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Wewantsounds is delighted to announce the release of the sought-after soundtrack for cult 1980 French film "Clara Et Les Chics Types," featuring Isabelle Adjani, Daniel Auteuil and the Splendid troupe actors. The Jazz-Funk soundtrack, composed by Michel Jonasz and featuring Manu Katché and Sylvin Marc has never been reissued since 1980. ). Together they weaved a mainly instrumental blend of Jazz funk, reggae and pop which matched the narrative perfectly. Although all the ingredients were there for a success, the film unfortunately stalled and so did the soundtrack. Jonasz went on to become a huge star in France shortly after, but strangely, the Clara soundtrack was never reissued, not even on CD. Remastered from with original master tapes, the release includes two never-released bonus tracks and a 4-page booklet with liner notes by French music expert and musician Guido Minisky (also a member of Acid Arab) who interviewed Michel Jonasz and actor Christophe Bourseiller for the occasion.

Mint Condition - A record label focused on excavating the outer fringes of classic House and Techno. Unreleased mixes, classics, overlooked gems and never heard before material, mined from the last 30+ years of contemporary dance music are the order of the day. From Chicago, Detroit and New York to London, Nottingham and beyond. Mint Condition have got their digging hats on to bring you exclusive heat and those rarer than rare jams that have been in your wants list for years. Dig in!

Forged in the fertile acid house scene of the late 80s, A Trifle Too Far comprises childhood friends Simon Ward and Tony Grimley from Hornchurch, on London's outer fringes in Essex. Their insatiable thirst for seeking out new sounds led them to countless shindigs, parties and raves, eventually inspiring them to craft their own music based on their adventures on the dancefloor.

Their studio collaboration culminated in the creation of the remarkable record you currently hold in your hands: 'Catch Your Ear / Meringueatang'. This two-track release, recorded in 1992, offers forward-thinking and fresh prog-house cuts, as rare as hen's teeth and as exhilarating as they were upon their original release over three decades ago. Catch Your Ear was expertly engineered by Evren Omer, boss of Essex-based techno bunker Strategy Records, while Meringueatang was helmed by Matt Clayden, one half of M&M and Acorn Arts and the proprietor of X-Gate Records, another stalwart in Essex's underground dance scene.

'Catch Your Ear / Meringueatang' remains the only musical collaboration between the duo. When Mint Condition approached them to reissue this highly sought-after EP, both Simon and Tony were surprised and delighted in equal measure by the proposition. Now, a few months down the line, we find ourselves with yet another top-tier addition to the MC reissue catalogue, fully licensed from the artists, mastered and cut by Keith Tenniswood at Curve Pusher, and available once again for purchase. Do not resist the beat!

There is NO LIGHT at the end of this tunnel! BROWN ACID: The Nineteenth Trip fires ten more savage nails deep into the coffin of ‘60s psychedelic idealism. This series is THE premier top dog journey into the rarest and most wasted early local eruptions of heavy rock, unleashed at a time when harsh reality, human nature and disillusionment drove prevailing underground rock glimpses of a ‘better’ world into ever darker selfabsorbed comedowns. Mind expanding ’60s love energies transform into toxic aggression right before your ears! The great thing is that these moves are totally justified, ‘we are all one’ is cosmically good in theory but ‘get it while you can’ ends up perhaps better advice in the light of human history. Both of those angles of awareness can coexist, some of these bands deliver unrelenting sideways positive energy but they aren’t over-thinking it, they are youthfully driven by hunger for life and satisfying the undeniable urges their DNA thrusts upon them. Sonically, the results in the BROWN ACID series never fail to breathe hot and heavy, the guitars kill it every time, the variety of approaches these tracks take keep the scenery shifting into new places. The key element that makes this stuff so potent is that THEY (the bands) are in control. Captured genuinely with no compromise, right out of the gate. No doubt they had ambition with high hopes for the future when they laid down these primal efforts, the fact that they captured their energy so vividly at a moment in time when the only direction imaginable was UP creates a hard hitting life affirming subtext to the proceedings. That is the core energy of blues and rock and roll, dealing with the struggles of existence by flipping a gigantic ‘what the fuck’ high energy bird right in the face of the moronic defective reality these bands were born into. If you take this stuff too ‘seriously’ you are utterly missing the point, it is beyond analysis, it is life itself! No amount of thinking will get you there quicker! BROWN ACID: The Nineteenth Trip is scary... the bottomless pit of deranged vintage heavy rock the series presents continually expands over time... one deadly dose too many and you might be trapped in the bad trip loop forever... enjoy it or lose your mind!

Amandra, half head honcho behind Ahrpe Records, goes for subtly evolving and droning atmospheres. With releases spanning electronic genres and record labels: Nous klaer Audio, AD 93, Tikita or Semantica, just to name a few; the French producer ba with coherence his own vision of acid and tribal rhythms that can be presented with either bright and soft feelings or through a
Brera Som Som EP

As always with Amandra, there is a blend of poetic and soft hidden touch given to the music through carefully crafted personal Som is a 4 tracker EP, recorded back when he lived in Warsaw Poland, showcasing the artists ability to navigate through nich double 12 package cherry topped with four intelligent and eclectic remixes from artists with their own unique identity: Shieldin Brainwaltzera.

Amandra on disc 1
Brera Som Som
I want my music to breathe dirty so its alive to my ears, trying to stay away from surgical, clean, electronic music. The Prophet recorded by hand, with assumed offbeat imperfections, as always. I wanted to get a naive Asian mood out of it, just to try and c track. I tend to think a lot about my tracks and their meaning more in terms of feelings, art and techniques than in terms of dee
dance floors or whatever. Brera Som Som is a try at using the chiaroscuro technique depicted in classical paintings for instance interesting focus on some very specific elements.

Cyborg Pelikana
Recorded out of a jam on a Soma Pulsar 23 and some heavy distorted synths, it ended up sounding like no other recordings bit different as I wanted to have a more composed like approach here.

Fanfaron
Here is a try at going jungle... with a Moog DFAM and a 303 processed through a Sherman Filterbank.

Prorokini
This one belongs to a phase where I was exploring the sampling side of electronic music. Until that moment I was building 100 based on raw drum machines and some processing, then started feeling how it would feel to sample some raw external beats and process them my way. I didnt pursue that sampling lead much afterward because it felt like a boring approach to me that
stood out anyway, like this one, which Im very proud of. The synths are clearly programmed on the Prophet 08, it cant go any Instruments than that, if you like them, go grab that synth

Remixers on disc 2
Cyborg Pelikana Shielding Remix
I liked the dry and direct qualities of the original track and wanted to maintain that feeling while collaging it using my own proc Recorded in my old home studio in Stockholm.

Brera Som Som Brainwaltzera Remix
no comment.
Fanfaron Whylie Remix
The remix was made using resampling techniques, the rhythmic noises were transformed into driving percussive layers pushi character. A more emotional overlay was added to the track based on the sentimental and personal approach I built through.

Brera Som Som Martinou Remix
Interpreting Amandras work has been on my bucket list for a while. Theres something in it that is innately humanizing and raw capture in my remix. The melody line from the remix is just a snapshot of a small part of the full original track, but it stuck with my improvisation to what you see before you today. With this remix I wanted to make something that would swell slowly and ring o
All original tracks written and produced by Amandra.
Remixes written and produced by Brainwaltzera, Whylie, Martinou and Shielding.
Mastered by Amandra.
Artwork by Neurotypique.

