Buscar:shame

Re-mastering by: Ray Staff at Air Mastering, Lyndhurst Hall, London

An amazing session of spiritual soul jazz – and one of the rarest albums on Strata East! Shamek Farrah's soulful alto is matched with the free spiritual piano of Sonelius Smith, for a totally memorable session that virtually defines the essence of the Strata East sound! The music is free, but not too free; lyrical, but never indulgent; and always turning over with a fresh sense of imagination, and a soaring groove that's very much in the classic Strata East mode!

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.

Black Stone Cherry’s third album Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea offers another amount of the fully loaded southern rock from the group that was awarded the Best New Band at the Classic Rock Awards in 2007. The opening statement “White Trash Millionaire” refers to the celebrity culture and all the things that will come with being famous. The stomping riffs and country turn of their music is mixed all over the album. They’re bringing something a little bit dirty, but it never get’s too much of the good thing on this record. The melodic compositions, great vocal work and outstanding rhythms makes this another worthy release by the band.

As they were working their asses off on their respective projects last year, these two lads came together to deliver a not so formal four-handed introductive dance record. The purpose is crystal clear : one record capturing through three maximalists club tracks, both their obsession for digressive New Beat, Rave-infused House and in the background, dirty breakbeats bumping into thick Emo pads of Italo Disco or some leftfield Post Punk music. Those two were too young to experience the post-Disco big bang which occurred between 88 to 94, but they manage to embrace the spirit and twist it without any shame. Far from contemplating the European dance legacy, they bend it to create a second merciless big bang, right to the face. By that way, they offer you, happy raving people, these three restless pieces that are 200% coherent on their holy belief of a « Maximal Dance » aesthetic.

Catz 'n Dogz are back with album 'Moments'. Written and recorded in the midst of this crisis. Twelve tracks form the backbone to this wide-spanning sonic journey that document the highs and lows of this time. Drawn out of their comfort zone, it's safe to say this shift in their creative paradigm resonates throughout 'Moments'. Inviting you to gaze deeper inside, the album floats in a haze of dreaminess and cottony serenity. Though seemingly simple, the track titles point at themes more complex and universal that will strike a chord with every soul.

Traversed by a vaporous jazz vibe and highlighting an obvious lean towards laid-back atmospheres, 'Moments' effortlessly alternates between. Lo slung house 'Sunrise' features James Yuill, the heavy-lidded, funky bass-heavy 'Memories' and the rolling brass anthem 'Time', in collaboration with Jaw - and more doped up trip-hop-ness. 'Life', the slo-mo chugger that will get the feels on alert, the chillax of 'Nothing' and 'Love,' and the luscious 'Moment' feat. Angelika Nowak, a sample-heavy, soul jam whose naive charm will prove hard to resist, even for the stonehearted.

Catz 'n Dogz explore inwards the heart's non-spoken spheres, where the pop-infused hip-hop 'Meditate' introduces Heather Chelan. A more personal affair 'Listen' makes for a playful interlude. 'It's OK' invites you to let go of the shame at shedding tears, a memorable cut with its joyful whistling, elated guitar riffs and rousing bass.

To close off this sonic micro-odyssey, 'Tomorrow' casts a spell of positiveness. With blazing synth lines and robotised talk, unfolds an anthem for tomorrow's world. One where music holds the crucial place it's always had. So be the kids' dreams, the person they want to be in the future. Be Batman, be a firefighter, be a rock star.

Originally released in 1984, “It’s My Life” is the second studio album from new-wave band, Talk Talk. Featuring popular singles such as “It’s My Life” and “Such A Shame”, the album, pressed here on Purple Vinyl, defined the 80s in the underground, new-wave scene.

