Buscar:the move

Our sixth release comes after a short hiatus. Characterized by his obscure and brooding soundscapes, Ildec presents four tracks, including one collaboration with torrent, filled with dark and dancefloor-banging beats.

“Accept the existence of the void as a real entity, in which atoms can move and rearrange themselves”.

fabric Records to announce the highly anticipated release of *fabric presents Confidence Man*, set to drop on 23rd August 2024. The mix features Confidence Man’s innovative sound and includes two exclusive tracks from the band, alongside new music from renowned artists Joe Goddard, Joshua James, and Mona Yim.

Confidence Man, celebrated for their infectious energy and distinctive style, bring their unique flair to this mix, offering a tantalizing glimpse into the future of dance music. The exclusive tracks, “BREAK IT DOWN (ON THE BASSLINE)” and “Let Them Bells Ring,” showcase the band's signature blend of high energy and catchy grooves, promising to be instant dancefloor favorites.

Complementing Confidence Man’s contributions are cutting-edge tracks from Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard, whose production mastery continues to redefine electronic music. Joshua James, known for his deep house and techno expertise, delivers a track that captures his club-ready sound. Mona Yim adds her ethereal touch with a fresh composition that embodies her innovative approach to electronic music.

fabric presents Confidence Man* stands as a testament to fabric Records’ commitment to curating pioneering music that pushes the boundaries of the genre. This release not only highlights the versatile talent of Confidence Man but also features some of the most exciting contemporary artists in the electronic scene.

The album will be available for digital download and streaming across all major platforms on 23d August 2024.

DJ Support: DJ Support by Spiller, Alex from Tokyo, Coyote, Fango, Pete Gooding, Ally Tropical, Steve Cobby, Gold Suite, Luca Averna, Will Nicol, Danilo Braca, La Guardia De La Luz

Federico Costantini aka Luminodisco is back on Hell Yeah having long since assured his legacy with the label. Over the years, the Italian has dropped many cult and still widely played cuts here from across the disco-sphere ('Ragazzini,' 'Diavolo di un Disco,' 'Oh Mary' and more all still bang) and now he is back with a newly moved sound. A compulsion to produce something with "a more adult approach" is what defines this latest era, and a fine one it is too. Opener 'Solero' will surely become as revered as those classics above with its irresistible grooves guaranteed to bring ultimate dance floor satisfaction. The punchy drums are peppered with percussion and drum fills while gloriously sugary chords add the heat and wispy pads take things into cosmic realms. 'Jazzclub' is an unhinged rhythmic interlude that chops up vocal stabs, screwy synths and whirring machines into stomping brilliance then 'Bigfoot' slows things to a dubbed out crawl that has you gazing at the twinkling star-like synths. Things then get wonderfully wild on closer 'Soko', a jumble of percussion and tribal vocals over swaggering drum loops. Playful leads bring the sun as the dumpy bass plods on, pixel thin pads squirm all around and a celestial carnival in the sky plays out with irresistible charm.

Adam Beyer continues his elite studio form with ‘Ghost Kiss’.

The boss has been enjoying the most prolific production period of his career in recent times, while reinforcing his sonic range in the process. Recent highlights have included his standout ‘Let’s Begin’ EP which mined classic Drumcode influences, while his remix of Sharam’s PATT (Party All The Time) with Green Velvet and Layton Giordani showed a different side to his repertoire, and delivered his first overall Beatport no.1 along the way.

His latest three-track offering ‘Ghost Kiss’, continues the creative purple patch. The title track sounds like a techno outtake from ‘Requiem for a Dream’s’ soundtrack, deliciously unsettling and striking. This was made for big moments, propelled by a commanding vox that urges us to move our bodies. ‘Pilot’ shows Beyer’s musical breadth and commanding sound design, taking in elements of synth wave and indie pop all within a driving techno context. A captivating listen. The finale ‘Jack’, continues the inspired sonic referencing; a narrative-led dancefloor jaunt that takes in subtle elements house and electro, with Beyer’s unique twist.

Fellow Rome techno figurehead Adiel debuts on Spazio Disponibile with some heavy heavy low frequency cuts. Exploring bass weight in multiple tempo's, it's one of the most experimental releases on the label to date, still the main focus here is making dancefloors move. With Bristol icon Pinch contributing to the mix it's made sure these steppers are soundsystem proof and will wiggle both mind and body.

The widely beloved Romanian producer and DJ Barac delivers his new EP ‘Hypnotic Grayscale’ via Yecad this May, comprising three original compositions across the vinyl only release.

Since his debut release over a decade ago, Bucharest, Romania’s Barac has grown to become one of the most prized producers and DJ’s in the microhouse movement coming out of his home turf. A name synonymous with high quality, subtly nuanced and hypnotic grooves tightly woven together to create a sound that’s distinctly his and has found a home on many reputed labels such as Meander, Pressure Traxx, Adam’s Bite and of course his own Shamandrum. Here though, we see Barac joining the roster of Yecad, a fledgling London based imprint that has played host to music from Sepp, Vlad Arapusu, Mihai Pol, Dragutesku and Constratti since its inception in 2023.

The title-track ‘Hypnotic Grayscale’ opens the EP and encapsulates all that is loved about Barac’s productions, delicately unfurling atmospherics, haunting voices and softly reverberated chimes intertwined with airy dub chords and stripped back drums.
Following to open the B-Side is ‘Everything that is seen comes from the unseen’, stripping things back to a rawer, percussive driven state with crisp drums and a bubbling acid- tinged bass line carry the groove while sporadic resonant flutters and vocal murmurs ebb and flow within. ‘He restores my soul’ then rounds out the EP and sees Barac explore his more experimental side, fusing together ghostly synth melodies, echoing chords, spiraling resonant swells and a hypnotic Romanian spoken word vocal.

Rosebay Music presents Darker Flowers - a V/A project showcasing 4 hotly-tipped new school producers - all representing a haunting soul sound with elegance and class. Romanian wiz kid Azotix has been making moves recently with his ultra-clean future bangers. But here he shows another side of his sound with the beautiful 'Hurt'. Styke & label boss Submorphics linked up in The Hague for a unique collab in 'Lonely Dub' - channeling dub techno + moody film noir D&B. LO! represents Chicago with the timeless banger 'Transition' - bringing an early 2000s sound into 2024. And imo-Lu finishes the EP with the gorgeous- yet-deadly bassbin rattler 'Inhibition'. Epic soundsystem music straight out of Glasgow.

Esencia is beyond proud to share the fourth and final album by Culross Close. Like previous albums it’s both inward and outward facing, something for the individual and the group and ‘Learning To Let Go’ follows this tradition.

Becoming Present is a peaceful refrain, littered with percussion and devotion,encouraging the listener to sit with what is, while Reactive State taps into something else entirely. It’s a hard-hitting ride filled with percussion and decimated drums, woven into a serenading flute that captures the mind for the song’s duration.

The mood changes with Attachments. A tale of two halves, twisting between hypnotic and swirling. Surrender requires time and immersion, as the listener bears witness to an enthralling interaction between drums and keys,eventually drifting into the soul-inflected Grounding.

The magic in Letting Be unfolds naturally. From the majestic string and harp arrangements, to the metronome of the percussion, each musician finds equanimity, place and peace in the composition. Letting Go…well, that speaks for itself.

The album closes with Forward, Only. This is the sound of a group of musicians comfortable in their stride and confident in their thinking. Ready to move with whatever happens.

Maria Rita is a musical pioneer that was ahead of her time. On first hearing her song, 'Cântico Brasileiro No.3 (Kamaiurá)’, we thought it sounded like a contemporary remix that an artist such as Carl Craig could have produced. In fact, it came out in 1988 and was taken from Maria's 'Brasileira' album, released on the Brazilian, independent Acorde imprint. The song would go on to gain cult status with its inclusion on John Gomez's superb 'Outro Tempo' compilation, released on the Music From Memory label in 2017.

The album fuses new-age electronics with indigenous vocals and Amazonian rhythms. It is beautiful and unique and takes you on a journey through different moods, textures and ethereal planes. Through the sounds Maria created, you join her on a timeless voyage gazing into the future whilst embracing her powerful roots.

Maria Rita Stumpf was born in the southern inland of Brazil, in the mountains of Aparados da Serra. She started writing music at the age of 14, and through participation in festivals and song contests, she developed her material and sound. A move to Rio de Janeiro in 1985 furthered her career and led to the release of the 'Brasileira' album. The record features the legendary pianist Luiz Eça, alongside the group Uaktí and Ricardo Bordini.

1993 saw the release of 'Mapa das Nuvens (Map of the Clouds)' on CD via the Leblon label, but soon after, Maria would have a hiatus from the music industry, dedicating herself to her cultural and arts agency, Acorde. She left the stage and recordings behind, but quality always shines through and years after its original release, international diggers, producers and DJs rediscovered the greatness of Maria's music. This would lead to a re-issue of the ‘Brasileira’ LP, and later Optimo Music/Selva Discos released a 12” EP of ‘Brasileira’ remixes by Selvagem, Carrot Green and Joakim. Maria also spoke at the Red Bull Music Academy Festival in São Paulo, performed at both the Kino Beat Festival and the Brazilian leg of the Dutch festival, Dekmantel. Her two latest albums received critical acclaim, ’Inkiri Om’ in 2020 and ‘Ver Tente’ in 2022. At last, Maria has got the credit and kudos she deserves, inspiring new and future generations of producers and music lovers.

Though previously re-issued, it was after a conversation with Maria that we learned that she wanted to keep this sublime record in press, and this was something that we couldn’t wait to put into action. So here it is, the Mr Bongo pressing of ‘Brasileira’, housed in a gatefold cover.

‘Danse Cette Zik!’ by Parbleu is the debut LP from this enigmatic group of musicians and is a multi-cultural fever dream, wherein energized expanses of dynamic disco, futuristic funk, and cinematic jazz fusion are colored over by warming vibes of Caribbean dub, Latin tropicalia, and sunshine Afrobeat. Evocative instrumentals intertwine with breathtaking vocal performances, which move between sleepy-eyed soul serenades, mystical melodic chants, and expressive diva enchantments while pads swell in support—sometimes sparkling like ocean glass, other times raining down like a Morricone symphony.

Pianos and guitars converse via funk flourishes, reggae riffs, and jazz rock solos as blazing fusion synthesizers set the air aflame. Drums move between kinetic dancefloor urgency and islander rhythm relaxation and hand percussions both organic and electronic evoke rainforest ceremonials while basslines revel in 70s fusion fire and Italo synth-funk squelch. And the entire experience has been expertly captured and magically crafted by the sorcerers of sound at the West Hill Studio, resulting in a thrilling adventure of imagined exotica, one equally adept at scoring coastal paradises, filmic deserts, riviera cruises, or nightclubs sweltering in the light of a mediterranean moon.

(Words by Octagon Eyes)

New Release "Gypsy Heart / Beautiful Lies SKYLINE RECORDINGS Is proud to be release another OG banger from the wonderful Ms Betty Black "Gyspy Heart" is a driving dancer with sassiness and flair, just how Betty like it. Power vocals with a punching back beat, screaming for the dance floor. Betty goes back to the beginning when Rhythm met the Blues under the watchful eye of Gospel and the African-American Spiritual. It's mystical and cinematic but gutsy, and funky to boot! Roots Revival Soul with a sophisticated twist. On the flip "Beautiful Lies" Perfect song, uptempo dancer - which throws you staright into a story, where Ms Betty Black takes you into another world, but one that so many women, in particular, can relate to - another strong vocal mover, with a motown overtone. Summer fun. SL45030 x400 copies includes paper insert slv "I always expect excellence from her and she's delivered again" - Craig Charles, The Craig Charles Funk & Soul Show, BBC Radio6, 01.06.24...

Sirsounds Records returns to the dancefloors with the next instalment of Sirs Cuts, brought forth by one half of Lovebirds, SIRS himself aka Daniel Klein.

A perfectly formed EP delivering four killer Disco, Soul and Balearic cuts, designed to spread love across the dance floor. This one is for the movers n groovers!

2024 Reissue

Led by Danny Leak, a guitarist who was active in the Chicago soul scene in the 60s and 70s, the legendary group 100% PURE POISON brought together a total of nine artists and released only one album.Their only album, "Coming Right At You", was released only in the UK in 1974, but it was appreciated worldwide during the rare groove movement of the 80's and continues to be appreciated by collectors around the world.The opening track, "You Keep Coming Back," is a soul-tastic song with fresh vocals that seem to stretch out forever, and the horns in the background are wonderful. This is the song that starts the party. The following song, "No More City, No More Country," has a funky guitar riff that invites you to dance, and the flow from the female chorus to the trumpet solo in the middle of the song is irresistible. Windy C", the first track on the B-side of the record, is the highlight of the album, with its dramatic interplay between Danny Leak's strong guitar and Steve Maxwell's pleasant organ, and its wordy vocals, making it a song that can reach a wide range of rock fans other than soul and funk.Throughout the album, you'll find a good balance of soulful, comforting songs to upper-key, funk-inducing, dance-inducing tunes!

This is a 1999 album by Weldon Irvine, who gained new recognition with the rise of the hip-hop scene and the rare groove movement in the 90's and beyond, including appearances on Q-TIP and Mos Def albums! Now, for the first time ever, P-VINE is releasing this historically significant work on LP, as the original CD is hard to find.

