2024 Repress
Innercity Griots, the second album from Freestyle Fellowship, is perhaps *the* essential West Coast left-field rap album of the early ’90s. Released in 1993 on 4th & Broadway, it’s a towering, progressive hip-hop masterpiece that expanded rap’s boundaries through lyrical elevation and production innovation. Their talent was ahead of everybody else by light years. This is pure b-boy jazz.
The original single vinyl LP is now hideously scarce, and of course the sound suffers from not being officially released as a double. This Be With re-issue fixes both problems, and for completeness also includes “Pure Thought” from the CD version of the album. This incredible display of imaginative hip-hop sounds better than ever.
Freestyle Fellowship were some of the earliest technically dazzling rappers to come out of California. Mikah 9, P.E.A.C.E., Aceyalone and Self Jupiter - along with DJ Kiilu - forged their famed lyrical dexterity in the ultra-competitive crucible of the Good Life Cafe. Founded in Leimert Park, South Central LA in December 1989, this earthy health-food store and cafe was where the city’s finest microphone fiends would gather to showcase their freestyle skills at the Thursday night open-mic.
Innercity Griots has been described as the Rosetta Stone for rap styles. The group’s dense, vibrant wordplay and enviable interplay quickly earned the attention and respect of the city’s hip-hop underground. Frenetically trading acrobatic rhymes with agility and grace, the Fellowship used their voices as instruments like true virtuosos, spraying improvised raps like a Coltrane sax solo.
With the bulk of the album’s production handled by The Earthquake Brothers, and Bambawar, Daddy-O, and Edman taking over for some of the tracks, Innercity Griots dances between organic and programmed music, largely forgoing sampling and instead built around live jazz jams. The likes of Freddie Hubbard’s “Red Clay” and Miles Davis’s “Black Comedy” were used more as templates for house band The Underground Railroad Band to spiral out from. As Pitchfork noted in their recent 9.0 review of this classic album, “Freestyle Fellowship embodied the style and spirit of jazz on a molecular level. They shared the effortless cool and tough countenance of the great bebop players from the ’50s without verging into jazz-rap parody. Their innate jazziness felt tangible and hard-earned”.
The unusual approach to the music was matched by the Fellowship’s lyrics. Eschewing the tired rap tropes of the time, this multifaceted album instead explores their ruminations on greed and homelessness, weed, sex, survival, insecurity and tribalism.
Remastered by Simon Francis for double vinyl and cut by Pete Norman, we hope this long-overdue re-issue of Innercity Griots satisfies the legions of fans that have since been bewitched by the majesty of this record. It should also introduce some new listeners to yet another overlooked classic.
Kiioto ist das Liebeskind von Lou Rhodes, der für den Mercury Prize nominierten Singer/Songwriterin und Mitbegründerin des Trip-Hop-Duos Lamb, und dem mehrfach mit Platin ausgezeichneten Songwriter und Keyboarder Rohan Heath. Gemeinsam haben sie ein Album aufgenommen, das gleichermaßen instinktiv und neugierig ist: "As Dust We Rise" basiert auf den Wegen, die die beiden bis zu diesem Punkt eingeschlagen haben, und ist getragen von einem Spirit ständiger Erkundung und Entdeckung.
Die Songs wurden in den Heimstudios von Lou und Rohan in London und Wiltshire geschrieben und teilweise aufgenommen und anschließend in das Studio des Produzenten Simon Byrt (Emiliana Torrini, Charlotte OC, Jessie Ware) gebracht. Zu den Mitwirkenden gehört Valerie Etienne von der Acid-Jazz-Band Galliano. Byrts Befürwortung analoger Aufnahmen und Vintage-Equipment erwies sich als entscheidend für den warmen und organischen Klang der Platte, der mit Hilfe von Gastmusikern an Live-Schlagzeug, Streichern, Bass, Gitarre und Horns liebevoll ins Leben gerufen wurde: kollaborative Prozesse, sagen Lou und Rohan, die sie auf ihrem nächsten Album weiterzuentwickeln beabsichtigen.
"Es ist eine Platte, die vor den großen Themen des Lebens nicht zurückschreckt", sagt Lou, "wir haben dafür irgendwie die Ärmel hochgekrempelt."
