The summer season is here and to celebrate this we present this year's brand new PIV Records Summer Sampler. 8 exclusive tracks perfectly crafted in the studio for all those special moments of sunshine with you and your friends.
Straight off the bat, it's the label's executive producer M-High - Void that kicks off some delightful pads and keys-oriented melodies, followed by German sound provider Djoko with another club anthem Fun With House. British producer Demarzo takes it on a smooth ride this time with Make it, while Litmus - Ribbon Bass takes it up a groovy notch from down under.
Next up is Kellie Allen - Like The Sun and it shows her elegant summer night vibes all around. The Ruze boys deliver us a cocktail of rhythm with their rendition of The Concorde Club, followed by the addictive Keep The Groove by Louden. Rounding up is the raw talent of Moglis making this groovy sampler the one to have by your side this summer.
Roughly two years after their triumphant return to our label, our close friends, the mighty Extrawelt are back with the corresponding remixes to their seminal „Jetzt Neu: Alles Wie Früher“ EP with quite the lineup of remixing artists! First up we have KMYLE, wo graced our label with an outstanding EP recently and worked his magic on this remix for Extrawelt, an act he´s been admiring for a long time! Next up, we have our good old friend Lars Sandberg aka Funk D´Void. Lars and Gregor have been friends for a long time, so it´s long overdue to have him finally deliver one of his trademark productions! Next up, we have quite a surprising collaboration, as Gregor teamed up with an absolute legend in the world of electronic Music: DJ Hell! Expect the unexpected! To round off the Vinyl, we have a remix by Artrik, hailing from Vienna and spicing things up for the bigger floors! So, dear friends - enjoy the remixes of one of our biggest releases recently!
Returning to B.A.B.E for a fourth installment, it’s only right Habgud brings along four top notch collaborators, introducing fresh ideas into the labels catalogue. The A side tracks featuring Cleric and Yant were created with an eye to the peak time dance floor, each with euphoric moments laden with swinging percussion and high energy synths. B side contributions with Cressida and ASEC serve as more tunneling, heads down approaches to club tracks – both of which delve deep into meticulous sound design. This record fully encapsulates the label’s ethos – of Burning the Candle at Both Ends.
• A Guy Called Gerald’s soundtrack to Trevor Miller’s Trip City novel was originally released in 1989 on cassette bundled with the book. It went on to sell 12,000 copies in a year before becoming an underground cult classic.
• Reissued in 2021 on vinyl for the first time as part of a bundle with the book, the vinyl is now available to buy on its own.
In the summer of 1989, when Trevor Miller’s Trip City book was first released with a five-track cassette EP by A Guy Called Gerald, there had been no other British novel like it. For 2021, Trip City came back and the original soundtrack by A Guy Called Gerald was also reissued on vinyl for the first time as part of a bundle with the book. Now the vinyl is available to buy on its own.
“I remember back in the 80s, in my hometown, Tony Wilson (of Factory Records fame) was fond of calling Shaun Ryder the WB Yeats of his day. In that vein, whether or not I like to see myself in the canon of Anthony Burgess and Clockwork Orange - with these five tracks, A Guy Called Gerald feels very much like the Ludwig Van to my Alex DeLarge.” Trevor Miller
“Coming on the heels of the acid house classic “Voodoo Ray”, the cut-up vocals, driving bass and hand claps of “FX” and “Trip City” blurred the line between the fictional Tower club and its real-world counterpart The Limelight. This reissue further blurs the lines between past and present, memorialising those heady times
of the Second Summer of Love that anyone invested in the counterculture, much like Valentine, can’t afford to forget.” The Wire
“The EP comprises five acid rollers that showcase his transition into the world of sampling, with the title track functioning as the main theme.” The Quietus
London-based Bread And Butter Recordings is back to serving the goods, this time with a tasty number by the always-in-shape Silat Beksi. The entitled "Special Edition" EP is the first-ever solo EP on the label, and follows four successful VA compilations that have hosted Sublee,DoubtingThomas,Costin Rp, Herck, Miroloja, Macarie, and Direkt to name a few.
Opening the games, "Just Play It!" hits hard and clean with its crispy percussions, gnarly sounds, and hefty short pads that really give a floating touch. As soon as the track goes, some bongos and extra hi-hats appear, all together into a delightful ever-evolving groove.
A2 "Hero Suit" features fluffy chords that get reverberated throughout the track, flying over a sexy and engaging bassline and tight drum patterns. Fairytale synths and overprocessed vocals join the symphony, making this one a lovely dancefloor roller.
Closing the BR005, "Jungle Meditation" sticks to its name, with the Ukrainian artist relying on his signature groovy signature sound, which this time focuses on more hypnotic moods that interlock sharply in an unpredictable or volatile manner. Proper B-side, late-night affairs.
The next two courses - BR006 & BR007 - are on the way and they will not stop surprising you. A unique and delicious sound for refined palates.
After their monumental rise from mask-sporting weirdos to forefathers of a new generation of mainstream metal, many wondered how or if Slipknot would manage to top their blistering self-titled debut, and its malevolent follow-up, 'Iowa.'
Hindsight paints doubts in curious colours, as 'Vol 3: The Subliminal Verses' is now regarded as one of the nine's most expansive, dynamic, and universally acclaimed works.
From the caustic anthem, 'Duality' to the surprisingly accessible 'Before I Forget', the collective managed the impressive feat of honing their craft to appeal to a wider audience while sacrificing little of the unbridled angst of their earlier projects.
Hearing frontman Corey Taylor let his guard down for gentle and hypnotic cuts like 'Circle' and 'Vermillion, Pt. 2', offered entirely new insights into a group known for their brutal intensity and little else. There's still plenty of that on display, with the venomous ode to their fanbase, 'Pulse Of The Maggots', ringing true with its abrasive composition.
Finally reissued alongside its predecessors, there's never been a more ideal time to finally lock down this seminal trilogy that would introduce, shock and cement Slipknot as legends of their own kind for decades to come.
The Tenets of Forgetting is the long-awaited follow-up to MSYLMA’s lauded 2019 debut, Dhil-un Taht Shajarat Al-Zaqum. This time he’s joined by fellow musician and producer ISMAEL for seven tracks, built around a lush palette of synths and MSYLMA’s singular voice.