“Commencement/Mineral Blend” delivers a fusion of rough and ready dub-adjacent bass music compositions from the London based trio Damos Room. Also featured are eclectic remixes from artists Gonjasufi, Lewi Boome, Dome Zero, and Nudibranch residents Polyop.

The bulk of the EP came from a rare in-person collaboration at Elijah Minnelli’s loft. The Horse Militia laid belly to the ground, endlessly feeding an effects chain like a battery hen with noises from multiple contrasting sources. It was particularly hot that day and the windows were wide open, so if you listen closely you can hear the humid Selhurst skyline bleeding into the recordings. This long weekend was punctuated by visits to the local swamp and an outing to see Channel One Soundsystem.

"Commencement," the EP's inaugural offering, unfolds with a hypnotic, droning bass groove, providing the floor for a paranoid stream of consciousness.

"Mineral Blend" takes a lazier dancehall-esque approach. Littered with unloved sounds from previous sessions and repurposing the lyrics ("I want to be a vessel") from Damos Room's DR Viewings #2 release with Polyop, this track weaves in and out of consciousness without ever truly bubbling over.

Remixers Lewi Boome and Dome Zero contribute imaginative 150bpm takes on both "Commencement" and "Mineral Blend” respectively, drawing inspiration from their backgrounds in bass, techno and experimental electronic music.

Polyop's remix of "Mineral Blend" leans further into dub techno stylings, infusing a refreshing and spacious perspective that echoes their acid roots.

The LA-based artist Gonjasufi transforms "Commencement" into a foggy and mysterious rendition, using his unique production techniques to transcend the dancefloor and immerse listeners in a misty sonic landscape.

''One Foot in the Rave'' is a vibrant collection that showcases Jonny's signature style--a blend of melodic, melancholic acid jams, bleepy funk, and warm analog electronics. Whether for the stereo or the sound system, the LP moves from the upfront bounce of ''The Apocalypse is Now'' and ''Raymond Tuesday's Big Day Out'' to the shimmering reverb of ''Starry Night'' and the birdsong-infused ''Ringfort.'' Listeners will find themselves in familiar Automatic Tasty terrain, rich with psychedelic exploration. According to Jonny, ''What to say about this record? I don't really know and it hardly matters. I wrote them on different bits of gear; ye olde faithful Roland SH101, my MC202 (pencil and paper de rigeur), a battered x0xb0x 1.0 (thx Daniel!), a beloved Yamaha Cs-5, a similarly beloved Roland SH5, a truly hammered Juno106, a Roland JX3P, a Nord something or other, an MPC2500, my TR606, and a Vermona DRM1 MKII being sequenced via a bedraggled TR626. Also Jay's TR808 is on there (thx Jay!) and a TR8 being squashed through a Mutronics Mutator (wheee Damo!) and a Zoom H4n recorder. I edited them on a dilapidated laptop, with no headphones or monitors, steering by the tiny speakers on the computer and playing them in my car, twiddling the mix as I went. But these are frivolous and unimportant details. All that matters is that these songs were made out of love. Cheerio, Jonny. P.S.: This record is dedicated to Jay 'Winthorpe' Kelly.'' ''One Foot in the Rave'' will be available on vinyl and digital platforms starting October 14th.

Dar Embarks, the hardware-based collaboration of Chicagoans Dan Jugle and Ken Zawacki, share four precious recordings of bouncing, highly-acidic machine funk and industrial ambiance. This is a posthumous release for Dan Jugle, who departed in 2018.

Dan was a multi-instrumentalist and a pillar of Chicago's techno scene who left an indelible mark on it with his distinctive sound. His infatuation with electronic music began in the mid-90s when he found his way to Midwest raves as soon as he was old enough to drive to them. He began working with analog gear to create his own expression of the music he heard there. Jugle, Zawacki, and Mike Broers started experimenting with a thrifted Roland TR-707, figuring out the controls through trial and error. They performed together as Ghost Arcade in the early 2000s.

Years later, Jugle and Zawacki reunited creatively, forming Dar Embarks and building the foundation for their project. Jugle gained a reputation for crafting washed-out, saturated club tracks as Juzer, a project formed with Beau Wanzer. Dar Embarks' debut EP Fleer (released on CLEAR USA) and Juzer's Horseplay (on Anthony Parasole's label The Corner) were both released in 2014, both elevated by Dan Jugle's live-action knob-twisting and button-pushing composition inspired by sci-fi and comic books. Despite his early passing, Jugle's legacy lives on through his work and his passion for Midwest techno that his friends and fans still remember and carry.

Lovingly wrapped up and presented to Acid Camp by Ken, these heaters are finally set free to move asses and minds.

The Midnight Rock label was home to some of the greatest productions of the era, and like any smart Jamaican producer, label owner Nkrumah Jah Thomas worked his rhythms hard, using them to create scores of records by dozens of artists. Sometimes the tracks that he created were released, but still more languished in the vaults. Caught on multi-track tape, but never released.

That was the fate of a session that he recorded with Sugar Minott. The singer - known in the UK for his monster hit ‘Good Thing Going’ - had made his name in the vocal group The African Brothers, before working as a soloist for Coxsone Dodd at Studio One. For the Acid Jazz distributed Roots Records, Thomas has worked hard in creating sharp new mixes for this single - a plea against gun violence as apt today as when it was put down on tape - the first fruits of that work.

A fantastic Radics rhythm with an exceptional vocal and brand-new dub by Jah Thomas and Rory on the flip. Adorned with the classic Midnight Rock label.

Not much to say on this one, Mattias Ostling aka Rolando Simmons is back on AF. You should know what you're in for: undeniably beautiful acid stuff, somewhere between propulsive and melancholy, lush but fidgety 4/4 beats...'Terrestrial Ultra-Doula EP' is a 4-track adventure that deftly dabbles in rave, IDM, techno and beyond in classic RS style. In his own words "Every completed project is the failure of an original idea and the triumph of a successful adaptation. These tracks were inspired by a dream and my subsequent reflections on it. Playing music for others is an act of alchemy that can alter thought patterns and life paths to varying degrees. It is a formidable power to wield." Ostling is one of those artists who works in a specific continuum but adds his own touch here and there--and when it comes to reverb-drenched, acid-lashed, wound-up IDM pitter-patter, not many can do it as well, or as elegantly, as this. Word, you're gonna need this one.

Earlier this year we were excited to announce the return of one of our most beloved bands of recent years: New Street Adventure. To mark the 10th Anniversary of their debut album ‘No Hard Feelings’, on 4 October we are releasing a special, limited edition olive green colour vinyl reissue. The release will coincide with an extensive UK tour.

‘About eighteen months ago, someone asked if I had a spare vinyl copy of ‘No Hard Feelings’. I checked the shelves, and found my own copy and no more. I checked Discogs and saw that it was changing hands for far more than an 8-year-old album should be. Released in the pre-vinyl-revival years, its limited original pressing means that demand is now out-stripping supply – a measure of just how good this record is. With that in mind Nick Corbin and I hatched a plot for a 10th Anniversary reissue, and here it is!

I loved New Street Adventure. They were smart, looked great on stage, and in Nick was one of the best front-men and songwriters I have ever worked with. With their own ecosystem of self promoted gigs, they created their own audience, and for a while it looked like a major label deal was in the offing. Eddie Piller had wanted to sign them from the first time he met Nick, and when the big deal didn’t happen, he was still there for the band as they became an Acid Jazz act in 2013.

