Search:soul power

Lee Moses' legendary 45 from 1967, produced by Johnny Brantley. Raw, passionate and incredibly moving, this is soul screaming at it's very best. The career of Atlanta's singer and guitarist 'Lee Moses' only left behind eight 45's and an album between the mid-60's and 1973.
Heard today, it's difficult to understand why success evaded those recordings, as they possess a quality and emotional intensity to match any soul track from that classic era.

Particularly his 1967 Musicor single, produced by Johnny Brantley, featuring the two parts of his own composition 'Bad Girl'.
After it's slow build-up comes a torrent of passionate, raw emotion delivered with throat-shredding vocals that is incredibly powerful and moving. ... Pure soul gold.

They Say: “Driving brass and sax ensemble over funky rhythm section, playing tracks of various feel and style”.

We say: From the Lincoln Continental that memorably adorns the cover to the tranquil funk contained within, this glowing ode to the grooving force of 70s American soul music is ice cool all over. With brilliant contributions from the Three Key Alans™ (Hawkshaw, Parker, Tew) as well as Mike Moran, Les Hurdle and Keith Roberts, this is driving music for only the vibiest cats.

Originally released in 1976, The All American Powerhouse is one of the very best of the Themes library releases. It’s killer. A feast of dramatic jazz, horizontal, melodic funk and bouncing sunshine-y West-Coast feels throughout, there also lurks an intense injection of the Blaxploitation sound. Understandable, given the subject matter and year it was released.

Highlights include Alan Parker’s confident, horn-heavy wah-wah-fuelled album-opener “Sweeny Todd”, Hawkshaw’s graceful “Getaway” glide and dramatic, breathless “Speed Run”, Mike Moran’s loose, organ-driven propulsive B-Boy classic “The Pick-Up” and Keith Roberts’ percussive tour de force “Overide” that closes out the LP.

Yet, perhaps the most significant track here is Les Hurdle’s long-adored “Soul Train”. A grooving, bass-heavy library classic, it’s all swirling strings, stabbing horns, heavy open drums and melodic funk-rock guitars. Add in the funky clavinet, and the combination works beautifully.

As with all of our other Themes re-issues, the audio for The All American Powerhouse comes from the original analogue tapes and has been remastered for vinyl by Be With regular Simon Francis. We’ve taken the same care with the sleeves, handing the reproduction duties over to Richard Robinson, the current custodian of KPM’s brand identity.

From the people who brought you Disques Sinthomme and Ghost Town comes a new imprint LESDK.

Bringing back that NYC Lower East Side grime, LESDK will feature edits as well as new work from Dennis Kane and his circle of proper low-lifes...

Ghost Town and Disques Sinthomme featured contributions from Brennan Green, Richard Sen, The Beat Broker, Bicep, Jose Manuel, and Cosmic Metal Mother, as well as edit monsters like Jeff 'The Drunk' Overton and Cazbee. Kane will be helming this label, curating work and providing his own productions and remixes.

LESDK

Starts off side A with 'Real' - A soulful disco romp that has a gospel force as well as a powerful vocal performance. The song grooves from its first beat, and pushes the energy as it builds. "Now it's time to be real..." Edit as manifesto - Pure heat! The edit work here comes from one of the OG's of serious digging, Senior Reyes aka Jersey Pete.

Side B brings 'Action' as its first track, complementing the A Side, this is some dirty late night Philadelphia bar nastiness, mentholated disco with a humid female vocal, "I like to party, I like to flirt..."

Side B closes out with 'Motion', a slice of cosmic funkiness that laments a love that is not happening while a thick bassline moves the proceedings along.
This song has heartbreak and the haze of an early morning on the dancefloor.

Three essential edits for the DJ to bless the party people with.

Dennis Kane is a DJ and producer based in NYC, he has run the Disques Sinthomme and Ghost Town labels and is also a partner in the recording group SIREN, (with Darshan Jesrani) on Compost records.
Kane has produced numerous tracks and done remix work for Cantoma, Liz Torres, The Phenomenal Handclap Band, and Hokis Pokis among others.
He has been a DJ in NYC since the mid 90's holding down numerous residencies and touring worldwide.

Soul Jazz Records are releasing their new ‘Space Funk – Afro Futurist Electro Funk in Space 1976-84’, an intergalactic journey into black space, fuelled by funk, powered by computers.
‘Space Funk’ is a lovingly compiled collection of superb, rare and off-the-wall space funk and electro releases mostly released on small independent labels in the late 1970s and 1980s.
Reactors are reacting, boosters are boosting, pack your funk and shake your booty! Computer funk … makes you jump! This is the space funk program!
The album comes in deluxe artwork and three formats – digipack + slipcase CD, a very limited deluxe 2xLP + bonus 7” single + download vinyl version, and a standard 2xLP + download standard vinyl version.
Features music by Jamie Jupitor, Solaris, Robotron 4, Juju & the Space Rangers and many more intergalactic space warriors!
The shuttle program has been altered – there is no Star Wars only electro funk jam joyriders in Space – hold tight!

Rooted in the São Paulo contemporary art scene, Laima Leyton’s credentials in the world of music are firmly established as one-half of Mixhell alongside her husband Iggor Cavalera (Sepultura, Cavalera Conspiracy) and for her work with Soulwax.
Now the producer, musician, activist, artist, mother and teacher unites her multifaceted talents with her ambitious double-vinyl debut album ‘Home’. It will be pressed and distributed by The Vinyl Factory and released by Deewee on November 8th. Featuring two records that are designed to be played simultaneously: Laima’s vocal and synth tracks on the ‘TONAL’ disc alongside Iggor’s beats on the ‘RHYTHMICAL’ record. Syncing two records offers an unconventional way to experience the music.
Rather than passively hearing the music, the listener’s need to ritualistically sync both records makes for an immersive experience. There are two key elements that make ‘Home’ such a distinctive project. Thematically it explores how the two core contrasts that inform Laima’s life can coexist. On one hand it’s about domesticity – her love for her family and her frustration with domestic routine. Yet on the other, it’s about her creativity – her desire to express herself artistically while still tending to her role as a mother and a housewife. “It’s almost like a family photo album in another format,” says Laima. “I needed to find the balance in this dichotomy, to feel good with myself in both roles, and be aware of things that really mattered to me. To be a woman, a mum and a female producer: all of these feelings were in the music.”

Founded in 1990, Art of Dance has always been described by it’s founder, Kenny Larkin, as a “phantom label.”

“When I first started Art of Dance, I wanted to obviously release my own stuff, but I quickly learned I didn’t have the time or brain cells to run a label. So I instead licensed my music from my label to other labels. It existed, but it didn’t, in that sense, which is the reason I call it a “phantom label.” Given my low output of music projects, over the years, and my new found desire to put out quality tracks, I decided to relaunch the label, and use it as an outlet for my brother and I to build the Art of Dance brand, and most importantly, release great music!”

For his debut release, Kelvin presents what would be described not as “tech house”, but instead a blend between house and techno. Never straying far from his roots from Detroit, the title track of the single, Tell Me, samples “house diva” Loletta Holloway’s “Sweet Sensation.”

With the interplay between the techno inspired percussion style bassline, and Loletta’s perfectly placed soulful wails, Kelvin creates a beautifully powerful dance floor burner.

