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Repress! Little Barrie And Malcolm Catto Team Up For Seven Tracks Of Breaks And Sci-Fi Fuzz For Maverick Producer Madlib's Label

Quatermass Seven, the meeting of minds between guitarist Barrie Cadogan, bassist Lewis Wharton and drummer Malcolm Catto represents a re-birth of sorts for Little Barrie, with these their first recordings since 2017’s Death Express and the untimely passing of their gifted drummer and friend Virgil Howe. As Lewis explains, the sessions played a part in the healing process, a way to re-connect through music without any intentions to necessarily come away with a finished record. “It was good to get in the studio again after such a long break especially as we didn’t go in with any agenda or expectations,” he explains. There was no preconceptions that we would make a new Little Barrie record, it was just an opportunity to work on some things Barrie had written for fun with zero pressure.” With most tracks recorded live with minimal overdubs, and produced by Malcolm at his Quatermass studios, The Heliocentrics’ main man brings new flavour to the band’s rhythm section by blending his power behind the drum kit and his expansive skills behind the mixing desk to take Little Barrie’s music forward into new territories. Recorded on Catto’s treasure trove of analogue gear, and mastered onto ¼” tape, the overall effect is guitar, bass and drums finding a sweet spot where genres collide, delivering a record that takes the influences of the past and pushes them towards somewhere more contemporary. “I definitely hear in Barrie’s songs a lot of common musical ground’” explains Malcolm. “It felt like a great thing to do, work with Malcolm while we’re figuring out what we wanna do,” Barrie concludes, “let’s just go in and do some playing and see what happens, and we came out with more than we ever intended.” Quatermass Seven delivers a dark, deep and expansive set of grooves, layered with frazzled and flawless guitar and flowing melodies, as well as pointing toward a future of exciting new musical opportunities. “Still here, so fine, just a little darker state of mind” sings Cadogan on ‘Steel Drum’, words which sum up hope in times of uncertainty, whilst unintentionally offering a perfect description of Quartermass Seven.

Singer-songwriter Amos Lee draws inspiration from soul music, contemporary jazz and 1970s folk artists such as James Taylor. The Philadelphia native honed his song writing skills while waiting tables and bartending after graduating from the University of South Carolina with a degree in English. He eventually landed some high-profile gigs as an opening act, including an extended tour with pianist/vocalist Norah Jones, whose bassist, Lee Alexander, agreed to produce Lee's first album.

With Alexander's help, Amos Lee released his self-titled debut on Blue Note in 2005. The album won Lee a small following for his blend of acoustic funk, folk, and light jazz. Norah Jones herself plays the piano on two tracks; "Keep It Loose, Keep It Tight" and "Colors."

A notable debut like Amos Lee deserves the Analogue Productions reissue treatment. This beauty was cut by Bernie Grundman in Los Angeles from the master tape, and is now pressed at 45 RPM on two glorious sides of 180-gram vinyl by Quality Record Pressings, makers of the world's finest-sounding LPs. QRP is noted for deep-black backgrounds and pristine clarity. If you're already familiar with Amos Lee, get ready — you've never experienced it with such lifelike sonics and premium richness. This is how all vinyl should sound.

The songs on the album incorporate themes of folk, soul, gospel and jazz. Amos's style is a mix of Bill Withers, Arthur Lee, and James Taylor. Amos has recently toured with Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Elvis Costello, Van Morrison, Adele, Dave Matthews and many others.

