quête:the box

Trad Vibe records started in Paris in 2005 when two friends and open minded musicians decided to set up a label that would mainly focus on vinyl releases. In times when Serato and other midi controllers dominated the dj booths and when vinyl record sales were experiencing a major downturn, this endevour did not look like an easy bet . "Moar's Remixes", the label's first release allowed Trad Vibe to set foot in the business and to meet people like Grandmaster Dee Nasty, Cortex (Alain Mion), Raashan Ahmad, The Audible Doctor (NYC) amongst many others which resulted in fruitful collaborations."
Ten years and over thirty vinyl releases later we are poud to present you with this compilation that includes unreleased tracks and remixes by Dj Cam, 20syl (C2C/Hocus Pocus), Venice Beach, Lord Funk, Blanka (La fine Equipe / Juke Box Champions) as well as brand new tracks by artists we like among which LS Brigandes (NYC) feat Insight, Moar & Elodie Rama, Dj Suspect & Doc TMK, King Most (San Francisco) and Madjir."

Evolution is our main target and we hope that you will enjoy our new projects as much as we do."

Disco Bits are back with another party time 45.
Cannon & Mirrorball are in the edit suite once again re-touching and consensually grappling with funky old 70's grooves and late nite club accapellas to bring you the heat that your record box has been needing.

A - Hot Lovin' (Dont Stop Dont Quit)
On side A they they serve up some peaktime Studio 54 realness mixed with a bit of late 80's style hip house.
This is Cerrone meeting Sergio Mendes uptown, Saturday Night, whilst Chali 2na and his posse bumrush the show and grab the mic.

B - Shack Attack !
On the flipside the boys funk it up with some never fail drum breaks from the Disco Shack, vocal snatches of a houseparty classic and a swathe of brand new instrumentation.
The result is a jam is so dope you'll get a contact high by un-sleeving the wax.

Ain't no party like a Cannon & Mirrorball party, y'all !

Get 'em while you can.

Part 2 of the compilation series sees the journey evolving, this time with a more upbeat affair. Not much has changed in terms of selection, as we continue to draw inspiration from the wider world, we bring to you the sounds of artists originating from Argentina, Japan, Netherlands, Portugal, Brazil and the UK. Beyond the restrictions of this physical realm, let you ears nourish the mind & soul as they traverse the world for you…

Argentinian resident Silvio Astier introduces us to the record with the aptly named ’Santa Maria del Buen Ayre’ - the former name of his hometown Buenos Aires. Easing us in with a wonderfully atmospheric piece, carefully mixing simple percussion patterns with his own well-crafted luscious guitar work.

Next up, we have Japan native/Berlin resident Kotoe continuing the flow of downtempo sounds that slowly settle us into this compilation. ‘Ondami’ conjures up images of a distant dream… the floating vocals and echoing chimes capable of drifting the listener to a place of blissful escapism.

The tempo is turned up a notch for the last track of side A, provided by UK born folklorica maestro El Buho. Renowned for his love of merging the traditional and natural sounds of South America with modern electronica, ’Swifts’ certainly ticks those boxes with an added touch of dance-floor-ready groove.

Portuguese native duo Oxhala continue to push the sounds on the flip side into heavier territory. ’Earth Spirit’ builds from an amalgamation of stomping tribal drums, hypnotically playful keys and distorted vocals, channeling the listener to our innate primitive spirit - this is one for the body & mind.

Dutch party-starter Mytron’s contribution ’Oil’ provides the fuel for the party as he turns to fast-paced conga rhythms, cowbells and elephant trumpets. These exotic sounds bounce along with ever-persistent energy to create the soundtrack to a hedonistic carnivalesque celebration of all things wild.

If you haven’t already peaked with the previous offering, Brazilian native El Peche wraps things up nicely with track ‘Rastro De Fogo’ (ft. Mari Branco). Tripped out vocals phase in and out as the track is dominated by a tight bassline before delicate keys bring in a softer element to finish.

Repress

René Pawlowitz presents himself in many different forms; whether it’s as Head High, EQD, Wax, WK7, The Traveller or more recently as Hoover - he consistently, and without any fuss or hype - produces some of the most effective, quality techno you can find on the planet. The Shed alias is usually reserved for his best work.

With this in mind, it really is a special event to announce this amazing new EP from Shed on Tectonic, showcasing 3 distinctive and highly effective techno cuts.

