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Disco icon D.C. LaRue and Fraternity Music Group go back to the original multitracks and rework two classics from the Pyramid Disco catalog. With DJ Spinna, Johnny Juice (Public Enemy) and Mell Starr on remix duties, LaRue’s “Face Of Love” and “Indiscreet” are revitalized and tuned up by and for DJs and dancers. Juice’s intense, ‘80s house flip of “Face Of Love” sets things off before DJ Spinna gives the song a classic white glove treatment, extending and dropping drum breaks at all the right times. Mell Starr rounds things out with straight-to-the-point mix.

The flip side sees Juice get creative with it once again, with a dubby, cut-filled version of the break beat classic “Indiscreet.” As a DJ who’s cut the original up a million times, Spinna knows exactly where to freak the beat on his version of “Indiscreet,” lacing it with monster open drums throughout. Once again, a classy Mell Starr mix closes out the side of this jam-packed 12-inch.

Heavyweight pressing and an immaculate full color jacket utilizing the original Pyramid Disco sleeve design makes this a must-have for any funky DJ.

* The original sister label to Ram Records from the old Ram HQ studio in Essex, Liftin’ Spirit Records now celebrates it’s 25th year with a special ‘RELOADED’ limited vinyl series of remastered classics, alongside rare and previously unreleased tracks since the beginning in1992.

* DATs from artists such as Andy C, Ant Miles, Shimon, Joint Venture, Interrogator and Red One have been located in the archives. Also from the Ram & Liftin’ HQ came tracks for the Deep Seven label in 1993 and all these rare DAT masters have been located and now re-cut by Simon, the original Ram & Liftin’ vinyl masterer at ‘The Exchange’. Initially, Deep Seven remasters will present on a printed white label and unreleased tracks will have a black label.

* Further out from the early 90’s these two 1998 tracks still exemplified the established D&B Junglist vibe that Ant Miles (Liftin’ Spirits) adored and honoured. Only recently located in the DAT tape archives, it’s focused production of twisted up organic bass lines has a foot in the present as well as the past.

Promotion across chosen internet websites and Hardcore/Jungle/Drum & Bass 12” vinyl communities.

(CLÁSSICOS EM VINIL) Som Imaginário was a famous Brazilian group responsible for support the singer Milton Nascimento. The group released 3 albums between 1970 and 1973.'Armina' and 'Matança Do Porco' are the keytracks, Progressive pearls lost in the haze of time. This is one of the true Brazilian classics.

Lonnie’s 1975 jazz-funk masterpiece is released on 180g black vinyl in a nice thick card gatefold sleeve. Former Miles Davis and Pharoah Sanders keyboardist Lonnie Liston Smith saw all his musical ideas coming together for this, his third album. The title track is one of the best-known jazz funk classics; its influence on several generations of clubbers cannot be underestimated. It is a glorious amalgamation of jazz players and the tenor voice of Lonnie’s brother Donald. However, the track’s success has resulted in the album becoming rather overlooked and its other six pieces underappreciated. ‘Desert Nights’ and ‘Voodoo Woman’ give vent to Lonnie’s improvisational skills over a modal base. ‘Summer Days’ and ‘My Love’ are based around Latin rhythms, with the latter proving another great vehicle for Donald Smith’s voice. Donald is also the singer on an inspired take on Horace Silver’s ‘Peace’. “One of dance music’s most significant records” – Gilles Peterson.

Bunny Wailer’s album Sings the Wailers successfully reworks many of The Wailers songs with the backing of top Jamaican musicians, Sly and Robbie. The way he edited the songs for the modern age is impressive. At some moments he’s harmonizing with himself, to keep the spirit of The Wailers alive. Dubby overtones and well produced arrangements are all part of the wonderful sound created by Bunny and Sly and Robbie.

• 180 GRAM AUDIOPHILE VINYL
• INCLUDES “MELLOW MOOD”, “HYPOCRITE”, “RULE THIS LAND”, “I’M THE TOUGHEST” AND MORE REGGAE SONGS
• REGGAE SERIES WITH SELECTED REGGAE CLASSICS STICKER ON SEAL

Faze Action return with the 3rd instalment of their 4 part series featuring Zeke Manyika. "Sununguka", sung in Zeke's native Shona, is literally translated to mean, "To unravel oneself and unlock yourself".

