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The Works of John B. McLemore, the star of one of last years biggest podcasts, S-Town, which is coming out on Dais. The story behind this release is truly fascinating.. the music itself is ambient remixes of Tor Lundvall's best works, but with John's idiosyncratic slant on them, with some having been woven together using the horde of clocks he use to keep in his basement. This story is really worth a read if you get a chance."In September 2012, I received an e-mail from someone named John B. who said he had assembled a lengthy remix of my music, which also incorporated some of his own material. John asked if I'd mind if he posted this recording on YouTube, to which I agreed. He also mentioned that there was a second part to his mix that was "roughed out", but never completed. I was curious to hear both parts, so shortly afterwards, John mailed me two CDrs which I enjoyed very much. The recordings were hypnotic and haunting, evoking images of vast fields at twilight. I was especially fond of the second disc which had a darker atmosphere and featured more of John's original material, beginning with ghostly clock chimes and ending with a mysterious piece using dried seed pods and other cryptic sounds that slowly built-up into an intense, almost claustrophobic environment.

My correspondence with John lasted about two months. In one of his final e-mails, John said "I have to observe that your paintings seem to have a great deal of loneliness involved in them... even multiple characters seem to be together alone, so to speak... I really appreciate looking at your paintings as well as your music, I think I have connected with the spirit of them both as much as anyone can." He went on to discuss his struggles with depression, caring for his aging mom and his concerns about the future. I tried to encourage his music as a possible outlet, perhaps as a means to help transform his feelings of loneliness into a more content solitude. Always easy to say, but as I well know, not always easy to do.

In his last e-mail in late October 2012, John sent me a beautiful slideshow of his Fall flower beds and his dogs. I was touched and I told him how much watching his video had brightened my day. That was the last time I heard from him.

Last year, I visited John's YouTube channel to see if Part One of his mix was still posted, which it was, and still remains. I was shocked and saddened to read in the comments section that he had passed away. The comments also suggested that John had received some sort of national attention recently. This quickly led me to the S-Town podcast. Although I had mixed reactions after listening, I was thankful that S-Town shed more light on John and his remarkable life... but somehow, I just couldn't place the person in the podcast with the person I had corresponded with. Had I not listened to S-Town, I would have remembered John as a very private, somewhat dark and lonely person. He may have been these things, but there was obviously far more to him than that.

After finishing the final episode, I decided to play the second, unreleased CDr of John's recordings for the first time in years. Listening to his clock chimes ringing in the dark was an eerie and chilling moment. I was reminded of a line from my song "29" which says "I live with dreams and a lonely mind, my clock is set to a different time". I wondered what those lyrics might have meant to him.

John had mentioned that he wasn't satisfied with his final mix, but I felt his work was too special not to be heard. I hope that these recordings offer another glimpse into the creative mind of a unique, complex and gifted individual who tragically left this world all too early."

Tor Lundvall
January 17th, 2018

JOHN B.'s NOTES:

This is what was intended to be the second part of my Tor Lundvall Remix series. Unfortunately I am dissatisfied with it due to a few defects, and it is highly unlikely that I will ever be able to complete it. Still it serves as a testament to my interest in the work of Tor Lundvall that I made it this far. Defects are as follows: The first movement is too 'fussy', and the first section of the fifth movement seems a bit long and may bore the listener, but since it consisted of so many slow moving textures, I don't know how I could redo it and still achieve what I was wanting to accomplish. Additionally, this recording was done just days before my Father died, and there are many feelings of guilt associated with the time spent on it. If you are receiving this recording, either you are one of my better friends, or you are a great admirer of Tor Lundvall, and requested that I send it to you.

1st Part: Basically a track of me fiddling around with old clock bells, and air turbulence mixed with Tor Lundvall and Field Recordings of rain, birds, cicadas, frogs and such.

2nd Part: My interpretation of Lundvall's Dark Spring. This track was inspired by the music of Carl Michael von Hausswolff.

