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Cinthie’s Collective Cuts sub-label of her 803 Crystal Grooves label welcomes the UK’s Black Eyes onto its roster this March with his ‘Hydrocity Reflex’ EP, comprised of four original soul drenched House Jams.
Cinthie’s 803 Crystal Grooves Collective Cuts welcomes Black Eyes with a fresh four-track EP that distils the Manchester-born, Berlin-based artist’s signature aesthetic into its purest form. Fusing deep, trippy and soulful house with a raw, Detroit-leaning sensibility, Black Eyes channels the influence of House music’s roots into rolling rhythms and fluid textures alongside shaped by his enduring love of water. Now firmly embedded in Berlin’s underground while carrying the grit of his northern roots, he delivers a release that feels both immersive and driving a natural fit for 803 Crystal Grooves’ dance floor focused sonic vision.
Opening the EP is ‘Can You Dig That Depth’, an emotive slice of House driven by saturated keys, soulful vocal lines, heavily swung drums and a buoyant bassline. ‘Pressure Malfunction’ follows, stripping things back to organic percussion, sweeping filtered funk loops and intricately processed spoken-word chants. The B-side begins with ‘Loyalty To Tha Deep’, living up to its name as it embraces classic Deep House sensibilities through choppy, airy chord progressions, hypnotic breathy vocals, fluttering melodies and slow-slung, crunchy drums. ‘Funky Oxygen’ then brings the release to a close, channelling the spirit of Motor City House with a refined blend of cut-up samples, shuffled percussion, jazzy keys and a snaking bass groove.

2026 Repress

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.

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.

The breakout underground star of the past year, the deservedly hyped Thought Leadership returns with another X ideas: the deck this time chooses the suit of Cups. This new collection is closer to the Post-Punk tonality of Pentacles, than the breezy Balearic Jazz of Swords. Gone are the brushed drum samples and airy synths and in their place are BIG guitars, 808 thumps and a decidedly more prominent use of bass as a melodic device.

As the suit of Cups reflects the emotional heart of the Tarot, presented within are a further X pieces, this time displaying the full range and fervour of Thought Leadership.

You know the drill by now. Originally out on cassette only, we present the first ever vinyl issue. It's a hideously limited pressing of 300 for the world, so don't sleep on this.

Side A explores the emotional levels of consciousness; angst, joy, love, sorrow, relief, regret – they are all represented across the first seven tracks, and often within the same piece. XXI kicks us off with a huge tumbling D minor passage, layers and layers of guitar front and centre, whilst the drums pound away in the distance. Release is provided with a gorgeous G Dorian section, where we hear the bass take flight with a high melodic line.

We’re still in familiar Durutti Column meets Dif Juz territory here, but things switch up with XXII. This piece showcases a darker, more angular palette of guitars; think Alan Rankine (The Associates), or Deb Demure (Drab Majesty) in the unexpected harmonic shifts, knotty arpeggiated patterns and heavy, goth-adjacent modulation. A real love letter to 45+ years of darkly inclined guitar heritage.

XXIII enters the fray with tight, thumping 808s and Marr-esque guitar figures; and again, the bass providing heavy melodic counterpoint to the guitars. Enter chiming, lyrical lead phrasing, reminiscent of the eternal opening to "Everybody Wants To Rule The World". Another accidental perfect pop moment from the Thought Leader. Whilst on the topic of Tears For Fears, XXIV comes swinging out of the gate with some serious Sophisti-chug; we’re reminded of "Shout" in the A section, before being beautifully juxtaposed in the B section with more Vini-eqsue patterns, reminiscent of his timeless classic, Another Setting.

XXV gives us welcome pause to take stock midway through the A side. No drums this time, but instead a heartbreaking conversation between two guitars; think Kevin McCormick and David Horridge’s masterful Light Patterns, or perhaps even the early solo-Bill Connors mid-70s cuts for ECM. The moment of quiet reflection passes, and is quickly shattered by the thudding march of XXVI – this piece comes across like The Associates playing "Wicked Game"; heavy, moody, and utterly compelling. XXVII ends our journey across Side A with more Marr-inspired playing; one for the heads and already featured on mixes, this one is real testament to the vision of Thought Leadership.

Side B again takes us on a trip through three long-form semi-improvised pieces. XXVIII is like those classic Jonny Nash, early Melody As Truth releases, slowly unfurling, additional details introduced deliberately piece by piece, this idea builds across 7+ minutes culminating in some utterly joyous ebow fireworks at the end – well Balearic.

XXIX again, like XXV before it, dispatches the drums with a focus purely on melody and mood. The piece feels like a lost Save Room Theme from the Resident Evil series, pure golden age Capcom Sound Team vibes. Unadulterated aural nostalgia for hours spent with a PS1 in haze of hash.

XXX completes this majestic voyage with another Modal exercise; this time the Thought Leader has opted for the Lydian Mode. Beautifully dreamy, undeniably Soundtrack-y, and arguably the most concise distillation so far of everything this project stands for; drum machines, guitars, pedals, one-take improvised solos – XXX has the lot, and is surely destined for greatness.

So, another X epic statements for guitar, homespun with the humblest of means, for all the dreamers out there. The first ever vinyl release of IV Of Cups has been carefully remastered by Be With's engineer Simon Francis to ensure it sounds better than ever after its initial tape release. Cicely Balston's expert skills have made sure nothing is lost in the cut at Abbey Road Studios whilst the records have been pressed to the highest possible standard at Record Industry, in Holland. The original tape cover artwork, so crucial to Thought Leadership's striking visual aesthetic, has been rejigged for vinyl issue here at Be With.

The last 2 LPs flew. You have been warned.

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 !

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

Worldwide Connexion (JGRVWAX007) is the seventh vinyl release on Junked Groove, bringing together five artists from four countries on one deep house / house record.

Side A opens with BMB SpaceKid, delivering an explosive cut driven by swinging percussion, vocal chops, and a heavy low-end. His beat-making roots are front and center, resulting in an undeniable dancefloor mover. Next up, DFRA & Nick Weaver take things into a more hypnotic territory: jazzy, minimal, and smooth, with flowing harmonies and subtle synth movements that quietly reveal a solid classical foundation behind the music.

On Side B, Detroit’s own Javonntte offers a raw house anthem. Pure groove, timeless energy, and that unmistakable feeling of being locked inside the track from the very first synth line. Closing the record, Junky Palms brings a UK-rooted groove built around classic house chords, layered with psychedelic and slightly tense synths. Cold Manchester air and rave nostalgia drift through the mix.

One record, four countries, five perspectives, one groove.

As we celebrate 30 years of Ten Lovers Music our first offering of the year is a Various Artist selection called Frisson EP Part 1. Frisson is a medical term for the response you get from listening to music, often referred to as goosebumps or a skin orgasm which is caused by the dopamine released in the brain’s reward centres.
Kicking off the A side we have Sound Signals featuring flautist Han Litz, a superb opener. Following on are Future Jazz Ensemble and Don’t Be Afraid, another track from them oozing quality. Onto side AA and Mike Perras is back with another live track featuring keys, drums, bass and a battling flute and sax on Sweet One. Rounding off side AA is Stefano De Santis with Simple Things, an aptly named track for this music that gives us Frisson.

