Suche:the dance inc

Les Disques du Crepuscule presents a unique anthology by artful Brussels postpunk-funk band Marine, fondly remembered for their dazzling debut single ‘Life In Reverse’ in 1981, and now back with a clutch of brand new studio tracks.

The cover art is by LDDC art director Benoit Hennebert and based on the ‘Same Beat’ single sleeve from 1982. The vinyl edition s of TWI 143 is limited to 500 copies pressed on blue vinyl and includes a digital link. All tracks are newly remastered in 2023.

Formed in late 1980 around charismatic frontman Marc Desmare together with musicians from infamous punk band Mad Virgins, Marine made an early splash supporting Orange Juice and Josef K at the legendary Plan K venue, Postcard Records afterwards keeping tabs on the Sound of Young Brussels.
Snapped up instead by chic boutique label Les Disques du Crepuscule, Marine released their infectious debut single ‘Life In Reverse’ in April 1981, attracting rave reviews in the Belgian and UK press, reaching the giddy heights of #6 on the NME indie chart, and even being invited to record a radio session for John Peel - a world first for a Belgian band.

Soon favourable comparisons were being drawn with The Pop Group, A Certain Ratio, Defunkt, James White and Fire Engines, some pundits even sensing a new Haircut 100. ‘We’re not a fashion band,’ insisted Marc in UK rock weekly Sounds, ‘and it’s not really dance music. But all the same I’m glad people dance to it.’

Alas, artistic differences caused the fast-rising group to part ways in a London studio, when half the band quit to form pop-funk sophisticates Allez Allez. With new Marines on board, Marc and bassist Paul Delnoy went on to release two further singles (‘How to Keep Cool’ and ‘Same Beat’), gigged extensively around France and the Low Countries, and played a headline show at The Venue in London. ‘Fine, disciplined and gleeful rhythm workers,’ enthused Chris Bohn in NME. ‘A happy, contagiously clean aural equivalent to a Serge Clerc cartoon.’

Alas by the summer of 1982 Marine were all washed up, with Marc going on direct films and documentaries as Marco Laguna. Four decades later, finally heeding desperate pleas from Crepuscule that his sensational first band never cut an album, Marc has written and recorded another 6 remarkably authentic sounding Marine songs with help from like-minded friends in Brussels and Paris, once more drawing on a heady mix of supercool funkabilly, jazz and soundtrack influences.

‘It was an incredibly strange experience to revisit my past,’ says Marc, ‘but definitely fun. I’m glad, and I’m proud!’

The Cherry Boppers are back with six fiery artifacts of promiscuous funk recorded in collaboration with the vocalist, also from Bilbao, Patricia Reckless, in this mini-album in 10-inch vinyl format. Pure rhythm from head to toes. As is well known, funk fuses what has historically been labelled soul, rhythm and blues, jazz and rock, and The Cherry Boppers (TCB) have undoubtedly created their own promiscuous formula based on a fine selection of styles that predate hip-hop. Active since 2004 and convinced advocates of jazz-funk and instrumental funk, there are very few examples of vocal tracks in their discography. However, in 2014 they released the EP "TCB meet Dr. Baltz" (Brixton Records-Soul Series) in which they successfully covered three classic rhythm and blues standards with lyrics in Spanish. Now, after five years of publishing drought, they repeat the experience with the stellar collaboration of the vocalist, also from Bilbao, Patricia Reckless, musically formed in the band "Bohemian Soul". The powerful and educated voice of Patricia Reckless blends perfectly, as one more instrument, into the compact rhythmic machinery of TCB, giving the 6 tracks of this mini-album (the 6-track EP thing doesn't quite fit) a structure, perhaps, more familiar to a non-specialized audience. But let's not get carried away, the textures, the silences, the "on the one!" beat, the breaks, the stately Hammond organ, the brilliant brass, the forceful bass lines, the precise percussion, the wah wah... are all 100% Cherry Boppers. "The Cherry Boppers meet Patricia Reckless" remains faithful to that analogue funk sound that makes the band proud of a long and vocational career in the genre. And it is also an album full of details, of paths and instrumental lines to be discovered on multiple listens.