3rd Part: Very ambient Field Recordings inspired by the work of Francisco Lopez.

4th Part: A Very Quiet passage consisting of delicate Field Recordings.

5th Part: Music performed entirely by me inspired by the Darker paintings of Tor Lundvall. Most of the instruments on this piece consisted of dried seed pods from the plant; Showy Rattlebox (Crotolaria Spectabilis), that I had collected and dried the previous Fall. There are other sounds from my own environment as well.

This mix was assembled in the Late Fall of 2003. There are some very Quiet passages in this piece, so it requires a nearly Isolated listening environment... It should be heard After Midnight, in the Late Fall of the year, and, not surprisingly, a Very Long Attention span is a Prerequisite.

John B. McLemore
September 10, 2012

"Emotional Rescue begins the first in a series of reissues looking at the music of guitarist Carl Weingarten and his Multiphase Records label, starting at his highly sought after collaborate album with Walter Whitney, Dreaming In Colors. With an early interest in photography and Super 8 film leading to a degree in cinema production, Weingarten's other, self-taught, love was the slide guitar. Taking its blues roots and merging them with his visual arts background created a unique "painting in sound" style of playing. While looking to break into the film industry he began writing and recording his own film scores and other music for modern dance companies. From this, he founded Multiphase Records in St Louis in 1980. By the time of Dreaming In Colors, the label had released a series of cassettes and vinyl albums offering abstract, experimental, jazz-fusion, new wave and increasingly, new age compositions. Throughout this period the work of engineer, keyboardist and programmer, Walter Whitney was often present and by the 1985 release of Dreaming In Colors the duo had collaborated for a number of years and released several projects together, most notably as members of the Delay Tactics band. Recorded during off days from the Delay Tactics sessions, the album came together at Whitney's Subterranean Sound studio with a focus away from the bands guitar driven instrumentals to explore a multilayered approach to synthesis, blending textures with Whitney's original samples and sound design, while Weingarten's guitar moved from shining solo moments to complimenting the overall oeuvre, all with heavy washes of delay. This ecumenical approach led to the creation of this compelling album. A masterful conceptual whole that is linked by rich melodies and a concise playing style, heavy on substance while never forgoing the uplifting vibrations. "

Here Appear is an invocation, a salutation, and a celebration — of past and perfect lives, forgotten and remembered, exchanged and borrowed. Eve Essex's solo debut is a multi-instrumental fea(s)t combining synthesizer, drum machine, alto saxophone, piccolo, electric organ/harpsichord, harmonica, slide whistle, bells, guitar pedals, and voice— composed, arranged, and performed by Essex herself. What began as an improv set at Berlin's Harlekin bar, developed over the past two years into a complete body of work evoking multiple time periods, genres, characters, and sonic landscapes. The seven tracks that make up Here Appear harness elements of classical, drone, avant-jazz, and distorted pop, coupled with an ambitious vocal delivery that draws on the phrasing and articulations of Essex's own woodwind playing, to create a quasi-narrative me´lange retaining the vulnerability of live performance. On the opening track Grind Away,' otherworldly harmonica strains set the stage for lyrics citing Chinese sci-fi novel The Third Body Problem as source material. Saxophone and piccolo interludes Immediate Communicator' and Colorless Stone' move between medieval-tinged melodic inventions and textural noise, recalling a Pharoah Sanders-influenced fever dream, while the linguistic abstractions of Russian conceptual poet Lev Rubinstein guide the looped, layered, and textured vocals of title track Here Appear.' The album closes with a languid take on Jacqueline Humbert & David Rosenboom's 1978 composition Clear Light' from My New Music, recently reissued by Unseen Worlds. Here Appear owes its minimal production to the conditions of its genesis, evidencing the restrained process of the solo artist, instrumentation is confined to what can be played simultaneously. True to the album's avant-garde roots, each song involves an element of improvisation, often taking the form of prompts or variations on a melody rather than explicit compositions. Even its most structured pieces make use of live-sampled loops, which inject a spirited unpredictability into the songwriting process and subsequent performance. Classically trained in bassoon at New England Conservatory before receiving a BFA in sculpture from RISD, Eve Essex has performed as a solo artist at Artists Space, Commend, Safe Gallery, Signal, Trans Pecos, and U.S. Blues, in New York, Harlekin/Mathew Gallery and StudioAcht in Berlin, and the PUFFERSS Festival in Providence, RI. In addition to her solo practice, Essex regularly performs as one half of Das Audit (with Craig Kalpakjian), as well as in trios Hesper (with James K and Via App) and HEVM (with MV Carbon and Hunter Hunt-Hendrix), and has collaborated extensively with Juan Antonio Olivares as installation/performance-art duo Essex Olivares. Prior to the LP release on Sky Walking (April, 20), Here Appear arrives via New York City-based label Soap Library on March 9, 2018 in both cassette and digital format, mastered by Helmut Erler at Dubplates & Mastering, Berlin and recorded by Al Carlson at Gary's Electric, Brooklyn.