There were endless back-and-forths on how the album should sound (and some despair that it wasn’t quite sounding as good as it should have). Then Mitch Ayling came on board to produce the final mix. He brought out the songs, lifted the playing, delivering the shiny finished recording that took its place as one of the finest moments in the Acid Jazz catalogue. Nick’s songs now sparkled. As his love of soul shone through, his politically and socially aware lyrics showed a rare, wry observational gaze that was turned on 21st Century life. From the warnings against populist hatred of ‘On Our Front Doorstep’, to the hopeless ennui of ‘Foot In The Door’, and the day-to-day pursuits of being in your twenties in a big city. Through it all shines a passion – sometimes coming out as anger – that drives the music. It is of course encapsulated in ‘The Big A.C.’, written about the night that Nick’s dad took him to the 6Ts Allnighter at the 100 Club, which brought him into the world of Northern Soul. It’s a classic that nails the feeling of excitement as well as anything written.

The album was released late in 2014 and for those who want a vinyl copy – even the CDs cost a fair penny now – we have prepared this special 10th Anniversary Edition on transparent olive-green coloured vinyl. The inner sleeve is illustrated with never-before seen photos from the archive, both candid and by early band supporter Dean Chalkley, and has sleeve notes by Nick and myself. Nick is taking New Street back on tour this Autumn, and it you would be foolish (once more) to miss either the tour or the record.’

Mike Paradinas, veteran producer and Planet Mu label owner has written a new album called 'Grush' and it's full of weird bangers that reclaim the 'dance' part of the woeful term IDM. A back-to-first-principles record, inspired in part by the group of artists IDM was coined for; melodic dance music that didn't come out of urban scenes, but interpreted them from a distance. The tracks on 'Grush' are all road-tested live favorites developed with feedback from Mike's touring partner and visuals guy Mora (Jan Moravec). It's a detailed and energetic journey which replicates the flow of a live gig. A lot of the tracks have been made in hotel rooms in response to shows, 'Imperial Crescent' is named after a Japanese Hotel, as is 'Belvedere' in Prague, while some tracks such as 'Hyper Daddy' were created specifically to play live. Drums are confidently at the fore here and the album feels like it traces Mike's musical history and interests neatly around his sweetly nostalgic melodies, with atmospheres and structures which twist and turn with a charming softness which contrasts with the tension in the drums. Take 'Hyper Daddy's' spiralling notes and twinkling piano which remind one of early Black Dog or Omni Trio rushing alongside splashy jungle drums, or the aquatic acid footwork of the title track with its drums softly bubbling and kicking. Elsewhere there's territory which harks back to his Tusken Raiders pseudonym, like the heads down Drexciyan funk of 'Windsor Safari Park,' which transforms from moody electro into a sunny hardcore track midway. The album is interspersed with Reticulum A, B and C at the start middle and end of the album which suggest a theme which carries across the music in an effortless and joyful way. 'Grush' is a strong album that works both for listening and DJing and a great snapshot of where Mike Paradinas musical head is at in 2024.Tracklist Vinyl A: 1/Reticulum A 2/Hyper Daddy 3/Fogou B: 1/Magic Pony Ride (Pt.4) 2/Imperial Crescent 3/Reticulum B 4/Grush C: 1/Belvedere 2/Raver 3/Windsor Safari Park 4/Hastings D: 1/Manscape 2/Metaphonk 3/Reticulum C

Almost three decades on from their last release, Acid Jazz forefathers Galliano are back with news of their new LP ‘Halfway Somewhere’ which is being released on Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Recordings on 30 August.

Born out of London’s underground clubs and warehouse parties of the mid to late eighties, with the debut single on the Acid Jazz label in 1988, Galliano came out of a culture that spanned music, dance, fashion, art, design, and the written word.

When they arrived as the first act on Gilles Peterson’s Talkin’ Loud label in 1990 with ‘Welcome to the Story’ (produced by Chris Bangs who invented the term Acid Jazz) dressed in Gabicci sweaters, beads and skullcaps they captured a scene built on re-invention. “We were all playing around with what we could get our hands on whether that was a seventies book on Jamaican style or old Last Poets and Watts Prophets records,” says Gallagher. “We’d been recycling things for a few years but suddenly everything had coalesced and you’ve got an amalgam that seemed quite solid.”
For their first album since 1997, Rob Gallagher and his partner, vocalist Valerie Etienne, are joined by Galliano stalwarts Ernie McKone on bass, Crispin Taylor on drums, and Ski Oakenfull on keys (with guests including saxophonist Jason Yarde and percussionist Crispin ‘Spry’ Robinson).

Where the old Galliano recycled records they heard at clubs, today they are responding to the kaleidoscopic global jazz scene - from Total Refreshment Centre in London to International Anthem in Chicago. More than forty years since they came together, Galliano are still only ‘Halfway Somewhere’, but listening to the album they are obviously having fun getting there. “I think the stars have to be aligned when you redo things,” says Gallagher. “Coming at it from this door is very different to the door we came into back then. But once it's existing it is something. But I’m still not sure what that something is.”

Almost three decades on from their last release, Acid Jazz forefathers Galliano are back with news of their new LP ‘Halfway Somewhere’ which is being released on Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Recordings on 30 August.

Born out of London’s underground clubs and warehouse parties of the mid to late eighties, with the debut single on the Acid Jazz label in 1988, Galliano came out of a culture that spanned music, dance, fashion, art, design, and the written word.

When they arrived as the first act on Gilles Peterson’s Talkin’ Loud label in 1990 with ‘Welcome to the Story’ (produced by Chris Bangs who invented the term Acid Jazz) dressed in Gabicci sweaters, beads and skullcaps they captured a scene built on re-invention. “We were all playing around with what we could get our hands on whether that was a seventies book on Jamaican style or old Last Poets and Watts Prophets records,” says Gallagher. “We’d been recycling things for a few years but suddenly everything had coalesced and you’ve got an amalgam that seemed quite solid.”
For their first album since 1997, Rob Gallagher and his partner, vocalist Valerie Etienne, are joined by Galliano stalwarts Ernie McKone on bass, Crispin Taylor on drums, and Ski Oakenfull on keys (with guests including saxophonist Jason Yarde and percussionist Crispin ‘Spry’ Robinson).

Where the old Galliano recycled records they heard at clubs, today they are responding to the kaleidoscopic global jazz scene - from Total Refreshment Centre in London to International Anthem in Chicago. More than forty years since they came together, Galliano are still only ‘Halfway Somewhere’, but listening to the album they are obviously having fun getting there. “I think the stars have to be aligned when you redo things,” says Gallagher. “Coming at it from this door is very different to the door we came into back then. But once it's existing it is something. But I’m still not sure what that something is.”

SWASTIKAS FOR NODDY is possibly, probably, maybe, or not, a seminal and sidereal masterpiece, the inspiration for 93,000 Masks On Nothings, none of which were Groovy. For me, well, it was my first Hallucinatory PickNick, and the skies turned Pixie Red for it.

I was given the album’s title during an Acid Trip: seeing Noddy Crucified In The Sky, I asked God what the most inappropriate BirthDay present for Noddy might be. God answered me from the Acid Whirlwind: “Swastikas!”

I recorded her in a run-down basement studio in West London, whilst I was simultaneously recording IMPERIUM. On playing the finished album to certain well-chosen friends, I was told by them that I had “destroyed Current 93”, and that it sounded like “demented children on drugs singing Simon & Garfunkel in a playground”. I then knew the album sounded exactly as I had dreamed it to sound, and as God had intended it to sound. Had I ditched the earlier darkness, and skipped into flowered fields? Great Black Time had already told me “NO!—GO!”

