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Blurt are perhaps the act who have played live at Optimo more than any other. Active for close to 40 years they are one of the UK's all time great acts, phenomenal live and on record and supremely underrated.
Blurt mainman Ted Milton is a living legend. Now in his 70s but more vibrant on stage than most artists 50 years his junior, he is a man of many talents; artist, poet, musician, performer....
In 1984 he released a solo 12'; 'Love Is Like A Violence', a no doubt accidental dancefloor gem completely out of kilter with any other music of the era that now makes total sense in 2017. Dubbed-out stabs, programmed rhythm, trademark sax squeals and a more subdued than normal vocal that is strangely reminiscent of Vincent Price. Thee definition of a cult classic and much in demand, side A of this 12' presents the A and B side (the equally outre 'It's Only Recently That Stalins Have Begun To Roost') of this mighty 12' on one side of vinyl.
'The Ruminant Plinth' is but one of multiple classic tracks in the Blurt catalogue and is a long, long time personal favourite that takes pride of place of the other side. Tribal hypno rhythms, chicken wire guitar, sax and Milton's voice on fire, this was a genuine party starter on the Optimo dance floor on Sunday nights Glasgow. So louche it should probably be banned.
12' vinyl release in full picture sleeve designed by Glasgow artist Andrew Beltran.

'Afro Rock Vol. 1' is one of the most important compilations of heavy original '70s Afro funk and soul to be released in recent years. Originally surfacing on Duncan Brooker's indie Kona label in early 2001, the album single-handedly kick-started the thirst among jazz, funk and soul fans and 'diggers' to rediscover lost music from Africa made during the '60s and '70s from a time when many countries were gaining independence and celebrating a Pan-African identity within their music. The album was one of the first to reach a far different audience to the traditional 'world music' market and spawned many further projects and labels in its wake. A year later, the 'Nigeria 70' compilation surfaced on Strut and labels like Soundway and Analog Africa would continue to unearth amazing lost gems from the Motherland.The album is testament to the determined work of Brooker following several research trips, especially to East Africa - Kenya and Zaire. It brought to light East Africa's finest funk band, Air Fiesta Matata, led by the recently deceased Steele Beautttah, 'The Nigerian James Brown' Geraldo Pino from Port Harcourt in Nigeria, and the storming Afro jam 'Yuda' by Dackin Dackino, a previously unreleased gem from Zaire discovered on a discarded reel. The album has remained influential since its release with tracks appearing on other Afro compilations and on TV and the big screen - Jingo's 'Fever' featured in Kevin McDonald's 2006 hit film, 'Last King Of Scotland'.Out of print since 2015, the album is being reissued on Strut in its original form with the extra dynamite unreleased psychedelic cut by Kenya's Ishmael Jingo, 'Keep On Holding On' taken from the original master tape. The package features the original sleeve notes by Duncan Brooker along with new additional notes providing further background to the album and tracks.

For house heads of a certain persuasion, DJ Duke is a name that resonates for all the right reasons. The U.S. veteran has been responsible for some of the 90's most seminal moments, chiefly through tracks such as '12 Minutes to Do It' (under his Pleasure Dome alias), 'Party Time' and the Prosumer-endorsed deep house classic, 'Heard'. He returns here courtesy of emerging imprint Solo Werks, who host his latest EP, 'Green Pastures'. A momentous house-led workout, it compounds Duke's reputation as a producer of considerable panache while also acting as an auspicious start to life for the Dublin based label.

The title track is a grainy, old-school cut that bears all the hallmarks of a dusty analogue-jam and harks back to the days of vintage Chicago with the sort of zest you'd expect from a man of Duke's credentials. The other original, 'Skyscapes', is packed to the brim with industrial motifs and is characterised by the sort of effortlessly catchy baseline with which Duke has made his name. Mysterious and ethereal, it takes the listener on an uncompromising and throughly captivating house journey from the off.

On the flip side, we have two stunning remixes, the first of which arrives from New Jersey don, Ruben Candelario AKA Nicuri. A long-time favourite of NYC-based producers a la Joey Anderson, Nicuri turns 'Green Pastures' into a dreamy, acid-led space, adding layers of suspense and a glittering vocal intto the mix as he goes. Last but not least are Dublin-based producers Slowburn, who serve up a stunning version of "Skyscapes". A carefully construed voyage into the deep, it caps off a fine EP with some aplomb.

Continuing the very successful 'From The Vault' series of classic, previously unreleased Rolling Stones live shows this release is taken from their performance at Roundhay Park in Leeds, England on 25 July 1982. This show was the last concert on their 1982 European Tour in support of 1981's acclaimed 'Tattoo You' album which would be their last live tour for seven years. About half of the 'Tattoo You' album is included in the set including the hit single 'Start Me Up'. This would be the last Rolling Stones show to feature Ian Stewart on piano. The footage has now been carefully restored and the sound has been newly mixed by Bob Clearmountain for this first official release of the show.Key Selling Points: Simultaneous release on DVD, SD Blu-ray, DVD+2CD and DVD+3LP. The 'From The Vault' series is now firmly established with Rolling Stones fans and has been very well received by critics. Full length concert of The Rolling Stones performing at their very best. Includes 'Under My Thumb,' 'Black Limousine,' 'Let's Spend The Night Together,' 'Beast Of Burden,' 'Honky Tonk Women,' 'Jumpin' Jack Flash,' 'Angie,' 'Tumbling Dice,' 'Miss You,' '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction,' 'Start Me Up,' 'Shattered,' 'Brown Sugar' and many more!

