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Murdock will release his second album in January 2024. The first was released in 2018, collected 20 million streams, and reached radio in Belgium and abroad with a number of strong singles, partly thanks to guest appearances from UK legend Jenna G and reggae hero Errol?Dunkley.?Studio Brussel chose 'Make Me Stronger' and 'Different Way' for daytime radio, George FM in New Zealand played 'Dollars Aren't Cheap' so much that the track made it into the top 10 of the national Shazam list, and in the UK it was 'Double Dutch' with?Roni Size that convinced BBC Radio 1.?

This time he once again brings Sena Dagadu on board, with whom he scored his biggest hit to date: Can't Keep Me Down has almost 12 million streams and the title is tattooed on loads of body parts worldwide.?She will provide goosebumps again on the upcoming album with 'Reign'.?Omar Perry (son of!) gets on board for 'Fire Burning', which will also be the anthem of the upcoming Rampage edition in the Sportpaleis, Ayah Marar helps the euphoric 'Lost In You' to a dose of soul, and new talents Emilie Rachel and Medyk?steal the show on 'Living In The Moment' and 'Runaway' respectively, on which Murdock combines drum & bass with their pure songwriting skills.?Advance single 'Cola' has already done extremely well: 600,000 streams in a few months, and a lot of radio play in Belgium, New Zealand and United Kingdom.?The album is called X-Ray as each track represents a piece of the identity that makes Murdock a whole.

"Stop the World" is another captivating song released in 1984 by Eyes Records, written by three names who certainly need no introduction. Ivana Spagna, Larry Pignagnoli and Ottavio Bacciocchi. However, their artistic depth and their fundamental contribution to Italo-Disco (and not only) in their respective roles should be remembered: Ivana, an excellent lyricist and singer (also for third parties) who became the great pop star still today considered the most graceful in circulation; Larry, who deserves a handful of Grammy Awards for his countless arrangements (but it is enough to mention "Easy Lady" and "Call Me") and finally the modest and precious Ottavio with his excellent Studio Master 33 from Cremona, among the first to find the right sound of Italo-Disco already in the early 80s.. Their contribution then married perfectly with the artistic direction curated by Salvy Lauria and Giacomo Danesi. It's worth highlighting the approximately 6 minute instrumental track of "Stop The World", it's a dance floor killer. Giuliano Saglia and Silvio Trisolino are right in wanting to re-propose only and exclusively the two original songs which after 40 years have been perfectly remastered by Dom Scuteri. Best Record is right to carry out all the work of this wonderful jewel, after having already reissued Blue Gas, Future State and Lily Ann, the other praiseworthy productions of the reborn Milanese label. Aficionados do well not to miss this other reissue of an Italo Disco classic from the 80s !!!

Analogical Force is kicking off 2024 with a stellar "all things Electronix" album from well known producer Vertical67 (who also runs the Vortex Traks label)! It's hard not to have heard of Thomas Pahl in the electro underwater depths after multiple appearances over the course of more than a decade and under a ton of aliases. With the illuminating title of 'Changes', Thomas gets rid of corsets and presents an entrancing voyage into post-euphoria, displaying a radiant and emotive side which the artist's new discordant sound emerges. A defiant cry in the face of existential angst. Navigating between breaks, dreamy melodies and reflective landscapes 'Changes' could be defined as a deep introspective journey into the machines. Cop while u can.

Some Female:Pressure right here with the latest NVST release; Silence Itself Is Noise! This is her debut for SSPB delivering a 6 track ep which are a reflection of her adventurous club sets, a well-balanced mix of powerful beats and expansive atmospheres haunted by skittering echoes of the dancefloor. Each track feels like fleeting memories of the club filtered through the human experience - flickering moments illuminated by strobes and shrouded in smoke, laced with the tang of sweat and psychedelics. Opener "Tiny Mistakes Feeling HOT (Hellisnotamyth version)" coalesces from curling vapors into infernal acid lines and rhythmic fragments that evaporate almost as soon as they appear. "The Devil Loves The Detail (Lucifer's Fire Version)" builds into an inescapable pulse amidst frayed synthesizers, pressure building to fever pitch before "The Danger Zone Of GFY (Freedom Version)" opens out into icy, astral synths. "Monster of Business (Style Edition)" shifts closer to the dancefloor with a slinking, syncopated groove, conversations from the smoking area or studio creeping in at the edges, before erupting into the frazzled bounce of "The Goat and the Night." "The Silence Itself is Noise (Nonstop Bass Version)" loops back once again to more cavernous atmospheres, warped bells and strafing melodic flourishes ringing out amidst fizzing distortion and skeletal percussion. Silence Itself is Noise doesn't clamour for attention, it necessitates it. Once again, NVST proves herself unafraid to challenge club orthodoxy, and unwilling to patronize listeners, instead making deft use of tension and release to create genuine moments of surprise and transcendence.

The group takes a psychedelic turn, adding lush orchestral arrangements to the group’s tight harmonies and narrative lyrics. The album was recorded at the famed IBC Studios in London. Barry Gibb commented that their recording process was one of impromptu creativity, in which they’d “think up a subject, then write a song on the spot.” The instrumental parts were added later, adding a fullness to the songs. For instance, ‘Bee Gee’s 1st’ opens with strains of oboe and harpsichord on the whimsical “Turn of the Century,” while “Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Show You” begins with dark Gregorian chants.

The Vinyl Only label rolls on towards its 20th release here with Mar De Novo serving up the irresistible Apericena EP. 'Quantity Check' is a low-slung funker with noodling baselines and nice loose percussive rhythms under some exotic vocals. 'Blue Eyes Clear' is a more lavish and downtempo number of chilling by the Med come sundown and then comes Ryu's Rub of 'Quantity Check' which is more funky and fat-bottomed. 'Nao Fazer Nado' rounds out an escapist EP with some dreamy melodic chill-out sounds that will have you gazing off to the stars.

Originally released in 2014 as Vol.7 in the Luv N'Haight Edit Series which was the first on a 7-inch and featured heavyweight digger, edit-master, and producer Kon with his take on Twilight’s Modern Soul and Boogie classic “You’re In Love”. He stays true to the original but packs a bit more punch into the groove while keeping the focus on the catchy vocals and chorus on the A-side, and doing it Dub-style with minimal vocals and plenty of echo on the flip.

When Ben White was 25 years old Eddy Bongo Brown of the Funk Brothers brought him to Motown to play with Marvin Gay, 5 years later he recorded this single 'I would have to be a fool' and released it himself. Ben comes from a long line of musicians in his family, his cousins are Cab Calloway and Otis Redding.

