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First Terrace Records is thrilled to announce that Justin Wright - the Montreal cellist & composer hand-picked for support duties by luminaries such as Colin Stetson, Hauschka,  Bing & Ruth, and the late great Jóhann Jóhannsson - is gliding calmly into the spotlight with his debut long player.

With an assembled quartet of violin, viola, cello and double bass, the record was tracked in Rolston Hall at the Banff Centre, in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, and carries in its sound the location's stately beauty.

Over the duration of Music For Staying Warm, nine experimental compositions and improvisations are unwound for the listeners pleasure, each with its own gentle patience, as Justin invites you to 'relinquish your sense of anticipation' and enjoy the drift.

Announcing itself like sunshine on frost, Harmonic Loops opens the record and begins to thaw the path ahead. Throughout the album, woollen strings swell at their unforced pace and combine to swaddle the brain's pleasure sensors in frequent moments of pure hygge.

Cardinal Fuzz and Eiderdown Records are pleased to bring forth Prana Crafter and 'MindStreamBlessing' An electric mantra from the deep heart of the Pacific Northwest woods, "MindStreamBlessing" beckons you to relax and crack open your mind for a little while. Prana Crafter is Will Sol, practitioner of fine guitar spell-casting and audio fortune telling. A heady brew of guitar, drums, and organ that traces its majestic lineage from both the wayward strains of a cosmic Americana blues and the rustling sunshine daydreams of a future primitive past. The tunes contained herein drift and sway through the windmills of your mind, leaving the sweet aftertaste of pine and ocean mist. Accept this MindStreamBlessing as a balm for these troubled times.

Line Explorations present its first release - a compilation consisting of six tracks by six national artists, producing under the names of T'iwu, HTL, PX, emme, AMSH and Mensaje Sanador, serving as a sampler for what's to come in the future on the label and the sounds the label will evoke such as techno, IDM, ambient, noise, drone and experimental vibrations from the further avant-garde,

The first track focuses on growing an organic and everyday sonic scape with the use of chords and melodies filled with light touch - reminiscent of clear skies and sunshine - which creates an ambient feel similar to that of daily vibrations of life as presented and explored by T'iwu.

HTL enhances the depth of the reflections of today's emotions one can feel by delving deeper into everyday surroundings and exploring the noise/drone side of the ambient musical styles by mixing melodic elements with the out of the ordinary effects which shock and ululate while shaping the musical texture into a darker and deeper atmosphere.

The following track, by PX, elevates the atmosphere into a more jovial soundscape full of '80's inspired electronica and sci-fi soundtracks. The beat rolls off and twists in a funky groove helping develop a danceable pace for the release.

On top of that, emme presents the fourth track - in the shape of techno meets breaks - where more classical elements of industrially influenced electronic music can be traced from yesteryears. The sounds engulf in warmly distorted melodic strings while flowing over and under the rhythmic structure.

In contrast, AMSH's ''Subway'' presents a downpour of heavy sounds, such as noise influenced synths and delayed infected percussion, along with field recording of trains help envision the movement of a manmade machine and its flow through the undergrounds of today's world.

The final piece, of the label's initial release, comes in the shape of a Mensaje Sanador or healing message. The track takes on the elements of the three titles that have preceded it and explores further the dynamics between current and classical sounds of the electronic dance music genres by delving deeper into sound synthesis, melodies and rhythm as to help one submerge further into exploring such sounds, their history and the future to come.

Prolific soul man Carlton Jumel Smith made a fresh opening into deep vintage soul sounds with his Timmion single debut. Now he's back for more with the dancefloor track "This Is What Love Looks Like", paving the road towards his album, which is dropping on Timmion at the beginning of 2019.

Think of classic funky soul with a little bit of Chicago, some Tighten Up guitar and blaring horn melodies, and you get an idea, where this energizing groove is headed. Carlton gets going with his soulful testimony, while the A-list of Finnish soul and jazz players from Tuomo Prättälä and Jimi Tenor to Jukka Eskola strengthen the Cold Diamond & Mink band to new heights.

If the first single dripped with heartaches and bitterness, this one is a monumental sonic heart emoji instead, seasoned with sweet sunshine. Even though Carlton can play any part the lyric casts him in, the conveyor of positivity suits him well. In real life it's not rare to see the man smiling, and when performing he oozes with peace, love and soul, turning the audience inside out. Here he's laid down one for the dancers!