'Y.O.U' is an emotive album of tripped out ambient hip hop instrumentals by FROM, written and recorded in the mid 90s under Trevor Jackson's infamous production persona The Underdog. Originally planned as a vocally-led, song-based project that should've surfaced between his production for The Brotherhood's legendary British hip hop album 'Elementalz' in 1996 and his acclaimed debut PLAYGROUP release in 2001, for multiple reasons it hasn't seen the light of day, until now.
Only Available as a ultra limited edition Vinyl and CD release, the LP consists of 11 tracks. Dream-like synth lines, ambient melodies, blissful guitars, raw beats and soft, fractured vocals draw you into a hallucinatory 12bit world. Drawing on Jackson's progressive and jazz rock influences as well as psychedelia and early electronics, the album closes with 'Belladonna'- a piano-sampled homage to the east coast golden age hip hop pioneers. NB: The CD features a longer version of 'Veratrum' not available on the vinyl version. All created on an Akai S950 mono sampler (limited to only 20 seconds sampling time), an Akai MG1212 12 channel mixer (which recorded on Betamax style tapes) and primitive outboard gear, Jackson honed his skills from his bedroom, where he produced the majority of his output at the time. With a huge collection of obscure vinyl, he dug deep into uncharted territories for samples and sound clips
- using material no one knew about (or would think about touching) in the mid 90s. The Underdog's initial releases were on Jackson's own Bite It! recordings label, which was started in 1991. A unique platform for UK hip hop with a visual aesthetic and ethos more akin to ECM and Factory
than other rap labels, its mission was to push artists beyond musical and cultural limitations prevalent at the time.
Home to artists like The Brotherhood, Scientists of Sound, Little Pauly Ryan and Lewis Parker (who later signed to Massive Attack's Melancholic label), Bite It! became a great success;
finally British rap had artists and releases that looked and sounded as good as their revered American counterparts. In 1993 Richard Russell (who had just started running XL recordings) asked Trevor to remix House of Pain, resulting in a top ten record, which helped launch Jackson's musical career via further remixes Massive Attack, Run DMC, U2, The Cure and countless others. Off the back of his remix success, The Brotherhood signed a deal in 1994 with Virgin Records. Their 'ELEMENTALZ' album was produced by Jackson and is still lauded by many as one of the finest British hip hop albums of all time.
Jackson continued to remix and produce as The Underdog until managerial issues forced him out of the project he'd been instrumental in instigating.
Soon after his close friend and manager tragically passed away - which when combined with the UK hip hop scene becoming increasingly volatile and the moral demise of rap culture in general - convinced Trevor to hang up his hip hop hat for good.
After leaving The Brotherhood he started Output Recordings. Internationally and sonically diverse, it gave Jackson a free reign to do as he pleased, with genre twisting releases from the likes of Fridge, Four Tet, Sonovac, Colder, his own PLAYGROUP project, The Rapture and LCD Soundsystem. With a non-compromising attitude, strong DIY aesthetic and consistently groundbreaking releases across its ten year life between 1996 and 2006, it became one of the most important and respected independent labels in the world.

Reless return to follow up on there first official release which was entitled Cycle, out on World Talk Records that included a bold yet hazy remix from avant techno engineer Shlømo.This time their foot firmly in the the mud, is a solid 4 tracks EP entitled, Circuitry merging classic techno components which they say focuses on creating "analogically modified melodic organisms". The eponymous title track « Circuitry » brings the listener into a field of near moving stabs synths, pulsing through- out the persistent motor rhythm. The follow up « Seed » germinates a melodious and deep sequence to sense growth of emotions into the listeners body. Reless stand by their motto of always repeating the essential, which can be heard strikingly through - out « Limitation » bringing us toward an end of an endlessly metallic grain storage silo.

To conclude, the hotly tipped Swedish producer Kuf (head of Arsenik Records) pulls apart the harshly stark « Limitation » exploring a rework focusing on the frustrations and jittering nervous pathways of the listener - speaking directly to the frontal lobe his job to reside purely at the edge of our mental limitations.

Drummer/producer Teppo Mäkynen (of Teddy's West Coasters, The Stance Brothers, The Five Corners Quintet) presents his new major work during the fall of 2017. 3TM is a trio formation including Mäkynen, tenor sax man Jussi Kannaste and bassist Antti Lötjönen. Mäkynen, manning the drum seat in the combo, is using samples and sounds here to break off from the standard aural image of the jazz trio. What we have instead, is a new world of sound rooted somewhere in between acoustic jazz and abstract electronic music, blurring the lines of genre and time.

The 180g heavyweight 2LP version of the album comes with gatefold sleeve, digital download and 12" source book featuring photography by Teppo Mäkynen. These images serve as the visual roadmap into the world of 3TM, at times abstract and spacious, at times intense and swinging.

Tracy Island announces Episode 2 of the 10 piece concept series with 'The Unlimited'. This time the musical transmission comes from Beach Wizards, the secondary alias of the well renowned collective Seahawks, offering their interpretation of Island mentality. The release opens with the ever growing mood of 'The Diamond Sea' - 18 minutes of building disco strings and stabs, rolling bongos and percussion, and intermittent ambience with an A side offering a true listening experience. 'Don't you wanna get off.' Get out the city they called. The B side starts and ends with the lulling sound of midnight waves in a downbeat balearic boogie of rain chimes and head nodding subs. Between these tides interjects 'Lucky Dips' on the B2, with melodies from an aquatic saxophone from below the surface.

