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Bristol’s Sydney returns to Black Acre with two Jazz infused cuts featuring saxophonist Guy Hobley and emerging guitarist Charlie J-W. One of Gilles Peterson’s Future Bubblers, Sydney is a live artist and traditional instrument enthusiast who debuted on Black Acre with a Swaziland inspired debut mini-album entitled ‘Ode to eSwatini’ earlier this year, showcasing an eclectic mix of broken beat and Jazz.

Now the Bristolian returns with two collaborations featuring two vibrant Jazz and Blues musicians - Guy Hobley on the saxophone and guitarist Charlie J-W. “With the record being South American influenced the titles and artwork are based on a garden in Mexico named Las Pozas. Paraíso meaning paradise and Dahlia being the native flower toMexico found in the Las Pozas garden" – Sydney Conceptualized during Sydney’s first session as a Future Bubbler using one distorted PA speaker in a room full of the new generation year 3 bubblers with Gilles Peterson present, ‘Paraíso ft. Guy Hobley’ flutters into place with shuffling percussion, reverberating piano fills and smooth sax melodies from Guy Hobley whilst underlying world instrumentation operates throughout, including bongos, claves and shakers.
Created in one afternoon alongside fellow band member and friend Charlie J-W, ‘Dahlia’ gives a warming aural experience with a Nina Leão vocal sample, cantering south American drums, a mix of traditional guitar strums, pedal hits and accordion strikes, all glued together with stylish synth stabs.

Support from:
Gilles Peterson,Jamz Supernova, Bradley Zero, Moxie, Horse Meat Disco

Michael Edgehill aka Mikey Melody was born in the parish of Portland, Jamaica. As a youth he constantly raised his voice in song and performing with sound system in the neighborhood community. Known by his sweet voice, his friends gave him the nickname «Mikey Melody».

Mikey Melody was influenced by 60’s and 70’s US R&B icons and Jamaican singers like Bob Marley, Sugar Minott, Burning Spear, Dennis Brown, Bob Andy and Half Pint. In the 1980’s he went to Kingston and was identified early by Lord Sassafrass, who gave him his first recording single “Under Mi Fat Thing” that was covered by many reggae artists. He was then signed by Black Scorpio Corporation which he was a singer on the sound system and recording label. He did songs like “World Is A Disaster”, “Jumbo Mi Jumbo”, “Romance For The Moment”, “Ragga Muffin”, “Unemployment”.

He then moved on to Dennis Star Label which he did songs like “Mona Lisa”, “Maranda” and the hit song “Soldier In Town”. Released in 1988 on Dennis Star International records, ‘’Soldier In Town’’ by Mikey Melody is a pure late 80’s dancehall vocal over heavy digital rhythm by Firehouse Crew.

“Osondi owendi. What is cherished by some is despised by others. One man’s meat is another man’s poison. Different strokes for different folks. To each their own. Osondi owendi.

It’s a conventional aphorism in the Igbo language but if you utter the word “osondi owendi” in Nigeria today, the first thing that comes to anybody’s mind is the cucumber-cool highlife music maestro Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe and his legendary album that takes its name from the adage. Released in 1984, Osondi Owendi was instantly received as Osadebe’s magnum opus, the crowning event of an exalted career stretching back to the early years of highlife’s emergence as Nigeria’s predominant popular music.

Stephen Osadebe first appeared on the music scene in 1958 as a spry, twenty-two year-old vocalist in the Empire Rhythm Skies Orchestra, directed by bandleader Steven Amechi. With his dapper suits, urbane Nat King Cole-influenced vocal stylings and jaunty, uptempo, calypso-scented dance tunes, he personified the frisky spirit and anxious aspirations of a young, educated generation that had come of age in the wake of the Second World War, in a Nigeria that was rapidly shaking off British colonization and marching towards an independent future. 1959 would be the year that he truly made his mark in the business with his debut solo single “Lagos Life Na So So Enjoyment.” A giddy exhortation of the music, sex, fun and freedom availed by life in the big city, the song became a sensation and an anthem, and Stephen Osadebe became the leader of his own popular dance band, the Nigerian Sound Makers.

Osadebe would ride this wave of acclaim through most of the nineteen sixties, but a change in direction would be called for at the dawn of the seventies. As Nigeria emerged from a devastating civil war, so did a new generation of youth inspired by rock and funk, confrontational sounds reflective of a more violent, less idealistic era. All of the sudden, the idioms of the post-WWII dance orchestras that nurtured Osadebe’s cohort seemed quaint, the stuff of nostalgia. Osadebe needed to evolve to respond to the new tumultuous, turned-up times.

His response? He cooled it down.

Abetted by a new crop of fire-blooded young players, Osadebe slowed his music to a mellow, meditative tempo, brought forward the lumbering, Afro Cuban-accented bass and percussion, from the rockers he borrowed searing lead lines on the electric guitar. Over this musical bedrock, doesn’t so much as sing as he dreamily muses, coos, sighs aphorisms, words of wisdom and inspiration. “When one listens to my music, all I say appears meaningful,” Osadebe explained his lyrical approach, “at times they are in the form of proverbs which provoke much thought afterwards.” The result is a blend that is both rollicking and soothingly languid. Osadebe christened the style Oyolima—a tranquil, otherworldly state of total relaxation and pleasure. Osondi Owendi represents oyolima at its finest, and possibly Nigerian highlife in epitome.

Osondi owendi. What is cherished by some is despised by others. In some way, the album’s title constitutes a paradox. Because Osondi Owendi is a record that it’s almost impossible to imagine being despised by anybody."

“Beautiful, beautiful. Magnificent desolation.”
(Buzz Aldrin’s first words when he joined Armstrong on the surface of the moon) Now that the world has come to a standstill please let us guide your attention towards this special 12”. Round and ever-turning like the moon, it rests on the record player. Move the tonearm and the disc will ooze strangely comforting tones.
Exuberant, yet melancholic at the same time.
RSS Disco have created a psychedelic, blissful jam that moves currents & constantly changes shape. Meandering voices inhabit the sphere, a pumping bassline secures the foundation. The warp core is frail at this power level but seems to be holding up.
Frequencies unravel, the bridge heats up. This must be fairy dust made of moon rocks.
On the dark side of the moon, we find ?Aera (Permanent Vacation, Innervisions) ?with his signature arp-fest. Elevating the original track form the surface to the stars, we have left home and there is no intention of ever coming back.

Sound is a potent force that can awaken your purpose and re-balance your spirit. It has the power to relax, as well as inspire you, through the positive therapy of sound vibrations. Elemental Resonance is a trailblazing meditation album where vibrational sound practitioner, Tracie Storey, combines the energy waves made by music, with positive words of love and harmony to produce inner peace, deep relaxation and a higher spiritual connection.

