Buscar:singers

The music contained in this album invokes the vibes and spirit that were so crucial to much of the music recorded during the 1960's & 70's in Jamaica. If you talk to the musicians and singers of this era, they will tell you that the driving force behind the songs they created was the sheer love of music. This is one of the reasons these recordings are so powerful and move listeners to this day. Music like this can only be made by those who were schooled in the studios and yards around Kingston and is not something that can be easily reproduced outside Jamaica. The Kingston All Stars represent some of the most legendary musicians to ever grace the little island & it is thanks to their passion and dedication that we have a lifetime of music to enjoy.

The members of KAS have been working & recording with each other in some of Jamaica's most legendary studios for over 50 years. The vibes and music that are created when they get together is nothing short of magic. This is the 3rd KAS LP showcasing the talents of Jamaica's top session musicians from the golden era of Jamaican music. These are the artists who laid the foundation for Rocksteady, Reggae, Roots and beyond in countless recording sessions around Jamaica & without them the music we love would not exist.

The album's intro piece 'Boo Rock', is a tribute to the legendary drummer Mikey 'Boo' Richards. Mikey has recorded with many of the Kingston All Stars in some of Jamaica's most fabled studios. It is obvious that Mikey is revered by all of the Kingston All Stars and it is fitting that this is the 1st track on the album.

Singer Allen Jahsana who is known for his work with Mikey Chung in the early 70's brings two amazing songs to the project. The first 'Jungle Justice' is a commentary on the lack of justice in the tough streets of Kingston, one which Alan knows firsthand as a longtime Kingstonian. The second vocal 'Rising from the Ghetto' is a call to the youth to rise up out of sufferation with some seriously heavy basslines courtesy Jackie Jackson.

New to the KAS family Carol Brown's 'Only Jah Knows' on a sweet dubbed out Rocksteady riddim shines that much brighter with the help of her daughter, Krystal Mittoo. Carl was married to Jackie Mittoo before his untimely passing.

Greenwich Farm rasta and legendary roots vocalist Prince Alla adds a real classic vibe to a new he wrote titled 'My Vision". The deep and powerful style Alla is known for was voiced on a riddim built by keyboard legend Ansel "Stagalag" Collins.

'Guns & Pulpit', the companion vocal for 'Clappers Dub' which saw release on the KAS Dub LP, finally sees the light of day. A proper roots anthem from singer RZee Jackson with conscious lyrics and RZee's unique vocal style.

The Kingston All Stars include Sly Dunbar, Hux Brown, Mikey 'Mao' Chung, Ansel Collins, Jackie Jackson, Robbie Lyn, Everton & Everald Gayle with the guidance of musician, writer & engineer Moss ' Mossman ' Raxlen. Members of the Kingston All Stars have been part of / or recorded with The Revolutionaries, Lynn Taitt & The Jets, Studio One's Sound Dimension and Soul Vendors Band, Lee 'Scratch' Perry's Upsetters, Peter Tosh's Word Sound and Power Band, Toots and the Maytals, Now Generation, In Crowd, Wailers Band and countless others

In Sudan, the political and cultural are inseparable. In 1989, a coup brought a hardline religious government to power. Music was violently condemned. Many musicians and artists were persecuted, tortured, forced to flee into exile — and even murdered, ending one of the most beloved music eras in all of Africa and largely denying Sudan's gifted instrumentalists, singers, and poets, from strutting their creative heritage on the global stage.

What came before in a special era that protected and promoted the arts was one of the richest music scenes anywhere in the world. Although Sudanese styles are endlessly diverse, this compilation celebrates the golden sound of the capital, Khartoum. Each chapter of the cosmopolitan city's tumultuous musical story is covered through 16 tracks: from the hypnotic violin and accordion-driven orchestral music of the 1970s that captured the ears and hearts of Africa and the Arabic-speaking world, to the synthesizer and drum machine music of the 1980s, and the music produced in exile in the 1990s. The deep kicks of tum tum and Nubian rhythms keep the sound infectious.

Sudan of old had music everywhere: roving sound systems and ubiquitous bands and orchestras kept Khartoum's sharply dressed youth on their feet. Live music was integral to cultural life, producing a catalog of concert recordings. In small arenas and large outdoor venues, musical royalty of the day built Khartoum's reputation as ground zero for innovation and technique that inspired a continent.

Musicians in Ethiopia and Somalia frequently point to Sudan's biggest golden era stars as idols. Mention Mohammed Wardi — a legendary Sudanese singer and activist akin to Fela Kuti in stature and impact in his music and politics — and they often look to the heavens. A popular story is of one man from Mali who walked for three months across the Sahel to Sudan because the father of the woman he wanted to marry would only allow it if he got him a signed cassette from Wardi himself. Saied Khalifa is said to be the one of the few singers to make Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie smile.

Such is the stature of Sudanese singers and the reputation of Sudanese music, particularly in the "Sudanic Belt," a cultural zone that stretches from Djibouti all the way west to Mauritania, covering much of the Sahara and the Sahel, lands where Sudanese artists are household names and Sudanese poems are regularly used as lyrics until today to produce the latest hits. Sudanese cassettes often sold more in Cameroon and Nigeria than at home.

But years of anti-music sentiment have made recordings in Sudan difficult to source. Ostinato's team traveled to Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti, and Egypt in search of the timeless cultural artifacts that hold the story of one of Africa's most mesmerizing cultures. That these cassette tape and vinyl recordings were mainly found in Sudan's neighbors is a testament to Sudanese music's widespread appeal.

With our Sudanese partner and co-compiler Tamador Sheikh Eldin Gibreel, a once famous poet and actress in '70s Khartoum, Ostinato's fifth album, following our Grammy-nominated "Sweet As Broken Dates," revives the enchanting harmonies, haunting melodies, and relentless rhythms of Sudan's brightest years, fully restored, remastered and packaged luxuriously in a triple LP gatefold and double CD bookcase to match the regal repute of Sudanese music.
A 20,000-word liner note booklet gives voice to the singers silenced by an oppressive regime.

Take a sail down the Blue and White Nile as they pass through Khartoum, carrying with them an ancient history and a never-ending stream of poems and songs. It takes two Niles to sing a melody.

* As we all know, reggae music was created in the Ghettos and has helped many people in their struggle & creating many opportunities for those who worked hard for it. Reggae developed its own alternative industry with the support of sound systems and gave opportunities to so many deejays, toaster and singers. In Brasil, with the rise of sound systems inspired by the UK and JA scene, Monkey Jhayam was one of the first artists to express his art and also build a solid and prominent career alongside many sound systems in his country. Out of São Mateus, Monkey broke barriers and has been collaborating with producers from all over the world with his uplifting Portuguese message.

Kendrick Andy's Roots song 'Great Old Men' lends itself to a new version by the major Brasillian Reggae artist, Monkey Jhayam. The 7 single features back to back versions, both in English (A) and Portugese (B). Rhythm: Alien Dread. The tracks also feature Alvin Davis (Hornz), Asha B (Congos & Percussion) and Rhythm/Lead Guitar by Steven 'Marley' Wright.

The music on this EP was conceived in China, between 1989 and 1993. The original tracks were mixed to DAT in real time, in a small neighbour-proof studio inside my apartment in Macau, a 19th floor with a view to the hurricanes. There's a small, unexpected or improbable story behind each track, some little magic fused with the local atmosphere, certainly guaranteeing their lasting authenticity 25 years later.

TAIPEI DISCO
Late 80s Guangzhou was an exotic city where the traditional past coexisted in harmony with the present and even already with the future.
I'd rather spend my weekends in Guangzhou than diving into Hong Kong consumerism - as most ex-pats in Macau did. I took a cab at the border and travelled 150 Km through chaotic roads with family and friends until reaching the hot, humid, mega South China metropolis.
We ate on street joints in the evenings, went on to a karaoke bar and ended up at Taipei Disco, the only proper club in town. All the others were inside hotels and played generic music or they were seedy, sleazy, smoky cabarets.
Taipei Disco used to be a cinema and played cantonese pop music and anglo-saxon pop/rock (that was new). The spacious dance floor was generously lighted, the atmosphere was airy and modern. Boys and girls were in the habit of dancing in pairs, one in front of the other, observing a respectful yet sensual distance. When the girl took a few steps back, the boy went along and vice versa. With legs and feet (more than the upper bodies) synchronized with the music, they never exceeded in extroversion. Cool.
I always carried a MicroComposer and a portable DAT recorder in my travels through China and weekends in Canton. Any spontaneous musical idea was imediately recorded and memorized. The MicroComposer allowed multitrack recording, which was very handy on the road. Based on the emphatic choreography of Taipei Disco's dancers, i started to compose a rhythm track while sitting at a table, with headphones, listening to Cantopop in the background. As if by magic - not a rare occasion in music - everything began fitting together. Odd as it may seem, the track ended up sounding more germanic (Kraftwerkian) than Cantonese pop.

