Search:tribal music

Matuss takes techno and turns it on its head. The cybernetic sound has been filled with human emotion, giving it a more organic feel than much of the music that would fall under the genre.She opens her Absence Seizure 007 EP in trademark style, with a dark jacking cut entitled Pitchureque, in which a pulsating bass line throbs alongside ominous acid swells and disorientating panning effects.Next up, Tektango takes a different route honing in on a set of live tribal tinged percussion, which sway and dissipate with hypnotic effect driven further into the depths with a bubbling synth lead and filtering atmospherics. This live percussion gives the track that organic feel mentioned earlier. Escapade kick starts the B-side with a robust rhythm, built from the ground up with resonant hi hat stabs, echoing claps and sturdy kicks which forms the framework for a deranged lead melody laced with wide open synths and emotive chords to carry the groove. Closing the package is Fonque, where flanger-tinged snare rolls work in unison with driving rhythms, delicate arpeggios and an intricate 303 bass line to create an infectious closing cut.

Jacob Long's newest recordings under the Earthen Sea moniker deepen his compelling synthesis of shadowy rhythms and opaque atmospherics, drawing on the most potent qualities of melancholic ambient and dub techno.

An Act Of Love' follows 2015's Ink,' released via Ital's Lovers Rock imprint,
and was inspired by internal tribulations and the experience of exploring an empty nocturnal metropolis. Careful waves of tones drift and decay, beats materialize and pulse across twilit landscapes, a noir mood reigns.

Given Long's background as bassist for revelatory tribal-punk trio Mi Ami, An Act Of Love' showcases a musician in the midst of transcendent redefinition, crafting an immersive language of texture and motion.

From Jacob Long:
This record was made over the course of the most emotionally difficult and stressful year in my life thus far. As such, it is both a reflection of that experience and also something that gave me space to begin working through issues to see a way forward, to a better place both psychically and physically.

An idea that was also central to my thoughts while creating the album was the concept and reality of being out in the city at night, wandering around a large urban area after dark - the contrast of empty streets but with life still going on all around, and the openness and possibilities that can bring. This music was an attempt to capture that feeling.

Phonograph Music is back with a 4 tracker by Anthropous Anonymous. Four cuts that embody a poetic approach to dance music, trough deep house, balearic and tribal. A few months ago, in the time and space of a few impromptu sessions, an EP was conceived and produced. Not much was planned, but the voice and the keyboard notes our dear Brazilian friend Roberto Coelho hit, gave the whole thing its not so but quite ambiguous form and meaning. Soon after that, the music just flowed...

Ekambi Brillant was born in the village of Dibombari in Cameroon in 1948. In 1962 he attended school in Yaounde and learned his musical craft. In 1971 he heads off to the big city lights of Douala. Here he finds himself in a French TV, music competition hosted at "Le Domino" nightclub. It is here where he brushes shoulders with other Cameroonian music legends such Manu Dibango and Francis Bebey.

The music contest win gives him the break he needs and in 1972 and with the support of fellow troubadour JK Mandengue he finds himself with a record deal with Phonogram and his first hits in France.

Its in 1975 where we pick up this merry tale. Because it is in 1975 when things start to get a bit funky. Which is just how we like it here at Africa Seven. In partnership with French producer, guitarist and all around hero, Slim Pezin he creates the "Africa Oumba" album. He goes on in the two subsequent years to record the Soul Castle and Djambo's Djambo's albums also with Slim.

Our compilation focuses on the funkier end of Ekambi's music drawn mainly from the 1975 to 1978 period. Things open up with our theme tune "Africa Africa" (of course). It's tribal twisted psych funk is the perfect start to any album. We then move to "Aboki" possibly Ekambi's finest dance floor filler. Next it's the choppy disco strings and slap bass of "Nyambe" and the swirling African swing of "N'Kondo" and the pulsing chop-funk "Ekila".

The flip side starts off with "Soul Castle" an ordinary day tale for our hero. "Massoma" and its funk boogie get things bopping next up before "Machine Ma Bwindea" gives us some punchy brass and low slung funk grooves. "Mother Africa" shows us the songwriting power of Ekambi while also managing to have one of the funkiest flange basslines we have heard in a good while. Things close off with swing-time of "Lambo Lena".

