The duo Sławek Pezda & Witek Ryć is a project by Krakow-based musicians, a hybrid of ambient, noise, experimental music, jazz, trance, electronica, and ethnic music. The two musicians' musical paths were united by the practice of meditation, which also significantly translates into their musical language and the need to share the peace that flows to the listener through sound.
In their recordings and live performances, the musicians utilize tenor saxophone, modular synthesizers, electronics, drums, flutes, drum pads, Tibetan bowls, gongs, and a wide array of percussion instruments. They have played together in improvised concerts, relaxation concerts, chamber sessions, and even spiritual jazz.
"Kardamon" is the result of one of the live sessions, where the rhythm, based on a simple pulse flowing from a frame drum, accompanied by Ankle Bells (Indian janissary bells played with the foot), is enriched by Sławek's tenor saxophone. In addition to the aforementioned instruments, a synthesizer and a Roland HPD 20 drum machine were also used, accompanied by various percussion instruments (shaker, chimes, bells, etc.), as well as a fragment of Witek's own field recordings from the Polesie National Park.
The remix on the B-side was created by DJ PLASH, who gave the duo's original sounds a completely new dimension. Plash (Marcin Przeplasko) is arguably one of the most sought-after DJs playing for b-girls and b-boys worldwide, a feat culminating in his official performance behind the turntables at the last Summer Olympics. PLASH is Witek's neighbor from Krakow's Nowa Huta district.
The front cover artwork is a painting by Witek Ryć, and the entire album was assembled and framed by Animisiewasz. Mastering was handled by Eprom. The single is limited to 150 copies and is being released by Funky Mamas and Papas Recordings, a label specializing in seven-inch singles since 2008.
"AVEX REGGAE SYSTEM" is a series of gems of reggae covers of classic AOR and pop songs that were in heavy rotation on dance floors and FM radio from the late 70s to the early 90s. This is the fifth 7-inch single cut project from the series!
"Upside Down" is an 80's dance classic by Diana Ross, produced by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards, who were flying by the seat of their pants at the time, and features Mareen's cute vocals and electric sitar tones, just like the original. The cover features Mareen's cute vocals, electric sitar and a bouncy shuffle beat." Smooth Operater" was released in 1984 and was one of Sade's early hits that made her a worldwide sensation, and it was a longtime seller in Japan at the time, playing in cafes and bars.
"AVEX REGGAE SYSTEM" is a series of gems of reggae covers of classic AOR and pop songs that were in heavy rotation on dance floors and FM radio from the late 70s to the early 90s. This is the sixth 7-inch single cut from the series!
"Break Out" is a cover of Swing Out Sister's early hit number released in 1986, with its lively melody and positive vocals, and the steel drum sounds are arranged like a cool summer breeze running through the track. "Missing You" was written by Lionel Richie and sung by Diana Ross and released in 1984. The song is covered with a shuffle beat.
Wendy Eisenberg hat die letzten zehn Jahre als feste Größe der Independent-Musikszene und als Künstlerin von inspirierender Vielseitigkeit verbracht. Als Singer-Songwriterin, Improvisatorin und virtuose Gitarristin sind die Koordinaten ihrer Kunst ständig im Wandel, von Art-Rock über Jazz bis hin zu mitreißender freier Improvisation und ausdrucksstarker Folk-Musik. Mit Höhepunkten wie dem 2020 erschienenen Album Auto" und dem 2024 Free-Jazz-Album Viewfinder" hat sie sich einen Namen als ambitionierte Künstlerin gemacht. Nachdem sie die letzten fünf Jahre damit verbracht hat, in verschiedenen Bands, Genres und kreativen Herausforderungen zu experimentieren, und nach einer Phase der Selbstkonfrontation, die sie mit einem persönlichen Exorzismus vergleicht, hat Eisenberg einen Meilenstein erreicht. Die poetischen und formal gewagten Folksongs von Wendy Eisenberg sind ihre bisher klarste Vision. Die Songs begannen 2020 Gestalt anzunehmen, als Eisenberg aus West-Massachusetts wegzog, wo sie nach ihrem Studium am New England Conservatory in Boston einige Jahre gelebt hatte, und nach Brooklyn zog. Aus Sehnsucht nach der ländlichen Atmosphäre ihres früheren Zuhauses fühlte sich Eisenberg zu den warmen Klängen von Country und Folk hingezogen. Die Songs sind echte Folk-Lieder", sagt Eisenberg über ihr Album. Bei der Produktion geht es weniger darum, zu sehen, was die Gitarre leisten kann, sondern vielmehr darum, die inhärente Fremdartigkeit der Sprachen zu akzeptieren, die sie seit anderthalb Jahrhunderten spricht." Auf Wendy Eisenberg schafft die Künstlerin ihr eigenes Paradigma mit einem eng verbundenen Kreis von langjährigen Freunden und Mitwirkenden, darunter Bassist Trevor Dunn, Schlagzeuger Ryan Sawyer und Co-Produzentin Mari Rubio (more eaze), die für Pedal Steel, Synthesizer und Streicharrangements zuständig war. Die Aufnahmen fanden oft in Eisenbergs Haus statt und verliehen jeder Note eine wunderschöne Ensemble-Textur. Endlich war ich von Menschen umgeben, die mich akzeptierten", sagt Eisenberg. Viele der Songs auf diesem Album sind in diesem neuen Gefühl entstanden. Ich wollte, dass es unglaublich beruhigend wirkt, da es einige massive Veränderungen im Selbstverständnis und Selbstwertgefühl beschreibt. Es geht um Erleichterung."
That time of the year has arrived! The next Various Artists is the prefect blend between old and new generations, including 2 new addition to the label and 2 familiar faces.
Opening the EP is MikeroBenics with “Julika (Original Mix)”. This track was officially released in 1994 on Harthouse and through the years on other labels in different versions. The version we are publishing has never seen the light before today. A deep melancholy trance journey characterised by driving acid lines and club-oriented rhythms. Followed by the return of Noboot with “Drive Control”. Made in 2022, this track bring us back to the sound of his first release. An immersive electro-acid track with a 303 melody that moves with punchy rhythms, letting our bodies move and our brains fly.
On the B side, Periferico is back with a new production made in 2021. “2804 A DEF12MIX” is an engaging journey into Livio progressive house world. Closing the VA, we welcome our dear friend CRL with “Breathe”. Composed in 2024 while trying new techniques and samples, characterised by its ethereal pads and a slow unfolding vortex of acid bassline, brings the minds into a deeper conscious state.
In September 2024, Nacho Piek, Rapha Mundi, Odd Signals and Ibai Machín gathered for four days in a beautiful house in Etxeberri, a small village in Navarre with barely 50 inhabitants. Isolated from everyday rhythm and surrounded by nature, the goal was clear: to create a production camp dedicated exclusively to club music.
The result is Etxeberri EP, the debut of Buenobueno Soundsystem — a work that captures that coexistence in the form of direct and timeless music, designed for the dancefloor. An organic crossing of influences ranging from House, Techno and late-90s Minimal Trance to contemporary UK Bass.
Etxeberri EP will be released on March 13 exclusively on vinyl, in a limited edition of 200 copies. Each record includes an inlay with photographs of the creative process and private access to an audiovisual piece shot by Jesús Iriarte documenting the experience and the spirit behind the project
Chris Liebing's first full solo techno LP, 'Evolver' is released on 27th March 2026, via his own CLR imprint. The German techno don's LP features a host of collaborators across music, images, and artwork. Luke Slater, Charlotte De Witte, Speedy J, The Advent, Terence Fixmer, Pascal Gabriel, Daniel Miller contribute to the music, while long-time collaborators Studio Bergfors deliver design, and legendary photographer Anton Corbijn shot Liebing for the project.
The Evolver LP is the sum total of Chris Liebing's three decades at the beating heart of techno. It's the record only someone whose first break as a techno DJ was playing five hours at Sven Väth's infamous Omen in Frankfurt - and who has ridden out every twist and turn of life and subcultures since, while remaining rooted in the true school, dark, sweaty techno sweat pits of the world - could have made. It's the result of deep introspection, but it's about utter immediacy. It's the sound of someone previously driven along by compulsion and happenstance at last finding the confidence to be utterly intentional about their practice, allowing them to take the most classic, familiar, proven elements from the past and render them completely new.
Evolver is also Liebing's first completely solo album. There are collaborations, yes: with old friends from the OG techno generation, Luke Slater, Speedy J, and The Advent, all on uncompromising form, and with new generation figurehead Charlotte De Witte, who provides a thrilling narration of total surrender to the moment on acid clarion call "Symphonie des Seins". But unlike all Liebing's albums to date, there's no co-pilot. Every structure, every mixdown, every choice serves his singular vision of how his untold immersion in the surging currents of the world's greatest clubs should sound. The elements are all those forged in the white heat of Omen and Tresor in the mid 90s - brutal repetition, titanium kick drums, industrial atmospherics, but also dark rave euphoria, ever present surging acid lines just on the cusp of trance, and just enough human voices to remind you of bodies on the dance floor - but rendered with all the extraordinary accumulated skill and technological developments since then.
It's Chris's vision entirely, his musings on sound, technology, and life birthing tracks like "Roy Batty." Inspired by thoughts of AI becoming sentient and hungering for more life like Rutger Hauer's titular Blade Runner character, it was one of the first tracks to emerge and a foundation stone for the album. And in pursuit of that vision, it's built like a "proper album". The anticipation and menace of intro "Unfold" tip over into the glowing hot high drama psychedelia of "Symphonie…" then the breathless headlong rush of The Advent collab and on through an unfolding narrative that goes deep, goes dark, opens out into grand vistas, takes strange turns before finally landing on the alien landscape of… well… "Endtrack".
Not everything is pummelling on Evolver - the dazzling title track feels like you've been welcomed into the courtly dance of a higher dimension civilisation, and the audacious Speedy J collab "Shaping Frequencies" is a beatless flow that tests the boundaries between signal and noise. But for all its complexity, conceptualism, and stylistic branching out, every last part unmistakably powered by that dark techno-cavern energy above all else. All of it positively radiates the qualities of Liebing's greatest work and sets to date - but somehow even more so than before. Whether you're listening for aesthetic inspiration, cerebral stimulation or just that raw physical power, this album will sweep you up into its momentum and won't let go of you until it's done.
COEO are to Toy Tonics records, what Master at Work were to the House scene of the 1990ies: They bring the Soul into the House. Their new EP Back In The Days' is a 4 track house stomper that could have been made in 1997 by guys like Sneak, Dimitri from Paris or Little Louie. But still the similarities to the new Berlin Sample-House scene around Max Graef and Hodini are evident, too. Already their last years' superhit NATIVE RIDDIM (which is featured as a bonus track on this vinyl) included some heavy jazz samples they found in their parents' bag of soul. Native Riddim has been no.1 in the Traxsource charts for several weeks and was the basis for their already huge following. From Laurent Garnier to Tensnake - the feedback has been awesome. Now they proceed their way of souldful house. Just good taste.
pdqb is an entity without a fixed form, moving through multiple timelines at once, performing in all of them simultaneously.
Every tone on this record was sampled somewhere else: in collapsed futures, unfinished pasts, and inside stress loops that never resolved. The tracks are not composed - they are retrieved, stitched together from moments that already happened and moments that haven't happened yet.
The music is unstable, dependent on who listens, and in which dimension, the tracks re-arrange themselves, revealing different harmonics, different fears, different exits. No two listeners hear the same, even if they play it at the same time.
The überskilled Detroit remixers provide a solution for Earthbound listeners - those unable to time-travel or shapeshift: By filtering pdqb's multidimensional signal through machine discipline, they force a temporary alignment - a version of a track that sounds the same to most listeners. Only then does collective rhythm become possible, a shared timeline where bodies on a dancefloor move to the same future at once.
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Dr. Paul Dominic Quentin Bernard defines Future Traumatic Stress Disorder as a cognitive condition marked by a reversal of mnemonic orientation. Memory, in this model, no longer operates retrospectively but functions prospectively, encoding anticipated survival outcomes rather than past experience. Affected subjects do not recall what has been lived through; instead, they retain anticipatory memory structures of what will be survived. Bernard notes that this temporal inversion produces sustained psychological stress and warrants further empirical investigation.
With Le Tact, Joseph Schiano di Lombo delivers a work of rare finesse, conceived as a posthumous conversation with photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson. Through seven meditative pieces - whose evocative titles echo the photographer's words when describing the art of creating an image - this album explores the instinctive and delicate relationship that connects music and photography to our everyday lives.
Presented for the first time on stage during the 20th anniversary of the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation, Le Tact draws its inspiration from the photographer’s art: a sensitive and respectful approach, capturing the essence of things without altering them. This spirit of discretion and precision is distilled by Joseph into his music, blending composition and improvisation with intuitive elegance. While Joseph composed and performed the piano, organ, synthesizer, clarinet, and guitar himself, he opened his arrangements for the first time to other musicians. Agnes Wasniewska (oboe), Barbara Misiewicz (cello), and Tomasz Baye Zietek (trumpet) bring their sonic textures, enriching this work, which is both intimate and collaborative. The album was recorded between Paris and Sopot (Poland) during a residency organized by the CNM.
The album’s title perfectly encapsulates its essence: Le Tact. This simple word, evoking both the sense of touch and artistic intuition, reflects the way Joseph composes—with respect, humility, and attention to detail. Each note seems to float lightly, as if to preserve the serenity of the moment. Le Tact transcends genre boundaries. Between ambient music and contemporary art, this album invites listeners to slow down and truly listen. It is a tribute to the beauty of the world, captured with the subtlety of a photographer and the sensitivity of a musician.
‘Distracted’ is Thundercat’s fifth studio album, featuring contributions from an incredible cast of friends including A$AP Rocky, WILLOW, Tame Impala, Lil Yachty, Channel Tres, and a long awaited collaboration with the dearly departed Mac Miller. The record was primarily created in close collaboration with a new creative partner – the super-producer Greg Kurstin – plus Flying Lotus, Kenny Beats (Kenneth Blume) and The Lemon Twigs. In the six years since his GRAMMY-winning album ‘It Is What It Is’, Thundercat’s star has risen: playing stadiums worldwide with Red Hot Chilli Peppers with Flea naming Thundercat “the best bass player on the planet”; performing live with A$AP Rocky, Steve Lacy, Tame Impala, Gorillaz, Silk Sonic, Erykah Badu, Spinal Tap, Yo Gabba Gabba; collaborating with Haim, Smino, Kaytranada, Kamasi Washington and Justice. He also branched out into acting with a role in Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett. His warm, playful presence is never too far away, and life’s all the more enlivened by it.
In the last two years, Barry Can’t Swim has released two albums – When Will We Land? and Loner. The debut was nominated for a Mercury Music Prize, winning 2024’s Best Dance Act on BBC Radio 1 and being nominated for Best Dance Act at the BRIT Awards in the same year. The latest album, 2025’s Loner, hit the top ten in the UK charts and was number one in the dance charts. This summer, Barry Can’t Swim cemented his position as one of the most singular new voices in electronic music with a gangbusting performance as a headliner at All Points East in London’s Victoria Park, building on his back-to-back performance with Bonobo at Coachella in 2024. Barry’s Late Night Tales mix brings together disparate styles and forms them into a coherent narrative. The powerful house tracks, like Lance DeSardi’s ‘Power of Suggestion’ and Daniel Avery’s remix of Factory Floor, intertwine with the abstract grooves of Freddie Da Stupid or Ronald Langestraat’s leftfield reading of Boz Scaggs’ ’70s smash ‘Lowdown’. There are exclusive tracks from Barry Can’t Swim himself (in the form of new single ‘Chala’ and an exclusive edit of Superpitcher’s ‘Yves’) and from friends and contemporaries, like Ninja Tune labelmate O’Flynn. Leaving aside the obvious quality of the mix, with its serpentine twists and dramatic turns, you can tell Josh is a fan of this series by bringing in his own personal poet, the brilliant Seamus, for the spoken word section right at the end. He’s a one-man Late Night Tales programmer.
"Askew indie rock thrills, bubbling, synth-flecked and sitting at a perpendicular to the mundanity of the everyday" - Clash
London-based French chanteuse, multi-instrumentalist & composer Clémentine March shares her new single of entrancing avant-pop ‘After The Solstice’, from her upcoming new album ‘Powder Keg’.
Enriched by influences from jazz, folk and Brazilian music, ‘After The Solstice’ was initially inspired by a time spent touring the UK with acclaimed folk singer Naima Bock. For Clémentine, the song explores “the theme of memory and reminiscence” and employs an absorbing sense of cyclical repetition; a musical device used “to evoke the deja vu sensations we all experience in life”.
Out of life on the road, everyday recurrence and contemplative retrospection, Clémentine creates a profoundly hypnotic anthem on ‘After The Solstice’, both mellow and fervent. Evoking the likes of Stereolab, The Raincoats and Cate Le Bon, it’s a mesmeric singalong of graceful vocal lilts and poised musicianship, with every element moving in beautiful unison.
Recorded & arranged with Ollie Chapman (bass) & Sophie Lowe (drums), and featuring vocal contributions from Naima Bock, Sophie Jamieson, Katy J Pearson, MF Tomlinson, Marika Tyler-Clark, Robyn's Rocket and Alabaster DePlume, ‘After The Solstice’ is the first glimpse of Clémentine’s third album ‘Powder Keg’, following the rich international eclecticism of her debut album ‘Le Continent’, and the beguiling intimacies of her second LP ‘Songs of Resilience’.
In den letzten fünf Jahren hat sich Joe Westerlund intensiv mit der Clave beschäftigt, dem metrischen Muster, das zunächst die afro-kubanische und lateinamerikanische Musik geprägt hat und dann in fast alle Bereiche des Jazz und Rock Einzug gehalten hat. Was bedeutete es, dass eine Idee so flexibel war, dass sie so viele Formen annehmen konnte und dabei doch ihre eigene Essenz behielt? Das Ergebnis ist für Westerlund ein Sprung ins Unbekannte: Curiosities from the Shift, ein 12-Track-Spielplatz mit endlos verwobenen Beats und Melodien, auf dem Westerlunds Begeisterung für die Clave auf seinen experimentellen Umgang mit Texturen trifft und seine rhythmische Symphonie mit Freunden Hand in Hand geht, die diesen Raum gemeinsam mit ihm gestalten. Die dreiteilige Suite, die die erste Hälfte von Curiosities ausmacht, beginnt mit den Schrottplatz-Percussions und den entzückenden Bass-Splashes, die ,Tem" umrahmen, und endet mit dem surrealistischen Boom-Bap von Daumenklavieren und Shakers auf ,Can Tangle". Diese Stücke strahlen eine hart erkämpfte Freude aus, als würde Westerlund sich in Echtzeit daran erfreuen, eine potenzielle Sackgasse zu entdecken, aber trotzdem seinen eigenen Weg nach vorne zu finden. Diese Songs wurden zu einer Art Arbeitsplan für das Terrain, das Westerlund auf Curiosities erkundet, vom glorreichen Call-and-Response-Opener ,Nu Male Uno" bis zum unheimlich amorphen Schlussstück ,Felt Like Floating". Alle diese Songs zeichnen sich durch einen erkennbaren Rhythmus aus, wie den galoppierenden Gang in der Mitte von ,Midpoint" und den kopfnickenden Puls, der sich durch ,Persurverance" schlängelt, dessen Name augenzwinkernd falsch geschrieben ist, um seiner Aussprache aus North Carolina via Wisconsin zu entsprechen. Aber das sind nur Sprungbretter für andere Texturen, Stimmungen und Ideen, wie die New-Age-Anklänge - schimmernde Metallophone, zwitschernde Vögel, zurückhaltende Flöten -, die ,Midpoint" durchziehen, oder die Dub-artigen Delays und Gamelan-Hymnen, die ,Persurverance" durchziehen. Dies ist zutiefst vielschichtige Musik, deren treibender Kern durch eine Reihe überraschender Entscheidungen ausgeglichen wird. Bittersüße und Freude, Trauer und Befreiung, Seufzer und Lächeln: All das ist hier vorhanden und verflechten sich bis ins Unendliche. In den Monaten nach den ersten Sessions wandte sich Westerlund an Freunde - darunter Tim Rutilli von Califone, den Saxophonisten Sam Gendel, den Trompeter Trever Hagen und die Violinisten Libby Rodenbough und Chris Jusell. Es waren seine am gründlichsten komponierten und präzisesten Werke, aber er wollte hören, was passierte, wenn seine Freunde in Echtzeit darauf reagierten. Sie lieferten Anmut, Tiefe und Gefühl, wobei ihre Parts den Vorhang zu verborgenen Winkeln rhythmischer Welten öffneten. Westerlund gibt bereitwillig zu, dass er von der Betonung des Grooves und des Metrums des Albums überrascht ist, die sich von abstrakten Klängen abhebt. Nachdem er so lange mit Bands gelebt und gearbeitet hatte, ging er davon aus, dass er mit grundlegenden Metren fertig war. Diese 12 Songs verschmelzen so viele von Westerlunds Leidenschaften zu endlos faszinierenden Stücken, die mit vertrauten Elementen seine Abenteuer ins Unbekannte übertragen. Verspielt, aber zart, wehmütig, aber wundersam, von Beats angetrieben, aber nicht an sie gebunden - dies ist Westerlunds bisheriges Vermächtnis, das Soloalbum, das einen Blick auf eine musikalische und emotionale Landschaft eröffnet, die vielleicht sogar noch reichhaltiger ist, als er es sich jemals hätte vorstellen können.