“Not The Nine O'Clock News gave the world alternative comedy and made the media scene we have today.” – Mark Lewisohn, Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy Celebrating over 40 years since the ground-breaking comedy series arrived on BBC TV, Demon Records proudly presents The memory Kinda Lingers - lovingly mastered on 2 x 180g heavyweight Hedgehog Splatter vinyl.
Let the famous signature tune take you back to the heady days of 1979, when Labour gave way to the Conservatives, striking workers created the Winter of Discontent, and Not The Nine O’Clock News inherited the BBC2 time slot vacated by Fawlty Towers. It quickly became a trailblazing smash hit, running for four series and making stars of Rowan Atkinson, Mel Smith, Pamela Stephenson and Griff Rhys-Jones.
Among the many famous, and much-loved, sketches included on the LPs are David Bloody Attenborough (aka Gerald the Gorilla), Points of View, General Synod’s “Life of Python”, Constable Savage, University Challenge, Hi-Fi Shop, That’s Lies, Not The Parrot Sketch, Open Marriage, Question Time, Game For A Laugh, Two Ninnies, McEnroe’s Breakfast, What A Load of Willies, The Pope’s Visit, Simon and Garfunkel and – yes – The Return of Constable Savage.
Produced and devised by John Lloyd and Sean Hardie, Not The Nine O’Clock News won a Silver Rose at the Montreux Festival and a BAFTA for Best Light Entertainment Programme. Its large writing team included such future luminaries of TV comedy as Richard Curtis, David Renwick, Andrew Marshall, Guy Jenkin, Laurie Rowley, John Lloyd and Andy Hamilton. Presented as a faithfully reproduced facsimile gatefolds, and remastered from the original tapes

Black Truffle is very proud to present Peaks by Australian cellist Judith Hamann, her debut release of electro-acoustic music. Known mostly for her live performance work with composers including Sarah Hennies, Yvette Janine Jackson, Alvin Lucier, Tashi Wada, and La Monte Young, here she steps away from the cello, moving into an intimate dreamscape woven from recordings gathered over years of itinerant touring.

Peaks is a work in two distinct parts, crossfading between different landscapes and apertures; from rooftop to church, from stasis to flares of momentary romanticism. Peaks considers summits as being both above and below, reframing the idea of apex from a more intimate perspective. Hamann considers how our domestic and personal geographies might form their own apogees, meridians, or nadirs.

Assembled in 2019 while an artist in residence in Krems, Austria, Peaks begins with Hamann’s more familiar cello but soon unravels into resonant electronic interiors; Southern California nightscapes heard through windows, San Francisco bathroom fans, snatches of recordings of friends, hand organs, and engines. signal/centinela draws primarily on recordings from Hamann’s time living in San Diego, and carries with it a certain sense of nostalgia in the sense of homesickness, longing, and displacement of distance and time. Side B is composed from recordings gathered on a different continent, Europe, weaving piano with recordings of sleep, breath, church organ, and the act of climbing. under/over emerges as it recedes, overlapping moments of arrival to create another kind of ‘spire’ in the sense of spir (breath). Peaks, with its omission of any recordings from Hamann’s home of Australia, hints at how the very construction of home itself, might be restless, untethered, changeable, and malleable.

On Peaks, Hamann interrogates tropes of ambient concrète musics, intentionally pivoting formally around material which teeters on the edge of cliche. This exploration asks whether familiar frames of harmony, field recordings and narrative trajectories can excavate new territories, or be ruptured. Peaks untangles a very personal sense of tension between beauty and shame in experimental music: treating lushness and harmony as possessing potentially muscular musical properties that might wrestle with or construct senses of belonging and home.

Sex Judas feat. Ricky started out as the solo project of Norwegian producer Tore Gjedrem known for his work as one half of electronic duo Ost & Kjex. Over time the project has developed as a fully fledged band including the talents of multi instrumentalist Ivar Winther, the bass magic of Kristian «Gesse» Edvardsen, the percussive force that is Sidiki Camara and Tore Brevik and the vocal talents of Tracee Meyn. The band has also many friends, most notably modern composer and violinist Ole Henrik Moe which often lends his avantgarde leanings to the group. Illustrator Sindre Goksøyr is also a key member, giving visual life to the project. The bands foremost home is the Glasgow label Optimo Music, that released Sex Judas debut album «Go Down Judas» in 2018. Earning the band a Norwegian Grammy, called the Spellemann.

YELLOW VINYL LP

It's hard to speak about unspeakable things - violence, abuse, addiction and abandonment; especially when these things rupture the innocence of childhood. But one of the merits of Luke Jenner's new solo project is that he not only speaks of these things but he does so in a way that wrests them from the dark, small cubicle of shame, placing them firmly in the light so that we, as listeners and fellow survivors, can start to maybe walk with our head high. In this moment of empty pop music séance, the scope and ends of this project - to try and help people - feels almost revelatory. Revelatory is the right word here in that it carries with it, of course, the sense of religious or spiritual insight. As front man for the legendary post-punk NYC band, The Rapture (a band name that already attests to Jenner's abiding faith and interest in the force of spiritual reckoning), Jenner has never shied away from his belief in God, community, family - all as a means of recovering the fractured x of y. "How Deep is Your Love", "Grace"...

e 5. Relay Explicit

Tropical psych outfit, Lola’s Dice, return with an exhilarating double AA side 45 on “Cacri 'e Playa” b/w “Señor Cartujo” . Venezuelan strains of Caribbean rhythms blend with South American grit and humour; aided and abetted by studio maverick and renown bandleader Alex Figueira ( Fumaça Preta, Conjunto Papa Upa).