Written and produced in Cairo between 2015 and 2020, The Tenets of Forgetting is the first collaboration between MSYLMA and ISMAEL. Like his first record, The Tenets of Forgetting finds MSYLMA singing in classical Arabic, and the musicians have enlisted Nariman Youssef to provide translations of the lyrics. This gesture of openness runs parallel to the themes of the record; romance and vulnerability; growth and change; pathos and passion. Listeners who aren’t familiar with pre-Islamic poetry or classical Arabic will find the lyrics just as rich and beautiful as the vocal melodies imply, telling a story of love, loss, self-doubt, and grave introspection.
Musically, the album moves in broad, painterly sweeps of 808 kicks, rich synthesizer chords, and MYSLMA’s soaring, plaintive voice. The English translations reveal a second world of mathematically sound rhythmic structures and poetry in the lyrics. The music pushes and pulls in both tempo and timbre, swirling both around and underneath MSYLMA’s voice but never losing a sense of self-contained narrative.
The album is rounded out by Jesse Osborne-Lanthier and Omar El-Sadek’s immersive, esoteric art, and features additional production on track 7 by Osborne-Lanthier, Pierre Guerineau, and Asaël Robitaille.
Just by looking at the line-up of this release you can say ''What a French confiture!'' - and you'll be right! This time Deeppa invite you to dive into the music of the modern French house scene, to touch its soul, its ''douce vie'', full of ''french kisses'' and love.
Should we look back and bring something of the past back into the forefront of our mind?
We think yes!!!
Because Kellerkind's “Disco on the Dancefloor” remains to this day a huge milestone in Sirion Records discography and the original track is still 10 years later an absolute earworm.
Dedication, constant focus on music, care and respect for others, are attributes that continue to apply to Kellerkind and have moved us to a remake of this infamous title.
As the title of the main track says, “Disco on the Dancefloor” with its groovy basses, poignant disco stabs is ideal for the dancefloor and still perfectly suited to inspire the masses.
But Kellerkind doesn’t rest on the guaranteed success of the past, he immediately delivers a thriving remake that perfectly reflects his current musical taste. Percussive, hypnotic and an all-around successful job to dress the track in a new garb.
Fittingly, there are two remixes by 8 Bit labelhead Gorge and Bernese producer Youen, among others.
A housy framework paired with percussion, discoid bass line and the hypnotic synth surface in the usual Gorge manner, not only gets the legs bobbing and the head nodding, but animates to conquer the dance floor.
Youen's techhousy remix puts the focus more on kick and clap and therefore comes as a true stomper. Peppered with the discreetly used samples, this makes for a wonderfully danceable mix for peak time.
10 Years of “Disco on the Dancefloor” is therefore more current than ever and an absolute must in the record bag, either on vinyl or digitally.
It started with a night out at New York’s Sound Factory - and turned into an obsession, Inner City main man Kevin “Reese” Saunderson and his then manager, Neil Rushton, were at the NY uber house club when The Pressure by The Sounds Of Blackness got its’ debut World play, with the ecstatic response from the crowd meaning it was spun three times in a row.
Nobody was more knocked out than Kevin who vowed there and then to come up with a Detroit answer, much to the delight of Soul mad Rushton, co-owner of the Network label.
The idea of The Reese Project was quickly turned into House Heaven reality as Kevin recruited Detroit vocalist diva Rachel Kapp to record the anthemic Direct Me & The Colour Of Love as the first two singles.
Network made the group a main priority, coming with a whole slew of remixes to complement the original USA mixes on the subsequent album. Three of the most loved Network remixes are on this wonderful timeless 12.
The Dave Lee Joey Negro mix from 1991 is rated by many as one of Network’s finest moments, and maybe Lee’s finest ever “remixed with extra production” epics.
Rushton remembers meeting Lee to collect the remix, and instantly phoning Saunderson proclaiming “you won’t believe this”.
Underground Resistance’s Mike Banks added his magic to the 1991 original mixes of “The Colour Of Love” and the results were so overwhelming great that the idea of subsequent remixes was daunting.but the classic 1994 Network remix by The Playboys flew the flag for U.K. House.
C.J, Mackintosh set the production standards for U.K. Soul filled House and his 1993 remix of “So Deep” - sung by La’Trece - is a gem to be cherished forever and a day.
Network’s passionate crusade to crossover The Reese Project from House Music superstars to Pop success came tantalising close but never quite happened. But the Network remixes are a glorious legacy of House Music’s golden age and three of the very finest are remastered here and presented on one glorious 12.
TAF KIF Records present their first release: Fools Gold Vol. I, a four track compilation with an eclectic selection of dancefloor-ready cuts for this summer.
Studio Barnhus' head honcho, Axel Boman, starts off the A side with a catchy bassline, hypnotic and nostalgic synths and ring modulated guitars. After being road tested for years, we are super happy to finally get to release his song "Oasis", a surfy summer heater in all its glory.
A2 comes from TAF KIF's own Velmondo, known for his work on Hivern Discs and Compost Records. He blesses us with "Echo Welt", a leftfield psychedelic excursion filled with Balearic vibes, krauty bubblegum beats and exotic percussion. What else could you ask for?
TAF KIF's MLiR, a usual name for those familiarised with the Studio Barnhus' catalogue, open the flip side with the mega sexy "It's Baby Time". Smooth operators in the house, baby!
Last but not least, Lusille delivers an afro fire starter called "Une Long Route", a secret weapon from the likes of Hunee among others. Very limited edition with just a few hundreds of copies, don't sleep!
For PT21 we welcome the mysterious duo, Carebears. After making an initial debut on our sister label OFFPath a few years back we knew it was only a matter of time before we welcomed them to the parent label with a full EP. Known for their raw analog sound this EP delivers exactly that. Punchy kicks, snappy claps and crisp hi hats are a staple throughout, interwoven with distinctive synth lines and infectious percussion elements. Label owner Niko Maxen rounds things off with a slick remix.
Mr. K is back again with a double-sider that tackles the ups and downs of love and does it in fabulous style with two solid soul classics.