Featuring guests such as Q-TIP, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and other artists representing the street scene of the time, the jazzy and tight groove is a must-listen, with a crossover of 70s feeling and 90s sound!

For an aesthetic of (dis)obedience. The impressions Richard Siegal and his company Ballet of Difference gathered on a trip to Japan in September 2022 now find their way into a full-length dance evening. Siegal and his team had set off for Tokyo to learn the practice of Shuudan Koudou, also known as "Japanese Precision Walking". The strictly synchronised group choreographies are astonishing in their radical stringency and have become a secret YouTube hit, not least because of their peculiar subtle humour. Siegal recognises in the extreme disciplining of the bodies an analogy to the training practice of classical ballet. In the mutual exchange of these movement cultures, questions are raised about individual and collective thinking, about personal decision-making power and social responsibility. For this extraordinary project, Richard Siegal has invited a special guest: Nazareth Panadero, long-time companion of Pina Bausch, who has long since become an icon of Wuppertal dance theatre and will be on stage with the BoD ensemble.

The production BALLET OF (DIS)OBEDIENCE is sponsored by Goethe Institut, with the kind support of Sissel GmbH.
CHOREOGRAPHY & STAGE: RICHARD SIEGAL
COSTUME: FLORA MIRANDA
LIGHT & VIDEO: MATTHIAS SINGER
MUSIC: ALVA NOTO
DRAMATURGY: TOBIAS STAAB

more info to: Shuudan koudou

'Shuudan koudou' Shuudan Koudou Is the Japanese #art of Synchronized Precision ...YouTube · Boson TV: Tech Marvels & Cool Discoveries22 Dec 2022

Kottke.org https://kottke.org › shuudan-koud...Shuudan Koudou Is the Japanese Art of Synchronized Precision Walking


On the other hand, hybrid 3 is inspired by Noh Play - Japanese performances and deals with the refusal of rules musically, hybrid three continues the two previous albums and weaves both rhythmic and beatless musical pieces into a holistic work.
The idea for me has always been that these albums are not only perceived as individual tracks, but as a whole piece, which is why I find the possibility of experiencing and listening to these albums in the right order and as a whole particularly important. For me, the pieces are not only closely related to the ballet that was created for them, but also function as individual pieces as pure, musical pieces and mark a new quality for me, which is very strongly focussed on producing electronic sounds and structures in such a way that they can develop a sculptural quality.

DJ Support: Danny Howard, Annie Mac, Mistajam, Pete Tong, Charlie Hedges, Kraak & Smaak, Maxinne, Todd Terry, Alex Preston, Full Intention, GW Harrison, DJ Rae, Rudimental, Alaia & Gallo, Illyus & Barrientos, Johan S, David Penn, Sam Divine, Riva Starr, Claptone, Nice7, Dario D’Attis, Mousse T, S-Man, Huxley, KC Lights, Friend Within, Dombresky, Gorgon City, Chris Lake, Format:B, Pirupa, TCTS, Alan Fitzpatrick, Low Steppa, Mat.Joe, Raumakustik, Eskuche


Kicking things off on our next 4-track vinyl sampler series is Toolroom's very own Martin Ikin who returns to the label with ‘Make U Sweat’! He was the Best-selling Tech House artist on Beatport in 2020 and 2021 and has over 1m monthly listeners across streaming platforms. Recent studio collabs have included Noizu and Joshwa and tours have seen him travel far and wide to the US, Brazil, Bali, Ibiza, Italy, Croatia and of course, his hometown of London. This new record is the follow up to 'Oscill8' that dropped in March 2023 and sits in a similar lane, in that it's pure, unadulterated club weaponry! Next up is Italian house legend Flashmob with the frenetic, high-energy club vibe of new cut ‘My Body’. Flashmob's sound, production and go-for-broke DJ sets have changed with the game, embracing the vitality of new house music rather than hankering after sentimental sunsets. His ethic and aesthetic move relentlessly forward, using the old and new to craft unique sonic alchemy from big festivals like Tomorrowland to the intimacy of small clubs on the international circuit. ‘My Body’ is typical of Flashmob's current sound, combining solid drums and some insane synths and fx, alongside an earworm vocal sample that results in yet another memorable club cut from an established master. Canadian Tech House maestro Nathan Barato debuts on Toolroom kicking off the B-side to the vinyl alongside studio partner, Matheo Velez with 'Weapon'. A record that has already caught the attention of the underground elite with Michael Bibi premiering the track at his first appearance back at DC-10 in Ibiza last Summer. Both artists are enjoying great success across key labels such as Viva, Circus, Snatch and RAWthentic. This is an addictive, bumpy club track

that packs a huge punch on the dance floor and actually features Nathan's very own 'Move me… Rock me' vocals! Rounding things off is UK DJ/producer duo, Jenn Getz & Alfie who are residents at Dubai's #1 nightlife destination, Soho Garden, where they warm up for legends such as Sonny Fodera, MK, Claptone, Solardo & Fisher on a weekly basis. In their relatively short 3 year career they have already released on Solotoko, Abode and Toolroom Trax and now debut on Toolroom with 'Vibration'. Both girls are incredibly passionate about house music and are also big advocates for a life centered around well-being and meditation, and the idea of this record was to combine their 2 passions in life, so they proceeded to co-write these original lyrics to accompany the track, which in itself is very inspiring! This is a super cool club record that will excite fans and DJ's alike, welcome to the Toolroom Family, Jenn Getz & Alfie!

Countless radio plays on Radio 1 from Danny Howard, Sarah Storie, Pete Tong Other notable radio plays – Kiss FM, Toolroom Radio, Sirius XM, Data Transmission Radio, Radio 1 Dance Anthems, Radio 1 Party Anthems, Rinse FM, Select Radio, Tomorrowland Radio

Our eighth chapter of Small Great Things is introduced by our resident, David Silver. The limited vinyl and digital release, titled the 'My Japanese Friend EP,' features four exquisite original tracks. This EP seamlessly blends deep and classic house vibes with contemporary beats, ensuring a refreshing dance floor experience.

Starting with the A1 side, 'Trademark' initiates the journey with a solid house groove complemented by stabs and a robust bassline. Transitioning to the A2 track, the title piece 'My Japanese Friend' assumes center stage with its infectious groovy bassline, piano chords, and captivating drums, enveloped by ambient jazzy melodies.

Turning over to the B side, we encounter two more enticing house compositions. On B1, David's 'U Move' delivers a fresh, dance floor-ready cut, featuring vocals and guitars. B2 takes the spotlight with 'Peace & Low,' a finely crafted deep house gem.

June 11, 2024 — Today, techno titan Charlotte de Witte announces her latest electrifying single, “How You Move”. The dynamic production is the second revelation from her highly-anticipated “Roar” EP, set to be released on vinyl June 20th. In sync with her latest offering, de Witte will captivate New York City once again with a monumental takeover inclusive of an Extra Butter Merchandise pop-up and a massive KNTXT show at Brooklyn Storehouse, marking a significant moment as one of the first headliners to conquer the new venue.

“How You Move” is a testament to de Witte’s signature style of pushing boundaries and encapsulating the raw essence of the techno genre. The release boasts a fusion of pulsating acid and a mesmerizing energy that promises to resonate deeply with listeners, mirroring the intense, adrenaline-fueled experiences of her live performances.

From Charlotte de Witte:
"This has been such a fun track to make. It's a high energy track containing all of the ingredients that I love the most: straightforward, engaging vocals and a powerful acid line. Show me how you move, how you get down!"

It’s a sonic exploration of motion and intensity, syncing with the heartbeat of the city that never sleeps. Coinciding with the release, de Witte’s forthcoming KNTXT takeover at the Brooklyn Storehouse is poised to be a highlight of the summer, aligning with the visceral energy of the “Roar” EP. Situated in the heart of the Brooklyn Navy Yard, The Brooklyn Storehouse is the first US-based venture from Broadrick Live – Drumsheds, and former Printworks operator – brought to fruition in partnership with Teksupport. The venue has been designed to host up to 6,000 attendees, setting the stage for an unforgettable experience.

Following her takeover last year that electrified New York City, de Witte returns to the city that never sleeps with an even bigger spectacle. Last May, de Witte kicked off an electrifying campaign and tour for her “Overdrive” EP which featured a pop-up store at Extra Butter, two sold out shows at Brooklyn Mirage and a guerilla-style surprise performance that closed down Orchard Street in NYC. This June, de Witte will deliver a high-octane immersion for New Yorkers once again with her second consecutive KNTXT pop-up shop at Extra Butter. Opening on Friday, June 21, the KNTXT pop-up at Extra Butter Lower East Side will offer exclusive merchandise, limited-run apparel and unexpected live music experiences at every turn, uniting loyal fans and new audiences alike.

Loud Enough returns with the third and final installment of the 3-EP series dedicated to Roman Pigna Records, the dancefloor-oriented sister label of Nature Records. Following the releases by Marco Passarani and Mario Pierro, it's now Francesco De Bellis's turn, akaFrancisco / Mr. Cisco.

In line with the previous EPs, LE004 showcases four tracks: two timeless cuts, "Fregna The Age" and "Miss Cha Cha Cha," alongside two previously unreleased tracks from the same era, "Move" and "House." Each piece embodies Francisco's groovy, Chicago-inspired signature style, ensuring a captivating journey on the dance floor. Music produced and written by Francesco De Bellis. Originally recorded in Studio 22 (Pigna Studios) Rome, Italy 2024 – 2008. Remixed in Mondo Studio Rome 2023

Classic South African house / Kwaito album on vinyl for the first time.

Originally released on CD in 1995, this album which is associated with the birth of South African street music genre – ‘Kwaito’ and dance/dress style ‘Pantsula’ is now remastered for vinyl from the original tapes – resulting in the best sounding version of the recording to date.


Regarded as one of the earliest full length Kwaito albums, ‘Sigiya Ngengoma’ was released just one year into South Africa’s new democracy in 1995. Characterised by ‘mid-tempo’ beats, heavy bass hooks, adapted breakdancing and vocals in informal Zulu and other South African languages; ‘Sigiya Ngengoma’ would form a critical part of the South African street music movement that now has its own fashion, crews and dance style.

It helped post-democratic South Africa define its own musical identity and would pave the way for other Kwaito releases that ultimately led to the emergence of Amapiano years later.

Hypnotone's iconic self titled mini album reissued!

Originally released by Creation Records in 1991, long out of print and now reissued, meticulously remastered and pressed onto pristine white vinyl.

Exclusive liner notes by band member Tony Martin "The Hypnotone Story: From Manchester to Creation" and including after hours favorite "Sub" and Balearic hit "Dream Beam" featuring vocals by Denise Johnson.

Formed in the vibrant milieu of Manchester's legendary Hacienda nightclub, Hypnotone emerged from the creative partnership of Tony Martin and Martin Mittler. Tony, initially involved as the in-house lighting designer, and Mittler, a bar staff member, fused their interests and talents amid the fervor of the late '80s Acid House movement that pulsated through the club. Their musical venture began earnestly after an introduction to Alan McGee, head of Creation Records. This connection would soon lead to a record deal, propelling Hypnotone into the heart of the emerging electronic dance music scene, releasing 2 albums, multiple singles and standout remixes for artists such as Primal Scream, Sheer Taft, and The Lilac Time.

With Creation Records' support, Hypnotone crafted their unique sound combining state-of-the-art digital samplers like the Akai S1000 with a collection of classic analog synths. Their debut self titled mini album includes after hours favorite "Sub" and Balearic hit "Dream Beam" featuring vocals by Denise Johnson. Hypnotone not only shaped their distinct sonic footprint but also influenced the broader trajectory of electronic music. Their journey, marked by innovation anda deep affinity for Manchester's music scene, exemplifies the transformative power of the era's cultural and technological shifts in music.

This is another must have for collectors and fans of early British (pop) house music, and very happy memories.

After a long break, Dj Vandel presents us a new release recorded and created from his native Medellín. An Ep full of emotions that through House interpreted in depth, shows a before and after. Five dope tracks, raw mixes, little processed, with repetitive rhythms and harmonies that invite the movement of the soul, footwork and immersion on the dance floor.

Record Label from Medellín, Colombia run by Dj Vandel.

Chamber music masterpiece with electronics

Albert Alan Owen was born in Wales in 1948 to parents of Welsh and Latvian heritage. His family later moved to Zimbabwe, where his father took up a teaching position. There, Owen was deeply influenced by local music and culture, while also exploring American RnB and jazz. It was during this period that he became acutely aware of the harsh inequalities under British colonial rule, which instilled in him a lifelong aversion to discrimination and racism.
In 1967, Owen returned to Europe to pursue his studies and enrolled at the Royal Academy of Music in London. He went on to spend time in Paris, studying composition with the eminent Nadia Boulanger and piano under Jacques Février, a favorite pianist of Ravel’s and Poulenc’s. Owen's focus shifted almost entirely to composition, and the acquisition of a Fender Rhodes electric piano marked the beginning of a divorce from his classical Western training. This transition allowed him to merge his passion for African and African-American music with the impressionistic styles of Ravel and Debussy while exploring the innovative realm of electroacoustic composition.
These formative experiences framed Owen’s career as a composer and educator at the Royal Academy of Music and London’s Working Men’s College. He eventually returned to Wales, where he continues to reside.

