Massimiliano Pagliara’s Funnuvojere Records is thrilled to present a very special addition to its flourishing catalogue. This new release, ‘Hanging in The Stars Part 1’, comes from Voiski, aka Luc Kheradmand.
Voiski has been a prominent figure in the electronic scene for over a decade, with a discography that spans across labels such as Dekmantel, L.I.E.S, and Delsin Records. With ‘Hanging in the Stars Part 1’, he delivers a collection of tracks that showcases his mastery of sound design and emotive melodies.
‘Romance Mentale’ sets the tone for the EP with its deep, rolling bass line and soaring synth lines. The ambient ‘Harmonie Du Soir’ follows. It’s made of spacious pads creating a weightless atmosphere that provides a luxurious sonic experience.
‘Call It Madness’ has an infectious groove and propulsive tempo. With its layering of arpeggios that implode and scatter, the track creates a sense of euphoric energy that is driven by an unyielding beat.
The EP concludes with the ethereal pads and poignant melodies of its title track. With this unforgettable collection of tracks, anticipation for Part 2 is already building.
Cerca:the master collection
After a decade and a half of presenting beautiful sounds in all forms of house music, Suena Hermosa celebrates this milestone with a new series of wax. The first of the 'SH Black' series (a collection focused on the darker sound of the label) proudly presents the stunning works of none other than the magnificently talented FOG, an artist we consider Family, and one we are delighted to welcome back to the label following his beautiful first release on the original wax series back in 2017. This imprint presents four mesmerising, stunning dubby atmospheric techno infused masterpieces displaying yet again, the artists truly immense talent and diversity.
This record is a collection of tracks I made from the start of 2019 to the end of 2021. They all exist completely independent of each other. My intention while working on music during this time was to create a time capsule/memory album for me to remind myself of my moments with. I had a lot of different experiences and substantially changed during this time. The early tracks were made by a completely different person than the person typing this. Of the 6 tracks on this EP, only one of them was made with the knowledge that it would be put together with the others and released as one cohesive article.
I wanted to make music again after abandoning it for 3 years. One of these tracks marks the turning point where a projected pipe dream of determined mastery was cracked through by what the speaker cone did when piano roll blocks were placed intuitively for the first time.
microCastle's final offering of 2023 welcomes Colossio and Luke Garcia to the label for their debut EP. Colossio has been a rising force across the Indie Dance spectrum for the better part of a decade. Based in Mexico and taking inspiration from krautrock, psychedelia and the golden age of Mexican cinema, the Monterrey resident has continued to open up endless creative avenues and furthered his boundless appeal with releases via Borders of Light, Calypso Records, Duro and Exit Strategy. Meanwhile, Spanish artist Luke Garcia has enjoyed similar success across his decade-long career. The Madrid resident has been praised for his borderless approach to production, in turn landing standout projects for Diynamic, Innervisions, Sum Over Histories and TAU. As occasional studio partners since the beginning of 2023, Colossio and Luke made their collaborative debut via Engrave Ltd with ‘Let Go’, a release which would precede a recent contribution to Innervisions ‘Secret Weapons’ Part 16. Now, continuing to build on their creative partnership, Colossio and Luke end the year with their microCastle debut ‘Amen / Ryen’.
Played by Ame during the summer season, EP opener 'Amen' finds Colossio operating in solo capacity and taking square aim at the dancefloor. Full of rejuvenating energies, the Monterrey resident cleverly blends robust kick drums and electric grooves with swerving chord stabs and chanting vocals. Colossio’s creative attitude reveals itself further across the main break; with a hyperventilating build dropping out into a rush of main room alchemy, all laid out over a bed of percolating acid. Selection two ‘Ryen’ finds Luke Garcia crafting a feel-good indie-dance excursion that’s nicely suited for those uplifting club moments. Booming yet dreamy, its colourfully cruising hypnotism instantly commands your attention, through snatches of vocal fragments and siren-like synth flares, eventually culminating in a finale of rave-inspired euphoria.
The EP’s halfway point is marked by the behemoth sized vibes of ‘Situation’. Here, Luke and Colossio masterfully synthesize their talents while breaking down boundaries to serve up a melting pot of hard-edged dance. Its pneumatic energy turns over quickly, flowing through a brutalist maze of mutated vocal gates and fiery rhythmic fractures, before reaching a hyperspeed collision of sonics for the ultimate high-octane drop. Rounding out the release is ‘My Body’ which once again finds Colossio and Luke combining their extensive forces. The cross-continental duo drive each other forward beyond their individual comfort zones for a mature club-effective record; one where thunderous beats, weighted rhythms and looping vocals prelude a collection-closing melodic finale. Artwork: Mauricio Seidel.
