Search:the fun years

The 'Insights' EP is Spinscott's second release on the US based Elm Imprint label, as a highly anticipated follow up to the internationally successful 'Make It Funky / Lovelight' single. 'Insights' features 3 tracks that represent a progression of styles, and satisfies the demand for Classic Jungle sounds, fresh Drum And Bass, and deep '160' flavors.

Side A: 'Phaseout' - This forward-thinking Drum And Bass tune starts out with a moody & mixable intro, staccato drums and bass hits, before dropping into a precisely arranged dancefloor rhythm. Impact exceeds maximum threshold after the break, with the injection of an unexpected layered kick pattern, which has proven to leave no one standing still! But don't mix out too soon... the final phase features an exclusive drum break sourced from a family 45 pressing, circa 1968, sliced and reworked for it's debut appearance here. Phaseout has moved audiences during pre-release plays at Spinscott performances in the US, UK, and beyond.

Side B1: 'Rocker' - This 160 BPM tune was meticulously crafted using drums, effects, and other sounds from multiple genres of dance music, and engineered to make people move! Starting out on a jazzy tip with 808s, sax notes and various fx elements, it doesn't waste time getting to an onslaught of swinging drums and vocal artifacts. Rounding out with some classy Rhodes melodies, strings & short-cut Amens, 'Rocker' delivers an audible message for people to rock, swing, and move to the music! DJs will enjoy cutting in and out of this one, with many changes and elements to mix & blend with.

Side B2: (vinyl exclusive): '#7' - This oldschool style Jungle track FINALLY appears on the vinyl version of this release to satisfy over 5 years of relentless demand! Originally filmed as one of Spinscott's Real-Time Jungle videos, '#7' is the one that opened the floodgates to international recognition and performances worldwide. (see link below) Previously only available in video or performed live at shows, Spinscott has produced a full length 'dj friendly' version, featuring all the original elements of the original performance. '#7' was created and produced 100% on the MPC 1000 (as seen in the video), and features classic drum chops and layers, reverse bass, raw pads, and more.

Eduardo De La Calle has been doing his thing since the early 2000s, but the last couple of years have seen him move into overdrive. Releases on Planet E, Hivern Discs, Nitsa Trax, Turbo Recordings, Gigolo and Darkroom Dubs to name just a few have shown he is both prolific and consistent, and this new four-track collection is just as compelling as his recent output.rnrnDistortion Theory III is a whirring hypnotic machine jam that melds shimmering synth snippets to mind-bending FX undulations and throbbing low end. Disorientating and wonky as hell, it's the sound of a funky computer malfunction somewhere in deep space.rnrnLight Tunnel continues the theme, coming across like the dying throes of space station spinning out of control due to excessive amounts of sub bass. It's a dizzying, disorientating ride.rnrnAcid Aaron C (Edit) wastes no time getting down to business with its gurgling, incessant 303 line present from the get-go. Shuffling percussion rubs up against heady female vocal lines and wonky detuned 8-bit synth blips, the undercurrent of the track swelling and calming seemingly at will. rnrnThe Dub Math takes things down a notch with hazy sounds and plodding sub bass combining with heavily reverbed vocal incantations which all combine to bring together the vibe referenced in the title.

Two sizzling South African boogie tracks from Kabasa's Tata Sibeko. A killer producer, arranger and bass wizard, Tata channels the gloomy current affairs landscape of 1985 into a glimmering Afro-synth nugget. As South African pop embraced 1980s synth sounds, Maxi Singles on 12-inch vinyl became a new canvas of expression with wider grooves for fat beats and extended mixes that suited dancefloors.
.
The supergroups of the 1970s fragmented into solo recording artists with the likes of Harari's Sipho 'Hotstix' Mabuse releasing his seminal 'Burnout' single in 1984. Former Kabasa frontman Tata Sibeko dropped 'It's A Mess' in 1985, addressing the world's Cold War climate with an appeal to 'learn to love each other' and 'save ourselves from catastrophe.' The B-side 'Afro Breakdance' marked the evolution of Tata's Afro-global sensibilities from 'Afro Funkin'' that had appeared five years earlier on Kabasa's self-titled debut in 1980. Tata Sibeko (RIP) passed away in 2017 after approving the restoration and reissue of this single. This release is dedicated to his kindness, charm and creative zeal.

A mythical and misplaced masterpiece of lost soft rock and acidic folk funk by a one-hit wonderer lost in the wilderness for four decades. From the producer of Margo Guryan, writer behind Wool, Gerry Mulligan collaborator, Tarantino soundtracker and Wendy & Bonnie confidant, Paint A Lady now emerges from folkloric obscurity, to bring a wash of soft psychedelic colour to your vinyl collection and quench the repeat requests of a thirsty new found audience waiting for the rain.

Within certain record collecting circles, especially those who gather under the umbrella that covers fragile niches like 'acid folk' and 'soft rock', it's difficult to imagine a time when the legendary Susan Christie album didn't exist. When Finders Keepers Records first shared the unheard 60's songs like Paint A Lady, For The Love Of A Soldier and Echoes In Your Mind with a wide-eyed audience thirsty for organic soul and festival friendly acoustic funk, Susan's new found fan base instantly felt like they had known these songs all of their lives, and with a single needle drop we saw the birth of what could rightfully be described as an 'instant classic'. Which is why it's hard to believe that the music on this lost 60s acetate was only pressed 12 years ago. As our lucky seventh release in an international discography that now surpasses the 100 mark (and one of a small clutch of English language recordings on the label) Paint A Lady has slowly become one of our most requested re-releases, and with this 2018 edition it is technically accurate to say that this pressing is the first-ever reissue of this elusive and essential LP.

The oft over used term mythical applies to this album on many levels. Perhaps it's the woozy nostalgia found within the pop craft of Paint A Lady that has led to false rumours that original 1960's copies used to exist on the collectors market, or the bizarre claim that songs like the head-nodding title track, and the acid-drenched sound effects on Yesterday Where's My Mind were just a product of a contemporary studio band trying to create a fake folk funk red herring. As a result Susan Christie and her producer and husband of 40 years, John Hill have happily taken the repeat phrase 'unbelievable' as a compliment to their songwriting skills and foresight. In all fairness, with a decade to ponder, the original 1969 song titles alone do seem custom-built for the nostalgia market... No One Can Hear You Cry might lament the unrequited yearning for a record deal which never quite followed Susan's won one-hit wonder novelty hit I Love Onions; similarly When Love Comes might allude to the subsequent 35 year wait for the right label to eventually come along. Echoes In Your Mind and the aforementioned Yesterday... could easily allude to the haunting melodies that sat in the can on John Hill's studio shelf while his projects for Margo Guryan, Wool and Pacific Gas & Electric sat proudly in record racks before benefitting successful French cover versions or making their way on to Quentin Tarantino soundtracks. The track Paint A lady itself, complete with it's future-proofed sample-worthy rhythm section, seems like the perfect title for a mock rock pseudo psych contender - at which point you eventually step back and see the bigger picture. These guys were simply one drop too far ahead of their time; a family force of experimental pop perfection that late 60's America simply wasn't ready for. It is just over 12 years since champion record rustler Keith D'Arcy (who you'll meet on the inside sleeve) stumbled upon one of the original acetates that led to the final release of Paint A Lady, and it's almost a longer 50 years since Susan and John added their final touches to these recordings which tragically went into hibernation for over four decades.

Whether this album has been on your wish-list for what seems like a lifetime, or you are taking a plunge into this deep puddle for the first time, when the needle drops on the first track you'll find that Susan Christie, John Hill and Finders Keepers have been saving up for a very rainy day.

Silk Road Assassins, a trio consisting of Tom E Vercetti, Chemist and Lovedr0id, return to Planet Mu with their debut full-length 'State Of Ruin' two years after their first EP 'Reflection Spaces'.

The trio recorded over two years, working together to start with, then across different studios and via the internet when their lives became more separated. They also finessed the album at Abbey Road studios, making use of some short time to add in extra layers.

The three producers day jobs are in production music, music designed and created specifically for film and games, and this album uses these skills to explore the musical forms that they love. The album explores how trap and grime's minimalist form can be built and curved into musical architecture: elegant, opaque and layered, turning the sound into lush, melodic world-building.

The work gone into the album is revealed on repeated listens, every sound on this record feels built to sit within it's delicate ecosystem. The fundamentals of the music are given their own sense of purpose: hand claps spray, bells tumble, guitars splinter and lush melodies waft over and fill the track's spaces like light, glinting across snapping, crisp rhythms and deep bass tones.

As a first listen it was 2 am, 46° in a village Portugal, in a Convent, after a good night out. That moment stroke me from being magic, the energy was perfect, we were laughing and relaxing amongst friends. That listen was pushing the magic further because of the surprises it has all along the journey. A first groaning A simple rhythm Soft realms Noisy Round sounds Type machine sounds, of a sampled hi hat that never reveals, cut cut cut cut. Just because it's fun to not reveal it. And put that fist cut part of the upcoming timber that is not 'yet' one. It's like if the drum pack was used the wrong way, which is a great way. Flipping. (=to flip something) Belp has this ability to bring the most horrible samples in front, and turn over your mind to enjoy what first sounds like 'horrible'. Facade. 'Crocodile' is flipping it over. Rhythmically vibrating, ears are wide open, full attention. I'm into the non-repetition. Track 'Crocodile's call reminds me of the call in 'Klabb' by Deena Abdelwahed as well as within its playful change of tempo, of notes. Who cares The album is like a randomly composed pack. It is not random. It's flipping something, and I like that disturbance, it's what I want to hear. It is alive, through composition, arrangements, falsely randomised, non-arranged, it is a trick; it is the drunk clown playing 'endless preparations for a ceremony' and 'catch'. Not bothering about anything reveals a deep understanding of music and of arts, a crafted album in details. It is years of listening, it is years of challenging ones ears, and putting it all together in this piece.

Deep, raw and real Then NY*AK is the man! Andrew Scott has been releasing superb bottom heavy deep house groovers for many years on various top labels (like Local Talk, Paper or Ninja Tunes Technicolor). Now its time for Quintessentials! The A-side features after the sun, a deep, minimalistic and sexy groover, and mind, a blissfull and rich low BPM tune for an early morning come down. The B-side starts with vice, a proper Detroit track bassline, strings, rims and snares - and finishes off with the funky and mellow onions. Deep, raw and real NY*AK anytime!

Originally starting out in the late 90s, Paris-based 8 piece, Cotonete originally gained fame for renditions of tracks from their contemporaries, the likes of: Deodato, Lalo Schiffrin and Banda Black Rio. Replicating the heavy grooves, sweaty jazz-funk with a nod to the Brazilian warmth and beach breeze. Before bowing out of the game thinking the fun was over….

Fast forward to more recent times, having had their flame reignited by Melik Bencheikh, head honcho of Paris vinyl emporium, Heartbeat Vinyl. He encouraged the band to get back together and over the last two years the band released four EPs of original material - including the collaboration with Dimitri from Paris - quickly becoming collectors items, and now gearing up for 2019 they are finally ready to present a full body of work, their album debut 'Super Vilains'.

The Daktaris is a well-disciplined army of two hundred African Bull Elephants marching relentlessly up your business to the beat from Funky Drummer. Or so began the liner notes on the original pressing of this album.

Truth is often stranger than fiction. In 1998 Desco Records—a precursor to Daptone and Soul Fire records—released The Daktaris' Soul Explosion, ostensibly as a reissue of an unearthed Nigerian LP from the seventies. Though it's now common knowledge that the story was a bit of a hoax, the record's significance as a seminal part of the Afrobeat and afro-funk renaissance of the last two decades cannot be denied. The roots of the Budos Band, Antibalas, and uncountable others can be traced back to this enigmatic afro-funk release.

Now, two decades later, Daptone has remastered the album from the original tapes, including a bonus track that had previously only been available on a 45, and featuring extensive all new liner notes by Bosco Mann telling the bizarre true story behind the Daktaris sessions.

KEY MARKETING POINTS:
- FULLY REMASTERED, including new bonus track, 'In the Middle.'
- Extensive new liner notes by BOSCO MANN explaining the real story behind The Daktaris.
- Features members of The DAP-KINGS and ANTIBALAS.
- Features JOJO KUO (drummer for FELA KUTI) on vox and percussion.
- Originally released on DESCO RECORDS in the 1998, has been out of print for years.
- The spirit of the late, great Fela Kuti runs through The Daktaris' Soul Explosion. - Jazz Times

Jaye P Morgan's 1976 million dollar private press featuring the cream of the LA jazz and funk scene and one of David Foster's first productions is finally reissued. Wewantsounds is delighted to announce the release on deluxe LP and CD of Jaye P. Morgan's ultra rare private press originally released in 1976. This lost classic recorded in LA at the legendary Sound City Studios is also the first full-blown production by David Foster two years before he co-produced Earth Wind and Fire's album I Am and went on to become one of the hottest producers on the scene. Featuring an extraordinary line up of the best LA musicians including Harvey Mason, Ed Greene, Jay Graydon, Ray Parker Jr. Tower of Power, Ernie Watts and many more, it's probably one of the most expensive private press ever produced and a delight of sophisticated Los Angeles funk featuring Jaye's superb soulful vocals. The LP edition will come with the original 4 page insert full of session photos and credits.

With a line-up that reads like a who's who on the 70s Californian scene, this album was a bold move for the singer who had made her mark in the 50s and 60s as a popular music singer and actress. Hiring Foster was a masterstroke as he hadn't yet produced any noticeable hit but together they gathered the most impressive crew of musicians you could think of including two of Foster's closest associates, guitarist Jay Graydon and singer / arranger Bill Champlin (of Sons of Champlin's fame) and created the perfect white Soul album with a breezy California feel.

Featuring masterful renditions of such iconic songs as Stevie Wonder's songs as Seems So Long and Earth, Wind And Fire's Can't Hide Love (for the anecdote, Foster, Champlin and Graydon would soon pen After The Love Has Gone which would become a mega hit for Earth Wind AND Fire two years later), together with a handpicked selection of originals, the sound alternates between uptempo funk and soulful mid-tempo ballads, all served by Morgan's superb vocals. The missing link between Steely Dan and Earth, Wind and Fire, Jaye P. Morgan is pure, undiluted Funk music and an essential LA classic which Wewantsounds is glad to make available for the first time.

The man behind Workshop and Out To Lunch famously takes his time to make electronic productions that are, in turn, out of time. Over the course of his career he's released tracks that could have been made yesterday, years ago, or a decade into the future. with Avenue 66 he's found a leftfield home that celebrates pure creativity, that embraces the liminal, the weird and the sublime. Light Surfing fits all of these descriptors.

The double-LP rewards deep, repeated listening. There's plenty to unpack, but those who cherish the murky bangers that have been Lowtec's stock and trade will find plenty to love. "Boy With The Broken Glasses" weaves a subtle, dancehall-inflected riddim into hazy ambient house, while the closer, "Burnt Toast," is the latest example of Kuhn's uncanny ability to perfectly fit a soulful vocal sample into an alien dance floor soundscape.

Unexpected moments of sideways beauty also unfurl across the four sides. The two-part "Light Surfing" is one of Lowtec's most evocative suites to a date-its mournful string soundtrack is the album's recurring, longing motif. Elsewhere, as on "Mynthenquai," Kuhn applies avant-garde strategies to his synth leads, taking us on head-spinning melodic journeys.

Light Surfing is a masterful balancing act between dream states and machine-like efficiency, the experimental and functional, precision and spontanaeity. Lowtec could have only gotten here by taking his time.

Hungarian producer Giash has been on Metroline Limited radar for quite some time. It took a while to get him on board but the wait is finally over: the misteriously titled Sen_d_Ingo Ep is here and it is super-tasty!

An expert crafter of minimal beats and hypnothic grooves, Giash career has spanned over 10 years with his productions being released on wax through seminal labels such as Archipel, Plaisir, Why So Series and many more.

The opening track, Brunc_hc-_h, give us the first shot of underscores and a high dosage of machine funk minimalism. It's a full on/slow-mo industrial churning groover with sci-fi licks and lush pads work!