In 1979, 29-year-old Albert Alan Owen released Keyboards & Strings, a light magical chamber music masterpiece.
Transcending the formal conventions of its era, Keyboard & Strings is an acoustic and electric piano piece, where the violin is met by synths and electronics.
As is often the case in Albert Alan Owen’s most intimate works, there is a sense of ethereal beauty that emerges from the music, akin to the emotional state one might experience while contemplating a Félix Vallotton landscape or the unfathomable mystery of dawn’s first light.
Quiet, profound, and immersive, Keyboard & Strings stands out as an electronic-age tone poem, a rare gem that transcends time and place.

OPUS is a fusion of visual brilliance and pulsating beats that transcends the boundaries of traditional experiences. This emerging project is the epitome of synergy between art and electronic music, where every stroke of the brush and every sonic pulse are meticulously orchestrated to create an immersive journey. OPUS invites you to step into a world where each note resonates with the vibrant strokes of artistic expression. Join us in this extraordinary celebration of the interconnected realms of art and electronic music, where every moment turns into piece of art.

Since 2019 Demdike Stare had been playing edits of Dolo Percussion’s bare-boned breaks in their DJ sets, eventually sharing them with Dolo’s Andrew Field-Pickering (Beautiful Swimmers, boss of Future Times) and fomenting a creative fusion that hits at the square root of their shared tastes for unruly, deadly rhythms. In a transatlantic back ’n forth - or what Kodwo Eshun termed a double refraction - they juggle the rudest aspects of UK hardcore, as derived from electro, breaks and garage-house - that would feed into Dolo’s pool of sound, and return to the UK via the likes of breakbeat wizard Karizma, who was a key touchstone for the whole late ‘90s broken beat movement key to Demdike’s tastes.

Still following the thread? It’s not that tricky - both US and UK operators favour breakbeat music more than anywhere else, and this devilish hook-up is the epitome of a conversation ongoing for generations now. At each parry, the three cuts here are exemplary of the way DJs, producers and dancers on both sides of the pond have pushed each other to new heights in a feedback loop designed to make the dance throw the maddest shapes.

‘DOLO DS 1’ racks up a full clip of flintiest breakbeat hardcore, pivoting gasping samples inna dervish of ruffneck syncopation, ruggedly distinguished from the pitching, gritty drum machine chicanery of ‘DS DOLO EDIT 1’, and their super crafty sidestep into the offbeats, hingeing around ghost snares and practically spectral levels of percussive suss in ’DOLO DS 2’ which basically sounds like a prime Autechre tumbling thru dub.

Plafond continues, taking center stage after the mother label BAKK ceded. Here, two long-time collaborators, Ekolali, originating from Sweden, and Tala Drum Corps, from the Netherlands, await their returns. The former reappears with a characteristic approach earlier heard on 'Doggerland'. The latter did multiple dance releases yet now debuts for this series, expanding on his stylistic spectrum. Despite shared tempo, the energies of the track are each of their own. Pulsating with energetic urgency, Ekolali, towards hypnotic movement, Tala Drum Corps. 'Totem Mollusca' shoots for the sun, like a budding landscape, yellow rays, waterdrops - kraut-inspired yet club-like without seeking a climax. 'tokyo subway' has a marimba-ridden, timeless approach - a clock-ticking, crude atmosphere, as a dream long passed, slowly ascending. Known for its two-sided, two-songs approach, Plafond offers two artists or artist combinations the freeform room for exploration and elongation of their respective sound and practices. This is the eighth in the series.

DJ Support: Danny Howard, Annie Mac, Mistajam, Pete Tong, Charlie Hedges, Kraak & Smaak, Maxinne, Todd Terry, Alex Preston, Full Intention, GW Harrison, DJ Rae, Rudimental, Alaia & Gallo, Illyus & Barrientos, Johan S, David Penn, Sam Divine, Riva Starr, Claptone, Nice7, Dario D’Attis, Mousse T, S-Man, Huxley, KC Lights, Friend Within, Dombresky, Gorgon City, Chris Lake, Format:B, Pirupa, TCTS, Alan Fitzpatrick, Low Steppa, Mat.Joe, Raumakustik, Eskuche


Kicking things off on our next 4-track vinyl sampler series is Toolroom's very own Martin Ikin who returns to the label with ‘Make U Sweat’! He was the Best-selling Tech House artist on Beatport in 2020 and 2021 and has over 1m monthly listeners across streaming platforms. Recent studio collabs have included Noizu and Joshwa and tours have seen him travel far and wide to the US, Brazil, Bali, Ibiza, Italy, Croatia and of course, his hometown of London. This new record is the follow up to 'Oscill8' that dropped in March 2023 and sits in a similar lane, in that it's pure, unadulterated club weaponry! Next up is Italian house legend Flashmob with the frenetic, high-energy club vibe of new cut ‘My Body’. Flashmob's sound, production and go-for-broke DJ sets have changed with the game, embracing the vitality of new house music rather than hankering after sentimental sunsets. His ethic and aesthetic move relentlessly forward, using the old and new to craft unique sonic alchemy from big festivals like Tomorrowland to the intimacy of small clubs on the international circuit. ‘My Body’ is typical of Flashmob's current sound, combining solid drums and some insane synths and fx, alongside an earworm vocal sample that results in yet another memorable club cut from an established master. Canadian Tech House maestro Nathan Barato debuts on Toolroom kicking off the B-side to the vinyl alongside studio partner, Matheo Velez with 'Weapon'. A record that has already caught the attention of the underground elite with Michael Bibi premiering the track at his first appearance back at DC-10 in Ibiza last Summer. Both artists are enjoying great success across key labels such as Viva, Circus, Snatch and RAWthentic. This is an addictive, bumpy club track

that packs a huge punch on the dance floor and actually features Nathan's very own 'Move me… Rock me' vocals! Rounding things off is UK DJ/producer duo, Jenn Getz & Alfie who are residents at Dubai's #1 nightlife destination, Soho Garden, where they warm up for legends such as Sonny Fodera, MK, Claptone, Solardo & Fisher on a weekly basis. In their relatively short 3 year career they have already released on Solotoko, Abode and Toolroom Trax and now debut on Toolroom with 'Vibration'. Both girls are incredibly passionate about house music and are also big advocates for a life centered around well-being and meditation, and the idea of this record was to combine their 2 passions in life, so they proceeded to co-write these original lyrics to accompany the track, which in itself is very inspiring! This is a super cool club record that will excite fans and DJ's alike, welcome to the Toolroom Family, Jenn Getz & Alfie!

Countless radio plays on Radio 1 from Danny Howard, Sarah Storie, Pete Tong Other notable radio plays – Kiss FM, Toolroom Radio, Sirius XM, Data Transmission Radio, Radio 1 Dance Anthems, Radio 1 Party Anthems, Rinse FM, Select Radio, Tomorrowland Radio

Moxy Editions Vol 7 is packed with 4 absolute gems from House, Disco, to Minimal & a Deep Bassy wobbler.

First up is Sosa with the track ‘bring it back’ which has been supported by such a long list of DJs we wouldn’t be able to list them all in here, this is a peak time bass heavy bomb track that is guaranteed to do the business

Jordan Peak’s Disco Nights is as the names suggests is a peak time dancefloor smasher with a thumping & on a disco vibe.

For those more into the nu skool minimal vibes the Adam Lance track is for you. Tried & tested by Darius Syrossian it has been stealing the show every time. As Darius says you know something is massive when you get hounded with track id requests for a track!

Finally it’s ’Tear The Club Up’ this is a classic from the Viva Warriors / Tribal Sessions days that was never released on Digital, & will never be released on Digital, this was made by Darius solely for his BBC RADIO 1 Essential Mix recorded live from Sankeys Ibiza in 2013, and was an anthem for a few summers, but never released, here it is Vinyl Only this one time, if you want a copy here is your chance

Uluru is back with a new tasty pizza-focaccia 7” vinyl.

All the way from Italy, fellow producer RBL delivers 2 instant classics for all the b-boys and b-girls out there.

Get down on the floor and show your moves.

Pull up guaranteed!

Uluru is back with a new tasty pizza-focaccia 7” vinyl.

All the way from Italy, fellow producer RBL delivers 2 instant classics for all the b-boys and b-girls out there.

Get down on the floor and show your moves.

Pull up guaranteed!

Eastside Edits strikes again with two DJ friendly versions of 1976 chart toppers! Their 7th release features
two tracks from the talented Greek DJ/Producer/Remixer, DJ S! DJ S returns to the classics with two
70’s dancefloor weapons guaranteed to get the party started!

SIDE A) “Moves At Midnight” takes an all-time Disco favorite and updates it for 2024 with chunkier
drums and a steady, mixable groove. All the feel of the 70’s original without the clumsiness of mixing a
70’s 45. Disco perfection from DJ S!
SIDE B) “Lay Down That Boogie” breathes new life into a 70’s Funk/Rock staple. This funky edit adds a
DJ friendly intro, subtle arrangement changes, and chunkier drums, all without losing that original 70’s
feel. Another very tasteful edit from DJ S!

Glasgow based Seated Records return with more 1980s Scottish Post-Punk / New Wave material. In this 8-track mini compilation the label introduces the work of Stirling band 22 Beaches, offering a deep dive into music recorded between 1980-1984 - the majority of which has never seen the light of day!

22 Beaches formed in Stirling in the late 1970s as an evolution of the short lived group ‘Alone at Last’ - drummer Fred Parson’s and guitarist Stephen Hunter being the two who spanned the divide. Out of the six members of 22 Beaches, many were school friends, and the rest naturally fell together. The band toured extensively and played at a truly diverse set of venues across the UK: from a local swimming pool boiler room, to small nightclubs and university parties, to several fundraisers for the miners strike. Maybe most notably of all, drummer Fred Parsons described playing at what he calls “the Grangemouth International”, organised by local promoter Brian Guthrie and which featured an all-star lineup of 22 Beaches, The Exploited and the first incarnation of The Cocteau Twins. A coach was hired to ship the audience to Grangemouth from Stirling, the cost of which was included in the ticket. The gig then paused halfway through for a 'help yourself' buffet. Young promoters take heed. This is how it's done!

Over the course of the 80s the band released music on three different, and now sought after, various artists compilation cassettes. “What Day Is It?” and “Sadie When She Died” were released on a compilation of local Stirling artists 'The A.N.K.L.E File'. The track from which the current record takes its namesake - “Dust” - was initially released on a compilation-tape for the fanzine 'Another Spark'. And ‘‘Zoo” (also featured on this record) was first released on Glasgow label Pleasantly Surprised via compilation, 'An Hour Of Eloquent Sounds', where 22 Beaches rubbed shoulders with early music from Scottish names Primal Scream, Cocteau Twins, The Wake and Sunset Gun. Unfortunately, 22 Beaches never met the same level of commercial success as these others and decided to retire the project in 1984 - leaving their recordings and demos to gather dust (hehe)…until now!

This compilation, “Dust: recordings 1980-1984” follows the band's journey and the changes in their sound over the years. It moves from the raw, punk energy of early DIY recordings through to the A Certain Ratio style Balearica of their later pieces. The record's opener and title track “Dust” is perhaps the most shining example of the latter. Characterised by the plenitude of sonic space in the mix, “Dust” has an almost dub sensibility that is communicated through centrality of Parsons’ drums, McChord’s percussion, and Fildes’ Bass while the harmonising vocals of Sharkey and McGregor chant over the top to give the track its distinctive psychedelic edge. This is an atmosphere only exacerbated by the lofi quality of the recording which sits the vocals in the same aural realm as much 1960s psych-folk. On “Cartoon Boy”, the band strips things down further. A droning bass line persists through the tape fuzz and is accompanied by the sounds of a sole looping guitar chord sequence and McGregor and Sharkey’s vocals - respectively and carefully dancing around one another before harmonising in the most beautiful way. The result is a haunting and abstract Marine Girls style heartbreaker. ‘That Girl’ again delivers a dub adjacent rhythm section similar to that of “Dust”. However, on this instance crisp guitar chords, a distant, phased organ and blue-eyed soul vocal delivery, produce a track that could easily have been a lost Orange Juice recording from their sessions with Dennis Bovel. On “Somebody Got It Wrong” and “One Of Us” the band employ a more macro approach where a jangling guitar with an almost highlife-influenced tone, vocal ad-libs and syncopated percussion give the music a Talking Heads-esque swagger.

Taken together these tracks illustrate a clear trajectory in the band's sound, moving from from the high energy no-wave quality of early recordings towards a more dub influenced, and stripped-back sound - a sonic trajectory followed by so many bands of the time, not least those emerging from the diaspora of Manchester’s Factory Records.

On “Breathing’’ we hear the beginning of this transition, with the strong influence of the oddball NYC disco styles of Was (Not Was) and ZE records. All of this is meshed together with the residual punk rock energy of 1980s UK. This combination is employed to excellent effect with the addition of the distinctly Scottish (and what the band confirmed to me to be spontaneous) vocal delivery of: “Do you love me? Do you want me?” “Aye!” “Do you love me? Do you need me?” “Naw!”.

On the record’s closing tracks, “Zoo” and “Talent Show”, we hear early examples of the band’s work, playing with their rawest all-in-one-take live energy where Hunter’s spiralling guitar riffs and McGregor's distorted vocal exclamations lead the charge. The band recalls that these initial-forays did not always translate so well into multitrack recording and overdubbing: “the deconstruction took away some of the band's natural feel”. On “Talent Show” the record ends with Sharkey delivering an almost unintelligible spoken word section over the top of the track, making for one final, disorientating, almost manic slice of post-punk.