“Dual Realms of Sounds” emerges as the latest vinyl masterpiece from the enigmatic Soul Button, an audio diptych that distills the essence of his sonic signature. This meticulously curated double-vinyl collection showcases the dualistic nature of Soul Button's artistry, encapsulating the dynamic range of his most compelling works across two distinct auditory domains.
The first vinyl pays homage to the night - a pulsating journey through Soul Button's most successful, club-oriented anthems. Here, the beats intensify and the rhythms beckon you to the dance floor, with tracks like the fiery "Incendiary" and the enigmatic "Qabila" poised to ignite the crowd.
Vinyl 2 presents a shift in narrative to a more introspective realm, featuring the most melodious and soul-stirring hits from Soul Button.
The ethereal "Utopia" and the haunting "Wraith”, stand as cornerstones of this auditory expedition, channeling the essence of deep house with a dreamlike introspection, steering away from the dance floor and into the vast landscapes of the mind.
“Dual Realms of Sounds” is more than a mere collection of tracks; it is a portal to contrasting universes where rhythm and emotion converge. This release invites you to secure your passage and delve into the duality of rhythm and melody that defines Soul Button's unique sound.
- A1: All The Junk On The Outskirts (3 35)
- A2: Shake The Feeling (3 50)
- A3: Sociopath Boogie (2 34)
- A4: I'll Keep It With Mine (3 33)
- A5: Calm Of Gilead (3 10)
- A6: I'm Ready To Make A Baby (3 06)
- A7: My Mule (2 15)
- B1: Order Meets Demand (3 51)
- B2: Broken Hours (5 54)
- B3: Lockdown Blues (3 53)
- B4: Namouche (3 31)
- B5: Shelter Song (Acoustic) (5 06)
Shake The Feeling: Outtakes & Rarities 2015-2021, Iceage's second full length for Mexican Summer, is a collection of non-LP cuts (or “misfit children,” as lead singer Elias Bender Rønnenfelt describes them) from the seven years during which Iceage made Plowing Into the Field of Love (2014), Beyondless (2018), and Seek Shelter (2021). As with all of Iceage’s albums, whether it be the sensual daring-do of their dark-hardcore masterpiece debut, the Flying Nun-dappled “Oi!!!!” of You’re Nothing, the shift to cowpunk gothic romanticism on Plowing Into the Field of Love, or the space truckin’ gospel-rock of their most recent albums, Elias Bender Rønnenfelt, Johan Suurballe Wieth, Jakob Tvilling Pless and Dan Kjær Nielsen make the impossible seem effortless.
- A1: Held By Trees - In The Trees - Ambient
- A2: Stanley Clarke - Desert Song
- A3: Jan Akkerman - Ode To Billy Joe
- A4: Alain Debray - Concierto De Aranjuez
- B1: The Hightower Set - Departure Lounge (Nothing To Declare)
- B2: J Walk - Cool Bright Northern Morning
- B3: Canyons - Akasha (Begin Remix)
- B4: Waves - Summer Sunday
- B5: Mudd - Summer In The Wood
- C1: Trevor Heiron - Love Chains (Instrumental)
- C2: Korallreven - Honey Mine (Lissvik Remix)
- C3: Giorgio Tuma - Through Your Hands Love Can Shine (Feat. Laetitia Sadier)
- C4: The Superimposers - Seeing Is Believing
- C5: Cecilo & Kapono - Someday
- D1: Teacher - Can't Step Twice (On The Same Piece Of Water) (New Version)
- D2: Kalima - Shine (Gilles Peterson Vibrazonic Dub Mix)
- D3: The Haggis Horns - The Traveller Part Two
Celebrating twenty-five years of Aficionado as a place to play away from suffocating mainstream club culture, DJs Jason Boardman and Moonboots have compiled a contemplative set of 16 tracks that holds a deep meaning to both themselves and attendees of their now legendary parties. The compilation includes two new tracks exclusive to the release: J Walk’s ‘Cool Bright Northern Morning’ and Begin’s remix of Canyons ‘Akasha’.
Reflecting on how it all started 25 years ago, Moon considers their no-plan-plan to be a makeshift plateau which evolved organically: “All we did was try to play good records one after the other without any consideration for fashion. And people wanted that”. Alternative approaches were not unknown at the time, but Aficionado, as Jason and Moon’s Sunday sessions became known, pressed the reset button with unique resolve.
Jason elaborates: “It was 1998 when we started. It was our own 'fuck you’ to the Super Club regime - almost everywhere then. The ‘anything goes’ Balearic ethos was in abeyance. It wasn’t cool at the time, but we both just wanted to keep that original spirit alive. ‘Keep it open’ had always been my approach to DJing - even from playing at Youth Clubs as a teenager. No rules or generic constrictions. Play anything that you like from any era, any style from any time. We always encouraged our guests to dig deep and play outside of their comfort zones, their usual styles”.