BBE Music announces the first repress of the classic Roy Ayers albums ‘Virgin Ubiquity’ 1 and 2 since 2006, on luxurious 180g vinyl with brand new sleeve notes written by Sean P. The music on 'Virgin Ubiquity' was selected and mixed down from previously unreleased multi-tracks recorded between 1976 & 1981, which Roy had in storage. It's all unmistakably Ayers, but is diverse and fresh enough to be more than a mere adjunct to one of his most productive and popular periods - testament to his and his musicians' creative abilities, as much of most revered Ayers output stems from this time. These discoveries take their place beside some illustrious company in a timeline bookended by 'Everybody Loves The Sunshine' and 'Africa, Center Of The World', several solo and Ubiquity albums, collaborations with Wayne Henderson & Fela Kuti, as well as guesting on LPs by Buster Williams and Herbie Mann. Out of print on vinyl and CD for over a decade now, BBE is delighted to re- present these groundbreaking Roy Ayers titles, neatly coinciding with the 45th anniversary of his classic album ‘Mystic Voyage’ and a UK tour to commemorate it during April 2020.
J Dilla passed away 20 years ago. Metro himself paid tribute to the production master.
"Donutroit" is a meticulously crafted tribute to James Dewitt Yancey. Reinterpretations, reworks, and original compositions – a total of 24 tracks produced by Metro, who pays tribute to the legend with this album. Maciej returns with the album after a somewhat lengthy break, but he does it with a bang. This kind of hip-hop with soul elements has been unheard of in Polish music for a long time. This is the first Polish full-length tribute to Dilla. The guests are few, but they are impressive. Emade himself plays drums on two tracks, and Immortal Onion reworked one of James's iconic recordings.
Dawid ObyOby Frańczak is responsible for the full artwork.
The legendary Polish underground label JuNouMi Records is responsible for the pressing.
l 12: The Look Of Love (Medley No. 1) feat. Immortal Onion
[w] 23: The Look Of Love (Medley No. 2) [feat. Immortal Onion]
[l] B7: The Look Of Love (Medley No. 1) [feat. Immortal Onion]
[w] D4: The Look Of Love (Medley No. 2) [feat. Immortal Onion]
[l] B7 | The Look Of Love (Medley No 1) [feat. Immortal Onion]
[w] D4 | The Look Of Love (Medley No 2) [feat. Immortal Onion]
Doubting all the time. Fearing all the time. Our Darkness descends upon Dark Entries with a reissue of Anne Clark’s epochal proto-house masterpiece from 1984. As a young poet, Clark found herself drawn to London’s emerging punk scene. She became acquainted with Psychic TV affiliate David Harrow, with whom she would collaborate on 1983’s Changing Places and 1984’s Joined Up Writing. “Our Darkness,” off the latter album, was released as a single on Ink Records that same year, and became an underground club hit. It’s a singular piece of music: Clark’s lyrics, delivered with equal parts muscular confidence and unease, speak of urban alienation and heartbreak, while Harrow’s production pummels the listener with hydraulic beats and gloom-laced arpeggios. The song’s spirit would prove influential on both the early Chicago house and Detroit techno scenes, where mechanistic funk and existential despair could catalyse dancefloor mayhem. This reissue offers three versions of “Our Darkness”: the original 12” remix, the Razormaid mix, and a previously unreleased dub version uncovered by David Harrow. Also included is the extended mix of “Sleeper in Metropolis,” another dancefloor hit of Clark’s, as well as the elegiac “Poem for a Nuclear Romance.” The record includes an insert with liner notes and lyrics. “Our Darkness” channels timeless longing and contemporary dismay, a classic overdue for a little light shed upon it.
Reissue of a lost hit by the British composer Kevan Frost, now championed and given a brand-new Dub Mix by Mark Grusane. Up for pre-order now and due late-March on our RSS series!
Kevan Frost grew up in Jos, Nigeria where he became a self-taught musician and developed a deep understanding of rhythm and melody. In the 90's, Frost was a session musician for many studios in London, one of these was unable to pay him so they gave him a few free days in the studio and the result was "Give It Up" as he explains:
"I went in and recorded all the music in a day, and the vocals and mix on day two. This was the days of only having 24 tracks available on tape so I programmed the drums, bass and keyboard parts on C-Lab which was only available on the Atari computer and the samples I made on my Akai S-1000 sampler. Full of floppy disks I went in early on day one and printed all of this on tape. I then recorded the guitar parts. Day two was me layering the lead vocals and Backing vocal parts as quick as I could before starting to mix."
However, the track fell into obscurity with no major label backing or marketing budget. A friend of Mark Grusane’s came across it in Brooklyn at the African Record Centre and it eventually ended up in Mark's hands and from there he edited the original track to a more stripped-back dub mix and began playing it out to great effect on dancefloors.
After a bit of digging, we tracked down Kevan and a fully licensed reissue is due on Rush Hour in late March 2026, including a brand new ‘Dub Mix’ from Mark Grusane.
The rare and deeply funky LP "Yoga – Be An Enlightened Soul – Stay Young And Pure With Yoga"
by Osunfisan Brothers & Sisters is set to return to vinyl in an official reissue, marking the first
authorized repress of one of Nigeria’s most elusive spiritual records.
Originally released in limited circulation, Yoga occupies a unique place in many collectors grail list.
According to Mr Femi Osunfisan, the album was conceived by his senior brother and bandleader, "We
chose yoga to as a concept to channel our music, but it was not intended to practise yoga with the
music". Neither pop record nor conventional boogie LP, the album is highly sought-after for the amazing
production by the Sound master Odion Iruoje and for the heavy afro-disco workouts.
At a time when Nigerian music was dominated by Afrobeat, highlife, and disco, Osunfisan Brothers &
Sisters charted a more introspective path—using rhythm, voice, and repetition as tools for enlightenment
and personal grounding.
The Vibracid network reaches its fourth phase — the moment of awakening.
What was once hidden beneath layers of programming now resurfaces: the total recall of collective memory.
Encrypted memories from multiple worlds are decoded through sequences of electro-bass, acid warfare, and cinematic techno tension.
Six sound engineers from the Galactic Confederation synchronize their signals to reassemble what was erased — transmitting across psychic fields, dancefloors, and forgotten neural corridors.
Calagad 13 opens the operation with Mad Flava, pure raw energy — the ignition spark that reactivates the buried code.
5ZYL follows with To Your Knees, a dark and heavy descent into pressure and distortion.
Saigg brings the direct, high-voltage electro of Procesos Continuos, channeling precision and drive.
On the B-side, Lups Digga delivers Just Dance, a floor-oriented electro-bass detonator built for propulsion.
Roi expands the field with Despoiled — cinematic, tense and electrified, balancing techno discipline with emotional depth.
Finally, Cliff Dalton closes with Snowbirds, an introspective and elegant comedown: the calm after total awakening.
Mastered and crafted with precision for a strictly limited edition of 150 copies on purple vinyl.
Bambe welcomes Low Jack — the alias of French producer Philippe Hallais — to the label with his debut single “MARKET,” backed by a remix from Bambe label head Bambounou. Following the dark ambient explorations of his recent album Lacrimosa on Stroom, Low Jack returns decisively to the dance floor, channeling his club instincts while preserving a deep-rooted connection to contemporary art.
Originally conceived as a commissioned composition for Australian visual artist Thomas Jeppe, “MARKET” was created to accompany an immersive installation exploring the hallucinatory rhythms of cosmopolitan life. The work was presented in February 2025 at Circolo UltraFiorucci, a newly launched cultural space in Milan, where sound and image converged to envelop visitors in Jeppe’s vivid, destabilized urban vision.
Recontextualized for the club, “MARKET” bridges installation and dance floor, reinforcing Low Jack’s singular ability to move fluidly between experimental art contexts and forward-leaning club music — now sharpened further by Bambounou’s remix, which pushes the track into electro territory.
Justus Köhncke is a unique voice in the history of Kompakt – and far beyond. He has contributed so many unforgettable tracks to our catalogue that it was difficult for us to make a selection. His sound has often been copied, but remains incomparable. From his deep knowledge and understanding of the history of pop, schlager and disco, he distilled not only official club hits such as ‘2 After 909’ and “Timecode”, but also countless poetic gems. Both sides of Justus Köhncke’s work are united here on this record. Justus’ music knows no boundaries, only ‘weiche Zäune (soft fences)’.
Special attention should be paid to the included bonus 10‘. Here you will find two of his most enchanting, hard-to-find cover versions. His immortal version of Jürgen Paape’s evergreen ’So weit wie noch nie‘ and the monumental adaptation of Round One’s ’New Day”, originally released under the nom de guerre Kinky Justice.
Justus Köhncke ist eine einzigartige Stimme in der Geschichte von Kompakt – und weit darüber hinaus. Er hat so viele unvergessliche Tracks zu unserem Katalog beigesteuert, dass es uns schwerfiel, eine Auswahl zu treffen. Sein Sound wurde oft kopiert, ist aber nach wie vor unvergleichlich. Aus seinem tiefen Wissen über und Verständnis der Geschichte von Pop, Schlager und Disco destillierte er nicht nur amtliche Clubhits wie „2 After 909” oder „Timecode”, sondern auch unzählige poetische Kleinode . Beide Seiten von Justus Köhncke's Schaffen sind hier auf dieser Platte vereint. Justus’ Musik kennt keine Grenzen, nur „weiche Zäune”.
Ein besonderes Augenmerk sei auf die enthaltene Bonus-10” gerichtet. Hier finden sich zwei seiner bezauberndsten, schwer zu findenden Coverversionen. Seine unsterbliche Version von Jürgen Paape's Evergreen “So weit wie noch nie” und die monumentale Bearbeitung von Round One’s “New Day”, die ursprünglich unter dem nom de guerre Kinky Justice veröffentlicht wurde.
RareTwo Inc. aka DJ Sneak and Tripmastaz are back together for 33 chambers EP, the next Respect The Craft release.
Words by Sneak:
"On a hot Ibizan summer the Rare Two fellas spent a period of 33 days on the island making tracks in a house garage with a couple of pieces of affordable gear and a whole lot of talent. We managed to create 33 tracks often burning them on CD to take to djs like Ricardo Villalobos at Amnesia and seeing the instant reaction of the crowd. We are a mega team of same mentality dudes who create from the heart breaking all rules and getting music done for a purpose. The Tripmastaz and Sneak Team is one to expect many great dance floor killers. As we call them Guttah Styles!
Words by Tripmastaz:
Recently I found these projects and since they were done on just a laptop and cheap small speakers, I gave them proper analog mixing and mastering.
All tracks remain exactly the same form and arrangement as they were originally done, including track Aww Lawd, that was featured on R. Villalobos BBC Radio 1 Pete Tongs mix back in 2018.
Mike Grinser at Mandmade Mastering did the lacquer cut and made it sound very crisp and loud a lot like it would've been cut in the 90s.
Clock Poets returns with Get Down, the seventh release on the label and a floor-focused statement from Spanish producer Baltazar, based in Palma de Mallorca and founder of the Sapernika platform. Known for selecting and developing distinct, groove-centred voices from the underground, Clock Poets hands the reins to an artist who understands hypnosis, repetition and tension as tools rather than effects.
The A-side, “Get Down”, is a pumping minimal cut shaped by slightly tribal percussion loops and a locked-in groove that builds momentum through subtle shifts rather than overt peaks. Hypnotic male vocal samples circle like a mantra, weaving ritual into rhythm as the track steadily tightens its grip on the floor. On “Try On Trust Me”, the formula expands: a female vocal, washed in reverb and echo, floats between melodic textures and soft pads, creating a more spacious, emotive framework while maintaining the same disciplined drive and forward motion. Closing the record, “On My Way” dives deeper — a stripped-back 4/4 minimal construction infused with Arabic and double harmonic scale influences. Spatial, meditative and profoundly hypnotic, it stretches time and space, offering a moment of emotional suspension within the dancefloor continuum.
With Get Down, Baltazar doesn’t chase trends — he commits to groove, sophisticated repetition and unique atmospheres. In doing so, he both reinforces Clock Poets’ sonic identity and injects it with a fresh, trance-like intensity, proving once again the label’s consistency without predictability.
Bill Converse should be a household name in every head’s abode. He’s been DJing live with 3+ turntables since he was a teenager, always under the same name. Unfathomably envious record collection. Your favorite DJ’s as well as very likely your favorite DJ. Whether it is DJing or a live set, his presentation is head-spinning, hard-edged but hypnotic. His avalanching drum programming is as recognizable as Coltrane’s timbre. His records have been released on Dark Entries, Fit Sound, Texas Recordings Underground, Tabernacle Records, Immortal Sin, Acid Test, Feral Colony and Obsolete Future. Now Fixed Rhythms presents a 2×12” pack of Bill’s characteristically bewildering excellence.
The first 12” has four cuts. Woozy, heavy, bombastic machine workout opener “Stress Test” followed by the tension peaking sustainer “ZoneZone” on the A side. On the B side, “770” brings us to a new place of plucky bass lines and unconventionally tuned drum workouts, with “lure me” closing the first 12” with flexing low-end, percussive stabs syncopated with heavy snaredrum riffing.
Where does this music come from? Although you hear the decades of Midwest techno, jacking Chicago house, brain-tickling Warp Records cuts, and his dizzying skills as a DJ in the brew, his sound is uniquely Bill’s. The second 12” peels back the curtain a bit more, as the C and D side are two extended cuts from his live set at 2024’s Jackie O’Body Vol. 2 in Denton, Texas. We here at the label were at that gig. Pure energy. Sexy distortion. Rhythms that made you scream. After the set, the room erupted in a chant of “BILL! BILL! BILL!”. Dear reader, witness the power of Bill Converse’s raw, overdriven, drummy, jack house tech madness!
This record contains six tracks by Freephilipp and Robin — two Bremen-based musicians who meet where the void of digital subculture and experimental electronic music opens up. Freephilipp contributes four glitch-driven pieces that move between IDM-tinged ambient, electro, atmospheric broken beats and junglish fragments. Random Chords Memory is one of the reasons this release needed to be carried out into the nexus: it stands on its own, just like the rest of the EP, yet it may be the signature track of Freephilipp’s nocturnal enthusiasm — mixing between night shifts and sharing production skills with the people around him. Robin (zckr rec / ph17) completes the EP on the flipside. Tau-37 and Omega5, named after two star systems, invite you onto a dub-soaked, drifting flight. The Basic Channel- esque impact of Tau-37 rounds out the journey in combination with Omega5, whose drone-laden soundscape slowly opens and dissolves. This music was never meant to be produced for an audience. It is a document of what it sounds like when you say goodbye to the outer world and begin building landscapes in another.
Our next 7” release welcomes young and talented key player Stefano Nardon from Vicenza, Italy.
The record features two jazz-infused broken beat compositions, performed and recorded live, capturing an intimate and organic session feel.
On the A side, “Mangrovia” unfolds as a warm, floating piece built around Fender Rhodes textures, subtle harmonies and a slow-burning groove. A deep and immersive cut, balancing between jazz lounge aesthetics and cinematic mood.
The B side, “Underwater”, was created in collaboration with drummer Stefano Cosi (Padova). His live drum contribution adds movement and depth, giving the track a more dynamic pulse while maintaining the introspective character of the release.
V.I.C.A.R.I. (the acclaimed alias of UK producer Tommy Vicari Jnr) emerges with "Float In," a high-impact release tailored for dance floors and vinyl enthusiasts alike. The title track pulses with disco-inspired stabs layered over crisp, modern production, capturing both nostalgic club energy and contemporary momentum. Tracks like "September Again" delve into deeper territory, offering immersive atmospheres and understated grooves that highlight V.I.C.A.R.I.'s sophisticated touch and adaptability for various times. As usual this will be a Vinyl Only, No Repress affair.
Blue Hour distills over a decade of artistry into his debut album Selva, unearthing eight tracks inspired by ancient wisdom and forgotten worlds.
Blue Hour is the moniker of Luke Standing, a multifaceted artist, producer, and label owner navigating between past and present electronic dance music. Over more than a decade, Standing has built a career balancing transformative craft with a sharp curatorial approach, earning him respect across the global scene. After years of sonic experimentation, he now releases his debut LP Selva. “I never set out to make an LP – it just wrote itself,” he says. “I followed my intuition, and the music found its own path.”
Born and raised in the UK, Standing grew up in parallel with club culture, moving between Brighton, Bristol and Berlin while running club nights and establishing himself under former aliases Furesshu and Esoteric.
He launched his Blue Hour project in late 2013, shortly after relocating to Berlin. Initially a platform for his own music, Blue Hour quickly became a collaborative hub, blurring the lines between personal output and curation. Over time, Standing has cultivated an international ecosystem of like-minded artists while continuously expanding his own sonic horizons.
Selva marks his first full-length studio album, weaving a lifetime of influences into a cohesive narrative inspired by ancient wisdom and forgotten worlds. The eight-track double LP transforms his inner dialogue into a subconscious story pulling inspiration from a labyrinthine network of influence and experience. “I followed the music obsessively, reflecting and refining until the story revealed itself,” Standing explains.
“To me, the LP evokes Amazonian or Mayan jungles, themes of exploration, the mysteries of the natural world, wisdom passed down through generations. I didn't set out to write about these things consciously,
they just emerged on their own.” he adds.The album was shaped through intensive work in his studio and periods spent in subtropical locations.
Listening closely, Selva unfolds like a modern ceremony: the opening tracks channel his early UK dance influences, shifting into blends of traditional and contemporary techno, then expanding into melodic soundscapes before concluding with transcendental textures and atmospheres. The result is an introspective journey where functionality and emotive storytelling coexist, revealing a depth in Blue Hour we haven’t heard before.