If, among the Afro-Peruvian music groups that have emerged in recent years, there is one that has dared to take the sound to new dimensions, it is Perkutao. Heirs to the best Afro-Peruvian tradition, they have been able to integrate Afro-Cuban elements and various contemporary popular styles, which they play with amazing with speed and precision. "Mis ancestros", is their debut album for Buh Records. Perkutao is an Afro-Peruvian percussion ensemble founded in 2005, directed by Percy Chinchilla, musician, percussionist, zapateador and teacher of young generations of percussionists. "Mis Ancestros" (My ancestors) is their first record under the production of Manongo Mujica and is the fourth title of the collection "Perspectivas de la Música Afroperuana" (Perspectives on Afro-Peruvian Music). Chinchilla shares the artistic direction of Perkutao with William Nicasio 'Makarito', another outstanding percussionist. Both grew up in the famous Callejón del Buque, in the district of La Victoria, a spot preferred by bohemians and known by local music partying -jaranas criollas. Both were also formed in Perú Negro, an emblematic Afro-Peruvian ensemble, and both carry in their blood the cult of percussion and Afro tradition. Chinchilla comes from a family of Afro-Peruvian musicians including Caitro Soto and Ronaldo Campos. And Makarito is the son of Macario Nicasio and grandson of El Niño, legendary Cuban percussionist in charge of introducing congas and bongo to Afro-Peruvian rhythms. Perkutao arose precisely from the merging of these traditions, Afro-Peruvian, Afro-Cuban and Caribbean music, and have become one of the most sought-after percussion ensembles due to the intensity of their sound and their powerful performances that include stage movements and surprising acrobatic skills. In addition to Chinchilla and Makarito, the ensemble is completed by Edu Campos, Andree Liendo and Víctor Sánchez Pitín. "I follow in the footsteps of my ancestors, to the beat of the cajita, the quijada and the cajón, to the rhythm of a zamacueca, a festejo and a good landó". This is an excerpt of the lyrics of "Poema", the opening track of the album, the rhythmic base accompanies Chinchilla's voice and then increases in a crescendo that announces the paths to be explored by Perkutao. "Azañero Colorao", "Trucutum Kiti Pa" and "Cancha con Sabor", composed based on minor percussion (cajita, quijada), zapateo and cajón, respectively, are compositions that serve as an introduction, a tribute to the essential instruments of the Afro-Peruvian tradition. The last one in particular already defines Perkutao's style: a trepidant and orgiastic rhythm, hypnotic and hard hitting, Dionysian and cathartic. With "Madre Africa" and "Al Tayta Bukense", for djembes and congas, respectively, we find Perkutao retaking the Afro-Cuban heritage embedded to the Afro-Peruvian sounds, abakuá and festejo. "Lloraré", a version of a famous Cuban song, mirror the ensemble's fascination with Caribbean music (salsa is another genre cultivated by its members). "Mis ancestros" is an album about a tradition, but it is also a renewal. Perkutao opens a new direction for Afro-Peruvian music, its sound is an evocation and the here and now, it is deep-rooted but freely flowing percussion. Perkutao are Percy Chinchilla, William Nicasio "Makarito", Edu Campos, Andree Liendo y Víctor Sánchez Pitín. Produced by Manongo Mujica y Daniel Mujica. Recorded and mixed by Juan José Salazar at La Encía del Leopardo Estudio, Chorrillos, Lima, Perú. Mastered by Mario Breuer en Sensei Mastering, Córdoba, Argentina. Cover and Design by Yerko Zlatar.

Back in stock !

First Word Records is very proud to present a brand new full-length album from Kaidi Tatham. 'It's A World Before You'.

Following on from two EPs released on First Word last year ('Changing Times' and 'Hard Times'), Kaidi has delivered us thirteen tracks that deftly illustrate his various talents as a multi-instrumentalist.

Kaidi is probably best known for his work with Bugz In The Attic, though his musical contributions over the years have also included Amy Winehouse, Slum Village, Mulatu Astatke, Soul II Soul, Moonchild, Leroy Burgess, Amp Fiddler, Chris Dave, Macy Gray, King Britt, DJ Spinna, Mr Scruff and IG Culture to name but a few! In recent times, he's worked with DJ Jazzy Jeff on a variety of projects, including his most recent album 'M3', touring Europe for Jeff and Will Smith's reunion shows, and on the PLAYlist album 'Chasing Goosebumps', with Glenn Lewis, Stro Elliot (The Roots), Masego, Maimouna Youssef, Rich Medina, Daniel Crawford and more.

All this in addition to heating up dances around Europe with his inimitable DJ sets, and working heavily with First Word label-mate, Eric Lau (who also mixed this album) on a variety of projects, and adding releases to his already impressive catalogue on 2000 Black, Eglo and Theo Parrish's Sound Signature, with regular compadre, Dego (who features on the album's title track).

