Cerca:side by side

Seeing himself as a social commentator, Coops continuously draws inspiration from everything around him and is feeling more inspired than ever. Having signed to the label in 2018 he has already released 2 poignant albums and continues to create at rapid speed.

The 8-track project - which was made in just 4 studio sessions - is unlike Coops’ usual 14+ track albums both he and his fans have become used to. Coops turned the album around in record time to ensure his music was released during this unparalleled time in history. The homegrown beats come from his close friend and long term collaborator Talos who has produced almost all his beats to date.

In the opening track, ‘ Boom Biddy Bye’ Coops doesn’t waste a second in putting his fellow rappers through their paces. A block rapper with no one to please but himself, Coops professes that he barely listens to what other rappers release to ensure they don’t infiltrate and influence his own music. Highly appropriate for these times, title track ‘ Crimes Against Creation ’ is the stand out voice of this generation and his message to the world. ‘W arped perception, thwart connections, they force perfection, then claim the antidotes an injection...’ plays out and we begin to appreciate how the current situation is playing heavily on his mind. As the album progresses we get to see all sides of Coops’ personality with ‘Piss Poor’ reminding us of the raw gritty London lifestyle from which he has risen from, whilst ‘Profile’ demonstrates his softer more promiscuous side as well as touching on themes of fatherhood and online relationships.
Coops’ musical entry point begun by making music with his friends, but it wasn’t until he really looked at himself and the world around him when he decided he needed to go it alone, opening his mind and his solo stream of creativity which hasn’t stopped since. A self-proclaimed hermit he embodies the essence of a true artist and only finds comfort in doing what he loves, not what he is told.

The debut release from Detroit native DJ Holographic and Detroit transplant Alex Wilcox, Parallel Shiftingstrives to changeour thoughts so that we can breakfree fromnegative psychological programming. This feel-good EP aimsto reprogram the mind to be fresh and new. You may experience dimensionalshifts in your mind and reality as you defy space and time. Side effects of this may includereduced mental chatter and a better future selfand society.

A powerful and lofty goal such as this deserves a strong beat, and A-side “Parallel Shifting” delivers this in spades. Featured in DJ Holographic’s 2020 Mixmag Lab set, Holographic and Alex found themselves inspired by Thomos and Derrick Carter when crafting the track. “Parallel Shifting” is about shifting the gears in our minds and hearts, and allowing ourselves to be open to changes in how we perceive reality.

With “My Feels,” Holographic expresses her current attitude towards the connections between all of us. “Our feelings control our surroundings and reality more than we give them credit for. When we feel abundant, abundant things happen to us. However, if you feel empty, then you bring about empty situations. As a DJ, I do my best to be mindful of the feelings I project into a room, while also being mindful of everyone in the room with me. Everyone is coming in with different experiences, but when I play I want people to feel high vibrations.”

“Because Of Detroit” taps into the rich history of Detroit, which has informed Holographic and Alex’s own musical DNA. The seeds that we are all given in life are a product of our heritage. In order to bloom properly, it's important to know your full story and what kind of seed you are in this world’s vast garden. If you know how to properly nurture your seed, then you can take care of yourself and others. Knowing their roots helps both producers to grow stronger than their ancestors.

Hitchhiker is an independent record label out of Detroit that delivers a diverse range of sounds, and strings them together into a story that reflects where the artist has been, is presently, and where the future is taking them.

Duñe and Crayon have been working together for a few years now. Crayon, discovered by Kitsuné is a close relative of FKJ and Kartell. Duñe, on the other hand, has evolved with the duo Saje.

It was within the Roche Musique family that they met and naturally started working on a joint-EP in 2016, soberly entitled Duñe x Crayon. Both self-taught producers, Crayon and Duñe, former inhabitants of Parisian suburbs located at opposite positions, yet quickly found each other.

For their first album, they lock themselves in their studio day and night, until they choke. It would take them several years - interspersed with a few solo projects - for the two artists to give birth to Hundred Fifty Roses. An album through which they expose themselves, both in production and in writing but also in interpretation. On rhythms sometimes inspired by Anglo-Saxon sensuality, but with a production that is indie enough to infuse more warmth. A groove with a soft pop feel to which Thomas Clairice, former bass player of HER, also contributes. To accompany Duñe, bright voices were invited on six of the album's thirteen tracks : We hear French singer and rapper Ichon‘s velvet voice (whom Crayon also produces) on "Pointless"; Gracy Hopkins brings his soul on "Your fruit". Ph Trigano - another artist who produces Ichon - participates in "PS" along with Swing.
Lossapardo - with whom Crayon had already recorded on his solo projects - close the album with "Slowdiving". On the English side, we discover Jadu Heart, a duet signed on Anchor Point, Mura Masa's label, giving the replica on "Invisible". More than perfection, Hundred Fifty Roses resolutely seeks emotion. The album is the musical result of an open discussion in an intimate context, halfway between the live experience and the digital exercise.

Between Roads Vol.1 and Roads Vol.2, Thylacine composed the singles "Versailles" (256,000 views on Youtube) at the Palace of Versailles and "Anatolia" (387,000 views on Youtube) in Turkey which are grouped here with remixes by Jaffna and Sezer Uysal on the B side.

We also find on this EP the powerful and hypnotic track "War Dance" (438,000 views on Youtube).

Wow, this one's a biggie! Some smoothed out modern Soul for the discerning right here... dig it!
Released in 1980 Charles Johnson's ‎"Baby I Cried, Cried, Cried / Never Had A Love So Good" is a formidable double-sider, the A-side is a sweet slow jam where Charles lays it on the line in true grown man's fashion over a slick backdrop that is not a million miles away from some Philly style loving. The B-side is the big one though, a proper modern dancer, lovely production and the band is fully in the pocket. Drop this one and watch the dance light up, real music for the dancefloor! This particular 45 has long been a collectors item, and on a good day it can fetch hundreds on the Soul scene. This is a fully legit reissue, and features the classic golden Alston label artwork. A truly beautiful record, with each side primed to be played at the right time. Don't sleep!

Released with love and respect by: Above Board and TK Disco, Miami FL. 2020.

Digging deep into the annals of Gospel now, the name Pastor TL Barrett should be familiar to the eagle eyed crate diggers amongst you. An extremely "colourful" character from Chicago's Southside neighbourhood who found himself on the wrong side of the law for his involvement in some activities of a dubiously illegal nature, more importantly, besides this the pastor was widely known for his community activism and positive sermons preaching love and responsibility. Shady past aside, this fantastic 1976 LP entitled "Do Not Pass Me By" is a real Gospel beauty and features 8 tracks of resplendent hands in the air rejoicement. Having never been reissued before this rare as gem is finally back out in the open, complete with it's incredible untampered with sleeve artwork and design. Barrett's unique voice and message is timeless and instantly recognisable, you can't help but become one of the congregation whilst listening to these wonderfully rousing and positive paeans to the lord almighty. Saying that, even if you find yourself to be a non-believer, the soul, funk and jazz stylings (with the odd flourish of synth!) the good pastor is laying down will be equally as alluring to those of you who dig those particular sounds. "Do Not Pass Me By" was originally released on Miami's TK Disco offshoot Gospel Roots, it's the Pastor's second release on the label and is a beautiful snapshot of how things might have gone down at his "Mount Zion Baptist Church of Universal Awareness". A unique LP with with a somewhat lo-fi charm, the tracks contained run the gamut from slow, downtempo ballads to roof raising, danceable Disco-esque anthems.
This is the first time that "Do Not Pass Me By" has been reissued on vinyl, fully remastered from Gospel Roots/TK's original tapes, represented the way the the LP was issued in 1976 with all original cover and label artworks intact. Now, almost 40 years after it's original release the album has now been made available again for 2016, fully licensed in conjunction and with the full permission of Henry Stone music / TK Disco, Miami, FL.

Horse Meat Disco unveil the latest preview of their forthcoming album ‘Love & Dancing’ with ‘Message To The People’, featuring one of the main co-artists on the LP, Amy Douglas, alongside soul trio Dames Brown. A record that started as an adaptation of the Shirley Caesar original, recorded in the studio with the Dames; Horse Meat Disco and Luke Solomon then headed to Amy’s native Brooklyn, where she wrote her verses sat at the piano for this sublime disco jam. This 12” delivery features remixes from some of the genre’s most revered artists, each turning their hand at this labour of love. Up first, unrefuted master of the edit Danny Krivit delivers a blissful, club-friendly extended version, making full use of the longer playtime with an elegant, journey-like mix. The Key-A-Pella follows, an essential DJ tool that allows Amy and Dames Brown’s vocals to really shine. The funk-fuelled Michelle Mix kicks off the B-Side, an empowering, uplifting narration provided by a sample taken from none other than former First Lady Michelle Obama, inspired by Chicago legend Kelly G.’s creative sampling on his Deeper Message Groove mix, the track that closes out the release. Kelly’s mix is a soulful, grooving affair with dreamy keys you can’t help but move to.

Italian Disco remixer extraordinaire Moplen is back at the controls with a super sublime reworking of a wonderful and rare early 80's Leroy Burgess jam from the Salsoul vaults. 'Heartbreaker' is an underground classic, seeing Burgess back in the studio with longtime collaborator Sonny T. Davenport and Kiss FM mastermixer and producer Shep Pettibone on mixing duties. A tight and flawless early 80's production sensibility and the incredible vocal arrangements and lyrical performance of Leroy Burgess make this one a definite essential in any DJ's box. This is the real deal. If you dig that post-Disco electronic sound this one is for you, simply perfect in every way and quite tough to track down these days in its original form with copies reaching high figures on the second hand market. Needless to say, Moplen injects his own personal style into his remix and adds his unique flair creating an essential new version of this classic on the B-side. Always understanding, respectful and fresh, Moplen pumps 'Heartbreaker' in all the best ways, crafting a drum and bass heavy DJ version and new arrangement that you will be hearing for many years to come! Disco bliss.

This remix and reissue is 100% supported by Leroy Burgess, who dug Moplen's new vision of this 1983 classic. Fully licensed, sanctioned and released by Above Board distribution and Salsoul Records, 2020. Accept no imitations!

2020 Re-issue of Keith Kenniff's debut album under his Helios moniker. Originally only released on CD in 2004 via Miami based Merck Records, this album of hazy ambient electronica is now presented as a vinyl edition for the first time.

AllMusic Review by Joshua Glazer:

"Those who mistake ambient music for an endless tapestry of unwavering atmosphere, pleasant yet indistinguishable, should be handed as an argument to the contrary this album by a recent signee to Merck's rapidly expanding roster. Through 13 tracks of inarguably pretty music, Keith Kenniff displays the musical equivalent of a genius screen actor, able to send a million moods and messages with the most subtle of facial gestures. The opening pair of songs, "Velius" and "Cullin Hill," point to a blissful treat which sits on just the right side of new age symmetry (particularly given the former's live glistening piano treatment). But only eight beats into "Nine Black Alps," the sensation is irreversibly altered by a single, mournful bass note which rumbles like Hades against the bucolic tone that lead up to it. Unshackled, Kenniff continues to roam, drifting into circular beats on "Two Mark" before wandering off into weightless asphyxiation on "Samsara." He even allows for the organic sound of faint acoustic guitar and piano to join his endless travels, giving a moment of real world clarity at the eye of this hallucinogenic work. Few could get away with a singular ghostly voice transmission without implying a stretch for ideas, but by the time he reaches the song, "Suns That Circling Go," Kenniff is so recognized as an explorer that you cannot be surprised by where he may arrive next."