The lovingly crafted musical mystery tour of this compilation, considering its pleasantly hypnagogic intent, may not reflect the madness of these now distant memories. This is an older and considerably more responsible collection and this is what we need right now - a temporary respite from a world almost capsized. A mood, a meditation created by masters of their craft. Odd socks from disparate global locations making new sense side by side. An assemblage, if you like. A thread through many different kinds of thinking. A new picture pieced together from the lost pieces of many jigsaws.
The Amsterdam-based duo of LYMA and Rebiere aka LIKEMINDS follow up their debut album On My Way with versions from its predecessor.
Sometimes life throws you a curveball and you still gotta make it to first base. That’s what happened when Rebiere’s laptop was stolen, along with all the recordings of their original debut album. The pair made a brand new album from scratch, but they kept coming back to the demos from the lost recordings. They started to rework the sound as a whole, adding finishing touches, including additions from Bo Floor and Gino Groeneveld from Jungle By Night. The demos weren’t the same as the stolen tracks, but they learned to love the imperfections all the same.
The Lost Tape takes you on a journey - through low-slung beats, party jams, soulful. melodies and woozy synths, all masterfully woven together with samples and field recordings from Amsterdam’s watery canalways. It’s also the story of how the duo met, at a time when LYMA felt lost at sea with his collection of unreleased tracks, before Rebiere threw him a lifeline and brought some focus and clarity. Sometimes finding a like-minded
friend can make all the difference.
The Chilean label and record store 5 Universos Records present the third release of their vinyl only series where music and creativity speaks for itself.
On Side A, label owner 5UNIVERSOS, delivers two captivating hypnotic tracks, approaching to micro house. "NEK” immerses us in a funky roller with deep bass and acid touches, guided by an Asian voice. “TOKO” leads to an enigmatic dream voyage across the Atlantic incorporating Koto, the national instrument of Japan.
On Side B, the versatile Chilean artist Claudio Solis introduced us with "ABHASA", an enveloping track with dub-techno airs and a solid groove at 132 BPM.
For closing Side B, Denis Kaznacheev, Russian master of minimalism, presents a happy remix of "Abhasa", infusing a healing atmosphere and his distinctive sensitive and hypnotic groove.
This third pressing is an exceptional compendium on vinyl not to be missed; only 300 copies, no repress, soooooo grab this one to your collection !!!
#Chileansareplaying
Mastered by Claudio Solis
Titled “Vernacular", the debut album by Blake Reyes is set to release on Axis Records on Friday, October 27, 2023, in vinyl and digital formats. The album is personally overseen by Jeff Mills, and is part of the "Axis Jazz" collection.
This confirms the eclecticism and versatility of both Axis and Blake Reyes, through harmony and rhythm, cultural influences, and the right touch of fusion: characteristics that have always defined jazz.
The album was recorded in three different cities (Bologna, Milan, and Rome), with Jeff Mills present during all recording and mixing sessions. Particularly in Milan, work was done at the Officine Meccaniche studios, where Duke Ellington, Quincy Jones, and many others have recorded.
?Vernacular" is an album that draws from jazz, Detroit techno and funk. It evokes operatic work due to its aspiration to create strong emotional intensity. The album features a blend of acoustic instruments such as acoustic bass, acoustic and electronic guitars, and the Steinway & Sons Grand Piano - the same Duke Ellington played in 1963 when he recorded ?The Symphonic Ellington" album - alongside electronic instruments including drum machines and Roland synths.
?I titled the album ?Vernacular' because I focused solely on production and sound quality, drawing inspiration from vernacular art, as a self-taught and artisanal approach in the noblest sense of the term", Blake Reyes explains. ?The musical references can primarily be found in Jeff Mills and his Millsart project, and more broadly in the works of composers like Bruno Nicolai, Piero Umiliani, Piero Piccioni, Brian Bennett, John Cameron, and even Raymond Scott. For the lyrics of the track ?At Night,' the visual reference that inspired the lyrics can be traced back to certain paintings by Henri Rousseau, particularly ?The Dream,' ?The Snake Charmer,' and ?Sleeping Gypsy.' All of this was done in post-production, working alongside Jeff Mills: a wonderful experience, a continuous flow and exchange of ideas."