Storey explains “The idea for this album came to me 2 years ago when I was living in Montreal, Canada. I’d been learning to form shapes, textures and colour with sound and going deep within the architecture of my own inner space. These powerful compositions have really helped me on my journey. Creating transformative tools are now part of my life’s work, using the medium of vibrational sound which transcends all boundaries”.

Storey guides you through a series of mindful meditations - each connected to the seven energy chakras - and each supported by sound vibrations, colours to visualise, and positive affirmations to re-balance your entire being and bring you waves of calmness, strength, warmth and joy.

Released on Celestial Being, label boss Felix Buxton (Basement Jaxx), says “I’m thrilled to support this project, everywhere I look people are discovering more about Vibration and how it affects them.
Tracie is leading the way forward for new generations, uncovering more of our potential as humans. This is a great way to switch off the world and switch on to your deeper self.”

Storey has been active as a vibrational sound practitioner, for the past 5 years. Previous to six years training under Master Fabien Maman, who’s one of the world's leading experts on vibrational sound therapy, founder of the Tama-Do Academy.
She also travelled the globe as a DJ on the international dance scene (releasing on Ministry of Sound and producing mixes for the likes of Kiss FM).

Les Adventures de President Bongo: Named and shaped in loving tribute to Tintin, the fabled Belgian journalist who defined what it meant to be an adventurer in the 20th Century.
'Les Adventures de President Bongo' is a unique work that will reveal itself over the next seven years, give or take, in the form of 24 LP's.

SAGA:
There is a transient photo kept by two whale hunters that have been left to oversee equipment and housing. At the world’s coldest nook they share a single memory of mercy and beauty. The portrait of Dolores Del Rios that reaches just below her thin shoulders.

Printed on a label of canned fruits she never gets cold during hibernation at 73° North at Mosquito Bay. The almond shaped eyes and the high cheekbones of the goddess is the last memory from the world her custodians were never to see. The glacier made its demands, it received Dolores the goddess like it acquired everything else with its incessant presumptuousness.

No one got to know of the passions and desires of the custodians of Dolares Del Rios; no one got to know of the childish envy of them who loved the portrait of the goddess and both wanted to keep it to themselves.

Limited vinyl to 300 copies

On The Corner provide the first taste of a landmark recording that the label embarked upon two years ago on the East African island archipelago of Zanzibar.

Pete On the Corner was consulting for the ambitious permaculture development of Fumba Town. The story of Siti Binti Saad, the mother of Taarab is rooted in Fumba. Pete joined the dots to shine new light on the pioneering life of Siti Binti Saad as the innovative town development took shape and looked to connect with the Island's unique history at the centre of the Swahili world.

Whilst steering a recording project that would celebrate Siti Binti Saad's legacy, Pete brought in producer Sam Jones and the pair met with filmmaker Andy Jones (who documented the life and work of the legendary Bi Kidude) who revealed that Siti Binti Saad had a great grand-daughter, Siti Muharam who led a very private life but had a 'golden voice'. With music director Matona on board the scene was set to go beyond celebrating the singular legacy of a Swahili pioneer and find a new hero.

Siti Muharam has a golden timbre and on this 7" we get the first taste of her debut LP that will represent her great grandmother's legacy for the next generations.

'Matita Emostatica' is the re-issue of a sought after compilation connecting the most underrated outsider artists of the Milan scene, in the early eighties. The amazing artwork is the creation of influential designer and photographer Roberto Masotti, a very well known figure in the avantgarde and jazz realm (he made astonishing portraits for the likes of Anthony Braxton, Art Ensemble Of Chicago, Carla Bley, etc.)

The compilation was produced in 1981 by Al Aprile and released by Materiali Sonori. Among the 10 artists you can find future journalists, unstoppable record collectors, renowned photographers and influential underground persona ... just scroll down the album and read the names of Monofonic Orchestra, Angelo Vaggi, Baker Street Band, Al Aprile, Roberto Masotti and many others. The result was quite unbelievable, ranging from small cosmic opus to avantgarde symphonies and asymmetrical etno-world jams. In the end ‘Matita Emostatica’ was quite in line with the efforts coming from the rest of Europe and the other side of the ocean, so to speak the compilation wouldn’t be out of place in the Ralph or Crammed Discs catalogue. A postcard from a country that is no more.

'Oval' marks Konrad Kraft's third release on the German label 'aufaabwegen/Cologne', and is his second release in his current series. Clear textures, wobbling rhythm structures and unexpected melodic particles develop into unusual soundscapes. Blurred and foggy layers give way to clear musical accents.During the recording of the album, KK used mangled and destroyed field recordings, only two software synths and a modular synthesizer. Making use of his favorite modules, he merged the two worlds of sound design, digital and analogue. The result makes interesting listening.

Following on from his beautiful release on Claremont 56 in 2018 - Alterleo aka Denis Leonovich, takes a different approach for this new e.p on the Kinfolk imprint and produces a storming world infused 4-tracker.

'Cabriodelic' is a mid-tempo march that utilises sublime keys, sci-fi ethics and military style drums to incredible effect. 'On The Way' keeps the drums heavy but ventures into a deeper sub tropical technoid-esque landscape.

'Tour De L'Afrique' is exactly that, a jaunty vibe that buzzes and rolls through an unknown afro-centric land.'In Sands' finishes off the package nicely with an acidic heavy Moroccan spiced percussive roller.

Essential music for the truly tropical dance floors of the world.

Following on from the summer hit ‘Sound System Girl’ and the next chapter ‘Jah Love’, we complete the 2019 trilogy with the highly-charged ‘Jumping Sound’ … a stepping jump-up anthem livicated to the power of Reggae & Dub & Sound Systems .. enjoy !!

Sandra Cross needs no introduction, she is a true legend whose career begun at the age of 14 with a no.1 hit in the UK Reggae charts. Since then she has gone on to be one of THE defining female voices of British Reggae. Sandra’s award winning career has seen her hook up with the likes of Mad Professor and Sly & Robbie for a near endless round of hit singles & albums.

Vibronics, the future sound of dub, have been vibrating the world with bass since 1996. Their music is at the forefront of the UK Dub scene, proven by over 60 releases on their own legendary SCOOPS label as well as a host of albums, singles and remixes for a myriad of other labels such as Jarring Effects, Dubhead and Jah Tubbys. In the studio they have worked with Michael Prophet, Iration Steppas, Macka B, Aba Shanti, Brain Damage, High Tone, Big Youth, Gaudi and an almost endless list of dub & reggae luminaries.

Synth ambiences, acoustic landscapes, deep songwriting and subtle candombe percussions combine in most of the musical output released in Uruguay during the 80s. A very unique sound was developed within the narrow boundaries of Montevideo by just a small group of very talented artists. These sounds reverberated in singer-songwriting, jazz fusion approximations, experimental music and the work of musicians at the intersections of these worlds.

In “América Invertida”, ethereal vocal arrangements and acoustic guitars cohabit with synthesizers and drum machines; Candombe and Latin American music form a fellowship with new wave and dream pop.