The second cut on the A side it's the beatiful Imagin__ary and it's deep minimalism at the highest level. It's a great mixture of new and old as far as reduced jacking grooves are concerned.
It could have easily fitted in the late 90's Perlon/Playhouse era but it surely sounds as current, fresh and forward thinking now.

Side B is solely occupied by the tripped out grooves of Sen_d_ingo. Close your eyes, imagine yuorself in an East London basement at the darkest of after-parties, this track is the perfect fit for that particular moment.
Over 13 minutes of dark and hypnotic beauty, the track is crunchy and punchy with a wigglesome broken rhythm, some subtle synth variations and plenty of dark and deep atmoshperics!

Pete 'Bassman' Bain, one of the founding members of the UK cult psych rock band Spacemen 3, formed Alpha Stone after Spacemen 3 and his other band The Darkside split up in the mid-nineties. In 1996 the band recorded the album 'Stereophonic Pop Art Music' and it was released on Bomp! Records on Compact Disc. The album hasn't had a 'proper' vinyl release until now, 2018, when Hoga Nord Rekords continues their collaboration with Pete Bassman by releasing the album.

You can clearly hear that Pete Bassman was the driving force behind Alpha Stone; fuzz, synthesiser -sweeps, programmed drums and processed vocals are the cornerstones in Alpha Stone's sound. Raga-like mantras, heard in Farmer C, lies track to track with more percussion driven grooves and psychedelic pop oriented songs. The album's sound has obviously survived the 20+ years shelved in obscurity and proves the 'Drugby' sound still vital!

It's always hard to sum up a bands particular sound in a few words, but you could say that if you put guitar and bass, synthesisers, a drum machine, and Julian Copes record collection in the hands of an alien, you've got Alpha Stone!

Lance Ferguson's Raregroove Spectrum is a collection of newly recorded versions of classic funk, soul, jazz and latin vinyl rarities, which features some of Melbourne's finest musicians across the album, including past and present members of The Bamboos, The Putbacks and Hiatus Kaiyote.

As the man at the helm of many musical projects over the years including Cookin' On 3 Burners, Menagerie & his solo project Lanu, Lance is no stranger to the art of imaginative musical re-interpretation, be the material soul, funk and jazz based or the works of James Blake, Roxy Music and Prefab Sprout.

For Raregroove Spectrum, Lance explains that much of the inspiration for the re-works comes from his experience as a DJ, "Some of these versions can almost be looked at as DJ re-edits, sometimes we're extending what may be a really short track into something longer, or teasing out the elements in a song that really make it work on a dance-floor. It's essentially what someone does with a club re-edit, except we went the extra step and re-recorded the whole thing with a live band".

In other cases, top-shelf classics have been re-imagined in different guises: James Mason's 'Sweet Power, Your Embrace' as a sun-drenched Samba, or Anderson Paak's sure shot tune 'Am I Wrong' given an 1980's style Boogie/Jazz Funk makeover. Stir into this musical gumbo stew the raw Deep Funk of 'Egg Roll', the swinging Mod R&B of Googie Rene's 'Smoky Joe's La La' to the epic, widescreen Jazz-Funk of Pleasure's 'Joyous' - Rare Groove Spectrum provides new perspectives on the obscure to the well-loved, from old-school to new sounds - this is rare grooves re-grooved... beautifully.

When Dunham Records/Daptone producer and musician Thomas Brenneck first heard the close family harmonies of the Sha La Das he had a revelation; he knew he had to get it on tape.



Direct from Staten Island, the four Schaldas, father Bill and sons Will aka Swivs, who also toured the world playing keyboard for Charles Bradley and his Extraordinaires, Paul of Paul and the Tall Trees and Charles Bradley and his Extraordinaires, and Carmine had come into the studio in Brooklyn to record background vocals on Charles Bradley's Victim of Love. It was a passion that drove Brenneck from the very beginning.



'Hearing them sing together in the studio was incredible', says Brenneck. He collaborated with Bill Schalda writing songs and applying harmonic sensibilities rooted in doo wop, blues and soul. It wasn't a stretch for Bill, after all he'd been second tenor when still a teen in Brooklyn vocal group, The Montereys in the 1960s (their 45, Face In The Crowd/Step Right Up on Blast records sells for $500 these days) who would play venues from neighborhood bars to the 1964 World's Fair in Queens.



'Bill is the genuine article, just like Charles Bradley and Sharon Jones, he came directly from the source,' says Brenneck. Indeed, Bill Schalda was right there amongst doo wop and r&b groups of the era, singing Moonglows and Flamingos tunes.

'You'd go out on the street and constantly hear a bunch of guys singing on the corner, they'd finish playing handball in the schoolyard during the day and then they'd start singing at night,' says Bill. 'We were all just guys in the neighborhood in Brooklyn, who gradually found each other.'



After their children were born, Bill and wife Linda moved the family across the Verrazano-Narrows bridge to Staten Island. Growing up, sons Will, Paul and Carmine remember summer nights singing group harmonies on the stoop of their home with their father Bill guiding them. 'He would bring us out on the stoop on Staten Island and he would teach us each parts of say, the sesame street song - we were his backing group very early on - that was fun,' says eldest son, Will.



On this, their debut, the talent is harnessed in 11 songs, each tender-voiced delight delivered with absolute conviction combined with musicians that have help define the Daptone/Dunham Records sound including Brenneck, Homer Steinweiss, Dave Guy, Leon Michels, Nick Movshon and Victor Axelrod. 'I wanted to take the Sha La Das outside of the doo wop genre,' says Brenneck. 'To take the whole vocabulary of doo wop harmony and reapply it to soul - so you get super soulful harmonies along the lines of The Manhattans & The Moments.'



From the opening atmospheric guitar strum of Open My Eyes via a walk along the Coney Island boardwalk catching the last glimpse of sunlight at dusk of Carnival to the sublime crescendo of harmonies of the winsome Love in the Wind, each song evokes a deeply personal yet universal yearning that none of us can escape. Quite simply every song yields magic.

There's something special when a family can meld voices in close harmony. The Everly Brothers had it, The Beach Boys had it, the Schalda's have it.

First opus of the new series is La Batterie, by the UK's Richard Podolor and Sandy Nelson in 1983 in the hypnotic shimmering disco of 'Let There Be Drums.' The music of Polodor and Nelson is being given new life by Kalahari Oyster Cult. Alongside the entrancing original are two remixes. First up is Australia via Amsterdam's very own Max Abysmal with his 'Spooky Remix.' Adopting and adapting the raw energy of the '83 version, Abysmal layers ghostly notes and spectral snares into his mechanical remake. The flip takes on a different slant with 'Shotgun' taken from the EP of twenty fives years ago. A super slick work of understated funk shot through with bold keys and powerful chants to show another side of the UK pair. The fiercely talented Benedikt Frey closes, turning his daringly able hand to 'Let There Be Drums.' He keeps the vocal line, the rest of his rework is dipped in a thick heart of darkness threat. Pulsing thumps, menacing notes and danger lurk in this jungle of Frey's own making.

Brainchild of Multi Culti A&R, Sascha Funke and Niklas Wandt were introduced by Dreems, who charted a course for the seasoned Berlin-based producer and funky multi-percussionist and singer.

Wandt was just about to enter the scene forcefully with his collaborative 2LP with Wolf Müller and the debut single of his band Neuzeitliche Bodenbeläge. In the icey cold of his warehouse rehearsal space, Funke had him record a variety of slapped, bowed and scratched percussions (congas, talking drum, prepared cymbals played with a bass bow) over his tracks. These first efforts were later expanded into joint sessions at Sascha's home studio and, within a few weeks, the journey reached it's destination: Wibe strasse, Deutschland.

At first glance, they seem an odd couple: a techno veteran of almost thirty years meets a side-burned upstart socialized in Free Jazz and Krautrock. But the shared sonic influences come through in the hypnotic, dubbed-out sound, perhaps rooted in the close connection the two share to the Rheinland region in West Germany, Funke as part of the Kompakt family and Wandt by origin and socialization in the Cologne and Düsseldorf music scene centered around the Salon des Amateurs. Regional flavours, global appeal.

Multi Culti, promoting local collaboration, one freaky record at a time.

If you read the name Shankar you may right away think of Ravi Shankar, the grand master of contemporary Indian folk music who was very popular in the 60s due to his connection with the music industry in the United States despite staying away from the pure pop music by maintaining his classic sitar and tabla style ragas to express himself musically. Ananda Shankar used to be his nephew who also made a journey to the USA to gather inspirations from rock artists like Jimi Hendrix among others. His first album from 1970, a conglomerate of classic Indian folk tunes and instrumental versions of the hottest rock songs of the day clothed in a veil of sitar melodies and backed up with tabla drum grooves, was an attempt to combine the spiritual approach of his cultural origins with the light minded blissful attitude of western psychedelic pop music. It worked well in the sense that it is still, nearly fifty years later on, a groovy little album that leaves nobody sitting around at any random hippie party. He took a five year break from recording to create what should become his second album and this is what I am about to present to you now. The cover-tunes were replaced by all original compositions with a lush instrumentation that features the typical sitar, tabla and bowed string instruments such as sarong and sera arrangements mixed with sounds that have a definite western origin such as rock guitars, Hammond organ and moog synthesizers plus full drum kits that take care to enhance the actual groove. Psychedelic rock, raga, fusion-jazz and funk flow into each other quite naturally giving birth to something fresh and exciting I would label as Bengali pop'. The borders between eastern and western music get abrogated here. If it was not for a few deeply mythical chants on a bed of drones here and there you could not even tell this was a record by an Indian artist. This album is quite accessible most of the time and comes with a certain slickness that makes it easy for the listener to understand and appreciate what is going on. Still there is the other side of the coin, the depth pop music often lacks. So in the end this might have been too far out for the average western mainstream fanatic back in 1975 when disco began to rule but it is an awesome sound trip for fans of psychedelic dance music like INCREDIBLE BONGO BAND and all eastern influenced popular rock.

Three dance floor hitters by the Dutch Arp Frique. "Nos Magia" holds collaborations with Nigerian funkster Orlando Julius and Cape-Verdean legend Americo Brito. Surprising new cuts that could easily have been made in the 70ties! Big tip!
Arp Frique is Niels Nieuborg from the city of Rotterdam, who has been actively involved in the Dutch live music scene for years, working with Cape Verdean & Surinamese musicians especially. After all these years, he finally presents his own true musical output.

"Nos Magia" is a classic sounding, but unheard Cape Verdean funana song featuring the old skool Americo Brito on vocals. The b-side holds two collaborations with afro-beat protagonist Orlando Julius.....enjoy!!

'Larry Jon Wilson He can break your heart with a voice like a cannonball.' - Kris Kristofferson. Larry Jon Wilson came to the party late. When he arrived in Nashville, country soul pioneer Tony Joe White had already made six albums. Townes Van Zandt had made seven, Mickey Newbury eight. Kristofferson, the accepted High Priest of the New Nashville, had made five. Larry Jon, by the time he arrived, had spent ten years in corporate America. He did not start playing guitar until the age of 30, but five years later he released his debut, New Beginnings (1975) and followed it just a year later with Let Me Sing My Song To You, both on Monument Records. A revelation among the hipsters and critics of Nashville, the LPs ensured Larry Jon was immediately embraced as part of the mid-70s 'outlaw country movement' that eschewed slick production in favour of a raw, gritty approach. When a film crew came to document this burgeoning sound, they made straight for Larry Jon's door. The legendary Heartworn Highways (1981) featured his mesmerising performance of 'Ohoopee River Bottomland'. He was a singer and writer of intensely private, painfully moving tales of southern life. With his deep, papa-bear voice, funky southern groove, and richly evocative narratives of rural Georgia, Larry Jon was a unique stylist but his gutsy, greasy sound did not translate into sales. Too funky for the country crowd, too heartfelt for pop radio, he fell between the cracks.

larry Jon Wilson He Can Break Your Heart With A Voice Like A Cannonball.' - Kris Kristofferson. Larry Jon Wilson Came To The Party Late. When He Arrived In Nashville, Country Soul Pioneer Tony Joe White Had Already Made Six Albums. Townes Van Zandt Had Made Seven, Mickey Newbury Eight. Kristofferson, The Accepted High Priest Of The New Nashville, Had Made Five. Larry Jon, By The Time He Arrived, Had Spent Ten Years In Corporate America. He Did Not Start Playing Guitar Until The Age Of 30, But Five Years Later He Released His Debut, New Beginnings (1975) And Followed It Just A Year Later With Let Me Sing My Song To You, Both On Monument Records. A Revelation Among The Hipsters And Critics Of Nashville, The Lps Ensured Larry Jon Was Immediately Embraced As Part Of The Mid-70s outlaw Country Movement' That Eschewed Slick Production In Favour Of A Raw, Gritty Approach. When A Film Crew Came To Document This Burgeoning Sound, They Made Straight For Larry Jon's Door. The Legendary Heartworn Highways (1981) Featured His Mesmerising Performance Of ohoopee River Bottomland', A Boogaloo Funk Monster. He Was A Singer And Writer Of Intensely Private, Painfully Moving Tales Of Southern Life. With His Deep, Papa-bear Voice, Funky Southern Groove, And Richly Evocative Narratives Of Rural Georgia, Larry Jon Was A Unique Stylist But His Gutsy, Greasy Sound Did Not Translate Into Sales.

Galvanised by a passion for soul, jazz, funk, folk, and Brazilian samba, Judith Ravitz's Bolerio (in Hebrew, Yehudit Ravitz - ) brilliantly reimagines the music of the Brazilian legend Jorge Ben. Increasingly sought-after, housing as it does her seminal take on 'Dia De Indio' - often re-edited and sampled, bootlegged but never bettered - it's a uniquely thrilling LP in its own right. The year is 1983, and Ravitz discovered that Jorge Ben was touring Israel with his crack backing band A Banda Do Zé Pretinho. After joining her in the studio, the ensemble reinvented a selection of Ben's killer tracks that the band regularly performed. On Bolerio - 'come to Rio' - Ravitz handed them equal billing as they aided a recontextualization of Ben's music for an audience that was barely aware of him. These versions are by no means straight re-treads. Far from it. The highlights are many and memorable. The aforementioned 'Dia De Indio', a strutting, electronic samba-funk with stabbing bass and fluid arrangements, sounds so current and fresh that it's hard to believe it's now 35 years old. Its vibrant ambience has been likened to the wiry dubbiness of King Sunny Ade's Synchro System and it's easy to see why. Indeed, the electro elements add a futuristic feel that the original could never comfortably possess. Undeniably rocking more furiously than Ben's versions, the album begins with a throbbing take on 'Boiadeiro', the opener from Ben's Salve Simpatia.

It is with great honour that Emotional Rescue comes back to the music of Jaki Whitren & John Cartwright for a special 7" of two previously unreleased songs on to vinyl for the first time in That Will Be That and This Time. Originally part of the International Times reissue project (ERC004) in 2013, the songs have previously only been available on CD and digital formats as 'out-takes'. However, all that time the plan was to release the songs as a stand-alone vinyl release at some point.
Discussion with John continued over the years and the plan was for a release as part of the label's fifth anniversary, until sadly the project was put on hold due to the untimely loss of both Jaki and John in late 2016. The recent repress of their masterpiece that is their privately pressed album, International Times, led to these songs being revisited for the first time since and so here at last are both available together, as much in homage to these two wonderful musicians. More than studio-plus recordings, That Will Be That actually appeared in rerecorded form on the couple's Rhythm Hymn album of 1983. Here though is the original (and superior) version, with all the hallmarks of classic Whitren and Cartwright song writing craft, musicianship and production skill. Again remastered by their son (and at the time, teenage drummer) Joby Baker, the song drips with a confidence of masters of their instruments, full heartfelt, righteous and as relevant today as then lyrics, all backed with some deep white funk and enough soul to move mountains. This is accompanied by one of their greatest compositions in the spine-tingling This Time. Only ever known on this live recording from Glastonbury Hall, Jaki's vocals and light accompaniment from John's keys let the song shine. If the sheer power of her voice and words don't move you, then something is missing in life. A pure, sad, joyous way to thank and remember this wonderful music and people.