"Waxwork Records is thrilled to present BODY DOUBLE Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by Pino Donaggio. Body Double is a 1984 American neo-noir erotic thriller film directed, co-written, and produced by Brian De Palma (Carrie, Scarface, Phantom of the Paradise). It stars Craig Wasson, Gregg Henry, Melanie Griffith, and Deborah Shelton. The film is a direct homage to the 1950s films of Alfred Hitchcock taking on plot lines and themes such as voyeurism and obsession.

The film tells the story of a struggling actor, Jake Scully, who is offered a gig house-sitting in the Hollywood Hills. While peering through the beautiful home’s telescope one night, he spies on a gorgeous woman dancing in her window. But, when Scully witnesses the woman’s murder, it leads him through an underworld of the adult entertainment industry on a search for answers, with porn actress Holly Body as his guide.

After fighting censorship boards over the rating of his film Scarface - initially rated X and having to battle to make it R - Brian De Palma resolved to make Body Double as a pushback. At the time he said, “If this one doesn’t get an X, nothing I ever do is going to. This is going to be the most erotic and surprising and thrilling movie I know how to make… I’m going to give them everything they hate and more of it than they’ve ever seen. They think Scarface was violent? They think my other movies were erotic? Wait until they see Body Double.”

The film’s memorable soundtrack by legendary composer Pino Donaggio (Carrie, Tourist Trap, The Howling, Don’t Look Now) features memorable and influential cues including the standout track “Telescope”. The dynamic soundtrack music also features striking and exciting orchestral cues that are a throwback to classic Hollywood thrillers coupled with synth driven, electronic dance cues which complement the excessive 1980’s neon-washed porn industry in which the film is set.

Waxwork Records is excited to present the complete Body Double film music by Pino Donaggio for the first time on vinyl as a deluxe double LP featuring 150 gram Body Double red and blue colored vinyl, heavyweight gatefold jackets with film laminate gloss finish, an 11”x11” insert, and artwork by Robert Sammelin. The cover features the film’s classic 1984 original poster art restored."

PAPOOZ is set to release their fourth album, "RESONATE". The eleven tracks on the album showcase Papooz's ability to venture into both rock and pop, fueled by their gift for melodies that go straight to the heart, finely crafted lyrics carried by the sublimely androgynous voices of Armand and Ulysse, and an irresistible, joyful, and nonchalant groove.

While alternating between laughter and tears, melancholy and hedonism, ballads and calls to dance, introspection and letting go, with the same ease and spontaneity. Like life resonating within each of us, in essence.For this album, Ulysse and Armand changed their way of writing for the first time, enlisting the help of Jesse Harris, an American songwriter known for his work with Melody Gardot, Gabi Hartman, and Norah Jones.They then finalized and refined the songs from these writing sessions with producer Patrick Wimberly. Formerly of Chairlift, Wimberly is the sought-after producer who has worked with artists like Blood Orange, MGMT, Solange, Cola Boyy, and recently on Lil Yatchi's incredible rap opera.

Available on viny for the first time, Demon Records and Fascination proudly presents the three original Steps Studio
albums. Steps are the most successful co-ed group in British chart history. Irresistible and inimitable, their unique
blend of perfect pop anthems, dynamic dance moves and a sheer sense of fun has been delighting fans for over 25
years.
Pressed neon violet vinyl, double platinum 2000 album Buzz includes the UK number one Stomp, plus the classic hits
It’s the Way You Make Me Feel, Summer of Love, Better the Devil You Know, Here and Now and You’ll Be Sorry.
All editions feature painstakingly rebuilt original artwork, complete with additional images and full lyrics.

Available on viny for the first time, Demon Records and Fascination proudly presents the three original Steps Studio
albums. Steps are the most successful co-ed group in British chart history. Irresistible and inimitable, their unique
blend of perfect pop anthems, dynamic dance moves and a sheer sense of fun has been delighting fans for over 25
years.
Pressed neon violet vinyl, double platinum 2000 album Buzz includes the UK number one Stomp, plus the classic hits
It’s the Way You Make Me Feel, Summer of Love, Better the Devil You Know, Here and Now and You’ll Be Sorry.
All editions feature painstakingly rebuilt original artwork, complete with additional images and full lyrics.

Anti-Fun Propaganda by Gen And The Degenerates, released 23 February 2024, includes the following tracks: "Anti-Fun Propaganda", "All Figured Out", "Famous", "Post-Cool" and more.

