quête:the tape

Another DINTE tape curated by cult WFMU show and blogger Bodega Pop; Gary Sullivan's long-running project rooted in a passion for digging for music in bodegas and cell-phone stores across NYC's boroughs. This edition focuses in on late 1990s and early 00s hip-hop & rnb from across Southeastern Asia.

"While on a work trip to Chicago in the mid-2000s, I was craving a bowl of pho. A bit of sleuthing led me to hop on the red line "L" up to Argyle Street, ground zero of Chicago's Little Saigon. In the 1960s, Chicago restaurateur Jimmy Wong invested in property on Argyle Street with a vision to build the city's new Chinatown, a kind of mall with pagodas, trees, and reflecting pools. In 1971, the Hip Sing Association, a labor/criminal organization, established itself in the area, and along with Wong, they bought up 80% of the buildings on a three-block stretch of the street. Wong reportedly broke both hips in an accident, leaving his dream to wither; in 1979, Charlie Soo of the Asian American Small Business Association brought it back to life.

Soo expanded the area into a vibrant mix of Chinese, Vietnamese, and other Southeast Asian businesses, pushing for renovations, including an Argyle station facelift and the Taste of Argyle festival. At the time I exited the station and crossed the street to get a better look at a shop with a poster for A Vertical Ray of the Sun in the window, the area was home to some 37,000 Vietnamese residents.

Opening the door, I was gobsmacked by a cavernous Southeast Asian media store, bigger than any I'd been to in Dallas, Montreal, New York, or Seattle. I spent some time at the bins, pulling out collections by some of my then-favorite singers — Giao Linh, Khánh Ly, Phương Dung — before approaching the register to ask the young woman behind the counter if the they carried any Vietnamese rap. It was a longshot, I knew, but if such a thing existed on physical media and anyone carried it, it would be this place.

'Have you heard Vietnamese rap?' she replied, her tone of voice and facial expression betraying a comically exaggerated level of distaste. I admitted my ignorance but assured her that I had long cultivated a high threshold for cheesy pop music of all kinds and genuinely tended to like hip hop from around the world.

She rolled her eyes and pointed to an area I had missed. I walked toward a far corner of the store and knelt over a small box on the floor sparsely populated with CDs, VCDs, and cassettes. I pulled out half a dozen Vietnamese hip hop compilations and a strange-looking CD with a cavalcade of odd typefaces in a queasy multitude of colors: THAILAND RAP HIT, it boasted, with 泰國 "燒香" 勁歌金曲 below it. The information on the back provided an address in Kuala Lumpur and the titles in Thai and English translation. The first track included three simplified Chinese characters after the English-language version of the title, "The Chinese Association": 自己人.

WTF was going on here? Walking back to the register, I waved the CD, asking "What's up with this one?" She gave me a look. I placed it on the counter so she could bask in the cover's full glory. She shrugged. "I'm guessing it's Thai rap?" She looked disappointed in me when I said I'd take it.

It turned out to be a Malaysian pressing of half-Chinese Thai hip hop artist Joey Boy's third album, Fun Fun Fun from 1996, and it completely changed my sense what the genre could sound like. The rapper's self-assured, effortless, silly-but-cool rapid-fire delivery weaved in and out of the most bizarre, antic beats I'd ever heard. The six Vietnamese hip hop CDs were a mixed bag, mostly "serious" sounding mimicry of US rapping over predictable production, but the highs were very high. When I got home and listened to it all, I made a point to find as much hip hop from this part of the world as I could.

The tracks collected here provide a limited but potent reflection of the two-decade ascendency
and ultimate world-takeover of hip hop, as it displaced rock and its endless variants for millions of listeners. This not a fair and balanced overview of regional production: I've only included tracks from Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. Nor is this a biggest or most important artists collection; instead, I've tried to recapture the pure visceral thrill of that first time I heard Joey Boy, choosing bangers that sound like nothing else, from nowhere else."

—Gary Sullivan

The definition of the word 'fado' is technically 'fate', though the Portuguese meaning bound up with this term is more complex. The music itself can be fairly closely compared with that of Greek rebetika - also the American blues or the original working-class tango music of Argentina and Uruguay - and similarly takes it's common subject matter from the various cruel realities of the world. Though perhaps what distinguishes fado in character is it's often poised acceptance of the pains of life rather than protestation or resistance - as writer Paul Vernon says "It speaks with a quiet dignity born of the realisation that any mortal desire or plan is at risk of destruction by powers beyond individual control"

Death Is Not The End compile here a spine-tingling collection of fado recordings, taken from records issued in the mid 1910s through to the 1930s. The fado's Lisbon and Coimbra variants are presented here by some of the music's earliest recorded stars - spanning a time period leading up to the emergence of the fado's all-conquering star, Amália Rodrigues.