The story ends in a circle: the cantonese DJ at Taipei Disco, whom i used to ask to play certain records, wanted to play my music at the disco when it was basically only just a rhythm track and little else. From a cupboard under his set up he took out a battered keyboard (unrecognizable brand) and invited me to play over the track with the available sounds on the keyboard. The circle was complete, with Cantonese clubbers happily dancing forwards and backwards, as if it were another Cantopop hit.
I didn't get payed but the house offered us free ice cream cups in which little Portuguese flags were sticked.
The track would be finished later, in studio, with vocoder strings ensemble and synth solos.

TAIPEI DISCO (LIVE)
The live version of 'Taipei Disco' was recorded during a live set at the China Pop venue, in Macau, 1993. China Pop was a rock club built in the ample space of an old fishing warehouse, located in the labyrinthic Inner Harbour area. It was decorated with large Mao Zedong and Cultural Revolution posters and memorabilia and had a unique atmosphere, fusing Pop Art with film noir. We began our performance at 1AM, pretty early for Macau's nightlife standards. We were lucky. An audience showed up. And in Macau there were always several friends among the audience, which tranformed a musical performance into a relaxed party.
The atmosphere was particularly surreal on that night. The front row was dominated by French Crazy Horse dancers, a sort of Oriental Moulin Rouge. The girls had finished their last performance of the evening at the Crazy Horse and were still energized from their show. During our performance, right in front of us and perfectly synched, we could hear the famous irreverent screams of can-can dancers. You always had to expect the unexpected in Macau.

RED MAMBO (IMPROMPTU)
I was familiar with the Portuguese-speaking African countries well before having lived in China. I found myself returning several times to one in particular, always attracted by its magic and very distinct, identitary culture and music: Cape Verde.
During the early years of DWART a lot of the inspiration for drum machine rhythms (Roland's TR series) came from African music, especially from new musical trends that gained full autonomy with Cape Verde's independence from Portugal, as was the case with funaná.
I had the privilege of having known and befriended some of the greatest Capeverdian composers, musicians and singers during the 70s and 80s, such as Bana, Luís Morais, Cesária Évora, Paulino Vieira, Chico Serra, Tito Paris, and historical bands such as Bulimundo (ambassadors of funaná) and Os Tubarões (great innovators of morna, coladera and funaná, with the sonic impact of an afro-beat big band).
When Luís Filipe de Barros began playing Os Tubarões for the first time on Portuguese radio, that was the turning point for African music in Portugal. The 'Tabanca' album was so widely heard and talked about that it quickly got a Portuguese release through one of the big labels of the time.
The mystic of this band from the Santiago Island would reach the East. Os Tubarões played to a packed room in Macau in 1992, and after the bombastic gig we arranged a dinner and party at my place.
We ate and drank generously and the moment came for a jam session at the small studio on the 19th floor. Because Os Tubarões didn't all fit in the studio, we recorded an impromptu with only three of the musicians: Tótó Silva (electric guitar), Mário Russo Bettencourt (bass) and Zeca Couto (piano). And there we were improvising without barriers, suddenly detached from cultural roots, labels and constraints, a truly unique moment. The track is now being released exactly as it was recorded, imbued with the real communion between the musicians. And it could only be titled 'Red Mambo'. I wish to dedicate it to the memory of Ildo Lobo and Jaime do Rosário, founders of Os Tubarões, sadly and too soon departed from the land of music.

The Disco music fever was also present in the Rumba and Flamenco scene of Spain in the late '70s / early '80s. Producers, sound engineers and studio musicians, collaborated closely with flamenco / rumba singers and bands, highlighting the productions that genius Josep Llobell did for the Belter label in Barcelona. Here you got 12 disco-rumba-flamenco bombs, a time machine to the boites and discotheques of the late 70s and the perfect soundtrack to an imaginary Kinki' cinema soundtrack.

Featuring Sangre Gitana, Rumba 3, Tobago, Los Gachós, La Marelu, El Turronero...

Insert with liner notes by Txarly Brown and photos.

It Was A Musical Cocktail Born In A Marketing Meeting: Two Parts Easy Listening, One Part Jazz, A Healthy Dollop Of Conga Drums, A Sprinkling Of Bird Calls, And A Pinch Of Textless Choir. Serve Garnished With An Alluring Female On The Album Jacket For Best Results. Exotica! The Soundtrack For A Mythical Air Conditioned Eden, Packaged For Mid-century, Tiki Torch-wielding Armchair Safariers. Be It Mosquito-bitten Torch Singers, Landlocked Surf Quartets, Fad-chasing Jazz Combos, Mad Genius Band Leaders, D-list Actors, Or A Middle Aged Loner Programming Bird Calls Into A Hammond, Exotica Was Always More Concerned With What Geography Might Sound Like Over Who Was Conducting. Captured Across Three Albums Are 48 (54 On The Cd) Curious Examples Of The Short-lived Genre's Reach, Each Summoning Their Own Sonic Visions Of Shangri La, Bringing Their Versions Of The Pacific, Africa, And The Orient To The Hinterlands Of America. Technicolor Paradise Is Where One Makes It, After All.

Various Artists - Technicolour Paradise: Rhum Rhapsodies & Others Exotic Delights

For its tenth year as a label, 4Weed Records proudly presents Zion Kingdom, a special EP we've been working on since long time. A feature between historical sound system Dread Lion Hi Fi, also active as producer and promoter, and Mr Biska, this release is enhanced by legendary Henry Tenyue's trombone melody, aka Matic Horns, and it is mixed, dubbed and mastered by Steve Vibronics.
Over the years Matic Horns has been collaborating in studios and live performances with the best Jamaican and English talents such as Gregory Isaacs, Freddie McGregor, John Holt, Luciano, Aswad, UB40, Horace Andy, just to name a few. Dread Lion Hi Fi crew is a historical Italian sound system, that has been a reference point for the reggae vibez in Italy, promoter of historical events such as the Milano Dub Club and the Dubwise Festival, where the best producers, singers and selectas of the international scene have been hosted. The combination with master Steve Vibronics was born far away in time, from a consolidated relationship over the years that brought about this collaboration.
The track opens with a magical trombone melody by Matic Horns that perforates the pad carpet laying down the whole tune while indicating the path, a victorious march to Zion. The guitar riff, which perfectly fits to the trombone melody, introduces the drop of a deep overwhelming rhythm that transmits the desire of moving and dancing, and at the same time a spiritual mantra for high meditation. The production is enriched by three different dubs, mixed and made unique by Steve Vibronics' technique, reverbs, filters and delay, a very guaranty for the lovers of Uk Dub in roots and culture style.

