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"Good Morning Midnight" is the second studio album of French MC Biga*Ranx. Driven by the unstoppable flow of the artist, this album drags us into his special universe navigating between Reggae Digital, Hip Hop and Bass Music. As he says so well, Biga*Ranx wanted to "invent his own music". This album has 20 surprising songs from the artistic melting pot of Biga*Ranx. The proof is with the title Cumbia "Buck A Shot" which transports us directly to Colombia, or "Bad To The Bone" with Reggae-Trap influences. However the Reggae soul is still present on the entire record, as evidenced by "Boogie Man Skank" or "Confession". For the composition he used different talented beat-makers like the English of Vibronics or the Danish producers of Maffi. The French scene is also well represented by Manudigital, Tom Fire, Atili Bandalero or Barbés.D. Biga*Ranx loves to sing life simply, always in a personal approach. He approaches the themes of his generation by adding a touch of positivism and fighting spirit, approaching the original message of reggae.

The album is the fourth LP from FM Belfast. Broadcasting from their home on a remote island you can sense that the tracks are personal. The album has 11 tracks, 11 intimate stories to dance to. It's like you've been invited to a Cabin Fever Dance Party in their living room. The lyrics are about bliss, euphoria, trying to be a human in this strange world, friendship, of loss and growing up.
ALL MY POWER The first song of the album deals with guilt. When you're surrounded with people who wake up early and do everything they are supposed to do but you can't get out of your own bed. This will make you feel guilty. The others don't need to rub it in since you already have bad feelings about yourself. There are two characters in the song. One is a blamer while the other one is being blamed. FOLLOW ME I'm not longer blind, you can follow me". The song is about a person who is no longer blind to the world around her. It's about taking responsibility for your choices. We are not just a group of individuals, we are citizens of this planet and we can't stand idly by when powerful people are destroying it in front of our own eyes. We have ways to connect and we can band together against the hatred and violence. The rich and the greedy are taking everything and ruining it for the rest of us. Being kind is not the same as being naive, it's a choice everyone can make.

ENJOY
Enjoy life while it last. Don't watch the world go by without having a good time. "Here's to feeling alive, everywhere, all of the time".

UP ALL NIGHT
Sometimes you just postpone everything you're supposed to be doing and run away from your problems. The night is the best time for procrastination, you can hide in the dark and nobody can see you waste your life.

AGENT
Like many songs on the album, this one is about holding your head above water in this strange world we live in. It's easy to get blindsided and lost but who's going to speak up for the weak if you don't do it.

YOU'RE SO PRETTY
The lyrics for You're so Pretty originally come from a short story written by Lóa. They are about getting old without maturing. The song is about being restless and broke. Sometimes you feel like there is nothing left to do but shout.

STREAMERS
Streamers is a quiet love-story about having found the person you want to sit next to for the rest of your life and watch crappy TV together. Lyrics are by Árni and Lóa.

LEAVE A MARK
Even if things are not great today, there is always tomorrow. Leave a Mark is a personal reminder to do something about the life you are given and not waste time. It doesn't have to be important, it could just be writing your name on a wall. I little bit of "I was here" for the people who come after you.

FEARLESS YOUTH
It's a nostalgic song about being a fearless adolescent and the friends you used to have. The lyrics are written by Örvar who's also a founding member of MúM.

STROBE
The Strobe is an atmospheric track. It's made for people who want to dance in a euphoric bliss. The lyrics are like a mantra: It's getting dark so turn on the strobe. Don't think, just get lost in the dance.

THE GAME
The Game tells you to resist the power of bad people and bad governments. There's a big game being played and you don't need to participate, you can resist. The power hungry people of this world will never be satisfied but you don't have to support them.

"After a concert of Kenyan singer Ogoya Nengo in Berlin in 2015 in a pleasant conversation Guillermo Lares told me about his father, Oswaldo Lares, a studied architect who, parallel with his professional activity, began to make field recordings of the traditional and indigenous Venezuelan music from the early 1960s onwards up until today.

His search and fascination for finding the musical roots of his country led Oswaldo Lares to visit the rural villages outside Caracas, investigating the many and varied musical cultures of the region and the complex relationship between Venezuelan folk music and its various origins, including the African (mu´sica afrodescendiente).

The vast amount of music documents in the form of sound recordings, photographs and videos accompanied by notes and studies reflect the scope of this entirely self- taught sound engineer's work and represent a passionate documentary, making his work today one of the most comprehensive and systematic that has ever been assembled by a single person in Venezuela. Oswaldo Lares as an ethnomusicologist remained an amateur in the most direct meaning of the word: amare. Whereas most studied ethnomusicologists travel around the world to explore far away continents and foreign cultures, Oswaldo began to devote much of his spare time to the generally overlooked folk traditions that existed right in his very neighbourhood.

Currently Guillermo Lares has started to promote his father's work through the Achivolares Foundation, turning it into a living archive that preserves an essential part of Venezuelan musical memory. It is a pleasure and honor of our label TAL to support the invaluable work of Oswaldo and Guillermo Lares with this album."

Described by the label as a very personal release by the performance and sound artist Pan Daijing, inspired by Arthur Rimbaud's A Season In Hell. The title refers to objects viewed through a soft filter. Ritualistic, energetic, abrasive, and surrounded by your embrace."

'Utopia' is the ninth studio album from the iconic artist Björk, out November 24th via One Little Indian Records. The album's artwork was created in collaboration of M/M, Jesse Kanda and James Merry and reflects the records sonic direction, optimism, lightness, utopia.
Of the album she explained to Dazed this Summer that, Maybe that's why it became a utopian theme - if we're gonna survive not only my personal drama but also the sort of situation the world is in today, we've got to come up with a new plan, If we don't have the dream, we're just not gonna change. Especially now, this kind of dream is an emergency.'
Björk wrote, produced and recorded the album between Reykjavik and New York, working closely with Arca and writing for, conducting and recruiting a thirteen piece flute orchestra which will be on the road with her next year.

Berlin based Japanese industrial synth duo group A make their debut on Mannequin Records with a killer 3-tracks self titled EP.
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Tommi Tokyo (synth, drum machine, vocals) and Sayaka Botanic (violin, tapes and sampler) released 2 studio albums and 1 live album in Tokyo, before to move in Berlin in 2016. With their mixture of dark minimal synth, avant-noise, striking visuals and performance art, the duo still carries on the very breath of early industrial pioneers such as Throbbing Gristle, Die Form, Klinik, Cabaret Voltaire.