‘Try’ takes a broken-beat techno rhythm for it’s spine - reminiscent a little of the 2008/9 dubstep/techno crossover period. Tension is set with dissonant elements pulsing around swooping subs until we are saved by the heroic pads that ease in, building ever upwards to a lush finale. Close your eyes and be transported back to the rave.

‘Box’ is a darker, more percussive affair - claustrophobic and industrial. 130bpm 4/4 distorted kicks set the stage as frantic drum machine hats and claps crash about heavily reverb’ed ghostly samples.

Lastly we come to ‘Sweep’, a hypnotic bleepy roller with a bass heavy presence. As the riff loops up and over, drums build and a dissonant synth part creeps in. The not-quite 4/4 kick drives you ever forward with a gentle stumble as rattling hi hats flair about over head. Great finish to a great EP.

LTM presents a limited double vinyl gatefold edition (500 copies only) of B9, the definitive collection of cold wave and minimal electronica from Belgium, recorded between 1979 and 1983.
Originally released on Sandwich Records in May 1981, B9 featured 10 exclusive tracks by luminaries such as Digital Dance, Polyphonic Size, Kid Montana, Pseudo Code and Prothese, the latter the first recording project by Daniel Bressanutti of Front 242. Now digitally remastered, with 10 additional tracks on the second disc, this new deluxe vinyl edition also features Front 242, The Names, Marine, Siglo XX, The Neon Judgement, Berntholer, Allez Allez, Isolation Ward and more.
Cover op-art by Victor Vasarely. Design by Benoît Hennebert, based on a poster for The First Belgian Rhythm Box Contest (1981). Liner notes by James Nice. The existing CD version of B9 is also still available (LTMCD 2486) 

Enigmatic producer RNDTXTR debuts on Rekids with a deep techno three tracker entitled‘Random EP’ this September.

“Some tracks just stick with you. They never leave your box, or in this case USB, and I’ve been playing these tracks from RNDTXTR for well over two years. Everywhere from Tokyo to Berlin. These have a universal appeal, being hypnotic and just the right balance between pushy club sounds and spatial melodies” - Radio Slave

Shrouded in murky atmospherics, ‘RND009’ opens the package with rigorous drums, shuffling shakers, sweeping pads and scintillating synths. ‘RND007 (Dub Mix)’ continues with a similar cantering rhythm as various rattling percussive elements work alongside clever automation for a tracky cut designed to lock listeners into a trance. Concluding matters, ‘RND004’ is the wonkiest number on the package with its syncopated groove and otherworldly melody.

Over the years, the sonic world of Heist has grown into a place where energetic house, live instruments and worldly electronics move together in the most natural way. We're very proud of the fact that we can showcase artists that cross boundaries or simply create their own universe, while keeping a strong connection with the identity of the label.

Our next release, the 'Exposures EP' by Teleseen, fits perfectly into this aesthetic. Teleseen is the main project of nomadic DJ, producer and multi-instrumentalist Gabriel Cyr and draws influence from deep house, afro house, samba, batucada as well as the experimentalism and sound system cultures of his home town NYC. His sound leans heavily on polyrhythmic programming and he's nothing short of a synth wizard. His 'Exposures EP' features 3 originals, and a remix by Berlin based Italian house guru Black Loops.

The record features a number of collaborators and recordings of various instruments, ranging from percussive sections to synths and guitar. This live approach to electronic music is one that is deeply rooted into Gabriel's work. His upcoming release on Soundway as 'Thaba' is another good example of this approach and also shows how diverse his sounds really is.

The title track is a thrilling synth affair with tribal-like chants running through a vocoder. The combination of handclaps, crunchy synths and steady drums make for a thrilling afro house track that hints towards early motor city electronics.

Black Loops is known for his deep grooves and built his fame with his releases on Freerange, Pets and Shall not Fade. His take on 'Exposures' sees him upping the tempo to a pacey 130 bpm, where an introvert vibe of reverbed hits and bleeps take you into full dream mode. He expertly chops up the original into a contemporary track that fits somewhere between high tempo tech-house and minimalistic deephouse.