Ekambi Brillant would go on to become one of the big name legends of Cameroonian music with nearly 20 albums to his name. He has contributed to the emergence of several Cameroonian artists such as Marthe Zambo, Valery Lobe, Aladji Toure and Africans. He now spends his time in Cameroon and Washington DC. Ekambi, we salute you sir.

The mysterious Cecil Moses & The S.G.'s (Oliver Klomp - drums, Colin Higgins - guitar, Bob Heinemann - bass, and Marc Hager - keys) unite with deep funk pioneer Lucky Brown to interpret Lucky's original "Mesquite Suite," a collection of spiritual folk/jazz modal melodies fused with earthy and arcane rhythms composed in the summer of 2015 in an ashram in the Texas Hill Country.

The S.G.'s, who specialize in their own brand of great quartet instrumental soul ala Booker T. & The M.G.'s and The Meters, adapted quickly to Lucky's experimental, rudimentary, vernacular, and minimalist approach. One thing you will notice in these tunes is that the vast space created by the musicians and the composition is what allows the FEEL to filter through, and for Lucky Brown, FEEL is what it is all about.

This first single presents the themesong of their collection, a deep tribal shuffle, "Mesquite Beat," upon which Jason Cressey - trombone, and Thomas Deakin - sax, offer their own explorations. The flip is an upbeat and minimal pentatonic anthem entitled "Justice," featuring Lucky Brown himself on funk flute.

With this release, we are proud to introduce the first installment of the "Mesquite Suite" collection on Tramp's own special limited imprint: "Tramp Tapes," a suite of original, raw deep funk inspired as much by Mulatu Astatke as it is James Brown.

Marc Antona has been always in the pursuit of new expressions within music as he has continually demonstrated with his work. Following the jazz-infused adventures of the Rattle Snaps EP, he finally returns to his own turf to lay down another crucial exploration of beat science. "Hanging Gardens" is a masterclass in immersive programming, fusing the natural feel of live drums with crisp electronic tones that hover in a spacious mix. It's the perfect angle at which to appreciate the subtlety of sound design that goes into every inch of Marc Antona's productions, teasing elements in and out of the mix so gracefully, it's hard to tell where the joints are. The haunting touches of chords and lingering pad are deployed with poise, the intricate percussion progressively rising and falling throughout to create a truly immersive sonic journey. Where the A side deals with angular rhythms and a shape-shifting atmosphere, "Unrestricted" takes the sound palette of organic and electronic elements and feeds them into a rolling, techno-minded focus. The tribal thrum of the beat fills out an 'in-the room-ambience' while the psychoactive synth flurries speak out the pulse of the machines. It's a combination that makes "Unrestricted" as intimate as it is exotic. In combining these disparate feelings within his tracks, Antona once again brings a human feel to the technology, pushing the music into exciting new realms in the process.

TS07 is the 4th EP of the TONE SERIES project and in line with the previous three releases TS08, -09 and -10. However, while MACHINE DREAM freezes you up with its winter grooves whilst on your way to the club, KEEP THE BOMB warms you up as soon as you get inside. Whereas MACHINE DREAM unveals shamanik percussions driving a tribal acid vibe with a big amount of pads that make the track ramping crescendo up, KEEP THE BOMB establishes itself as a major dance floor tune with its killer beast, cruising vibe and staccato voice percussion. With regard to the artwork, as shown on the cover, each track has its own colour. There is neither a A nor a B-side. The same applies to the record vinyl itself. Each track stands on it own. As a result, MACHINE DREAM and KEEP THE BOMB distinguish themselves from each other through their vibes and colours, although they remain in the same spirit. In summary, TONE SERIES brings together the idea of interdependence between music and design: what colour follows on from music and, in return, which musicality comes out of colours.TONE SERIES was born from the collaboration between late Villa's former bouncer (one of the most underground clubs of Berlin) Wolfram, French music producer, live performer and DJ David K, and LumièresLaNuit's co-founder and An der Grenze's founder.