Lola’s Dice, an ensemble born and battle-tested by years of punk and hard rock before fusing into its current form, a consolidated tropical-psych quartet. The band’s evolution has resulted in music that is a pure body-moving delight — a fuzzy blend of guitars, synths and musical sabor that is very much rooted in the percussive sounds of Latin America, where all band members hail from, yet still comfortable in its punk-ethos.

One such fusion of sounds took place at the Barracão Sound studio in Amsterdam where they first asked rhythm sensei Alex Figueira (who currently joins them on stage whenever his agenda allows him) to help them twist their sound and bring it into the incendiary tropical realm his production work was known for.

Together they vandalized all sorts of rhythmic traditions. The resulting 4-track EP, “Viaje al Centro de Ritmo”, was a perfect match of genre-defying psychedelic madness and Caribbean cool and was duly signed and released by on-the-pulse NY based Names You Can Trust label.

After two years and a plethora of stages Lola’s Dice returned to Figueira's Barracão Sound for another dose of experimentation, diving deeper into their Caribbean roots and twisting them even further. The first fruits are now offered for release jointly by Names You Can Trust (later this year) and Figueira’s own Music With Soul.

The African Caribbean vibrations of “Cacri 'e Playa” tell a story of a stray dog whose sole habitat consists of the beach. A common phenomenon all across the Caribbean coastline shared by Venezuela and Colombia. Wonky synths and surf guitars interplay over a stomping extra syncopated drum beat. All things collide towards the end into a 1970’s style Salsa street party, the relentless cowbell driving everyone forward.

On the flip, “Señor Cartujo” contains a humorous tale about the most popular brand of anise liquor in Venezuela ("Cartujo") and a shameless ode to the glory days of "Techno Merengue", when Latino rappers in the US started making Dominican Merengue with hip hop influenced vocals and house production techniques and equipment. Lola’s Dice, however, take a more psychedelic approach to this merengue, oozing with funky guitars and percussion.

After many hints and teases MANIC STREET PREACHERS have confirmed the re-issue of a deluxe edition of their 1993 second album ‘GOLD AGAINST THE SOUL’ on 12th June 2020 for Columbia/Sony.   Available as a 120 page A4 book featuring unseen images from the bands’ long time photographic collaborator Mitch Ikeda, many personally annotated by Nicky Wire and original typed and handwritten lyrics from the bands own archive.  It will contain two cd’s featuring the remastered album, previously unreleased demos, b-sides from the era, remixes and a live recording of The Clash song ‘What’s My Name’.  There will also be a 180g vinyl version of the original album with download codes to the extra tracks on CD1 and a digital version featuring all the songs. 

Nicky Wire said of the release “We moved our studio a few years ago and I unearthed a lot of demos and pictures from the ‘Gold Against The Soul’ era and thought it would be a shame not to let them see the light of day.  We haven’t always been the most complementary about this album in the past, but with hindsight it was a strange and curious record with many fan’s favourites on it.  James always gets a huge response when he teases the riff to ‘Sleepflower’ live.” 

‘Gold Against The Soul’ entered the Top 10 on release just over a year after their debut album ‘Generation Terrorists’ and saw the band shift musically to a classic rock sound.  Lead single ‘From Despair To Where’ was followed by ‘La Tristesse Durera (Scream To A Sigh)’, ‘Roses In The Hospital’ and ‘Life Becoming A Landslide’.  Produced by Dave Eringa who had been working in various guises with the band and continues to do so to this day, the album was recorded over six weeks at Outside/Hookend Studios.

Single 12" on Other People featuring Lydia Lunch and FKA twigs.

