quête:ta ra

7"

Melbourne/Geelong quartet School Damage began as a bedroom recording project for Carolyn Hawkins (Chook Race, Parsnip) and Jake Robertson (Ausmuteants, Frowning Clouds etc). They released a cassette for Moontown Records in 2013, then were joined by Jeff Raty on drums and Dani 'Damage' Hakim on bass.
Taking cues from pop outfits such as The Vaselines, The Particles and Young Marble Giants, School Damage's sound is defined by wobbly keyboards, weaving bass lines, and lyrical content focused on the vagaries of modern life.
Following on from last year's excellent debut album through Chapter, School Damage return with a new EP for Upset The Rhythm titled 'Sings... Four Songs About One Cat'. As titles go this one hits it on the head, School Damage tell the tale of a very independently-minded feline that they share their life with called Lumpy (also known as Scump). As Jake from the band explains, 'Lumpy is incredibly naughty, she's not very cuddly and she definitely plays by her own rules.  The songs here are a mix about us having anxiety as pet owners - whether she'll run away, or if we're suffocating her by our constant need of attention... and also about how much she enriches our lives.'
For a cat who spends much of her time scratching up record spines, it seems fitting that Lumpy will now grace the cover and sentiment of her very own 7'. Maybe she's just been making room all this time for as many copies as possible of her hit record.

Belgian DJ & producer Mugwump performs an about-face with a new sound and live show and unveils the first extract of his second album 'Drape' and it's first extract,'No Trepidation', a fast-paced postpunk/electronic hybrid and a punch in the face of conformity, formatting and self-censorship.

Borrowing his name from a character from William Burroughs' famed novel Naked Lunch, Mugwump is an elusive presence, a reputation preceded by infamous DJ residencies at Belgian clubs and a longstanding recording relation with Cologne's Kompakt records, ongoing DJ support from Andrew Weatherall as well as a large catalogue of electronic 'disco-techno' records, released on leading labels R&S, Gigolo, Cocoon, Endless Flight, Eskimo, Permanent Vacation or International Feel. Mugwump is also well known for running the Leftorium clubnight in Brussels where like-minded DJ guests such as Ivan Smagghe, Andrew Weatherall, Superpitcher, Matias Aguayo, Optimo, Prins Thomas, Sascha Funke, Gerd Janson, Ata or Roman Flügel share decks leftorium
'Drape' is the follow-up to 2015's debut studio album 'Unspell', which boasted many guest vocalists, garnered media plaudits across the board internationally and was supported with live appearances at Benelux, French, UK and Dutch festivals & venues.Taking it further and morphing into a full live band with new members, Mugwump released the 'Metempsycho EP' in November 2016 on which Geoffroy made his singing debut. Driven by this live band experience, Mugwump's new album 'Drape' will release May 4th 2018

Oddball space disco/fnk tracks, composed between 1970 and 1985. Big tip!
.
A master of the mixing board, from the late 60s until the 90s Bernard Estardy was the wizard of French musical recordings. As head of CBE studios, he shaped everything from Gérard Manset's concept albums to Claude François' hit singles, Françoise Hardy's delicate tear-jerkers and Michel Sardou's soul-stirrers. This giant' had his hand in the whole range of mainstream French music by making his studio a veritable playground for experimentation. His legendary album La Formule du Baron,' released in 1969, and the eight LPs of production music he made between 1974 and 1978 for Tele Music are vivid proof. In the CBE studio, which she runs today, his daughter Julie Estardy discussed his singular career.

Audio-visual artists Soundwalk Collective were granted exclusive access to the personal archive of the groundbreaking filmmaker and present their ambitious New Album and Remix EP: What We Leave Behind released on 18th & 25th May 2018.

The NYC and Berlin based group were invited to aurally explore the archive of the seminal French director Jean-Luc Godard and release their interpretations in an innovative new album What We Leave Behind. Drawing on Godard's personal collection of shot film, reel- to-reels and historical ephemera, the recordings reveal the moments before and after the camera rolls, from stage directions and on-set asides to rehearsals, false stars and outtakes.

'There are boxes filled with sounds, words, chaos, and also silence. For Godard sound is a musical composition and when I began listening to the tapes and heard his voice between takes, it was like little bits of life...each sound has its own value. It has always been part of our working practice to venture into untapped sonic territories, discover the poetics behind them, and explore how we (as humans) relate to it, it is part of a larger discourse.' - Stephan Crasneancki, Soundwalk Collective

Revealing much insight to the director's process and personality, the 6-track album will be followed by a remix EP, featuring unique reworks from Ricardo Villalobos, Jan Jelinek and Petre Inspirescu.

What We Leave Behind, and the subsequent remix EP, arrive 50 years to the day that the the Cannes Film Festival, 1968, was closed after Jean-Luc Godard, Francois Truffaut and Claude Lelouche, publicly announced their closing of the festival in solidarity with workers and students protesting across the country.

The LP features a conversation between Stephan Crasneanscki, of Soundwalk Collective, and Franc¸ois Musy, Jean-Luc Godard's sound engineer, printed on a translucent paper insert. The LP and Remix EP both contain imagery taken by Stephan Crasneanscki of the archives, which he has also filmed to create a series of mesmeric short music videos of original and remix tracks.

An international genre-bending group of artist-musicians with studios in New York City and Berlin, the three members of Soundwalk Collective (Stephan Crasneanscki, Simone Merli, and Kamran Sadeghi) formed in Manhattan to produce concept albums, sound installations, and live performances, and have worked with a diverse range of collaborators, from Nan Goldin and Patti Smith to Berghain and Zaha Hadid.

Following on from his Livity Sound 12' released last year, Via Maris swings back into action with 3 tracks of low slung shellers for Beneath's Mistry label. The EP shows a focussed yet varied range in Via Maris' production. Shelley hits hard with wigged out stomping drums, Toys shows a more sultry, introspective side and Miasma rolls with impeccable pacing. All three tracks are designed, refined and engineered for the dark, hazy basements - you can almost taste that Plastic People vibe.

Keshavara debuts on FILM.

Taking it's influence from downtempo Alt-Pop and Hip Hop, but with nods to blissed out Dub and World Music - the Indian producer arrives on the Berlin based label with Creators of The Rain. Danny Wolfers takes control on the flip - turning in a gorgeous, transcendental remix under his Legowelt alias.

Live instrumentation provides the backbone of the work - dusty drums drive the music forward, complemented by shifting dub-guitar leads, off kilter bassline licks and delayed drum machine breaks. Singer Gio's vocals sit com-fortably at the back of the mix, soft but inviting - present but realised with a distinctly otherworldly energy. There's a fine, organic feel to the recording - ambient surface noise shifts and warps between elements, and live FX pop and duck in and amongst instrument strikes giving the work a rolling, hypnotic feel. It's a deep and fully realised piece of music - wonderfully three dimensional in it's execution, and a striking homage to the artist's wide frame of refer-ence.

On his remix, legendary synthesiser enthusiast Legowelt draws for a characteristically Sci-Fi finish, in keeping with the best of celebrated output for Clone, L.I.E.S., Creme Organisation and more. Maintaining the tempo of the origi-nal piece, but augmenting the work with a growling Reece bassline and hazy lead synths, the Dutch producer care-fully shifts Keshvara's recording up a gear. Where Creators of The Rain began life as a grooving, Hip Hop indebted piece of World Music - immediate but markedly laid-back in it's execution - Danny Wolfers injects a more anthemic, uplifting sentiment, highlighting the dub elements with a delayed drum machine line and pushing the vocals back with a touch of reverb to give his glorious synth-work space to breathe. It's a wonderful take on an already accom-plished piece of music; respectful but inspired - and no doubt some of the Hardware Occultist's finest work.