Yvonne Fair was a veteran of the soul music world when she finally got the chance to record her first full length album in 1975. She had recorded multiple singles under the guidance of James Brown (her “I Found You” was reworked by Brown into the chart-topper “I Got You (I Feel Good)”) and, after leaving the JB camp for the auspices of Motown, a clutch of 7-inches with Norman Whitfield. These were gathered together to form her first (and only) full-length, but before the album was completed a final song was added to fill things out. This last minute touch would turn out to be the crowning achievement of her career. “It Should’ve Been Me” didn’t seem to be a notable addition at first. The song was originally done by Kim Weston a decade earlier and then by Gladys Knight. But Fair’s version had something special. In addition to the novel addition of a percolating drum machine pulse, Fair imbued the lyrics with a heartfelt sincerity and gruff emotion that touched listeners in a way that other versions had missed. Released as a single in the UK in late ’75, the song rose to the top ten of the British charts by February of the following year, inspiring Motown to release it as a US single. The song never replicated its UK success in the States, but went on to have a long life as a staple of drag performances and gay club life. Gay club life being the heart of all great club life, it’s only natural that the impact of the song has continued to spread, from Adeva’s hit house version in 1991 to Miley Cyrus’s recent revival of the song. Danny Krivit pays tribute to this storied history with his own version, a simple yet effective edit that stays true to the original but gives DJs a little more room (and fans a little more time to sing along!) than the all-too-brief original.
Continuing on our theme of lovelorn loss and redemption, Mr. K turns his attention to the New Birth’s “Brand New Lover” for our B-side. While the original slowly moves from the tentative, immediate aftermath of breakup to the eventual positive path forward, Krivit’s edit jumps straight to the joyous resolution to find new love, riding a delicious call and response chorus punctuated by signature breakdowns from master producer Harvey Fuqua. Danny’s edit provides a natural uplifting opportunity that never stops building over the course of its extended five minutes. Until now, the track has only been available on the group’s debut 1970 full-length, and never on a 7-inch single.
As always, this release has been mastered to the highest standards and is certain to find a spot in the bags of discerning listeners and DJs alike.
Helsinki quartet OK:KO releases their third album "Liesu" with We Jazz Records on 15 April. The band, led by drummer/composer Okko Saastamoinen and including saxophonist Jarno Tikka, pianist Toomas Keski-Säntti and bassist Mikael Saastamoinen (of Superpostion & Linda Fredriksson "Juniper") is a scene favourite in Finland and has recently garnered some international attention with their melodic, dynamic and original approach. The OK:KO sound is adventurous yet accessible, and contemporary yet rooted in the lineage of acoustic small group jazz.
When listening to OK:KO, you can feel that their influences also come from out of the musical realm. After all, isn't this just how it should be? Making music from your own life. Here, you can tell that the landscape of rural Finland, its poetic, at times even melancholy beauty, is ever present. It's folk song country. But don't be fooled, these guys form a real flesh and blood jazz band. That means that the music just starts when the first note hits, and onwards from there, we're in for a wild ride.
Whether punchy like on "Anima", solemn like on "Arvo", or just trekking out there a skiing lane of their own like on "Vanhatie", what you'll get is pure OK:KO. Melodic, interactive, honest and forward-reaching contemporary jazz music. That is something we appreciate – a lot!
Vinyl editions available on opaque white / black vinyl, with inside-out 3mm spine sleeve and a polylined black inner sleeve.
EYA Records continue to bring up some of the most inventive and forward-thinking Techno and Electro jams, this time welcoming back Berlin-based live performer and producer Otis.
Danger At The Tendo Dojo EP is flawless, trippy and explorative. A unique journey into the artist's mind through the rhythms and sounds of analog machines and synthesizers.
100 Limited vinyl copies
It those times of a promised civilization collapse, truth revelations, questionings, and afflictions, spiritual ascension can
come as fundamental to avoid falling into the abysses. Psychotria isn't a release with the pretense to be of help for this, but this musical meeting of the versatile producer Cyberlife and the vibes explorer TrübTone appears as an attempt of bringing response to the eternal metaphysical question on why things are, as a liberating truth for the
mind. By this psychedelic exploration of music that breaks codes to go deeper in the sound, made of seven affirmed tracks, this release mixes together some elements of this complex puzzle that only transcendence reaches to complete.
Hospital Records proudly present the debut solo album from drum & bass icon Grafix. ‘Half Life’ is an introspective glimpse into the influences and sonic development of the Bristol-based producer, who over the years has established himself as a pinnacle of the dance music world. Grafix’s first ever studio longplayer as a solo artist consists of 14 hotly-anticipated pulse pounding anthems, featuring killer collaborations from the likes of Metrik, Lauren L’aimant, Reiki Ruawai and Chrissie Huntley in his hit singles ‘Somewhere’, ‘Feel Alive’ and ‘Skyline’.
High-octane dancefloor energiser ‘Skyline’ sees drum & bass titans Grafix and Metrik collide for a third time on this futuristic drum & bass cut infused with pure uplifting soundscapes. Enter a world of powerhouse synthesis, relentless basslines and Metrik’s very own vocal performance. This is just the follow up you needed from the mammoth success with the duo’s previous collaborations ‘Overdrive’ and ‘Parallel’.
Grafix draws upon his love for rave culture on the acid heavy ‘Blast Out’ - a no-holds-barred drum & bass system shocker. Skittery vocal chops, shredding bass hits and minimal-funk drums show the side of Grafix well known for tearing up the dance - never afraid to drop a wild card.
From the hypnotic and distorted energies on the likes of ‘CTRL’ and album title track ‘Half Life’, to the forward-facing vibes on LP numbers such as ‘Accelerate’ and ‘The Chance’, the versatile flavours supplied by Grafix throughout are a testament to his years of experience in the studio.
Other album highlights include two tracks with the immensely talented Lauren L’aimant who boasts previous releases on staple dance imprints including Anjunadeep, Colorize and Protocol Recordings. ‘Watch The Sky’ is an anthemic stepper home to Lauren’s spine-tingling vocals and Grafix’s catchy synth hooks. ‘Feel Alive’ captures the pair’s undeniable ability to strike up a euphorically cutting-edge dance music banger.
The ‘Half Life’ LP also features the previously released tracks ‘Radiance’ as well as radio hit ‘Somewhere’ featuring New Zealand’s very own Reiki Ruawai. Both tracks of which are no stranger to worldwide drum & bass listeners.
Grafix’s debut album marks a signature milestone within his musical journey as a solo artist and his achievements so far only scratch the surface. The first single ‘Somewhere (feat. Reiki Ruawai)’ to drop from his album racked up global airwave support with an impressive number of plays from radio tastemakers including Danny Howard, René LaVice, Mollie Collins, the George FM crew in New Zealand and of course, Fred V. With regular support from big hitters including Sub Focus, Wilkinson, Friction, Camo & Krooked and more, Grafix’s music continues to talk for itself when racking up countless DJ spins as well as consistent landings across pinnacle industry platforms such as UKF. Keep an eye out for Grafix at Snowbombing, Hospitality On The Beach Albania and more throughout 2022!