"América Invertida" is presented with obi strip, deluxe artwork finishing and insert including extensive liner notes and previously unseen photos. Most of the tracks are reissued here for the first time.

This compilation is the fruitful output of a collaboration with Montevideo based label Little Butterfly, the first of many to come

... After his first appearance on Subaltern’s 'Kaleidoscope Vol.1’ with the scorching ‘Alter’, far-east sonic assassin and Back To Chill member Helktram makes his comeback on Subaltern Records with a heavy-as-stone three tracker. Each of the cuts is a dance-floor weapon which shows a different side of the Japanese mastermind’s razor-sharp production.

- Recoil: Opening with a crunchy guitar melody, ‘Recoil’ sets the pace
of the EP: a catchy and relentless bass-line takes us on a march
through forests and mountains, as distant pads and SFXs remind us
to stay alert. After the first round the guitar comes back, warning us
we’re not done yet. A straight hitter which will keep playing in your
head long after the night is over.

- Mineral: The aptly titled ‘Mineral' is hard as diamond and rough as
coal. This triplet juggernaut tramples systems all over the world
leaving its mark on any raver who encounters it. A sinister
thereminesque melody paves the way to a stripped-down beat with a
militant bass riff. Skilfully executed distortion engulfs the low-end
turning it into a powerful growly wobble.

- Beware: A threatening melody paints the post-apocalyptic landscape
of the EP’s third cut in what is Helktram’s trademark style. In this
track distortion is the name of the game: an unforgiving lead
matched by grimy and glitchy stabs evolves into an uninterrupted riff
which carries the rhythm leaving space for the bass melody. As the
title suggests, extreme caution is required when handling this
blaster.

Steppas Records is back with another heavyweight single in collaboration with Dubzoic, Alpha & Omega and Fikir Amlak.

The earth-rocker sounds of Italian producer, Dubzoic, alongside A&O's mystical foundation style, blend with Caribbean/American singer Fikir Amlak's ethereal and enchanting lyrical and vocal talents to deliver a stand-out Soundsystem single.

This release features Dubzoic and Fikir's original vocal edit, with a mystical flute cut plus two incredible mixes from UK dub pioneers Alpha & Omega (Greensleeves, Steppas Records).

Until now played as an exclusive dubplate, Steppas Records is excited to unleash this tune to the world, beautifully mastered and pressed to limited edition vinyl.

‘Wild Slide’ is the debut album from techno supergroup, Better Lost Than Stupid, aka 3 of the world’s finest producers and DJs - Martin Buttrich, Davide Squillace, and Matthias Tanzmann.

Released on 13 September by Skint/BMG, the 11 track album follows a slew of singles - ‘Back From The Desert’, ‘The Sky Is Too Low’, and ‘Inside’ – which have won praise from the likes of Mixmag, Dancing Astronaut, RA, Radio 1 (Pete Tong and Danny Howard), Marco Carola, Dubfire, Nicole Moudaber, Kolsch, Joris Voorn, Claptone, Eats Everything, Adam Beyer, and many more.

Electronic music underpins ‘Wild Slide’, but Better Lost’ look beyond it with a varied collection of song ‘Wild Slide’ is the debut album from techno supergroup, Better Lost Than Stupid, aka 3 of the world’s finest producers and DJs - Martin Buttrich, Davide Squillace, and Matthias Tanzmann.

Released on 13 September by Skint/BMG, the 11 track album follows a slew of singles - ‘Back From The Desert’, ‘The Sky Is Too Low’, and ‘Inside’ – which have won praise from the likes of Mixmag, Dancing Astronaut, RA, Radio 1 (Pete Tong and Danny Howard), Marco Carola, Dubfire, Nicole Moudaber, Kolsch, Joris Voorn, Claptone, Eats Everything, Adam Beyer, and many more.

Electronic music underpins ‘Wild Slide’, but Better Lost’ look beyond it with a varied collection of songs that combine synth-pop (‘Inside’, ‘Wild Slide’), electronica (‘Boys & Girls’, ‘Harder Than Gold’), indie rock (‘Back From The Desert’), and downtempo (‘Without The Feeling’, ‘Bender’), with the kind of euphoric techno moments they’re individually known for (‘Inside’, ‘Right Now’).

‘Wild Slide’ shows that the comparisons made between Better Lost’ and stadium techno acts like The Chemical Brothers, and Underworld, stand up. The production quality is every bit as good as you’d expect from Buttrich and co, and the songs have been crafted and written by three people who’ve spent their lives making music and then playing it to hundreds of thousands of people.

After being blown away by a few tunes - probably just as you will be after listening to this - Samy Ben Redjeb travelled to the infamous capital city of Somalia in November of 2016, making Analog Africa the first music label to set foot in Mogadishu.

On his arrival in Somalia Samy began rifling through piles of cassettes and listening to reel-to-reel tapes in the dusty archives of Radio Mogadishu, looking for music that ‘swam against the current’.

The stars were aligned: an uncovered and unmarked pile
of discarded recordings was discovered in a cluttered corner of the building. Colonel Abshir - the senior employee and protector of Radio Mogadishu’s archives - clarified that the pile consisted mostly of music nobody had manage to identify, or music he described as being ‘mainly instrumental and strange music’.

At the words ‘strange music’ Samy was hooked, the return flight to Tunisia was cancelled. The pile turned out to be a cornucopia of different sounds: radio jingles, background music and interludes for radio programmes, television shows and theatre plays. There were also a good number of disco tunes, some had been stripped of their lyrics, the interesting parts had been recorded multiple times then cut, taped together and spliced into a long groovy instrumental loop.

Like everywhere in Africa during the 1970s, both men and women sported huge afros, bell-bottom trousers and platform shoes.
James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and The Temptations’ funk were the talk of the town. In 1977, Iftin Band were invited to perform at the Festac festival in Lagos where they represented Somalia at the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture.

Not only did they come back with an award but they also returned with Afrobeat. While Fela Kuti’s ‘Shakara’ had taken over the continent and was spreading like wildfire throughout Latin America, it was the track ‘Lady’ that would become the hit in Mogadishu.

ALTA’s debut release, 'Reasons' is the product of many long nights making music together in a back room at Hannah and Julius’ Brunswick home. It was self-recorded over 10 months, from January 2018 to November 2018, using midnight sessions, tape delay effects and a literal room full of wall to wall synths to carve out a world all their very own. "It's a collection of songs written together in our home studio - No cowriters or anything, just us two experimenting making the music,” says the band.

The album was later mixed by Seekae’s George Nicholas in Sydney and mastered by Grammy-winning engineer Chris Gehringer at Sterling Sound (Rihanna, Janelle Monae, Chvrches).