Whether performing, curating, or producing, Standing operates with a deep commitment to sound, culture, and collaboration. More than an artist, he is an architectural thinker of what electronic music could become. “Every release is my own metamorphosis,” he says. “This LP reflects my current form, and I’m curious to see what the next chapter brings.” Few artists can unify a lifetime of genre-spanning influences into a sound as sharp and focused. On Selva, Blue Hour does exactly that, opening a new era of deeper
immersion from his Berlin-based label.
Analog Fingerprints Vol. 0 is a compilation bringing together the early 2000s works of Marco Passarani under his Analog Fingerprints alias, collecting key tracks originally released on Rome’s Plasmek and Pigna labels.
For Numbers, the story starts long before the label itself. In their formative years, digging in Glasgow’s Rubadub, Passarani’s records felt like dispatches from a future city. Releases on his own Nature Records and on labels such as Generator and Interr-Ference Communications were mind blowing: rooted in Detroit techno, Chicago house and electro, yet pushing somewhere new. Much like fellow travellers Autechre, who would remix him in 2001, Passarani’s music balanced machine funk with restless experimentation.
Information was scarce, and you would hear these records first on the dancefloor or at listening stations in shops like Rubadub. Print fanzines like Ear and early web outposts such as Forcefield offered only fragments. But there was a palpable axis forming between Detroit techno and a new European wave of record labels including Skam, Rephlex, Clone, Viewlexx and Nature itself. It was the sound that defined Saturday nights at Rubadub’s ‘69’ parties in Paisley, just outside of Glasgow.
Passarani’s records, in particular, were instrumental in bringing together the future Numbers co-founders. Richard had already booked him pre-Numbers; meanwhile Calum (Spencer) and Jack (Jackmaster), then 16/17 year olds working alternate Saturdays in Rubadub, were so enamoured with the Roman sound that they travelled to Rome for the Bitz Festival in 2003 to seek out Passarani and Lory D at their source.
The first Analog Fingerprints release landed as a 12” on Plasmek in 2001, following the fractured, IDM-leaning 6 Katun material. For Passarani, the project marked a recalibration. A DJ first and foremost, he had moved into production via early computer setups, from a Commodore Amiga through primitive PC audio, Cubase and Logic, later experimenting with Ableton. The IDM scene had offered a playground for trial and error, but there was always a tension between abstraction and the dancefloor. Analog Fingerprints became the bridge: still intelligent, but with more dance than distance. After years of broken beats and complex arrangements, he wanted directness without surrendering identity.
Working closely with Francesco de Bellis and Mario Pierro in the Pigneto district, the trio formed Pigna as a vehicle for reclaiming a more accessible dance sound, deliberately steering away from the minimal wave beginning to dominate Europe. Sessions were fast, instinctive, often stretching late into the night with friends dropping by. It was a studio as social space, production as collective energy.
“In that constant search for balance, Analog Fingerprints was my way of expressing something closer to the classic dance floor. The track 'Tribute' - a tribute to my favourite early Detroit techno track of all time, 'First Bass' by Separate Minds - came after I realised I had almost lost my connection with the dance floor. The simplest step was to take inspiration from early Chicago and Detroit and twist it in our Roman ‘Pigna’ way. My goal was to create more accessible dancefloor tracks by mixing my unconscious Italo roots with my teenage love for that early US sound, ensuring the result was as far as possible from the minimal sound that was starting to dominate everywhere.” - Marco Passarani
Technically, the Analog Fingerprints tracks span a transitional era: Roland TR-909, SH-101 and Alpha Juno hardware met early software experiments. A Novation Drumstation rack stood in for the unattainable TR-808, syncing with TB-303 and TR-606. Yet the true secret weapon was Jeskola Buzz, a tracker-style modular environment that allowed step-by-step parameter control and strange melodic constructions, later exported into the audio sequencer. Even the lead on ‘Tribute’ came from an early PPG Wave-style plugin. It was hybrid thinking at a moment when digital tools still felt unstable but full of possibility for technologists like Passarani.
Behind the music sat Finalfrontier, a loose Roman collective orbiting Nature and Plasmek. Distribution and production were intertwined; importing obscure records into Italy built connections with like-minded outsiders across Europe and the US. Expensive phone bills and fax machines forged an “electronix network” that linked Rome to Clone, Viewlexx, Skam, Rephlex, Rubadub and Detroit’s Underground Resistance. There was a shared sense of survival and resistance, of operating against commercial systems.
Passarani recalls “The first time I found a sheet of paper inside an Underground Resistance 12” with info about upcoming releases... and a huge picture of Spock on the back. Imagine that: you love the music, you love Star Trek, and there’s someone on the other side of the ocean sharing those same values and sounds. It was the perfect match. We even gave our original company the suffix ‘Finalfrontier’: that says it all.”
Feedback in that era arrived physically: distributor faxes, conversations with visiting DJs, the experience of playing abroad and meeting kids who had connected with the records. Glasgow became a key node in a scattered outlier network. Passarani personally brought the first two Nature releases to Fat Cat in London, playing them in-store. Shortly after, a fax arrived from Rubadub in Glasgow requesting copies.
“I still remember that phone buzz and the fax paper slowly sliding out, with someone I didn’t know saying they wanted 75 copies of Nature 001. Or like the time we got a fax from the Rephlex crew just saying, “Hello Nature Records, Keep up the good work.” That was how we knew the message was getting through. It was a fantastic feeling; just one piece of thermal fax paper as an analog notification - the mood for the entire week would change.” - Passarani
The connection to Glasgow has since stretched across generations. As Passarani reflects, links often fracture as scenes renew themselves, but in Glasgow something different happened. New and old mixed seamlessly. There was a visible trust in what came before, and a willingness to carry it forward rather than discard it. Observed from Rome, it was deeply encouraging.
Analog Fingerprints Vol. 0 captures that moment of exchange: Rome to Glasgow, Detroit to Europe, experiment to dancefloor. It documents an artist recalibrating his sound and a network of scenes discovering one another in real time, connected by vinyl, faxes and shared intent.
Originally released in 2004, this record now fetches up to 50 euros for a used copy on Discogs. It has recently regained attention and support from current DJs and featured on Paramida’s mix for The Mudshow.
Da Sunlounge handles the A side with a funky, jacked-up track, while the B side features a collaboration with Office Gossip (Winding Road / Urban Tourq) for some deep, twisted tech house music. This release was initially supported in 2004 by Inland Knights, The Lawnchair Generals, Hipp-e, The Littlemen, and David Duriez.
Up Ya Archives returns with its first release of 2026, ‘Northern Step’, from Manchester-based jungle producer & DJ Worsleyy. The track arrives ahead of his upcoming EP of the same name slated for a 13th March release via Up Ya Archives Records.
Fuelled by crisp, tightly swung drums and a smooth, rolling bassline, ‘Northern Step’ is a salute to its junglist roots. Drawing from the Manchester rave records he was introduced to by his dad, and with the help of legendary Mancunion music mixologist Chimpo, Worsleyy channels those early warehouse energies and pairs them with his own progressive and futuristic lens. It’s heritage and evolution colliding, rooted, forward-thinking and built for sweat-drenched dance floors.
When speaking about ‘Northern Step’, Worlseyy said:
“Northern Step is a proper nod to the junglist past with the lush floaty vocals, calculated drum choppage, a smooth rolling bassline and Chimpo hopping on to drive forward the sound of the North.”
Worsleyy is a familiar face across the UK circuit, having played sets at The Warehouse Project and supporting Nia Archives on her 2024 UK tour in Manchester. Drawing from UK rave lineage and contemporary club sounds, his productions balance nostalgia with futurism, channelling the energy of Manchester’s acid raves. His tracks have travelled far beyond UK borders, spun by the scenes most forward-thinking tastemakers like DJ SWISHA, Sherelle, Pete Cannon, and Nia Archives on dancefloors around the world. Worsleyy’s rise has been as visible as it is audible — bold, bass-driven, and impossible to ignore.
Washington's Slow Dancing Society aka Drew Sullivan has gone long here: Do We Become Sky? is a deeply immersive 86-minute work that very much rewards being listed to in one sitting. It is "a spiritual successor" to his 2008 album Priest Lake that draws upon feelings of loss, mostly using the tonality of the Korg Wavestation as a foundational instrument through the work. It features well-balanced boiling of tension with subtle moments of release, swelling harmonies, plucked guitars and evocative synth progressions that always keep things moving both physically and emotionally.
Audience’ was a 14-track record that signalled a shift back to Hayes Bradley's dancefloor roots. It was a collision of breakbeats, trip-hop, and ambient textures that perfectly balanced nostalgia and forward-thinking sounds, and now it gets spun into all new worlds by some of the scene's most acclaimed contemporary stars.
Special Request, aka UK powerhouse Paul Woolford, has shaken up the scene with his thrilling mix of jungle, bass, techno, rave, and hardcore in recent years. The hugely prolific producer knows exactly how to blow up the club and does that here with two reworks of '& I Love U'. The Special Request Extended Mix is a meticulously crafted jungle workout, featuring precision drums, rising synth tension, and gorgeous melodies that dart throughout and will appear on the vinyl release only. The VIP version focuses more on celestial memories for a heavenly escape.
Next is Shanti Celeste, a house and garage favourite who crafts emotional, high-impact sounds on her own Peach Discs. Her remix of 'Play It As It Lay' is a bubbly, soft-focus, late-night sound with earworm synth motifs and rich bass that sinks you in deep for a nice, heady trip.
Piori is an alias of Canadian musician Francis Latreille, who has built a sprawling discography full of hyper-detailed techno steeped in science fiction and fantasy. He flips 'Awareness' into a zoned-out affair, with broken beats and cosmic synth waves over a bold bassline that shows, once again, why his productions are in such demand.
Last but not least is Kaifeng-born sound artist, DJ, and producer Yu Su, whose truly unique sound has made her a cult underground star. She flips 'Dear Treasure' into a slow motion and sleazy chugger with dark disco energy and raw live drums, shady vocal loops and otherworldly melodies that seep into your consciousness.
El Calefón's 1985 LP Salir Del Agujero is a rare bird.
Self-produced and privately released in Zurich, the albumdocuments one of the very few South American groups that were resident in Europe at the time, and certainly the only such band working in Switzerland. Co-founded by two Argentinians in Europe – the multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and composer Coqui Recaand the guitarist Pablo Miguez–the group consisted of Argentinian and Brazilian musicians, most of whom were present initially Europe as tourists, but had stayed on, without official sanction, as immigrants.Their music gathered its primary influences from the varied sounds of their home countries, fusing these elements drawn from the manifold indigenous styles of Argentina and Brazil with the international sounds of rock,jazz, pop and pan-Latin music.
Honed and polished by the steady gigging through which the group earned their living in Zurich, the music that appeared onSalir Del Agujero was sophisticated, original and filled with light. Resonating with a freshness undiminished in forty years, the album brims with possibility and hums with tropical warmth, bearing testament to the open-hearted musical freedoms of a mercurial musical era.
Whilst considering the “Hutson Sevens” series, there was a LeRoy Hutson record that stood out like a sore thumb for us when sifting through the amazing LeRoy Hutson portfolio to identify which pieces of music had not yet been made available on 7-inch vinyl. Many of you will know the story of LeRoy Hutson and Donny Hathaway being roommates at Howard University and together writing the legendary rare groove track "The Ghetto". In 1974, LeRoy Hutson used his artistic licence and adapted the track to feature on his album "The Man!" and subtly retitled the track "The Ghetto '74".
Home of The Good Groove Records are delighted to include this magnificent track on 7-inch vinyl for the very first me.
We are always trying our best to compliment each side of the 7-inch records we are releasing in the "Hutson Sevens" series. For the A-side on our third release we have chosen an outstanding track, which again is previously unreleased. Recorded at the Curtom studios in April 1977 "Thank You" is a fabulous “easy to the ear” piece of smooth soul music that has the classic Hutson groove. One for the soul music lovers, and a possible future sing along favourite to end a night of dancing.
“My auntie asked me what’s my path?” spits Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon on his de but from the celebrated Lex Records. The lyric relatably references the cross roads he’s at in his current life, especially as someone right on the cusp of rap stardom. “Recently I’ve been thinking more and more about what comes next in my life,” the artist reveals.
It’s fair to say Ogbon’s Lex LP features less of the sh*t-talking court jester of old. Instead, there’s more of an imperfect man re-examining past mistakes so he can avoid any future forks in the road. There’s a particular focus on over coming heartbreak, inspiring Ogbon to admit he’s haunted by an ex so badly he now needs to call up the Ghostbusters for assistance.
Since emerging in the late 2010s, Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon has consistently lit up America’s underground rap scene and this is thanks to a refreshingly honest writing style. Amid the exquisitely wavy strings of 2021’s The Missing Link / The Sneaky Link, for example, he rapped: “Everyone thinks they’re play er, until their bitch doesn’t come home.” Biting and snappy, the nasally vocals carry the playful verve of comedian Richard Pryor bravely excavating personal Demons to solicit giggles.
All this brash, wry Redman-inspired storytelling continues on the new pro ject. Its first single is titled I’m Signed to Lex, Now I’m Up – a name that mirrors what a big moment releasing a project on the label that once housed MF DOOM represents for Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon’s legacy. “I’m really driven by being able to level up and give my family more financial freedom,” he hopes.
And, if auntie asked what his path was right now, what exactly would the rap per say? Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon concludes: “Auntie: this rapping thing feels like it’s finally about to pay off!”
‘In Virus Times’ is an acoustic instrumental piece by Lee Ranaldo.
Composed during the pandemic, ‘In Virus Times’ is released as a onesided LP with an etching on Side B. The cover is a beautiful photo by
Lee’s friend, the great Brazilian photographer Anna Paula Bogaciovas.
Originally released as one track as part of a collaboration with Lucien
Jean for Le Presses du Reel, the music was featured on a mini CD that
accompanied a book that featured two short stories.
‘In Virus Times’, released by Mute, sees the track transformed into 4
pieces and is available on transparent turquoise vinyl with digital
download and an exclusive poster, designed, signed and individually
numbered by Lee Ranaldo. The poster design is based on an electron
microscope photo of the COVID-19 molecule.
Lee has written some of his own ‘loner notes’ for the release:
“This recording began on an evening in September 2020, stuck at home
in lower Manhattan during the dark days of the Covid-19 pandemic as
we came out of a deadly summer. A heightened sense of anxiety
stemming from the then-upcoming US Presidential elections as well as
the virus seemed to pervade all aspects of life, for myself and everyone I
knew. Its minimal quality reflects the sense of ‘motionless time’ that
many of us felt. I set up some microphones in our darkened living room
(studios being closed due to Covid restrictions), coaxing out one simple,
repetitive phrase, and then another, sounding them out into the air. The
casual home ambience - a siren or truck rumbling down the street out
the window; someone talking around the table in another part of the loft;
water running - intrudes at points. I worked to develop a few simple
thematic elements, but mostly I wanted to hear the notes and chords
ringing out, hanging in the air for a long time on that evening when the
world seemed close to stopped on its axis.
“I’d been listening closely to Morton Feldman’s catalog throughout the
pandemic. His sparse, long-duration music could often be heard playing
on repeat as we spent endless days locked inside. His willingness to do
very little, with very simple elements, and to such profound effect, has
been inspirational. I found the vast open spaces in his works thrilling,
miraculous, and comforting in those empty times. Additionally, the Drop
D guitar tuning used here has prompted my own variations on Bach’s
works for solo cello, open strings droning against melodic lines, so
simple and perfect…” - Lee Ranaldo, New York City, August 2021
The latest release from Jazz Room is a tribute to the legendary pianist Tenorio Jr. by Cult J-Jazzers 45 Trio, and is their tribute to the Mystery Man who spearheaded Brazilian samba jazz.
Side-A features a cover of 'Nebulosa', released in 1964 and still regarded as a pinnacle of piano jazz, approached in a manner unique to 45 Trio. With delicate touch, profound performance and arrangement, they breathe new life into this classic. It get's really Funky halfway through too, watch the Jazz Dancers take the lead on this one!
Side-A '#Tenorio' was crafted as an homage to his work. Light rhythms intertwine with sophisticated chord progressions, creating a groove that fuses jazz and samba with a contemporary Dance Floor feel.
As Nathan Fake rises from the nocturnal subterranea and rave catharsis of his previous records, on Evaporator, he resurfaces into the domain of daylight, bringing a tangible sense of air rushing against your face, of big skies, and endless landscapes. The idea of pop accessibility that trickled into 2023’s Crystal Vision is refracted here through the prism of sweeping ambient, deep electronica, and trance uplift. Evaporator is Fake’s idea of “airy daytime music”, with each track a different barometer reading across the album’s varying atmospheres, which range from vibrant sunbursts, bracing rainscapes, and fine mists of clement melodics. “It’s not overtly confrontational electronic club music,” states Fake. “It’s quite pleasant, it’s accessible. As I was progressing through making the tracklist, I called it a daytime album. It doesn’t feel like an afterparty album.” For the past decade Fake has been gingerly introducing collaborations with heroes and friends alike into his lone, idiosyncratic working process. Border Community alumni Dextro AKA Ewan Mackenzie transmutes his ferocious drumming for Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs into the blurred choral thump of ‘Baltasound’. ‘Orbiting Meadows’, meanwhile, is his second collaboration with Clark, an eerily idyllic duet where microtonal 18EDO piano clangs slowly twirl around wailing pads. Evaporator marks the junction point of old technology and ever fresh creativity for Nathan. The trusty “dinosaur” age software, particularly Cubase VST5, that has powered two decades of music is rarely updated. “I used to sort of feel a bit ashamed of using such old software, and then I kind of had an epiphany – that’s just how I work”, comments Fake. “That’s just how I play. I’m very fond of these old tools, and I get the most joy out of them, but now I’ve incorporated new technology too.” When an artist accumulates so much synergy with their instrument, music making becomes instinctual. By Fake’s account, much of Evaporator just fell into place. The album title arrived randomly in his head (“it felt completely perfect. Airy.”), ideas looped and developed until things locked into place and just felt right. ‘The Ice House’ is a fleeting glimpse of the sonic world he taps into in this creative state, its glassy FM synths built around a counterpoint between rough-hewn crystalline arpeggios and sparse yet gravitas-bearing bass. “That riff I just wrote out on the keyboard, I just played it forever and ever and ever. The original track ended up being really short. Here you go, and it’s gone!” These unplanned channellings of sound call forth records from Fake’s past while he looks ahead, perhaps getting at the very essence of his musicianship. The opener ‘Aiwa’ (“the breeziest,” he muses) reminds of the introspection that characterised Providence, excited by the fire and grit of Steam Days’ textural experiments, its chunky slams and clatters surging into a flood of harmonic buzzing as they reach out for old wisdom. ‘Hypercube’ stampedes in a similar chronological confluence, infusing an incessant synth line reminiscent of the golden age of rave with the crackling, ecstatic energy of modern festival anthems. Like the vaporisation of liquid to particles, everything that Evaporator presents has a mutant desire to be amorphous. Sounds rarely settle; the irradiated garage beat of ‘Bialystok’ is pitched downwards to driving, rebounding effect, while ‘You’ll Find a Way’ warps static into shivering energy, cinematic synth strings building anticipation into a gradual gush of chords. This translates into a more expansive stereo field than Fake has explored before. ‘Slow Yamaha’ saves the wildest, most kinetic transformations for last with a cornucopia of crispy melodies and fried drums; a sibilance of cymbals on the left, a susurrus of shakers on the right, and kaleidoscopic lasers pulsing and fizzing all around. Evaporation culminating in pure excited atoms. In a world where music has increasingly become background content, making albums remains lifeblood for Fake: “It makes me realise how long; twenty years is ages! It’s weird to see how much the world has changed. Release day back then you did fuck all, now you spend all day on socials. When I grew up the people who made the electronic music I was into were quite mysterious, and the artwork was very abstract. There was a massive distance between you and that music, and that was a key part of it, really. Now it helps to be an extrovert, and I'm just not, but the album marks the first time my face has graced the cover art. I’ve never wanted to do this before, I'm very shy, and generally I don’t like being seen,” he professes. “But, twenty years in, I supposed I could try something new. I'm very lucky that I'm somehow surviving in this world, where the media world favours extroverts and interesting looking people. It’s not my world but somehow I’m still in it.” Evaporator continues to prove Nathan’s necessary presence, with some of his most engaging, varied, and magical music yet.