The EP was recorded in Tommi's bedroom and later mixed together with Mannequin Records head Alessandro Adriani in his own studio in Berlin. The first two tracks of the EP, 'T.O.P.' and 'Ketabali' represents the duo personal reaction against the current economy, an up yours to capitalism, news and politics, all permeated by industrial rhytmic-noises and words with no meaning.
The B2 'Alibi' instead was inspired by an autobiography of Hi-Red Centre(Japanese avant-grade art group in the 60-70's) written by one of the members, Genpei Akasegawa. Tommi found the word "Alibi" in the book and she just started singing about the group. As she never wrote lyrics for that, during their live performances they are always improvised, so changing and mutating every time.

Southern Italian sociologist, DJ and electronic music producer Simone Gatto is about to release his second album, 'Heaven Inside Your Frequencies', in November 2017.

Gatto's second album represents a complete excursus of his personal and professional paths, into which he combines music, words, studies, researches and experiments. Along with the album, split in two parts and to be released on both his labels Out-ER and Pregnant Void, the artist is also releasing his first essay, named as the album; the latter offers a theoretical and practical analysis on the use of sounds and frequencies in diverse areas of interest, dedicating space to music therapy and primordial techniques as well as their application in the current digital and virtual era.

Both the album and the essay result from Gatto's personal experiences as well as his ten-year's artistic career: the love of his motherland and his parents, the first approach to clubs, the studies about the potentiality of frequencies, the electroacoustic experimentation and last but not least, the aesthetic sonorous research.

The the first part of the album showcases Gatto's experimental inclination for electronic and electroacoustic music; as such, the upcoming on his label Pregnant Void, has been created to enhance the sounds of the environment and personal panoramas by agglomerating artists, projects and publications. The second part definitely focusses on Gatto's dance personality and club vision, even so, it stays strongly connected to its first part as complementary for the artist's objective.

Ranging in between his favourite club niches, and collaborating with producers with whom he has shared embryonic projects, DJ booths or vinyl releases, Gatto prepares the audience for a complete journey into his idea of club music and grooves, featuring wide aesthetics and emotional resonance. It goes from the gentle tidiness of ambient and deep techno - 'No Te Olvides De Acordarte', 'Today Will Be Tomorrow ft. Kaelan', 'When I Was With You' and 'Limbo' to the intrinsic vitality of break beat, dub and funk tracks 'Caronte' and 'Holographic Drama' continuing with the dynamism of a typical Detroit techno brand of sound reinterpreted in a modern context, like in 'Forbidden Area' and 'Amazonia ft. Aubrey', and finishing with the joyful wildness of distorted sounds, in 'Jamming On The Couch ft. The Analogue Cops, OL047' in collaboration with long-time friends OL047 and The Analogue Cops; the last track, 'Il Canto Dell'Anima', is a partial excursion into the electroacoustic sound, articulated by ethereal soundscapes and piano arpeggios. The whole work is enriched by samples, field recordings and filtered vocals, sound elements which have been deeply explored in the first part of the album, confirming Gatto's aesthetical aptitude as for the club's universe as for the aesthetic sonorous research dimension.

'Heaven Inside Your Frequencies', recorded and produced between his motherland and other significant spaces and cities - the Ionian coast and natural parks of Lecce, his second home Berlin, the Whitney Museum in New York City and other significant places - 'Heaven Inside Your Frequencies' combines Gatto's theoretical background with personal and artistic maturity, achieved in the last decade. Simone Gatto's life, culture and emotions translate into a sonorous and written project, among sounds, frequencies and attempts to achieve empathetic communication with people. Specifically, the second part of the album in meant to increase the sensibility about potential interaction between performer and audience as for club contexts. The album listening and the essay reading are therefore complementary and equally functional to the achievement of the artist's goal: the empathetic communication through sounds.

Southern Italian sociologist, DJ and electronic music producer Simone Gatto is about to release his second album, 'Heaven Inside Your Frequencies', in December 2017. Recorded and produced between his motherland and other significant spaces and cities the Ionian coast and natural parks of Lecce, his second home Berlin, the Whitney Museum in New York City and other significant places 'Heaven Inside Your Frequencies' represents a complete excursus of his personal and professional paths combining Gatto's theoretical background with personal and artistic maturity, achieved in the last decade.

Re-issued again, with new liner notes. A wonderful, rare record wrapped in a mysterious yet playful ambiance. Or maybe it's just the impression that the Japanese language often gives me. ''Suiren'' is an odd jazz-fusion-wave tune that sounds like its boiling, waiting to burst but somehow manages to stay in control. Like the nervous tick of a leg fidgeting under the table of a restaurant on a first date. Yasuaki Shimizu is a Japanese composer, producer and saxophone player born in 1954. He worked with Ryuchi Sakimoto on certain arrangements, with the South Korean artist Nam June Paik on art+sound installation pieces and even DJ Towa Tei (of Deee-Lite fame). ''Suiren'' was released in 1981 and is the opening title on the sought-after ''Kakashi'' album and is my personal favorite on this overall brilliant record. It weaves behind new wave, jazz, fusion, ambient and experimental music.Repetitive and hypnotizing, punctuated by exclamation marks on most first mesures, the muted triangle percussion hits me straight in the heart. About 90 seconds into the song, the saxophone makes its appearance and the song goes from ''this is cute'' to ''oh, this is some serious shit!''. Shimizu's saxophone frees the song from the rest of the elements which are more calculated and repetitive.A joyful, mysterious slow-moving train ride led by the artist's mellow voice that rocks us with this calming but funky lullaby. Every phrase is punctuated by the xylophone there to energize the piece, albeit very subtely.

Bugsy hails from Milan where he is resident and co-host of the brilliant Take It Easy club night which brings many of the finest house DJ's to the city and remains packed week in and week out. With his featured producers Astroloop at his side Bugsy has come up with a quality debut loaded with fat, low-slung deep beats and Detroit-inspired grooves for Freerange entitled the Svegsy EP. The lead track sets the mood with mid-tempo loping beats that have 'Freerange' written all over them. We can't get enough of the simple yet satisfying warm-up vibe which oozes from this track. Understated, warm and relaxed yet with a bump and grunt which calls you to the dancefloor.
A2 is a track entitled New Vision where we find a straighter groove underpinned by a restless, pulsing, analogue bass and shifting block chords. With it's heads down attitude and simple, rolling arrangement this is Jimpster's personal favourite for banging on a big system. Flip over for the aptly titled Ghost Song. Here we get off-kilter vocals and fleeting glimpses of a melody which then disappear into the ether. All in all a slightly surreal yet groove-heavy track which has a charm of it's own.
Rounding off the EP we have Chicago house legend Boo Williams on the remix of Ghost Song, where he takes a minimal approach with a hint of acid but keeping his soulful touch. Enjoy!