Producer, DJ, and sound designer Blake Reyes (born Luca Vertulli) divides his time between Milan and Ibiza. His productions consistently focus on the sounds and emotions derived from tapes, samplers, drum machines, and analog synthesizers. His mixes are broadcasted on stations such as Ibiza Global Radio, Ibiza Sonica, Radio Raheem, and Olà Radio. His DJ sets are distinguished by their elegance and quality, always bringing the dancefloor to the right temperature. He boasts releases on Trax Records and Rebirth Records, and in 2019, he founded Triton Records, his own record label.
Musicians: Dario Lutrino: piano, Stefano Brandoni: guitar, Niccolò "Bolla" Bonavita: bass, Anna Bassy: singer, Blake Reyes: drum machines and synthesizers.
Music composed, produced and directed by Blake Reyes. Lyrics written by Blake Reyes. Studio Engineer: Taketo Gohara, Mastering Engineer: Giovanni Versari, Producer: Jeff Mills.
Studios: Officine Meccaniche, Milan / Fonoprint, Bologna / Forum Studios, Rome
Mella Dee Presents RYAN, a new project from one of the UK’s most prolific electronic producers. Exploring a darker, experimental side of the mastermind behind ‘Techno Disco Tool’, the new project sees RYAN take things underground with new track ‘Static Movement’. Alongside the track, RYAN has announced his forthcoming EP Connected Experiences, a 4-track collection of essential club tools due for release on August 11 via DJ and Body Movements co-founder Saoirse’s imprint trUst. The landmark release will be the first time the label head has featured another artist's music and is testament to the direction of Mella Dee’s new musical project, RYAN.
Already doing damage in the club circuit with support from the likes of Ben UFO, Shanti Celeste, Midland and more, ‘Static Movement’ sees RYAN. go back to basics with a drum machine and analog synths, ending with an infinite groove. Speaking on the track, RYAN. explains: “Trust the process. My name is RYAN. This is a collection of music I wrote for the purpose of dancing. Those moments we can all get lost together and connect through experience. trUst is a label built on love and connection. I just want to thank Saoirse for the trust she has shown and the love she gives.”
Label boss Saoirse adds: “This is the first time I've invited another artist to release on trUst and I'm so delighted it's from my close friend the absolute don from Doncaster - Mella Dee. Tracks I've been playing in every set over the past year with Static Movement being one of my most ID'd tunes ever. Once I heard it I knew this had to be the first track released on the label from someone else. Ryan is one of the best producers I know, completely and wholly committed to the dancefloor and I'm thrilled I will be releasing the first of his new project under 'Ryan'. I had complete trust in him to deliver a solid EP.”
Real name Ryan Aitchison, Mella Dee reached international notoriety with his anthemic 2017 single ‘Techno Disco Tool’, reaching number 1 in BBC Radio 1’s Dance Music Chart as well as one of Annie Mac’s ‘Tracks of the Decade’ (and was even played during her final show on Radio 1). A year later, the Warehouse Music label head won ‘Best Breakthrough Label’ at the DJ Mag ‘Best of British’ awards and he was also named one of Mixmag’s ‘Stars of the Year’, cementing himself as one of the most sought after names in dance music. Since then Mella Dee has delivered his debut Essential Mix for the legendary BBC Radio 1 series, curated a mix for Resident Advisor’s prestigious Podcast series, performed a debut Boiler Room set to rapturous acclaim, toured North America multiple times and joined the elusive Circoloco family for a summer of shows at DC10 and their momentous festival in Thailand. Ryan has also curated tours for his own Warehouse Music label, taking over illustrious venues all over Europe including his hometown at the infamous Doncaster Warehouse.
- A1: Flug 8 - Puerto Rico (The Velvet Circle Mix)
- A2: The Black Frame - Sacrosanct (Mount Obsidian Remix)
- A3: The Novotones - Liberty Bell
- A4: Sascha Funke - Mathias Rust
- A5: La Finca - What Clouds Say
- B1: Paulor - The Last Coke In The Desert
- B2: Mount Obsidian - Fade Feat Charlotte Jestaedt
- B3: The Velvet Circle - Our Tribe
- B4: Seb Martel Feat Las Ondas Marteles - Dark Mambo (Joerg Burger Mix)
- B5: Mount Obsidian - Marole Feat Charlotte Jestaedt
Kompakt unveils the third volume of Jörg Burger’s Velvet Desert Music compilation series, dedicated to music that hits the sweet spot between the cinematic, the (pop) ambient, and the psychedelic. With Velvet Desert Music Vol. 3, Burger and his friends wander afar, taking trips away from, or adjacent to, the dancefloor that’s acted so long as the crucible for the Kompakt aesthetic. Like its predecessors, it’s a gorgeous, lambent collection of late-night mood music.