First time Repress "Greensleeves Records", 12” Classic from
1981- 2 more Roots anthems back to back!

• Both Sides mixed by Scientist at King Tubby’s in a 12” murder style
• Original Roots Radics drum & bass from reggae’s golden age
• Produced by Linval Thompson!

Following the last Ma.to's EP we joined forces with two artists taking care of music and artwork on the 4th release. The first one delivered by the infamous Italian legend Miki 'aka' Major Hypnotic Key Institute. His resume and collaboration's list are known and long enough to establish him as a pioneer and precursor of electronic and rave music since the 80s. 4 tracks ranging from slower hypnotic rhythms to speed-up marched techno/trance.

And for the occasion on the artwork we collaborated with friend and genius Conxi at Ivvoki Studio, the result speaks beautifully for itself. Proudly presenting this 4 track Ep with included a repress of an old work from Miki on Interactive Test and a Re-Edit of miki and 2Volt of an early work from the Italian synthpop electronic band A.T.R.O.X.

Well balanced music, techno / trance / minimal spreading pure 90s vibes from both sides but sounding so contemporary.

A Must! have.

C50 tape recording by Lowtec live at Meakusma ́16, that lead to the 12” BLUNDAR1.1 release. 100 hand numbered copies.

The ultimate freestyle box contains Johnny O - “Fantasy Girl” (Vinyl EP), Stevie B - “Hit Collection” (Vinyl 2LP), Johnny O - “The Very Best Of” (CD) and Stevie B - “Greatest Freestyle Collection” (CD).

Sadly, soul diva Betty Wright left us recently, on May 10th of this year, only 66 years old.

We pay a tribute to Betty with this unique 12” release, featuring 2 of her greatest hits.

“Tonight is the night” (yes, the famous full 8 minutes live version!) appears on the “A” side of this 12”, while on the AA-side it features the 7 minutes long and easy mixable “Disco Purrfection Remix” of “Where Is The Love” by Canadian DJ DiscoCat, now however edited to perfection by Ben Liebrand at a steady 128 BPM.

”Tonight Is The Night” is taken from the (previously top10 Billboard-) album “Betty Wright Live”, which vinyl-edition will shortly be re-released with bonus tracks on the High Fashion Music label.

New album from the Parisian producer.

Label say:
Because, at La Creme Garcia Club, a private circle of discerning smokers in Barcelona, Blundetto was in heavy rotation in the playlists. So heavy that these people of good taste for legal activity on this side of the Pyrenees yet prohibited from profits, had the idea of becoming the privileged partners of a new album. Without scrutiny, without intervention in the artistic, but with a single watchword: let Blundetto return to his first love of world sound.

The result is a stereo trip illustrated by Mossy Giant's artwork. A trip around the world without leaving your couch.
An offer that cannot be refused.

Ten years had passed since Bad Bad Things; it was the occasion to celebrate this decade by reviving its state of mind. The one who mixes collaborations, atmospheres, and styles. Exiled to the green, in musical autarky from several albums, Blundetto has therefore returned to the rhythm of city life and studios. He has changed his way of operating, opened his repertoire, and invited friends to new titles that he had written for them.

The circle of intimates already present on Bad Bad Things (Hindi Zahra, General Electric, Chico Mann) has widened to include regular accomplices (Biga Ranx) and to extend to artists with whom Blundetto felt an obvious connection (Crime Apple, Leonardo Marques). Guided by this roadmap written by Blundetto, all succeeded in painting with their colors and spreading their musical soul in the project, either taking the rhythmic direction of Brazil, Africa, or Latin America, getting dizzy in Jamaican fumes or chopping at the salient angles of hip hop.

Dive into the new openings of Clément Petit’s arrangements, now more sophisticated than those on which Blundetto evolved, and now capable of bringing an orchestral dimension made of strings and brass, creating a direct opening on the emotions, an automatic generator of images to accompany the soundtrack by the producer Blackjoy.

Whatever the orientation, each guest becomes a unique and essential part while Blundetto remains the common thread, the cement and the final varnish of a musical mosaic called Good Good Things.

Until Now, All Is Well is the latest track to be shared by The Nix, a loose collection of uniquely talented musicians corralled together by Nick McCarthy (ex Franz Ferdinand) and Seb Kellig around their Sausage Studio in east London.

Based around the original composition ‘Warm Canto’ by Mal Waldron, the track features founding member of the avant-pop band Stereolab Laetitia Sadier.

Out on Moshi Moshi Records, Seb of The Nix said about the making of the track:

A night at Sausage Studios and nothing falls into place...we talk, we laugh, we mess about. But the 'record' button remains un-hit.
Time is not on our side, we need inspiration, and we know where to find it:
We saddle our bikes and ride into the mild London night. Down to Homerton, along the Canal, passing Springfield, we end up in Tottenham.

The mighty Jah Shaka tears the place apart. Low ceilings, the place is filled with smoke and bass. One love, unity, another version....the mids, the tweeters - in perfect harmony. Familiar riddims, unknown dubs. Shaka on the wire.

We get back to Sausage as the sun rises. Our senses are numb. We can't hear, don't want to see, how good it feels not to be guided by ears but by the heart. We close the curtains and plug in.

SNK, Brave Wave Productions and Limited Run Games are proud to reveal their fifth collaboration, Generation Series 012: Fatal Fury for both CD and vinyl. Known as Garou Densetsu (餓狼伝説) in Japan and originally released for NEOGEO in 1991, Fatal Fury is one of SNK’s earliest, but also most popular 2D fighting games. The soundtrack, composed by TARKUN (Toshikazu Tanaka), features catchy and exciting tunes for each character in the iconic SNK fighters lineup.

This release marks the first time the soundtrack of Fatal Fury will be made available on vinyl. As with all Generation Series and other Brave Wave releases, this release will be remastered specially for vinyl, CD and digital (via a free download code included with the vinyl edition) and restored to the highest possible quality. The rest of the package will include our usual offerings, including high-resolution artwork and liner notes contained in a full-color booklet.

As a special bonus, Side B of the vinyl (the final track on the CD) will contain the track The Hero Raiden -ROF Arrange ver.-, which was originally featured in the 2015 mobile title The Rhythm of Fighters. The bonus track, an arrangement of the original song from Fatal Fury, was composed by TARKUN.

Two rare and mystery-shrouded party-in-the-house sides from 1976.

Willi J Coe’s Cleethorpes anthem ‘Boogie With Your Baby’ was a no-hit wonder that goes for around £100 if you can find a copy on the original shortlived Ki Ki label.

Produced by Willie J Key and arranged by Bob Holmes (Joe Tex / Freddie North / Slim Harpo) it’s a slice of funky party disco. A proper floorshaker. V Rare Function’s ‘Disco Function’ was originally on Soul Unlimited in 1976 and fetches around £50 a copy these days.

Sampled by Luke Vibert in more recent times, it’s a brass-stabbed party anthem with a nod to Kool And The Gang when they were funky.

n a career spanning 45 years, Leo Sayer has sold more than 80 MILLION records worldwide. ‘Living In A Fantasy’ is Leo Sayer’s 8th album, which reached #15 when originally released in 1980 and features the hit ‘More Than I Can Say’, which reached #2 on both sides of the Atlantic. This album was produced by Alan Tarney, who was riding high in the charts with his productions for Cliff Richard;
Alan and Leo wrote ‘Dreamin’ for Cliff. Leo Sayer has overseen his entire reissue programme and from reading the reviews from many of his sold-out concerts, he remains one of the UK's great singer/songwriters and performers of all time.

‘Débuts’ is France-via-Brussels duo, Nikitch & Kuna Maze’s aka Nicolas Morant & Edouard Gilbert first full length album. Building on their collaborative EP “Mush”, ‘Débuts’ continues to explore the melting point between jazz and club culture, interspersed with the signature sounds of broken beat, Chicago footwork, UK garage, Detroit house, and underpinned by their road-tested new live format.

‘Débuts’ see’s the band push their musical and creative development even further, a result of touring extensively around Europe with a live drummer, from high-brow jazz festivals to sweaty basement clubs. “We would be lying if we said our gig experience didn’t influence us on this record” Edouard explains. “We discovered new aspects to songs such as “Bruk” and managed to push forward the energy side of the music from the rawness of the live shows. This energy empowered to produce and compose new material in the same vein”.

Originally conceived by Danish beat maker KVBeats for his critically acclaimed debut producer album ""The Résumé"" (SoulSpazm 2010), the blazing Slum Village track ""We Do It"" featuring Elzhi & T3 gets officially remixed by legendary DJ Spinna and UK's own Jazz Spastiks for this limited edition 45 release. DJ Spinna has been a staple for the underground scene; handling highly praised remixes for Mary J. Blige, Michael Jackson, De La Soul, and Stevie Wonder. He collaborated with an array of lyrical giants such as Eminem, Talib Kweli, Pharaohe Monch, Mos Def, and many more throughout his career. This time the Brooklyn producer lends his signature spaced-out, genre crossing boom bap feel to the A-side of this 45, instantly taking the listener back to the great late 90's indie era. On the B-side, the Jazz Spastiks place their typical jazzy flavored sound behind this highly lyrical Slum Village track. The UK based production duo have released quality boom bap projects on a string throughout the last few years as well as re-introducing indie icon Godfather Don to the hip-hop scene in 2018 with a smashing album and two brand new singles. Both remixes are a sure treat for any 90's hip-hop follower.

An ultra-pitch non skip DJ scratch tool on vinyl by Ritchie Ruftone, with one side at 100 bpm and the flip side at 133 bpm.
Weighing in at 140 gms.

2020 reboot for Detroit's legendary Metroplex.

The Label Say "Cologne based producer Bas Grossfeldt has crafted an outstanding release perfectly aligned with Juan Atkin’s brilliant Metroplex aesthetic. As a relatively new name in the scene, Bas Grossfeldt’s music sounds as if it were the results of decades of focused experience in the studio.

With a background in installation, choreography and performance art, Bas Grossfeldt is the artists alias to focus on the musical side of things. His deeply rooted interest in the relation of space and body is also translated into his music. The fusion of spaced-out textures, rhythmical distortions, cold waves of synthesis, and enough modern production prowess ensures a release saturated with innovation and abundant imagination. A rare release for the seminal Detroit label, which also represents Juan Atkins’ interest in the arts world and new, different approaches.

The exchange between the label head and the artist, initially came to life because internationally renown conceptual artist Mischa Kuball, knowing Juan from a joint project, sent him the demo of Bas Grossfeldt. Especially intrigued by the track „Lost In Translation“, Juan and Bas started exchanging, approaching the record as an „art project“ and a classical EP at the same time, for example leading into the cover being made by Bas Grossfeldt/Søren Siebel himself and including numerous hidden references to the sound.

Each track embraces an incredible array of sounds and styles, from soundscapes to mind-bending Techno – all equally as effective for the brain as the dancefloor.

“Lost In Translation” opens the release with a cinematic piece of electronica permeating with frozen emotion and melancholic soul. The beautiful track captures a foggy morning’s haze, the first chill of winter with only a gentle kick-drum keeping the cold from completely taking over. It is also accompanied with a hypnotizing abstract video by film-artist Svenja Voß.