Over the years he sessioned for Marvin Gay, Bloodstone, Carl Carlton, High Energy, Harold Johnson, J.W. Alexander, Richard T & The Salsoul Orchestra

Unfortunately, as is often the case, children came along and Ben moved away from music, this and forthcoming AOTN single 'Give Me Love' were his only solo recordings unless we can find the tapes of his lost LP further down the line.

In den Jahren 1961 und 1962 hätte sich der Gitarrist Grant Green eigentlich auch gleich in Rudy Van Gelders Tonstudio in Englewood Cliffs als Untermieter einquartieren können. Denn in diesem Zeitraum war er dort an mehr als zwei Dutzend Einspielungen für Blue Note Records beteiligt. Die eine Hälfte machte er unter eigenem Namen, die andere Hälfte als Sideman von Größen wie Stanley Turrentine, Lou Donaldson, Hank Mobley, Ike Quebec, Horace Parlan und Baby Face Willette.
Um den Markt nicht zu übersättigen, sah sich Alfred Lion dazu gezwungen, einige von Greens Aufnahmen zu archivieren. Fünf von ihnen erschienen erstmals in den 1980ern. Darunter auch das im Januar 1962 entstandene Album “Nigeria”, das zu den unterbewerteten Juwelen des Gitarristen gehört. Zu erleben ist Grant Green auf ihm mit einer wirklich erstklassigen Band und einem ebenso exzellenten Repertoire (mit dem Sonny-Rollins-Klassiker “Airegin” und vier zeitlosen Standards).
BLUE NOTE TONE POET EDITION: Stereo, produziert von Joe Harley, komplett analog von Kevin Gray von den Originalbändern gemastert, RTI-Pressung (180g), stabiles deluxe tip-on jacket, wattierte Innenhülle.

DirtybLends edition 9 is a Deep Concentration release…
if you’ve been really paying close attention Deep Concentration just dropped on LA Club Resource for their 6 track homage ep even though the text reads for the artists as The Kid n Cliff, put 1 & 1 together.

the A-side of ‘Don’t B Alarmed’ is truly definitive!! the musical journey speaks volumes..
the B-side is an instant BEATDOWN with ‘Heavy Thump beat dat shyt’ that is focused entirely on a CHICAGO style of GUTS, pianos and damage!!

This is a welcome return to the label for Amazingblaze who released his Can't Stop EP in January this year and his Venture EP in 2022. Since then he has continued to innovate with his heavy-hitting trance, techno and hardstyle influenced sounds. His ever evolving studio skills see him mix up old school influences with new school sound design that is perfect for engaging dance floors. His signature imprint is all over these four new cuts with their mix of big synths, bigger drums and all consuming grooves.

“Believe EP says it itself. All I wanted to say is that you have to believe in yourself”, Amazingblaze says. “This brand new EP contains 4 full-power tracks that definitely goes through your heart. Massive trance synths combined with vocals make it sound really mysterious and groovy. Hope you enjoy it, and believe in yourself.”

Charlotte de Witte adds: “It’s no secret that to me, Amazingblaze is one of the purest talents out there. This guy really understands what music is about and manages to create dancefloor bombs time after time. I’m super proud to have him on board for another EP on KNTXT and to watch him grow and become one of the top level artists out there.”

'Believe' kicks off with intense drum patterns and smart vocal samples that are lit up with bright and electric synths full of euphoric energy. 'Strange Candy' is a bulky and physical mix of clipped techno funk and throwback rave sounds with strobe-like lasers shooting across the face of the track. There is more peak time brilliance in the hard drums and hands-in-the air synth magic of 'It Happened Again' while 'Boyz Makin Noiz' shuts down with twitchy stabs and twisted acid lines and dark vocals appear from the shadows.

Amazingblaze delivers yet another exceptional EP, seamlessly blending forward-thinking techno and trance elements.

This four track EP features the LA band’s single’s Blame and the EP’s title track Bloodline,

Quickly finding fans in the likes of Elton John, Celeste, Paul Weller, Benji B, and Gilles Peterson, the band should soon find plenty more on a record that could soundtrack a David Lynch epic such is its drama and suspenseful, late-night orchestral ruminations. Capped by Lusk’s voice, a weapon that swoops through the octaves breathlessly, Gabriels have that rare ability to make you re-evaluate music, and what it can do, in a heartbeat.

Whilst Lusk provides the wow factor with that ridiculous larynx, Gabriels are very much a close-knit trio. Producer, keyboardist (and full-time video director) Ryan Hope hails from Sunderland but calls LA home. Fellow producer-composer and violinist Ari Balouzian, a man with endless musical projects on the go at any one time, gives Gabriels’ songs a real ‘feel’ to them.

Sultry, soulful mood music certainly isn’t the band’s modus operandi, with debut track If Love & Hate In A Different Time having originally identified Gabriels as a loose-limbed, soul-stirring funk and gospel-flecked odyssey. But this experimental EP should paint an altogether more rounded idea of where Gabriels are at… !

Amazing floaty modern soul / disco goodness out of late 70s Queens, NY. 'Love Is The Same' two brilliant and different versions, both dancefloor fire…

Mark Beiner met Ben Iverson in 1976 when I was 17 years old, at the time he was a junior at Newtown High School in Elmhurst, Queens. Mark had taken a part time job as a Produce Clerk at Walbaum's Supermarket on Northern Boulevard in Jackson Heights, Queens, where I met Ben Iverson, the "Frozen Food Manager."

Back then Mark remembers, 'I was going to work early just to talk to him about his musical background and his time spent in the 50's and 60's with the Ohio Doo Wop Group, "The Hornets", or better known as, "Ben Iverson and The Hornets."'

In 1978 after Ben and I discussed getting together and composing music, I started writing poetry and expressing in writing my break-up with my college girlfriend, Paula. Ben and Mark went on to writing two albums worth of material, which in turn gave us a lot of time and presence on stage at our live gigs.

The regular Coast to Coast Band members consisted of Ben Iverson on Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitarist and Co-Executive Producer, Joe Crowley, who is known today as "New York Congressman Joe Crowley." Carl (Woody Wood) Morton on Bass Guitar, Jimmy Johnson on Keyboards. Lead Guitarist, Lou Jimenez, currently owns his own recording studio, Music Labs in Elmont, Long Island. On Drums, Eddie Byam, on Alto Sax, Jay Cohen, who in the 70's used to record for "Gary U.S. Bonds." Gary Pevols on Trumpet. On Bone, Scott Burrows, Trumpet player, Steve Becker, along side Neil Levine, Stan Stockley, Tom Russo.