Our final physical release of 2018 at First Word comes courtesy of Souleance, aka the DJ producer duo consisting of Soulist and Fulgeance, with a double A sided single, and a glimpse into one of our forthcoming 2019 releases, 'French Cassette' which follows on from Souleance's acclaimed 'La Beat Tape' release from 2013, and again delves into crates of samples with a distinct French flavour.

'François' is a track dedicated to the one and only François de Roubaix, legendary film score composer, jazz aficionado and one of the duo's biggest French influences. A delectable slice of 100 bpm instrumental boom bap, built around a seriously infectious jazz-funk groove, and chopped-up vocals.

'Sète' heads to the south of France, to the beautiful Mediterranean city where Gilles Peterson's Worldwide Festival takes place. A region that the duo have had love and appreciation of, for many years. This one touches up the tempo a little, with some sun-glazed boogie riding beneath ethereal vocals, samples and sizzling synths.


With a decades worth of collaboration between them, and persistent party rocking across Europe, Souleance continue to create tried & tested nuggets of magic for the dancefloor. This double-sided 7" is no exception, and should give you an idea of what to expect from the full beat tape next year. Meanwhile, here's another essential one for the record bags.

One thing The Vryll Society aren't short of is admirers, Lauded at just about every turn by press and public alike, the release of their debut LP for Deltasonic Records is hotly anticipated thanks to the promise this band have shown through their live sets and recent single releases.

Discovered and nurtured by the late and much missed Deltasonic founder Alan Wills, they fitted the type for him perfectly. He instantly saw in them similar attributes he'd previously found in the early days of The Coral and The Zutons. The confident swagger, the solid union formed by their band-of-brothers gang mentality, their willingness to stand outside the conventional and often stifling jangly Liverpool scene, and the work ethic. Always the work ethic.

Wills instilled in The Vryll Society something which has become over the ensuing years a key element of what they are, what they've become, and of the music they produce. He gave them belief. A belief that hard work and determination will bring them to the place they wanted to reach.

'Alan taught us that all you need to conquer the world is a rehearsal room, your instruments, a good work ethic and a positive attitude and you'll get there. He kind of taught us the rules and the attributes that you need to have to be successful so we've just continued on that path' says frontman Mike Ellis.

Ellis has stated that it was that attitude and that work ethic which got them through the subsequent tragic loss of their friend and manager in 2014, driving them forward through those times, propelling them to harder work, and bonding them even closer together as a unit.

That unit have spent the intervening time creating and honing their own brand new-psych sound, and building up a fanbase with their superlative live shows. Drawing from an eclectic palette of influence from deep funk to Krautrock, electronica and prog, they've created a heady, intoxicating, pin sharp, and tightly wound mellifluous groove, washed over with cyclical motifs, acres of effects laden guitar hooks, and shimmering, textural technicolour soundscapes. It is at once blissful, dizzying and madly infectious. It's that eclecticism, that kaleidoscopic swirl of influences which brings together hip hop flavours, with the prog stylings of names such as Aphrodite's Child and The Verve - pre Urban Hymns - when the drugs were still working. The dynamic leaps and folds through all these influences is where you find The Vryll Society's own brand perfect pop. Its all there in the loops, in the hooks, the drive and the vibe of this unique band. But this isn't frippery, these aren't throwaway cheap thrills for our disposable times. No, this is heavier. This is music too feed your head.

Live too, The Vryll Society are a formidable force. That gang mentality binds them together over the ideas formed by spending long hours together in the rehearsal every day. Hotwiring these ideas into the heads of the crowd through extended psych jams and deep solid grooves gives a different show every time, and with each and every set, the offer gets better. Recent travels have seen them take SXSW 2017 by storm as guests of BBC Introducing as well as major festivals such as Glastonbury and Leeds/Reading.

The songs that fill the delicious grooves of Course Of The Satellite weren't so much written as devised or developed, brought together organically over months in the band's underground lair, or over weeks in Liverpool's Parr Street Studios. Working closely with producers, Wills' right hand man and Deltasonic brother-in-arms Joe Fearon and Tom Longworth, the album took shape organically, biding its time and finding its way. The result is a work of impressive confidence and stature. It's a record that believes in itself, and for all the right reasons. This is an effortlessly cool album, the sort of record that makes friends easily. The world is ready, willing and more than able to take The Vryll Society even deeper to their heart. The path Alan Wills showed them awaits. It's a path that leads to greatness.

a1 | Course Of The Satellite
a2 | A Perfect Rhythm
a3 | Andrei Rublev
a4 | Glows And Spheres
a5 | Tears We Cry
a6 | When The Air Is Hot
b1 | The Light At The Edge Of The World
b2 | Shadow Of A Wave
b3 | Soft Glue
b4 | Inner Life
b5 | Give In To Me

London's FYI Chris joined Toy Tonics!

After releases on Rhythm Section, Church and West Friends - the 2 DJs, producers and record shop dons from London/Peckham chose the German Toy Tonics label for their next release.
The guys know what's fresh in club culture. They been store managers at one of London's coolest record stores: Rye Wax/Peckham for the last 2 years. And they are becoming one of the most interesting names of the post-house scene of London.
Their first encounter with Toy Tonics was though label boss Kapote. They quickly realized that there are big similarities in their musical vision and way how dance music should develop... so what makes more sense to make an EP together

So here it comes: FYI Chris next level electronic funk music! MPC style.

Have fun!

We are excited to release a 6-track EP from San Francisco based DJ, producer, and remixer Sepehr Alimagham. The San Jose native has been a fixture in the Bay Area house and techno scene for quite awhile now — on the dance-floor, behind the decks, in the studio, or all of the above. Early influences like Boards of Canada, Aphex Twin and post-hardcore bands later in high school started his affinity for off-kilter, underground music. In 2017 he began performing live PA sets, utilizing his immense production backlog to perform vivid and electric sets, from potent dance music to psychedelic and esoteric soundscapes.

"Body Mechanics" is six tracks of acid drenched dance music that ebb and flow from floor filling club thumpers to more cerebral soundscapes. Inspired by the new wave of the acid sound as well as nostalgia from his formative years in the San Francisco music scene, 'Body Mechanics' takes a functional, yet psychedelic approach to 303 styled techno and electronica. Attention demanding basslines, indiosyncratic structures and hallucinatory atmospheres provide an effective framework for Sepehr's vision. The themes of the track titles take root from a series of dreams Sepehr had with a common atmosphere of strange characters and textures, akin to scenes from David Lynch's 'Twin Peaks'. All songs have been mastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The vinyl comes housed in a jacket featuring a dark and inviting cyborg hand holding a rose designed by Nicole Ginelli.

Budabeats Records celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2018, on this occasion label bosses Dj Gandharva & Von Yodi picked 11 previously unheard tracks from artists of the Budabeats family and created a compilation that perfectly represents the imprint's musical approach: no restrictions in terms of genre or style, the only thing that matters is the quality of the music.

Shades Of Budabeats features African- influenced jazz and funk (Dokkerman & the Turkeying Fellaz, The Mabon Dawud Republic), head-nodding hip-hop beats (Abase, Tom Caruana), straight dancefloor friendly pieces (BeTe aka Suhov, Umoja, M.W.D, Chilum Trio & Auto Reverse) and also, laidback grooves (Freakin' Disco & Crookram).

All kinds of good vibes that will feed your soul and make your body move !

Bitter End continue to forge a path that's entirely their own, with another in the limited pre-release series...

'Dimension Extension' on side A, cooks up a sumptuously throbbing, cockle-warming Disco stew from the meagre ingredients of a sprouted wah wah guitar potato, brass carrots and a bouquet garni of dizzying strings. Yum
On the flip 'Be There Again' takes as inspiration a swirling Funk-Soul nugget from '77, augmented with some 21st century sonic sorcery and most welcome synth noodle in the 3rd act

Once again Bitter End rips up the rule book, and crafts a whole set of new, better ones in which freedom reigns

Light years ahead !

"In 1978, Nova performed for Obama. Well, kind of: Nova was the band for the Punahou School prom in Honolulu, Hawaii, and a young student named Barack (known then as 'Barry') was in attendance.

Backtrack to 1976, and Nova was the opening band for Donald Byrd at the nearby Blaisdell Arena. The day was Sunday, June 27. The following day, Isaac Hayes would perform on island for the admission price of $1.

Nova, led by singer Checo Tohomaso, was one of several go-to party bands during the golden era of Hawaii funk and soul music in the mid-1970s through early 1980s.

The band's infectious gospel-funk-disco can be heard on their sole release, a self-titled 1980 LP that feels like one big party recorded live in the studio. (Check out the Marvin Gaye-inspired 'I Feel Like Getting Down' on the 2016 'Aloha Got Soul' compilation on Strut Records).

The story is all too familiar, however: funk band releases LP, the music goes dormant in years to follow, and today original copies sell for hundreds online.

Not long after the album's 1980 release, Checo met Marvin Gaye, who was living on Maui (where George Benson also resided). Shortly after, Marvin invited Checo and his counterparts to join his multi-city tour across Europe. Videos of Checo rocking keyboards, percussion and singing background vocals for Marvin Gaye's last European tour can be found online.

Checo, born in Florida yet raised in lush Manoa Valley as well as Okinawa, Japan, now resides in Vancouver, Canada, where he leads the VOC Sweet Soul Gospel Choir and continues to deliver his signature sound: high energy, positive, 'sweet soul' music.

AGS-7010 features two non-stop groovers with a 7' edit by Roger Bong on the A-side. LP reissue in the works!"

Cómeme delivers to you one of the freshest rhythms of 2018, recorded in Johannesburg, the new residency for the renegades of the beat. This is 'Rain' - starring Matias Aguayo and the actress, dj and singer Ayanda Seoka aka Mujaji The Rain. She's resident at the legendary Bar Kitchener's all femme 'Pussy Party', a space for feminist / queer action and dancefloor joy, right in the centre of Joburg.

Cómeme has been since some time in a serious and passionate relationship with that city. Radio Cómeme transmitted shows from there with electronica legend Felix Laband, Mpumelelo Mkatha from BLK JKS, the queer performance duo Faka, Gqom pioneers RudeBoyz and also Kwaito's legacy keeper Spleef McZaul. Matias Aguayo ventured into a beautiful collaboration with DJ Spoko, released two years ago on this label.

'Rain' is a deeply rhythmical track, inspired by the grooves that converged when Cómeme swing crossed the paths with the syncopations people in Joburg were dancing to. It has become quite clear in the recent years that elegantly shuffled triplets are marking a way to the future in dance music, especially in the southern hemisphere, no matter if you're in Durban, Rio or Santiago.

On top of this modern groove we can hear Mujaji the Rain enjoying how she gets wet under a dark and tropical sky. Laughter, joy and ecstasy is what she emanates while hypnotically involving you into this atmosphere of dense drumming and trance. (side note: Cómeme has been consequently evading the description hypnotical in press releases but this time it was unavoidable).

For further jacking fun we generously included a 'Club Mix', including more drum frenzy towards the second half of the track, and a 'Just Drums Mix' for the skilful DJ.

Side B features the jam 'Serious', which comes along with another killer beat, reminiscent of Michael Jackson or Cheri. A late-night track in which Mujaji The Rain turns into a sensual but slightly annoying creature that doesn't want to leave the dancefloor. and for sure doesn't want to go home.

We added an instrumental version to this complexly arranged tracks, which feature pianos, strings, and heavy synth bass stabs.
All tracks on this 12' are written in a 6/8 signature, which some normative DJs might shy away from, but be safe: both tracks are in 120 bpm and carry the seal of official Cómeme dancefloor approval by the label's highly respected DJs.

Strut present the frst ever international reissue of in-demand '80s zouk LP 'Las Palé'
by Feeling Kréyol, out of Guadeloupe.
Producer Darius Denon explains: 'This was 1988 and bands like Zouk Machine and Kassav
were huge. I had met producer Frankie Brumier when I was performing at festivals and
parties and he wanted to record a girl group so we began scouting venues, mainly around
the Grande-Terre district in the island's capital, Pointe-à-Pitre. I ran auditions and picked out
the best three voices - Fabienne, Leïla and Yolande. One was singing in a choir and none of
them had met each other previously.'
Recording at a studio in Le Gosier, Denon trained them to sing the songs and spent around
6 weeks recording the album: 'I gave them a couple of compositions that I had planned for
my own solo album. I remember that we all got on really well; the sessions were fun.'
The title track 'Las Palé' was the lead track pushed as a single and achieved modest
success domestically. The band did a few promotional performances in the island's
discotheques but, in the end, the album stalled. 'Studios were expensive and there was
no cheap technology as we have now. So, the producer ended up cutting corners with the
production - the mix was not completely fnished and the voices were not synchronised
right to some of the tracks.'
For Denon, he continued his career to the present day, successfully moving to Paris and
breaking through with the hit 'Je t'emmene' in 1998. Meanwhile, although 'Las Palé' turned
out to be Feeling Kréyol's only recording, the interest in the album has grown in recent years
with the title track's lo-f charm fnding its way into sets by Invisible City and onto Red Light
Radio and more. This frst full reissue is remastered by The Carvery and features full original
artwork along with a new interview with Darius Denon.
KEY POINTS:
- First ever reissue of sought after original zouk LP from 1988
- Sleeve notes by modern day zouk star and album producer Darius Denon
- Remastered by The Carvery
- Tracks already cult classics through plays by Invisible City, Motor City Drum
Ensemble and more
FOR FANS OF:
Sofrito, Digital Zandoli, Kassav, William Onyeabor, Soundway, Invisible City, Motor
City Drum Ensemble, Disques Debs, zouk, Haitian compas, Gilles Peterson, Darius
Denon, Les Vikings

Following a succession of twelves on labels run by Delta Funktionen & La-4a, plus outings on Hypercolour in recent years also, Berlin-based MorElian returns to her Fever AM imprint, (ran with her partner Rhyw) for its third release with the 'Move Like Atoms' EP.

'Doss Groove' rides peaky percussive breaks over a wash of melancholic pads, while ear-ripping flecks of modular percussion shift around on 'Move Like Atoms'.

Flip for B1 'Russian Wave Group'; a heavily armoured, low-end yet atmospheric pacy stepper, as B2 'Agora' closes out the EP with tightly compressed synths and rugged melodic textures, concluding another stellar release for one of the year's most exciting breakthrough artists.

LP,180, 2018 REISSUE - REMASTERED FROM ORIGINAL TAPES, CAREFULLY REPRODUCED ORIGINAL ART

Alan Hawkshaw (piano/Hammond) and Shadow's drummer Brian Bennett are responsible for some of the slickest, funkiest and most sought-after library records ever made in the UK, particularly ones recorded on the legendary KPM label. Their work has now become the go-to place for sampling in music today.
Artists such as Dilla, Nas, and the xx, right through to the billion selling Kanye & Drake have taken Hawkshaw's and Bennett's immaculate beat-driven soundscapes for their own usage.
Their new album, in full, iconic KPM cover is a return to the laidback jazz-funk that helped Alan and Brian demonstrate their library chops. The album is classic Hawkshaw/Bennett. It swings, it grooves, moves and thrills with a fair these two have perfected over years.
Standout tracks such as "Hole In One", "In The Clouds", "Interchange", "Oasis", "On The Nile" and "Corcovado" are no mere excursions in nostalgia, for they carrylots of deft studio work that many a producer would give their right arm for.
Hawkshaw's arrangements allow the drums, guitar, bass, strings, Hammond, fute and brass to swirl elegantly around the 12 original tracks; a masterclass in recording.
Cut by Pete Norman, housed in a beautifully designed Richard Robinson sleeve and pressed at 180g by Record Industry in Holland, this release has been aforded the care and attention it rightly deserves. Essential.