“The Force” is all Detroit. Kelvin gives a gentle nod to the past with this slow burner featuring classic 90’s style rolling snares, funky baseline, and horn stabs. This playful track is perfect for buildup for techno or house sets.

After publishing in labels like Semantica, Hara, Stale or Jealous God, Irazu exposes his vulnerable flank in Hooded Records in a record with great healing power for the nightlife-damaged minds. The precious melodies and soothing titles Lavender Mist, Just Breathe, and the homonym Last Rays, manage to tame the Shimmering Substance(s) and to overflow the broken ravers souls with pure, uncut love, while freeing them from the fears and anxieties usually attached to the comedown of an over-extended, masochistic, polydrug fueled sesh. We could say that the work is seeded in a Burialesque music for after the rave kind of feeling, but its root rather emerges from Berlin’s spacious techno soil and the purest, uncut human emotions. The vinyl comes in a classic 4 tracker EP format and the digital adds on Bandcamp two ambient pieces making the whole thing a sort of lifejacket Mini-album for the sinners.

Humans is the new album from sought after international touring band the London Afrobeat Collective. From Europe to Africa, Glastonbury to Nigeria’s annual ‘Felabration’ festival, LAC
deliver party music born of their truly global DNA. The nine-strong collective from England, Congo, Italy, France, Argentina and New Zealand combine diverse influences such as Fela, Parliament Funkadelic and Frank Zappa to create an eclectic sound drawing on funk, jazz, rock, and dub to create something addictive and unique.
Their 2015 album Food Chain, received widespread radio support on stations such as BBC 6 Music, Radio X and BBC Radio 2, as well as glowing reviews in The Sunday Times, London Evening Standard, Blues & Soul and Songlines Magazine to name just a few. The new album Humans, (featuring artwork by Ben Hito, renowned for his designs for Parliament / Funkadelic), is a collection of anthemic songs with socially conscious lyrics, set to bold brass lines and hypnotic danceable grooves. In 2015 the London Afrobeat Collective toured Nigeria, appearing several times on national TV and performing in front of ten thousand people at the New Afrika Shrine during ‘Felebration’. They are no less respected in their home town, having collaborated with the likes of Dele
Sosimi and supporting legends such as Ebo Taylor, Fred Wesley And The New JB’s, Tony Allen, and Fela’s son, Femi Kuti.
LAC are now globally recognised for what they really are: not a tribute, but an ever evolving, international band of expert musicians, continuously inspiring each other as they create distinct, sincere and powerful music. Humans is an accomplished work with international flair and cultural relevance from London to Lagos.

With SOUL FOOD II, KOGNITIF remains consistent with his previous release, and delivers once again, a high-powered Soul-Electro album.
The colorful, dancing universe of this beat-maker is filled with Hip-Hop, World Music and Jazz, mingled with Funky Trip-Hop beats.
This is food for the soul !

KOGNITIF is a self-taught musician and a Trip-Hop/Abstract Hip-hop producer.His music incorporates various influences and offers a plentiful Soul Groovy Funky Beats buffet.
After SOUL FOOD, his successful 3rd album, SOUL FOOD II comes as the second volume of a great collection with the same ingredients, but a different recipee.
KOGNITIF is now a major figure in the "à la française" Tip-Hop, in France and abroad.

After 10 vinyl releases exploring the leftfield side of electronic music, No Suit Records enters a new era with a new serie of Split EPs. Two artists per EP, offering a wider color palette, stretching styles and genres.

Cabasa is back on No Suit Records after the launch of a successful live act and many appearances in festivals and high profile clubs around Europe. On this release Cabasa navigates between luscious atmosphere, broken beats and polyrythmic patterns.
Crystal Clear is made of soft melodies and tickling bass —it is a reminiscence of the 00’s downtempo apogee and an invitation to accept your inner melancholy. More Than a Second is a slow awakening, a groggy musical move, a muffled request for a brighter future. Catching Fire Slowly is a contemplating ode, a call to take a deep breath and prepare yourself for the upcoming run.

Lost souls or flowers of hope, lurking into light and darkness, no one knows who Scaarlet are. The only certitude is that they always play with boundaries and enact performances between syncopated melodies, cut up sounds, wavy basslines and deep atmospheric sounds. They are back on No Suit Records and continue to develop their own intricate style, merging Drum’n’Bass and Techno influences into a politically and socially engaged music.
My Man translates the raw energy of riots and rebellion, powering a fusion of Drum’n’Bass and Techno. The River resumes some of the Yakusa women tattoos symbolism into a romantic pulsating 170ish bpm vibe. Advertising is an open critic of the fast fashion world and the supremacy of commercial communication, mixing polyrythm with a straight DnB kickdrum.

All tracks mastered by Pole at Scape Mastering in Berlin.

The highly anticipated album by Jay-Z's 4:44 soul hurricane Hannah Williams & the Affirmations produced by award-winning composer and multi-instrumentalist Shawn Lee.

Hannah Williams, the British soul hurricane who sensationally became part of Jay-Z's chart-topping 4:44 album, is primed and ready for her own national and international breakthrough.

Williams turned heads worldwide when the hip-hop superstar sampled her heart-stopping vocals on 'Late Nights & Heartbreak' for the title track, '4.44' on his 2017 album. Now Hannah and her exemplary, Bristol-based band the Affirmations deliver a definitive career statement with the drop-dead soulful new album 50 Foot Woman which will be released October 18th on the Milan based imprint Record Kicks.

The album captures all of the visceral power of the band's increasingly legendary live performances. Shades of classic Soul and Psychedelic Funk blend uniquely with modern-day flavours on a record destined to set the soul agenda for 2019 and far beyond. "I've never been as proud of anything in my entire career" says Hannah.

Born in High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, Williams'father was a musically gifted minister, and her mother let her join the church choir at the age of six. Hannah could read music before she could properly read words, and when she discovered soul by listening with her mum to Motown and Bill Withers, there was no turning back.

After a 2012 debut with her previous band the Tastemakers, it was 2016's Late Nights & Heartbreak that announced the arrival of Hannah Williams and the Affirmations. But little did she know that Jay-Z was listening. One day, at her then-day job running the music department at the University of Winchester, he sent her a text.

Once she'd established that it wasn't a wind-up, and summoned the courage to call him back, she learned that JayZ's producer, No I.D., had played him Hannah's track to inspire his response to Beyoncé's Lemonade, on which she sang of his infidelities.

Williams was as in the dark about how 'Late Nights & Heartbreak' would be used until 4:44 dropped. But the substantial sample of her voice opened doors she never dreamed of. "It was an incredible catalyst," she says, "as a change in our collective career, and getting a global audience. Suddenly, there were millions of predominantly American hip-hop fans listening to my voice, going 'Is this from the '60s? Is she dead?'"

What followed was a year of the band's widest-ever touring including an invitation to perform at Central Park Summer Stage NY, Toronto Jazz Festival and Brooklyn Bowl NY and expanded audiences in continental Europe where she and the Affirmations had already made a mark. Then came the burning determination to make the record of their lives. The captivating 50 Foot Woman is that album, produced by Shawn Lee, a respected presence on the funk/soul scene whose credits include Amy Winehouse, Lana Del Rey and Alicia Keys. Lee has released five solo albums as Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra on San Francisco label Ubiquity Records and is also one half of the cool melodic pop duo Young Gun Silver Fox.

