The Mighty Diamonds are one of the most famous vocal groups to come out of the Jamaican Reggae scene.
Their perfect harmonies ride over the wholesome and Garveyite influenced lyrics to such great effect that they will always evoke memories of that time and place, but also like all great music never seems to date.
The Mighty Diamonds consist of Donald ‘Tappy’ Shaw (lead vocals) Fitzroy ‘Bunny’ Simpson and Lloyd ‘Judge’ Ferguson providing those fantastic harmonies.
They began their recording career working with producers Stranger Cole and Rupie Edwards but found their breakthrough success with producer Joseph ‘Joe Joe’ Hookim at the legendary Channel One Studios recording ‘Hey Girl’ and covering two foreign tunes namely ‘Country Living’ (The Stylistics) and ‘Stoned Out of Mind’ (The Chi-lites) which suited their vocal styles perfectly.
The vocal group also cut tracks with other famous producers of the time Joe Gibbs ,Gussie Clarke and Mr.Tappa Zukie of which we focus this release on.On listening, these tunes work perfectly with harmonies weaving together and lifting the songs to another level.
The group also leave some room for a history lesson in the shape of ‘Morgan the Pirate’ and the thought provoking ‘Do You Want to Spend Your Time Wasting Time’.
Well waste no more and enjoy this set by one of Jamaica’s finest vocal groups….
Devianza, leading artist and owner of the label, returns to production by launching a new series of single-sided vinyl releases, each featuring only two tracks. The first instalment is a sonic catharsis rising from the very depths of a generous land, abundant with new seeds ready to sprout.
‘Le Piante di Elena’ is a dreamlike homage to a primordial world — untouched, pure, and still fertile. A tribute to a newborn bearer of the most radical values of a necessary humanism: a call to return to nature in its most spiritual and purest form. Devianza appears to be evolving into a higher, more spiritual dimension, where spirituality itself becomes the guiding force behind his musical production.
The single side opens with ‘Betullae’, a hypnotic ride between deep and leftfield, characteristic of Devianza’s sound, but this time enriched with an Indian tonal and modal flavour. Forest landscapes are traced by piano motifs that evoke interstellar journeys among endless birch trees.
‘Sunflower Sunset’ continues the hypnotic drift with a melodic crescendo that conjures the image of a sunflower field bathed in the warm glow of a summer sunset without wind. Here, where everything stands still yet everything is, this eight-minute piece becomes proof of the rarefaction of time — an instant that, though fleeting, feels infinite.
For fans of: Donato Dozzy, Voices From The Lake, Luigi Tozzi, Claudio PRC.
Related labels: Spazio Disponibile, Hypnus, Semantica, Silent Season.
Younger Brother Live, with Shpongle and The Orb at Troxy, London 9th May
Twisted Records is thrilled to announce the release of the long-awaited fourth album by Younger Brother: Mutually Assured Distraction.
The first full-length release by the fabled electronica project in a decade features nine sumptuous tracks that each embody the project’s intoxicating fusion of profoundly human sonorities and etheric electronic soundscapes.
The title is a subversive reframing of the Cold War doctrine “Mutually Assured Destruction,” pointing to a world currently frozen not by the geopolitical threat of a Nuclear Winter but by a Digital Summer of mindless overstimulation. Mutually Assured Distraction is a sonic salve for the pervasive numbness induced by an emotionally disconnective artificiality that seeks to pacify with counterfeit happiness; the album offers an antidote to mundane superficiality with nine musical masterpieces that convey the depth of human experience and authentic creative expression.
The progression of track titles symbolically represents the arc of this soulful journey through an evocative auditory landscape of moods, harmonies, and textures, progressing from the haunting opening “I Belong to Nowhere” to the penultimate “Home In This World” before arriving at the concluding “Endless Drift.”
The synthesised musical mastery of renegade musicians Simon Posford and Benji Vaughan is complemented by the contributions of some supremely skilful musicians, with beguiling vocals by MiraBelle Rose and Jay Marsh and the rich cello of Rena Jones. With poignant lyrics that speak to the universal human condition in a world where voices are amplified yet so many feel unheard,
Mutually Assured Distraction provides, through its fusion of electronic and real-world music- making, an example of how technology can pair harmoniously with our humanity - an energetic homecoming as the music draws us away from the unconscious scroll into an open field where we can embody our essential nature.
The album stands as both a reflection of our times and a timeless reminder that beneath the noise, a deeper presence continually exists, waiting to be felt, heard, and expressed.
Under the right conditions, half-remembered dreams can meld seamlessly into hazy present moments. Time spent alone can be an emotional blank canvas, and an opportunity to deconstruct sense and feeling; a patchwork of snippets both rooted in memory and abstracted from reality. The title of ‘quilted lament’ perfectly captures the way Gretchen Korsmo and claire rousay’s overlapping missions come together to do just this. Worn polaroid melodies and snatched everyday noises seem overheard through windows onto the street. They feel emotionally twinned, claire and Gretchen, it’s not always possible to tell where one ends and the other begins. Their musical thoughts and DNA are sewn together into a mini symphony of warmly embracing movements.
Built remotely between pre-existing friends in the underground music scene, the duo layered ideas onto audio files, and sent them back (and forth). And these luscious instrumentals truly do feel assembled by intuition, casually crafted with little need for guidance. “claire and I are both emo,” explains Korsmo. “We are both former texas-dwellers too and relate over both the woes and beauties of being in the American DIY experimental music scene.” Buoyant piano keys and hushed layer vocals tracks sit alongside a humming field-recorded scrapbook; a neighbour caught in a moment of private inspiration while street noise elevates; a private hymnal in the bathroom while the washing machine ends its cycle. Both artists take field sounds from a wealth of Zoom and Tascam recordings made in the last half-decade in Santa Fe, San Antonio, Los Angeles, Kamakura, Japan and elsewhere – from a baseball game announcer in Santa Fe, to the sound of a friend eating a juicy peach. At times, the bedroom walls seem to grow thin amid atmospheric creaks and disembodied whispers. Despite its very emo core, this is a recording engulfed in an intense sense of bliss, more at peace than we’ve heard either artist before.
P: Limited Edition 3D Lenticular Gatefold sleeve, 2 x 180g heavy weight vinyl
After four years of touring, Shpongle return with a new album, though much has changed. Music production isn't something for just enthusiasts anymore, and the tools needed to make an entire album in your bedroom are becoming increasingly available and affordable... yet this just makes Shpongle's return all the more welcome. In a time where more and more focus is put on commercialization and churning out quick hits Simon and Raja's latest work is a welcome breathe of fresh air wedded to nostalgia, and proves that the group isn't ready to become stagnant anytime soon.
Detroit producer and DJ Kyle Hall joins forces with New Zealand drummer, producer, and current Fat Freddy's Drop drummer Cory Champion for a new collaborative 12-inch on Wild Oats Music, featuring the tracks "Acuna De Mar" and "Steppin'".
Hall and Champion first met in Auckland in 2016 while Kyle was touring Australia and New Zealand. They stayed in touch over the years, with Champion regularly sharing music from his Borrowed CS and Clear Path Ensemble projects—records that Hall quickly became a fan of and frequently included in his DJ sets.
When Hall returned to Australia last November, Champion had relocated to Melbourne. The two seized the opportunity to spend time together in the studio at Dune Castle, where their shared musical language naturally evolved into these two recordings.