B-tracks, the duo of Soren Jahan and John Barera, return with their first release together in many years. Unfolding across these six tunes is an extended EP of hard rocking, raw and rough house trax in the immutable b-tracks style – with no weak links. This loop digging, spliff making, track building duo have always been trying to channel the vibe of “real” and “proper” house and techno. B-Tracks are known for very successful and out of print club bombs like ìSpecializeî and ìCome Backî – as well as many headier and more techno oriented tracks. Here, they make their much welcome return to producing together.
Recorded in New York City and Berlin across a period of five years, these musicians were in no hurry to make this record. Rather, as always, they sought to make something timeless and classy that will make a lasting contribution to listeners and dancers. This record is a celebratory occasion, centered around the energy that could only come with two old friends working together, having fun and letting loose. ìWhat a Shameî is the B-Tracks vocal club bomb for 2020, hardwired to go off, catchy and bursting with energy. ìAlwaysî is vintage B-tracks – thumping, goosebump inducing house that expands and contracts. “What You Areî closes out side A with an introspective, yet still bumping slice of music.
On the flip, “Earth” unpacks their refined sense of melody, drama, and groove. ìSend Cashî is a pure beatdown for the DJs, and “Witness” closes out the EP in high style, with a soaring leads and strings, a celestial tune and a perfect end to this chapter. Don’t expect new releases to come very often from this Transatlantic duo, but when they do – it is something to really savor.

Zenit is a jazz ensemble from Krems in Lower Austria, founded in 1976 by Hannes Treiber and Willi Langer. Their music was celebrated locally, but to reduce them to their local fame would be a shame: After all, their first two LPs, Stimmungswechsel (Change of Moods) and Früchte (Fruits), quickly gained them a much wider audience of discerning listeners. Arguably, however, Zenit’s third and final LP Straight Ahead is the most special of their records. It initially came out in 1986 on the producer’s label Spray Records, and is today one of the hardest-to-find Austrian jazz records. Its centrepiece is the infectious slow-motion disco piece “Waiting,” with vocals by American jazz singer Linda Sharrock. Effortlessly bringing together pop, soul and new age vibes, this is a record that is as unique as it is difficult to date. Does it sound like from the 80s? We’re not sure. To our minds at least, it could also be from the future.

OUTRÉ comprises of Detroit natives Joshua Harrison and Joe Sousa.

Joshua Harrison has released on Psychothrill Records, Beretta Music, DeepLabs Detroit, and currently runs the digital music label NONCOM Records.

Joe Sousa has released on Blank Code Records, and worked with labels Detroit Underground and Acid Friend. He has forthcoming releases on Detroit Underground and Clan Destine Records.



OUTRÉ is an entity that has come forth since 2017. Risen from a portal into the more existential rifts in consciousness, a mirror from the abyssal realm of the minds’ eye.


OUTRÉ 01 is it’s inaugural expression. With focus on live extraction and textural abrasives, chapter one presents ominous weight and forebodeing chaos, yet embraced with melancholic atmosphere and ethereal release.

The Goods are back with a second single, "Peach," a collection of moods with an obsession for chasing the funk. When their vocalist Black Tree heard the beat for the first time in the studio, lyrics and melodies flowed instantly. He says: "My hope is that it becomes a feel good anthem for sexual liberation. Freedom from shame is after all about opening yourself up to the world and that act of vulnerability breaks down walls and allows us to come together." Reminiscent of early Prince, "Peach" is sure to keep you dancing through the Summer with a tasty combination of sweet melody and juicy rhythm.

Halav Av is a Tel Avivian super-group consisting of members of the Israeli alternative music scene. Alonzo and Amitkes of The Crotches, Niv of Red Axes, Yovav of Shame on Us and Adiel of Hila Ruach & Future Shock.

This summer the band will release their first album, the first singles to meet the public’s ears will be To Live, Talk to Me and Mt. Beitar. These singles and the rest of the album were recorded by Uri Mixmonster of The Apples straight onto two-inch tape like the good ol’ days.
In addition to Mixmonster’s recording expertise, the album features Cello virtuoso Noa Ayali of The White Screen and Keyboardist Shay Landa of The RPS Surfers.

Wrapped up in a cover by the praised Israeli artist David Tartakover, the songs in this album are meant to be short and ticklish just like a father’s bristles. Because Father’s Milk is the essence of male gentleness. It is romantic, optimistic, nostalgic and naive. It’s childhood. It’s longing. It’s longing for childhood. Father’s Milk is the feeling of fatherhood, even if without offsprings. Father’s Milk is love, it’s music, it’s nourishing music.

It wasn’t really a movement, barely even a moment, but the Daisy Age was an ethos that permeated pop, R&B and hip hop at the turn of the 90s. Playfulness and good humour were central to De La Soul’s 1989 debut album, “3 Feet High And Rising”, which would go on to cast a long, multi-coloured shadow over rap.