It's set over an infectious reggae, boogie rhythm, with an early proto house feel. Featuring backing vocals from Sharon Manyika and heavenly keyboard solos from Rob Lee, this EP is set to take us into summer and beyond.

The package comes with a stunning remix from Alan Dixon who has been lighting up dance floors with his releases on Running Back and more. Here he turns the original into an Italo/electronic Aend of night classics, managing to seamlessly Amerge Zeke's African vocals with a serious bass line, ahead of the curve, contempory production whilst placing the release firmly in the credible main room department.

On "A2" we have Rwendo where Zeke really stretches his songwriting skills as the whole track manages to fuse a variety of rhythms together to create a beautiful downtempo masterpiece.
Finishing off we have the "Special Extended Dub Mix" which strips back the original and turns it into a balearic house gem made for the summer ahead.

Palette 71 kicks off with legendary Warp artist Plaid on remix duties. Transforming the title track, re-synthesized 909 samp-les and lua scripted sequencing, Plaid builds melodies and ar-rangement to epic proportions in classic Plaid fashion.

Tejada’s new EP is an homage of sorts to the sample heavy production style of the late '90s. "Limiting the options and just creating and manipulating a batch of samples is my happy place,” says Tejada. The title track hints back to a personal favorite, Optical’s "Moving 808s." While the sound is quite different, the approach is similar: samples, editing, some fil-ters and not a whole lot more opens up a lot of creative possi-bilities without too much getting in the way. Of course, the bass plays an important role. Combing through some older influences of varying styles, the production became more in line with Tejada classics like “Timebomb” and “Western Star-land,” both sample collage pieces focused on groove.

The final track, "Infinity Room" also follows this production process while resulting in a slightly moodier sound.

Something is stirring in downtown Tucson. That's no great surprise perhaps: Calexico have been sending out missives from the desert for 20 years now, Giant Sand for even longer than that, and the Green on Red revival is surely overdue. Let us remind ourselves that this isn't a big city in the American sense, but that its hinterland is indeed as big as it gets. For an hour south, Mexico starts. And this is where things get interesting.

Born in Nogales, Arizona, raised in Nogales, Sonora, multi-instrumentalist and band-leader Sergio Mendoza grew up listening to the Mexican regional styles jostling for headspace in a young, music-mad mind - cumbia mainly, but mambo, rancheras and mariachi too. The border is always a fierce arena of exchange, both commercial and cultural, and so there was American music too. At one point 'rock and roll, the classics', as Mendoza himself deadpans, seemed to win out and he stopped playing those 'Latin styles' for a good decade and a half.

The return to those sounds was a strong one in 2012's Mambo Mexicano, co-produced by Mendoza and Joey Burns of Calexico - a band for which Mendoza has become an increasingly integral touring and recording member. While that record had a studied air, tentative in parts (as befits the renewal of an old love affair), ¡Vamos A Guarachar! is another beast entirely: by turns raucous ('Cumbia Volcadora', featuring Mexican electronic pioneer Camilo Lara), tender ('Misterio', surely Salvador Duran's finest moment with the band so far) and plain serious fun, as in 'Contra La Marea' and 'Mapache', it also bears a robust electronic edge, a keen pop sensibility and all the hallmarks of Mendoza's love of 60s rock, with the closing track, 'Shadows of the Mind', sure to be included if anyone decides to update the Nuggets collection for the 21st century. This is roundabout way of saying that it appears to have everything, but never too much of anything. Focused, fierce and beautifully executed by a superbly drilled set of musicians, it is a record that fully matches the band's explosive live performances.

You could, of course, take the trip to Tucson yourself, to the home of this essential set of field recordings. The scene hangs out together, so ... if the stars align and their frantic tour schedules permit, you might see any number of folks from Calexico, Giant Sand or up-and-coming cumbia rockers Xixa deep in conversation somewhere in town with a quiet young man in black. That's Sergio. Right now, in this endless game of Tucson tag, Orkesta Mendoza are IT.