Because it’s such a broad church, Velvet Desert Music admits all kinds of new experiences, as well, with Burger looking for music that "leads out of the desert into the velvet universe". Indeed, of all the volumes in the series, this third instalment feels closest to an album made by a true collective. The roster has changed, with new contributors Flug 8 and Seb Martel, both with his trio Las Ondas Marteles and with Chocolate Genius and Zsela as La Finca, joining regulars The Novotones, Mount Obsidian, The Golden Bug, Paulor and Sascha Funke.
Burger himself reappears, too, alongside Fritz Ackermann (of The Novotones), Max Würden and Thore Pfeiffer, in The Velvet Circle. Their contributions are pure lush life electronica: “Our Tribe” hitches a ride with a low-slung groove, flickering psychedelic reels of acoustic guitar traipsing across moody bass and taffeta layers of drone; their opening remix of Flug 8’s “Puerto Rico” gently introduces the album with softly tangling electronic tones, while guitars, drenched in reverb, pirouette in the background. A Mount Obsidian remix of “Sacrosanct” by Burger’s The Black Frame -project is a swirling treat for the ears.
La Finca’s electronics and voice miniature, “What Clouds Say”, is a masterclass in poetic restraint; Martel’s “Dark Mambo”, remixed by Burger, is one of the collection’s big surprises, for it indeed does what the title says, a drifting, surrealist take on the mambo form, full of pensive chords, rich with unrequited longing, a breathy saxophone whispering under the song’s sly rhythmic carriage.
Elsewhere, The Novotones chime in with a slyly propulsive, Krautrock-esque charmer, “Liberty Bell”, and the guitar-led tone-drift of “Valley of Oblivion”; Paulor’s “The Last Coke in the Desert” is a chiming, lilting dreamscape; Mount Obsidian are joined by vocalist Charlotte Jestaedt for two modern takes on early-hours art song, “Marole” and “Fade”; Sascha Funke’s “Mathias Rust” is a lavish dancefloor dream, vocal samples drifting through the song as it slowly envelops the listener in its opulent radiance.
This is just a taste of the rich pleasures of Velvet Desert Music Vol. 3, a triumph of a compilation that takes the psychedelic visions of its predecessors and looks for the desert within, a dusty kiss, a road-movie hallucination flickering on the listener’s eyelids, a cinematic projection from deep inside the mind.
- A1: Posjet Iz Svemira (A Visit From Space) (1964)
- A2: Cudna Ptica (Strange Bird) (1969)
- A3: Astromati I (Astromutts I) (1963)
- A4: Astromati Ii (Astromutts Ii) (1963)
- A5: Surogat (Ersatz - The Substitute) (1961)
- A61: Klizi-Puzi (Twidle-Twidle) (1969)
- B1: Zacarani Princ (The Enchanted Prince) (1978)
- B2: Medvjedja Romansa (Grin And Bear It) (1978)
- B3: Zid (The Wall) (1965)
- B4: Dnevnik (Diary) (1974)
- B5: Gubecziana (The Serfs Uprising) (1974)
- C1: Plemeniti Soj (The Noble Strain) (1971)
- C2: Homo Augens (1972)
- C3: Idu Dani (Passing Days) (1969)
- C4: Opera Cordis (1968)
- D1: San (The Dream) (1982)
- D2: Kugina Kuca (The House Of The Plague) (1980)
- D3: Utopia (1973)
- D4: Dan Kad Sam Prestao Pusiti (The Day I Stopped Smoking) (1982)
A collection of unreleased themes and scores from 18 short animated films from the world famous Zagreb School Of Animated Film. Includes Oscar winning short cartoon Ersatz / Surogat by Dusan Vukotic (1961) and many other jazz, electronica and experimental scores by composer Tomislav Simovic. Coined by the famed film theorist Georges Sadoul at the 1959 Cannes Festival, The Zagreb School of Animated Film(s) or The Zagreb School of Animation, was defined as an artistic and philosophical world-view that set its mark on the history of animation in the 60's and 70's. The key feature of the Zagreb School (not educational facility in any kind), was commitment to stylization in contrast with the Disney-style canon of realistic animation. Among many composers that worked in Zagreb Film productions, the name of Tomislav Simovic (1931 - 2014) stands out. In his oeuvre of 300+ film scores (not counting compositions and arrangements for pop singers and jazz orchestras), many were made exclusively for Zagreb film documentaries, fiction shorts, features and animation. Simovic was particularly adept at writing music for cartoons. He skillfully synchronized movement and sound and mixed different musical genres, although, like his peers at the time, he leaned towards jazz. 'The Zagreb School of Animated Film (Original Soundtracks 1961-1982)' is compiled by Leri Ahel (Mutant Disco Radio Show) and Zeljko Luketic (Electronic Jugoton, Ex-Yu Electronica III). Master tapes were considered lost, now found and restored for this epic 2 x LP release celebrating Yugoslavia's animated art shorts. Double vinyl gatefold with extensive liner notes, photographs from the films and exclusive cover artwork by Dejan Krsic (NEP / Nova Evropa).