Official, remastered reissue of this disco tinged, afro funk treasure and the first time the 'Karam Bani' single has been cut to 12' - maximising every ounce of highlife soul from Sidiku Buari's productions.

That undeniable US funk flavour coupled with Buari's Ghanaian rhythms bring a zest to these grooves even the tangiest of forbidden fruits couldn't draw out. Those fuzzed keys and dusty highlife guitar licks sprinkle the West African flavour, whilst drumming demi-god Bernard Purdie provides the wizardry behind the infectious, yet precision like beats that make the track so unique. Purdie's killer breaks combined with Buari's jubilant vocals give a spirituality to this cut that'll liven up any dancefloor - alongside being a gold mine for samples.

Flip it over and you're hit with the joy filled jam, 'Ye Koaba'. Tribal drums lead the way for a chorus of jubilant chants supplemented by glistening synth sounds and funk fuelled guitar riffs. It's a feel-good slice of Ghanaian sunshine, capturing that community spirit and good-hearted nature Ghana's famous for.

Two afro funk sensations sure to put a smile on your face, even when the skies are grey and you're 5000 miles away from the glorious West African coastline.

Footshooter is the moniker of London based producer, DJ and musician Barney Whittaker. His style blends skippy, broken beat production with live instrumentation to create an organic, rich sound and he frequently collaborates with emcees, poets and vocalists exploring different tones and moods.

His last record, Strange Days EP (released on Famous Friends), gained regular plays on NTS, Balamii, WorldWide FM and, most recently, by Bonobo in a DJ set at his NYC Boiler Room.

'Technicolour Nights', due out on YAM Records later this year, is a meditation on long evenings & nights out and how they vary in atmosphere, mood and colour. Opening with the aptly named and ethereal 'Intro', the EP quickly jumps into sunshine territory with 'Juan's Stairwell' before 'On Telegraph Hill' brings the heads down for a meditative two-step groover to close up the A-side.

On the flip, Footshooter flexes his 160bpm muscles on 'Mars' with the help of London based vocalist and MC And Is Phi, before dropping the tempo just a touch on 'Rotations', a steppy, Rhodes-laden journey through London nightlife. 'Our Love' lowers the tempo even further to bring the EP to a close on a bittersweet note.

Love Not Sex is the second Stubb 12" from Paper Recordings' Ben Davis.

The original is a melancholic slice of sunshine that draws inspiration from MOR and blue-eyed soul with a hefty dose of Balearica.
Acoustic guitars, Rhodes, live drums and strings plus Crazy P's Tim Davis on bass provide the perfect cinematic backdrop for the plaintive vocals of Huw Costin (Torn Sail) and Rachel Foster.

Japanese edit hero Mori Ra delivers his first ever remix and its a doozy. Keeping the bones of the original track, he takes it in to dark psychedelic waters with the help of former_airline's tripped out guitar.
A spoken vocal tips it in to full balearic wonkiness that will have the likes of DJ Harvey and Bjorn Torske getting hot under their disco beards.

Bergen's Leca employs his trademark stripped back crisp production for a warm, dreamy remix. Steel guitar, clicks, whirrs and a Nordic playfulness make for a cosmic journey in to the Northern Lights.
The 12's will be a limited run of 300, screen printed in West Yorkshire by The Egg Factory with artwork by artist Rachel Johns in a project that celebrates community and collectivism.

Keni Burke's signature hit 'Risin' To The Top' gets an official remastered, reissue alongside the 12 inch mix of his '81 killer jam 'You're The Best'.

'Risin' To The Top' quickly became a clear favourite of the soul crowd back in the '80s, with Keni's sensuous vocals, a timeless bassline of epic proportions and those dreamy, sunshine chords proving a winning combination. Since then countless producers, from the likes of Doug E Fresh and Slum Village, to LL Cool J and Mary J Blige, have utilised 'Risin' To The Top' as a choice sample for their own productions. A quick glance at this seemingly endless list, just goes to show how much of an impact this record ended up having.