Now the world will hear what the cognoscenti have known for a while: that Hannah Williams is the real deal, and sings from her very soul. "I feel like my performance comes from my solar plexus," she says. "The emotional side of it is so intrinsic; I can't take it away from what I do."

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS RELEASE WILL BE DISTRIBUTED IN THE 'US BY FAT BEATS' & 'BENELUX BY V2 RECORDS'. PLEASE EXCLUDE ALL PARTNERS IN THOSE TERRITORIES. NO SALES TO JAPAN

Kraak & Smaak's 6th studio album - 'Pleasure Centre' is the culmination of two years hard work since their critically acclaimed 'Juicy Fruit' LP and their first Kraak & Smaak LP released on their own label – Boogie Angst. As expected it's a glorious record packed with future classics, flitting between funky dancefloor focused jams and more relaxed downtempo affairs.

The album has a definite US West Coast vibe to it and sees them fuse classic 70's and 80's yacht rock, dream pop, and indie influences in with their signature electronic funk sound. And this result is no mere accident or emulation… Working on the demos in their own studio before travelling to LA for a month last year to meet and work with featured artists, they stayed in Echo Park and recorded in local studios and sometimes even in the homes or backyards garages of their collaborators.

Hand- picking the best of the local talent: dance diva - Gavin Turek, indie upstarts - The Palms and dream pop dealer – Satchmode all contribute their talents to the cause.

The Dutchmen have earned a deserved reputation in particular for the A&R side of the industry, with both the discovery and collaboration of new rising acts high on their agenda. Previous successes include working with Parcels, Alxndr London (championed by Annie Mac) Eric Biddines (6Music playlisted) and Cleopold (signed to Nick Murphy fka Chet Faker's own label). And they continue to uncover hidden gems outside of LA on this record too...

Moon Boots collaborator – Nic Hanson, Jalapeno Records' gospel/soul powerhouse - Izo FitzRoy and soul man Wolfgang Valbrun (Ephemerals/Kungs), New Zealand's imugi이무기and previous collaborator and soul songstress - Sanguita are accompanied by regular members of the Kraak & Smaak live band - IVAR and Berenice Van Leer across 15 fantastic new tracks.

'Pleasure Centre' is everything you'd want in an album and everything we've come to expect from these dance stalwarts – innovative, relevant, and modern tracks with great production and exciting guest features that are guaranteed to fire up your own pleasure centre!

Deviation is proud to welcome long time friend and collaborator Waajeed to the label for their second release of 2019. The former Slum Village member & Dirt Tech Reck label founder presents four brand new tracks that once more showcase the Detroit-born producer's natural talent for creating house music with layers of soul, hip hop, R&B and jazz. As is always the case with Waajeed’s work, the EP is imbued with deeper meanings and concepts. When asked why he wanted to call the EP “Hocus Pocus”, Waajeed simply described what Magic means to him:"Magic: the use of means to have supernatural power over natural forces. By definition music is magic. It has the power to incite peace and chaos. My new EP is called 'Hocus Pocus'. It's an acknowledgment and claiming of the authority of my music. Along with a select group of Detroit-based alchemists, we conjure a spell of that embodies the cycle of birth, death, love and interdimensional travel." - Waajeed 'Abracadbra' and 'Let Your Love' see the producer orchestrate a small cast of fellow Detroit musicians like DeSean Jones and Khristian Foreman. The music further adorned with Mark Flash of Underground Resistance on conga & bongos for 'Abracadabra', while Ideeyah brings a light touch to her vocal contribution to 'Let Your Love'. 'Lotta Bounce' and '32oz' meanwhile bring a tougher, club-ready edge with their sharp instrumental workouts.

In a world awash with negativity and fear, you are invited to climb aboard the Mocambo mothership where all colours and creeds are celebrated. The Mighty Mocambos have returned - stronger, tighter and hungrier than ever.
Carrying blistering funk lines in their fingers and worldly influences in their hearts, the unique and distinctive Mocambo sound is not one to be confused with retro bands trying to recapture an era. Eschewing traditional recording methods, this DIY crew are
committed to driving forwards, and 2066 sees them at the height of their powers, broadcasting a call for unity.
After reaching new audiences worldwide and earning critical praise for their two long players on Brooklyn's Big Crown Records in their tropical guise as Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band, the band have reassembled and refocused in their original form, the workhorses behind dozens of 45s on the Mocambo label and beyond. Crossing generations, this album introduces some of the world's youngest funk talent to step up and rub shoulders with soul and rap legends, soul sisters, an elder statesman composer/arranger and a brand new emerging artist out of New York.
___ As with all Mocambo releases, the two sides of the record have been meticulously sequenced by the
band. Side A welcomes us aboard with joyous instrumental stomper Preaching To The Choir, and a call to build bridges from Mocambo chanteuse and percussionist Nichola Richards, duetting with emerging raptalent,NewYorkMCJSwiss.B-girlsandb-boysarecalledtothedancefloorasS uperstradaand Concrete Stardust commence, all buzzing synth lines and relentless drums. New Jersey legend and Big Crown associate Mr Lee Fields is guest of honour for Where Do We Go From Here before a horn workout brings us to a close with Macumba. It's time for a breather.
The B side kicks off with the grand return of the Golden Girl of Funk, Gizelle Smith, a sister who's been busy taking on the world. Composer and presenter Peter Thomas narrates a Return To Space to mark the centenary of the debut of his score to sci-fi show Space Patrol, which first broadcast in 1966. We're back down to Earth and the mean streets for the furious drums and car chase workout of Golden Shadow. Today slows down the pace for a reflective ballad with Nichola front and centre - and here's the next generation: the Mocambo Kidz sing along to their parents' instrumentation for Here We Go, a new kids' block party anthem... with no sleep 'til bedtime. The album closer makes it clear that the Mocambos are nowhere near powering down as Ice T and Charlie F unk bring their A-game for an old school attack which, since you're up bouncing anyway, gives you no excuse not to flip the LP and drop the needle right back on to Side A. Onwards!
___ A summation of their journey so far and a celebration in anticipation of what's to come, the album is set
to take its place in a legacy of open minded, organically recorded music, showering listeners with the crew's maze of tantalising sounds pulled from funk, Afro, hip hop with cinematic composition and storytelling.
Agent J












l 12 Bounce That Ass (RMX) feat. Ice-T & Charlie Funk

2024 Repress
ODD OKODDO is a Kenyan/German duo consisting of Olith Ratego and Sven Kacirek.

The two artists met in Kenya, about a decade ago, when Sven Kacirek was recording his "Kenya Sessions", an album that put Kacirek on the map of outernational producers. It was reviewed as a "World Music 2.0" (de:bug magazine), whose "fascination endures" (The Wire). Olith Ratego also made an appearance on the "Kenya Sessions”, on the track "Too Good To Be True".

The duo formed the project ODD OKODDO in 2018, with the two musicians joining their various talents which dovetail in perfection. Ratego writes the lyrics and vocal melodies while Kacirek composes, records and produces the arrangements of all nine songs on AUMA. They create a colourful, dynamic sound which is defined by both Ratego’s enormous vocal compass and range of timbres as well as Kacirek’s outstanding skills as a sensitive percussionist.