This version of Anti-Fun Propaganda comes as a 1xLP.

The vinyl is pressed as a neon & yellow disc.

Danish imprint Inherent Futurism returns with its second release in 2024, entitled 'Merger' and made up of a selection of cuts from the Copenhagen Electro Alliance. Inherent Futurism is the new label launched by Morten Kamper, an intrinsic member of the Copenhagen electronic music scene and the man behind the city's 313vinyl_collective record store. He launched the label with a reissue of the Autobot-1000 '3 Dimensions Of Space', a hidden gem from 2001 and the golden era of Electro. Here though, he brings things closer to home and revisits an array of select compositions from the Copenhagen Electro Alliance, compiled together to make up the aptly titled 'Merger'. The package is made up of twelve tracks across two twelve-inch vinyl from artists in the alliance, Nixxon, Brain Enterprise, Deimos Defender and Kruzh'em. As the name of the Copenhagen Electro Alliance collective would suggest, the aesthetic leans heavily towards experimental sounds and draws influence from the soul of Detroit electro, which paved the way for the future of the genre. The twelve-track collection explores all of the classic Electro tropes from punchy and crunch 808s, intricately intertwined synthesizer melodies, murky bass lines and dynamically unfolding, heavily modulated constructions, some leaning towards dance floor friendly while others lay more in the realm of sonic exploration of futuristic music.

Big Crown Records is proud to present Zero Grace, Liam Bailey's sophomore album on the label. Following the success of 2020's Ekundayo album, the tried and true chemistry of Bailey and producer Leon Michels (El Michels Affair) is on full display again as they take the sound they established and push it further. On Zero Grace they lean more into the bleeding heart singer-songwriter side of Liam. The result, much like Bailey himself, is impulsively honest without reserve. Born and raised in Nottingham, England, the son of an English mother and 2nd generation Jamaican English father, Liam will admit his early childhood was fairly chaotic and filled with "all the cliche racism that happens when people started mixing up in the '80s in England." Liam got his early influences from his mom's record collection. Bob Marley and Dillinger, Stevie Wonder and The Supremes, The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix would eventually shape the singer/songwriter we know today. Fast-forward to 2005, Liam is in London performing at every open mic and acoustic night he could, hustling with hopes of landing a record deal. It was through this time that Liam first teamed up with Michels, musician/producer luminary, and the co-founder of Brooklyn's own Big Crown Records. Liam flew out to New York and those first sessions together produced the now classic tunes "When Will They Learn" and "I'm Gonna Miss You" which still gets spins at Reggae spots around the globe and were co-signed by heavy hitters like David Rodigan & Don Letts. That first trip to NYC brought a lot of industry attention to Liam, including being noticed by a just-famous Amy Winehouse who heard one of Liam's apartment-made, lo- recordings, and liked what she heard. Regardless of the audio quality, Liam's particular sound shone through - all guitar, warm-rough and genuine soul. Eventually Liam signed to Polydor and wound up bumping against the typical major label industry obstacles. They already had an idea of the Liam they wanted to make, promote, and push With the typical large advance enticement, Liam did his best to trust that path. "Maybe I can make it work,' that's what you're thinking," Liam remembers, "but, you quickly find out that you can't." Zero Grace is full of freedom and love, in fact, working with Leon Michels and Big Crown Records has encouraged Liam to be himself. On album opener "Holding On '' Bailey speaks to his observations & fears when looking out at the world in front of him and also to the dedication it has taken to get on the other side of his personal trials & tribulations. "Dance With Me" is an instantly infectious two-stepper that nods to those incredible soul records that were coming out of Jamaica during the early Reggae days. Bailey steps into the dance with hopes of finding a new love and pulls us all out on the dance oor with him. "Disorder Starts At Home" is another close to the chest tune that addresses the difficulties he struggles with from his early chaotic childhood and his progress in getting past them. "Mercy Tree" is a powerhouse of Reggae Rebel Music. Bailey addresses the racial tensions that plague humanity and encourages everyone to step up and do their part to help foster equality. What starts out as a declaration of injustice turns into a call for action and an inspiration for hope.