Cassette[25,17 €]
Inhaltsangabe:Lautes Gekrächze und Hilfeschreie schallen durch den Park. Peter eilt zu Hilfe, als ein Mann von einem wild gewordenen Schwarm Krähen attackiert wird.Mit ihren spitzen Schnäbeln hacken die Vögel wütend auf den Mann ein und lassen nur schwerlich von ihm ab. Was hat die Krähen so in Aufregung versetzt? Justus, Peter und Bob folgen dem Ruf der Krähen und stoßen auf ein geheimes Projekt, das die Zukunft der Menschheit auf den Kopf stellt. Sprecher:innen & MitwirkendeErzähler: Axel MilbergJustus Jonas, Erster Detektiv: Oliver RohrbeckPeter Shaw, Zweiter Detektiv: Jens WawrczeckBob Andrews, Recherchen und Archiv: Andreas FröhlichGoldie June: Uli HeissigGordon Dust: Till HagenRoy Hancock: Nicolas KönigKimberly Cryder: Viktoria FleerBuch und Effekte: André Minninger - Regie und Produktion: Heikedine KörtingRedaktion: Maike Müller - Titelmusik: Simon Bertling & Christian Hagitte (STIL)Musik: Jan-Friedrich Conrad, Jens-Peter Morgenstern, Constantin Stahlberg Cover-Illustration: Silvia Christoph - Design: Atelier SchoedsackBasierend auf dem gleichnamigen Buch von André Minninger, erschienen im Kosmos Verlag, Stuttgart. © 2023Based on characters created by Robert Arthur. Mit freundlicher Genehmigung der Universität Michigan. Die drei ??? © 2024 Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG. (P) & © 2024 EUROPA a division of Sony Music Entertainment GmbH
2x12"[25,17 €]
Inhaltsangabe:Lautes Gekrächze und Hilfeschreie schallen durch den Park. Peter eilt zu Hilfe, als ein Mann von einem wild gewordenen Schwarm Krähen attackiert wird.Mit ihren spitzen Schnäbeln hacken die Vögel wütend auf den Mann ein und lassen nur schwerlich von ihm ab. Was hat die Krähen so in Aufregung versetzt? Justus, Peter und Bob folgen dem Ruf der Krähen und stoßen auf ein geheimes Projekt, das die Zukunft der Menschheit auf den Kopf stellt. Sprecher:innen & MitwirkendeErzähler: Axel MilbergJustus Jonas, Erster Detektiv: Oliver RohrbeckPeter Shaw, Zweiter Detektiv: Jens WawrczeckBob Andrews, Recherchen und Archiv: Andreas FröhlichGoldie June: Uli HeissigGordon Dust: Till HagenRoy Hancock: Nicolas KönigKimberly Cryder: Viktoria FleerBuch und Effekte: André Minninger - Regie und Produktion: Heikedine KörtingRedaktion: Maike Müller - Titelmusik: Simon Bertling & Christian Hagitte (STIL)Musik: Jan-Friedrich Conrad, Jens-Peter Morgenstern, Constantin Stahlberg Cover-Illustration: Silvia Christoph - Design: Atelier SchoedsackBasierend auf dem gleichnamigen Buch von André Minninger, erschienen im Kosmos Verlag, Stuttgart. © 2023Based on characters created by Robert Arthur. Mit freundlicher Genehmigung der Universität Michigan. Die drei ??? © 2024 Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG. (P) & © 2024 EUROPA a division of Sony Music Entertainment GmbH
The new Macadam Mambo release by Poperttelli is a great piece of music ! In the Ambient vibe of the originators Future Sound Of London or The Orb, this album concept around dreams travelling, brings us into tribal futuristic landscapes, dark atmospheres on heavy beats and trippy floatings. Poperttelli is not a new artist in the electronic scene, he has already put out few releases on labels like Lost Dogs, Brokntoys, Maturre or Pinkman more recently, and is definetely a name to follow if you didn’t alredy do…
Habibi Funk is thrilled to share a second collection of deep grooves and unreleased songs from Algeria's Ahmed Malek, often compared to Italian heavyweight Ennio Morricone. Malek’s music effortlessly switches between thematic jazz, funk, reggae and Algerian folk – creating indelible soundscapes that intersect the musical innovations made in African jazz by Mulatu Astatke, Bembeya Jazz National along with some of Europe’s finest experimental composers like Piero Piccioni and Janko Nilovic. “Musique Originale de Films, Volume Deux” is out June 28th, 2024 via Habibi Funk.