On the flip we get to hear more of the sonic world Teleseen has to offer. 'Dekalb' is a track that seems impossible to box into a genre. Its mood is set by a lovely section of free-flowing Rhodes chords and the chopped vocals and open synth- bass give the track a whole new feel. It is that ballsy electronic edge combined with dreamy textures and live rhythms that give 'Dekalb' its unique vibe.

The final track of the EP -'Transfer'- takes us down to a mid-tempo percussive workout with a balearic twist. The steady electronic groove and the free flowing guitar take you to yet another corner of Teleseen's beautifully crafted universe.

Enjoy the music and play it loud!

Yours Sincerely,
Lars & Maarten

Demon Records presents Distortion: 1989-1995, the first in a series of four expansive vinyl box sets chronicling the solo career of legendary American musician Bob Mould. Bob Mould’s career began in 1979 with the iconic underground punk group Hüsker Dü before forming the beloved alternative rock band Sugar and releasing numerous critically acclaimed solo albums. Volume one in this new series covers 1989 to 1995, beginning with Mould’s first post Hüsker Dü album Workbook and continuing through to Sugar’s final studio album File Under: Easy Listening.

Each album is presented with brand new artwork designed by illustrator Simon Marchner and pressed on 140g clear vinyl with unique splatter effects.

Includes a 28-page companion booklet featuring: liner notes by journalist Keith Cameron; a foreword by writer and actor Fred Armisen; a tribute from Richard Thompson; lyrics and memorabilia.

Mastered by Jeff Lipton and Maria Rice at Peerless Mastering in Boston.

Featuring an array of bonus tracks including Sugar’s 1995 collection of Bsides and non-album tracks Besides, along with Distortion Plus: 1989-1995 a new and exclusive collection of rarities and collaborations (pressed on clear vinyl).

Songs for dancing, having fun, and vibing out, B. Bravo's latest project, the "Cosmic Mind" EP, brings listeners to the dancefloor by way of a healthy dose of talk-box, retro synths and irresistable boogie grooves.

Los Angeles producer, talk-boxer, remixer, DJ & instrumentalist, B. Bravo, has been flipping interstellar references and laying down galactic beats for over a decade. From 2009's Analog Starship to 2020's Cosmic Mind EP, the funk in him is alive and well. Born in California with roots in Japan, Bravo combines his love for jazz, soul, hip hop and electronics into his own signature sound of swinging grooves, melodic synths and bouncing analog basslines.

PRESSED ON ECO-FRIENDLY VINYL AT THE GREENEST PRESSING PLANT IN THE WORLD

The ends of days are ones with which Damian Lazarus is familiar, but, much like his biblical namesake, he too, has come back from the brink and risen to fight on, his career is interwoven with themes of survival and re-birth. Fittingly then, his second solo album does not wallow in our current dark times but charts a path of hope. Flourish, offers a glimpse of a new world worth living in and surviving for.

Flourish takes us through the many lives of Damian Lazarus, who, as he has grown older, and traversed the globe, has come to more deeply examine the role the dance floor plays in his own life and that of others. With parties cancelled, it would have been easy to wallow, but instead urgency took hold, and isolated Italian countryside Damian took the space to tackle the larger questions he has been grappling with for years.

As anyone who has watched Lazarus DJ can attest, his inspirations are deep and varied, criss-crossing show tunes, drum n bass, jazz, electro, soul, house, techno and everything in-between. This album reflects his immersion in a multitude of scenes over the years, from the early days of London drum n bass, to his role as a figurehead in the electroclash scene, and of course the significant impact his Crosstown Rebels label has had on contemporary underground house and techno. Flourish is far from a box of functional DJ tools, in the same way as Damian’s debut album Smoke The Monster Out or the more worldly outings in his brace of albums with the Ancient Moons. It’s a personal, brave and varied body of work. It’s also the work of an artist who has grown over the ten years since his last solo album. Lazarus plays with nuances of texture, tempo and style to create a rich and dense album that takes us on an odyssey that is at times both dark and uplifting. Vocals of his own cast an intimate shadow over the album with those of his sole collaborator Jem Cooke offering a soothing balance amidst the madness.

Damian’s work reminds us that however taxing the journeys there are always moments of beauty to be found.

Rare musical magic from the Bruton library catalogue – ambient, spacey, pastoral and electronic. Music by John Cameron, Alan Hawkshaw, Fran-cis Monkman, Brian Bennett and more – all total masters of the scene. All very cool. All very now. All will sell very fast.