Big Crown Records is proud to present Zero Grace, Liam Bailey's sophomore album on the label. Following the success of 2020's Ekundayo album, the tried and true chemistry of Bailey and producer Leon Michels (El Michels Affair) is on full display again as they take the sound they established and push it further. On Zero Grace they lean more into the bleeding heart singer-songwriter side of Liam. The result, much like Bailey himself, is impulsively honest without reserve. Born and raised in Nottingham, England, the son of an English mother and 2nd generation Jamaican English father, Liam will admit his early childhood was fairly chaotic and filled with "all the cliche racism that happens when people started mixing up in the '80s in England." Liam got his early influences from his mom's record collection. Bob Marley and Dillinger, Stevie Wonder and The Supremes, The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix would eventually shape the singer/songwriter we know today. Fast-forward to 2005, Liam is in London performing at every open mic and acoustic night he could, hustling with hopes of landing a record deal. It was through this time that Liam first teamed up with Michels, musician/producer luminary, and the co-founder of Brooklyn's own Big Crown Records. Liam flew out to New York and those first sessions together produced the now classic tunes "When Will They Learn" and "I'm Gonna Miss You" which still gets spins at Reggae spots around the globe and were co-signed by heavy hitters like David Rodigan & Don Letts. That first trip to NYC brought a lot of industry attention to Liam, including being noticed by a just-famous Amy Winehouse who heard one of Liam's apartment-made, lo- recordings, and liked what she heard. Regardless of the audio quality, Liam's particular sound shone through - all guitar, warm-rough and genuine soul. Eventually Liam signed to Polydor and wound up bumping against the typical major label industry obstacles. They already had an idea of the Liam they wanted to make, promote, and push With the typical large advance enticement, Liam did his best to trust that path. "Maybe I can make it work,' that's what you're thinking," Liam remembers, "but, you quickly find out that you can't." Zero Grace is full of freedom and love, in fact, working with Leon Michels and Big Crown Records has encouraged Liam to be himself. On album opener "Holding On '' Bailey speaks to his observations & fears when looking out at the world in front of him and also to the dedication it has taken to get on the other side of his personal trials & tribulations. "Dance With Me" is an instantly infectious two-stepper that nods to those incredible soul records that were coming out of Jamaica during the early Reggae days. Bailey steps into the dance with hopes of finding a new love and pulls us all out on the dance oor with him. "Disorder Starts At Home" is another close to the chest tune that addresses the difficulties he struggles with from his early chaotic childhood and his progress in getting past them. "Mercy Tree" is a powerhouse of Reggae Rebel Music. Bailey addresses the racial tensions that plague humanity and encourages everyone to step up and do their part to help foster equality. What starts out as a declaration of injustice turns into a call for action and an inspiration for hope.

Black vinyl LP. Debut album by striking experimental duo featuring Aboriginal songman Fred Leone. Mixed by Jake Miller (Björk, Arca), mastered by Alex Wharton (The Beatles, MBV). RIYL: Autechre, Arca, Björk. Yirinda means 'Now' in Butchulla language. Australian duo Yirinda combine ancient Aboriginal language with sublime modern production. Fred Leone and Samuel Pankhurst's music invokes thousands of generations of story and culture, while emerging as something entirely new. Fred is one of three Butchulla songmen - a song and language custodian for the Butchulla people from the Fraser Coast region of Queensland, including K’gari (formerly known as Fraser Island). He sings the songs on this album in the endangered Butchulla language, now spoken by only a handful of people. Samuel is an internationally acclaimed contrabassist / producer known for his kaleidoscopic harmonies and polyrhythmic mastery. Their self-titled debut album was recorded in Brisbane by Samuel, then mixed in London by Jake Miller (Björk, Arca, Yves Tumor) and mastered at Abbey Road by Alex Wharton (The Beatles, My Bloody Valentine). The album sets Fred’s powerful vocals against striking experimental soundscapes, rich with strings, horns, double bass, synthesizer, piano and percussion. Every arrangement began with Fred's voice alone and from there sounds and systems were constructed. The result is otherworldly, a timeless art music outside Western convention. Yirinda have performed at the Australian Art Music Awards, Vivid Festival, Golden Plains, Dark Mofo, Supersense and elsewhere, and been covered by ABC Radio and NME Australia. Fred has toured Europe as a member of The Black Arm Band, and as a solo artist supporting Ash Grunwald. He founded Australia’s first Aboriginal hip hop label Impossible Odds in the late 2000s. Samuel has performed with the Brodsky Quartet and is a member of the Australian Art Orchestra. He has scored extensively for contemporary dance, and his studio work covers everything from the Bluey TV show to Hiatus Kaiyote

Having been part of the family for quite some time now, Lauren Bush aka re:ni joins the Timedance roster with an incredibly potent quartet of Techno infused bass-bin weaponry.