In Britain, the timing for “3 Feet High And Rising” couldn’t have been better. The acid house explosion of 1988 would lead to a radical breaking down of musical barriers in 1989, and its associated look – loose clothing, dayglo colours, smiley faces – chimed with the positivity of De La Soul and rising New York rap acts the Jungle Brothers and A Tribe Called Quest, all at the heart of a growing collective called Native Tongues.

The Native Tongues’ charismatic, summery aura quickly spread west to the Bay Area’s similarly-minded Hieroglyphics crew (Del Tha Funky Homosapien’s ‘Mistadobalina’); Canada’s Dream Warriors (‘My Definition Of A Boombastic Jazz Style’) used “3 Feet High”’s colour palette and borrowed Count Basie and Quincy Jones riffs; Naughty By Nature (OPP) were mentored by Native Tongues heroine Queen Latifah, while Londoner Monie Love was also adopted by the collective, resulting in her Grammy-nominated ‘It’s A Shame (My Sister)’.

It wasn’t built to last, but the Daisy Age reintroduced Multiplication Rock, bubble writing and the gently psychedelic into the charts. It was a brief, but extraordinarily warm and optimistic moment. The songs on this collection promised that the 90s would be a lot more easy-going than the 80s.

Available on CD and double LP.

Birthed from Arizona’s regaled Ascetic House collective, Body of Light is a dark synth-pop outfit comprised of young brothers Andrew and Alexander Jarson. What began as a vehicle for their exploration of noise and sound during their early teens has evolved into an established production over the last decade, as Body of Light continues to carve out their own style of complex, structured, and moving dancefloor electronics.

Their music is not only individually personal, but drawn from experiences shared between the two brothers – and calls on elements of new wave, freestyle, goth, and techno to create timeless and singular tracks without fear of trend or passing fashion.

On their third album Time to Kill, Body of Light refines their brand of cold and driving synth pop with a bold pallet of sounds and a focus on uncharted technique and purpose. Like the pale digital stare of the modern devices surrounding our daily lives, the album weaves stories of love and obsession in an era of technical bondage and fleeting exhilaration. Written over a period of intense and profound change, Time to Kill stands as a startling reminder of how important our existence truly is. Haunting keys, swelling pads, and punching rhythms score their work as Alex Jarson presents an alluring and romantic dialogue with confident projection. The title single “Time to Kill” kicks off the album with a merciless signature beat, complimented by distorted sample patterns against an infectious, moving bass groove

Featuring Sly & Robbie, Alpha Blondy, Marcia Griffiths, Horace Andy, Morgan Heritage, Gregory Isaacs, Inna De Yard, Alton Ellis, Ken Boothe, Jimmy Riley, and many more.

Exactly three years after their debut release landed on Studio Barnhus,
MLiR are back with Trans-World Junktion, a summer-ready two-tracker
that packs enough musical twists and turns to put your favourite
quadruple 12-inch to shame. Half part awesome exotica, half vigourous
festival blitzin' from this Barcelona-based Swedish musical collective
fronted by Marco Gegenheimer and Einar Christoffersson. Artwork by
Studio Barnhus logo renderer and a/v show maker Leolyxxx.

Project Runaway brings together two of Tel Aviv's new breed of talented DJ / producers in a meeting of tripped out, expansive, psychedelic, club music. Landing on Especial to expand horizons is Met, their debut EP of deep, percussive dubs for late night tribes. A name on many leftfield lips, Alek Lee's journey continues following two acclaimed solo releases for the wonderful Antinote crew and new project, Shame On Us (alongside Naduve and Yovav Arzi) for that brightest star, Hivern Discs. Teaming up with the sound production skills of Stephan Bazbaz they create Project Runaway. Holding down his own citywide residencies, Bazbaz has developed a studio mastery of minimal dub, crispy house and trippy techno via a growing stream releases on numerous labels, as well as setting up his own No Wave records in 2016. After their welcoming, simple, yet wall quacking remix of Persian (EES031), Met, or 'dead' in Hebrew, bring their strands together as one sound. In original form, a vibrating drum takes on bass backbone is broadened with tight layers of percussion overtones and warped vocal interplay. Lee's psychedelic imaginings are a perfect fit across Bazbaz's wide production expanse, before horns raise the heat to extreme. For deeper DJs and big system dwellers, Met (Dub) does as it should, stripping away and opening wide. Hand percussion and vox ride the channels, coming in and out of the mix, while dub stabs transfix and could run for days. A meeting of minds, drums, psychedelics and pure club love.