· Album presentation live @ Camden Assembly London, 13th June
· Genre-spanning UK jazz artist who has worked with the likes of Craig Charles Fantasy Funk Band, Nightmares On Wax, The New Mastersounds, and Rae & Christian
· Follow-up to the debut and highly credited La Sombra from 2017
· Features guest UK trumpeter Matthew Halsall on 'The Mirage'
· La Sombra made Gilles Peterson's 'Best albums of 2017' list, with a track included on Brownswood Bubblers 12
· Part of the Matthew Halsall live band and toured with Dwight Trible

Recorded in Madrid in July 2017, Shamal Wind combines Chip Wickham's globetrotting, spiritual jazz expeditions with hard-won schoolings in the funk. Following his critically acclaimed 2017 debut, La Sombra, the record draws on spiritual jazz influences like Yusef Lateef and Sahib Shihab, and rests on Chip's many-sided experience as a musician, spanning left-field beat experiments to hard-hitting funk heavyweights.

After the Latin and flamenco whispers on La Sombra, Shamal Wind adds some Arab-influence percussion to the mix, most notably on the title track. Elsewhere, 'Barrio 71' sees him nodding to Shihab: high energy, lyrical and absorbing, with sax and the vibraphone taking the lead. 'Snake Eyes' taps into the meditative exaltations of modal jazz, while 'Soho Strut' nods to the jazz fusion, funk-influenced side of Chip's playing.

Like the Persian Gulf winds referenced in the album title, which often mark the shift to a new season, this album signals a new chapter for Chip, opening up a newfound energy and inclusiveness in his music, and further expanding on what he achieved in the past year. "Shamal Wind" is a heavy record, built on strong foundations.

Over the past 3 decades Chip Wickham has worked, written, recorded, and toured with the likes of Rae & Christian, Fingathing, The Pharcyde, Jimpster, Nightmares On Wax, Graham Massey, Roy Ayers, Nat Birchall, The New Mastersounds, Lack Of Afro, Craig Charles Fantasy Funk Band, Matthew Halsall, and Dwight Trible.

On "La Sombra":
"This is coming from the outside, I was like whooooa, easy. Blowing hard - they got it right! Gilles Peterson
"I'm becoming convinced that Chip Wickham is a genius" Craig Charles
"An impressive solo debut" London Evening Standard
"Majesterial and electrifying stuff" 9/10 Blues & Soul Magazine
"Tonally and melodically elegant and with a distinct 1960s/1970s vibe" Scotsman

3x12"

Listening back to Roman Poncet's first releases on Figure just a couple years ago, they already hinted at the producer's keen technical abilities and a knack for rich texturing, resulting in tracks that were
both carried by force and form. What he delivers now is an impressively mature debut album, ripe with personal creative realization.

On Gypsophila the French producer uses the extended format to slowly shape up a scenery of epic proportions where surprise and constant change lurk around every corner. A certain sense of
progression and evolution runs throughout Poncet's music; it invariably keeps one locked in, no matter for the opening drones of Do Not or the patiently growing Thick Vegetation, which fuses tribal
percussion and choral chants to showcase another of this LP's key features: its dense soundscape, which at once feels inherently electronic yet deeply organic, translating the abstract futuristic themes
of techno into something jam-packed and heady albeit steadily grounded - a listening experience that is as dreamy as it remains tangible.

This holds true for the highly atmospheric synth-lead pieces, such as the cinematic intro Hello You, the elevating arp-ride Epreuve or the suspended celestial groove of Atlas. But equally goes for the floorfocused
rhythms, like relentless steam engine-workout Piege or mid-album mind-trip In Aeternam. Adding even more variety and depth to the mix, the tidal title track is given its own side to explore the
sheer endless expanses of dub...
Bundling the complete range of his influences, Gypsophila marks the pinnacle of Roman Poncet's work to date. Covering a spectrum this broad in his very own way, the album proves as relevant for the
current club scene as it will be for repeated return visits.

"a Heavy Selection Of Mod-rockers, Garage And Psych-funk Tracks," Runs The Sub-title Of New Compilation Series, Down In The Valley From Perfect Toy, Encapsulating In A Nutshell The Multifarious Pleasures On Offer.

Volume 2 Continues The Good Work Of Volume 1 With Yet Another Breathtaking Selection. Morning Reign's Previously Unreleased Can't Get Enough Of It Provides Big-ass Funky Thrills Along With This Volume's Only Cover - The Penny Arcade's Mod-funk Take On Funky Way. Next Come Two Frantic Garage-soul Cuts From A Pair Of Super-obscure Groups: 1906 & Company And Band Of Gold While Rex Garvin & The Mighty Cravers' Titty-shaking Instrumental Strange Happenings Slows Things Down To A Monster Shimmy With Retro Horror Movie Vibes. The Animal Show Band's Tell Daddy Provides The Male Answer To Etta James' Tell Mama And Rocks Just As Hard As The Original While Gino Scorza's Funk-tinged Soul Heater Little By Little (which He Originally Privately Pressed Himself) Gets Reissued For The First Time. Closing The Album Is A Real Treasure By Big John K In The Shape Of His Heavyweight Slab Of Soulful Blues-funk - Poor Souls.

Once Again, Chan The Man - Previously The Guiding Light For Perfect Toy's Down & Wired Series - Was The Driving Force Behind This Project. It Is His Incredible Knowledge, Combined With The Network Of Record Collectors, Djs And Vinyl Nerds That He Has Established Over The Past Few Decades Which Have Made It Possible To Come Up With Such A High-octane Selection Of Super-heavy And Extremely Rare Tracks. Accompanied By Detailed Liner Notes And Never-before-seen Photos Of The Artists, Down In The Valley 2 Sets The Bar High For Future Volumes.

On The 50th Anniversary Of The Band's Inception At An Event In Harlem, Ny To Commemorate Malcolm X's Birthday On 19 May 1968, Influential Spoken Word Artists, Poets And Commentators The Last Poets Are Set To Make A Glorious And Relevant Return With Their First Album In Over 20 Years, 'understand What Black Is'.

Produced By Ben Lamdin (nostaglia 77) And Brighton Legend Prince Fatty, Whose Speciality Is Traditional Reggae And Dub Production's, 'understand What Black Is' Is A Ten-track Album Which Speaks Of A Revolutionary Struggle Defined By Both Race And Identity, That Has Never Sounded More Relevant. Released On Studio Rockers, There Will Also Be An Accompanying Single Featuring Remixes Of The Title Track "understand What Black Is" By Mala (south London Collective Digital Mystikz) And Uk Dance Music Innovators Dego And Kaidi.

Since The Initial Line-up Of Dahveed Nelson, Gylan Kain And Felipe Luciano Formed In East Harlem's Marcus Garvey Park, The Last Poets Have Produced Under Various Guises Over The Subsequent Years. However, It Was Their Seminal Output, Namely 1970's 'the Last Poets' Under Both Umar Bin Hassan And Abiodun Oyewole That Secured Their Legacy, Becoming One Of The Most Important Influences In Early Hip Hop.

Throughout The Last 20 Years, The Band Have Remained Largely On Hiatus. But Their Influence Could Still Be Felt With Their Tracks Being Sampled By The Notorious B.i.g, Nwa, A Tribe Called Quest, Dr.dre And Snoop Dogg. Umar Has Recorded Various Solo Albums And Featured On Common And Kanye West's Grammy Nominated 'the Corner'. Abiodun Appeared On The Red Hot Organization's Album, Stolen Moments Which Was Named "album Of The Year" By Time. He Also Conducts Weekly Open House Poetry Readings, Where He Constructively Critiques Upcoming Poets, Helping To Nurture Them. He Has Also Conducted Classes At Columbia University, Where He Teaches Creative Writing.

The Inauguration Of Donald Trump As Us President In 2016 Inspired Hassan And Oyewole To Resurrect The Group To Create A Brand New Record, Modern And Edgy, And Deeply Relevant And Reflective Of Our Times.