'syncho Sound System & Power' Features The Music Of Nigeria Fuji Machine,
Which Includes Some Of The Country's Finest 'fuji' Master Drummers And Singers, And Is Newly Recorded By Soul Jazz Records In Lagos, Nigeria. Fuji Is The Heavily Percussive And Improvisational Style Of Nigerian Popular Music, At Once Modern And Yet Deeply Rooted In The Traditional Islamic Yoruba Culture Of Nigeria.
Here On This Album Nigeria Fuji Machine's Striking And Powerful Lead Vocalist Taofik Yemi Fagbenro Soars Above A Wild And Energetic Backdrop Of Polyrhythms Played On Traditional Talking Drums, Trap Drums, Electronic And Street Percussion To Create A Powerful Wall Of Intense Sound. Fuji Is A Hi-energy Street Music, Heavily Percussive Which Evolved Out Of The Islamic Celebration Of Ramadan, Which Became A Major Event In Mid-20th Century Lagos. Groups Of Young Men Walked Through Muslim Neighbourhoods At Night Singing Improvised 'wéré' Music To The Accompaniment Of Pots, Pans, Drums, Bells
And Anything Else Available, Waking Believers For The Early Morning Prayer. By The Early 1970s This Music Had Crossed-over Into Popular Nigerian Culture Where It Came To Be Known As Fuji, First Made Popular By The Artist Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, As The Music Began To Be Performed Commonly At Parties And Social Events. In The 1970s And 1980s Three Nigerian Artists - King Sunny Adé, Chief Ebonezer Obey And Fela Kuti - All Secured International Major Record Deals Bringing Popularity To The Nigerian Musical Styles Of Juju (adé And Obey) And Afro-beat (fela Kuti's Unique Mixture Of Highlife, Funk And Jazz) Abroad, But In The Process Ignoring Much Of Nigeria's Rich Musical Landscape. Fuji Is, Alongside Highlife, Juju, Afro-beat, Sakara, Afro-reggae, Waka, Igbo Rap, Apala And Numerous Others - One Of These Central Styles Of Nigerian Music. The Singer Barrister Described The Music As Follows: 'fuji Music Is A Combination Of Music Consisting Of Sakara, Apala, Juju, Aro, Afro, Gudugudu, And Possibly Highlife.' Juju Performer King Sunny Adé Described The Difference Between The Two
Styles Of Fuji And Juju Somewhat Competitively Thus: 'fuji Music Is More Or Less Like My Music Without Guitars. It's Like I'm Singing In A Major Key And They Are Singing In A Minor. The Music Itself Is The Music Of Juju Music.' Today Fuji Remains A Powerful Popular Music With Deep And Powerful Islamic Roots
Which Continues To Modernise And Attract New Generations Of Young Nigerians And Nigeria Fuji Machine's 'syncho Sound System & Power' Is A Powerful And Intense Musical Experience. This Album Is Released As A Limited-edition Heavyweight Vinyl Edition (+free Download Code), Deluxe Cd And Digital Format.

When Michaela Meise performed at WestGermany at Kottbusser Tor in Berlin-Kreuzberg on March 20, 2015, accompanying herself on the accordion, I was perplexed. I knew her first album from 2010, which was about hymns (»Preis dem Todesüberwinder«, originally released on Clouds Hill, available as a download and stream through my label from July 2018 on), but what she was playing weren't spiritual songs! I wanted to put this music out on my label: the songs sounded sad, aloof and wistful but also proud, determined and unerring.

The album title »I am Greek« is a tribute to Melina Mercouri's album »Je Suis Grecque!«, which was released in 1971 when Mercouri was deprived of citizenship by the Greek military junta. Mercouri lived - like Mikis Theodorakis and many other cultural workers - in exile. Meise's album is dedicated to the chanson scene of post-war Europe, whose songs were popularly folksy, but also political. Some talk about the experience of war, the Shoah and labor migration. Michaela Meise has translated the Greek, French and Romanian songs into German (with the help of Aliki Marini and Carmen Gheorghe) so that the lyrics are understandable to a German audience, a gesture that was also common in the European chanson scene. More than half of the songs are by Mikis Theodorakis. He knows the translations and new recordings, gave his blessing and just noted a wrong tone ... The other pieces on the album are by the French artists Barbara and George Moustaki and the German musician Alexandra. There is also a Romanian folk song.

The album was recorded by Michaela Meise together with members of the group Isolation Berlin as well as the guest singers Carmen Gheorge and Dirk von Lowtzow (Tocotronic). The producer was David Specht (Isolation Berlin).

Michaela Meise and me both have intimate relations with Greece - Michaela has innumerable holiday memories with parents and brother, I have a friend who lives in Athens and whom I have been visiting regularly for about ten years now. This friend, the graphic designer Vasilis Marmatakis, styled Meise's album using an impressive, scary photograph taken in May 1985 during the occupation of Polytechnio Athens. Together, we opted for an elaborate packaging made by a bookbinder, a so-called Japanese tip-on-gatefold cover. The packaging reminds us of the records that were made in Greece for export and taken by German tourists as a souvenir back home.

This Is The Second Installment Of Deep Roots Rastafarian Reggae At Studio One And Features Classic Music From Some Of The Most Important Figures In Reggae Music - Alton Ellis, The Heptones, Jackie Mittoo, The Gladiators - Alongside A Host Of Rarities And Little-known Recordings, Such As A Truly Rare Mystic Revelation Of Rastafari Seven-inch Single, Willie William's First Ever Recording 'calling' And Horace Andy's Righteous (and Equally Rare) Masterpiece 'illiteracy. Black Man's Pride 2 Extends The Legacy Of Studio One's Ground-breaking Path In Roots Reggae Which Began At The End Of The 1960s And Continued Throughout The 1970s. The Album Tells The Story Of How The Rise Of Studio One Records And The Rastafari Movement Were Interconnected, Through The Adoption Of The Rastafari Faith By Key Reggae Artists - Everyone From The Skatalites And Wailers In The 1960s, Major Singers Such As Alton Ellis And Horace Andy At The End Of The Decade, Through To Major Roots Artists Such As The Gladiators In The 1970s - And How Clement Dodd Consistently Recorded This Heavyweight Roots Music Throughout Studio One's History.
The Sleeve-notes To This Album Also Discuss The Links Between Rastafari And Studio One In Time And Place, Noting How Both The Religion And Clement Dodd's Musical Empire Had Their Roots In The Intense Period Of Pre-independence Jamaica In Kingston, Expanded In The 1960s Following The Visit Of Haile Selassie In 1966, And How Roots Music Then Came To Dominate Reggae Music In The Early 1970s. Also Discussed Is How The Outsider Stance Of Both Reggae Music And The Rastafari Movement Relate Back Many Hundreds Of Years To The Original Rebel Stance Of The Maroons, Escaped Slaves Who Set Up Self-sufficient Enclaves In The Hills Of The Jamaican Countryside.

Steve Reich's Drumming is regarded as one of the most important musical works of the last century. Distilled through his studies of African percussion in Ghana during 1970 and Balinese gamelan music, Reich revolutionized our understanding of polyrhythms, sculpting a new sonic territory to illuminate the radical potential of Minimalism.Divided into four sections, performed without pause, Drumming is written for eight small tuned drums, three marimbas, three glockenspiels, piccolo and voice. The singers recite melodic patterns that mimic the sounds of the instruments, gradually rising to the surface and then fading out. The overall effect can be transfixing - pulling listeners into the rhythm and possessing a raw immediacy, directness and energy.The premier performances of Drumming took place in December 1971 in New York City - first at The Museum of Modern Art, then at Brooklyn Academy of Music and finally at Town Hall where this recording was made - and featured the composer along with a cast of longtime collaborators including Art Murphy, Steve Chambers, Russ Hartenberger, James Preiss, Jon Gibson, Joan La Barbara, Judy Sherman, Jay Clayton, Ben Harms, Gary Burke, Frank Maefsky and James Ogden.Originally released in 1972 by gallerist John Gibson in a small private edition, Drumming represents the culmination of Reich's investigation into rhythmic phase relationships and its early realization captures a remarkably organic feel, especially compared to the more widely known version on Deutsche Grammophon from 1974.This first-time vinyl reissue and first-time CD release has been carefully remastered from the original master tapes.

In its second venture into reissuing hidden gems of electronic music produced in Eastern Europe in the 20th Century, LITTLE BEAT DIFFERENT ISSUES focuses on the work of a Czech composer, musician and producer, Alexander Goldscheider. Born in Prague in 1950, Goldscheider started as a music orrespondent in New York in 1968/69, went onto reading Music at Charles University whilst continuing as a music critic and radio/club DJ, before becoming a record producer at the top Czech label, Supraphon. As a composer, he pioneered the use of synthesizers in his songs for major Czech pop/rock singers as well as in his own instrumental tracks. After moving to London in 1981, he first recorded two albums at the renowned Red Bus Studios, then proceeded to work at the legendary BBC Radiophonic Workshop, before co-founding and establishing Romantic Robot, a software and hardware design and manufacturing company which later moved into music recording and publishing. Of the many original products, THE MUSIC TYPEWRITER was ground-breaking software enabling the writing and printing of real notation on the Sinclair ZX Spectrum. Similarly TEREZÍN: THE MUSIC 1941-44 was the first ever release of CDs with music written in the Theresienstadt Concentration Camp during World War II. Goldscheider's 1980s LPs THEMES FOR A ONE-MAN BAND Vol I & II reflect his work as a solo artist, always writing, recording and producing single-handedly. He had, though, a team of technical aficionados and inventors back in Prague, who adapted and developed his electronic music equipment incl. synthesizers, sequencers and even a Studer multitrack recorder, thus creating a revolutionary set-up, on par with the much later MIDI.This LP samples Alexander Goldscheider's music produced for records, films, TV and even an art exhibition in the space of 25 years starting from 1975.