Recorded already in 1983/84, these soulful songs still show a relation to 1970s soul pop with lush
arrangements that work with real instruments and have a vibrant atmosphere. An all in all memorable songwriting
and the incredible vocals of Mavis Staples from The Staple Singers make the album stand the test of time, even 35
years after the initial recording sessions and 25 years past its first CD/MC release. Licensed by legendary BRIAN
HOLLAND and for the first time on vinyl now by EVERLAND!

Mavis Staples has come to fame and fortune as member of the family vocal group THE STAPLES
SINGERS from the late 50s onward to the mid 80s and she has released a fair amount of solo albums as well,
many of them in recent years. - Love gone bad' is a solo effort from 1993, originally titled - Mavis Staples' and only
released on CD and cassette back in the days. So EVERLAND have now done the right thing and put out the first
ever vinyl of this gem. And a real gem can be found here. Soul music in a down tempo with a slick production and
lush arrangements that still have this vivid expression making it real music by real musicians. The songs contained
on this album all date back to the early 80s, from a session not released until 1993. The melodies and the way the
compositions flow go back to a mid to late 70s soul pop style that incorporates elements of funk and dance music
but in a moderate pace. You can easily float upon the dancefloor and drift away in silky dreams. Some tunes have
a synthesized beat with a typical 80s sound, but these are compositions that stand the test of time and 25 years
after their initial release and 35 years after these recording sessions they shine on as diamonds of black soul pop
and R'n'B music (not to be confused with Rhythm & Blues). Mavis sings like a grand lady of soul with a timeless
quality that makes her stand out from the crowd of similar crooners. Even in the most gentle moments here the
tunes have an irresistible groove that moves the listener. But you can also sit and listen and explore piece by piece
digging deeper into the arrangements to unearth great bass and guitar lines. You will sing these vocal melodies
over and over again in the days to come until you throw this onto your turntable once again. I wonder why this did
not see a regular release back in the 80s as it would have led Mavis Staples to the top positions of the charts, Pop,
Black Music and Billboard. She was meant to make an impact and although she was already in her mid 40s when
she recorded this collection of soul nuggets, she brought a lightfooted youthful spirit in, which gives so much life to
her songs. A must have for all aficionados of female fronted soul pop.

LMYE first came to light in 2016 on Funkineven's Apron imprint with the LMYE EP, which quickly became a regular fixture at the London label's infamous parties and bbqs as well as with house DJs worldwide. Since then the pair have been relatively quiet, only appearing once on record, with a release for Bristol's Idle Hands in 2016.

The paucity of their output though belies a busy production schedule behind the scenes. Tracks from those sessions have surfaced occasionally in the sets of DJs like Shanti Celeste and Ben UFO but they have never seen the light of day on a full release until now.

As you would expect from their first releases, the self-titled LP treads a line between classic house and UK garage with a nod here and there to boogie and Latin freestyle, genres which have inspired their production techniques.

From barnstorming new jack house cut 'The Gift' to the classic UK funky sound of 'Hypnotized', LMYE have selected only the most weighty numbers at their disposal, with the aim of offering an LP that will catch the ear of those at every end of the house spectrum.

That's not to say that this is an LP of dancefloor-only cuts though. 'Long Island at Night', which features Bristol's Typesun and Adam Davies live in session, shows the softer, more musical side of LMYE's output. Meanwhile 'XTC Rising' is a uk garage cut with a classic edge which nevertheless still feels modern and up to date in its outlook.

In short, 'LMYE' collects the highlights of a number of years' work, with the aim of finding a home in the boxes of the most discerning and listeners for years to come.

Another sure shot double sider out the Now-Again catalogue, until now both tracks were album only and both pure club killers. I smashed these back in the day; I remember listening to it from Jazzman Geralds collection and was blown away. I went right out and found the LPs which took a little time even then when there were fewer people after them. A couple of years after that 'Kashmere' was dropped on funky 16 corners comp Egon put together, and the cat was out the bag. Anyway back to the music, for those who don't know, Conrad O. Johnson of Kashmere High School, Houston Texas, created the Kashmere Stage Band turning it into one of the most fierce unbeatable high school bands in the national championships, the recordings here are my two favorites out of many. Don't miss out on the 2011 Documentary Thunder Soul which reunites the band with Conrad O. Johnson over 30 years down the line.

NYC's Disco powerhouse West End Records should need no intro. The home of too-numerous-to-list club classics for over 30+ years is still impacting today on what we know to be club culture. The label started by one Mel Cheren (RIP) with assistance from Larry Levan and more way back in 1976 is still held in such high regard today with it's catalogue constantly being played, rediscovered, reinterpreted and loved by waves and waves of new fans and admirers.

From the West End vaults we are pleased to present Ednah Holt's 'Serious, Sirius Space Party', a thundering, slo-mo, bass-heavy slab of NYC electronic funk that will sound familiar to those who paid close attention to what the maestro Larry Levan was doing in his sacred booth at the Garage in 1981, or to those who tuned in to peep what the master Afrika Islam was doing on his now semi-religious, hip-hop blueprint 'Zulu Beat Show' on WHBI. That's right, you can guarantee if those 2 guys were playing your record in the city at the same time then you had an underground 'hit' on your hands. The fact that it crossed over from the discotheques to the streets and back again speaks of the appeal of this super heavyweight jam, the legendary team up of Kenton 'Kenix' Nix, Larry himself on the mix, and former Ritchie Family vocalist Ednah Holt makes for some heady listening. One for the after hours dancers, B-Boys and B-Girls and lovers of the downtempo workout. A true and essential NYC classic.

All tracks featured re-mastered, re-pressed and re-released with the permission of and in conjunction with West End Records, New York City / BMG.

We head into the final quarter of the year with a very
welcome return to First Word from London producer,
musician, engineer and DJ, Eric Lau. Following on
from his acclaimed early 2017 album, 'Examples',
we proudly present the second volume - another
delectable 28-track beats opus.
'Examples Volume Two' is Eric's fourth
instrumental album, and ably continues where he
left off with an assortment of sonics, ranging through
hip hop, jazz, funk, soul & Brazilian beats. An
elaborate sketchpad of ideas and grooves, this again
gives a taste of the genius production skills of 'The
Commissioner', Mr. Lau.
A mixdown perfectionist, his services have been
drafted into service on a number of albums over the
past few years, including Yussef Kamaal's 'Black
Focus', Mansur Brown's 'Shiroi', The Playlist's
'Chasing Goosebumps', DJ Jazzy Jeff's 'M3',
Masego's 'Lady Lady', and Kaidi Tatham's 'It's A
World Before You', released on First Word recently.
It's through these recent collaborations that we have
a few unique ingredients peppered through this
project, the track 'Jeff's Piano' is based on a sample
taken from Eric's iPhone, capturing a moment when
Kaidi was teaching Masego a few chords at Jeff's
studio. Both integral players to the Playlist Retreat,
Eric and Kaidi have also provided remix duties for
Moonchild, Omar and Leon Ware, and Kaidi Kat also
lends his key playing talents to a few tracks here.
Eric has also worked as a producer for artists like
Oddisee, Guilty Simpson, Dego, Tawiah, Rahel and
Fatima, whilst his DJ skills have seen him tour the
globe with luminaries such as Erykah Badu, Robert
Glasper and Questlove. He's received props over the
years from tastemakers across the world, including
Rich Medina, 9th Wonder, Bobbito, Dam Funk, Phonte, Gilles Peterson, James Poyser (The Roots) and Ali Shaheed
Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest).

Bruce - Aka Larry Mccarthy - Is Set To Release His Debut Album Sonder Somatic This October On Uk Imprint Hessle Audio. The Album Packs 11 Singular Uk Club Tracks That Evoke A Distinctly Emotive And Dense Energy, Channelling Detailed Sound Designs, Tangled Textures And Club Anthems For 2018 And Beyond.

The Record Is Deeply Varied In Styles, Ideas And Tempos, From The Tight Rhythmic Groove Of Album Opener 'elo' To The Weaponised Onslaught Of Ominous Club Cuts 'what' And 'cacao' - Through Drifting, Meditative Techno And The Skeletal Sound Design Of 'ore' And 'baychimo.' Each Track Shifts The Tonal Mood In Subtle And Distinct Ways, Whilst Retaining A Consistent Icy Sound Palette Infused With Colour And Human Warmth.

The Shapeshifting Hessle Audio Imprint Is Run By Pearson Sound, Ben Ufo And Pangaea. For Over Ten Years, Through Their Combined Tastes They Have Continued To Unravel And Explore The Edges Of Sounds And Ideas From The Wider Dance Music Scene, Across The Boundaries Of The Functional And The Experimental, With Consistently Innovative Results. As A Long Time Follower Of The Label, Bruce Wanted To Craft An Album That Continues Their Singular Attitude And Approach, Incorporating Vibes From Uk Soundsystem Music As Well As Music From His Home Town Of Bristol.

"from Being A Fan Of Their Work From The Very Beginning, It's Not Only The Music They Have Released That Has Informed My Taste/work, But Also The Journey They Have Formed Through The Application Of Their Attitude And Approach." - Bruce

Much Of Sonder Somatic Was Shaped By Bruce's Own Understanding Of Club Culture As A Whole, And Predominantly His Personal Relationship With It Both Professionally And Recreationally. The Album Was Partly Written As An Attempt To Capture That Rare Transformative Feeling That Can Cause You To Fully Lose Yourself In A Club Space, Disconnecting From Your Immediate Environment For A Short Time.

Sonder Somatic Follows Eps For Timedance, Livity Sound, Idle Hands And Hemlock, And Comes 4 Years After His Debut Ep 'not Stochastic' For Hessle Audio. The Album Pushes The Boundaries Of What Club Music Can Be Whilst Expertly Refining His Work As Both A Club Producer And An Experimental Sound Designer. With A Unique Sense Of Flair That Sets Him Apart, Sonder Somatic Is Set To Raise Bruce's Profile Across All Corners Of The Dance World.

Invigorating, skewered electronica and bristling, off-kilter techno drive the first release in 15 years by Dublin electronic duo Ambulance (Sunken Foal & Dave Nuremburg), delivering the first EP on the Open Ear label, the latest adventure in sound from the eponymously-titled Irish music festival.

Previously of Planet Mu and Front End Synthetics, the Ambulance project had been put on hold in any capacity this decade until 2017 when they were invited to close out the 2nd edition of the Open Ear festival, Ireland's leading experimental & alternative electronic music festival. Inspired by this performance, the pair returned to the studio and the first fruits of this labour make up the Combover EP. This also marks the first release by Open Ear on it's label which, like the festival, will serve as a platform for experimental dance floor & avant-garde music from the Irish underground.

Kickstarting with the sprawling, ever-evolving, glitched funk of "Caitríona Chéile", the tense, paranoid techno of "Douche Noir" then takes over with the following "Luxury Crackers" keeping the unsettling atmosphere pitched up before it opens up to reveal aslightlygentler side. The EP closes with the *Greasy* title track, a collage of shimmering synthesisers, jittery, free-wheeling drums and oddball sampling, all reaching for air at the same time.

The artwork recreates the cover of the band's 1977 debut album with modern fashion icons Duckie Thot and Jazzelle Zanaughtti

'I've had the great privilege of producing some of the greatest artists in the world so when it came time to collaborating for my own record the barometer was shall we say pretty high' explains Nile. 'Nao, Mura Masa and Cosha were important to me and to be able to debut the songs we wrote live with them on Later . . . With Jools before we've even put out recorded versions makes it even more special.'

Nao shares: 'We all grew up on CHIC! No matter who you are or where you're from, they're one of those bands that have sound tracked at least one part of your life. So to now be part of that story and playing in the band - albeit temporarily - is just wild. We've had such great fun making records and playing together, it's been a joy. I'm so glad they're back, the world - especially right now - needs more CHIC!'

'BOOGIE ALL NIGHT' ft Nao is lifted from the long anticipated 10th studio album 'It's About Time'.
Coming this September though Virgin EMI, it's the group's first album in 25 years!!

Inspired by talent, multiple Grammy-winning composer, producer, arranger and guitarist Nile Rodgers is always collaborating, working with musical superstars and breaking artists alike. He amplifies his legacy by constantly traversing new musical terrain and successfully expanding the boundaries of popular music. The new record sees the UK's Nao, Mura Masa, Stefflon Don, Cosha and Craig David share in the journey alongside the likes of California's Anderson .Paak and Chicagoan Vic Mensa, with many more exciting collaborations to be announced.

The album's cover revisits a strong sense of conceptual aesthetics that have run through the bands career since the very start. The artwork of their debut self-titled album (inspired partly by Roxy Music album covers such as 'Stranded' and 'Country Life') featured Valentine Monnier and Alva Chinn, and personified the band's unique style and intent. The 'It's About Time' cover features models Duckie Thot and Jazzelle Zanaughtti. Shot by Britt Lloyd and directed by Greg Foley, co-founder of V Magazine, Duckie and Jazzelle are not only modern fashion icons, but also activists making huge strides for women of colour in fashion.

'When I first came up with the concept for the first CHIC album cover more than 40 years ago it was a deliberate statement that we could all be abundant, we could all be with the beautiful people, we could all be included, we could all have good times. Looking at the world today for the release of 'It's About Time' I felt that it was important to make those statements again for a new generation' Nile explains.

As the co-founder of CHIC, Rodgers pioneered a new musical language with chart-topping hits like 'Le Freak,' (the biggest selling single in the history of Atlantic Records!) and 'Everybody Dance', even sparking the advent of hip-hop with 'Good Times'.

His work in CHIC and his production work for artists like David Bowie, Diana Ross, and Madonna have sold over 500 million albums and 75 million singles worldwide while his innovative, trendsetting collaborations with Daft Punk, Avicii, Sigala, Disclosure, and Sam Smith have kept him in the vanguard of contemporary music.

Nile Rodgers & CHIC have already confirmed several festival performances across the UK this summer, including Isle of Wight and Wilderness, full list of dates below.

Rodgers transcends all styles of music with a catalogue of work that's garnered him plaudits from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (2017) and the Songwriters Hall of Fame (2016). More recently, he was appointed as the first ever Chief Creative Advisor for Abbey Road Studios to cap off a year that included 'festival best' performances at both Glastonbury and Coachella and a BBC Music Awards nomination as 'Best Live Performance Of 2017'.

No one had been through those doors in years. Unchanged, seemingly untouched, just a Guard watching over it, one wondered whether the place would ever see the light of day again. Built in the 70s by Scotch, there were only twenty such places in the entire world. Twenty studios, all identical. Most had undergone a digital makeover in the 80s, but not this one; situated in Lomé, this studio had stayed true to its original form. Silent and uninhabited but waiting for one thing, and one thing only: for the sacred fire to be lit once again. That of the Togolese Recording Office, is studio OTODI for those in the know. Through thick layers of dust, the console was vibrating still, impatient to be turned on and spurt out the sound so unique to analog. That sound is what Peter Solo and his band Vaudou Game came to seek out.

The original vibrations of Lomé's sound, resonating within the studio space, an undercurrent pulsing within the walls, the floor, and the entire atmosphere. A presence at once electrical and mystical sourced through the amps that had never really gone cold, despite the deep sleep that they had been forced into. In taking over the studio's 3000 square feet, enough to house a full orchestra, Vaudou Game had the space necessary to conjure the spirits of voodoo, those very spirits who watch over men and nature, and with whom Peter converses every day.

For the most authentic of frequencies to fully imbibe this third album, Peter Solo entrusted the rhythmic section to a Togolese bass and drum duo, putting the groove in the expert hands of those versed in feeling and a type of musicianship that you can't learn in any school. This was also a way to put OTODI on the path of a more heavily hued funk sound, the backbone of which maintains flexibility and agility when moving over to highlife, straightens out when enhanced with frequent guest Roger Damawuzan's James Brown type screams, and softens when making the way for strings. Snaking and undulating when a chorus of Togolese women takes over, guiding it towards a slow, hypnotic trance. Up until now, Vaudou Game had maintained their connection to Togo from their base in France. This time, recording the entire album in Lomé at OTODI with local musicians, Peter Solo drew the voodoo fluid directly from the source, once again using only Togolese scales to make his guitar sing, his strings acting as channels between listeners and deities...