Voted DJ Mag’s Underground Hero in 2022, DJ & producer Lauren Flax has been a fixture in Brooklyn’s electronic scene for two decades. On her latest project Liz & Lauren EP, she teams up with Liz Wight of shoegaze techno duo Pale Blue, whose sultry vocals explore questions of love and isolation to the tune of Detroit house and acidic techno.
Flax and Wight became fast friends in 2021 after being introduced by Pale Blue member & 2MR co-founder Mike Simonetti, who’d enlisted Flax to remix Pale Blue’s “Breathe.” Naturally, when Flax needed a vocalist for some tracks she was working on shortly after, she knew just who to call. “I was in my last year of grad school doing an internship in community mental health helping kids cope with the trauma of the pandemic,” Wight says of the time. She channelled this experience as she wrote and recorded the lyrics to Liz & Lauren EP from her home in Los Angeles.
As a result, the lyrics on Liz & Lauren EP are open-ended musings on connection, isolation, and convention. Lead single “Fix Everything” can be read both as an indictment of the trappings of marriage or, on Flax’s view, a rousing call to action, applicable to issues ranging from the degradation of the environment to the attack on LGBTQ+ rights in America. As the EP progresses, Wight’s airy vocals consider the pitfalls of love, from the destructive power of infatuation to the pain of outgrowing a relationship.
Sonically, Liz & Lauren EP feels like a natural progression from Flax’s first release on 2MR, 2021’s Out Of Reality, which saw her exploring a more minimalist production style for the first time in her work. “I Don’t Want To Hurt You” and “Fix Everything” pulse with bright, dynamic production, while slow burner “Return To Love” takes a sparser approach, anchored by a muted drumbeat and a simple, earworm synth refrain. “I’d Risk It All To Be With You” is a masterful balance of both; it even gets the club treatment on the EP’s closing remix, courtesy of Flax’s friends Mark Archer and Simon Neale (Shadow Child) of MASC.
Liz & Lauren EP is an impassioned collection that showcases both Flax and Wight’s artistry in equal measure. For both artists, it’s a testament to stepping outside the norm (DJing for Flax, performing in Pale Blue for Wight) and collaborating with others, the fruits of which are sure to be felt on the dancefloor for years to come.
With one foot planted in jazz and the other in the township groove of Mbaqanga, saxophonist Sello Mmutung was a powerful crossover figure in the history of popular music in South Africa. Using the stage name Bra Sello, meaning “brother” and used as a term of affection and respect in the jazz community, he came up in the era of shellac 78s as an exponent of the 1960s sax jive sound that brought the swinging rhythm of kwela into the domain of South African jazz. Despite the injection of American rhythm and blues into South African pop in the late-1960s, Bra Sello’s first releases on vinyl on the CBS label saw him backed by the group Abafana Bentuthuko and holding down an unapologetic township sound.
Joining the independent Soweto label under producer Cambridge Matiwane in the mid-1970s, Bra Sello recorded two records in the hit-making bump jive style popularised by serious jazz musician Dollar Brand on the one hand and prolific studio group the Movers, operating in funk and soul territory, on the other. Blending modern American and traditional African elements into joyful hip-swinging rhythms, Butterfly (1975) and The Battle of Disco (1977) reflect the vivacity of urban life in South Africa and document an era when dance music was performed by bands as extended jams laced with jaw-dropping solos. With music trends shifting dramatically in the late-1970s, the title of The Battle of Disco was an ironic call to arms in response to the territory that group musicians were beginning to cede to synthesisers and DJs.
For enthusiasts of African music from the 1970s, a full appreciation of the continent’s output is incomplete without South Africa’s pop-jazz sound providing a regional counterpoint to the funk experimentation of West Africa. Reissued for the very first time, Bra Sello returns in 2023 with limited replica editions from Afrodelic using master tape sources from the As-Shams/The Sun collection. Afrodelic’s unique edition of Butterfly features a previously unreleased track on Side B.
With one foot planted in jazz and the other in the township groove of Mbaqanga, saxophonist Sello Mmutung was a powerful crossover figure in the history of popular music in South Africa. Using the stage name Bra Sello, meaning “brother” and used as a term of affection and respect in the jazz community, he came up in the era of shellac 78s as an exponent of the 1960s sax jive sound that brought the swinging rhythm of kwela into the domain of South African jazz. Despite the injection of American rhythm and blues into South African pop in the late-1960s, Bra Sello’s first releases on vinyl on the CBS label saw him backed by the group Abafana Bentuthuko and holding down an unapologetic township sound.