DJ Support: Laurent Garnier, Dennis Cruz, Girls Of The Internet, Horse Meat Disco, Stacey Pullen, Elliot Schooling, Solomun,Marco Carola, Joseph Capriati, The Martinez Brothers, Dam Swindle, Soul Clap, Luke Solomon, Riva Starr, Franky Rizardo, Archie Hamilton, Silvie Loto, Fouk, Austin Ato, Salomé Le Chat, Blackchild, Jean Pierre, Black Loops, Kassian, Seamus Haji, Melvo Baptiste, Rimarkable, Sophie Lloyd

In-demand Amsterdam-based duo Makèz step into new ground with the release of their album ‘Arriving Home Elsewhere’, via ANOTR’s No Art label. A kaleidoscopic project that moves between deep house, cosmic jazz, R&B, broken beat, and club-ready energy, the record is both a declaration of identity and a dissolution of boundaries - proof of the duo’s rare ability to merge worlds without diluting or compromising their true essence.

Where most albums that span electronic realms lean on functionality, ‘Arriving Home Elsewhere’ reaches for something much more expansive. The project is a true hybrid: half shaped for the intimacy of a headphone listen, half designed for the electricity of the dancefloor. together forming a seamless continuum between reflection and release. Tracks like ‘REARRANGE YOURSELF’, ‘BE REAL’, and ‘LOOKS LIKE IT (SPACE TALK)’ are stripped to the core of house music’s driving pulse, made for bigger systems and peak-time release. In contrast, ‘Dreams’, ‘Fruits of the Universe’ (with douniah), and ‘Without The Sun’ (with Oliver Night) explore lush, textured arrangements where live instrumentation and improvisation carry equal weight to rhythm and groove.

Collaboration is at the heart of the LP, with Makèz inviting a constellation of voices who each expand the project’s palette. Ben Westbeech, Liv East, and SANITY bring soulful intensity; 30/70 and dreamcastmoe connect Amsterdam to Melbourne and DC; Cor.Ece and Oliver Night weave delicate threads of emotion; Goya Gumbani and Javonntte guide the production with their vibey, groove-led performances; while Life on Planets reprises his role as a core creative partner, appearing across the album on tracks including the standout ‘BE REAL’ and the previously released ‘ILLUSIONS’ alongside rising Amsterdam talent AVA LAVÁ. Together, these contributions shape an album that feels less like a singular statement and more like a living, breathing ecosystem.

For Makèz, ‘Arriving Home Elsewhere’ is as much about philosophy as it is about music. The title encapsulates a tension central to their art: the feeling of belonging to multiple worlds without ever being confined to one. Jazz, house, soul, and experimental club sounds are not separate influences but parallel languages, and in merging them, the duo has created a record that mirrors the fluidity of contemporary identity and expression. And while it may speak in many voices, the LP tells one clear story - that of Makèz, arriving, again and again, home elsewhere.

To honour the enduring appeal of a great musical rework, Hell Yeah is launching The Art of Remix. This essential new series collects the best remixes from a range of label favourites. First up is Japanese downtempo master Calm with exclusive, never-before-on-vinyl versions of originals by Cantoma, Aura Safari, DJ Sofa’s Dream Baby Dream, Seahawks, Gallo, Yuichiro Kato and more. The release comes with rich liner notes by the authoritative Dr Rob from Ban Ban Ton Ton, and a second volume from Is It Balearic's Coyote will follow soon.

Remixes have always been at the heart of Hell Yeah's output as a way of reworking classic sounds into different contexts, allowing artists to explore outside their usual remit and also to introduce new talents. Clam has long perfected the art with his famously laidback takes on all sorts of Balearic, house, dub and acid under the Mellow Mellow Acid subtitle. He's remixed many a Japanese legend but also a wealth of artists from across the world, and eight of those reimagined gems balance euphoria with solitude on this first volume.

First, his take on Cantoma's 'Way To The Sun' infuses drones and chimes with bubbly acid. 'Sur Mon Balconett' shimmers with Spanish guitar and sultry sax, ghosts of yesterday still shuffling. 'Banana Trance' jolts with breakbeats while taking a Balearic leap into hedonism. Mininn’s 'Vertigo' drifts dubwise, from monastic chants to operatic bursts. Maho’s 'Bakuhatsu' growls dark and sleazy as acid and riffs collide, 'Abysso' floats with strings and sirens in symphony, 'Blue Surround' lulls before exploding with jazz fire and Kato’s 'Kiss of Life' closes with a cosmic, romantic serenade. Calm's The Art of Remix sets a high standard for a series which will soon turn to Coyote and Scandi-house great Bjorn Torske.

Volcov, the Veronese founder of the Neroli record label, returns to the BBE fold with the third compilation in his majestic series 'From the Archives' and once again this new installment is another collection of overlooked gems and unreleased beauties that are set to entice the discerning listener. As with volumes 1 and 2, 'From the Archives volume 3' features cherry picked songs that focus on melodies and weave a thread between eras and genres. From the Archives volume 3 is a genre free journey into authentic grooves which features music from the enchanted tones of Carlo Nino & Friends, an exclusive from Collettivo Immaginario, uptempo moments from remix kings Kaidi Tatham and DJ Spinna as well as two unreleased songs from Fred P and J2 Fusion feat. Javonttee and DJ Genius. From The Archive 3 represents another accomplished work of love from Volcov aka Enrico Crivellaro, who has a long list of albums and compilations under his belt as well as being involved in productions, edits, releases and projects with artists such as Dego, Theo Parrish, Phil Asher, Gerald Mitchell, Domu, Kaidi Tatham, Kirk Degiorgio, Patrick Gibin, Lars Bartkuhn, Ian O’Brien and many more. From the Archive volume 3 is released as a vinyl double LP and a digital download and is a compilation in which the music lover will be guided hand in hand through a collection of unreleased and hard to find songs that shift effortlessly between jazz and house, broken beat, ambient and soul.

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.

Sounds Over Seas is ready to release its very first LP by label founder Julian Bainbridge. The album covers aspects of the Deep House genre in its classic definition, pushing certain boundaries, whilst maintaining the spirit of the genre through feeling and utilising melodies and rhythm to evoke emotions which go beyond the dance floor. Keeping it raw throughout the nine tracks, each one incorporates different elements of the music spectrum. Implementing jazzy tweaks, minimalistic rhythms, haunting melodies as well as ambience and global sounds in a full dancing and listening experience.

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.

On October 2 1958, after over 60 years of colonial rule, Guineans voted overwhelmingly for their independence, and Guinea was declared a Republic with Sékou Touré as President. Guinea was the first of West Africa’s Francophone colonies to gain independence. To free Guinea from its colonial legacy, president Touré sought to restore dignity to his nation and give cause for Guineans to take pride in their culture, history and newfound freedom. To achieve this, he instructed his government to implement new cultural policies that were intended to revitalise and celebrate indigenous culture. The focus of these new policies was on music.