Outta Sight’s collectable ‘Classics’ series continues with two real heavyweight’s of the rare soul scene, face-to-face for the very first time. Together, these two icons helped define, not only Northern Soul, but the soul music genre… and now, almost sixty years on, they go head to head.

In the blue corner is former commercial artist and amateur heavyweight boxer Mr Roy Hamilton who set the dancefloors trembling across the North of England when his 1962 “Earthquake” was finally unleashed on the Northern Soul scene. Hamilton was already a huge star in America scoring two R&B No.1’s in 1954 and ’55 with the standards “You’ll Never Walk Alone” and “Unchned Melody”. But, he will forever be remembered in the U.K. for his Northern anthems “Crackin’ Up Over You”, “The Panic Is On”, “You Shook Me Up” and the explosive “Earthquake”.

In the red corner is the multi-talented actor, pianist, arranger, producer, songwriter and singer Mr H. B. Barnum who’s early belter “It Hurts Too Much To Cry” belies its 1962 recording date. Barnum also scored on the rare soul scene with “Three Rooms With Running Water”, “The Record” and the awesome “Heartbreaker”.

But his contribution far exceeds his personal output with writer, producer and arranger credits on a slue of floorfillers inlcuding Judy Street’s “What”, Earl Wright’s “Thumb A Ride” and The Magnificents’ ”My Heart Is Calling You”, to name but a few.

REPRESS NOW IN

Played By Theo Parrish, 2 Deep Disco Classics on 45 for the first time.

Brand new master from Sony cut at Timmion Cutting Lab, Finland.

"G.Q" stood for "good quality", they were not joking. As well as a few top 10 hits G.Q also had a wealth of brilliant disco bangers across their 70s output. Here we present 2 favourites of my own,k 'Lies' and 'is It Cool?' . Not only of mine buy clearly Theo Parrish's also as he featured both on 'Ugly Edits' over a decade ago, great as it saved me from playing the LP in clubs and fighting the feedback. These track have always sat next to the best rare modern soul and Deepfunk classics with ease, they are some of the best records in the Genre.

To top it off we got a new perfect master from Sony and cut the 45 at Timmion cutting Lab in Finland and its sounds great. A personal favorite, im delighted to be able to put this out with the care it deserves. "See that there's a party going on……"

Two essential and eternal classics from New York Hammond legend Larry Young with vocals by the talented Linda "Tequila" Logan.

Rare groove standard "Turn of the Lights" I would hope needs no introduction, I well known album track that does actually exist on a rare promo arista 45 but it is HARD to find and goes for around $250+ when it turns up once in a blue moon (probably more now people know it exists).On the flip Linda's amazing free vocal on "Fuel for the Fire" is cut on 45 for the first time, one of those out there records you play on a good night when people are feeling open and it all comes together. I have spun both these records for over 20 years and no format surpasses the cut done here by Timmion Lab from the new Sony masters, I'm very happy I don't have to break out the album tracks any more.

Larry died in 1978 from untreated pneumonia and Linda disappeared from music apart from a few writing credits on 90s pop artist Betty Boo's tracks. If you love that voice be sure to check out her great vocal on Tony Williams Lifetime track 'You Make It Easy', great folky Jazz.

Ruff Sqwads' most asked after instrumental, finally released on a
4-track vinyl EP. Includes R U Double F, arguably one of the most sought after and loved Grime tracks which never saw the light of day, along with 3 more forgotten classics in the form of Darker, Iron Man and Come On.

KOGNITIF is back with MONOMETRIC 2020 EDITION, 6 years after the first edition. He totally reinterprets this deeply Trip-Hop album with a very wise and sharp ear and invites you to rediscover his classics , such as “Bande de Dégénérés” or “So Let’s Begin”. Jeannette Robertson’s gorgeous voice being delightfully enhanced by this remastering.

The most important pieces are still the 4 original tracks scattered across the album so just get ready, open ears wide and check this out !

Nina Simone was an exceptional artist. She was gifted with a precocious talent and she played music at home and in church. Nina originally counted on becoming the first black female classical pianist ; her plans were thwarted and that frustration no doubt permeated almost her entire career. Yet she became a diva capable of combining the jazz world with those of the classics and soul, and among other titles she recorded are some of the most vibrant and moving performances of Wild is the Wind or You Can Have Him, I don’t Want Him.