Yellow Vinyl

Second release for Jordan GCZ on RAWAX!
After his fantastic debut "Dizzy Dizzy Dizzy" early this year,
we are happy to release Polyphonic Glide EP in November.
Don't miss this highly recommended beauty!

In the midst of the pandemic, Enjoy Jazz Festival has developed a musical project whose members will be recruited new every year and then debut at a concert on UNESCO International Jazz Day, April 30. The members come from the jazz scene of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. "We wanted," festival director Rainer Kern stresses, "not only to revitalize the fragile network of outstanding creative minds, but also to rethink it artistically as a rolling system." Two experienced and renowned band leaders, Alexandra Lehmler and Erwin Ditzner, now curate an annually changing ensemble of outstanding artists of the most diverse provenance. As part of a voluntary commitment, the ensemble is to be organized in a sustainable, diverse, and, in three years at the latest, completely gender-equal
and climate-fair manner. Thus, as a commitment to the goals of the "European/Local Green Deal" (and with reference to the jazz standard "On Green Dolphin Street"), the name Green Dolphin Orchestra was created. Another special feature: The renowned Oriental Music Academy Mannheim (OMM), a long-standing partner of the Enjoy Jazz Festival, receives a white card, so that musicians with a migration background or protagonists from other musical cultures are always part of this "orchestra of many" and constantly expand its sound language.

The project has a free improvisation approach with changing personnel. "We actually even thought of drawing lots for the different formats within the band pool," explains saxophonist Alexandra Lehmler. "We decided against it in the case of the first concert and instead put together curated formations." And drummer Erwin Ditzner adds, "In principle, however, this procedure remains an option." It was important to the two of them to also mix the genres represented by the individual musicians in such a way that free space for something truly new could emerge. "We wanted to challenge ourselves," Lehmler sums it up. The only restriction: a time code was assigned to each sub-project. "Each formation was given a time limit, although it was possible to virtually override this limit by spontaneous
reshuffling," says Ditzner, explaining one central of the few rules. "In concrete terms, this meant that after eight minutes, the improvisation in progress was either ended or new musicians simply joined in the ongoing creative process, while others took themselves out of the game."

Alexandra Lehmler summarizes the artistic impact of the ensemble as follows: "We really cross-fertilize each other. In order to push this process even further, we forced ourselves when putting together the ensemble not to fall back on our 'favorite playing partners', i.e. musicians with whom one feels particularly at home. In other words, we consciously wanted to step out of our comfort zone with this project." The present pieces were recorded live in Heidelberg during the ensemble's premiere concert on the occasion of International Jazz Day on April 30, 2022.

Krafty Kuts and DJ Robert Smith have teamed up to highlight the skills they are best at. Krafty Kuts is known for his unique beats from Hip Hop to Ghetto Funk. DJ Robert Smith on the other hand is famous for his scratches and turntable work. After Krafty passed on a few beats to DJRS about 2 years ago, Smith quickly realized that he wanted to create an EP from these beats with the help of his worldwide connections. The first song to receive rap vocals was "Here I Come" ft. Wildelux, who delivered in no time. The vision was strengthened and more feature requests followed: Supastition, 1773, BambuDeAsiatic and Slimkid3 who took Moonbeam Kelly on board. Within a very short time a masterpiece of first-class artists was created. The "Krafty Smith EP"!

Don´t Stop featuring 1773 & Katjuscha
1773 are Wisdm Uno & Jay Nagoma from Chicago. They have worked together with Ohmega Watts, Othello & Bombeardo and among others. Katjuscha is a friend of DJ Robert Smith circle of friends. She is an absolute singing talent with an incredibly insane ability to perform live on stage. What a voice!

Hang On featuring Supastition:
Supastition is without a doubt one of the most talented underground rapper and beatproducer there is. His latest album "Every Last Word" and "Art Of Direspect" with his other project "Speaker Bullies" prove his rap and production skills, first-class entertainment.

Krafty Kuts and DJ Robert Smith have teamed up to highlight the skills they are best at. Krafty Kuts is known for his unique beats from Hip Hop to Ghetto Funk. DJ Robert Smith on the other hand is famous for his scratches and turntable work. After Krafty passed on a few beats to DJRS about 2 years ago, Smith quickly realized that he wanted to create an EP from these beats with the help of his worldwide connections. The first song to receive rap vocals was "Here I Come" ft. Wildelux, who delivered in no time. The vision was strengthened and more feature requests followed: Supastition, 1773, BambuDeAsiatic and Slimkid3 who took Moonbeam Kelly on board. Within a very short time a masterpiece of first-class artists was created. The "Krafty Smith EP"!

This Fear featuring Slimkid3 & Moonbeam Kelly:
I think we don´t need to announce Slimkid3 of the legendary group The Pharcyde. He is the living legend and voice of 1,2 many Pharcyde songs we all can sing along. His songs in collaboration with DJ Nu-Mark, such as "I know, didn't I feat. Darondo" are world famous. "This Fear" wouldn't be a masterpiece without the incredible voice of Moonbeam Kelly, who was brought to this song via Slimkid. She is an outstanding singer with gangster and soul appeal. It's simply beautiful to listen to her voice.

Here I Come featuring Wildelux:
Wildelux has worked on numerous albums and EPs as a producer over the last 15 years, and performed at shows across the UK and internationally during this time. His motto has always been quality over quantity. His latest album is called "The It Factor".

Dutch dance troupe ISOTOOP inaugurates its label with a quaternity of sly rhythms to mystify and elevate. Adhering to ISOTOOP’s unstated yet practised mantra of many growing as one, the culprits behind the pieces are none other than core family members Shoal (Kenny Kneefel) and Vand (Viktor van der Riet), unifying for the first time under the name of Voal.

The longtime friends and compatriots in sound meld together to form a distinct entity; aligned as one, but audibly a product of their individual approaches. Across the four cuts, the two producers share a singular vision of club music, designed to initiate movement and shake the floor, while leaving essential space for thought and imagination.

From the low-down and dirty funk of ‘Carpet Crawler’ to ‘Take My Hand’s bleary and dazed downtempo, evaporating in its final moments into transcendent closing ambience, Voal journey through a wide landscape of club electronics with a fervent pulse. Pinned between the two slower joints are ‘Lucifer’, a consecutive tumble through iterated rolling percussion and minimal basslines, and the kinetic, high-tempo fiesta of ‘Saffron’, a sure-fire favourite for the ecstatic midnight.

Thick like warm tar, and airy as steam, Voal’s debut whets the appetite for more.

Written by Freddie Hudson

In January 1983, Minor Threat went into Inner Ear Studio for the first time as a five - piece (Brian Baker had moved from bass to second guitar and Steve Hansgen was now playing bass).