Thematically, the album’s title alludes to the sense of complacency that often sets in when people start making excuses for themselves.
“It’s this internal thing,” Julius explains, ‘always coming up with reasons why things did or didn’t happen, or reasons why someone else did something. Often it’s self-preservation but it’s also bullshit.”

‘Push’ follows on from previous singles ‘Figured Out’, ‘Back On It’ and ‘Twisted’, which have just under 2 million streams on Spotify since their release and are receiving global attention, with spins on BBC Radio 1 and praise from the likes of The Line of Best Fit and CLASH.

At streaming, ALTA have seen huge support locally and internationally, with their 2019 releases featuring in Spotify’s New Music Fridays, Indie Arrivals, The Local List, Just Chill, Front Left, New Dance Beats and The Office Stereo, plus Best Of The Week on Apple Music.

Melbourne fans will witness ALTA performing tracks from Reasons for the first time ever at Northcote Social Club on Saturday 5 October. Tickets are on sale now via Northcote Social Club’s website.

Reasons is an intricate and emotional body of work that will see ALTA step out from Melbourne’s underground scene, and into the international limelight. Pre-order your copy today.

Oh, Juan! We love thee, we love but thee with a love that shall not die ‘till the sun grows cold and the stars grow old.
Once in a blue moon, there is a star for whom we see limitless possibilities, whose inevitably long and fruitful œuvre all but insists we do everything in our power to nurture and provide support.

We diligently examine that sky, seeking rarefied meaning from an often desperate and banal universe, and over this past decade you have surely proven one of the brightest, most wondrous and tenacious cosmic forces we’ve encountered.
Your kaleidoscopic wealth of personality, your emotionally urgent storytelling, your obsessive-compulsive weaving of voices siphoned from the pop culture æther, your ability to synthesize teachings from the Atlantic Northeast, Caribbean and Fatherland to pen an ever-evolving musical autobiography; these superhuman strengths are not lost on us.

The 'Oxford House' EP is particularly special, as 'Fahrt Im Himmel' was our fateful introduction to your work, and though that meeting in a writhing maniacal pit of half-naked sweaty bodies was nearly five years ago, it still lives romantically close to our hearts. We just know the world will fall in love and 'Let It Go', just as we did.

It’s exciting to see you merge a musical adolescence with the now evolved Juan Ramos of 'Oxford House', recognizing your significant coming-of-age and never shying away from your roots, but rather confronting and embracing them at your every turn.

We will continue to champion your creative process and output, in hopes of fueling your inherent quest to illuminate uncharted regions of your vision.
... With all our love, always and forever, the ESP Institute.

Sly Stone is a songwriter and record producer, mostly famous for his role as front man for Sly and the Family Stone. The band played a critical role in the development of soul, funk, rock, and psychedelics in the 1960s and '70s.

Sly Stone was identified as a musical prodigy at a young age. By the time he was seven, Sylvester had already become proficient on the keyboards and by the age of eleven he had mastered the guitar, bass, and drums as well. While still in high school, Sylvester had settled primarily on the guitar and joined a number of high school bands.

In 1993 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the group.

High On You (1975) is the first solo album by songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sly Stone. For the most part Stone performed a large part of the instrumentation for each song on his own by using multi-tracking. The album prominently features vocalist Rudy Love and includes the singles I Get High on You', Le Lo Li' and Crossword Puzzle'.

Bathurst is pleased to announce the return of The Motion Orchestra with their new single Sonorous taken from their forthcoming album All One set for release in 2020.

Formed in 2017, this studio project consists of Alexander Bednasch on Double-Bass, Mark Matthes on Violins, Andy Sells on Drums and David Hanke on electronics and production. Though influenced heavily by Neo-Classical and Jazz sensibilities they occupy a musical space that sits in neither sphere, with a compositional style that deftly fuses the orchestral and electronic worlds.

Their debut single – All One was a gorgeous piece inspired by the notion that everything comes from the same source, the same starting point. And it was well received, garnering support from BBC 6Music and Bandcamp Weekly.

Second single Sonorous is just as elegant as their first offering and looks set to continue the upward trajectory the band are currently on. Starting witha repeated electronic motif, it incorporates piano chord harmonics, tasteful bass notes, and swirling jazz drum patterns that interplay wonderfully with beautiful string arrangements, altogether creating a truly captivating character.

The release is comprised of both the original version as well as a the arrangement without the drums. The Motion Orchestra is currently in the process of producing their live show for performances of the debut album.

German-Syrian band Shkoon will release their long-awaited debut album “Rima”, sending out a message of cultural diversity to the world. Shkoon’s concerts have attracted a diverse audience for many years, bringing together people of all religions, colors and backgrounds. For their album-tour through Germany and Switzerland, stops in Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Munich and Zurich are planned.

Musically, the album is situated between influences of electronic downbeat, deep house, dub and hip-hop. The band members come from a variety of different musical backgrounds and have created their very own sound with a mix of influences between the Arabic and Western world. Piano, violin, synthesizers, percussion and vocals merge oriental melodies with western electronic beats, taking the listener on a journey that blurs the boundaries of cultures.

Shkoon is more than a German-Syrian live act with Arabic lyrics. In addition to their own lyrics, the band uses traditional musical folklore elements of the Arab community, which today appear more relevant than ever. The title song of the debut album is inspired by a story from Arabic folklore, in which a mother tells peaceful tales to her child as the world sinks into chaos. This song is accompanied by the singer and rapper Tareq Abu Kwaik, also known as "El Far3i", by the band
47Soul.

After the war in their home country drove the two Syrians to relocate to Germany, Ameen, Thorben and Maher met in the hanseatic city of Hamburg in 2015. During a spontaneous jam session, an unexpected energy and thus the project Shkoon emerged, which was soon followed by the release of the band’s very first EP a few months later.

During the first performances of Shkoon, a spark quickly jumped over to the audience, which soon allowed the group to play major festival stages all over Europe. Even as Shkoon’s musical expression knows no boundaries, it is not easy for the band to travel other countries, as Ameen (the vocalist) and Maher (the violinist) consistently face difficulties of getting visa documents due to their refugee status.

This is particularly lamented in Arab countries, where the band has long been celebrated as stars, for example when they played a sold-out show in Beirut for an audience of more than 3,000 people. But also in Europe, especially in Germany, there is immense enthusiasm in their fans-base is huge.

Beyond Space And Time is the new record label from Japanese music festival, Rainbow Disco Club (RDC). RDC has been welcoming music loving people to Japan for over a decade. Throughout the festival's history, RDC have been fortunate to constantly encounter performers and DJs who've collaborated with them in establishing a beautiful dance floor year in, year out. These relationships have lead RDC to start their own label, and now gives them the opportunity to reveal one of the best-kept secrets: What is in a DJ's record bag?

This time around, festival regular DJ Nobu kindly opens up his collection and shares the music he loves with us all. On visual duty we welcome Senekt - his representational yet contemporary drawing illustrates the emotion we feel from DJ Nobu.
We have much more music to come in future from artists that we trust and respect.