This album personifies Kaidi's diverse palette of sounds - bar Eric & Dego's features, every piece of music is played by himself. Largely flowing on a broken beat rhythm section, Kaidi effortlessly incorporates washes of afro, latin and funk throughout. From the harmonics of 'Your Dream Don't Mean A Thing', to the breakneck funk of 'Outta Audah', each and every riddim exudes energy. But this isn't simply a bruk record. The album is laced together with downtempo beats and future jazz interludes throughout, and some sweet synth boogie is never very far away, especially on the weighty vibes of 'It's About Who You Know'. To top it all off, there's two delightful nuggets of hip hop soul - Mancunian label-mates, Children of Zeus, feature on the neo-soul vibes of 'Out Here On My Own', and there's a feature from Amir Townes, better known as Uhmeer - an upcoming MC from Philadelphia, and son of one Jazzy Jeff Townes - who rides a sub-heavy, piano-led slice of boom bap, voicing an assortment of characters to tell the tale of 'Cupid'.

'It's A World Before You' is set to cause serious damage to sound-systems over the Summer, and show and prove once again the skills of one of the UK's best unsung musical talents, Kaidi Tatham.

During his long and fruitful career, multifaceted singer-songwriter Don Covay recorded in a variety of styles, including gospel, doo-wop, soul, rock, and blues, and his enviable skills as a songwriter were responsible for the likes of Chubby Checker’s ‘Pony Time,’ as well as Aretha Franklin’s ‘See Saw’ and ‘Chain Of Fools.’ Following his departure from Atlantic, Different Strokes For Different Folks was cut for the small Janus label at the esteemed Swampers HQ in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, the resultant groove irresistibly mixing funk, soul, gospel, and rock, all the while working in plenty of Covay’s individual humour.

Neue Sachlichkeit bezeichnet eine Stilrichtung der Kunst,
welche sich nach den Gräueln des ersten Weltkriegs mit der
menschlichen Vergangenheit von Gewalt auseinandersetzte.
Entgegen der Romantisierung des eigenen Weltbezugs trat
eine nüchternere Betrachtungsweise, welche der Darstellung
von Hässlichkeit neben Schönheit einen Platz einräumte.
Neue Sachlichkeit bezeichnet ebenfalls die Platte des
Produzenten und Rappers Soseies. Das Album setzt sich auf
seine Weise ebenfalls mit Vergangenem auseinander und
stellt es in Form von Beats, Skits und Texten fest; gipfelt
ebenfalls in einer neuen Perspektivität. Neue Sachlichkeit
kommt als erste Platte des Magdeburg-based Labels
Hallenbande auf schwarzem Vinyl daher. Wesentliche
Bereicherung erfuhr das Album durch hauseigenes Mixing &
Mastering von Asbeluxt sowie Texte von Schubidoobie,
Schmero und Pucci. Das gesamte Design basiert auf dem
Gemälde der Künstlerin Mundiartis. 14.12.2022 Der Sturz
aus den Festigkeiten wird Schwebenkönnen. Hallen ist die
Bande.

Terapia Records is thrilled to introduce you the very first release of its catalogue, a stunning LP by the two founders Luca and Michele (aka Complementary Minds) called Butch Haynes introduces Complementary Minds Vol. 1. The newborn label launches its ambitious, yet very much considered project, after the debut of one of the two head-honchos Luca Ferrara aka Butch Haynes on Apparel Music and Sistrum Recordings. He metaphorically introduces the first LP by the Milan born and bred duo, who share a deep love for music and a great productive connection. They deliver a brilliant eleven-track album, full of diversified sonic influences and quite representative of their bright talent. The record, which will be presented to you both on vinyl and digital, starts with a couple of masterly produced beats (Fantastic/Teacher Carey), both with an analogous mellow, warm energy, some brilliantly crafted bass-lines and a substantial harmonic presence. The album keeps rolling with the Deep feeling of Flower Diva: its soulful, skilfully arranged vocals and the dreamy synthetic chords help the pair to perpetuate this passionate, balmy vibe. Insomnia ends the first quartet of sexy tunes with some seductive improvised spacey key stabs and its delicate pensive chords while Q Orchestra (the lost tape mix) speeds up the heartbeat and leads to the closing track of the A side, Bebi: a gorgeous groovy interlude. B side kicks off in style with the slightly darker feel of Myers Boogie Man where the pitched sampled vocals, the solid rhythm section, a profound array of sonic details and a marvellous warm synth melody towards the end of the track make it a true ghetto hit! Right On, with its broken-beat and a radiant harmonic progression, Contact 911 with its tight kick-snare connection and some far-out, whimsical chord evolution and G Buster with its irresistible slightly acid driving force, pave the way for the grand finale where Maam, a proper club banger, ends this amazing LP in epic fashion. Butch Haynes introduces Complementary Minds Vol. 1. is such a cohesive, yet incredibly diversified album and their authors, Luca Ferrara and Michele Fallabrino, achieve the challenging task of telling their sonic story with a flawless work. What a way to start Terapia Records’ experience.