Rooted in a mutual appreciation for jazz, deep house tradition, rich chord voicings, and rhythmic syncopation, "Acuna De Mar" and "Steppin'" capture the organic chemistry between two artists whose paths have crossed over nearly a decade. The result is a warm, groove-driven release that reflects both Hall's Detroit sensibility and Champion's distinctive rhythmic approach.
‘An Undying Love For A Burning World follows Converge’s Love Is Not Enough this year as a pivotal metal album about acknowledging the darkness for what it is and trying to accept it.’ - the QUIETUS
‘Neurosis Know You’re Hurting. Their Stunning New Album Is a Life Preserver.
An Undying Love for a Burning World, the band’s first album with new member Aaron Turner, is a reminder of how even the darkest music can be a guiding light’ - 9/10 ROLLING STONE
Evolution can be ugly and beautiful, painful and euphoric. An Undying Love For A Burning World is the first new release from Neurosis in a decade, and a potent statement of intent and rebirth - one that marks the first new steps of resolve and resilience.
An Undying Love For A Burning World is an epic album of colossal hypnotism - beautiful, fearsome and utterly compelling in a way that only Neurosis can be. Aaron Turner (Sumac, Isis) joins the band on vocals and guitar, a name whose legacy is intertwined with the band’s own and a true kindred spirit.
“From the moment I first heard Neurosis over 30 years ago, I felt this was the music my heart and mind had been seeking but not yet heard. Now after many years travelling along various musical paths of my own, the singular sound and spirit embodied by Neurosis continues to speak to the depths of my being. It is an honor and a true pleasure to have been welcomed so warmly into a band that not only shaped my perspective on the limitless possibilities of music - but has lived and exemplified the necessity of upholding creative integrity and camaraderie above all else.” - AARON TURNER
Neurosis have never been afraid of change, and here they embrace endless regeneration, surrendering to the emotional exorcism through heaviness and distortion that their music incites. Just as the universe tends towards balance, Neurosis’cacophony of noise, rhythm and dissonance always resolves towards moments of beauty. The addition of Turner's powerful vocals and wildly creative and unhinged approach to guitar proves to be a vital force as Neurosis find themselves again at the mercy of evolution and expression.
On every song in the band’s history, Neurosis shifts restlessly between tension and relief, invoking a feeling both feral and transcendent in listeners. The band describe their songwriting process as an inescapable impulse to create with each other - a need rather than a choice. Indeed, the band insist that their return is “not a reunion - we never broke up.”
The album was recorded by Scott Evans (Kowloon Walled City, Sumac, and Great Falls) at Studio Litho in Seattle during three weekends this winter, and mixed in three days just six weeks before release at Evan's Antisleep Audio in Oakland.
Neurosis will play their first show in seven years on the traditional lands of the Blackfeet Nation in Montana as part of Fire in the Mountains festival by special invitation of Firekeeper Alliance, a non-profit dedicated to reducing youth suicide in Indian Country.
FITM, is a unique festival known for bringing epic music to epic landscapes with the intent of reconnecting and immersing oneself with the natural world, and strengthening our ancestral roots as human beings - an aim which aligns directly with Neurosis’ deep-rooted power.
Stay tuned for further news over the coming months.
PREVIOUS PRESS:
‘In less skilful hands, this relentless sonic oppression would be gruelling, but by expressing human frailty with such visceral abandon, Neurosis have once again turned darkness into euphoria.’ - 4/5 THE GUARDIAN
‘The Oakland band has evolved from gritty metallic punk to harrowing post-hardcore prog to the majestic doom of their current phase’ - 7.9 PITCHFORK
‘It’s not often an album of such stature exceeds one’s anticipations, but Honor is too astounding to not be revered.’ - The QUIETUS
“Fires Within Fires is the summation of thirty years of experimentation in tonality and texture. Yes, NEUROSIS are firmly positioned within the extreme metal underground yet their music, with its ability to generate images of beauty akin to those many of us have experienced in our own lives – not to mention the loss that accompanies them – challenges this categorization. ‘’ - WIRE MAGAZINE - FULL PAGE REVIEW.
"Their intensity remains undimmed on Fires Within Fires...The already converted will take heart from the evidence that age is unable to wither the fury of this heaviest of bands." - KERRANG! 4K REVIEW
"Every monstrous sludge riff gnashes menacingly for the right amount of time and every delicate moment of folk-inspired drift is emotionally exacting. Neurosis continue to create art without equal, and Fires Within Fires is another worthy addition to an awe-inspiring canon containing a number of truly pioneering and timeless albums." - METAL HAMMER - 8/10 LEAD REVIEW
Younger Brother Live, with Shpongle and The Orb at Troxy, London 9th May
Twisted Records is thrilled to announce the release of the long-awaited fourth album by Younger Brother: Mutually Assured Distraction.
The first full-length release by the fabled electronica project in a decade features nine sumptuous tracks that each embody the project’s intoxicating fusion of profoundly human sonorities and etheric electronic soundscapes.
The title is a subversive reframing of the Cold War doctrine “Mutually Assured Destruction,” pointing to a world currently frozen not by the geopolitical threat of a Nuclear Winter but by a Digital Summer of mindless overstimulation. Mutually Assured Distraction is a sonic salve for the pervasive numbness induced by an emotionally disconnective artificiality that seeks to pacify with counterfeit happiness; the album offers an antidote to mundane superficiality with nine musical masterpieces that convey the depth of human experience and authentic creative expression.
The progression of track titles symbolically represents the arc of this soulful journey through an evocative auditory landscape of moods, harmonies, and textures, progressing from the haunting opening “I Belong to Nowhere” to the penultimate “Home In This World” before arriving at the concluding “Endless Drift.”
The synthesised musical mastery of renegade musicians Simon Posford and Benji Vaughan is complemented by the contributions of some supremely skilful musicians, with beguiling vocals by MiraBelle Rose and Jay Marsh and the rich cello of Rena Jones. With poignant lyrics that speak to the universal human condition in a world where voices are amplified yet so many feel unheard,
Mutually Assured Distraction provides, through its fusion of electronic and real-world music- making, an example of how technology can pair harmoniously with our humanity - an energetic homecoming as the music draws us away from the unconscious scroll into an open field where we can embody our essential nature.
The album stands as both a reflection of our times and a timeless reminder that beneath the noise, a deeper presence continually exists, waiting to be felt, heard, and expressed.
Following years of quietly refining her craft, Dilemma now returns with her debut album A River Without Banks, landing this August on Spearhead Records.
Known for her effortlessly deep and soulful approach to drum & bass, Dilemma has become a respected name among listeners who favour atmosphere, musicality and understated emotion over quick trends. A River Without Banks feels like the culmination of that journey, a rich and carefully crafted body of work that moves between warm liquid rollers, deeper late-night textures and moments of genuine introspection.
The album showcases Dilemma’s versatility without ever losing the unmistakable character that has made her music so recognisable. Tracks like “You Do It To Me” capture her signature laid-back soul, while collaborations including “Watch” with BCee and “Days To Come” featuring In:Most & Lauren Archer bring a cinematic and emotional depth to the project. Elsewhere, cuts like “Usurper” and “Vibe Check” reveal a heavier, more stripped-back edge while still remaining rooted firmly in groove and feeling.