Remastered by The Bricoleur at Bladud Flies!, and with the original artwork refreshed and reborn by Rob Hopeye, this 12” vinyl picture-disc comes in a full-colour die-cut sleeve, which is printed on both the outside and inside.

This is one of the first 4 reissues of the entire back catalogue of C93 on picture-disc and standard vinyl, in the lead-up to the publication of my autobiography at the end of 2025, whilst I also work on many other recording, publishing, and painting projects, and Watch And Pray! Each release in the picture-disc vinyl reissues series is limited to 1,000 copies, and the titles will not be repressed as picture-discs once they have sold out.

The 4th EP in the Synthetic Line Records series is out! To mark this new vinyl release, the label choose the name ERR404 to share its vision of techno & acid music. The four tracks were produced by artists of the French underground techno scene: Jaja Solo, Gvts & Karden, 6thFloor & Midilink and Audioflow & Stabfinger

Kompakt is proud to announce, finally, a reissue of the first, self-titled GAS album. Originally released on electronica imprint Mille Plateaux back in 1996, it’s been unavailable in its original form ever since – the version of GAS included in 2008’s Nah Und Fern box featured several different tracks. Here, however, GAS is restored in all its glory, the debut full-length from Wolfgang Voigt’s most enigmatic, quixotic project.

There had, of course, been signs of what was to come. Back in 1995, Voigt essayed the first GAS release, a slender, yet remarkable four-track EP, Modern. Its centre label featured a reduced symbol – an overhead or lamp light, switched on, its glow radiating outwards in four bold black lines – a perfect representation of the tight, stylised ambient electronic pop contained on that 12”. A few curious compilation tracks were floating around, too, for Mille Plateaux’s Modulation & Transformation and Electric Ladyland series. If you were attentive enough, you could tell something was up.

But nothing quite prepared us for the languorous, effervescing loops and regular-like-clockwork beats that Voigt folded together on GAS. Its six long tracks, all untitled, neither begin nor end but hazily fade into earshot, vibrate majestically in your cochlea for fifteen-or-so minutes – some a bit shorter, some longer – and then meander away, reading the mise-en-scène for the next example of Voigt’s drift and dream logic to unfold. The material is referential in the most distant way, and you can sense only the most evanescent of ghostly presences, haunting these six compositions.

GAS feels, also, like a more pliable hint at what’s to come, as the GAS concept really solidified on its successor, 1997’s Zauberberg, and reach its apotheosis on Königsforst and Pop. Those three albums share a very similar palette – blurred, hazy samples, often of classical music, stacked and cross-thatched across a muted 4/4 thud. GAS, then, is an outlier of sorts: it’s more expansive in its remit, lighter in its mood, perhaps more fleet of foot. This, of course, is part of its charm.

In clearing space for Voigt, by preparing the terrain, GAS sits both at the edge of the forest, and at the verge of an expansive, wide-eyed future; one where GAS would become truly eternal.

Text by Jonathan Dale

Kompakt ist stolz, endlich eine Neuauflage des ersten, selbstbetitelten GAS-Albums ankündigen zu können. Ursprünglich im Jahr 1996 auf dem Electronica-Label Mille Plateaux veröffentlicht, ist es seitdem nicht mehr in seiner ursprünglichen Form erhältlich – die gleichnamige Version von GAS, die 2008 in der Nah Und Fern Box enthalten war, enthielt verschiedene andere Titel. Nun liegt das 3er Album in seinem naturbelassenen Originalzustand wieder vor.

Bereits 1995 zeichnete sich mit der Maxi GAS - Modern auf Profan, sowie einigen Kompilation-Beiträgen auf Modulation & Transformation und Electric Ladyland auf Mille Plateaux dieser frühe, weltentrückte, rätselhafte GAS Sound ab, der sich erst in den sechs scheinbar endlosen, majestätisch-sprudelnden Tracks des Albums voll entfaltete. Die Musik ist von ätherischer Leichtigkeit, in der wie aus einer anderen Sphäre abstrakte Referenzen aus weiter Ferne nur andeutungsweise herüberzuwehen scheinen.

Dieser frühe, eher sphärisch-leichte, gleich einer sonnendurchfluteten (Wald-)Lichtung anmutende GAS Sound, stellt gewissermaßen den Ausgangspunkt der audiovisuellen „Welt“-Reise in den düster-romantischen Acid-Wald dar, in den sich GAS ab 1997 mit den Alben Zauberberg, Königsforst, Oktember und ab 2000 mit Pop an anderer Stelle wieder hinaus und in seine ganz eigene Ewigkeit begeben hat.

Back in 1993... Early acid Techno from the U.S. … Golden age of the Electronic Music... When Trance, techno and Breakbeat were one and only scene called Rave ! 25 years later, here comes a reisuue of these praised records, remastered by Isotop, cut by Simon The Exchange... The second vinyl brings 3 remixes : one from Biri & The Geezer for a bloody Hackney Acid style ! Another oldschool acid story for a familly meltdown... Then comes a Magy remake more than a remix, re-playing all instruments and all melodies entirely... Sampless tune ! For the last track we have this Big-Beat/Breakbeat version from Monstafunkaz... The remix EP coming with the album is the result from a little challenge remix done on social medias last year... Visual is from Artcoton.

At the muddy miracle that was Woodstock, the most miraculous performance just might have been Jefferson Airplane’s. The band had been one of the first to sign on for the festival, their imprimatur prompting many other acts to hop on board, and their stature had landed them a coveted headlining slot closing Saturday night’s schedule. But, as the torrential downpours and the unexpected crush of half a million people kept on delaying their set, the chances of putting on anything approaching a quality performance seemed to diminish.

According to Paul Kantner, “We were supposed to go on at 10:30 at night and we’d been up and down about four or five times on acid that night, getting ready to go on, and then everything was delayed for whatever reasons. So, we didn’t get on until like 7:00 the next morning and everybody was pretty much burned out.” Kantner’s protestations to the contrary, the Airplane (with guest pianist Nicky Hopkins in tow) played a scorching two-hour set that defied the elements and the circumstances. Grace Slick led the charge as the band plunged into a frenetic version of Fred Neil’s “The Other Side of This Life”: “Alright, friends, you have seen the heavy groups. Now you will see morning maniac music. Believe me, yeah. It’s a new dawn!” What followed was an adventuresome (and surprisingly tight) set that not only featured the band’s big hits like “White Rabbit” and “Somebody to Love” but also premiered songs from the Volunteers album that was still three months away from being released, including a 21-minute version of “Wooden Ships!” Indeed, about the only members of the crew who weren’t up to snuff were the ones filming the concert documentary, which explains why the Airplane is not one of the acts that commonly come to mind when thinking about Woodstock; they didn’t appear in the film due to subpar footage, and only one of their songs (“Volunteers”) was included the chart-topping 3-LP Woodstock release.

Now, Real Gone Music is proud to present Jefferson Airplane’s complete Woodstock performance. The 3-LP set comes inside a gorgeous, double-gatefold jacket sporting photos of the band at Woodstock, most of them taken by the legendary Henry Diltz; liner notes by folk-rock guru Richie Unterberger complete the package. Pressed in iridescent, “clouds breaking” blue for its 55th anniversary, this release makes a convincing claim that Jefferson Airplane’s Woodstock performance ranks right up there with those of Jimi, Sly, and Santana as a festival highlight. Limited to 1000 copies!