Tracks On 'understand What Black Is' Include 'how Many Bullets', Which Bridles With Defiance As Oyewole Works Through A Litany Of Injustices Suffered By Black People In The Us: " You've Tried

To Blow My Brains Out With Bigotry, Chopped Off My Wings, So I Couldn't Fly Free, And Dared Me To Be Me, Took My Drum, Broke My Hands, Yanked My Roots Right Up Out Of The Land, And Riddled My Soul With Jesus" 'what I Want To See' Describes A Utopia - A Refuge From Hurt And Those Who'd Make "our Vision Blurred, And Our Faith Obscure", Whilst The Title Track 'understand What Black Is' Aims To Transcend Ethnicity: "understand What Black Is....it's The Source From Which All Things Come...black Is A Hero, Not A Villain."

The Album Even Takes Reference From Prince's 2003 Album Of Instrumentals, 'news', Which Hassan Drew Comparisons From With His Own Childhood Experiences: "that Poem Took Me About A Year To Write....i Just Kept Writing And Writing But Not Getting Too Far And Then I Heard That Album And The Musicianship Was Amazing. I Was Left Wondering If It Was Jazz, Classical, Rock Or Maybe Something New But All Those Images That I Write About Came To Me From Listening To That Album. I Loved Prince In That Movie Purple Rain Because My Father Was A Talented Musician But He Was Into Brutalising Mama At Times And In The Movie There's A Jerome And My Name Is Jerome, So It Was Like He Was Telling My Life Story As Well."

The Album Acts As A Body Of Work Between Individual Members Each Speaking Of Their Own Personal Journeys, But Feeding Into The Much Larger Narrative Of Struggle And Oppression, Alongside A Fervent Hunger For Social Change. These Are Struggles And Tests Of Personal Resolve That Have Directly Shaped And Moulded The Bands' Unique Sound Over The Course Of An Impressive 50 Years, And Their Powerful And Influential Commentary Remains As Relevant As Ever.

Grammy-nominated Ostinato Records presents "Abu Obaida Hassan & His Tambour: The Shaigiya Sound of Sudan" in a gatefold LP packaging with vintage photos and authentic Sudanese designs.
A complex blend of Arab melodies, Nubian rhythms, and signature Sudanese call and response by a legend of Shaigiya music from nothern Sudan.

Abu Obaida Hassan and the wonders of his five-string tambour remained largely a mystery. In the early 2000's, a prominent Sudanese newspaper declared him dead. Internet forums confirmed his passing. Many in Khartoum, Sudan's capital, said he had indeed died.
But rumors that he was still alive persisted.

What was always certain is Abu Obaida Hassan's mercurial talent.
His command of a modified tambour, backed by a chorus and two drummers, unleashed swirling melodies alongside complex Nubian rhythms and hypnotic Sudanese call and response. His bands roster constantly changed, but he remained at the helm, playing for sold out shows in cities across the country and capturing the dancefloors and youth of 1970's and 80's Sudan. This is a rich, raw example of the human experience with sound from northern Sudan, an ancient part of the world, and the birthplace of civilization. Music like this isn't mastered overnight.

The Ostinato team first came across Abu Obaida's recordings in 2011, finding scratchy bits and pieces along the years. We traveled to Sudan in 2016 to find the clues to piece together the Abu Obaida Hassan puzzle. Through some extensive detective work with our man in Khartoum, Ahmed Asysouti, and a generous dose of good fortune, we tracked Abu Obaida to the rural outskirts of Omdurman, the old capital just across the White Nile from Khartoum. Age has taken its toll, but he remains full of life and music, ready to jointly curate a selection of his eight best cuts. He has written over 100 songs, only 30 were recorded.

Abu Obaida comes from the Shaigiya people, whose culture is spread around the ancient city of Merowe, home of traditional Nubian culture, where pyramids older than those in Egypt still stand. They trace their entire lineage to one man, Shaig, who migrated from the Arabian peninsula in the 15th century. An endlessly rhythmic syncretism between Arab and Nubian styles, Abu Obaida's Shaigiya music was an in demand party affair in an era when a vibrant nightlife and roving sound systems were a staple of life in Sudan.

It was music for a modern era, and Abu Obaida, at just 19, rebelliously abandoned traditional Shaigiya music traditions, pioneering a new sound by adding an extra string to his tambour and electrifying an instrument adored across East Africa. The result was complexity in simplicity and a hyper-talented artist who mirrors the story of Sudan's highs and lows, from the leading tambour maestro of the hour to such obscurity on the fringes that he was believed dead. "They killed me!", he likes to joke.

Abu Obaida Hassan, his music and the musical traditions of the Shaigiya remain alive and kicking. A culmination of a 7-year journey — from first hearing Abu Obaida's distinct sound, found only in Sudan, to finding the man — has produced the first global release of Shaigiya music and is just the beginning of Ostinato's immersion into Sudan, with a full compilation of the lavish musical history of one the most diverse countries in Africa due later this year. All brought to you by the Grammy-nominated team behind last year's "Sweet As Broken Dates."

'Second Stomp' is the appropriately titled second seven inch single from Daytoner, the unique soul remix seven piece from the far southwest. Their debut single 'Needed You' received airplay on BBC6 Music & BBC Radio 1 from Craig Charles and BBC Introducing. This new single should please fans of the first release, with their rewrite of a stomping 60s northern soul instrumental coupled with Lucy Richards' tale of standing by her man. On the flip is the band's own rework of a classic funk and hip-hop loop, and this version, again with Lucy's new lyrics, was recently included on Craig Charles Funk & Soul Club Vol.5 compilation, but is now available on vinyl for the first time.

Some Years Ago An Album By Dutch Band Milligram Retreat (enfant19, 2011) Was Released On Enfant Terrible. The Album Got Raving Feedback From Press And Music Enthusiasts. Sadly
The Project Was Short Lived... But Straight After The Project Came To An End Maurice Hermes, The Mastermind Behind It, Started His Solo Project Called Neugeborene Nachtmusik. Now Is The Time To Pour His Debut Album Out Over You... An Album Simple Entitled neugeborene Nachtmusik' And Highly Awaited...

Residing In Berlin Neugeborene Nachtmusik Has Shaped His Music More And More These Past Few Years Into An Unique Style Of This Own... Some Results Of This Were Displayed Already On The Various Artists Releases Exploitation (et017, 2012), I Am Enfant Terrible (etx, 2014) And Post-everything (et034, 2014)...

This Album Is A Pitch Black Experience... A Shamanistic Ritual And A Dark Trip Which Takes You By The Hand And Leads You Beyond And Back... You Get Served Six Long Tracks With Effective Minimalism And Trance Indulging Sounds... Influences From Elektro, Techno, Industrial, Noise And (black) Metal Can Be Traced... The Album Is Diverse But Coherent In Displaying The Specific Personal Style Of Neugeborene Nachtmusik...

One of the most exciting artists to emerge in techno circles in recent times, Drumcode is excited to present the label's first EP from Boxia. Over the last 12 months the UK artist has impressed with his classy take on techno that mines two decades of rave.

Last year's 'Colour Sequence' EP on We Are The Brave marked one of 2017's standout releases, before being tapped by Maya Jane Coles to remix a track from her latest album 'Take Flight', while B.Traits also shone the spotlight on him for a Future 12 residency on BBC Radio 1 throughout September.

Boxia first came into contact with Adam Beyer when he opened the Car Park at Tobacco Dock for LWE's NYD event in 2016, and since then the pair have spoken regularly sharing similar tastes in music and DJing. He dropped his first cut on DC during the summer of '16, with 'Revolution' that featured on A-Sides Vol. 5, making him primed and ready for his first full length EP in 2018.

The four-track work lives up to his growing reputation for crafting beautiful, nuanced and ultimately very powerful electronic music. The EP opens with 'No World Order', a deep transcendental slice of techno propelled by a wicked acid line and vocal that leads to a galloping finish.