On the flip, 'You're The Best', takes a more boogie paved path, filled with an undeniably groove laden bass synth, cosmic keys and Keni's infectiously soulful vocals. It's early eighties synth boogie at it's best, placing the electronic elements at the forefront whilst holding onto that unquestionable funk at its core.

Two Keni Burke classics for soul heads, sample spotters and anyone with a keen ear for a gem.

Little house dishes for the sunshines moments !

Almost three decades after he put out his first record as one half of Tummy Touch twosome Tutto Matto, Paulo Guigliemino continues to produce effortlessly brilliant music that joins the dots between vintage disco, boogie, proto-house and sun-kissed Balearica. For proof, just check the heavyweight dancefloor sunshine that is 'Bella Topa', his first release on Leng Records.

Slow, sensual and blessed with all manner of delay-laden drum machine percussion hits, the track fixes the producer's usual colourful, boogie-era synth flourishes and ear-pleasing instrumentation (think fluid electric pianos, fluttering flutes, eyes-closed jazz guitar solos, lilting saxophones and spacey electronic chords) to a chugging, head-in-the-clouds groove reminiscent of Lindstrom and Prins Thomas's early collaborative work. 'Bella Topa' cleverly shifts shape several times throughout, utilising jazzier rhythms and bolder melodies to light up key moments.

Remixes come from Guigliemino's old pal Federico Marton, a producer best known for being one half of sometime Get Physical, Superfiction and Snatch Recordings artists Italoboyz. He lays down two distinctive revisions, starting with a 'Slow' club reconstruction that adds additional percussive heaviness and sparkling electronics to Super Paolo's twinkling, sun-baked original.

His other version, a 'Fast' club reconstruction, drags Guigliemino's track towards peak-time dancefloors kicking and screaming. Making the most of his friend's killer groove and finding sufficient time and space for each life-affirming musical element to sparkle, his mix bobs, weaves and eventually soars for 12 mesmerizing minutes. The mix, like his slow version, makes use of additional percussion and wisely gives more prominence to the A-side's spacey electronics and boogie-influenced synthesizer flourishes. The results are little less than breathtaking.

Tommy Rawson releases are sporadic but always high quality. As a former member of the Souled duo who ran the excellent Fresh Minute label - he's been around the more tropical end of UK house and broken beat for many years and this, his first full release for Bergerac ushers forth a new level in his sound. This whole record is a masterclass in post bruk, forward thinking, shining, bright UK dance music. Unmatched in emotion and vibes. Deep Blue is quite simply the sound of the summer. Sun drenched, euphoric and soaring. Broken but not broken, 4/4 but not quite housey. Jazzy, soulful....yeah.... It was the highlight of Red Rack'ems Olive Grove closing set at Love International last year when it provided the most halcyon of moments. Live trumpet from Vicky Flint and a whole bag of vibes from Tommy Rawson. This is a classic. Trust. Past Tense is a super tropical African tinged house stomper which shows Tommys love of sunshine vibes once more with acres of space, insistent chants, dubby pianos and a tinge of Jungle roller bass.
The final track Into The Future takes us into almost Blade Runner-esque orchestral emotion but with a kind of Balearic feel tucked in there too. Beautiful, lilting, emotional memories. You can feel so much love in this track.Such a special record. Buy it. Love it. Treasure it.

Bill Browns super rare Brownstone release is one for the deep heads, less well known than label mate 'Everyday People' but just as rare and collectable. Shuffling sunshine soul its all about the groove and feeling. 500 copies only. One for the heads.
Bill Brown and Al Hall jr met around 1971, they were both in south central L.A and shared the same apartment building, also in the same building was Doug Carn and brownstone singer billy Wilson. These studio sessions were done at Paramount studios Hollywood where Al Hall jr was working for producer Art Smith a&c music. The main distributor for A&C was Accent records.

A long time ago, in a Norway far far away in time, keyboardist Bugge Wesseltoft introduced his New Conception of Jazz to the world. We're talking about the late 90s, when Bugge's cosmopolitan blend of jazz, hiphop and techno beats was pretty much the coolest music coming out of Norway at that moment. That was a golden time for Norwegian music, in fact, when the rest of the world began to sit up and take notice that something was stirring up north, and realised the music was more than just glacial tones hurtled from icy mountaintops and frozen lakes. This was the sound of urban Scandinavia.