"Those who physically suffer from dopamine depletion seek ways to experience maximized pleasure." Hong Kong's hyper-everything enfant terrible, S.Y. delivers a much darker complex Ep than his two previous offerings under a new alias, a creative therapy of sorts apparently dealing with substance abuse and unstable mental conditions which luckily for everyone translates into more leftfield dancefloor gold with the brilliantly nondescript '$ LFO' and weirdo power drive of the title track on A side, followed on the flip by a surprisingly beautiful ode to concrete music, and a deeply haunting field recording piece that closes a perfectly round EP... or does it;) Sleeve artwork by Matt Damhave

'Less thought, more direction and purpose, less catering, more expression...'

This was Savile's mantra as he sculpted his 'Compersion' EP for Mike Simonetti's 2MR and it's a mantra we should all subscribe to. It's come about through his introspective analysis during the creation of his most succinct and starkest exploration date.

''Compersion' is a record about wrestling my own beliefs, both personal and political. It's about experiencing the anxiety and absurdity of loving a partner and ultimately myself. The sounds, tempos and arrangements found here are the result of further experiments with editing tracks to their absolute minimum. I tried to work these songs like I am working on me. Less thought, more direction and purpose, less catering, more expression.'

And more detail; throughout every stripped back heavily-edited sensation the conceptual EP provides, the meaning and message is palpable. Each track title inspired by Jenny Holzer and Helmut Lang's revolutionary provocative, sexualisation of the art space in Florence Biennale, 1996, there's a tangible physicality felt throughout...

The heavy breathing rhythmic elements of the electroid 'Talk Smile Bite' and its bedrock bedspring funk; the playful switch between breezy broken beats and driving techno coupled with minimal sample craft and literal message of an instantly recognisable vocal on 'Watch Scan Wait'; the much heavier, intense techno pressure of 'Tease Breathe Smell' where the heart is on the sleeve and it's palpitating wildly with direction, purpose and true expression.

A smart concept from a Smart resident, Savile has achieved something special here; a provocative model a deep self-construction and, above all, three damn fine pieces of techno.

"limited pressing of 300 reproductions serigraphed, embossed and scented"

"I'm not at all sorry, now that he's dead,
He took my cheese and ate it in my stead,
He's punished by fate - God, you've avenged me."
- Aesop

"The Fox And The Raven" is the maiden release for Denise Rabe's self titled label, conceived to be the channel thru which her personal, unfiltered, haunting sound will find it's body and voice.

Exemplifying this with the 3 cuts on "The Fox And The Raven": driven, hypnotic, techno with a chasing sense of urgency, balanced with eeire lamenting melodies, perfectly fitting the tales of lore chosen to illustrate each release like a volume in an odyssey.

Concluding this chapter, a limited pressing of 300 reproductions serigraphed, embossed and scented, echoing how like fables, music, occupies a tangible moment in the listeners life and space.

Everybody who knows Connaisseur, will probably be aware of the fact that we simply love the concept of remixes. To fnd the right person for a specifc track in order to turn an already amazing original into a new direction, is always an exciting challenge. Of course, there is always some wishful thinking on our side about what it will turn out to be like. Usually, we are completely wrong, which however doesn't mean that we are not happy with the result. Usually, we love the result even more than our own brainchild. In April, we released Of Norway's sophomore album
"The Loneliest Man In Space", a diverse masterpiece.
Since then, we have been searching for remixers whom we personally really like and of whom we are sure they can turn the track into a direction we can't even imagine. It was a bit of a journey, but now after the product ist completed, we are more than happy that we were able to bring such a group of remixers
together on one product.
As every remixer has delivered such a great interpretation, we decided to give each of themenough space to be discovered, which is why we will be releasing one remix per week over the course of two months. A selection of these remixes can be found
on a 12" extract. One extra remix is exclusively for radio and streaming.
For the vinyl extract we picked the interpretations by Lauer, Panthera Krause, Legowelt, Davis & Zopelar and Roy Of The Ravers.

Written, performed and produced by Thomas Moen Hermansen @M57 Studios Asker Jan-Sept 2016

Published by Smalltown Supermusic/Sony ATV Scandinavia

Mastered by Schnittstelle , Photos by Ragnhild Fors, Design by Metric Design

After the slightly more conceptual "Principe del Norte"album, "5" takes two steps forward and one step back
collecting a batch of tracks that was recorded right after it's preceder and in tandem with the recent "Square One"album with Bjørn Torske.
A "freedom"album of sorts, beyond the slightly misleading album opener "Here comes the band" there's a variety in these tracks tracing inspiration from 35 years (unhealthy)obsession with all things "good music" played enthusiastically.
"5" also marks the launch of my new label "Prins Thomas Musikk".

A run through the tracks with a couple of hints to titles and inspiration:

"Here comes the band"
A planned album of a fake band consisiting of me only was ditched. This is their only entry...
Very loosely inspired by "Bandwagonesque"era Teenage Fanclub

"Villajoyosa"
Melodic ideas hummed into a handheld recorded and specific notes about instrumentation scribbled down while on holiday in Villajoyosa in Spain turned into this little ditty when back in slightly colder Norway.

"Bronchi Beat"
Made in bed during a rough patch of bronchitis. Heavily influenced by prescription cough medicine.
Orbe from Madrid made a dizzy techno version which comes out soon enough...

""
I find great inspiration in working on new ideas while travelling the skies. Partly inspired by a detour into the soundtrack of my early teens (Paul Hardcastle, Warp 9, Maze, Mtume...)this particular one was started on a bumpy flight home from Athens and later finished in my tiny M57 Studio(R.I.P.)

"Æ"
Another bronchitis-ridden idea. Slow and low is the tempo. Beat originally inspired by Brian Briggs "AEO", melodies beamed in from Wally Badarou.
"Æ"is the norwegian pronounciation of the A in Acid refering to the 303 screeches going through the "song"

"Ø"
By the title you might think I'm running out of ideas. Not sure what happened here and why...

"Lunga Strada"
The track that took me the longest to complete hence the "long road".
Personal favourites The Pilotwings from Lyon sent over 2 ridiculously good and fun remixes which will
be released on a separate 10"

"London til Lisboa"
Another idea made on a plane when I should have tried to catch some sleep.
Direction steered by Plaid and Pat Metheny. Thank you for the inspiration

"Å"
Initially the final track AND then: scrapped idea for the alphabet soup of "Principe del Norte".
Later evolved into what we have here. Comes with a really nice remix by Pional on a separate 12"

"Venter på Torske"
The final recorded addition to the album. Made while waiting for Bjørn Torske to reply on a text message...

"Aske Hermansen"
In all seriousness, this is probably as soppy as it gets with me.
Tears into my computer keyboard, made on the road missing my wife and kids.