In 1961, President Touré launched authenticité, the name of his new cultural policy for Guinea. One of its first acts was to assemble the best Guinean musicians into a new state-sponsored orchestras that were tasked with presenting traditional Guinean music in a new and modern style. All musicians in Guinea’s orchestras were officially designated as members of the public service. During the years of Sékou Touré’s presidency (1958 – 1984), the government’s cultural policy of authenticité was applied strictly to the creative arts. Guinea’s sole political party, the Parti Démocratique de Guinée exercised complete authority over artistic production. The scale of the Guinean government’s commitment and efforts to invigorate its indigenous musical cultures was unmatched in Africa, and it presented a clear contrast to the minimal endeavours undertaken by Guinea’s former colonial rulers.

From 1967 to 1983, Guinea’s government presented selections of songs from the Voix de la Révolution catalogue on its own recording label, Syliphone. These recordings were described as ‘the fruit of the revolution’. Syliphone was revolutionary in many aspects: it was the first recording label to feature traditional African musical instruments such as the kora and balafon within an orchestre setting; it was the first to present the traditional songs of the griots within an orchestre setting; and it was the first government-sponsored recording label of post-colonial Africa. Syliphone represented authenticité in action, and over 750 songs were released by the recording label on 12-inch and 7-inch vinyl discs. All are highly sought after by collectors worldwide.

This is the second of a two-volume release which presents a selection of the best songs from Guinea's Syliphone recording label. This volume focuses on recordings from the 1970s, when Guinea’s authenticité policy had transformed the nation's music through a network of over 30 orchestras, each representing their local region, and each presenting Guinean musical traditions alongside the influences of Cuban music, jazz and funk.

We Jazz Records presents "Pu:", the boundary-breaking solo debut of bass player Ville Herrala, to be released on 21 February 2020. Utilising only the double bass but looking at the instrument from various different perspectives. The end result is an inspired set of 14 miniatures, each pushing the concept forward in a highly personal way.

The first single "Pu: 12" presents a rhythmic approach with echoes of from the world of minimal classical music and electronic music. Bowed tracks such as "Pu: 2" offer another perspective, as does the second single "Pu: 10", going back to the essence of the instrument and opening new doors while doing so. Each of the tracks is a compact musical adventure unto its own.

Ville Herrala (b. 1979) is one of the most higly-regarded bass players working in the Finnish scene. He's known from the ranks of such top ensembles as PLOP, Jukka Perko Jazztet, U-Street All Stars, Jukka Eskola Orquesta Bossa and UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra, to name but a few.

Nicolás Mirón presents Hi-Tech Thoughts, his debut release on Echo Alpha Recordings. A record that draws inspiration from Detroit Techno, as well as New York Hip-Hop and MPC culture, reflected in the way he works with samples and programs chops on his AKAI MPC 2500. His production focuses on beat-making, pursuing a raw, hardware-driven sound rather than an overproduced one.

Nico’s creative foundation is rooted in Black music in all its forms, from soul and jazz to electronic sounds, while also embracing the legacy of figures like Kraftwerk, and genres such as Italo Disco, and New Wave. His musical career began with his residency at Radio Relativa in 2022, with his program “Pa’ Riparla Benne”, a connection between skateboarding and music, as well as its evolution and close relationship with contemporary culture. In the show you can hear different styles of music that have appeared within this scene through legendary video parts from skateboarding history, along with stories and curiosities behind these pieces of art.

2026 Repress

WOW. Released on Valentine's Day 2025, we're deeply honoured to present the first time reissue of the first *ever* heart-shaped red vinyl 45. Extremely limited!

The smooth titan of blue-eyed soul, Bobby Caldwell transcended genre tags with consummate ease; he was a musical icon of real class and versatility, cherished the world over.

Here we present two timeless masterpieces of sophisticated jazzy soul brilliance that are strictly canonical.

The originals of these red heart-shaped vinyl records go for stupid money - if you can find one in good condition. Here's your chance to snag a real collectors item for fans of Bobby and, well, LOVE, the world over.

The eternal "What You Won't Do for Love" became a national anthem. It remains that way - perhaps even more so in the past year or two. It perfectly captured Bobby's ability to infuse a contagious groove with introspective and relatable lyrics. With its instantly recognisable horn riff and Caldwell's soulful delivery, this timeless, chiller anthem continues to captivate audiences and define his musical legacy.

A perennial favourite, it has been heavily sampled, such is its unique allure; Aaliyah sang over snatches of it on "Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number" and you can hear Caldwell’s vocal sample used for the hook on Tupac’s posthumously released “Do For Love”.

Bobby's dynamite "Open Your Eyes" was immortalised by the eternal J Dilla in the hip-hop canon with his production of Common’s epochal “The Light,” which heavily samples the magical “Open Your Eyes.” On a post paying tribute to Bobby in March 2023,

Producer/bassist Petter Eldh's celebrated Koma Saxo returns with a fresh single release on We Jazz Records, June 12. "Koma Mate" is a new look on "Koma Tema" from Koma Saxo's 2019 debut album. The track's anthemic quality remains, but with an extra 10% bangerism added for good measure. On the flip, Eldh invites Jameszoo to tear apart and reassemble Koma Saxo's elements, making for an extra tasty serving of spicy Koma Soup, filled with criss-crossing saxes and odd grooves. Lightning in a bottle, times two.

"Koma Mate / Jagd (Feat. Jameszoo)" will be released by We Jazz Records on June 12 as a 7" single and digitally. True to We Jazz style, the 7" comes with an old school heat-pressed labels and a generic brown paper sleeve.

2024 repress

In February 2021, Jan Jelinek's seminal album "Loop-Finding-Jazz-Records" turned 20. The anniversary repress, a double LP with two bonus tracks (B-sides from the Tendency EP, 2000), is a little late to the party.
What the press said about Loop-Finding-Jazz-Records:
“Don’t be misled by the title, though for there isn’t a finger-snapping rhythm c bebop lead anywhere on the album. Instead, Jelinek chooses to explore the visual effect moiré - two shifting patterns creating an implied third dimension - in the audio realm.” (Alternative Press)
“The title acts as explanation for the studio technique that provided the basis for this album, snippets of other people’s arrangements deconstructed through a sampler into loops and then splashed onto an audio canvas.” (ATM)
“Jelinek’s sound evolved out of his dislike for (and inability to play) keyboards.” (RPM)
“Jelinek has abstracted his sources beyond recognition, looping his millisecond samples into flickering patterns of sonic moiré laid atop a dub Techno framework. (...) Jelinek might as well have sampled a horn player’s hissing intake of breath – it would have been ‘jazz’ enough for his purposes.“ (The Wire)
“It’s a perfect inversion of conventional music, a sonic negative. Everything that would typically be foreground is moved back or pushed off the screen altogether, and the flecks of sonic debris that would normally be covered by other sounds are left to carry the melody and rhythm.” (Pitchfork)
“All you need to know is that these onomatopoeic non-specific songs (...) are warm, paradisical creations”. (NME)
“Listen carefully and you’ll hear textures slowly unfolding and mutating. Presuming you’ve not fallen asleep of course.” (iDJ)
“At times, it’s all a bit dripping tap Japanese water torture; so sedentary it drowns in its own motionlessness” (DJ)
“Loop Finding Jazz Records' is a genuine modern classic whose re-release is anything but a cynical mortgage repayment exercise. Consider this a second chance, then pretend you had it all along.” (Boomkat)
PS:
“I’ve been fortunate enough to see Jan Jelinek live once, at Tonic NYC (...). Wearing a black and white striped shirt, he looked like a nihilistic Charlie Brown.” (beachsloth)