▼ DJ Nobu describes 10 tracks this way ▼

A1. Laurent Garnier - Water Planet
Highly respected French DJ/Producer Laurent Garnier has been releasing tracks for decades capturing the very essence of Detroit Techno and Breakbeat. He always manages to create something truly emotional. This is not his biggest hit, but it's my favorite.

A2. Mono Junk - Beyond The Darkness
This track represents the very early days of Techno with it's ravey atmosphere. It has a primitive feel, and the obscure mixdown sounds almost unbalanced. That said, this one really stands out when DJing. Very cool.

B1. Psychick Warriors Ov Gaia - The Valley
It was always my intention to include this track in a compilation if were I ever to do one. It has a fat underlying groove, with some indigenous spices thrown in. The whole thing is put together beautifully. No complaints!

B2. Melody Boy 2000 - Plenty Of Love
I wanted to include a track that had Jacking feel to it - that is my definition of dance music. This track mixes well in both Techno and House DJ sets.

C1. Drax Ltd. II - Amphetamine
This is my all time favorite track by Thomas P Heckman. It asks questions and strikes down all the boring 'wanna be cool' techno tracks. It is obviously a well known tune already, but I include it here because I'm often asked for it's track ID from new kids in the game. This is a classic that should be passed down.

C2. Dan Curtin - 3rd From The Sun
Curtin's refined synth grooves and bass lines make this a true timeless classic. It do not get tired of listening to his rhythms and melodies - he always gets it just right.

C3. Front 242 - U-Men.
The originator of Electric Body Music. Their husky vocals, hard rhythms and strong synth basslines made the group very popular at the time, and they are still to this present day. To me, this track represents what the Belgian New Beat scene is all about.

D1. The Prince Of Dance Music - E3 E6 Roll On
This is the track I played the most up until around 2006. It is a genuine house track that cuts through trends in music. A hidden floor killer.

D2. Pan Sonic - Lähetys / Transmission
Electronic music has existed for decades, and if you are to choose some of the best from all scattered & hidden places, Pan Sonic's 'Lähetys / Transmission' must be considered. The track emerges beautifully - breaking structures and transcending the past. Every layer of the piece is produced with such delicacy and care, that as a whole it magically drags you into the world of the unknown.

D3. Burial - Archangel
This track merges melancholic emotions with technological prowess at the highest level, and deeply impacted the dance music scene on it's release. I recently played this track at the end of my set at the forward thinking Terraforma Festival in Milan. It faded out to huge applause from the open minded crowd. A moment to be remembered.

Hey peepz, we would like to present to you INEX009 - This time it's a remix EP of previous released tracks.

First we have a deeper version of head honcho Ben Mudi's Fantant by Kevin Over – a good friend and known artist of our repertoire.

The second one is a remix of Leo Woelfel by M.ono which comes in very dreamy and nearly fantasy kind of disguise.

Third there is DJ Normal 4's Oriental Dragon MixX – a remix which adopted the melody and adlibs from the original adding a spicy almost goaesque acidish synthline.

Last but not least we have have a remix by french house connaisseur Flabaire who runs th D.KO imprint out of Paris – soft and moody sound bubbles will flattering your ears.

Time to inhale - exhale!

Europe’s leading reggaeton experimenters DJ Clara! And Maoupa Mazzocchetti. exert a tripped-out spin on modern Latin dance and vintage Galician folk styles for Low Jack’s boundary-stepping club division of Editions Gravats. Following the duo’s 2018 debut EP
and Clara!’s ‘Meiga de Acero’ single in 2019 for Les Disques De La Bretagne, ‘Luna Nueva’ binds the duo’s astrological, spiritual and romantic dancefloor cues in a significant new take on Caribbean futurism.

Designed to make you sweat - and maybe check your head -
the album pairs Clara!’s effortlessly nimble vocals with lean and spacious co-production by Maoupa Mazzocchetti in a way that faithfully and daringly plays with reggaeton convention, and, by extension, offers a critique of global electronic dance music currents.

Based in Brussels, Belgium, but originally from northern Spain, Clara! brings a strong knowledge of reggaeton, perreo and trap absorbed from beach parties and clubs back home to a wickedly offset batch of productions by Maoupa, who’s arguably earned a mean reputation in recent years for his killer mixtapes with the PRR! PRR! gang, as well as a slew of 12”s for everyone from Unknown Precept and Mannequin to Arma since 2014.

Together they throw down eight distinctive vocal cuts on disc 1, while disc 2 is loaded with their singular instrumentals. Clara! dispatches ice cool but barbed bars in diverse flows, bewitching Maoupa’s rhythms with on point style in the dramatic ‘Badman’ - a bullet for the male gaze - while layering herself in choral cadence on a spellbinding cover of Faltiquera’s Galician folk song ’Sum Sum’ over unusual tablas and drones...

But while the finer details of Clara!’s pointed but humorous lyrics may be lost on non-Spanish speakers, her co-productions with Mauopa are bound to resonate regardless of tongue, with strong, dare-to-be-different highlights in the hard and psychedelic drive of ‘Gaviléan’ and the bolshy bashment grind of ‘Virgo’, along with straight up freaky gear such as ‘Baja Y Suda’, plus their cold fusion of reggaeton and Mahraganat influences in ‘Secreto Ritual’, and warped hypermodernism in ‘Clarividencia.’ No matter what angle or
language it’s approached from, ‘Luna Nueva’ cycles fresh and luminous with a steadfast yet experimental call to the ‘floor while the world collapses around them.

Following January’s acclaimed vinyl debut from Exterior and summer’s much-loved Kota Motomura EP, Edinburgh’s Hobbes Music label ends 2019 with its first album release, also a debut, from GAMING, a fresh new braindance electronica project straight outta Glasgow.

GAMING is a new solo outing that brings together a lifelong love of music and technology and creating left field, rhythmic electronica. It’s the sound of IDM, nineties techno and mensch maschine computer music that is as spontaneous as it is programmed. It's a bit of a grower and may take time to get under your skin....

“Scenes From A Deserted City is a collection of tracks that started as a set of riffs, loops, rhythms and grooves and unfurled around a sense of growing unease about the future of the urban environment around me.

It’s an album that started out as sound…and ended up as a way of telling stories about the age of anxiety we live in, how our world is changing, and how we find a way through that.

This is DIY electronica from Glasgow – it was made on a growing collection of digital and analogue synths and FX units, including a bunch of modular racks, each with its own idiosyncrasies and character that belies the assumption of the binary.

The studio where it was recorded – an abandoned, and often very cold, school building reclaimed by the community some twenty years ago – offered up stories of resilience, even when all seems lost. (I’m not sure what the mice contributed but they definitely climbed in and out of some synths).