Fresh off the back of the languorous poolside disco and tropical pop of their debut album 'Shapes On Shapes' released last November, LA based duo Wild & Free return with a collection of essential remixes from label mates and influences alike by revisiting the heady disco of recent single 'Ferns and Stuff'.
Both multi-instrumentalists, singers and producers in their own right, Wild & Free duo Drew Kramer and George Cochrane came together in 2015 and have spent the past 2 years crafting a series of acclaimed EPs and remixes (for the likes of Joe Goddard (Hot Chip), Panama, Gigamesh, RAC and Ben Browning of Cut/Copy) that saw them tipped by the likes of Spin, XLR8R, Indie Shuffle, Clash Magazine, Data Transmission and many more and take their live show on the road playing alongside the likes of Brooklyn's Body Language.After releasing a few solid ep's and two full lengths album's Xinobi has gained real recognition among established and well-known artists and opinion-makers, and his underground cult has amplified. What has followed is remixes, edits and reworks for artists such as Sbtrkt, The Avener, John Grant, Toro Y Moi, Nicolas Jaar, Agnes Obel, Kris Menace and Tensnake.Along with Moullinex and Mr. Mitsuhirato he gave birth to the still-growing-influent Discotexas who here lend their label mates their expert musical arrangement skills with 'Discotexas Club Mix' thrown in for good measure. And it doesn't stop there, with legendary New Yorker Justin Strauss, who has produced and mixed records and remixes for the likes of LCD Soundsystem, Beyonce, La Roux and Goldfrapp contributing a 'Whatever/Whatever' mix as part of the slick and hugely influential production duo he formed with Bryan Mette.
Already noticed for his remixes and array of collaborators and with several releases under his belt (including a track on the 'Bonjour Colette' compilation), Tokyo-based Yuki Abe AKA producer/DJ Boys Get Hurt gets his inspiration from the melancholic feelings the end of summer inevitably brings about, a personal and evocative sensibility in tune with the land of the rising sun's delicate culture. Yuki expertly crafts bouncy disco-house music with sprinklings of electronica, indie, ambient, hip-hop and R&B. Here he adds a mix with a loose and joyful feel that fits the sentiments of what Wild and Free represent perfectly.

Way back in 1967, an animated superhero cartoon was released into the world. It was created by Grantray-Lawrence Animation and was based on a web-spinning, crime fighting blue and red dressed character that had originated in1962, in Marvel Comics by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. This amazing series (that we're not allowed to mention the name of for legal reasons) ran on ABC TV in the USA, then Canada, then a few years later started to spread its web further, running here in the UK throughout summer holidays, after school and possibly early mornings at weekends in the late 1970s. The series then got released on VHS video (and probably Betamax too) in the mid 1980s and still continues to spin its animated magic around the world through further broadcasts, YouTube and DVDs.

The series was notoriously low budget, with animated errors everywhere and numerous scenes, sequences and backgrounds being re-used all the time, often across the same episode. Even a certain spider logo on a costume would appear with six legs, then eight legs later on, then back to six again in the same show.

Series One opened with a newly written spider theme, a classic, hooky song all about doing whatever spiders can, and had, as Big George (RIP) once pointed out to me, a set of session singers falling slightly out of time with the backing track after the first verse. Series One also featured background music by jobbing composers Bob Harris and Ray Ellis but these cues and master tapes are now believed to be lost.

After Series One the company Grantray-Lawrence went bankrupt, so the amazing spider series (that we're not allowed to mention for legal reasons) was taken on by producer Steve Krantz. He brought in new talent, including animation director Ralph Bakshi who later went on to turn a Robert Crumb strip cartoon into the feature Fritz The Cat. Krantz also slashed the already cripplingly small spider budget, and brought in the idea of using economic library music. Here, thanks possibly to an independent sync agent (it has been suggested that a company called Music Sound Track Services may have been the one) production turned to the KPM catalogue. This was one of the few really established library catalogues around at the time with a modern edge, it was full of fabulous, modern dramatic music tracks - often all on the same LP. But more importantly all the tracks were far longer than the one minute musical cuts that many of the fledgling USA library companies were issuing at the time. Not only would this KPM music be efficient, affordable and very easy to use, it would also mean syndication worldwide would not be held up by any future musical issues. Krantz produced two amazing spider series (that we're not allowed to mention for legal reasons), and both were smothered with KPM music. In fact barely a spider second goes by without music playing in either the background or foreground.

For many years I - and many nostalgic others - have been thinking about putting this vinyl album together. For many enthusiasts this really is formative music - a junior foray into hip swinging crime jazz and esoteric musical grooviness. I've also read on line accounts by DJs from WFMU on the trail of original spider master tapes, and there's even a whole forum dedicated to Spidey-Jazz'. Then recently I was looking at an old spider tracklist and realized that several of my favourite KPM cues were there including Syd Dale's Hell Raisers' and Walk And Talk', both from one of the most elusive and desirable KPM albums of all time (yes, you just try and find yourself a copy of KPM 1002 right now), so I decided to push on and get the album made.

So, what features on this Spider-Jazz Lp Well it's music from the amazing TV series we are not allowed to mention for legal reasons, BUT, not music from Series One. No, but it is all from Series Two and Series Three. From looking at archival cue sheets, over 50 tracks from various early KPM 1000 series albums were used across episodes. I've distilled this down into one exciting and enthralling LP, and if this works a further Spider Jazz album may well swing in to production. If you're interested (and I'm sure you may well be) cues here came from KPM1001, KPM1002, KPM1015, KPM1017, KPM1018 and KPM1043 and were composed by master library composers of the era - Dale, Hawkshaw, Hawksworth, Mansfield etc.

And if you are listening over there in the USA, you may well recognize many of the cues here not just from the amazing TV series (that we're not allowed to mention for legal reasons) but also from classic 1960s and 1970s NFL highlight shows that we are allowed to mention.

Soul Jazz Records' latest album 'Yoruba! Songs and Rhythms for the Yoruba Gods in Nigeria' is newly recorded in Lagos, Nigeria. The album is co-produced by Soul Jazz Records label head Stuart Baker and Laolu Akins (founding member of the legendary 1970s Nigerian Afro-Funk/Rock group Blo). Yoruba! features an array of local master drummers led by Olatunji Samson Sotimirin and singers (featuring the lead vocals of Janet Olufanmilayo Abe) performing heavyweight Afro-rhythms, with talking drums, Bata and Dundun drums and a mass of percussion in these deep spiritual and sacred songs used to honour and worship the traditional and ancient Yoruba gods in Nigeria, West Africa. 
The enormous impact of Yoruba and West African music and culture is worldwide - from the first Afro-centric explorations of African-American jazz musicians in the 1950s such as Art Blakey, Randy Weston and Dizzy Gillespie, the explosion of Nu Yorican Latin music in New York City starting in the 1960s - Mambo, Boogaloo, Latin funk and soul - through to the sacred and powerful Afro-derived music of the religions of Santería in Cuba, Candomblé in Brazil and Voodoo in Haiti, which all came into existence on account of the Atlantic slave trade which began over 400 years ago. On a wider scale West African music remains the primary root of all African-American musical forms - from New Orleans jazz to Bronx rap, gospel, soul and more.
This album features songs honouring the Nigerian gods of the Yoruba traditional religion - Yemoja, Obatala, Ogun, Sango and others - as well as a selection of instrumental cuts focussing on the Bata and Dundun drums. The album comes complete with extensive text and photography included in the 40-page outsize booklet/gatefold double vinyl + inners showing the influence of Yoruba culture throughout the world and the social and historical context for the music contained here.
Watch out for a limited edition remix of the project by Osunlade, also forthcoming on Soul Jazz Records.

Brother And Sister Eric And Arrontette Mcclinton Had Been Recording For Many Years. Around 1976 They Did A 45 Release Together On Honey Records Called "where You Are" Under The Their Christian Names, Although Eric Was Spelled Eryke! The Single Didn't Have Much Success But Both Brother And Sister Still Went On To Be Amazing Backing Singers Working For Legendary Producers Mike Theodore And Dennis Coffey. Whilst They Were Under The Watchful Eye Of The Production Team They Recorded Some Material Again And A Duo For Theo/coff In A Bid To Get Them Another Record Deal And Show Their Capabilities. These Songs Never Got Releases. Eric Became And Prolific Song Writer And Also Joined The Group High Fashion .
We Are Super Pleased To Finally Release The Shelved Songs From 1978.
This In One Of Two Releases By The Duo.