They had six new songs that would end up being the centrepiece of what became the ‘’Out of Step’’ 12" EP. The band had also decided to re-record the song "Out of Step" with some extra language to try to clarify the lyrics, as well as "Cashing In", a tongue-in-cheek song about the DC punk scene which they had only played live once.

After much debate, "Cashing In" was added as a hidden track on the original vinyl release though not listed on the cover or label. There was still blank tape on the reel, so they decided to record an instrumental with the working title, "Addams Family" and then recorded new versions of "In My Eyes" and "Filler" to hear what they sounded like with two guitars.

"Addams Family" ended up being used as a coda to "Cashing In", but the other two songs were never mixed and largely forgotten for over 35 years until the multitrack tapes were taken into the studio to be digitized in 2021.

Surprised by the discovery, Ian and Don Zientara mixed the two songs along with the complete take of "Addams Family". These outtakes are now being released on a 7" to mark the 40th anniversary of the release of ‘’Out of Step’’.

The concept of naught (Ø) has challenged Salvatore Mercatante throughout his musical career, specifically, trying to understand how the idea of ‘nothing’ fits into the realm of sound, and at the same time, exist in a world of influence at every turn. In the absence of everything, are we able to create something truly free?
As a lifelong New York-based musician, Mercatante’s influences and productions run a wide spectrum. Just as happy producing 80s-inspired horror soundtracks as he is refining acute drum patterns over and over again, Salvatore is the first to ask himself, where next? When a musician’s output can be influenced today by so much, and there is no self-defined or perceived artistic goal in mind, how do you start from a place of nothingness, again and again?
This approach has born many minimal and experimental albums of note in the past, but with Ø, Salvatore ended up with an almost controlled maximalist approach. Beginning with open spaces and allowing sonic textures to live and evolve past where you may expect, Ø allows the space between notes to become equally as important as the notes themselves. Walls of noise, soaring soundtracks, dense techno, glittering IDM, and minimal glitch, sit side-by-side to present an all-encompassing palette of sonic possibility.
Often, even without any intent, what can be born from nothing will somehow transpire back into something more recognizable. It’s human nature after all. A subtle fingerprint, as a sequence, melody, pattern, or drum kick. Whether Salvatore intended for this record to represent his defining sound or not, only time will tell.
Mastered by Giuseppe Tillieci @Enisslab, Rome, Italy.
Artwork by Brandon Locher
Written and produced by Salvatore Mercatante

Nachpresssung 2021 als Audiophile Black Vinyl! Doppel-LP auf schwarzem 180gr Vinyl. "Aufheben" oder "Aufhebung" ist ein deutsches Wort mit einigen scheinbar gegensätzlichen Bedeutungen. Über das bloße Aufheben eines Gegenstandes oder das Aufheben einer Regelung hinaus benutzt Hegel den Begriff, um zu erklären, was passiert, wenn These auf Antithese trifft. Als neues Album von THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE wurde ,Aufheben" im Studio von Anton Newcombe in Berlin und in der berühmt-berüchtigten DDR-Radiostation ,Studio East" aufgenommen. Mit dabei: Matt Hollywood als Originalmitglied der Band. Außerdem versammeln sich hier Will Carruthers (SPACEMEN 3 , SPRITUALIZED) , Constatine Karlis (DIMMER) und Thibault Pesenti (ROCKCANDYS); zum Gesang trägt Eliza Karmasalo (auf Finnisch!) bei. Hier trifft sich der traditionelle Sound des BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE mit vermischten östlichen Einflüssen und bringt die gesamte Verrücktheit mit, die man in den letzten 40 Jahren entdeckt hat. Das BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE hat sich über die Jahre hinweg zu einer musikalischen Kommune für respektierte Musiker entwickelt und brachte seit den 90er Jahren große Bands hervor: BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB, THE WARLOCKS, THE SILVER ROCKETS, THE BLACK ANGELS, THE RAVEONETTES und THE DILETTANTES (um nur ein paar zu nennen) sprießen aus dem musikalischen Stammbaum des BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRES. Die Konstante: Frontmann Anton Alfred Newcombe.

Flee new issue tries to document a Caucasian musical phenomenon mixing criminal songs, Adygean culture & post-soviet society; and features original recordings of traditional songs, and contemporary reinterpretations by a selected line-up of electronic-esque producers: Emmanuelle Parrenin & Colin Johnco, Misha Sultan, Zongamin, Minami Deutsch, Valentina Goncharova, Simone Aubert, Ben Wheeler...

Ulyap is a village in the Caucasus, where one can find an enormous number of accordion and harmonica players. "Ulyap Songs: Beyond Circassian Tradition" represents an attempt to document ancient bards' chants and their entanglement with popular rural heritage as well as post-Soviet culture during modern times, through a critical prism.

This publication reflects on a music phenomenon involving talented female and male musicians, performing in lively (and sometimes festive) social dynamics. It does so by revealing important songs of the repertoire on the one hand, inviting original artists to experiment with Ulyap songs on the other.
Built around an important work of documentation on this genre mixing criminal songs, Adygean culture and lyrics related to post-Soviet society, the book and record (available separately or as part of a bundle) include essays, archive and contemporary photographs as well as three art commissions questioning this original phenomenon from various point of views. Written in English and Russian, the book encompasses a dozen contributions.

Musically, the double LP conists of rare and unpublished archives as well as recordings made by FLEE, Ored recordings and Nikita Rasskazov over the last years in various locations of the Caucasus. These original celebration and drinking songs performed by group of professional and amateur musicians alike have been used as a creative fabric by sonic sound artists and musicians.

Flee new issue tries to document a Caucasian musical phenomenon mixing criminal songs, Adygean culture & post-soviet society; and features original recordings of traditional songs, and contemporary reinterpretations by a selected line-up of electronic-esque producers: Emmanuelle Parrenin & Colin Johnco, Misha Sultan, Zongamin, Minami Deutsch, Valentina Goncharova, Simone Aubert, Ben Wheeler...

Ulyap is a village in the Caucasus, where one can find an enormous number of accordion and harmonica players. "Ulyap Songs: Beyond Circassian Tradition" represents an attempt to document ancient bards' chants and their entanglement with popular rural heritage as well as post-Soviet culture during modern times, through a critical prism.

This publication reflects on a music phenomenon involving talented female and male musicians, performing in lively (and sometimes festive) social dynamics. It does so by revealing important songs of the repertoire on the one hand, inviting original artists to experiment with Ulyap songs on the other.
Built around an important work of documentation on this genre mixing criminal songs, Adygean culture and lyrics related to post-Soviet society, the book and record (available separately or as part of a bundle) include essays, archive and contemporary photographs as well as three art commissions questioning this original phenomenon from various point of views. Written in English and Russian, the book encompasses a dozen contributions.