Berlin-based producer Rampue has not released an album in 14 (in words: fourteen) years. Between 2008 and 2020 he toured the world and worked mainly on his live sets in the meantime. So now only a worldwide pandemic had the power to prevent the traveling musician from continuing this hustle and bustle and eventually share a new record with the public. Corona was what brought this standstill and the otherwise well- traveled individual experiences cabin-fever during lockdown. Hence, the new Rampue album "Tragweite" came into existence in February 2021, which portrays the artist's desire for experimentation.
Inspired by a modular synthesizer (Buchla), Rampue has seemingly put himself into a kind of trance, in which he lets the machines work and combines randomly created sounds with airy structures such as low drums or simple grooves. Rampue accomplished to break free by using random sounds as a new impulse and a way out of a creative crisis, which stemmed both from the enforced home isolation and from the self-perceived paralysis. The result is literally unique, as many of the sound products cannot be reconstructed and are preserved in album form for the general public.
Listening to "Tragweite" one gets the impression that the dialectical relationship between chaos and order, further supported by its production, is the defining theme of the album. After an initially perceived chaos, a delicate order, which is determined by structuring drum patterns and basslines, takes over throughout the course of the album.
Later, it frays and loses itself again in sounds and tones created mechanically However, it never seems arbitrary, but willful and skillfully staged. For instance, "Furo?" begins with apparent arrhythmia. The combination of bass and subtle percussion, however, gives this arrhythmia a shape, guiding the track which gradually becomes more and more driving without losing its original playfulness.
Although one might be inclined to think of genres such as Downtempo or Ambient at the beginning in the further course of the album results in such a diverse sound and rhythmic landscape that one willingly questions one's own perception of music while listening and finally throws every type of categorization overboard joyfully. The listening experience is too intoxicating and enlightening to stick to simple genre boundaries. The musical spectrum ranges from straight arrangements that live entirely without a drum foundation ("Fu?r Dich") to almost meditative sound collages ("Regengesicht") to the four-to-the-floor banger "Kembang" which adds a grimmer note with a certain industrial appeal to the overall rather melancholic-progressive curation. "Direct Faden" on the other hand, surprises with its simple guitar-based foundation on which the omnipresent synth snippets and pads are allowed to let off steam towards the end of the record. The track that most closely combines the progressive production style with a danceable club atmosphere is probably "Phobia". Wafting, partly breaking away synthesizer sounds rise higher and higher, while the driving mixture of bass and drums consistently march forward.
Rampue breaks with his old, musical habits as "Tragweite" creates the impression of improvisation and jam character without getting lost. Rampue takes his listeners on a journey that is stirring and moving, sometimes demanding or even a bit disturbing, yet always one thing: incredibly exciting.

After 31 years, the Serious Beats compilation era comes to an end. The very last edition, Serious Beats 100, arrives as 3 Vinyl Box Sets (including 5 vinyls per box).

Some of the most legendary club tracks of the past decades have made the cut, and are now bundled into a true collector's item for everyone who's heart is beating to the rhythm of house music.

Selected from Alexander Robotnick’s hits catalogue and released in this form for the first time, this is a unique compilation featuring all of Robotnick’s electro anthems originally released on the Fuzz Dance label. A must have for all italo-disco and synth-pop lovers out there !