The following release on Sublunar Records is a debut EP from a young emerging talent: The Berlin based producer Nh.
"Nihil" is a selection of four heterogeneous tracks in terms of intensity and mood, each one being singular for different reasons but yet coherent by the round-around-the-edges production style, they have been executed in as well as their creator s personal imagery and unorthodox approach to the techno genre.
Warmth and empathy first appear as the driving forces behind Noro , until they vanish and let place to insanity and darkness, present and growing throughout Lothar . On the flip side the eponymous track shows a rave-like up-tempo beat being outweighed by the melancholy of its melodic elements. Finally, in Crimson , a quiet and unstoppable force push us out of the abyss until we reach the initial point again.

Mit zwei Jahrzehnten Erfahrung im Nachtleben, auf Festivals, Afterhours und Beachparties gibt es keinen Zweifel daran, dass Superpitcher weiss, wie man eine verdammt gute Party schmeisst. - Brother ist der personifizierte Party Track und eine Ode an die Nacht. Ultra-schicker Disco Groove treffen auf träumerische Vocals.
- Sleepy Head dagegen ist ein hypnotisches künstlerisches Statement - eine skurrile Einlage, die gerade rechtzeitig vor dem großen - The Golden Ravedays Finale kommt.

Legendary James Brown's protégée Martha High teams up with mighty Japanese Osaka Monaural to pay homage to "JB's Funky Divas" in her new album "Tribute to My Soul Sisters".

Original Funky Diva Martha High has been an integral part of James Brown's life and career for more than 30 years. She was his backing vocalist, hair stylist, payroll master and his always loyal and reliable confidant.

The idea for this project was hatched back in 2014, when Martha was visiting producer DJ Pari, head honcho of the Soulpower organization and manager of soul legends like The Impressions, Lyn Collins and Marva Whitney. While reminiscing about tours with her fellow James Brown veterans, Martha felt that a tribute to the great soul sisters of the JB Revue, better known as "James Brown's Original Funky Divas," was very much needed.

"I looked up to these ladies of soul," says Martha, "Given the opportunity and the pleasure to perform their songs, is my way of saying: thank you, you're not forgotten. To record the music of the Funky Divas, would mean a lot to Mr. Brown. He always wanted the world to know he had powerful women on stage that could hold his crowd while he was off the stage. They were just as powerful and funky as he was."

Without further ado, following DJ Pari's advice, Martha partnered up in Tokyo with one of the hottest names of the new funk renaissance: Japan's Osaka Monaurail. Deeply influenced by the work of James Brown, Bobby Byrd, Curtis Mayfield and with nine albums under their belt, Osaka Monaurail have been leading the international funk scene for more than two decades, appearing at festivals such as Montreal Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival and Womad's, as well as recording and touring with funk legends like Marva Whitney and Fred Wesley.

This unique collaboration gives new life to 13 soulful pearls, masterfully interpreted as only an Original Funky Diva can do. To name a few: "Think (About It)", made famous by the female preacher Lyn Collins, "Mama's Got a Bag of Her Own", Anna King's answer to Brown's "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," "This Is My Story", of which Martha recorded the original version with The Jewels, and the soul classic "Answer to Mother Popcorn" by Vicki Anderson.

Born in Victoria, Virginia, and discovered by rock 'n roll pioneer Bo Diddley, Martha started her career with the soulful, legendary doo-wop group The Four Jewels, with whom she scored the national hit "Opportunity" in 1964. Soon, The Jewels caught the attention of James Brown and joined the James Brown Revue in 1966. The Godfather of Soul recorded and released several songs featuring The Jewels until the group disbanded. Nevertheless, Martha stayed with James Brown and continued to work with him as his personal vocalist for 32 years. She was with him at the Boston Garden during the iconic 1968 gig after Martin Luther King's assassination. She was by his side when he performed at renowned "Rumble in The Jungle" event in Zaire. Mr. Brown produced several of Martha's singles on his own People label such as "Georgy Girl", "Try Me" and "Summertime." Meanwhile Martha launched her solo career in 1979 with the self-titled debut LP for Salsoul Records. Since, she has released five albums under her name and, being one of the "hardest working women in show business", she became one of the leading singers of saxophonist Maceo Parker's legendary funky music machine, working with him for 16 years.

Throughout her career Martha has shared stages worldwide with iconic artists like Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Temptations, Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Michael Jackson and George Clinton. Martha has been carrying the torch of soul music for her whole life, like a true soul sister. Now, with this new effort, she is keeping the music of the Funky Divas going, and we are sure that the Godfather of Soul and her faithful audience would appreciate it.

Following a run of local transmissions from A Sagittariun, Crump, Rob Smith and Atki2, Idle Hands turns its attention to Berlin and the straight-up, no-nonsense techno thrust of Johanna Knutsson and Hans Berg. Both respected artists and DJs in their own right, the pair have been turning out 12"s together for The Free Spirit Society, Klasse and Crime City Disco over the past few years, but most importantly they've been steering the excellent UFO Station Recordings as a vessel for their punchy, primal techno tracks.

The sound on this EP taps into the pure form of stern, dark dancefloor tackle favoured at Idle Hands - no extraneous filler, plenty of space in the mix, but equally built with warmth and personality rather than monochrome functionality. If you need further proof, just look to the fact the EP is named after a Swedish soap opera from the 90s.

The bleeps and bass tones that pulse through "Taggen" are so finely crafted they need not skip and dance around the arrangement. The melodic interplay on "Klimax" is subtle but ultimately uplifting and optimistic where so much techno concerns itself with oppressive gloom. "Bimbo" finds the pair embracing a more psychedelic approach, but even here the modulating effects processes are kept within certain boundaries so as to not dilute the impact on the floor. After all, this is music to dance to, to be felt over a large system (where possible).


Moving from leftfield bass excursions to minimalist 2-step, UK techno and now onto this much more continental sound, theMälarviken EP continues to widen the range of Idle Hands' musical tastes without losing sight of the complete picture.

Sebastian Eduardo burst onto the scene in 2016 with a fine debut EP entitled 'Ultima Necat', now comes his second EP, this time released in The Untold Stories Protagonist Series. Dedicated to the legendary poet Hanshan, the EP is a deep and personal offering, it keeps to the style which made his debut so appreciated: positively charged, quirky and enlivening micro house, but this time there's a deeper personal dimension to the tracks, a nice development and another welcome offering from the young Swiss producer.

LP Kraft Sleeve, Liner Notes Poster Inlay, Sticker Jun Fukamachi's 1986 never-officially-released highly sought after rarity NICOLE LP available for the first time ever on vinyl and CD, and made in cooperation with the artist's estate. All new liner notes by Masaharu Yoshioka aka The Soul Searcher.