Armagnac started in 2010 a label in metz all naked records & throwing up parties with his Fensch Groove Consortium (FGC) crew. After few years, he decided to move to paris france where between his writing for some famous french magazines & sites, he produced some marvellous tracks that keep the bobby konders spirit alive. This is spiritual deep house full of mystery and fuzzy textures that puts most 'deep' house to shame. ESSENTIAL ! SKYLAX RECORDS 4 EVER

Ever since his widely acclaimed debut LP "Migrations" was released in 2006, tone color has always been an important aspect of Emanuele Errante's music. Drawing from both electronic and acoustic sources, his compositions paint impressionistic vignettes with sonic intensities.

His fourth LP "The Evanescence of a Thousand Colors", his second solo release on the Berlin-based Karaoke Kalk label, deals more explicitly with color than before. The album's title plays with the double meaning of term and was inspired by a TEDx Talk by the US-American scientist Pratyusha Pilla on the subject of colorism, i.e. discrimination based solely on skintone. "I felt like I wanted to say something about the shameful racist regurgitation that we are experiencing in almost all the countries that claim to be the champions of civilization," says the Italian composer about the topic that informed his new album. "Pratyusha lit a light in me." In fact, a passage of her lecture is sampled on the album's centerpiece "Beauty", making Pitta a protagonist of the album on which voice can be heard loud and clearly.

Errante's music feeds on gentle guitar sounds, classical instrumentation, field recordings, and electronic elements that range from rhythmic ambient to granular noise. The eight tracks at times recall the early works of Oval and Fennesz or even Aphex Twin while showcasing the Italian's trademark approach to electroacoustic minimalism. As a follow-up to Errante's recent collaboration album with Dakota Suite and Dag Rosenqvist on Karaoke Kalk, the sonically rich soundscapes of "The Evanescence of a Thousand Colors" again highlight the importance of listening to one another - they are an almost wordless appeal for a more colorful world.

Following a greatest hits compilation in the late 90s the Human League signed to the Papillon label. The line-up
of Philip Oakey, Susan Sulley and Joanne Catherall recorded the 'Secrets' album, with keyboard player Neil
Sutton, who co-wrote most of the songs with Oakey, and programmer David Beevers providing the trademark
Human League sound.
The album's release in 2001 was preceded by the single 'All I Ever Wanted', but both the single and album lost
promotion and sales when Papillon ran into financial difficulties and was closed shortly after the album's release.
This 2LP edition features the original album over the first three sides, while the newly-added fourth side
features a non-album B-side, along with one rare remix each of 'All I Ever Wanted', 'You'll Be Sorry' and
'Love Me Madly'.
Housed in a gatefold sleeve, the inner sleeves features all the lyrics.

AE Productions in association with In Effect Recordings are proud to present the next installment from Philadelphia legend Phill Most Chill, this time with beats provided by Nova Scotia based DJ/Producer Jorun Bombay, under the guise of Jorun PMC - with a tip of the hat to Hip Hop legends Run DMC. If you've heard either of Jorun's incredible Rock The Discotek mixes you may have heard one or two tracks from this 12' in their early form as parts of those mixes. Here at AE Productions we thought it was a shame that they weren't available as songs in their own right on vinyl so here they are with an extra track for good measure and with more of Phill Most Chill's trademark artwork making the sleeve look incredible!
The EP opens with Can't Stop Won't Stop and gets straight down to business. Phill Most Chill starts on the first beat of the first bar almost as if he can't wait to rock the spot. This is pure party Hip Hop fueled by uptempo Disco Breaks, but don't be fooled by that statement - this is no crossover rap music, we mean the type of party that could be found in parks in New York in the early days of Hip Hop. Listen for a whirlwind of extended turntable action from Jorun who slices like a food processor throughout.
Magic Disco Machine stays with the classic Disco Break sound with various nods to Block Party Classics which create a great club friendly track. Again with some serious turntable skills from Jorun to complement Phill's hype rhymes, this is the brand new exclusive track for this release and has all the credentials of a summer party classic.
The final track here The Champ stays with the classic block party theme but this time utilising a raw Funk groove that will be a surefire hit with B-Boys and B-Girls worldwide and shouldn't fail to get any Hip Hop party moving. This could be considered the most underground sounding of the three tracks assembled here.