Cape Town based DJ & producer Saunter is up next on Chat Noir Tools ! His debut EP is comprised of four bleepy house tunes blending nostalgic feels, peak-time euphoria, spacey and ravey sounds. This toasty four-tracker is unashamedly and sturdily grooved-out, packed with warm depth, and a playful attitude.
And they are doing it again!
The Snuff Crew is back!
With two crispy floor bangers the Snuff Crew is back after a longer creative break. Soundtechnically in the known percussive influenced acidstyle.
On "Midnight Peepin" striking vocal samples enter the sound and fire into the crowd _ no time for Sadnes!!! So it chirps drifting through night.
AGN1 on the other hand comes with the classic 303 line and lots of oldschool drums, a track that would also have had a place on my "Post Acid Crash" compilation in 1991!!! Acid party stuff from the Snuff.
On the B side TCCM present their remixes of the A side tracks in typical style, dirty and without compromise!
While "Midnight Peepin RMX" clearly shows and celebrates the elements of the original track, AGN1 RMX is a complete reinterpretation of the track structure and sounds, made and mangled from the original drums.
A record with an extremely varied soundscape from original oldschool to dirty interpretation. This disc is a must for acid fans!
Three years after he released the incredible New Experience EP (picking up plaudits from Bill Brewster, Tim Sweeney, Laurent Garnier, Horse Meat Disco, Leo Mas & 6Music’s Tom Ravenscroft, among many more), Tokyo’s Kota Motomura returns to Hobbes Music for his debut LP, Pay It Forward. This is the first vinyl release on Hobbes Music since the much-loved ‘Aranath’ EP by Leonidas & Hobbes last Spring. While the label maintains the level of quality control for which it has become recognised, the artist continues to subvert electronic and dance music norms in his iconoclastic way on this extraordinary record.
He’s a mysterious character with an ear for idiosyncratic music that runs the gamut from ambient, exotica and jazz to disco, house and techno via post punk, new wave and funk. It’s highly original and all adds up to a confection perhaps best described as ‘Balearic’.
Album opener Paradise is a certified jazz-funk JAM. Destined for dance floors worldwide, this one’s been dropping well with DJs, Motomura demonstrating his piano chops alongside Mutsumi Takeuchi’s sax. Tropical pushes the boat in a more rhythmic direction, some pretty wild drum programming laced with more sounds of the, um, tropics, before mad vocal yelps suggest something yet more tribal. To Be Free initially resembles early 90s progressive house (pulsing bassline, synth-driven melodies), before the arrival of some new wave guitar licks a la classic Talking Heads/David Byrne and ooh ooh vocal chants take it to another dimension altogether.
B-side opener Emotion features Takeuchi again (on flute this time) and more vocal chants before things take a dramatic turn, threatening to open up into a full fanfare before calming and then bursting into wild life again with the exhortation that “C’mon, everybody dancing!” Rhythm flirts with an energy and pace more akin to a techno record: drums, drums, more drums plus a fair few yelps and chants - the kind of DJ tool that will send a simmering dance floor wild in the right hands. Flower closes things in a more melancholy style, familiar to fans of ‘Aboy’ from the New Experience EP, with plaintive acoustic guitar (performed by Akichi), birdsong and big piano chords.
Support from Bill Brewster, Leo Mas, Al Kent, Red Rack’em, Nick The Record, Phil Mison, Phat Phil Cooper, KZA, Sean Johnston (ALFOS), S/A/M, Dribbler, Joe Muggs, Monolith Cocktail and more…
‘Gonna review in MÜ mag... very fine stuff!’ JOE MUGGS
‘Will be reviewed on the blog’ MONOLITH COCKTAIL BILL BREWSTER played Flower on the DJ History podcast #641 (25.3.22) 'I really like this album, Flower and Paradise are my favourite' LEO MAS ‘I like Paradise’ AL KENT ‘Woo this is tasty. DEFO playing on my next radio show. The label’s A&R is defo getting better and better. HM has been putting out some dope stuff and this one seems really good quality’ RED RACK’EM
‘Paradise and Flower sounding good’ NICK THE RECORD
‘Tunes sound great!’ PHIL MISON ‘Going to include Paradise and Flower on my Sunday Ibiza global radio show PHAT PHIL COOPER (Nu Northern Soul)
‘Very nice album with influences from many different genres. I especially like To Be Free with nice synths and guitar cutting, and Flower, which is a chill vibe’ KZA (Mule Musiq, Endless Flight)
'100% correct about the ALFOS potential of To Be Free!' SEAN JOHNSTON (A Love From Outer Space)
'Stunning, will fit perfectly with the vibe of my radio show’ S/A/M (Music For Dreams, DK; Playa Del Sol, Ibiza)
'Stellar work, i'll make a bet that Flowers is a Balaeric classic this summer' DRIBBLER (Breakfast Club, Ibiza)
‘It's cool in a nice smelling psycho sense, it was a very DEEP sound that I couldn't produce. Congrats!’ ALTZ (Altzmusica)
‘Paradise is my jam, it's deep, sunny and never boring. I'm interested to see how this will work on the dance floor. Overall a great album with solid composition and impressive use of live instruments!’ SOBRIETY (fka Chloé Juliette)
'Very tidy selection' ASTROJAZZ (Kelburn Garden Party, Wee Dub, Samedia Shebeen, Disco Makossa) ‘This is a lovely release. Follows on from New Experience in the best way possible. It's got lots of vibes going on but holds together as a cohesive piece of work. Love it’ JAMIE THOMSON (La Cheetah, Glasgow)
‘To Be Free is a track i could imagine Andy Weatherall playing in one of his sets at A Love From Outer Space’ KIRSTIE PATON aka She-Bang Rave Unit (Threads Radio, Radio Magnetic)
Time has come for Futurepast to release a long format album: Alarm Phase Red - catalogue number FPLP01 - will be the first full-length work from Futurepast founder Davy Vandegaer, appearing here under a new name: Brainwashed Today.