WRWTFWW Records is proud to announce the release of Jun Fukamachi's highly coveted Nicole (86 Spring And Summer Collection - Instrumental Images) album, originally recorded in 1986 for celebrated fashion designer Mitsuhiro Matsuda's Nicole clothing brand and never officially available before. Only ever distributed as a limited promotional item offered to attendees and participants of the 1986 fashion show for the Nicole brand's Spring and Summer collection, Fukamachi's moody magnum opus has become a sort of Holy Grail for fans of Japanese ambient, jazz, and synth music alike...and rightly so! Meticulously conceived, smooth and subtle, Nicole sounds like it came from an ethereal land where Erik Satie and Art of Noise lived together, a sublimely cinematic listening experience perhaps best described by renowned Japanese music writer Masaharu Yoshioka aka The Soul Searcher: If you are driving down the Autobahn at 160 km/h, or even 80 km/h, and Jun's music starts playing on the car stereo, the windshield will instantly turn into your own personal silver screen. Nicole is available in two versions: a vinyl LP cut at Emil Berliner Studios, housed in a kraft sleeve similar to the original promo-only release, and a kraft digipak CD version. Both versions were made in cooperation of the artists's estate and come with new liner notes by Masaharu Yoshioka.

This instalment follows on from our acclaimed 'Volume One' - Lauren Laverne's 'Compilation Of The Week', supported by the likes of Disclosure, Jeremy Underground, Horsemeat Disco, Hunee and Laurent Garnier. 'Volume Two' picks up where the last one left off — with a touch more soul and disco — records we've been spinning in our DJ sets and on the radio show of the same name, that inspired this series.

We opened a new record shop in the centre of Brighton late in 2016 - 13 years after the mighty London store closed it's door. Now situated on the ground floor of our Gloucester Yard home the shop is open every Saturday to sell records that we love, some of which you'll hear on the radio shows, and on this album.

It's been a resounding success and we've been able to host sunny instore events and Facebook Live broadcasts with guests including Nick The Record, Dimensions Festival family Debora Ipekel, Flamingods, Slugabed, The Physics House Band and Remi Kolawole & Sensible J.

In 2017 and beyond, we will be releasing more of our official reissues including lesser-known essentials from Brazil, such as Gal Costa's 'India', Robson Jorge & Lincoln Olivetti, Burnier & Cartier alongside 1980's Mexican psychedelia from Luis Perez. We've been digging deep, and will share another edition of our 'The Original Sound of...' series, this time across the border from Mali to neighbouring Burkina Faso. As ever, you'll hear these first, on our radio shows.

There will be more 'Mr Bongo Presents' events - we brought Alain Mion & Cortex to the Jazz Cafe in London in 2017 - and we've highly anticipated slots at Bestival and Lost Village festivals, plus a return to RAPPCATS in Los Angeles, more guest shows on Worldwide FM and NTS Radio and, of course, the continuation
of our own radio shows.

Compiled by David 'Mr Bongo' Buttle and Gareth Stephens,
plus a few personal favourites from Gary Johnson, Ville Marttila and Graham Luckhurst.

The newest 12 on Voodoo Down Records marks the debut appearance of longtime friend of the label Jordan Lieb a.k.a. Black Light Smoke. Jordan played an instrumental part in the NYC label Scissor & Thread, and has spent recent years honing his live set in front of crowds ranging from BPM, Robot Heart, and fabric. The Depression Sleeping EP is a collection of tracks from his archives from the past decade that have been updated and remixed. The theme of the record is his struggle with sleep and insomnia. Per the artist:'Releasing these songs form my past reflects my effort to embrace myself, the good and the bad, and to channel my personal battles into a creative process.

Marco Bailey's 5th full-length album, one that he personally claims to be the best overall representation of his sound. With seventeen tracks comprising almost an hour and a half of music, he has ample room to stretch out and to give listeners an excellent portable version of his potent live show.

By maintaining a consistently high-quality output that does not merely ride the wave of current trends, multi-faceted producer Marco Bailey has managed to survive through decades of mercilessly shifting adjustments to popular taste in dance music. From his beginnings in the late '80s spinning eclectic sets comprised of everything from punk to old school hip-hop, to his present interest in pure unadulterated techno, the Belgium-based DJ and producer has won over audiences with his keen knowledge of how to squeeze the greatest physical and emotional impact out of a few well-placed elements, along with his instinct for seeking out the most innovative and resilient kindred spirits (his impressive number of professional friendships includes artists as diverse as Markus Suckut, Jonas Kopp, Alex Bau, Edit Select, Speedy J, Steve Rachmad and many more). These combined talents have led to his formation of several different labels: MB Electronics in 2001, the 'limited edition' label MBR in 2013, and lastly the new Materia Music label begun last year. His similiarly named event series, Materia, has also been a truly worldwide 'state of the art' summit for advanced techno artists.



The full-length personal releases by Marco Bailey, which stretch back to his mid-'90s period as a trance producer, have been gracefully arcing and anthemic affairs composed of individual tracks that follow that same blueprint. He is now about to drop his 5th full-length album overall, one that he personally claims to be the best overall representation of his sound. With seventeen tracks comprising almost an hour and a half of music, he has ample room to stretch out and to give listeners an excellent portable version of his potent live show. Of course, an epic running time alone is not the marker of a great audio experience, but an epic running time in which one loses track of time completely is - Bailey accomplishes this feat by never rushing the payoff; by organically building up each track until listeners are fully immersed in his alternate universe.



This skill can be heard on banging, sweat-saturated tracks like 'Ash', 'Genetix' and 'Hasai,' but also on comparitively gentle pieces like 'Klauth' (which straddles the line between disciplined electro and something more dreamlike and weightless), or the blissed out 'Suoh,' which feels like a fresh snowfall in audio form. Low-key cuts like 'Rex,' driven by echo FX and other windswept sounds, form natural counterparts to busier tracks like 'Ruth,' with its spring-loaded sequencer attacks, or 'Reboot That Device,' which is ingeniously driven by a psychedelic organ whose sound evolves with various filter settings. Minimalist vocals are occasionally injected into the mix - i.e. on the 'The Darkness' - to impart a subtle message of constant, ongoing expansion into unexplored galaxies without and within. It's as good a definition of the artist's musical mission as any.

Grammy-winning singing sensation Gregory Porter - one of the most successful jazz artists of his generation - is back with a new album, 'Nat King Cole & Me', to be released on Decca/Blue Note on 27th October. It is a deeply personal tribute to Nat King Cole - the legendary crooner who ignited Gregory's love of music. It's only natural that I go to the root of my inspiration and where I come from. And that root would be my mother and gospel music and Nat King Cole,' he says.