Whenever an interview asks about a “memorable moment” in Habibi Funk label history, one we always reference is how we got in touch Ahmed Malek’s (22K Spotify Followers, 285K Spotify Monthly Listeners) music and subsequently his family. It all started with us coming across Ahmed Malek’s music on YouTube in 2012. We were mesmerized by how effortlessly the music would switch between jazz, funk and Algerian folk while counterweighting it with an undertone of melancholia. Musical perception is different for every person, but there is a chance that his music will touch you in one way or another. At the time, we had just started the Habibi Funk label and we felt Ahmed’s music might be a good fit for the sound we were trying to highlight. Fast forward three years: we had become captivated with the idea of reissuing some of Ahmed Malek’s music. We knew some people had tried to locate his family but, but with no success. In the end it was an incredible amount of luck that made it possible for you to read these words and listen to Ahmed’s music. We were on a DJ gig in Beirut playing old Arabic records and we mentioned our passion for Ahmed Malek’s music to a friend. She said she knew one person in Algier, and as much as it would be a shot in the dark, she could ask her if she had an idea of how to find Malek’s family. Two weeks went by before we heard back, and what we got was incredibly good news - her Algerian friend was the neighbor of Ahmed Malek’s daughter! We’re not spiritual people, but it felt like the universe wanted to see the release happen. We started to speak with Henya, Ahmed Malek’s daughter and she was more than happy with our idea. She assured us that her father would have loved the plan as well. She provided us with tons of awesome material, from great photos, to unseen video footage and unreleased tracks. Eventually we visited Henya in Algeria and we licensed some of her father’s music, first for one (Habibi 003), then for another (Habibi 005), then we eventually organized an exhibition in June/July 2019 – Planète Malek – Une Rétrospective – at the Musée Public National D’Art Moderne & Contemporain in Algiers, focusing on Ahmed Malek’s artistic life. We also produced a small movie about him that our friend Paloma Colombe shot and directed. “Musique Originale de Films, Volume Deux” is a deep collection of unreleased songs and stemmed grooves from the Algerian master, from jazz, funk, psych to reggae rhythms and Latin flavors, all under the sonic umbrella of “Planète Malek;” and to quote the maestro, “I didn’t choose music, music chose me.” Lead single is the subtlety funky “Thème Rythme Léger,” out May 3rd along with LP Pre-Order (coincided with Bandcamp Friday for a larger impact) a delicate sonic dance between flute, piano and Spanish guitar with a Bossainfluenced groove. The steady, swingin’ drum groove is cloudlike - definitely toe-tapping friendly so just grab a partner to feel the Rhythme Léger. Second single out May 17th is the reggae-infused “L’Empire Des Rêves” – a sultry sax melody weaves through a prismatic rocksteady thematic groove. 3rd and final single “Thème Djalti feat. Aïda Guéchoud” – is a true Western-inspired ode to his Italian counterpart Ennio Morricone. “Thème Djalti” features the haunting vocals of Aïda Guéchoud, and combines elements of baroque and Bossa-jazz in a timelessly thematic way that seems grandiose yet remains uniquely personal to your ears. Swelling strings, trumpet, fem vox, flute, and plucked guitar expertly arranged, feels like you’re riding a horse into the sunset. Focus track “La La La” is fiery afro-arab-funk of the highest order! Put on your dancing shoes as Ahmed cuts the rug and gets us grooving along. Sonically the cut sounds like if Ahmed ran into The JB’s and Fela Kuti at a Cymande concert. Driving guitar and organ solos vie over pulsating bass riffs and afro-funk drumming that’ll have you out on the dance floor in no time. As always, both vinyl and CD come with an extensive booklet featuring background and interviews with Ahmed compiled through found newspaper clippings and newsreels, also including unseen photos, scans and more. “Ahmed Malek: Musique Originale de Films, Volume Deux” will be out everywhere June 28th.