Olith Ratego sings in a musical style called "dodo", which originates from the shores of Lake Victoria in Kenya, high in pitch and soulfully expressive. He refers to his music as "dodo blues". His lyrics touch upon the topics of politics, family and of course: love. As a skilled luthier, Ratego builds his instruments himself, like the five-stringed Okodo which lends its name to the project.

Sven Kacirek is a multi-instrumentalist who has been commuting between Germany and Kenya for many years now. In the past he has closely collaborated with various international musicians, among them Nils Frahm and Shabaka Hutchings. Kacirek’s sound builds upon a powerful bass marimba which is present throughout the album. It sometimes invokes the sound of a tuned 808 kick-drum. He works with Kenyan an arsenal of percussion instruments as well as household objects and found materials. Kacirek has now settled into a signature sound which has been described as "thrilling and dizzyingly inventive" by the Australian Cyclic Defrost magazine.

The LP comes with a printed inner sleeve with liner notes by Tabu Osusa from the Nairobi based label Ketebul as well as explanations about the song lyrics.

Floating Points' personal collection of global soul, ambient, jazz and folk treasures form the latest in the warmly revered Late Night Tales series.

Sam Shepherd aka Floating Points' music taste is notoriously tricky to define, ranging from ethereal classical at one end to coruscating techno at the other, united only in a firm belief in the transcendental power of music to move hearts, minds and - yes - feet. Similarly, his production career has ranged from early experiments in dance music with breakout records such as the 'Shadows EP' and collaborating with legendary Gnawa master Mahmoud Guinia to his expansive album 'Elaenia', which met with critical acclaim upon its release in 2015.

This Late Night Tales excursion into the depths of the evening reflects his broad tastes. The globally-travelled producer has collected untold treasures on his travels from dusty stores in Brazil to market stalls near his hometown. There's the gorgeous 'Via Làctea', culled from Carlos Walker's debut album, Abu Talib's (Bobby Wright) plaintive 'Blood Of An American' and Robert Vanderbilt's gospel reworking of Manchild's 'Especially For You'. Raw soul and feeling oozing from each song's pores.

At the other end of the music scale are the modernists, such as Québécoise Kara-Lis Coverdale who weighs in with the indelible 'Moments In Love', Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith whose 'Milk' is an exercise in tranquility, while Sarah Davachi's meditative mix-opener offers respite from a weary world.

We have some exclusive tracks for Late Night Tales; alongside Davachi's offerings there is also Toshimaru Nakamura's 'Nimb #59', as well as the now traditional cover version. hepherd delved into his childhood
memory for this one, a track taken from the first album his parents bought him, Kenny Wheeler's 'Music For Large & Small Ensembles': Sam offers up his interpretation of 'Opening Part 1'. Wheeler also contributes horns to Azimuth
track The Tunnel, written and performed by Norma Winstone and John Taylor who, coincidentally, are the parents of Floating Points' drummer Leo Taylor. Closing the album, Lauren Laverne reads the suitably nocturnal poem 'Ah! Why, Because The Dazzling Sun' by Emily Brontë.

'I tried to find music that reflects the stillness of night. And because my musical interests lie all over the place, it's quite difficult to distil that notion down to just a few songs. I was quite keen to have some electronic music in there but I also really wanted to have some soul music mixed in, so I had to try and find a pathway between all of this different music.' - Sam Shepherd (Floating Points) March 2019

Are you ready for fresh blood! Some time ago, Tomorrow Is Now Kid! head honcho Alex Salvador and Jelle Meeuwsen aka "Pokopoko" met while spinning records and talking music at a party in Tilburg, The Netherlands. A big stack of demos got sent over to the TINK! headquarters and eventually a debut EP named "Petrichor" was created. A powerful four-tracker with a dusty and melancholic take on today's House music. It's raw and funky but changes vibes throughout, keeping it fresh. That said, "Petrichor EP" is an emotional rollercoaster and a tribute to the ever-changing and unpredictable Dutch weather.

DJ Feedback

Harry Avers:
"A solid EP."


Colin Dale:
"Great sound and a solid EP."


Jeff Barker:
"Iglozbub and Stipperflip are cool. Will support, cheers!"


Simon Huxtable:
"There's a distinct 90s UK house vibe to this EP. Good stuff."


Michael Serafini:
"Excellent! Petrichor and Hurdy Gurdy solid."


Jacques Renault:
"Always dig a new release from Tomorrow is Now Kid!"


Tim Haze:
"Very nice EP, will definitely play out. Soulful, funky, deep and energetic all at the same time. "


Mirco Violi:
"Very nice tracks."


Robert Monk:
"Quality proper Deep House cuts - love em all."


Eric Downer:
"Love the slowly unfurling start to the ep, 'Hurdy Gurdy', introducing things with floaty keys and jaunty percussion. this leads into the smart, sunny and upbeat 'Iglozub' which is snappy, bringing the mood up a little and spilling into the deep, meandering but no less uplifting 'Stipperflip' and a driven hi-hat dripping over a thick bass pump. Pokopoko saves the best for last, however, with all tracks leading to the majestic 'Petrichor', deep, dynamic and evolving with sweet, aching chords laced up with a crispy shaker and syrup-smooth bassline. Perfection."


Agus Arbol:
"House music at its best."


Severino Panzetta:
"Cool vibe."


Tunde Adams (DJ Caspa):
"Really nice ep here, will be supporting. "


Ben Gomori:
"Iglozub is stunning."


Al Bradley:
"Cool EP right here, saving the best to last with Petrichor doing the business!"


Timos:
"Nice work, I like it thanks!"


Paul Hazendonk:
"Lovely lovely vibe in Iglozub."


Times are Ruff:
"Nice work! Cool tracks."


Nathan Goode:
"Another fine release by TINK! Can't wait to play this one on air! "


MEAT:
"Great tunes!"


Robert Colon:
"This Is Some Beautiful Sexy, Dirty & Filthy House & I Am Loving It! I Will Be Smashing This Out."

DJ Oonops presents Volume 2 of his extensive compilation covering genres from Dub, Jazz, Funk, Soul to Beats and Hip Hop featuring pretty well known artists as well as zooming newcomers. He spent more than one year to select artists from around the globe who reflect the sounds of his "Oonops Drops" broadcast on Brooklyn Radio (NYC).

Be that jazzy beats or virtuoso live jazz drums, keys and guitars from Japan by Kazumi Kaneda, RF and 45 a.k.a. Swing-O, a first-time- on-vinyl dub remix by Great Britain's Coldcut or a brass cover version of Rihanna's "Stay" by Sly5thAve out of the US. Most of the tracks are exclusives or first time available on vinyl for this compilation, like the song "Measly Peace" by Magic In Trees out of Nashville, German beatmaker Twit One with an ill Jazz instrumental or London based rapper and singer Amy Tru featuring Nubya Garcia.

Also you gonna hear a unique and rump-shaking cover version of Blackstreet's "No Diggity" by T Bird & The Breaks, John Turell's powervoice over some heavy beats by Soopasoul, Kinny with a catchy tune, Igor Zhukovsky from The Soul Surfers & MRR Drumetrics with an exclusive, pumping psychedelic drum track and Schemes from Montreal who take all the credits at the moment from the web by Vice, Okayplayer, Music Is My Sanctuary and many more. For the artwork Oonops collaborated once again with San Francisco based artist Lindsey Kustusch who mirrored the atmosphere of New York City on point with her oil painted artwork.

