, minimal and dubby - with its pull and release kind of melody and the stuttered vocal sample it works perfect as a peak time DJ tool. Finally, the A.S.S. Amnesia returns Mix is something else entirely... you just have to experience it in its full 8 min breakbeat Aphex Twin-like glory.
- morri313