Recorded at London's AIR Studios, the 12-track album features some of Gregory's favourite Nat King Cole tunes including 'Smile', 'L-O-V-E' and 'Nature Boy'. There is also a Nat-inspired arrangement of Gregory's own song 'When Love Was King', originally released on his million-selling hit album, 'Liquid Spirit'.

For Gregory Porter, the influence of Nat King Cole on his life and music runs deep, a through-line that reaches back into some of his earliest childhood memories, and culminates in the release of his new album 'Nat King Cole & Me'. Gregory explains, At five or six years old, Nat's music filled a void in me. My father wasn't in my life and wasn't showing interest in me or raising me and Nat's words were the life lessons, words of wisdom and fatherly advice I needed.'

Gregory's love for Nat's music blossomed so much that he wrote a semi-autobiographical musical, also called 'Nat King Cole & Me', which premiered in 2004. After the play, I felt a lighter feeling about my father and a deeper appreciation for both my mother and the great music of Nat King Cole,' says Gregory. He also found his voice through his own songwriting - It wasn't until I wrote the musical that I was fit to call myself a songwriter. Before that, I would write different poems but they had no music.'

'Nat King Cole & Me' is the follow-up to his Grammy-winning albums 'Liquid Spirit' (2013) and 'Take Me to the Alley' (2016). 'Liquid Spirit' took Gregory from being the biggest name on the jazz scene to being one of the most sought-after singers around today, performing sell-out shows across the UK and being invited to perform on high profile TV programmes including The Graham Norton Show, Strictly Come Dancing and the BBC Music Awards. He has become an adopted national treasure in the UK, having sung for the Queen multiple times, as well as major music festivals including Glastonbury, where he performed on the Pyramid Stage alongside the likes of Muse, Adele and Coldplay. Gregory's ability to transcend genres even extends to his surprise dance hit 'Liquid Spirit Claptone Remix' which became one of the most popular tracks in Ibiza.

After winning over audiences with his rich and soulful voice, there can be no better time for Gregory to return to the music which first inspired him to become a singer. On Nat's legacy and influence Gregory affirms, He was one of a kind. He left such great music - such beautiful things to listen to that you can't help but be influenced by that extraordinary timbre, style, and ultimate cool.'

"French Londoner, producer, live performer and troubadour, Remi Mazet marks the end of the summer with a release that was well worth waiting for. Eccentric, particular, specific and always surprising.

From the laid back ethereal and atmospheric scene-setting intro, through upbeat dance floor cuts, percussive workouts and back again, everything about this collection says depth, groove and flow. Sax, keys and sublime samples nestle among, beats, breaks and 4/4 rhythms to create a sonic excursion where nothing is hurried and every track is distinct yet cohesive.

Following on from releases on Colors and Love Fever Recordings, Safran (SJ002) is a continuation of his ongoing explorations. The EP is a perfect extension of his early work, a contagious evolution and transformation in a more personal way."

With The Object Isn't There UK guitar player and producer Jack Allett has made a deeply personal masterpiece based around cyclical guitar parts and electronic percussion. Playing like a half remembered fever dream with an aesthetic that is ragged, hypnotic and spacey, its two side-long pieces touch on minimalism, kraut-infused dub and euphoric dance floor optimism. As comfortable being played after Manuel Göttschings E2-E4 as right before a Terekke lo-fi house anthem, it is laced with the melancholy of an early morning post-rave comedown. Yet for all the references and name-checking, it's a record that is hard to compare to anything else, past or present.



BIOGRAPHY



Jack Allett works as a producer in London and has been active for many years as an experimental guitar player, releasing a solo record on Blackest Rainbow and collaborating with UK avant-guitar player Cam Deas. The Object Isn't There was written, recorded, and mixed in Camberwell and Camden, London, UK. 2012-2016.



INFO



This record is about - insofar as instrumental music need be about anything - hallucinations. The title The Object Isn't There serves as a concise definition, derived from the quote 'An hallucination is a strictly sensational form of consciousness, as good and true a sensation as if there were a real object there. The object happens to be not there, that is all.' (William James, The Principles Of Psychology, 1890)



Having experienced constant tinnitus - a form of auditory hallucination - for the last 13 years, Jack has long questioned the distinction of something experienced as being either there or not-there. Even if, strictly speaking, an hallucination is something that's not there, if the reality of how it affects day-to-day existence is undeniable then to any extent that matters, it is there. But The Object Isn't There is no tale of woe, nor simply a response to this one condition, and tinnitus need not be considered only as distressing or distracting. Allett sees it merely as one example of many things in life that cross this uncertain terrain:



There are obvious parallels here with the notion of active listening. There is room for emotion too, particularly the kind of overwhelming, -all-consuming emotion that, once it fades, is hard to believe was actually how you felt. Essentially the music here is concerned with being overwhelmed by a sensation, never really being sure to what extent you are conjuring it up yourself, to what extent it exists independently of you, but ultimately deciding that it doesn't much matter; the sensation itself was undeniable.

— Jack Allett

A swirling haze with a plenitude of sounds bobbing to it's surface it's a heartfelt

Osaka, not being Japan's capital city, has a history of producing some unique underground movements and artists. Without the attention or the funds Tokyo artists may have access to, Osakan artists over the years have had to make their own way with raw innovation.Iku Sakan, an electronic musician and DJ from Osaka, has spent most of the last decade living in Berlin. Prior to that, he was active in the underground club scene of Kyoto & Osaka. A previous unit was Sakan & Senju (with Muneomi Senju of The Boredoms). Together, they produced a 15 copy handmade edition of their music on CDr. Iku personally handed a copy to Karlheinz Stockhausen, when he was visiting Tokyo for his last festival appearance in Japan.Sakan began playing steel drum at the Görlizer park in Berlin, Tori Kudo of Maher Shalal Hash Baz then invited him to accompany the band. Immersing himself in the international DIY / noise / improv scene back in Berlin, he became active as an improviser, DJ and promoter, and has since worked with Sun Araw, Anders Lauge Meldgaard, Pekka Airaksinen, Günter Schickert, and Damo Suzuki.Playing and improvising, touring and DJing, has led to his sound, a kind of metaphysical music, with circular rhythms and an emotive, melodic feel. He combines analogue and digital devices (Omnichord, Roland MC303, and a DIY electronic doll synth. made by his friend Stephane Shibatsuji-Perrin in Tokyo), and pre-recorded materials, mixing and merging all four signals into one mixer (no MIDI sync.), through an effect pedal. When recording, he usually lets these devices run until something clicks. Then he records and starts to improvise, like he's playing an imaginary instrument, entering a timeless region where track length loses its meaning.2017 has seen some of Sakan's Berlin recordings released, initially on two tapes: 'Human Wave Music', for Natural Sciences, and 'Cepheidian' for Planet Almanac. The two track long player 'Prism in Us All' on Japan Blues' imprint is his first LP. His on/off-world sound, part kalimba, part gamelan, part E2-E4 - and at the same time, none of them. A hypnotic, musical mantra, centring the spirit, and resonating with the harmonics of the spheres.Prism In Us All' is the second release on Japan Blues' eponymous imprint, after featuring the album on his NTS show in January.300 copies only, in silk-screened sleeve.