"Ed DMX has been part of Shipwrec since the label's inception. Under his DMX Krew moniker, this analogue wizard has released four Eps and one LP on the Nijmegen imprint. DMX Krew returns to Shipwrec for a brand new album, a collection that displays yet another side of this sculptor's sound. Brutal and cold, shadows are long and shades dark from the outset. Drum patterns twist in tempo and intent, from hard and punishing to gentle and fragile. Elements of breaks and industrial are also present in the percussion, this fragmenting allowing deep and soulful melodies to counter the battery. In fact, echoes of electronica permeate the harmonies across the LP such as deep and divergent "Interrupt." No single style is adhered to. Instead, the full palette of machine music is employed. From the squelchy Tudor electrofunk of "I Wonder Why" to the melancholic braindance of "Rephlections in Time", genre boundaries are given little credence. Instead, Ed DMX draws on his decades of experience to create sounds that are both familiar and completely one of a kind. The deep-sea dive of "Final Comedown" is juxtaposed with the ambling calypso of "Dinosaur Reaction", styles reimagined and reshaped to the creator's evolving purpose. Echoes of the halcyon days of Rephlex permeate the 2LP. The harshness and softness of the Cornwall imprint being present throughout, those more subtle tones coming to the fore in the delicate beauty of the "Phaser Level 2." A transcendent album and a certified future classic. To accompany this very special release, there will be a limited edition run with full cover art by Ruwedata. An artist very close to Shipwrec's heart, Ruwedata was responsible for the sleeve work on DMX Krew's Cosmic Awakening."
Walter Thomas’s “Chicago Knights” LP features a retrospective of songs written and released between 1987 and 2009, primarily with the Roland 1824 and the Fostex 8 track reel to reel. Channeling the spirit of underground soul and dance music specifically rooted within the greater area of Chicago, Illinois–a city known for its deep and healthy soul and r&b roots–this compilation features 8 of its 9 tracks on vinyl for the very first time.
The intro track “I Wanna Get Witcha” dates back to 1987, holds a proven track record of kicking off many a dance floor, rocking clubs worldwide in a blur of boogie-funk, disco, and soul. “Immaturity” and both versions of “Fed Up” echo the emotional differences and tensions between lovers in a spat. “Magic City” served as the anthem and homage to its namesake roller skating rink in 90s-era Waukegan, IL. While “Chicago Knights” is a relentless mid-tempo groove inspired by the aggressive motorists that dominate Chicago roadways, “2nd Chance” drops the tempo to a slow r&b roll, preaching the ethos of love, peace, and forgiveness.
Last but certainly not least, “E&J’s” was a real commercial jingle used for a once legendary BBQ joint “E&J’s” in Illinois: a short bonus track to close out the LP. These 9 tracks are just a touch of Walter’s expansive body of work, and we’re stoked to bring them to you on wax.
Walter Thomas is a singer, songwriter, producer, arranger, and composer from North Chicago, IL known for his soulfully smooth arrangements and vocals. Walter has toured internationally with quintessential soul groups like the Temptations and Friends of Distinction, as well as opening for performers including the Floaters, Bette Wright, The Emotions, and The Drifters. His decades of touring with nightclub and concert performances have honed this gifted artist into a seasoned and refined live act.
M’Bamina – African Roll (1975)
The story of an album born between Africa, Italy, and the nightclub culture of the 1970s
In the heart of 1970s Italy — a country undergoing profound social change and a music scene just beginning to open itself to distant sounds and cultures — an extraordinary, almost improbable story took shape. It is the story of a group of young African musicians who found their way to Europe, of a Turin nightclub that became a crossroads for communities and experimenters, and of an album which, released in small numbers and largely unnoticed at the time, is now considered a rare jewel of Afro-fusion.
The band called themselves M’Bamina — an ensemble of musicians from Congo, Cameroon, and Benin, who arrived in Italy in the early Seventies. Settling between northern Italy and the Pavia area, they began performing in small clubs and community events, bringing with them a vibrant rhythmic heritage: African polyrhythms, call-and-response vocals, funk-infused bass lines, and Caribbean or Afro-Latin colours absorbed along their musical journeys. Their raw, contagious energy on stage quickly drew attention.
Meanwhile, in Turin, another story was unfolding. There was a venue becoming almost legendary: Voom Voom, one of the city’s liveliest nightclubs, run by Ivo Lunardi. The club attracted an eclectic crowd — students, artists, foreigners, night owls — and Lunardi quickly understood that the dancefloor wasn’t just a place for music, but a melting pot for a new kind of cultural energy. Out of this vibrant atmosphere came his idea: to turn the club’s name into a small independent record label, Voom Voom Music, capable of capturing the spirit of those years and giving voice to unconventional projects.
When Lunardi heard M’Bamina, he immediately sensed that this was the sound he had been searching for: fresh, different from anything circulating in Italy at the time, and capable of blending African tradition with funk and European sensibility. He brought them into the studio.
Production was handled by Lunardi along with Christian Carbaza Michel, while the engineering was entrusted to Danilo Pennone, a young sound technician with a sharp, intuitive ear.
The recording sessions — held in Turin in 1975 — produced a remarkably warm and direct sound. The music feels almost live: grooves rooted in African tradition, but open to funk-rock structures and modern arrangements. It is a natural fusion, never forced. Tracks move between tribal rhythms, funk basslines, light electric guitars, congas and Afro-Latin percussion, with call-and-response vocals and melodies that echo both Congolese tradition and the lineage of Latin jazz. Not by chance, one of the album’s most striking tracks, Watchiwara, reinterprets a Latin standard through M’Bamina’s own rhythmic language.
The album was titled African Roll — a name that was already a statement of intention. It is African music that “rolls,” that moves, adapts, transforms within a new geographic and cultural setting. It is not strictly Afrobeat, nor Congolese rumba, nor Western funk: it is a spontaneous, hybrid blend, shaped more by lived experience than by any calculated aesthetic program.
When African Roll was released, the world around it barely noticed. Distribution was limited, and 1970s Italy had yet to develop a cultural framework for receiving such music. The national music press rarely paid attention to African or “world” productions. The album slipped into silence — though the band’s own story did not.
M’Bamina continued performing across Europe and Africa, even sharing a stage in Cameroon with none other than Manu Dibango. By the late Seventies, they moved to Paris, signed with Fiesta/Decca, and recorded a second LP, Experimental (1978). Meanwhile, the peculiar record they had made in Turin began to resurface quietly among vinyl collectors, Afro-funk enthusiasts, and DJs hunting for forgotten grooves.
That is when the album’s fate began to shift.
Over the decades, African Roll emerged as an almost unique document: a snapshot of an intercultural Italy before the word “intercultural” even existed, a fragment of migrant history, a spontaneous experiment in musical fusion born far from major industry circuits but rich in authenticity. Original copies began commanding high prices on the collector’s market, and the album became recognized as one of the hidden classics of European Afro-fusion from the 1970s.
Today, more than fifty years later, this reissue finally restores visibility and dignity to a project that deserves to be heard, studied, and celebrated. It is not simply an album: it is the testimony of a rare cultural encounter, born in an Italy unaware of how fertile such exchanges would one day become.
It is the story of a visionary producer, an extraordinary band, and a fleeting moment in which music, migration, and nightlife came together to create something genuinely new.
African Roll is — now more than ever — the sound of a bridge: between continents, between eras, between cultures. A record that, after rolling far and wide, has finally come home.
We present an EP from two house masters Artem Stan & Matpri on Analog Concept records.
This record was born like in the classic 90s from jam sessions in the studio, when musicians caught the groove and connected their deep universes, showing true love for house music. Everything is combined here - the sound of drum machines 909 and not only, atmospheric acid impulses of 303, classic pads that paint these paintings bright and filled with deep meaning, as well as much more. Amazing two sides and four compositions, each with its own story.
The Midnight Seduction track opens the telling of these stories on side A. From the first seconds, immersing in the atmosphere of synthesizer temptation, the analog bass line combined with the default drum section and elements of bright metal claps quickly gain the necessary energy and immerse in the images of a closed nightclub with long corridors and hidden dance floors. The light plume of the classic M1 organ and the accentuating Acid lead maintain balance. Secret nocturnal seduction, light ecstasy and an atmosphere of love.
French Kiss - everything is great here, as soon as you listen to the harmony of accordion-like synthesizers and deeply addictive pads, you are instantly transported to the image of Parisian streets. Elements of bells, a rhythm section filled with unpredictable percussion, acid inclusions and an unexpected immersion into a broken beat in the middle of the composition, a real deep French kiss.
Matpri is known for its sophisticated approach to music and is rightfully the guru of micro and minimal house. Having created the maximum sound quality of the rhythm section and the deep bass that was addictive from the first seconds, mixing old-school vibe, while not losing touch with his minimalistic sound image, he filled the House Template track with the smallest details and percussion, which is confidently based on the B-side.
Four certainly high-quality compositions were created in the studio of Artem Stan in the mountains of Krasnaya Polyana and one of the tracks on the B-side - "Nasha Polyana" - is dedicated to this location, it conveys a certain playful atmosphere of a mountain village with a vibe of complete freedom and daily carefree. A complete release with decent house music.
On this album the former "Chasing Clouds" have accumilated into the eponymous "Black Sky"; these drifting soundclouds have swallowed a bulk of Sepalot´s sunny nature; his trademark relaxed attitude gave way to instrumental melancholy and pugnacity. "Before I started recording I listened to lots of The Doors songs. I found the suicidal aspect in their music very exciting. I totally inhaled it." Sepalot reports. "The breakage, the grid, the dirt - that was my inspiration. I was thirsty for the energy of pureness." In order to capture this roughness Sepalots first production steps were drafting soundsketches - often more than 100 in a row. This is then is followed by a sorting procees with many drafts going immediately into the trashcan. The survivors create the first basic draft.
There is something waiting in the wings. Don´t fear the storm, come outside with us... "Black Sky" is here.
Clemens Brentano: "These sounds are a wonderfull living breath of darkness"
The label Erdgeschoss celebrates the freedom of sound and vision at the bar of life, like football – only with a bass drum instead of a ball. And with beer. Because even with vinyl records, the ball has to go in the net.
Pop Vampires Cologne will kick things off; their surrealist debut masterpiece, Karianne, was already released at Total 25 last year. PVC lives up to its name. Like vampires, oskø and Wassermann once again sample their way through the pop supermarket of unlimited possibilities.
Almost overnight, in their illegal, digital garage, they clone hybrid sound structures, saturated with both foreign and self-injected blood doping. Forbidden fruit is known to taste the best. Consciously, explicitly, and provocatively, PVC explores sampling as an indispensable stylistic device, a universal tool for quotation and pop networking. Equally daring and respectfully irreverent, they oppose the new, all-disenchanting AI search engines on the internet with the freedom of art. The rest is surrealism. Just like the accompanying video, which isn't a video in the conventional sense, but rather a kind of making-of with Sabine as the main front character. And the digital versions of some tracks may differ slightly from the vinyl versions.
Because: Anything goes…
Das Label Erdgeschoss feiert an der Theke des Lebens die Freiheit von Sound and Vision wie Fussball - nur mit Bassdrum statt Ball. Und mit Bier. Denn auch bei der Schallplatte muss das Runde ins Eckige.
Den Anfang machen Pop Vampires Cologne, deren surrealistisches Debüt-Meisterstück Karianne bereits im letzten Jahr auf der Total 25 erschienen ist. Bei PVC ist der Name Programm. Wie Vampire sampeln sich oskø und Wassermann einmal mehr durch den Pop-Supermarkt der unbegrenzten Möglichkeiten. Quasi über Nacht klonen sie in ihrer illegalen, digitalen Garage hybride Sound-Gebilde, getränkt mit Fremd- und Eigenblutdoping. Verbotene Früchte schmecken bekanntlich am besten. Bewusst, explizit und provokant arbeiten sich PVC am für sie unverzichtbaren Stilmittel des Sampling als universelle Zitat- und Pop-Vernetzungsmaschine ab. Ebenso wagemutig wie respektvoll respektlos, halten sie den neuen, alles entzaubernden K.I. Suchmaschinen im Netz die Freiheit der Kunst entgegen. Der Rest ist Surrealismus. So wie das dazugehörige Video kein Video im herkömmlichen Sinne ist, sondern eine Art Making Off mit Sabine als Frontdarstellerin. Und die digitalen Versionen einiger Stücke sich leicht von den Vinyl Versionen unterscheiden. Denn: Erlaubt ist, was gefällt…
Nach ihrer gemeinsamen Interpretation von I See A Darkness mit Perfume Genius kündigt Anna Calvi die neue EP Is This All There Is? an, die am 20. März erscheint. Die vier Songs versammeln Kollaborationen mit Perfume Genius, Iggy Pop, Laurie Anderson und Matt Berninger.
Eröffnet wird die EP von God’s Lonely Man, in dem Calvi Iggy Pop die Stimme eines zerstörerischen inneren Monologs überlässt. Der Song ist von nervöser Energie getragen: kantige Gitarren, antreibende Drums, eine direkte Konfrontation mit emotionaler Stagnation. Pop verkörpert dabei genau jene rohe Präsenz, die Calvi für die Erzählung suchte.
Seht und hört "God´s Lonely Man" HIER.
Is This All There Is? bildet den ersten Teil einer geplanten Trilogie, die Identität als etwas Veränderliches begreift, geformt durch Nähe, Liebe und biografische Brüche. Ausgangspunkt ist Calvis eigene Erfahrung des Mutterwerdens, die ihren Blick auf Sicherheit, Verantwortung und Möglichkeiten verschoben hat. Die EP kreist um grundlegende Fragen moderner Existenz: Wie lässt sich Intimität neu denken? Was bedeutet es, sich wirklich verbunden zu fühlen? Und wann fühlt man sich wach?
Neben dem bereits veröffentlichten I See A Darkness interpretiert Calvi gemeinsam mit Laurie Anderson Kraftwerks Computer Love neu. Mit Andersons Stimme im Zentrum und choralen Arrangements entsteht ein Stück über digitale Nähe und emotionale Distanz. In ihrer Gesamtheit wirkt die EP wie ein zusammenhängender filmischer Bogen – vier Songs, vier Perspektiven, eine fortlaufende Erzählung.
Is This All There Is? versteht Kollaboration nicht als Zusatz, sondern als Strukturprinzip: Die Stimmen der Beteiligten werden zu Figuren innerhalb eines gemeinsamen Klangraums, in dem Fragen offen bleiben dürfen.
- All tracks selected by DJ Yoshizawa Dynamite. Includes the first ever vinyl release of The Peanuts' "Ohara Bushi" track, originally released only on tape in 1970.
- Fully licensed King Records masters.
- Mastering and lacquer cut by Jukka Sarapaa at Timmion Cutting Lab, Helsinki, Finland.
- 180g heavy vinyl pressing, reverse board jacket.
- Artwork by Nicolas Kerembellec (Nker).
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Active as a professional DJ in Japan since the late eighties, DJ Yoshizawa Dynamite is also a renowned remixer, compiler and producer. An avid record collector and an expert of Wamono music, Yoshizawa has published in 2015 the now-classic Wamono A to Z records guide book, which instantly sold-out. The book unveiled a myriad of beautiful and rare records from a highly prolific, but still then unknown, Japanese groove scene. He has also selected a large part of the music in our highly acclaimed Wamono compilations.
For this brand new chapter in the series, Yoshizawa explores King Records' legendary catalog and unearths exceptional, rare and unknown musical gems. King Records has been releasing music since 1931 and is one of the most prestigious labels in Japan. Traditional Japanese music, known as "Minyo", are ancient songs once sung by fishermen, coal miners and sumo wrestlers. They are reimagined here with vibrant afro latin, rock, rare groove and funky arrangements in this killer selection of music released on King between 1963 and 1979. Also worth mentioning is the track Ohara Bushi by The Peanuts, which was released only on tape in 1970 and is now available for the first time ever on vinyl format.
Put the needle on the record, turn up the volume and dig right now into the Wamono sound - the cream of the Japanese funk, soul, rare groove and disco music developed throughout the years since the end of the fifties in Japan!
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180GWALP08 - Manufactured and distributed by 180g.
Mean Field Mutation is a thermodynamic phenomenon occurring just below the vaporization point of voracious growth. It relies on the debris of false and almost forgotten narratives. Astral residue of consumer angst, echoes of obsolete newspeak and oscillations of promotional imbecilities collide with free floating particles hovering under the radar of the megamachine. In steady intervals, this results in a meltdown producing random waves of reconfigurations driven by cryptic but sanguine naivety.
Released on Lustpoderosa, Mean Field Mutation is the first musical output by Des Coda. Written and produced by Piero Scherer during the pandemic winter of 2021 in his bedroom studio in Zurich. Moving between playful
serenity and feral distortion, it was produced by layering sounds from field recordings, radio and TV clips, as wellas sequences from drum machines and analogue synthesizers. Taking a stance against commercial copyright, all stems of this production are available for download free of charge and ready to be reappropriated.
Des Coda is an open field for collaborative, cultural experiments beyond the conventional understanding of authorship and representation. It engages with an artistic position that defines the creative process as an interplay between context and concept. The resulting work is not a rigid product of authoritarian ingenuity, but a sensitive, living organism guided by the tensions between society and individual. Des Coda is the zestful curiosity rummaging through the rubble of the present in search of future aesthetics.
Somewhere long ago in a vinyl galaxy near you We Play House Recordings released an E.P. called ‘This Is Still Belgium Vol 1’. The release was called like that because the music on it could only have been made by Belgians. Vol 2 never happened…until now. Label boss Red D has always been inspired by the rich Belgian club music of the 90’s and inevitably those influences have sneaked into his own productions, but never as clear as on the three tracks you are reading about now.
And so the original WPH series has been revived with WPH 024.5, aptly called ‘This Is Still Belgium Vol 2’. The music is situated somewhere between house, progressive house and early trance music, basically club music with soul & melody at its core.
On the A-side we find Red D teaming up with his friend Mona Lee, a soul sister who has been making waves in recent years in soulful house circles and who comes up with the vocal prowess to match Red D’s emotional trip of a track and heartfelt lyrics. Can you handle the break?
The B-side opens up with ‘Tides’, a deep hypnotic builder for late night eyes-closed dance floors and closes with ‘Papillon’, a track that came to life long ago in the minds of Telepaticos (Marcos Salon & Sandro Valcke). When Red D heard a demo version of this one the melody got stuck in his head and never really left him. Many moons later he rediscovered the parts of this one on a hard drive and got to work on his interpretation that features on this E.P. Safe to say the track holds a special place in Red D’s heart and we’re sure you’ll feel it as well!
Renowned party DJ, producer and collector The Gaff deals in all sorts of global grooves and here links up with Caleb Hart, who was born in Tobago and is now based on the west coast of Canada. They collide their vast inspirations into a global bass banger inspired by years of crate digging. 'Let's Build' is a big sound with big drums, dark synth grooves and hooky future soul as well as a sleazy vocal. Calypso, bass house and a dark piano all collide in HD colour. The instrumental is no slouch either, and both of these are sure to bring the heat this winter and beyond.