A high-speed car chase between a Dodge Charger and a Ford Mustang, with super-cop Bullitt at the wheel, who forces the hitman off the road and into a petrol station, which explodes and incinerates him. Prior to that, harsh clashes of metal, hubcaps flying all over the place, and the chief character Steve McQueen, who grimly changes gears and hurtles through the streets of San Francisco, wheels screaming and rubber burning. That was how Hollywood staged one of the longest and most dramatic car chases, long before the days of the Anti-Blocking-System and Anti-Slide-Control.

Very up-to-date and just as exciting as the screenplay is the music Lalo Schifrin wrote for the film, which embeds the characters, places and events in a musical context. For example, "Bullitt": the metrically angular main theme portrays a mysterious, cool character who sums up a situation with keen alertness and then makes his attack with the speed of lightning.

Initially the music travels through easy-going Latin terrain. But gradually the rhythmic texture changes and takes a rougher path, with clicks, knocks and hammering. Legendary flute lines create a compensatory placidness with airy clouds floating above the sharp mix. A really special track is "Shifting Gears": here you can listen to Schifrin tuning the car, how he manipulates a jammed springy bossa to take on the sound of clean, smooth-running rock.

This Speakers Corner LP was remastered using pure analogue components only, from the master tapes through to the cutting head. All royalties and mechanical rights have been paid.

Black & Clear Mixed Vinyl

aniel Schwerdel aka Acid Lab has been a familiar face on Lossless Music and Dope Plates over the last few years. Turning heads with his tracks 'Ancestors' and 'Tundra', Dan has laid the ground work for a bigger project, a solo album. 'A Matter Of Time' is a stunning 10 track breakbeat odyssey which sees Dan draw on influences from the past as well as futuristic visions which combine to form a body of work that perfectly fits the Dope Plates ethos.

A new colossal star rises in the twilight of funky soul jazz as Ernie Hawks releases his debut album "Scorpio Man" on Timmion Records. The impressive trombonist/flutist, is known to hold no punches, when performing live in the ranks of The Soul Investigators. Here he delivers a fierce selection of S.O.U.L. and Cymande flavored instrumentals that also bring to mind some of the finest sample-fodder library music.

The album's name, "Scorpio Man" might come from the stinging and slightly intimidating style Hawks handles the trombone slide, known to pierce the hearts and souls of the ladies in the front row during his live performances. On this album, Ernie rides to battle equipped only with the flute, but this does not mean we will be exposed to some smooth jazz snooze fest. Rather Ernie handles his instrument with muscular rawness at times and moody ambiance at others, sliding with ease into any groove that the extended Soul Investigators band lays down.

"Scorpio Man" is no one trick pony, and the listener will be shifted around from the exhilarating psych funk of "Scorpio Walk" all the way to the airy moods of "Street of Tears". Take a chance with the Scorpio Man, his sting will give you a funky high much better than what they sell in the streets.