A few years later came the electronic dance genre 'space disco'. Along with Todd Terje, Bjørn Torske and Lindstrøm, Prins Thomas was at the epicentre of this next big wave to surge out of Norway. Now, the two generations have come together in this exclusive collaboration between Bugge and Prins Thomas on the Smalltown Supersound label. Jazz and electronics combine for that energising vitamin D shot of Nordic sunshine.

The Rainbow Studio in Oslo is a familiar name to anyone who follows the ECM label - many of its classic 1970s jazz albums were recorded there under the eye of resident producer Jan Erik Kongshaug. Bugge and Thomas booked a couple of sessions at the legendary space with Kongshaug at the controls, and improvised some tunes in the style and spirit of some of their favourite ECM moments, like the fresh, open sounds of Codona, Egberto Gismonti, Oregon and Kenny Wheeler. Bugge had previously done a remix of Thomas's 'Bobletekno' in 2015 but this is the first time they have worked together as active musicians. The results - also partly taped at Thomas's home studio - fuse programmed rhythms, live synths and percussion, all captured in a sumptuously spacious acoustic.

For an even more authentic touch they called up one of their all time local heroes and one of Norway's most famous jazz drummers, Jon Christensen, who's been the go-to guy for Jan Garbarek, Terje Rypdal, Keith Jarrett and many more. At 75 years he's still pretty spry behind the kit, as you'll hear on several tracks here.

Make no mistake, though, this is not retro pastiche but contemporary music, coasting on gently insistent programmed grooves and bubbling basslines. The whole thing feels not so much like a consciously hip fusion of DJ and jazz musician, more like two great musicians totally enjoying themselves. Which is exactly what it is.

Key facts:
Bugge Wesseltoft is one of Norway's leading jazz figures. He set up Jazzland Recordings in 1996. His solo Christmas LP It's Snowing On My Piano remains Norway's best selling jazz album!

Prins Thomas's real name is Thomas Hermansen. His label, Full Pupp, means 'full breast'. He's released several albums under his own name, as well as collaborations with Bjørn Torske and Lindström. Check out his amazing Paradise Goulash mixtapes.

Crosstown Rebels celebrate their fifteenth year with their monumental 200th release. American DJ and producer Arthur Baker reunites with Rockers Revenge for the first time in thirty years. To complete the package, dance music heavyweights Francois K and Michael Mayer take on remix duties.

On A Mission is exactly that, 'a mission of love, a mission of peace'. The positive vocals hark back to those of early 90s house tracks, which created unity through music and clubbing. The rhythmic beat of the drum is determined, as percussive layers build and the vocals bleed into the synths. Francois K provides two variations of the track. His remix features more prominent drumbeats driven by a growling bassline. On his rockers dub version, Francois goes all out and dubs us into the stratosphere. Up next is the Michael Mayer remix, with a more electronic take on the original with driving synths and a whirring, throbbing bass-line.

Created in 1982, Rockers Revenge was the brainchild of Arthur Baker and Donnie Calvin. Donnie provided lead vocals with Baker's wife, Tina B, Dwight Hawkes and Adrienne Dupree Johnson on backing vocals. Their most prominent track, Walking On Sunshine, was a post-disco hit reaching #1 in the US dance charts and #4 in the UK charts.

Three years ago Baker and Hawkes reconnected through social media with Baker sending through his original Mission idea. Baker is known for his work with hip hop artists like Afrika Bambaataa, Planet Patrol, and New Order whilst also remixing the Pet Shop Boys' 1986 hit In The Night. Fast forward to 2018 and the group performed a monumental live show at Get Lost Miami, and are currently in the studio working on new material. This Summer they will shoot a new documentary and perform live at various events.

Nubian Quadrant EP sees Dutch producer Philou reaching for that sweet spot between Afro and Electro to produce three pulsing new tracks for Byrd Out. As Philou says, "All good music ultimately comes from Africa", and true to his African roots, the EP was part recorded in Malawi. With his tracks being picked up by the likes of Erol Alkan and Eats Everything, this EP is sure to provide the rhythmic backdrop to the summer. If you imagine the driving force of Fela Kuti matched with the acid sqwelch of Phuture, you're part of the way there. It's dancefloor sunshine on vinyl. Mastered by the legendary Noel Summerville, artwork by G.S-L Studio.