On this joint EP with Reggie Dokes, Gari explores the world of deepness without hesitation. He takes us on an intergalactic mind trip, while keeping it true to the dancefloor.
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On the A side is Reggie Dokes, who gives us deep house, then without shame moves us into that Detroit style of techno, cultivated by the Motor City. Mr. Dokes likes to walk in both worlds of house and techno, and not confine himself to one particular genre. This EP is the perfect
marriage of two creative producers, who bring excitement and inspiration to the dancefloor.

Boothroyd releases a remix 12" from debut album on Fnord Communications the London / LA based label recently responsible for unearthing post-punk band Shame. Cutting his teeth in 2014 with debut EP Idle Hours on revered NY electronic imprint Triangle Records, and more recently contributing to critically acclaimed Grime LP's on 1-800-DINOSAUR (Trim) and Rinse (Maxta), Boothroyd reappears in 2018 with 'Pure Country' a typically idiosyncratic and forward thinking debut album.

Criminal' is a confessional work. Through the stark lens of shame and guilt that has followed Luis Vasquez since a violent childhood growing up within the humming ambient sprawl of 80s Mojave Desert, here he documents the gut-wrenching sound of going to war with himself. Battling with his own sanity, self-hatred, insecurity, self-entitlement and grappling with the risk of these things transforming him into a person he despises, Vasquez has laid his feelings bare with this: his confession and most self-reflective work to date.    Guilt is my biggest demon and has been following me since childhood. Everything I do strengthens the narrative that I am guilty' Vasquez reflects. The concept of 'Criminal' is a desperate attempt to find relief by both confessing to my wrongdoings and by blaming others for their wrongdoings that have affected me.' 'Criminal' marks a striking and important chapter in his self-exploration, both artistically and emotionally. As a young musician living in Oakland, Vasquez began to try and process the narrative of his difficult upbringing veiled through musical exploration. Taking krautrock's motorik beats and Post-Punk deconstructions and honing them into a hushed percussive incantation, The Soft Moon's self-titled debut album took shape. The album was released in late 2010 by Captured Tracks and was praised by critics and emulated by contemporaries. In 2012 the apocalyptic conceptual work of 'Zeros' emerged, shortly followed by Vasquez moving to Venice, Italy in 2013, acting as a catalyst for 2014's release, 'Deeper'. While previous albums were primarily instrumental records, where Vasquez's voice was diffused amidst the music as another instrument, 'Deeper' marked the beginning of a new musical direction where vocals and lyrics became something more than a mere presence. 'Deeper' was a descent into the womb of childhood trauma, anxiety and fear, and although Vasquez survived this dark exploration of himself, he did not return alone. Working once more with Maurizio Baggio, who produced 'Deeper', at La Distilleria in Bassano Del Grappa, Italy, 'Criminal' sees Vasquez further explore putting his lyrics at the forefront and letting his raw emotions flow. The album is Vasquez's way of holding himself accountable and seeking redemption for the abuse he inflicts on himself and others, and acknowledges roots in the abuse which, inflicted upon him as a child, broke him.

Legs 11 was formed when members of various underground bands in Oslo, Norway, met during a karaoke-fuelled haze in the seedy parts of Oslo, and discovered a shared love of synth pop, post-punk, new wave and house music. Drawing on these influences, the band has created a diverse musical universe, ranging from dark repetitive guitar driven tracks, via infectious pop gems, to deep yet melodic dancefloor-orientated grooves.

The 'Another Wave' album is hand-picked tracks from their latest works, focusing on a more dancier approach. The house and nu-dance influences of today are mixed with heavy influences from 90's UK indie-dance acts like The Shamen and the Madchester scene, and hints of new wave from the 80's.

For a label that wasn't around long, Strata East achieved the same sort of label recognition that Impulse! or Blue Note managed to build. In other words, you knew what you were getting when you bought a record on the label, even if you didn't know the names on the outside of the cover. This is no exception. Who is Shamek Farrah Who knows Who cares It's the music that's important. This is the standard spiritually intense new jazz one learns to expect from the label, soaked in some Eastern influences but always with its ear to the street. Musicians took their roles as leaders and spokesmen very seriously back then. This very adult statement from a group of very serious men is no exception. However, what might be an average, forgettable session is rescued by the propulsive engine of Milton Suggs' bass. He adds the fire and the drive that keeps things interesting and prevents the music from wandering into a circular spiritual morass. For fans of the sound or the label, this can be heartily recommended.