Be sure to get your hands on this limited peace of work before it's gone like Volume 1. About Oonops: beside his vinyl only show on Brooklyn Radio he is spinning banging club sets to relaxed mixtures for vernissages, museums or theaters. And furthermore he works as a product designer and he's listed in the top 50 of Germany's best table tennis players and focuses all his skills in an event which will bring all this together.

Frank Karikari is the son of legendary Highlife musician Ralph Karikari who played bass on countless classic albums such as "Sikyi Highlife" by Dr. K. Gyasi & His Noble Kings. So, Frank grew up surrounded 24/7 with high class Highlife music plus he has inherited the natural talent of his father. Now he teamed up with the Polyversal Souls to keep the spirit of Highlife alive.

"Siakwaa / Nana Agyei" are two songs taken from above mentioned album "Sikyi Highlife". Frank gets here some vocal support from the original court singers of the Ashanti king, which fits perfectly, as both songs are praise songs to the king.

"Odo Agye Gye Me" is composed by legendary Kumasi based singer Baffour Kyei, who sang for such groups like Kyeremateng Stars or B.B. Collins & His Powerful Believers. Besides creating this song, he is part of the choir on this future Highlife classic.

Autre left the lab and brought his science to the people. This is his second offering for the ESP Institute. On side A we have a silky slice of electro aimed straight for our hearts, LA Funk, incorporating stanzas of jazz chords and Autre’s signature meandering string lines, all thickly layered atop an up-tempo more-bounce-to-the-ounce bassline that will receive the nod of approval from even the most serious funk heads. On the flip side, the artist uses a similar broad brush of synthetic strings, but ventures into an emotional sweet-spot built on glorious chord changes and cascading arpeggios, sprinkling delicate percussion throughout like a flurry of phosphorescent dust particles. Wig Teleportation is a complicated looping narrative that ebbs and flows, snaring the soul with melancholy yet keeping your interest piqued with intricate layers of rhythm. These two songs will heal through the power of bodywork.

Amsterdam based imprint Taped Artifact welcomes Erik Anthony to their label. With only one contribution to the Dynamic Reflection label back in 2017, very less is known about the young Amsterdam producer. But here he makes a stellar techno debut with his first solo EP backed with a Vril remix.

On the a-side things kick off with 'Board Walk', haunting vocal chops combined with droning kick drums combined making it a serious big-room techno jam. 'Oclose' brings more soul to the game, subtle basslines and dreamy synths create an uplifting and joyful playground for endless dancing. Vril then stirs things up, his take on 'Oclose' has more punch, a different energy and his trademark hazy dub-techno twist. Last track 'Separate' is an emotive yet powerful techno workout that closes the four track affair that can be seen as a promising allround debut release.

Hold Up ft Kendra Foster is the breakout first single on Lonely C’s (aka Charles Levine of Soul Clap) debut album, Charles & Tribulations. Foster, known as a multitalented force of singer/songwriter who's toured the world for over a decade with Parliament-Funkadelic, won a Grammy for her co-writing on D’Angelo & The Vanguard’s Black Messiah, most recently set forth as a solo act with her 2016 eponymous sophomore album.

This may be Kendra’s first foray into house music, but she’s no stranger to the groove. This is a dance-floor classic in the making, already receiving powerful response from crowds at Soul Clap’s DJ sets.

Lonely C’s original mix features vocal/songwriting super talent Kendra Foster’s cathartic tale of a love gone away. Mike Dunn’s remix is a guaranteed dance floor activity, Javonntte dub for the dancers.

Then last but no means least FSQ’s Funkadelic Touch mix of “True” featuring Billy Bass Nelson, GKoop, O-Man, & Kim Manning”

Upfront DJ Support:

Dixon, Seth Troxler, Gilles Peterson, Moxie, Francois K, Osunlade, Josh Wink, Jovonn, Kraak & Smaak, Tensnake, Horse Meat Disco, Crazy P, Leo Mas, Luke Solomun, Hot Chip, Nightmares on Wax, Honey Soundsystem, Danny Tenaglia, Red Rack’em, Soul Clap.

Esa's compilation Amandla: Music To The People holds diverse dancefloor tracks from over the world. The first compilation in 2019 for Soundway and a comprehensive picture that connects the dots of Esa’s musical journey.

Growing up in Cape Town, South Africa, during the last days of Apartheid, Esa recalls the immense power that music had in resisting oppression and division. “Amandla, Awethu”, which literally means “the power is ours”, was an ubiquitous chant echoing throughout the politically charged atmosphere of the time – a call to unite, and a call from which this release derives not only its title, but its intention as well.

“Music was a crucial way of bringing people and communities together”, reflects Esa, “and it’s what I hope to achieve with this compilation, too”. For Esa Williams is not only a musical polymath but also passionate about connecting people through music – be it as a skilled DJ, an educator in production, a band leader reigniting the legendary Ata Kak band from Ghana, or a collaborator with the likes of Tanzanian artist Mim Suleiman. A firm favourite on the DJ circuit, he held a monthly residency at Phonox London for over 6 months - bringing guests such as Nu Guinea to Brixton audiences - as well as delivering memorable sets at Dekmantel, Atlas Festival, Boiler Room and more.

The last few years have seen a recent surge in interest in South African music from the 80s and 90s, including bubblegum, which was recently showcased on Soundway’s critically acclaimed 2018 compilation Gumba Fire: Bubblegum Soul & Synth Boogie in 1980s South Africa, put together by DJ Okapi. It was only natural that the label looked to delve deeper into the country’s rich musical legacy and tap another of its esteemed ambassadors for the role of compiler.

The result is a rainbow of complementary electronic styles hailing from not only South Africa but further afield, including zouk from Brazil and the French Antilles, as well as Afro-futurism. Together, they form a comprehensive picture that connects the dots of Esa’s musical journey – from growing up in South Africa, to artists he has encountered in his worldwide travels who have helped develop his identity as a musician.

Strut continues its essential compilation series of Indian Ocean sounds with 'Alefa Madagascar', the first compilation to document the unique culture of salegy, soukous and soul on the island during the '70s and '80s.
'Alefa Madagascar' showcases the rich variety of sounds during this heyday of Malagasy music: Roger Georges' 'Mama' and Jean Kely et Basth's 'Andosy Mora' bring the raw energy of salegy, influential band Los Matadores drop military drums and Hammond soul in the classic 'Andeha Hanarato'; Mahaleo's 'Izahay Mpamita' showcases the band's powerful folk sound, a crucial voice emerging from the Rotaka farmer and student protests of 1972, while Terak'Anosy Group work around a stomping Congolese guitar groove. The era paved the way for many of the household names of Malagasy music today including Jaojoby, D'Gary and Lego.

Ever since their debut 7” landed on our doorstep unannounced, we have been captivated by the powerfully understated movements of the duo known as Undefined. Sahara (keys/bass/programming) and Ohkuma (drums) have deep roots in the Japanese dub and reggae scenes (Heavymanners, Soul Dimension) and operate their own experimental dub label, Newdubhall. Recent collaborations with Kazufumi Kodama (of dub elders Mute Beat), dBridge, and Kabuki are nudging the group further into a spotlight that they richly deserve.