A veteran of the music industry, Dave Ellesmere is way past his hardcore drumming days. Harboring the accumulated skills with a multitude of instruments, his electronic productions are intricate and meticulous. His passion for Detroit and Chicago soundscapes is evident in his latest vinyl release for MixxRecords.

'Caught In A Moment' starts off the EP with a steady techno grip engulfing a serene melody interspersed with sharp and gritty accents.

The second track opens up with solemn piano progressions combined with high pitched synths, conjuring different spheres of the musical spectrum. Aptly entitled Universal Vibe', the track evokes a very diverse array of sounds layered on top of a dubby bassline.

The sub-bassy 'From Now On Only Good Things Will Happen' kicks off in a very introspective manner, developing into a dreamy yet dark journey filled with anxiety ridden chords and drum pads.

Label chief's Tony Rodriguez aka Brothers' Vibe is on duty for the 'Universal Vibe' remix. Percussion takes the main lead, giving the track a rolling pace. Stripping down a lot of the global elements but keeping some bell chords, Rodriguez's reinterpretation offers a tribal infused piece with a completely different mood that is just as contagious as the original.

Bass Cadet Records comes back with a solo release by Etienne from Arcarsenal under the Solune moniker. Four crossover pieces of music mixing multiple layers of influences circled between house, ambient, soundscapes, dub techno and tribal rhythms.

Alleviated Records is proud to present the first edition of ''Underground Files''. We hope to introduce you to new Artists/Producers/Technicians with this series. This first edition includes selections by 2 Memphis-based dj/technicians/producers, Adam Arthur and Michael Kuntzman. Side A features Arkansas native Adam Arthur starting off with ''Rogue Intent''. If you're looking for radical-pumping house, look no further to get your crowd going crazy on the dancefloor. Next, we change the flavor a bit with ''Flamenco'' for when you need some downtempo warm seductiveness. Side B features 2 selections from Memphis dj/producer Michael Kuntzman. First up is ''Shutter'' with a bumping sci-fi-house flavor. Then we have ''Mondane'' with a pumping abstract-tribal-surreal tone. We hope you enjoy these for many years to come! Musically yours!

Saft welcomes 'Nortasun' to it's expanding roster of artists. With not too much info being available about the artist, the music should do the talking. 'Nortasun' comes up with a sample drenched EP that consists out of swell basslines, mind expanding chords and outlandish percussion works. ''Untitled 1'' opens up with a carefully placed disco sample that hovers over the rhythms very nicely. The percussion section and the ascending chords serve the overal ambiance while Nortasun plays with the extended loop pattern that maintains of interest. ''Untitled 2'' serves as a very deep but functional voyage into tribal territory. A vary of percussion sets in and smartly exchanges tones with FX cuts. On the B side ''Fudge Fingas'' debuts on SAFT with an atmospheric beast of a remix for ''Untitled 1'' that constantly grows and cleverly uses vocal cuts that change up the original atmosphere and makes the overall a very broad work of house music. The Stevie Wonder like clava hit + piano solo's that come in when the remix progresses are all in courtesy of the Edinburghian producer himself.

We've had our eyes on Obas Nenor for a while and after his disco-meets-Detroit affair on 'Mahogani', and some great releases on his newly started own label 'Nenorian music' and 'Sol Power', we're happy to share his work for Heist with you. 'The Ceaper Buing EP" features 4 original cuts and a remix by Swedish "Mr. Tophat" that navigates somewhere between really weird, and really groovy. If you've seen any of his studio videos, you'll see he's has a great mix between live instrumentation, and sampling on his MPC, and each track on this EP has so many great elements working together, that it will be hard to pick a favourite. "The doors" has a great filtered funk loop going on with some roughed up disco percussion, whereas the Tophat remix twists and turns the original into somewhat of a tribal(ish) drum workout that is probably best enjoyed in a really really dark room. "Glimpse of light" has some really interesting sampling going on with a feel that is almost 'rock', but gets more and more disco with some lovely synth work as the track progresses. As a counterpart to the first part of the EP, 'Wacky' slows things down to give you a summery, afro inspired track that we forced him to send us after we saw a short clip online of him jamming away on his Korg x-911. UV lights is a somewhat special track for us that you wouldn't expect on Heist at first, but makes for a great addition to our musical world. It's perfect 'hands-in-the-air' end of the night material, with a serene and emotional vibe that is really hard not to love. Altogether, it's a great EP that we're really happy to share with you. Sincerely yours, Lars & Maarten