WRWTFWW Records is proud to announce a super limited vinyl release of Christine Aufderhaar and City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra's original soundtrack for the critically acclaimed, multiple award-winning 2022 animated-documentary film Aurora's Sunrise. The release comes as a 45rpm double LP in a heavyweight sleeve with inside out print.
Aurora's Sunrise is directed by Inna Sahakyan, and tells the extraordinary true story of Aurora Mardiganian, a survivor of the Armenian genocide who later became an actress in the United States. The film combines animated storytelling, archival footage, interviews, and rediscovered scenes from the 1919 silent film, and one of Hollywood's first blockbusters, Auction of Souls, in which Aurora starred. Aurora's Sunrise was Armenia's official submission for the 95th Academy Awards for best international feature film. It has won over 20 international prizes.
The composer, Christine Aufderhaar, is an accomplished German composer based in Berlin and Los Angeles, with over 20 years of experience and more than 50 films to her name. Her background spans classical, jazz, film scoring, and contemporary orchestral work, and she has been the recipient of numerous awards for her work.
The soundtrack performed by the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra is deeply emotional, blending intimate melodies and majestic orchestral work, and weaving together themes of memory, survival, loss, and hope. A perfect fit for collectors of film scores, contemporary classical music, and limited vinyl releases.

Adeen Records hits a quarter of a century of releases with two of Italy's finest talents reimagining Collecttivo Immaginario's jazz-tinged gem 'Aperture' through a club-centric lens. Label regular Nico Lahs transforms the original into a peak-time weapon layered with stacked drums and deep basslines while smartly preserving its soulful core. On the B-side, New Digital Fidelity delivers a groove-heavy interpretation that retains the jazz essence while adding a hypnotic rhythmic drive perfect for deeper sets. Both versions manage to remain sympathetic to the original while taking it into fresh new directions that bring a contemporary edge to the classic original.

Wewantsounds is delighted to collaborate with cult musician Yusuf Mumin of the Black Unity Trio to unveil previously unreleased music from his personal archive. Following last year"s acclaimed Black Artist Group release, this new instalment continues to unearth hidden treasures from the Great Black Music tradition. Although the exact recording dates remain unknown, the music here is a powerful blend of serene spiritual jazz and fiery sonic intensity. All tracks have been remastered for vinyl by Colorsound Studio and the release also includes a two-page insert featuring new liner notes by Mumin and Pierre Crépon.

Rekids begins 2016 with the launch of an exciting new talent. South Korea-born DJ and producer Peggy Gou has been honing her production skills since her days in London. Having moved to the UK capital at age 14, she began producing tracks at a prodigious rate while studying university, honing her sound and refining her skills with advice from some of the city's most renowned DJs and producers until she had crafted an initial selection that will form her debut EP, set for release Rekids in January 2016.

Now based in Berlin, Gou has drawn on her years of DJing to help shape a sound that draws on Detroit & NYC house, as well as the African rhythmic sensibility and boogie funk influences she shares with Early Sounds duo Nu Guinea, with whom she had piano lessons and sought production advice from as her music took shape. In addition to her work as a stylist and fashion producer, Gou has also drawn on her art & design abilities to create the EP artwork.

The Art of War 12" includes two original productions plus a remix from White Material's Galcher Lustwerk. The original mix of Troop centres on a funk bassline which propels its dream-like tropical groove, while Lustwerk's remix re-purposes the track as a Fred P-esque jazz-infused star-gazer. The EP's other original production, In Sum, again asserts Gou's talent for raw, propulsive rhythms and subtle melodies.

We’re proud to present the first-ever official reissue of Rold Lebo - "Dansez Otiere" — a folk-jazz treasure from 1986, originally released in the Republic of Congo on vinyl and cassette (self-released on small quantities). This vinyl gem revives the energy and elegance of a rare record, now brought back into the light — a timeless work, finally restored to its full glory.

This album alternates between the call to celebrate the ancestral homeland and cultural identity and poignant ballads about love, exile and homesickness. It is a work that is both intimate and cosmic. Finally restored to its full glory, it returns on vinyl for the first time since its initial release.

This is an essential restoration — a sophisticated synthesis of Congolese Folk-Jazz, subtle soul, and deeply introspective rhythms. Recorded in the 80s, the album channels a timeless spirit, exploring multilingual themes of ancestral identity, the melancholy of exile and the delicate games of love.

Rold Lebo’s music is a profound emotional capsule — once overlooked, now revived for a new generation of listeners eager to explore the sophisticated sounds and resonant stories of the Republic of Congo.

Indiana Jones never dug this deep.
Church – the brainchild of Joe Washington – were a band both lucky and cursed to come up in the seventies. Lucky, because they rode a wave of community activism, uplifting messages and a moment when music truly mattered. Cursed, because those same times meant their tight, heartfelt output went overlooked.
Mid-sixties to circa 1980 soul and funk were extraordinarily rich. The era’s big releases have aged like fine wine, yet countless hidden gems remain buried. Church’s only single was one of them. Their hypnotic 1976 release “How Long” b/w “Da Da Song” arrived the same year as Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life, Marvin Gaye’s I Want You, Diana Ross’s Diana, and at a time when Black mainstream music was shifting toward disco. Church, however, sounded like Sly & The Family Stone in an alternate timeline — gritty, focused, stripped of additives.
“Da Da Song” is pure grits and gravy: furious, tight drums and lyrics that sound like both a plea to DJs to play their record and an insistence to keep the party alive, noticed or not. It cooks from start to finish in just two and a half minutes.
“How Long” is its own universe. Where “Da Da Song” is skeletal, “How Long” blends key strands of Black music in under three minutes: touches of spiritual jazz with a Gary Bartz-like sax, gospel-blues undertones, and echoes of the era’s flower-power-tinged Black creativity — The Undisputed Truth, The Family Stone, even the poetic freedom of Nikki Giovanni. The lyrics are a timeless plea for love.
Church formed in the Bay Area in the early seventies, shaped by the movement, culture and activism of the time. Joseph Washington, based in San Jose, never chased a music career — for him, music was a way to bring people together. Before Church, he led a backing band called Wash, then added gospel singer Linda Williams (née Stephens) and New York–born Joel Como on xylophone to complete the group.
They rehearsed in Joe’s garage, spread through word of mouth and played every gig they could: Black colleges, opening slots for The Whispers, neighbourhood house parties. Some members studied at Nairobi Junior College in East Palo Alto, then a hotbed of Black community activism, with revolution in the air and messages woven naturally into the music.
This single is a message from that era, resurfacing at last — ready to be sampled just as another Joe Washington track, “Look Me in the Eyes”, was on Drake and J. Cole’s “First Person Shooter”. These rare, spirited tunes are begging for new life through samplers, again and again.

