Buscar:the earl

After much anticipation, our Belgian disco diamonds Rheinzand present their debut full-length album. On their self-titled record, The Belgian trio wraps the human heart in synthetic threads of modular electronic disco. 9 songs writhing on timeless dancefloors, morphing in and out of shapes of luxuriant melody and vivid instrumentation.

The album is full of classic disco and electro sounds, wielded with imposing prowess by multi-instrumentalist Reinhard Vanbergen. It’s both an exploration ofdance music’s electronic genealogy and the vintage cool that has defined its different eras. Still, an organic atmosphere pervades as the blend of real instrumentation fixes a sort of retro-futurism, imagining an alternative timeline that’s a bit more exciting, more sensuous and libidinal, maybe more human, too, than our current outlook.

We start the engines with Break of Dawn, a compelling beat rises from the basement and soon we’re submerged by the pulsing bassline. Dark sunglasses on, we cruise through the night, letting flashing city lights flow into unbroken torrents of color. Blind awakens us, a splash of handclaps in the face, vivid strings and Charlotte’s trademark slick vocals enter the stage. Tantalizing sunbeams power up circuits of electronic synths blipping and beeping away.

Later down the road, we hit the Latin part of town. Porque fits enchanting vocal spells in beautiful Spanish on playful flamenco rhythms. Fourteen Again is a throwback to early electro, playing around with knobs and buttons. An oscillating synth imagines new worlds of plastic emotion. Still disco and still very cool, though. A constant velocity is sustained throughout the album bythis recurring locomotive synth, trudging away beneath the action. Once in a while, we hear the deep, mighty, trembling voice of Mr. Rheinzand speaking to us in incantations. Someone’s pulling the strings here.

On Slippery People, the trio cover the Talking Heads classic in a characteristic procedure of bouncy funk. We’re swirled around by the delirious glasswork of You Don’t Know Me into the hypnagogic funk noir of Strange World. Drifting through the house of mirrors after the fourth mojito.

Obey collects all these threads in a full-bodied future classic disco anthem, before Queen of The Dawn wraps up the show with a sky-bound epic of operatic choirs and ceremonious drums that lands somewhere between Kate Bush’s Aerial and Peter Gabriel’s most bombastic.

This 3 track EP comes out of Ibiza Record's vault called Archives Vol 6. Each of these tracks represents hardcore and the merging of jungle breaks in the early developments of Jungle musik from the early 90s.

A.DOWN WITH YOU - This track produced by Two On A Tip was made back in 1993-94 and was never released on Ibiza Records back then. The sic intro with the RnB n Ragga samples with stretched vocals alongside synthesized piano stabs merged with some wicked Jungle patterns giving a groovy feel.

AA. WALK ON BY - This unreleased track made in 1993-94 produced by 2 On A Tip on the label has a sic synthesized piano stabs intro n rolls into a wicked set of rolling drum n Jungle patterns. Wicked instrumental showcasing how versatile Jungle musik was becoming way back then.

AAA. KEEP SKANKING - This track produced in 1993-94 by 2 On a Tip has a classic reggae sample n stretched vocals sitting over the drum n jungle patterns with rhythmic high hats stabbing through.
Giving that jungle essence with the heavyweight basslines that connect straight to the core.

Studio Mule drops “Anthologia”, the final chapter of a close look on the work of the Tokyo born DJ and producer Takayuki Shiraishi, a jack of all trades, that sways through Tokyo’s vast music scene since the late 70’s, a time when post punk grooves called the tune. As part of the band BGM he released in 1980 the album “Back Ground Music” on the legendary Osaka based underground label Vanity. Last October Studio Mule reissued BGM’s no wave, free funk mini-mal treasure. A few Month earlier Studio Mule already published “Missing Link”, a thrilling retrospect on Takayuki Shiraishi's unreleased material from the late 1980s, a creative period of which only a little ever saw the light of the day.

And now “Anthologia”, a record that is dedicated to his work during the years 1990 to 1996, a time span, in which Shiraishi moved on to produce house, downbeat and playful electronica. In 1995 he released the ambient/techno 12inch “Spectral Colours” on the R&S sublabel Apollo under the alias Planetoid. Two years later he manifested his techno leaning creativity under his given name on the album “Photon”, a record that helped launching Japan’s techno scene. It was followed by two more long players, that display his wide musical taste with ambient, house, breakbeat and other genre blending styles. Besides producing, Shiraishi was also a prominent figure of Tokyo’s club nightlife, DJing alongside Jeff Mills as well as Krautrock icons like Holger Czukay.