These tracks from 1980-1984 chart the progress of a unique contribution to the world of Scottish Post-Punk and New Wave, encapsulating not only the musical trajectory of 22 Beaches but also echoing the broader sonic landscape of 1980s UK, a testament to the adaptability and creativity of the UK’s underground music of the time.

"Creation" is the debut album by British songwriter, singer & pianist James Sayer and includes the three singles "Living It Up", "Chemistry" and Cherry".

After spending many years playing for others, Sayer says that "writing my own music happened completely by accident. But I'm so glad I recorded that one demo which ultimately spurred me on to create a full album all this time later." Sayer, often called an old soul due to his love of classic song writing and bygone eras comments that although technology has changed the landscape of the musical world today, making a record organically was still a must for him.

Originally from Birmingham, Sayer's fascination and love of music began at a very young age when he learnt all thing rhythm & blues and rock'n'roll from his dad's music collection of artists such as Elton John or Jerry Lee Lewis, later also finding a love of soul artists such as Michael McDonald, Aretha Franklin, Van Morrison and Earth, Wind and Fire. Sayer moved to London in 2012 where he began performing almost every night in piano bars, clubs and pubs; spotted by the likes of Tom Jones whilst holding down a residency at the world-famous American Bar at the Savoy hotel.

About recording "Creation" he says: "I've tried to capture all the styles I love - Soul, Rhythm & Blues, Gospel and classic pop music – but still create a sound that is all mine".

Following his debut EP ‘En clair-obscur’ and a series of singles earlier this year cementing his place as a rising name in the world of cinematic soul & funk, Hamburg’s finest cinematic soul artist ‘The Offline’ announces his debut album 'La couleur de la mer'.

Reminiscent of film scores from the 60s and 70s, The Offline worked with co-producer Tim Liztenberger to channel the influence of film composers such as Francois de Roubaix and Brian Bennet, creating his own soundtrack on ‘La couleur de la mer’. Inducing images of manorial, fog-swept villas at the sea's edge, silhouetted sailing boats and cigar-chomping villains attempting to thwart the mission of an imaginary hero, the record is a masterfully composed sonic journey. Experimenting with themes and atypical song structures, the music moves from dramatic cues to fragile romanticism. It incorporates psychedelic spaciness, retro soul and hip-hop sensibilities informed by The Offline’s extensive record collection and crate-digger status.

“Ever since I was a child, I was fascinated by the soundtracks from the 60s and 70s, and I always wanted to make an album in the film score direction. I wrote about 30 demos, kicked half of it and stuck to the ones that felt right in the dramaturgical structure of the ‘movie'. Interestingly the main theme was set early on while writing the album, which made the writing process much easier.”

Aptly named, ‘Thème de la couleur de la mer’ opens proceedings, establishing the core motifs of the record. Haunting flutes and xylophones lead the way into Khruangbin-esque guitar lines, which sit against a hip-hop canvas that returns on boom-bap head boppers like ‘Quelque chose reste’. Retro soul revival takes precedence on deep cuts like ‘Un bout de chemin’, with wah-gated guitars interacting with emotive cello lines and symphonic string & horn sections.

The Offline came to life when composer and photographer Felix Müller travelled the Atlantic coastline in the south of France with his analogue camera, capturing beach life on film. After coming back to Hamburg, he started writing songs as the sonic counterpart to the analogue visuals. His Debut EP ‘En Clair-Obscur’ includes five tracks that capture the essence of his journey and the feeling of a cool summer soundtrack.

Probaly no one will tag Rockets into the Italo Disco movement as this is very well know Progressive Rock band. But Tino Silvestri made two incredible remixes from the Atomic album in 1983 in a super italo disco mood. A really hard to find re-issued on yellow vinyl (like the original release, Orange and black vinyl). Don't miss it, It's a imited numered release.

Forest Green Vinyl

Seafood Sam is a futuristic artifact. If that description might sound confusing at first, it matches the eclectic dualities found in true originals. With his effortless cool and timeless style, the North Long Beach native defies convention and exact comparison. He's a virtuosic rapper, a stop-you-in-your tracks singer, and a symphonic producer. Welcome to the lavish life of a laid-back transcontinental man of mystery, rolling in old school Cadillacs, eating caviar with a blade in his pocket, and making plays in vintage Pelle Pelle gear. A blaxploitation icon for the Instagram age, blessed with the bars of a `90s legend and 23rd century swagger. Seafood Sam is a true hero of modernity. On his full-length album debut for up-and-coming label drink sum wtr (Kari Faux, Deem Spencer, Aja Monet) debut, Standing on Giant Shoulders, Sam splits the difference between Snoop Dogg and D' Angelo, Curren$y and David Ruffin. The songs reveal a forward-thinking sensibility rooted in ancestral soul. He creates spiritual hymns for the streets that tap into universal ideals and irrepressible groove. In an era plagued by short-term thinking, his ambitions reveal a crate-digging depth of music history and a meticulous ear for detail. The giant shoulders in the album's title refer to James Brown, Bobby Brown, and Miles Davis - the holy trinity who inspired Sam's process. From the Godfather of Soul, Sam took a perfectionist's rigor and focus. The example of Bobby Brown lent an unshakeable confidence and self-belief. While the constant artistic left turns of the trumpeter that birthed Ccool offered an aspirational archetype. The story starts in the glory days of Long Beach hip-hop. As a young child, the G-Funk era soundtracked rides in Sam's father's car. Some of his earliest memories are trying to memorize Snoop's verse on "Nuthin' But a "G" Thang." Beyond gangsta rap, the LBC has historically doubled as a capital of lowrider soul and carwash oldies. At any intersection, you could hear Dogg Food or Brenton Wood, Warren G or Barbara Lynn. This too was absorbed via osmosis. It also just so happened that the art of performance was always in Sam's blood. So at family functions, he and his sister supplied entertainment by singing karaoke renditions of The Isley Brothers. While his Harlem Shake remains a thing of local lore. Long Beach is a culturally diverse mecca of skate parks and gang life, street fashion and tricky dance moves. This is the place that raised Sam on a diet of Wu-Tang and Nelly Furtado, Lil Bow Wow and Allen Iverson. He was the middle ground between his two older brothers: one who gangbanged, the other who graduated with a master's degree from UC-Santa Barbara. But it wasn't until the end of high school that Sam started to take rap seriously. Alongside long-time collaborators like Huey Briss and Reaper Mook, Sam's name began to make waves on the northside of the city, but he was partially distracted by a modeling career that paid the bills and took him all to way to walk in Paris' fashion week. The first turning point arrived with 2018's "Ramsey," a self-produced, slick-talk anthem with over 10,000,000 streams across all platforms. With each subsequent release, Sam showcased his peerless consistency, building buzz both online and in the city streets. Spin hailed his "smooth and unhurried cadences and understated lyricism_ that sounds like nothing else in Long Beach." Clash raved about Sam's "evolution as an artist, cruising through nostalgic production with slick, witty rhymes." The culmination arrives with Standing on Giant Shoulders. It's the evidence of a master, a young sensei in the model of Quincy Jones. All rhymes, singing, production, and arrangements were handled by Sam - with an assist from his close Long Beach kinsman Tom Kendall from the group Soular System. It's hard-edged and lyrical enough for disciples of Larry June and Roc Marciano, but orchestral and melodic enough for fans of Anderson .Paak and H.E.R.

Pitched Peach's inaugural release marks a significant homage to the Bay Area's musical legacy, featuring five tracks from Darwin Chamber, the alter-ego of Mark Greenfield.

Chamber's contributions have been instrumental in shaping the distinctive sound of the ambient house/trip-hop and breakbeat movement that originated in San Francisco during the 1990s. His work offers listeners a timeless experience that represents the essence of electronic music's history. This EP encapsulates the playfulness we seek both as a listening experience and to burn the dance floor, setting the stage for an electrifying future of releases on the label. All tracks have been remastered for the occasion!

"Deep Dancefloor Jams of African Disco, Funk, Boogie, Reggae & Proto Electro Music 1977-1986reggWhen a passionate DJ and crate digger intuitively selects music for a DJ compilation, without artistic compromise and without the burden of trends, AfroMagic vol.1 emerges from the depths of his soul. Herewith we present the new favorite phonomancer’s tool for all the DJs who experience the dance floor as a sanctuary and a source of freedom and love.

The most fundamental thing that defines African music is that it was created for dancing. In African dance, there is often no clear distinction between ritual celebration and social recreational entertainment – one can seemlessly merge with the other. Because dance and rhythm have more power than gesture and more richness than words, and because they express the deepest experiences of human beings, dance is in itself a complete and self-sufficient language. It is truly an expression of life with all of its emotions – joy, love, sadness and hope – without which there is no African music and dance. For the African people, dance and music are integral parts of the body and soul, thus depicting the expression of life, current emotional states, visions or dreams. Through hypnotic repetitive music and dance, people communicate with each other and with the souls of the dead, the animals, the plants, the stars, the Gods… They free the body and the spirit through ecstatic states, reaching a healing sense of freedom, happiness, and satisfaction.

Throughout history, this transcendental perception of rhythm and dance originating from Africa, influenced popular music worldwide, thus creating new living and breathing forms of musical genres – freeing them from their industrial mold. Funk, disco, soul, boogie, reggae, dancefloor jazz etc., developed in parallel all over the world. It is foolish to perpetually discuss where they originated from and who were the creators of all these fiery dance floor genres – being obvious that they directly or indirectly originate from the African continent and its people who were as well, over the centuries, influenced by disturbing socio-cultural factors of colonialism. However, no one can enslave the soul. The seeds of free and uninhibited dance and rhythm, true to their original form, initially first sprouted onto the USA’s fertile fields of clubbing and popular music while later evolving in other parts of the world.

The disco funk club culture manifested itself as a phenomenal explosion of artists and grooves in the second half of the 70s in the USA. Shortly it spread around the world continually reigning over charts in its various forms – to this day. Clubs emerged where the DJ is an almighty shaman and the dancers are a tribe united under one roof. This urban ritual had and still has a single goal: togetherness, freedom, and love. Clubs have evolved into temples where we free ourselves from the burden of a consumerist lifestyle and suppressed emotions – a place where we receive love and give love – to be who we really are.

Disco funk clubbing was such an influential global phenomenon that its influence can be observed in various other genres from the disco funk era i.e. progressive rock, which mutated by layering complex rock arrangements with a disco funk groove resulting in hybrids, highly sought by today’s diggers, producers and collectors. The profit-hungry music industry of the 80s very quickly commercialized the original disco funk sound by amputating of its original Afro groove to be able to easily ‘sell’ it globally. So, the original disco funk groove became underground again, and it has remained so until this day. Today, for a DJ to unearth that ravishing groove that will lead the dancers to the stars, he must dig passionately like a true musical archaeologist in search of that groove that picks you up after just a few initial beats. That groove which forces the atoms in your body to vibrate, that groove which unites the body and releases the burden.

The AfroMagic compilation series is created as a tool for real DJs who stick to the aesthetics and essence of clubbing.

This continuation of the Afromagic compilation by DJ Borovich was created in a private jam session which served as an escape route from intense and complex love problems.

Unconsciously driven by intuition and emotion and following a live mix tape framework where many tunes are arranged instantaneously, Borovich narrates his story with a strong rhythm that cuts loose even the most blocked off energy nodes and restores happiness to the spirit and the body.

The musical experience of the groove is completed by the lyrics of the songs, which symbolically give DJ Borovich universal answers to his questions arising from questioning the boundaries, nuances and other forms of love.

When considering that Borovich’s selection was created to facilitate an escape from the burdens of reality through rhythm and dance, we can be sure that Afromagic Vol. 2 will have a 100% uplifting, energized and spaced-out effect on the listeners.

The intro to A1, “Feeling Happy” by the Apostles, introduces us to an experienced and slow, cool and irregularly tight groove containing a confidently sung chorus that instantly gives a sense of freedom and hints at the remainder of Afromagic Vol. 2: “I’m gonna feel happy, ´cause I know I’m gonna be myself.” After the anthemic song mantra of the Apostles, Aigbe Lebarty uncompromisingly continues with a dirty disco rhythm. Acidified by accented synths that elevate it to shamanic levels and held together by a female tribal choir, we embark on an uncompromising ritual disco journey. Without a moment to take a breather the prog funk band Mighty Flames and their Road Man launch a highly vicious and raw, thick funk groove spiced with acid synths and dirty RnR breaks, raising the bar for the A side. Jimi Hendrix himself would surely praise it given the ultimate freedom and virtuosity in the solo sections. With the last tune on A side DJ Borovich decides to burn the floor with Geraldo Pino’s psychedelic, acid furious groove and lyrics which describe this HEAVY part of love problems: “The way she walk, the way she talk, the way she does a funky dances, she is really really heavy – that woman”.

While the A side represents a compact intoxicating afro groove machine that separates us from reality and lifts us up to the stars in over 23 minutes, the B side is a treasure trove of proto sub-genres gems. This selection represents the mission of the Afromagic: to find singular events in African recorded discography of popular music from the 70s and 80s that give evidence to the birth of new modern genres on the Dark Continent even before they emerged in the U.S.A. or Europe. The beginnings of electronic music influenced genres are represented back to back with 80s synth jazzy pop, all painted in African colours.