Continuing in a dubby, winter haze is “Lost In Sensation” which floats alongside a sharp, metallic rhythmic arrangement and a gentle, ever-present kick drum. Deep, heavily saturated atmospheric textures sleep underneath the sounds while lucid melodies float in and out.

“Your Orbit” rounds out the release with the most club-ready production. Disorienting melodies and gritty synths capture a dreamlike perception while a tough kick drum and clattering percussion drives the music deeper into undiscovered dancing territories just left of center. "

PATRICE YVONNE HOLLOWAY was born in Los Angeles and is perhaps best known as the younger sister of Motown’s Brenda Holloway, the darling of the Northern Soul scene, particularly in recent years. Patrice also signed to Motown and recorded an unreleased version of “The Touch Of Venus” made famous by Edna Wright (aka Sandy Wynns).
In the mid-sixties Patrice signed to Capitol records and recorded “STOLEN HOURS”, arranged by the great Gene Page and written and produced by his brother Billy Page – she was only 15 years old at the time. It failed to hit Stateside but some thirty years later it became a Northern Soul anthem of the nineties, although it was originally played in the early days of Wigan Casino.
Our chosen flip-side, the follow-up single, “LOVE AND DESIRE”, was also penned, produced and arranged by the Page brothers. It failed to even get a commercial release in the U.S. although it was released in the U.K. and commands big money in today’s collectors market. Her final 45 for Capitol came in 1972 and was a credible version of the Sam Nesbit classic “Black Mother Goose”. Sadly, ill health, forced Patrice to step back from performing and she died before her time of a heart attack in 2006.
Patrice was also known as ‘Valerie’, singer with the animated girl-band Josie And The Pussycats produced by Hanna-Barbera and aired on CBS in 1971. She would beome the first black character to regularly appear on U.S. commercial TV.

If you are passionate about local music scenes as much as we are you might already know about the current brood of great bands going on in Cardiff, Wales.
Chain Of Flowers were the first to hail from the Welsh capital, followed by related side projects such as Night Thoughts, more recently came Private World of which the two boys we’re about to introduce are also live members of.
A new wave/synth act from the same city called Plastic Estate is emerging this year.

The duo composed by Nicholas James and Stanley Fouracres have released a few digital singles in 2019 as they’ve opened for The Murder Capital at Sŵn Festival and played alongside the likes of M!R!M, Josiah Konder and The Love Coffin. This Place is their first physical release and it’s due on 7-inch vinyl and digital on June 19.

On the two songs that compose the single, Plastic Estate clearly draw influence from the best UK new wave and pop artists such as Dave Gahan, Paddy McAloon, Roddy Frame and yet there is a sophisticated casualness and an innate freshness in their songwriting that makes them not sounding dated at all.
Amazing composition skills for such a young band and a perfect balance between electronic dance elements and acoustic instruments allow them to pay homage to the above-mentioned masters and to be a perfectly contemporary group at once.

Although it’s possible to pick out some darker lyrics, the overall feel is up-beat and breezy. It’s a contrast that runs through a lot of their music – like a dichotomy between dark, melancholia and happier, brighter feelings.
Whether it’s a happy pop synth riff mixed with sombre lyrics or vice versa, the young Welsh duo is delivering the best 80’s-inspired modern pop craft.
RIYL: Echo & The Bunnymen, Prefab Sprout, Depeche Mode, Orange Juice, Wild Nothing.

Flaming Pie is the tenth solo studio album by Paul McCartney, first released in 1997.

Having been heavily involved in The Beatles' Anthology project, Paul had time to reflect on the standards he and his bandmates had set during their career, and applied these to what would become his first album in four years. Made in a much more spontaneous style, with songs recorded here and there, mostly on holiday, it's an album that luxuriates in its own sense of fun.

Featuring producers George Martin and Jeff Lynne, as well as musicians including Steve Miller, Ringo Starr and his own son, James McCartney, Flaming Pie would go on to become one of Paul's most acclaimed albums. Sales were brisk, with the album only kept from the Number 1 slot on both sides of the Atlantic by the cultural phenomenon that was the Spice Girls' Spice album.

Half-speed master of the remastered main album tracks cut over 2LPs for the first time

1LP of the Demos and Home Recordings
















o E1. The Song We Were Singing Home Recording
[p] E2. The World Tonight [Home Recording]
[q] E3. If You Wanna [Home Recording]
[r] E4. Somedays [Home Recording]
[s] E5. Young Boy [Home Recording]
[t] F1. Calico Skies [Home Recording]
[u] F2. Flaming Pie [Home Recording]
[v] F3. Souvenir [Home Recording]
[w] F4. Little Willow [Home Recording]
[x] F5. Beautiful Night [1995 Demo]
[Home Recording

Sydney Joe Qualls is a Southern born soul singer who was heavily influenced by Al Green and Sam Dees but had a sound and quality of his own. He signed to Dakar Records to release his debut album with a variation on the spelling of his first name. ‘So Sexy’ is one of the great soul albums released in 1979 on Chi-Sound recordings, where he masterfully sings 8 soul numbers including the cult classic ‘I Don’t Do This’. Reissued on 140g classic black vinyl with original artwork and printed inner sleeve.

Tachyon Audio 005 is another installment of the Mutations Volumes by Tachyon Audio creators

Nick Payne and Paradaux A1

The second track A2 Sputnik presented on vinyl as a locked groove.

B1 and spares no one as Inhabitants dive into a deep dark chasm of acid throttled driving rhythms with subtle yet apparent drums driving the track forward into the sci-tech space realm.

Mutations III closes with Mut19 an emotional pulsing and broken beat track featuring the vocal of U.S. free speech and civil rights activist
Mario Savio from a speec in Berkley CA in 1964.

Shanti Celeste is a vibe. She’s got that magic lightness of touch even when things are getting Jacques Cousteau deep or panel beating heavy. This makes her the perfect candidate for the Sound of Love International 3, channelling the spirit of both those after-hours sessions and the more frivolous daytime boat parties. This is serious music for serious music heads but, after all, everyone is still on holiday. It’s linear and cohesive but plays with the emotions -carnivalesque fun, psychedelic flow-states, heads-down rhythm trax, playful skipping garage, and more abstract moments. Deep joy to deep space and back, often in the space of 3 or 4 well-selected records.

There’s a deep musical and personal connection to the festival - as she says of her first time playing at the Beach Bar, “there’s a heavy Bristol crew there and it all feels easy and nice. It was just good
vibes all round”. And she does make it sound easy too, which belies a DJ with some very serious skills and an ear for a killer tune that others might well overlook. And it’s this that makes the 3rd instalment of the Sound of Love International such a joy - a welcome panacea to all of us suffering from the Croatian blues this year.

To which end, we get a cheeky exclusive collaboration between Shanti and her sister-in-arms Saoirse in the shape of ‘Solid Mass’. Persian’s uniquely British paean to the post-rave Sunrise ‘Morning Sun’, cavernous dub runnings outta the Bokeh camp from Seekers International. These are the lift- off tunes, setting the mind-state for the journey ahead.

Things tighten up with cult underground hero Lucas Rodenbush under his E.B.E alias giving us the taught, grooving, dubby tech-house and Gideon Jackson’s ‘Taj Mahal’, crisp, spatial, mystical and criminally slept-on. We go deeper into the night with Perpetual’s Awakenings’, one of those records that is so much more than the sum of its parts. And who knew that Mark Seven was such a dab hand with the dank machine funk? Check 1998’s ‘Crank’ for the skinny. By the time Paco Pack’s rubberised ghetto house reimagining bounces into play it’s GAME OVER.

The final side leaves us with the soft landing - Cari Lekebusch ‘Output 2’ is both pacey and drifting and Pauline Anna Strom’s ‘In-Flight Suspension’ does what it says, whips away the drums and leaves us floating in space. Will we ever touch down?

To overuse a phrase, this compilation arrives in strange times but is a glorious reminder of what brought us all together and will again. The music and dancing under the stars. See you in 2021.

The next release in the Phonica Special Edition series comes from Ukrainian duo Asyncronous who first came to our attention after hearing their critically acclaimed debut on Berlin label Slow Life, 'The Art of Fighting In A Dream'.
A Phonica favourite, it provided the soundtrack to many days in the shop throughout the year, culminating in its inclusion in our top ten Best Singles of 2019!

The Phonica Special Edition series is focused on one-off projects, special remixes or collaborations, highlighting music that is slightly left of the dance floor and pairing it with unique artwork.
This time featuring a beautiful piece by celebrated Ukrainian artist, Mykyta Storozhkov.
The pair initially joined forces in an effort to explore human imagination and life experiences through music, focussing on creating feelings and atmosphere rather than be constrained by genre limitations. The result on this EP is a hazy cosmic trip through their universe of synth swells, deep sub bass and meticulous percussion.

The journey begins on 'Padma Kirtanam' with a constant drone providing the backbone to a building tension scattered with drums. The tension releases and makes way for A2 'Shinkansen', a beautiful track with minimal drums and dubbed out synths which echo around the listener's ear. Closing the A side 'Volta' continues this aesthetic but adds a 4x4 kick drum upping the groove to a cosmic deep house jam.

'Avalanche' kicks off the B side of the record with a syncopated bass line and skitterish hi hats. The energy is at its highest level here and only stops to make way for the next track 'Blocks of Despair'. The tempo drops and drum hits reverberate above stretched out bass notes creating arguably the most heartfelt tune of the release.
The EP ends with 'Midnight Sun' an ambient excursion that invites you to drift off with Asyncronous into outer space.

Today we have many opportunities to discover the world and travel through it without leaving your own room. In the age of globalisation, with the help of knowledge, technology and imagination, you can instantly teleport yourself to mystical temples of India or see the sun above the polar desert at midnight. No more borders - we are connected like never before, as if we are not at different ends of the globe, but on a single and indivisible continent that is not mapped but exists in a plexus of global events, information flows and digital environment.
This is our common home. Our new Pangaea.

Conrad Van Orton and Jheal sign the third release for Eyes Have It, 30D sub-label that, as usual, explores the darkest, coldest and even suffocating side of the techno spectrum.

As it happened in the second release (‘Sei Tracce In Nero EP’ by Reeko & Group), the high contrast between both sides gives sense to the album, giving it a strange but perfect balance, this time quite more oriented to the dance floor. It’s for sure that some people will think that CVO and Jheal might use elements that at first sight might be familiar but, let’s be honest, both have the ability to make everything sound very original.

On the A side Conrad Van Orton, an Italian producer with a lot of experience in techno and the most experimental electronics, elevates the listening to a sonic musical experience, literally. The three tracks, although ‘Dysfunctional Organic Device’ is probably the best example, are pure techno brutality, as highly raw, energetic and obsessive as they are obviously functional. Three true ‘monsters’.

On the B side Jheal, a face already known to the label thanks to his brilliant participation in ‘Close Encounters 002’, brings melancholy (‘150 Wreaths’) and tons of introspection (‘Our Fathers’) to the record. It is not easy for industrial techno to sound as emotional as when Alejandro manipulates it, something especially remarkable for such a young producer. Congratulations.

Disco deliverance of the highest order once again from Moton Records Inc. Diesel and Dave Jarvis work their wonders on these three cuts with the A side taken in full by ‘US Lover’, a sleazed up, foot stomper of a boogie workout that’s straight sweltering from start to finish – just listen to that bass!