Deluxe gloss laminated gatefold reissue with bonus 7” The Silly Egg E.P . Pressed on half & half colour vinyl (Red/Turquoise) with a white vinyl 7”. Includes printed inner sleeve.
East London’s The Gymslips, Paula Richards, Suzanne Scott and Karen Yarnell, barged their way onto the post punk scene in 1981. They openly embraced drinking, Pie & Mash, monkey boots and double denim right from the start. Often credited with being the first female Oi! band, but they brought so much more to the table with their punky 60s influenced girl pop.
Formed in 1980, The Gymslips started playing live the following year, and opened for Dolly Mixture on a 1981 UK tour. The band referred to themselves as “Renees” a late 60s term for mod girls, the same subculture that named boys “Ronees”. Drummer Karen Yarnell told the NME that a “Renee was a girl who got as much shagging done as a bloke while also matching him for pint drinking, fag smoking, nose-picking, farting and the wearing of skinhead style double denim”.
They recorded 5 sessions for the John Peel show, after signing to Abstract Records their first single was a cover of Suzi Quatros 48 Crash, which was released in 1982. The following year they released Their sole album Rocking With The Renees along with 2 further singles “Big Sister” & “Robot Man”
After Karen Yarnell left to join Serious Drinking, this ended The Gymslips Mk 1. Although they were to return 2 years later with a new line up to release their final single “Evil Eye”

Thy Listless Heart to release “Pilgrims on the Path of no Return”, just in time for 2022’s Doom Metal newcomer of the year! An epic soundtrack of sorrow and longing as we journey into the unknown. Sorrow, pain, yearning and hope all wrapped up in a solo Doom Metal project by Simon Bibby. Upon receiving the seven tracks which together make “Pilgrims on a Path of No Return”, Hammerheart Records was convinced that the world needed to hear this great album. Thy Listless Heart is the sole creation of Simon Bibby, who recorded the album at his home in Derbyshire, England and then enlisted the skills of Greg Chandler (Esoteric) at Priory Recording Studios for mixing and mastering. Simon has a great track-record in creating Metal dating back to the late 80’s when he was bassist and later, guitarist in Seventh Angel, who released a couple of cool Thrash Metal albums on Under One Flag Records. Thy Listless Heart is a different entity; it is atmospheric Metal, filled with Doom elements and sad melodies, crowned with passionate singing. Think as if the atmospheric parts of Primordial meet later Anathema, with a pinch of Dead Can Dance thrown in. The album needs to be heard in its entirity to get the full emotions and atmospheres it creates, it is indeed a pilgrimage. From melodic, heavier and doomier tracks as “As the Light Fades” and the grasping “The Precipice” to ambient/folk inspired pieces as “When the Spirit Departs the Body” and “Aefnian” resulting in the almost monstrous (in length) track “The Search for Meaning”, it is all passionate andbeautiful, although in a saddened way.

Anyone who has had even half an eye on the electro scene over the past decade will already be familiar with Emile Facey aka Plant43's unique sound, mixing an uncompromising approach to off kilter rhythms and machine-led funk with an emotive and powerful use of melody. This trio of ultra fresh tracks were penned for recent live shows in The Hague and Berlin and are brimming with the energy and excitement Facey felt on his return to the live circuit. 'Remote Signals' is led by a booming kick drum heavy enough to command any audience with Facey weaving ever more complex webs of melody around it. 'Searching The Skies' builds a mysterious atmosphere based around a call and response between characterful melodic elements while 'Constantly Morphing Entity' closes the EP with a flourish of forward moving beats and an SH101 bass line designed to move any dancefloor.