Glyn Bigga Bush has been producing electronic and sample-based music since the early 90s when he formed Rockers Hi Fi, going on to release numerous albums. Since the turn of the century he has produced and DJ'd as BiggaBush as well as various side projects such as Lightning Head (Sonar Kollektiv), the Dandelion Set (Buried Treasure) and the Magic Drum Orchestral (Tru Thoughts).

Bigga's latest project 'Sunken Foal Stories' represents a departure from much of his other work in that it is not primarily based on beats. Instead, his working method was to go with fascinating samples, accidental juxtapositions and irregular loops - inspired by pioneers of sound such as Faust and the audio experiments of Julian House as well as early stereo test records, soundtracks and library music.

The 21 concise tracks of Sunken Foal Stories link into two 15 minute segments on the LP. Bush explores the random elements created by overlaying disparate samples, where chimes of baroque psychedelia clash with ascending classical strings, or a haunting Eastern European folk song is looped into an eternal cadence of longing. Various voices float over the speakers, lost poets, disturbing therapists, dreaming vampires, chuckling cabaret singers. Sourced almost entirely from charity shops and carboot sales, the source material speaks of a forgotten yet relatively recent period, when stereo was something new and exciting, when home entertainment first came into its own and suburban homes thrilled to the exotic sounds of home organs, primitive beatboxes, LPs bought in unusual holiday destinations and 'glamorous' soundtracks.

Stix Records is a sub-division of Favorite Recordings specialized in the exercise of producing covers with a Reggae twist. Acclaimed in 2013 with a first official single by Taggy Matcher Birdy & Nixon (STIX033), quickly followed by the first volume of Disco Reggae (STIX035) compilation, Stix is back in 2014 with a scorching Disco Reggae Vol.2.

Following the success of its first volume, the Disco Reggae series also expands with this 9 tracks compilation, composed with 8 new and exclusive versions by artists such as Taggy Matcher, 7 Samuraï, Mato, or John Milk, and the classic cover of Tainted Love' by Grandmagneto. But this time, if they still explore famous hits like Watermelon Man' by Herbie Hancock or Happy' by Pharrell Williams, they also dug within the home labels' catalog,
taking over some of the finest titles by Mr Day, Lee McDonald, Lucas Arruda or The Joubert Singers.

Again this time, their swaying renditions seem straight out of the smoky studios from Kingston or Montego Bay, while also remembering the 80s Pop-Reggae sound of artists like Grace Jones or the less famous Earons.
Everything is mastered and cut at Carvery Records (UK), known for their expertise in Caribbean and Disco music. The vinyl LP comes in a deluxe version, housed in an old-school tip-on jacket.

Dionne Warwick is one of the most classic and iconic soul singers of all time. Over her career she has recorded a string of hits and a legacy of music of outstanding quality. Move Me No Moiuntain' was first released in 1975 on Warner Brothers and has since become her most played song on the 'modern soul' scene. (I'm) Just Being Myself' comes from an earlier album (1973) produced by Holland-Dozier-Holland', a connoisseur soul track gaining support in recent years.

A year after his last 12 inch release Here We Are / That's Desire EP and few months after a CD release Hamburg Süd/Nee IYaow eow eow featuring experimental field recordings and vocal improvisations, Wolfgang Tillmans returns with a new extended play on his own label Fragile. Heute Will Ich Frei Sein sets an energetic tone for the 5 track EP that leads straight on the dancefloor, a space that Tillmans has observed and discussed from various angles throughout his artistic career. While Los Angeles based experimental noise project Wreck and Reference's beats and 808 staccato claps instantly create a hedonistic dance moment, it is Tillmans' lyrics that contrast the simplicity of this message. Tillmans knows that clubs have always been spaces mirroring constant crisis of 'western' societies towards minorities, race and gender. In the light of current political events, it is the singers' nod that informs us about the precarity and necessity of such spaces as no contradiction. Completely Changed and On My Own, Tillmans and his long-term collaborators Jay Pluck, Kyle Combs and Tim Knapp return to more song based recordings but with a stronger approach on synthesiser soundscapes. On My Own finds Tillmans again singing simple lines over a staggering pop production that can be read as a comment on nightlife as well as the artist emerging into a more mature stage in life. It is this ambiguity that marks Tillmans' writing and constant striving for variation. Almost last, the extended play features a remix of Fast Lane, originally released on 2016 / 1986 EP - tracing back to Tillmans' first musical steps with collaborator Bernd Lessmann in 1986.

Al Brown was inspired to write the single 'Proverb' after spending hours hunched over his bible in Spanish Town as a youth. He had become known for his more commercial covers of singer Al Green material, but 'Proverb' was one of the few tunes that he recorded that were roots inspired and has become highly sought after. Recorded at Channel One with Ernest Hookim engineering, who did an excellent job of squeezing out a thumping horns led tune. The inspired version on the flip has Lloyd Parks on bass and the singer Derek Lara on drums. The Seventh Extension Band was the house band of the Zodiac label. Not a tight knit band as such, but built built around singers Bunny Lara and Derek Lara. 'Words spoke in haste will all go to waste so be cool'. True thing Al. Comes in hand stamped bag.

Soul Jazz Records are releasing this new 10th anniversary 2017 edition of their classic album 'Dancehall - The Rise of Jamaican Dancehall Culture'. This long-out-of-print collection is now available as a triple-vinyl edition and double CD pack.

The album is a lightning-flash collection of all-time classic and definitive dancehall classics as well as a stellar selection of more obscure tracks. Featuring Yellowman, Tenor Saw, Sister Nancy, Ini Kamoze, Chaka Demus & Pliers, Michigan & Smiley, Super Cat, Cutty Ranks, Eek-A-Mouse, Gregory Isaacs and more, this album features non-stop floor-filling party tune rockers throughout!

Dancehall is released to coincide with the new 2017 edition of the stunning 400+ photos deluxe coffee table book 'Dancehall - The Rise of Jamaican Dancehall Culture', featuring Beth Lesser's amazing Dancehall photography (also newly published by Soul Jazz Records). This book has become the definitive cultural reference book for Jamaican dancehall and features hundreds of killer photographs, extensive text and interviews with many of the artists.

'A vibrant anthology of all that mattered: the sound systems, studios, producers, singers and deejays.' The Guardian

Moullinex is back with his finest album up to date, HYPERSEX, a collective love letter to club culture and its celebration of difference, freedom and love. In his third length, Moullinex reached out to several guest singers: Fritz Helder (Azari & III), Georgia Anne Muldrow (Flying Lotus, Mos Def), Iwona Skwarek (Rebeka), Best Youth, Marta Ren, Da Chick, UhAhUh and Tee Flowers, crafting a uniquely fresh piece that combines many of his musical influences, from the funk, groove and sunshine of his debut "Flora" to the psychedelia and tropicalia of 'Elsewhere'. Moullinex is the alter ego of the Portuguese producer and multiinstrumentalist Luis Clara Gomes. He's established himself as one of the leading artists in the modern disco scene, with several singles such as 'Take My Pain Away' and 'Maniac' ft. Peaches, and remixes of acts like Røyksopp, Cut Copy, Two Door Cinema Club and Grammyawarded artist RAC. The road to HYPERSEX has been paved by various singles and videos in 2017, expanding the spirit of collaboration to directors and visual artists, and gathered wide support from international tastemakers across the globe, including Vice, NPR, KCRW, Triple J, Majestic Casual, Les Inrockuptibles and Tsugi Mag. HYPERSEX is like Hypertext between humans, a system designed to multiply ideas and connections between people. The dance floor is the perfect medium.

Legendary James Brown's protégée Martha High teams up with mighty Japanese Osaka Monaural to pay homage to "JB's Funky Divas" in her new album "Tribute to My Soul Sisters".

Original Funky Diva Martha High has been an integral part of James Brown's life and career for more than 30 years. She was his backing vocalist, hair stylist, payroll master and his always loyal and reliable confidant.