Marking sixty years of Bossa Nova, and twenty years since Marcos Valle’s first release for Far Out Recordings, what better time to bring back this era-defining classic from the Brazilian master composer?

Throughout his astounding six-decade career, infiltrating pop, bossa nova, samba, delicate psychedelia, jazz and funk, Marcos Valle has consistently shown a dogged determination to transcend the traditions and structures of bossa nova, whilst never veering away from the movement’s inherent, fundamental spirit. To some extent, his epithet ‘the original Rio beach boy’ is a handy one: it reflects the origin and character of his often sun-soaked sound, but expounding his importance in the lineage of Brazilian music, he is more discerningly known as ‘the renaissance man of Brazilian pop’. He is indeed one the very greatest and most important composers, arrangers, writers and performers in Brazil.

Up until Nova Bossa Nova, Marcos Valle hadn’t released an album for well over a decade. After 1983, he resented the way the music industry had changed with commercialisation and new demands curtailing his creative freedom. This was until 1994 when Marcos met Far Out boss Joe Davis and they recorded a track for Far Out’s first Friends From Rio album. This new collaborative partnership resulted in a new solo album, which commenced recording in 1996.

Nova Bossa Nova brought Marcos bouncing back into the 90s, slotting nicely in place alongside the acid jazz movement as well as a voracious new demand for Brazilian music on dancefloors from London to Tokyo. It was witnessing the London club scene’s growing appetite for Brazilian music, as well as a lack of new sounds coming out of Brazil at the time, that a young Joe Davis put in a proposal to record a new album with one of his musical idols. Joe wanted to facilitate an album which would combine the latest technologies and production techniques, with live to analogue tape recording: a Marcos Valle album tailor-made for London’s clubs. Always open to modern influences and possibilities, Marcos agreed to the project, and Joe and his production partner Roc Hunter flew to Rio in ‘96. The record wasn’t released until ’98, as the original ½ inch tapes were stolen from Far Out’s London studio, meaning parts of the album had to be re-recorded.

Nova Bossa Nova was unveiled at the peak of the of the Brazilian movement, the record would also prove to be something of a revolution, inspiring a new generation of artists like Bebel Gilberto, Sabrina Malheiros, Da Lata and Bossacucanova, who continued to fuse Brazilian influences with modern electronic sounds.

A holy grail for fans of French boogie, early hip hop, Arabic funk and Balearic bops,"Ettika" has been seriously sought after since Vidal Benjamin found it in the 1€ bin back in 2006. Teasing the ears of the underground via Vidal's 'Balearic Nightmare' mix for Noncollective, copies of the original were soon snapped up completely, and the later adopters were sated by a Blackdisco edit from Alexis Le-Tan (himself gifted Vidal's second copy), which is now also rare as hen's teeth. The fervour for the track is easy to understand. Underpinned by an endlessly buoyant bass groove, chanted female vocals dart out the speakers like a post- modern mantra while synth vamps flare in stuttering stereo.

Middle-Eastern motifs add an air of mystery, but this truly belongs in a dance floor utopia. That the track was the product of a 'back-to-work' scheme aimed at unemployed immigrant youth in Rouen only adds to the appeal. Led by teacher Bernard Guégan, a quartet of students delivered lyrics in French and Arabic inspired by their rejection letters, serving a little social commentary and a lot of funk. If you're mad on Ahmed Fakroun and Shams Dinn, or even those folks in the Bush of Ghosts, then this is a must have for you.

Archeology isn't just about excavation, there should be interpretation too, and in this case it comes from Italian duo Hear & Now and Leeds' The Veteran Delinquents. The former furnish the 12" with two radical takes, the dreamy downtempo stroll of their French Remix - all unhurried percussion, Gilmour-riffing and coastal élan - and the peaktime pump of their Arab Remix, which transports the original vocal into a land of desert new beat and Balearic trance with a little space left for some frazzled fretwork. If you've followed their work with Claremont you know the quality on show.

The Veteran Delinquents, the collaborative vehicle of Leeds stalwarts Craig Christon and Tim Hutton, condense a lifetime of club experiences into their remix, establishing the infectious groove of the original before subverting with chugging bass and winking acid, all augmented with their own slick synth work. The original was an all time classic at Craig's Joe's Bakery nights way back when, and this new interpretation is both respectful and revolutionary.

TIPP! :)

For the latest Cognitiva release the label present the 4th release of their Point of View series which focuses on dance floor-oriented sounds, this time they invite the marvellously talented Dr. Sud to deliver a wondrous, jazz laden odyssey, which entices as much as it delights - with some expert remixes to boot….
Dr Sud is the main alias of Gregorio Marigliano, an Italian music maker who was raised in Berlin. Marigliano’s music revolves around the principles of Jazz-meets-Dance music, drawing up the rich tradition that has come before in bringing a high level of musicality and ingenuity within his tunes. Moving fluidly between rhythms and feels, as Dr Sud he captures the imagination with thought provoking and captivating sequences, striking a fine balance between depth and danceability. Harmonies and groove play a key part within his music, such as was highlighted on his 2023 EP ‘Heading South’, coming courtesy of the Q1E2 imprint. This record really highlighted his profound abilities and deep set affection for instrumentation but also mood and tone, and it left many waiting for his next release with baited breath.

‘Point of View 4’ continues forth with the supreme feels that permeated through ‘Heading South’, with the key movement onwards being the inclusion of some killer remixes from Gary Superfly, Broke One, Turbojazz and Reekee. Two original cuts, ‘Breakfast Sun’ and ‘Desert Wind’, lead Sides A and B respectively, and do much to help create a distinctive balance and bookend kind of feel to the record. ‘Breakfast Sun’ begins with a wondrous polyrhythm to get things going, a lone vocal sample thrown in for good measure, and before long we are joined by some delicate but hyper precise melodic features. The slow drawn out chords contrast superbly with the short sharp stabs, acting in accordance with the drums, with the first breakdown providing space for the keys to really flourish and take over. The breakout back into the core rhythm allows for a lead synth line to emerge, and provide those bountiful feels we were all yearning for. The remixes do much to add flavour and some diverse alternative perpectives on the original, with the Turbojazz/Broke One remix taking things in a house-y leaning direction, with the hats and kicks shifting the rhythmic perspective towards sun kissed horizons. The Gary Superfly remix however takes things into a much more cosmic space, with a punchy acid line weaving within the underbelly of the track, providing that late night dance feel for club land scenarios.

On the B Side, ‘Desert Wind’ kicks things off, and once again the drums here start us off in a winning space. The groove is so delicate, poised and perfected, and when the first breakdown arrives the chords come into view, and its glorious to say the least. This track focuses on a much more smooth melodic sequence, with a greater emphasis placed on the lead line, but its just as impactful and soulful as the EPs opener. Delicate waterfall style keys shift in and out of view, providing an overall picture of sonic beauty that we can get behind time and time again. To wrap things up, the Reekee remix of ‘Desert Wind’ comes into view, with this track again moving into dance floor realms with a swinging garage beat that feels unstoppable, shifting and moving between the lines with a joyous ease.

Dr Sud may be a producer to keep a keen eye on, with this latest EP certainly doing that sentiment a great level of justice. This EP provides not only two beautiful original cuts from the man himself, but some imaginative remixes that honour the originals and provide us with an record that will linger long in the memory. For home use, down by the rivera, or in the club, this one has the lot…..