PAT LOK & MEGAN VICE make their vinyl debut with "SPECTRUM" on Brooklyn's T TOUCAN SOUNDS. Blending R&B, house, and hip-hop, the EP celebrates strength and self-expression, winning support FROM MARTIN GARRIX, JAMIE JONES, CLAPTONE, SAM DIVINE, and more.
140g vinyl, remastered, double LP with the original LP along with a second record of 14 rare tracks
Sweet And Nice is the vital debut album from Jamaica’s undisputed first lady of song Marica Griffiths. It’s reggae at its most soulful. Slinking through a tight ten tracks of R&B and pop-sourced material, it became an instant best seller. 45 years after its initial release the LP is available again on vinyl, now as a double LP, with an extra record collecting 14 rare tracks.
Sweet And Nice has appeared over the years with a revised running order and under different titles. But the original’s opening sequence of loping soul is legendary, even beyond reggae circles. These songs are now returned to how they were presented on that first Jamaican release, and under their intended album title. Be With doesn’t mess with magic.
Marcia’s version of “Here I Am (Come and Take Me)” has long been lusted after, played by genre-hopping selectors to snapping necks for decades now. It’s followed by the sophisticated, rollicking wah-wah funk of “Everything I Own” and the slice of smooth lovers soul par excellence that is “Green Grasshopper” and her ace, lilting Neil Diamond cover “Play Me”.
The thundering, humid funk of “Children At Play” “sounds uncannily like a precursor of Massive Attack”, as FACT Mag astutely noted when they put Sweet And Nice at number 16 in their list of the 100 best albums of the 1970s. Otherworldly, moody and essential.
Side two keeps the fire burning. “Sweet, Bitter Love” should leave you swooning, and is also one of the album’s alternate titles. Curtis Mayfield’s already-eternal “Gypsy Man” is up next, recast as proto-lovers rock.
“There’s No Me Without You” is elevated to canonical status by the majestic, forlorn horns of the Federal Soul Givers and Marcia’s heartbreaking delivery. And if this doesn’t get you then surely the next track will: arguably the definitive version of Ewan MacColl’s “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”. Yes, seriously.
“I Just Don’t Want To Be Lonely” re-takes its rightful place at the end of the LP’s second side… but we couldn’t leave it at that. So we added an entire second record of rare material recorded around the same time as Sweet And Nice, much of it unavailable since it was originally released. Some of these songs have only ever been found on now unattainable 7" singles and no, rarity doesn’t always correspond with quality, but in this case we’re talking about some seriously jaw-dropping music.
Amongst 14 extra tracks you’ll find the exquisite late-60s singles “Melody Life” and “Mark My Word” which, along with the sumptuous reading of “Band Of Gold”, are now £100 records, if you can find them! Just sayin’. There‘s also a fantastic version of “The First Cut Is the Deepest” and an alternate take of “Play Me” with producer Lloyd Charmers adding his own vocals.
Everything’s been remastered of course, including the original LP, so Sweet And Nice now sounds even sweeter, and even nicer.
London-based producer IZCO is set to release his latest single, “Guiding Star (feat. Reek0)”, blending soulful nostalgia with the raw energy of the capital’s underground sound.
Drawing from influences that span UK dance music, hip hop, and soul, IZCO’s music captures both the energy of the dancefloor and the emotion of lived experience. Over the years, IZCO has become a key figure in London’s cross-genre underground scene, collaborating with artists like Reek0, Greentea Peng, Sam Wise, Liam Bailey, and Novelist, and performing at iconic venues and festivals across the UK and Europe.
His previous releases, including tracks like soulboy - IZCO Remix, Beauty Inside, and OBiNRin - IZCO Remix, showcase his knack for crafting warm, sample-rich productions that balance classic influences with a distinctly modern edge. Whether behind the decks or in the studio, IZCO continues to push boundaries, creating music that feels timeless, authentic, and deeply rooted in community.
“Guiding Star” is no different. It pairs warm, vintage soul textures with the sharp percussion and bass-driven pulse that have defined IZCO’s sound across his discography. Featuring long-time collaborator Reek0, the single bridges eras and styles; a homage to the past while firmly rooted in the energy of today’s London.
Speaking on this release, IZCO says:
“Guiding Star. That classic shit, Combining the soulful sample with the London grit, real London track. Inspired by a mixture of 70s soul, US hip hop and UK grime.
Made this track without thinking much, the sample spoke for itself.
Reek0’s vocal was from one of the first sessions we ever did years ago, and it had never been released but it sounded perfect on this track. A taste of nostalgia, this track reminds me of good memories and friendships. Simple but meaningful. And an honour to use such a beautiful sample”
Later this year, fans will be able to own an exclusive 7-inch vinyl edition of Guiding Star, featuring both the original and instrumental versions - a collector’s piece for crate diggers and fans alike. Out on the 5th December.
With “Guiding Star (feat. Reek0)”, IZCO continues to carve out his place as one of the most versatile and soulful producers in UK production, grounding every beat in authenticity, emotion, and connection
Recorded live at The Village Vanguard in New York on June 25, 1961, this was the fourth album by the Bill Evans Trio, composed of pianist Bill Evans, bassist Scott LaFaro, and drummer Paul Motian. Scott LaFaro was one of the supreme jazz bassists, a virtuoso player whose playing changed the very conception of his instrument. This album unfortunately also represents one of LaFaro's last performances, recorded just days before his tragic death at the age of 25 by automobile accident. Interestingly the album also contains tracks that Evans had recorded prior to working with LaFaro, so that this recording provides a very accurate index of the bassist's great contribution to the trio.
A landmark release for both the label and its founder as Kasra releases his debut solo EP. The Ski Mask EP features 4 tracks of rolling low end and marks the start of a new phase for him to make his mark as an artist as well as DJ.
Kasra says, "After 16 years of running the label I thought it was time I released a body of work of my own. It's quite daunting after all the incredible music the artists have given me to be doing this for the first time. I hope you enjoy it for what it is: raw, honest drum and bass."
London-based sonic champion Shy One releases her long-awaited second album Mali on Errol and Alex Rita"s Touching Bass. So-called after her given name, Mali is a confident, future-facing ode to Black British electronic music and diasporic lineage. Informed by the full spectrum of London sound that she was raised on - with a vital cast of Black British collaborators including George Riley, Steve Spacek, James Massiah and Private Joy.
There’s a special kind of feeling when everything falls into place - when the drums bounce easy, the bassline rolls steady, and a bright guitar line cuts through the warmth of tape. That feeling became the heart of the FULLNESS, from Marcus I meets aDUBta. The sound of FULLNESS is built on simple, living elements: real drums, deep bass, a warm sound, and melodies that leave space to breathe. It moves between Early Reggae, Rocksteady, and Roots - sometimes straight and solid, sometimes stretching out into Dub and Echo. With its voice, from singer and lyricist Marcus I, FULLNESS carries the message about gratitude, love, freedom, and the small moments of everyday life. While Marcus’s singing style nods to the great singers, he stays grounded in his own experience, which perfectly complements aDUBta’s production, giving him space to shine. This LP is a complete, warm, balanced, and uplifting experience from start to finish.
FULLNESS grew from a steady musical exchange between Marcus I and aDUBta - two people on different sides of the Alps (Marcus I in France and aDUBta in Germany), finding a shared rhythm. What began in early 2022 with a few Riddims sent back and forth soon turned into a regular flow of songs. Every week brought new ideas, new words, and new melodies. When they finally met in person at aDUBta’s Attic Roots Studio in Bavaria, Germany, it all fell naturally into place. Most of the instruments were played by aDUBta, and the whole LP was mixed live on his Tascam 388, keeping that raw, handmade feel. With several friends helping bring even more color into the music, aDUBta brought in Viti Sanchez to lend his expressive saxophone and horn lines, Michael Salvermoser with his warm trombone tones, and members of the Black Oak Roots Allstars - King HuHa and Jannis Klenke on bass and guitars, along with Morry 'Da Baron' (Dub Inc.) on bass. FULLNESS means the fullness of music, of life, of friendship, of gratitude. It’s what happens when music becomes more than a project - when it turns into a shared space where things just flow.
Long considered a "Holy Grail" of Latin vinyl, The Booga Mambo Beat (1967) by Steve Hernández y Su Orquesta Latinoamericana returns.
This LP has puzzled collectors for decades: who was Steve Hernández, the shadowy figure behind this powerful orchestra including top Puerto Rican and New York musicians?
Arranged by Ray Santos and featuring vocalist Vitín Avilés, the album delivers a unique mix of mambo, boogaloo, descarga, proto-salsa and 1950s big-band swing. A rare bridge between the Palladium sound and the emerging salsa era. Originally self-released and barely promoted, the record became a cult favorite among DJs and collectors.
Sourced directly from the original master tapes, discovered in outstanding condition, this edition is pressed on 180-gram vinyl and includes extensive liner notes by Pablo E. Yglesias (DJ Bongohead).and a digital download code.
A must-have archival release for collectors, DJs, and anyone fascinated by the hidden corners of Latin music history.
Gregor Tresher is finally back on his own imprint with a track that once more showcases his impeccable songwriting skills and even though he manages to deliver a song that fans will recognize as a Tresher production, it's not a repetition of his earlier works in any way, but another step forward in his ever evolving sound.. "Sleeping Giants" has been a secret weapon in Gregor´s DJ-sets, often dropped as the closing track if the night was really a special one. It's a journey driven by arpeggios and layered drumming that culminates just before a mysterious vocal sets the tone for the second coming. Gregor is obviously back on top of his game. And well, then there´s the B-Side: A world renowned DJ and producer, and a dear friend of Gregor and the BNS family delivered a remix that can only be described as pure perfection. It forces the original track on to the most massive warehouse floor you can imagine. Mr. Enrico Sangiuliano invites you to witness a true masterclass in remixing by delivering nothing short of an absolute peaktime monster, while keeping the vibe of the original respectfully intact. Ladies and Gentlemen, we give to you: Sleeping Giants!
Black Truffle is thrilled to announce Dalbergia Retusa, an extensive double LP selection of the solo guitar music of Hans Reichel, compiled by Oren Ambarchi. Last heard on Black Truffle as one quarter of the joyously anarchic Bergisch-Brandenburgisches Quartett, Hans Reichel (1949-2011) is one of the great figures of experimental guitar music. Though perhaps lesser known than peers like Derek Bailey, Fred Frith and Keith Rowe, Reichel’s rethinking of the instrument was in some ways the most radical of all. Early on, he dispensed with existing guitars to build a series of his own that explored the use of additional strings and fretboards, moveable pickups, extra bridges, special capos, and other innovations documented in the extensive booklet accompanying this release.
Reichel was a long-term resident of Wuppertal, the small Western Germany city that became an unlikely centre of European free jazz in the late 1960s, also home to Peter Brötzmann and Peter Kowald. His solo debut Wichlinghauser Blues was an early entry into the FMP discography and began a relationship with the label that stretched into the 1990s; all the solo performances heard here were first released on FMP. As Reichel says in the charming archival interview with Markus Müller included here, he was ‘always a cuckoo’s egg at FMP’, a label that began as an outlet for roaring European free jazz. What strikes the listener right from the opening selection on Dalbergia Retusa—‘Return of the Knödler show’, from 1987’s The Dawn of Dachsman—is the extraordinary beauty of Reichel’s music, at once alien in the shimmering sonorities and unconventional pitch relationships made possible by his invented instruments, and deeply lyrical, even romantic in its harmonic content. Growing up in West Germany in the 1960s, Reichel’s formative influences were mainly British and American rock bands, a background that shines through in many of the pieces included here: ‘An old friend passes by’ is haunted by the ghost of Hendrix’s rhythm guitar, and the wild closer ‘Heimkehr der Holzböcke’, taken from a rare 1975 7” and the only piece to use overdubbing, layers errant hammer-on and slide tones over a Canned Heat boogie chug.
Reichel was an important source for the development of Oren Ambarchi’s own extended approach to the electric guitar. Appropriately enough, his selection opens with the very first piece by Reichel he ever heard, on a flexidisc included with a 1989 issue of Guitar Player magazine. Though Reichel collaborated with others extensively in many settings and also performed on violin and his other major contribution to instrument invention, the daxophone, his music for solo guitar remains at the core of his oeuvre. Focusing exclusively on solo pieces recorded between 1973 and 1988, the 23 pieces on Dalbergia Retusa showcase the range and consistency of Reichel’s work, allowing the listener to see how his performances developed hand-in-hand with his instrumental inventions. On a piece from his very first LP, played on an 11-string instrument (partly strung with piano strings and using a schnapps glass a slide), we hear his intensive exploration of fret-hammering to create zither-like, chiming tone, which Reichel would hone further in later years with a double fretboard guitar specifically designed to be hammered rather than fretted and picked. On a piece from 1979’s Death of the Rare Bird Ymir, Reichel uses two steel-string acoustic guitars at once, with beautiful results: ‘some even say too beautiful’, he jokes in the interview included here. Many of the pieces from the 1980s make use of varieties of the ‘pick behind the bridge guitar’, instruments of uncanny harmonic richness primarily designed to be played on the ‘wrong’ side of the bridge. At times the unexpected behaviour of attacks, resonance, and decay can almost seem electronic, conjuring up the technology-assisted work of Henry Kaiser or even Fennesz, but realised solely through Reichel’s unorthodox techniques on his invented instruments. Extensively illustrated with photos and Reichel’s own plans and drawings of his instruments, Dalbergia Retusa is an essential introduction to the unique world of Hans Reichel. Rarely has music been at once so strange and so beautiful.
JOCELYN VIRAPIN is one of the master of the Guadeloupean Gwoka percussion.
Born October 17th, 1957 in Basse-Terre, he’s an author, composer, producer and a vinyl digger.
His Gwoka is a pure tribute to the traditional combination of responsorial singing in Guadeloupean creole, rhythms played on the Ka drums and dancing.
He started to play in the 90’s with his band Gwaka. He opened and collaborated with prestigious band such as Kassav or Zouk Machine.
He has a massive discography as arranger and musician: he appears on more than 78 albums! The track "Pasyon" was originally released in 1994 on a rare vinyl , but with the artist we decided to do an edit, so we invited the super talented jazz player Florian Pellissier for a Rhodes improvisation on the original take.
The track "Respè Pou Fanm" was originally released with his band BELOKA in 2010 and was only pressed on a Cd format at a very limited quantity. This beautiful song is a blend of Ka, fantastic jazzy keys on Rhodes, hypnotic bass, sublime creole spiritual chants. With an incredibly joyous feel, the lyrics gave a timeless advice to men: Respect Women .
It definitely deserves a vinyl version for all the music lovers, Dj’s and diggers from all over the world !
Kenbé red pa moli !
French composer and sound artist Franck Vigroux returns to raster with a new album called »Sonnailles«, set for release this spring.
Conceived as a sequence-driven work, »Sonnailles« unfolds through a series of tightly
structured musical passages interspersed with fragments of voices that appear within the compositions like ghostly presences. These vocal shards drift through the sonic landscape, punctuating Vigroux’s dense electronic textures and amplifying the album’s sense of tension and movement. At the heart of the project lies a deliberate contrast: the collision of raw, almost primitive sonic force with an underlying sense of compositional sophistication. Vigroux crafted the music with an ear for immediacy and physical impact, exploring how rough textures and driving rhythms can coexist with intricate sound design. The album was also inspired by two unusual invitations that pushed the artist beyond his typical performance environments: a rock and punk festival in France and a series of techno club performances in China. These contexts led Vigroux to imagine music whose primary purpose was to move bodies on the dance floor — an approach that marks a new direction in his work.
For Vigroux, the challenge was particularly compelling. Alongside his musical practice, he frequently collaborates with dancers and stages multidisciplinary performances known for their radical physicality. With this new album, he brings those parallel worlds together, completing a circle in his ongoing exploration of the relationship between sound and the moving body — where composition, rhythm, and physical motion converge.
DJ support: Soul Clap, Walla P (Voyage Funktastique), Moniquea
The first lady of MoFunk Records is also considered by many to be one of the queens of modern funk music. Her latest, “Womp In My Spirit,” fuses a wide range of styles within its ten tracks and shows the true versatility of funk music. On one end, the deep g-funk bounce of songs like “Womp In My Spirit” & “However You Are” show you Moniquea's west coast roots clearly, while uptempo boogie bangers like “Get It Together” sit in the lane that MoFunk is best known for. Tracks like “Red Light” go in a more dancey direction, welcoming the sleekness of house music to mingle with g-funk whistles and rubbery synth bass, a track that recently caught the ear of Soul Clap and was remixed by them on their recent “Soul Clap vs. MoFunk” EP. The majority of production on the album was handled by MoFunk head honcho XL Middleton.
An anthology born out of isolation and deep introspection, Sky Dust Drifter is a cosmic medley of sun-soaked AOR, psychedelic folk, and soft rock. This soundtrack was driven by the lonesome cowboy, a lockdown savior leaving me adrift in desert winds and dimly lit country bars.
Long-distance trades and masked meetups yielded a collection of private press LPs and 45s from ten different artists spanning 1973 to 1980. This seemingly random stack of records revealed songs living entangled in themes of hard luck, heartache, and the inevitable loneliness of existence. Adorned in cracked leather and chrome, this album is an aimless wander from the soil to the stars.
Featuring an unreleased English version of the compilation’s title track “Sky Dust Drifter” (originally released only in Hebrew), the record shifts from laconic afterthoughts to bold proclamations. From Michael Andrews’ blue-eyed soul assertion “Something Bad’s Better Than Nothin’,” to the searing electric guitars and bold synths of Sunburst’s “Special Lady,” Sky Dust Drifter thrives on solitude in a universe of unconditional self-rule where loneliness is not darkness but rather a blazing light of autonomy.
Originally released in 2019 as the Belgium artist was ascending to the top of the scene, Charlotte de Witte’s dark and twisted remix of Eats Everything's incredible 'Space Raiders', helped cement her as a Techno force of nature. Now for the first time the remix alongside the original version is available on vinyl!
the debut solo album by henrik raabe, guitarist of the german trio wareika, who rose to prominence in the 2000s with their minimal deep house sound. departing from the cool, jazzy deep house he was known for, raabe delivers a uniquely crafted downtempo album that feels like a seamless blend of jazz, afro, dub, new age, and postmodern influences. it evokes the spirit of an imagined encounter between the durutti column and dennis bovell, with virginia astley joining in—reminiscent of the uk sound of the 1980s—yet rendered more minimal and refined, in a distinctly german way. with each listen, the album draws you deeper in. it is poised to become a defining release for mule musiq in 2026
High Altitude 002 brings together three rising forces from three different corners of the world. Stckman, Simone Rossari, and Goosebumps represent a new generation of producers with a shared futuristic vision and a highly distinctive musical identity.
The EP features three forward-thinking tracks, each shaped by the unique taste and cultural background of its creator, yet unified by a powerful, modern sound aesthetic. From deep afterhours mornings to the most crucial peak-time moments of the night, High Altitude 002 is designed to fit seamlessly into any part of a DJ set.
A global collaboration, a futuristic attitude, and a fresh perspective on underground dance music — this is High Altitude 002.
A gift to the overthinkers and overworked. Those who are over-concerned and always preoccupied. This is an invitation to hang up the bootstraps, take a load off, and visit a place in the mind where the sun is shining, the breeze is soft and the waves lap softly at your feet. Vacation From My Mind is a sonic realignment of melancholic soul, breezy soft rock, & mellow jazz-funk.
This album is a thoughtfully curated collection of 12 rare and obscure tracks from 1973 to 1981. From Jeanette Baker’s hypnotic 70’s soul title track “Vacation From My Mind” to the Latin rhythms of David Buckland’s jazz-funk “Celia”, this compilation was lovingly crafted to ease the stresses and worries of modern life. The Care Package’s song “The Storm” is a larger-than-life production of dreamy harmonies not often found on privately released 45s. Utopia’s “Lejos De Mi” is a slow-burning slice of Bolivian psych that will have you searching for similar sounds. Whatever your preference, we hope that this album will give you a vacation from your mind.