Record Kicks Pres. "travelers, Exlplorers" The Brand New Single By Legendary Italian Cinematic Funk Combo Calibro 35, Out 9th Of November On A Ltd Edition Vinyl 45.

"travelers, Explorers" Is A New Epic Journey Into Calibro 35's World, A Sung Revisitation Of The Morricone-inspired Tune "travelers" That Closes Calibro 35's Latest Lp "decade". In "travelers, Explores", The Italian Combo Gets Lost In Deep Space With Thewhispered Voice Of Elisa Zoot, Who Guides The Band Into This Journeymade Ofstrings, Brass, Synth Textures And Vibraphone. On The Flip Side, Two Heavy-brass Dirty-groover Versions Of "stingray", Barry Gray's Opening Theme Of The Iconichomonymatv Series: Instrumental Version And With The Italian Singer Serena Altavilla. This 45 Vinyl Is Limited To 500 Copies Worldwide Andall Calibro 35's Previous 45s Went Sold Out In A Few Days, Be Fast!

Calibro 35 Enjoys A Worldwide Reputation As One Of The Coolest Independent Band Around. They Have Been Sampled By Dr. Dre On His Compton Album, Jay-z Love Child & Damon Albarn, They Shared Stages With The Likes Of Roy Ayers, Sun Ra Arkestra, Sharon Jones, Thundercat, Headhunters And As Unique Musicians They've Collaborated With, Amongst Others Pj Harvey, Mike Patton, John Parish And Stewart Copeland And Nic Cester (the Jet). Described By Rolling Stone Magazine's As The Most Fascinating, Retro-maniac And Genuine Thing, That Happened To Italy In The Last Years, Calibro 35 Now Count On A Number Of Aficionados Worldwide Which Includes Vip's Fans Such As Dj Food (ninja Tune), Mr Scruff And Huey Morgan (fun Lovin' Criminals) Among Others.

After a break of 6 years, Atlanta based electronic musician, producer and sound designer Richard Devine returns with a new album 'SortLave' on Venetian Snares' Timesig imprint. Recorded between 2016 and 2017 using Richard's custom built Eurorack modular system and two Nord G2 Modular units, SortLave features 12 tracks of intricate electronica that ranges from abrasive percussive experiments such as 'Revsic' to 'Astra's dazzling juxtaposition of sounds and onto the radiant ambience of the album's closer 'Takara'.

Talking about the album's genesis Devine explains 'I've been using modular synthesizers since I was 17, but have never written complete tracks using these newer systems. This was my first experiment to see if it would be possible and I probably spent about 5 years building up the systems that I used on this album.' 'I wanted the record to sound very different to my previous works which had been more cold, digital, clinical even, and had all been made using computers. The aim here was the complete opposite, to create something that felt very organic, detailed, spacious, big and warm and just as importantly, a record that you could put on and play all the way through that flowed in a seamless way.' This new approach was to prove fruitful and enabled Devine to create music in an entirely new way. 'I really wanted to break free from timeline-based music creation and do things with my hands on the fly,' he explains. 'So the tracks are more like captured snapshot performances where I could experiment and play around with the idea of probability-based sequencing for every patch, string multiple sequencers together that would feed other sequencers to come up with interesting rhythms and melodies. It was really fun coming up with new sounds this way too, I felt like I created several I haven't heard before with this album. Some of the tracks on the album were complete accidents and evolved from something that happened spontaneously. In the end I feel this is one of the best records I have released to date, so I'm very excited to share it with the world.'

Making his debut in 1995, Devine's releases for labels including Schematic, Warp Records and Detroit Underground have established him as one of the leading figures within the electronica community. In addition to his musical productions, Devine has enjoyed a lengthy and successful career in sound design, developing patches for many of the world's leading music technology businesses and working with companies such as Google and Nike.

Emotional Rescue returns to the music of Elaine Kibaro with a special 7" single to accompany the Pour L'Amour album collection (ERC066). Here then are two bonus versions of songs from the LP with a unique Arabic recording of her "hit" Aurore and also, the previously unreleased on vinyl instrumental version of her balearic / boogie jam, Ne Doute Pas.

Having moved from Tunisia to France at the age of 13, Kibaro's duel sensibility has long been apparent in her music and performance. The early success of her debut 7" De L'autre Cote Du Miroir in 1977, was soon followed by her most 'successful' song in Aurore, first released as a 7" in 1978, before appearing again as 9 minute extended version on the 1979 Miroirs LP.

In the same year she recorded a special 7" single on the little known World Music label. Singing the lyrics in Arabic - renamed here to its true translation - much else remained the same. The music of the original, the spoken intro soon gives way to what is essentially a leftfield disco groove, with building strings, funky bass and some late archetypal 70s Euro drumming. Atop this the vocals are delivered in Kibaro's ubiquitous chanson delivery, her heartfelt singing, the congos breakdown and then chorus, as the songs builds, all lead to head-nodding smiles all round.

With this is Ne Doute Pas. A stand out from Pour L'Amour, the vocal version appeared in 1989 as a single and on the now sought after, Kiroel album. This instrumental simply let's the music shine. A Linn rise and fall bassline, soft, layered keys and mode horns are run and rerun in a catchy, incessant flow like a PWL demo. The 10 years between the 2 tracks is apparent in the instrumentation but the link between the two - Kibaro herself - is clear and worth enjoying for that.

Fast-moving Times, In Which Popularity And Quality Are Often Equated Or Commonly Confused With One Another, Aids And Abets This Imitation Game Some Call Conformity, Others Professionalism. In The End, Both Paths Will End Up In Predictability. Here's Where Stathis Kalatzis, Aka Mr. Statik, Comes To Play. The Resident At Athens' Multi-purpose Cultural Space Six D.o.g.s Has Not Only Been One Of The Scene's Pivotal Figures, But Since He Started To Release His First Solo Releases In The Mid-00s, The Now Berlin-based Greek Dj Has Earned A Reputation For Being A Trend-ignoring, Unconventional Producer.

Whether His Output For Bpitch Control, Rotary Cocktail, Or Even Last Year's Debut Ep "rogue
Cherub" For Away - Mr. Statik Enjoys Thinking Outside The Box By Crossing His Diverse Pop-cultural Interests And Pulling In Expertise And Perspective From Beyond The Usual Functional Formulas. After A Decade Of Not Staying In One Comfort Zone Or Sticking To One Musical Direction, He Finds Himself More Comfortable In His Producer Shoes Presenting His Debut Album "metamorphose". Housing A Few Film References In This For Mr. Statik Typical Nebulous Fashion, The Ten Tracks Not Only Carrying The Narrative Potential Of An Imaginary Score, But Primarily Exploring A Versatile Array Of Influences, Themes, And Contradictions (which Mr. Statik As An Illustrator Also United On The Albums' Artwork). Ranging From The Sci-fi Infused Album Opener "insomnia", The First Non-dancefloor Piece He Ever Produced Around 7 Years Ago, Over "atastrophe", An Homage To Ancient Greek Theater, To Collaborate With Others Such As Beatrice Ballabile, Jan Niklas Jansen (locas In Love), And Rbma Alumnus Claude Speeed, Who Contributed Synth Work On "soulfur".

"metamorphose" Succeeds In Constantly Changing Its Tones, While Maintaining An Emotional
Frame, In Which Mr. Statik's Melancholic, Introvert, At Times Hopeful And Euphoric, Bottom End
Inclined Electronic Music Can Elaborate.

Mr. Statik On His Album Debut:

"i Have Always Tried To Approach Producing As Storytelling Exercises. This Allowed Me To
Experiment Finding Myself In Uncharted Territories, More Specifically In Music That Doesn't
Necessarily Fit To A Dance Floor - Unless It's A Very Adventurous One. 'metamorphose'' Is Loyal To That Mindset. I Usually Draw Inspiration From Cinema And Comic Books And Have Always Been Fascinated With Sci-fi, South Asian Culture, Surrealism And The Dreamworld. Initially The Album Was Supposed To Be A Collage Of The Various Influences That Had Shaped My Life, But Ended Up Being Something Very Different. During The Conceptualization And Recording Process A Lot Of Things Around Us Have Changed, Primarily For The Worse. I Became More And More Sensitive And Susceptible To Pessimism And Trendy Visions Of 'dystopian Futurism', So That The Lp Emerged Being An Exercise In Positivity: 'metamorphose' Is A Verb Describing The Act Of
Conversion, But In Greeklish It Is Describes The Urge Towards Others To Start Transforming Their
Environment, In This Case For The Better."

Quest, transit, chaos, mutation, transfiguration, ascension and illumination. These are some of the steps followed in the journey of life that are embodied on each track of the album Adonai. The solo debut of the multi-instrumentalist composer Marco Paul condenses a career of more than ten years, in which, the search for the truth of oneself and authentic sound has traveled and nurtured from different genres and cultures. Adonai is an odyssey that combines sounds and images of the earthly and oneiric worlds: an audiovisual work that opens several windows to the different perceptions of the facts that make up the life of the human being.

After 9 years of constant international touring, 6 albums and more than 400 live performances with the bands Sour Soul, Ratbot and Funk My Jesus, as well as the conception and musicalization of the award-winning short films "Undermine" and "24K All You Need Is Gold", Marco Paul decided to retire to an island in the Caribbean, where he found and refined his sound. Thus, between 2014 and 2016 he created the music for Adonai, a work produced by Aitor Etxebarria under the label of Forbidden Colours.

The recording includes guest musicians from different countries such as Aitor Etxebarria (synthesizer, electronic magic) and Hibai Etxebarria (double bass) from the Basque Country; Michael Alan Hams (drums and percussion) and Joe D'Etienne (trumpet) from the United States; and Fatima Gozlan from Hungary (Ney and Derbake).

The consummation of the work is a mid length film created in 2018. It consists of 5 chapters directed by 5 different directors.

The audiovisual journey begins with the conception of the philosophical "Filius", an alchemical symbol that represents the inner child, which transforms the experiences of life into the soul's gold. Later, in "Sylvian" (title that refers to the brain fissure that contains the auditory cortex), by listening to the subtle message that surrounds us, our consciousness and perception expand. Then, in "Tiamat", the pristine chaos that gave birth to the gods, embodies chaos, the confusion generated by the multiple voices: on one hand the moral and imposed precepts, on the other hand, the inner voice that seeks the liberation of the infinite possibilities. In "Hawa", through the recognition of the power of solitude and introspection self-reflective awareness is reached. Finally "Adonai" is the ascension to enlightenment: the further connection with the absolute. As an encore (only available in vinyl) "Teurári" is a gift: a tiny flower where all the points of the universe merge.

righteous expensive: motohiko hamase's 1986 album "reminiscence" scores a decent prize at online vinyl selling platforms and it is worth each coin!

it's a perfect "refuge from nasty reality", as the glorious british 20jazzfunkgreats blog once said. and it comes from a man that knows his trade: bass play - an artisan on which he also already wrote many theoretical books in his more than four decades long career.

in the 1970's hamase was no stranger to tokyo's vibrant jazz scene. together with jazz pianist tsuyoshi yamamoto and jazz-rock guitar-ist kazumi watanabe he played in the isao suzuki sextet and was part of their classic landmark jazz-funk album "ako's dream" from 1976.

in the following years he also participated on records like mikio masuda's latin-funk-jazz gem "moon stone" or japanese female jazz singer, actress, and essayist minami yasuda's last album "moritato". in the early 1980ees his work shifted from pure jazz to electronic and ambient spheres and he started to compose his own music around his deeply emotional bass play.

from 1985 to 1993, hamase released five solo albums. just recently studio mule dropped his first one, "intaglio", in a new recording that sounds as stunning as the original release from 1986.

now the previously mentioned "reminiscence", his second work for the celebrated defunct japanese new age record label shi zen, follows in a fresh shape on studio mule.

as the original, it features deeply touching moments of sheer pristine perfection and distributes hamase's inner emotional landscape with a bewitching bass performance. a soothingly beauty of an album, that reflects hamase's search for spaces of melancholy.

a rhizome of soundscapes that capture, settle and sound elusive while simultaneously being awe-inspiring. as for "intaglio", the 66-years old artist gathered again some befriended musicians, rented a studio, staged his gear and recorded most of the original "reminis-cence" material new, while keeping the moving musical story arc of the original album alive in a fresh wrapping.

the result is a dazzling, blue mood seething, strongly hypnotic longplayer, full of personality and hybrid ambient electronic jazz spheres that open doors to unheard sound universes and that perfectly work for all those stress-relieved souls that love the disclosure of the mind and seek for a "refuge from nasty reality".

Limited Edition. Triple Transparent Vinyl 180g Incl. Poster & Download Code. Box Will Be Opened For Shipping To Avoid Seam-split. Hinweis: Box Ist Verschweißt, Wird Aber Für Den Versand Geöffnet

On October 19th Kompakt presents a new LP and audiovisual venture by Danish producer Kasper Bjørke and close cohorts. Epic and in length but always captivating, 'The Fifty Eleven Project' is an entirely ambient concept album, that interprets and evokes the emotional rollercoaster Kasper experienced, from his cancer diagnosis and throughout the five years of regular check-ups. The week of album release marks his second anniversary of getting the all-clear.

The base of the album was composed on vintage analogue synthesizers, reverbs, echo and sequencers - using the computer solely as a recording device - by Kasper and synth wizard Claus Norreen, in the latter's Copenhagen studio.

The violins, violas and cellos are composed and played by the Italian composer Davide Rossi, who has also worked with Ennio Morricone, Jon Hopkins, Ro¨yksopp, The Verve and Goldfrapp.

The piano parts are composed and played by Danish musician Jakob Littauer (of Kompakt labelmates Jatoma) on an old upright piano in a studio, and on a Steinway Grand Piano in the concert hall at the Royal Danish Music Conservatorium. From Max Richter's 'SLEEP', Hannah Peel's 'Mary Casio: Journey To Cassiopeia', to much of Brian Eno's 'Music For Installations', 'The Fifty Eleven Project' continues in a rich vein of work by contemporary composers which explores a situation/condition, and is made with functionality and healing in mind.

The visual side of 'The Fifty Eleven Project' is made in collaboration with the culture laboratory Prxjects and acclaimed LA based artist/filmmaker/photographer Justin Tyler Close, who has created art films for each of the album's 11 tracks - plus one music video, including clips from all 11 films. The 11 films will be assimilated into a video exhibition at Klub in Copenhagen from 12th - 21st October. The ambition is that the installation will tour Europe and the US in 2019. Furnished in an exquisite fabric box, this 180 gram 3LP clear vinyl box is presented by cover art created by world-renowned artist Landon Metz, further cementing the release's multidisciplinary links to the art world.

Am 19. Oktober präsentiert Kompakt das neue Album und audiovisuelle Abenteuer von Kasper Bjørke und Freunden. - The Fifty Eleven Project' ist ein komplett ambientes Konzeptalbum, das die emotionale Achterbahn, die Kasper nach seiner Krebsdiagnose und während fünf Jahre regelmäßiger Untersuchungen erlebt hat, interpretiert und offenlegt. Die Woche der Veröffentlichung des Albums markiert den zweiten Jahrestag seit der Entwarnung.

Die Basis des Albums wurde von Kasper und synth wizard Claus Norreen in seinem Kopenhagener Studio auf analogen Vintage-Synthesizern, Reverbs, Echos und Sequencern komponiert - der Computer wurde ausschließlich als Aufnahmegerät gebraucht.

Die Geigen, Bratschen und Celli wurden vom italienischen Komponisten Davide Rossi komponiert und eingespielt, der auch mit Ennio Morricone, Jon Hopkins, Röyksopp, The Verve und Goldfrapp zusammengearbeitet hat.

Die Klavierparts wurden von dem dänischen Musiker Jakob Littauer (bekannt vom Kompakt-Projekt Jatoma) auf einem alten Klavier im Studio und auf einem Steinway-Flügel im Konzertsaal des Royal Danish Music Conservatorium komponiert und eingespielt.