The B side opens big with Jake Sollo and a huge reggae blues number singing about the humiliation of a man – goosebumps guaranteed! “You think I’m nobody that’s why, you don’t know the way for me, I’m somebody I know, I found myself at last”. Adolf Ahanotu then enters the scene with a hard sliding tackle at B2 and an exotic rare disco funk dancefloor napalm. A ‘Sensation’ that would ignite even the coldest of introverts. While we approach the end of the compilation the narrative revolves again and takes a different turn. No less and no more than to the proto-electro that Baad John Cross serves us in “Give Me Some Lovin´”. The fat and repetitive broken electro synth groove, championing many early 90s electro tracks, is presented here without hesitation and with constant tension accompanied by a mantric chorus “Gimme some, gimme some, gimme some looooovin’, EVERBODY!!!”. Finally, we’re guided to the end of Afromagic Vol. 2 by Eji Oyevole’s 80s synth pop style presented in an authentic afro manner, giving us a glimpse at yet another released Afromagic edition, as well as giving an answer to DJ Borovich’s love problems. A smoothly broken electronic rhythm resembling electrified highlife sounds, carried on the wings of a virtuoso dreamy saxophone on top of which Eji presents the most intimate parts of himself. Finalizing the track with a symbolic chorus, on the surface referring to the dancefloor and simply having fun, but in actuality referring to the skill and happiness of living: “I´m a dancer, I can dance”. So, get up and dance among the stars with DJ Borovich and Afromagic.

That true beauty lies in the essentiality and meticulous combination of a few elements is sometimes not just a cliché. The delicate blend of Roland CR-78, acoustic guitar and dissonant organs that intertwine in Open Windows is a vivid demonstration of this. It is these few elements, now distant and hinted at and now close and deafening, that paint the backdrop of melancholic nostalgia where laconic whispers move the listener within the paintings that bear the sonic signature of Human Figures. To Daniel Lewis’ new project, which has seen its springboard through releases on the label of his friends at Frigio Records, perhaps the adjective “new” is already quite tight. He has built a very recognizable sonic tibre, an influence of producers and listeners at different latitudes of the post-punk and wave scene.

In the 8 canvases of Open Windows the folk tradition is repainted in a more contemporary guise: the sweet and sad litanies are alternated with fast and frenetic stornelli in which the combination of tradition and experimentation constitutes the stylistic signature. The open window through which the listener has the opportunity to look out in this album does not, however, give onto a natural external panorama. It projects into an inner world where introspection and silence are the only chance to grasp its sublime beauty.

Standard version on 2LP black vinyl in gatefold sleeve. ‘Lefto presents Jazz Cats' is back with volume 3 and still doing what it does best: putting you in the front row of what the thriving Belgian jazz scene currently has to offer and revealing a melting pot of the musical talent.



'Lefto presents Jazz Cats' is back with volume 3 and still doing what it does best: putting you in the front row of what the thriving Belgian jazz scene currently has to offer and revealing a melting pot of the musical talent coming out one of the smallest countries in Europe. Never change a winning team they say, so we're happy to have Belgian DJ and eclectic connoisseur Lefto on board again.

Although you expect thecompilation to be talking jazz, volume 3 explores a broader array of styles, genres, and sounds than ever before, arriving at a point where the 'young cats' of today don't bother no more. It may focus on the Belgian scene, but let's face it, seeing the influences, this one could be compiled from all over the world. From the empowering and bittersweet voices of Oriana Ikomo and Adja, over the more acoustic-electronic productions of Moodprint, Ciao Kennedy, Kassius and echofarmer. It's even expanding the Jazz Cats universe to dub and bass-heavy tracks with Kin Gajo and Le Ministère, Ethio-jazz from Azmari, while sending you back to earth with bodies' swirling sax and drums. That saxophone still rings in your ears when you end up in the orbit of the march-like drums of Bodem, Orson Claeys' piano testing your ability to follow him, slamming the breaks to go smooth cruisin' with HONEY (Morricone meets Khruangbin, anyone?), to crashing in a raging tempo on that last track of Bruno x Soet x Moene. And there you are, back with us.



2018's 'Lefto presents Jazz Cats' included tracks from some of Belgium's biggest hitters, including Black Flower, STUFF. De Beren Gieren and Glass Museum who have all gone on to receive global acclaim. The album was given the accolade of 'Album of the Week' on Worldwide FM and also received further radio support from Jazz FM in addition to numerous glowing reviews. The 2022 follow-up 'Jazz Cats volume 2' paved the way for a new generation inspired by its peers, entering another era of very talented individuals and collectives. Maybe even more so than 4 years before. It uncovered a beautiful balance of more established but also obscure musicians and artists. Opening up to electronics and dance, enter bands like ECHT!, Stellar Legions and TUKAN. Thrilling innovative soundscape grooves and jazz fusion with Bandler Ching and L?p?GangGang, not to forget about the weaving musical odyssey that is M.CHUZI. In addition, there's the balanced unease of One Frame Movement, the laidback 'acoustic electronica' of Boombox Experiments, the classic funky jazz stylings of Cargo Mas and cinematic The Brums, all of these have set volume 2 on the map as an essential release for any jazzhead with a passion for new sounds.

Tastemaker, selector, curator, DJ and producer, these words often get mentioned when Lefto's name pops up in discussions. And rightly so. If you've ever had the pleasure to listen to one of his incredible Boiler Room sets or one of his many radio shows, you'll know why. Famed for his gloriously eclectic taste on the decks, he switches effortlessly between hip hop, funk, breaks, neck-snapping beats, future bass, South-American influences, bruk riddims, some wild African rhythms and of course, jazz.

Growing up as a child, his father would have the sounds of jazz flowing through the speakers. Which led him to bars around town to hear the latest jazz ensembles. Falling in love with the genre, he would later refine his knack for record digging and fine ear for music working at Belgium's legendary Music Mania record store in his hometown Brussels. Which makes that Lefto is consistently a couple steps ahead. He doesn't wait for the next thing to land in his lap, but actively seeking it out.

Lefto on Jazz Cats volume 3:
"Another release in less than two years! I am very impressed by the amount of creative "jazz" talent we've managed to compile over the last couple of years. Thanks to the internet, young musicians find inspiration from around the globe and incorporate diverse influences into their work. Given the history and heritage of jazz in this country, it has managed to create a healthy jazz scene supported by festivals, venues, press, and labels. Therefore, I am very proud to present to you the thirdinstallment of Jazz Cats. This compilation is dedicated to the young and hardworking musicians who are the present and the future of Belgium's jazz scene."

The first track of the EP is a prog-heavy requiem, laced with warped synths and a percussive softness inviting you to take it straight to the dance-floor. 'Wandt Uncorked's' sonic agility is framed by the kind of driving energy that only swells more as you move, offering a new rhythm layer by layer.
Offering dreamy synths with echoes of 'A Hundred Days Off'-era Underworld, 'Gottesfuß' bends into a sprawling, sexy-weird five minutes of bliss. Building with a familiar-feeling vibrato and the cosiest anchor of bass, the second track from Niklas is your backdrop for mid dance-floor moments and after-hours alike in love.
The B-side to Wandt’s latest EP glides through every unchartered subaquatic realm imaginable. Slick breaks blend evenly into myriad underwater drones and/or extra terrestrial cries to form a deftly cast soundscape that truly highlights Wandt’s prowess as a percussionist.

Now-Again Records presents catalog-wide reissues of Latin music propellant Joe Bataan’s legendary Ghetto Records. Next up in the series - La Fantastica. This brash, big band Latin orchestra from Brooklyn debuted on Ghetto Records with an underground Salsa album which also contains the beguiling, English-language Psychedelic Soul of "Latin Blues." Ghetto Records was Joe Bataan’s way to get over on “The Man” and out of the ‘hood, a bold move by an artist looking for independence and creative control in an industry that had exploited his talents and treated him like chattel. As Bataan puts it today, “Ghetto Records was part of my journey, a stepping stone to everything else that I’ve done. I learned enough that it enabled me to get out of the box with my thinking, it showed me how to deal with adversity.” Like many dreams and schemes born of the street, this one was audacious, perhaps even reckless to a fault. Hatched from desperation yet full of hope Ghetto Records came crashing down shortly after its inception. The seven albums in its discography languished out of print - until now. These are the definitive reissues of these albums, licensed from Joe Bataan, with his oversight and input into a 16 page oversize book by Pablo Yglesias that details Bataan’s larger-than-imagination life and his little Latin label that could.

As warmer times approach Caruan and his Deset label have crafted a package which will undoubtedly be welcomed with open arms, adding to the brighter months ahead with this innovative release from tastemaking live performer and artist, Mathew Jonson. It is to no surprise that his “SOS” EP addresses an array of beautiful textures as he moves gracefully between refined jazz textures, ethereal ambience, and minimalistic moods. Jonson’s acute attention to detail has seen him remain an influential figure amongst the world of pioneering electronic music.

2024 Repress

Produced by two friends based out of Vienna,
Felix Rupprecht & Paul Walter. Paul was responsible for the first release "Shining EP" on the upstart label. Felix was born in Frankfurt am Main but moved to Vienna, where they both met each other in 2013. A few all night jam sessions later, this record was born... Liked by Michael Melchner, Varoslav & Raresh.

Warehouse Find!

The Black 80s make a long overdue return to Freerange following their 2014 release Move On (from which the Kollektiv Turmstrasse remix become something of an underground anthem). The duo hailing from Montreal and consisting of Hollis P Monroe and Overnite have been responsible for some seriously influential tracks over the years, not least Hollis' bonafide classic from 1997 - I'm Lonely. For The Rest is a slice of sultry, stripped back house heaven which drips with soul and will melt the hearts of all who hear it. The key to the tracks beauty is in the minimalism of the production keeping everything paired back to the bare bones and placing all the focus on Overnite's vocal which twists and mutates thanks to some clever use of FX. Who better to work their magic on the remix than German producer Show-B
who comes fresh off his incredible Jaap Ligthart Remix and Washint EP on his own Lossless label . Here he pushes the original through his sonic mangle, injecting steely atmospherics and layers of synths to forge a driving, muscular version which will sit perfectly amongst the sounds of Dixon, Mano et al and has already been getting early spins from Ame´. A second remix from Carlos Sanchez completes the package (on the digital
version) staying truer to the original vibe but adding delicate pads and whispering strings for some late night bliss.

Sleep Now Forever is the second and final album released by Sorrow, the post-Strawberry Switchblade group fronted by singer Rose McDowall. Originally released in 1999 and long since deleted it is a cornucopia of pastoral, elegiac folk music, swirling atmospherics, hymnal compositions and above it all the alternating towering and fragile vocal performances of McDowall. Recorded in the late 90s with fellow band member and co-songwriter Robert Lee, Sleep Now Forever is the definitive statement by the now defunct group and Rose McDowall’s most complete long-form work to date.
Released through the group’s own Piski Disk Records, Sleep Now Forever was distributed by World Serpent which struggled through the early 2000s with financial woes, eventually folding due to bankruptcy in 2004. Due to the company’s troubles, Sleep Now Forever was never distributed widely and was a victim of the company’s failure. Released on CD only, original copies are now rare and only traded on second hand channels. Remastered by Mikey Young for a limited vinyl release, Sleep Now Forever will be released on April 20th on double vinyl format, with one side an exclusive etching by Glasgow artist Holly Allan.
Despite its rarity, Sleep Now Forever enjoys a firm cult following. The album’s textures are expansive, lush, deliciously detailed and celestial. Recorded in home study Velvet Hole by Rose McDowall and then-husband Robert Lee, the album enlists an array of players from the underground Neo-folk / industrial scene: Nigel McKernaghan (Uilleann pipes, Whistles), Susan Franknel (Bassoon), John Contreras (Cello) and Lawrence Frankel (Oboe, Cor Anglais). The eleven songs here revolve around McDowall’s instantly recognisable voice. Brought up singing in the Catholic Church, McDowall’s vocals are impeccable and angelic, particularly on tracks like Turn Off The Light where her experiences with religion are canted over soaring oboe and guitar backing. By far the most evolved and realised version of Sorrow’s vision, it feels somewhat criminal that music this beautiful could be lost to time until now.
McDowall’s lyrics throughout Sleep Now Forever deal frankly with mental health, depression, altered states, death and redemption. Wave upon wave of harmony drench each song, McDowal’s vocal multi-tracked and imperious. Opener Soldier benefits from Robert Lee’s use of the studio as instrument, summoning forth a lilting group performance of sparkling guitar and percussion that recalls the Velvet Underground. Mikey Love’s master treats the compositions to brand new frequency dynamics and space. Harmonium and string drones form the counter to McDowall’s vocal on Love Dies, a slow, lurching lament that feels transcendent. On Haunting, the arrangement is orchestral and aching, bleeding into Fear Becomes You, with chord and harmony structure that recalls the baroque sixties pop of West Coast Pop Experimental Art Band or the 60s psychedelic folk movement. A towering, beautiful statement, this elegy for times lost and moonlit-illumination is finally resurfacing from the darkness.

Time Splitters is a various artist compilation created and produced by Richmond VA based Deskulling in collaboration with veteran Spanish Town JA artist I Jahbar between 2021 and 2023. This 21 track 50 plus minute Dancehall epic also includes other veteran vocalists such as G Sudden, RDL Shellah, Buddydon, and Darkchild plus newer talents such as Fearless, Longdon, Latty, King Kush and 1 Solar Boss. Alexander West who passed away in 2023 contributes an ethereal and heartfelt album closing performance on “Granny Grenade”. Time Splitters is a sprawling creation that captures a multiplicity of emotions, life complexities, spiritual evocations, and musical dimensions. Deskulling's eclectic productions are rendered to the perfect minimalism and provide a rich and varied platform for vocal performances that move between dark and light, sad and joyful, heavy and soft. A lot of work went into this release over a few years from many people during times of inner and outer complexities, turmoils, and tribulations. This release musically, lyrically, emotionally, represents life's spectrum's fully. Thanks for listening.