Limited edition "Coke Bottle Cloud" color vinyl with etched b-side. Australian duo Armlock make music for having your head in the clouds. On new album Seashell Angel Lucky Charm, Simon Lam and Hamish Mitchell bring you on a steady ascension through compressed and heavenly sonic realms. The band's second proper release, and first for Run For Cover Records, showcases the songwriters' experimental electronic roots through an indie rock lens. Free from distortion or overindulgence, Seashell Angel Lucky Charm is a collection of consistent rhythms decorated with clean guitar tones and eccentricities. Through playful layers of vocal harmony and minimal arrangements, Armlock capture the inventive and uncomplicated essence of Pinback or Alex G. Self-described as "indie rock with a touch of spirituality and emo", Armlock's journey into a higher realm is seeped with the looming confusion that comes with exploring the unknown. With an introverted demeanor, Armlock explores the human desire to find guidance in a world much bigger than its people. Every sound on Seashell Angel Lucky Charm feels precise and intentional, making the anthemic choruses on tracks like "Fear" and "El Oh Ve Ee'' feel expertly placed and pop-oriented. These two songs show Armlock's savvy with harmony as they use octaves of angelic sounds to stretch a simple one-word chorus until it soars with meaning. Unlike most indie rockers, Armlock use guitar as a tool in their belt rather than a vessel for songwriting. Where their 2021 EP Trust set foundations in downtempo acoustic guitar, Lam and Mitchell's evolved songwriting is a testament to where an electric guitar can amplify a song's groove, or usher in sonic space.
The multifaceted Perth-based record label 823, founded by Australian producer and creative powerhouse Ta-ku, is gearing up for "All Things Considered Vol. 3." Committed to detail and a celebration of life's simple pleasures, this LP refuses to be confined to any single genre. Noteworthy releases from 823 include Cabu's "So Far To Go" EP, Ta-ku and Matt McWaters's collaboration "Black and White," featuring the Masego collaboration "Flight 99," and their debut project with Australian producer and instrumentalist Kuzich.
This time, The guest list includes Jakarta Records beat-veterans Alexander Flood, Lucid Green, and Cabu, bringing RnB with a soulful twist that's sure to warm the heart. Playfully melodic artists Makzo, falcxne & Seb Zellner blend jazz, soul, and sweetness creating a natural and playful sound for the LP. Den Brooks, Lovesome, and Tambala all contribute to the rhythmic neo-soul zest on the iconic 808 beat.
On the whole, "All Things Considered Vol. 3" embarks on a forward-thinking rhythmic journey into the creative minds behind the LP. It's as diverse and eclectic as those minds themselves and proudly follows up on its first and second volumes. Natural sounds blend seamlessly with electronic elements, from lush melodies to wintery vibes. Playful vocals adorn this 12-track gem, from Lucid Green's ethereal journey "Splash" twisted in UK garage vibes to the jazz-pop infused "Lost & Found" by Makzo & friends, echoing Jamiroquai-esque beats. The first single, "Babyslowdown" by MXXWLL, takes center stage with its strings, while Alexander Flood's James Bond-inspired melody receives a funky update.
INSIDE is the third album (and second in a row on Brixton Records) by the respected ten-piece group from Barcelona that fuses Jamaican music and jazz. DROP COLLECTIVE bravely faces the so-called third album syndrome and makes a sincere declaration of principles, a public manifestation of their musical identity. The two sides of the album are clearly identified. Side A is Inside-Out, displaying five own-penned compositions, including three songs sung in Catalan and two in English, in which DROP COLLECTIVE make it clear what they like to do and what they are capable of offering. The album opens with "Com Estimo Jo" (The Way I Love), a reggae ballad composed by Andreu Domènech (baritone sax) that is dedicated to the growth and learning we do when we love. It is followed by "Let Us Dance", a fluid ska with Latin airs and an invitation to dance, which recaptures the sound of some of the most celebrated passages from their previous album. "Estel" (Star) is a melancholic reggae song, sung in Catalan, in homage to someone who is no longer here - "now you are the star that watches over us from up there, bright, bright". Prior to the release of this LP, four advance tracks have been published on digital platforms, but "Life's Too Short" is, perhaps, the album's single. This resounding reggae with a powerful brass section could have easily taken more elaborate instrumental and studio developments, however, the band has preferred to produce a compact track brimming with strength and lasting less than three minutes. “Ombra" (Shade) closes this