This album is ultimately about my changing relationship with Glasgow, a city I’ve lived in for more than 25 years. It’s about how I feel now about the increasing sense of urban decay and how the city can be a very isolating place. It’s about how I reflect on my younger creative self trying to find a direction but mainly feeling a sense of dislocation and not fitting in. And it’s about the questions I have about how that relationship is changing, how it will be forced to move forward.
The result is a soundtrack for walking home on your own, in that headphone bubble when it’s just you focusing on that music that makes sense to you alone. It’s for early in the morning, after the night before, or going to work with the memories of that slipping and sliding inside your head. It’s about how it feels to be both elated and lonely, to be lost in the familiar, despairingly hopeful.”

Redsonja Records brings to light reference number 16, held back until now, as to date 18 of our catalog has already been released. Visionary 01 is an EP by VVAA released on vinyl and digital format which showcase new a graphic identity of Redsonja Records: the warrior. In addition, RS16 also includes a future reference: Visionary 02. The four producers that participate coincide in several aspects related to the concept we believe in as a label. They all possess a kind of "divine touch" when producing their tracks, you can tell they all work from their soul. Jose Rico presents a track title ‘Discotime’, deep rhythmic cadences in the purest Detroit style; clean, bright, and delightfully mischievous sounding. Analogies intentionally created, synths that cross each other with elegance and leave space for all the necessaries. The result is an essential track in any relevant music collection. It takes us to other worlds that are more relaxed, more divinized, more colorful, more leisurely ...

Fabio & Grooverider have been at the forefront of UK dance music for over 3 decades. This is the roots of their story told through music.

The 2 London DJ's are part of the DNA of the global Jungle / D&B movement and they have remained relevant, cutting edge, authoritative and essential to this truly underground art-form since it's inception. RAGE could arguably be the ground zero of Jungle. The party was started at London's cavernous Heaven club by Fabio & Grooverider in 1988, at the height of Acid House fever that was making it's way up and down the motorways, slip-roads, fields and warehouses of the M25 and further beyond every weekend, troubling the nation, the police, your parents and the press as it went. RAGE was a different beast, it certainly channelled some of that Acid energy but pitted it against the new and exciting sounds emanating from Belgium, Amsterdam, Detroit, Sheffield, Essex and Hackney and in turn created a new style, a new sonic attitude and energy in the process. Rumbling bass-lines, narcotic synth rushes and roughly chopped and sped-up breakbeats all merged into a style that we now know as Jungle. Nothing like this had been heard before, this was a brand new style and it was coming out of London's West End and Fabio & Grooverider were the people firmly behind it.

RAGE is approaching it's 30th anniversary. It's sonic and cultural legacy is still being felt today, Fabio & Groove are still shutting down raves and festivals every weekend all over the world with their superior DJ sets and musical knowledge guided by their pioneering spirit. This musical selection you hold in your hands, the first of 4 parts, sees them delve into their prodigious memories and record boxes to select a true musical representation of the very beginning of one of the UK's most unique and influential musical movements of the last 50 years. Across 4 x 2 x 12"s compilations we are taken on the journey through the sounds of RAGE, accompanied with track by track notes from Fabio & Groove themselves. This is the sound of the underground, from the inside out.

This is a masterclass in the old-school. The roots. There is no filler here, it's simply ALL killer. Lovingly selected and programmed by the masters - 'The Living Shock' & 'The Ladies Choice'. Produced in conjunction with Above Board distribution and Fabio & Grooverider. All tracks mastered from original sources and fully licensed. Mastering by Optimum, Bristol. Artwork and design by Atelier Superplus. 2019

One of the original catalysts of Latinx music in New York City, MAKU Soundsystem has been the connective tissue for several creative projects, bands and community roots for over a decade. As a group with a rotating membership, they've recorded multiple albums both DIY and for worldwide labels. Throughout their various iterations, the heart and mission of the ensemble has consistently built bridges, rather than tearing them down, remaining a remarkable beacon of positivity in a consistently competitive environment. The inspiring atmosphere has nurtured several notable musicians and acts over the years, including members of Combo Chimbita, Dilemastronauta, Bulla en el Barrio, Leon Brothers and Prince of Queens. Now down to a core group of three musicians, alongside percussionist Moris Cañate, MAKU and Names You Can Trust have finally teamed up for a vinyl edition after many years of collaborative shows and connections.

Perhaps their rawest and darkest recordings to date, this stripped down quartet is an ode to the creative source of their core members, lead singer & bassist Juan Ospina, drummer Andres Jimenez and guitarist Camilo Rodriguez. The A-side, "Culebra Coral" is a snakebitten taste ofla cumbia, played with an experience and restraint that only enhances the end result. It's a free driven approach born from familiar experimentation, rather than modern day trends — a singular jam, refined from years of playing together. Part psych, part cumbia, total MAKU. The B-side, "Contra Tambor," is emblematic of the group's roots in the traditional sounds of thetambora, a drum-forward percussive arrangement that follows Jimenez and Cañate on a free-driven approach to the ritualistic movements of the drums, this time drowned with an antidote of analog FX, synthesized glitches and atmospheric coros.

Hiking in the Mist is new album of Taiwanese chamber ensemble Cicada who played with Olafur Arnalds, Rachel Grimes, Balmorhea. Cicada was formed in 2009 consists of violin, cello, acoustic guitar, and piano. It's named after Cicada because people are aware of cicada's existence by their sound instead of forms.
Cicada later collaborated with the Japanese label FLAU to release Ocean based on these two albums for worldwide.
In 2016, Cicada selected 14 songs from Over the Sea/Under the Water, Pieces and Let's Go! with the new recording and production to make the album Farewell.
The most recent release in 2017 White Forest was dedicated to animals including coral reefs, sea turtles, humpback whales, dolphins, as well as cats in the city and birds in the mountains.
Cicada walked into the mountain from the ocean on the 10th year and released Hiking in the Mist. It's their hiking journal with intention to depict their homeland with expansive views.

At long last we're delighted to release some nuggets we've been sitting on by our Lithuanian friend for some time now. 'Kalista' first appeared on our Dekmantel podcast and has been prompting enquiries about it ever since. The others were pretty much good to go, but something felt missing.. One day we received 'My Personal' out of the blue and now we're off to the races! Very happy to share these with the wider world.

My Music is a stellar spiritual soul / jazz-funk gem, recorded by keyboardist-singer Samuel Jonathan Johnson in 1978. The epitome of a cult classic, it didn't do much upon its release but steadily found an audience over the decades that followed. It eventually worked its way into the culture, and latterly the wantlists, of wave after wave of soul aficionados.

This is music that shares the jazzy R&B DNA of contemporaries like Roy Ayers and is an intoxicating blend of mellow moments and more groove-heavy tracks. Spacey keys and lush production give it a luxurious, enveloping warmth.