Italian rudeboy Ivan Iacobucci brings his brand of lowdown funk-influenced tech house to Apollonia with this sterling three-tracker. Over two decades of hard work and dedication to his craft has culminated in Ivan's untainted reputation and widespread respect within the underground from true heads like Zip and, of course, the Apollonia boys. His love of jazz in evident throughout this EP which is full of subtlety and depth, pulsating b-lines and smooth chords are interlaced with razor-sharp percussion and delicate keys. The first track 'Old In On' has a laid back, though driving, groove, pushing forward with a hefty bassline that is perfectly counterbalanced by the light twinkling keys and barely-there pads. 'Scris Frumos' encapsulates more of an ominous, tribal feeling with intricate effects trickling through every pore of its deep, dark exterior. Its atmospherics keep you intrigued, voices echo in the background and a few moments of softened chimes really intensify the already mysterious vibe. 'Mini Ass' channels more of that electro-funk that forms the foundation of Ivan's love for music, haywire radio pulses prance around stuttered beats, giving it a slightly cosmic feel, while pipes add a more organic nuance to the track. Absolutely masterful work from Ivan, and another inspired addition to the Apollonia catalogue.

Welcome back Mr. Quenum! It's been roughly two years now since the Geneve-based artist, DJ and producer released made his Upon.You debut with his single Rhyme' in summer 2013 and we're extremely thrilled to see his forthcoming three track 12 Trouble' causing serious dancefloor trouble again this fall. Getting started with Colour Pulp' there's no doubt that Quenum is in for some serious action here, fusing an uncomprising, yet minimalistic, hard pumping TechHouse foundation, well-tripping vocal bits and a highly percussive killer build-up sequence this tune is crafted for late nothing but late night abuse. The title track Trouble' also relies on Quenum's rolling trademark minimalism and obscured, morphing ethereal voices but adds a little bit of tribal seasoning here and there that perfectly floats alongside quirky synths and a steamy, fever'ish feel that keeps bodies pumping and palpitating through the night until the morning comes. Functional as functionality can get. Finally Geneve Never Sleeps' speeds up things on a darker, more technoid level where a dark'ish intro built from muffled bassdrums meets scattered, futuristic percussions before shrieking stabs and scarce, ghostly sounds take over and the unstoppable Techno engine starts to run. Proper machine music that is nothing but pure energy!

secretsundaze 017 comes from London based producer Endian. Releasing just 2 EPs in a few years on Nonplus and Electric Minds, Endian has nevertheless managed to turn the heads of the likes of Steffi who used one of his tracks for her Panorama Bar compilation and Boddika who also licensed a track for a various artists EP. Sounding like a producer far more experienced than the two releases would indicate, it came as no surprise that this is far from the output of a novice but the seasoned veteran George Levings aka Commix (Metalheadz).
Endian has been a regular at secretsundaze events over the years and a friendship developed with Giles and James. The project is an outlet for him to release the more technoey and house sound that he is increasingly inspired by.
Lead and title track 'Finish Me' is a stone cold killer. Ballsy, raw and over driven in the mix, a tribal breakbeat groove builds before brassy stabs sneak in. The peak of the track sees dramatic pads cut through for a moment of serenity before the drums drop back in. Joy Orbison used 'Finish Me' in his Essential mix late last year and its also been a highlight of secretsundaze's sets over last 6 months. 'Dusty' goes deeper with a layer of fuzzy warmth enveloping the track. Driving but definitely one for the later hours or early on with its hypnotising flow and subtle musical flourishes. Last up 'Sub Tropic' is a heads down, growling, low slung techno track with its deep sub bass. This is definitely a track you can imagine hearing in the bowels of Berghain well into Sunday daytime. 'Finish Me' is arguably Endian's best work to date and it's another fine addition to the secretsundaze catalogue.

New York City-based DJ, producer and The Corner label owner Anthony Parasole makes his debut on Ostgut Ton with three new percussive-heavy Techno tracks on the My Block EP.

