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Following two EP releases on Delusions Of Grandeur the time felt right for thatmanmonkz to get working on his debut LP. The Sheffield b-boy is no newcomer to production having been releasing music since the mid-noughties but has seen a definite rise in interest the last few years following essential releases on his own Shadeleaf label as well as remixes and productions for the likes of Classic, Kolour LTD and Kon's StarTime.
With his first musical love being Hip Hop it's easy to understand how his approach to house turns out so refreshing. Inevitably MPC's, big, bold samples, Jay Dee inspired grooves and a raw, underproduced sound all play a big part and never one to shy away from an interesting collaboration he has enlisted the skills of several vocalists including Detroit MC Ta'raach (whose credits include Slum Village and Jill Scott), Erik Rico (collabs include Ron Trent and DJ Spinna), Khalil, Dave Aju, Pete Simpson (as A Brother Is...) and Malik Ameer.
Things kick off with a low-slung soul jam entitled Air featuring Kahil Anthony complete with sparkling Rhodes arps and a dub-wise bassline underpinning a beautifully lazy groove. Jus Anutha Wunna Deez follows with a rough and ready house jam that clearly doffs its cap to those old Sound Signature and Mahogoni Music releases we know and love so much. Next up we have Boogie Down with Erik Rico rocking some Parliament inspired vocal business bringing the feelgood vibes to this rolling P-Funker. Some Ol' Nex' Ish goes for a jazz samba meets house fusion whilst A Fly New Tune goes strictly old school with a classic combo of dusty break, filtered fusion rhodes n bass sample, movie dialogue snippets and a masterful flow delivered by Ta'raach. Dave Aju steps up next on Turn It Out laying down a unison vocal refrain to compliment the bumping disco groove complete with a call and response section for some singalong party participation!
As we continue, Another Night Under The Glitterball sees thatmanmonkz back in familiar territory with a rock solid, deep jazz-house jam. On I Can Hardly Breathe we're treated to a downtempo gospel-infused affair which leads us perfectly into the most bumpy club- friendly track of the LP For Bae. Moon On The Hill is a collaboration with Italian DJ Kali and his Raw Standard crew and treats us to some distinctly mid 90's Kruder and Dorfmeister vibes to zone out to before heading off in an altogether more bonkers, psychedelic dancehall direction on Vampires. Baked is another classy thatmanmonkz take on Hip Hop featuring Malik Ameer on the mic. Take U 2 My House sounds like something Prince might have made in the mid-80's if he'd just come off a 3 day bender at Panorama Bar. And closing the show in perfect style and fashion we have For Those I've Lost Along The Way which is a blunted yet beautifully optimistic number that has echoes of Lonnie Liston Smith and a brilliant spiritual vocal sample which provides the perfect closer to an amazing debut LP.

Norman Jay MBE presents his latest compilation, titled 'Good Times Skank & Boogie', set for release 9th October 2015 on Sunday Best Recordings. This is his first compilation since 2011's Good Times 30th Anniversary Addition and follows on from his hotly anticipated Good Times Goes East party at St John Church at Hackney on 29th August.
Norman Jay is undoubtedly one of the finest and highly respected DJs in the world today and yet again pulls from his impressive collection to provide the ultimate eclectic selection.
For this 12th compilation, for those of you counting, Norman kicks off with St Germain's version of Henry Mancini's Pink Panther Theme. A cult favourite from 2004s Pink Panther Penthouse Party album, it of course immediately brings Peter Sellers to mind and a smile to your face. Next up former Uniques front man Slim Smith's Everybody Needs Love is a classic from 1968, cut at the legendary Duke Reid's Treasure Isle studio. Penned originally by Motown heroes Norman Whitfield and Eddie Holland and covered by household names including The Temptations and Glady's Knight & The Pips, Slim's version became something of a signature tune until his mysterious death in 1971. Sticking with Motown, Stevie Wonder's Living For The City is up next but it's the Michael McDonald rendition from his 2008 album Soul Speak, which proves the man who gave us the sublime Sweet Freedom had lost none of his class 20 plus years on.
D-Influence's Good Lover takes things up and brings them closer to home, to the streets of London infact. After a couple of independent releases the band, who had strong connections to the London Jazz and Soul scenes, served up this contemporary boogie tune as part of their 1992 debut long player for East West. They would subsequently score hits as a production team for a number of British R&B acts. Homegrown soul continues with Paul Johnson's Better Than This, released here via longstanding UK soul imprint Expansion to deserved acclaim last year. It's quality and appeal are simply timeless, whilst master Dego and Kaidi's mix adds a classic 80s soul dimension to proceedings.
The Chi-Lites I Keep Comin' Back To You and The Real Thing's Love Takes Tears continue and expand the 80s theme, bringing in 2-step and boogie, as does Deodato's Never Knew Love from the same period.
We switch again with Delroy Wilson's Better Must Come, a massively popular sufferers lament from 1971 by this former Jamaican child star, it would go on to be used in election campaigns by various Jamaican political parties. Kent People by Laurel Aitken & The Gruvy Beat is the next one out the box and was the flip to the 1969 anthem Skinhead Train. It features the UK's top reggae band of the era The Rudies, who along with Aitken, the widely-proclaimed Godfather of Ska, comprised of Earl Dunn (lead guitar), Trevor White (bass), Sonny Binns (keyboards) and Danny Smith (drums). They would go on to enjoy UK chart success backing singer Freddie Notes before they evolved into Greyhound. From the same year Splash Down by The Crystalites is another slate that ignited dance floors in both Jamaica and the UK upon release. Some of you will have noticed the rhythm track is the same as that of the earlier Kingstonians' best-seller, Sufferer, which came courtesy of legendary producer Derrick Harriott.
As the end draws close The Stone City Band featuring Rick James serve up some hard edged boogie, hotly followed by a classic Tom Moulton slice of late 70s disco courtesy of The Fantastic Four and their I Got To Have Your Love. If that doesn't have you dancing then Chanson's superb Don't Hold Back featuring James Jamerson Jr. on bass will leave you no choice. Classic Good Times indeed.