It’s True What They Say is the debut EP from Edinburgh-based, husband-and-wife duo Sarah/Shaun (pronounced simply Sarah Shaun), aka Sarah and Shaun McLachlan (pronounced “McLochlin”).

“Sarah and I both have a love for nostalgia,” explains Shaun. “We watched that amazing old 80’s Sci-Fi, (John) Carpenter movie, Starman, a few months back. Myself and my brother David used to watch it all the time. We must have been, roughly, 5-7 at the time. I remember loving the movie but the end, you know, with the beautiful, atmospheric, synth ending, I love that particular moment the most - best part of the movie, you know, when he goes home… It’s heartbreaking but stunning, all the same. It’s the music that moves you most… It did when I was 5 and it still does to this day. It must have had some form of a (much deeper) impact on me.”

The duo narrates stories across themes of love, hope, family, friends, dreams and sadness - the good that comes with the bad in everyday life, not just on a personal scale but within a community as well.

“Starbed is the first song I have ever written and just came out of the blue really, with Shaun playing a melody and me singing along,” says Sarah. “It’s simple and just about two people in love. Love songs are always the best songs, after all… Music has been a big part of my life from a young age. I was unwillingly dragged to piano and violin lessons, which I’m thankful for now! I’d say the first band I really became obsessed with growing up were the Beatles, and on the back of that a lot of 60s music and fashion. From then on, I had a love for music.”

“Shaun definitely opened my ears to a lot of sounds and got me thinking about soundtracks and all the noises that can be made,” she goes on. “We love just spending time experimenting in the house with instruments, pedals etc and Ali is a real magician to work with, too…”

The recordings took place over the summers of 2022 and 2023, with fellow Delta Mainline member Ali Chisholm (aka Jaguar Eyes) plus long-term friend and collaborator Gavin King. Further collaboration then came via the ‘net from the (international) likes of Chris Dixie Darley (Father John Misty), Darren Coghill (Neon Waltz) and Daniel Land (The Modern Painters), among others (see a full list of credits below).

Both Sarah and Shaun have a love for uber-soundtrack producers such as Hanz Zimmer, Max Richter, Cliff Martinez plus live acts such as Beach House, Spiritualized, M83, Suicide, Moby and OMD (to name a few). Shaun also credits the work of Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein (from Survive) on the Stranger Things score… “Even a moment in a movie, whether it be just 30 seconds during a particular scene, it grips you,” he says. But there’s something much deeper at play as well. “Music is a healer,” he goes on, “and I write from my own perspective but more so for others. Once I've done my bit, it doesn't belong to me any longer. It belongs to whoever wants it or needs it.”

The result is a cinematic, synth-wavey, dream poppy and downright beguilingly beautiful body of work. And they’re just getting started…

REVIEWS/RADIO/FEEDBACK:

“Starbed is folky, flavoured by pedal steel, cello, and brass. Dust Tears, in stark contrast, is a mini synth-pop rave epic. Part Bicep. Part Human League. Keep Your Eyes Closed summons a mood that’s romantic, but also dark and potentially doomed – like David Lynch’s Twin Peaks meets Cliff Martinez’s Drive score. My pick though is It’s True What They Say, whose interwoven jangle and picking recalls New Order’s more introspective moments (Love Vigilantes, Love Less… ). Drums crashing, cathartic. Guitar raising dramatic arcs. Its chorus a rush, like a reprise of Pains Of Being Pure Of Heart’s ‘Higher Than The Stars’.” BAN BAN TON TON
"Dust Tears sees them sharing vocal duties over a synth foundation reminiscent of Moby’s Go - Artist Of The Week” THE SCOTSMAN
"Woozy pop" NEMONE (Mary Anne Hobbs Morning Show, BBC 6Music)
"Nice one, very David Lynch meets Euro dream pop" YOUTH (Killing Joke, Paul McCartney, U2, The Orb, Spiritualized etc)
"Music sounds killer! Real emotion” DAVID HOLMES
"I’m enjoying it” TIM BRINKHURST aka LONDON (IKLAN, Young Fathers, Callum Easter)
“Oh, this is lovely!” SEAN JOHNSTON (A Love From Outer Space)
"It’s totally my cup of tea with milk and biscuit" BRENT RADEMAKER (Beachwood Sparks/GospelBeach)
"Beautiful, ecstatic electronica! Short and to the point" KEVIN BALES (Spiritualized, Julian Cope, Soulsavers, BE)
"Makes me wanna sit in the sun and sip an Arnold Palmer" CHRIS DIXIE DARLEY (Father John Misty)
“Really beautiful - Cocteau Twins / Spiritualized vibes but has its own thing going on, too - worth checking out!” JULIAN CORRIE (Franz Ferdinand, Miaoux Miaoux)
‘Sounded nice on a sunny day, makes me think of Twin Peaks, nice moods’ EAMON HAMILTON (Sea Power)
"Dealing in nostalgia, no bad thing at all, great to play that (Dust Tears) for you” RODDY HART (BBC Radio Scotland)
“I'll give the vocal tracks a spin before the release." VIC GALLOWAY (BBC Radio Scotland)
"Rather good!" IAIN ANDERSON (BBC Radio Scotland)

CREDITS:

Lyrics, Guitars, Keys, Synths, Drums, Drum Programming, Percussion, Mandolin, Glockenspiel: Shaun McLachlan
Lyrics, Vocals, Keys by Sarah McLachlan
Guitars, Synths, String Arrangements, Drum Programming, Engineering: Jaguar Eyes Percussion/Drums/Effects, Fire Extinguisher: Darren Coghill (Neon Waltz)
Guitars by Daniel Land
Slide Guitar by Chris Dixie Darley (Father John Misty)
Brass by Bruce Michie
Keys, pre-production & engineering on “It’s true what they say”: Gavin King
All produced by Jaguar Eyes and Shaun McLachlan and then mixed at Glasgow’s Chem19 Studios by David McCaulay (From Scotland With Love, Rick Redbeard, BBC TV’s Attenborough and The Mammoth Graveyard score).
Artwork: Jamie Walman (Fourteen Admirals)

MORE INFO:

Although Shaun released a pair of solo singles (When We Dance and Give Your Love To Me) during Lockdown, he will be better known to many via his work as the multi-instrumentalist in Edinburgh band Delta Mainline. With two albums released to date, Oh! Enlightened and Bel Avenir, both rapturously received by fans and critics alike, Delta Mainline have developed an international, cult following. Oh Enlightened (2013) achieved widespread critical acclaim on release, earning the band comparisons to Arcade Fire and Echo & The Bunnymen, while 2019’s Bel Avenir pulled in references to The Flaming Lips, Pink Floyd, David Bowie and krautrock. A third DM album is currently being mixed and due for release later this year…

repressed !

● Essential 14 track collection of "WaJazz" music selected and compiled by renowned Japanese jazz expert Yusuke Ogawa, owner of the Universounds record store in Tokyo.

● Gatefold 180g heavy double vinyl LP. Comes with extensive track-by-track liner notes by Yusuke Ogawa.

● All tracks licensed by Nippon Columbia, Tokyo, Japan.

● Mastering and lacquer cut by Jukka Sarapää at Timmion Cutting Lab, Helsinki, Finland.

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Universounds, HMV Record Shop and 180g team up for an exceptional release: from blazing hard bop to free jazz, to introspective saxophone solos and massive big band sounds, renowned Japanese jazz expert Yusuke Ogawa presents an essential 14 track collection of "WaJazz" music taken from the Nippon Columbia vaults. Featuring Jiro Inagaki, Minoru Muraoka, Hiroshi Suzuki, Hozan Yamamoto, Count Buffalo, Takeshi Inomata, and much more!

"Japanese jazz has been recognized and celebrated by music lovers worldwide for decades. The origins of this trend may be traced back to the rare groove movement that flourished in the 1990s, but its current deep and wide popularity seems to be connected to the fact that Japanese people have been reevaluating their own jazz since the mid-2000s, locally referred to as WaJazz ("Wa" meaning Japan but also theShōwa emperor period, from 1926 to 1989). Since the beginning of the 2000s, there has been a growing trend to move away from the DJ-focused perspective and to appreciate jazz with a deeper understanding. Nowadays, there is more and more interest in the background and roots in which jazz has developed in Japan, with Japanese jazz as a whole now considered as its own distinctive genre.

Of course, even if we speak about "WaJazz" as one genre, there is a truly wide variety of styles within it. However, when Japanese musicians play, there is something uniquely Japanese flowing through that creates a kind of synergy. It may be the melody, the rhythm, or even something deeper, like an inexpressible flicker. I would be happy if some of its charms and secrets emerge from the fourteen tracks included in this collection." (Yusuke Ogawa)

Yusuke Ogawa has been running the Universounds store in Tokyo since 2001, specializing in jazz and second-hand, rare, and collector records. He is also a reissue supervisor, label manager, DJ, and music writer. Known for his vast musical knowledge, eye for detail, and archival skills, Ogawa has worked on more than 250 reissues and compilations – including the highly praised Deep Jazz Reality and Project Re:Vinyl series. He is the co-author of the Wa-Jazz Disc Guide and the Independent Black Jazz of America books.

Repress!

New school Italian techno sensation Alignment is back with a third thrilling EP for on Charlotte de Witte’s KNTXT label that once again stands him apart.

Alignment's previous outings on the label - the Time EP in April 2020, then his Nothingness EP in November 2020 - made huge impacts. They are standout techno offerings from a young and exciting artist who has quickly risen to the top. He has remained hugely busy in the last 12 months with a wide-ranging sound that takes in everything from old school bangers to trance-tinged rollers via futuristic workouts.

Says label boss Charlotte de Witte, "Alignment's music has been strongly represented in all my livestreams of 2020 and 2021 and I honestly can't wait to finally bring his music and his latest creations on Power EP to the dancefloor. It's made to make you move and I'm very happy to have him on board once again!“

The artist himself adds, "The vibes we shared pre-pandemic on our beloved dance-floors inspired me a lot to create Power EP. I tried to focus on effective and highly energetic, peak-time techno weapons for KNTX011. Signature synths, big stabs and kicks following only one formula - no compromise and four to the floor.”

First up is Power, a high octane track with hard drums, slamming bass and bright synths that cannot fail to get hands in the air. The excellent 'Disconnection' has laser-like synths shooting across the face of the track while big, edgy trance stabs light up the barreling drums from way up above. 'Frequency' is another trance-influenced track that brings peak time energy to stomping and distorted drums. It is an emotive rollercoaster that never lets up and will make a mark on even the biggest dance floors. Last of all is 'Radioactivity' which has scuffed metal textures, crashing drums and strobe-lit synth lines that will turn every party into a rave.

We warmly welcome Chech to the label, he is delivering our next only vinyl imprint. This Ep features two originals "Regular Guy" and "Eternal Youth". A1 "Eternal Youth" shows an appealing sound based on eternal youth, with percussive sounds and vocal effects, which together with snares, atmospheres and the play of highs, generate this entire movement with an underground and vivid essence. A2 "Regular Guy", the sound of this track is with a powerful bass that tries to add suspense and consistency to the message, giving the result of the minimal sound transporting you to the moment, taking a journey through emotions. B side comes with two stunning remixers, Reboot & Niko Maxen.

Next up on Curtea Veche’s serii speciale we have the legend that is Reboot ! 3 groovers for the dancefloor , tried and tested by some of the biggest names in the buisness!!
transparent 12”vinyl

Operation_PPRCLP kicks off release SUB010 asking how far will we go in the race for technological advancement, and at what cost? Have we forgotten our humanity as a result? Should we be more focused on how to expand human consciousness rather than trying to command, control and obfuscate or is this just in our habitual nature?

41 Minutes Past Midnight investigates painful emotions around losing loved ones without being able to get any closure, how do we move forward without answers in the face of unexplained, heartbreaking tragedy.

6EQUJ5 aka the Wow! signal first detected on August 5th 1977 shifts the perspective out into the constellation of Sagittarius from where the signal is thought to have originated. In 2022 we learned that 3 distant Sun-like stars within the original antenna-pointed coordinates may provide the answer but at a vast distance of 1800 light years from earth, since then, it's all gone quiet... What world reached out from the cosmos, intentionally or mistakenly...

The final track Celestial Beings asks the age old question of what other life exists across the universe, how advanced are these civilizations that may already be exploring distant galaxies with our shared sense of curiosity and when will we be able to connect collectively with such conscious entities.

The making of Congo Funk!, our long-awaited journey to the musical heart of the African continent, took the Analog Africa Team on two journeys to Kinshasa and one to Brazzaville. Selected meticulously from around 2000 songs and boiled down to 14, this compilation aims to showcase the many facets of the funky, hypnotic and schizophrenic tunes emanating from the two Congolese capitals nestled on the banks of the Congo River.

On its south shore, the city of Kinshasa – capital of Democratic Republic of the Congo, the country formerly known as Zaïre – is often seen as Africa’s musical Mecca, the city that spawned such immortal bands as African Jazz, O.K. Jazz and African Fiesta, and the place to which aspiring musicians from throughout the continent would go to make a name for themselves.