dreamcastmoe is the recording project of singer, songwriter, producer, and DJ Davon Bryant, a lifelong resident of Washington, DC. His music moves freely between moods and modes, hypnotic, romantic, traversing electronic, R&B, funk, soul, and hip-hop... Resident Advisor dubs it "soulful, cross-genre dance music." This ability to adapt and finesse, to twist in different directions while staying true and coherent in vision, can be traced to his home city and its complex cultural history. "Most Black kids in DC don't ever get to this point," he says. "This is what I am making this music for, in the DC tradition of soul and empathy and love that is rooted in this city. My music is for real people dealing with shit every day." A versatile, modern artist and collaborator, dreamcastmoe has thrived in the underground since his first uploads to Soundcloud and Bandcamp in 2017 and subsequent releases with labels like People's Potential Unlimited, Trading Places, and In Real Life Music. Bryant's laid-back personality, emotional honesty, and infectious energy shine through his work and how he talks about it, as Crack Magazine notes in their 2021 Rising feature: "a steady combination of confidence, creativity, and calmness." He grew up playing drums in church; he's worked dead-end jobs, had ups and downs, even sold off all his gear one time, but never stopped reinvesting in himself. He is quick to praise his co-producers, rattle off influences _ the visual feel of NBA 2K, the comedic timing of Bernie Mac, the savvy legacy of Duke Ellington, for starters _ and credit resourceful DC breakouts like Ankhlejohn that showed him the roadmap. His voice, a steady instrument, seemingly connects it all, capable of slow falsetto flow, swaggering talk-rap, and outright croon. His storytelling style is choppy yet fluid, like a mixtape, which is how Bryant sees Sound Is Like Water, his debut on Ghostly's International's freeform label, Spectral Sound. The two-part project culminates as a full-length LP release in November 2022. The first side, released as Part I, opens on the blurred beats of "El Dorado," which dreamcastmoe dedicates to his journey. It's a head-nodder, an off-kilter earworm co-produced by Max D (Future Times, RVNG Intl, etc.), with Bryant harmonizing hooks with synth jabs and a pitched-down presence. "Complicated" is the slow jam, delivered smoothly from a Saturday night crossroads. dreamcastmoe is contemplative and committed... gliding and locking ad-libs into skittering rhythms courtesy of co-producer Zackary Dawson _ but also willing to let something go, "acknowledging that everything in life IS NOT easy." "RU Ready" takes off from the jump as a tribute, challenge, and promise to his partner and his city ("The times you sat with me when I needed you the most / Told me the things that I needed to see / Young black man, really trying to be what I can be / And I'm really from DC). In its potent two-plus minutes, the sonics (co-produced by ZDBT) press the message, all cymbal crashes, breakbeats, and serrated synth lines. "Cloudy Weather, Wear Boots" is a blitzing dance-punk track made in collaboration with Jordan GCZ on Bryant's first trip to Amsterdam. The album's flipside opens on "Much More," the first of two synth-and-beat ballads co-produced by ZDBT. Later on "Long Songz," he claims, "I'm not writing love songs no more," prioritizing the vibe with "all my day ones." He calls it "a cry for more normal moments. Everything doesn't have to be a fantasy love story, more time spent getting to the money, growing, and making a way." He saves two of his most propulsive cuts for the finale, co-produced by Sami, co-founder of DC dance label 1432 R. As their titles suggest, "Take A Moment" and "Make Ya Mind" operate as anthems for movement, with Bryant free-flowing commands above wildly-styled percussion. Per Bryant, the latter is both "wake & bake jam" and a "dance floor bomb." His parting line: "Action / You got to show me action / Reaction." The world of dreamcastmoe straddles virtual reality and the realness of DC, images both imagined and lived-in. Bryant has a knack for unexpected melodies but what makes his music so exciting is his capacity to defy the expectations of genre and image. A fluid ingenuity and vulnerability bottled by Sound Is Like Water, and this is just the beginning.

Having torn up raves for well over a decade, the Detroit duo Rickers and Ted Krisko AKA Ataxia present their debut longplayer ‘Out Of Step’. Featuring guest spots from close peers DJ Minx, Andrés and Mr Joshooa, they twist house, techno, electro, breakbeat and rave into revitalized new shapes; embellished with a touch of soul, funk and hip hop. With backgrounds in hardcore and punk, Ataxia’s debut is suffused with that energy, attitude, and approach; this is raw, lean and unashamedly no-nonsense dance floor tackle that goes straight for the jugular. Heavily analogue, the album experiments with tape saturation, which harks back to the duo’s formative years in bands, recording demos to cassettes. These straight-up, in-the-red tracks give preference to overdriven drum machines, rather than generic polished sheen, but conversely, it’s all deceptively well-crafted too; ‘Out Of Step’ is a standout record that’s big in character, bringing to mind the renegade spirit of Underground Resistance, and the bombastic brilliance of The Prodigy and Chemical Brothers.