'Only Human' is drenched in atmosphere and old skool wonder, a brilliant composition of punchy multi-layered drum work, catchy synth lines and cutting acid that reveals its tender side with emotive broken beat interludes. 'Unreal' is a big peak time belter, raising the tempo to sweaty palms level, as a propulsion of acid and a memorable riff fill the techno sphere.

The title track 'Ethereal Education' closes out the work, a beautiful chord-driven vocal cut that evokes images of the classic dance that characterised Boxia's earlier years and makes a fitting outro to this outstanding EP.

* Pioneers of the electronic music scene, Music Producer and Finiflex Studio Owner, John Vick and DJ, Davie Miller are working together on a new project . . . . FINIFLEX

* TA TA OO HA was the first single to be released from the much anticipated forthcoming album SUILVEN, slated for release in May 2018.

* FINIFLEX have been playing the new material live since the end of 2016 with gigs in Edinburgh (Neu Reekie), Glasgow (Let's Go Way Back) Skye (Non Stop Easter Weekender) Barcelona (Kosmopolis), Dundee (Carnival 56) and the TA TA OO HA Single Launch Party (TRANSMISSION) in Glasgow.
The show itself is an immersive experience featuring lights, live projections and video graphics, basically a super slick production rammed with back to back bangers.

* These new releases may by the first in 20 years but in reality it's not been such a long period of silence. The almost a secret FINIFLEX Studio Complex (FINIFLEX HQ) based in Leith, Edinburgh has continued to work away with some of the best in the genre including the likes of Justin Robertson, Lord Of The Isles, DJ Rolando, Andrew Weatherall, Sparks, Billy McKenzie, Jon Pleased Wimmin, Paul Oakenfold, Dave Ball (Soft Cell) to name a few.
It's a given that their past assures their pedigree within the electronic music arena but with the release of TA TA TA OO HA . . . . . FINIFLEX brought it all rushing into the future. . . . . .

Radical Connector was originally released in 2004 and is now fnally back on vinyl. This re-issue is pressed on mixed splatter color vinyl and presented in a high gloss jacket with free download card.

Though reference points like Daft Punk and Prince have rightly been thrown around, Radical Connector is in fact a strange album that doesn't sound like much else.' - Pitchfork

Mouse on Mars is recognised as one of Germany's most defning and versatile electronic music projects. With their
anarchic mixture of sound that oscillates between uncontrollable chaos and meticulously arranged structures,
Jan St. Werner and Andi Toma have forged a unique musical language, which is readily decomposed by the
unpredictability of its myriad mutations. Free from schools of thought, genre conventions, and from the constraints
of the music establishment, they have worked under the Mouse on Mars alias for 24 years, mapping their own
idiosyncratic trajectory through a no man's land between pop, art, club music, and the avant-garde. - Jan Rohlf

Sexy robot vocals slip and slide all over juicy squeals, raindrop plops, and jungle-thick beats.'
- Entertainment Weekly
Stirring songs drift out of its frantic aural mishmashes, fnding a controlled center amid all the dizzy spin.'
- AV Club
Mouse on Mars have a gift for making electronic bleeps and buzzes sound like tangible objects that bounce,
bend and collide in physical space.' - Rolling Stone

Greenvision is the collaborative brainchild of two ESP Institute artists, Juan Ramos and Luca Trentini AKA Trent, both longtime fixtures of Berlin's infamous playground known as Cocktail d'Amore. Separately, these two explore their own very personal avenues of expression, putting their time in the trenches and endlessly polishing their works (this makes Juan's third release with the label), but when their efforts overlap we're gifted a view into their uncanny synergy. Juan and Trent channel an exorbitant amount of smoke-fueled creativity, building layers upon layers into music so dense that the bulk of their studio time might then be spent navigating and formalizing their output into tangible tracks. Greenvison's collective debut with the ESP Institute showcases three intense cerebral workouts, Banana Paradiso, Rambutan and The Color Of Maracuja, an array of experiments pulling from all the corners of the duo's imagination—it is disorienting, cacophonous, introverted and psychedelic, but at the same time playful, melodic, euphoric and undoubtably arresting—guaranteed to induce hallucinations under proper circumstances. We welcome the induction of Greenvision to the ESP Institute, and with us as your guide, we welcome you to accompany on our descent into their abyss. Try not to get lost.

Since the early 1990s, keyboard player Jessica Lauren has been a familiar part of London's alternative music scene. Jessica's keyboard skills have augmented the live performances and studio recordings of world renowned artists such as Jean Carne, Tom Browne, Dexter Wansel and James Mason, Japan's United Future Organisation, and UK soul diva Juliet Roberts.

Her previous Freestyle album 'Jessica Lauren Four' (2012) highlighted Jessica's minimalist approach, something rare and refreshing in the jazz world: she instills her compositions and playing with a refined sense of space which makes her music as much about what she doesn't play as what she does.

The albums' opener - Kofi Nomad is a deeply percussive afrocentric epic, featuring the beautiful baritone saxaphone of Tamar 'Collocutor' Osborn, one of the most in demand woodwind players working today, underpinned by a powerful foundation of percussion courtesy of Richard látúndé Baker, Phillip Harper and drummer Cosimo Keita Cadore.

Jessicas' amazing skill for writing simple, understated yet superbly memorable and catchy hooks remains undiminished. Highlights in this new collection are almost too numerous to mention, but Amalfi is a breezy bossa, which conjures up images of easy living days and sun dappled Mediterranean coastlines, whilst the angular and brooding Simba Jike has something of an Eddie Harris style deep, dark groove over which Jessica riffs and solos beautifully on grand piano - and Tamar once again blows freely, whilst 'level' Neville Malcolms' upright bass figure roots the entire thing in a solid, almost primeval sound.

The albums closing statement Argentina is a masterpiece of pathos and perfectly demonstrates Jessicas' approach which is almost akin to a minimalist architecture style of composing and playing, such is the strength of its atmosphere and subtlety.

AN DER GRENZE (ADG) is glad to introduce to you to its fourth release impostor syndrome (adg004) by
Moscow-based Russian COMPOSER and live performer ansv.

NEW COMER OF moscoW's UNDERGROUND TECHO SCENE, ANSV has made a name for herself as LIVE
PERFORMER with appearances at the late rabitza, the HISTORICAL propaganda and the IN-VOGUE SQUAT ¾.

WITH IMPOSTOR SYNDROME (ADG004), ANSV unveils a strong, straightforward and ROLLING techno AS can
be listened from impostor syndrome (a) and hellsinki (b2).
HE IS SO (B1), FOR HIS PART, PRESENTs A RATHER BREAKBEAT, MELODIC AND DAYDREAMING ATMOSPHERE.

IMPOSTOR SYNDROME (ADG004) is ansv first vinyl release. In October 2017, she released her first digital
release st (shiza02) ON SHIZA.

ANSV AND AN DER GRENZE GOT TO KNOW EACH OTHER THROUGH AN DER GRENZE's (and lumiereslanuit) key
artist icon template (adg001) aka ground tactics (adg003, lln006).

originally released in 1993 - with Ric Ocasek & Liz Lamere-Never released on vinyl-

Born in Brooklyn, Alan Vega was reared on the rock 'n' roll sound of Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison, but originally struck out on a career as a visual artist and light sculptor, making pieces out of electronic debris. But on the occasion of seeing Iggy Pop fronting the Stooges at The Stooges at the New York State Pavilion in 1969 was an epiphany for Vega. It showed me you didn't have to do static artworks, you could create situations,' he said. That show was the first time in my life the audience and the stage merged into one." It was that eradication of barriers between the two that Vega took to heart.

Their first two albums, 1977's Suicide and their 1980 follow-up, remain two of the era's greatest touchstones, beacons for others seeking to transform their worlds with sound. And even during the group's hiatus through the 1980s, Vega continued to pursue his singular vision across an individualistic solo output. From his 1980 self-titled debut and rockabilly-infused albums like Saturn Strip, through bracing albums like Power On to Zero Hour and IT, Vega forged his own singular path.