Von Max Richters - SLEEP', Hannah Peels - Mary Casio: Journey To Cassiopeia' bis hin zu Brian Enos - Music For Installations' - - The Fifty Eleven Project' setzt die Arbeit zeitgenössischer Komponisten fort, die sich mit einer Situation/einem Zustand auseinandersetzten und die auf Funktionalität und Heilung ausgerichtet ist.

Die visuelle Seite von - The Fifty Eleven Project' entstand in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Kulturlabor Prxjects und dem renommierten Künstler/Filmemacher/Fotografen Justin Tyler Close aus LA, der für jeden der elf Tracks des Albums Kunstfilme erstellt hat - plus ein Musikvideo mit Clips von allen elf Filmen. Die elf Filme werden vom 12. bis 21. Oktober in einer Video-Ausstellung im Klub in Kopenhagen gezeigt. Ziel ist es, dass die Installation 2019 durch Europa und die USA tourt.

Verpackt in einer exquisiten Stoffbox, die vom weltberühmten Künstler Landon Metz entworfen ist, zementiert diese 180-Gramm schwere 3xLP-Klarsicht-Vinylbox seine multidisziplinäre Verbindung zur Kunstwelt.

Neneh Cherry returns with Four Tet-produced LP Broken Politics

Following the release of her first earth-quaking single in 4 years at the beginning of August, counter-culture pop icon Neneh Cherry announces her fifth solo album Broken Politics, produced in its entirety by Four Tet.

Continuing her blurring and conflation of the personal and the political, the second single Shot Gun Shack tackles the link between violence and deprivation using poetic logic. The track deals with the ever-present and always-global issue of gun violence in society. The track's name was the result of inspiration that sprung from a half-remembered conversation Cherry had at the funeral of late jazz great Ornette Coleman.

Broken Politics pointedly asks the question; how do we conduct ourselves in extraordinary times In an era where the signal-to-noise ratio is more uneven than ever, what are the measures we must take to retain and remember our own personhood It searches for answers, patiently and with great care, and with a fearlessness to acknowledge that sometimes the answers don't even exist. It's a record that's equal parts angry, thoughtful, melancholy, and emboldening, as Cherry and her collaborators continue to expand her ever-widening sonic palette to craft truly singular and potent music.

Limited Edition 400 Only Translucent Violet Coloured Vinyl Lp. Housed In A Full Colour Outer Sleeve With Mind Bending Artwork And Download Code.

Third Earthling Society Album For Riot Season Following The Previous And Now Sold Out 'england Have My Bones' (2014) & 'ascent To Godhead' (2017)
 
'mo - The Demon' Was Recorded At Leeds College Of Music Between November 2017 - February 2018. The Basis Of The Album Was To Record An Imaginary Soundtrack To The Shaw Brothers Bat Shit Psychedicrazy Kung Fu Horror 'the Boxer's Omen' Aka Mo Or Demon.
 
The Story Is An Everyday One.
 
After A Hong Kong Kick Boxer Is Paralysed By A Cheating Thai Competitor, His Mobster Brother Vows Revenge And Journeys To Thailand For A Duel. Along The Way, Our Hero Is Met By Bizarre Visions, Entered Into A Buddhist Monastery, And Begins A Quest To Save The Soul Of A Deceased Monk (his Twin Brother In A Past Life) Who Died At The Hands Of A Powerful Black Magician.
 
We've All Been There. However The Movie Descends Into A Kind Of Spiritual Jodorowsky Mushroom Fest That Is Completely Deranged And Is Therefore One Of Those Perfect Midnight Movies.
 
So We Got Free Studio Time At Lcm In November And Just Went 'fuck It' Lets Make An Imaginary Soundtrack In Homage To Such A Great Movie.
 
Taking Inspiration From All The Things Musical That Have Inspired Us Over The Years. Berlin Era Bowie, Prime Magazine Circa 'correct Use Of Soap', Electric Funk Miles, 'caravanserai' Santana, Embryo And God Knows What Else (it Doesn't Really Matter As It All Ends Up Earthling Society), We Think We've Made A Groovy As Fuck Concept.
 
Then, Invited Back In February We Decided To Record 2 Stand Alone Pieces 'spring Snow' And 'jetavina Grove' And Bring All Our Space Rock Elements And Psych Raga Back Into The Fray. Throw In Some Super Cool Korean Vocals Courtesy Of Bomi Seo Of Tirikiliatops And Run The Guitars Through A Harmonizer H910 (as Used By Visconti On Low An Heroes) And Its The Perfect Swansong To The Last 14 Years Of Playing Live And Recording Together.

 

Terence Fixmer's path through the changing techno landscape of the past 20 years has been anything but direct. Indeed, the French born producer, musician and Planete Rouge label founder has long been influenced by the periphery of continental European dance music subgenres from electronic body music, new beat and acid, before combining them into his own pioneering hybrid of futuristic, EBM-inflected techno with classic releases such as 2001's Muscle Machine or the collaborative Between The Devil LP with Nitzer Ebb's Douglas McCarthy as Fixmer/McCarthy. While the sound in recent years has been rediscovered and recast in diverse contexts by a new generation of producers, Through The Cortex sees Fixmer gravitating toward a different kind of industrial-tinged electronics, led as much (or more) by analogue sequencers, melodies and ultra-saturated sounds of synthesizers than drums and percussion. Across eight tracks at a compact but varied 40 minutes, the LP touches on an aesthetic hinted at in recent Ostgut Ton releases (2016's Beneath The Skin EP and 2017's Force EP), revealing a sonic narrative through noisy, screaming synth/vocal riffs with a jagged, guitar- like post-punk sensibility. Through The Cortex is techno with a voice - or rather multiple voices - guiding listeners through hypnotic, space- and social-themed terrain as a kind of dark soundtrack to darker days. The result ranges from the slow John Carpenter-inspired Escape From Precinct 13 funk of 'Expedition' and the patient yet muscular stomp of 'Fury' to the mesmerizing Suicide-like pop of single 'Accelerate', where Fixmer, using his voice as an instrument, chants the track's ambiguous title in an invocation of systemic change/collapse. Elsewhere, the story is told with more abstract and wailing vocals like on 'Shout in A Black Hole', or in the warm, entrancing chords floating across the stereo image in ostensibly changing time-signatures on 'A Halo Somewhere' - the LP's uncharacteristically kosmische musik come-down. The track, and Through The Cortex as a whole, reflect what can be described as Fixmer's idiosyncratic take on both techno subgenres as well as the larger pool of electronic music in general. This broad approach translates into a sound that is not only difficult to pin down, but also one that lends itself to multiple listens.

Hot on the heels of Rapid Eye Movement's journey of discovery and growth comes the EP 'Split: Remixes' featuring reworks of the quartet of cuts originally signed by label founders Memorial Home and VII Circle.

Invited to apply their own reflections onto the material are rising producers Nur Jaber and Wrong Assessment as well as renowned artists on the underground experimental scene Edit Select and Reggy Van Oers.

First up is Nur Jaber's take on VII Circle's 'Metaphysical Functions' showing how the young Berlin-based Lebanese artist is as much inspired on remix duties than in crafting her already much acclaimed productions. The perfect mixture of dark and intense driving techno beat with haunting ambient-driven melodic motifs and dramatic breakdowns encompasses much of what her sophisticated sense of sonic exploration is about.

Up next on a heavier kicking note is 'Dogma' refashioned by Milanese fellow Wrong Assessment who transmits his vision of both minimal and hard pounding techno by merging a strait rugged beat with undulating synth lines and bouncy cymbals that will drive the audience to an insane rave-spirited dance floor venture.

Following the path, Tony Scott a.k.a Edit Select's interpretation of Memorial Home's 'Second Floor' is a clear example of the unique and forward-thinking sound that the Scottish techno scene 'veteran' has developed throughout the years. Deftly combining a tension-building drum and bassline work with layers of hypnotic synth textures that makes the track both suggestive and trippy-hitting in equal measure.

Concluding the journey is Reggy Van Oers (RVO)'s rework of Memorial Home's 'Ampere' which evinces this quest for organic and mental techno soundscapes inspired by classical and cinematic music, characterising the both complex and powerful crafting signature of Dutch Telemorph label's owner.

Between dark shadows and brightness, REM confirms with this new release that quality and free-minded artistry are the key pillars of the platform's curation philosophy.

(Vinyl Only)

After 5 years from their last album released on Bosconi Records, The Clover's trio comes back on their own label with a three track EP dedicated to the dance floor.

Quantized tribalism melts with Jupiter's sounds in 'Pulsing Particles'. While in 'Emanation', past and present feelings alternate through chants and synthesizers sitting on a solid funky groove.

'Separated at Birth' is the theme of the B-side, the minimalism of the original track is stretched by Horror Inc. (aka Akufen; Perlon) in a rare 9 minutes melodic drone with broken beat and thriller-ish like strings. A gem you can't miss!

The Clover are back on the market, ready to play with a brand new liveset!

16 early vocal & jazzy tunes from the Golden Age of Jive & Kwela in South Africa. Released originally on fragile shellac discs only. Shellac is a very delicate material but the music survived thanks to the archives of ILAM. A truly great source of South African music is being preserved here for new generations, to inspire young and hopeful musicians and singers from all over the world. 180gram vinyl.These pearls of musical genius were recorded in the glory years of jive and kwela, the years 1940-1965 . On side A it is not difficult to recognise the similarities to American popular music like R&B and small combo close harmony singing.
But most of all notice that typical South African swing, that jive, that incredible smooth form of African jazz on side B; Kwela!
The rarest and most treasured finds are collected here, some with the original spoken intro's, 'sketches' as these were called. Characteristic conversations between the musicians, often in a humoristic slang, always extremely funny.
Now available as the fourth issue in the series 'Township Jive & Kwela Jazz'.

Confunktion Records own Mr. Confuse returns with his fifth studio album 'Only A Man'.

This album is about the depths of Mr. Confuse and therefore a very personal album in a way. From well-known soul topics of love and hate to social issues of modern life - this album is all about an odyssey through time, rhythm and music.

Times of big studio personals are long gone so a big part of creating this album was the imagination what kind of instruments, musicians and sound design is wanted. With up to 16 international musicians, Mr. Confuse created incredible sounding big arrangements.

The way Mr. Confuse produces his music is inspired by growing up with the 90s hip hop producer technique of creating something new by referring unheard funk and soul. This from of appreciating 60s and 70s music in order to bring it on a new level of musical expression is a clear trademark of Mr. Confuse.

The process of sampling and resampling recorded musicians creates an organic, powerful, authentic and danceable funk sound, which can be heard in each and every second on this record.

Twisting electro funk from the 80s into heavy 60s and 70s funk that could have been the blue print for the original version became a true Mr. Confuse feature already years ago. This time he re-funked the well-known freestyle electro classic 'Let The Music Play' by Shannon.

Also one of the reasons it's entitled 'Only A Man' is because it means composing, producing, arranging, mixing, recording, organising, promoting and going abroad preforming by just one 'man'.

In 1996, Gavin and Scott Hardkiss entered the San Francisco Tenderloin studio frequented by the Grateful Dead and Fleetwood Mac and made Acid Funk and various remixes. It's a funny song that references Frankie Bones' This Is Techno and Maurices' This Is Acid and says a lot about a couple of guys drunk on funk who wanted to flip their own sounds. Raw house featuring 808s, 303s and Space Echo churned easy in a whimsical psychedelic cauldron.

Unavailable for 20 years, these remaining copies of the original pressing feature various versions by bothe Hardkiss brothers and an acapella.

Those of you who have followed Lucky Brown's tireless efforts since joining the Tramp family in 2007 can hear without a doubt the progress he and his various ensembles have made in almost every musical aspect. His songwriting skills amazed us right from the start of our relationship. What deserves much more respect is that during the past years he has proved to be probably one of the most authentic and steady but at the same time most innovative creative minds on the contemporary funk scene. Sure, many of today's funk bands are able to deliver a two-and-a-half minute funk killer, what distinguishes Lucky Brown, however, is his ability to create compositions which also employ the idiom as a means to deliver an artistic message, a hard-to describe feeling, or a conscious concept, just like James Brown and Fela Kuti mastered in the 1970s. Furthermore, Lucky has developed his own trademark production and sound whose depth and honesty form a basis from which his work will ever remain timeless.

But that's nothing new as you can hear on both of his first two albums for Tamp ("Lucky Brown's Space Dream, 2011 and "Mystery Road", 2015) On "Mesquite Suite" he is forging new paths by soaking up musical styles from all over the world to infuse with his own totally unique way of producing. Perfect examples are the Mulatu Astatke-ish tracks "Pauraque" and "Mother Corn Stalk" with its distinctive New Orleans Swamp-Jazz flavor. Fans of the Menahan Street Band or El Michels Affair may see in "Taterbug" and "Estrellas De La Tierra" their favourite tracks. But it's the entirety which makes this album standout.

It has been Lucky Brown's aim to paint for the world a picture of the vernacular jazz that America's neighborhoods once crafted as their own homegrown cultural heritage. Lucky Brown's music is a rejection of the elitism, classism, and status of the music industrial complex and is an antitoxin to it's resultant homogeneity. He wants with his heart and his art to transmit an everyday people's sound, made by everyday people, dedicated to the upliftment of all people.

Tobias Kirmayer, August 2018

key-selling points:
- limited to 500 hand-numbered copies
- incl. full album download code
- double vinyl LP with deluxe gatefold cover

"Uplifting boogie grooves to set your spirit free." (Paul Kane / Jordan Valley Records)

When The Unbelievable Two appeared on the scene in 2014, their pure underground, analogue boogie and disco sound mirrored what was going on in the vinyl infected bars and small cellar clubs in their hometown of Hamburg/Germany. "The Unbelievable Two" was inspired by the golden age of the genres, played live with skills and insight. Four years later, boogie and disco are all around us. So it is about time that these pioneers release their second album. Honest and authentic, "Power Plant" recalls late 1970s New York Disco and mid 1908s UK Boogie.

The Unbelievable Two still is Mzuzu and Mucka, who lead us through nine new songs of speedy disco, down low boogie and even some smokin' reggae. Recorded in late 2017 and through the spring of 2018, "Power Plant" tells stories beyond the surface level. "Even though our music is purely instrumental, it doesn't mean we haven't got anything to say," explains Mzuzu, a respected and well-travelled vinyl DJ on the Germany funk/disco scene. "Boogie and disco are a universal language. With the influence of Afro, Latin, Reggae, even European electronic music you do not need a lot of words to tell a story which gets everybody connected. These songs are about our friends, our everyday life, how we life and what we feel."

"Power Plant" is available as a limited edition vinyl LP (300 copies).

After years of working as a graphic artist, designer, and creative director, Pilar Zeta will release her debut album Moments of Reality on Ultramajic Records on October 5th, 2018.

Inspired by Japanese post-modern art from the 1980s and produced using synthesizers from the 1990s, the new age album of nine electronic pieces is ambient and cinematic with an off-world feeling.

Her sound draws on the style of bands like Art of Noise and Steve Roach that she was exposed to early in her life and evokes the work of Yasuaki Shimizu, Yello, and Laurie Anderson. Each of the nine tracks will feature a cover with different objects in absurdist settings. Much the same way Zetas visuals seem to be artifacts from a parallel universe, Zetas ethereal and melodic compositions sound like a coded language transmitting from a neighboring galaxy.

I feel privileged to be able to translate my visual world into sound, the unknown was the most fun and fascinating aspect of it

Fueled by a lifelong love of the paranormal, Zetas metaphysical iconography and music exist in futuristic, surreal, and elegant spaces. Her visual and sonic works function as a form of practical magic in a machine-centric world, connecting different mediums through a singular, transcendent vision.