In early 2017, Public Release dropped a four-tracker by Brooklyn's Earth Boys, a duo comprisedof Julian Duron and Michael Sherburn, and now it's being followed by a collection of remixes by some formidable names from around the world.
Where the EP of originals fell squarely in the category of vibey, shuffling, laid-back house
grooves, Trail Remix is decidedly made for the after-midnight parts of club sets. The 12-inch begins with a T&P - that's Beats in Space's Tim Sweeney and Phillip Lauer's version of 'Trail Mix'. Acid-flecked and hard-edged, and tongue-in-cheek at heart yet seriously functional, it's the original red-lined and shot down the highway at ninety miles an hour. (Worth noting that this is
the transatlantic unit's first remix to be released.) After that is Earth Boys' own redo of 'Highway
1' a juiced-up re-imagining of the first version, filled out with chunkier kicks and fatter synth washes that completely envelope any sense of direction. The flip leans towards the ethereal, stretchy, abstract, though it, too, is tracky and driven. The B1 slot goes to Canadian wunderkind Khotin, of 1080p and Normals Welcome, who blows some stardust into the tune, enveloping it in a blanket of sharp drums and icy pads. NYC mainstay Mike Simonetti, formerly of Trouble Man and Italians Do It Better, currently of 2MR, caps the record with his beefy overhaul of 'Trail Mix' a compression of industrial percussion, tribal rhythms and sub-bass undulations.

"Invisible Cities", the first collaboration between AIDAN BAKER (NADJA, B/B/S) and bass clarinetist GARETH DAVIS (OISEAUX-TEMPÊTE), offers finest ambient / chamber jazz / subtle drones of a highly meditative quality. Available as 180gr LP and download.

Be it solo, as member of the drone duo NADJA or B/B/S (his trio with ANDREA BELFI and ERIK SKODVIN / SVARTE GREINER) or in various collaborations with artists like TIM HECKER or THISQUIETARMY: the Berlin-based Canadian is one of the most productive and versatile artists when it's about postrock, drone or ambient and without doubt a true master on his instrument, the guitar. In recent years BAKER also starting exploring new grounds as a composer of contemporary / ensemble music - e.g. his composition "An Instance Of Rising" was commissioned by SPÓLDZIELNIA MUZYCZNA CONTEMPORARY ENSEMBLE and SACRUM PROFANUM FESTIVAL for their 2017 edition. "Invisible Cities" marks BAKER's first collaboration with GARETH DAVIS whose eclectic oeuvrespans contemporary classical, free improvisation and orchestral music through to rock, noise and electronica. The bass clarinetist is a steady member of the critically acclaimed post-rock formationOISEAUX-TEMPÊTE and A-SUN AMISSA, interpreted compositions by ALVIN LUCIER with MACHINEFABRIEK, worked with BERNHARD LANG and PETER ABLINGER, performed with musicians likeNY Downtown veteran Elliott Sharp, MERZBOW or ROBIN RIMBAUD (aka SCANNER) and realized multimedia work with artists including CHRISTIAN MARCLAY and PETER GREENAWAY.

Recorded in November 2016 at MUZIEKHUIS, Utrecht, the four tracks create a calm, even meditative atmosphere in their reduced manner that gives much room to the individual instruments / sounds, occasionally spiced up by field recordings that intensify the overall chamber jazz / ambient moods.

First up on the fresh Amsterdam-based label Late Night Burners is Kurley's debut 'Feelings EP'. For this young and very talented musician anything goes, as long as it's unique, warm, rhythmic, and raw, and this five tracker perfectly showcases this ethos. From the uplifting, acid-driven title track, we dive straight into Heartbeat', taking us a level deeper. On the B-side Kurley starts off with the stabby, slightly melancholic 'Long Time' while never losing the floor out of sight, preparing us for the vocoder-infused killer 'Groove All Night'. Closing off the EP is 'Tribute', bringing a more exotic type of heat. In short: a lot to love.

New and unknown Sent In Sound gets into the trendy spirit of selecting choice tracks and committing them to a 12" piece of wax.
The tracks take on a sky ward direction on newly christened Point Loma (US).

If you're one of the extinct deejays who play 8 hour plus sets, start your journey before spreading your wings on the next booking with Doving on side A by Benaji Lattu. Settle into the booth, hit the loo and sequence the next movement while the lengthy and heavenly track serves its purpose, a convocation for the ceremony ahead, while blessing the entering congregation.

You'll have the perfect tune to bring the room back down gently to reality at night's end with Skylover Tea by Tinopiras on side B.
It's the fragrant sandalwood for the glowing sangha as it exits the guru temple also known as your party.

"After a concert of Kenyan singer Ogoya Nengo in Berlin in 2015 in a pleasant conversation Guillermo Lares told me about his father, Oswaldo Lares, a studied architect who, parallel with his professional activity, began to make field recordings of the traditional and indigenous Venezuelan music from the early 1960s onwards up until today.

His search and fascination for finding the musical roots of his country led Oswaldo Lares to visit the rural villages outside Caracas, investigating the many and varied musical cultures of the region and the complex relationship between Venezuelan folk music and its various origins, including the African (mu´sica afrodescendiente).