« BeautySick » sees re:ni plunging into a world of intoxicating serpentine grooves. Spectral vocal slabs chime like echoes of a distant hallucinatory trance, while industrial drumworks find a mesmerizing counterpoint in eerie dubwise atmospheres.

These four compositions not only showcase re:ni's sonic evolution but also explore the transient moments where darkness converges with light. They stand as a testament to the sonic prowess of one or favorite dancefloor sorceress.

Picture Hakime Sorayama’s ‘Sexy Robot’ in front of an unreasonably large stack of speakers at a dimly lit sound-system dance; this is the soundtrack.

Press + Tour highlights :
DJ Mag, Resident Advisor, XLR8R, BBC6 Music (Sweatbox Mix for Sherelle), First Floor, The Quietus, Phonographe Corp + more TBA

Upcoming tour dates for Q1-Q2:UK, Switzerland, Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Belgium, Slovenia, Ireland, Australia, Croatia, USA

2023 Repress

Frank Maston’s Tulips is a sample-ready film score to the best 70s movie never made. Originally a super-limited self-release on his Phonoscope label in late 2017, Tulips has already become incredibly sought-after. Be With were introduced to Maston by mutual friends Aquarium Drunkard and it didn’t take long before we decided this modern classic deserved a reissue.

Inspired by the deep-grooving soundtracks of Italian cinema - think Morricone, Umiliani and Alessandroni - Maston conceived the entire Tulips project as a continuation of these revered works. Frank designed the artwork and made two 16mm films to accompany the music: “It wasn’t just the LP… it was kind of a whole vibe I was trying to create. Not really trying to emulate the things that influenced me but more trying to make something that could sit alongside those records on a shelf. I’m still very proud of the project.”

There’s a distinct library music feel too, with wiry organ, spacey keyboards and loping 60s guitar hinting at KPM and DeWolfe. Like the best library music, Tulips creates a cinematic universe through sound alone, evoking moving images in the listener’s technicolour imagination. It turns out that was accidentally on purpose: “I was discovering a lot of library music for the first time… listening to a composer’s entire catalog or finding all this obscure stuff. I wasn’t entirely conscious of the influence until I started making this music and realized I was channeling the vibe. That’s when I began focusing more on weaving melodic themes throughout the record to make it function more like a soundtrack”.

Tulips was recorded between 2015 and 2017 in a small studio in a village called Zwaag in Holland, during downtime from Frank’s touring duties with Jacco Gardner’s band. “Tulips” comes from the title of the very first demo he made in Holland, it was the first thing that came to mind. Makes sense.

Recording in Europe with some very European influences in mind, Frank wanted to eschew any American influences. But we can still feel the studio wizardry of the likes of Brian Wilson and Harry Nilsson in there somewhere. A psychedelic bedroom-pop song-cycle, full of hypnotic hooks and dusty drums, Tulips manages to sound charmingly homemade yet wholly widescreen.

Dreamy opener “Swans” is an exquisite soul instrumental and recalls the soft-psych of Koushik, which Be With loves of course. Tropicalia influences abound in the cool and breezy “New Danger” and the KPM-references are loud and proud on the lush organ pop of “Old Habits”. Fast-paced “Chase Theme No. 1” manages to be both tense and laid back, decorated by acid-drenched spaghetti Western guitars. The glorious Gainsbourg-esque melancholia of “Infinite Bliss” is all gauzy flutes and happy-sad vocalizing and the title is almost perfect: it’s bliss, no question; *if only* it went on forever. Side A closes with “Evening”, a subtle bossa nova beat thing. Gorgeous.