The album was created in two versions - a limited "color in color", of which 100 numbered pieces were produced, and a classic version with black wax, of which 200 pieces were produced.

After 10 years, Kixnare returns to U Know Me Records with his fourth original album. "Asteria" is a step towards even more experimental and abstract corners of electronic music. Each of the seven songs on the album reveals a fascination with completely different musical areas - from dark ambient ("Plaga"), through oriental ("Mystic Journeyman") / dubbing downtempo ("Impass") to stronger acid ("Mutacja") and techno ( "Omnis"). What connects everything is a constant atmosphere of anxiety - a reflection of the times we live in. Despite a completely different musical climate, "Asteria" refers in its character to Kixnare's last album "Rotations" from 2014, continuing the concept of inter-genre collage. All this comes together in the weekly radio show "Rotations", in which Kixnare presents his recommendations from the world of underground and experimental electronics on Radio Kraków.

"Asteria" is an album consisting of seven songs - almost 38 minutes of an amazing journey, the sound of which was worked on by the legendary Stefan Betke from Berlin (mastering author). The cover is the work of the flawless Animisiewasz.

2024 Repress


Straight out of the depths of East London, Hoxton Square to be precise. A location before gentrification, the area around Old Street in 1995 was full of young artists, musicians and record labels. Law & Auder were one of those bands, with a studio in the next road to the legendary Blue Note club. This is where these two tracks were created, two cuts that encapsulate the raw sound of the London jungle scene at this time.

This particular 12” is a bit of a cult release, with prices on Discogs for an original copy at a VG+ rating going for a £150 a copy, that’s if you can ever find one.
This is the second release from the group that we have repressed ON Vinyl Fanatiks, with Martin from the group also being a part of Utomica, another group that we repressed a few years ago.

Straight from the East London vaults.

True Acid Wizards of the 1980s/1990s Psychedelic Underground TreaTmenT performed at Stonehenge Free Festival and at squats and clubs all over London including the now legendary Alice In Wonderland, The Crypt and Club Dog where they assaulted the minds of those present with their unique and somewhat terrifying blend of '60s psychedelia and '70s space rock all liberally spiked with a questioning punk attitude. Performing with Dr & The Medics, Ozric Tentacles, The Magic Mushroom Band, Naz Nomad and The Nightmares and other luminaries of the neo-psychedelic space rock revival, TreaTmenT were an integral part of the scene and possibly the most psychedelic band of them all.

Hardcore to the max, the band insisted on performing in a psychedelicised state, looking like a cross between Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come and early Pink Floyd and often with a lightshow. Firmly fixated on taking their audience on the trip of a lifetime TreaTment consisted of Adam Blake (Jacket Xerxophon) on guitar and vocals, Gordon Leach (Gordon Zola) on further guitar and vocals, Clive Leach (Evil C. Live, Ron Number, Curtis Vile) on bass/trombone, Paul Ross (The Big Beat, Mr Raagh) on drums/percussion and Paul McWhinnie (Mutant) on keyboards, noises and vocals. They were without doubt a live phenomenon, and although they released a couple of singles, cassettes, a live album and a studio album - Cypher Caput - on the Delerium label (home to Porcupine Tree), they never really managed to commit their mind-blowing magic to vinyl. Now, nearly 20 years after it was recorded TreaTment are releasing a limited-edition double vinyl LP of their second studio album How Much is Enough? in memory of guitarist Gordon Leach who sadly passed away in 2021.

The album was intended to be released on Delerium in 2000 but never was and whilst one track 'Keep Ahead' appeared on the Cherry Red box set Last Daze of The Underground - Delerium Records Anthology in 2011 nothing else has seen the light of day until now. Fans of the band will note cornerstones of their live set such as the wondrously trippy 'What The Hell to do' the humorous swipe at the music press 'Hate The Band' the melodic keyboard swirling 'Restless', the frenetic guitar cross fire of 'No Understanding' and the nihilistic nightmare 'Blot Out'.

Housed in a gatefold sleeve packed with photos and memorabilia as well as for the first time the full history of the band and limited to only 300 on 180-gram vinyl How Much is Enough? will no doubt be seen in the future as one of the landmark releases of the '80s/90s Neo-Psychedelic revival.

The album was created in two versions - a limited "color in color", of which 100 numbered pieces were produced, and a classic version with black wax, of which 200 pieces were produced.

After 10 years, Kixnare returns to U Know Me Records with his fourth original album. "Asteria" is a step towards even more experimental and abstract corners of electronic music. Each of the seven songs on the album reveals a fascination with completely different musical areas - from dark ambient ("Plaga"), through oriental ("Mystic Journeyman") / dubbing downtempo ("Impass") to stronger acid ("Mutacja") and techno ( "Omnis"). What connects everything is a constant atmosphere of anxiety - a reflection of the times we live in. Despite a completely different musical climate, "Asteria" refers in its character to Kixnare's last album "Rotations" from 2014, continuing the concept of inter-genre collage. All this comes together in the weekly radio show "Rotations", in which Kixnare presents his recommendations from the world of underground and experimental electronics on Radio Kraków.

"Asteria" is an album consisting of seven songs - almost 38 minutes of an amazing journey, the sound of which was worked on by the legendary Stefan Betke from Berlin (mastering author). The cover is the work of the flawless Animisiewasz.

Four Flies is thrilled to announce a reissue of Piero Umiliani's soundtrack to the 1969 giallo thriller  "Orgasmo" (called "Paranoia" in English speaking countries), the first of three erotically charged films directed by Umberto Lenzi and starring cult siren (and Oscar nominee) Carroll Baker. Back in 2020, we unveiled the first-ever release of this iconic soundtrack, whose master tapes were thought lost for decades. After some serious detective work in the composer's archives, our team managed to salvage and restore the original tapes, bringing Umiliani's score back to life for all to enjoy. Due to popular demand, this reissue, unlike the 2020 release, bears the film's original Italian title.   Recorded shortly after "Sweden: Heaven and Hell" in late 1968, Orgasmo is undoubtedly one of Umiliani's finest works. The score perfectly captures the stylish and sleazy vibe of Lenzi's film, its acid-drenched visuals, ...



a 01. Fate Had Planned It So (film version) [feat. Lydia MacDonald]
[b] 02. M5 (jet-set) [feat. Giulia De Mutiis]



[f] 06. M27 (psychedelic trap) [feat. Alessandro Alessandroni & Giulia De Mutiis]


[i] 09. M46 (hammond valzer) [feat. Lydia MacDonald]


[l] 12. Seq. 6 (psychedelic suspense) [feat. Giulia De Mutiis]

Returning to Ransom Note Records sub-label, Insult to Injury, Timothy Clerkin is back with incendiary new record, Fading EP. An overt, Acid-Techno analogue assault on the senses, all tracks were performed live in Clerkin's vintage synthesiser recording facility. Backed with a vinyl exclusive remix from the mighty Posthuman (not available digitally) and limited to a run of 100, hand stamped 12”s, you’ll need to be fleet of foot to get your hands on it!

Titular track, Fading, features the inimitable vocal talents of Brighton based Shoegazers HANYA’s front person Heather Sheret, whose heavenly articulation offsets the high voltage, rhythmic battering that opens the record. Booming 909’s propel us forward as we’re launched headlong into the rave maelstrom where squelchy bass lines and breakbeats grapple with trancelike strings for dominance.