The vast amount of music documents in the form of sound recordings, photographs and videos accompanied by notes and studies reflect the scope of this entirely self- taught sound engineer's work and represent a passionate documentary, making his work today one of the most comprehensive and systematic that has ever been assembled by a single person in Venezuela. Oswaldo Lares as an ethnomusicologist remained an amateur in the most direct meaning of the word: amare. Whereas most studied ethnomusicologists travel around the world to explore far away continents and foreign cultures, Oswaldo began to devote much of his spare time to the generally overlooked folk traditions that existed right in his very neighbourhood.

Currently Guillermo Lares has started to promote his father's work through the Achivolares Foundation, turning it into a living archive that preserves an essential part of Venezuelan musical memory. It is a pleasure and honor of our label TAL to support the invaluable work of Oswaldo and Guillermo Lares with this album."

Discrepant is proud and excited to present a magical live recording from the legend that is Pierre Bastien, showcasing his mecanoid orchestra at its intricate best during a performance at Studio M, the historical studio-concert hall of Radio-Television of Vojvodina, Serbia.Around 1986, French composer and multi-instrumentalist Pierre Bastien started creating and building his own orchestra called Mecanium: an ensemble of musical automatons constructed from meccano parts and activated by electro-motors, that "play" on acoustic instruments from all over the world. On this record the Mecanium plays amplified Meccano parts, drums, reeds, rubber bands, paper, nails and flutes whilst Pierre plays kundi, rubber band, prepared trumpet, video loops, nail violin and râbab. Recorded live at Studio M, Novi Sad, October 8, 2016.

Spin your ears back to 1989 and enjoy the debut album of Coldcut once again! The bouncy good-time cut-up party people got started with What's That Noise, a particularly lively swirl of breaks, acid house and hip-hop. The guest vocalists on the album includes Lisa Stansfield, Queen Latifah and Mark E. Smith. Reissued by Sony.
11 track album on standard black vinyl with download code insert

After 3 EPs on Don Williams a.r.t.less imprint munichs TRAP10 start their own label and the debut is a versatile dancefloor EP through and through. While unmistakably influenced by classic 1990ies era techno, the detroit schooled tunes resemble the duos flexibility - be ready for interesting yet effective dj cuts to add to your record collection. A1 'Flight 781 - straight rhythm action with dark chords and a mesmerising bassy melody. B1 'Shakem' - rumbling electro drums and broken beats complemented by a grimy vocal.

The long established and critically acclaimed DJ-Kicks series kicks off 2017 with suitably accomplished DJ, producer, vocalist and instrumentalist Matthew Dear at the helm.A man of many musical hats, Texas born, Detroit raised Dear has a wide reaching discography that takes in face melting techno as Jabberjaw, dark avant-pop under his own name and intricate minimal as Audion.Often with a gothic slant and full of curiousness, his pensive but playful music is an intoxicating distillation of many different influences, often withhis own stylised vocals at the centre.

This Franco-Swiss trio is a three-headed beast, discharging a singular energy in which one may detect echoes of traditional music, saturated repetition, ethereal harmonics or imaginary choreographies.There are no starting points, no ending points, no standard form structures - these all disappear as the senses encounter the first shock waves. The music employs a rich timbral palette, combining long heavy descending harmonium sweeps, relentless percussion, and the ever more precise patterns and drones of the hurdy-gurdy.

Henrique Oliveira aka HNQO, is the man responsible for this exciting full album release on DOC Records.

HNQO

is one of the fastest rising young stars in the techno, house and indie dance scene in Brazil.
Causing much attention and hype with his recent EP release on DOC Records (Balinese Death - also featured in MAGNUM VOL 1) and having reach the

#1 spot at Hot Creations Top selling single, it is time to introduce his first album "The Old Door", (influenced by Marlin Stimming and Anders Trentemøller, two of his heroes).
A weird string sound marks the opening of "The OId Door".

By mixing old sounds with new ideas, while recording different instruments, the track shows HNQO's life and it features Urzula Amen in the vocals.

"The Death of the Elephant' is a soundtrack to remind us how destructive human kind has been to the nature. Using sounds of Pizzicato Violin, "40s Cartoon' continues to take us to a journey through the artist's imagination.


The album is filled with the Henrique life moments during the year it took to produce the album.

For an example in "Egyptian Lover" HNQO describes how nice it would have been to have a lover flying overnight.

On this track Russian singer Cotry interprets the lyrics.

"Fallen Angel" is a dramatic piece telling a story still about flying.

"If" is another collaboration with the amazing Urzula Amen.


As we get closer to the end, when its finally time, 'Light a Cigarette' reaches a melancholic state where all melodies were recorded with eyes shut and in complete darkness.

A spiritual moment that became Henrique's favourite track of this project.

The scratch of a match, the flame and then a foggy synth that releases all the feelings in sound waves.
The album cover was inspired on a door.