“I've always dreamed of making an album where I could bring together artists I deeply admire, curating voices, energies, and sensibilities that have inspired me,” says Brussels-born producer and multidisciplinary artist ShunGu of his new record, Faith in the Unknown. “It took time, and it grew into something very human, rooted in trust, patience, and creative risk. These songs are conversations, not just between me and the artists, but between worlds, eras, and ways of feeling.”
That spirit of dialogue and discovery is what defines Faith in the Unknown. Emerging from years of steady, meticulous work in the underground, the album is both a bold statement of identity and an invitation into Shungu’s world. Across 14 tracks, each a self-contained vignette, ShunGu guides the listener through shifting moods and perspectives- moments of intimacy, defiance, reflection and release, coalescing into a much larger story.
His distinct touch threads through the surefire cast of collaborators - Pink Siifu, Liv.e, Fly Anakin, Chester Watson, Fatima, Maxo, Navy Blue, Dreamcastmoe, Ruqqiyah, Zekeultra and Goya Gumbani — each track unfolding as a new dimension in the same universe.
ShunGu has long been a boundary-pusher, known for weaving jazz-inflected samples, skilfully constructed textures, and MPC-driven grooves into production that feels timeless yet untethered. With Faith in the Unknown he pushes further still: a project as much about collective energy as it is about personal vision. It’s a leap into uncertainty, carried by trust in the process and the people involved.
From the lo-fi beat tapes that first won him a cult following, to collaborations that span the globe, Shungu has forged a body of work rooted in exploration and community. Faith in the Unknown crystallises those qualities into his most ambitious statement yet; a record that doesn’t just blur boundaries between genres, but asks what happens when vulnerability and experimentation are treated as shared ground.
The result is a record that trades in subtlety. Each artistic contribution adds its own shade to the larger mosaic, pulling the listener deeper into an expanding narrative. If Faith in the Unknown has a message, it’s that art can thrive in uncertainty - that in the spaces where trust, risk, and vulnerability intersect, something entirely new can emerge.

Precise Rolling Floor Explosions

Canadian selectors The Patchouli Brothers are back for their 3rd instalment of edit heat on Razor-N-Tape. The duo truly never misses with their deep digs and careful retouches, and this record once again delivers the goods from the mid-tempo gospel synth boogie groove of The Spirit, the burning uptempo disco fire of C U Move, the wide-smiling party hook of Teddy’s Highlife, and soulful machine-funk of Do Ya Wanna. 4 killers, no filler, straight to the bag!

Effective Well Dressed Dhampires

The begena is a large ten-stringed lyre which is part of the traditional Amharic heritage of Ethiopia. The Amharas, who have long formed the politically and culturally dominant people of Ethiopia, mainly inhabit the central and northern part of the country. In the majority, they follow the monophysite Orthodox Tewahido Church established in the early fourth century AD.

Music plays a very important part in the life of the church. Most of the liturgy is sung and, contrary to secular music, it is accompanied by percussion instruments only. The begena occupies a special place because it is the one melodic instrument exclusively dedicated to the spiritual repertory. Because of its mythical origin, it is highly respected. Tradition holds that the begena was given to king David by God, and brought to Ethiopia by Menelik I, together with the Ark of the Covenant. It has always been the instrument of kings and nobles. Played by pious men and women of letters, it never became widespread. But it never disappeared either, not even under the Derg regime (1974-1991) which had banned the instrument.

Among Amhara string instruments, the begena is the most carefully crafted, especially with regard to the ornately sculpted crossbar. Its ten gut strings are cleaned and twisted several times. The characteristic buzzing timbre equalled by no other Amhara instrument is due to the enzirotch, that is, small bits of leather placed between each string and the bridge. This plays an important part in the sound production by creating a brief contact between the string and the upper rim of the bridge, thus modifying the vibrating properties of the string. In this manner, the spectrum of the sound is considerably enhanced (up to over 10 kHz).