Named for the 3-feel of its colossal groove, “Three” is a locked groove of pure downtempo dubwise, techno in its repetition, hip hop in its tempo and swagger, motorik in its muscularity, meditative in its clarity. Featuring the unmistakable voice of ZamFam Rider Shafique, showcased in a moment of profound introspection and vulnerability, “Three" banishes all thoughts of flash-in-the-pan “big tunes” for an incredibly deep and immersive dive.

“Three Dub,” a version in the classic sense, strips out the vocal entirely to focus on the rockstone riddim, crafted of one of the most captivatingly beautiful bass tones we’ve ever heard, combined with wicked drum turnarounds, lightning hi-hat work, and extremely subtle & sophisticated dubbing technique. A masterclass in dubwise essentialism and profound attention to detail, stripped down to the foundation yet incredibly lush and alive.

Strictly limited to 600 copies for the world. No digital, no repress. Design & screen print by Polygon Press. Mastered by Sam Precise.

Formed in Bradford in 1980, New Model Army's beginnings were inspired by Northern Soul, Punk Rock and the incendiary atmosphere of the times. Since then, they have had a long, creative and eventful journey. They have been massively influential in 'post-punk', 'folkrock', 'political-rock', 'goth', 'metal' and all kinds of musical sub-cultures but they have steadfastly refused to belong to any club or style. Members have changed over the years and musical styles have evolved but at the heart of the band Justin has remained, along with a distinct and sincere belief in the power of music to inspire and effect change on both a personal and political scale, locally and globally. 'From Here' was recorded earlier on the tiny Norwegian island of Giske at the beautiful Ocean Sound Recordings studio and reflects the spectacular isolation of that environment yet has profound messages for the world we all live in and the times we are experiencing. The album was mostly written in just two months and recorded in only nine days and is the follow up on the two hugely acclaimed albums Between Dog And Wolf (2013) and Winter (2016). New Model Army decided to work again with Lee Smith and Jamie Lockhart, with whom they have developed a productive relationship over a few years and who persuaded them to leave a lot of the details of the music to spontaneity. “This album has a feel that is different to our other albums, but it still contains all the elements that characterise our peculiarly unidentifiable music – perhaps even more than ever. And “From Here” was an obvious title. The record belongs to a very special place and a particular time – what is happening in the world, where we are as a band and where we are as people.” Print ads:Vive Le Rock, Classic Rock, Record Collector, Classic Pop). Artist undertaking promotion/interviews/press (Classic Rock, Record Collector, Vive le Rock, Louder than War, Long Live Vinyl). Extensive UK live tour Oct 8th - Dec 21st.

Charles Trees. Myth, tall tale, legend of a human being, one of those people who one minute you'll be scouring reddit for obscure content and the next, stepping on stage to casually DJ to thousands of people like “no big whoop” at a French music festival. Charles is unassuming, the kind of person who effortlessly mixes ghettotech into soul for lulz, who samples a speech (/rant) by Funkmaster Flex in an acid track, or rides BMG & Derek Plaslaiko’s “True Story of a Detroit Groove” with Velvet Underground’s “Sister Ray” for 8 minutes straight.

Charles' relationship with electronic music started early. In high school, Dave Shayman (Disco D) introduced Charles to DJing and he was a regular at Dubplate Pressure*– Todd Osborn's now-legendary record store in Ann Arbor. By 1998, he was already playing on raves in Detroit. A year later, he was the first person to show Zach Saginaw (Shigeto) to Ghostly International, arguably altering the course of our lives forever. In the late 2000s, they became label mates on Moodgadget, the record label of Jakub Alexander (Heathered Pearls).

Through out the years, Charles has been a musical mentor (whether DJing, producing or throwing shows) to many, danced at every weekly at every venue in Ann Arbor & Detroit, produced Hip Hop, and fronted a psych rock band. He has released music on Moodgadget (US), Musique Large (FR), Lovemonk (ES), Vanity Press (US) and JFX Lab (FR). Today, between DJing, hosting radio shows and producing new music, Charles regularly throws shows/parties/raves, and hosts a monthly at Deluxx Fluxx.

We love Charles Trees and we're proud to present "2019," the eighth record on Portage Garage Sounds.

*Additional reading: Dubplate Pressure: was the precursor to Technical Equipment Supply; how Todd Osborn was discovered by Richard D. James and signed to Rephlex Records; where Sam Valenti IV, the founder of Ghostly International, met Tadd Mullinix (Dabrye, JTC, Charles Manier, X-Altera); one of the reasons why we're all here

"Got No"
Hit the ground running.
Chopped up vocal stabs and a playful syncopated melody accompany this percussion heavy two-step shuffle as it speeds down the Lodge on a Friday night in Detroit.

"Think First"
Undeniable rhythm section pocket.
Acoustic bass and dirty ride symbols swing alongside lush keyboards and sprinkles of light melodicism in this psych house banger.
Think St. Germain with CAN playing a warped version of "Rose Rouge."

"In Arms"
Crave the rave. Whips crack and sizzle in this dubbed out techno slapper. A modern take on a classic sound. Trees conjures an era close to his heart: when the warehouse was church and service didn't stop until the sun came up.


"Acja feat. Marcus Elliot ("12 club mix)
Beautifully understated and triumphant.
This closer marks the return of Detroit Saxophonist Marcus Elliot (Detroit pt II - PGS 001). His notes dance and soar over a creeping acid line, while driving drums and warm pads effortlessly take you home in this powerful house anthem.

ODD OKODDO is a Kenyan/German duo formed by Olith Ratego and Sven Kacirek. This vinyl single marks their first outing, announcing the album "Auma" which will be ripe and ready in autumn 2019. Olith Ratego performs his immaculate vocals in the musical style called "dodo", which originates from the shores of Lake Victoria in Kenya, high in pitch and soulfully expressive. He himself refers to his music as "dodo blues". As a skilled luthier, Olith Ratego designs and builds his string instruments himself, first of all the five-stringed Okoddo which lends its name to the project. Sven Kacirek is a multi-instrumentalist commuting between Germany and Kenya for many years now. He plays the marimba, percussions and piano, next to producing this project. He has closely collaborated with various international musicians, among them Nils Frahm, Shabaka Hutchings, F.S. Blumm and Marc Ribot. "Okitwoye" is one song of the first ODD OKODDO album "Auma“, it comes in a multi-layered, ambiguous rhythm between three and four. The remix on the B side amplifies the essence of the song. Peter Power is a part of the Voodoohop collective from Brazil and his releases on Multi Culti or Polychrome Sounds fuel the rather slow, organically hypnotic dancefloors. He premiered this remix at the Heliodora festival in Brazil, at sunrise next to a giant waterfall, and it was just perfect.

Good For You present a special Paradise Garage inspired 12 Inch sampler from the upcoming ‘Paradise Garage : Inspirations’ compilation, featuring two of Kenny Summit's collaborations with the Director's Cut duo, and Godfathers of House, Frankie Knuckles and Eric Kupper. Neither of these tracks have ever been pressed to vinyl, so this is your chance to own these masterful tracks cut loud and proud on either side of a 12 inch.

The A side houses the last ever Frankie Knuckles production, a project Frankie and Summit worked on with Eric Kupper - remixing 'You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine' by the legendary Lou Rawls – pure soulful house brilliance from the very first second. On the flip you’ll find a further Kenny collaboration with the dynamic duo entitled ‘Loving You’ – the trio teaming up to deliver a stunning Motown inspired dance floor stomper with an uplifting vocal by the one and only Yasmeen. Two certified anthems that have had heavy rotation with DJs like Cajmere, Grant Nelson, Sonny Fodera, Quentin Harris, Robert Owens, Tony Humphries, Danny Rampling, John Morales, Graeme Park, Pete Tong and still continue to get played the world over.