You may know of 'Rude Movements', an early dance music classic produced by SunPalace (Mike Collins and Keith O'Connell) back in 1983 that brought together protohouse, balearic beats and funky vibes. In 1984, the tune quickly became an anthem that could regularly be heard at David Mancuso's 'The Loft' or at Larry Levan's 'Paradise Garage' for example.
Thanks to Mike Collins, the studio veteran still in the business after more than 35 years and currently busy perpetuating the legacy of SunPalace, more material from the archives
has been 'surfacing' over the past few years on UK-based record labels. After a very productive meeting earlier this year, Parisian label Chuwanaga is really proud to present four unreleased songs produced between 1982 and 1984! Co-written by Mike Collins from SunPalace and Breeze McKrieth, a founder member of Britfunk bands Light Of The World and Beggar & Co, these Lost Songs are the almost forgotten result of this seminal collaboration, an exclusive musical rendez-vous between experienced studio music makers and funksters at the top of their game, including some of the finest Britfunk musicians. Bringing together eighties influences and futuristic sounds, the result covers a wide range of genres, from jazz-funk to new wave: it captured a unique
moment in British musical history, a smooth transition to a more electronic sound. Definitely not one to be missed!

Having previously featured on Comb and Razor's popular compilation 'Brand New Wayo', Caribou's 'The Longest Mixtape: 1000 Songs For You' (twice) and remixed by numerous DJs including Kornél Kovács. It has long been over due that Nigerian synth-funk legend Dizzy K gets the reissue he deserves, teaming up with London based record label Sticky Buttons for a very special double LP compilation.

Dizzy K Falola is one of Nigeria's most adored disco funk artists form the early 80's. His career was propelled by EMI Nigeria who brought him to notoriety with his first album 'Excuse Me Baby', released in 1982. Excuse Me Baby became an instant success in Nigeria and within 3 months he was back in the studio recording his second album and touring with international superstars such as The Whispers. The success of his work came both from the creative collaboration of musicians and their progressive style of synth-funk and disco influenced heavily by western artists. The team included Nkono Teles, Felix Liberty and Dizzy K's mentor and manager Tony Okoroji amongst others who together formed the disco funk that infected the homes, streets and clubs of Lagos. Noted in 'Hip Hop Africa: New African Music in a Globalizing World', Dizzy K's song titled Saturday Night Raps which features on Excuse Me Baby is thought to have been on of the earliest examples of commercial African Rap music. It was examples like this that showed Dizzy K was bringing something new to the Nigerian boogie scene.

With careful restoration by Colin Young at See Why Audio, (who's expertise and talents have graced some of the most iconic reissues of recent years, including "Who Is William Onyeabor" and Charanjit Singh's "Synthesizing: Ten Raga's to a Disco Beat") and vinyl mastering conducted by The Carvery, cutting the masters on a Neumann VMS70 mastering lathe originally used in Nashville's CBS studio to cut Motown classics. This is an uncompromising vinyl package covering Dizzy K's first 3 albums from '82-'84. Compiled for the dance floor and offering Sticky Buttons take on the bright boogie goodness of Dizzy. With personal liner notes from the artist and fresh artwork by the team this is a record that cuts to the point.

For over 18 years, Spectral Sound, the dance music imprint of Ghostly International, has thrived at the forefront of techno and house. It has been a source of support for numerous DJs and producers during that time, from Matthew Dear and Benoit & Sergio to Avalon Emerson and Hieroglyphic Being. Now, Spectral brings the past alongside the present with its latest release, a compilation that offers a vibrant cross-section of the current moment in underground dance music. Despite the wide-ranging selections on Spectral 139, a throughline of classic style and infectious energy emerges from the up-and-coming and established artists alike. Rising talents such as Minimal Violence, Russell E.L. Butler, and Earth Trax x Newborn Jr. bring unique perspectives to their hardware-centric productions. Veteran producers bring their own edge as well: D'Marc Cantu blows the roof off with the outsized funk of "Regularly People," and Nigil Caenaan's "January's End," a low-key Detroit classic from the late '90s, closes Spectral 139 with a whirlwind of manic rhythms and sedate synths. Gunnar Haslam opens the tracklist with his acidic mindbender, "Versione Antica." And Ghostly regulars like Tadd Mullinix, who drops a lush JTC remix of his new X-Altera alias, and Matrixxman, who collaborates with Riccardo Limiti on the cavernous "Inferno," tie everything back to the label's roots. The double-12" compilation, as well as each individual single, features original work by Los Angeles-based artist Nina Hartmann. Her designs have appeared on releases from labels such as Ascetic House and Big Love, and the pieces for Spectral 139 continue to develop her cryptic aesthetic. The marriage of Hartmann's striking, high-contrast symbols with such bold dance music speaks to a collection that aims to stand out.

This is already our seventh Deep Love compilation and we dare to say our most complete yet in sound and flow. The ten pieces on this sampler blend in perfectly with that laid back 'late' summer mood. We are very pleased to welcome yet again some new acts to Dirt Crew with the likes of 'Jaxx Madicine', 'Ouer', 'Times are Ruff' and 'S3A'. We cross many borders not only in genres but also country wise. From the heavy Disco sampled jam by French producer 'S3A' to the Jazz and Funk laden epos of the Italian 3 piece 'Jaxx Madicine' over to the Dutch deep house boys 'Times Are Ruff' who are well known from their, same named, label and finally to the Berlin duo 'Ouer' who also run an own label and released with our good friends at 'Heist Recordings', delivering an ecstatic electronic floating tune here.

This is all completed by some excellence from long time Dirt Crew artists. '25 Places' have been with us for many years now and their two Ep's have gotten so much love from the deeper deep house community. Here they drop an epic almost IDM techno like tune that closes this great album in the best possible way. Our Icelandic stall wart 'Felix Leifur' drops a heavy hitter named 'Buster'. After his recent 'Bobby Donny' Ep earlier this year we are thrilled to have him back on Dirt Crew! 'Harry Wolfman' and 'Ponty Mython' need no introduction really, they are adding Electro/ Disco/ Electronica fuelled cuts that form a great middle part to this mix of tunes. Harry going in very smooth and relaxed, something else than his usual House workout which we really loved to present to you. 'Ponty Mython' drops an irresistible 'good times' indie acid track in his unique 'free' style.

Last, we must of course not forget 'Dan Only' and key wizzard 'Lorenz Rhode'! With another beautifully smooth cut 'Dan Only' follows up on his latest debut Ep with us. Again a smart cross over in Techno and House with a distinct relaxed groove and atmosphere to it. Lorenz is back 'On Top' here after his super successful first offering to the Deep Love series last year and his 'And I Said' EP which stormed many charts. In the middle of touring and working with Detroit Swindle on their 'High Life' album we are super happy that he found the time to make another gem with that raw n funky live feel to it... We couldn't have started this compilation off with a better joint than 'Marakuja'.

Enough words for now ... just put these vinyl on your decks or stream/play it on the go and don't forget to drop them at a sweaty club night. Deep Love is here to stay!

Tired of reading the words 'classic', 'masterpiece', 'missing link', 'cult', in every press release Just trust us on this one: We have no choice but to use those words and urge you to(re)discover one of the ultimate Afro-Disco lost classics.
How could such a masterpiece stay in obscurity for so long Well, no one knows where N'Draman is. He's presumed dead, and so is Mr Patrick, the label owner, an ex-football player
who turned his focus into fashion after suffering a career ending injury. Selling jeans from an outlet in Monrovia (Liberia), he only ventured in the music business for a short period of time,
releasing a handful of incredible albums on his Cosmic Sounds imprint. The word on the street was that Nigerian legend William Onyeabor was somehow involved with the production of the album, or maybe playing synths on it. Both were inaccurate, although N'Draman Blintch's previous and first record Cikamele, was indeed recorded at Willfilms, Onyeabor's studio. And some of the musicians playing here were also key members in his pool
of session musicians. Cosmic Sounds is many things: Psychedelic, politically engaged, funky to death, full of synths,
with an artwork to die for, a perfect crossover of African and Western culture: Music for the body and soul, Cosmic disco before the genre even existed. Did DJ Danielle Baldelli hear it
Was it ever played by Larry Levan or Mancuso In a pre-internet era, it's unlikely but not impossible. We are extremely honored in carrying the reissue of this gem and have treated the task with
utmost respect: both artwork and audio were restored by specialists, and liner notes were written by Temitope Kogbe, Afro-Funk expert who runs the Odion Livingston label, founded
with legendary producer Odion Iruoje. 38 years after its original release, the world is finally ready to hear Cosmic Sounds in all its glory.

In the 80s, a Nigerian DJ named Hycentto Junior was notorious for making Onitsha people dance on his grooves. Soon, influenced by U.S hip-hop artists, he began rapping on top of the music he played.

His eccentric style drew the attention of the biggest name, and the famous Nkono Teles decided to work with him on his next LP, Mama Groove. Their project was released in 1991. Due to unfortunate circumstances, the number of copies available was really low, making it very hard to find.

More than 25 years later, working for a motor company, Hycentto met online with French music passionate collective 'Lorem Ipsum', that had randomly found his Mama Groove LP.

The result is a reissue auditioning all the 1991 Mama Groove's tracks and two bonuses selected from his first 1984 album, At A Party Last Night. The unique variety of sounds and genres, covering Electro Hip-Hop, Digi Reggae and Disco-Funk, will carry you from poolside to late night dancefloors!

Drum & bass pioneer and Hospital Record's crown jewel Danny Byrd is back! He's set 2018 ablaze with monolith anthems 'Devil's Drop', 'Salute' ft MC GQ and 'Hold Up The Crown' ft Ky Lenz, now he proudly presents his first album in five years.

A 15-track funk-fuelled compendium of rolling dancefloor-fillers that tributes to the jungle foundation moulding his early discography. Collaborations with the likes of I-Kay, Maduk, Ownglow, Times x Two and MC GQ, fuse with powerful
doses of Danny's hip-hop and R&B infused 174BPM productions. 'Atomic Funk' is undoubtedly Mr Byrd's finest work to date and includes one of the biggest future D+B anthems 'Holy Star' that's brought to life with vocal delights from MC Foxy.

'Just A Step Away' (ft. Ownglow) has become a silver bullet for the Byrd, taking a spotlight in his DJ sets as his finishing move. With its gorgeous vocals, volatile rave synths and humming sub-bass, it's not hard to see why. However, that's
far from the only weapon in this legend's locker. 'Roll The Drums' is a certified sub shaker bringing a fierce bassline and thundering percussion, plus there's raw jungle madness with 'In The Meantime' (ft. Hannah Symons). With fifteen incredible tracks from Hospital Records' longest standing signing, 'Atomic Funk'
is Danny Byrd at his best. Crafted for the dancefloor and Feel-good from start to finish, a must-have for a true Hospital fan.

LP in printed innersleeve + download code. STUFF.'s highly anticipated new album is a cross genre groove, spanning broken hip-hop, electronica and jazz-influenced future funk, bringing forth a completely different and exciting sound.

STUFF.'s highly anticipated new album is a cross genre groove, spanning broken hip-hop, electronica and jazz-influenced future funk, bringing forth a completely different and exciting sound.


With fans that include Plaid, Kev Beadle, Kutmah, Lefto and Gilles Peterson, STUFF. began life in 2012 when drummer Lander Gyselinck was asked to play live music in-between DJ sets. Collecting together like-minded musician friends, they would keep the vibe of the room bubbling, with spaced-out jams and improvisation, taking elements of funk, RNB, electronica, jazz and hip-hop, forming their own compositions as a result.


Hotly tipped in Belgium as one of the country's brightest new hopes, they released their first EP the same year, which included the track D.O.G.G. and it caught the attention of bloggers, 22tracks and DJs across Paris and Brussels. Supports slots with D'Angelo and Robert Glasper soon followed and the band would go on to share the stage at the Dour Festival with Hiatus Koyote, Flying Lotus and Lefto.


In 2014, STUFF. were invited to perform a Boiler Room session for the prestigious global, online music broadcasting platform, the first European live band to do so.
The band's self-titled debut album, released in 2015, received critical acclaim, with the Belgian press citing the release as the "record of the year" and "the best thing that happened musically in Belgium since the last 25 years". Mastered by Daddy Kev (Flying Lotus, Thundercat, Jon Wayne), several tracks from the album received airplay on leading dance and electronica radio stations across Europe, and included support from Gilles Peterson on BBC Radio 6 Music and Phil Taggart on BBC Radio 1.


STUFF. have performed sold out shows across Europe and have gained a growing reputation for their explosive eclectic live sets, playing over 150 shows on such diverse stages as the North Sea Jazz Festival (Netherlands), Pukkelpop (Belgium), Secret Garden Party (UK), Shambala festival (UK), Dimensions (Croatia) and Fusion (Germany). The band were also personally invited by Gilles Peterson to perform at On Blackheath, London.


Accolades in Belgium include two MIA's (Belgian Music Industry Awards) for 'Best Musician' (Lander Gyselinck) and 'Best Artwork' (Rinus Van de Velde).
STUFF. are Andrew Claes (ewi/sax), Lander Gyselinck (drums), Joris Caluwaerts (keyboards), Dries Laheye (bas), Mixmonster Menno (turntables)

The man, the myth, the legend ... back in the 80s Jesse Rae, along with Roger Troutman and Bernie Worrell, was part of the P-Funk movement that was hugely influential to Detroit's early electronic experiments. Lesser known is that the enigmatic Scot-funk warrior later produced underground electronic tracks in the 90s. The inaugural release on Glasgow label Southside Shufflers presents two of Jesse's Shufflers on vinyl for the first time on the Global 95 EP- a sampler from his pioneering 1995 album 'Compression'. Ever the innovator, Jesse recorded the album collaboratively using live ISDN technology spanning three continents, with the resultant tracks fusing African, US electro-funk and old Scots influences. 23 years later, Jesse's under the radar Shufflers sound more relevant than ever.
Southside Shufflers are a record label and sports collective based in Glasgow with outposts in London and Amsterdam. SSS- ain't no half steppin'!

Label head honchos Rhode & Brown finally debut on their own imprint, Slam City Jams, after putting out music on fellow labels Toy Tonics and Public Possession. Produced over the past two
years, the Wave 100 EP might be the most versatile record by the Munich-based fellas so far.

On the title track we have an euphoric hint of 80s synth nostalgia, slapped bass and banging woodsticks (did someone say Safri Duo!). 'Sparkle' on A2 feels like the joy of a fresh breeze on hot summer days whilst living la vida loca in the clouds - b/w phat bass, sweet flutes & strings.

On the flip there is 'Love Lane', a classic house track with a funked up bassline, shuffling snares and the most erotic vocal in human history. 'Moon Bells' on B2 is the soundtrack to that road
trip you did back in 86' with a Juno 106 arpeggiator bassline, percussive drums and airy synths all around. 'Over Europe' on B3 rounds off this special 5-tracker with beautiful ambient spheres
straight from outta space.

The keeping of pets marks humans' attempt at taking possession of a part of reality that is not at his disposal. Dressing a piece of the real that lives according to entirely non-human rules and which only in the saddest case does not resist the discipline of the human symbolic order vehemently and in a sustained matter, is a violent act of protection. Because in the non-place of the real, all that which we are helpless in the face of looms: the non-logical and the nameless, the violence and the noise, yet also the unrestrained and unfiltered desire.The innocuous figure of the pet marks a gateway to an investigation of these eerie milieus, while electronic dance music lends itself to this investigation in an outstanding way. This constellation marks the subject of Column's 'Pets II.'

Column is the name of Cologne based renaissance man Jan Philipp Janzen, who, as chief emissary of Cologne's pop internationalism, has been playing the field in various functions for Von Spar, Cologne Tapes, Urlaub in Polen, Owen Pallett, Scout Niblett or The Field, and who has also, in one way or another, been involved in most relevant records coming out of Cologne for the past number of years. After his excellent solo debut 'Pets I' (Areal, 2016), Janzen presents another extraordinary record in 'Pets II,' perfectly complemented by another ghostly oil work of Burkhard Mönnich on the cover.Sonically, 'Pets II' marks a clear development for Column. In its exploration of the thresholds of the real, it sets two points of focus, corresponding with the split in sides A and B.

Side A, on which Janzen teams up with long-time friend myr. (PNN), explores the uncanny as a fissure of the symbolic order, and the subsequent breaking in of the real. It opens with two peaktime rockets that have their wooden, nether-regional groove narrated by grim, down-pitched vocals. The ethereal remix by Leibniz (hundert) seems to be observing the situation from a hiding place, and is the side's clandestine and no less dark closer.