For all the darkness and despair that encompasses this moment in our world - and despite his work being depicted as bleak and nihilistic - for Vega there was always a sense of hope and a place for dreams to become reality. People have always told me that my music is angry,' he said. To me, it was always just an energy. It was the way I perceived the world. The key Suicide song was 'Dream Baby Dream,' which was about the need to keep our dreams alive. I knew back then that something poisonous was encroaching on our lives, on all our freedoms.' He fought to his very last breath for that freedom.

A native of the Caribbean coast of Colombia, Abelardo Carbono achieved legendary status in his country's storied ranks of musical icons by combining the homegrown sounds of cumbia with the chiming guitars of West African soukous, enormously popular with the local tropical sound systems, and drenching the whole thing in his off-kilter, surreal and slightly psychedelic sensibility.

With the exception of a well-received compilation of songs from his 1980s heyday, Carbono has been rarely heard from outside the sweaty dancehalls he still commands in his hometown of Barranquilla. Now, Names You Can Trust has welcomed the reclusive guitarist and singer back to the vinyl format with a simmering Afro-Carib beast of a cut, recorded with the assistance of Will "Quantic" Holland on rhythm guitar and Mario Galeano (Frente Cumbiero, Ondatropica) on keys and in conjunction with Lucas SIlva of Palenque Records & Polen Records. It's a true cross-generational and international collaboration that is uniquely possible via Colombia. The first release of this expansive & power packed studio session is a cover of vallenato pioneer Guillermo Buitrago's La Piña Madura. This updated take veers heavily towards Africa on a rock solid foundation of bass and drums, with Abelardo's trademark guitar and quirky vocals leading the way.

Plush. Palace.
regularfantasy's music is about as plush as it gets, filling your area with bright melodic blankets for which to throw around your bod. Turning it into a plush palace of sorts, if you will. Half of this record seems designed to sooth you while the other half is all about getting you steppin'. Our pal dj zozi comes in with an absolute heater of a remix, taking you to planets unknown and raves gone by. Without a doubt, the party is gonna be turned out.

Scottish producer & DJ Graeme Clark AKA The Revenge releases his second album 'When The Thrill Comes' on his own Roar Groove imprint on 11th May 2018.

'When The Thrill Comes' is a demonstration of a producer achieving a point of maturity in their work, able to exercise a sense of restraint, to allow for their sound to have space. It is also the opportunity for The Revenge to explore his own electronic music roots with a deeper pared-back sound more in touch with his earliest production experiences in house and techno.

Clark is no novice to the art of production and the sweaty alchemy of animating bodies on dance floors. He has been producing and playing electronic music since 1995, in many forms, though is well known for 'some of finest modern disco dubs and re-edits on the block' (DJ Mag). This passion for dusty disco and deep cuts is reflected in his long-standing collaboration with Craig Smith as 6th Borough Project which has yielded 3 albums and provided the foundation for the influential but now defunct Instruments Of Rapture label.

2015 was a momentous year for Clark with the release of his debut album 'Love That Will Not Die' on his own Roar Groove imprint. The LP picked up 'Best British Album' from DJ Mag, was shortlisted for Scottish Album Of The Year and drew support from leading DJs including Jackmaster, John Talabot, Solomun, Craig Richards, Axel Boman amongst others. Recent production work has both cemented and extended his reputation; with his future-facing remix for Auntie Flo being re-touched by Dixon for the Philomena label and his two EP's for Berlin's Dirt Crew Recordings reinforcing his love for solid club jams

AZZUR owner, Melokolektiv returns on Galaktika with his first solo vinyl Ep on the imprint 'Where Are You Earth '.

A side brings three amazing original tracks to the table made of synthetic melodies, spacey beat and acid basslines. "Control the Night" and "How to be Drawn" will, with no doubt, pleased the dancefloor while "Where are You Earth" presents something deeper and melancholic.

On the B side, we are happy to welcome two of our all time favorite producers.

First, Langenberg, who offers us a sublime reinterpretation in the line of his deep and organic releases on Liebe*Detail, Drumpoet Community and Poker Flat.

Then, UK legend Mark E who delivers a functional, raw and hypnotic reinterpretation. Definitely something which will please Dj's. Timeless!

First Word Records is very proud to present the triumphant return of the UK's finest Hip Hop Soul duo, Children of Zeus, with a double-header of brand new material.

Since the release of 'The Story So Far' EP in 2017, Konny Kon and Tyler Daley have proceeded to draw in the attention of tastemakers across the world, receiving big ups from Hip Hop, Soul and dance music royalty, such as US legends Jazzy Jeff & DJ Spinna, and UK heavyweights Stormzy & Rag'n'Bone Man.

In addition to relentlessly rocking stages and studios all over Europe, Children of Zeus have somehow found the time to write and produce their debut album proper. This is the first taste..

'Slow Down' is a sure-shot Summer anthem, with a twist. A deceptively soulful slow jam that lulls you into a false sense of filtered smoothness, before a floor-shaking beat & trill hats drop in from above, as if thrown in via a thunderbolt from Zeus himself. On the flip, we have the uptempo boom-bap steppa, 'All Night'. Konny sets this one off on some straight b-boy isht, riding a rhythm that's guaranteed to make grown Hip Hoppers reminisce, before Tyler's sweet swing-tinged vocals glide into play to keep you firmly steppin' - this one again illustrating the Mancunian duo's craft of creating timeless Hip Hop Soul music.

Manchester has been riding a wave of immense creativity & musical prowess in recent years. Children of Zeus exemplify the heart and soul of Manny's now-movement - but don't get it twisted - the vibe is universal, and they definitely ain't new to this. Two decades on from the inception of Broke'N'£nglish and Hoodman, Tyler and Konny have consistently persistently held their corner, stayed true to the music they love and nurtured their own unique sound. It's almost time to drop that album... But for now, here's more future classics.

CALIBRO 35's new single "Psycheground" flipped by the unreleased Polymeri (Afro-Utopia Vers) on limited edition 45 vinyl.

Psycheground is the new single from the Italian cinematic funk cult combo Calibro 35 available on a super limited 45 vinyl and digital download on May 04. Taken from their heavily acclaimed new album DECADE, Psycheground is an afro-funk stormer that sounds like Tony Allen involved in writing a score for a vintage Hollywood production. The new single is flipped by an alternative and hypnotic afro/tropical version of Polymeri. Don't sleep on it, all Calibro 35's previous 45s went sold out in a few days.

CALIBRO 35 enjoys a worldwide reputation as one of the coolest independent band around. They have been sampled by Dr. Dre on his Compton album, Jay-Z Love Child & Damon Albarn, they shared stages with the likes of Roy Ayers, Sun Ra Arkestra, Sharon Jones, Thundercat, Headhunters and as unique musicians they've collaborated with, amongst others PJ Harvey, Mike Patton, John Parish and Stewart Copeland and Nic Cester (The Jet). Described by Rolling Stone magazine's as the most fascinating, retro-maniac and genuine thing, that happened to Italy in the last years, Calibro 35 now count on a number of aficionados worldwide which includes VIP's fans such as Dj Food (Ninja Tune), Mr Scruff and Huey Morgan (Fun Lovin' Criminals) among others.

"This release is 3xLP and it's individually 1000 hand-numbered limited edition. The first 200 copies are pressed on BLUE TRANSPARENT vinyls (AR012).
It's dedicated to the Organic / Meditative / Groovy 1992 Japanese release, with all the ORIGINAL tracks, contained both in the CD and in the now so rare 12"" + 4 SPECIAL REMIXES from Japanese men, none than... Kuniyuki, Chee Shimizu (Organic Music), Max Essa and Tadashi Yabe (U.F.O.).
Archeo Recordings is a reissue record label that regenerates old, lost, obscure (and forgotten) rare gems of Italian music of the 70s and 80s, and not only.
All outputs are licensed by the artists and the vintage labels; audio tracks are remastered in their original form; the sleeves and center labels are graphically recreated for today but all based on the original images. Archeo would like to make the music available to a wider audience of collectors, DJs, music lovers of a forgotten time.