The idea for this project was hatched back in 2014, when Martha was visiting producer DJ Pari, head honcho of the Soulpower organization and manager of soul legends like The Impressions, Lyn Collins and Marva Whitney. While reminiscing about tours with her fellow James Brown veterans, Martha felt that a tribute to the great soul sisters of the JB Revue, better known as "James Brown's Original Funky Divas," was very much needed.

"I looked up to these ladies of soul," says Martha, "Given the opportunity and the pleasure to perform their songs, is my way of saying: thank you, you're not forgotten. To record the music of the Funky Divas, would mean a lot to Mr. Brown. He always wanted the world to know he had powerful women on stage that could hold his crowd while he was off the stage. They were just as powerful and funky as he was."

Without further ado, following DJ Pari's advice, Martha partnered up in Tokyo with one of the hottest names of the new funk renaissance: Japan's Osaka Monaurail. Deeply influenced by the work of James Brown, Bobby Byrd, Curtis Mayfield and with nine albums under their belt, Osaka Monaurail have been leading the international funk scene for more than two decades, appearing at festivals such as Montreal Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival and Womad's, as well as recording and touring with funk legends like Marva Whitney and Fred Wesley.

This unique collaboration gives new life to 13 soulful pearls, masterfully interpreted as only an Original Funky Diva can do. To name a few: "Think (About It)", made famous by the female preacher Lyn Collins, "Mama's Got a Bag of Her Own", Anna King's answer to Brown's "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," "This Is My Story", of which Martha recorded the original version with The Jewels, and the soul classic "Answer to Mother Popcorn" by Vicki Anderson.

Born in Victoria, Virginia, and discovered by rock 'n roll pioneer Bo Diddley, Martha started her career with the soulful, legendary doo-wop group The Four Jewels, with whom she scored the national hit "Opportunity" in 1964. Soon, The Jewels caught the attention of James Brown and joined the James Brown Revue in 1966. The Godfather of Soul recorded and released several songs featuring The Jewels until the group disbanded. Nevertheless, Martha stayed with James Brown and continued to work with him as his personal vocalist for 32 years. She was with him at the Boston Garden during the iconic 1968 gig after Martin Luther King's assassination. She was by his side when he performed at renowned "Rumble in The Jungle" event in Zaire. Mr. Brown produced several of Martha's singles on his own People label such as "Georgy Girl", "Try Me" and "Summertime." Meanwhile Martha launched her solo career in 1979 with the self-titled debut LP for Salsoul Records. Since, she has released five albums under her name and, being one of the "hardest working women in show business", she became one of the leading singers of saxophonist Maceo Parker's legendary funky music machine, working with him for 16 years.

Throughout her career Martha has shared stages worldwide with iconic artists like Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Temptations, Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Michael Jackson and George Clinton. Martha has been carrying the torch of soul music for her whole life, like a true soul sister. Now, with this new effort, she is keeping the music of the Funky Divas going, and we are sure that the Godfather of Soul and her faithful audience would appreciate it.

Grammy-winning singing sensation Gregory Porter - one of the most successful jazz artists of his generation - is back with a new album, 'Nat King Cole & Me', to be released on Decca/Blue Note on 27th October. It is a deeply personal tribute to Nat King Cole - the legendary crooner who ignited Gregory's love of music. It's only natural that I go to the root of my inspiration and where I come from. And that root would be my mother and gospel music and Nat King Cole,' he says.

Recorded at London's AIR Studios, the 12-track album features some of Gregory's favourite Nat King Cole tunes including 'Smile', 'L-O-V-E' and 'Nature Boy'. There is also a Nat-inspired arrangement of Gregory's own song 'When Love Was King', originally released on his million-selling hit album, 'Liquid Spirit'.

For Gregory Porter, the influence of Nat King Cole on his life and music runs deep, a through-line that reaches back into some of his earliest childhood memories, and culminates in the release of his new album 'Nat King Cole & Me'. Gregory explains, At five or six years old, Nat's music filled a void in me. My father wasn't in my life and wasn't showing interest in me or raising me and Nat's words were the life lessons, words of wisdom and fatherly advice I needed.'

Gregory's love for Nat's music blossomed so much that he wrote a semi-autobiographical musical, also called 'Nat King Cole & Me', which premiered in 2004. After the play, I felt a lighter feeling about my father and a deeper appreciation for both my mother and the great music of Nat King Cole,' says Gregory. He also found his voice through his own songwriting - It wasn't until I wrote the musical that I was fit to call myself a songwriter. Before that, I would write different poems but they had no music.'

'Nat King Cole & Me' is the follow-up to his Grammy-winning albums 'Liquid Spirit' (2013) and 'Take Me to the Alley' (2016). 'Liquid Spirit' took Gregory from being the biggest name on the jazz scene to being one of the most sought-after singers around today, performing sell-out shows across the UK and being invited to perform on high profile TV programmes including The Graham Norton Show, Strictly Come Dancing and the BBC Music Awards. He has become an adopted national treasure in the UK, having sung for the Queen multiple times, as well as major music festivals including Glastonbury, where he performed on the Pyramid Stage alongside the likes of Muse, Adele and Coldplay. Gregory's ability to transcend genres even extends to his surprise dance hit 'Liquid Spirit Claptone Remix' which became one of the most popular tracks in Ibiza.

After winning over audiences with his rich and soulful voice, there can be no better time for Gregory to return to the music which first inspired him to become a singer. On Nat's legacy and influence Gregory affirms, He was one of a kind. He left such great music - such beautiful things to listen to that you can't help but be influenced by that extraordinary timbre, style, and ultimate cool.'

Swiss-based, Jamaican producer Ezikiel returns to Cadenza for his another outing, this time dropping the 'Tales Of Roots' EP. With this new EP he demonstrates his flair for the musical side of club compositions, imbibing his productions with sultry atmospherics, deep emotion and organic keys and strings. The title track 'Tales of Roots' is a 15-minute opus, which unravels slowly but surely, working from a soft yet persistent bassline and a hypnotic rhythm. Samples of tribal singers add a distinct human element, entrancing you with their organic vibrations. As the voices continue to sing out you're transported to a vibrant sub- Saharan landscape, captivated by the irresistible guitar riff... On the flip we have 'Makha Poetry', a more experimental workout with a variety of warped and twisted effects spluttering and wobbling away at its foundation. The jaunty yet slightly eerie low end gives this track a naughty allure, as those strange bleeps and whirrs continue to bounce in and out of the background. There's a controlled restraint about 'Makha Poetry' which gives it a devastating simplicity and a very unique aesthetic.

The Willow Band were singers and musicians under the direction of Jesus Alvarez of the group Shirley & Company. As 'Alvarez' his Polydor his rare groove Sooner Or Later' was on the Step inside My Soul' CD collection, but this much sought after funky project with The Willow Band' has not been reissued since the original Epic 7' came out in 1976.

'Soul Jazz Records' new journey into the mighty vaults of Clement Dodd's Studio One steps once more into the fertile musical environment of Jamaican music in the late 1960's and early 1970's, from the sweet harmony vocals of seminal 1960s Rocksteady right up to the nascent birth of Reggae and Roots music at the start of the 1970's. Sleevenotes to this album are by Steve Barrow, author of 'Rough Guide to Reggae' as well as Soul Jazz Records' own 'Reggae Soundsystem Cover Art' books.

While Ska at the start of the 1960's had taken American Rhythm and Blues as its main influence, Rocksteady focused on the emergence of American Soul music - with Jamaican vocal harmony groups such as The Gaylads, John Holt & The Paragons, Carlton & The Shoes showing a particular fascination with the close harmonies of Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions and other US Soul acts. Here The Heptones even feature with a cover of Bob Dylan's 'I Shall Be Released'.

The influence of Soul music on Jamaican Rocksteady and Reggae is almost palpable, so much so that one wonders how much more successful singers like Delroy Wilson, Alton Ellis, Slim Smith and John Holt would have been had they been born in Chicago, Detroit or Memphis. Artists such as Alton Ellis, Delroy Wilson and Owen Gray defined the era - a slowed down beat as Jamaican political and social heat slowly increased when the 1960's progressed into the start of the 1970's - and the music evolved further from Rocksteady into Roots Reggae. This album is released on heavyweight gatefold sleeve double vinyl (plus download code), CD with slipcase and digital album (ex-North America).