As Huntleys + Palmers events has drawn to a close, 2018 will see a big focus in releasing some brilliant new music and introducing some amazing new artists. First up is Wheelman - straight out of Glasgow and fresh off the back of his debut for our Studio Barnhus buddies. To our shame, it took a Kornel Kovacs trip to Rubadub to bring to our attention a real talent who was under our now the whole time! He'd even been to a bunch of our parties and we'd never made the connection..Righting this wrong, we promptly hit him up for music to include on a 'Clyde Built' compilation and they were so good, we designated the bulk of these tracks to this release - 5 absolute BELTERS!

It has become a tradition for The Maghreban to make records commemorating the passing of cats he knew and loved. One of these tracks is for Martha.One of the tracks someone said sounded like "too many pots and pans". The other one he made using Elka X705 organ sounds.

It's a shame that these tracks together make for such a tepid, middling, unremarkable record. Not his best work by any stretch. Perhaps there is different music around the corner.

***
Our grief falls flat and hollow
upon the billion-blooded sea.
These mad dogs of glory
moving this little bit of light toward us.
It was a shameful waste of
madhouse time.
***

When it comes to the music of Miajica, there is always a variety of influences, shameless sampling and me- lodic patterns involved that touches our hearts. His love for records is a never ending story and this makes him a fantastic DJ and selector. Miajica's passion for the extraordinary is what made us at Light of Other Days fall in love with his music when we first met him several years ago.

Miajica might mostly be known for his work with Alma Negra but he is a prolific producer of his own and had some amazing releases in recent months. He also just launched the label Fleeting Wax with Mehmet Aslan - which is already getting some great attention in the balearic scene all over the world.

Miajica's first EP on Light of Other Days «Drive Down» was created from some of his recent and most striking influences: «Breathing Again» indicates the feeling after he stopped smoking and discovered this whole new world of intense emotions and sensual experiences. «L'Ae´roport» was created in one of those lost moments when you're overtired at the airport and have to wait to board another delayed flight to your next destination while the third track «Mediterraneo» is an uplifting homage to his heritage and roots in Spain.

Berlin's own Marco Haas aka T.RAUMSCHMIERE made an irreparable impression globally in the 00's as a sawtoothed, ANTI-rave radical thanks to his immense stage antics and larger-than-life releases on Novamute. Since then, Haas has established himself as a contemporary with emotive, dark ambient tales on his own imprints Shitkatapult/Albumlabel.
KOMPAKT's love affair with Haas goes back to our earliest days. Some of his first tracks were released on KOMPAKT in the form of two raw EP's entitled "Bolzplatz" (KOM021 - 2000) and "Musick" (KOM037 2001). These two formative releases elevated the "Schaffel" sound to raw and shameless places we never could have imagined. The results set a tidal wave in motion that to this day remains one of KOMPAKT's most infamous legacies.
In an off-chance reunion with Haas in his studio, we learnt about what he'd been doing since the "Monstertruckdriver" days. It turned out he's been ever so busy outside of the mainstream working with the likes of Dieter Meier of Yello, Caspar Brötzmann, Andreas Dorau, Fraktus, Ofrin or Barbara Morgenstern and his recent work with Ulli Bomans aka Schieres under the SHRUBBN!! monicker.

On the way out, he passed over his 2015 self-titled album - which proceeded to blow our minds. It was mutually decided that it's time for him to return home.
May 19, 2017, will see KOMPAKT releasing T.RAUMSCHMIERE's new, epic solo full-length HEIMAT. It presents another side of his work which was always there, but never got that much airtime: the artist, the author, the composer with the crystal-clear sound. HEIMAT is a stunning techno album that neither excludes Ambient, nor gets reduced to constant ass kicking. It's perhaps the best recording so far from this man who asks so deeply, so extensively, so much. And at some point even answers.

Making his first appearance on Ferox Records back in 1993 - Affie Yusuf has been producing techno, acid, and house music for over two decades, gracing heavyweight labels such as Force Inc. Music Works, Superstition Records, 909 Perversions and Chemical.

Affie is regarded as one of the most influential UK acid pioneers throughout the 1990's, releasing under his own name, and as part of House of 909 and Traffik with Trevor Loveys.

In the 2000's Affie & Trevor launched their label Tragic Magic, and founded the Machines Don't Care collective, alongside Sinden, Toddla T, Fake Blood, Detboi, Hervé, and Drop The Lime

Affie is also produces with collaborator Mr. C of the Shamen, and is resident DJ at London's long running 'I Love Acid' clubnight.

Born in Southampton on the south coast of England in the early 1970's, Affie Yusuf has established himself as one of the most important and influential pioneers of UK acid, techno and house, with a career that spans three decades.