From Hip Hop to Soul, then from Soul to Beatmaking, Sly Johnson never really changed universe. Today, it's immersed in the mechanics with processors and printed circuits that we find him, under the alias of TAGi, producer-beatmaker who, for the occasion, has joined the services of Steven Beatberg. It's together, in artistic autarchy with the only presence of softwares, samplers and sequencers, that they have built their pieces in the light of their computer screens.
.
After three EP dominated by instrumentals, the duo finally chose to realise their dream: to craft a multi-voice album where customized production for each guest would guide the creative process.

Rapper Big Pooh, the former member of the Little Brother group (With Phonte & 9th Wonder), the contemporary soul of Lisa Spada, but also the rapist #madeinfrance Pumpkin (worthy descendant of MC Solaar, Fabe ...), multi-faceted Georgia Anne Muldrow, the MC Finale, the new rising wave of artists of the Hip-Hop scene in Detroit. Tiemoko from Paris, Saga an MC who follows the pure tradition of the New York Hip-Hop, the very smooth-jazzy Elodie Rama and Dilouya, the producer of the previous record of Sly (The Mic Buddah), are of this casting where men and women share the roles and where TAGi as soon as the mic presents itself to him, becomes again Sly Johnson for some refrains, choruses or solo rereading of the sublime "Retrograde" of James Blake.

Guided by Hip Hop since the 90's until today, worked in great detail, YOUARESURROUNDED highlights vintage keyboards on granular rhythms, injecting a lascivious Soul, P-funk, electro futuristic or melancholic in black and white touches on 13 tracks that are as atmospheric as they are emotional.

Truly nuts and really kind of essential... the Starship Commander had his whole approach to the Synthesiser Voice technique. B-Boys/Girls delight. Check the instrumental cut, Mastership - a head nod synth voyage of the highest order. Limited copies. TIP!
.
'How are you doing, Earthling' That's how Omer Coleman, Jr. addressed his public in the 80s, driving around Kansas City, Missouri in the electric space-car built especially for his alter ego Starship Commander Wooooo Wooooo.

Left Ear Records went back to Coleman's original master tapes for their vinyl reissue of the Commander's 1981 private press album Mastership, a lost electronic funk classic. Coleman performs in an alien voice that comes not from electronic filtering but from his own natural vocal distortions. This visitor from Mars wants people to be happy and, like his song goes, 'Laugh and Dance.' It's an endearing and very personal space-age funk that blends George Clinton and Kraftwerk in a vision of a better and happier world.

Born and raised in Kansas City, Coleman was musically inclined from an early age. His parents couldn't afford to buy him a real drum for orchestra, so he took up electrical wiring and wood shop instead, which fed his muse in a different direction. Omer built enormous speaker cabinets. In the late '70s he was a DJ, and ran a Mobile Disco business that took him across the country, hosting parties. After a trip to California, he came back to Kansas City inspired to dress up as Commander Wooooo Wooooo.

The future commander began working at the Armco Steel Mill in Kansas City when he was 18. He was inspired by older machinists who demanded perfection in their work and in their character. It was while he was working at the steel mill that Coleman came up with Starship Commander Wooooo Wooooo. One day coworker John Manley came up to Coleman with a vision of an electric car, and built it. His coworkers built all of his equipment, from lighting and fog machines to big steel eyeglasses. Coleman's sister, a seamstress, created his outfits.

Coleman started his own label in 1985 but took some time off from music to raise his children, and when they came of age his son recorded with Coleman as a gospel vocalist. When his son was killed in an auto accident in 2004, it took something out of him, and he stopped making music. But he's starting to get the feeling again.

Now 62, he's currently enjoying his retirement from a long stint with the IRS. The former Commander is in the middle of a house project where he's using metal ceiling tiles to line his walls. It's starting to look like a spaceship. Coleman promises, 'There is a real good possibility that we have not seen the last of Starship Commander Wooooo Wooooo!
Pat Padua'

Strut presents the brand new album from cosmic jazz travellers The Pyramids, led by saxophonist Idris Ackamoor, 'An Angel Fell'. I wanted to use folklore, fantasy and drama as a warning bell,' explains Ackamoor. The songs explore global themes that are important to me and to us all: the rise of catastrophic climate change and our lack of concern for our planet, loss of innocence and separation... but positive themes too, the healing power of music, collective action and the simple beauty of nature.' Produced by Malcolm Catto of The Heliocentrics, the album was recorded during an intense week at Quatermass studios in London and is one of the deepest, richest works yet from a band reaching their highest creative peak since the early '70s. Some of the many highlights include the poignant title track depicting a fallen angel in purgatory, outrage and grief on the powerful, hard hitting 'Soliloquy For Michael Brown' and the lilting, beautiful album closer, 'Sunset'.

The Pyramids originally came together in 1972 at Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio where teachers included renowned pianist, Cecil Taylor. After forming in Paris and embarking on a cultural odyssey' across Africa, the group recorded three independent albums, 'Lalibela' (1973), 'King Of Kings' (1974) and 'Birth / Speed / Merging' (1976) and became renowned for their striking live shows, mixing percussive, spiritual and space-age jazz with performance theatre and dance. After migrating to San Francisco, they disbanded in 1977. 35 years later, the band reunited in 2012 following growing demand for their music from vinyl collectors. German label Disko B released the freeform album 'Otherwordly' and in 2016, they released their first album for Strut, the acclaimed 'We Be All Africans'.

'An Angel Fell' is released on Strut on 11th May 2018 and features full hand-painted artwork by Lewis Heriz.

New concept album by leading cosmic jazz collective exploring global apocalypse, climate change and the healing power of music
Produced by Malcolm Catto of The Heliocentrics - Superb cover painting by Lewis Heriz
Full priority worldwide PR campaign and marketing
Release supported by major European tour dates in May and key Summer festivals

Berlin based Jens Dohle is a man of many talents. An accomplished composer and arranger for theatre productions across Europe, classically trained multi instrumentalist, explosive live drummer for YE:SOLAR, Munk, Hot Coins, Sado Opera. Longtime collaborator with Danilo Plessow aka MCDE and Noema from African Shakedown fame. Remixer for Jazzanova and 4 Hero. There's not enough room here to list his amazing work.

2018 ushers forth a new identity to his already enviable C.V with his first EP as James Dole (a jokingly anglicised version of his birth name). The 3 tracks here all showcase his ability to create a strong mood and use great splashes of melody and rhythm but without ever losing the groove. Written during a period of 'introspection' in deepest, darkest Berlin, each one tells a different story.

Ex is a moody monster of a track. It builds and builds into a pounding nightime symphony with a kind of epic-ness which hints at many years spent mining the highs and lows of music, love and life. Big room yet with a gut wrenching soul beneath the slightly flamboyant majesty. Made in East Berlin and well road tested in the cities debauched nightclubs.

Fantasia shows off Mr Doles jazz and broken beat background with rolling, funky drums sashaying with hip hoppy live jazz keys. Then those signature euphoric yet melancholic synths appear halfway through the track to create an emotionally halcyon mood. WIBES.

The EP closes with Grande. Super melodic yet cinematic with amazing synth work and a sophisticated arrangement showcasing James's well trained musicianship and artistry. An opus of melody and longing built for Italian arthouse films about unrequited love.