Defiantly optimistic despite the state of the world, a “life is good” vocal sample meets minor chords sliding over 808 hats on the exemplary house/techno pumper ‘Detroit Gospel’, before a lighter moment on the album, but no less impactful with its hefty low-end thump, is ‘Pine Island’ featuring Motor City hero Andrés. Together they cook up a Motown-inspired house cut awash with horn swells and backup singers, bouncing to wide swung funk bass, in classic 313 style. ‘Language’ turns the club on its head – busting out one of the most distinct basslines in recent times, and bristling with buzzy, undulating chords, whilst ‘Maxia’ features influential Detroit royalty DJ Minx. Inspired by her classic ‘A Walk In The Park’, with a fat distorted kick and stealthy bass groove, this is low-slung, stripped-back, heads-down coolness. The high-tech funk of ‘Spit In Your Percolator’, is laser-guided in its efficiency, with a strobe-like, increasingly intensifying energy, peppered with clever, tripped up vocal chops. With the next cut, conveyor belt noises and fast churning low-end gives way to a dubbed-out breakdown, on the deep breakbeat roller ‘98 Degrees’. Charged with a blistering, rave intensity, ‘Number Streets’, is a futuristic distorted techno workout that booms through the subs, whilst ‘The Formulator’ mixes filtered snippets, abstract synth noises and melodic bleeps with a bassline echoing Paperclip People’s ‘The Floor’. Closer to the UK definition of hardcore, combining 4/4 and breakbeat, ‘The Pusher’ evokes the spirit of late 80s orbital raves, adding a natty keys solo, and deadly bass used sparingly, for even deadlier effect. ‘Feels Like’ sees Rickers and Ted team up their studiomate and fellow TV Lounge resident and club booker, Mister Joshooa. Inspired by Photek but also almost UKG in style, this breakbeat session is stamped with MJ’s signature chopped vocals and intricate rhythmic interplay. The bubbling, wobbly loose swing of ‘WM’ is constructed around a classic chopped-up MTV cribs sample, with a filtered vocal creating a far out psychedelic effect – all of which is propelled apace by a huge bruising LFO. The LP concludes in fine style with ‘Dance The Bridge’, where bouncy beats and wigged-out keys meet bright, gently uplifting synth chords that bring a clear-skied mood; ending the record as it began, on an optimistic note.

‘Out Of Step’ marks another chapter in the ongoing relationship between Life and Death co-founder DJ Tennis and Ataxia. Their connection goes back to the earliest days of the label, where they played gigs together on some of Tennis’ initial visits to Detroit. It’s a friendship that’s blossomed organically over the last decade through their shared love of punk and hardcore, and led to the fruition of one of Ataxia’s most compelling projects to date. Labels to release Ataxia’s output include legendary Detroit techno imprints Planet E and KMS, plus the seminal American house label Nervous Records. Their catalogue also includes music for Visionquest, Leftroom, 20/20 Vision and Seth Troxler’s Play It Say It.

This record is a representation of everything that has led me to this point
- It's been a long, bizarre path, says Zenizen's Opal Hoyt of both her life
and her journey to make this record
Like Peter and the Wolf, the Russian symphony Hoyt used as a creative
framework, P.O.C. (Proof of Concept) is a series of vignettes "the collection of
which mirrors Hoyt's long journey, from her adoption in Alaska to her many moves
between DC, Jamaica, Vermont, and New York.Along this unconventional path,
Hoyt met the talented cast of musicians who would go on support her in the
recording of P.O.C: variegated bass by Jonathan Maron (Erykah Badu, D'Angelo);
drums by Vishal Nayak (Nick Hakim, Empress Of); moments of magic on horns by
Sly 5th Ave (Prince); guitars by Benamin (IGBO); intricate mixing by Nick Herrera
(Hiatus Kaiyote), Benamin, and Jon Bap; with mastering by Heba Kadry and Davy
Levitan. Then there's Hoyt herself, whose rich alto pierces through with poetic
lyricism, supported by her contributions of Rhodes, synths, and sample
arrangements (think: babbling brooks and birdsong). In other words, Hoyt isn't
just a songwriter in the classic sense. She's also a skilled producer with an ear for
excellent arrangements "the kind of musician who enjoys meandering and
allowing her artistic vision to percolate. Likewise, P.O.C is a record that blooms in
beauty over time "the kind of record that you can take anywhere in any season, as
any version of yourself.

On the isle of Crete, the ancient practice of dipping your bread in different sauces and dips is called "papara". True to its music-as-sauce philosophy, Brussels-based groove formation M.CHUZI invites you to dip your ear into the sonic sauces that are on offer in its versatile menu.