side of the album with solemn roots sonorities. The B-side is Outside-In, four reinterpretations of jazz classics that DROP COLLECTIVE internalize, make their own and, therefore, also form part of their identity. The choice of pieces is hair-raising, because of the risks they take. "Yearnin'" is a cover of the song originally included in one of the most epic albums in the history of jazz, "The Blues and the Abstract Truth", by saxophonist Oliver Nelson. DROP COLLECTIVE take the song to their own territory with the skill and freshness of expert ska-jazzers and with the special collaboration of trumpeter Joan Mar Sauqué, they make one of the most famous riffs in jazz sound unashamedly contemporary and... Caribbean. "Day by Day" is an adaptation of the standard from the late forties of the last century that was part of the regular repertoire of, among others, Frank Sinatra. The result is a swinging ska love themed, sugary and romantic, with an exquisite interpretation. And to close the album, two extraordinary trials by fire for Maria del Rio, the band's vocalist, which she solves with total ease and mastery of the situation. "What a Little Moonlight Can Do", a composition by Harry Woods that the legendary Billie Holiday recorded in 1935 and which, after 90 years, still sounds fresh in up tempo ska mode, and "Sinnerman", a traditional spiritual from the early 20th century made popular worldwide by Nina Simone, becomes a lively ska-jazz with soulful touches and an infectious organ solo by Daniel Ferruz. INSIDE is an album with a compact, solid, and synchronous sound, but full of details, which gives a total sense of permanence and singularity to their skareggae- jazz mastery, in which many universes fit.
Emerging from the shadows and plumes of smoke, Chicago, IL ensemble HUNTSMEN are set to make their return in 2024 with their third album, The Dry Land, set to be released via Prosthetic Records on June 7. On their first full-length in four years, HUNTSMEN’s The Dry Land traverses the liminal space between the living and the dead by lifting the veil of the abyss itself. Born of suffering and hardship, The Dry Land unifies the dark and light that resides in all of us through allegories of purgatorial strife and human spirit. Following the release of their sophomore full-length, Mandala of Fear, in 2020 and The Dying Pines EP in 2022 HUNTSMEN’s intervening years between studio albums were marked with devastatingly contrasting highs and lows. Whilst their body of studio work continued to garner acclaim from fans and critics alike, chronic illness would become a recurring uphill battle for the ensemble. As these jarring mixed fortunes reached their apex towards the end of 2022, the band reached towards each other outside of their craft as old friends. Taking stock of four years of tribulations led to a reevaluation of what it is to be creatives and, in turn, ushered in a collective rebirth. Writing sessions saw a number of artistic firsts for HUNTSMEN, most notably with the first full collaborative inclusion of vocalist Aimee Bueno-Knipe. The creative process soon saw HUNTSMEN adding more black metal influences into their Americana and folk tinged doom, evidenced most overtly on tracks such as This, Our Gospel and lead single In Time, All Things. Elsewhere, HUNTSMEN’s knack for finely crafted and richly layered melodies offer moments of resplendence on the slow burning Lean Times and closer The Herbsight. Mirroring the circumstances and environment that led to its creation, The Dry Land’s pacing is one rooted in the art of rise and fall dynamics both musically and lyrically. Tales of escaping religious violence, malevolent apparitions and death incarnate all play key roles throughout the album’s narrative thread. HUNTSMEN treat each tale as both exorcism and exaltation, adding a pervasively unsettling quality to The Dry Land that is sure to stick long after the runtime is over. The Dry Land was recorded and mixed by Pete Grossmann at Bricktop Studios before being placed in the hands of Brad Boatright for mastering, with the resulting sound adding a towering grandiosity to the album whilst simultaneously highlighting HUNTSMEN’s newfound corrosive qualities. The Dry Land’s striking cover art was created by Derek Setzer, depicting an immolating dancer in high contrast black and white amongst rusted gold. Through the fire, HUNTSMEN find themselves reborn on The Dry Land.
Françoise Hardy auditioned for Vogue Records at 18 and went on to top charts with her very first release, a 1962 self-titled record now known as
“Tous Les Garcons Et Les Filles” based on its hit song. From there, the infamously timid Hardy became one of the few French pop stars of the era to
cross over, jetting from England to France to record, serving as a muse to designers like Yves Saint Laurent, and inspiring Bob Dylan and Mick Jagger.