A door that HNQO was able to enter by playing certain keys on his synths, percussions and strings that allowed him to reach a organic level while making it all a bit more human in terms of groove construction.
A poem from Rai Knight was perfect fit to give the density for the digital bonus track.
To get a better feel of what this album has to say, HNQO invites you to open 'The Old Door"

A Certain Ratio aus Manchester repräsentieren beispielhaft die Ästhetik und Kultur der Postpunk-Explosion der späten Siebziger. Mute schickt sich nun an, den Katalog der Band in einer mindestens länger währenden Veröffentlichungsoffensive erneut verfügbar zu machen. Die Reihe beinhaltet das Debüt "The Graveyard And The Ballroom", das im Original im Dezember 1979 auf Factory Records veröffentlicht wurde. Es erscheint als limitierte Vinyl-Edition mit einem farbigen PVC-Sleeve inklusive CD- und, analog zur Erstveröffentlichung, Kassettenbeilage. Gleichzeitig erscheinen die Alben "To Each" (1981) und "Force" (1986) auf farbigen Vinyl und als CD.

Berlin based Japanese industrial synth duo group A make their debut on Mannequin Records with a killer 3-tracks self titled EP.
.
Tommi Tokyo (synth, drum machine, vocals) and Sayaka Botanic (violin, tapes and sampler) released 2 studio albums and 1 live album in Tokyo, before to move in Berlin in 2016. With their mixture of dark minimal synth, avant-noise, striking visuals and performance art, the duo still carries on the very breath of early industrial pioneers such as Throbbing Gristle, Die Form, Klinik, Cabaret Voltaire.

The EP was recorded in Tommi's bedroom and later mixed together with Mannequin Records head Alessandro Adriani in his own studio in Berlin. The first two tracks of the EP, 'T.O.P.' and 'Ketabali' represents the duo personal reaction against the current economy, an up yours to capitalism, news and politics, all permeated by industrial rhytmic-noises and words with no meaning.
The B2 'Alibi' instead was inspired by an autobiography of Hi-Red Centre(Japanese avant-grade art group in the 60-70's) written by one of the members, Genpei Akasegawa. Tommi found the word "Alibi" in the book and she just started singing about the group. As she never wrote lyrics for that, during their live performances they are always improvised, so changing and mutating every time.

"there is no one else in the world.
there is no one else in sight.
they were the only ones who mattered.
they were the only ones left.
he had to be with me. she had to be with him.
i had to do this. i wanted to kill him.
i started to cry.
i turned to him."

Décalé. is a fresh new label based in Biarritz ( France ). Décalé. focuses on reissuing worldwide 'french speaking' music from the 80's / 90's. Travelling into multiple genres : Synth-Pop , West Indies , New Beat , Occitan Folk , Afrobeat , ... and taking taste in weird and obscure records.For it's first release , Décalé. started with one of the most awaited french zouk ( in the ear of the beholder ) albums : Nar'Chiveol - 'Esperance Music Wir'. Originally released in 1988 on a private press in Guadeloupe and the same year on West Indies Records in Paris .'Apocalypse Now Ho' is now a well known banger for diggers and Décalé. wanted to show the whole album that is really surprising by crossing West Indies genres.From disco west indies with 'Séance de Nuit' and 'Spleen Maria' , weird rumba funk with 'Fo Nou Pédalé' to early biguine inspiration with 'Separation KC'. To close this album , ' Apocalypse Now ' and ' Swingue Zouk La ' sounds like a revolution didn't yet happen in carraibean music.

The latest release from Bjarki Runar's bbbbbb label sees Bjarki delving back into his vast archives and shines a light on a bizarre detour during the early days of the label that involved
a peculiar commission from the Icelandic state. Bjarki introduces the story; 'It was back in 2015 and we were only just putting together the original plans towards making bbbbbb a label. While this was happening, I got a call from a friend who was
working for a local tech start-up and marketing company. They'd been contacted by the Icelandic Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture who came to them with a weird proposition.
They were looking at the idea of marketing Icelandic lamb as this user-exclusive commodity for high end restaurants, the same way they do with Kobe beef in Japan. His marketing company was going all in with this idea of creating an elite herd of sheep that would get the 5-star treatment - fresh food and beer, shampoo and geothermal baths for their fleece, and entertainment such as TV and music for when they were in the hills. That's where I came in'. The initial meeting between Bjarki and the marketeers however didn't go as smoothly as they hoped; 'When I met my friend and his team, they were going to have music pumped through a series of remote speakers across the hillside' Bjarki explains. 'But when they showed me what they were going to play to them, I almost fell of my chair laughing! It was all this
cheesy, easy listening, orchestral Icelandic bullshit. I said to them 'This is nonsense! Why are you bringing me into this project if that's all you're going to be playing' In the end, I told
them I would completely redo all the sounds and music they were going to be using. I was going to drag the Icelandic sheep into the 21st Century'. Bjarki was as good as his word. Over the summer of 2015, he spent several weeks at farm
locations near Kirkjubæjarklaustur and Reykholtsdalur, walking the hills and playing a variety of sounds and beats to various flocks of sheep to see what the best approach was. It
was tough going at first; 'At the beginning, I was working totally blind', Bjarki explains. 'Imean how can you possibly know what sort of modern music and sounds Icelandic sheep
would go for' But Bjarki persevered and he found certain sounds and tones made the sheep more active and engaged.
From this point, he began to make tracks that would encapsulate what the lambs were drawn to the most. 'A track like Soda 'Sugarlicious' for example, came about when I started
playing Candy Crush on the hillside. As I kept playing, the sheep began to gather around me showing interest in the bright chintzy sounds coming from my laptop and that deep voice that
would keep speaking to you. I simply put together a track that was all shiny colours and heavy on the chimes. The sheep fucking loved it!' A track like 'Drab' meanwhile was suited
for less sunny moments. 'I got caught in a nasty rainstorm, so I started playing these synth lines I had made, along with an improvised kick drum. The mix of the softness of the tones
along with the hit of the bass cased the sheep to follow me all the way back to the farm I was staying at. The farmer wasn't too impressed with that, but the flock was completely
hypnotized'. In the end Bjarki, amassed several tracks ranging from soft ambient to gnarly hardcore bangers to present to the Ministry. But in the end, they decided not to go with the whole
proposal. 'These people were fools', Bjarki says. 'They just couldn't get their heads around doing something completely different, that was a bit of fun yes, but was completely done in a
serious manner. We all spent weeks doing this stuff so yeah, it was a bit gutting'. In the end though, there is a silver lining to this story as these efforts were not wasted for we can now hear the best of Bjarki's efforts from this admittedly weird project on a limited 12'release that marks a storming 2017 for the bbbbbb label.