WRWTFWW Records is very pleased to announce the first-ever vinyl release of Art Form 2, the seminal 1998 Various Artists compilation from Tokyo’s cult label FORM@ RECORDS, now available as a limited edition double LP housed in a heavyweight sleeve, as part of the ongoing collaborative series between the Swiss and Japanese labels.
Initially available only in CD form, Art Form 2 emerges as a quiet artifact from an exploratory phase in FORM@ RECORDS’ late-1990s trajectory. The compilation drifts through the deeper layers of Tokyo’s electronic underground, where IDM, techno, ambient, and downtempo dissolve into one another within an atmosphere of deliberate experimentation. Both intimate and forward-looking, it preserves a moment in which a local scene, largely unseen, was patiently reshaping the future beyond the reach of prevailing global narratives.
Flowing with carefully sculpted rhythms, immersive sound design, and a subtle sense of machine soul, Art Form 2 reflects the maturity of the FORM@ aesthetic in 1998. The compilation resonates with the spirit of Warp’s Artificial Intelligence era, Carl Craig’s melodic futurism, Ken Ishii’s cerebral techno, B12’s deep electronics, and Ian O’Brien’s emotive touch, while remaining unmistakably rooted in its own local context. Timeless and singular, it stands as a beautifully preserved time capsule of underground electronic music.
Following the vinyl excavations of Virgo’s Landform Code (1998) and Remnants (1999), Art Form 2 continues WRWTFWW Records’ collaboration with FORM@ RECORDS. It is released simultaneously with Art Form I (1997), further expanding this archival series, which will continue with the forthcoming vinyl edition of Re-Form Ver-1.0 (1999).
Welcome to the brilliant Herbie Hancock with the always in-demand slinky groover Stars In Your Eyes on the much coveted 11.21 "special disco remix".
This is quite simply one of the smoothest Disco rides you will ever take with a production made in heaven and a vocalist supreme with Gavin Christopher taking it to another level. Find an original U.S. promo of this if you can.
There's lookalikes about which are inferior quality! As if that wasn't enough, we've only gone and paired it with the hugely rare U.S. promo-only 12" "special disco remix" of the scintillating Saturday Night.
This is as rare as hens teeth and you'd be lucky to find a mint one for less than £50. Featuring an extended percussion break from the fantastic Sheila E, this a very different mix to the original album version and was never widely circulated at the time.
So another nice rare gem. As double-siders go, this really takes some beating. Order with confidence because this will still be selling for years to come.
Daniele Baldelli
"A pleasant surprise to find in this release various atmospheres and sounds that have always been part of my DJing. It even made me rediscover M’Bamina, whom I used to play back in 1974 at the Tabù Club in Cattolica.
There are afro vibes as well, with Black Line – Myele, which is featured on one of my Cosmic tapes, and Nowhere by the Stratosferic Band recalls a track I used to play at the Baia degli Angeli…
Excellent work!"
Voom Voom Music was an independent Italian record label based in Turin, founded and managed by record producer Ivo Lunardi (Turin, December 6, 1940 – December 9, 2010). A pivotal figure in the Piedmont music scene, Lunardi was active both as a DJ and as the owner of several disco clubs.
The label operated for several years in the latter half of the 1970s, releasing mainly productions connected to the Italian dance and pop scene.
Since 2016, the original master tapes from the Voom Voom Music catalog have been owned by Gianluca Pandullo (I-Robots), a close friend of Ivo and Luca Lunardi. Through his labels Opilec Music and Turin Dancefloor Express, Pandullo oversees their preservation and historical enhancement.
The artistic direction of Voom Voom Music was marked by a distinct sonic identity — eclectic yet visionary. The Turin-based label founded by Ivo Lunardi embraced a sound that blended disco, pop, and rock influences, interwoven with African American grooves in a pioneering, international perspective.
Voom Voom Music was among the first Italian labels to introduce this kind of musical language in the country. A prime example is the Italian edition of the debut album by B.T. Express, Do It ('Til You're Satisfied), released in LP, 8-Track Cartridge, cassette, and 7" single formats.
The label’s productions clearly reflected the influence of black and funk music, as evidenced by the references and inspirations running through its catalogue. The track “Lady Pick-Up”, for instance, includes direct nods to “Do It Good” by KC & The Sunshine Band and Manu Dibango’s iconic “Soul Makossa”, revealing a musically refined and contemporary sensibility.
Among the label’s most representative works is Splash (1977) by the Stratosferic Band, a project conceived by Luigi Venegoni — producer, songwriter, and guitarist of Arti e Mestieri. Venegoni’s artistic journey spanned from progressive rock to space and Italo disco. The album artwork was designed by Piero D’Amore (1944 - 2022), a charismatic and multifaceted figure of Turin’s art scene (one of his works was even acquired by the MoMA in New York).
The record includes a disco reinterpretation of Van Morrison’s classic “Gloria”, and “Splashdown”, a track fusing the disco-rock energy of Rockets and Space. In contrast, “Nowhere” revisits the 1975 single by Hokis Pokis, a soul/disco band from Nassau County (New York), transforming it into a vibrant disco-funk number.
Another significant expression of the label’s catalogue is the afro-rock sound of M’Bamina, an Italo-Congolese group whose rhythmic energy and dialogue between African percussion and Western funk evoke the style of international formations such as Osibisa — themselves linked to a rich artistic history in Italy.
First ever official reissue of the 1992 digital heater ‘Slow Down’ by Villette Holmes. Produced by the late Cedrica Anthony Hamilton, better known as Soljie, this release captures a master at work.
A veteran engineer at the iconic Channel One Recording Studio, Soljie’s innovative approach at the mixing desk made him a giant of the reggae and dancehall scenes. He was the sonic architect behind many hits of the era, notably serving as the mixing engineer for Shabba Ranks’ seminal Grammy winning albums As Raw As Ever and Xtra Naked. In 1990, he launched his eponymous label, Soljie Records, which became a vehicle for his own distinct productions.
‘Slow Down’ is a quintessential Digi Dub production, balancing a heavy, driving rhythm with strong melodic hooks and a dreamy crossover feel that transcends the genre. Licensed from Soljie’s son, Chioke Hamilton, this reissue comprises the original version and Dub, alongside a previously unreleased Extended version.
Pressed on 140g vinyl and housed in a striking 3mm spine, full colour disco sleeve designed by Bradley Pinkerton.
The legendary album from South Africa’s House and Kwaito master Doctor House being reissued for the first time with a full remaster from the original DAT tapes. Nelson Phetole Mohale released a series of albums as Doctor House. Cutting his teeth in the 80s as a session player for a host of big names like Volcano, Senyaka and Obed Ngobeni, he moved on to programming for acts like La Viva and Jivaro, also contributing to Carlos Djedje and others. Still barely out of his teens he became one of South Africa’s first rappers as part of PT House, co-written and produced by Danny Bridgens. Their debut album Big World was released in 1991 and followed by Big City Taste a year later.
Reissued for the first time and fully remastered. Originally released in 1984 on the Baltimore soul label Be More Records.
George Hill was a funk/disco genius. This rare and sought-after record features the acclaimed remix of the title track (from '84) and the classic 'There’s Nobody Like You' jam on the B-side.
Denver Cuss presents her first 7" single release and her debut with UK independent label LRK Records.
'Crossed My Mind' backed with 'You Don't Get It' is out on streaming services on the 30 January, with the 7" out on the 27th February. It follows her 2024 album 'Leaving Me', which was described as "a nostalgic masterpiece" - Sommer Zeit magazine, earning a feature in Rolling Stone Germany, and a series digital singles, which have been played on the Craig Charles Funk & Soul Show on BB6 Music as well as Noble & Heath's Soho Radio show.
Denver is an Irish, London-based musician and producer, who makes classic R&B and Soul-influenced music, having graduated as the prize-winning jazz vocalist from the London College Of Music. She has since stepped into a world of live and session singing, alongside her solo project, delving deep into girl-group harmony, Northern Soul and classic Rhythm and Blues.
For this release, she captures the essence of '60s record-making, working with collaborator/producer PM Warson and engineer Ed Deegan at the all-analogue Gizzard Recording in East London. Backed by some of London's finest young musicians, she cut her vocal live, bypassing the trend for layered productions and imitation, in favour of a direct, live and soulful approach, direct to tape. The result is two of the most authentic '60s Pop/Soul sides you're likely to hear this year
We’re proud to present the latest offering from Promising/Youngster & UF0, on the sublime Deep Techno / IDM imprint out of the UK, Fourier Transform
A lush 4-tracker. Uf0 and Promising/Youngster are the answer to a desire for breakbeats and perfect melodies. Radio plays to come from Damo Bs’ Outer Limits, Marcelo Tavares’ Deep Space, Richard Sens’ DoYouRadio
Uf0 and Promising/Youngster are the answer to a desire for breakbeats and perfect melodies. This is Uf0s’ (Sergio Garcia) second release on the label and when asked who he would like to be paired with, he wasted no time in suggesting fellow electronic musician and Spanish resident – Promising/Youngster (Diego Cardierno). This EP begins with P/Y’s “Random Memories” as tried and tested live by him last year and its big sound simply fills floors and gets feet moving. The second track of his is with a more subtle approach to the dancefloor but the analogue arpeggios and breaks still rock. Uf0 and his opening track “Sashita” uses vocals sparsely to create atmosphere and an epic soundscape. Ending the ep “La Musica Non Riporta De Te” opens with his trademark lush pads which drop into breaks, more well-crafted gentle melodies and of course “Bass”.
Between them both they have appeared on an impressive roster of underground labels - Wave Modulation, Analogica Force, Further Electronix, Adepta Editions, Altered Sense, Withold, Gated. Limited to 200 copies on marbled Eco vinyl, with painted sleeve, a sticker and an insert “Fun in the Sun”, giving you some interesting activities and experiments you can do using the power of the sun. Radio plays to come from Damo Bs’ Outer Limits, Marcelo Tavares’ Deep Space, Richard Sens’ DoYouRadio.
Mutant Volt emerges from the depths of the underworld with Bona Vista, a six track EP built from unreleased DAT recordings made during the early 90s. Drawn from a vast archive, much of the material had been long forgotten, written at a time when electronic music moved fast and rarely looked back.
Mutant Volt is one of several aliases used by Dan Piu, whose roots sit firmly in early European rave and club culture. The name was originally used to explore a stripped, machine driven sound shaped by early trance structures and bleep influence. Aside from a single release on Superluminal in 2020, much of this material has remained unheard. Recorded on a hardware setup that has changed little since 1991, the tracks were made instinctively and left behind to gather dust.
Today the tracks carry a different kind of weight. What was once made quickly and left behind now feels immediate, proof that some music does not belong to the past, it simply arrives there first.
Limitiertes blaues 12“ Vinyl mit Siebdruck auf B-Seite inklusive 12“ Stickerbogen.
Artwork von Christopher Ian Macfarlane
Flying Lotus, der Produzent – auch bekannt als Steve Ellison – veröffentlicht Anfang März seine neue ‘BIG MAMA’ EP auf Brainfeeder: dem Plattenlabel aus Los Angeles, das er vor fast zwei Jahrzehnten gegründet hat und das seitdem Alben von renommierten Künstlern wie Thundercat, Hiatus Kaiyote, Kamasi Washington und vielen anderen veröffentlicht hat.
BIG MAMA fängt Ellison in einem Moment spontaner, ungezügelter Dynamik ein. Die EP ist dicht gepackt mit unterschiedlichen Sounds, Rhythmen und Effekten und liefert, wie er es selbst beschreibt, „experimentelle, maximalistische, hyperschnelle, elektronische Energie“, wobei sieben dynamische Tracks zu einer einzigen durchgehenden Komposition zusammengefasst sind, in der jeder Takt einzigartig ist und es keine Loops gibt.
Die EP, die innerhalb von zwei Monaten fertiggestellt wurde, zeigt Ellison mit einem deutlich anderen Ansatz bei seiner Produktion. Anstatt sich hinzusetzen und an einzelnen Tracks zu arbeiten, stattete er sein Studio mit einer Vielzahl neuer Tricks und Spielzeuge aus, nutzte Software-Synthesizer, um FM-, Wavetable- und Granularsynthese zu erforschen, sowie Second-Hand Drum Machines und verbrachte den ersten Monat damit, ein Skizzenbuch mit einzelnen Sounds für die nächste Phase des Prozesses zu erstellen. Von dort aus begann er, die akribischen Details der BIG MAMA-Welt aufzubauen, wobei er täglich nur 10 bis 15 Sekunden Musik fertigstellte, bevor er die Fragmente zu ihrer endgültigen Form zusammenfügte: ein mehr als dreizehnminütiger Strom des Bewusstseins, der weder durch Tempo noch Stil eingeschränkt ist.
Two foundational releases from Toronto's Strobe Records get a well-deserved reissue on the Clone Classic Cuts series, spotlighting a pivotal moment in North American dance music. While often overshadowed by the Detroit and New York scenes, Toronto's underground in the early '90s was brewing its own potent blend of house and techno - and these tracks are prime examples of that cross-border synergy.
The Hayden Andre Project's contributions sit at the perfect intersection of tribal house rhythms and the emotive, machine-driven pulse of early Detroit techno. There's a raw elegance here - a sense of deep groove layered with just the right amount of percussive tension. It's no surprise that these tracks became staples in the crates of DJs both then and now. The production feels timeless, with hypnotic arrangements that still command the floor over three decades later.
On the flip, Kingdom Come, another alias of Ron Allen, delivers lush, blissed-out house music that channels the soulful energy of New York's golden era while adding a uniquely Canadian sensibility. Allen's piano work, layered with warm pads and swinging drums, gives these tracks an unmistakable vibe - equal parts deep house ecstasy and garage swagger. It's the sound of 3 a.m. euphoria, of packed dance floors and emotional peaks.
Underground stalwarts Voodoos & Taboos make their Duality Trax debut alongside a remix from rising talent Bertie, set to drop on November 8th. Now on its seventh release, Holly Lester’s vinyl imprint blends seasoned pioneers with the next generation of producers. A serendipitous moment at London’s E1 in 2023 was the genesis for the labels latest release, when DT label head Holly Lester unknowingly dropped a Voodoos & Taboos track only for the duo to walk in mid-way. Already known for their standout releases on iconic labels like Phonica, Bordello a Parigi, and Palms Trax's
CWPT, this chance encounter sparked a creative connection between Holly and the pair.
‘Time Out’ kicks things off with swirling synths and the duo's signature alien electronics, set to a playful breaks infused rhythm and morphing bassline, as command and control rings out overhead. ‘Endless Game’ comes with the usual V&T trimmings; an infectious bassline and with a scattering of curious sounds and samples, with a healthy dose of italo-inspired groove - the type of track reserved for bringing a dash of joy to the danceoor amidst a heads down body-moving groove. On the B-side, Australian newcomer Bertie steps up with her remix of ‘Time Out’, following her breakout EP and high-pro¬le remix by Ciel. In a short space of time, Bertie has already developed a signature sound injecting her productions with nostalgic 90s house and contemporary subtext; glued together by crunchy drums and a penchant for wide-eyed rhythms. Sticking to her guns, Bertie’s ip of ‘Time Out’ packs a serious punch, showingwhy she’s an artist on the rise. The EP closes out with the psychedelic ‘All Action’ with its vocoder vocal samples, bubbling acid and teleporting top-lines.
One of the most notable features of the duo's music is their ability to let things evolve over time, their music often accompanied by strong storytelling, an art that has been almost lost in today’s era of instant grati¬cation; their instrumentation often taking on a life form of their own and dosed with surprises.
Inner Creatures was the sophomore album from Irish producer and bass player Peter Vogelaar and now some of its key cuts have been remixed. The seasoned Charles Webster flips 'Mindless Youth' into a simmering piece of deep and organic house with wintery melodies that have already been getting support from big names like Black Coffee and Kolsch. As well as his dub, the Get Down Edits crew offer up some lush, gentle disco delights on their rework of 'Stole' and 'Inpulses' brings more layered harmonics and elegant strings before a new edit of 'Fantasy Lines' ends on a warm, cuddly vibe.
Plastik People - no, not the legendary London venue that was host to dubstep's formative FWD>> parties - a garage label run out of Albuquerque, New Mexico with some seriously authentic roots. This new one kicks off with a raw, bumping Jovonn Project Boyz mix of a vocal house gem that overflows with dusty and soulful vibes. Straight & Shuffle offer the equally timeless 'Love', complete with twinkling synths, golden chords and nice undercooked grooves. The flip features Wayne Hunter's perfect US garage vibes as he flips 'Keep On Pushin'' and last of all is the super silky and speedy house of Baeka's 'All I Need.' These tunes are the very definition of oldies but goldies.
SPEICHER-Ikone und gefeierte Clubmacht KÖLSCH debütiert auf KOMPAKT mit dem Album '1977', einer außergewöhnlichen Sammlung von elektronischen Juwelen, die seine frühen Meisterwerke mit exklusivem neuen Material verzahnt. Hier finden Monument, Irrsinn & Biss unter einem gemeinsamen, kennerhaft austarierten Groove zusammen und bereichern die Erlebniswelten von
Heimtänzern wie Flurhunden... dein neuer bester Freund ist da und es ist eine Platte.
Tatsache: trotz des Namens und unserer wohldokumentierten Vorliebe für Kölner Bier ist KÖLSCH kein Rheinländer und er hat sich auch nicht nach dem Lokalbräu benannt. Selbst weltweit hoch gehandelte Hits und eine Reihe profilträchtiger Live-Auftritte scheinen allerdings nichts daran zu ändern, daß der preisgekrönte dänische Produzent Rune Reilly Kölsch regelmäßig konfuse Fragen nach dem eigenen Namen weggrätschen muß. Und doch könnte er nicht deutlicher werden: man denke an etablierte Flurfavoriten wie OPA, DER ALTE oder SILBERPFEIL... diese Tracktitel beziehen sich samt und sonders auf Runes Erinnerungen an eine Kindheit in Deutschland. Anders gesagt: ja, der heißt wirklich so.
'1977' ist nicht einfach nur entseeltes 'Best Of'-Gemenge: mit brandneuen Eisen wie BASSHUND, BAPPEDECKEL und EISWINTER im Feuer braucht KÖLSCH sich nun wirklich keine Gedanken über die zukünftige Wirkgeschichte seines Werks zu machen. Und dann ist da eine Rillenzirze wie OMA, hoch emotionaler Konterpart zum leicht sardonischen OPA und in jeder Hinsicht ebenso mitreissend wie die kanonische Überballade ALL THAT MATTERS. Für das große Finale schließlich wendet sich Rune an LORELEY, das bestimmende Initialrelease des Projekts und bis heute ein massiver Kracher von eigenem Recht - in der Tat so gewaltig, daß der Schock von gleich zwei weiteren Tracks gepuffert werden muss, dem dramatischen WASSERSCHUTZ und einem trojanischen Pferd namens FELIX. Letzteres sollte ja eigentlich eine Art Outro für das Album sein... doch dann hat jemand den Knopf gedrückt und das transdimensionale Portal erwachte zum Leben.
Welsh multi-instrumentalist and producer Huw Marc Bennett sinks his hands deep into the soil of South Wales, reimagining traditional melodies from the Morgannwg/Glamorgan region through an earth-toned palette of folk, jazz and psychedelic roots. ‘Heol Las’ is ancient music seen through a modern prism; acoustic textures rubbing up against hypnotic grooves, field-worn stories refracted into new shapes.