Rooted in a conceptual approach of electronic music, this double LP ranges from industrial ambient to experimental techno. Like an antidote to a twisted reality of controlled screens and mental isolation, Alarm Phase Red uses the raw language of electricity
to reach the core of the machine and sabotage it, reverse its effects by mirroring them. Fighting fire with fire, deflecting the pressure and strain of a world driven by fear and anger, the music of Brainwashed Today acts like a cathartic escape from technological enslavement.
With the purchase of the vinyl comes a batch of three digital bonus tracks pursuing further the sound research of the album.
Greyscale's director grad_u takes us back to his past and extracts 4 tracks off his highly revered album 'Works and Reconstructions'. Archive 02 is abundant with broken and concealed rhythm's that leaves any listener disoriented and taken back. Originally released in 2011 on ZeECc records, you can hear some of origins of grad_u’s earlier beginnings. Languishing in dub and soaked in deepness this only previously on limited cd will get a proper release on vinyl and
digital for the first time on homebase Greyscale.
Know the future but by respecting the past.
After the re-release of the classic "Nu Romantix" album, Ed DMX aka DMX Krew returns to Permanent Vacation with his new album "Party Life". This time the long-haired UK legend is taking a step back from his trademark Electro and Techno sound and putting on his romancing suit.
Ed is crooning over 80's styled Boogie, Disco and Funk tracks in a way only he can do it and that will either make you jump for joy or cruising down the coastal promenade.
"Party Life" is another example why Ed is a master of all crafts in the ever expanding DMX Krew universe.
First Word Records is very pleased to bring you the sophomore album from Werkha, a 14-track double LP entitled 'All Werk Is Play'.
Werkha hails from Manchester and has been releasing music for a decade, collaborating and remixing artists such as Quantic, Bryony Jarman-Pinto, Marcos Valles and Andrew Ashong. Werkha and his live band have been lighting up dancefloors in recent months at venues such as Low Four Studio in Manchester and The Jazz Cafe in London, with festival appearances locked for the Summer at the likes of We Out Here and Moovin. In past years, he has toured extensively with artists like Bonobo, Chet Faker and Mr Scruff.
In 2020, Werkha released 'The Rigour' on First Word, and dropped 'Beat Tapestry' in late 2021 on a limited cassette. 'All Werk Is Play' marks Werkha's first full-length solo project since his debut album 'Colours Of A Red Brick Raft' on Tru Thoughts in 2015, and sees this multi-talented musician produce a delightfully vibrant body of werk.
This album is predominantly a set of uptempo compositions from Werkha (real name Tom Leah), fusing analogue jazz-funk vibes with modern dance music sensibilities. Nestling somewhere between broken beat and breakbeat, Werkha has been nurturing his own unique sonics for some time; incorporating live horns & wind instruments with bass, double-bass, harp and guitar, along with a selection of sweet squelchy synths and deliciously delectable drum programming.
We've had several single releases from this project so far, namely 'Eterno Retorno' (with Portuguese singer Moreiya),'In Saint-Gilles' (with Brussels DJ & producer, Le Motel), 'Move Different' (with Mancunian singer & musician Ellen Beth Abdi), 'Beauty & The Bloc' and 'Battered Mars Bar'. As well as the afore-mentioned collaborations, this album also features bars from legendary MCR MC Chunky (Swamp81 / Levelz) on 'May Day', soulful vocals from Kemani Anderson (Secret Night Gang) on 'Count Yer Pace' and some heavyweight accompaniment from the likes of bassists Nick Blacka (GoGo Penguin) and Tom Driessler (Adele, Tom Misch, Jordan Rakei) amongst others.
'All Werk Is Play' was an opportunity for Werkha to produce a full body of work in the conceptual formation of an album, as opposed to a set of singles strung together. From 'The Rigour' EP to the subsequent releases, this album completes a circle in his current creative curve, from a design perspective and sonically. Werkha has been steadily pushing his own self-production and musicality, embracing mistakes, and challenging himself both creatively and mentally. As a self-edutaining piece, the depth, nuances and examples of work as play are numerous, and whilst each track was thematically inspired by different topics, the fun element of "play" was always forefront in his mind, to ultimately create something powerful, yet positive.
In Werkha's words "this record is dedicated to mixing things up, to walking down that street for once because your feet took you that way, to deciding not to take the bus today, to moments of improv, to breaking with convenience, to challenging structure, to play."
Tracks have received recent spins & support from BBC Radio heavyweights on 1Xtra & 6 Music like Jamz Supernova, Tom Ravenscroft, Huey Morgan and Afrodeutsche, as well as love from selectors such as DJ Paulette, Scratcha DVA, Harvey Sutherland, Zakia Sewell (NTS) & Jyoty (Rinse).
Charlotte de Witte takes charge of her KNTXT label's 15th release with the new Universal Consciousness EP. It comes after Amazingblaze - Venture EP and features four more powerful and psychedelic techno cuts.
Charlotte is soon to be playing her biggest ever KNTXT party in mid April. It shall take place in her hometown of Ghent and see her play a historic 10 hour set to a vast crowd of people who shall go on an all night long journey. Also in April, Charlotte returns to London’s iconic Printworks for the first time in five years, this time with her KNTXT concept and once again is set to raise the roof. While staying busy on the road, she continues to curate the Apple Music x KNTXT page while cooking up ever fresh sounds in the studio. This latest EP is another subtle evolution in her signature style.
Says Charlotte of the EP, "following up on my latest Asura EP in September, I decided to delve a bit deeper in the world of psychedelia. All the tracks of the EP are psy inspired, some more than others. I’ve been playing these tracks for a while now in the clubs. It’s been a real pleasure to see the crowd’s reaction and see the amount of track ID requests online. This one is from me to you, I hope you enjoy my Universal Consciousness EP!"
Opener 'Satori' is dark and heavy. The chunky, raw drums hit hard and flat as the squelchy acid synths pan about the mix. An enchanting middle eastern vocal wail brings an extra trance-inducing element that is sure to lock in the hearts and minds of the crowd. The super 'Kali' is a slick and high speed piece that shows the love relation between psy trance and techno. The video game style synths peel off the groove next to alien sound effects, and the subtly evolving acid line burrows deep into your brain.
Then comes the dynamic, bouncy and acid laced-title cut ‘Universal Consciousness’. It's a fulsome tune with rubbery kicks and visceral 303 loops that will melt the mind as dancers fall into its hypnotic and tripped out spell. Last of all is 'Ahimsa' with its bright, lashing acid synths and hammering kick drums. It's the perfect mix of physical groove and psyched-out synth work, and is perfect for both sweaty basements and vast main rooms alike. When the mystical flutes come in, it takes things to another level entirely.