This 2XLP album, EUROPA, is dedicated to and inspired by events in 2015 & 2016, which saw the spectre of global crisis come knocking at Europe's doorstep.During this time, more than a million migrants and refugees fled their homes in the Middle East, Northern Africa, sub-Saharan Africa and other conflict ravaged areas in search of a better life. For many, hopes of a future for themselves and their families lay in continental Europe.As already said about the preceding 12' single with the same name - One of the most well- trodden paths on this journey was the Balkan route, a trail leading through Turkey, Greece, and the former Yugoslavia.. This route was not without its dangers, and the dreams of thousands upon thousands were dashed by impassible security fences and discordant EU politics, as one by one they were turned away at borders, or worse, forcibly returned to their countries of origin.Europa was recorded during long jam sessions in Belgrade as the media spotlight started to dim. The city became the purgatorial destination for a large number of migrants, whose journeys had been cut short.
This double LP reflects the atmosphere of disillusionment and uncertainty about the future, which descended on the Serbian capital. Dark and melancholic saxophone playing on top of heavy kicks and Mediterranean percussions dominate the epic 17 minutes title track. The collaboration with Jerusalem in My heart continues the melancholic atmosphere, adding to it JIMH signature delayed baglama sounds, to create a 12 minute emotional journey, tearing away abstract concepts of 'longing' and 'home' with ever growing tension and magnitude. Genre-less, illusive and not easy to categorize, Tapan's debut album on Malka Tuti is an original soundtrack of a fragment in time and space, capturing a moment and transcending it musically for the rest of the world to experience.

Formed in 1997, and inaugurated that year with a split 12' from new-comers and label founders, Solvent and Lowfish, this year Suction Records celebrates it's 20th anniversary with the re-introduction of their famed Snow Robots series of compilations. While originally started as a North American answer to UK electronix labels like Rephlex, Skam and Warp Records, a sound that is still a staple of the current Suction Records catalog, Suction's sound has also swerved into new territories, reflecting our love of dark '80s electronic music - synthpop, EBM, and beyond.... Snow Robots Volume 4 features an international array of artists, from Suction Records mainstays like Digital Poodle, June, Celldöd, and Ceramic Hello (with their much sought-after 1982 vocoder anthem), to label-favourites appearing on Suction Records for the first time: Beau Wanzer, Morah, and one of Skanfrom/Sleeparchive's lesser known aliases, Civil Defence Programme.

Osage (pronounced Oh-Sage) is the electronic music making alter ego of dj/producer lil'dave, a veteran DJ on the Philadelphia nightclub scene, a member of the highly respected dj crew Illvibe Collective and the co-host of the internationally known broadcast Eavesdrop Radio. As a recording artist, he has released music under various aliases for record labels such as BBE Records, Tru Thoughts, Record Breakin' Music, Soulspazm, and First Word Records and collaborated with and remixed a diverse range of artists such as RJD2, Lady Alma, Ty, Ryat, Captain Planet, Foremost Poets, and more.The Osage sound is an amalgamation of musical influences such as deep house, samba, African rhythms, futuristic r&b, boogie, uk garage, salsa, broken beat, and soul. Built from slightly unorthodox drum programming, and layers of synthesizers, the music is focused on bringing the soulfulness out of the machines he is working with. Over the years, he has been building a solid reputation by creating a catalog of clever dance floor edits, remixes, and original tracks which have been supported by notable tastemakers such Gilles Peterson. This 12" compiles 4 of our favorite moments from the 2 EPs that Osage has released thus far on Bastard Jazz. The record kicks off with the bubbling house vibes of "I Found You" featuring Dezeray Dawn on vocals, before moving into a deeper House dub of the track from Washington DC's Sol Power All-Stars. On the flip, "Last Call" is a late end of the night anthem with Osage himself offering words of inspiration, and the EP rounds off with the "Anyway", a sparse dance cut with syncopated claps, moody synths and heartfelt vocals from Yemi.

Although Rico Puestel has been producing since 2005, he still seems to be something of an insider tip. Since 'Caravel' though, his August release on Cocoon Recordings, things have taken a dramatic turn with Puestel currently enjoying 'man of the moment' status, especially when it comes to progressive techno and peak time action on the dance floor."973 picks up exactly where 'Caravel' left off, kicking powerfully with irresistable, effect-loaded breaks that really twist your melon. This one really works you over but there's also feeling and a touch of elegance, in fact we can't remember hearing anything like this since Len Faki's Dustin Zahn Remix! '973 proves that 'Caravel' was no flash in the pan, just one tantalising glimpse into the musical world of Rico Puestel and that's not the end of it..."272 is a little more stripped down and chilled to start with, but soon opens up into the same crazy atmosphere as '973. This is dominated by an up-and-running arpeggio synth, which combines with the now familiar effects-break motif to create an incredible hypnotic effect. A little less brutal than '973 but drenched in more reverb, '272 is something like 'kicking Deep Techno' with a nod to the Tech House corner in the style of Mark Broom or Joris Voorn. Mr. Puestel serves up two choice cuts here and there's no question that 973272 will be with us for a while. Buckle up, hold tight and off we go!