Musically, the double LP conists of rare and unpublished archives as well as recordings made by FLEE, Ored recordings and Nikita Rasskazov over the last years in various locations of the Caucasus. These original celebration and drinking songs performed by group of professional and amateur musicians alike have been used as a creative fabric by sonic sound artists and musicians.

Following the reissue last year of Fairuz's classic 1979 album "Wahdon", Wewantsounds pursue their exploration of great Lebanese music with the reissue of Fairuz's highly sought-after LP "Maarifti Feek," released in 1987. Recorded in Beirut around 1983-84, the album features the Diva's superb voice combined with Ziad Rahbani's jazz and funk orchestration, making it one of the most in-demand albums on the Arabic funk scene. The release will coincide with "Arab Divas," a major exhibition set in the prestigious Institut du Monde Arabe (IMA) in Paris, celebrating the greatest singers from the Arab World and starting 13 May 2020. One of the greatest singers of the Middle East, Fairuz started her career in Lebanon in the 50s and quickly established herself as the most renowned Diva in the Arabic world, playing the most prestigious venues in the world. At the end of the 70s, Fairuz was at a turning point both professionally and personally. Her Husband Assi Rahbani, who, with his brother Elias, had penned her biggest successes, has suffered a stroke a few years earlier. This setback ultimately led to both the demise of their marriage and the end of their professionnal partnership. Enters Ziad Rahbani, Fairuz and Assi's son, a young musician, playwright and producer who had cut his teeth writing a handful of Fairuz's song - including her 1973 hit "Sa'alouni El Nas" - at just seventeen. Ziad Rahbani swiftly took over from his father and uncle as the singer's musical director and composer and this fruitful association, which started in 1979 with the album "Wahdon," broke many new grounds for Fairuz with funkier rhythms and edgier lyrics. It was recorded at the same time as Rahbani's own 12 inch "Abu Ali" which became a sought-after disco classic in its own right. The association between the two continued with a second album, "Maarifti Feek" ("Our Encounter"), recorded between 1983 and 84 in Beirut but only released in 1987. The album was another groundbreaking mix of influences ranging from the traditional arrangements of "Oudak Rannan" and "Ma Kdirt Nseet" to the brazilan flavour of "Version 1" via the synth funk of "Ouverture 83" and its follow up "Reprise 83". Also featured on the album is a beautiful remake of Joaquin Rodrigo's "Concerto de Aranjuez" in the form of a tribute to the lebanese capital, "Li Beirut." This blend of Oriental grooves with jazz and funk orchestrations by Ziad Rahbani is a unique document of Fairuz's career development in the 80s and explains why "Maarifti Feek" is such a sought after album on the DJ and collector circuits which Wewantsounds is delighted to reissue for the first time since the album first came out.

This EP contains six tracks previously released as three 7" singles in 2003, and have not been available for almost two decades. Emerson Kitamura played his favourite songs from different eras and places with his organ equipped with bass pedals and accompanied by the legendary drum box TR-808.

Having had a long career playing keyboards in bands and sessions, Kitamura came to the fore in Japan with his self released 7" on his Bubblingnotes label. In 2018, he burst onto the international scene with his EP for EM Records, The Countryside Is Great, which gave him an opportunity to stretch out his inimitable style to make a bass/dub re-work of the Thai hit. The EP also debuted his collaboration with the guitarist/singer/songwriter/ mmm, with their cover of George McCrae's Rock Your Baby. The duo went on to release their LP Chasing Giants on Kitamura's label, and to grace Europe with a few legendary gigs.

This EP represents Kitamura's roots, with two Jackie Mittoo covers, some jazz evergreens, and a stellar version of the Lou Rawls classic

Andreas Dorau wird am 19. Januar 2024 zum ersten Mal sechzig. Anlässlich dessen legt er sein neues Album "Im Gebüsch" vor. Darin lauern 13 Stücke, auf denen Kaleidoskop-artig verschiedene Pop-Realitäten aufblitzen, erstmals auch auf Englisch: "Touristen-Englisch", wie es Dorau selbst bezeichnet, die Platte als eine Sightseeing-Tour des Pop. Dabei begibt sich Dorau auf einen Streifzug durch diverse Spielarten elektronischer Musik, wobei eine fröhliche Traurigkeit seine treue Begleitung ist. Außerdem wurden für dieses Album u. a. Gäste wie die Musikerinnen Güner Künier und JJ Weihl (Discovery Zone, Fenster) sowie Brezel Göring (Stereo Total) rekrutiert. "Im Gebüsch" ist modern, retro und postmodern gleichzeitig. Das kann nur einer, das kann nur Andreas Dorau!

Sasu Ripatti's complete "Dancefloor Classics" series. Music for imaginary dancefloors, released on Ripatti's own label Rajaton.

”Look up, into the light” she said, while the camera shutter clicked. ”Like this? Does it look holy?” His neck felt stiff. Her reply: ”Yes, just like that. What do you mean holy? Like religious? ”No, more like trying to look very far, somewhere beyond what we can see.” ”Okay, stand still, I’m going to come close to you now. The light hits your face great.” click, click, click.
He noticed her fingernails. They were not polished. Natural. Even somewhat rugged, as if something wore out the fingers slightly. What had these hands held besides the camera? What made the edges of her fingernails drift off?
He thought it’s weird to look straight into the camera. The photographer had closed her left eye, the one not looking into the lens. Then it opened, she looked up, perusing the surroundings, then she closed her eye again, then looked up, closed, looking up, very quickly. It all seemed very professional. Maybe she calculated the light, making sure it’s close to perfect. ”What will these photos look like?” – the thought popped into his head briefly. It was liberating to think it wouldn’t matter.
”What’s that song playing?” he asked. ”Wait a sec, Ol’ Dirty Bastard?” she replied. ”Oh yeah, right. But the sample?” ”Hey, could you look up again, like that. No, lower.”
New directions: ”Look out from the window, turn left.” ”My left or yours?” ”Yours, I always try to think from the direction of my model.” How professional! This is a good shoot, so natural. Should I worry about how the photos look like? No, I don’t want to. His thoughts bounced around. What would the story be like? It’s a big newspaper, everyone will read it. Maybe someone drinks coffee and eats a stroopwafel while they do it. Will they place the waffle on top of the mug for a brief while, so that it gets hot and the syrup melts a little? Then it feels wet, and you can bend the cookie.
She broke his train of thought off midway through: ”Now turn right, but look left, and slightly up, but don’t turn your face right.” ”Umm, like this? Sounds like a set of pilates instructions.” she laughed ”You do pilates?” ”Yeah, it’s hard sometimes. Have you tried?” ”No”, she said. ”I’m not good for sports that are done in groups.” ”Yeah, but in pilates you can just be inside your mind, drowning in your private thoughts.”
”What are you thinking in pilates?” she asked, taking more photos. ”Well, mostly just which way is right. And which left.” click, click.