This mix-tape by the Hawaiian DJ - now resident in New Orleans by way of Tokyo - was passed around on a C-60 till it became a Big Easy legend. 'Boom bap, dusted instrumentals, and the odd slide guitar pop tune'.

(180gr) An incredible album from Lo Borges - one of the best singer/songwriters on the Brazilian scene of the 70s!

An incredible album from Lo Borges - one of the best singer/songwriters on the Brazilian scene of the 70s! Borges first burst into the spotlight for his work on the Club Da Esquina album by Milton Nascimento - and his work as part of Milton's "corner club" really helped shape the style of the more famous singer. Yet Borges is almost an equally great talent on his own - with a soaring, soulful approach that's every bit as great as the best Nascimento material from the period - and recorded in a wonderfully similar spirit! The sound here is completely sublime right from the start - music that moves us, even if we can't understand the language of the lyrics - like some of the best work by Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil. There's maybe a bit more guitar than on some of the Milton Nascimento work of the period - but used in a fuzzy way that slides in nicely with some of the jazzy phrasing of the instrumentation - which is delivered with help from key contemporaries who include Beto Guedes, Nelson Angelo, Toninho Horta, and Tenorio Jr. The songwriting is amazing - and titles include "Cancao Postal", "Voce Fica Melhor Assim", "Nao Foi Nada", "Calibre", "Faca Seu Jogo", "Toda Essa Agua", "Pensa Voce", "Como O Machando", and "Aos Baroes".

WarinD Records present WRV01 on vinyl 12 x 33rpm.
A release that goes from Techno with metal shades on A1 to an influences 90s on A2 and Techno/Industrial/Noise for Katran on B1 and Sarins EBM nuances with Hurens voice on B2 for 2 remix. Limited 250 copies.

Never one to rest, our pal The Revenge has been busy as always. His latest LP as 6th Borough Project Find Your Rhythm' recently dropped on Roar Groove, he created a beautifully delicate remix of Auntie Flo's Waiting for a (Woman)", had a change of scenery relocating from Scotland to Denmark and his collab EP with Dirt Crew, flush with Nachtbraker remixes was one of our biggest records of 2016! Amongst the action he's taken the time and a more in yer face' approach to write us his latest EP, a four-tracker of proper club tracks. Every Night' brims with raucous disco energy. The French Filter House' reminiscent gem's strings shimmer and funk horns hit heavy, a jam destined to wear holes in shoes. Grit' attends to the easy-going Disco grooves we love so much from The Revenge, plenty of shake and soul it's overflowing with good-mood energy. B-side opener Never Learn' gives us a glimpse of the darker end of The Revenge's spectrum. Subby toms rumble, tweaked out synths bleep and slide and delayed key stabs shift the party into smoke hazed, underground rave mode. The closing track Krokodille' brings that Bass n Electro gritty booming sound! The acidic lead wraps around sturdy drums. Straight forward with plenty of kick, what an ending to a high quality EP!

The second EP by Control Remote finally drops with 3 stunning cuts destined to become phuture classics in years to come. The first EP was a strong seller for the shop and provided the footwork for this second EP to drop. 'Music' on the A side gyrates a house groove with a moody man nod of guidance. This is one sure fire hot jam! On the flip we have the divine acid groove of 'Fragment Of A Sermon' kicking of proceedings whilst riding locked in groove. 'Give My Luv' closes the EP off with a low rider house slide that leans to left whilst moving you to the right! This second EP by Control Remote sets the standard for others to follow. HOTNESS personified!

Richy Ahmed's Four Thirty Two imprint continues to shine a light on the freshest talent emerging from the house music underground, and on the label's third release, the London based Senzala get to flex their muscle on a fine release, backed with a remix from Ahmed and Jansons AKA Lovehertz.