DJ Support from - Midland, Honey Soundsystem, Sandrino, Jimpster, Ame, DVS1, Shadow Child, Joe Goddard, Red Rack'em, Futureboogie, Soft Rocks, Domenic Cappello, Downtown Party Network, Danny Russell

Ryuji Takeuchi provides Instruments Of Discipline with an EP of noisy, hypnotic tracks, ranging from giddy, stomping, left-field techno to melancholic ambience; the EP's title 'One's Sentiment' provides a thoughtful angle to this at times cacophonous collection, for while they are bristling with noise there is something contemplative about the pieces, expressed in a way that suggests more than one thought trying to take life at the same moment, Ryuji finds space for conflicting voices both spatially and in terms of mood, the first three tracks, 'Ambivalence', 'Sadness' & 'Sorrow' crawl with competing elements, synth lines drool over and meld with throbbing kick patterns, anxiety & excitement are tightly wound in focus as tracks build and develop, leaving the listener to navigate these abstract planes, intoxicated; while the final track 'Regret' is a compelling piece of noisy, ambient minimalism that allows for an austere pause after the eruption of the initial works. It becomes evident that Ryuji's journey as a producer, through periods of hard-techno, deep-minimalism and the more abrasive ventures on HueHelix, has created a powerful and nuanced voice that is fully on display in 'One's Sentiment'.

Ryuji Takeuchi - Artist Bio

Ryuji Takeuchi (Local Sound Network / LSN, HueHelix) was born in Osaka, in the late 90s, he moved to the United States where he discovered Techno, House and Electro Music, influencing his desire to produce & DJ. His first wave of releases on LK Records, Arms, Mastertraxx, FK Records, SWR, Innervate, I.CNTRL, Impact Mechanics, Silent Steps, GSR & Brood Audio to name a few, were straight-up, hard techno,

In 2011, Ryuji started his own imprint, 'Local Sound Network / LSN', a platform for a new generation of both Japanese & global electronic music & later on, in collaboration with Tomohiko Sagae, Go Hiyama & Kazuya Kawakami, the label, 'HueHelix / HHX', developing further the voice of Japanese techno & experimental electronics, with a focus on distorted, industrial sounds.

In 2012, Ryuji launched the 'Local Sound Network Digital Solutions / LSNDS' series born from a desire to both discover and introduce a wider range of electronic music to the world.

Ryuji Takeuchi provides us with an EP of noisy, hypnotic tracks, ranging from giddy, stomping, left-field techno to melancholic ambience; the EP's title 'One's Sentiment' provides a thoughtful angle to this at times cacophonous collection, for while they are bristling with noise there is something contemplative about the pieces, expressed in a way that suggests more than one thought trying to take life at the same moment, Ryuji seems to find space for conflicting voices both spatially and in terms of mood, the first three tracks, 'Ambivalence', 'Sadness' & 'Sorrow' seem to crawl with competing elements, synth lines drool over and meld with throbbing kick patterns, anxiety & excitement are tightly wound in focus as tracks build and develop, leaving the listener to navigate these abstract planes, intoxicated; while the final track 'Regret' is a compelling piece of noisy, ambient minimalism that allows for a pause after the . It is testament to Ryuji's journey as a producer through periods of hard-techno, electronic minimalism

Japanese vocal performer Hatis Noit will release her enigmatic EP Illogical Dance via Erased Tapes worldwide on 23rd March 2018.
The arresting 4-track record creates unique song-worlds with transcendent vocal interpretations that at once deconstruct and recombine Western Classical, Japanese folk and nature's own ambience atmosphere. Illogical Dance also features Björk-collaborators Matmos, who were so impressed with Hatis Noit's recordings, they volunteered to edit the lead track Illogical Lullaby.

Hailing from the distant Shiretoko, a small town in Hokkaido, which is the largest island in north Japan, Hatis Noit's accomplished range is astonishingly self-taught, inspired by everything she could find from Gagaku — Japanese classical music — and operatic styles, Bulgarian and Gregorian chanting, to avant-garde and pop vocalists. The sounds she created on Illogical Dance, co-produced by Haruhisa Tanaka and Matmos, bring to mind the experimental vocal patterns of Meredith Monk with the attentive production of Holly Herndon.

It was at the age of 16, during a trek in Nepal to the Buddha's birthplace, when she realised singing was her calling. While staying at a women's temple in Lumbini, one morning on a walk Hatis Noit heard someone singing. On further investigation it was a female monk singing Buddhist chants, alone. The sound moved her so intensely she was instantly aware of the visceral power of the human voice, a primal and instinctive instrument that connects us to the very essence of humanity, nature and our universe.

The name Hatis Noit itself is taken from Japanese folklore, meaning the stem of the lotus flower. The lotus represents the living world, while its root the spirit world, therefore Hatis Noit is what connects the two. For Hatis Noit, music represents the same netherworld with its ability to move and transport us to the other side, the past, a memory, our subconscious. It is the same for Illogical Dance, a set of transformative songs that taps into our most primal instincts.

The human voice is our oldest, most primal yet most powerful instrument. I use it to describe nature's many sounds, a language that isn't logical. Yet it forms a beautiful conversation that isn't restricted to words like the human language is. I want my music to remind us of that.' — Hatis Noit

Wanting to interpret and mimic the sounds Hatis Noit hears in nature, Illogical Dance is as unpredictable, beautiful and mysterious as the world around us. Each track is made up from multi layers of vocals, all improvised and without words, before being carefully pieced together. Astonishingly no samples are used throughout, even the sound of crushing leaves came from Hatis Noit's own vocal chords.

The result is a stunning array of sound sculptures that see her switching between multiple styles with great ease. From the sweet operatics on Illogical Lullaby, the manipulated vocal loops duplicating electronic production on Anagram c.i.y. to the primordial chanting call to arms of Angelus Novus, a 10-minute odyssey that features whispering and leaves crunching, it showcases Hatis Noit's full range and introduces a truly original artist.

Previously only available in Japan, Illogical Dance will receive a worldwide release on 23rd March 2018 including a first edition on 12' vinyl. After participating in a ceremony for memorial and appreciation tailored to the withdrawal of the evacuation area in Fukushima on 31st March 2017, Hatis Noit collaborated with renowned visual artist Nobumichi Asai on a project titled INORI (prayer) which they premiered live as part of an Erased Tapes showcase at Mutek Japan in Tokyo.

Having recently moved to London and performed a first string of UK shows, followed by a special live performance at the Milan Fashion Week and Mutek Japan appearance, Peter Broderick has invited Hatis Noit to support him at the Jazz Cafe on April 15th. She's also been announced as part of this year's Sea Change Festival line-up, and asked to participate in a workshop with the London Contemporary Orchestra.

Crying Bamboos is a translation of the pidgin description of the sound of sacred flutes: "Mambu i cry, i cry, i cry".

Sacred flutes are blown to make the cries of spirits by adult men in the Madang region of Papua New Guinea. Pairs of long bamboo male and female flutes are played for ceremonies in the coastal villages near the Ramu River. There are seven male initiation flute cries from Bosmun, four flute cries from Bak: Borai with occasional single garamut percussion and two flute cries from Kaean, one with vocals and hand drums. The flute players were of the last generation to have learned this skill during a complete cycle of male initiation. These previouslyunreleased recordings were made in 1979.

Recorded by Ragnar Johnson

Notes by Ragnar Johnson and Jessica Mayer

Photographs by Ragnar Johnson

Tape to digital transfer and mastering by Dave Hunt at

Dave Hunt Audio, London

Cut by Rashad Becker at Dubplates and Mastering, Berlin

Detroit producers Omar S & Brian Kage team up to bring you Thru the Madness EP.' Thru the Madness' has all the elements of a classic dance music collaboration.

The tune showcases Omar S raw and funky analog bass playing and drum programming combined with Brian Kage signature warm melodic synth lines and chord structures. The clever use of a catchy 90's vocal sample helps solidify and unify the composition.

Thru the Madness (Honk & Nik Mix)' takes a deeper approach by adding a deep Detroit-style DX pad, Nile Rodger-esque funk guitars parts, and vintage drum breaks that will keep the party moving into the late night hours. Like Dutch & Dillon from Predator, some times you gotta Get Thru the Madness!'