The begena is a very powerful instrument, it keeps the devil thirty steps away, and its presence in the home wards off malicious spirits. Priests and preachers recommend its presence, especially during Lent (Fassika Tsom) when the Orthodox Amharas ponder their sins and repent. Because of its spiritual import, the begena generates intense emotion. According to some musicians, playing the begena brings them into direct contact with God or the Virgin Mary. The religious role of the begena is underscored by the shape of the instrument, each part symbolises an important element of the faith. The crossbar for instance, which reaches across the entire width of the instrument, represents God who is above all things. The belly which "gives birth" to the sound represents the Virgin Mary, and the ten strings recall the Ten Commandments.

Recorded by Stéphanie Weisser in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, March 2002-December 2005.

Mastered by Renaud Millet-Lacombe.

Issued under license from VDE-Gallo, Switzerland.

Cassette edition of Death Is Not The End's contribution to the Blowing Up The Workshop mix series.

"A trip across the frequencies of Bristol's pirate radio stations via cut-ups of broadcasts, taken from the late 1980s to the early 2000s ~ also a love-letter to my childhood, an audio document of the years I spent growing up in the city."

Death Is Not The End platforms a selection of brooding, haunting Turkish tango recordings from the decades following the foundation of the republic in the early 1920s through to the mid 1950s.

Mossy Moon Mountain Dreamers

A 90 minute cassette-only mixtape taking in Filipino folk, rock, country & OPM from the 1970s, originally broadcast on NTS Radio back during the early months of the pandemic. One missed out of the collection of DINTE radio shows committed to tape as part of 10 year anniversary celebrations last year.

With Heilun, Hyldipi makes a stunning debut on ambient powerhouse Past Inside The Present by presenting seven meditative compositions shaped by his native Iceland's raw, introspective beauty. Crafted entirely with guitar and minimal hardware, each track feels like a gentle conversation with nature, ephemeral and soul-soothing. From the delicate strums of 'Opnun' to the deep serenity of 'Hvild,' the album flows like glacial melt, patient and healing. 'Fadmur' blooms with aching emotion, while 'Kyrrd' closes the journey in subaquatic calm. This is ambient music for deep listening-an improvised, transcendental escape into stillness, where the ego dissolves and all that remains is presence and peace.

Following on from the celebrated first instalment, the second part of The Male Body Will Be Next compiles an entourage of daring sonic experiments, composed in response to bell hooks’ landmark book The Will to Change. Prompting artists and musicians to envision cross-gender solidarity, Osàre! Editions founder Elena Colombi presents an enrapturing, narrative album, conceptualised around collective transformation.

Resonating with hooks’ challenge to men to reclaim the sensitivity that patriarchy denies them, the name of the record arises from a photograph by Peter de Potter and Rebecca Salvadori’s film of the same title. In these depictions, naked flesh is exposed, made vulnerable and trembles with emotion as the fragility of masculine bodies are examined through the queer and female oppositional gaze. Transforming this visual language into musical expression, The Male Body Will Be Next swirls with punk vitriol, electrified noise, acid, electro and free-wheeling encounters charged by love, lust and limerence.

Gently plunking chords signal Pose Diva’s reimagining of lover’s rock before Sissy Fuss smashes in with a heavy-weight instrumental version of their erotic anthem ‘No Restraint’.
Made up of Turkish musician Etkin Çekin and Belarussian songstress Galina Ozeran, God is God delivers a gentle lullaby, while Low End Activist flirts with dark and brooding bass, shattering penetrating frequencies into luminous fragments. Riffing off the 2020 documentary about female early electronica pioneers, Loma Doom crafts a slowly oscillating drone zenith, the ultimate climax. In line with the conceptual underpinning, there are plenty of collaborations – Daytripper’s Riva and Sitar player Tommy Khosla, Lebanonese experimentalist N R and Swiss-French producer John Silvestre (AKA Typhon), as well as Colombi herself and trans author/activist Juno Roche. Within these partnerships, new modalities come alive as mediums, practices and perspectives are ignited and pushed in otherworldly, metamorphic directions.

DINTE presents a cassette-only two-part Japanese post-punk, goth & new wave mixtape, the first in a tranche of regionally-focused mixes produced in partnership with Philadelphia's punk archivists World Gone Mad.