My Music opens with the gorgeous title track: an indulgent slow jam opus. Introducing us to Johnson’s compelling musical vision, it features a rich mélange of production techniques. Dripping in strings, horns, backing singers, popping funk bass lines and swooshing synth waves, it’s an unusually structured cosmic two stepper that has an irrepressible groove. Accordingly, it’s been a favourite with the diggers and it was sampled by The Alchemist for Jadakiss’s “We Gonna Make It” (and it was also used on Ras Kass’s “Home Sweet Home”… but that’s a story for another time).

The up-tempo “Sweet Love” bubbles over with joy, its uplifting lyrics backed by infectious bass and jazzy Fender Rhodes lines. It follows a cover of “What the World Need’s Now Is Love”, taken at a funereal pace that transforms it into a heartfelt plea for love and understanding. Essential in these dark days.

After a full-minute-long opening of lush cinematic strings and horns, “Because I Love You” makes space for Samuel’s voice, accompanied by some keys and just a sprinkle of guitar. It builds back up and then mellows its way out to a jazz lounge finish (in all the right ways). The feel-good ebullience of the Stevie Wonder-esque “It Ain’t Easy” closes out the LP’s first side.

The second side bursts open with the heavy bounce and disco-funk basslines of “You”, a slightly off-beat string-laden dancer with insistent horns and a piano-assisted groove. Next up is “Just Us”, a legendary steppers track that could be heard oozing out of deep soul radios and funk sound systems back in the late 80s.

“Yesterdays and Tomorrow” is a moving original ballad that is followed by an exquisite high-stepping paean to mom in the form of “Thank You Mother Dear”. The thumping easy-glide of “Reason For The Reason” brings the album to a close.

Respectfully mastered by Simon Francis and cut by the master Pete Norman, this reissue of Samuel Jonathan Johnson’s sole LP sounds as sumptuous as that scarlet gown on the front cover. The sleeve artwork was lovingly restored by the Be With team. My Music is a luxurious and rare collection of songs that now has an opportunity to reach beyond its cult audience.

Beastly sounds for a zombie nation as classic 80s gaming soundtrack Shadow of the Beast gets debut vinyl edition with a recording taken from the original platform game, and new artwork from acclaimed illustrator Keith Rankin.

Composed by David Whittaker for the 1989 Amiga platformer of the same name, Shadow of the Beast sees its first ever vinyl release courtesy of the UK's Lag Records, presented in also its first mastered edition as directly taken from the original game system.

A prolific VGM composer, Whittaker holds more gaming soundtracks to his name than any other, with titles such as Lazy Jones to his name, as (in)famously sampled for the 1999 club hit Zombie Nation.  

Shadow of the Beast remains a prime example of his pioneering hands-on approach, programming music directly with instrumental samples of his own on a Korg M1 synthesizer. The tunes make for a singular combination of Spaghetti Western-style tension mixed with world beats. Tracks like The Plains play with harder rhythms like warped speed techno, while a hard-to-miss melancholy pervades the Underground suite.

The fiendishly difficult Shadow of the Beast itself was an interesting example of game design for its time, recorded at a frame rate to match arcade machines as opposed to monitors, and loaded with a 128 colour palette. Two sequels later followed in the 1990s, along with a 2016 remake for the Playstation console.

The soundtrack comes ready for a 2019 audience with mastering courtesy of Jerome Schmitt at the AirLab, and brand new artwork from acclaimed illustrator and musician Keith Rankin in collaboration with artist Ellen Thomas. Shadow of the Beast will also come on transparent purple vinyl, in standard LP format.

Shasta Cults is the musical project of Canadian electronics technician Richard Smith. For almost two decades, Smith was the official Buchla & Associates go-to repair person for studios, collectors, and musicians around the world, having worked with artists like Aphex Twin, Suzanne Ciani, Mort Subotnick and institutions like NYU, The Library of Congress and Mills College in Oakland, Ca.

Recording demonstrations of the rare equipment that found its way on to his workbench is how Smith describes the origins of Shasta Cults. Although sounds have been trickling out for decades via Soundcloud and other outlets, it wasn’t until 2017 that Smith recorded his first album using one of these rare instruments – the Buchla 700. Configurations, released this past September by Important Records, features eight tracks of heavily-modulated, wave-shaped explorations drenched in effects, and was the catalyst for his latest releases.

Recorded over the span of 3 months in the fall of 2018, this album was programmed solely on the only fully-functional Buchla Touché. Developed in the early 1980s with hardware by Don Buchla and software programmed by musician David Rosenboom, the Touché features waveforms generated internally by twenty-four digital oscillators using frequency modulation and sophisticated digital and analog signal processing for timbre and output assignment, all of this controlled via a six-octave black and white keyboard, unusual for a Buchla instrument.

This LP is a continuation on themes first heard on Configurations, with more consideration given to the generation and capturing of the pieces. This album is less dark than previous releases, showcasing the incredible fidelity of the hardware used and Smiths evolution as an audio engineer. Put on some headphones, find a comfortable chair, and let this LP transport you to the mystifying southern cascades of Siskiyou County.

Second phantasmagorical audio outing from former Seefeel andLoops Haunt members, Mark Clifford and Scott Gordon. 'Two' expands the duo's unique take on spectral synthesis incorporating a diverse amount of approaches to experimental sound. Twoexpoundsa hybrid mix of acoustic based audio design, ambient tonality, sound effects, music, abstraction and world's hybrid video game soundtrack.

There is something of an onomatopoeia quality to the release as the six tracks take on the character of their individual title. Silt, Dapple, Overcurve, Scutter, Strain and Plates appear as extremely well executed versions of the inferred intent of their namesake. This inquisitive approach will appeal to those interested in the more exploratory end of sound production providing hope as newly formed methods and colours are exposed from the duo's contemporary audio tactics.

Seasoned veterans can lie in a bed of laurels whereas 'Two' is an exemplary release revelling in the enthusiasm that comes from the joy of unabated exploration.

From the people who brought you Disques Sinthomme and Ghost Town comes a new imprint LESDK.

Bringing back that NYC Lower East Side grime, LESDK will feature edits as well as new work from Dennis Kane and his circle of proper low-lifes...

Ghost Town and Disques Sinthomme featured contributions from Brennan Green, Richard Sen, The Beat Broker, Bicep, Jose Manuel, and Cosmic Metal Mother, as well as edit monsters like Jeff 'The Drunk' Overton and Cazbee. Kane will be helming this label, curating work and providing his own productions and remixes.

LESDK

Starts off side A with 'Real' - A soulful disco romp that has a gospel force as well as a powerful vocal performance. The song grooves from its first beat, and pushes the energy as it builds. "Now it's time to be real..." Edit as manifesto - Pure heat! The edit work here comes from one of the OG's of serious digging, Senior Reyes aka Jersey Pete.

Side B brings 'Action' as its first track, complementing the A Side, this is some dirty late night Philadelphia bar nastiness, mentholated disco with a humid female vocal, "I like to party, I like to flirt..."