Side B, for which Janzen invited studiomate Marvin Horsch (Dorfjungs/Beats in Space) along, delivers two swaying synthesizer workouts, the second of which, 'Molly and Swerve,' is directed firmly at the dancefloor again. What is at stake here is the transition between a free, undirected jouissance of the real and a more ordered becoming-lust. Here, as in Map.ache's (Kann/Giegling/Altin Village) remix which closes out 'Pets II,' it becomes clear what connections dance music can foster between a free, impersonal desire and the sphere of interpersonal wanting, but also the losses that are negotiated in it. Above all, however, it becomes evident what a courageous daring project 'Pets II' is in all of its conceptual and aesthetic determination; with Von Spar's standout 'Garzweiler' 12' (Altin Village & Mine, 2017), it documents a New Cologne Realism.

Francis Harris' exceptional run of releases for his own labels Scissors & Thread and Kingdoms now extends to this perfectly formed EP for hafendisko, which sees him rework some of hfn music's finest moments of the last two years. Harris, the Brooklynite whose feel for subtlety and space seems to infuse all his work, takes on three of the Hamburg label's cannon - kicked off with Kasper Bjørke's 'Cloud 9', featuring Urdur. Here Harris deconstructs the original and reforms it into a some quite removed from its origins - shuffling drum machines bring about a Kraftwerkesque feel, before beautiful tones and atmospheres reveal themselves. The track seems to develop along two paths simultaneously, somehow creating a truly affecting piece of leftfield electronica.

Null + Void's huge Dave Gahan-featuring-track 'Where I Wait' has been heavily remixed over the past months, but also gets the Harris treatment. Completely flipped form the original, this is a haunting remix with tough and funky underbelly, utilizing Gahan's vocals only sparingly.

Danish alt-pop trio ticktock have their single 'Hatefuck' refixed also, and Harris zones in on the glitchy vibe and adds layers of claustrophobic depth to the production.

- Direct from Spain and totally lost in time the orchestra Enterprise was a great blend of the ''Disco Orchestral'' and ''Space Disco'' styles.
- Amazing project, wisely conducted by Josep Llobell Oliver, a Spanish keyboard player, composer, engineer and producer.
- Enterprise was the perfect soundtrack to your space trip, that dancing hidden treasure you always wanted to discover.
- Remastered reissue includes pictures and linernotes by Dr. Vinilo (Madmua Records).
#funk #soul #spacedisco #cosmicdisco #josepllobell #oliversplanet #spanishgrooves
In 1975 he was commissioned by the label's artistic director to produce a studio album with a hefty budget. It was his first company and he named it after the intergalactic ship Enterprise. He assigned the bands logo (inspired by the musical group Chicago) to a friend-musician and selected the tracks: Barry White, Chick Corea, the everlasting Beatles, sonidos calientes and other well-known hits, all played by Llobell along with the labels other musicians, all on payroll thanks to Belter. Javier Cubedo, Enrique Tudela, Gabriel Martinez, Kitflus, Ricard Roda, etc. all gave their best on a magnificent first album that would be followed by 3 more, one per year, all including original compositions by the group along with international hits that are currently part of our countries wonderful music library, even though they still haven't received all the recognition they deserve, Garcia Segura, Santisteban, Calderón, Pepe Nieto, José Solà, Manolo Gas, Adolfo Waitzman and Algueró, Ramón Farrán, Miguel Ramos, Albert Peter, Jaume Cristau, Josep Llobell and many others, published albums in the 70's.
Josep has been inexhaustible, for many years he has influenced the career of soloists and bands, modernizing their sound, Manolo Escobar, Peret, Junco, arrangements and productions for Marfil, Bachelli, Ana Reverte, even great artists from 'La Movida' and rock music like Burning or El Último de la Fila.

ALEX is a dark, haunting and brooding synthwave record that sets the night on fire, taking you from darkness all the way to the shining lights of Broadway. With hints of cyberpunk, outrun and other 80's inspired retrowave influences, ALEX has developed a true signature sound that is funky, groovy and totally rocking. X takes you on a futuristic, electronic music trip that's filled with nostalgia and suspense. Artist bio: In the last few years, Ireland's Bart Graft has been releasing healthy amount of great music. His signature sound of pastel coloured and retro inspired synth music is stellar synthwave from the top of the shelve. Along with bigger names in the genre such as Mitch Murder, Waveshaper, The Midnight, and others, he truly is holding up the genre's current producer flame high. Inspired by the works of Talking Heads, Laurie Anderson, Talk Talk, Brian Eno, Pink Floyd, Tear For Fears, The Ward Brothers, Peter Gabriel, Frank Zappa, INXS, and many more... Nostalgic synth stabs accompanied by pulsating guitar licks, energetic drums roll around yet a bunch of track are plain chill. This album is a trip to the rooftops of 80s and 90s culture. From the fast-paced rock track, to ambient vaporwave, the balance is just right as 'Modern Life' cements Bart Graft as a force to be reckoned with.

'A love project' from the heart and mind of UK broken beat stalwart and iconic keyboard maestro Kaidi Tatham, alongside an outstanding group of Danish musicians led by percussionist Peter Stenbæk.

12 Senses debuts with the Movement EP, a record drawing on jazz-funk, broken beat and disco, laced with the distinctive melodic progressions and boogie touches Kaidi Tatham is known for. Recorded over an intensely productive three-day session, which produced 20 plus songs, this EP is a first taste of what's to come from this creative gathering.

With recent records on First Word, Sound Signature and 2000Black, plus a brand new solo album 'It's A World Before You' it appears there is no letup in Kaidi Tatham's prolific output spanning a 2 decade long career, that has seen him work with artists such as Bugz In The Attic, 4Hero, Slum Village, Jazzy Jeff & Will Smith, Amy Winehouse, Leroy Burgess, Moonchild, Soull II Soul, Amp Fiddler, Mr Scruff and Dego, to name but a few.
Touch starts with the heavily syncopated rhythms of drummer Anders Meinhardt, accompanied by a bed of airy Rhodes, synths and guitar on top of a ruthless, disco-tinged bassline. Life evolves on a spiritual and hypnotic tip with a driving lick that just keeps on building, sprinkled with beautiful intertwining organ, piano and synth solos by Kaidi and pianist Poul Reimann. Movement slows the mood to a soul-tinged stepper with soothing choir and deft touches from the trumpet of Rasmus Juel. Kaidi changes up the pace on his remix with a smooth boom bap vibe before hitting the halfway point and switching up to his signature, breakneck latin bruk funk.12 Senses evolved from yearly marathon concerts at the Copenhagen Jazz Festival, arranged by percussionist Peter Stenbæk, who simply e-met Kaidi Tatham and insisted on him coming to Denmark to share the festival stage. Over the course of five years the friendship and musicianship between the two has gone from strength to strength, reinforced by the skilled musicians around them; drummer Anders Meinhardt, guitarist David Rosenkilde, bassist Andreas Hatholt, trumpeter Rasmus Juel and pianist Poul Reimann. The record was brought to life by Morten Trust (aka. Soulmagic), who kindly contributed his heart, studio and mixing skills to Movement.

The second album release on Cordial Recordings is a re-release of Afrodisia's highly collectible album 'Elephant Sunrise' from 1980 on Comma. the album is limited i pressing to 500 units. Afrodisia were combination of US soldiers with local musicians from Worms, Germany that were formed in 1978 and recorded two albums during their years together with 'Elephant Sunrise' being the only one that was actually released. Cordial Recordings will be issuing the previously unreleased album in 2019. 'Elephant Sunrise' has become a revered album by collectors because of the high quality of songs featured on the album which cross from soul to funk to disco and jazz with great ease. The band's leader Darnell Summers is originally from Detroit and is the brother of Headhunter Bill Summers who also features on the album as a player and songwriter. 'Sugar Free' is highly regarded by aficionados on the soul scene for it's glowing summer sounds and is one of the two songs that Bill Summers co-wrote on the album. This is one album not to be missed.

2022 repress

currently the rediscovery of long forgotten japanese electronic, jazz and new age music is at a peak like never before. but although many re-issues already flood the record stores around the world: the large, diverse musical culture of japan still got some gems in store that are really missing.

for example, it is still quiet around the the work of japanese bass player, new-age and ambient musi-cian motohiko hamase. when the today 66-years old artist started to be a professional musician in the 1970's, he quickly gained success as a versed studio instrumentalist and started to be part of the great modern jazz isao suzuki sextett, where he played with legends like pianist tsuyoshi yamamoto or fu-sion guitar one-off-a-kind kazumi watanabe.

he also was around in the studio when legendary japanese jazz records like 'straight ahead' of takao uematsu, 'moritato for osada' of jazz singer minami yasuda or 'moon stone' of synthesizer, piano and organ wizard mikio masuda been recorded.

in the 1980's hamase began to slowly drift away from jazz and drowned himself and his musical vision into new-age, ambient and experimental electronic spheres, in which he incorporated his funky medi-tative way of playing the bass above airy sounds and arrangements.

his first solo album 'intaglio' was not only a milestone of japanese new-age ambient, it was also fresh sonic journey in jazz that does not sound like jazz at all. now studio mule is happy to announce the re-recording of his gem from 1986, that opens new doors of perception while being not quite at all.

first issued by the japanese label shi zen, the record had a decent success in japan and by some overseas fans of music from the far east. with seven haunting, stylistically hard to pigeonhole compo-sitions hamase drifts around new-age worlds with howling wind sounds, gently bass picking and dis-creet drums, that sometimes remind the listener on the power of japanese taiko percussions. also, propulsive fourth-world-grooves call the tune and all composition avoid a foreseeable structure. at large his albums seem to be improvised and yet all is deeply composed.

music that works like shuffling through an imaginary sound library full of spiritual deepness, that even spreads in its shaky moments some profound relaxing moods. a true discovery of old music that oper-ates deeply contemporary due to his exploratory spirit and gently played tones. the release marks another highlight in studio mule's fresh mission to excavate neglected japanese music, that somehow has more to offer in present age, than at the time of his original birth.

The music on this EP was conceived in China, between 1989 and 1993. The original tracks were mixed to DAT in real time, in a small neighbour-proof studio inside my apartment in Macau, a 19th floor with a view to the hurricanes. There's a small, unexpected or improbable story behind each track, some little magic fused with the local atmosphere, certainly guaranteeing their lasting authenticity 25 years later.

TAIPEI DISCO
Late 80s Guangzhou was an exotic city where the traditional past coexisted in harmony with the present and even already with the future.
I'd rather spend my weekends in Guangzhou than diving into Hong Kong consumerism - as most ex-pats in Macau did. I took a cab at the border and travelled 150 Km through chaotic roads with family and friends until reaching the hot, humid, mega South China metropolis.
We ate on street joints in the evenings, went on to a karaoke bar and ended up at Taipei Disco, the only proper club in town. All the others were inside hotels and played generic music or they were seedy, sleazy, smoky cabarets.
Taipei Disco used to be a cinema and played cantonese pop music and anglo-saxon pop/rock (that was new). The spacious dance floor was generously lighted, the atmosphere was airy and modern. Boys and girls were in the habit of dancing in pairs, one in front of the other, observing a respectful yet sensual distance. When the girl took a few steps back, the boy went along and vice versa. With legs and feet (more than the upper bodies) synchronized with the music, they never exceeded in extroversion. Cool.
I always carried a MicroComposer and a portable DAT recorder in my travels through China and weekends in Canton. Any spontaneous musical idea was imediately recorded and memorized. The MicroComposer allowed multitrack recording, which was very handy on the road. Based on the emphatic choreography of Taipei Disco's dancers, i started to compose a rhythm track while sitting at a table, with headphones, listening to Cantopop in the background. As if by magic - not a rare occasion in music - everything began fitting together. Odd as it may seem, the track ended up sounding more germanic (Kraftwerkian) than Cantonese pop.

The story ends in a circle: the cantonese DJ at Taipei Disco, whom i used to ask to play certain records, wanted to play my music at the disco when it was basically only just a rhythm track and little else. From a cupboard under his set up he took out a battered keyboard (unrecognizable brand) and invited me to play over the track with the available sounds on the keyboard. The circle was complete, with Cantonese clubbers happily dancing forwards and backwards, as if it were another Cantopop hit.
I didn't get payed but the house offered us free ice cream cups in which little Portuguese flags were sticked.
The track would be finished later, in studio, with vocoder strings ensemble and synth solos.

TAIPEI DISCO (LIVE)
The live version of 'Taipei Disco' was recorded during a live set at the China Pop venue, in Macau, 1993. China Pop was a rock club built in the ample space of an old fishing warehouse, located in the labyrinthic Inner Harbour area. It was decorated with large Mao Zedong and Cultural Revolution posters and memorabilia and had a unique atmosphere, fusing Pop Art with film noir. We began our performance at 1AM, pretty early for Macau's nightlife standards. We were lucky. An audience showed up. And in Macau there were always several friends among the audience, which tranformed a musical performance into a relaxed party.
The atmosphere was particularly surreal on that night. The front row was dominated by French Crazy Horse dancers, a sort of Oriental Moulin Rouge. The girls had finished their last performance of the evening at the Crazy Horse and were still energized from their show. During our performance, right in front of us and perfectly synched, we could hear the famous irreverent screams of can-can dancers. You always had to expect the unexpected in Macau.

RED MAMBO (IMPROMPTU)
I was familiar with the Portuguese-speaking African countries well before having lived in China. I found myself returning several times to one in particular, always attracted by its magic and very distinct, identitary culture and music: Cape Verde.
During the early years of DWART a lot of the inspiration for drum machine rhythms (Roland's TR series) came from African music, especially from new musical trends that gained full autonomy with Cape Verde's independence from Portugal, as was the case with funaná.
I had the privilege of having known and befriended some of the greatest Capeverdian composers, musicians and singers during the 70s and 80s, such as Bana, Luís Morais, Cesária Évora, Paulino Vieira, Chico Serra, Tito Paris, and historical bands such as Bulimundo (ambassadors of funaná) and Os Tubarões (great innovators of morna, coladera and funaná, with the sonic impact of an afro-beat big band).
When Luís Filipe de Barros began playing Os Tubarões for the first time on Portuguese radio, that was the turning point for African music in Portugal. The 'Tabanca' album was so widely heard and talked about that it quickly got a Portuguese release through one of the big labels of the time.
The mystic of this band from the Santiago Island would reach the East. Os Tubarões played to a packed room in Macau in 1992, and after the bombastic gig we arranged a dinner and party at my place.
We ate and drank generously and the moment came for a jam session at the small studio on the 19th floor. Because Os Tubarões didn't all fit in the studio, we recorded an impromptu with only three of the musicians: Tótó Silva (electric guitar), Mário Russo Bettencourt (bass) and Zeca Couto (piano). And there we were improvising without barriers, suddenly detached from cultural roots, labels and constraints, a truly unique moment. The track is now being released exactly as it was recorded, imbued with the real communion between the musicians. And it could only be titled 'Red Mambo'. I wish to dedicate it to the memory of Ildo Lobo and Jaime do Rosário, founders of Os Tubarões, sadly and too soon departed from the land of music.

Kevin Murning is a musician, producer and DJ from Cape Town, South Africa. He describes his music as fake jazz, probably because he dropped out of jazz school. At 23 years old, Kevin's music is youthful yet precise and his debut EP offers an intriguing cross-section into his varied musical experience to date. The release comes out via Cape Town based imprint, Quit Safari, home to some of SA's most exciting producers.

Kevin's debut comes in the form of a 5-track EP called Mode's Arp. Comprised of 3 originals and 2 remixes, the release serves as a dual functional one with tracks for home and club use. Taking 2 years to fully complete, Mode's Arp is a wonderfully considered body of work and speaks volumes about Kevin's talent and his ability to create music that is beautiful and banging. Both Kevin and Quit Safari label head, Zanasi Wifi, are on remix duty for the EP, taking the originals and recontextualising them into high octane percussive workouts.

DJ support already includes The Maghreban, Turbojazz, Severino, Laurent Garnier, Mystic Bill, Edmondson and more.