This is another all consuming EP of innovative techno from Charlotte de Witte.
After the Ron Trent/Other Lands smashing combo, Yellow Jackets offers its third outing. This time contributions come from Detroit’s own Patrice Scott and Mother Tongue’s young members EDB & Gary Superfly.
Patrice Scott does what he’s known for: emotional tech funk, rich in melodies and deep in textures! ‘Mood Swing’ does exactly what the title says, keeping you dancing while mind travelling….Butter!!!
On the flipside EDB & Gary Superfly, who recently broke some necks with their jam ‘Pressure’ from the Madre Lingua album, deliver straight from “The Fifth Floor” a twisted bubbly acid number with swing a plenty and melodic overtones…a match made in heaven!
Once again full impact loud pressing 12 inch as in Yellow Jackets tradition!
Suns of Arqa is a sonic mission created by luminary Michael Wadada, who began in 1979 after receiving higher guidance in Jamaica while working with roots reggae chanter Prince Far-I. It is a prolific traveling music collective that has seen over 200 collaborators, meant to connect people from all cultures and walks of life through a “deeply spiritual vibration that merges cultures, faiths and musical genres”. Wadada combines ancient Hindustani raga systems with Piobaireachd and Nyabinghi roots drumming, creating ritualistic world music infused with dub and reggae.
The lyrics combine both mystical and sensory elements, often including prayer and referencing a higher power but finding root in experiences common to all people- memory, sight, and physical sensation.
Their first album, Revenge of the Mozabites, was a collaboration between Wadada and On-U Sound creator Adrian Sherwood. Following its 1980 release,Peter Gabriel invited them to perform at the first WOMAD festival. Today, the record is regarded by some as a cult classic. Over the years they have played at many major music festivals including Glastonbury, Big Chill, Telerama Dub Festival, and Transmusicales, and released over 40 albums on Virgin, EMI, Interchill Records, Antler Subway, Red Rhino, and their own label, Arka Sound.
Suns of Arqa has had a seminal influence on the World Beat sound, and continued to make appearances at seasonal festivals and sacred ritual spaces all over the world until 2021. Michael Wadada passed away in the midst of planning their U.S. tour for this release. The record is a compilation of some of Wadada’s and Sleepers Record’s favorite old Sun of Arqa tracks, mixed by Youth and Adrian Sherwood, and mastered by Eroc (drummer of Grobshnitt).
Notable collaborating artists include: Guy Called Gerald, UK producers Youth and John Leckie, Greg Hunter, 808 State's Graham Massey, Finley Quaye, Sounds From the Ground, Bryn Jones aka MuslimGauze, Adrian Sherwood, John Cooper-Clarke, The late great Professor Stanley Unwin, Eric Random, New age guru Tim Wheater, Astralasia, Prince Far-I, The Orb's Alex Patterson, Zion Train, and Gaudi.
"And although the Great Spiritual being Michael Wadada has returned to source and his body to earth at our time, his music is alive and will continue to be a great force for higher spiritual realms and raising vibration through occult frequencies...Suns of Arqa will continue to raise the vibration of the hearts and minds of humanity" – Angela aka Angel-Eye (Wadada's wife and bandmate)
Bigg Testosterone Johnson is the name that keep them streetz in fear for decadez.
Humble beginnings as a bank robber to his first MPC traded in prison for a few bricks of soap and pack of cigarettes led him to keep streetz in fear once again... This time around with his bulletproof beatz. Word 2 yo momz.
Belgian Kristof "(DJ) 4T4" Michiels has been around for a while, but this is only his second album under this name. It's practically impossible to categorize, since it holds elements of all eras of dance music. It switches effortlessly from new wave to electro, from punk funk to deep house, without ever feeling concocted. This album's got it all, but the main factor these 10 tracks share is soul. You can feel this wasn't thought up in lab, they're are organic sounds made with nothing but love for music, which grants Union Escapade a timeless feel. If you love club music of all ages, and have an open mind, you should check this out.
The Covid Pandemic hit Germany in March 2020 and by the 15th of March all of the public life was shut down. It was the same day where my son Rio was born.
For me, this early stage of the pandemic had something very intimate and private, since I was forced to stay at home with my young family for weeks. In Mai 2020 I started to leave the house, for other occasions then just going to the shop or taking a walk and that was the time I started working on “Hotel Solaris”. It was an intense creative rush: in 8 weeks the album was written, performed and produced in one flow. I had two days every week, where I could go to the studio for 4 hours and that time the album was done. It had a corpus in a sense that I
knew I wanted a faster or a slower track at points, but the whole hotel idea came when I saw photos of the old Hotel Arkada on the Croatian island Hvar, that my extremely talented friend Marcella Zanki shot on her holidays.
They show a well preserved socialist-brutalist hotel architecture in the middle of the beautiful Adriatic and for me it was like looking at pictures from a timeless place, without knowing where and when it exactly was, totally surreal.
I liked that idea of a hote that stands as an escape symbol from the real world, which was something everyone needed when the pandemic was building stronger and stronger. I decided to call it Hotel Solaris, inspired by the novel from Stanislav Lem, where Solaris is a planet covered by an ocean which triggers our subconscious mind to
become reality. It all fit at the end and “Hotel Solaris” was done.
This one is something unique coming straight from the FullTime Production vaults.
Orlando Johnson steps up to the plate once again with four of his delighting records revisited and completely remastered.
Pure Disco and Soulful House pleasure!
The 1983 special US remix by the iconic and legendary remixer and producer John "Jellybean" Benitex of "Turn The Music On" was Orlando Johnson's greatest hit and opens Side A together with the UK Remix of "If You Come Back" featuring Tony Adam.
On the flip side scalpel maestro Massimo Berardi delivers a new rendition of "Somebody Save Me" together with his remix when in the Harlem Hustlers duo, of "I Got It", taken from Orlando Johnson's "Funky Time" album of 2011.
Like every record Superchunk has made over the last thirty-some years, Wild Loneliness is unskippably excellent and infectious. It’s a blend of stripped-down and lush, electric and acoustic, highs and lows, and I love it all. On Wild Loneliness I hear echoes of Come Pick Me Up, Here’s to Shutting Up, and Majesty Shredding. After the (ahem, completely justifiable) anger of What a Time to Be Alive, this new record is less about what we’ve lost in these harrowing times and more about what we have to be thankful for. (I know something about gratitude.