Over the last three decades Jonny Trunk has collected and written about library music. But he’s never had a great deal of luck with the Bruton catalogue. By this he means that he’s never stumbled across a massive stash, or lucked-out buying a huge run for practically nothing –that’s the kind of thing that used to happen in the 1990s and the early noughties if you were out there looking hard for library music. But he did manage to get about 25 in one hit about 20 years ago when the BBC shut down their “TV Training Department” near Lime Grove and also when a box of Brutons ended up being dumped at a hospital radio, and they didn’t want the records, so Jonny got a call.

There are lots of Bruton albums in existence – over 330 LPs in the vinyl catalogue, issued between 1978 and 1985. That’s a lot of music to wade through if you are looking for sublime modern day sounds. For many years now the “trophies” from the Bruton catalogue have been the beat or action driven LPs – the two Drama Montage albums (BRJ2 and BRJ8) have always been the big hitters, and others such as High Adventure (BRK2) too.

But Jonny has always found himself drawn to the lime green LPs, the pastoral, peaceful albums (The BRDs), which were full of the kind of gentle, lovely music that would turn up in Take Hart as Tony was paint-ing a woodpecker or a badger or an Autumn tree. The other Brutons he likes are the orange ones (The BRIs) simply because they are full of ex-perimental futuristic electronics and would remind him of 1980s ITV backgrounds. This LP series includes Brian Bennett’s cosmic classic Fantasia (BRI 10). Jonny has been knows to refer to this style of library music as “Krypton Factor library”, because it’s exactly what that strange but successful 1980s TV quiz show sounded like.

In recent years as interest in library music has expanded, we’ve watched
the price of a handful of Brutons really going through the roof - not the just the action and drama ones, but the more esoteric and experimental LPs too – like the BRDs and the BRIs. Jonny gets the vibe that people fi-nally want to hear this other more interesting and experimental side of the Bruton catalogue. So what better time than now to put together a compilation of such sublime period sounds.

Not only does this album bring together a set of fabulous cues that would cost the average man in the street a month’s wages (if the origi-nals were all wanted and if you could even track them all down), but it also chops out the need to listen to other tracks on library albums that are nowhere near as good.

The cues here all date from between 1978 and 1984. They come from the BRD, BRI, BRH, BRJ, BRM, BRR and BRs catalogues.

The composers are all legends within the genre, and here, were doing what great library composers do best – fulfilling a brief and utilising modern studio equipment to both commercial and beguiling effect.

Vox Populi!'s cult and highly sought after debut LP is finally reissued here after 30 years. Recorded after their first single - Ectoplasmies (1983) - between 1984 and 1985, the original band of Mitra and her (then) 14 year old brother Arash and Axel Kyrou, evolved from 2 early cassettes and the 7"s' rudimentary, idiosyncratic and improvisational structures to more cohesive edges. Living together, but with no formal music education, the nature of the disparate elements led to a sparseness of the recordings. Influenced by his mother, the concrete music pioneer, Mireille Kyrou and her work at GRM (State Institute for Musical Research), Axel challenged his creativity by utilising their Vox Man studio as an instrument. Building on minimal synth, rhythm box, hand percussion and Persian poetry, they experimented with tape manipulation - layering the music with forward, backward and echo simultaneously - creating a leap in the band's development. The dark nature Myscitismes was reflected in their increasing interest in industrial and ethnic music, with a great fascination for the religious traditional music of Tibet. Ceremonial, gothic, drone-folk, the progression is apparent; onward perceptions.

The Man Who: The Man Who sounds as fresh today as it did then. One of the most successful British albums of the last 20 years, it spawned the timeless singles, “Writing to Reach You,” “Driftwood,” “Turn,” and possibly the band’s most iconic song, “Why Does It Always Rain on Me?” Produced by Nigel Godrich (Radiohead, U2, Pavement), The Man Who spent an astonishing 11 weeks at Number One in the UK, going on to sell 3.5 million copies worldwide. Critical recognition quickly followed including Ivor Novello Awards for Best Songwriter and Best Contemporary Song for “Why Does It Always Rain on Me?” and BRIT Awards for Best British Band and Best British Album. Travis would spend the next 18 months on a 237-date world tour. The deluxe box set features 2-LPs, 2-CDs and a 58-page commemorative photobook, and includes 19 B-sides hand selected by the band themselves.