Having previously released on the French label Mr. KS & Friends, and Politics Of Dancing, the Senzala boys, otherwise known as Jonni Santos & Sam Holland, deliver the goods once more on the 'Phase' EP.

The title track packs rolling 909s and looping filtered disco riffs into its punch; never letting the energy levels drop. Vocal licks and techno-laced stabs drive this club-focused track fantastically, with a glossy production that really shines through. Richy Ahmed and Jansons come correct with a Loveherts remix; a heavyweight analogue bassline dominated the mix and the vocal parts slide down the arpeggiated riff as incessant synth stabs ramp up the heat, taking their remix right to fever pitch.

The Senzala boys grind out more solid house grooves on 'All For You', deploying disco samples and vocals that are filtered and twisted around the tough drums to great effect, whilst on 'Agora', the mood remains unfaltering as feel good riffs and warm keys wrap around Senzala's steady beat to complete a stellar release that's packed with energy and infectious vibes.

Inspired by the likes of Raresh, Zip, and Villalobos, the artist known as Kepler has something special in store for your local area dance floor. "Making Chords" is an exciting new release that's guaranteed to please.
The title track "Making Chords" can be appropriately described as nothing less than an addictive, bona fide banger that will instantaneously hook its end user after one listen. From the beginning Kepler. sets the pace with a smooth, sexy bass line that will command your attention and aggressively compel any crowd to start dancing. This passionate production pushes its agenda with a rumbling tempo, dynamic drums, and intriguing vocals that are well worth repeating. Laced with clever sounding samples and purposeful piano licks, "Making Chords" is made for anyone and everyone.
The second offering, "Wire" is a quirky, fun departure that gives insight to Kepler's wide range. This spooky sounding track is characterized by its off-beat rhythm, saturating bass tones and curious sounding signals that slide up and down while continually building momentum. As the "Wire" progresses, one can't help but to take note of how its unpredictable nature is dictated in such a well-organized manner. Very, very interesting.

Ichisan has been coaxed back behind the velvet curtain of the Bordello, this time for eleven track trip into a land of funk filled machine music. Aperitiv cruises with no single style, instead this Slovenian synthesist glides and slides through a scatting of sounds. Cosmic. House. Disco. Wave. Italo. All are plundered to produce an album overflowing with good feeling. And these feelings are pretty damn good. The road bends- The course changes. Bubrling acid bliss, crisp beats and stunningly delicate key shifts characterise this collection. Inviting strings pull you ever deeper. A soundtrack to coast line journeys along the Gulf of Trieste in a top down convertible, late night romances and evenings of endless warmth. Allow yourself to be whisked off by Ichisan, a trip you won´t want to come back from.

TS08 is the 3rd EP of the TONE SERIES project and in line with the previous two releases TS09 and TS10. However, its two tracks HAWAIAN JAM and 24 BAR PER DAY present rather refreshing grooves, right on time for the summer.

HAWAIAN JAM makes you feel like in a Jeep, driving around the Hill of Mauï while looking at the best waves. And whereas HAWAIAN JAM follows the rythm of cutting edge and caraibian slide guitars with a touch of reggae, 24 BAR PER DAY unveals jumping drums and druggie pumping sounds surrounded by bitchy voice cuts.

With regard to the artwork, as shown on the cover, each track has its own colour. There is neither a A nor a B-side. The same applies to the record vinyl itself. Each track stands on it own. As a result, HAWAIAN JAM and 24 BAR PER DAY distinguish themselves from each other through their vibes and colours, although they remain in the same spirit.

TONE SERIES was born from the collaboration between Villa's former bouncer (one of the most underground clubs of Berlin) - Wolfram, French music producer, live performer and DJ - David K, and LumièresLaNuit's co-founder and An der Grenze's
founder - Edouard. In summary, TONE SERIES brings together the idea of interdependence between music and design: what colour follows on from music and, in return, which musicality
comes out of colours.