I’ve been a huge Superchunk fan since the 1990s, around the same time I first found my way to poetry, so the fact that I’m writing these words feels like a minor miracle.) On Wild Loneliness, it feels like the band is refocusing on possibility, and possibility is built into the songs themselves, in the sweet surprises tucked inside them. I say all the time that what makes a good poem the “secret ingredient” is surprise. Perhaps the same is
true of songs. Like when the sax comes in on the title track, played by Wye Oak’s Andy Stack, adding a completely new texture to the song. Or when Owen Pallett’s strings come in on “This Night.” But my favorite surprise on Wild Loneliness is when the harmonies of Norman Blake and Raymond McGinley of Teenage Fanclub kick in on “Endless Summer.”
It’s as perfect a pop song as you’ll ever hear sweet, bright, flat-out gorgeous and yet it grapples with the depressing reality of climate change: “Is this the year the leaves don’t lose their color / and hummingbirds, they don’t come back to hover / I don’t mean to be a giant bummer but / I’m not ready / for an endless summer, no / I’m not ready for an endless summer.” I love how the music acts as a kind of counterweight to the lyrics.
Because of COVID, Mac, Laura, Jim, and Jon each recorded separately, but a silver lining is that this method made other long-distance contributions possible, from R.E.M.’s Mike Mills, Sharon Van Etten, Franklin Bruno, and Tracyanne Campbell of Camera Obscura, among others. Some of the songs for the record were written before the pandemic hit, but others, like “Wild Loneliness,” were written from and about isolation.
I’ve been thinking of songs as memory machines. Every time we play a record, we remember when we heard it before, and where we were, and who we were. Music crystallizes memories so well: listening to “Detroit Has a Skyline,” suddenly I’m shout1singing along with it at a show in Detroit twenty years ago; listening to Overflows,” I’m transported back to whisper-singing a slowed-down version of it to my young son, that year it was his most-requested lullaby.
Wild Loneliness is becoming part of my life, part of my memories, too. And it will be part of yours. I can picture people in 20, 50, or 100 years listening to this record and marveling at what these artists created together beauty, possibility, surprise during this alarming (and alarmingly isolated) time. But why wait? Let’s marvel now. - Maggie Smith
One of Alan Vega’s greatest talents was his ability to bring the past and the future together • into a suspended place of timelessness. His groundbreaking duo Suicide was often seen as future primitivism and most of his musical output has exemplified this blending of the primordial human condition and visionary thinking. With Invasion b/w Murder One, the next release from the now infamous Vega Vault following 2021’s Mutator, we see this innate power in full effect.
The two tracks “Invasion” and “Murder One” were recorded two decades apart from one another in New York City. “Invasion” was recorded toward the end of the 2012-2015 studio sessions for the posthumous album IT and was one of his last recordings, while “Murder One” was recorded in 1997-1998, (after the Mutator sessions) and is part of a cluster of material that was recorded but never mixed prior to the sessions for his album 2007, released in 1999. Pairing these two songs together as a release illustrates the timelessness of the 30 plus years of unreleased material that he deemed the Vega Vault.
This release continues the collaboration of Mutator’s mixing and producing team, Liz Lamere and Jared Artaud. Liz provides a bridge to the past, having performed throughout the recording process of “Murder One” and “Invasion” while Jared opens a bridge to the future having been chosen by Alan himself to carry the torch and ensure the vision stays intact. Alan trusted no one more than Liz and Jared, and gave his blessing and encouragement to continue releasing material from the Vault. As Alan stated in the song “Vision” from IT, “If you destroy the vision, you will suffer the whirlwind.”
"This very first release on "Oonops Drops" has its very own story behind it. I planned to found my own label for more than half a year when my wife Lisa worked on her songs and when the idea came to me how this would sound if Japanese Jazz trio Nautilus would arrange some of them. I have known Toshi for six years now, met him personally here in Hanover and he's such a magnificent musician, so the idea became reality and they started working on the first two tracks until a total amount of nine songs was created. I'm so proud to share this very personal project with you (which was finally produced and mastery simultaneous to the foundation of my label by accident) and I hope you like it as much as we do.
For the first single release of the album I directly had the uplifting track "Everytime" in my mind and a remix which should transport the good vibes in a different direction. Pat Van Dyke, a longtime known producer and multi-instrumentalist from New Jersey took his hands on it and created a horns-loaden feel good version of it including a little guest appearance by Brooklyn based lyricist John Robinson.
You can get this release on LP, 7", CD or digital or get the reduced bundle of the LP including the 7".
Yours truly, Oonops."
About Lisa:
Starting with music from an early age, Lisa Decker wrote and pre-recorded some of these nine songs at least 25 years ago when she was a teenager. In the last years the songs got several times reviewed, reworked and complemented with new works by her besides being a full time (music) education teacher. You could describe the final results as a Pop album with many influences from Jazz, Hip Hop, Funk to Reggae surrounded by a Japanese sound spirit. The original demo tapes from back in the days are still alive.
Greyscale's most personal release and perhaps the most important for label owner grad_u aka Aleksandr Martinkevič. Earlier this year, Alex was diagnosed with cancer. Certainly a horrible thing to hear and there has definitely been some low moments in certain stages of the journey. At just 36 years old, many of us are shocked that such a young person can develop cancer. After some research he found out that younger and younger people are randomly getting cancer studies show. An alarming trend to learn about. However, there has also been a lot of other learning and different new levels of appreciation for the simple things in life as a new higher level of inspiration in making music has manifested. And this new release encapsulates that. Alex has also felt a duty to make things better for others. Focusing on what can be improved as he wants to highlight research, treatment and the overall communication of this disease to more people in the electronic music scene. Part of the proceeds from this new album will be donated to the National Cancer Institute in his homeland of Lithuania.
Alex wants everyone to know that catching these signs early and getting regular checkups are your best chance at beating cancer. Thankfully Alex did this also and his treatments have gone well. Alex plans still stay steadfast with his label and his life. Simplifying things with the love from his family and friends, focusing on his hobbies
along with making sure he makes his health his #1 personal priority.
The name for this full length release is titled 'T2NO'. grad_u's most introspective work yet features 8 emotional tracks overall. The honesty expressed in this album is blunt and to the point. These tracks take you on an audio journey thru grad_u as he expresses his feelings thru the entire process in each stage.