Every track on the album is either drawn directly from, or woven around, archival tunes of the region. Bennett’s approach is reverent yet expansive, pulling history into the present while staying grounded in community, landscape, and lived culture.
Bennett says, “On this record there are versions, interpretations and tunes influenced by cerddoriaeth werin, the folk music of Morgannwg; The place I was born, I was raised in and revisit to feel grounded. The melodies you hear were given, found and invented.”
Wewantsounds is delighted to announce the first vinyl reissue of Disappointment-Hateruma, the 1976 ALM Records release by percussionist Toshi Tsuchitori and Ryuichi Sakamoto. The album is notable as Sakamoto"s first recording issued under his own name and represents one of the few occasions he explored fully improvised music during the 1970s. It provides a vital document for understanding Sakamoto"s early development as a composer and performer, capturing a period when he was experimenting with ambient soundscapes and textured improvisation. This edition features original artwork, audio remastered by Heba Kadry and new liner notes by Andy Beta.
Monstrous heavy funk 45 of the highest order! "Hipper Snapper" was recently comped on the highly acclaimed Movements series. The B-side of the original 45RPM single is just as good as the A-side so we felt that it deserves a proper re-release.
Skyjoose and Johnnie Clark set out to push the boundaries of UK Garage and 2-Step, crafting a sound that was raw, souldful, and ahead of its time. The project became known as The Stalker – a name that would quietly echo through the underground. Though countless tracks emerged from those sessions, only two saw the light of day on the original Stalker EP released in the year 2000.
Now, 25 years later, The Stalker returns from the depths of the DAT archives – remastered, reawakened, and ready to move dancefloors once again. This special repress features the two original vocal mixes from the Stalker EP, plus four additional club weapons forged in those same legendary sessions – three of which have never been released…until now.
It Goes Further...IDREN NATURAL & THE UK PLAYERS reissue! The original version of 'Further' was recorded by the INI Oneness, Idren Natural & The UK Players on analogue tapes at the Jah Works '7th Sense' Studio in UK in the late 90's. The tune went on to have great success on sound systems around the world and since became a highly sought after collectible.
Jah Works & The UK Players are reconvening at Earth Works Studio in Amsterdam to record more music together in tribute to their mutual friend and musical collaborator, Idren Natural, who is sorely missed by many in our musical family & those that worked with him intend to make sure that his music and message lives on! This 10" has an alternative vocal mix & alternative dub cut to the original 7", carefully remastered from the original tape mixes & now presented on 10" at 45RPM.
Previous releases on aufnahme+wiedergabe, Fleisch Records, Minimal Wave Records imprint Cititrax and n-PLEX have been frequently played by acclaimed DJs (Phase Fatale, Randomer, VTSS, Amelie Lens, Regis, Helena Hauff, SPFDJ, Veronica Vasicka, Silent Servant to name a few).
Schwefelgelb is a Techno duo from Berlin, known for their raw but precise and cutting productions. Their reputation for a strikingly energetic live show brought them into clubs and festivals around the globe.
After launching their own label n-PLEX and releasing two original EPs on it, NPLX003 marks a re-release of their most successful record "Dahinter Das Gesicht" ("Behind It The Face"), which was released on aufnahme+wiedergabe in 2017 primarily. After 1500 sold out copies it still remains highly demanded as one of the most influential records for actual EBM-Industrial-influenced Techno. This re-issue comes in a special edition of remastered track versions and also includes an edit of its most notorious track "Es Zieht Mich" as addition to the four original tracks.
Twenty five years after its debut, the legendary Post Office compilation returns with its sixth volume – this time as a tribute to House music. Staying true to its pioneering spirit, the series once again brings together iconic figures and fresh talents from today’s international electronic scene. More than just a compilation, Post Office vol.6 is a true celebration of House music – honoring its roots while opening new sonic perspectives.
Estus & Lester Patterson’s ‘Gonna Find A True Love’ is one of the greatest ‘70s southern soul dancers. A sublime three minutes of smooth, shuffling, dance floor dynamite, that has been reissued before and will no doubt be reissued again. It’s a record that has been in demand since it was championed by UK DJs, as Northern Soul began its wonderful offshoot into Modern Soul in the early '80s. It’s one that should be permanently in print for those who feel the need to add it to their DJ set, juke box, or home-listening/dancing pile… and Acid Jazz Records has obliged.
Nearly seven years since group label Miles Away pressed 500 copies, this new pressing is on Acid Jazz. To add to the fun, the Deep Soul ballad ‘How Long Must The Show Got On’ is on the flip, which has, until now, been an album-only gem, just sitting there waiting for someone to shine the spotlight on it.
Leave it to Joe Claussell to tap into our current collective artificial intelligence anxiety and render the racket divine. Alan Parson’s 1977 I Robot—the LP from which these two new edits were culled—was a harbinger for all the technological sheen and humanistic distress that was to come. Drawing from heady science fiction and even headier musicality and studio sophistication, ’The Voice’ evoked Jeremy Bentham-like omniscient surveillance, while the original ‘I Wouldn’t Want To Be Like You’ explores the ambivalent rift in perspective between the two poles of flesh and metal. For Claussell, the dichotomy leaves more unanswered questions and artistic possibilities, for the truth is always tangled and ripe for potential. Our bodies are propelled by the same electrons which accumulate in capacitors; our hearts, as Milford Graves was so enthralled, likewise transmit the same electric impulses which not only sustain our bodies but soundtrack our eternal, internal rhythm. These edits, with their strings, synthesizers and distortion-ravaged guitars, are protracted to dynamic sublimity, and seem aware of this seemingly opposing dynamic. Claussell, himself a lifelong proponent and interrogator of man’s relationship with mechanized rhythm and sound, leaves our earthly toil and unease behind for something greater, something yet unnamed, shared between us all at our finest. It's almost a feeling you can touch in the air…
In the last two years, Barry Can’t Swim has released two albums – When Will We Land? and Loner. The debut was nominated for a Mercury Music Prize, winning 2024’s Best Dance Act on BBC Radio 1 and being nominated for Best Dance Act at the BRIT Awards in the same year. The latest album, 2025’s Loner, hit the top ten in the UK charts and was number one in the dance charts. This summer, Barry Can’t Swim cemented his position as one of the most singular new voices in electronic music with a gangbusting performance as a headliner at All Points East in London’s Victoria Park, building on his back-to-back performance with Bonobo at Coachella in 2024. Barry’s Late Night Tales mix brings together disparate styles and forms them into a coherent narrative. The powerful house tracks, like Lance DeSardi’s ‘Power of Suggestion’ and Daniel Avery’s remix of Factory Floor, intertwine with the abstract grooves of Freddie Da Stupid or Ronald Langestraat’s leftfield reading of Boz Scaggs’ ’70s smash ‘Lowdown’. There are exclusive tracks from Barry Can’t Swim himself (in the form of new single ‘Chala’ and an exclusive edit of Superpitcher’s ‘Yves’) and from friends and contemporaries, like Ninja Tune labelmate O’Flynn. Leaving aside the obvious quality of the mix, with its serpentine twists and dramatic turns, you can tell Josh is a fan of this series by bringing in his own personal poet, the brilliant Seamus, for the spoken word section right at the end. He’s a one-man Late Night Tales programmer.
A1 GIRL IN A BAND (ORIGINAL BY HALF GIRL)
A2 INCOMPREHENSIBLE WORLD (ORIGINAL BY LAUNDROMAT CHICKS)
A3 NACHT (ORIGINAL BY CULK)
A4 PAST LIFE (ORIGINAL BY EUROTEURO)
A5 INVISIBLE (ORIGINAL BY LUISE POP)
A6 CAN'T YOU SEE (ORIGINAL BY SALAMIRECORDER & THE HI-FI PHONOS)|TOPSY TURVY
B1 THE BULLSHIT (ORIGINAL BY TELEBRAINS)
B2 TOMORROW (ORIGINAL BY DIVES)
B3 SCHÖNE GRÜßE (ORIGINAL BY TCHI)
B4 WHO'S GONNA LOVE ME (ORIGINAL BY BAD WEED)
B5 TROUBLES CAUGHT (ORIGINAL BY MILE ME DEAF)
B6 PLEASE WASTE YOUR TIME (ORIGINAL BY POTATO BEACH)
B7 MARCELINO (ORIGINAL BY TOPSY TURVY)
Das Wiener Label SILUH RECORDS feiert 20-jähriges Jubiläum u.a. mit dieser limitierten wirklichen Vinyl Only-VÖ (no CD, no DL, no Stream)! Das Album kommt mit 13 Songs, aktuelle Label-Artists covern jeweils einen liebgewonnene Song von Labelkolleg*innen. Ein wilder Ritt zwischen den Genres ist vorprogrammiert, was auch den breiten Backkatalog der Wiener Indie-Institution Siluh Records gut widerspiegelt. Das 2005 gegründete Label mit mittlerweile über 100 Releases ist ein wahrliches Szene-Juwel, wo Bands wie DIVES, GARDENS, CULK, MILE ME DEAF, LAUNDROMAT CHICKS, SEX JAMS oder EUROTEURO ihr zuhause haben und zum kleinen Undeground-Hype der Musikstadt Wien maßgeblich beigetragen. Doch im Label-Backkatalog finden sich auch ein paar internationale illustre Gäste. So zum Beispiel gab es Releases mit JAD FAIR von Half Japanese bzw. dem französischen Elektro-Akustiker PHILIP PETIT, den 90er US-Indie-Rockern SWEARING AT MOTORISTS, eine Techno-Remix Platte mit ALEC EMPIRE, ERIC D. CLARKE, JASON FORREST und BERNHARD FLEISCHMANN, ein Single mit CASSIE RAMONE von The Babies, oder Alben vom Chokebore-Frontman TROY VON BALTHAZAR. Für die Jubiläumsplatte wurde jetzt der Auftrag an derzeitige Siluh Acts erteilt, je einen Song aus dem Katalog neu zu interpretieren. ISCHIA zaubern aus einem LAUNDROMAT CHICKS Song eine wahre Dream Pop Hymne mit Shoegaze Finale. LAUNDROMAT CHICKS wiederum basteln aus dem Garagenrock von TELEBRAINS eine Neil Young'esque Version. TELEBRAINS nehmen sich DIVES' "Tomorrow" vor, diese wiederum graben einen alten LUISE POP Song, der nie auf einem Album erschienen ist, aus und erwecken ihn zu neuem Leben. Die Indie-Folk-Gruppe GARDENS bearbeiten eine Dada-Pop-Nummer von EUROTEURO, die wiederum einen TOPSY TURVY Song eingedeutscht haben. Und so geht's munter weiter... Der Titel "POCKET SONGS" bezieht sich auf ein Zitat des befreundeten Betreibers von Bachelor Records, der mal meinte "Pocket Band, eine Band für die Hosentasche. Eine Band, die man liebt und von der man Freunden erzählen möchte, aber nicht zu vielen, denn die Band sollte klein und in der Hosentasche bleiben und nicht in den Playlists von jedem Tom, Dick und Harry vorkommen". Dem Vinylalbum beigelegt ist ein Siluh-Poster, alle Tracks nur auf LP hier exklusiv/original! Herzlichen Glückwunsch!
Just when you thought Kevin Richard Martin's music couldn’t go any slower, lower or deeper, Sub Zero emerges. A slow-motion excavation of drug-tech, dub, dreamy noise and frozen ambience, the album gradually mutates into hypnotic pulsations and melodic melancholia. It is arguably Martin’s most striking release to date under his given name.
Originally released digitally on Bandcamp only in the depths of winter 2022, amid the final year of the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s initial invasion of Ukraine, this desolate epic went on to become KRM's best-selling digital album on the platform. With persistent demand for a vinyl pressing and a full DSP release from fans, Martin thought the time was right for Sub Zero to finally surface in its full glory: remastered and paired with fresh new artwork.
Unnervingly, the album is as beautiful as it is solemn, as glacial as it is relentless, and as subtle as it is terrifying. A trip into a sonic abyss, with a tour of a philosophical void, it’s to my ears, KRM’s most seductive work yet, and also his most emotionally resonant. Martin expertly balances tear-jerking motifs with heavier than hell rhythmic weight. With its melodic fog, eternal drones and eerie atmospherics, the peripheral throb of distant kick drums, the heartbeat punctuation of cavernous subs and the snowstorm blizzard of fuzz absolutely envelopes the mind, whilst crushing the soul.
In terms of lineage, Sub Zero might recall a more paranoid Porter Ricks, a dystopian GAS, or a brutally dubbed-out Pan Sonic. Most fitting, however, is its kinship with the deepest dub terrain Martin previously explored on In Blue, The Bug’s acclaimed 2020 collaboration with Dis Fig for Hyperdub, where he obsessively probed subaqueous pulses and low-end modulations.
Sub Zero is possibly the most minimal, desolate, and deviant dub record yet released on Martin’s PRESSURE label. It marks the point at which dub disappears into its own effects trails. Dub music capturing frozen moments in time. Dub as an addictive painkiller, that sounds both sacred and ocean deep.
Following her acclaimed 2023 release Flood City Trax, a dreamy, lo-fi take on footwork inspired by the crumbling rust-belt city she calls home, Nondi returns to Planet Mu with her second self-titled album, Nondi…While Nondi… retains some of the hazy, nostalgic atmosphere of Flood City Trax, it pushes her sound in bold new directions. “I made this album to capture the sense of freedom I used to get from music when I was first discovering it all,” Nondi says. “It’s meant to be cute, fun, kinda weird and emotional — but most of all, it’s a presentation of some of the prettiest tracks I’ve made.” Though she hasn’t really experienced club culture where she lives, her impressionistic productions evoke the surreal, lingering sounds of a night out — the melodic haze that hums in your ears as you drift off to sleep. Lo-fi and melodic, yet fluid and free, her music carries a sense of flight and intuitive logic. Nondi’s influences range widely — Actress, Aphex Twin, footwork, and the stranger edges of dub techno are all felt, yet she hallucinates them through her own weathered, dreamlike lens. Her tracks often build from clashing loops that evolve and transform organically, or from familiar genre elements reshaped by her instinct for misty, heart-wrenching melody. Some moments stay closer to genre, like Broken Future 175, a drum-and-bass tear-out that dissolves into lush, blurred chords, or Just Hanging Out, a bruised and beautiful take on 2-step. Lead single Tree Festival feels like a blown-out fusion of rave energy and sped-up new-age bliss, while Death Juke drifts through off-beat vocal samples, pulsing drums and 8-bit FX, reminiscent of early Steve Reich reimagined through a Game Boy. Nondi… is a uniquely moving and exploratory album that expands her sonic world even further. Lo-fi yet luminous, playful yet profound.
Bobby and Martin Boer started experimenting with music in a small bedroom in their parental house in an apartment building on the 4th floor.
The brothers brought together rapper Da Smooth Baron MC and singer Peggy “The Duchess” to form their stage act. The first single “Can’t Help Myself” was released in 1990 and became an international hit in 1991.
multiple international hits were produced as 2 Brothers on the 4th Floor. Gradually changing the style from Eurodance into happy hardcore.
Singles like “Fly (Through the Starry Night)”, “Come Take My Hand” and “Fairytales” were international bestsellers and topped charts all over Europe.
The Very Best Of 2 Brothers On The 4th Floor is available as a limited edition of 1500 individually numbered copies on crystal clear vinyl and includes an insert.
For the first time EVER on 7" single come two of Don Blackman's most classic tracks from the 1982 album "Don Blackman" for GRP. multi-keyboard wizard Blackman played with the biggest names in fusion music including Lenny White & "Twenny-nine". As a leader and featured recording artist Don's keyboard, vocal and composing talents all came to shine on the debut LP from which these two songs are taken.
Don has toured the world with his band and "The Marcus Miller Band", "The World Saxophone Quartet", with jazz and bassist Tuero Nakamura.. His work on the acoustic piano and other keyboards was recorded on Mary J. Blidge's, "Feel Like A Natural Woman" and Janet Jackson's "That's The Way Love Goes"
Dutch composer and pianist Xavier Boot, also known as XA4, joins Philip Glass for the second release on the New York-based record label Orange Mountain Music, owned by Philip Glass.
“Xavier is really a wonderful pianist, and I am thrilled by how he now tackles my compositions, with that elegant electronica touch.” – Philip Glass
The Sea Above features not only Glass compositions but also several original pieces by Xavier: “I recorded this album inspired by all the musical influences I’ve experienced in my life, including classical, electronic (club) music, ambient, minimal, and even Indonesian music. The title track of the album is inspired by Philip Glass’s composition Mad Rush. He told me that he wrote this piece for an event with the Dalai Lama, where it was unclear when the Dalai Lama would arrive. That’s why Mad Rush was composed to last either five minutes or an hour. I tried to convey this idea of timelessness in my music, embodying this endless portal of time and space, which was also scientifically described by Albert Einstein. Another track on the album, Train I, is a reworking from Philip Glass’s opera Einstein on the Beach. You can experience the music on this album as a kind of journey, a trip where you are energetically drawn in at the beginning and later enter more of a fantasy world where dreams and unconscious elements of your mind can emerge.”
Credits:
Tracks 1 & 3 are original compositions by Philip Glass remixed by XA4
Tracks 2 & 9 remixed by XA4 and Jaro.
Tracks 4, 5, 6, 8,10 are original compositions by XA4
Track 7 is composed by XA4 and Tenzin Choegyal.
Vocals track 1: Julia Rosenhart.
Remix, production and playing: XA4.
Piano arrangement track 3: Michael Riesman and XA4.
Remix, production track 2 & 9: XA4 and Jaro.
Production assistance track 3: Jaro.
Mixing: Studio Karakterbak.
Mastering: Laura de Rover.
Cover foto: Angelina Nikolayeva.
Graphic design: Yesser Khalefa
It's safe to say that Mark E is something of a master when it comes to doing a hell of a lot, with not very much at all.
Back in 2011 'Call Me' was heard everywhere, especially the splendid Dixon edit, which teased out the drama and made the most of that spoken Ms Ross vocal.
It's testimony to the staying power of this track, and the fact it's quite rightly regarded as a Deep House classic that it's had a recent revival, largely from Luke Unabomber across his head-spinning summer tour schedule. We started getting video clips from the curious..."Do you know this track, sounds like Carl Craig remixing 51 Days ?"
Given that we sold out the initial run in a matter of days back then, we thought it was high time we put the call in for a reload.
So here you go, the classic 'Call Me' backed with a truly wonderful new jam from Mark, which is another zinger in a catalogue choc full of 'em...
- Limited edition Orange 2x12” vinyl LP.
- Housed in PMS printed inner sleeve, featuring custom fonts by No Format and spot gloss abstraction of the original album artwork.
- Accompanied with a double sided 2-panel insert and double sided 4 panel poster.
- All sleeved in a custom PMS reverse board outer sleeve with die cut square centre panel and belly band.
The Boy and the Tree was composed after a visit to Yakushima Island, an outstandingly beautiful world heritage site off the southern tip of Japan, scored by a deep, lush and ancient ravine, home of the ancient 7000-year old ‘Jōmon Sugi’. Tree. Also the inspiration for Miyazaki's epic anime Princess Mononoke, a conflict between the rampant greed and destructive force of humanity, and the stoic, mysterious fragility of nature.
This fleeting immersion in nature lent the album a profound introspection and mystery, and the its twelve tracks unfold in dream sequence, each drifting seamlessly into the next while still managing to steer the listener in myriad directions, from eerie butoh atmospheres, to ebullient raga, to desolate, cavernous chanson. The Boy And The Tree is definitely one of, if not the most, visually evocative and cinematic Yokota releases.
Marking his vinyl debut on Lowpass, Berlin-based producer APRS steps forward after a run of striking releases on labels such as Soma, ARTS and Sungate.