Flip it over to find two jazz funk gems made up of the beaming pinball concoction that is ‘Hysteric Glamour’, and the raw grooves, jaunty jazz keys and synth touches of ‘Marabou’. Essential, as always.

Originally written and produced as the centrepiece to his 2014 FabricLive compilation, Erol Alkan’s ‘Sub Conscious' arrives on 12” vinyl and to streaming platforms for the first time, accompanied by two charismatic remixes from Manfredas.

Shimmering and undulating, the original cut of ‘Sub Conscious’ was designed with Fabric’s cavernous main room in mind, taking full advantage of any finely tuned soundsystem with a patient, rhythmic trip. Remastered here, the track evolves out of hazy darkness towards halcyon euphoria in a uniquely Alkan style.

Resident at Opium Club in Vilnius, cult DJ and producer Manfredas provides two hugely creative and alternative takes on ‘Sub Conscious’. The first works hallucinatory magic with a supple bassline and much of Alkan’s original stretched and repurposed around vampish oscillations and a westward vocal sample.

On the contrary, the ‘Stream Of Consciousness' mix sees Manfredas pitch down and strum the bones of ‘Sub Conscious’, unexpectedly delivering a lovingly lethargic, bottom-heavy jam that’s pure dub-side pleasure.

For this project called 'the joint venture', Inner Shift are teaming up alongside Deep Explorer. This part on Inner Shift follows the first part which was released earlier this year on Deep Explorer. .Mahal. is a Japanese producer and dj with a history of playing music with previous releases on Rough House Rosie. The "Space Space Ep Part 2" contains 3 original tracks that dive into deep house with a more abstract edge. Red & Blue immediately captures your attention with original sensual guitar and vocal lines. Remix duties are courtesy of the Deep Explorers Above Smoke and Dubbyman taking Red & Blue into a broken beat downtempo space. On the B side Behind the Scene has a more abstract edge, and Mind Games with its driving acid bassline is complimented by lush chords keeping it warm and deep.

Re-release of the record originally released on 2016-02-05!

Remastered and cut by Rashad Becker at D&M Berlin and presented in an exact replica sleeve of the original 1966 release by Stephen O'Malley.

sales information: Black Truffle is honoured to present the first vinyl reissue of the classic debut album from AMM, AMMMusic. Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of its recording in 1966, this reissue makes one of the cornerstones of the experimental music tradition available again in its original form, replete with Keith Rowe's beautiful pop art cover and the terse aphorisms by the group that served as its original liner notes. A testament to the interaction between the experimental avant-garde and the countercultural underground, the album was originally released on Elektra, recorded by Jac Holzman (the label's founder, responsible for signing The Doors, Love, and The Stooges) and produced by DNA, a group that included Pink Floyd's first manager Peter Jenner. (Pink Floyd paid tribute to AMM's influence on their improvisational sensibility with the track 'Flaming' on their debut album, named after the piece that occupies AMMMusic's first side, 'Later During a Flaming Riviera Sunset').

Formed in 1965 by three players from the emerging British jazz avant-garde - Keith Rowe and Lou Gare had played with the great progressive big band leader Mike Westbrook and Eddie Prévost played in a post-bop group with Gare - AMM quickly evolved from a free jazz group into something decidedly more difficult to categorise. By the time these recordings were made, two more members had joined the group: another Westbrook associate, Lawrence Sheaf, and the radical composer Cornelius Cardew. Then at work on his masterpiece of graphic notation Treatise, Cardew brought with him extensive experience of the post-serialist and Cageian currents in contemporary composition. Using a combination of conventional instruments and unconventional methods of sound production (most famously Keith Rowe's prepared tabletop guitar, but also prepared piano and transistor radio), the group performed improvised pieces often running for over two hours and ranging from extended periods of silence to terrifying cacophonies.

Evan Parker famously described the improvisational logic of AMM's music as 'laminal', in contrast to the 'atomistic' approach more common among the generation of British improvisers (Bailey, Rutherford, Stevens and co.) to which he himself belonged. AMM improvised in layers: layers of sound subtly rising and falling or abruptly starting and stopping without being propelled by the implied pulse of free jazz improvisation. Rather than a pulse, AMM's music began with the sound of the room in which it was played, the Cageian anarchy of silence. By embracing the non-synchronous simultaneity of layered sound, AMM was able to create a musical container into which nearly anything could be incorporated at any moment: on AMMMusic, long tones sit next to abrasive thuds, the howl of uncontrolled feedback accompanies Cardew's purposeful piano chords, radios beam in snatches of orchestral music (and, on the LP's second side, an extended fragment of 'Mockingbird').

AMM's clearest break with jazz-based improvisation concerned the idea of individuality. Where improvised music has tended to foster the development of idiosyncratic stylists who move freely from one group to another, AMM, initially through an engagement with eastern philosophy and mysticism and later though a politicized communitarianism, sought to develop a collective sonic identity in which individual contributions could barely be discerned. In the performances captured on AMMMusic

the use of numerous auxiliary instruments and devices, including radios played by three members of the group, contribute to the sensation that the music is composed as a single monolithic object with multiple facets, rather than as an interaction between five distinct voices.

- Francis Plagne

Black Truffle is pleased to announce a new solo album by Eiko Ishibashi, her first for the label, following on from the duo recording Ichida alongside bassist Darin Gray. Hyakki Yagyō (Night Parade of One Hundred Demons) was produced for the ‘Japan Supernatural’ exhibition at The Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney focusing on ghost stories and folklore from the Edo period onwards. As with The Dream My Bones Dream (Drag City, 2018), the album is a response to troubling questions about Japanese history, and the influence of the past upon the present, but finds Ishibashi shifting further away from her earlier piano-led songwriting and showing a deepening interest in electronics and audio collaging.

The two sidelong parts of Hyakki Yagyō feature layered synthesisers, acoustic instrumentation, recited verse and field recordings, at times densely mixed but always with a subtle interplay of changing elements. The influence of European and American forerunners as diverse as Alvin Curran, David Behrman and Strafe Für Rebellion can be traced, yet at the same time Ishibashi evokes the flute and string sounds associated with Japanese storytelling, and draws directly on the subversive literary tradition of Kyoka (‘mad poetry’) with a verse by the 15th-century poet Ikkyū Sōjun repeated throughout the album. Revisiting what has gone before, re-thinking what is possible musically, as a way of articulating what else might be possible in the future.

As Ishibashi’s liner notes make clear, the album reflects an attention to persistent dangers, myths and evasions in Japanese culture – as well as the lurking uncertainties that might threaten positive change. This would seem to be manifested in the emerging melodies soon met by dissonance, erratic collisions and near silence, as well as the eerie manipulation of the double-tracked vocals. Ishibashi’s underlying concerns ring true more widely of course. Hyakki Yagyō is a work of multiplicities, and mystery, a landscape where nothing is as it seems at first, and everything is vulnerable to sudden violent interruptions.

The album was produced with regular collaborators Jim O’Rourke (double bass) and Joe Talia (percussion), and features dancer and choreographer Ryuichi Fujimura performing Ikkyū’s satirical tanka. O’Rourke’s immersive mix creates a three-dimensional effect, with Ishibashi’s various sound sources enmeshing and interacting in captivating ways.

Pressed on coloured vinyl and presented in a deluxe package with an inner sleeve featuring and artist portrait and liner notes from Eiko Ishibashi. Cover and label design by Shuhei Abe.
Back cover design by Lasse Marhaug. Mixed and mastered by Jim O’Rourke.

key selling points:

- Black Truffle is pleased to announce a new solo album by Eiko Ishibashi, her first since her acclaimed 2018 Drag City release The Dream My Bones Dream.

- This album finds Ishibashi shifting further away from her earlier piano-led songwriting and showing a deepening interest in electronics and audio collaging.

- Hyakki Yagyō (Night Parade of One Hundred Demons) was produced for the ‘Japan Supernatural’ exhibition at The Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney focusing on ghost stories and folklore from the Edo period onwards and is a response to troubling questions about Japanese history, and the influence of the past upon the present.

- Produced with regular collaborators Jim O’Rourke (double bass) and Joe Talia (percussion), O’Rourke’s immersive mix creates a three-dimensional effect, with Ishibashi’s various sound sources enmeshing and interacting in captivating ways.

- The two sidelong parts of Hyakki Yagyō feature layered synthesisers, acoustic instrumentation, recited verse and field recordings, at times densely mixed but always with a subtle interplay of changing elements, hinting at an influence of European and American forerunners as diverse as Alvin Curran, David Behrman and Strafe Für Rebellion.

- Pressed on coloured vinyl and presented in a deluxe package with an inner sleeve featuring an artist portrait and liner notes from Eiko Ishibashi. Mixed and mastered by Jim O’Rourke.

Jori Hulkkonen was born and raised in a small town named Kemi with a population of 20,000, in the north of Finland. Since the early 80s, his musical influences have been on the side of electronic music, quite eclectic style for a 10-year-old boy who grew up in this period still marked by the seal of the Cold War. At the end of the 1980s, Jori's passion for electronic music was reinforced when he discovered its most abstract and minimal part: techno from Detroit and House Music from Chicago. Excellent DJ, he played in the best clubs and festivals in Europe. Jori Hulkkonen is an artist well known and extremely respected in the Nordic countries for his pioneering status, with his love of music and his involvement in making it known.

"AVALPBOX4", Limited Edition- 1.000 Copies' 28-Page Hardback-Book: 10" Vinyl, Hand signed Programme, Tour Poster & DVD.

By the time The Beatles travelled to Blackpool for the first time,
they had toured with the legendary American singer, songwriter, Roy Orbison; recorded several BBC radio shows, including Saturday Club, Easy Beat and Pop Go The Beatles; appeared on many, highly popular television programmes; released their debut album, Please Please Me and issued their first three EMI singles, ‘Love Me Do’, ‘Please Please Me’ and ‘From Me To You’.

Their fourth, ‘She Loves You’ had just been recorded and mixed ready for release. It was an exciting time for the band so, when they reached the popular, seaside resort for the first time, on 7th July 1963, optimism was filling the air. This stunning AVA Editions collectors pack contains a 10" Record feat. two appearances made by the Beatles on the ABC television show, Blackpool Night Out; an impressive 28-page book, crammed full of previously unseen colour images of the group and a high-quality reproduction of an original, 1963 concert programme signed by Skiffle legend, Chas McDevitt, who supported the Beatles on several occasions.

Also included is a full colour A3 poster and an exclusive DVD feat. a new, 30-minute interview with him, alongside his previously unseen, candid, colour footage of the group backstage, and in performance at the ABC Theatre in August 1963.

So too is a unique, fully colorized version of their 17-Mins. appearance before the cameras for Blackpool Night Out in August 1965. For Beatles and music fans alike, this pack serves as a wonderful opportunity to own a unique slice of music history.


*** Side A: Recording 19th of July, 1964
*** Side B: Recording 1st August, 1965

The first-time teaming of Poland’s dynamic Marcin Wasilewski Trio and bigtoned US tenorist Joe Lovano brings forth special music of concentrated, deep feeling, in which lyricism and strength seem ideally balanced.

The alliance plays four new tunes by Marcin and one by Joe, as well as Carla Bley’s classic “Vashkar” (in two variations), plus collective improvisations with strong input from all four players; Slawomir Kurkiewicz’s bass skills are particularly well-deployed in the spontaneous piece “Arco”. Joe will be joining the Polish trio for a number of selected concerts in the autumn.