Side B opens with the heat-shimmer guitars of “Rain Dance”, evoking an unreleased Byrds or Buffalo Springfield backing track. Yes, it’s that good. “Sure Thing” is music to accompany an elevator ride you never want to end, but in a good way! The ornate “Garçon Manqué” is as beautiful as the instrumentals on Pet Sounds (think “Let’s Go Away For A While”) and the wistful “Turning In” starts like a stroll in the park before Maston introduces a scorched-Earth guitar solo that would startle if it wasn’t so pitch-perfect. “Chase Theme No. 2” is a briefer, more keening counterpart to what we hear on side A. The head-nod bass-drums-keys funk of “Hues” rounds out this staggeringly assured set; still opening each phrase with a plaintive strum, but using vibrato and heavy reverb to accent the electric organ melody. Sublime.

All these top drawer musical references might sound like just more of the usual release notes hyperbole, but there’s a reason that this still-young LP already changes hands for big money. It really is that good. Of course that first pressing didn’t hang around for long and Frank’s regularly been asked about a re-press pretty much ever since.

Re-issuing Tulips on Be With made sense to Frank “because the record would fit in so well with the catalogue”. Having already delved into the archives of KPM and Themes, and beginning to do the same with Coloursound and Selected Sounds, the collaboration “just makes sense and seems inevitable”. We agree.

Frank wasn’t sure a record of instrumentals with obscure soundtrack references would be an easy sell when it was originally released, and was surprised when Tulips turned out to be exactly what some people wanted to hear. We reckon its timeless beauty ensures that it’ll *always* have an audience.

The record was originally cut to be played at 45rpm, a technical quirk that grants the home listener the opportunity to go deeper, for longer. Played at 33rpm, the more languid unfurling of the tracks proves just as wonderful a trip. As a psilocybin-soaked case study from Aquarium Drunkard back in January of 2019 describes, some of the songs sound as if they were intended to be heard that way. The slower speed allowing the listener to step inside and perhaps even “crack the code” of the music’s meaning.

Mastered for this vinyl reissue by Simon Francis and featuring alternative burnt orange artwork from Maston himself, this Be With pressing is limited to just 500 copies. Hypnagogic it may be, but please don’t sleep.

2023 Repress

Maston’s Darkland is a breezy collection of the material from the Tulips sessions that didn’t make it on to the original LP. Originally a digital-only release for those in the know in the autumn of 2018, after re-issuing Tulips in 2020 it made too much sense for Be With to give Darkland a vinyl release.

Like Tulips, Darkland was recorded mostly in Hoorn, in the Netherlands, between 2015-2017 during downtime from Frank’s touring duties with Jacco Gardner’s band. Bits were also done in Los Angeles on some extended trips back home.

The collection plays like an alternate view of Maston’s instant modern classic Tulips; a companion piece to the LP proper with similar mixture of shorter themes and more full length tracks. As Frank Maston explains: “I think Darkland is the shadow of Tulips in a way… what it might’ve been in a different universe. But the heart of Tulips beats in these songs as well and they evoke the same memories and feelings for me. I see my process playing out across these songs - lots of experimentation and trying out new techniques and sounds and just sort of going for it.”

Frank goes on: “It was all from the same pool of material, like 30+ ideas. I was making a lot of little demos… some would be more fleshed out and become songs and others would just be a cool riff and not go anywhere. When I started trying to form it all into an LP I went through all the sessions and ideas and collected the ones I thought were the most fleshed out and cohesive together as a whole. There were a fair amount of songs that were finished and in hindsight really should have been on Tulips (like what would’ve been the title track). And the rest of these songs are either very early versions of tunes that ended up on Tulips or some cool ideas that just ended up being dead ends. It definitely shows how wide my net was in the beginning before I narrowed the record down stylistically.”

Darkland opens with its ornate 39 second title-track before striding into “Tulips”, that full-length title-track that never was. It’s a real head-nod, percussive-rich electric piano stunner that would’ve been a comfortable standout on the album proper. But now this “downlifting” gem is given ample room to shine on this record.

The funky organ-led bass and drums workout “Immaculate Conception” will keep your neck gently snapping while MPC fiends go reaching for their sampler. And that’s gospel. “Love Theme No 3” cuts a breathtakingly stylish vibra-slapped swathe through the middle of the opening side before we’re startled by the pronounced bass and twinkling percussion of “The Owl In Daylight”. Charming digi-drums underpin the wonky synth (quiet-)banger “Innovative Patterns” which has a lovely melodic switch-up in the final third before the tempo (and hairs on your neck) rise on the faintly creepy yet imminently groovy “Osiris”. The gorgeously soft-focus “Groove Experiment No 3” closes out the first half in slow-mo wonderment.