"Percussive music, that's my ground, my foundation but I am missing the feeling of tribalism in Techno today. I've been using a lot of different drum techniques over the past years, implementing them to Techno. The record 'Quickstrike', that I've released on my own label The Corner, was an edit record of an old sample-based house release. To me this was a test if people would gravitate to this sound and it was the biggest record on The Corner so far. From there I knew I could do this and two tracks off my new EP on Ostgut Ton work like this: 'Typhoon' features bongos, congas and all kinds of skin percussion, 'My Block' uses a different kind of percussive color.

HipHop in general and the Cut-up technique in particular have also heavily inspired me as a producer. During the 1990s music seemed really profound - a little bit tougher too. I listened to a lot of HipHop when I was writing the music for this new release and applied its methods to my own music. Many producers at that time were very forward-thinking. Wu-Tang Clan's RZA uses a sixteenth note technique that made me realize that I wanted this kind of hypnotizing sound to work in a Techno format. Another big influence were late 1970s Horror movie trailers. I was watching them while I was working on 'Bizarre' in the studio, I was inspired to capture the eerie tones and textures of those short clips in 'Bizarre'.

At the end of the day I work within certain parameters. Everytime I make a sample, I drop it into my personal folder - so all my music has a similarity of up to 50 or 60%. Maybe I'll use the same drumkit or kickdrum. I apply limitations to myself, but doing this also gives me my own voice. When I was learning how to produce, Levon Vincent taught me to make my own drum kit, to make my own synth kit and to work within this. Sample-based music is inspiring, and creating something out of found sound is very interesting to me. I think a sound signature is something that will always refine ones sonic pallet and skill set."

- Anthony Parasole, Berlin, September 2014 -

Zeitgeber and L.B Dub Corp split the second in Stroboscopic Artefacts' series of fifth anniversary records. Zeitgeber is the collaborative project of SA label boss Lucy and Dutch techno royalty Speedy J. Their joint alias birthed an exceptional long-player last year and has since been presented as a b2b act at festivals and clubs around the world. 'Totemism' is their first officially released output since that album, and is every bit as compelling. 'Totemism' opens with distant, reverberating bells and a thin film of hiss and crackle. But, one minute in, heavy and incessant drums cut through the ambience, hitting you straight in the chest. The surrounding atmosphere evolves and filters in-and-out of the mix until, halfway through, the track takes an unexpected turn with an elastic bassline and acid squelches. Then, the drums hit you again. This is an 11 minute masterclass in widescreen, narrative techno from two of the scene's most experienced and inventive producers. Luke Slater, a man of many aliases, slips into L.B Dub Corp mode for the B-side of this record. This particular moniker of Slater's generally trades in raw, culturally-inspired house music, though has also appeared on Stroboscopic's Stellate series with two deep and beatless dubs. For his contribution to SA's 5 Year anniversary, Slater re-visits a classic club cut of his own, delivering 'Take It Down Again (In Dub)'. 'Take It Down Again' is a brilliantly-realised exercise in tension, dub delay and mixing board creativity, all made to shine by a dose of oddball musicality and sampling. This version of 2010's 'Take It Down' is more restrained and tonally varied, equipped to instil a brooding and tribal darkness on the floor.

Building upon the foundations laid by his stunning debut single for the label, 'Theme Park / Off Topic', Blu Mar Ten Music is proud to
present the second single from prodigiously talented young producer Frederic Robinson's forthcoming album, 'Mixed Signals'. A
natural successor to the aforementioned single, the two tracks on offer here, 'Bloom' featuring Stray and 'Shore', give a further insight
into the depth and diversity of his work and what you can expect from his debut long player when it drops later this year.
On 'Bloom' Robinson teams up with experimental electronic producer and fellow BMTM alumnus Stray, for a characteristically
forward-thinking and unique exploration of 170bpm's outer possibilities. Built around a skittering tribal rhythm, lush synths and
acoustic instrumentation weave in and out of the track's skeleton over a deep b-line punctuated by elegantly cut ethereal vocals. With
the pair fluidly building and deconstructing layers as the track evolves and effortlessly shifts grooves, the track's nuances make it as
compelling for home listening as it is fresh on the dance floor.
This is paired with the delicate percussive timbres and rich ambience of down tempo offering 'Shore'. Here Robinson's off-kilter,
organic rhythms combine with a dense patchwork of piano, strings and natural textures to create a track that is as beautiful as it is
haunting, aided by the distant call of Robinson's own vocals.
Already receiving support from revered taste makers such as Giles Peterson, Mary Anne Hobbs and London Electricity, the depth and
quality of Robinson's music is quickly starting to make people stand up and take notice. Quickly proving himself to be an inimitable
talent, the new single is a worthy addition to his musical canon.