Arctic Riff was recorded at France’s Studio La Buissonne in August 2019, and produced by Manfred Eicher.

Personnel: Joe Lovano: tenor saxophone; Marcin Wasilewski: piano; Slawomir Kurkiewicz: double bass; Michal Miskiewicz: drums

Visions Recordings present here two new jams from Alex Attias productions with a collaboration featuring long-time friends Mark De Clive-Lowe, Justin Chapman AKA Just One and Hajime Yoshizawa.The A side is a latin house bossa organic track with Justin on vocals and guitar over beautiful lush Rhodes and synths played by the incredible Japanese musician, Hajime Yoshizawa. The track is a 10 minutes’ journey into a jazzy soulful vocal jam. A summer vibe to warm us up before the sun comes back.on the B side, Mark de Clive-Lowe delivers keys and piano sounds on top of Alex ‘s funky and groovy mpc house beat for maximum impact on the dancefloor. Two strong tracks to have in your collection for those who love house music with soul and jazz.

ANNA HOMLER & ALESSIO CAPOVILLA - VASI COMUNICANTI

Vasi Comunicanti is the oneiric record born from the collaboration between L.A. performer and avant-garde artist Anna Homler and Alessio Capovilla, co-founder of Gang of Ducks.

Alessio Capovilla (1985, Turin, Italy ) is an Italian composer interested in sound modelling.
Imperfect sounds, unpunctual distortion and unsuitable atmospheres are constantly researched by Alessio.
A dialogue between ancient tools and new technologies through synthesis, computer music and field recording, crossing beats and genres towards something not easily definable.
Co-founder of the collective Gang Of Ducks, on which he's published two releases ("NO" and "Eocity") under the moniker of XIII, alter-ego through which he mainly examines the most tactile and digital part of his sound.


Anna Homler is a multy-disciplinary artist working on a blurred line between music, performance, spiritual and visual arts and giving birth to several different projects.
In 1985 she released, in collaboration with composer Steve Moshier, the seminal album "Breadwoman & Other Tales", shamanic and meditative songs brought to life with astonishing live performances.
The record was then re-released in 2016 by NYC label RVNG Intl, bridging the gap with a new generation of listeners, discovering the universal and unique world of Homler.
Capovilla, who was born in the same year of the original release, is one of them. His work focuses on imaginary landscapes and oneiric feelings. He has released two records on Gang of Ducks with his XIII moniker, dedicated to his digital and more computer-oriented sound.
The two of them met for the first time for an improvised live performance in Torino in 2017, after which they decided to spend studio time together exploring where this connection could lead.

The record flows along 5 tracks, with Capovilla taking care of synths, drums programming and audio engineering, and Homler singing in her melodic phonetic language, mixing unique voice and sound effects .

"De'la cocce" moves around on a slow quasi-dub rhythm accompanied by whistle and vocal interventions. In "Ricordo" Anna's voice is more prominent, travelling through a digital dimension made of flutes, Buchla Music Easel sequences and rainsticks.
The B side starts with "Bread Dance", where different layers of vocals and drums repeat themselves in an obsessive and haunting atmosphere.
"Be'ya Sa'di" is an ambient and cinematic piece, which quietly introduces "Mem", the most emotionally and intense song of the collection, transporting the listener into a different dimension.

The whole record creates a world with no geographical coordinates, where humans meet their primary feelings in a suspended time, escaping the present and the intelligible world.

The second release from Wax Ninja, a Moscow-based record-shop-turned-record-label, is the longed-for gem cut by Artem Xio, the humble leading light of the local underground scene. Can't Stop Now EP is a universal musical weapon, perfect for a DJ bag in which a variety of genres - from hip-hop and jungle to garage house and techno - coexist peacefully. Each side reflects Xio's stages of formation: not only as a collector, DJ and artist, but primarily as a an educated listener with a sensitive ear. The title track Can't Stop Now was written in 2010 to be rethought 10 years after and become a house banger powered by emotionally charged vocals. The dramatic opus that is Crucial Moment pleases with its Detroit-style anguish, while the U Took My Love, an ode to electric organ, gives out some proper Jersey house vibe. Raw and heavy, True School was born out of an unreleased remix for the local rap group, and finally Now U Know takes you back to the beginning of 00s thanks to Cream Soda d'n'b rework. In other words, this "unstoppable" EP is a true delight both for nostalgic old school heads and for those who expect some quality time on the dancefloor.

DJ Feedbacks: (please find all feedbacks in the pdf sheet)
Laurent Garnier: “GREAT EP -- Love the whole thing”
Tensnake: “can't stop now is big thanks”
Robert Owens: ''cool tracks!"
Ka§par: "“For me the house tracks are fun and all, but it's the
Cream Soda jungle mix that's got me into this release,
thanks!”
Anja Schneider: “Great thx .”
Portable: “Wonderful summer vibes post lockdown!”
Black Madonna: “Nice!”
Moodsetter: “Damn Yeaaah !!!
This is classic New York underground sound...
what a vibe !!!
I just L. O. V. E. I. T !!!

2LP: Gatefold with colored vinyl, Side AB: translucent Purple / Side CD: translucent Green. 12x24 inch fold out insert

Velvet is Adam Lambert's ode to 70's, guitar driven rock and funk music done with a modern twist and accentuated by his distinct and incredible voice. Best known as an international superstar who blew the world away on the eighth season of American Idol. Since then he's gone on to have a fully-fledged solo career, and tour the world with Queen. In addition to his musical achievements, he became the first openly gay artist to chart with a number one album in the US and Canada.

A follow up to 2018’s Jazz On The Corner which has now sold over 10,000 copies, and last year’s equally successful Soul On The Corner, this compilation see Martin and Eddie return to the world of jazz for another bite at the cherry after Volume one was declared to be “the best jazz compilation of the last 20 years” by Jazz FM’s Chris Phillips

The concept came from a radio show that Freeman and Piller put together for BBC Radio 6 Music which was so well received that the pair decided to dig deep into their record collections and build a double album of some of their favourite tracks.

The concept is simple: an album packed full of jazz gems which they hope are slightly off the beaten track. This year we have hidden gems from Nina Simone and Nicola Conte, classics from Roberta Flack, Roy Ayers and The MJQ, whilst the new British jazz generation is represented by Emma Emma-Jean Thackray. Running the gamut from hard bop, to progressive fusion via Latin beats, it’s an exhilarating listen from start to finish.

"Cramp Your Style" by All The People surely belongs among the canon of all time funk standards, sampled aplenty over the years, included on numerous compilations as well as being the recipient of cover versions from Breakestra and Killer Meters. Originally issued on the Blue Candle label back in 1972, a newly remastered edition of that 7" is now available for any funkateers out there without the 45 in their collections already. Robert Moore's yearning vocal sounds all the better for it too! And don't sleep on the bluesy delights of B side track "Watcha Gonna Do About It?".

South African disco double sider with tracks by the Street Kids from 1983! Holds the synth heavy low tempo ''Game no.''1 and on the flip the mid tempo ''Last Night You Moved Me''.. end of the night tune.. LYRICS!.. Sounds really phat!!!

On this third, consecutive 7" for Knekelhuis they showcase a slightly darker side, undoubtedly influenced by these current viral times. Still, shadows are always in need of light. These two anxious tunes are full of metal clanking, eerie synths and rolling basslines taking you straight into industrial territory, albeit with avant-pop leanings. De Ambassade will firmly hold their ground in the dead of night until the smoke clears and the agony of daylight returns.

"Electronic landscape" tells a story. The heartbeat is so strong within the deep darkness and is waiting for some love and the joy of the next rendez-vous.

Mechanic will bring you into this world side by side with an extraordinary remix of DJ Surgeles.

Limited picture disc edition!

Coming next on the Brookside imprint is a double sided, colour vinyl 12” banger featuring two new versions of First Choice’s epic “Armed and Extremely Dangerous” reworked and dubbed out by none other than Hot Mix 5 & Chicago House legend Ralphi “The Raz” Rosario.

Ralphi returns to Brookside and updates the track with a brilliant reworking on the drums and vocals, while adding a soulful keyboard track to give it an updated feel. Flip it over to the B Side and we have a new version of “Love & Happiness” remixed from the original multi track tapes by NY DJ/Remixer Mike Maurro who takes the track to over 10 minutes with instrumental extensions and beefed up drums keeping it respectful to the original as always.

Produced by and dedicated to the late legendary Reid Whitelaw.

Newcomer Hekla releases her uniquely beautiful debut album for solo theremin and voice Á through Phantom Limb Records - run and curated by former FatCat Records, Thrill Jockey and Royal Albert Hall execs James Vella, Ken Li and Mark Pearse.

A Berlin-residing Icelander, Hekla's sparse, delicate, fractal music exists within these two worlds: dark and magical as Iceland's permanight folklore; and (though beatless) as deeply sonic and intense as Berlin's electronic scene. A long-term scholar of solo theremin, Hekla (shortened from her own name Hekla Magnúsdóttir) uses her instrument as an otherworldly and highly evocative Siren-call. A spectral, wailing, howling, lamenting yearning second-voice that underpins a soft vocal delivery, as if her studio had been haunted with a chorus of ghostly backing singers.

While a handful of reference points share a similar ground to Á - Colleen's interplay of voice and instrumentation; the richly immersive filmscore work of sadly passed fellow Icelander Jóhann Jóhannsson's; 'grandmother of theremin' Clara Rockmore's close relationship with such a singular instrument; Julia Holter's intelligent and classically-aligned songwriting - Hekla's music still exists singularly. A one-off talent, emerging from no particular scene, ascribing to no particular rules.

As a creative tool, the theremin - bizarre, unique, rarely heard - can be expressive, intuitive and highly adaptable. In Hekla's hands, her instrument covers an enormous range, from skittering birdsong of high frequency chirrups and chirps, to grinding, tectonic sub-bass. We are given the throbbing, apocalyptic dread of 'Muddle' and the baroque beauty of traditional Icelandic hymn 'Heyr Himna Smiur' in sequential tracks on the album's a-side. Appropriately, she also writes that the album title - Á - is similarly multifaceted in her native Icelandic: 'a river is an á and also it means ouch like when you hurt yourself, and also when you put something on top of something you put it á (on) something.'

The album was written and self-recorded by Hekla in her home studio in Berlin around her son's daycare schedule. Icelandic super-musician Mr Silla (a part-time múm member) guests on a number of tracks. Tallinn-based engineer Jose Diogo Neves - a stalwart of Icelandic and Portuguese music - mixed and mastered Á.

James Vella formed Phantom Limb in June 2017 after eight years in A&R for FatCat Records. Mark Pearse (formerly head of contemporary music programming at the Royal Albert Hall) and Ken Li (formerly of Thrill Jockey, now of Nettwerk) joined the team shortly after.