1973-1976 was a period in Reggae's history when the music coming from Kingston,Jamaica was at its peak.
So many talented singers,who sang soulful/righteous songs found their way onto tape.
Maybe it was the competition between the studios like Randys,Channel 1 and Harry J's and the quality of the singers available to sing these tunes.But whatever caused the explosion the mighty voices of Horace Andy,Cornell Campbell,Johnny Clarke and Ronnie Davis never sounded better....
The tracks as you can see here were culled together from sessions recorded at the fore mentioned legendary studios.Then taken to King Tubby's home style studio at 18 Drummlie Ave in the Waterhouse district of Kingston.This is where the great Dubmaster himself would record the vocal tracks.
A method in which he preferred to work and then mix the tracks Tubby style...We have travelled to Jamaica and listened to hours of master tapes to bring this set to you.
So please sit back and enjoy what we believe to be a wicked set by Kingston's finest..
ALLSTARS one and all........
One more tiem Mr.Tubby if you please ..roll that tape....

Classic work from one of Brazil's greatest soul singers! Cassiano was one of Brazil's groundbreaking soul singers of the 70s - and although he's similar to Tim Maia, he's also got a smoother sound that approximates some of the best American soul vocalists of the time. This album includes the funky "Central Do Brasil", the extended midtempo groover "Onda", the semi-hit "Hoje E Natal", and the cuts "De Bar Em Bar", "Ana", "A Lua E Eu", and "Salve Essa Flor"

The Sound Of Young Jamaica - More Early Cuts From The Vaults Of Studio One 1959-63

This is the second collection to bring together many of the visionary producer Clement 'Sir Coxsone' Dodd's early recordings made with Jamaica's most exciting young artists and musicians who helped define the world of reggae music over the decades following Jamaican Independence. These recordings were made when Sir Coxsone ruled the dancehalls of Kingston in the late 1950s and early 1960s with his number one Downbeat Sound System, where songs were tested out on dub plates at a dance to see a crowd's reaction - the most popular of which were then released commercially. Featuring early material by Roland Alphonso, Don Drummond, Tommy McCook (all of whom would form The Skatalites), Toots and The Maytals, young singers such as Bob Marley and The Wailers, Delroy Wilson, Owen Gray all captured in their formative days. The music here spans a wealth of styles - Jamaican rhythm and blues, jazz, gospel, proto-ska, Rastafarian - all of which were drawn upon to create the future sounds of Jamaican reggae that Sir Coxsone and the artists featured would soon create at Studio One which opened its doors in 1963. This collection is released on heavyweight triple-vinyl plus download code and double CD with slipcase. Sleevenotes and text is by the author Noel Hawks.

Blue Russell was the husband/wife duo of Manlio Cangelli and Lorella Ghilardi from Milan. Cangelli was a session musician and composer for many Italian singers, making music for commercial TV and working long days in the studio. He had a strong passion for the analog synthesizers of the time and discovered the latest drum machines. 'I Wanna Fly Away' was recorded in Milan in the Spring of 1984 and released later that year on Disco Magic Records.

Given its short gestation, it is striking how far removed the new album is from its predecessor . After the dark complexity of recent output, Same As You is startlingly fresh, as inclusive and accessible as the title suggests, while still maintaining the playful experimentation on which the band has made its name.

Originally conceived as a single longform piece, the tempo remains constant but does not prevent the band from producing swells of raw, joyous, life-affirming energy within these self-imposed limits

The vocal performances and the heartfelt, spiritual lyrics are an inspired addition to the rich instrumental mix: Pete Wareham and Mark Lockheart (tenor sax), Tom Herbert (double bass) and Leafcutter John (guitar, electronics), with Shabaka Hutchings (Sons Of Kemet, Melt Yourself Down) making a guest appearance.

The album's lead single 'Dont Let The Feeling Go' sees Rochford take on vocal duties alongside a choir of friends and collaborators: it's Polar Bear at their most direct.

The use of vocals may catch the ear but that should come as no surprise given that Rochford has enjoyed working with singers as diverse as Beck, Spoek Mathambo, Paolo Nutini and Rokia Traoré over a 15 year career that has seen the drummer, composer and producer emerge as a pivotal figure in contemporary British music

Recorded by Rochford in London, and mixed in the Mojave Desert with Ken Barrientos late last year

Polar Bear will tour Europe from February (see confirmed dates below)

Sao Paulo born Toni Tornado was considered the Brazilian James Brown by many.

His career began as 'Tony Checker', lip syncing to rock 'n' roll hits and touring extensively outside of Brazil. Whilst in New York he met Tim Maia and became involved in the 'Black Rio' movement. Toni also worked with Ed Lincoln and Antonio Adolfo amongst many others. He had a successful acting career and starred in many soap opera's.

'O Journaleiro' is a tearing funk track with tough drums and big vocals. Taken from his hard to find and expensive to acquire debut LP, 'BR-3', released by Odeon Brazil in 1971.

This track has never been released on 7".

Som Tres was a jazz ensemble formed by legendary Brazilian musician César Camargo Mariano, who also formed Sambalanço Trio.

Cesar's collaborations with many of Brazil's most important singers, notably Wilson Simonal and Elis Regina, have brought him worldwide acclaim; the historic 1973 album Elis and Tom, made with Antonio Carlos Jobim, features Cesar as arranger, pianist and musical director.

Som Tres recorded eight albums between 1966 and 1971. 'Homenagem a Mongo' is taken from the sought after 'Som 3' LP from 1969 on Odeon Brazil. It has never been released on a 7".

The Viennese duo, otherwise known as Tosca, confound expectations on their new album, 'Outta Here'. The sonic collages and smooth downbeat jams with which they made their name are replaced with a soul/jazz/blues confection that's closer to a band like Brand New Heavies than anything else. 'It's called 'Outta Here' for a reason,' explains Rupert Huber. 'The title stands for change, a change to the concept we've had so far. It refers to a change in energy and dynamic. We've been know for an almost ambient sounds. The new songs are much more beatoriented and direct. Basically, it's just a lot more energetic.' it certainly is that. See tracks such as 'Crazy Love' for evidence. Built on a muscular bassline, it sees Rob Gallagher (ex-Galliano) doing his slinky, soulful thing, while keyboards and muted sound effects flare in the background. The rare groove revival starts here. 'Swimswimswim' reworks the same elements, with the addition of Cath Coffey (Stereo MCs) into a irresistible pulse of feel good vibes. Meanwhile, the title track, 'Outta Here', sounds like a lost gem from the early '90s acid jazz era. 'It was a natural evolution,' says Richard Dorfmeister. 'In the past, we were very focussed internally because we were in a studio on our own, working slowly making sonic collages. This time, because we were working more with singers the process was naturally quicker and the results more instant and upbeat. In that sense the title 'Outta Here' literally means that we got out of our studio.'
Do Tosca think the new sound will wrong foot their fans 'It's not completely different. It's still our style and mood, it's just more direct,' says Richard Dorfmeister. 'People always have a picture of you and it can take a long time to change that. You stand for something and that's how they see you. I think people see us in that laid-back and chilled kind of way. Over the last 20 years we've been described as lounge, chill out, downbeat. We always ignored it because we felt it was more about the music. We've always seen ourselves more in terms of being an alternative to commercial music. That's still what we're doing, just in a different, more direct kind of way.'

Slim Smith is high on the list of great singers that came out of Jamaica.
Although Jamaica was bursting with musical talent, few could match his soulful and heartfelt style.
Sadly he had a very short career but he produced a catalogue of music that still stands the test of time ,like all the great artists his story carries through the songs he left behind.
We have compiled some of his finest moments from his period working alongside the Hit Maker from Jamaica producer Bunny Lee...
A great set of tunes that we hope will keep his memory alive
Keep the Light Shining.....Respect

Vocal driven electronica, pop sensibilities and a touch of melancholia is a tried and tested recipe of SILENCE MUSIC cuisine. A new release titled My Holy Senses is no exception. This creative venture joins together a renown Lithuanian multi-instrumentalist and composer Vygintas Kisevicius, an up-and-coming singer and songwriter Markas Palubenka and a versatile SILENCE producer Few Nolder. Original acoustic versions come under the name of Kurak, a project which Vygintas started a couple of years ago with a goal of bringing together some of the most talented young Lithuanian singers and songwriters for something new and exciting. And indeed they managed to produce some well worthy musical material generating quite a few waves of interest and success back home. Few Nolder picked out a couple of tracks from an ever-expanding Kurak's repertoire and threw them onto the sweaty dance floor. Included in the package are two DJ friendly adaptations from David Krasemann aka Dave DK and Vidis. My Holy Senses is a short modern day Love story about Acoustics giving an adoring kiss to Electronica in a dim light of a nightclub.
- Early support from Âme, Tim Paris, Alex Barck, Michael Rainboth, Hannes Fischer and many others

Freestyle Records is immensely proud to announce the release of this new single from new signing Kalbata & Mixmonster - Prisoner In Love, which is taken from the forthcoming stunning album Congo Beat The Drum.