Introverted Dancefloor is Bevan Smith, a New Zealander who has released music under names like Signer and Aspen, and who has played in the Ruby Suns and Skallander throughout the last decade. His prior output has been spread over many international labels and has touched on sundry genres (like techno, IDM, folk, ambient) while featuring restraint and sophistication as compositional hallmarks.

As Introverted Dancefloor, Smith has kept those features as guiding principles while allowing a more propulsive low end to dominate the construction of this music, winding up with understated but energetic dance tracks. Gestation, too, is a prominent attribute of this music, though not necessarily an obvious one. Smith started these songs with hundreds of layers, which he then pared down to a few core elements before rebuilding again.

For Introverted Dancefloor, Smith limited himself to the use of two synthesizers, one mic, one filter, and one effects processer. This constraint is not obvious upon listening as the album works across the idioms of electro, Detroit techno, pop house, and leftfield disco, playing with the line between fluid melody and drum machine programming. Each track has a playlist as its scaffolding, Smith's goal being to filter a certain set of varied influences through just a couple of instruments. Metro Area's Miura' (Original Mix) turned into Introverted Dancefloor's Happiness is such a mess/Pipedream.' If there can be such a thing as a subtle banger, then Smith may have earned that distinction here. Take it high' seems to be a constant ascent with its climbing bass and layers of chords, relying on no hackneyed drops or releases for its crescendo. Smith's layering practices show their precision on tracks like Even if you try' and Tiger bones,' in which disparate elements contribute to pointed melodies, an unidentifiable percussive part entering the same expressive plane as a sung line.

One of the record's most striking features is Smith's inclusion of certain elements of a song in a neighboring one (vocals from Pipedream' in Happiness is such a mess,' a synth line from Even if you try' in Always turn your head') to lend a phantasmagorical effect to the procession, blurring the distinction between a track and its reprise. The result is a song cycle wrought from painstaking labor, while nonetheless retaining core values of amorphousness and motion.

Slo -mo house at it's best deep shape, including the rare, sought after Maurice Fulton remix for Alice Smith 'Love Endeavour'. Compiled by Rainer Trüby.

We live in hectic, turbulent times. It seems season- and reasonable to slow things bit down. In fact: slow house down to what we calling now: SLOUSE. Implying down to earth club music, with a tapping foot under 116 beats per minute.
House music and its many sliding genres have ruled the clubs and charts, well, a special focus on the slo-mo house is well-deserved.
Rainer Trueby become a guarantee for vanguard soulful dance music and club tunes with such special vibe, which he had formidable approved not only as a DJ but also with sucessful compilations like - Glücklich', - Maiden Voyage' on Compost, DJ Kicks (K7) or compilations for Nuphonic, King Street, Talkin' Loud and other labels.
Rainer Trueby, an artist who spreads love like in the good old days, selected some of the best tunes on the planet, some rare, sought after like the rare Maurice Fulton Remix for Alison Smith - Love Endeavor', in demand tunes like S3A - Deep Mood Act2' or Ron Deacon's - Untitled', amazing discoveries like the Moonstarr tune, or a Laid Back remix, few underrated tracks, well all tracks are worth the grab and get played again & again. It's a full palette of slo-mo house flavors and moods as Rainer Trueby takes us on a magical trip into his imagination of Slouse.

The result is a future classic compilation with melodic and groovy masterpieces, made for your home-, garden-, car- , club listening pleasure. It works for the happy hour as well as the after hour.

Hope you love it as much as we do !