Fusing dexterous hand-percussion, hypnotic guitar riffs & soaring melodies, Waaju rise from London’s rich cultural palette with their latest album ‘Grown’, proving UK Jazz doesn’t have to sound the way we expect it to. Led by drummer and percussionist Ben Brown (Alfa Mist, Dizraeli, Ashley Henry), the band comprises percussionist Ernesto Marichales (Jordan Rakei, Sigala), guitarist Tal Janes (Nubiyan Twist, Bahla), Sam Rapley (Fabled, Maria Chiara Argiro) and Joe Downard (China Moses, Judi Jackson), each with their own strong presence on the UK’s extensive music scene. Waaju’s refined and divergent sound connects the dots between the likes of Ali Farka Touré, Alain Peters, Los Muñequitos de Matanzas, Oscar D’Leon and Beth Carvalho. Waaju formed as a means of exploring music’s hidden connections, from trance-inducing Moroccan Gnawa to Caribbean carnival music, and embracing them to reflect different shades of London’s own musical culture. It was the band’s love for Mali’s folk music – and Ali Farka Touré’s stylistic prowess in particular – that first set the project in motion. London’s Jazz Cafe invited Waaju to reinterpret classic tracks from Farka Touré’s catalogue to sold-out audiences in 2018 and 2019. According to Brown: “Ali’s one of the best. He has such a unique sound. His playing is so gnarly. His spirit and attitude are things I always think of when making music.” Waaju (meaning ‘to urge, inspire or influence to take action’ in Malian language Bambara) blends pulsing Latin polyrhythms, psychedelic Malian blues licks and cinematic textures. Following the group’s 2018 self-titled debut record, Grown presents a group more unified and distinctive-sounding than ever with six fresh, bold compositions. The record begins with Moleman, a potent reminder of the intricacy and energy Waaju’s become known for. Gritty, clattering metal defines the landscape for sizzling builds, hinting at rave culture styles like Bashment and Jungle. Listening Glasses follows and it’s clear why this is the album’s lead single – its Afrobeat-like energy and joyful interplay between guitar and tenor sax lies somewhere between Tony Allen’s grooves, Chimurenga guitar and Headhunters’ funk. On late night jam Rollando, Joe Downard’s skulking bass frequencies rule and wonkiness reaches new heights as heavy dub grooves almost tear themselves apart. Time’s Got a Hold was co-written by Waaju and Jordan Rakei for a show together in November 2018. Kicking off side B, this version features special guest vocalist Will Heard over bouncing triplets evocative of 1970’s Sega from La Reunion. A kind of looseness found only at night, the quiet drive of Wassoulou is sparse yet purposeful. Pulling back the tempo and dimming the lights, cavernous percussion fills each corner of the room, springing back as spectral reverbs. The title and final track shows the many dynamic sides of the outfit’s far-reaching sound, with its expansive harmonies and explosive psychedelia, spanning Yoruba Andabo to Hendrix, signing off an exciting and energetic second LP from Waaju at their most scintillating.

Waxtime Boxset Series Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong - The Essential Albums ‘Ella & Louis’ and ‘Ella & Louis Again’ Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald were capable of producing magic that few jazz singers could match.

Their infrequent studio collaborations yielded true masterpieces. After cutting several sides backed by big bands for Decca in the late forties and early fifties, Ella and Louis were summoned by producer Norman Granz in 1956-57 to make three albums that would become legendary jazz classics. This 3-LP set compiles their two complete small group albums, Ella & Louis (Verve MGV4003) and the 2LP set Ella & Louis Again (Verve MGV4006-2).

Ella & Louis *****Down Beat “Ella & Louis is one of the very, very few albums to have been issued in this era of the LP flood that is sure to endure for decades.” (Nat Hentoff) Voted number 636 in Colin Larkin’s All Time Top 1000 Albums

Ella & Louis Again (2lp Set) ***** Down Beat “This set is more relaxed and more successful than their previous cooperative venture. It can hardly fail to break sales records for them both.” (Leonard Feather)

DJ Support and positive Feedback by the likes of
Laurent Garnier, Dixon, Ame, Adriatique, Ian Pooley, Timo Maas, Trikk, Frankey & Sandrino, Sacha, The Drifter, Severino (Horse Meet Disco), Alex Dallas (Zukunft Zürich),
Yør Kultura, Lehar, Denis Horvat, BOG, Echonomist, Fred Everything, Luca Bachetti, Karotte, Roberto Rodriguez…

We're happy to announce the fourth chapter of our sought-after Outbound series which also marks Lossless' second release in 2020. After two extended chapters of Outbound, fully showcasing our labels artist roster, Outbound.4 is a crisp double A-Side affair - featuring two killer Techno workouts courtesy of our French stalwart Anthony George Patrice followed up by two Deep/Dub House delights delivered by Son Dos.

Without a doubt, Berlin based frenchman Anthony George Patrice steadily adjusted and developed his sound to a higher level over the last years. His contribution on Side A - "DBZU (Eine Brücke Zum Übermenschen)" and "Crowned Eagle" exposing new artistic shades and Anthony's ability to take you on a sonic journey and soak you into his rich and driving deeper Techno soundscapes.

Side AA belongs to Son Dos - a creative power plant by two Sweden born men: Barcelona based Marco Gegenheimer and Tapia J. Arriagada living in Malta. The duo already caused a stir with their debut "Children Of Almost" on Outcast Oddity. Marco also released some great music on Studio Barnhus as one half of MLiR!
On our Outbound.4 the guys showcase two amazing cuts originated from fruitful studio jams.

The beautiful "Cala" is hypnotizing us in deep, meditative balearic territories while her powerful brother "Maffio" might have had a little testosterone injection along the way and moves us straight onto the dancefloor. Both tunes are capable to unveil their power outdoors just as much as they will in a sweaty basement!

Son Dos quoting on Anthony George Patrice's tracks:
"These songs sound like a Movie score to us, a soundtrack taking you further and further into an unexplored forest: ...you are on a mission ... chugging drums, haunting strings and rolling percussion guide you... your heartbeat intensifies, with each step that you take...
all of a sudden, the floor underneath you turns into flowing geometrical patterns and you start falling...
a voice tells you "Happiness Is A Miisunderstanding", and the fear you had leaves your mind...you connect yourself with a higher power and realise why you started this mission in the first place"

Anthony George Patrice quoting on Son Dos tracks:
"Lovely balearic yet powerful atmosphere on "Cala"… Head flies and shoes get used. All that you wish for!" ...
"Hands in the air for "Maffio"! Here comes the peaktime booming system. Simple, efficient yet super interesting and deeply rooted dance floor killer. This is ace!

Motown soul artist David Ruffin had one of the finest voices of the 60s and 70s, primarily as lead singer of The Temptations. He also recorded as a solo artist across three decades, and while still at Motown in 1977 recorded an album “In My Stride” with writers/arrangers/producers Van McCoy and Charles Kipps. Both the sides on this 7” release come from the album and are among the most enduring recordings by David the solo artist. “I Can’t Stop The Rain” has become increasingly more collectable on 7”, while “Questions” has never previously been available on 45.

Blue Vinyl

After 2 years as ROCKSTEADY DISCO head honcho, PETER CROCE makes his 12" debut with "REVIVAL", which features a speech by REV. WILLIAM BARBER II as well as Peter's own electric bass performance. The A side is the main mix while the flip gives us beat and a capella versions.

Decha’s Hielo Boca LP was released in early 2019 and quickly was embraced by many as an exceptional experi- mental yet very personal and soulful piece of art. Artist Viktoria Wehrmeister (half of renowned duo Toresch along- side fellow Düsseldorfian Tolouse Low Trax) is already working constantly on her sophomore album for Malka Tuti that will come some time in the near future. In the meantime, longtime fans of Viktoria, many friends of the label asked to participate in the remix project that fol- lowed Hielo Boca. On this record we will present 4 remixes that are as imag- intive, inspirational and clever as the original composition. Tapan, Eva Geist, Khidja & Philipp Otterbach took upon themselves to reconstruct Viktoria’s ideas in very surpris- ing, intriguing and “out of the box” ways.

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.

Phil Collins revisits a career that can boast over 100 million sales and numerous worldwide #1 albums. Both Sides will be remastered by Nick Davis, who earned a Grammy nomination for Best Surround Sound album for his work on the Genesis '1970-1975' box set. Davis has also worked on all of the Genesis retrospective reissues.

Entirely curated and compiled by Collins himself, his idea for this release is to examine how his songs have evolved over time, with the majority of the additional content throughout these releases focused on live versions of the tracks. By contrasting the original studio versions of the material with later performances, the series demonstrates how Collins' songs take on a life of their own once they're freed from the confines of the studio.

Originally released in December 1989, '...But Seriously' features many of Collins' biggest hits and was one of its era's biggest selling albums. In the UK, it spent a total of 15 weeks at #1 during an extended run of almost a year in the Top 10 en route to becoming the biggest selling album of 1990. The album campaign culminated with his fourth and fifth BRIT Awards for British Single ('Another Day in Paradise') and British Male.

Luar Domatrix (Rudi Brito) is perhaps more recognizable as half of the artsy-duo Yong Yong that emerged in 2012. After a long season spent in Glasgow, and with editions by Naivety (Naive’s sublabel of Inês Coutinho aka Violet) , Sucata Tapes (Discrepant) and with a track inserted in a VA from 12th Isle, comes back to Lisbon (his hometown) clearly soaked by the sounds of the Scottish industrial center.

“Baía Stamina”, produced in Glasgow, is strongly inspired by the local club scene and evokes the utopia of a heavenly bay somewhere in Italy. Although always looking to bend the barriers of that “squarish” side of dance music, “Baía Stamina” is a dance record. It starts with “Bo Teias”, a track full of percussive elements and unusual sound effects that presents itself as a hymn of the “Baía Stamina” - pure boilling energy. “Take” is the least functional theme on the record. Metal percussion layers are overlapped over a string, creating a certain unrest and discomfort. A vocal incites consumption ("Take, Take, Take") to the point that a pad clears the way for liberation creating a more relaxing and dreamy ambience.

Closing the A side “Bo Teias” gets a remix from the Glasgow duo General Ludd, with whom Rudi used to live. In this version, and as the name implies, “Bo Teias (Gen Ludd Disco Problem Remix)” moves the focus away from the dance floor, ands transforms itself into a rhythmic exploration over the void, punctuated by some recognizable elements. “Outra Face” is a track made to blow up soundsystems! Anchored in distortion and in a broken beat led by the kick of the infamous TR-808 there is an almost epic vibe to it, that shows the confidence that Rudi Brito has acquired in his relaxed production style. “Heavven” closes the record in a completely British tone. The soulful vocal reminiscent of some garage tracks, echoes Bristol production and a time when dubstep producers decided to lower their bpms to something closer to the house. Without ever rushing the theme moves through different sonic landscapes and electronic glitches until a Portuguese voice announces “Acabou-se a brincadeira” (“Playtime is over”). This is peaktime; it's time to go dancing.

With this collection of deeply personal tracks, I wanted to reconnect to my inner emotions and to my love of melody, showing my most introspective and passionate side. Locking myself away in my studio, surrounded by vintage analog machines and acoustic instruments, my desire was to create a late night journey of contemplative experiences in music.

Drifting away from the harder, dancefloor oriented sound, this concept album reveals a thoughtful observation on the state of our world today and on these times of turmoil and uncertainty, ending with a positive message of hope and peacefulness".

Welcome to the funky zone of Boogie Butt, the label that brings you the bass with some musical flavor and boogie synthesizers. On this 4 tracks EP cooked by Lord Funk, you’ll find on A side “Blow Your Mind” featuring Djazzafonk on guitar & jam synths and “Knock Me Out” a killer P-Funk. On B side, you’ll have between the dope boogie of “Luv Girl” or, last but not least, “Do It (If U Like)” for the hypest dancefloors. Don’t miss it!