Our little Dirt Crew sub label Spiel started out in late 2013 with three excellent releases, the first two by "Clancy" featuring remixes by "Urulu" and "Prins Thomas" followed by a stellar EP from "Mercury". After a hiatus SPIEL
is back for 2016. Renewed and inspired we have a bunch of both fresh faced and established artists on board packing quality releases for the year. With sounds spanning from Indie Dance and Electronica to Disco and spaced out Balearic jams, we're proud to present you the first of our outings for 2016.

First up is close friend and rock solid producer "Good Guy Mikesh". Out of Leipzig, Germany, he's the guy with the Perfect pitch, forward thinking ideas, an impressive discography of 12"s to his name, and a huge range of influences from funk and soul, to 80's new wave electro and back again. He's come to the table with four tracks we've been busting to share with you.

'Whim' is the steady builder. Spacious and very much alive with sliding leads and layers of analogue synths that sparkle, it's melancholic bliss, it's a deep breath inducing, dance floor lifting, thought provoking piece of beauty. 'Why Not' is something deeper, the bass slips and slides dancing with the top line, while a palette of plucked strings, tuned percussion and Mikesh's signature synth soundscapes reach into the distance as the track continues to roll.

On the B side, 'Cookie' is joyful, its playful keys and poolside energies toast to warm weather and good times. Bouncing arpeggios lead the charge in the break, rising before giving way to euphoric synthetic strings which lead us back into the elated refrain. 'Corone' hints towards Mikesh's disco history, boasting a burly bass and a funk all of its own, this indie dance shaker's got a solid groove and vibe to spare.

A listening pleasure and a dance floor treat, Mikesh's far reaching and assured musical vision is inescapable on this record. The perfect welcome back for SPIEL.

"Don't Touch My Sister" is Romain Azzaro's Rouge Mécanique début Album. Cinematic hazy instrumentals and a heady mix of post-punk, Italo disco, ambient and noise shine through Azzaro's dedication to his signature Telecaster slide-guitar, bringing acoustic life to electronica. Citing the visual realm as a strong influence on his music, Rouge Mécanique's releases are often accompanied by short films and hand picked design. The 'Prelude' video for 'Don't Touch My Sister' was born of a collaboration between Romain Azzaro and the film maker Louis Vignat, as inspired by the cover artwork of Les Beaux Arts de Paris artist Jeanne Briand.

Prolific Seattle producer Jon McMillion returns to Nuearth Kitchen with another crucial chapter in his epic tale of haunted house-music subversions. This EP offers four variations on a bizarre and engrossing theme. Don't It Make You (edit 1)' is a work of extremes: By some miracle of aural physics, it's at once one of McMillion's strangest tracks and one of his most accessible. He sets into motion a staunch, relentless house rhythm bolstered with congas, massed claps, synth-bass raspberries, and a badass male singer intoning, Don't it make you feel good, if you wanna get down/Just say it, say it again,' over which a miasma of enigmatic tones bubbles and swirls. Like Bohannon's disco-funk classics from the '70s, Don't It Make You' seems like a tease, even at 10 minutes duration, you wish it would roll on for at least 30. On Don't It Make You (edit 2),' McMillion strips things down to dance-floor essentials and erases some of the free-floating background weirdness.

The two remixes are revelatory. New York house icon Fred P. (aka Black Jazz Consortium) slides the track into a tighter pair of pants, but that just makes it swivel harder and slyer. He emphasizes Don't It Make You''s mysterious drones and then loops a female vocalist singing He keeps me' while dropping in some echoed male chatter to gently disorient. What a dreamy, soulful trip Fred P. conjures here. And rising German wunderkind Orson Wells layers and pitches up the original's cascades of bleeps, which becomes the dominant motif, and then subtly modulates said bleeps over the tune's seven minutes, while keeping that irrepressible rhythm strutting. McMillion's raw materials prove to be fertile ground for these two maverick remixers to flaunt their own fascinating quirks while maintaining the original cut's club-darkening and ass-moving functionality.