Kalbata & Mixmonster went into their home studio ago in Tel Aviv, Israel with the purpose of recording a 100% analogue dub album in the spirit of the late King Tubby and the early dancehall era of the late 70's and early 80's. A 16-track tape machine and an old analogue mixing desk were their main instruments, with musicians playing live all throughout the album.


A year after recording the instrumental backing tracks, they travelled to Kingston, Jamaica and started tracking down their favourite singers and deejays from days gone by. The stunning and totally authentic results evoke the heyday of Jamaican music - and on 'Prisoner In Love' legendary vocalist Little John, regarded by some as the first dancehall vocalist, hits just the right feel on this mellow, down tempo number. His voice floats alongside the ethereal piano and on the money drum patterns and deep bass lines perfectly.


On the flip - special guest Kutiman drives the CRB organ on this instrumental version excursion of Prisoner In Love - proper old school JA style!

"Between Stars" is the debut album from Barcelona based Venezuelan producer and DJ Maurice Aymard. More than two years in the making, 'Between Stars' has been a labour of love for Aymard as he travelled the globe to collaborate with musicians and singers in Barcelona, Berlin, London and Venezuela who could help to bring his vision to life. Released on Aymard's own Galaktika Records (Garnica, James Teej & more), 'Between Stars' was recorded entirely live and features contributions from the likes of Brazilian star Gui Boratto, Columbian singers Andrea and Paulo Olarte, Argentian guitarist Mariano Godoy and many more, the resulting album takes the house music template and expands it to a grandiose level. In an age when anything that isn't packed full of buzzsaw bass and 'sick' drops gets labelled as Deep House, "Between Stars" is the real deal, and from the first bars of the albums opening (and title) track, 'Between Stars' quickly establishes itself as something truly special, a 'house' album that not only works as a coherent whole but sounds as good at home, by the poolside or in a club at 4am. If 'live' house albums have in the past had a tendency to verge on the polite, Aymard's skill as a producer and experience as a DJ keeps things rooted in club culture and nearly every track off 'Between Stars' deserves to find its way into DJ sets over the coming months. Rather than smooth things out the live instrumentation instead adds an energy to the tracks and the subtle touches, that the likes of guitarist David Rondon brings to 'El Final', lift the album up to another level altogether. Since moving from Venezuela to Spain and launching Galaktika Records, Aymard has become an integral part of the European house music scene. With releases on the likes of Berlin's Moodmusic, Hamburg's Einmusika and Denmark's Tic Tac Toe Records, and remix credits for artists such as Mario Basanov, Compuphonic and Combo, Aymard has built a reputation for delivering quality underground house music and with his debut album Aymard looks set to secure his position as one of the scene's most innovative artists.

As if our recent releases hadn't already been spreading the sound of Circus Company into new and exciting places, now our very own silver-tongued enchanter JAW emerges with the first details of his own autonomous project. Somewhere in between the electronic drive of his day job in dOP and the folky, organic instrumentation of Les Fils Du Calvaire, JAW shares with us a new venture that has thrust him into the studio with Lebanese musician Kevork Keshishian. After a chance meeting on the streets of Beirut, the pair struck upon a creative buzz and so "Hazihi Laylaty" was born. Translated as "this is my night", the title references one of the most famous pieces sung by the celebrated Egyptian singer Umm Kalthoum in the early part of the twentieth century. The dusty crackles and haunting strings that begin "Hazihi Laylaty" instantly call to mind the mystery and allure of traditional Arabic music, and the track as a whole fuses this spirit with a subtle wielding of modern electronics to create a thoroughly moody piece of pop-noir. Paying full respect to the complexity and consideration of the original version, both The Sorry Entertainers and Soul Clap embark upon unusual approaches for their remixes, managing to enhance the electronic elements in the track through more prominent production without losing the core ambience of Jaw and Keshishian's creation. JAW has been quietly working on a solo project for many years whilst also engaged with the relentless demand of his life in dOP, and now finally the time has come for people to hear the first snapshot of this venture. Bringing together a vast array of people, singers and producers from all corners of music, JAW's voice provides the glue with which a brave and boundary-l

* TO CELEBRATE JAMAICA'S 50 YEARS OF INDEPENDANCE 1962-2012 We have put together a set of releases that cover the musical styles that reggae mutated into through it's history, SKA, ROCKSTEADY, ROOTS REGGAE, DUB, DJ STYLE &DANCEHALL.... So Listen Up! and enjoy!Welcome to the Dancehall Sound from Jamaica. The sound that grew out of the dances in Jamaica around the beginning ofthe 1980's.The musical style again slowed
the reggae beat down to give an uncluttered, sparce backdrop, allowing the singers and DJ's more space to express
themselves. Dancehall has never stopped but turned to a digital beat around the mid - 1980's. So Listen Up ! to some early Dancehall classics that set the style for the years that followed....

Niney the Observer is well known for his great productions,collaborations,with the likes of Dennis Brown and for some of the best rhythms to come out of Jamaica.Maybe less known is that he began in the music business as a singer.Here for the first time is a collection of songs culled from his career that feature the outstanding voice of the Observer himself.
*Niney the Observer (b.Winston Holness,1951,Montego Bay,Jamaica) grew up in Montego Bay, Jamaica and began singing in school bands in and around the area and the nearby town of Lucea,where one of the bands he sang with,featured future Studio One guitarist Eric Frater.Two other singers that Niney grew up with were Derrick Morgan and Eric 'Monty' Morris. The Derrick Morgan connection brought Niney to the attention of Beverly's Records to whom he sold some of his songs.Producer Coxonne Dodd of Studio One began noticing Niney's talents and offered him some studio time and a base to work out of on Charles Street in Kingston Town. The year was 1957 and Coxonne Dodd released some of these early recordings featuring the vocal talents of Niney on his Studio One label .If Niney The Observers work as a singer was ever in doubt or overshadowed by his many other talents,then we hope that this album will put that to rest.Niney behind the microphone as compared to a mixing desk is a great,great,thing.....
Hope you enjoy the set...

01. BLOOD AND FIRE
02. MESSAGE TO THE UNGODLY
03. BRING THE COUCHIE COME
04. KEEP ON PUSHING
05. MIX UP
06. JAH FIRE
07. ITAL CORRECTION
08. RASTA NO PICK POCKET
09. AILY AND AILALOO
10. HAIL I
11. EVERYONE IS A RASTA
12. BEG IN THE GUTTER
13. OBSERVING THE OBSERVER
14. HIDING BY THE RIVERSIDE

* 180 gram audiophile vinyl
* Gatefold sleeve

One of the most eagerly anticipated albums of 1968 by press and public, Cheap Thrills met every expectation and then some.

With the heartrending version of "Piece Of My Heart" and a definitive cover of Gershwin's "Summertime", the album (which consists of studio and live material) shot to the top of the charts and stayed there. The audio has been sourced from the original masters, and Robert Crumb's artwork (also known for creating Fritz the Cat and the iconic Keep On Truckin' comics) is meticulously recreated on this Music On Vinyl issue.

A truly classic album and an important part of Rock history, this album is 'a time capsule for one of rock's most distinguished singers.'

Returning with another debut release, Second Circle's eighth record to date comes this time from young Viennese musician Giuseppe Leonardi. Performed on an array of synthesizers and experimenting with spoken word and vocals from various local singers, Giuseppe's 'TBC' EP take us on a dance through the catacombs and out through the jungle floor with ritualistic rhythm and haunting song... Whilst at other moments Giuseppe's horizontal ambient pieces leave us gazing out on the shores of a distant half-remembered planet.

Returning with another debut release, Second Circle's eighth record to date comes this time from young Viennese musician Giuseppe Leonardi. Performed on an array of synthesizers and experimenting with spoken word and vocals from various local singers; Giuseppe's 'TBC' EP take us on a dance through the catacombs and out through the jungle floor with ritualistic rhythm and haunting song... Whilst at other moments Giuseppe's horizontal ambient pieces leave us gazing out on the shores of a distant half-remembered planet.