“Anthologia” features three unreleased tunes of this lapse of time, as well as highlights some work Shiraishi produced together with his friend Jun Sonohara as Musica Nova and a hidden gem he tuned in for the “Isolated Audio Players 1” compilation, published by the Tokyo based Pickin' Mushroom Recordings label in 2000.

The three unreleased tracks display his love for diversification. “Distant Thunder” is a drone driven ambient voyage, that slowly melds into a gentle rhythmic sensation driven by loose hi-hat patterns and a soft chord crescendo. On the opposite, “Lapis Lazuli” comes around as a mellow melodic downbeat trip enlarged with twisted rhythms and cosmic infiniteness. “A Voy-age” shows his love for house music with a grooving arrangement that comes close to the kinky house gems of contemporary producers like Lowtec. Also, the already known “Isolated Audio Players 1” compilation tune “Flicker” is located in the house spheres, delivering nervous jacking minimal vibes emerging from a precise produced dance of melodies, grooves and sound effects.

In comparison, the four Musica Nova tracks show again another side of Takayuki Shiraishi’s many musical talents. “Birds in Paradise” is an elegant triphop tranquilizer, while tunes like “Nocturnal Tribes” and “Green on Green” express his passion for electronic arrangements that think out of the box with airy melodies, slow-motion big beat rhythms, jazz particles and an overall cosmic sound complexion. The tune “Shifting Sand” goes the same direction, while adding esoteric reverberations and a touch of Drum and bass.

Together the eight tracks turn “Anthologia” into something more than just an anthology of Takayuki Shiraishi’s work. In association, all compositions work like an album that overwhelms with a reasoned story-arc, who slowly rises to a hypnotizing peak, from where all downswings to a calm finish, that makes you want to start all over again.

Repress

+ DJ Sotofett Ultra Vires Dub

SAFT is proud to present the official re-issue of the 1986 Joan Bibiloni Band classic 'The Boogie'. The vocals by Deborah Carter still sound as relevant and uplifting as ever. The sought after guitar licks of Bibiloni have appealed to a lot of generations ever since he started making name for himself in the early eighties. While in recent times some of the more experimental work has been re-issued and compiled through some respected labels, the dancefloor classic 'The Boogie' still remains the pinnacle of the guitarist more dancefloor oriented work.

In this re-release package you can find an original version (A1), that is exactly the same as on the 7" that first appeared through Bibiloni's own Blau imprint in 86'. Also on the A side, an extended DJ-friendly version that spans just over five minutes is present.

For the flipside, Norwegian dancefloor expert DJ Sotofett has crafted a surreal dub tainted experience from the original which spans over 13 minutes and touches a lot of ground. Whilst starting with a percussive intro, Sotofett uses a lot of FX and dub style delays to work slowely towards an intense dancefloor experience. Around eight minutes some grandiose synth work is being introduced while the dub elements keep on singing. DJ Sotofett's version is called Ultra Vires Dub for a reason.

Gigantic producer/DJ from Scotland, Creep Woland, lands back on the Astral Black heli-pad with his 'Chamberlain' EP. Four blistering breaks-led, club ready, jungle tracks intended as an ode to the rolling bass and rainy days that raised him. Picking up near enough where his Close Reading debut left off, Chamberlain sees a more refined and honed execution of the hard hitting electronica Woland has become known for.

Informed by the experience of playing to dance-floors, as well as educational journeys down to London for radio sets, these new tracks are fine tuned and bass heavy - perfect for existential club experiences or the driving of sports vehicles. The subdued intrigue of EP opener 'Imposter Syndrome' sets the mystical and reflective tone of the record, while down the line junglist anthems 'Medieval Draw' and '0800-Falkirk Triangle' call for slow motion gun finger. Written at a time of personal hardship and mastery of oneself, the hopeful promise of closer 'Lord Chamberlain' acts as a sonic representation of the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel of this particular time in Woland's life.

Recently, Chamberlain EP's 'Imposter Syndrome' has been receiving early radio support from Rinse FM's Jossy Mitsu & Impey on NTS, whilst his debut release Close Reading received radio support from the likes of Josey Rebelle (in her award-winning Essential Mix), Om-Unit and JD. Reid as well as critical acclaim from FACT, CLASH & Hyponik. In addition to its various accolades, Close Reading also lead to Woland being handpicked by Lanark Artefax as the opening act for his 'Enter The Gateway' performance, and has since performed alongside the likes of Om-Unit, Proc Fiskal, DJ Storm and more.