Ragoo Records celebrates its debut on wax with an highquality record, “Break It Down”. The release features an
original cut from Astratto & Brine plus three stunning
remixes from the best young talents in the Italian house
scene. Recorded and fully composed on the first day they
met in the studio, the Original Mix is a dusty deep house
jam perfect for the club or for chillin’ wherever you want
to. For Astratto, Ragoo Records co-founder, this
represents his first official vinyl release. Brine has
delivered hot tracks through the infamous Irma and has
recently appeared on Boogie Cafè Records and Trend
Records. On the A2 Sam Ruffillo offers an impressive
remix that merges the Original to the land of jazzy vibes
with some smooth Rhodes and an extra groovy bassline.
Over the last years Sam Ruffillo has been releasing great
EPs via Irma Records and the Bristol-based Boogie Cafè.
DJ Rou’s remix occupies the flip side with a real classic
deep house joint full of warm pads and rolling drums. Chief of L'Archivio record store in Bologna, charismatic DJ and
outstanding producer, DJ Rou has released his music
through labels such as Bosconi Records, Cognitiva, Red
Rooster and Daphian Prod. The B2 remix is produced by
D’Arabia, Red Rooster founder and House of Disco
affiliated artist, who accomplishes an hot groove
explosion, with a special Jamiroquain feeling, perfect for
burnin’ the dancefloor. This EP is intended to be a
snapshot of Bologna’s house music scene. All artists
featured on it are based in the city and contribute to its
musical landscape.

Suction Records welcomes Roger Semsroth back to the label - having previously released 2 full-length albums with us under his retired electro-pop alias, Skanfrom. “Grøndal” (suction051) is the debut vinyl release under a new alias, Nordvest.

These days, Semsroth is best-known for his stark and minimalist techno project, Sleeparchive. The material on Grøndal - icy, melodic, and mostly beatless - is comprised of tracks that were originally released digitally as Sleeparchive, via Bandcamp. The releases were met with general disinterest from Sleeparchive fans, prompting Semsroth to re-brand them as Nordvest, before removing them from Bandcamp altogether.

We’ve chosen 11 highlights from 3 of those digital albums, “Rooftops & Chaotic Streets”, “Scribbles”, and “Sleepless”, for a cohesive 11-track LP of austere, synthetic ambience. Think Tangerine Dream as reinterpreted by Incunabula-era Autechre, and you might be getting somewhere close. While “Rooftops & Chaotic Streets Seven” recalls Sleeparchive, and “Sleepless Six” could very well be a lost Skanfrom track, the rest of the LP clearly warrants a new alias - Nordvest is a new side of Semsroth that we haven’t heard before.

Saturday Night is the debut LP by old friends and collaborators Alex Twomey, Matthew Sullivan, and Sean McCann. Recorded over numerous evenings at the artists’ homes, and completed just before the birth of Matthew’s daughter, Flora. The album became an excuse to spend time with one another as well as perform. As the trio ordered take-out, drank scotch, smoked on patios, laughing off the weight of reality–they stumbled into moments of musical focus.

This album has a prism of fidelities. High and low resolutions press together as the environment blows through the instruments. The woozy, side-long titular track of hesitant cello and pianos opens the record. Quiet music with blemishes and inebriated pauses, breathing an alleviated air. Phrases with failing propellers, teetering between melodic and apathetic. The true speed of their Saturday nights.

Side two opens with “London On My Mind.” Reflecting the other pole, manic cassette treatments duel over Twomey’s placid keyboard, ultimately breaking into a little joke on the piano. “Collection” features guitar by Sullivan, remembered for his thick fog of work under the alias Earn. With Sullivan’s return to the instrument, he is joined by Twomey on upright piano and McCann processing the room in real-time. The brief final work, “Bird,” recalls the style of the group's private press cassettes, The Bird and Charlotte’s Office: poorly-played pleasant-hearted music.

Each edition of the record includes a 20-page photo booklet of stills documenting the recording process.

A stunning 17-minute-drumming-trip from feathery spheres through bold grooves to a dense thundery finish by Simon Popp and Sebastian Wolfgruber, the two drummers known for channeling World Music, Afrobeat and Jazz drumming in solo projects and with Munich-based Jazz quintet Fazer.
The B-side holds a rework by fellow Munich producers Zenker Brothers. The Ilian Tape heads and notorious audiophiles put their drum machines aside and weaved the recordings with layers of mystic synths into a tingling organic IDM tune.

Hanagasumi - hazy curtain of flowers, cherry blossoms appearing from a far like a white mist - this phenomenon can be seen during the sakura blossom in Japan. The mysterious musician Shine Grooves inspired by Japanese culture is launching a label of the same name. Shine Grooves owns the underground Quadrat label, his tracks were released on the labels such as Kimochi, Rough House Rosie, Udacha, etc. Hanagasumi's first release is a mix of abstract rhythms with an influence of ambient tracks of the 90s. Each track is filled with magical synth chords with a cozy mood. Compositions with a smooth, atmospheric rhythm prevail on the first side of the vinyl, while the tracks on the second side will make you to get lost in zero gravity.

All tracks written and produced by Andrey Kurokhtin at 2019.
Mastered by Shine Grooves.
Limited 12" hand stamped vinyl, 150 copies, vinyl only.

Double sider 12" including the bubblegum club track ''Let's Make a Deal'' by Linda "Babe” Majika, which was originally released on the rare 'Don’t Treat Me So Bad' lp in South-Africa, 1988. On the flip, you’ll find the deep late-night saxophone driven tune ''Step Out Of My Life'' which includes Don Laka on the keyboard and is produced by Ray Phiri, who also founded the popular South African group 'Stimela'. The song was originally released in 1989 and finally sees a reissue, pressed as a loud DJ-friendly 12-inch.

Multidisciplinary NYC artist Gavilán Rayna Russom launches her own label Voluminous Arts, dedicated to highlight electronic and experimental artists whose work challenges fixed categories of genre and categorization. Her aim is to create a platform for multidisciplinary work and events. The inaugural release being her second solo album as Gavilán Rayna Russom 'Secret Passage', following up last years 'The Envoy, an homage to the East Side Rail Tunnel in Providence, Rhode Island, and the friendships she made there.

In Rayna’s words:
“I grew up in Providence, Rhode Island in the 1970’s and 80’s. The booming jewelry and textile industries of the previous decades had pulled out by that point. The Italian mob ran most details of the day to day operations of the city. As kids coming up in that environment, before the internet, me and the people I hung out with didn’t know anything else and we worked with what we had to entertain ourselves. We found places that had been forgotten by market interests and made them spaces of creative community building. One of the most special of these places was the East Side Rail Tunnel. Running for almost exactly one mile beneath the city’s streets, the tunnel and nearby Crook Point Bridge were unsupervised autonomous zones where I tasted the possibilities of a world without surveilance. The tunnel was particularly important in my creative development because not only was it a marginal zone apart from monetized spaces of creative consumption, but it also had specific experiential properties. It had a bend in it which meant that when you got to the middle of it you were in complete darkness, and I learned quickly that when you spend enough time in complete darkness you start to hallucinate, which I liked. The acoustics were also remarkable; long natural delays and harmonic-reinforcing reverberances. Making any sound in there added layers of acoustic effects which made noises physical and fluid and, combined with the complete darkness, absolutely dissolved boundaries between internal and external experience. I started hanging out there when I was 14 and continued to return there regularly until development, gentrification and policing eventually made it inaccessible. By the mid ‘90s it was sealed off with progressively more impenetrable barriers. Nowadays it looks very different. This music is about some of the significant experiences I had in this beautifully neglected place and the people I had them with.”

Circoloco resident Luca Cazal teams up with Italian talent Andrea Fiorito as the pair deliver their ‘What Is Music’ EP on Infuse this June, backed by a remix from Mariano Mateljan.

An Ibiza mainstay, with regular appearances at DC-10 for Paradise and his long-standing global Circoloco residency, See Double boss Luca Cazal has established himself as a quality and consistent force within the minimal house scene and beyond. An avid digger with an innate ability within the studio, Cazal’s career has also welcomed sets at internationally renowned institutions including fabric and Club der Vissionare, with late June now welcoming a debut appearance on Infuse alongside fellow Italian Andrea Fiorito. An artist driven by idealism, with a sound palette that takes in influences and productions from experimental techno through to lighter more delicate and orchestral sonics, Bari-based Fiorito has himself served up material via the likes of Housewax, Broquade, Get Physical and Cynosure to date, and here we see the two talents combine for the very first time to offer up ‘What Is Music’, accompanied by Infuse talent Mariano Mateljan on remix duties.

A-side opener ‘Tornado Girl’ is a groove-fulled rolling production armed with slinking hats, evolving basslines and warping lead synths, whilst on the flip, title cut ‘What Is Music’ delves deeper into darker, more paired back afterhours aesthetics with slinking organic percussion and sci-fi electronics throughout. To close, Croatian favourite Mateljan’s lively interpretation welcomes sharp kicks, distorted vocal hooks and haunting melodies, punctuating the package in impressive fashion.

Michal Jablonski strikes back on Binary Cells. Almost two years have passed since his last appearance and his banging remix of Casual Treatment's - 99 Reasons. This time the Warsaw based producer is back with his unique touch and we gladly present "Higgs", a flawless stomper 12".

A1 "Rain" is the intro track with a cinematic movie thriller approach driving us in a cold an uncertain atmosphere leading to "Higgs", a post-apocalyptic atmosphere gem combining mesmerizing and mechanic cuts clearly designed for dancefloors. The third gem of this side is "Fragile", an obscure story full of dark energies and shrill noises, transporting the audience into an obscure journey.

VSK and Kwartz decided to join their forces, showing their finest cuts on the B-side "Higgs" has been totally reinterpreted by VSK in a UK approach making it a stomping and flammable gem. Kwartz also added his vision to "Fragile", transforming it in a pure dark ritual.

yellow marbled vinyl / vinyl only

After a long wait we are happy to finally share the next release on Sleepless Musik and welcome Canarian artist Moises to our family!

A1. Circular
The title track is a dancefloor bomb, bursting with groove. You'll find it aptly placed on the A side, along with a remix from Sakro. The deep, rolling bassline of Circular takes similar form to previous Moises releases, a fast pace dance between low and high notes. Eery breakdowns signalled by spiralling synths accentuate the mysterious melody that dominates the track, before rave like chords creep to the forefront. Then with a cheeky hi-hat flick, the bass is back. The energy emanating from this one is enough to have a crowd going wild at peak-time.

A2. Circular (Sakro Remix)
The remix is a little more subtle, yet equally as suited for late into the night. The percussion overtakes this one with a deeper bassline. It becomes clouded with minimalistic growling and an echoing vocal, injecting the dreary trip we've got quite used to hearing in Sakro's productions.

B1. Homecoming
Flip the record over and the four-tracker becomes complete with two more of Moises' own productions, both of which retain that signature groove. Homecoming pulsates repetitive rhythms laced with chattering patter and choppy voice. A sweet layer to house the jabbing synth that follows for another dance worthy beat.

B2. Inside Out
Inside Out completes the set, representing a different approach. This feel good finale ditches the darkness and is instead full of dreamy high notes and percussive swing, making it the uplifting one of the bunch. It's fun, playful and full of life, perfect for celebrating those moments at the afters when the sun is up and so are the people.