Rather than chasing peak-time moments, A River Without Banks unfolds patiently and naturally, rewarding repeat listens and drawing inspiration from across the spectrum of soulful drum & bass culture. There’s a timeless quality to the album, music designed to stay with you long after the final track fades, whether heard in solitary moments or shared across packed rooms and late-night systems.
Released via BCee’s Spearhead Records, A River Without Banks continues the label’s long-standing tradition of championing thoughtful, emotionally rich drum & bass while further cementing Dilemma’s place as one of the scene’s most quietly consistent producers.
Long regarded as one of electronic music’s true individualists, Aubrey’s legacy stretches across decades of uncompromising, deeply musical productions — always balancing raw machine funk, psychedelia and emotional depth with a uniquely personal touch. Through Deep Series, Georgios DSR brought him on board for a release shaped less by trends than by a shared dedication to timeless underground music culture.
On the A-side, Aubrey delivers the shimmering and organically evolving *Insectos de la Luna* alongside the weightless, jazz-leaning groove explorations of *Flying Low*. The B-side shifts into deeper and more functional territory with Georgios DSR’s *Analog Ground (LiVRO’s Groove Shape)* and the hypnotic pulse of *Signal Drift*.
Rather than following contemporary formulas, *Shifting Phase* reflects a mutual commitment to atmosphere, movement and long-form dancefloor storytelling — rooted in house and techno traditions while remaining open, psychedelic and forward-thinking.
Previous Deep Series material received support from XDB at Dimensions Festival, generating a strong response around the label’s growing catalog.
RDS003 is another step in the ongoing evolution of Deep Series: music driven by conviction rather than hype.
The album from an association of Ukrainian artists called Noneside brought musicians and painters together under the famous words of the writer Lina Kostenko "Sometimes I'm Blinded By Beauty..".
The painting by contemporary figurative artist Danik Manzhos “Decadence/Zaruba” frames the prog, trance housy music of such performers as Saturated Color (Neptune Discs, Nerang Recordings), with a real acid test for you, JJ Fortune’s (Late Night Superglue, BOOOoo! Rizzwax) LSD trip remix on Lostlojic’s tune, Brooht (Mr.Banger, Silias Records) with summer electro fairy-tale, and Slava Los backs with his timeless work “M-14”.
Mastered by Taras Bril, also awesome typefaces of Ivan Tsanko-Khlibovich used in design as always.
First of all, this is the music of love and unity, wherever you are - at home dancing in the kitchen or on the big festival floor - common feelings will unite and spin you in a crazy rhythm, will make you understand that we are not strangers to each other. Together we dance for a better future!
Tools for good Times. Rooted between raw house energy and driving techno functionality, this release delivers a set of no-nonsense club tools with plenty of character.
Finally, it's time to get these classic tunes out on vinyl for the very first time. The support from DJs has been off the charts, and the list is long - including Carl Cox, Dave Clarke, Ben Sims, Kolsch, Deadmau5, Armin van Buuren, Lilly Palmer, Radio Slave and Laurent Garnier, just to name a few. The support spans a wide spectrum, from DJs with very different musical profiles - yet they all play these tracks. Proud to bring SWAY back on vinyl!
Jason Singer spent years building Michigander from a DIY solo project in Kalamazoo into a national indie-rock staple through little more than a guitar and a refusal to quit. On his second album, Over Before You Know It, Singer isn’t retreating from the world, but learning how to move through it. The record finds power in the tension of living with both the good and the bad, refusing to let outside noise or internal doubt act as a roadblock. “We spend so much of our lives trying to build something that we never have the time to enjoy. That’s the lesson I’ve learned over the past year,” says Singer. “Tell people you love them. Take care of yourself. Fight for the good. That's what this album stands for.”
After a year in the making, Laolu completes his Mascara EP with the release of its final single, ‘Mental'. A beautifully instinctive collaboration with Benni Ola that captures the magic of spontaneity and creative connection.
The foundations of the track were first laid in Bali, where Laolu began experimenting with a guitar recording from another project. Drawn to Benni Ola’s unmistakable vocal energy after repeatedly playing his music, the producer immediately felt a connection between the unfinished instrumental and Benni’s voice. Months later, the pair met during a writing camp in Portugal, instantly establishing a creative chemistry that would eventually lead them to Los Angeles, where Mental was recorded in a single, fluid session.
Built around intuition and emotion rather than overthinking, the collaboration unfolded almost effortlessly. What began as a loose idea quickly transformed into a record overflowing with memorable hooks, as both artists leaned fully into the moment and trusted the energy in the room. Benni Ola described the experience as feeling “electrified” from the instant the track played, recalling the session as something almost channelled rather than consciously written. One of those rare creative moments where everything simply falls into place.
That sense of immediacy and freedom runs throughout Mental. Warm, soulful, and emotionally charged, the track balances hypnotic grooves with expressive vocal delivery, creating a record that feels both intimate and euphoric.
Together with previous singles Mascara and Velvet Blooms featuring Paul Brenning, Mental completes the ‘Mascara' EP. A rich and deeply expressive body of work that highlights Laolu’s ability to fuse emotion, groove, and collaboration into something truly timeless.
As with all releases on Siembra, the single is tied to artwork inspired by Magic Carpet - a painting by Laolu’s late father, created in Nigeria in the early 1980s. It’s a personal and cultural thread running through each release, defining the visual identity of Siembra as the label evolves.
Barcelona's JULIAN RECA & LUDVIQ deliver hypnotic, cosmic, leftfield grooves- a 12" tribute to Andalusian roots with selections across the BPM spectrum. The record features LAS DEBLAS plus top-tier remixes from RIC PICCOLO, MARCELLO GIORDANI & NYC's PETER MATSON of UNDERGROUND SYSTEM. 7-27
Though of much of STAR CREATURE's catalog gets heavy rotation in Ibiza and Balearic themed events across the globe - this giant EP sets it off in the truest sense. Barcelona’s JULIAN RECA & LUDVIQ deliver hypnotic, cosmic, leftfield grooves on this 12"-- a tribute to Andalusian roots with selections across the BPM spectrum. The record features family friends: Flamenco pop/rumba disco legends LAS DEBLAS plus top-tier remixes from RIC PICCOLO, MARCELLO GIORDANI's ITALO DEVIANCE, and NYC's PETER MATSON of UNDERGROUND SYSTEM. Essential Balearic dancefloor heat just in time for the seaso
Don’t Pretend’ by the Belles is one of the foundation stones of northern soul. Largely ignored in its homeland it is revered across the Atlantic. It has been reissued twice in the UK, but this time we have chosen an alternative B side to previous releases. ‘Cupid’s Got A Hold On Me’ was only found in 2004 when Ace bought the Mirwood catalogue and the recording was discovered among the tapes. It deserves its share of the spotlight.
"Some of my earliest musical memories were listening to my local pirate stations in the early 90's. The signal was quite weak in my area, and the sound was doused in FM static, creating this interesting amalgam of rhythm and noise. I found a strange sort of comfort in this, often falling asleep while listening to the radio, in bed, with my headphones on. The stations were run by young people, no older than kids really, relayed from non-descript flats, scattered around Bradford, Leeds, and the surrounding towns of West Yorkshire. The setups were primitive, and the production quality (and often the mixing) were dubious at best. But there was an endless supply of passion, and listeners tuned in because they were thirsty for something the legal stations could never supply. These voices on the other side of the transmission were, for many of us, a bridge into the future. One, which sadly, never really came to be. Hardcore, Static: Pirate Transmissions From The North of England 1990-1994 is a celebration of this unique period in UK history. The North of England feels overlooked during this time, with history's focus firmly gazed on London. But the signal was everywhere. These pirate stations were crucial for many young people, who were trying to find their place and identity in the UK. Many of these transmissions, even the ones which were recorded onto tape, have since become lost media, effectively erased from history. Radio, at least in the analogue domain, isn't something most young people have any experience with. Pirate radio was this unique flashpoint in time, and for me at least, it was important enough for me to want pay my respects to it" Dennis/36
Do You Want Me Baby sees Cloud 9 deliver a timeless garage house cut from New York legend Victor Simonelli, returning on fresh 12” vinyl.