These tracks form part of a wider compilation, ‘Paradise Garage : Inspirations’ that contains unreleased remixes of iconic club tracks like Loves Last Episode‘s remix of Deee-Lite‘s ‘Power Of Love’, and seminal club classics like the Masters-At-Work remix of Todd Terry‘s anthem ‘Sume Sigh Say’ and Francois K’s “Time & Space.”

Both this sampler and the full compilation feature a masterpiece of cover art designed by Alexander Juhasz, the artist behind the award winning films The Little Prince and The Babadook.

Light of the Fearless, Hybrid's fifth artist album, brings together UK-based, Mike and Charlotte's passion for combining emotionally powered cinematic pieces with astute, intricate and intelligent electronic production. This long-awaited work is firmly based on the foundation of the principles and standards set by previous albums but here there's a clear development and evolution. Never wanting to write the same album twice, Mike and Charlotte have taken another step forward and have created a cinematic, electronic album with songs that stylistically borrow from their childhood soundtracks of soul, funk & hip-hop.

With songs have been inspired by not only events in their own lives but also by movements such as the Heads Together campaign, March for Our Lives 2018 and the Women's March of 2017. The album provides a positive and confident stance on moving forward through adversity and regaining empowerment. This is "The Light Of The Fearless". This inspiration certainly hasn't led to an album encumbered by political statements, but instead gives all the summery buoyancy you'd want to hear at your next festival.

Since their last album in 2010 the band have not only expanded their ever growing body of film score work (Fast and Furious 8, Interlude In Prague, Hercules, Dead in Tombstone, Take Down, Luther, X-men, Deja Vu ) but also saw the departure of band member, Chris Healings in 2015. The cinematic ethos is deep throughout the album with The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra performing on eight tracks. Unsurprisingly, the album as a whole works almost as a kind of score, and it's intriguing to be guided through the plot from the outset in the album's first track "We Are Fearless" through to the final track on the album. The expansive and unique cover of Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down". Hybrid certainly haven't lost their flair for combining cinematic soundscapes, electronics and breakbeats.

Primarily known for his work behind the boards with heavyweights; Kon, Bosq and Soul Clap, Caserta steps out from behind the console to present the first release on his new imprint...BridgeBoots.

Caserta and co. manage to source a vocal from a “blue- eyed soul” classic, usually reserved for the end of the night and craft it into a dance floor stomper.

With the aforementioned Kon holding down the flip side with a smooth reworked dub, BridgeBoots is off to a hot start!

DJ Support:

“Daymn. Loving this flip. Super smooth and that Kon Dub is tight in the pocket.” - “Love this -- both mixes are fire. Definitely in that.
Eli
Soul Clap

"Heavy warm up" sweet spot for when the room is starting to bubble or those Sunday roof-top jams! Will be rinsing this summer for sure.” –
Marc Meistro,
Sol Power Records

Lance Ferguson's Rare Groove Spectrum collection of newly recorded versions of classic funk, soul, jazz and latin vinyl rarities found fans everywhere when released earlier in 2019. The extended reworking of Earth Wind & Fires' 'Brazilian Rhyme' was selected for Jazz FM's A playlist and stayed there for months.

Lance has always enjoyed imaginatively taking a classic rare groove and re-recording in it a different genre, and it has to be said that his latin-ised version of the great jazz organist Jimmy Smith's '8 Counts for Rita' is a concept no one saw coming. Kept back from the Rare Groove Spectrum album, we proudly present it here in all it's swinging, samba-fied glory!

Spanish DJ & remixer Flow Lab Kid (Sergio Cáliz López) is also along term Ferguson fan , and he delved back over 12 years to Lance's very first 'Black Feeling' album and did own 'Blessed' remix of The Blessing Song (which was originally and amusingly credited to the fictitous group The Shirley Eubanks Ensemble) but was in fact a version of jazz violinist Michael White's spiritual jazz track from his 1972 album Pneuma on Impulse Records.

Finally, there is a straight down the line funk version of the Blackbyrds Theme that also didn't make it onto the Rare Groove Spectrum album, although it was always planned that it would see the light of day and what a great way to round off Lance Ferguson's Rare Groove Spectrum - remixes and rarities.

Crisp Recordings is a record label and production company founded by legend DJ Ra-Soul and Chicago by way of Memphis' Don Crisp. Black in Time is the moniker used by the pair which has resulted in three previous collaborative releases on the label, and they're back with the fourth after a long hiatus. Now they present the politically charged "Democracy Is Hypocrisy" with its powerful narrative fuelled by a groovy minimal acid arrangement. Comes with a handy instrumental version on the flip, in addition to a rough and ready acid dub that's perfect for getting weird at the afterhours. Much crossover appeal anticipated on this little treasure -tip!

Where Future Unfolds is a new work spirited by Chicago-based sound & visual artist Damon Locks. Starting as a solo sound collage piece (where Locks pulled samples from Civil Rights era speeches and recordings to create an improvisational pallet for performance on his drum machine), over 4 years the project has blossomed into his 15-piece Black Monument Ensemble - featuring musicians (including Angel Bat Dawid on clarinets and Dana Hall on drums), singers (alumni of the Chicago Children"s Choir), and dancers (members of Chicago youth dance company Move Me Soul). Where Future Unfolds is a live capture of the ensemble"s epic debut at the Garfield Park Botanical Conservatory on the West Side of Chicago. Recalling the spirits of Phil Cohran"s Artistic Heritage Ensemble, Eddie Gale"s Black Rhythm Happening, Archie Shepp"s Attica Blues, and Public Enemy"s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, the album presents an inspired, innovative & immediate intersection of gospel, jazz, activism & 808 breaks.

Tekvision Volume 1 was a stone cold classic, with Rolling Stone charting it at #3 in their top 20 EDM records of 2017. Two years on, Cornelius ‘Traxman’ Ferguson returns with the second instalment, featuring 7 exceptional new Footwork productions. Traxman is a bonafide OG, with a discography dating back to the halcyon era of Ghetto House in the late 80’s and early 90’s. 30 years on, Traxman is a revered figure in Chicago’s urban music scene, having presided over the evolution from Ghetto House to Juke and from Juke to Footwork culture. Originally released in 1989, Work Dat Mutha Fucker by Steven Poindexter is considered to be one of the most influential tracks from the early days of Ghetto House. Traxman remixes it brilliantly on this release, reworking the stripped back, minimalist drum beat of the original into an upfront Footwork pattern. This sense of continuity is equally evident on Let Me See You Naked feat. DJ Juicy, and Traxman’s remix of To Da Hoooz by DJ Deeon. These productions successfully capture the sexual energy and exuberance of Ghetto House, turbo charged at 160 BPM. Elsewhere on the record, Traxman explores different moods whilst always keeping the dance floor firmly in mind. The opening track It’s Lasting Bass lays an infectious vocal harmony over complex drum patterns and a fearsome bassline. Osaka opens with mellow, sultry keys before introducing a wobbling synth and diced up Orchestal samples. 4 Da Lyfe is a soulful and slightly more meditative track, with a vocal loop expressing solidarity and self-affirmation. Wildcard feat. Jana Rush, stands alone as the only track without a vocal element, instead utilising a piercing and insistent synth to create a powerful sonic intensity. Overall this is triumphant record, and a worthy successor to the original Tekvision release, proving once again that Traxman is an unrivalled exponent of MPC-driven footwork energy.