Q&A with Sasu Ripatti:

1) Tell us something about the EP series ”Dancefloor Classics”, what’s the idea and what can we expect?

I’ve been slowly writing these sort of dance music pieces and finally curated them together for a conceptual release. I like to create music for a dancefloor that exists only in my imagination and doesn’t try to suck up to the standardized reality.

2) Your vinyl format is 10” which is quite special (as opposed to LP / 12”). Why did you choose it?

It’s my favourite format, absolutely. The size is perfect, and you can make it sound really good @ 45 rpm. And you still can make great artwork.

3) You seem interested in sampling/repurposing, what does it mean to you as an artist to approach something already existing from a new angle? How does the source material inform you about the approach to take?

I guess i could flip it around and just say I’ve outgrown synths or electronic sounds to a great extend, and having gotten rid off all my synths already good while ago I’ve used samples as my main source material a lot. It’s obvious on this series that i’ve sampled existing music, but I also sample instruments and things in the studio and resample my own library that I have built over the years, it’s quite large. To me the end result matters, not so much how I get there. Once I have something on my keyboard and play around, it’s all an instrument, though with sampling other music it becomes a really interesting and complex one as you’re possibly playing rhythm, but also harmonic content and maybe hooks or whatever, all at once.
I never sample premeditadedly, like listening to records and looking for that mindblowing 3 sec part. I just throw the cards in the air and see what lands where, just full intuition and hopefully zero mind involved, playing tons of stuff, trying things, just recording hours of stuff. Then comes the interesting part to listen to hours of mostly crazy stuff and finding that mindblowing 3 sec part.

4) What is your relationship with the dancefloor (conceptually and/or in experiences / as a performer)?

Very complicated. I have never really felt comfortable on a dancefloor but have always wanted to. There’s something in club music, in theory, that really speaks to me. It has never really materialized for me – speaking mainly from a performer’s point of view who goes to check on a dancefloor for a moment after a concert. I never have DJ’d or felt much interest towards it. But again, I love the idea and concept of DJing. As well as producing music for imaginary DJs. Lately, as in the past 10+ years, I haven’t even performed in any sort of club spaces. So my relationship to the dancefloor is quite removed and reduced, but there’s quite a bit of passion and interest left.

All tracks composed and produced by Sasu Ripatti.
Artwork & photography by Marc Hohmann.
Mastering by Stephan Mathieu for Schwebung Mastering.
Vinyl cut by SST Brueggemann.
Publishing by WARP Music Ltd.

Ist es eine spukhafte Welt, die der/die/das (ominöse) EZ bewohnt? Eine unheimlich-geisterhafte? Mysteriös-beängstigende? Das Wortfeld eerie gibt zahlreichen Interpretationen Raum - genau so wie Ulrike Haages wundervolle Musik, der hier einmal mehr das Zusammenspiel aus Anstrengung und Leichtigkeit, aus konzeptioneller Schwere und melodieseliger Leichtigkeit, aus Schönheit und Gefahr zu eigen ist. Da wird als Grundmotiv ein zunächst leicht wirkendes Thema wiederholt und entwickelt so - auch und gerade durch das einem stetigen Wandel unterliegende KlangDesign - eine immersive Kraft. Hier vom dunklen gedämpften "Grand Piano", dort als thereminhafter SchaltkreisZauber, gern auch mit Glasharmonika oder Glockenspiel: das bekannte und doch immer neue Prinzip aus Wiederholung und (Ab)Wandlung in feiner Balance. Mal entrückt und von feenhafter Gelassenheit, dann wieder voller Dramatik und Spannung skizziert Ulrike Haage eine immer ein wenig verschwommene und dabei doch sehr luzide Landschaft aus Tönen. Unter all dem findet sich vereinzelt auch eine seltsam angespannte Rhythmik, die dann zwar nicht hektisch aber doch irgendwie bedrohlich daherkommt. Der nervöse Beat von Rebel (2) z. B. scheint mir klar zu signalisieren: EZ ist auf der Jagd. Auch Deceptive Methods prägt ein - hier eher gespannt-schleppendes - elektronisches Metrum. Kurz: uns begegnet hier impressionistische Filmmusik in Vollendung. Ja, diese (nur auf Vinyl erhältliche) Platte ist "eigentlich" Filmmusik. Filmmusik, die nicht (nur) begleitet, sondern aus sich selbst heraus Stimmungen zu erzeugen vermag. Filmmusik, die ergänzen und nicht illustrieren will. Filmmusik, die sicher primär dem Film dient, für den sie geschrieben wurde, die aber auch für sich steht, weil sie zuallererst und vor allem Musik ist, die uns, auch aus jedem Zusammenhang gelöst, im Innersten anspricht.

- Newly Expanded Deluxe Double LP Edition! - Double LP expanded edition includes outtakes, demos and instrumentals, including 10 previously unreleased recordings - 26 total tracks - Album remastered from pristine LHI master tapes by GRAMMYr-nominated mastering engineer John Baldwin - Liner notes by GRAMMYr-nominated reissue producer Hunter Lea including interviews with Torbjo?rn Axelman, Suzi Jane Hokom, Nina Lizell, Don Randi, Hal Blaine and Shel Talmy - Rare film production photos from the Torbjo?rn Axelman archive - Double LP housed in a gatefold jacket // Description: By the end of the 1960s Lee Hazlewood's LHI Records had burned piles of cash, gone through a half dozen distributors and failed to achieve the kind of chart success "Boots" had promised. Fortunately for Lee there was a land where he was still on the top of the charts, a place where women flowed like Bra?nnvin...Sweden was calling. Released as the last LHI LP, Cowboy in Sweden was a soundtrack to the 1970 cult classic film of the same name starring Lee Hazlewood. The film was a surreal psychedelic account of Lee's journey to his new homeland, while the soundtrack was a perfect compilation of Hazlewood's orchestral melancholy country pop songs. Recorded over a prolific globe trotting three year period, Lee's peak on LHI records was ironically the label's swan song.