Side B closes out with 'Motion', a slice of cosmic funkiness that laments a love that is not happening while a thick bassline moves the proceedings along.
This song has heartbreak and the haze of an early morning on the dancefloor.

Three essential edits for the DJ to bless the party people with.

Dennis Kane is a DJ and producer based in NYC, he has run the Disques Sinthomme and Ghost Town labels and is also a partner in the recording group SIREN, (with Darshan Jesrani) on Compost records.
Kane has produced numerous tracks and done remix work for Cantoma, Liz Torres, The Phenomenal Handclap Band, and Hokis Pokis among others.
He has been a DJ in NYC since the mid 90's holding down numerous residencies and touring worldwide.

Microdosing is a series of compilation 12”s selected by Julienne Dessagne aka Fantastic Twins, and designed in collaboration with French visual artist Geff Pellet. Microdosing is a collective experiment aimed at helping you fighting back your modern obsession with happiness. You may deserve a nice day but the day does not need a nice you, nothing should be forced, everything is permitted. Microdosing will provide you with sonic healing weapons on regular basis and at irregular dosage. Those doses will favour psychedelic social techniques against self help tyranny, creation over soma, provoking over numbing, our outer-selves over our inner-selves. Microdosing refuses the fatality of the pleasure principle. Life is a struggle, time to embrace it. —— “The cure 4 pain is in the pain” The Microdosing community is an endless Tibetan geometric tattoo on a thousand backs, a black well opening on infinite space. Let us embrace the void in our lives as it is fruitful. Cooper Saver hails from L.A, a city of fallen angels. “Phase 0” is a demonic weapon of choice, its beauty rising from urban ashes. Borusiade’s “Worlds” is an industrial mantra, tribal rhythms driving you through the seven circles of agony, the voyage being the destination itself. Zillas On Acid’s “S-Test” slowly pours acid into your retina, its groove showing you that the blind are the true see-ers. Scott Fraser’s “Deliria” concludes this chapter with the serenity only known to true martyrs. This is not a soothing piece, just the realisation that peace comes from eternal damnation. Microdosing is happy to lead you through the dances that know no threshold. To the chant of “the only cure for pain is in the pain”, you will travel further through an empty eternity. (Ivan Smagghe)

THE WRAITH's Gloom Ballet delivers twelve infectious tracks drenched in the band's '80s UK post-punk (Death Cult, Killing Joke, Sisters Of Mercy) and SoCal deathrock (T.S.O.L., Samhain) influences.

THE WRAITH was founded by imposing frontman Davey Bales, formerly of Virginia peace-punks Lost Tribe, and Kaz Alvis shortly after they separately washed up in Los Angeles. Their irresistibly distinctive sound - skeletal basslines and tribal beats propelling Alvis' textured swathes beneath Bales' poetic, anguished bark - immediately gained a following, with homemade demo Comatic Romance racking-up thousands of YouTube views.
 
Convulsive, chaotic West Coast shows honed the songs that became THE WRAITH's lauded 2017 EP, Shadow Flag. A couple of videos and line-up changes later - the band is now completed by Belgian drummer Jef Pauly and Brit bassist Paul Rogers - their evocative songwriting and pure-punk authenticity earned the ear of Mat Mitchell, who has worked with Love And Rockets, The Flaming Lips, Meat Puppets, King Crimson, and more. Mitchell recorded the band's debut LP, Gloom Ballet, and earlier this year, the band signed to Southern Lord Recordings for the worldwide release of the album.

Recorded by Pucifer guitarist/producer Mat Mitchell, Gloom Ballet was mastered at Audiosiege by Brad Boatright (From Ashes Rise, Tragedy, Alaric) and the artwork was handled by Rebecca Sauve.

Emotional Rescue is delighted to present a collection of works by the founding father of the modern drum movement, Glen Velez. Collated from his first 3 solo albums from 1985 to 1989, Sweet Season is a snapshot in to the pioneering composing and performance of this four-time Grammy winner. Born in 1949, of Mexican American ancestry, Velez grew up in Texas before moving to New York in 1967. Playing jazz on the drums he soon gravitated to hand drums from around the world (frame drums in particular), seeking out teachers from many different musical traditions.

Among the many instruments Velez favours are the Irish bodhran, the Brazilian pandeiro, the Arabic riq, the North African bendir and the Azerbaijani ghaval. Although these instruments are similar in construction they have their own playing techniques that open new possibilities.

Sweet Season highlights this vocabulary, mixing and adapting techniques from various cultures to develop new ones. The music, often composed as cross-cultural ensembles, has a particular fondness for polyrhythms - superimposing different meters simultaneously - while incorporating Stepping Split-tone and Central Asian Overtone singing to complete the global horizons.

This new genre of contemporary drumming has been hugely influential and seen Velez work with the likes of John Cage and Steve Reich, as well as teaching his virtuosic combinations of hand movements and finger techniques to many emerging players.

Die Orangen back on the adventurous Malka Tuti with their sophomore album ZWEI ORANGEN. It’s been two years since their debut album Zest animated the underground scene, merging obscure samples, field- recordings, krautrock motifs and a spattering of humour and self-perception into their newly forged genre: Krautback. The Australian duo - Kris Baha & Dreems - return with 2 more years of wisdom tucked under their hats to deliver a matured, developed sound. The industrial sonics & propen- sity for a dusty bush-beaten tone remain, however the sam- ples and ambience take a backseat, handing the map over to the guitar riffs, vocals and song writing to navigate the al- bums vast terrain. Collaborators Jono Ma (of Jagwar Ma), Alex Akers (of Forces) and Hayley Morgan expand the al- bum into a diverse journey across zones and styles, offering their own observation of the spacious musical world of Die Orangen. These 11 tracks will make you contemplate, they’ll will make you reminisce, they’ll give you friendly advice, they’ll ask you to dance, and they’ll question the direction of your compass... Fear not, however, this is music for everybody. As the Oranges say "Saft für alle”

Markus Suckut is a well known producer in the techno world, whose releases have found a home on such respected labels as Rekids, Odd Even, Hypercolour or Edit Select to name just a few. Suckut is also the founder of the SCKT imprint. The Düsseldorf producer has been a part of the 'made of CONCRETE' family for some time now and the pair up between the two on 'Voices In My Head' feels like an ideal match.

The title track 'Voices In My Head' may give off a tranquil feel but pay close attention and you’ll hear the psychosis bubbling below the surface. The synth scribbles that underpin the track would get the best of a sane mind in the right setting. '8' follows. It’s a smart, profound cut designed to raise the pressure on the dancefloor. On the flip, 'Drift' comes to life with fantastic mind-bending sweeps. Label bosses Rebar close the EP off on a quasi devotional touch with their rework of 'Voices In My Head'. The pair stays in the deep end with sublime synths and a stripped back rhythmic architecture. It’s a perfect counterpoint to Suckut’s original.