Record Kicks proudly presents "A little taste of Soul" / Unwind Yourelf" a little appetizer of the much awaited new album by James Brown's protégée Martha High produced and recorded in Tokyo by mighty Osaka Monaurail. This 45 vinyl is limited to 500 copies worldwide and anticipates Martha High's forthcoming new album "Tribute to my soul Sisters".

The "funky diva" Martha High has been an integral part of James Brown's life and career for more than 30 years. After a lifetime spent shoulder to shoulder with the Godfather of Soul, she flew to Tokyo and teamed up with Japanese funk ambassadors Osaka Monaurail to pay homage to the great Soul Sisters of the JB Revue.

Born in Victoria, Virginia and discovered by rock and roll pioneer Bo Diddley, Martha took off her career with soul band The Jewels, with whom she scored the national hit 'Opportunity" in 1964. Soon The Jewels caught the attention of James Brown in the same year the group joined the "James Brown Revue". Martha stayed with James Brown and continued to work with him as his personal vocalist for 32 years. Mr.Brown produced several Martha's singles on his own label "People" such as "Georgy Girl", "Try Me" and "Summertime",meanwhile Martha launched her solo career in 1979 with the self-titled debut LP for "Salsoul Records". Since then she released five albums under her name and, being one of the "hardest working ladies in the show business", she became as well the lead singer of the legendary funky music machine Maceo Parker. Throughout her career Martha shared stages worldwide with some iconic artists like Little Richard, Jerry lee Lewis, The Temptations, Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Michael Jackson and George Clinton to name a few.

Greenlight by DJ Manny is the fifth release from TEKLIFE Records. This 10 trackLP is a masterclass in footwork production by one of TEKLIFE's leading figures. Born and raised in Harvey on the South-Side of Chicago, DJ Manny has been footworking since the age of ten. The Footwork sound has developed in unison with the dance style that accompanies it, and Manny embodies this synergy.DJ Manny is without doubt one of the best dancers on the scene, harnessing control, grace and power in every movement. So when he steps into the studio, he knows instinctively how to create tracks that make you want to move your feet.Instead of relying on chopped up samples, DJ Manny is more inclined to pickup the microphone himself, and this gives Greenlight an original and individual personality.On the opening track titled Way you Move, his flow is soulful and almost vergingon melodic. His laid back drawl sounds equally great on club bangers like Life in This Bitch and If U Want It. As a young man, DJ Manny was the protégé of the late great DJ Rashad, and Rashad's influence reverberates through classic - sounding footwork tracks like Boop Me Down and I'll Hurt Ya Baby.Elsewhere on Greenlight, DJ Manny explores different moods to great effect.Ghost Out is atmospheric and menacing, with a sparse, minimal rhythm and fearsome lowend pulsing through siren synths. Life In This Bitch is a defiant statement of self-affirmation, and Zancrash feat. DJ Taye is uplifting and dreamy,with complex rhythmic patterns evocative of vintage jungle records.DJ Taye makes a significant contribution to this record, collaborating with DJ Manny on 5 productions including the title track. A fellow TEKLIFE squad member, Taye is a highly accomplished producer in his own right, Expect to hear more from him very soon on HYPERDUB Records. Greenlight also features guest appearances from DJ Lucky, Gant-Man and Sucia.

A split single featuring Washington, D.C.'s Escape-Ism and Light Beams. The digital
download in- cludes an extra track by each band.

Escape-ism is called "the found-sound-dream-drama," "the grieving widow of rock 'n' roll" , the "press play and run away group", the strrrripped down sound machine starring Ian Svenonius, star of Chain & the Gang, singer in The Make Up, author of 'Supernatural Strategies for Making a Rock 'n' Roll Group.' Its a single occupancy combo, a one banana bunch, the gestural rock 'n' roll provocation which combines cave person poetry with beats and melody translated incorrectly from hieroglyphs found in arch-pharaoh Cheops' triangle shaped record collection. Escape-ism is a bid at inciting long- ing for a past behind an IRON CURTAIN, and hope for a future in flames. Escape-ism -- hear it, fear it, cheer it.'

Light Beams began in 2015 when Justin Moyer (Puff Pieces) -- influenced by 80s-era freestyle music and Sheila E. -- started playing sampler and timbales with Sam Lavine, the longtime drummer of D.C. hip-hop mainstays the Cornel West Theory. With the addition of bassist Arthur Noll the result- ing polyrhythmic melange, sometimes called "zap-tone" or "block rock," reinvents late-20th century dance-pop using the tools of the 21st.

You could be forgiven for thinking Basso's been hitting the plant food of late. Last time out we took a trip with Trance, and now our esoteric expert nods his head, rolls his shoulders and drops a h-h-h-house record on our unexpecting asses. That's right folks, roll up the rug, push the sofa back and enjoy some ‚Personal Growth' from James Booth.
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Operating a million miles away from the kick and hiss of the trendy lo-fi folks, the Berlin based producer favours subtle rhythms, delicate textures and tender melodies - turning out a string of sophisticated dance floor winners for 100% Silk, Church and No Bad Days. Now he brings his organic house stylings to the Growing Bin with a fresh five-tracker packed with all the warmth of a Tempelhof picnic on a balmy July afternoon.

Emerging from the watery depths of the Drexciyan ocean, opener ‚Mood' strides calmly through the morning dew, stretching those loose limbs and seeking out Hardcastle's rainforest. Drifting freely
through immersive, aquatic pads and soft focus melodies, the track takes in a little R&R before snapping electro percussion, cascading synthlines and a rolling rhythm up the intensity. The deepness continues on the A2 as ‚Dream Precipitation' offers a medicated vision of Debussy doing P-Bar while Lynch rolls the cameras. Syncopated hi-hats, jazzy keys and star-gazing sine waves wrap themselves around your cerebellum, expanding your mind as a steady kick moves your body into the pleasure zone. Booth takes a Derren Brown tip on the flip, imbuing ‚You' with the kind of mesmeric rhythm that can make the staunchest wallflower pull a Pink Panther on a packed dance floor. The exotic tumble of woody percussion and hissing castanets keep up a fascinating rhythm, driving the titular mantra and snaking synth melody through bursts of slapped bass and subtle 4/4. ‚Dhoop Stick' stays on board with the boogie hypnotism, weaving its way through celestial melodies, squelching bass and toasty Rhodes before ‚The Chorus' brings down the curtain with wailing FM vox, military snares and the dreamy synth pop charm of a lost Sheffield classic. Warm, woody and entirely organic, this is the birth of Green House...you heard it here first!
(words by Patrick Ryder)