The Zeros is a pioneer punk rock band formed in 1976 in Chula Vista, California. Comparisons with The Ramones are often made when describing the energetic and fierce guitar driven sound of the group. First time single reissue in almost four decades! Incl. artwork replica on retro style record sleeves. This is their debut single, released in 1977 on Greg Shaw's very own Bomp! Records. 'Don't Push Me Around' and 'Wimp' are among the greatest punk rock songs of all time, written by Javier Escovedo. It was followed by another single in 1978, "Beat Your Heart Out"/"Wild Weekend". These first singles recorded by the band instantly catapulted The Zeros into a top draw on the local scene and have become legendary.

- Newly Expanded Deluxe Double LP Edition! - Includes the original 1972 album, plus all of Larry Mark's acoustic demos and tracks from his unreleased 1970 LHI LP for the first time on vinyl - Previously unreleased session outtake of "Cold Hard Times" plus demos of obscure Hazlewood compositions "Drums," "The - Start," "Susie," "Miracle on 19th Street," and "Peppermint Morning" - 30 total tracks - Remastered by GRAMMYr-nominated mastering engineer John Baldwin - Liner notes by GRAMMYr-nominated reissue producer Hunter Lea including interviews with Larry Marks, Joe Cannon, Torbjörn Axelman & Suzi Jane Hokom - Lee Hazlewood comic strip, the story of 13 told through original artwork by Jess Rotter - Double LP housed in a gatefold jacket // DESCRIPTION "Pimps_ whores_ pushers_ dopers_ gangsters_ and bottom of the human chain shit-heels. Now you're probably thinking I'm writing about major record companies and their unscrupulous executives_ and lawyers. You could be right_ but this time_ YOU'RE WRONG! I'm describing the characters in my album `13' _Some I knew_ some I invented _ some are true_ some are false_ some I liked_ some I didn't. But they all had a story to tell and I told it_none of `em seem to care_ and I don't either_ have fun_" - Lee Hazlewood "He (Lee) took my voice off the album and put his voice on the album. Now don't forget these were in my keys, it was my charts, it was my everything. Lee Hazlewood was not even remotely going to be considered as an artist for this album and that's the way he wanted it." - Larry Marks The album 13 was never supposed to be a Lee Hazlewood album. It is perhaps the strangest record in one of the most varied discographies in music. The Bombastic brass heavy funk, deep blues and soul paired with Hazlewood's subterranean baritone would be best enjoyed with a tall Chivas in an off-strip seedy Vegas lounge. By 1972 Lee Hazlewood had settled in his new homeland of Sweden. His days were spent carousing, making movies with Torbjörn Axelman and releasing albums. To keep up his prolific recorded output, Lee began to mine the recently defunct LHI Records archives for material. One such gem, was an unreleased album by Larry Marks (LHI producer, artist and the voice of the first Scooby-Doo theme). Larry's concept was to take Hazlewood's strongest compositions and arrange them in a soul vibe. An album was completed, but with no distribution in America and no funding, Lee had no vehicle to release Larry's record. The tapes were taken to Sweden, Larry's voice was wiped and Hazlewood's was dubbed_ 13 was born.

Out of print for quite a few years now, this album is a stunning power-pop gem recorded at a time when this kind of girl group pairing with punk rock was unusual.b This is one of the most iconic albums released on Greg Shaw's Bomp! Records. It now includes bonus tracks on top! Definitely stood the test of time. Check out the titles, these young ladies were wearing their collective hearts on those sleeves of theirs. This kind of girl group pairing with punk rock was unusual at the time and it provided a much-needed antidote to the male dominated skinny tie brigade. Nikki looked like Pam Dawber (Mindy from Mork and Mindy) and sounded like Clare Grogan (of Altered Images) what was not to be instantly smitten by. Born and bred in Detroit, Miss Corvette reportedly ran away from home at age 16 because her mother refused to allow her to attend an MC5 show. Greg Shaw wrote the following in the liner notes to the 20th Anniversary label compilation, Destination Bomp! "Nikki was a tireless worker. Like some coalminer's daughter, she'd travel around the country with her band. Playing 200 shows a year. She knew everybody and was a lot of fun to hang out with so, I figured that if all her friends bought the record... so I signed her. The girl had style and attitude galore plus, she had master guitarist/songwriter and former Romantic Peter James. One of Detroit's most savvy cats." The lady herself kindly supplied the following summary. "We went to LA and signed with Bomp in maybe 1979 but Greg wasn't sure what to do with us. We did the Honey Bop single with Ronny Weiser at Rollin Rock and a couple songs with the Kessel Brothers. We started something with Kim Fowley that did not work out. They kept trying different producers until we finally decided to go back to Detroit and do the album on our own. We didn't have a lot of experience but we knew what we wanted and Detroit was part of that so we recorded the album and had a blast doing it. Peter wanted us to be poppier and I wanted to be more punk. We sort of met in the middle with what I've always called Bubblegum Punk. I can't believe it's been 43 years since this came out and there are still kids discovering it and people who grew up with it that still listen to it. I constantly hear from people all different ages, all over the world about how much they love it album and that really means so, so much to me!" Hear the phenomenon for yourself.

"Keith Porteous, who was A&R at BMG brought me to a bar called The Absinthe to check out a new band he was working with. What was immediately interesting about them was that, while their tastes were root-ed in ‘70’s rock, they didn’t sound retro. They had created a classic rock sound for their generation. What was also great is that they were four distinct personalities-four characters, like the Beatles or the Monkees. But they all dressed in matching outfits and did coordinated rock moves on stage. Amazing. I went to Moncton, NB and met the guys at an old schoolhouse that they’d wrangled to do pre-pro-duction. We spent a week or so workshopping their super cool songs and hanging out at their favorite watering holes. They had sold me with their live show and part of the trick of producing them was to try to capture that. I knew we weren’t going to do a lot of overdubs or ornate production. That week was an absolute blast. The guys were so funny and so engaging, just dripping with personality, which I knew was going to serve them well in the music business. I remember going to a Chinese Buffet with them and their girlfriends and watched them eat half of the food in the restaurant. I think the bill came to less than $100 for the nine of us. I still love the record and I wish it had made them world famous rock superstars. Every song on it is so uniquely them, they had perfectly distilled their influences, both old and new, and I don’t think any other band could have made this record. " - Moe Berg

Phobocosm aus Montréal setzen ihre karriereübergreifende Zusammenarbeit mit Dark Descent Records mit ihrem dritten Album Foreordained fort.