Next out of the gate, Sigma hurls itself from the cocoon and slaps us around the face, hugging it tightly like an Acid-Techno Xenomorph. A face melting melange of retro sounds & futurism, it’s underpinned by the nihilistic vocal sample that belies Clerkin’s antiestablishment Punk musical past. Hold onto your hats and remember to BREATHE!

ITI Records are very excited to have head honcho of the I Love Acid parties, Balkan Vinyl and record producer extraordinaire, Posthuman on remix duties. Never one to disappoint, he ‘breaks’ Fading down into tiny pieces and rebuilds it in his own image. Taking inspiration from early Hardcore and Acid aesthetics, we’re treated to a proper dance floor workout of 808s, Rave Hoovers and breakbeats.

Rounding off, Collapsed Lung is a slightly more introspective affair. Jam packed with glitched drums and sequenced, mechanical tones, it builds towards an etherial climax. This slightly distant, intangible and dreamlike number glides out of view just as quickly arrived, leaving us feelin incongruously all warm and fuzzy, after the absolute clobbering that opened the record.

Mike Paradinas, veteran producer and Planet Mu label owner has written a new album called ‘Grush' and it's full of weird bangers that reclaim the 'dance' part of the woeful term IDM. A back-to-first-principles record, inspired in part by the group of artists IDM was coined for; melodic dance music that didn't come out of urban scenes, but interpreted them from a distance. The tracks on ‘Grush’ are all road-tested live favorites developed with feedback from Mike's touring partner and visuals guy Mora (Jan Moravec). It's a detailed and energetic journey which replicates the flow of a live gig. A lot of the tracks have been made in hotel rooms in response to shows, ‘Imperial Crescent’ is named after a Japanese Hotel, as is ‘Belvedere’ in Prague, while some tracks such as ‘Hyper Daddy’ were created specifically to play live. Drums are confidently at the fore here and the album feels like it traces Mike's musical history and interests neatly around his sweetly nostalgic melodies, with atmospheres and structures which twist and turn with a charming softness which contrasts with the tension in the drums. Take ‘Hyper Daddy’s’ spiralling notes and twinkling piano which remind one of early Black Dog or Omni Trio rushing alongside splashy jungle drums, or the aquatic acid footwork of the title track with its drums softly bubbling and kicking. Elsewhere there's territory which harks back to his Tusken Raiders pseudonym, like the heads down Drexciyan funk of ‘Windsor Safari Park,’ which transforms from moody electro into a sunny hardcore track midway.

When Man Man released its last album, "Dream Hunting in the Valley of the In Between," frontman Honus Honus (née Ryan Kattner) was in a state of unrest, oscillating between hope and cynicism. Perhaps fittingly, the album dropped during the pandemic, a time at which we could all relate. But, much like that bizarre turn of events, the ennui now seems so distant to Man Man. A revived sense of purpose washes through Man Man's new album, Carrot on Strings, radiating a mix of calm and confidence. Kattner always embodied a wild-man pied-piper vibe: his melodic, unhinged art-rock was at once intriguing and angsty. He was so alluringly creative that you went along with it, even if you were never sure where Man Man would take you. Carrot on Strings is no less inventive, but its ethos is radical in context of the band's two-decade career. "When I was younger, I would feed off of chaos. I would, you know, be upset and get drunk and smash chairs," Kattner explains. "Now those chairs are in my head: It's less of an outward projection, more of an interior monologue." The name "Carrot on Strings" came to Kattner while experimenting with the sound of someone munching on the vegetable, which you can hear in the cacophonous, similarly named song. It alludes to how success always seemed to dangle uncertainly before him, often just out of reach. But listen intently and you'll hear a more content Kattner finding an uneasy peace: "Life, as far as I've known it, has always been side hustles. Would it be great if I could go into a studio and record for a year without figuring out how to finance it? Yeah, it would be," he says. "But ultimately, I need to keep making music because art is an extension of my psyche. It's how I have learned to translate the palpitations of my heart. Simply put, I'd go insane without it." Growing up as a multiracial Hapa kid (half Filipino, half white) with a father in the U.S. Air Force, Kattner lived an itinerant childhood that included a few pivotal years in Germany, where he honed in on an appreciation for out there German cinema and art. His film obsessions and screenwriting background were crucial to Carrot on Strings. The album nods to the films of Werner Herzog and Rainer Werner Fassbinder as much as Italo-disco, Randy Newman, goth rock, and avant pop. (Kattner continues to work in the film industry with an acting role in the upcoming horror-comedy movie Destroy All Neighbors, for which he also served as composer; music supervising season 1 & 2 of the Interview With The Vampire AMC TV series; and shopping around, with director Matthew Goodhue, a script he wrote that he describes as a Wim Wenders road movie on acid.) In a bid to not overthink anything - his last album took seven years to make - he recorded the bulk of Carrot On Strings in five days in Mant Sounds studio in Glassell Park, Los Angeles with "very chill" producer Matt Schuessler, who had worked on Man Man's cover of Neu!'s "Super" for the seminal Krautrock band's box set. The resulting album represents a newfound sense of self for Kattner, who finds himself inspired and at peace both personally and artistically in ways that eluded him for most of his first 15 years playing music. When, on Carrot On Strings, you hear Kattner croon humbly, or sing of the tension between his outsize stage persona and the thoughtful, soulful guy he actually is, you're hearing Kattner liberate himself. "I first got into music to escape from myself," he says. "And now, it sounds so corny, but I have zero doubt that music ended up saving my life."

Once upon a time, DJ’s were like soaring eagles, they would spread their musical wings and fly high to wherever they wanted to go musically. It wasn’t uncommon to hear hip house and go go played alongside disco and funk, or techno being dropped on either side of something a lil’ mo’ soulful. Then the DJ’s wings were clipped and clubs became musical cages for the more adventurous DJ’s, clubs evolved into one-dimensional musical prisons and beats bubbles. Unconventionally, Marcus McGowan hails from South Carolina, and it would be fair to argue that South Carolina is a bit of a house music wasteland? Perhaps it’s this simple geographical blip that has nurtured McGowan into creating a sound that can’t be affiliated to any particular city, cities such as Detroit that is generally associated with techno, Washington is the undisputed town of go go, or Chicago, which is renowned for acid house, hip house, and jackin’ house, and of course, New Jersey is the spiritual home of soulful house. What McGowan has created is a fresh, new vibe that appears to be crossing many musical boundaries and the test pressing mailout appears to have united music lovers from numerous genres of house music AND techno alike, with its deep, techy, jazzy, soulful, sweet and melliferous flavoured vibe. Luke Una boasted that “it’s the record of the year so far”, MFSB’s Yogi Haughton called it a “classic in the making”, but all said and done, the test pressing feedback from the handful that were passed out to music lovers around the U.K. is unanimous, it’s jus’ a frikin’ solid double hitter that can’t be pigeon-holed. This is a record for majestic, soaring DJ’s and music lovers, not scabby, common or garden Columbidae garbage foragers. It’s a slice of intellectual music that will perch McGowan very high up in the producer pecking order!