That debut showcases Hardy at her simplest, wringing rockabilly-tinged pop magic from modest jazz percussion and steel guitar. Hardy wrote most
of her own material, setting her far apart from her peers, and on her debut she penned every song but two. Her lyrics would never be this close to yé-yé traditions again.
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis present a suitably epic, wondrous soundtrack suite for Mars, the National Geographic Channel's 6-part series. The fictional TV series tells the story of the first astronaut crew on a mission to Mars in 2033. Directed by Everardo Gout and produced by Ron Howard & Brian Grazer, the series aired in November 2016. Composers Nick Cave and Warren Ellis deliver a pitch-perfect score to complement the thrilling yet daunting mission to a desolate alien planet in which the human species struggle to survive, thrive and forge an existence in this new world. Cave and Ellis provided thirteen tracks including the show’s theme song, which occupies a similarly cosmic electronic atmosphere as the band’s album Skeleton Tree. Mars is available as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on yellow flame coloured vinyl and includes an insert.
Repress on rosewood coloured vinyl. HOST is the name of a devil worshipping ministry, that in order to spread their unholy gospels and, furthermore, trick mankind into believing that the end is ultimately a good thing, have decided to use the ever so popular rock music medium as a way to achieve their ends. Standing motionless and anonymous beneath the painted faces, hoods and robes which their sect demand, the six nameless ghouls of Ghost deliver litanies of sexually pulsating heavy rock music and romantic lyrics, that glorify and glamorise the disgusting and sacrilegious, with the simple intention to communicate a message of pure evil via the most effective device they can find - entertainment. In May 2010 Ghost were contracted to a UK based gramophone company called Rise Above Ltd, who swore an oath stating that they will assist the group in the task of spreading their musical blasphemies through formats such as Compact Discs, Long Playing Vinyl Records and Digital Downloading. The first full length Ghost album Opus Eponymous will be released in October 2010 and it is understood and agreed that Rise Above Ltd will invest money in areas such as magazine advertising and retail marketing and will employ the services of music publicity specialists in order to expose the music of Ghost to the wider public. Specific attention will be paid to targeting people (research suggests these are most likely to be adolescents) who have a void in their life, perhaps caused by some form of emotional trauma or upset, that can be filled by the music and philosophies of Ghost.
HIGHLIGHTS Originally released in 1980, this was Stiv Bators' first solo album. Now reissued with 2 bonus tracks, not available on the original version, a slightly different picture on the cover (the actual unfiltered photo as used on the 1980 issue) and a booklet with extensive liner notes and photos. Bators was the man who destroyed Rocket from the Tombs, from which he hijacked half the members to found one of the most influential American punk bands to have existed, The Dead Boys. Stiv had turned in his broken teeth for a more power pop oriented solo career. This is not an album recorded by a has-been former punk idealist; instead it's a true step forward into another unknown arena packing all the glare and attitude that remained from the last. The music is more similar to 60's power pop than the vicious punk rock that Bators became known for originally, while a member of The Dead Boys. New generations continue to discover it. It still holds up very well and sounds as fresh and vibrant as ever. DESCRIPTION On August 11th of 1980, Stiv Bators, David Quinton Steinberg, George Cabaniss and Frank Secich flew to Vancouver, in British Columbia, Canada. They were there to do the West Coast leg of the "URGH! A Music War" tour. On the bill of the tour were Pere Ubu, Magazine, the Members, and they were billed as Stiv Bators and the Dead Boys or just the Dead Boys. After the tour they were supposed to embark on a 6-week tour of Australia, New Zealand, and the Far East. During the beginning of the Urgh Tour the Australian Tour was abruptly canceled. Greg Shaw who owned Bomp Records decided that since the band were already going to be in California that they should do Stiv's solo album which they had planned to do after returning from Down Under. So, Bators and the rest of the group set up camp at the infamous Tropicana Motel in West Hollywood and Greg booked them into Perspective Studios in Sun Valley, CA. Before going into Perspective, they went into Andy Chappel's Stone Fox rehearsal studio in North Hollywood, CA for a few days to rehearse the songs and arrange them for the album. "We had 'Evil Boy' (Zero-Secich), David Quinton's 'Make Up Your Mind' and my song 'A Million Miles Away'. We also rearranged mine and Stiv's 'The Last Year' changing the key from D to F# and making it much easier to sing in a power pop vein. In addition, we had 'Swinging A Go-Go' another great contribution by George Cabaniss. Stiv and I had written two more for the