Jana Koubková has long been one of the leading figures of Czech jazz, defined by rhythm, improvisation, playfulness and atmosphere. These new reimaginings of her tracks open a fresh chapter within the LBDISSUES series.

The original recordings, released in the late 80s, are almost impossible to pigeonhole into any single genre. Call it world music, call it jazz, call it avant garde, and you would be both right and wrong at the same time.

These remixes work for adventurous DJs as well as for listening in one continuous flow, where they almost read as a mini album. Trent's take on "Nijana" reshapes the piece from a tropical tribal mood into a cosmic downtempo roller, while Prague based artist Desteffan brings a completely new perspective to "Pipu", "Horor" and "Krocej". His versions draw from downtempo and trip hop influences, spontaneous live instrument jams and even flashes of EBM. And last but not least, "Vanany Vanyna" marks the return of label mainstay Regular Customer, whose reinterpretation expands the rhythm of the original into mid-tempo territory with a disco leaning feel. They all honour Jana's original sound while pushing it into unexplored terrain.

Now in her eighties and still performing, Jana is not being revisited here for nostalgia's sake. These tracks represent the next step in her remarkable and ever-evolving musical journey



c 03: Horor (DeSteffan Remix) [feat. Panta Rhei]
[d] 04: Vanany Vanyna (Regular Customer Remix) [feat. Panta Rhei]

Kin Gajo is a Brussels based electro-acoustic jazz trio drawing inspiration on the one hand from J Dilla and Flying Lotus, and on the other from the sound of British jazz artists such as The Comet Is Coming, Yusef Dayes, and Alfa Mist. With their atypical instrumentation-accordion, saxophone, and drums-the trio has developed a sound entirely of their own, with the accordion often resembling a heavy analog synthesizer.



DJ and producer Lefto featured Kin Gajo on his compilation Lefto Presents Jazz Cats Volume 3, positioning the trio at the forefront of the young Brussels jazz scene. The music clearly demonstrates how original and vibrant the results can be when elements of contemporary jazz merge with diverse influences from a metropolitan melting pot.



With Tsuki ?, Kin Gajo releases their first full-length album.

DGM & Panegyric proudly present…

One of the highlights of the King Crimson 50th anniversary CD/Blu-ray editions to date has been King Crimson producer David Singleton’s series of Elemental Mixes as he utilises the full spectrum of available studio sessions for each album to produce very different takes on the familiar songs and pieces.

This is especially true of Lizard where the ambition of the material, the much-expanded line-up of musicians - the background of many of them in the jazz rather than the rock world - and the number of takes recorded, resulted in a large amount of material to be considered for this album.

There was enough material for David to be able to mix and produce alternate takes for every piece from the original album.

As well as giving great insight into the recordings, the nature of Elemental Mixes allows for different takes from individual musicians to be included – sometimes alongside one another - in a way that would never be considered in the formulation of the original album.

David comments that “When I was working on the Elemental mixes, I jokingly described them as ‘Lizard for those who don’t like Lizard’. They were a complete revelation. Lizard is the one album which, in its initial incarnation, never quite convinced me. And yet these Elemental mixes, with their opportunity to look ‘under the hood’ of the album, revealed something fresh, wonderful and astonishing. So, if you are a King Crimson fan, who like me, has never quite taken Lizard to your heart, then these are essential listening. And hopefully equally fascinating to those who already love the album”.

Presented as a single 200gram LP and including the complete album in Elemental Mixes form, running in the same sequence as the original album, this release showcases Lizard in a very different manner to how it’s previously been heard.

Lizard’s reputation has grown, deservedly so, in recent years as old and new audiences alike rediscovered the album, initially when it was first remixed for new Stereo and 5.1 Surround Sound editions in 2009 by Steven Wilson and then as much of it was performed live for the first time in concerts by the most recent King Crimson line-up between 2016 and 2018.

"Next up in Mr Bongo's Groove Merchant Records reissue series, we present the only solo album saxophonist Ramon Morris recorded as a bandleader. Having cut his teeth playing with the iconic band Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers and working with other jazz greats, including Reuben Wilson, Shirley Scott, Rashied Ali Quintet, and Woody Shaw, 1973 saw Ramon take the step into solo territory. The resulting album Sweet Sister Funk became a certified classic and a landmark showcase of the cherished ‘70s jazz-funk sound, later sampled by the likes of DJ Premier, The Alchemist and DJ Shadow.

Originally released on Sonny Lester's iconic Groove Merchant record label and produced by Lester himself, Sweet Sister Funk is a jazz-funk masterclass. It features a slick line-up including Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet, Mickey Roker on drums, and Albert Dailey on electric piano. Rich and beautiful, the seven songs ebb and flow in energy, fusing jazz funk and soul jazz with style and swagger. There are bags of groove with Ramon and Cecil trading off on sax and trumpet in an effortless conversation throughout the LP, supplemented by brilliant solos from the rest of the players.

A gold mine of sampling material, the album includes a sublime cover version of The Stylistics' much-loved 'People Make The World Go Round', which was sampled by DJ Shadow on Blackalicious's 'Swan Lake' in 1994. Elsewhere, the percussion and bass intro of the opening track 'First Come, First Serve' is a sampler's delight - a deep, heavy groove with a fine saxophone workout by Ramon. Head to 'Don't Ask Me' and you’ll find the swinging horn intro that formed the basis of 'You Came Up' by Big Pun featuring Noreaga from 1998, whilst 'Wijinia' has echoes of ‘70s indie jazz by labels such as Strata East & Black Jazz.

Here at Mr Bongo, we are proud to be delving into the vaults of Groove Merchant Records once again, reissuing this iconic LP from Ramon Morris."

Over the past decade, East London artist Kojey Radical has cemented himself as one of the most creative and unique voices in British music. His debut album Reason to Smile (2022) was released to critical acclaim, and saw him emerge as one of the defining voices in UK culture. Now, the 32-year-old readies to release his second album Don’t Look Down.

“I wanted to make this album more personal and more honest,” he says, “we have to be able to accept that the messenger has flaws and all.

16-tracks long, Don’t Look Down, set for release on 19th September 2025, is a musically rich and deeply introspective reflection on the shifting tides, lows and joys that have passed through his life since his emergence into the public eye.

Sonically, the album provides the most experimental and eclectic music of his career, with influences ranging from golden age Hip Hop to disco, grime to Indie, Jazz to Ska. Together, these strings combine to give a pertinent insight into Kojey’s inner world, and a timestamp documenting the feelings, emotions and experiences that arise when many reach the milestone of their 30s.