On the Corner's DJ tool and eclectic favourite, Versus is back for a second instalment. There are some familiar faces occupying this tasty wax and some new comers pushing the needle further-out On the Corner.
As 2015's Versus sold-out we'd already acquired some fresh production talents and sent stems over to new and old friends alike.
Get your atlases out as we criss-cross the globe introducing you to artists from afar-afield as Nairobi, Manchester, Pune, Iringa, Detroit, and South London.
We kick off with Jinku, self-proclaimed space monkey hitting OtC wax for the first time. The producer is one-fifth of the East African Wave, a collective of young DJ Producers who are revolutionising the East African arts scene. As a 'sponge' of different influences, Jinku lays down a balearic reworking of fellow Nairobian, Makadem's 'Nyako'.
Of the returning artists none is quite as mysterious as the elusive and incomparable Black Classical - discordant-Ra-like organ meets Brazilian poly-rhythmic percussions bludgeoned with a heady slab of rave breaks make for 'Jeje': already a firm fave of Gilles Peterson.
Boundary pushing Contours brings a new swing to the 'Agama' groove, following the underground smash from Al Dobson Jr back where it all started with the release of Tamar Collocutor's first album in 2014.
Wonky psychedelic perambulations through the Traab al-Beidaan (Sahara) from Sam Jones who adds another construct to his mantle. Group as Salaam have a cassette release forthcoming and this construct comes from field recording sessions conducted during a feast out in the shadow of Africa's largest Windfarm by label head Pete OntheCorner. Vibes!
On the B-side, sprightly producer Daisho from the Indian hotbed of Pune brings a layered percussive heater hanging in the atmosphere with ominous synth b-lines and rightly tipped to be in the realms of and early Four Tet mover.
The release enters into a deeper shamanic dance territory in the final third: the beathead's elixir, M.I.X.G. and their massive xylophone (Embaire) are back and gets a heavy acid rerub as South London's FYI Chris appear OntheCorner wax again with
'Drop the beat'.
Peter Croce, head of Detroit's Rocksteady Disco brings it deep into the early hours for this euphoric 4am fix of OntheCorner's
afro-latin-electronic party experimentalists, Penya.

'Less thought, more direction and purpose, less catering, more expression...'

This was Savile's mantra as he sculpted his 'Compersion' EP for Mike Simonetti's 2MR and it's a mantra we should all subscribe to. It's come about through his introspective analysis during the creation of his most succinct and starkest exploration date.

''Compersion' is a record about wrestling my own beliefs, both personal and political. It's about experiencing the anxiety and absurdity of loving a partner and ultimately myself. The sounds, tempos and arrangements found here are the result of further experiments with editing tracks to their absolute minimum. I tried to work these songs like I am working on me. Less thought, more direction and purpose, less catering, more expression.'

And more detail; throughout every stripped back heavily-edited sensation the conceptual EP provides, the meaning and message is palpable. Each track title inspired by Jenny Holzer and Helmut Lang's revolutionary provocative, sexualisation of the art space in Florence Biennale, 1996, there's a tangible physicality felt throughout...

The heavy breathing rhythmic elements of the electroid 'Talk Smile Bite' and its bedrock bedspring funk; the playful switch between breezy broken beats and driving techno coupled with minimal sample craft and literal message of an instantly recognisable vocal on 'Watch Scan Wait'; the much heavier, intense techno pressure of 'Tease Breathe Smell' where the heart is on the sleeve and it's palpitating wildly with direction, purpose and true expression.

A smart concept from a Smart resident, Savile has achieved something special here; a provocative model a deep self-construction and, above all, three damn fine pieces of techno.

Rising star St. Joseph from Cologne with a nice varied release on Daro Recordings.

Perc's third album 'Bitter Music' pushed his sound to further extremes than ever before when released in April of this year, winning widespread acclaim and launching a worldwide tour to support it. Now the album returns with two EPs of interpretations for a diverse selection of remixers most of whom are new to Perc Trax. This first EP of remixes takes in Head Front Panel's constantly building, pulsating version of deep album moment 'The Thought That Counts', Hodge's Bristol meets London meets Berlin stepping take on 'Chatter' and a screwfaced broken version of album opener 'Exit' by rising Blackest Ever Black star Pessimist.

Max manetti is a new artist to Uber. This 4 track ep showcasing his unique loose percussion and bass driven take on the Balearic beat capturing the dancefloor and the sunshine in equal measures. Jungle prayer is a breaky percussion grroove with cheeky sample, deeply mesmerising. Dub Macumba is a slightly more drowsy take the theme of bass and drums with a funky guitar rhythm. Changuinola is a dubby narcotic dream of a tune subtle melodies and a perfect vocal sample evocing nights under stars at Hostal Salinas. Finally Garrison arrives...another killer downtempo bomb. a seriously confident debut. proper.