Joining the independent Soweto label under producer Cambridge Matiwane in the mid-1970s, Bra Sello recorded two records in the hit-making bump jive style popularised by serious jazz musician Dollar Brand on the one hand and prolific studio group the Movers, operating in funk and soul territory, on the other. Blending modern American and traditional African elements into joyful hip-swinging rhythms, Butterfly (1975) and The Battle of Disco (1977) reflect the vivacity of urban life in South Africa and document an era when dance music was performed by bands as extended jams laced with jaw-dropping solos. With music trends shifting dramatically in the late-1970s, the title of The Battle of Disco was an ironic call to arms in response to the territory that group musicians were beginning to cede to synthesisers and DJs.
For enthusiasts of African music from the 1970s, a full appreciation of the continent’s output is incomplete without South Africa’s pop-jazz sound providing a regional counterpoint to the funk experimentation of West Africa. Reissued for the very first time, Bra Sello returns in 2023 with limited replica editions from Afrodelic using master tape sources from the As-Shams/The Sun collection. Afrodelic’s unique edition of Butterfly features a previously unreleased track on Side B.
- A1: Tamar Osborn - Sunday Sea Improvisation
- A2: Christine Schaller - Fidji
- A3: Emanative & Liz Elensky - Fall In To Me (Alternate Version)
- B1: Atilla Engin Group - Turkish Showbiz
- B2: Tenderlonious - Dennison Point
- C1: Sylvain Kassap - Adelie (For Lady D) (For Lady D)
- C2: Ola Szmidt - We Are Not Invisible
- D1: Greetje Bijma Kwintet - Big Kalimba
- D2: Sarathy Korwar - At The Speed Of Light
Celebrating two decades of IF Music's scrupulous curation through its record shop, a thriving website, album reissues and compilations in collaboration with BBE Music, parties and radio shows, “IF Music Presents You Need This: 20 years” is a 9 track, double vinyl LP beautifully put together by Jean-Claude. Coming, as it does, as the 9th release in the “You Need This” series of compilations curated by Jean-Claude, this album features music that ranges from 1980 (Christine Schaller's spectacular “Fidji”) to exclusive tracks from the likes of Emanative & Liz Elensky (‘Fall Into Me’) and Tenderlonious (‘Dennison Point’) which both bring us up to the present day. It is Jean-Claude's remarkable ear for music that, as with all the previous “You Need This” releases, creates a wonderfully coherent journey through the decades across the four sides of this masterpiece of a compilation album. As mentioned earlier “You Need This: 20 Years” will be released as a double LP pressed on 180 gramme heavy vinyl, cut at 45rpm and on digital. Whether this starts, adds or completes your collection of Jean-Claude's “You Need This” series of compilations, “20 Years” is a must-have and indeed, you really do need this!
- A1: Fk Pres Director’s Cut Feat. Jamie Principle – Baby Wants To Ride (Re-Directed)
- A2: Fk Pres Director's Cut Feat. Sybil - Let Yourself Go (A Director's Cut Master)
- B1: Fk Pres Director’s Cut Starring Inaya Day - Let's Stay Home (A Director's Cut Classic Club Mix)
- B2: Fk Pres Director’s Cut Feat. B. Slade – You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) (Dj Meme's Mix Of Epic Proportions)
- C1: Lou Rawls - You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine (Kenny Summit, Frankie Knuckles & Eric Kupper Unreleased Anthem)
- C2: Soulful Session Starring Lynn Lockamy - Hostile Takeover (Director's Cut Remix)
- D1: Hardsoul Feat Ron Carroll - Back Together (Director's Cut Classic Club Mix)
- D2: Spencer Parker & Dan Beaumont - The Look (Director's Cut Signature Mix)
There are few people across the globe, who will have not been touched by the work of Frankie Knuckles. Forever regarded as ‘The Godfather of House’. A Grammy Award winner, Frankie had a street in Chicago named after him where the old Warehouse once stood to commemorate the first ever Frankie Knuckles Day on 25th August 2004. Five years ago, Frankie passed away in Chicago on 31st March 2014 leaving behind one of the greatest house music legacies spanning almost four decades.
Now he is commemorated once again by long time writing and production partner Eric Kupper who will release part II of the special commemorative album on vinyl around this date. Eric, himself a seasoned DJ producer and writer, working side by side with Frankie on many his seminal classics, as well as personally working on over 116 Billboard #1 Dance Records. Having both worked together for many years they established themselves at ‘Director’s Cut’ from 2011 and set about producing original releases and remixes based on the classic ‘Def Mix’ sound while sharing equal credits for their creations.