Built around uplifting piano lines, soulful vocal hooks and groove-driven rhythms, the track captures the feel-good energy of classic US garage house and remains a staple for DJs across house and garage sets.
Featuring a full suite of mixes including Club Mix, Deep Dub, Bonus Beats and Instrumental, the release offers strong versatility for DJs looking for both peak-time energy and stripped-back club tools.
With a sound rooted firmly in the New York house tradition, this release sits comfortably alongside artists such as Masters At Work, Todd Terry and Kenny Dope, making it a natural fit for stores supporting classic US house and garage.
Back on fresh 12" vinyl, this iconic track continues to resonate with both long-time collectors and a new generation of DJs.
A reliable and highly playable catalogue piece for stores supporting classic house and garage.
Younger Than Me announces his debut full length "The Golden Age Of Love", to be released on 90's Wax this coming March 2024. The record is the perfect example of the breadth of his irrepressible and unique sound. Featuring collaborations with Massimiliano Pagliara, Brame & Hamo and Pablo Bozzi. The artist is an Italian native known for a modern interpretation of '90s club music' - a dynamic blend of Progressive House, Trance, EBM, Breakbeat, and Techno ideas. This first album is a love letter to a deep-rooted passion for the idiosyncrasies of rave culture and the crossover points with contemporary electronic music.
Younger Than Me, an artistic project by Francesco Mingrino that is steeped in the nostalgia of ‘90s rave, yet not at all trapped in that past. A project that has cemented a special place in the electronic music scene with a string of records on labels like Bordello A Parigi, Amsterdam-Utrecht based platform XXX, Rotterdam’s Bar and Jennifer Cardini’s Dischi Autunno. To this point Francesco has pushed his fun yet forceful sound, with many releases on his own 90's Wax, and collaborations with people like Skatebård, Francesco Farfa, Timothy Clerkin and Curses (as Y2C).
"The Golden Age Of Love" as a package is curated in Younger Than Me's characteristic style. Opening with "Long Life Death", a track that sets the stage with a cinematic soundscape in a classic Carpenter vibe. Picking up the tempo "Zarathustra Dance" takes you right into the golden age itself, its low slung beat and carefully sequenced lead line pushes an ever building tension designed to crack any dancefloor. The track with Massimiliano Pagliara, "Eternal Sunshine Of Solitary Mind", is one of the highlights, perfectly building around a catchy lead with tight arpeggio and sequenced acid. Leading us into the 2nd half of the record "Sadness Is The Only Way To Happiness" is a proto-trance beast, inspired by that period in the early 90s when Trance was less bright lights and big stages and more dark rooms and smoke filled spaces, an ever building progressive run of haunting vocals, rave stabs and rolling bass.
Whilst YTM is at home presenting dancefloor focussed material, we see him explore the other side too, with "Memory Is A Clock" like the earlier "Vortix", he ditches the 4x4 for breakbeat territory. Whilst the bass keeps the solid metronome you would expect, "Memory Is A Clock" is a track that takes a few moments, contemplative melody and trademark arpeggios take the lead. When it comes to the other collaborations on the record, the appearance of Brame And Hamo on "Raver's Heart Is A Mess" sees them lean into the Progressive nature both artists love so much. Then Pablo Bozzi lends his own unique outlook to "We Don't Know The Way, We Just Stay" in one of the standout tracks, epitomising Younger Than Me’s ability to create profound experiences.
The album concludes with "Music Will Never Stop, Heartbeat Will Never Fade, Party Will Never End", less of a title and more of a personal philosophy – the perpetual essence of rave culture and its timeless impact on music. A rhythmic belter, juxtaposed with incendiary synth-lines and staple catchy sequence work, finishing the record with one of the true highpoints. In addition the release also features four digital bonus tracks, including "The Other Face Of Loneliness" and a Prog Dance Reshape of one of the records more eclectic cuts "Zarathustra Dance" all offering an extended exploration into the creative landscape YTM inhabits.
"The Golden Age Of Love" is a debut album that ticks all the boxes; it's a celebration of a bygone era through the lens of the contemporary. Younger Than Me stands as a testament to the enduring spirit and evolving nature of the music that began in the ‘90s rave scene, with an LP that pushes Love, Progression and Fun to the forefront.
Memento Records proudly presents a new single by MAP, a.k.a. Massimino Lippoli, Angelino Albanese and Peonia. We’re talking history of Italo House here: Lippoli and Albanese are part of the Sueño Latino collective that released the eponymous track in 1989 to worldwide acclaim. The track, which samples sounds from Manuel Göttsching’s E2-E4 record, went on to become one of Ibiza’s balearic anthems, thanks to the support of legendary DJ Alfredo Fiorito, and a classic staple on the House circuit in clubs all over the planet, with epic remixes by Derrick May, Carl Craig and Bushwacka cementing its legacy as one of the genre- defining pieces. 2026 sees the duo joined by Peonia do what they do best: melodic ambient House Music infused with catchy grooves and beautiful melodies. Opening with a sexy rhythm and dreamy pads, the crescendo leads the way to voluptuous vocals and a swinging arpeggio, making this a total dancefloor darling, perfect to be enjoyed at sunset, on the beach, at your favourite stylish disco, or at that private villa party where everyone is having their best time. B-side rounds off the EP with a stripped down Dub rendition that again is proof of the immense talent of these artists.
Our previous remix-EP of Ness' classic album "Flesh Of The Gods" was, for various reasons, a long and slow process. When Ness himself suggested us to ask Vladw for a contribution we finally had a good reason to reach out to a long time favorite @ the Navigare HQ. Although located, literally, on the other side of the planet, his deep, driving and breezy productions ring true to our, slightly northern, musical vision. So we are not surprised that his excellent remix of "Transilient" is, already, one of the most celebrated tracks in our half decade long history. We asked for more, and finally we are able to present three brand new originals, seeded, watered and harvested with a Navigarean intent. Three highly functional pieces, aimed at focused dancefloors underneath open skies, balancing the beautiful and lush with the edgy and slightly twisted. Although being our first ever collaboration, any Navigare listener would understand that Luigi Tozzi has played a huge role for us on our path. Since his first releases with Hypnus we've listened carefully, on repeat, for a dozen years by now. A guiding light for our scene, always curious, always pioneering, yet always on point. His remix of "Drya" takes the harmonix of the original, adds a monstrous bassline and - trust us on this one - that massive clap will cause a mass frisson on the dancefloor. Trust Navigare Audio...
Dal Platinum returns to the Toxic Funk series with another double-sided serving of funky breakbeat gold, once again proving why he remains one of the most creative beat craftsmen in the global Nu Funk scene. Following up on his previous Toxic Funk outing, the Danish groove specialist delivers two fresh cuts packed with soulful samples, neck-snapping drums and irresistible dancefloor flavor.