Off the heels of a few successful digital compilations, newly found LA based label For The Heads proudly kicks off their vinyl series with a 4-track collaborative EP from Subtle Mind & mrshl. All 4 of these cuts bring freshness and originality to the ever-growing 140 sound and are a meticulous blend of styles given both of the artist's virtuosity and creative ability.

First, "Built The Same" sets the pace of the EP with luscious chords and a prolific melody all wrapped together by it's enticing low end. Next, the title track "Can You Hear It" is a weighty number focused on it's orbiting sub-bass and crisp percussion with a switch up that is sure to get any dance moving. On the B-side, an exceptional and unparalleled fusion of both modern synth-bass oscillations with the classical UK style groove and step of some jungle and garage is evident in "When The Rain Comes"; all of this pieced together nicely with a jazzy saxophone sequence. Rounding out the EP, "We're Alright Now" features a radiating, encircling melody that is sure to grab the attention of it's listeners with punching low end and soulful vocal shouts.

The Bees are a textbook case of the chew and spit cycle that was the late 80’s South African music industry. Although their unknown story is likely unique, it is just as likely that it is no different to that of many other young artists who dreamed of getting their music heard at the time.

By 1988, the independent record label was no longer as uncommon as it had been at the beginning of the decade. As the 80s went on, more seasoned A&R reps and Producers that had gained experience and connections from their work under major labels would be trying to cash in on a market they helped create. Without the need of big rooms or expensive recording equipment, the digital advancements allowed many Producers to open or work in smaller studios and promote unknown artists under their own imprints. They would then have their catalogs marketed and distributed by the same major labels they had been working for just years prior. This would open up the possibility of a new era of stars as potential talent no longer had to be pitched to major labels in hopes of them taking a chance on a new signee over their already established artists. With the market growing and a struggle to keep up with the demand for new sounds this agreement would allow the major labels to put new emerging artists or groups on their catalog with little investment and high reward if it happened to be a hit.

ON Records was just one of the independent players at the time. Ronnie Robot had just signed the unlikely trio The Bees in hopes of adding a hit group to his label roster that consisted of solo acts. Despite the debut’s fresh house inspired sound, it failed to catch on was outsold by the bubblegum disco the label was known for. Over the years unsold back stock and promos would build up with the distributor. Luckily this allowed sealed copies from the label’s catalog to survive into the 90s when the distributor’s stock was unloaded and picked up by legendary Johannesburg jazz shop Kohinoor. Here sealed copies of the Bees first attempt sat under appreciated for over 20 years before becoming a hot title after they started circulating online and became club staples. This is how the first album of an unknown group with no success was able to become a collectors item and earn a reissue over 25 years later.

With their first record behind them The Bees were ready move forward and get back into the studio. A suggestion from producers had the trio change camps and go work with the newly formed Creative Sound Recordings, the label that promised “Music for the Future” and ended up being an essential studio in the early years of Kwaito. They would work with producer Chris Ghelakis and guitarist George Vardas, while a young Marvin Moses sat behind the desk. Musically the sophomore album was as good as a follow up as you could get. Building on the first album, Mashonisa delivers catchy melodies backed by heavy drum programming that would score points with any Pantsula. The Black Box inspired “ Never Give Up” was one of two tracks chosen to be pressed as the promo for the album, hoping to trick listeners with their catchy version of the hit( A year later the label would release their first volume of Black Box covers sang by neo soul diva BB, it would be a great seller). The label printed up an unknown amount of these in a last attempt to push the release in Shabeens and on Radio. The cheaper route of flooding the market with promo copies would only pay off 25 years later when unplayed copies started being rediscovered and had survived the years in a quantity that original run of the full album could not. Once again it was clear that with no mainstream appeal, the quality of the music on its own was not enough to garner any success at the time. The album flopped worse than their first and failed to make it past it’s initial run, making it one of the harder titles to get from the CSR catalog.

Mashonisa would be the last attempt from the Bees. They would disappear from the scene as quickly as they appeared. Of the three members it is only known that lead Singer Solomon Phiri continued in music fronting a wave dance group before he mysteriously vanished in 1993, never to be heard from again. Through a combination of luck and circumstance the group, which is unknown in South Africa to even the most plugged in musicians, producers and radio hosts of the time, managed to finally get some of the recognition they deserved 30 years later. Unfortunately this small blip of fame would happen with none of the band members present to give their side of the story, or even aware of how their two albums became popular enough to be printed on different continents in a new millennia. The Bees suffered the same fate as countless other artists of the time, who thanks to emerging independent labels and willing producers were given an opportunity to have a short career, only to be replaced by the meat grinder of the music industry when they failed to produce a hit.

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.

The late engineer and producer Paul C’s fingerprints are all over this single from Ultramagnetic MC’s, perhaps the defining release of their career. While earlier records gave notice of their strange and unique talents, they were loveably messy affairs. This, however, is the real deal, as polished as their early sound would ever be.

‘Give the Drummer Some’ grabs a fistful of different elements – from James Brown, Dee Felice Trio and James Brown – but bends them to its own purpose. This is a song with a momentum of its own and endlessly quotable lyrics. One of which, of course, was sampled by The Prodigy – huge hip-hop fans – for ‘Smack My Bitch Up’ in 1997. The now hugely rare 7” of ‘Give the Drummer Some’ edits this out to make it more radio-friendly, but this reissue reverses that cut, giving you the original lyrics. If anyone knows why Kool Keith also changes the word ‘rappers’ to ‘monkeys’ for that edit, answers on a postcard…

The brilliant B-side harks back to the time when every group had a song dedicated to their DJ. ‘Moe Luv’s Theme’ sees Kool Keith at his most straightforward, singing the praises of the turntable skills of Moe Luv. It would be throwaway were it not for the effortless repurposing of Jackie Robinson’s oft-sampled ‘Pussyfooter’. That – and the presence of one of the world’s great MC’s at the height of his powers – elevates it far above a footnote.

A focal point for the unique punk-funk that was coming together in Bristol as the bridge from the 70s to the 80s arrived, Maximum Joy was formed by Glaxo Babies multi-instrumentalist Tony Wrafter and 18 year old vocalist Janine Rainforth. Soon they drafted in additional Glaxo Babies in the form of drummer Charlie Llewellin and bassist Dan Catsis, along with guitarist John Waddington, fresh from The Pop Group. The group set about making a one-of-a-kind mix of funk, punk, pop, jazz, dub, soul, afrobeat and reggae; creating a brilliant burst of danceable tunes wrapped around elastic basslines and complex percussion, punctuated by melodic horns and stabs of guitar, all of it highlighting Rainforth’s naturally enthusiastic vocal style. They immediately took their place on the rosters of influential labels like Y and 99 with iconic debut single Stretch, as the band had clearly captured something special.

Entering 1982, Kevin Evans had replaced Catsis as Maximum Joy set out to make what would be their only full length LP. Recording at Berry Street and The Lodge with producers Adrian Sherwood (On-U-Sound legend), Dave Hunt (Flying Lizards, Pigbag, This Heat) and Pete Wooliscroft (Kate Bush, Talk Talk, Peter Gabriel, OMD, This Heat) the band would mix practiced grooves with imaginative improvisation. The results were absolutely jaw-dropping.

Station M.X.J.Y. kicks things off with Dancing On My Boomerangand promptly sets forth the blueprint for bands like !!! and The Rapture to capitalize on nearly twenty years later. In fact, those bands can only dream of the mix of driving percussion and spectral shards of guitar that Maximum Joy has clearly already mastered. Do It Todayannounces itself immediately with Rainforth delivering a looping and infectious vocal melody that the others dance around playfully, as handclaps keep the stomping groove intact, leaving a dancehall hit for outer space circling your turntable.

If you ever wondered what it would sound like if ESG and The Slits combined forces, Let It Take You There has the answer for you. Llewellin periodically delivers a cascade of marching band percussion while Waddington’s classic R&B riffs are transformed into a slithering snake trying to keep pace with Evans locked in groove as Rainforth’s singsong vocals are reduced to whispered echoes. They close out side one with the delicious slab of pop that is Searching For A Feeling. Clearly pronouncing the band’s intention to find the positives in a dire time for England, they look to rally those around them to focus on making real change in the face of opposing voices via one of Rainforth’s most delightful deliveries.

Side two sees Wrafter stretching out on Where’s Deke?, showcasing what had already been obvious, as he is the band’s secret weapon, often coloring each tune with his horns, sometimes in several styles just seconds apart. He underlines that feeling with the raucous and bouncy Temple Bomb Twist, before they hit a straight groove in Mouse An’ Me, like a dub infected Train In Vain. Well, if The Clash had ever allowed themselves to properly lose their minds on the dancefloor.

A funky afrobeat flute and guitar battle breaks out (way cooler than it sounds) before Rainforth rallies the troops to not only fill up the disco, but also the surrounding streets in political resistance to Thatcherism via All Wrapped Up. It is entirely genuine and their activism has none of the menace of the others in their scene, but rather a feeling of sharp optimism amongst this danceable masterpiece. It is that optimism that always set Maximum Joy apart, and makes their grooves all the more irresistible today.

Sadly, the upward trajectory of the band was cut short as Rainforth left the group, and soon afterwards seemed to stop making music altogether. The reasoning seemed destined to remain a mystery, until earlier this year when she gave a brave interview to The Guardian where she revealed that an assault by someone in the industry caused her to retreat entirely from music for nearly three decades. Luckily, Janine has embraced music once again, and she refuses to let the magic that was Station M.X.J.Y. be lost as well.

Outta Sight’s collectable ‘Real Side’ series continues with two stunning sides from Ted Jarrett’s Nashville based ‘ref-o-ree’ label. Jarrett was a hugely successful songwriter and producer for a number of Tennessee labels before he formed Poncello and Spar ahead of the harder Soul sounding ‘ref-o-ree’ that was home to our star turn Wendell Watts. Little is known about Wendell Watts other than he recorded and released two 45s for the ‘ref-o-ree’ label in 1969. According to some sources he hailed from Detroit but these recordings are certainly Nashville based and were produced by label owner Ted Jarrett and arranged by his long-time collaborator Bob (Robert) Holmes. The 45s are highly collectable with “Kiss A Good Thing Goodbye” rarely seen for sale and available as a reissue for the very first time. Incredibly, both of our featured spins were originally released as B-sides. “You Girl” on the back of Watts’ soul-cover of the Peppermint Rainbow hit “Will You Be Staying After Sunday”, whilst “Kiss A Good Thing Goodbye” played second fiddle to the novelty Bob Holmes song “The Love Bug”. The latter was reissued in 1972 coupled with “Grooviest Thing Side Of Heaven” on the tiny Jiminie logo. Watts also released a chidren’s Christmas album in 1972, for which he wrote most of the songs, before bowing out of the music industry.

Ella is the most celebrated of divas, and she dominated the jazz scene for over fifty years, from her first hit A-Tisket, A-Tasket in 1938 to her gradual retirement from the stage in 1989 due to illness. She left her signature on every jazz universe to which she contributed.

The Essential Works 1956-1959 throw light on her talents as a performer of the greatest standards, with songs written by Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin and Rodgers & Hart. Ella succeeded in making popular melodies her own, most often songs taken from musicals that she transformed into as many pearls of vocal jazz.

The four sides of this album bring together the indispensable inner soul of Ella Fitzgerald's recorded work.