While it’s undeniable that Eric B & Rakim crafted and concocted classic after classic back in the Golden Era of the late 80’s and early 90’s, very few of their records could ever be classified as ‘dancefloor fillers’. But that’s exactly what ‘I Know You Got Soul’ was.

The duo’s third single was released at a time when their debut LP, 1987’s ‘Paid in Full’ was already being hailed as a gamechanger. Rakim’s smooth but sombre flow had introduced new phrases to the hip-hop lexicon, while the barrage of James Brown samples had declared open season on the Godfather of Soul’s back catalogue.

There were already stirrings of a backlash from the more frequently sampled artists at the time this came out, and the fact that it took not just its main hook but also its title from Bobby Byrd’s James Brown-produced 1971 single was almost like rubbing salt in the wound. The hip-hop fans and the dancefloor didn’t care – this played all summer long in 1987, elevating the group to a Soul Train performance.

Only months after this dropped, the UK collective M|A|R|R|S turned Rakim’s “Pump up the volume” line into the basis of their own hit. Pop will eat itself.

The original 7” was released in a no-frills generic sleeve – this re-release comes with a brand new cover utilising some of Dan Lish’s trademark artwork.

A1 - Bitch - Late Nite 'DUB' Addict (Original Mix)
Is a Deep / Jackin House track with driving drum parts, deep old skool organ stabs, with lots of MPC style swing. The track is an energetic groover that could well be another hit for the (Late Nite 'DUB' Addict) who owns / runs (Digital Label) (DEEP 'N' DOPE RECORDS (UK).
If you like artists / DJ's such as (DJ Sneak / Phil Weeks / Black Loops / Dub Striker / Dumuir / Demuja / Kerri Chandler /Todd Terry / Kenny 'Dope' Gonzalez / Justin Martin / Scott Diaz / Sebb Junior + Filta Freqz) This track might be for you.


A2 - Fight For Your Rights - Late Nite 'DUB' Addict (Original Mix)
Fight for you right is most definately got the potential to become a future house anthem.
The track has allready recieved support and airplay from (London's Own) FANTASY FM
+ Groove City Radio (Scotland / Glasgow). This can only be described as deep / classic (U.S) style Garage / House / Banger, This Deep Underground but classic house track carries an abundance of energy, the track contains spoken vocals from a influential but controversial leader which gives the track an edge which just help build atmosphere and builds tension in the track - But definately in a good way. This track is a stand out groover that screams Anthem.
If you like DJ's like (Kerri Chandler / Mr V, Karrizma / Phil Weeks / Black Loops, Art Of Tones / Sebb Junior / Louis Vega, Mood II Swing / Dub Striker / DJ Pierre / Andres /Dan Shake then this energetic / warm (90's) style classic house number will be right up your street


B1 - Confessions Of A 'DUB' Addict - Late Nite 'DUB' Addict (Original Mix)
This track is a minimal style (Deep House) track that has been influenced by the early (Rave) era and early (Chicago + Detroit) House + Techno scenes. The track has a slightly darker edge but still remains jumpy and is definately made for the danecfloor in the early hours of the morning, and has a certain wharehouse 'Feel' to it. The track contains bleeps, stabs, and 808 + 909 compressed drums. The track contains poly rythums and drums which evolve and give alot of movement within the track. This is another "Big Track" from the (Late Nite 'DUB' Addict) that has also recieved support from the (legendary) FANTASY FM.


B2 - Heroes In Our Own Home - Late Nite 'DUB' Addict (Original Mix)
The (Late Nite 'DUB' Addict) states it is no secret that his productions are heavily influenced by the (U.S) Garage / House scene of (New York) in the early (90's).
An era that he said was huge in the way the house scene defined the (Deep House + Classic House) scene that is still massively current today. The DJ / Artis's that has influenced him the most from this era is (Todd Terry / Kenny Dope / Dennis Ferrer /
DJ Sneak / Mood II Swing + MK + Kevin Saunderson. This Hip / House track is the
(Late Nite 'DUB' Addicts) take on the Garage House scene / Hip House scene of
this special era!!!