In a landscape increasingly dominated by surface-level sonics and a lack of true organic – man-made-machine-driven - sound, the newly found and London-based Gaia Tones project rises with an unforgiving grasp over the science of improvisation and mystery. Like a gust of wind from Mother Nature herself, the duo comprised of John Swing and David Soleil-Mon breathe a new, highly perceptible form of life into the UK’s long ‘dub and ‘bass’ dynasty.

Contrary to the consumer plastics found across much of the ‘digital’ musical spectrum, the two artists impose their own vision and aesthetic to a framework of sound that has somehow always existed but never fully explored before. Heady, stoned-out and surely emanating from physical matter, their two debut tracks are set to redefine the standards going into the next decade.

The A-side “Lychees”, stutters its own brand of dread paranoia over a sea of complex, morphing percussion that together create a whole new palette of exploratory sound, loosely tied up into a hazy, nomadic groove. On the flip, “Wonkadonk” feels like its natural extension, evolving that familiarly off-kilter assembly of drums to work around a devotedly dystopian swell of bass that pushes further and further out into the ether.

In the end, the universe tends to unfold as it should.

Label artwork by Egidio Sterpa

A cryptical presence hiding behind many different aliases spread across a range of underground labels: co-owner of LiveJam Records alongside EMG, John Swing begins producing with a live and spontaneous approach that pushes the boundaries and general conceptions of club music while digging deeper into the techniques of the past.

The production process through ananlog equipment that John Swing so strongly supports with an uncompromising attitude is the key to his underground success and esteem.
With a back catalogue of over seventy releases including collaborations with established artists such as Mr. G and Ben Sims, the London based talent has been receiving recognition by established artists including Floating Points, Gerd Janson, Levon Vincent, Theo Parrish and many others.

Inspired by London's Plastic People and it's bonding vibes, through a well refined spectrum of musical knowledge John Swing engages with the dance floor in a physical yet emotional way: the strength and power of pure house is blended with black soul music in a constant crossover between underground aesthetics and cherry-picked funk and disco. His subtle understanding of the dance floor guarantees a deep-rooted experience for the mind, body and soul.

WRWTFWW Records is blissful to announce the expanded reissue of one of the most fascinating Japanese ambient/environmental albums ever made, NOVA + 4 by Yutaka Hirose. The double LP includes the album known as Soundscape 2: Nova, sourced from its original masters, as well as 50 minutes of never-released-before recordings. It comes in a beautiful gatefold sleeve, packed with liner notes from the artist in English and Japanese. NOVA + 4 is also available on double digipack CD.

Initially released in 1986 as part of the Soundscape series* commissioned by Misawa Home Corporation for use in their prefabricated houses, Yutaka Hirose's NOVA has grown to become a mythical piece of the Japanese minimalist/ambient/environmental scene of the eighties. Initiated around the enchanting landscapes of the two first tracks recorded for the project, "Nova" and "Epilogue", Yutaka Hirose's magnum opus serenely blends vintage synth with nature sounds, exploring soothing palettes and organic backdrops. For "Slow Sky", Hirose explains he "went for a pointillism-like sound, and tried to express a scenery of awakening, where the portal of a heart is opening up", while on "Humming The Sea", he "tried to compose a kind of music that expresses the daily, lazy life of child-like innocence in a summer vacation in some small town."

The bonus LP gathers four long unreleased pieces created around the same period of time for installations, described by Yutaka Hirose as "not music per se but rather sound sculptures", and including the haunting "Shadow Of A Water Droplet" which was recorded for an Ikebana exhibition.

All in all, NOVA + 4 is a transcendent experience of nature in the urban context, an oeuvre which, much like Midori Takada's Through The Looking Glass or Satoshi Ashikawa's Still Way, holds the power to appease the soul in turbulent times. As one inspired YouTube commenter once said when describing Yutaka Hirose's masterstroke: "I can't tell if the birds are singing inside or outside! Thank you!"

*The Soundscape series also includes Hiroshi Yoshimura's Surround album.

London based Prescription Pricing Authority returns to GAMM with another 7" monster.
With heavy doses of soul, funk and jazz infected disco this beautifully designed release delivers on both sides.

A side's Pick'em Up is a real disco thumper with big horns and powerful vocals that just works.
The B side delivers a mid 70-s jazz-funk rework that will definitely get the jazz dancers moving.

For its first release of 2019, Sol Power Sound is pleased to welcome back Nenor -- formally Obas Nenor-- to the label family. Since his now-classic Color Soul EP on Sol Power Sound back in 2015, Nenor has gone on to release a string of hugely successful EPs on Heist, Whiskey Disco, and on his own imprint, Nenorion Music.

With the Future Ancestor EP, Nenor revisits the African-inspired textures that made the Color Soul EP unforgettable, but ventures further into the subterranean reaches. On "Tike Ye Ya Kende", Nenor teams up with Congolese-born vocalist Natalie Wamba for a rousing dancefloor heat-rock, with pulsing marimbas and hazy synths.

"Nova Man" is a straight-up banger with huge chugging bass, dubby vocal samples, and thrilling atmospherics.

"Ibe" dives head-first into the deep with tripped-out arpeggios, complex, layered percussion, and more of those gritty signature Nenor synths.

"Knwo" speeds ahead on a bruk-n-bass trajectory as a frenetic stomper that will inspire late-night dancers to throw crazy shapes.

With early support from Simbad, Soul Clap, Jacques Renault and more, the Future Ancestor EP is sure to be another staple in ever-growing Nenor and Sol Power Sound catalogs and will keep dark rooms ablaze all summer long.

Produced in London by Emre Ramazanoglu (Lily Allen, Mark Ronson, Ali Farka Tourè) Portughese soul sister Marta Ren returns with new single "Worth It" on June 07th.

Portuguese soul sister Marta Ren is back. The Porto based soulstress returns with the new single "Worth It" available from June 07th on digital and limited edition 45 vinyl. "Worth it" anticipates the awaited second studio album which is scheduled to be released on Record Kicks at the beginning of 2020. Marta Ren exploded onto the international soul scene with her debut album "Stop Look Listen" in 2016 but she has been around in the Portuguese scene since the mid 90s with The Bombazines. After the release of her acclaimed debut album "Stop Look Listen" Marta has extensively played all over Europe, included on big stages such as Trans Musicales festival in Rennes, Sziget Festival, Eurosonic and Mostly Jazz Funk.

"Worth it" has been mixed and produced in London by hitmaking producer and engineer Emre Ramazanoglu who in his 20 years career has garnered an impressive résumé working closely amongst the others with Mark Ronson, Lily Allen, Kylie Minogue and Noel Gallagher on his latest album "Who Built The Moon?". The result of the collaboration between Emre and Marta is an impressive 60s soul stormer with a rock feel. Marta's powerful voice betrays once more all her passion for the deepest funk and rawest soul of the sixties and early seventies and the result is something that would make the founding JB's soul sisters proud once again. If a good day starts in the morning… welcome back "Marva" Marta Ren!