Released 4th November via Sdban Ultra, the collective's debut album 'Papara' is an inviting mouthful of afro rhythms, funk, and prog jazz, combined with the spacey soundscapes of the Brussels metropole, as they look to Fela Kuti's afrobeat style for inspiration.

Winner of the prestigious Sound TrackIB1 contest held at Ancienne Belgique back in December 2019, the octet has gone from strength to strength, including having album track 'Tzatzìki' feature on the critically acclaimed various artist's compilation 'Lefto presents Jazz Cats volume 2', released earlier this summer. The track was arguably the highlight of the album and received radio support from leading radio DJs including Gilles Peterson of BBC Radio 6 Music and Worldwide FM fame.

It's the tasty 'Tzatzìki' that launches 'Papara', an exotica-spawned, merry bombardment of fizzing percussion and a subsequent brass freakout. Next up is the heavy acid rock of 'Mammoet' featuring rising trombonist Nabou, which soon breaks out into a groove-laden mix of Egyptian-inspired horns and Fela-style rhythms, before poetic warrior Joy Slam, adds her vocals to the dub-centric rhythms of the sweet 'Carbonade'.

Elsewhere, 'Intermetsauce' fuses skittish horns with funky drums while the spicy 'Tahini Miso' bursts into life with trance-inducing beats and mystical, Middle-Eastern seasoning. The album closes with the multi-rhythms of the burning 'Sambal', before we dive-dip into the funky 'Pickles', featuring Mixmaster Menno's (STUFF.) wildstyle scratching skills. With each track named after a band member or featured artists' favourite sauce, M.CHUZI serves you a diverse and flavourful plate of unique compositions, taking afro-groove and its descendants to a new level of eclectic dynamism.

Limited edition on green vinyl.The collective's debut album 'Papara' is an inviting mouthful of afro rhythms, funk, and prog jazz, combined with the spacey soundscapes of the Brussels metropole, as they look to Fela Kuti's afrobeat style for inspiration.


On the isle of Crete, the ancient practice of dipping your bread in different sauces and dips is called "papara". True to its music-as-sauce philosophy, Brussels-based groove formation M.CHUZI invites you to dip your ear into the sonic sauces that are on offer in its versatile menu.

Released 4th November via Sdban Ultra, the collective's debut album 'Papara' is an inviting mouthful of afro rhythms, funk, and prog jazz, combined with the spacey soundscapes of the Brussels metropole, as they look to Fela Kuti's afrobeat style for inspiration.

Winner of the prestigious Sound Track contest held at Ancienne Belgique back in December 2019, the octet has gone from strength to strength, including having album track 'Tzatzìki' feature on the critically acclaimed various artist's compilation 'Lefto presents Jazz Cats volume 2', released earlier this summer. The track was arguably the highlight of the album and received radio support from leading radio DJs including Gilles Peterson of BBC Radio 6 Music and Worldwide FM fame.

It's the tasty 'Tzatzìki' that launches 'Papara', an exotica-spawned, merry bombardment of fizzing percussion and a subsequent brass freakout. Next up is the heavy acid rock of 'Mammoet' featuring rising trombonist Nabou, which soon breaks out into a groove-laden mix of Egyptian-inspired horns and Fela-style rhythms, before poetic warrior Joy Slam, adds her vocals to the dub-centric rhythms of the sweet 'Carbonade'.

Elsewhere, 'Intermetsauce' fuses skittish horns with funky drums while the spicy 'Tahini Miso' bursts into life with trance-inducing beats and mystical, Middle-Eastern seasoning. The album closes with the multi-rhythms of the burning 'Sambal', before we dive-dip into the funky 'Pickles', featuring Mixmaster Menno's (STUFF.) wildstyle scratching skills. With each track named after a band member or featured artists' favourite sauce, M.CHUZI serves you a diverse and flavourful plate of unique compositions, taking afro-groove and its descendants to a new level of eclectic dynamism.

Tape

Subterranean hip hop group Grand Mantis is a collaborative effort by lyricist/Producer Yikes The Zero, vocal baritone Osevere, DJ Skipmode, and guitarist Thaddeus Cole-Pepper. Dark distorted psychedelic strings, turntable wizardry, and sinister flows woven by two very distinct wordsmiths. The debut album "Fangs" lies somewhere in between a vivid hypnotic soundscape and a loud rebellious unapologetic warning of things to come.