Beginning with two wonderful ambient tracks named 'Genetic Mutation' & 'Carcinogen'. In the opener, Chords rain over you as a beautiful ambient melody peeks out underneath it followed by a more stark and hazy field of interference. From the gentle opener to the more tension filled follower, the personal journey of grad_u is
developing before your ears. The b-side of 'Neoplasm' is a bit more somber but also has a ray of light in it.
Introspective as it can get, this is a true journey through an uncertain future. 'MRI scan' needs no explanation....
The second half of the album begins the understanding of what grad_u was going thru. 'Malignant Transformation' gives off that feeling of the human body working thru the science. Fight or flight becomes the theme for this track. 'Adenocarcinoma' almost gives off the sound of cells rebuilding themselves. Sci-fi meets real life in this epic battle. 'Resection' continues this scientific sounding reflection on the body healing with sounds of movement and time. As if the body is working itself out. Lastly and triumphantly comes the closing
track 'Waking up to a New Life'....
The emotional journey of this album isn't for the faint of heart. It leaves nothing to the imagination. It works thru all the emotions that can come with such and life changing event like having cancer. We want to thank grad_u for sharing his story with us. This story can happen to anyone...
"I would like to take this opportunity to express my great gratitude to doctors A. Dulskas, G. Jurevičienė, V. Sidorov and all staff in Abdominal Surgery and Oncology Department at NCI. Thank you for your expert care and for saving my life.
Also, big big thank you my family and closest friends for all their love and support during this difficult period of time and always being there for me."
Special thanks to Lithuanian Council for Culture, associations AGATA and LATGA for support of this special project.
Part of proceeds from the album will be donated to National Cancer Institute, Lithuania
We are both very pleased to introduce Johannes Brecht to the Siamese family! A highly talented, trained and decorated musician is a fair description of Johannes and we’re proud to call him a friend and sometimes even a mentor.
This record has been in the works for a long time and since all of us wanted to have this EP out on vinyl too it took some time to get everything in place. As expected the three originals show a wide array of Johannes Brecht's world of electronic music. It's about creating something with love and passion rather than staying on safe ground
Matir Gaan is a collaboration between young Bengali migrant, Mohammed After Hussain and Italian electronic artist, Andrea Rusconi (aka Paq). The resulting album delightfully combines the ancient folk songs of Md After's homeland with Paq's cosmic synth exotica.
Mohammed After Hussain escaped Bangladesh in 2015 and arrived in Italy in 2017 after a long and dangerous journey across the Mediterranean from the violence he found in Libya. In Italy he found safety and hospitality as an asylum seeker in Rimini's Associazione Ardea, where Andrea is involved with 'Ardea Recordings' - a project aiming to create an archive of songs, stories and sounds by some of the people who spent some time with Ardea's refugee programme.
Md After was invited to sing and play the folk and village songs he knew on the harmonium and pakhawaj (two headed drum) while Andrea immersed himself in the songs providing a bed of warm Crumar synth and Veena drones to create a finished album of totally uniquela renditions of the mystic Baul folk songs known so well by people across the Bangla speaking regions of India.
The Bauls are a famous group of wandering minstrels from the region of Bengal whose culture is derived from the teachings of the early Sufi mystics and Hindu Fakhirs. The Baul devotees are considered to be mad, or possessed, with the love of God. While transcending religion the Baul compositions celebrate celestial and earthly love and expound the key philosophy of “Deha tatta” or truth in the body, epitomised by the aphorism “whatever is in the universe is in the body”. They reach for divinity here in this world and they seek to access it through music and dance. They seek spirituality in the music, they live fo r the music, wandering from village to village offering ecstatic sound waves in exchange for sustenance. Their presence remains an important part of village life in Bangladesh, and this is why Md After knows the songs despite the fact he would not consider himself part of the Baul ascetic tradition.
We hope you'll enjoy this wonderfully psychedelic album, with its unique interpretations of these ancient mystic songs from the earth.
Comes with a printed inner sleeve featuring sleeve notes and lyric translations by Brian P. Heilman
A R T S is pushing Boundaries each step, Parallx record represent the progression of the Rave culture in Modern Times, 4 Cuts Crafted with precision to create instant Energy on the Floor. This is the future of Rave. Welcome to Parallx
Piano, synthesizer enthusiast, composer, and arranger, Eric Borders aka Captain Supernova, makes first release under new moniker, E. Lundquist. Pushing the boundaries of funk fusion, it’s as much 70s library music, as it is Pink Floyd and The Flaming Lips at times. It often feels as if the planet is going to unfold.
Borders, born and raised on the westside of Los Angeles, is known for his cinematic and cosmic compositions that push jazz into a different time and space. ‘Multiple Images’, the debut release as E. Lundquist, is the composer's first attempt at making a Library Style record. A genre that lends itself well to the Sci-Fi and Jazz Fusion vibes that Borders has been known for in the past. The music often plays as if it is the soundtrack to something happening both simultaneously in and out of this universe.
“As we finished the record it sort of evolved from a library piece into a full fledged album with a mix of different inspirations from blaxploitation, 70s funk, soundtrack, themes, cinematic, and contemporary jazz-funk. It only felt right to break away from the fictional character and give this music a composer name as if you read it on the back of a KPM record. Then E. Lundquist was born.”
The new name pays homage to old family bloodlines, and is the last name of his biological grandfather. While Eric Borders was his given name, Borders has no actual blood relation to his family, it was the name his father had adopted from his Step-grandfather. The name of the album “Multiple Images” is an ode to one of Lundquist’s favorite Library tracks by Brian Bennett “Images”.
Alex Attias, El Mustang Project is back with a new album. This second opus features full of new collaborations with on vocals Cecilia Stalin, Rouhangeze and Desney Bailey. Alex worked as well with the keyboardist and instrumentalist genuises Sohan Wilson and Hajime Yoshizawa and with Saxophonist friend Arthur Donnot and Alina Bzhezhinska on Harp.
This Album has been made during a two years period between 2019 and 2021. This is a reflection of the various musical styles Alex was listening at home enjoying producing during the lockdown. The 8 first tracks feature a selection ranging from jazz to disco without the dancefloor in mind. It was a various and distant collaborations for the first time and the result is a selection of 12 tracks “ but only 8 for the limited vinyl album”. The remaing tracks are on the ep “life” that came out late december 2021.