Biog: Philou Louzolo, a vibrant human being showcasing a diverse sound: born and raised in between the forests and the salty ocean breeze of Southern Zeeland (The Netherlands). Blessed with deeply rooted ties to the townships of Sierra Leone, the jungle surrounding the Congo river and Nigeria - where the birth of Fela Kuti's Afrobeat took place - his music sounds like Pan-African propaganda packed with sounds from urbanized cities, the Sahara and Africa's many jungles. He's been making waves with a Mixtape for the Feel My Bicep guys (it's #84), and getting airtime on BBC Radio 6 with Erol Alkan, and on BBC Radio 1 with Eats Everything, and playing Resident Advisor's GAIN stage at DGTL in Amsterdam in March, and playing at Morocco's boundary-pushing Altas Electronic festival later this year.

After his debut single "Tell Me That You Love Me" on Timmion's Stylart imprint, Jonny Benavidez is back with a tighten uppish slab of Texas tinged soul. In "Let's Get Together" Jonny pulls out his best dance craze chops and delivers a positive message over the rolling northern soul rhythm track by Cold Diamond & Mink.

It doesn't matter if you get down to soul music in leather soled slicks or sneakers, this 45 should be your ticket to dance floor heaven. With these two tracks under his belt Jonny is set to continue melting hearts and moving feet anywhere you hear him on record or a live performance.

Bar by bar it starts to come clear that Jonny's gentle voice has some of the same emotive depth as legendary cats like Richard Caiton, so it's nice to know that he has fresh material in the pipeline. If you enjoy the crossover soul sounds of classic indie labels such as Ovide or San Antonio's Dynamic, you will undoubtedly get along nicely with this blast of sunshine.

Reissue of the very first Birds Of Passage album from 2010. Minimalistic Lo-Fi Shoegaze meets experimental pop with drone influences.

For someone who thinks it's difficult to describe music in general, it's even more difficult to describe the soundscapes of BIRDS OF PASSAGE. The influences of Alicia Merz - the girl behind BIRDS OF PASSAGE - are her memories, breathless-inspiring cold winds, the smell and atmosphere of a spring day, smoking cigarettes, sunshine and shadows. As a mixture of all these elements plus a minimalistic experimental instrumentation you as well can describe her music: sometimes shy, sometimes more energetic ( fantastic frown') but always intensely and extremly private. Listening to her debut record "Without The World" is like sharing one long day with Alicia and her thoughts in the diverse landscapes of her home country New Zealand.

Alicia doesn't need the orotund spectacle of a band to evoke emotions - with the help of different, in a minimalistic way, used instruments combined with field recordings, she doesn't create specific songs - she builds up a mood. There's no typical song structure, there's no melody to chase after - but there's a development which absorbs you and which makes you start to think about elements you block out in your everyday life.

The Safe Trip Organisation Has Been Broadcasting Their Musical Version Of A Traditional "numbers Station" On The Frequency 5079. Human Intelligence Suggests The Agent Behind Four Regular, Ear-pleasing Transmissions Is The Safe Trip Associate "artis".
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Using A Specially Modified "one-time Pad", We Were Able To Decipher These Undercover Operatives. The Ethereal, Dreamy, Arpeggio-driven Throb Of "panthera Pardus", With Its Poignant Tone And Undulating Lead Lines, Was Clearly Meant As A Warning.. The Same Could Be Said Of "cetacea", Where Melancholic Synthesizer Sounds And Meandering Electronics Gently Wind Their Way Around Hybrid Electronic/acoustic Percussion.

Panic Set In Once We Deciphered "giganthopithecus", A Composition Littered With Frequent Increases In Percussive Intensity And A Mind-altering Melodic Refrain. Our Hunch That Artis Was Ordering Immediate Action By Agents Was Confirmed By "delphinae", Whose Colourful Melodic Fluidity, Futurist New Age Construction And Layered Wooden Drum Hits Deeply Affected Our Researchers. We Ordered Our Own Agents To Raid The Station, But Artis Had Long Since Scuttled Off Into The Hazy Morning Sunshine.