album 'Ready Anytime' and the album closer 'I Wanna Forget You (Just the Way You Are)'. We also had a moody dark instrumental (written by Cabaniss-Quinton-Secich) that we were playing around with for some time. Stiv was supposed to write lyrics for it, but he never got around to it, so we left it as an instrumental. It had a great vibe and reminded me of the John Cassavetes 1956 film "Crime in The Streets" and was thus christened that. The last song we picked for the LP was 'I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)' which was the one cover we did that suited Stiv's voice perfectly. After a few days of rehearsing at Stone Fox, we went into Perspective Studio in Sun Valley, California. Greg hired Thom Wilson (who would later become a famous punk rock producer of Offspring, Iggy Pop, Dead Kennedys, T.S.O.L., Bad Religion and many others). Stiv co-produced with Thom and Andy Chappel and Thom did the engineering." Frank Secich recalls. In September, after the "Disconnected" mixing sessions, Stiv went to Baltimore to film "Polyester" with Movie Director John Waters and actors Tab Hunter and Divine. Stiv then went to the UK to record with the Wanderers doing their LP "Only Lovers Left Alive". He wanted to have both bands going simultaneously but logistically and practically they all knew that could never work. The "Disconnected" Band would do one last tour to support the album release of "Disconnected". The LP was released by Bomp Records on Monday December 08th, 1980. Later that night, John Lennon was murdered in New York City. So many of the principal characters involved in the creation of "Disconnected" have passed on. Stiv Bators (June 3rd, 1990), Greg Shaw (October 2nd, 2004), Thom Wilson (February 8th, 2015), and George Cabaniss (July 17th, 2020). But "Disconnected" lives on and on and has left quite a legacy for itself. There have been over 100 cover versions internationally of the songs from "Disconnected" and it has been in print and reissued in various forms in many countries around the world. New generations continue to discover it. It still holds up very well and sounds as fresh and vibrant as ever.
After remaining unavailable for years, here's the long-awaited vinyl reissue of the debut album (originally released in 1972) by one of the epoch-making groups in the history of Peruvian rock: We All Together. Their original compositions -all sung in English- betray their passion for McCartney, taking Beatle centrism to new heights in South America. While the Uruguayan Los Shakers could remind us of the first phase of the Fab 4, We All Together is like their '70s version. Amazing compositions, with nods to prog rock and the twilight imprint of singer-songwriters living the end of the hippy dream, that show both diversity and a defined identity. A must for any '70s rock collector. DESCRIPTION Between 1967 and 1974 Saúl and Manuel Cornejo led a series of epoch-making groups on the MAG label (New Juggler Sound, Laghonia and We All Together) in the history of Peruvian rock. All these bands were directly influenced by the British invasion and used new sounds from Hammond, phase shifters, synthesizers and tapes played backwards, which stimulated rivalry with other groups. Another hallmark of the brothers was the technical quality of their records, thanks to Saul's supervision of all MAG recordings between 1972 and 1974. At the end of 1971, when Laghonia was working on the last tracks of "Etcétera", they met Manuel Antonio Guerrero's (MAG) son, Carlos, who had just got back from the USA, and gladly joined in the choruses of the last songs Laghonia was recording. They met up again soon after to rehearse some of Paul McCartney's songs. As soon as he heard them play, Guerrero Senior urged them to form a group focused on cover versions of foreign hits not yet known in Peru. Initially, the Cornejo brothers weren't enthused by a project so different from Laghonia, but ended up accepting as it gave them the opportunity to spend time in the studio. Carlos' melodic voice was another incentive, although they made it clear that the new group, We All Together (WAT), would stick to the mixing desk: "The group isn't into presentations or shows, we're about recording music and purifying it to the max," stated Saúl at that time. Their first album included four covers of Paul McCartney and Badfinger, several compositions by Carlos Guerrero -appealing Beatles-style melodies- and two songs from Saúl and Manuel's archives. 'Children', by keyboardist Carlos Salom, opens the LP: a nostalgic description of childhood, with the distinctive piano sound (achieved through mixing) that permeates the record. Although WAT sang and composed in English, they had no intention of undermining or alienating national culture. Their aim was much more innocent: they simply wanted to make it in the English-speaking world. 'It's a Sin to Go Away' was composed during Laghonía's lifetime as a band and it features guitars played backwards and a psychedelic-progressive style closely attuned to the era. After being included on several compilations, praise for the song has flowed from Europe and the United States in recent years. The album was released in July 1972 and became one of the best-selling Peruvian rock LPs.