She was one of the greatest artists of her time, and her fervour and rigorous demands concerning the quality of her music took her to the highest summits, whether in her compositions or in her vocal and piano performances. For all that, she never forgot her condition as a black woman in the America of the Sixties, and her active commitment to defending the rights of the black minority was exemplary - and at times even excessive, for which she was often reproached.

She has left us some of the most beautiful chapters in jazz and soul music, among them the 23 titles that appear in this album.

Snips is the founder of Barbershop Records and co founder of Livin Proof, with over 15 years experience as one of Londons most prolific DJs and over 10 years worth of production credits across Hip Hops underground. 2018 has seen Snips emerge as a budding solo artist, fusing the production styles of Hip Hop, House, Soul and Funk in the same fashion as he is known to do behind the turntables.

With his debut album "The Barbershop" making waves on both sides of the Atlantic and his Single "The Product" On Classic Records garnering support from a cross genre selection of heavyweights such as Karizma, Benji B, Eli Escobar, House Shoes, J Rocc, DJ Spinna and Henry Wu, Snips returns on his own label Barbershop Records and delves into Edit territory for his second instalment of the "Snips Edits" series. This time cleverly turning a handful of Hip Hop classics into club ready anthems over Snips' original productions.

New stateside label that does what it says on the tin. Big drum breaks that work in their own right in instrumental form for these massive dancefloor classics with this debut release for both tracks in the dj friendly 7 inch format. Only 200 units pressed. Don't sleep on this!

The outstanding 1971 debut by piano player and arranger Osmar Milito features his amazing cover of Herbie Hancock's Cantaloupe Island plus several classic Brazilian songs by Marcos Valle, Jorge Ben and Ivan Lins among others. Fierce samba jazz and bossa all the way through! The line-up of performing artists could hardly be more impressive: Quarteto Forma on vocals, Luis Ea, Marcos Valle, Pascoal Meirelles. This brilliant album is up there with the best work of Arthur Verocai and Marcos Valle. Presented in facsimile artwork and pressed on 180g vinyl

During the 90s, a walk around London’s Camden Market inevitably meant listening to the music with groove that the most popular DJs had made fashionable at the time: soul jazz instrumentals and Brazilian music targeting the club dancefloors. Among all those songs that ended up becoming classics of the scene was the amazing cover version of Herbie Hancock’s ‘Cantaloupe Island’ that Osmar Milito had recorded in 1971. This song was probably the main reason that made his LP for Som Livre one of the most sought after Brazilian records by collectors from all over the world. Now we finally have a new opportunity to enjoy this album, reissued on vinyl for the first time.

Along with the aforementioned version of Herbie Hancock’s song, this first album by piano player and arranger Osmar Milito is full of versions of Brazilian classics, from Marcos Valle to Jorge Ben or Ivan Lins. Fierce samba jazz and bossa all the way through! Note that Milito spent the first years of his career as a member of the backing band of big artists such as Elis Regina, Jorge Ben, Nara Leão... and after two years working with Sergio Mendes in the United States, he returned to Brazil and recorded his first LP.

The line-up of performing artists on this album could hardly be more impressive: Quarteto Forma on the vocals, Luis Eça, Marcos Valle, Pascoal Meirelles (what an amazing drummer he is!)... and both sides of the record hide a seamless sequence of solid tune after solid tune with similar doses of instrumental and vocal tracks. Just listen to the magnificent ‘Garra’, ‘Que bandeira’ or ‘Rita Jeep’, or the sweet samba that gives its name to the record, and you will see why this LP should be up there, next to the best works of Arthur Verocai and Marcos Valle.

Following on from the release of 'Modern Jazz Dance Classics, Volume One' in 2019, which was popular on the jazz underground, the Staubgold's MJDC sub label returns with another compilation comprising mainly of contemporary artists carefully selected by DJ Jeff The Fish, this time on a Latin trip for 'Sol Vibrations: Latin Dance Movements'.