The album features some of Directors Cut’s best works with the Re-Directed version of the seminal classic ‘Baby Wants To Ride’ plus their re rubs of Inaya Day, Sybil, Hardsoul and Lou Rawls - You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine (Kenny Summit, Frankie Knuckles & Eric Kupper Unreleased Anthem).
This album is to be released in collaboration with The Frankie Knuckles Foundation who work to continue Frankie’s legacy whilst focusing on music in schools, LGBTQ youth homelessness, AIDS research / prevention & diabetes research / education.
- A1: Daryl Hall & John Oates - Out Of Touch (Club Version)
- A2: Robbie Nevil - C'est La Vie (Extended Version)
- A3: Living In A Box - Living In A Box (Dance Mix)
- B1: Fleetwood Mac - Big Love (Extended Remix)
- B2: Artists United Against Apartheid - Sun City (Last Remix)
- B3: The Cars - Hello Again (Hello Again)
- C1: Fine Young Cannibals - Ever Fallen In Love? (Club Senseless)
- C2: The Colourfield - Running Away (Long Version)
- C3: Deborah Harry - Sweet & Low (Swing Low Mix)
- D1: Daryl Hall - Dreamtime (Extended Remix Version)
- D2: Carly Simon - My New Boyfriend (Remix)
- D3: Bob Dylan - When The Night Comes Falling From The Sky (Full Length Version)
- E1: Neneh Cherry - Buffalo Stance
- E2: Wally Jump Jr & The Criminal Element - Turn Me Loose
- E3: Arthur Baker & The Backbeat Disciples - The Message Is Love (Feat Al Green - Cupid Mix)
- F1: Roberta Flack - Uh-Uh Ooh-Ooh Look Out (Here It Comes) (Here It Comes)
- F2: Will Downing - A Love Supreme (Jazz In The House Remix)
- F3: Al Jarreau - I Must Have Been A Fool (Remix)
- G1: Jeffrey Osborne - Soweto (Remixed Version)
- G2: Jermaine Stewart - Jody (Dance Version)
- G3: Atlantic Starr - One Lover At A Time (Extended Version)
- H1: Junie Morrison - Tease Me (Long Version)
- H2: Jennifer Holliday - No Frills Love (Extended Dance Remix)
- H3: Cindy Mizelle - This Could Be The Night
- J2: Glory - Can You Guess What Groove This Is (Short Version)
- J3: Ritz - I Wanna Get With You
- K1: Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force - Planet Rock
- K2: Tina B - Honey To A Bee (Vocal/Extended Version)
- K3: Arthur Baker - Breaker's Revenge (Extended Vocal Version)
- L1: Rockers Revenge - Walking On Sunshine (Feat Donnie Calvin - 12" Version)
- L2: Freeez - Iou (Mega-Mix)
- I1: Touchdown - Ease Your Mind
- I2: Second Image - Star (Us Remix)
- I3: Central Line - Surprise, Surprise
- J1: Afrika Bambaataa & The Jazzy 5 With The Kryptic Krew - Jazzy Sensation
This latest instalment of ARTHUR BAKER Presents DANCE MASTERS finds the production/ song-writing/ remixing maestro taking the spotlight for a long overdue snapshot of his own classic 12” mixes during a crucial evolution of dance music, club
and pop culture.
“I’ve always felt like I was on a mission to make music from the time I heard Motown, Philly and Sly and the Family Stone. My mission started as a hobby and still feels like one now. You’ve got to keep on pushing and hustling. It can be a drag sometimes but
if you really love what you’re doing, it’s worth the work. I still really love what I do.”
Arthur Baker helped codify the remixer as artist. His genre-fluid approach to projects
has resulted in a joyous myriad of classics that spans many decades. This ’80’s focused DANCE MASTERS collection offers a welcome glimpse at Baker’s illustrious career and many long out-of-print 12” versions and previously unavailable mixes.
This 35-track, six LP expanded edition includes a wide array of selections from the likes of Robbie Nevil’s “C’est La Vie,” Fleetwood Mac’s “Big Love,” Neneh Cherry’s “Buffalo Stance”, Jeffrey Osborne “Soweto”, Freeez “I.O.U”, Rockers Revenge “Walking On Sunshine” and of course the juggernaut “Planet Rock” with Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force.
Complete with in-depth liner notes by Bill Coleman, track by track notes written by Arthur Baker himself, previously unseen session photos from Arthur’s personal archives and a signed insert.
All tracks remastered by Nick Robbins at Sound Mastering




