The lushly melancholic “Raincloud” ushers in side B before the emotionally-stirring “Phonic” taps at the door, coming on like the long lost sister to Pet Sounds’ “Let’s Go Away For A While”. Next up, the swooning beauty “Love Theme No 2” keenly sways in front of you, growing ever more insistent and hypnotic. The too-short “Italian Summer” conjures the same flirtatious imagery as the title hints at whilst “Endless” is a fascinating “piano-pella” alternative version to “Rain Dance” from Tulips. “Wonder Theme” has a nostalgic, exotic 60s swing and album closer “Willow” is a hushed, campfire folk gem. The gently circular strumming is just magical.

Speaking to Aquarium Drunkard back in 2019 about the sessions that became Tulips, Frank noted: “I was really surprised by the lack of sunlight during my first winter in Holland, so I would call it Darkland which then became the name of the first demo I wrote during that time. It was also the working title of the record when I first started writing. Some are full songs that didn’t make the cut (including what would have been the title track), some are just ideas that I never finished.”

Whilst we were working on Darkland’s vinyl release Frank explained more specifically about the music that didn’t make it on to Tulips: “When I was putting together the tracklisting for Tulips I was already thinking that whatever didn’t make it onto the LP would be cool to release eventually somehow. The response to Tulips has been so passionate over the years that it’s nice to be able to offer another piece of that world. And for me personally it’s amazing to have more of my work out there in the world. Most common bit of feedback was that many of these songs should have been on Tulips. The odd friend says it’s much better than Tulips.”

Just like Tulips before it, Simon Francis’s vinyl mastering for Darkland has been cut at 45rpm so you can trip out to this as well at a woozy 33 1/3. The artwork too has been designed by Frank himself as a literal visual continuation of the Tulips cover.

We couldn’t possibly say whether Darkland is better than Tulips, and luckily we don’t have to decide.

Saxophonist Joe Henderson expanded his palette on his vigorous 1966 album Mode for Joe with a dynamic septet featuring Lee Morgan, Curtis Fuller, Bobby Hutcherson, Cedar Walton, Ron Carter, and Joe Chambers that delivers powerful performances of originals including ‘A Shade of Jade’, ‘Black’, ‘Caribbean Fire Dance’ and the transcendent title track.

This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is stereo, all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

Bella Brown & the Jealous Lovers Unveil "Soul Clap" LP: A Fusion of Retro Soul/Funk and Modern Grooves

Los Angeles-based retro soul/funk sensation Bella Brown & the Jealous Lovers are set to ignite the music scene with their highly anticipated LP, "Soul Clap." Born from the creative genius of Grammy Award-winning vocalist/songwriter Carol Hatchett, Bella Brown emerges as a diva with a fiery stage presence, drawing inspiration from the likes of Tina Turner and Sharon Jones, and channeling the empowered female leads of 70s Blaxploitation films. Led by producer/bassist/songwriter Daniel Pearson, The Jealous Lovers assemble an impressive ensemble of A-list musicians, boasting pedigrees that include names like Mick Jagger, Elton John, Whitney Houston, Prince, and Stevie Wonder. This musical collective is on a relentless quest to redefine the boundaries of music, infusing soul and funk with elements of jazz, rock, and Afro-Caribbean influences.

The essence of "Soul Clap" is derived from the cultural phenomena it is named after—a shared and improvised rhythm-making by a collective. The LP, spanning 40 minutes of pure musical bliss, invites the audience to immerse themselves in the groove and discover their individual truths in the music.

The title track, "Soul Clap," and the infectious "Living Proof" serve as funky dance bangers, echoing the spirit of Bohannan and The Tramps. These tracks, punctuated with jazzy improvisations and soulful horn arrangements, are simple yet joyful expressions of shared humanity and self-love.

"Coming For You" is Bella's audacious response to the soul/funk classic Apache, boldly announcing her and The Jealous Lovers' arrival on the modern soul landscape. "I Found You" takes a northern soul love song approach, reminiscent of Gloria Jones with a touch of modern influence, giving it a distinct Amy Winehouse feel.