The busiest beavers in the edits game, the Patchouli Brothers sink their teeth in to some novel material for their second outing on RNT’s lauded white label series. The Brothers’ usual disco fodder gives way to some masterful reworking of 90s house, 80s electro boogie, Euro dance, and Freestyle on this 4 tracker that shows their crates run even deeper than we knew. From the opening chords of Male Dans La Peau, to the arpeggiated soulful pulse of See You Tonight, the over-the-top cheekiness of Mista Hasta La Vista, or the earworm vocal refrain of All Nite, this is a special record from beginning to end and an unexpected surprise from Toronto’s finest edit practitioners.

Unbridled introvert scooter crushers

New edits label from the Deep&Disco crew outta NYC. 2 Killer cuts given a revamp and shine for the dancefloor.

Pressed on heavy weight 180g vinyl limited to 300 pressings hand stamped.
DJ FEEDBACK

Craig Smith (6th Borough Project) - Lovely edits, well produced and expertly put together. Good luck with the label chaps

Guy (Sleazy Beats, Monsieur Monod) - What a delightful debut for your new label. Feel The Rhythm is an irresistable boogie groover. We'll be playing these puppies all over the place! All the best with the release and label.

aliOOFT (OOFT! Music) - Being playing this for ages, good to see it being released. Best of luck with the label - I look forward to more Razor N Tape jams!

Sleazy McQueen (Whisky Disco) - Dig it, man!

Onur Engin (OE Edits) - Nice one! I'll definitely support this.

Jimpster (Freerange) - Nicely done. always a good one to have in the bag. cheers for the good edits.

Trujillo (Apersonal Music) - So Tight is a dope warm disco for the dance floor!, will spin it!

The Glue (Kolour) - Great edits both of them, we will keep an eye out for more stuff from you guys for sure!

Leftside Wobble (Futureboogie) - A pair of filtered boogie beauties.

Alkalino (Much Love) - Like both, but "Feel the Rhythm" is my fav.cheers!

Matthew Bandy (Z Records) - Solid edits here, will be getting support on both from me. Cheers.

Sell by Dave (Bedmo Disco, Juno Plus) - Excellent first release lads - enjoying both tracks. The edits scene needs some fresh cuts/styles, and you've delivered on these. Major props - can see both getting plenty of plays in Bedmo Disco sets this summer x

Daz (Get Down Edits) - So Tight never fails but this is my first time hearing Feel The Rhythm & cant wait to play it out its sounds excellent, have a gig @ Disco Deviance this sat & cant wait to play these at it :)

Mike W (Kolour Recordings) - Been looking forward to RNT001 and it does not disappoint one bit! edits that drip with funk & soul .. just like they should. got a nice batch of gigs in the pipes and these will definitely be seeing their way into my rotation as well as the full gambit of chart support! cheers j. kriv & aaron dae .. got yourselves off to a nice & tidy start .. best of returns to ya!

Nelue (Groove Democracy) - Both sound great!

South West Seven (SWS Music) - Love it!

Kid Color (Dollar Disco) - Slammin' work if I could say so myself!

The Beat Broker (Flexx) - So Tight is exactly that. Killer unstoppable groove. Love it!

This is a special cassette tape version of the recent album from zake, one of ambient's most prolific artists, alongside From Overseas on his own Past Inside The Present label. As always it is an almost impossibly deep ambient selection that once again finds him exploring fresh and always emotionally moving musical territory. Demain Des L'aube features eight tunes that convey real melancholia and have a gently persuasive sense of movement. Each one is vast in scale and sweeps you up and sinks you into the grainy lo-fi pads, wispy melodies and distant string-based sombreness.

The Amsterdam-based duo of LYMA and Rebiere aka LIKEMINDS follow up their debut album On My Way with versions from its predecessor.

Sometimes life throws you a curveball and you still gotta make it to first base. That’s what happened when Rebiere’s laptop was stolen, along with all the recordings of their original debut album. The pair made a brand new album from scratch, but they kept coming back to the demos from the lost recordings. They started to rework the sound as a whole, adding finishing touches, including additions from Bo Floor and Gino Groeneveld from Jungle By Night. The demos weren’t the same as the stolen tracks, but they learned to love the imperfections all the same.

The Lost Tape takes you on a journey - through low-slung beats, party jams, soulful. melodies and woozy synths, all masterfully woven together with samples and field recordings from Amsterdam’s watery canalways. It’s also the story of how the duo met, at a time when LYMA felt lost at sea with his collection of unreleased tracks, before Rebiere threw him a lifeline and brought some focus and clarity. Sometimes finding a like-minded
friend can make all the difference.