Kicking off the new decade, Control Freak co-founder Customer Service makes his production debut with five tracks of adventurous outsider electronics.

On the A-side, ‘Dance First, Think Later’ is a bass-heavy dancefloor destroyer guaranteed to send the club west. It's followed with the ethereal sound design and off-kilter rhythms of ‘Recalcitrance’.

On the flip, ‘Betty’s Audition’ takes the pace down a notch with rolling, hypnotic drum programming and plenty of low end punch, whilst ‘B1SM’ deploys a skeletal breakbeat - one for the early hours. Rounding things off, ‘Exquisite Corpse’ locks into a rigid 4/4 groove combining acid with delicate, textured pads.

Control Freak Recordings is the sister label of London-based party Cabin Fever. They are next at The Cause on 20th March with Inga Mauer and Dark Entries. In April they head to Corsica Studios with Anthony Linell and Barker.

I Am Not A Doctor is the successor of Moloko’s first album Do You Like My Tight Sweater? The duo experimented with their earlier sound and combined it with drum and bass and synthpop. The result of it all is a more entertaining and versatile sound, receiving critical praise all over the world. Although it was not a big seller the single “Sing It Back” experienced chart success after it was remixed by DJ Boris Dlugosch. The song eventually became a worldwide hit and could be heard in almost every nightclub for years. Roisin Murphy and Mark Brydon blended their talents very well and created another noteworthy record.

I Am Not A Doctor is available as a limited edition of 3000 numbered copies on white coloured vinyl.

New imprint Ernest’s Way delivers its first offering with a debut release from Australian based artist Featherstone! The A-Side of this four-track EP offers two highly effective dancefloor cuts that ride the line between many diverse influences of electronic music ranging from acidic electro to the early roots of techno.
The B-Side follows up with two deeper, heavily emotive tracks that drift into an uplifting, euphoric and dreamy atmosphere whilst remaining complimentary to the driving rhythms that open the EP.

"A Western Circular" is Will Archer’s debut under his new nom-de-plume, following early EP's- and an Album under the now-retired Slime moniker. Within ‘A Western Circular’ lies an exciting- and varied crew of guest artists including MF DOOM,Samuel T. Herring (Future Islands), Sudan Archives & Laura Groves, all contributing vocals to his rich, dexterous compositions!

An Album that’s been in the works for the past half-decade, ‘A Western Circular’ is a bold, reflective piece that directly relates to Archer’s personal experiences of life and death, centred on one particular week where they breathed with equal intensity. Ostensibly, it’s a poignant reflection on the duality of the human condition.

Reconnected is compiled from Harold Lucious’ addictive 1990 release Connections, a visionary mix of soulful house, New Jack Swing and RnB, an American predecessor of street soul.

Deeply connected to music from an early age, Harold started his music career in the early 70s at the age of 16. He sang in his first group, The Final Seconds, who pressed a 7” single in New York City in 1973. The group would go on to record a full album called Neo Cosmic Blues, but never had the chance to press it. They would continue to perform and write together throughout the 70’s and searched in vain for a label to work with.

During that time, Harold landed a guest spot on the legendary Brother Ahh record Move Ever Onward, set up by his manager who was Brother Ahh’s sibling. Harold is listed as having played koto, but really he provided background vocals. Throughout the 80’s, Harold worked at WBI radio programming talk shows. On air, he would act out modified scripts to Richard Wright novels like “The Outsider”.

Connections was his effort to finally release a record after years of recording and playing music. Experimenting with dance music he came up with an album that was inspired by his love of house music and RnB. He sold the record out of his backpack, ending up with boxes of copies that were eventually destroyed when he had to move from his long-time apartment in Brooklyn. Few of the original LP remain, and it has become almost impossible to find.

Reconnected is a remastered redux with four songs taken from the original LP, and pressed onto a loud 45rpm 12” for maximum dance-floor potential. Mixed Signals is honoured to introduce Harold’s music to a contemporary audience around the world.