“When you’re younger, certain ages seem so grown,” he says, “you feel like you’re supposed to have your life together and all figured out by 30. Then especially when you're in the spotlight you feel extra pressure to have it figured out because so many people are looking towards you.”

Don’t Look Down follows debut album Reason to Smile (2022). A critical success, it landed at No.11 on the UK Album Charts and was nominated for the Mercury Prize as well as two MOBO Awards. In the following year came a nomination for Best New Artist at 2023 BRIT Awards and Best Contemporary Song at the Ivor Novello Awards. He toured across the UK, as well as hitting the festival circuit.

This sense of growth was not limited to music. Kojey was tapped by the British Fashion Council to host the 2023 and 2024 editions of The Fashion Awards as his stock in music and wider culture continued to rise.

The album he says, is a reflection of “the experiences I’ve had over the past few years. That shaped the direction I took going forward. It’s given me the opportunity to tell new stories from newer perspectives. It was liberating, and it was very necessary to keep me in love with the process and to keep making music.”

The result is his most innovative album yet, a project where a sense of profound personal interrogation and introspection dance in union with the rich musical tapestry. Don’t Look Down is a story of purpose lost and then found, of what happens in the aftermath of achieving your childhood dreams, and the ranging flux of emotions that rise to the surface once the music stop

“I've always dreamed of making an album where I could bring together artists I deeply admire, curating voices, energies, and sensibilities that have inspired me,” says Brussels-born producer and multidisciplinary artist ShunGu of his new record, Faith in the Unknown. “It took time, and it grew into something very human, rooted in trust, patience, and creative risk. These songs are conversations, not just between me and the artists, but between worlds, eras, and ways of feeling.”
That spirit of dialogue and discovery is what defines Faith in the Unknown. Emerging from years of steady, meticulous work in the underground, the album is both a bold statement of identity and an invitation into Shungu’s world. Across 14 tracks, each a self-contained vignette, ShunGu guides the listener through shifting moods and perspectives- moments of intimacy, defiance, reflection and release, coalescing into a much larger story.
His distinct touch threads through the surefire cast of collaborators - Pink Siifu, Liv.e, Fly Anakin, Chester Watson, Fatima, Maxo, Navy Blue, Dreamcastmoe, Ruqqiyah, Zekeultra and Goya Gumbani — each track unfolding as a new dimension in the same universe.
ShunGu has long been a boundary-pusher, known for weaving jazz-inflected samples, skilfully constructed textures, and MPC-driven grooves into production that feels timeless yet untethered. With Faith in the Unknown he pushes further still: a project as much about collective energy as it is about personal vision. It’s a leap into uncertainty, carried by trust in the process and the people involved.
From the lo-fi beat tapes that first won him a cult following, to collaborations that span the globe, Shungu has forged a body of work rooted in exploration and community. Faith in the Unknown crystallises those qualities into his most ambitious statement yet; a record that doesn’t just blur boundaries between genres, but asks what happens when vulnerability and experimentation are treated as shared ground.
The result is a record that trades in subtlety. Each artistic contribution adds its own shade to the larger mosaic, pulling the listener deeper into an expanding narrative. If Faith in the Unknown has a message, it’s that art can thrive in uncertainty - that in the spaces where trust, risk, and vulnerability intersect, something entirely new can emerge.

“I've always dreamed of making an album where I could bring together artists I deeply admire, curating voices, energies, and sensibilities that have inspired me,” says Brussels-born producer and multidisciplinary artist ShunGu of his new record, Faith in the Unknown. “It took time, and it grew into something very human, rooted in trust, patience, and creative risk. These songs are conversations, not just between me and the artists, but between worlds, eras, and ways of feeling.”
That spirit of dialogue and discovery is what defines Faith in the Unknown. Emerging from years of steady, meticulous work in the underground, the album is both a bold statement of identity and an invitation into Shungu’s world. Across 14 tracks, each a self-contained vignette, ShunGu guides the listener through shifting moods and perspectives- moments of intimacy, defiance, reflection and release, coalescing into a much larger story.
His distinct touch threads through the surefire cast of collaborators - Pink Siifu, Liv.e, Fly Anakin, Chester Watson, Fatima, Maxo, Navy Blue, Dreamcastmoe, Ruqqiyah, Zekeultra and Goya Gumbani — each track unfolding as a new dimension in the same universe.
ShunGu has long been a boundary-pusher, known for weaving jazz-inflected samples, skilfully constructed textures, and MPC-driven grooves into production that feels timeless yet untethered. With Faith in the Unknown he pushes further still: a project as much about collective energy as it is about personal vision. It’s a leap into uncertainty, carried by trust in the process and the people involved.
From the lo-fi beat tapes that first won him a cult following, to collaborations that span the globe, Shungu has forged a body of work rooted in exploration and community. Faith in the Unknown crystallises those qualities into his most ambitious statement yet; a record that doesn’t just blur boundaries between genres, but asks what happens when vulnerability and experimentation are treated as shared ground.
The result is a record that trades in subtlety. Each artistic contribution adds its own shade to the larger mosaic, pulling the listener deeper into an expanding narrative. If Faith in the Unknown has a message, it’s that art can thrive in uncertainty - that in the spaces where trust, risk, and vulnerability intersect, something entirely new can emerge.

Seeking out the inspirational intersection between free improvisation, rave and ancient mysticism, Plants Heal deliver an album of kaleidoscopic, organic beatdowns to Quindi.
Plants Heal is a collaborative project between Dan Nicholls on synths, Dave De Rose on drums and Lou Zon (aka Louise Boer) on visuals. The roots of the project are entwined with Dan and Lou's London-based event Free Movements, which began in 2018 to explore how instrumental music could merge with live electronics and DJ sets. Dave and Dan found themselves playing together frequently at the event and as part of Dave's free improv project Agile Experiments, with their accomplished track records as multi-instrumentalists reaching across many layers of music culture. The particular synergy of their partnership taps into the subliminal, surreal and transcendental soundscapes, but they're reliably anchored by instinctive rhythms and driven by a natural flow-state.
From the tentative steps of their first collaborations, Dan and Dave coalesced Plants Heal as a more pronounced project with Lou's live visuals, culminating in a first self-released album in 2021 and since organically fed and watered through continued performances across adventurous festivals and intimate club spaces. Every incremental step along the path of the project yielded new surprises and the deepening sense of a unique, powerful energy. The trio opted to pour this energy into two days of studio sessions at Sonic Playground Studios in Athens, maintaining their unplanned approach and letting the music and visuals unfold in the moment. The end result is Forest Dwellers, a sincere document of truly free music that uses the rhythmic structure of dance and trance music as a springboard into heightened consciousness.
Throughout the album you can hear hints of the familiar - dub techno shimmers, trip hop boom-bap, kosmische momentum, snarling bass modulation, new age ambience and even the odd sizzle of disco. But none of these references are explicit, and they weave in and out of less placeable expressions deeply bedded into Dan and Dave's sonic practices. The end result is a swirling tapestry of unspooling groove, wide open and agile enough to shift gears mid-flow - just as comfortable letting the propulsion melt away as locking into a four-to-the-floor throwdown. From the slippery syncopation of 'Avena Moon' to the angular bait-and-switch of 'Alien Hardware', 'Yarrow's starry-eyed reverie and the rolling, warm-hearted funk of 'Space Ballad', the Plants Heal sound world is expansive and equally enthusiastic for immediate musical motifs as much as wild abstraction.
Lou's visual practice is an intrinsic part of the project. During performances she improvises with analogue footage from her library run through video mixers and synthesisers, focused on medicinal plants such as yarrow, hawthorn, nettle and thistle. All those plants feature in processed form on the cover of the record, which was designed in collaboration with Lou's brother Arthur Boer. Meanwhile, Lou recorded additional footage in Athens during the recording sessions to feed into the continued cycle of the project's live evolution.
Forest Dwellers' meaning honours this cycle and its reflection of the eternal undulations of the natural world. It's also a sincere tribute to the spiritual importance and radical potential of the dancefloor, drawn from the freedom taught by jazz and dedicated to reclaiming lost ideas about community, agency, bodies and the enduring allure of the unknown.