Version Galore is a newly found label, deeply rooted into the music culture. We are bringing you the selected reworks / re-edits from the top producers in the game, showing lots of respect and care for the original, but elevating it's spirit and taking it somewhere else. It's all about the dialogue of cultures and the idealistic desire to pass the music legacy on! No half-measures, played-out tunes, lazy cuts, or boring "808-kick boosting" biz!
On the first release of the label we are delighted to bring you the chosen cuts from the man that needs no introduction - Opolopo. He knows a thing or two about making a personal version of a track that can easily overshadow the original, and we guess that's the case with the two cuts he prepared for us on this
records. Things escalate fast. On the A-side you will find originally a midtempo mild jam "Go Get It", which is turned by Opolopo into an effectively-upbeat stomper that will inject true feeling and groove in any house or disco set alike.
It's one of those rare occasions when a soulful tune turns out to be super dance-floor efficient no matter what!
The B-side is all about the raw and emotional funky madness of "American Promise". It's infectious groove, pinpointed with growling sub-bass is just devastating. Epithets are irrelevant here - just play it loud, but with caution! "Version Galore - play some more!"

wewillalwaysbealovesong is proud to welcome one of the most prolific producer of the moment in the person of ponty mython .
after amazing releases on label such as dirt crew recordings & quintessentials it is with a lot of pride that we are releasing this brillant 4-tracks ep .

Eric Maltz is a producer from New York City and now resides in Berlin, Germany.He is a former employee of Halcyon records from its' OG glory days in it's first location in Red Hook/Carrol Gardens areas of Brooklyn."Eric Provided a sofa to me often through-ought my 20's and vice-versa, we both cared about music above all else- we lived and breathed music- and we helped each other survive when we were penniless - if one was up, so was the other...Eric and I were roommates, friends, we looked out for each other in a rough city with tough rules. Every time one of us got a job at a restaurant or record shop, within weeks we would have the other working there too. We did that for a decade. We slang records for years at Halcyon- a shop on Smith Street which had a portrait of Stevie Wonder painted on the front facade- and we threw parties all around Brooklyn back then too.. Every shitty bar that would have us lol. We were a dope team. He's the only person who has ever touched the third rail on a subway and survived too! True story. So you know I couldn't wait to release his Debut LP. Proud of this guy" - Levon Vincent

After showcasing his knack for emotive productions via various EPs throughout his career, including chart-topping singles on Hot Since 82's Knee Deep in Sound and Dave Seaman's Selador, the Swiss artist Several Definitions now reveals his first full-length album. It should come as no surprise that the artist found familiarity in what he calls the Berlin style' of electronic music and notably, that of Oliver Koletzki's Stil vor Talent. Reborn After The Road is an intense and emotional affair, consisting of 14 tracks crafted using field and live recordings, switching between analogue and digital to mould a sonic atmosphere that emblazons the artist's core ethos. Although the personal experience that sparked the inspiration for the LP is far from pleasant, Several Definitions' style is audibly resolute. Reborn After The Road, the album's eponymous track, creates a fitting intro for the healing process that is to follow. Its airy pads and majestic strings sonically stand at the epicenter of the expressive album. Several Definitions continues to explore these sounds on vaporous slices like Pontceard 32 or the more acidical Last Breath. The mellifluous, feminine vocals of LaMeduza on Learn To Feel and Her, as well as Spanish singer Goldsun's crooner talents on the introspective Trust, on the other hand, showcase Several Definitions' ability to work the human voice into his musical explorations. Taking introspection one step further towards darker realms, Senelity then feels like a rite of passage into the deeper and more intense segment at the album's core. Over You briefly signals a turning point, with its alarm-like synths and grave leads, which is then followed by the glitchy resistance on Modular Spaces. The Escape

After releases on the Ninja Tune-backed label R'COUP'D, the mysterious Prequel Tapes surfaces with an EP for Midnight Shift. Composed of 3 tracks and 2 locked grooves, SHIFT LTD 003 fossilises transient moments in between gridlocks of tight grooves. Like a scan of light sweeping surreptitiously across a dungeon of darkness or a blinking throb pulsating from the corner of one's eye, these are the brief but blinding moments of illumination that capture time suspended on the edge of two worlds. Memory capsules slow-releasing an industrial mythos back into the clubbing consciousness. Prequel Tapes is a work of deep synthesis. Teenage recordings orchestrated into densely layered tapestries; a deeply emotional study on a life characterised by a shifting relationship to electronics. The pieces serve as a chronology of desire and reflection, reconciling a nascent passion for industrial music with a history in the club. There is a temptation to draw comparisons to Mark Leckey's excavation of UK rave culture, Lee Gamble's junglist memories or the hauntological approach of the Ghost Box label, however this is clearly a personal trajectory aesthetically distant from an English past. Oscillating between utopian to claustrophobic, the evolving synth work, deep techno atmospheres and traces of the clangorous energy of early European ambient and industrial tell a distinctly German tale, forged between the forest and the autobahn.

REPRESSED !
1970's "Osmium" was Parliament's debut album and possibly the first real indicator of where George Clinton and his notorious band of psychedelic funksters might be headed. The ground zero of P-Funk if you will. Existing since the late 50's as a doo-wop group it was the bands later offerings that sculpted their unique, mildly warped idea of what the FUNK should sound like. Initially they cut a couple of 45's for Detroit Soul label Invictus in 1970 (both of which appear on the LP) then embarked on recording more music for the project, their first full length offering on the label. The group also released the debut Funkadelic LP in the same year with both albums feature the same personnel. The conditions under which "Osmium" was realised have since passed off into mythical status with colourful anecdotes involving marathon LSD consuming sessions in isolation in their Toronto studio and a general air of hallucinatory, intense mental psychosis prevailing throughout. It's under this druggy haze that Parliament honed their own sound, a raucous, blown out, tripping stew of R&B, Blues, Soul and Funk replete with early P-Funk trappings.
"Osmium" is a fascinating ride, wild, rampaging heaviness of the most soulful kind. A glimpse into what was to come from one of the most enduring and colourful groups of the last 5 decades. Often a very difficult LP to track down it has always been sought after and extremely expensive to buy. Appealing to fans of Black music, Rock and psychedelia equally it's contents have shocked, entertained and grooved open minded music lovers since it's release over 40 years ago.
This is the first time the record has been reissued in over a decade, complete with original artwork. Remastered, reissued and fully licensed with the full permission and involvement of Invictus Records, Detroit.