The sickest French band, a trio called France, drums, bass and amplified hurdy-gurdy. They only performs live, in the middle of the audience - turned in to face each other - full on smoke machines and strobes. And they play only one ‘song’ for the duration of their hour-long set. And it’s the most transfixing live experience of intense physical and mental focus, and there is something of early rave too, the togetherness, the energy, the euphory. The distorted hurdy gurdy plugs France’s sound into the country’s history of folk music and popular festivities, of communal trance and immersive pleasure. The rhythmic basis is pretty much the same throughout the whole live. One doesn’t need to actually be tripping balls for the auditory illusions to start coming thick and fast. Those who’ve stayed for the whole duration of their performances know they’ve shared something. However disparate the phantom forms each might have discerned in the midst of the howls and groans. Gigs like this you leave feeling you’re not quite the same person who went in, even though you’d be hard-pressed to pinpoint precisely what has changed. Far Out Far West was the band’s first gig outside of their usual comfortable friendly circle and thus was perceived as a somewhat hostile environment. This was where they met the fellows of Les Potagers Nature who will later release France’s debut untitled album. One certainty remains at least, that there is still a France we can believe in. David McKenna (The Quietus). Sales Points: - New album from trio France - All previous releases now sold out and sought after - For fans of drone, rural trance, stoner, psychedelic - 131st release on Mental Groove Music, home of WRWTFWW

Nils Frahm, born in 1982, had an early introduction to music. During his childhood he was taught to play piano by Nahum Brodski a student of the last scholar of Tschaikowski. It was through this that Nils began to immerse himself in the styles of the classical pianists before him as well as contemporary composers. Today Nils Frahm works as an accomplished composer and producer in Berlin. In early 2008 he founded Durton Studio, where he has worked with Peter Broderick and Dustin O' Halloran amongst other fellow musicians.

The three instrumentals, which make up his debut release 'Wintermusik' are piano led pieces, coloured with occasional celeste and reed organ parts. The record's equal measures of sorrowful refrains and uplifting passages, combined with a real intimacy that makes for an album you'll want to return to again and again.

The songs were originally intended as a Christmas present for friends and family, hence its winter release via London-based cinematic music label Erased Tapes. As the curator of the Swedish boutique label Kning Disk's Piano Series, Peter Broderick invited Nils to record a new Nils Frahm, born in 1982, had an early introduction to music.

During his childhood he was taught to play piano by Nahum Brodski a student of the last scholar of Tschaikowski. It was through this that Nils began to immerse himself in the styles of the classical pianists before him as well as contemporary composers. Today Nils Frahm works as an accomplished composer and producer in Berlin. In early 2008 he founded Durton Studio, where he has worked with Peter Broderick and Dustin O' Halloran amongst other fellow musicians.

The three instrumentals, which make up his debut release 'Wintermusik' are piano led pieces, coloured with occasional celeste and reed organ parts. The record's equal measures of sorrowful refrains and uplifting passages, combined with a real intimacy that makes for an album you'll want to return to again and again. The songs were originally intended as a Christmas present for friends and family, hence its winter release via London-based cinematic music label Erased Tapes.

As the curator of the Swedish boutique label Kning Disk's Piano Series, Peter Broderick invited Nils to record a new album of piano improvisations the result is 'The Bells', which will now be released on Erased Tapes in the UK, Ireland and North America. Perhaps the most stunning aspect of what on the surface appears to be an entirely pre-planned and composed body of work comes with the discovery that these pieces were in fact improvised.

These two friends share a common affinity in that they both possess an absolute mastery of melody, composition and performance able to deliver with devastating effect. The modest Mr. Broderick states 'I remember thinking to myself as I lay there stunned, that I could spend ten years trying to write an amazing piece of piano music, and still it would never be half as good as these improvisations!'

Recorded in a rented, beautiful old church in the heart of Berlin over two nights, Nils 'just played' with the occasional instruction from Peter 'I spouted "Make a song using only the notes C, E, and G", or "Make a song that you could imagine me rapping over the top of" (Track 8 'My Things'). At one point I was even inside the piano, laying on the strings, asking him to make a song called 'Peter Is Dead In The Piano'. The resultant work 'The Bells' shares the same excitement and air of playfulness.

For a musician this early in his career, Frahm displays an incredibly developed sense of control and restraint in his work. As the recognition continues to grow for both, 'Wintermusik' and 'The Bells', we are pleased to announce that 2010 will also see his next album release on Erased Tapes.

One Sided 7", Limited edition of 200 copies on black vinyl, handstamped whitelabel with additional photo inlay.