Manizeh Rimer, founder of London’s Love Supreme Projects, announces her debut album Mahku, releasing on vinyl and all digital platforms on December 5, 2025 via LEITER.

A bold contribution to contemporary spiritual jazz, the album was co-produced by LEITER labelmate ganavya – who recently released the celebrated Daughter of a Temple and Nilam. Recorded in early 2025 at LEITER’s Funkhaus Studio in Berlin, Mahku features eight chants, including a reimagined version of Fleetwood Mac’s Landslide, with ganavya appearing on three tracks.

The album brings together a stellar cast: Grammy-nominated Jai Uttal; bassists Ben Hazleton and Doug Weiss; harpist Miriam Adefris; pianist Jay Verma; and Manizeh‘s teenage daughter, Mahku Rimer, on vocals and guitar. Tracks range from a 3,000-year-old Zoroastrian prayer (‘Ashem Vohu’) to Sanskrit and Buddhist mantras (‘Asato Ma’, ‘Gate Gate Paragate’) to the devotional ‘Avan’s Sita Ram’, dedicated to Manizeh‘s late mother.

Mahku means “eclipse” and is also the name of Manizeh’s grandmother. Developed from her long-standing chanting practice and deep creative partnership with ganavya, the album opens and closes with three generations of women’s voices, exploring music as a timeless, intergenerational loop. Recorded in a space Manizeh describes as “suspending you in an infinite river of time,” Mahku is both personal ritual and universal offering, flowing through lineage, loss, and love.

We keep the fire burning with PAN009, a scorching slice of Latin soul from Puerto Rico’s own Nacho Sanabria, better known as El Sabor De Nacho. Originally released in 1973, his version of “Que Se Sepa” takes the Roberto Roena classic and injects it with a new energy — fiery brass, driving percussion, and that unmistakable swagger that defines the golden age of salsa.

Born in Cataño, Puerto Rico in 1929, Nacho Sanabria grew up surrounded by the rhythms of bomba and plena, performing on stage as early as age nine. After relocating to New York in the late 1940s, he became a key figure in the Latin dance scene, performing with groups like Sonora Boricua, Orquesta Panamericana, and later Rafael Cortijo’s Combo. By the mid-1960s, Sanabria formed his own band, El Sabor De Nacho, combining tight horn arrangements, sharp percussion, and his signature charismatic delivery. His 1970s recordings — including Alma Primitiva and Salsa Caliente — stand as shining examples of Puerto Rican salsa at its peak.

Sanabria’s version isn’t a straight cover — it’s his own Puerto Rican interpretation, full of character and swing. The rhythm section stays tight and earthy, the horns punch with intent, and his vocal delivery brings that effortless charm only a seasoned bandleader could deliver. A proper Latin soul mover that sits somewhere between the barrio and the dancefloor, perfect for warm evenings and deeper DJ sets.

Rescued from obscurity and lovingly restored for today’s floors, PANORAMA Records continues its mission to reintroduce rare and essential music to new generations. From deep funk, jazz and global grooves to Latin dancefloor heat, the label’s 45s series shines a light on overlooked gems that still sound fresh today. Supported by tastemakers like Gilles Peterson, Patrick Forge, and the Mr Bongo DJs, this one’s destined to move both hips and feet.

In 1995 The Roots burst onto the scene with their seminal debut album, Do You Want More?!!!??! that garnered critical acclaim and cemented them as a powerhouse group fusing elements of various genres with their signature live instrumentation. Thirty years later in March of 2025, The Roots played a three day, six show residency at the legendary Blue Note Jazz club in New York City where they celebrated their debut by playing it in full – performing many tracks that hadn’t been performed live in decades. The performance also brought out special guest appearances from long-time collaborators, Ursula Rucker, Dice Raw and Rahzel, Godfather of Noise.

To cap off the 30 Year Anniversary, The Roots will release the full performance on vinyl. The 2xLP, gatefold package is pressed Black vinyl, and features 21 tracks. ?uestlove spent tireless hours perfecting the mixing and mastering with Glen Forrest and Colin Mohnacs to ensure all elements of the performance were represented on the vinyl.

Vibe Ride is the sixth release of Adam Rudolph's Hu Vibrational project and marks his 60th release as a leader or co-leader. Comes with insert and download code.

“With every record, the goal is to explore new creative territory,” explains Rudolph. Vibe Ride continues a deeper exploration of a trance-like groove and a conceptual framework known as Sonic Mandala. This album marks the most complete realization of that idea, partly due to the group's experience touring beforehand. That time on the road helped to refine ideas and strengthen musical chemistry. The recording process unfolded organically—likely due to the long-standing collaboration within ensembles like Go: Organic Orchestra and Moving Pictures, where the musicians have developed a deep familiarity with the shared musical language.

Sonic Mandala refers to a musical approach distinct from traditional linear structures of theme and development. Found in cultures across the globe, it may represent one of the oldest forms of musical expression—predating written history by tens of thousands of years. Today, it is most vividly preserved in the music of the Ituri Forest peoples (Aka, Baka, Ba Benzele, Mbuti), whose sound traditions revolve in cyclical, orbit-like patterns. Vibe Ride seeks to bring that ancient sense of circularity into a contemporary—and perhaps even futuristic—context.

The ensemble of Vibe Ride—Alexis Marcelo, Jerome Harris, Harris Eisenstadt, Neel Murgai, Tim Kieper, and Tripp Dudley—brings exceptional creativity and skill to the project. While grounded in the sonic languages of today, their performance channels an ancient vibrational lineage, connecting with ancestral sound makers who were attuned to the rhythms of the sun, moon, stars, and seasons. Human beings have always been deeply responsive to natural cycles.