There are carefully selected tracks from all over the world to make a great set and selection, including three acts based in Catalonia (Tromboranga, The Santiago Acevedo Ensemble and Antoine 'Tato' Garcia), some from the US (Camille, EC3), the UK (Alex Wilson, Born 74), France (Mayomi, Camarao Orkestra), Japan (Jizue), Brazil (Fabio Chagas), Cuba (Jean Pablo Torres) and Uruguay (La Calenda Beat).

For some time now in the continual hunt for new DJ material to play in the jazz scene, the Modern Jazz Dance Classics label (a division of Staubgold) has been coming across great tracks by current artists that are often only available on digital or CD format. The brainchild of French based DJ Jeff The Fish and Markus Detmer at the Staubgold record label in Germany, MJDC aims to provide DJs with this new music on vinyl and inject new sounds into the jazz dance scene.

The PPF are now back in full voice it seems...
It's been 15 years since their beautifully packaged series of EP's found their way into the world's best record crates
And after two recent & very well received releases on Hot Peas 'N Butter, we get four more certified floor-fillers from the vaults.
Constructed as club-ready reworks for their own sets, this pin sharp selection appears here as a one-off limited vinyl release.

A 4-way of their most wanted secret weapons for the faithful, these re-tailored & timeless classics are the sonic manifesto for preserving those good ol' Dirty Basements.

Deliberately breaking all the rules Mr. Hornby once famously outlined regarding the creation of homemade (tape) compilations, Saroos’ members indeed had the term “mixtape” on their minds while working on their latest full-length – albeit in the hip-hop sense: a sonic snack box, interconnected shots from the hip, something that just came together and immediately felt right.

Whereas hip-hop folks nowadays often use the vacuous term “project” in order to steer clear of the ontological debate caused by the almost synonymous use of album/mixtape, Florian Zimmer, Christoph Brandner, and Max Punktezahl, otherwise busy with The Notwist, Driftmachine & Lali Puna, stick to the classics: their new 16-track project “OLU” (Off Label Use) is, officially, still an album. But it’s wild and vibrant like a mixtape, interwoven like its cover: a seamless burst of ideas, impulsively combined to form a split-screen snapshot of recent moments and momentums.

Re-appropriating the term “Off Label Use” – which actually means: using prescription drugs in ways that aren’t mentioned on the instruction leaflet – in their own “off-label” way, Saroos never sounded more loose-limbed and elastic. Whereas the trio’s earlier releases were rather conceptual and homogenous, “OLU” indeed has a more loose, spur-of-the-moment feel, a spontaneous force at its core. Checking the weighty sci-fi inspirations at the door, they use that Bomb Shelter-type of freedom to reinvent themselves at every turn, chasing sounds that happened to emerge in the group’s triangular energy field.

Kicking it off “with a killer, to grab attention” (Hornby/Cusack, after all), the massive reverb-stumblin’ adjustment between beats and bass of opening track “Quarantaine” cross-fades smoothly into “Humdrum Rolloff,” an early hint at the group’s off-label practices: the underwater creepers floating around here were really voices (mostly). From majestically built oriental sound-pieces (“Looney Suite Serenade”), synth-based “End House Mario” and a triptych of speaker-boxxxing gas lamp experimentations entitled “Cord Burn 1-3,” Saroos have rarely sounded this playful and unrestricted: there’s a new energy at work that welds all the different sonic playing fields together to create one continuous 40 minute mix.

For the B-side descent, “Tatsu Jam,” at less than 4 minutes still the longest cut, billows over the kind of sizzling hi-hats you’d expect to hear on real trap tapes from Hotlanta. A prelude to a bunch of quicker-paced instrumentals (“Scratch Pets”, “24h Love Gumbo”) and ambient sun showers, until the next “Plateau” (Mo’Wax vibes!) brings the beats to the fore once again (“Tomorrow’s Kudos”), and the ultimate “Whirligig” sounds like a mix of Oktoberfest 2020 and Johnston’s “Casper The Friendly Ghost” coming apart at the seams.
Whatever you wanna call it – album, LP, mixtape, project, who cares? –, it’s definitely a double A-side tour-de-force.