Tribe'n'Bass? Tech'n'Bass? Drum'n'Tech? Whatever you might call it, the first ever vinyl release of the freshly launched imprint Freebreakz.FWD is a quite trip, a journey into the unknown and unexplored.
For their conjunctional studio effort that is „Alien Swamp“ we see Hamburg's baze.djunkiii and Berlin-based Donna Maya draw influences from spiralling TribeTekno and the freeform approach of the teknival scene, pay homage to their love for advanced, experimental Drum'n'Bass and fuse these elements with a stripped down high tech vibe somewhat reminiscent of early Minimal Techno coming out of Motor City Detroit. Imagine all these bits falling together at breakneck speed and with a well psychedelic notion and you'll be
captivated by one of the most unique dancefloor cuts from a space-exploring future, the electroid soundtrack for illegal raves taking place under the two suns of life-bearing exoplanets in binary star systems far far away.

It was 50 years ago that a talented local musician named Lamont Butler started to create an album that would combine love, happiness and joy. Lamont’s only official album release It’s Time For A Change has been very popular for record collectors around the world but never saw the wider success it truly deserved.

Born 1949 in Louisville, Kentucky; Lamont Butler was drawn to music and dance from the very beginning. He was the son of a well-known gospel, blues and R&B singer and pianist Clifford Butler Sr, receiving an early education in what’s required to be a touring musician.

It quickly became apparent that Lamont had a wonderful voice and was pushed to the front despite no being fully confident yet of his singing ability. Lamont performed on the gospel circuit for a number of years cutting his teeth with groups such as The Enterprise, The Dynamics and The New Beginnings eventually going solo with Lamont Butler and The Spirit of Truth.

It was whilst he was singing and performing during this period that he started to write his own songs and think about putting together an album bringing together all of his influences from R&B, jazz, soul and of course gospel. The result is very raw, almost low-fi sound of It’s Time For A Change, released nearly 10 years after Lamont started to pen the first tracks and it gained relative success. He toured the album around churches in Louisville with tracks such as Love One Another, Time For A Change and Ungodly War quickly becoming firm favourites within the churches of Louisville.

Miles Away Records are pleased to working with Lamont and to be issuing a long overdue album reissue of It’s Time For A Change on LP and CD. Remastered with care by Nick Robbins at Sound Mastering and complete with in-depth sleeve notes.

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.

Dom (and his Roland s760 sampler) was once described by seminal magazine NME as the “Ridley Scott” of drum and bass. His epic early records helped form the blueprint of the scene today.

Originally releasing on No-U-Turn in 1994 and credited as one of architects of “Tech-step”. Dom was signed by the legendary Moving Shadow label in 1996 where he released 3 solo albums and a plethora of singles becoming their most prolific and influential artist in the history of the label.

Well known for his early alliances with school friends “Optical” and “Matrix”, Dom started his own label DRP (Dom & Roland Productions) in 2006 to collaborate with like-minded artists. Now 15 years in with an enviable roster from “Noisia” to “Amon Tobin” it is now the main home of Dom’s work.

Lost in the Moment is Doms 7th Album. In his own words “I wanted to make an album that gets back to the core of the elements I love about drum and bass. The timelessness of simple tracks! A sense of being lost in the subtlety of evolving soundscapes, rhythms and loops which hint at more complex detail and emotions. These are the things I find harder to find in this era of instant gratification and easily consumable music.”

Dom’s previous album Last refuge of a Scoundrel was signed to Metalheadz in 2016. It sold out on its first day. Mixmag gave it 10/10 and named it album of the year. It was runner up in DJ Magazines “Best of British” category across all genres.

Thembisa’s Hot Soul Singers were formed in 1975 by promoter and producer Sam “Jiza Jiza” Mthembu. In the early years the trio was called the Thembisa Happy Queens and consisted of sisters Ntombifuthi and Nombuso Mabaso and Lindiwe Ndlovu. The trio would start out playing Jive, Zulu Disco and other popular sounds of the 70s . In 1979 they became the Hot Soul Singers and would begin a career in the emerging Disco scene which their group name was now more fitting for.

Their first single under the new name was a tribute to their producer Sam, and their first album “Together” would come 2 years later in 1981. It contained their Lamont Dozier rip off from a year earlier, and biggest hit to date “ Give Me My Love Back” which was playing in jukeboxes across the country. At this time the Hot Soul Singers were also gaining popularity due to their demand as an opening act for American groups. Sam’s ongoing pursuit to be a successful promoter also helped to ensure they were always in the headlines and playing shows. It would be in 1983 that the group would temporarily step away from a major label and go onto record their first Maxi single with the independent Raintree Records new Lyncell Imprint.