Do you like Love songs After spending a lifetime spent avoiding this subject in song, Joel Sarakula finally admits that he does. On his new album "Love Club" Sarakula relives the golden age of Soulful and Romantic Pop music and connects it with a modern aesthetic. While a deeper message of love and peace flows through the record, Joel Sarakula is no old fashioned hippie: ",Love Club' is about connecting to reality and re-framing the idea of romantic love and loss in the present, loveless age ". Featuring eleven songs touching all genres from disco to blues, from soul to soft-rock, Joel Sarakula's "Love Club" is a profound pop statement.

Joel Sarakula has travelled the world in search of his muse, experiencing everything from being a victim of Caribbean carjackings to performing in the remote fishing villages of Norway, via the dive bars of Europe and the US. It was the hodge-podge musical tapestry of England's capital that finally drew him to a settling point, in the wake of seemingly never ending run of shows. With personal tastes that span from the more avant-garde to soul and pop greats like Sly Stone, Todd Rundgren and Hall & Oates, there are clear nods to contemporaries like Unkown Mortal Orchestra, Erlend Oye and Toro Y Moi in terms of ambition and style.

With his last two albums "The Golden Age" and "The Imposter" collecting strong radio plays at BBC Radio 2, BBC 6, BBC London, XFM Joel Sarakula has been play-listed nationally in Europe including Flux FM, WDR 5, Radioeins, Bayern 2, Deutschlandfunk and Deutschland Kultur Radio in Germany as well as in Benelux and Italy and Spain. He is a regular fixture on the live festival and club circuit in the UK, Europe and internationally including appearances at SXSW, Primavera Sound, Glastonbury, The Great Escape, Liverpool Sound City, Scala London, Tallinn Music Week, V-ROX (Vladivostok) and Reeperbahnfestival Hamburg.

"Love Club" is Sarakula's bold and unashamedly emotional next step. In essence the album is a homage to the soulful singer & songwriter artistry of the Seventies filtered through a darker contemporary lens - fitting for these uncertain times. "I always shied away from generic love songs," the Sydney, Australia born songwriter admits, "but on this record I embraced the subject wholeheartedly... and intellectually, looking at themes of love, lust, loneliness and everything in-between." Take the first single "In Trouble", co-written with Michele Stodart of The Magic Numbers, as the best example for Joel Sarakula's unique, and honest approach to making music. "We Used To Connect" questions the changing nature of relationships in our social-media addicted world: 'We used to connect in the real world too, now the touch of your hand is a digital cue'.

"Coldharbour Man", on the other hand, examines the identity of the song's narrator and the artist vs. fan dynamic all wrapped up in a disco love song: "There's a lot going on in this particular track. I feel my writing has grown emotionally...", explains Joel Sarakula. "Just best to listen yourself and make up your own interpretation!: 'We met in a song come to life like some fantasy cliché, though I'm known for my moves in the dark you flooded sunshine on my day'. Then there's "Baltic Jam", capturing romantic love and loss in authentic 70s confessional singer & songwriter style and of course "Dead Heat", a song about how there is struggle in the most perfect relationship pairings as the match is so even: "I recall an ex-girlfriend of mine... when we first met, we thought we hated each other but we eventually flipped that emotion and realised we had a deep passion and love for each other, there just was a lot of underlying sexual tension!" : 'It's a battle we could only win, if we lose. We'd be stronger if these lonely ones became two'.

More than a year in the making, Joel Sarakula recorded "Love Club" in various studios around London and Berlin capturing soulful performances from his many musical comrades on vintage analogue equipment. "This record has truly been a labour of love. Recording and privately sharing these performances amongst my collaborators started to feel like a bit like a club - I guess that lead to the album title! I was surprised how much I actually enjoyed the 'love-making process' and I look so much forward to playing these new songs on stage with my band." We can't wait, Joel Sarakula.

JoeFarr and his label User Experience are pleased to welcome a very talented to the roster, Insolate. The artist formerly known as Miss Sunshine is a DJ, producer, label owner and promoter who has been in the business for 20 years and considered as one of the best techno artist's from Croatia. The two original tracks ride a perfect balance between groove, power and emotion. JoeFarr does what he does best and turns out a killer remix.