banging tribal electro dub ... travelling between bass music, jungle, and dub. Original new efficient sound, fresh and powerful !

* TO CELEBRATE JAMAICA'S 50 YEARS OF INDEPENDANCE 1962-2012 We have put together a set of releases that cover the musical styles that reggae mutated into through it's history, SKA, ROCKSTEADY, ROOTS REGGAE, DUB, DJ STYLE &DANCEHALL.... So Listen Up! and enjoy!Welcome to the Dancehall Sound from Jamaica. The sound that grew out of the dances in Jamaica around the beginning ofthe 1980's.The musical style again slowed
the reggae beat down to give an uncluttered, sparce backdrop, allowing the singers and DJ's more space to express
themselves. Dancehall has never stopped but turned to a digital beat around the mid - 1980's. So Listen Up ! to some early Dancehall classics that set the style for the years that followed....

Rockwell's rise to prominence as a rare, distinctive talent has been exciting the electronica music circuit the world over. Critical, thankfully, being the trusty forefront for all things audio-aesthetically delicious, presents the 'Aria EP' - 4 tracks of sound sublime, exemplifying Rockwell's refreshing angle on energy in the club combined with the characteristic, meticulously playful technicals, precise and thrilling as ever.The charmingly rustic intro of 'Aria' unleashes striking Flinstones-esque wooden triplets, scaling the track as stirring vocals weave through; haunting and uplifting at once, the title-track exudes sheer class. Slightly more buoyant, 'Live For The Moment' infuses an energetic tempo with profusions of ear-carressing funk and those ever-characteristic percussive twists - naughty all over. Swiftly plunged into apocalyptic darkness, the Ulterior Motive boys take a sinister liking to 'Noir'. Distinctly menacing and genuinely frightening, what better to bully the atmosphere than Hell-raising bass and staccato violins. Listen out for the breakdown bass - horrific and enriching, this track is dark by Devil's definition. Icing on the cake collaboration with underground legend Untold comes in the form of 'Rehoku Sunrise', a tribal earthy worldly masterpiece of running drums and raw, wild samples, glazing the soul in bliss. Bellissimo.

After several hot releases on Labels like Cadenza, Kling Klong, Globox, Capsula and his own imprint called Andes Music Chile based Producer Francisco Allendes is back on the street and debuting for Phaze Records. Two great tribalistic tracks with hot remixes from Someone Else (Foundsound, Resopal, Glückskind, Microcosm) and the Bad Boys !!

The unstoppable Spaziale Recordings set their sights on an absolute Paradise Garage classic from 1982 - the much sought after and instantly recognisable ‘Together Forever’ by Exodus. This fully licensed, remastered reissue comes housed in a full picture sleeve and contains a killer DEF Mix from Stefano Ritteri alongside the original extended vocal and dub versions.

Bursting with passion, ‘Together Forever’ is a record that was destined for greatness. A Larry Levan favourite, and for good reason. Produced by Errol Mattis and featuring one of the most sampled vocals in house music, there’s a triple threat of plucked basslines, clavinet power and joyful horns backed with the kind of percussion that ignites a rarely witnessed tribal energy within. It’s had crowds in fits of frenzies ever since its release and every collection deserves this gem nestled within it.

As well as the original extended vocal and dub versions, Stefano Ritteri steps up to add his own special touch, giving it some proto house power. He echoes and manipulates those fiery vocals, introducing each element gradually from the acid tinged topline to the layers of drum machine heat, gradually building the suspense to pure fever pitch.