Since the release of their critically acclaimed debut album in 2013 on Names You Can Trust, La Mecánica Popular has quietly been contemplating the evolution of the group's sound, philosophy, and overall approach to making music. Band leader Efraín Rozas' experimental nature has continually pushed the boundaries of his own definition of not only Latin American music, but its broader relationship with music's global culture and history. The sound of "psychedelic salsa" that LMP helped capture in their debut was destined for further outside-the-box interpretations, and with the formation of a new quintet lineup over the last few years, LMP began to incorporate a more free, improvised and instrumental-focused performance of Rozas' increasingly radical compositions. The band subsequently took this liberated approach directly into the studio, recording Roza Cruz live, in its entirety. It was a cathartic experience, a necessary methodology for the new album's concept that embraced the intimate performance of its players and did away with standard techniques of isolation and overdubs.

The evolution of the band's sound on Roza Cruz brings forth a blend of styles rarely heard together, a touch reminiscent of electric-era Miles Davis or Eddie Palmieri at his most experimental, as the driving force of timbales and congas provide a bed for a wave of lush, analog amplification that mirrors the dueling leads of fuzz guitar and electric piano. But as far out as those instruments take the listener, the raw rhythm — the clave — always keeps it tethered to the earth and the dance, a cerebral yet visceral gift for the mind and feet.

Black To Comm's Marc Richter returns under his Jemh Circs guise for a 2nd album of sonic abstractions. In contrast to Black To Comm's analogue tape and vinyl based sound, in Jemh Circs he works with digital sources by primarily sampling modern Pop Music (and various other oddities) on YouTube (et al.) and sending chunks of it through a variety of arcane transformations and mutations.Using similar esoteric methods as on his 2016 debut album but with very different results the record deconstructs the hypermodern sound of Pop Music with a Post Punk attitude, energy and primitivism. Richter's combining disparate elements that shouldn't really work together but somehow all the chaos is making strange sense creating a collection of oddly diverging sonic vignettes with a surreal and anarchic spirit. This is music deeply rooted in the present but still difficult to pinpoint to a certain year or style."(untitled) Kingdom" converts a seemingly one-dimensional concept into a complex puzzle of ideas, sounds and narratives, completely assimilating the original sources and transforming them into novel entities with an unexpected melodic and rhythmic quality.Some press clips for previous releases:The overall effect is quite remarkable. Each track is like a hologram of pop music itself, a tiny part that reflects the whole. You almost feel that you could open them out and re-create entire popular music cultures. We'll be grateful for that when the next solar storm fries all of our hard drives. (Ian Sherred / The Sound Projector) In that way Jemh Circs is a record about process - not just how Richter loops and distorts and mutates his samples, but how the sounds of pop music create a particular sonic signature, one that gets more interesting the farther they're pulled from their original context. (Marc Masters / The Out Door) Recycling random audio off YouTube, Jemh Circs' process couldn't be less sentimental, but the results turn out to be sneakily emotive. (Philip Sherburne / Pitchfork)

Glyn Bigga Bush has been producing electronic and sample-based music since the early 90s when he formed Rockers Hi Fi, going on to release numerous albums. Since the turn of the century he has produced and DJ'd as BiggaBush as well as various side projects such as Lightning Head (Sonar Kollektiv), the Dandelion Set (Buried Treasure) and the Magic Drum Orchestral (Tru Thoughts).

Bigga's latest project 'Sunken Foal Stories' represents a departure from much of his other work in that it is not primarily based on beats. Instead, his working method was to go with fascinating samples, accidental juxtapositions and irregular loops - inspired by pioneers of sound such as Faust and the audio experiments of Julian House as well as early stereo test records, soundtracks and library music.

The 21 concise tracks of Sunken Foal Stories link into two 15 minute segments on the LP. Bush explores the random elements created by overlaying disparate samples, where chimes of baroque psychedelia clash with ascending classical strings, or a haunting Eastern European folk song is looped into an eternal cadence of longing. Various voices float over the speakers, lost poets, disturbing therapists, dreaming vampires, chuckling cabaret singers. Sourced almost entirely from charity shops and carboot sales, the source material speaks of a forgotten yet relatively recent period, when stereo was something new and exciting, when home entertainment first came into its own and suburban homes thrilled to the exotic sounds of home organs, primitive beatboxes, LPs bought in unusual holiday destinations and 'glamorous' soundtracks.

Welsh producer Odeko first appeared on Mr. Mitch's forward-looking Gobstopper imprint with the A.I. influenced EP "A History With Samus" in 2016 immediately snagging a "producer to watch" tag from Fact magazine and a premiere at SPIN. In early 2017, his second EP "Digital Botanics / Construct Conduct" arrived confirming his sound and setting the stage for him to start working on this - his debut album "Rose Tinted Vision Implant" that is set in a post-Ballard, post-Gibson, post-Miéville, alternate reality. "Rose Tinted Vision Implant" sees the Bath-based producer creating a cutting edge sonic world inspired by "speculative fiction, time/reality shifting stories and dystopian shit." The entire record is structured around, and expands upon his passion for the "future," underpinning the music via a underlining narrative. "Rose Tinted Vision Implant" starts with "The User" (aka the listener/ protagonist depending on your perspective) of the 'Optic.Rose' going through the process of getting an implant is made by a mega corporation, (think "whatever Elon Musk's legacy will be 200 years from now" says Odeko "not necessarily evil or good, just a world owning superpower."). And then we follow "The User" who has unfortunately received a bad egg through stages of that devices degradation. Sonically we're there to observe. We open ("Anomaly Detection") with a precursory scan and move onto installation ("OpticRose_0_1_Installation")
through to a battery change and a recalibration. From this point, the 'presence' begins to take over the implant and the tracks verge into a more cerebral range. Odeko notes "its a bit of a satire on corporate brands pushing these great products that everyone is obsessed but that are detrimental to both the world, and how we perceive reality. Our relationship with social media and tech could go down a dangerous path if we loose sight of things. I'm going quite far here for the sake of the concept, but things like VR, AR, the want for body tech, mixed with our desire to be connected, emotionally, digitally, physically, wirelessly could lead us to a world where everyone has implants, or some kind of tech built into them." Sonically its a record that explores a post-IDM, post-Grime, post-Ambient, post-Glitch, post-Retro-House, post-Instrumental Grime, take on electronic music, like Gobstopper's Mr. Mitch himself and his label mates Orlando, Lloyd SB, Tarquin, Clu, rAHHH and Loom, Odeko is making a kind of post-genre music. Yes it's a cerebral concept under the music but as popular shows like Black Mirror have shown - critiquing our new future can be fun, unusual and highly rewarding. Welcome to the world of Odeko.

For Alan Oldham, artistic expression is a way of life, taking multiple forms and medi-ums throughout his lifetime. Before he was ever known as DJ T-1000, he was a published car-toon artist and radio DJ in Detroit writing press releases for Underground Resistance to get by. One day, Underground Resistance was in need of a last minute DJ for their tour in Aus-tralia, and a door flew open for Alan Oldham. With passport in hand he departed on his jour-ney as a DJ, which little did he know would eventually span continents. Influenced by every-thing around him, his work has dynamically changed and evolved along with his life. Currently as an international DJ living in Berlin, his latest creation is the ACIDSPACE EP, released by Elypsia Records under the DetroitRocketScience name. The traveler himself takes us on an intergalactic adventure, beginning with ACIDSPACE (8:48). With a steady beat and a unique blend of serene space sounds, this jam excites the imagination for the journey to come. It is followed by ROCKET TO BERLIN (7:20), a subtle and intricate mix that entices one to enter the unknown. VESTA SYSTEM (6:22) finishes the EP off on a note that leaves lis-teners grooving and enjoying the ride. Creativity and sweet sounds are what it's all about for Alan Oldham. With his recent musical shift to mellower, sci-fi inspired jams, he continues to let listeners see for themselves.