Foreordained ist eine Verschmelzung von allem, was vor ihm kam. Eine perfekt ausbalancierte Verschmelzung der düsteren Death-Metal-Verderbtheit des Debüts Deprived, gemischt mit dem verheerenden Doom von Bringer Of Drought. Bemerkenswerterweise war dies von Anfang an der Plan: Als wir "Deprived" schrieben, beschlossen wir, dass unsere ersten drei Alben eine Trilogie sein würden, und "Foreordained" ist das letzte Kapitel dieser Trilogie. Wir haben uns bewusst bemüht, alle drei Alben auf ähnliche Weise zu gestalten, da wir wollten, dass sie miteinander verbunden sind - beginnend mit einem langsamen, erdrückenden Doom-Song und endend mit einem langen, epischen, depressiven Song. Das ist kein Zufall", verrät Gitarrist Samuel Dufour.


Wie die Wahl des Genres vermuten lässt, geht es in den lyrischen Konzepten von Foreordained um den Tod und die Vergeblichkeit, die eigene Sterblichkeit zu leugnen. Daher auch der Name des Albums: "Da der Tod unvermeidlich ist, ist auch das Ende allen Lebens und unseres Planeten unvermeidlich, also gibt es auch apokalyptische Themen. Der Schlusspunkt 'For an Aeon' handelt von einer möglichen Art und Weise, wie die Welt, wie wir sie kennen, enden könnte."

Eingehüllt in ein Artwork des unnachahmlichen Lauri Laaksonen von Desolate Shrine, Convocation und Pestilent Hex, wird Foreordained ein Death Metal-Highlight des Jahres 2023 werden.

Good things take time. What’s 17 years? Not even a quarter of Keith Richards! 17 years lay between Heiko Voss’ debut album “Call Me Killer” and the incredible follow-up “3:30 Minutes To Live”, which saw the light of day in 2022 on Michael Mayer’s “other label” IMARA. There are serious voices saying that the 80s were only really complete with the release of this album. Now it took the blink of an eye of a year for the remixes to be finished. And they turned out so well that Michael Mayer from KOMPAKT licensed the “3 Remixes for Heiko Voss” without further ado.

Running back guru GERD JANSON was an early adopter of the album. Highly motivated, he twirls “Follow Your Line” rhythmically somehow in the direction of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill”. How did he do that? Never mind. It grooves like crazy and keeps even larger floors moving.

ADA, the Hamburg grand dame of techno pop, has taken on the in tongue speaking funk banger “Talking Man” and dipped it in fairy dust. The result is probably the most sensational, soulful club track ever. Honestly.

The package is rounded off with a powerful Dub Version of “Follow Your Line” by the IMARA and KOMPAKT boss himself. Because he can do it.

Open your heart, let the remixes in.

Gut Ding will Weile haben. Was sind schon 17 Jahre? Nicht mal ein Viertel Keith Richards! 17 Jahre lagen zwischen Heiko Voss’ Debutalbum “Call Me Killer” und dem unglaublichen Nachfolger “3:30 Minutes To Live”, der 2022 auf Michael Mayers “anderem Label” IMARA das Licht derWelt erblickte. Es gibt ernstzunehmende Stimmen, die besagen, dass die 80er Jahre eigentlich erst mit der Veröffentlichung dieses Albums vollendet waren. Nun hat es einen kurzen Wimpernschlag von einem Jahr gedauert, bis die Remixe fertig waren. Und die sind so gut geworden, dass Michael Mayer von KOMPAKT die “3 Remixe für Heiko Voss” kurzerhand lizenziert hat.

Ein “early adopter” des Albums war Running Back Obermotz GERD JANSON. Top motiviert zwirbelt er “Follow Your Line” rhythmisch irgendwie in Richtung Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill”. Wie hat er das nur gemacht? Egal. Es groovt wie Bolle und hält auch größere Floors in Bewegung.

ADA, die Hamburger Grand Dame des Techno Pop hat sich des in Zungen sprechenden Funk Kloppers “Talking Man” angenommen und ihn ordentlich in Feenstaub getunkt. Dabei entstand der wohl sensationellste, soulfulste Club Track ever. Ehrlich.

Abgerundet wird das Paket mit einer kräftigen Dub Version von “Follow Your Line” vom IMARA bzw. KOMPAKT Boss selbst. Weil er’s kann.

Herzklappen auf, Remixe rein.

Standing In The Light, das viel geliebte dritte Album von Level 42, ist wieder als LP in
einer streng limitierten audiophilen Gold-Vinyl-Pressung erhältlich.
Level 42 - der Bassist und Sänger Mark King, der Keyboarder und Sänger Mike Lindup,
der Gitarrist Boon Gould, der Schlagzeuger und Texter Phil Gould und der Studiotüftler
Wally Badarou - waren 1983 angesehene Überlebende der Britfunk-Explosion der frühen
80er Jahre, hatten aber noch nicht den ganz großen Durchbruch geschafft. Live waren sie
eine unübersehbare Attraktion, aber ein echter kommerzieller Erfolg blieb ihnen verwehrt.
Polydor erkannte dies und schickte die Gruppe nach LA, um mit Larry Dunn und Verdine
White von Earth, Wind & Fire zu arbeiten und ihrem Sound eine zusätzliche Dimension zu
verleihen.
Es sollte jedoch kein EWF-Horn- und Mystikfest werden; Standing In The Light optimierte
und kommerzialisierte den Sound der Gruppe, ohne dabei ihre einzigartige britische
Interpretation von Jazz-Funk zu verlieren. Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind war die erste
Singleauskopplung des Albums und verpasste nur knapp die britischen Top 40; die
nächste Veröffentlichung bescherte der Gruppe jedoch ihren ersten Top-10-Hit und einen
Vorgeschmack auf den Erfolg, den sie in den kommenden Jahren genießen sollte. Living It
Up (The Sun Goes Down) war ihr erster Top-10-Hit im Vereinigten Königreich und ist ein
funkbasierter Knaller. Infolgedessen war Standing In The Light das erste Top-10-Album
von Level 42. Es enthält auch das intensive, politische I Want Eyes, das Lieblingsstück
von Schlagzeuger Phil Gould in Zusammenarbeit mit Mark King, sowie fünf weitere
Beispiele für den einzigartigen Groove der Gruppe

Was als Idee für eine gemeinsame EP von Fixed Abode-Labelchef Rainy Miller und Space Afrika begann, entwickelte sich zu einem längerfristigen Projekt mit Beiträgen von Mica Levi, Coby Sey, Richie Culver, Voice Actor und Iceboy Violet - unter anderem.

'A Grisaille Wedding' ist eine immersive Erfahrung, die den Raum füllt, in dem diese Künstler während ihrer kreativen Reise gelebt haben. Es erweitert nicht nur die Grenzen der Musik, sondern schlägt auch eine Brücke zwischen den regionalen Dialekten innerhalb der zeitgenössischen elektronischen Musik.

Für Fans von: Actress, Dean Blunt, Lee Gamble, Loraine James