Leading the charge on the A-side, Shave the Lords blends tight funk breaks, slick edits and classic party-rocking energy into a heavyweight groove designed for DJs and crate diggers alike. Flip the vinyl over and Good Shines takes things deeper with infectious basslines, uplifting vibes and a raw funky swagger that perfectly captures the spirit of the Toxic Funk series. Both tracks carry Dal Platinum’s unmistakable signature style — playful, soulful and built to move crowds.
This 7” release marks yet another essential chapter in the Toxic Funk legacy, delivering timeless grooves for funk lovers, breakbeat heads and vinyl collectors around the world. Toxic Funk Vol. 22 is ready to bring the heat straight to your turntable — so don’t sleep on this limited 45 before it disappears into the crates of DJs worldwide!
DJ Support: Nick Warren, Andy Wilson, Bill Brewster, Max Essa, Simon Lee, Pete Herbert, Mark Broadbent, Be Lanuit, Coyote, Andy Pye, Andy Taylor, Steve KIW, Mike Bradbury, Pathaan, Steve Optix
NuNorthern Soul welcomes Lonely Deckchair, a deeply personal and nostalgic long-player shaped by memory, place and the passing of time. Rooted in a return to Aguadulce on Spain’s southern coast, the album reflects on childhood summers, family connections and the quiet beauty of life coming full circle.
Written as a dedication to the artist’s children, the record moves between reflective ambient passages, Balearic rhythms and gently propulsive grooves. Across the album, reversed guitar sequences, soft synthetic textures and field recordings create a dreamlike sense of revisiting the past—like flicking through faded photographs or Super 8 footage.
From the misty-eyed opener Rayman’s Kingdom through to the closing drift of Alhambra Space Station, the album captures moments of wonder, movement and stillness—sunlit coastlines, long drives, first experiences, and the emotional pull between leaving and returning.
Full sleeve notes from Robert Harris aka Dr Rob from BanBanTonTon
Inspired by the Lunar New Year, "Ancient China" is a timeless auditory journey blending traditional Chinese musical elements with contemporary lofi beats. Across 24 tracks, live instruments like the pipa and xiao intertwine with modern production to create a soundscape designed specifically for focus and reflection. Presented as a limited "Jade Mist" double vinyl edition housed in a panoramic gatefold jacket, this compilation serves as the perfect peaceful companion to welcome the Year of the Horse.
Back to the golden nights of zouk clubs, where hip-hop, kompa, zouk and Caribbean grooves ruled the dance- floor. This selection documents a pivotal moment : a time when zouk was still not a fixed genre, but more a place, an atmosphere, somewhere people went to dance. It captures the spirit of an era: its creative effervescence, musical freedom, and the diversity of artists who shaped it. The very concept of “Kaz A Zouk” perfectly encapsulates this idea: a space where all styles could meet.
Marking a refreshed 2026 visual identity for Contemplate Recordings and a return to vinyl, Go Deeper EP draws from the atmosphere and musicality of classic Detroit and 90s deep house.
Built around warm synth textures, hypnotic grooves, sampled elements, and jazz-influenced harmonies, the release delivers a stripped-back yet immersive late-night sound. Classic 90s-style synthesis and sampler-based techniques underpin a record that balances subtle emotional depth with strong dancefloor focus.
Melodic, groove-led, and atmospheric deep house with a timeless, understated feel.
DJ Support from Luke Una, Colleen 'Cosmo Murphy' and Greg Wilson.
Two bona fide classic 70s cuts reworked for now.
‘Papa Stoned’, Ian Ossia’s driving take on one of disco’s seminal tracks, the Norman Whitfield masterpiece, ‘Papa Was A Rolling Stone’ by The Temptations, relentlessly hammers the groove home, leaving the dance floor no option but total surrender.
‘Dream A Dream’ sees a 1994 Ian Dewhirst re-edit of the glorious ‘Dreaming A Dream’ by Crown Heights Affair respectfully retouched by Ché & Matica, who bring the beats into time, overdub additional elements and create a DJ friendly intro/outro for what is an essential update.
“In This House” is the new 4-track EP from Kenneth Graham, a deep and elegant journey into the world of underground house music. Hypnotic grooves, warm atmospheres, and immersive rhythms come together in a release designed for both late-night listening and the dancefloor. A sophisticated and timeless collection that captures the pure essence of deep house.
Time in the context of the cosmos is not merely a measure of change but a profound mystery permeating all aspects of existence. It is both present and elusive, like the light of a distant star we see but can no longer touch at its source. The cosmos poses a fundamental question: what is time? Is it the stream in which we exist or an illusion crafted by our perception? The grandeur of the Universe reveals the extraordinary malleability of time. Gravity can slow its flow, while velocity can stretch it to infinity. At the event horizon of a black hole, time can nearly halt, transforming a moment into an eternity. This teaches us that time is not a universal truth but a phenomenon dependent on conditions and perspective
There’s no direct English translation for the word “hiraeth”. In the Welsh language, it describes a form of longing for an intangible something, somewhere or someone that no longer exists. Sofie Birch and Antonina Nowacka draw on the concept to guide their second collaborative album, a suite of vulnerable, open-hearted improvisations and reflections that attempt to grasp an image of the past that’s chimeric, dissolving almost as soon as it materializes. The duo’s process follows the same distant beacon; unlike Languoria, their critically acclaimed debut, Hiraeth is, at heart, an acoustic record, informed by in-person improvisations with voices and string instruments that gesture to an era before computers, AI and DAWs. It’s just as lush, but Hiraeth is warmer and more muted than its predecessor.
Nowacka and Birch conceived the album in the wake of a slew of collaborative live concerts, spurred on by serendipitous improvisations and an interest in paring down their setup. Unsound arranged a retreat in Sokołowsko, an idyllic village nestled in the verdant hills of Southern Poland, close to the Czech border. Sokołowsko surrounds a large ruined sanatorium that’s rumored to have inspired Thomas Mann’s 1924 novel The Magic Mountain, and has long been a magnet for artists. The two took the opportunity to rethink their approach completely, arriving with just a guitar, a zither and a portable Nagra reel-to-reel machine. Recording directly to tape, they sketched out ideas with just their voices and instruments, reflecting their surroundings without being distracted or mediated by modern technology.
“We wanted to get away from screens as much as possible,” says Birch, “to bring to the world something vulnerable and honest. Without advance preparation, every day we went out into the open air, finding places to sit, during sunset or the midday sun. We discovered new tunings on our instruments, picked up a melody, and started the machine, playing over
and over till we got a take.” In the autumn, they met again in a Copenhagen studio, sparingly and carefully layering old synths and organs to add more depth without muddying the mix.
Both Nowacka and Birch sing throughout, their voices threading the acoustic instruments and tangling with each other, almost becoming one. But it’s the environment of Sokołowsko, “the birds and the light, even the wind playing against the harps,” that’s woven into the music’s lining. Affected by time spent meditating and in nature, as well as the fact that Birch was pregnant whilst recording, the album feels alive and remarkably present. Even the sound quality of the tape machine gives Hiraeth a tactile, organic quality, as Nowacka puts it, “like being in a warm bath.”