Bella Brown seamlessly weaves social commentary into her art. "Bang Bang Bang," an uptempo, funky Motown groove, cleverly uses Curtis Mayfield's sense of sarcasm to reflect on American gun culture. "Lady Time" takes a driving afrobeat groove, employing brassy horns and reggae-like echoes to address the issue of homelessness.

However, the album is not without its lighthearted moments. "Fast As Lightning" celebrates a cleaner future by imagining Jimi Hendrix joining Ike and Tina Turner's band to create a classic Chuck Berry car song. "There Is Love" blends horns, strings, and vocals reminiscent of The Stylistics over a Chi-Lites style rhythm section, to create a lush message of support to those among us that may find the world a bit overwhelming at moments. Finally, "What Will You Leave Behind," is a revamped version of the group's sold-out vinyl 45 release. This track serves as a powerful call to action for a better future, delivered over a straight-up Motown groove with a funky Sly Stone finish.

Bella Brown & the Jealous Lovers have crafted an album that transcends genres, embracing the roots of soul and funk while pushing musical boundaries.

"Soul Clap" is a celebration of individual truths, shared experiences, and the timeless power of music.

Rated 5/5 in UK Music Republic Magazine

Best remembered for his partnership with the rapper Will Smith in the duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, the duo won the first rap Grammy as well as scoring some big pop hits back in the day, including their 1987 smash, "A Touch Of Jazz," which famously sampled Bob James' classic track "Westchester Lady."

In a full circle moment, James and Jeff have joined forces on the tune "That Bop," a thumping dance track overlain with elegant piano hooks. "It was fun to work with him so many years after he had sampled me in the past," says James, who reveals they collaborated by sharing music files across the internet during the pandemic.

"We also did a couple of other tunes that may see the light of day soon," discloses James, who is keen to work with the hip- hop legend again. "I hope the next time we'll actually be in the studio at the same time so that we can interact," he says. The B-side features Bob James' original jazz-funk classic and DJ favorite, "Shamboozie", available for the first time on 7" vinyl.

Released by evosound on a 7" Vinyl Single on the 6th of October, 2023. Limited Edition of 1,200 copies worldwide.

"We Started Nothing is the debut studio album by English indie pop duo The Ting Tings. Jules & Katie's combination of dance, indie pop and new wave proved to be one of the hottest things in 2008. The result being the album peaking at #1 in the UK Albums Chart. We Started Nothing spawned no less than six hit singles, including ""That's Not My Name"", which reached #1 on the UK Singles Chart. Eventually, the band, the album and several singles and videos were nominated for a variety of NME, MTV, Grammy Award and Brit Awards. The Ting Tings won the MTV Award for Best UK Act and ""Shut Up and Let Me Go"" won the award for Best UK Video. We Started Nothing is available on black vinyl and contains an insert."

Take part in the sound of Bogota's eclectic cumbia scene that permeates the ritual sonido of this new 7" Vinyl by Conjunto Media Luna, out now on Little Beat More!

Enter the labyrinth that transcends the danceable and psychedelic, guided by the Colombian accordion and ecstatic percussion of their slow-pitched beat.

The 7" includes 2 songs taken from the debut album "Noches de media luna", with the iconic "Conjunto Media Luna" and "Perdi´ mis temores" featuring colombian rappers N. Harden & Mismo Perro!

Credits:
Prod. by Conjunto Media Luna
Artwork by Michael Boulton


Made with by Little Beat More 2024

Purple Clear Vinyl

Take part in the sound of Bogota's eclectic cumbia scene that permeates the ritual sonido of this new 7" Vinyl by Conjunto Media Luna, out now on Little Beat More!

Enter the labyrinth that transcends the danceable and psychedelic, guided by the Colombian accordion and ecstatic percussion of their slow-pitched beat.

The 7" includes 2 songs taken from the debut album "Noches de media luna", with the iconic "Conjunto Media Luna" and "Perdi´ mis temores" featuring colombian rappers N. Harden & Mismo Perro!

Credits:
Prod. by Conjunto Media Luna
Artwork by Michael Boulton


Made with by Little Beat More 2024