6th Borough Project are all set to release the follow up to their 2011 debut LP One Night In The Borough at the start of March. A hectic couple of years have been lived out by Graeme Clark and Craig Smith during the making of their Borough 2 Borough LP with Graeme continuing to play week in and week out as Revenge and setting up his new imprint Roar Groove whilst Craig has established the brilliant Fifty Fathoms Deep label. Studio time has been tight to say the least but that hasn't stopped the duo from pulling out all the stops and ensuring that this LP surpasses the already sky-high benchmark set by it's predecessor.

As a taster for the LP we present you with this sampler single containing three gems that'll whet your appetite and leave you gagging for more! Kicking off we have In Your Arms which sees the duo deliver some classic 6BP business with a party-starting house track laced with Philly strings and a heavy dose of soul. Next up things take a slightly darker direction on U Know U with this heads-down track incorporating a crisp, stripped-back beat joined by filtering pads and a distant vocal for company. Flip over for Read My Mind which brings some deep and brooding warehouse vibes to the table. This is the sound of 6th Borough Project doing techno with just a hint of 909 ride adding to the layers of bouncing stabs and off-kilter vocals.

*A pure slab of noise... a ruckus on vinyl! A limited edition piece of wax featuring remixes by the Circus Records superstars Funtcase & Genetix.

*Funtcase has been producing since being inspired by d&b as a kid growing up in Bournemouth. In 2009 he created his dubstep alias Funtcase and released his first single on 4:20 Records. The following year he signed with Circus Records and released the killa 'So Vexxed/Matress Punch'. He is also known for his standout remixes, including mixes for Plan B, Camo & Krooked, The Wideboys & Skizm.

*For this remix Passenger organised Spyda (Pendulum 'Black Tarantula'/Knife Party 'Fire Hive') back into the vocal booth to lay down some fresh vocals for the remix. A former Passenger vinyl buyer, Funtcase is no stranger to the sounds of the label and adds his own nod to its history by flipping some breakbeat twists and turns to proceedings to create what many are saying is his best remix to date!

*The flipside remix is from fellow Circus Records crew members and Bournemouth badmen Genetix. Following a similar path to Funtcase, Matt & Rich started off making d&b before switching the tempo and laying down some filth at 140. With regular appearances on the MistaJam's radio show, guest mixes on KissFm for Hatcha and Crazy D and remixes for the likes of Bassline Smith & Drumsound and Kelly Clarkson, to name a few, these guys are continuing a south coast tradition of bass noise and terror.

*With the label instructions to 'make it as heavy as you can, Genetix took the vocal of Sporty-O, recorded at DJ Lethal's (House Of Pain/Limp Biskit/La Coka Nostra) studio in LA back in 2007, and brought it up to speed with a track that flips from militant dubstep into some proper 808 trap biz.

RAWAX IS PROUD TO WELCOME MR. K-ALEXI SHELBY TO THE FAMILY!
Mr. K Alexi Shelby
Like a moth drawn to a flame, there is something utterly infectious about the music of Mr.K Alexi Shelby, better known as K-Alexi one of the founding fathers of house music direct from his home city of Chicago. Since the late 1980s, he has pioneered the true house sound, leading to a DH and production career spanning over 20 years, including collaborations with artists ranging from The Pet Shop Boys to Derrick May and from Larry Heard and Felix da Housecat to Will Smith, as well as gigs across the globe.
An impressionable young teenager, Mr.K Alexi Shelby developed friendships with Frankie Knuckles and Ron Hardy whilst attending seminal venues like The Warehouse and The Music Box in the mid 1980s. Being here at this embryonic stage of dance music culture, there were no rules or precedents, so K Alexi drew on a rich musical heritage that had seen him grow up in the 70s and 80s listening to Stevie Wonder, Prince, Curtis Mayfield and David Huff. Those roots continue to influence his music to this day.
It was under the moniker Risque III that Essence Of A Dream was released in 1987, firmly establishing the name of Mr.K Alexi Shelby amongst the most prominent of all house producers at the time. Moreover, those early tracks are still recognized to be the quintessential Chicago house sound. The rumbling and dark bass, smooth strings, incredible percussion and the spoken word poetic and erotic lyrical flow became the trademark for classic Chicago house and the template for everything else that followed. To reiterate, there was no template before this. This was the beginning.
This initial success has lead to Mr.K Alexi Shelby working with the leading names across the electronic music world and beyond. Collaborations and remixes for Chicago peers like Mike Dunn, Mr. Lee and Marshall Jefferson merely served as the springboard for Alexi to work with the best in the electronic scene, from Derrick May to Paul Johnson ,Ron Trent Dave Angel to Felix ad House Kat. Furthermore, his talents have also lead to him working with The Pet Shop Boys and Will Smith.
On top of this, his tracks have appeared on compilations by artists varying from Laurent Garnier to DJ Hell, who used It's Me 2010 contribution to the Body Language series for Get Physical Music. Produced under the Club M.C.M. moniker, the 1991 EP It's Me/Club M.C.M. has been a frequent selection for compilations for 20 years and is rightly regarded as a true underground techno classic.