They still have the raw recordings from Sokołowsko on old reels, physical souvenirs of their time spent making music in a “habitat for intuitive songs, a little ecosystem, alive and spirited.” The outmoded gear and remote setting helped the duo disengage from the modern world for a few moments and imagine an existence that’s been lost to time and nominal progress. With digital technology receding into the background, Nowacka and Birch had space to make “intuitive connections with frequencies and people,” as Birch explains. Hiraeth is a testament not to nostalgia, but to the power of kinship.
Due to high demand, MEU has revisited two of Mr. K’s classics, previously only available as 12-inch extended mixes, and asked the master editor to pare them down to 7-inch size.
A true top-five peak record at the Garage, Thelma Houston’s “I’m Here Again” was “a highlight whenever Larry played it,” Danny Krivit recalls, “and he played it a lot!” Danny’s edit is a homage to Larry and Frankie Knuckles – in particular a similar private edit that Frankie did back in the day and shared with Krivit. “It was on reel to reel and I didn’t copy it correctly and lost it,” Danny remembers. “Reels were problematic! When I tried to get it again from him, unfortunately he had lost it too.” The song (likely an attempt by Motown to capitalize on the previous year’s monster hit “Don’t Leave Me This Way”) is, in its original form, a virtual retake of Thelma Houston’s breakout single, from the subdued, schmaltzy intro to the “oooh BABY!” leading to the chorus. What sets “I’m Here Again” apart though, is the incredible second half of the song. Naturally, it is here that Mr. K’s edit focuses. Over a vicious groove reminiscent of the Originals’ “Down To Love Town” breakdown (Michael Sutton wrote and produced both “Love Town” and “I’m Here Again”) Houston delivers soul-stirring ad libs as the band crackles with electricity behind her, the piano chasing a descending string riff so eagerly. Pure dancefloor peak energy! And the very first time having all these parts on a 7"!
For our flip, Danny has reached deep into the earliest foundations of his voluminous collection, and come out with a psychedelic pop classic rearranged for today’s sound systems and setlists. Recorded in the Beatles’ Abbey Road studio at the height of the Summer Of Love, the Zombies’ “Time Of The Season” is firmly linked in pop culture to the late ‘60s and the Vietnam era, breaking big in the summer of 1969. Krivit’s edit highlights the parade of lush sonic textures that ornament the hip composition, from the iconic, exquisitely echoed bass-clap-exhale riff that opens the song to the cascading Hammond organ solos of Rod Argent. “It’s a song from my childhood that really struck a chord,” Danny says. “Over the years I often played a rough edit which always seemed to go over great. The song seemed to get better and better, and age like fine wine.” We agree!
These two songs have both appeared on previous (separate) MEU 12-inches, but are presented here in custom new edits for the 7-inch format.
The moment the instantly recognizable intertwined guitar passage on the title track to the Eagles' Hotel California begins, the record's genius becomes obvious all over again. Ranked the 118th Greatest Album of All Time by Rolling Stone, certified by RIAA as the third best-selling LP in history, and considered the foundation on which the Golden State's mid-‘70s music scene was built, the 1976 landmark is a music staple immune to shifts in trends, eras, and styles. Fearlessly addressing the chaos and consequences of American life, its songs remain strikingly prescient and gain creedence with each passing day.
Mastered from the original analogue master tapes, pressed on MoFi SuperVinyl, and limited to 17,500 numbered copies, Mobile Fidelity's UltraDisc One-Step 180g 45RPM 2LP vinyl box set ensures you will want to permanently check into and never leave this particular Hotel California. Up to the herculean task of standing head and shoulders above all prior reissues, this collectible edition plays with extreme clarity, organic richness, tube-like warmth, massive dynamics, and microscopic levels of detail. You'll be able to practically smell the colitas and feel the breeze in your hair. Songs come across with an epic sweep and feature immersive, front-to-back soundstages that allow the music unprecedented air, roominess, and separation. As for the noise floor? It's basically as invisible as the spirits that waft in the corridors of the unforgettable title song.
Aesthetically, the premium packaging and presentation of the UD1S Hotel California pressing befit its esteemed status. Housed in a deluxe box, it features gorgeous foil-stamped jackets and faithful-to-the-original graphics that illuminate the splendour of the recording. From every angle, this UD1S reissue exists as a curatorial artefact meant to be preserved, touched, and examined. It is made for discerning listeners that prize sound quality and production, and who desire to fully immerse themselves in the art – and everything involved with the album, from the renowned cover art to the meticulous finishes.
Indeed, the opportunity to zero in on all the particulars of the 26-million-selling Eagles record dubbed "a legitimate rock masterpiece" by vaunted Los Angeles Times scribe Robert Hilburn has never been better. A global phenomenon that marked the band debut of guitarist-singer Joe Walsh, Hotel California continues to resonate and connect with listeners of all generations taken by its narrative depth, stark directness, picturesque melodies, daring majesty, and ardent emotionalism. Adorned with a breathtaking exterior photograph of the Beverly Hills Hotel that serves as the simultaneously haunting and alluring cover art, and rounded out by a rear-cover shot of the Lido Hotel lobby that reinforces a notion that teeters between permanence and transience, Hotel California is brilliantly tied to a specific place that functions as a universally understood metaphor for the American Dream.
Confronting the darker undercurrents and oft-ignored constructs attached to that romantic notion, the record's songs revolve around a host of shared themes: excess, mobility, stability, illusion, fame, destruction, and idealism included. Notably, Hotel California appeared at a crucial junction in American history: During the country's bicentennial and amid escalating controversies related to the Vietnam War, energy crisis, and governmental corruption. That the Eagles manage to channel such cultural, social, and economical matters into a cohesive, stately, big-picture statement is alone a stupendous feat. That the album's reach, boldness, vitality, accessibility, and understated intensity have never waned make it a marvel.
Reflecting on Hotel California 40 years after its original release, and indirectly explaining its enduring appeal and increasing relevance, singer-songwriter Don Henley confirmed the record pertains to the "loss of innocence, the cost of naiveté...the difficulties of balancing loving relationships and work, trying to square the conflicting relationship between business and art; the corruption in politics, the fading away of the Sixties dream of ‘peace, love and understanding.'"
It can be argued that Henley and company squarely hit on and drove home those ideas in the surreal title track, chart-topping "Life in the Fast Lane," and grand "The Last Resort" alone. But that would miss the forest for the trees. Experienced as an unbroken whole, complete with the pristinely shot imagery and physical grooves, Hotel California unfolds like a geography-conscious saga by James Michener and plays like colour-saturated movie shot on 70mm film by Martin Scorsese. It's about our collective and individual decisions – and the shape of our past, present, and future. And, just like that conjured by our imaginations, Hotel California continues to take on a life of its own.
More About Mobile Fidelity UltraDisc One-Step and Why It Is Superior
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab's UltraDisc One-Step (UD1S) technique bypasses generational losses inherent to the traditional three-step plating process by removing two steps: the production of father and mother plates, which are created to yield numerous stampers from each lacquer that is cut. For UD1S plating, stampers (also called "converts") are made directly from the lacquers. Since each lacquer yields only one stamper, multiple lacquers need to be cut. Mobile Fidelity's UD1S process produces a final LP with the lowest-possible noise floor. The removal of two steps of the plating process also reveals musical details and dynamics that would otherwise be lost due to the standard multi-step process. With UD1S, every aspect of vinyl production is optimized to produce the best-sounding vinyl album available today.