2017 release available again soon, first time through us, last copies. After numerous productions with Xatar, Haftbefehl, Plusmacher, Schwesta Ewa and many more, it was time for the solo debut of The Breed last year. The record entitled The Beauty & The Breed brought Westcoast Vibes into the German beat scene and provided the perfect soundtrack for the summer. Now the new album Sexbox follows up on this. The Breed brings the vibe for relaxed BBQ parties and sunny rides in a convertible. The inspiration for this continues to come from G-Funk and also the classic AON sound shines through again and again, but always stays up to date. The instrumentals are even more mature than on the predecessor and Breedy spins his movie logically further without repeating himself. But instead even more R'n'B influence, even more sex. No classic sample-flip-drum-ready loops, but rather songs that are repeatedly produced out of the box, which through the prominent use of talkbox, live instruments and vocal chops become more than just pure instrumentals. The Breed mixes all these ingredients in a well-considered and dosed way for the Sexbox Cocktail.
The powerful and bass-heavy produced beats make heads nod and spread a real feelgood vibe everywhere.
Matching the artwork Sexbox is released as pink coloured vinyl including a A2 poster for your living room and a mp3 download coupon.

FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME ON TRIPLE SPLATTER VINYL BOX SET WITH THE A TOUR POSTER & THE LIVE CONCERT DVD • STRICTLY LIMITED EDITION: 4,000 COPIES

Italian Disco remixer extraordinaire Moplen is back at the controls with a super sublime reworking of a wonderful and rare early 80's Leroy Burgess jam from the Salsoul vaults. 'Heartbreaker' is an underground classic, seeing Burgess back in the studio with longtime collaborator Sonny T. Davenport and Kiss FM mastermixer and producer Shep Pettibone on mixing duties. A tight and flawless early 80's production sensibility and the incredible vocal arrangements and lyrical performance of Leroy Burgess make this one a definite essential in any DJ's box. This is the real deal. If you dig that post-Disco electronic sound this one is for you, simply perfect in every way and quite tough to track down these days in its original form with copies reaching high figures on the second hand market. Needless to say, Moplen injects his own personal style into his remix and adds his unique flair creating an essential new version of this classic on the B-side. Always understanding, respectful and fresh, Moplen pumps 'Heartbreaker' in all the best ways, crafting a drum and bass heavy DJ version and new arrangement that you will be hearing for many years to come! Disco bliss.

This remix and reissue is 100% supported by Leroy Burgess, who dug Moplen's new vision of this 1983 classic. Fully licensed, sanctioned and released by Above Board distribution and Salsoul Records, 2020. Accept no imitations!

The ultimate freestyle box contains Johnny O - “Fantasy Girl” (Vinyl EP), Stevie B - “Hit Collection” (Vinyl 2LP), Johnny O - “The Very Best Of” (CD) and Stevie B - “Greatest Freestyle Collection” (CD).

Dead Or Alive have sold more than 30 million albums and 25 million singles worldwide and gave Stock Aitken Waterman their first #1
single. Their first three albums, which the band wrote, all reached the UK Top 30, with ‘Youthquake’ reaching the Top 10. In the 1980s, they charted seven unique singles in the UK Top 40, with two further re-entries this century, with a remix and original version of ‘You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)’. Respected US magazine Billboard, ranked them in their all-time Top 100 most successful ‘dance artists’ chart.
Recorded at PWL Studios, London, “Nukleopatra” is the Band’s sixth studio album and was initially released in Japan in 1995, although
subsequently released in different versions - track existing / versions / durations / artwork - in eight other countries between 1996 and 1998. It contains the singles ‘Rebel Rebel’ and ‘Sex Drive’. The album was not released in the UK, until a re-worked version was included within the ‘Sophisticated Boom Box MMXVI’ box set in 2016. This vinyl edition replicates the original Japanese version, which features longer versions ‘Nukleopatra’ and ‘Sex Drive’, along with rerecorded versions of ‘Unhappy Birthday’ and ‘Gone Too Long’, which appeared on “Fan the Flame (Part 1)”. This special 25th Anniversary Edition of “Nukleopatra” is the first time that the album has been commercially released on vinyl in its original configuration, with original playing durations and will be pressed on 180g heavyweight blue colour vinyl.