150 white copies!! What's the best thing we can do What our heart tells us, so finally we do it. Enough! Music starts a vinyl only limited series with collected fine musicians. The first outstanding release is by label owner himself Danilo Schneider, he presents his EP Take A Breath. The deep passion and focus on excellent productions is the result on this first release here.'Solidly' and 'Sunday' are two tracks full of rhythmic elements, percussions and a groovy dub drive. This harmony between a straight kick and a deep bassline along side the melodic attitudes are balm for your soul. Stay tuned and follow us on a journey full of exciting releases.

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

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

Keeno's third full length album, 'All The Shimmering Things', is a gorgeous body of work that truly transcends the dancefloor, offering maturity and depth far beyond his years.

From the majestic flutterings of 'Light Cascading' to the breathtaking euphoria of 'Cosmic Creeper', the album elevates into a world of brilliantly constructed sonics, arrangements and melodies, seemlessly crafted with care and precision.

The journey is made complete by guest vocalists Becca Grey, Abbie Rosie and Katya, whose exquisite lyrics perfectly fuse the album's themes with notable sophistication. Such a finely balanced combination creates a collection that is guaranteed to charm loyal fans and new comers alike.

Keeno's debut album 'Life Cycle' turned drum & bass on its head with its fresh approach to compositon and instrumentation, receiving universal praise from fans and artists across drum & bass and beyond. This pinnacle moment was the start of a continuous rise for Keeno, leading him to take his music from UK festival stages to club shows in Australia and New Zealand.

'All The Shimmering Things' expands and improves on everything that we love about Keeno's music and is sure to be one of the finest drum & bass albums in 2017.

It´s quite some years after Starburst , the first record on Internasjonal the japanese duo Traks Boys, consisting of Kawasaki based producers and Djs Crystal and K404 did for us. But a short 7 Years down the road the magic is still there. "Be With you" and "Weekend Lights" are mesmerizing, sparkling with creativity and beauty. "Be With you" is modern disco cut up of the finest while Weekend Lights is a hypnotic stringinfected warm groover that we can´t get enough of. Finally Weekend (Light) Lover and Friend of the House Axel Boman takes it all home in the biggest of ways.
Reduced with care and then build up again to one the neatest breaks that we heard this year.

First official reissue of Nigerian Boogie Disco Grail LP produced by Grotto for EMI Nigeria and originally released in 1978. Contains dance classic'Bad city Girl'. Liner notes by Nigerian Music expert Uchenna Ikkone, include previously unpublished photos and extensive interviews by Temitope Kogbe.
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Odion Iruoje was the A&R manager at EMI at the time,' Benson says, and he auditioned us, liked he material and signed us.' Odion Iruoje of course had groomed and produced Ofege. Now he was looking to repeat the formula with other high school groups such as Tirogo, Apples and Question Mark. Grotto's deep rock would be a welcome addition to this schoolboy rock' series.
Work on their album started immediately, with Iruoje in the producer's chair. Adapting to the tastes of the times—as well as their own maturing musical sensibilities—Grotto started transitioning from acid rock towards sleeker, more dance floor-friendly grooves. As I grew older I think I got a bit jazzier,' Benson says. I also listened to Curtis Mayfield, James Brown, Isley Brothers, Prince and a lot of funk groups from that era.'
Hard rock was the content of the first album,' Amenechi agrees, and funk/jazz/R&B the focus of album number two. Especially with the late Toma Mason Jr. joining as bassist.' The group's second album, Grotto II: Wait... No Hurry (released in 1979) reflected the growing sophistication of its members' musical outlook. Fat, funky bass grooves rubbed shoulders with jazzy flute lines, space-age synthesizer tones punctuated good, old-fashioned crunchy rock riffs.

Bursting through the vapour trails of previous Solar Phenomena pilot Antonio Ruscito, London's Roberto is invited to the take the controls of the forward-thrusting new label's third adventure.

With turbine pads raising hairs at 20 paces, opening track 'Into The Blue' is an alluring statement. Adorned with breathing atmospherics and stately kicks, it builds perfectly on Roberto's previous work both on his own highly respected label Fossil Archives and other eminent imprints such as Emmanuel's Arts and Dehnert's Fachwerk as a fusion of contrasts and shades.

'DX Waves' takes us up a gear as it heads nose-first into a techno vortex. Relentless, driving and hypnotic, there's a pneumatic funk to the drums while the riff ripples and stimulates with a warmth and fluidity that instantly recalls the legacy of Motor City while remaining plotted to a path of its own.

This sense of unbridled drive and energy continues on Roberto's final original of the EP: 'Chord Recall'. Here the drums take more of a central position on the stage as the warped, melting tones and textures wrap themselves around the punctuated kicks and occasional deep-splash cymbals. Laced with a deep sense of space and a bewildering sensation of an unknown destination, it s another innovative voyage for Solar Phenomena that's brought home with an exciting revision conclusion from the one and only Peverelist.

A Bristol beat explorer who needs no introduction, Peverelist's take on 'Chord Recall' takes off where his recent album 'Tessellations' left us at the start of the summer. With his loose broken drum signature, Peverelist provides space for Roberto's original textured elements to take place at the centre of the stage and roam and evolve freely and hypnotically. A fitting end to another exceptional and innovative exploration, both Roberto's originals and Peverelist's remix set us up eagerly for the next Solar Phenomena chapter