MoFi SuperVinyl
Developed by NEOTECH and RTI, MoFi SuperVinyl is the most exacting-to-specification vinyl compound ever devised. Analogue lovers have never seen (or heard) anything like it. Extraordinarily expensive and extremely painstaking to produce, the special proprietary compound addresses two specific areas of improvement: noise floor reduction and enhanced groove definition. The vinyl composition features a new carbonless dye (hold the disc up to the light and see) and produces the world's quietest surfaces. This high-definition formula also allows for the creation of cleaner grooves that are indistinguishable from the original lacquer. MoFi SuperVinyl provides the closest approximation of what the label's engineers hear in the mastering lab.
FreedomB Delivers Timeless Groove on 'Essence Of Soul EP'. FreedomB is an artist defined by groove and movement rather than place. Drawing influence from jazz, funk, soul, and the earliest house and electronic rhythms, his sound is rooted in timeless dance music traditions and built for long, immersive nights on the floor. Focused on rhythm, flow, and emotional energy, FreedomB's productions exist to make people dance without compromise. With releases on labels such as Knee Deep In Sound, Roush, Toolroom, Sola, ElRow Music, and Flashmob Records, FreedomB has earned support from leading names including Hot Since 82, Supernova, Hector Couto, Solardo, and Flashmob. Now joining the Definitive Recordings catalogue, FreedomB presents 'Essence Of Soul EP', a two-track release that captures his deep-rooted love for classic house, disco, and soulful dancefloor energy. On 'Mi House Es Tu House', FreedomB delivers pure house nostalgia. A groovy beat and subtle bassline form the foundation, joined by classic piano chords that immediately set the tone. As the track unfolds, disco samples, a 90s-style synth melody, and a soulful female vocal sample build toward a powerful breakdown before dropping back into full groove, introducing a second timeless house synth theme. It's uplifting, energetic, and perfectly designed for any house music dancefloor. The title track 'Essence Of Soul' shifts into a deeper, more disco-infused direction. A straighter, nu-disco- inspired rhythm sets the pace while layered synths evolve throughout the arrangement. An 80s-style bassline anchors the groove, accompanied by filtered vocal chants, disco effects, and a spoken-word vocal reflecting on the meaning of music and the dancefloor. As the track progresses, rich piano chords and classic high house strings lift the energy into an emotional, late-night crescendo. 'Essence Of Soul EP' is a celebration of groove, soul, and timeless house energy. A release that lets the music speak and invites you to dance.
Carly Simon’s quietly intense sophomore album comes across like an assertive notice nailed to a telephone pole for all to see. Bold, personal, and autobiographical, Anticipation announces the arrival of an artist who won’t back down. While Simon stands her ground on her eponymous debut, she elevates her passion and persona to heightened levels throughout this gold-certified record, dealing in private matters related to love, relationships, and desire. At times, Simon is nothing short of primal. She reflects on the difficulties of retaining your own identity while also giving yourself to a partner. Simon’s connection to her folk roots would never be stronger.
Sourced from the original master tapes, strictly limited to 3,000 numbered copies, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing in California, and housed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket, Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 45RPM 2LP set of Anticipation lays bare the rich tapestries afforded by the spare blend of soft guitars, mellow orchestration, and dreamy melodies. Audiophiles and record collectors, take note: This is the first time Anticipation has been available on 45RPM. The wider grooves and dead-quiet surfaces prove extremely rewarding.
The rhythmic framework anchored by session pro Andy Newmark’s drumming sounds dynamic and balanced, with songs benefiting from a focused midrange and taut low-end. Simon’s attachment to and investment in each lyric is made evident by way of the intimate, hushed atmospherics and expansive responsiveness. And just as Simon’s vocals feel more transparent and direct, so, too, do the supporting choral arrangements.
Released before the singer-songwriter movement reached full bloom, Anticipation remains remarkable for the high-quality songwriting and Simon’s gutsy stance. The album cover — depicting the vocalist holding the gates at Queen Mary’s Garden in Regent’s Park and seemingly defying anyone to take her on — serves as a metaphor for the content within.
Known for having relationships with high-profile partners, Simon was heavily involved with Cat Stevens leading up to the recording of Anticipation. She draws from her experiences to craft tunes that resonate because of their honesty, realism, and strength. Few of those moments are better known than the Top 20 title track, which Simon composed in just 15 minutes as she waited for Stevens to pick her up for a date. Imbued with the nervousness, tension, and excitement that accompany the moments when a romance could go either way, the Grammy-nominated song presages the feminist-minded vulnerability and burning longing that informs a majority of the record.
On the soulful “Legend in Your Own Time,” also inspired by Stevens, Simon harnesses yearning as a conduit to feel-good paradise. Deemed by Rolling Stone an “absolute clincher, an awesome description of the psychic ravages of gone-nuts, know-nothing love,” her cover of Kris Kristofferson’s “I’ve Got to Have You” moans with no-holds-barred desire and breathtaking sensuality.
For all the wanting Simon pursues on Anticipation, her way of staying in control — vocally and personally — make the record a courageous statement of contemporary femininity. For further evidence, look to the bossa nova of “Summer’s Coming Around Again,” somber “Share the End,” soothing “Three Days,” and sincere “Julie Through the Glass,” a tribute to her young niece.
Simon would achieve international fame with her next album, No Secrets. Yet as this definitive reissue shows, Anticipation suggests the rest of the world was just a little late catching up to her.
Paul Guido and Laron McNally, AKA Locomotive & Swan, conjured up ‘Way Out Here…’ in the living room of a tiny apartment in San Francisco in 2003. The duo were part of a bustling West Coast scene inspired by the pioneers that came before them, pushing the music into a more experimental direction. Their sound was a hybrid of looping tech-house with a freshly dubbed-out soul, soft-edged pumpers made with long sessions on the dance floor in mind.
The four versions of ‘Way Out Here…’ contain the same tripped-out samples and driving percussion, but with their own distinct attitude. The ‘Breakbeat Mix’ provides the most bone-rattling bassline of all time, balanced by the more restrained and stripped back ‘Bonus Breaks’. The ‘House Mix’ subtly plays with pressure and release, while ‘Posse Up’ goes full throttle lift-off.
With this four tracker all bases are covered - each track is suited to different moments across a night’s arc from warm up, to peak time, to after hours. This EP is a testament to the grooves and groovers of the time, reflecting an era of music that informed much of what we cherish today. The shimmy is strong with this one, and we are happy to give it another lap.
People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm with the first-ever action figures of Phife, Q-Tip, Ali, and Jarobi.
Their music, characterized by a light-hearted and positive tone, with incredible wordplay, paved the way for hip-hop artists of the time.
This 4-pack of figures is inspired by the band members as they appeared in the music video,
I Left My Wallet in El Segundo—and yes, a wallet accessory is included.
All 4 figures appear in collector-friendly window-box packaging with original Super7 artwork influenced by the People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm album cover.
This album is considered one of the most impactful influences at the time, mixing alternative hip-hop and jazz rap.
So, hop in the car for a road trip in time with this 4-pack ReAction Figure set of the members of A Tribe Called Quest.
Singeley Wax presents the third installment of the Russian Series — Finetune's "Impulse" album by electronic musician and media artist Mikhail Komisarov (Michael Dop), co-founder of Slowdance Records.
__About the Music
Finetune is a project through which Mikhail explores and experiments with a sonic palette encompassing ambient, electronic music with elements of jazz and neoclassical. His medium combines modular synthesis, acoustic instruments, field recordings, and deliberately crafted effect chains. He creates distinctive compositions that guide listeners through various emotional states.