But the city of Brazzaville on the north shore of the river – capital of the Congo Republic – played an equally important role in spreading Congolese sounds continentally. In addition to producing legendary bands such as Les Bantous de la Capital, it was the powerful transmitters of Radio Brazzaville that allowed the unmistakable groove of Congolese Rumba to be heard as far away as Nairobi, Yaoundé, Luanda and Lusaka thus turning the electric guitar into the continent’s most important instrument!

Although the musical landscape of these cities had been defined by a core group of bands in the late 1950s, the modernisation of Congolese music has been steadily evolving until the events surrounding the Muhammad Ali vs George Foreman boxing match marked a turning point. The promoter of that event known as “Rumble In The Jungle” was none other than the notorious Don King who needed 10 millions dollars to get Ali and Foreman into a boxing ring. The only candidate willing to put this kind of cash on the table was Mobutu Sese Seko, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Mobutu - the megalomaniac dictator who got to power with the support of the United States and Belgium in exchange for unlimited and affordable access to the riches of the country - had a soft spot for music and it doesn’t come as a surprise that he agreed to a three-day live music festival being organised prior to the “Rumble”. Zaïre 74 - as the festival was dubbed - was meant to hype the boxing match and many stars were invited.

Although a myriads of artists flocked in for the occasion, it was the performance of James Brown on Zairian soil that caused havoc among the younger generation, inspiring hundreds of would-be musicians to take up their electric guitars and reverbs cranked to the max in search of a new sound in which hyperactive Rumba was blended with elements of psych and funk. While the results were very different from the popular music of the three Musketeers - as Tabu Ley, Franco and Verckys were known - they weren’t a complete break with tradition.

These new sounds emerged at a time when the Congolese record industry – previously dominated by European major labels – was experiencing a period of decline due to rising production costs and needed a radical change. The void was filled by dozens of entrepreneurs willing to take chances on smaller scale releases. It was the beginning of a golden age for Congolese independent record labels, and the best of them – Cover N°1, Mondenge, Editions Moninga, Super Contact – preserved the work of some of the region’s finest artists, while launching a generation of younger musicians into the spotlight.

The movement was greatly helped by legendary radio shows but it was the dynamic productions of Télé-Zaïre that set the dynamite on fire. Legend has it that TV shows were so huge that president Mobutu himself ordered RTV du Zaïre to put on daily concerts since it halted criminal activities for the duration of the evening.

Congo Funk! is the story of these sounds and labels, but most of all it is the story of two cities, separated by water but united by an indestructible groove. The fourteen songs on this double LP showcase the many facets of the Congolese capitals, and highlight the bands and artists, famous and obscure, who pushed Rumba to new heights and ultimately influenced the musical landscape of the entire continent and beyond.

Coral Morphologic and Nick León’s Projections of a Coral City marks a series of collisions between distant
worlds: the organic and the artificial, the Eocene and the Anthropocene, sea and cement—and even, perhaps, ambient music and activism.

Coral Morphologic are the Miami duo of marine biologist Colin Foord and musician J.D. McKay; since 2007, they have used a variety of multimedia projects to generate environmental awareness of marine biodiversity—most notably Coral City Camera, an underwater webcam streaming live from an urban reef ecosystem in PortMiami.

Their citymate Nick León is a linchpin of South Florida’s contemporary leftfield electronic scene, with releases for Tra Tra Trax, Future Times, and NAAFI, and credits on records by Rosalía, GAIKA, and Iceboy Violet, among others.

This collaborative project dates back to 2022, when Coral Morphologic mounted a monumental projection-
mapping installation on Biscayne Boulevard. For five nights in late November and early December, macroscopic films of corals played out across the exterior of Knight Concert Hall. The installation was, on the one hand, a glimpse into a possible future, imagining how the city’s skyline might appear if unchecked global warming and rising seas led coral reefs to colonize the built environment. But it also represented a look back into the deep past, a reminder that Miami is literally built from marine limestone mined from the Everglades. Its concrete foundations began life, eons ago, as a marine ecosystem—the same ecosystem that may one day reclaim them. As above, so below.

As an album, Projections of a Coral City is a suite of interconnected movements spread across two sides of vinyl. The tones are watery, the mood elegiac, the colors a washed-out pastel. Forms that appear static on the surface gradually open up to reveal hidden depths teeming with microscopic movement. You might detect resonances with other aquatically minded works—Jürgen Müller’s Science of the Sea, Harold Budd’s liquid piano compositions, even the slow-moving melancholy of Dr. Roger Payne’s Songs of the Humpback Whale. But ultimately Projections of a Coral City creates the impression of a world unto itself—a hauntingly beautiful space at the meeting point between sorrow and hope.

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Balmat is a label with a cloudy outline. Jointly shepherded by Albert Salinas and Philip Sherburne, two friends living in Cardedeu, Catalonia, and on the Balearic island of Menorca, Balmat grew out of Lapsus Radio, a weekly show born almost ten years ago. Balmat’s mission is simple: to foster new ideas, expand upon personal obsessions, and put enveloping sounds out into the world.

“Balmat” means “empty” or “void” in Catalan. But quite apart from any negative connotations, we prefer to think of it in terms of possibility: a space waiting to be filled.

ABRAN, the young French electronic music producer, presents 'Doppler'. This new EP is the fruit of new experiments in the studio. He has found a way to distort the sound and spatialise the instruments so as to immerse the listener in a unique sensory journey. The aim: to translate the famous scientific phenomenon of the Doppler effect into sound and image.

Embark on a journey that combines space observation, underwater movements, interstellar travel and extraordinary sensory phenomena... 'Doppler': new EP soon available in Dolby Atmos!

Kerri Chandler returns to his own Kaoz Theory with Vol.3 of his archive focused ‘Lost & Found’ series.

Kerri Chandler and his Kaoz Theory imprint continues to move from strength to strength still after decades at the forefront of House music. In this ‘Lost & Found’ series, Chandler dives back into his vault to unearth forgotten gems and bring them into the limelight today. For this release, Kerri also revisits ‘Let It’ from his recent ‘Spaces and Places’ LP, reworking it with a new vocalist this time round, namely AbbieLee.

Kicking things off is new version of Let It (Give Me Back My Love), laid out across six minutes, employing shimmering Rhodes melodies, fluttering arpeggios, a bumpy bass groove and crisp drums intertwined with AbbieLee’s soulful vocal stylings. ‘Another Dawn (Vocal Mix)’ follows with jazzy, bruk-tinged drums, uplifting piano chords and pulsating subs running alongside enchanting vocal lines,On the flip-side, Kerri dives into more underground basement realms with the murky basstones, shuffled dusty drums and expansive reverberations of ‘The Bassline (Kerri’s DarkMix). ‘The Breeze’ then rounds out the EP with an electro tinged 808 jam, utilising the machines classic cowbell chimes, skippy snares, rumbling toms and thunderous kicks.

Diogo Silva, Nuno Fulgêncio and Rui Martins collectively go by the name Bardino. With their sound consisting of an inventive mix of
electronica, rock, jazz, the Porto-based trio are pushing their sound into unchartered waters. A feeling that will be reinforced after
experiencing their new album, ‘Memória da Pedra Mãe’.
Their enthralling music draws upon the imagery of the beautiful and rugged scenery of their home country. ‘Centelha’ , their previous
album (released by Saliva Diva in 2020) was recorded in Chaves,
in the very remote region of Trás-os-Montes. Their 207 EP of the same name was created in the rustic heart of Serra das Meadas. In this
latest offering, the mention of "Pedra Mãe" (Mother Stone), refers to a rare geological phenomenon popularly known as "breeder stones"
found in isolated, deserted, and inhospitable places. On the inspiration of the new album, they explain that they want to refer to "the
importance of collective memory in the cohesion and identity of communities and the process of creating new memories, a process that
is both natural and conflicting, since it mirrors a tension between past, present and future".
The album was recorded in the summer of 2023 at Arda Recorders in Porto and produced by João Brandão and Rui Martins. In this
new material, Bardino's resources expand: Nuno Fulgêncio's drums, Diogo Silva's bass and Rui Martins' veritable arsenal of keyboards
(acoustic and electric piano, various synthesisers) are augmented by the alto and tenor saxophones of Brian Blaker (who stands out in
"Memória" and "Black Mica"), the guitar of Leonardo Outeiro (who features on "Punctum No 2") and, already indicating their affiliation
with the Porto label Jazzego, Hugo Oliveira, who records as Minus & MRDolly (and is a guest on "Pedra Mãe") and Sérgio Alves, aka
AZAR AZAR (who plays piano and Moog on "Tília"). Bardino's entry into the increasingly unavoidable Jazzego catalogue also reinforces
their obvious links to a new wave of projects that have been experimenting with different tangents to the notion of "jazz", taking this
music as part of a wider set of coordinates.
Over the course of eight tracks, and clearly benefiting from the distinct imprint of the recognised quality work of João Brandão, one of
Portugal's current best producers, Bardino presents dense, deeply cinematic music of the highest definition, in which the different
instruments translate a broad emotional and visual landscape, with solos of enormous elegance arranged over grooves that induce the
idea of movement. All the musical coordinates mentioned earlier are present, but perhaps in this new material you can feel a greater
fluidity, certainly the result of honing the vision of the central trio through a vast experience collected on stages all over the country. And
there are even echoes of a decidedly Portuguese songbook, as is so clearly felt in "O Semeador", something new in the range of aesthetic
references embraced by Bardino. This is, in fact, music that thrives on a benign tension between past, present and future, in the sense
that it embraces traditions and history, seeks a new framework in this diverse now and dares to project itself forward. Because the future
is the best of all locations.

This is the first re-release on 7inch vinyl single of the early Reggae classic “She Caught The Train” by Ray Martell released in 1970 on the Trojan sublabel Joe in the U.K. and later covered by UB 40 in 1983. This original song, a huge hit, has featured on many compilations but has never been repressed as a single, until now…
It was initially released with the track “Tea House From Emperor Roscoe” by Dice The boss on the B side (which we will also release separately on the 22nd of March 2024). On this release, we chose to showcase a super rare Ray Martell song, the gorgeous “Cora” initially released on Attack in 1970.
About Joe Mansano:
“She Caught The Train” was credited to Joe Mansano, real name Joel Mansano who also produced the song. Joel was a Trinidadian who moved to London in 1963. He was a record shop seller, song writer and producer and became heavily involved in the early reggae era producing and writing tracks for several Jamaican artists, enough for Trojan to dedicate a label to him: the “Joe” label aimed at the emerging Skinheads market. He also owned a shop the Joe's Record Centre in Brixton and recorded two handfuls of singles under the name Joe The boss…
About Ray Martell:
“Cora” is credited to Ray Martell himself and was produced by Philligree, an alias for Graham Goodall and Phil Chen. The Philligree duo produced about 20 very interesting singles on a variety of labels with artist such as Desmond Dekker, Millie, Pat Sandy and Ray Martell among others between 1969 and 1970. Although “She Caught The Train” is indeed a famous track, little is known about Ray Martell aka Martel Robinson. Ray was born in St Catherine parish in Jamaica in September 1943. He started to sing at school and church and later on moved to U.K. where he kept on singing in clubs in Coventry and Birmingham … He eventually moved to London where he recorded 4 great tracks in 1970 “She Caught The Train” on Joe, “Cora” and “Loving Lover” on Attack, and “Lover” on Trojan, the last three being written by himself. In 1973 he started his own label “Ray” featuring his own productions but these were unfortunately not as interesting as his previous releases…

Three years on from the bands acclaimed ‘Grateful End’ album, and following up last years reissue of their live release ‘Psychedelic Scum Freaks’. Taipei's underground psych monsters Dope Purple return with their new album proper, ‘This Is The Harsh Trip For New Psyche’

The album is co released again by Riot Season & WV Sorcerer Productions and is available on three vinyl variants, and also digitally.

The album, it's a mixture of harsh noise and psych rock, the noise element being well recorded and presented so we can hear many details, and blends perfectly with the other instruments in all frequencies. The whole album moves between a spectral sadness and insanity, each track takes a rather different direction, recognising the influence of Classic Japanese bands such as High Rise, Mainliner, and Les Rallizes Dénudés.

The album is a collaboration with Berserk, a young underground pioneer from the Taipei scene, and has been performing chaotic frequency manipulation and carefully textured post-apocalyptic soundscape since 2015.

The scenic artist and multi-instrumentalist CLARAGUILAR moves from performing arts to cinema as a composer and live performer. Over the last few years he has created soundscapes that blend electronics and sampled elements with orchestral arrangements, becoming one of the main names of the Spanish theater scene when it comes to soundtrack and sound design creation.

After her acclaimed EP 'Mystery is All' Lapsus is proud to present 'Figura', CLARAGUILAR's debut album, a heartfelt tribute to her connection with the scenic world, and especially with the operatic universe. The starting point of this project was born with the concept of an "invisible orchestra", an imaginary that aesthetically becomes a reality on stage thanks to the collaboration with the Barcelona studio Oscila, as well as with the help of the stylist Joan Ros, who has been in charge of the costume design.

'Figure' is a space in which electronica, ambient, and chamber-pop coexist; all under an operatic halo full of drama. Once again, the producer locked herself down from late 2022 to the beginning of 2023 to compose all the tracks in a very intimate and closed composition process. The album dives into the melodic landscapes, merged with orchestral samples and chopped voices containing mysterious messages inside.