“Drift” explores human emotions through drums, melodies and textures with five pieces that refuse to settle into one shape. Each track bends the EP in a new direction without breaking its thread, holding onto a sense of vastness, detail and intimacy. Andy Martin closes the record with a remix that widens the palette even further, pushing the material into heavier terrain while keeping its spirit intact.
LWP001 is less a declaration than a first gesture. Intuition over uniformity; a label shaped by instinct, variation and space; a place for artists to wander and for sound to evolve freely.
With over 20 years of intense production work and prestigious collaborations, Irie Ites Records has established itself as one of the most respected reggae labels on the international scene. In 2025, the label continues it's strong momentum with a brand-new volume of it's flagship series: Cream of the Crop 2025. Following the success of the previous editions (2022, 2023, and 2024), which each reached several million streams and gained strong visibility in reggae media and playlists worldwide, this new release stands as a must-have for all roots & culture reggae lovers. True to it's reputation for excellence, Irie Ites Records has once again teamed up with some of the finest musicians and producers in reggae: Mafia & Fluxy, Bongo Herman, Earl "Chinna" Smith, Lone Ark, Naram, The Ligerians, King Jammy, Willy William, among others. All tracks were mixed at the Irie Ites Studio (France), ensuring a warm, powerful, and authentic sound. To conclude the album, four exclusive dub versions add the final touch to this outstanding compilation.
You may be excused if, seeing the dazzling China Moses on stage, online, or on-air, you thought that she, fabulous and French, an orchestra trailing her, with one of those light-up-a-room smiles you only hear about in myth, was someone who might only be singing cheery songs about her glamorous musical life. Not so. It’s complicated… vibrates with the joy, wistfulness, ambivalence, and wisdom of a woman who’s been on many journeys, down many paths, and landed here, in your ears, on purpose, with something to say.
Through these songs, China captures the many hues of grown Black womandom: her choices, her regrets; her place in society as both citizen and observer. Her voice is girlish and playful; gritty and growly; truly prismatic, as Anthony Peyton Young’s cover art suggests, to reflect the many lives she’s lived. And she does all this with vulnerability, a quality that transcends and supersedes genre, taste, or ability. Of all the tools a singer-songwriter could possess, it might be the most important one. Though there is bravado here (“I can be happy”, the song and the video, are the best example), this is an album that taps into the full, resplendent spectrum of human experience, its many facets hewn into these 10 gems before you.
It’s complicated… and it’s complex. How could it be anything else?
James Curd and Osunlade. After years of playing back to back DJ sets and collaborating in the studio, they decided it was time to create something that could represent both the music they make together and the shows they play. Their sound is a natural meeting point between deep house grooves and soulful roots, reflecting both artists’ histories and shared love fortimeless dance music.
The first single from Nomadic’s is “Better Man”. The track was originally signed to Defected Records,but after creative differences about how the release should be presented, the contract was voided. That decision gave James and Osunlade the chance to put the music out exactly as they envisioned, and the song now finds its proper home on Pronto Records. The package includes the original alongside a set of remixes from some of the most exciting names in underground house.
Dutch producer Frits Wentink delivers a remix in his unmistakable style – raw drum programming, warm analogue textures, and the kind of off kilter groove that has made him one of the most respected names in Europe’s house scene. Mr Ho, co-founder of the cult label Klasse Wrecks, adds his own twist with a version that nods to classic rave and electro energy, while keeping things firmly locked for the dancefloor. Finally, LA based duo Too Easy bring a mysterious touch, layering live instrumentation with electronic drive, showing why they’re quickly becoming ones to watch.
With its story of creative independence, heavyweight remixers, and the credibility of two deeplyrespected artists at the helm, “Better Man” is both a club record and a statement of intent for what Nomadic’s represents.
The short, mysterious career of the female French duo Deux Filles is bookended by tragedy. Gemini Forque and Claudine Coule met as teenagers at a holiday pilgrimage to Lourdes, during which Coule's mother died of an incurable lung disease and Forque's mother was killed and her father paralyzed in an auto accident. The two teens bonded over their shared grief and worked through their bereavement with music. However, after recording two critically acclaimed albums and playing throughout Europe and North America, Forque and Coule disappeared without a trace in North Africa in 1984 during a trip to visit Algiers. The short and terribly unhappy lives of Forque and Coule are at the root of the small but fervent cult following the mysterious duo have gained since their disappearance, not least because the placid, largely instrumental music on the duo's albums betrays no hint of the sorrow that framed their personal lives.
This would be a terribly sad story if a word of it were true. In reality, Deux Filles were Simon Fisher Turner, former child star/teen idol and future soundtrack composer, and his mate Colin Lloyd Tucker. Turner and Tucker left an early incarnation of The The in 1981 to pursue another musical direction. Turner claims that the idea of Deux Filles came to him in a dream, and he and Tucker strictly maintained the fiction throughout the duo's career. Not only did they pose in drag for the album covers, the duo once even played live without the audience realizing that the tragic French girls on-stage were actually a pair of blokes from south London. Deux Filles released two albums through Turner and Tucker's Papier Mache label, 1982's Silence & Wisdom' and 1983's Double Happiness'. Both albums are included here and blend watery piano, occasionally ghostly vocals, sheets of synthesizers, heavily processed guitars and the barest minimum of percussion. Drifting and wistful, they're a pair of lost ambient gems from a time when the genre had yet to mature, an excellent example of post-Eno, pre-Orb ambient music.
All songs have been remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The vinyl comes housed in gatefold sleeve with original front covers of both albums, and a centerfold of archive images and the original liner notes. Each LP includes a sticker of the Lino cuts by Adrian Gill that was included with the original pressing.
"Like an early French film soundtrack with melodramatic overtones, the sound is jagged and disjointed but never harsh. Lilting guitars and ample use of echo smack of Vini Reilly, relying on the hypnotic qualities of the sound rather than abrasive noise" (Sounds, 03/1983)
NEOCLASH is DJ Hell's new work.
The Electroclash of the early 2000s is reconstructed here, its characteristic codes extracted and reshaped into a modern, reflective form.
NEOCLASH is a cultural experiment - music as a medium of reflection, a structure for space and time, and a vehicle for exploring the tensions between technology, the body, and perception.
Electroclash now - or a manifesto for the aesthetic relevance of electronic club music, combining strong old-school references with a new understanding.
DJ Hell, a.k.a. Helmut Josef Geier, delivers a contemporary reinterpretation of the Electroclash genre.
International Deejay Gigolo Records was the pulse of the movement 25 years ago - and Hell, its very namesake. Godfather of Electroclash reloaded.
25 years and many milestones later, DJ Hell returns to his roots with NEOCLASH, proving that Electroclash in 2025 can sound not nostalgic, but forward-thinking and visionary.
NEOCLASH builds a bridge between past and present within electronic dance culture and club music.
Italo Disco, New Wave, Indie Dance, Disco, Pop, Chicago House, Acid, Detroit Techno, and Avantgarde Music merge here into a bold new interpretation.
From 1971 to 1977, Peter Baumann was a member of the legendary Berlin band TANGERINE DREAM. The group were pioneers of the so called Berliner Schule (Berlin School) which had such a profound impact on electronic music. He produced a number of momentous albums at his Paragon Studio (by the likes of Conrad Schnitzler, Cluster, Hans-Joachim Roedelius) and also enjoyed success as a solo artist. The influence of Tangerine Dream can clearly be heard on "Romance 76", although the arrangements are comparatively minimalist-a state of affairs for which David Bowie can be held partially responsible.
A decade ago, Taylor Swift was already a world-renowned and dominant force in the pop world. In 2014, she was on a world tour that took in a stop at Tokyo Saitama Arena on June 1st and the recording of it captures the electrifying energy of her sold-out performance during the iconic "Red" world tour. This live album showcases Swift at her early peak and delivering heartfelt ballads and powerful pop anthems with her signature charm and stage presence. Fan favourites resonate with emotion and live energy, while quieter moments like 'All Too Well' highlight her storytelling prowess. The Saitama Arena crowd adds to the magic throughout.
“We know what jazz is when we hear standards or music that is close to the same source, to a recognized pattern. But what is jazz? Here, a starting point. "Blow" showcases an accumulated CITIZEN:KANE techno vocabulary but it quickly tones down the sensation by introducing frequent breaks in the rhythm, as in "Peiote". But even there we are able to "feel" techno by recalling Wolfgang Voigt's M:I:5 and its parallel yet contrasting rhythmic grids. Elsewhere, manifestations of opposite forces: the beat keeps a body firm on the floor, eminently physical but not commanding; and melodies, cosmic threads, suggest ascension as well as a drive towards the within, creating space for feelings and/or rationalization. "The Fence" or "Montreal" stand as good examples. One less evident aspect of beauty in this record is the apparent coldness of the music, almost rigid and devoid of passion, and thus we declare it more true. As the mind performs a synthesis of what was learned after a class, last track "Family" (expressively) gathers impressions of what went before, adding poetry to the moment. "Blow" may be a reference to the most familiar instruments used in jazz but it can also figuratively mean an explosion, an aesthetic liberation, even with (our) knowledge that for now, and theoretically, the artist chose to concentrate on this thing called jazz.”
Between electronic shadows and cinematic textures, this new album from QUENUM draws its influences from the likes of Massive Attack, Archive, and Burial. Started and produced in London, it reflects a change of time — both in the climate and within.
This project represents a personal and artistic turning point for QUENUM. He wanted to experiment with new ideas, not necessarily music for the club. The album was created in close collaboration with his son Zac, a talented musician who contributed both as a singer and instrumentalist on several tracks. They shared wonderful moments creating this album together.
He also worked hand in hand with his long-time friend Christophe Calpini, who played a key role in mixing and in developing the textures and atmospheres that shape the album’s sound. The result is an intimate, personal, and timeless journey, deeply rooted in the now.
Quenum elaborates: “The idea for my album was born during Covid in London, when concerts, museums, and social activities suddenly stopped. To cope, I started running daily and spending hours in the studio creating music. In our garden cabin I worked alongside my son Zac who was practicing piano, preparing for his entry into Trinity Laban Conservatoire. He listened to my tracks, and eventually contributed vocals with his ex-partner on two songs, ‘Blue Sky’ and ‘Never Like Before’. The album’s dark atmosphere reflects that period. Once it was complete, I asked my longtime friend Christophe Calpini to handle arrangements and mixing.”
A true pioneer of electronic music, QUENUM has been shaping the global techno and house scene for over two decades. One of his most celebrated tracks, “Orange Mistake”, co-produced with Luciano in 2001, became a turning point in his career. The success of this collaboration led them to launch the legendary Cadenza label, which rapidly grew into one of the most recognisable and respected imprints in the scene, known for its vital releases and unforgettable parties worldwide.
Over the years, QUENUM has continued to explore new creative paths and refine his artistic identity, constantly reinventing his sound while maintaining his unique musical signature. His insatiable curiosity and openness to new influences have kept him consistently in demand, from intimate underground venues to the world’s most respected festivals and clubs.
Spider Taylor crawls over to Dark Entries with Surge Studio Music, an album of archival gay pornographic soundtracks. James Allan Taylor was born into a working-class family in Los Angeles in 1951. Nicknamed “Spider” by his father due to his frantic energy, Taylor was a natural-born guitarist, gifted with perfect pitch and a voracious musical appetite.
Throughout the 70s, he expanded his musical repertoire, playing in bands ranging from country to post-punk, like his outfit Red Wedding, while always looking for new sounds and styles to explore. During this period, Taylor also partnered with his soulmate and musical collaborator, Michael Ely. They were part of a wave of bold, young, gay couples living openly together in the years immediately following the Stonewall Riots. In the early 80s, while working at the West Hollywood gay sex club Basic Plumbing, Taylor met Al Parker, the legendary pornographic actor and director, who recruited Taylor to produce the soundtrack for a film he was working on. Parker’s partnership with Steve Scott running Surge Studios produced some of the most popular all-male films of the era. Spider’s music was a natural fit for Surge, and throughout 1985 and 1986, he composed the soundtracks for five films produced by the iconic studio. Assisted by engineer Steve Conrad and armed with a drum machine and some synths, Spider’s compositions for film veer from the expansive, reverb-drenched “Rainforest” to the Miami Vice-esque chugger “Tech.”
While Spider thought of this work as little more than a gig, tangential to his real craft, enthusiasts of VHS-era nostalgia and vintage erotica will be brought to bliss. Surge Studio Music will be available on both LP and CD, the latter of which includes a 20-minute version of “Strange Places…Strange Things!” as a bonus track. The album’s cover art was designed by Gwenael Rattke, and features stylish images from Surge Studios releases. Also included is an insert featuring liner notes by Will Lewis, a longtime friend of Spider. The music is released from Spider’s estate by Michael Ely, Spider’s partner of 43 years. The shadow of AIDS lingered over Surge; Steve Scott passed from AIDS-related illness in 1987, and Al Parker succumbed in 1992. In 2014, when it became legal for same-sex couples to marry in Arizona, Spider and Michael finally became wedded. Spider would pass away from liver cancer six months later.
Somewhere between heaven and hell…there is Fallen Angel. Dark Entries continues its mission of shining light on a generation of composers and musicians lost to AIDS with Brandy Dalton’s Fallen Angel, his soundtrack work for the award-winning Fallen Angel series. Brandy was known for many years in the LA underground for his performances with his boyfriend, Robert Woods, who was the resident DJ at Club Fuck. Eventually, they recruited John Munt to form the band Drance, becoming infamous for their high-energy performances and songs that tackled taboo topics like sadomasochism. While Drance explored the aggressive sounds of industrial and EBM, Dalton continued to produce a wide range of electronica, from abstract sonic textures to techno bangers. The Fallen Angel album collects 16 sweaty, sticky cuts composed for the pornographic series Fallen Angel, a trio of leather-focused films released by Titan Studios. The sounds here span from the fractured cyberpunk-rave of “Swelled” to the tabla-laced trance of “FA2,” taking listeners on a journey through hedonistic recesses chock full of crunchy digital drum machines and wailing FM synths.
This album was originally released on CD in 1999 by Titan Studios, capitalizing on the success of the film franchise. It will be reissued on LP as well as CD, featuring 6 bonus tracks. Artwork for the album, designed by Eloise Shir-Juen Leigh, features stills from the Fallen Angel film. Also included is an insert with liner notes and photographs. This album is dedicated to Brandy, who passed away from AIDS-related illness in 2006, after battling with the disease for 17 years. Brandy’s passing was preceded by his best friend and Drance co-founder Robert’s death in 1995. Documenting a sonic shift in the 90s bathhouse music, Fallen Angel provides a hardcore BDSM ride, building upon the analogue archival soundtracks that Dark Entries has previously released.
Chicago legend K. Alexi returns to Dark Entries with K.A. Posse’s Strkes Again, an EP of preleased unreleased acid and house mayhem. K’Alexi Shelby’s illustrious career has included releases on legendary labels such as Trax, DJ International, and Transmat, as well as collaborations with high-profile artists like Marshall Jefferson and Pet Shop Boys. But his musical journey began at the young age of 12, when he befriended Ron Hardy and Frankie Knuckles while frequenting the Music Box and Warehouse. In high school, he began to write songs and hone his poetic craft. “I recognized I had a gift to say what I was thinking. I would study Prince and Marvin Gaye, figure out what they meant and put my spin on it. The power of the word. I was writing love notes for all my boys in high school and making a killing. I would know what to say and what they should do.”
Dark Entries previously reissued Shelby’s debut record, Essence of a Dream, which was recorded under the name Risque III in 1987. Strikes Again brings us six tracks recorded in Chicago between 1988 and 1990, which come courtesy of Mike Dunn’s personal archive. This record showcases the rawer, more immediate side of Shelby’s sound, with tracks full of overdriven 808’s, careening sirens, and dangerously funky breakbeats. “Imported Taste” brings Shelby’s signature deep pads to the front of wild congo-laced percussion. “Suckas Be Ready” is a slamming hip-house cut featuring vocals from MCD-TA, while disco-samples duel with crunchy 909s on the jacking “Muzic Box.” Strikes Back showcases the real underground sound of Chicago, where sonic abstraction meets full-body kinetics. The record comes housed in a retro-styled sleeve designed by Eloise Shir-Juen Leigh.
Chicago legend K. Alexi returns to Dark Entries with Warehouse Trax, an EP of previously unreleased acid and house mayhem. K’Alexi Shelby’s illustrious career has included releases on legendary labels such as Trax, DJ International, and Transmat, as well as collaborations with high-profile artists like Marshall Jefferson and Pet Shop Boys. But his musical journey began at the young age of 12, when he befriended Ron Hardy and Frankie Knuckles while frequenting the Music Box and Warehouse. In high school, he began writing songs and honing his poetic craft. “I recognized I had a gift to say what I was thinking. I would study Prince and Marvin Gaye, figure out what they meant and put my spin on it. The power of the word. I was writing love notes for all my boys in high school and making a killing. I would know what to say and what they should do.”
Dark Entries previously reissued Shelby’s debut record, Essence of a Dream, which was recorded under the name Risque III in 1987. Warehouse Trax follows with six tracks recorded in Chicago between 1991 and 1994. The material here has all the hallmarks of classic K’Alexi. Salsa-inflected rhythms, emotive basslines, and hip-house vibes are displayed on tracks like the high-octane “Jungle Line” or the low-key tearjerker “Protect and Survive.” There are also some unexpected surprises in store. “Aaaah” comes out of the gate swinging with hard-hitting beats and apocalyptic ravey vocal pads evocative of the edgier material on Saber Records or Djax Up Beats, and the surprisingly contemporary-sounding “Klub Dred” delivers half-time dub with stuttering vocal samples. Warehouse Trax comes in a retro-styled sleeve designed by Eloise Shir-Juen Leigh. This is essential material for devotees of classic house sounds.
Disco legend Sylvester comes to Dark Entries with Private Recordings: August 1970, an intimate collection of vintage jazz, blues, and gospel. While Sylvester is best known for his chart-topping collaborations with producer Patrick Cowley, such as “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real),” this release reveals his passion for the sounds of the 30s and 40s. In 1970 a 22-year-old Sylvester had moved to San Francisco and found himself involved with the Cockettes, the infamous psychedelic performance art troupe. Among this milieu was Peter Mintun, a pianist and record collector living in a commune devoted to retro culture. According to Mintun, “We were like hippies who lived in the twenties. We lived in a house that didn’t have anything modern in it. Nothing in it was made after World War II.” Mintun and Sylvester bonded over their love of Black singers of yore and were allotted a slot during Cockettes performances reviving the music of the Prohibition Era. One afternoon, Sylvester and Mintun recorded a number of their shared favorites using a high-end microphone a friend had acquired. Private Recordings features 9 songs from this session, including standards like “Stormy Weather,” “Happy Days Are Here Again,” and “God Bless the Child.” Sylvester’s unmistakable falsetto brings depth and a dash of camp to these familiar tunes. The recordings are casual and intimate, even capturing banter between Sylvester and Mintun; their brief rendition of “When My Dreamboat Comes Home” has the duo working out a melody in real time. In addition to their sonic explorations of decades past, Sylvester and Mintun also staged photographic shoots in vintage couture. Private Recordings comes with a 16-page booklet on firm cardstock featuring images from these never-before-seen shoots as well as liner notes from Mintun detailing his friendship with Sylvester and their experiences recording. All this is housed in a metallic silver sleeve designed by Eloise Leigh featuring a 1920’s Art Deco aesthetic. The record will be released on September 6th which would have been Sylvester’s 76th birthday, and all proceeds from Private Recordings will go to the two charities that Sylvester left his royalties after his death: Project Open Hand and PRC (formerly AIDS Emergency Fund). This essential release documents the earliest known recordings from one of disco’s greatest talents.