The "Impulse" album brings together ten tracks of experimental electronica: hypnotic synthesizer sequences, polyrhythmic structures, cinematic textures, and subtly shifting modulations blend into sonic landscapes where time becomes relative.
__Art Concept
The album's visual identity is based on the multidisciplinary neuro-performance "Impulse," created at the intersection of art and neurotechnology in collaboration with neurovisualization pioneers NeuroLab, digital art studio STAIN (working with algorithmic abstraction since 2009), and physical theatre project "Dancing in the Dark" — Russia's only company featuring visually impaired artists.
During the performance, the brain activity of visually impaired dancers was captured in real-time via neurointerface and transformed into generative graphics. This visual content, born from electrical impulses of consciousness in moments of musical perception, became the foundation for the album's artwork — both static and motion graphics.
A flash of light hits your eyes. Your ears hear muffled bass. As bright white fades to amber, you find yourself in a familiar place. A place you have been to many times. Though the edges of your memory are no longer sharp, the shape of it all is in your DNA.
The smell of rusted metal, dirt-covered floors that once hosted workers, machines and industry mixed with spilled beer and the sweat of a thousand bodies moving to syncopated music. As your vision comes into focus, you’re back there.
A warehouse in the former industrial part of town. You’re surrounded by hundreds of strange but familiar faces, each of you dancing into a frenzy countless times under the moonlight — moving, jumping, laughing and connecting.
Sunlight pours through warehouse windows or appears over a distant horizon.
The DJ plays a song that completes the journey you all just shared. You are desperate to hold on to the feeling of the last song that lands you safely from the night and into a new day. The feeling is deep. Pure.
Especially when communal ecstasy is juxtaposed against the edges of the warehouse floors, the intimacy of city lofts, the spiritual nature of open fields or forests.
The Custodian
I spent just shy of two decades in spaces like that — as a raver in early 1990s Los Angeles, then a DJ, producer, label owner and head of Moulton Studios in San Francisco.
The Custodian Project is a memoir of a life lived deep inside the culture and business of house music from 1990 to when I stepped away from music as a full-time life in 2015 — told through music, stories and DJ events.
Each release of new music draws inspiration from feelings, emotions and memories of that life — different rooms, different eras. It is an exploration to understand and capture what those feelings were, and in some cases still are.
The Music
This EP is the beginning. 1990. When I first found the rave and re-ordered my DNA based on the sounds, songs and feelings of that era that can be summed up in the title track — Sunrise Through Warehouse Windows.
All three tracks here are an attempt to reach back and touch those mornings again. To put the listener back in the warehouses or open spaces where we would dance as the sun rose over the horizon.
To capture what I felt back in 1990 when the night transitioned into daybreak. Bodies moving in unison. People, places and music all connect. An era before algorithms.
(tracklisting)
A1 — Sunrise Through Warehouse Windows — 7:51
B1 — *Truly Amazing — 8:16
B2 — Sunrise Through Warehouse Windows (Floating Beatless Mix) — 4:20
Written and produced by Chris Lum for Abitare Music (ASCAP)
* Written and produced by Chris Lum - Abitare Music (ASCAP) & Jay-J Hernandez Stopped in Time (ASCAP). Originally released on Leaf Recordings 2000
The Temptations Get High on Psychedelic Soul: Cloud Nine Soars with Ambitious Arrangements and Production, Features Standout Vocal Performances and Instrumentation by the Funk Brothers
The Temptations’ Cloud Nine announced that Motown — and “The Sound of Young America” — would never be the same. Influenced by the emergence of cutting-edge rock and pop currents, as well as increasing sociopolitical turmoil, the album broke down barriers between rock, psychedelia, and soul while heralding the arrival of visionary arrangements and production techniques. Bookended by traditional R&B numbers, the 1969 record sent the Temptations in bold new directions and signaled the advent of psychedelic soul.
Sourced from the original master tapes, strictly limited to 3,000 numbered copies, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing, and housed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket, Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 45PM 2LP set presents Cloud Nine in audiophile sound for the first time on a domestic pressing. This collectible reissue bestows Norman Whitfield’s extraordinary production with the grand-scale dynamics, natural tonality, expansive openness, and low-end weight it deserves. The timbre of each of the five members’ voices is readily identifiable — even within the group harmonies — bestowing a realism never experienced outside the recording studio.
Making its debut on 45RPM, the album further benefits from the wide groove space by playing with greater separation and more realistic presence than prior editions. Everything from the brassiness of the horns to the dry snap of the snare comes across with reference-grade clarity and positioning. And since Motown’s renowned Funk Brothers backing band plays on many of the cuts, you’ll want to savor every note. The imaging, soundstaging, and organic bloom-and-decay of the notes make that possible.
Amid Cloud Nine, the instrumentation and architecture stand out as much as any element. Never before had a Motown album contained such ambitious patterns and complex passages. Seemingly conscientious of the departure from their past methods, the Temptations and Whitfield bunched together the tracks that mark a deep dive into psychedelic territory and counterbalance them with seven sterling soul cuts that dovetail with Motown tradition drenched with heartfelt vocals, swelling strings, and finger-snapping beats.
On the original 33RPM release, traditional Motown soul — laden with heartfelt vocals, swelling strings, and finger-snapping beats — occupies Side Two. These songs reveal an ensemble still very much on top of delivering pristine pop-soul material graced with romantic sweetness, persuasive insistent, and soaring highs. Re-energized after the departure of lead singer David Ruffin, who was fired for a variety of reasons in June 1968, the Temptations seamlessly meld with his replacement, Dennis Edwards, on one melodic gem after another.
The collective tackles five songs co-written by the legendary Motown team of Barrett Strong and Whitfield. Not the least of which are the smooth, shuffling “Why Did She Have to Leave Me (Why Did She Have to Go)” and deceptively simple, horn-spiked “Gonna Keep on Tryin’ till I Win Your Love.” On these tracks, as well as on a lush rendition of the ballad “Love Is a Hurtin’ Thing” and pleading, tender send-up of the Gerry Goffin-Carole King classic “Hey Girl,” Edwards and Paul Williams take turns on the lead with the estimable Eddie Kendricks, Melvin Franklin, and Otis Williams providing backing support.
All five vocalists trade-off leads on the simmering title track, a groundbreaking composition shot through with wah-wah-pedal effects, liquid funk, deep bass lines, Cuban percussion, saturated reverb, and gang choruses. Whitfield mines each member’s natural vocal range with spectacular results, keeps time with cymbals, and channels both the heated temperatures and escapist desires of a society embroiled in war, conflict, and experimental drugs.
Amazingly, the Temptations top themselves on the similarly revealing “Run Away Child, Running Wild.” Nearly 10 minutes in length, the song explodes R&B parameters and harbors a cinematic scope. Urgent pianos, distorted guitars, stripped-down percussion, steamy Hammond organs, minimal bass motifs, five distinct voices narrating the tale of a boy who fled home and now finds himself amid the scary, unforgiving external world: They combine to give the urgent tune a walls-closing-in atmosphere where fear and desperation reign. Bolstered by an extended instrumental section that precedes a climactic return of the singers’ voices, “Run Away Child, Running Wild” equaled the success of the record’s title track, with both reaching No. 6 on the pop charts.