Each track is a pixelated lightshow and a live electronic instrumentation, presented onstage as an elegant performance with an expansive emotional range

Jacy's pioneering work in house music, with vinyl releases on Home of House and Safe Trip's 'Welcome To Paradise,' defines the 'Dream House' movement, showcasing his influential fusion of rhythms and soundscapes in electronic music.

Harlem's legendary Disco label Queen Constance has long been a cult favourite among fans of underground dance music for decades.

One of many labels operating under the equally legendary P&P family of imprints Queen Constance was operated by one Peter Brown, a truly colossal figure in NYC's music scene, it's catalogue still fascinates music lovers to this day. Covering a wide range of styles including Gospel, early Rap and Disco the label's output continually finds it way into the playlists of respected DJ's and selectors across the globe. The mighty 'Roller Rink Funk' by Shift is the next reissue from the archives and never has a jam been more aptly named!

Another class act from the plethora of uptown groups that were associated with Queen Constance and her orbiting planets, Shift was possibly yet another 'studio' group put together for this one time release. The co-production nous and involvement of long-time associate Bernard Thomas lends these cuts some serious B-boy credentials. Thomas was involved in a lot of the P&P era early Rap material, as well as working with BDP and lending his skills to releases on the cult Rap label Zakia too. Needless to say, this particular release is that magic funky frisson between Disco, Funk and the earliest stirrings of Hip-Hop, an especially rich vein of music. As the title suggests this one is meant to be heard at the roller rink, the syncopated rhythms mimicking the skaters movements and repetitions. As with any good roller-skating Funk record (there are many!) it doesn't take long for you to want to hit the dance-floor, whether it's to skate or to simply get down. An often tricky record to find in it's OG state, commanding 'collectors' prices, 'Roller Rink Funk' is back on the block for all the Disco freaks for 2018. Perfect.

This is a 100% legit reissue, made in conjunction with Above Board distribution and the Demon Music group, lovingly remastered with love by Optimum Mastering, Bristol UK.

Same track on both sides

DOJO ZONE, a local lurker of the backstreets of Santa Catalina. When he’s not eating tapas, sipping on cold cañas or digging through our dusty record boxes, he’s producing strange wonky house beats for the weekend shenanigans. Expect sounds from the past, feelings of the present, movements of the Mediterranean Express…



Recorded, mixed and arranged by Todd Gartland at The Castle Studios, Mallorca.

Mastered by Justin Drake at The Bakehouse Studio, London.

Tel Aviv's Elado has put out a fine run of eight releases in just two years on the likes of GAMM, Barefoot Beats and Bonfido Disques, but for his next move, he branches out with his own reissue label. its aim is to "focus on uncovering lost gems" with the original paired with his own remixes. The first one is a 1983 private press from the Canadian pair OUI. 'Circle Of Love' is a big disco banger with flashy synth work and rugged arps, with a pair of Elado's mixes making it even more dancefloor ready. 'You Make Me High' is a more sentimental 80s pop sound. A fine start to life for this new label.

Perhaps a drum is a space wrapped in material.

With some excitement the space and the material interact to produce vibrations, which we hear. Separately, yPLO prepared some sounds in advance of a performance based on the components of a speculative drum kit

ob TRU was performed and recorded live on 6/8/18 at Cafe OTO. During this live performance yPLO used amplified mylar, floor tom bass drum, mixers, audio recordings and microphones.

The recordings were mixed and edited into 8 discrete tracks.

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yPLO (Paul Abbott & Michael Speers) is a project about imaginary drums and rhythms, using acoustic percussion and synthetic sounds.

Michael Speers is a musician from Northern Ireland who works with various sound materials — using drums, computer, microphones, feedback — in performance, installation and composition. Other collaborators include John Wall, Louise Le Du, Olan Monk, Niklas Adam, Lee Fraser and Seijiro Murayama.

Paul Abbott is a writer, sound and performance artist. He has played at venues and festivals internationally and was a resident at Cafe OTO. He completed a PhD at the University of Edinburgh under the supervision of Florian Hecker and Nikki Moran, and is currently undertaking research at Royal Conservatoire in Antwerp. He is also the co-founder and editor of Cesura//Acceso, a journal for music, politics and poetics.

The final volume of this mammoth collection of music from Bristolian electronic music pioneer Krust is finally upon us, and like the previous parts of this collection it boasts an assemblage of music of different energies, vibes and feelings. The music contained within spans decades yet somehow refuses to be locked to one 'era' or 'style'. This is what makes this release unmissable for the hardcore fan, newcomer or completist.

'Irrational Numbers' is a meticulously curated collection of five parts, available on both vinyl and digital formats. The compilation is a treasure trove of hand-picked records and archival gems from Krust's extensive discography, thoughtfully remastered and presented anew for both devoted fans and newcomers.

'Irrational Numbers' features a dizzying array of self-released 12" cuts, exclusive unreleased VIPs and dub-plates, alongside epic major label widescreen classics. It's an unmissable journey through the sonic output of one of the UK's most distinctive and forward-looking producers.

Featured on part 5 are some groundbreaking entries into Krust's massive back catalogue. The live bass driven jazz inflected 'Second Movement' from his acclaimed 'Coded Language' LP jostles alongside the speaker smashing machine funk of 'Break Ya Neck' as well as a couple of more recent productions including the sleek and sinister 'The Portal', which is undeniably the man at his best, in full electronic stealth mode.

For longtime Krust enthusiasts, this project serves as a fond reminder of the boundless creativity and originality that flourished during the early 1990s and beyond. For those new to his work, it presents an enthralling introduction to innovative electronic music that has comfortably set the tone for generations to come. Get ready to experience the evolution of sound and immerse yourself in the visionary artistry of Krust.

Group is a project with its own sound and a gradually expanding style, and Seedman perfectly reflects these attributes. With 160925_1145, the first cut on side A, the ritualism he has previously exhibited on other albums such as Esoteric Free Afrika, or more recently with Broken Faces, is somewhat apparent, due to the slow cadence, steady rhythm and tribal arguments. 160205_1066 is created from another perspective, however, it is not what it seems because from the first bars there is a syncopated and constant rhythmic pattern that places you in an industrial scenario, and gradually a simple two-tone melody appears that completely changes its initial musical context. 170218_1475 moves between an industrial and dark ambient concept, as it mixes gloomy atmospheres with deep breaks.

The sonic properties of 160131_0683, the cut that opens the B-side, connect with an unexplored environment, with a new, recently discovered and inhospitable scenario, since among other things we can appreciate sounds of machines, radio signals, filtered and choppy voices, combined with disturbing acoustic phenomena. 170213_1455 is a track that describes quite concisely the creative sense of Group, and for this we must take into account that it could be catalogued as a techno production, with groove and aimed at the dancefloor, however, he manages to minimise all these factors by giving it a volatile and atmospheric aspect. 170105_1398 closes the B-side of the vinyl, returning once again to the tribalism and ritualism that characterises many of Group’s productions, given that on this occasion his rhythm is not diluted, it has much more presence and manages to generate a hypnotic state.

In addition to these six tracks that make up the entire vinyl tracklist, Seedman also presents a couple of bonus tracks in digital format. And the first of them, The beast11, already arouses curiosity because its title is not due to a sequence of numbers, as is usual in this project. Musically, it once again shows Group’s ability to adapt any environment to a sonic degradation very much in keeping with his style. 150407_0166, the last track on the album, is an ode to chaos, a hodgepodge of frequencies devoid of rhythm that appropriately serves as an outro.

If there is something that awakens our interest in an artist, is authenticity.

And if we had to talk about someone authentic, Percunta would be a name that we would have to bring to the table...

We invite you to listen a spiritual journey that has gone through him in the last 4 years, a time that has occurred since his last release.

Effort moves, and Percunta moved us with his effort in this search for expression of his soul.

Be As One is excited to release the long overdue "Romantic & Dead" LP, the debut Album from one of the most talented artists of the recent generational Techno movement, and the label regular "Kashpitzky".

Being the hyped Berlin based producers most crafted project to date, the Buzzing 11 tracks LP is spread over 2 vinyls, astonishing covered artwork and shiny polished product, and reflecting the different shades of techno from several moments of the night, tailored straight from the mind of the most sought after artist of the recent couple of years.

Lining with the label's raw and old school influenced sound Aesthetics of re defining the term "House influenced Techno", Kashpitzky fits right in as one of the imprint's leading figures, compiling the 5th full length artist album to date from the label, after industry icons such as Kenny Larkin, Samuel L Session, Orbe and the label head Shlomi Aber.

As its title, the Romantic & Dead LP is an excepional abstracted and mixtured techno journey for the heads and collectors both, and marks a significant milestones for the young artist and the established label.

ASEC reveals the 'Group Dynamics' record, two hypnotic techno tracks and remixes from Inland and Kaiser.

"'Group Dynamics' is inspired by this kind of captivating energy you feel in a crowd--think sports fans, a packed dance floor, a mass of humans--people aren't themselves in crowds. I was interested in capturing that invisible social group dynamic that makes many people move as one." - ASEC

On the A-side of ASEC's 'Group Dynamics' EP, dropping via his eponymous imprint this February and following up a series of releases supported by the likes of Rodhad and Tommy Four Seven, as well as output on BPitch and MORD. The title track enters the fray with a mystifying energy, percussion clicking and shifting while cavernous synth hits echo across its evolving soundscape. 'Scala Naturae' then continues with rolling drums shot through with bleeps and squelch, the steady beat of weighty kicks footing its looming psychedelic sequences.

Side B invites Counterchange Recordings founder Inland and KSR boss Kaiser to remix the original tracks. First up, Ostgut Ton, Figure, and Nonplus+'s Inland remixes 'Group Dynamics' by adding scratchy textures and the thrum of long-forgotten machines before Kaiser reimagines 'Scala Naturae'. The Key Vinyl and Soma artist turns the track into a prime-time, tripped-out dancefloor cut.

Lastly, Inland provides a dub techno version of his contribution as a digital bonus, with ASEC dropping the excellent 'Enough Is Enough' on online platforms. In this track, typewriter-like hats skitter over imposing drums while warped melodics twist and turn on top, closing out yet another mind-melting techno offering from the Berlin producer.

The project to found this new independent label, owned by the Italian DJ and producer Alessandro Baglioni, stems from the intention of promoting top and emerging artists on the international scene linked to the contemporary electronic music movement.

The predilection for deep sounds, the search for new percussion and the care of harmonic sounds, represent the distinctive signs of this newborn Italian label from Milan.

Habitat Recordings L.T.D presents its second various artists of a series dedicated to contemporary electronic music created through a careful selection of sounds and grooves in line with the recording project.

New Parisian label, Disques Messager, presents its new and second release. As its name suggests, the label has a simple leitmotiv: to place itself among the best messengers for rarities and sought-after gems of the international rare groove. A mission which began like fire last year with a 7inch reissue release including two Brazilian Disco bangers by Cristina Camargo. For this second efforts, the label doesn’t deviate from the artistic and quality path taken, however also making quite a U-turn, this time presenting 2 underrated kind of musical UFO, both from the French scene.
Not many info can be found about Yoanson & Karamie, two young artists from the French African diaspora, who randomly met with Nessim Saroussi and his label Ness Music in the late 80s. Nessim himself doesn’t remind much about the 2 guys, except that he quickly offered to produce them, which resulted in their only EP release, Kalimba (1988). Part of this EP, “African Leaders” is a stunning track melting Afro-Tropical percussions, Disco bass, Early-Electro beats and Leftfield vocals in a way that could remind of Doctor L or Arthur Russel productions.
On the contrary, Philippe de Lacroix-Herpin (aka Prof Jah Pinpin) has a long musical career started in the mid-70s and became a renowned saxophonist playing and recording for many famous French acts such as Jean-Jacques Goldman, Alain Chamfort, FFF, or even rap band NTM. In 1994, he moved definitely to the Reunion Island where he quickly launched the Prof Jah Pinpin 4tet, in his own words willing to play “free/funk/jazz/rock/tropical” music… Quite a vast and large musical tag, but which immediately make sense when listening to the surprising “The Final Bird” track. Only released as CD in 1996, this instrumental production has indeed a unique sound and flavor mixing all kinds of elements together (even samples of Weather Report).
Well as you can understand, words are not the best way to describe these 2 hidden treasures, so we strongly recommend the spinning to make your own view!

Recorded by Anthony Linell & Jonas Rönnberg in Muskö, Sweden 2021 Mastered by Giuseppe Tillieci at EnissLab, Rome
northernelectronics.se

“The collaborative project of Northern Electronics' founders, Anthony Linell and Jonas Rönnberg, has never ceased to confront with their coupling of industrious delirium and pensive austerity. By now we know that only adrenaline can make sense of the toxic ensemble of purposes at the heart of Ulwhednar. Meditating on higher flights of thrill and disorder than their previous record, and with an acknowledgement of their Stockholm roots, 'Area 08' induces fever and anticipation with every gesture.

The opening tracks make a raucous yet resolute introduction to proceedings, eventually issuing one of the album's most exquisite moments of reprieve with 'Akalla/Broken Swords'. However, it is the second half of 'Area 08' that formally admits their latest work has crossed a threshold yet unexplored by the pair. A suite of villainously propulsive tracks spit embers of caustic balms as they careen out of reach with the engorged march of 'Commuter Madness'. Cunning in as many ways as it is earnest and audacious, 'Area 08' is a welcome alarm from the nucleus of the mission.”