SIDE A/B BLACK / WHITE / NEON MAGENTA VINYL, limited to 100 copies. REPRESS of the legendary album. Prior to the formation of Queens of the Stone Age, bassist/singer Nick Oliveri recorded some originals with ex-Kyuss bandmates Josh Homme (guitar) and Brant Bjork (drums), plus Karma to Burn's Rob (drums) and others. But once recording was completed, Oliveri decided to shelve the tapes; it wasn't until several years later (well after Queens of the Stone Age began to establish themselves) that the bassist decided to release the songs on a friend's indie label, Southern Lord Records. Going by the name Mondo Generator, 11 tracks were compiled for the 2000 release Cocaine Rodeo. The majority of the songs are much more raw and hardcore/punk-based than Oliveri's output with QOTSA, as evidenced by such tracks as "Shawnette," "Uncle Tommy," "Unless I Can Kill," and "I Want You to Die."
Iconic early 90's Ibiza downtempo sound, “Daybreak” would have undoubtedly been the soundtrack to many sunrises in the Baleares. Simon Monday mixes the essential ingredients for bliss in perfect balance, a production so simple yet so effective, no rocket-science just pure intuition, honesty and sharp club sense. All elements coming together to make such an effortlessly powerful sounding instrumental house classic that will forever stand the test of time. Repacked in this new remastered re-issue with full artwork and with 2 new mixes: an extended 9 minute dub version with a new religious edge to it along with an additional re-drummed percussion heavy “bonus beats” for good measure. A no brainer buy-on-sight release for any proper record collection, just in time for the summer season.
Veiga lands straight on the dancefloor, no ambiguity about it. Spurred by the guys from RS Produções, he's been honing his DJ skills since he was 17 (currently 23), initially with partner Nunocoox, who gave him even more motivation. Production came naturally sometime in 2020. We venture: maybe one of the good things coming out of the lockdown? Summer of '22, his debut at Musicbox (at the Príncipe monthly residency) is recorded as a festive, lively set, punctuated by the kind of crowd shouts only heard when things go really happy and sweaty. Since then, Veiga's name has been spotted regularly in the afro club scene, growing in reputation
This side of kuduro, "Leandro" is as expressive as it gets, with percussive forces pulling in deceitfully different directions, much in the same style as the slower form of tarraxo. But we can call this house, yeah? No niceties, however: little over 3 minutes and the track abruptly cuts into silence, exuding the raw power of something made for the mix, not in the least "for the people". In a similar pragmatic mode, the stabs in "Sem Nome" get the party started unannounced. Full mode, for the duration. Minimal groove, broken beats and emotive highlights. "Boiler Room" may be wishful thinking, an interpretation of what is required to rock the place or, ultimately, just a title to wrap up the project. In any case, here's a feisty vocal-and-whistle driven stormer, building up to perfection over three and a half minutes. All elements exactly where they belong. Relentless pace in "X de Destroi", a dark side operation, unreal ambiance, breakneck beats, a purgation?
The title "Tudo É No Guetto" contains all the necessary theory. Everything happens in the ghetto. This uplifting house slab celebrates life as it is, freezing hardships for a moment, the ghetto seen as welcoming, a natural place to be. Vocals stashed away in his cell phone come from the animação crew Os Twinni (he joined them for a while). Clipped, repeated and manipulated to convey the very simple feeling of good times. Veiga himself talks about growing up with minimum resources but still happy. That is the memory he retains from being a kid in the ghettos of Amadora, just outside of Lisbon, born to a Cape Verdean father and Portuguese mother. Though the music sounds carefree and the message is chilled, let us not be tempted to rebrand Reality.