Like most places in the world the early 80s was a fast changing time in music for South Africa. Although the Maxi had a disco standard for years in other parts of the world it had only recently been popularized in South Africa. Thanks to the Brenda and the Big Dudes smash, Weekend Special, the maxi took over as the preferred format for pop music, replacing the cheaper but time restricting 7” single. Singles were being pushed to the limits in the early 80’s with running times of 4+ minutes a sides by some labels. The Maxi allowed for groups to extend their grooves onto a full side and later album art containing smiling musicians infant of cheesy backdrops became the norm. Synthesizers had been used in pop music for years already but the DX7 wouldn’t land in the country for another year. Drum machines were being used but had yet to fully replace live drummers like would happen in the years to come. The recording of this new single would require a full band resulting in it being one of the gems of the crossover period before the complete midi takeover. Durban’s Graham Handley was recording some of the best upcoming Disco sounds for labels like Heads Music and groups like Kabasa and Masike Mohapi and was tasked as engineer. Other known musicians in the session would be Jimmy Mgwandi from the group Image, who’s signature bass playing can be heard on both songs. A young Daniel Phakoe aka “sox” was also present and took care of the male parts of the vocal line. Both musicians have writing credits along with lead singer Nombuso. Other possibilities of musicians would be Thami Mduli aka Professor Rhythm who had been with the group since their early days as well as a young Chicco who was best friends with Jimmy at the time.

The single, which was packaged in a customized but simple company disco sleeve, went on to do quite well. Less than a year later they would feature on a track with Sunset which would lead to them singing with Sounds of Soweto records label. The group would enjoy the growing fame when tragedy struck in 1984. On their way to a show in Mpumalanga they were involved in a car accident which took the life of Nombuso and left her husband Sam with a leg injury he limps with to this day. Upon recovering Sam would organize a tribute concert at Soweto’s Jabulani Amphitheatre. Even though the tragedy left the group broken and without a member the band went back to work to record their second full length album. They worked with Mac Mathunjwa who had written Nombuso’s favourite song “Going Crazy”. This album would be released with two different names and covers. One took the former singer’s favourite song as the album name and used a photo consisting of all three girls where the other released under the name “ A Tribute” and would only have the remaining members on the cover.

Although the tragedy never halted the group, moving forward the trio of singers would see a few members change. Lindiwe would leave to join Freeway and then become Linda “Babe” Majika so by the time they were ready to record in1986, now with Teal records, the only original member was Ntombifuthi. She would also shortly leave the group and provide backing vocals to other artists including her old band mate Linda. The Hot Soul Singers would be kept alive by Jiza Jiza and go on to record 5 more albums before calling it quits in 1990 after a successful 15 year career. Today the only core member left is Sam Mthembu who still lives in Thembisa and is occasionally promoting live events. Even though he did produce a handful of artists back in the 70s, his most significant additions to the music industry were the Hot Soul Singers and his event promotions, which is what he is best known for and will most likely be the legacy of his career.

• 180g Picture Disc in Die-Cut Sleeve • Best of Bowie’s legendary performance from the Universal Amphitheater, Los Angeles • Broadcast on KMET-FM • Digitally remastered for greatly enhanced sound quality • Background liners

“Come out of the garden, baby”, and revel in the sounds of David Bowie’s spectacular Diamond Dogs Tour. Protus very proudly brings together the best of Bowie’s gig at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, 5 September 1974, broadcast live by 'KMET' radio station, which featured an extraordinary set list showcasing work from several key Bowie albums including Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, Aladdin Sane, Hunky Dory, and of course, Diamond Dogs.

One of the most expensive tours in popular music history, the tour and the album helped the star to crack the North American market.

David Bowie – Vocals
Michael Kamen – Electric Piano, Moog Synthesizer, Oboe
Mike Garson – Piano, Mellotron
Earl Slick – Guitar
Carlos Alomar – Rhythm Guitar
David Sanborn – Alto Saxophone, Flute
Richard Grando – Baritone Saxophone, Flute
Doug Rauch – Bass
Greg Errico – Drums
Pablo Rosario – Percussion
Gui Andrisano – Backing Vocals
Warren Peace – Backing Vocals
Ava Cherry – Backing Vocals
Robin Clark – Backing Vocals
Anthony Hinton – Backing Vocals
Diane Sumler – Backing Vocals
Luther Vandross – Backing Vocals