Like a mandala, where the circle reveals itself as a spiral—always returning, but never to the exact same point—the Sonic Mandala musical experience spirals through motion. Refined signal patterns emerge through overtone-rich instrumentation. The groove becomes a threshold, shifting the listener from passive observation into active, even transcendent, participation. With open ears and an open mind, the sound spirals inward—toward a primal center—and outward into the cosmos. When this elevated state is shared among participants, it creates what mystics describe as resonance.

Vibe Ride thrives on the distinctive sonic voices of its players, interwoven with care and nuance into the compositions. Hu Vibrational merges elements of world music, electronica, and improvised jazz into something both funky and spiritual, intense and soothing.

Using signature techniques of organic orchestration, layered arrangement, and electronic processing, the compositions are sculpted from percussion, electronics, and ethereal textures. Rhythmic foundations drawn from diverse traditions serve not as endpoints, but as building blocks. As the saying goes, “Orchestration is the key.” In shaping the sound, the aim was to discover fresh ways of balancing structure and sonic color. As Don Cherry once said: “The swing is in the sound.”

The audiophile LP was carefully recorded, mixed, and mastered by James Dellatacoma—longtime engineer for both Bill Laswell and Rudolph—at Laswell’s Orange Studio.

“This crew artfully blends together to create a seamless tapestry of rhythm… the end results are mesmerizing. Hu Vibrational is all about communing with the groove spirits and creating worlds where earthy rhythms and other-worldly sounds are one.”
— Dan Bilawsky, All Music Guide

“You can be sure that when Adam Rudolph and an ensemble of breathtaking drummers get together mystical and wonderful things will happen.”
— Raul da Gama,

“A stunning effort, enjoyable and grows with repeated listening.”
— Stefan Wood, Freejazzcollective

DJ Support: Antal, I Cube, Noel Watson, Colleen Cosmo Murphy, Sean Johnston, San Soda, Takaya Nagase, Tina Edwards, Pete Herbert, Kenneth Bager, Severino, Aaron Paar, Felix Joy, Harri Harrigan, Laroye, Telford, Darker Than Wax, Rocky (X Press 2), Shane Johnson, Dan Tyler, Felix Dickinson and many more

Having previously released selected retrospectives focused on the musical output of Ryo Kawasaki and Joan Bibiloni, NuNorthern Soul has now turned its attention to the vast back catalogue of Jasper Van’t Hof’s pioneering electro-acoustic, Afro-fusion collective, Pili Pili.

The band was established in 1984 by Van’t Hof, a Dutch pianist who began his career in Europe’s jazz scene of the late 1960s, as a way of combining his love of jazz-fusion and the music of North-West Africa. Van’t Hof already had a reputation for combining roles in traditional jazz combos with more experimental and abstract projects. These included a spell in violinist Jean-Luc Ponty’s first band, years spent masterminding jazz-rock outfit Jasper Van’t Hof’s Porkpie, the recording of an all- electronic album (1982’s Visitors), and a celebrated collaborative live album with the great Archie Shepp, Mama Rose.

Pili Pili, though, was another step forward for Van’t Hof. Working with percussionists and vocalists from Benin and Mali (including the now legendary Angelique Kidou) and a string of adventurous jazz soloists (saxophonist Tony Lakoto and trumpeter Annie Whitehead included), Van’t Hof’s collective frequently combined live and programmed percussion, electronic and acoustic instrumentation, and the talented improvisor’s own memorable melodies and impactful solos.

NuNorthern Soul’s retrospective focuses on the most productive and celebrated period of Pili Pili’s near three-decade history, showcasing tracks originally recorded and released on studio albums released between 1984 and 2002. The six tracks on show offer an essential glimpse into the musical gold to be found across the Pili Pili catalogue.

In keeping with NuNorthern Soul’s previous retrospectives, the vinyl version of Selected Works 1984-95 comes with extended liner notes telling the remarkable story of this most unusual of cross-cultural collaborations. These feature extensive quotes, reflections and memories from Jasper Van’t Hof and were written by music historian Matt Anniss.

When Leng Records founders Paul ‘Mudd’ Murphy and Simon Purnell marked the imprint’s 10th birthday, they did so via a celebratory compilation that mixed classic catalogue cuts, remixes and exclusives. Five years on, and with the label’s 15th birthday upon us, they’ve decided to look to the future via a compilation made up entirely of fresh productions from Leng’s roster of current and new artists. Presented on limited-edition gatefold double vinyl with a bonus 10” single, the collection offers an updated showcase of Leng’s much-loved trademark sound, a distinctive fusion of mid-tempo sleazy-disco, Balearica and chugging house interspersed with elements of electronic psychedelia and synth-powered space disco. Fittingly for a compilation that wholeheartedly looks to the future, you’ll find first contributions from a handful of label newcomers.

Fast-rising duo Flying Mojito Bros give their spin on ‘Smoke Signals’ by label debutants Joe HarveyWhyte and Bobby Lee, turning in a heady and inspired revision that sits somewhere between dusk-ready cosmic disco and flash-fried desert blues. There’s also an appearance from Swedish producer Bo Wosticz with the dreamy and ultra-deep nu-jazz of ‘Bs As’. Naturally, you’ll also find plenty of heat from those who have already proved their mettle through prior releases on Leng. Danish duo Liminal, who made their debut earlier this year with the much-played ‘Keep Coming Back To Me’, open proceedings with the tactile, slow-disco flex of ‘Tzatziki Bay’ where sweet synth melodies and a heady electric piano riff ride a warming groove.

Roberto Intrallazzi and Dario Piana from Italy’s original Afro-cosmic movement return with ‘Plutos’, a typically deep dubbed-out cosmic chugger. Then there’s Rose Robinson AKA Tigerbalm, whose ‘Mexicana’ featuring singer Joi N’Juno is presented across the package in two different forms. Pete Herbert, who contributed to some of the earliest Leng releases, drops a driving dub disco take on the main compilation, while Robinson’s original mix – a more organic, percussive and horn-heavy affair blessed with plenty of hallucinatory intent – opens the bonus 10”.

There’s a welcome return to Leng for the brilliant Payfone, whose ‘Dime Algo’ is a typically classy, analogue-rich affair in which attractive Rhodes riffs, atmospheric female vocals and pitched-down house pianos rise above shuffling drum machine beats and a slow-motion bassline. Long-serving label contributor Lex (Athens) delivers the loose-limbed nu-disco breeze of ‘Stolen Dance’, while the imprint’s San Francisco connection – the ever-brilliant 40 Thieves collective – drop the dubbed-out Bay Area brilliance of ‘Such A Great Trip’.

Then there are the contributions of the label’s most storied artist, Andrew Meecham AKA Emperor Machine with ‘Eumig’, a deliciously slow, synth-rich chugger full of colourful chords, bubbly electronic melodies and jaunty electronic bass. Then, to round off the bonus 10” single, Meecham joins forces with Paul Murphy (as Mudd) on ‘Road To Nikko’, an extended, Japanese musical culture-influenced slab of pitched-down alien-funk packed to the rafters with squelchy synth sounds, effects-laden percussion, chiming melodies and rubbery bass guitar.