Original pioneers of rare groove, PUSH, make a welcome return with an existing and exciting album. Originally released in 2004, now 20 years later it’s still alive and kicking. “Push People” is a cross pollenation of classic underground rare groove and contemporary feel good funk n' soul in the shape of heartfelt songs and incredible instrumental pieces. PUSH emerged from the underground London club scene in 1987, where they were at the heart of a community that thrived on JB inspired Funk, Blaxploitation soundtracks and raw soul-jazz. Push toured Europe and Japan and were regulars onstage at Gilles Peterson's legendary Dingwalls’ Talking Loud & Saying Something sessions. They have worked with the likes of Style Council's Paul Weller and Mick Talbot and have long provided the soulful foundation for the regular European tours of US divas like Candi Staton and Marlena Shaw. The triumvirate of key band members Crispin Taylor (drums), Ernie McKone (bass) and Mark Vandergucht (guitar) also doubled up as the rhythm section for the innovative Galliano – a conscious and wayward band that sold in excess of 800, 000 albums. PUSH are one of the mainstays of the Eighties Rare Groove and Acid Jazz scene alongside Brand New Heavies, Young Disciples and Soul II Soul. PUSH is on a mission, bringing a breath of fresh air and a wealth of musical experience into a very popular scene for people that "Feel the Funk!"

Swedens #1 techno legend The Source Experience aka Robert Leiner delivers this disturbingly fat acid techno 12'' on Borft that gets into your ears and brain like a locomotive straight from the rave days. On the A-side a crushing stripped down funky repetitive acid stonker that will spank old and young ravers like they were one big ass. B1 continues in a similar fashion but with a almost electro-ish backbeat instead of straight 4/4 and strong hints of classic EBM in the bassline and percussions. The hairs on my arms were standing up at this point. B2 is a weird surprise ending with a downtempo, strangely harmonic, melodic and almost romantic track which somehow reminds me of the Frak classic ''Uttoz gives a song''. If you are into Acid in any form this 12'' is a no brainer, a must have, a future classic. And make sure you have doubles so you can mix together A and B1 and extend them into eternity. 2024-01-18 Joakim Cosmo

London outfit Kassian continue their broadly- evolving yet highly detailed journey through and beyond sound towards something ever more expansive. Their second release for !K7 Records comes in the wake of creating a dedicated hardware-forward studio in a Northeast London container complex, where they have the freedom to interlink their machines. This renewed focus brought them to Supercontinent EP, named for the ancient geological era when Africa and South America were joined as Pangea.

A reformulation of rhythmic ideas inspired by South= African Amapiano and South American Baile Funk governs the two hemispheres of the record. The pair examine and deconstruct dancefloor material, eschewing 4/4 for interlocking shaker patterns, searing acid lines, cracking breakbeats, and vocal samples in Zulu and Brazil Portuguese.

The immediacy of the restless rhythm and bass-led funk of “Yena” (the word Yena translates to ‘he/him /man’)forms a sweet spot where double-time and half-time can coexist. “Yami” (‘mine’ in Zulu) is a slinkier proposition which sheds prominent percussion in favour of a weighty, fluid, acid-informed bassline undulating from below.

An ascending percussive riff marks the arrival of “Pulgueiro”, followed closely by break beats and the nostalgia of distinctly British acid electro; it is an intentionally future-forward retelling of a vintage sound, replete with a mind-melt breakdown of rave pads.

A dubbed-out groove dominates the bottom-heavy “Sistema” – a groovy, steady roller that chugs and propels and chugs with head-nod hypnotism through an intricately minimalistic approach.

The Mental Groove Classic series returns with a treasure trove of rare and hard to find tracks plucked from the personal collection of label founder Olivier Ducret, a pivotal figure in Switzerland's acid house and rave-era party scene.

On Volumes Two and Three of the series - the first installment hit stores in 2017 - the Mental Groove and Musique Pour La Danse label founder takes us back to the turn of the '90s, a time he spent promoting parties in fields, squats, forests, warehouses and former factories in and around Geneva and behind the counter of a record shopof the same name. While others in Switzerland's emerging dance music scene gravitated towards US house and garage, Olivier and his crew opted for a bass, breaks and techno-focused sound inspired by regular trips to clubs, raves and record shops in the UK.

Drawing directly from his own record box and a memory bank full of snapshots of euphoric dancefloor moments, Mental Groove Classics volumes Two and Three sees Olivier reaching for cuts of near-mythical rarity, genuinely overlooked gems, and undeniably brilliant tracks that have left a long-lasting impression on the local raving landscape. It's an autobiographical audio document, historical archive and personal musical statement all rolled into one, inspired by a moment in time where musical boundaries were being redrawn in a wave of carefree optimism and freedom inspired new rave scenes across Europe and far beyond.



Matt Anniss

Original artwork by Soho's Brain Club co-owner and artist of early British club culture Mark Wigan.

File under house, breakbeat, techno and warehouse rave music

Following a short hiatus, Superlux Records returns for their 9th exploration into the expanses of house, techno, and electro by welcoming the exciting, emerging Dutch producer and DJ Mathijs Smit to their roster.

As soon as Smit grabbed the attention of the Superlux crew with his hybrid production style and trademark vocoder work, they knew these were earworms destined for their catalog. Marking his first solo EP since 2021, Smit showcases his development In the studio on the 'Twisted Minds' EP with four modern, stylish house cuts loaded with versatility for use from peak time to warm up.

The release starts as it means to go on with 'Changed My Mind (But Not Myself).' A sleek, forward-thinking house jam that salutes to the past with a fast-paced, organ bass melody and intricate drum-machine programming, setting the tone nicely for what's to follow. The A-side wraps up with 'My Mind Is Yours'. Shades of golden-era Italian progressive to this one, a straight no-nonsense feel-good party starter; mark your cards for summer.

On the flip, we get deeper into the groove starting with 'Plugger'. A shuffling beat underscores a moodier bassline with acid flourishes to give this one a bit more of a basement feel, although the bright synths do leave enough versatility in this one to work in multiple settings; a testament to Smit's dexterity on the buttons! Closing out proceedings is the interminably funky 'Quiero, ' the last track submitted by Smit, which is suitably the one to close out a seriously impressive debut on the imprint.

The release continues Superlux's proud lineage of discerning dance music, with Smit being a welcome addition to a roster already sporting the quality of N-GYNN, Paul Blackford, LVCA & Thoma Bulwer. Expect more as the label continues its development in 2024 and beyond.

"Deep Dancefloor Jams of African Disco, Funk, Boogie, Reggae & Proto Electro Music 1977-1986reggWhen a passionate DJ and crate digger intuitively selects music for a DJ compilation, without artistic compromise and without the burden of trends, AfroMagic vol.1 emerges from the depths of his soul. Herewith we present the new favorite phonomancer’s tool for all the DJs who experience the dance floor as a sanctuary and a source of freedom and love.

The most fundamental thing that defines African music is that it was created for dancing. In African dance, there is often no clear distinction between ritual celebration and social recreational entertainment – one can seemlessly merge with the other. Because dance and rhythm have more power than gesture and more richness than words, and because they express the deepest experiences of human beings, dance is in itself a complete and self-sufficient language. It is truly an expression of life with all of its emotions – joy, love, sadness and hope – without which there is no African music and dance. For the African people, dance and music are integral parts of the body and soul, thus depicting the expression of life, current emotional states, visions or dreams. Through hypnotic repetitive music and dance, people communicate with each other and with the souls of the dead, the animals, the plants, the stars, the Gods… They free the body and the spirit through ecstatic states, reaching a healing sense of freedom, happiness, and satisfaction.

Throughout history, this transcendental perception of rhythm and dance originating from Africa, influenced popular music worldwide, thus creating new living and breathing forms of musical genres – freeing them from their industrial mold. Funk, disco, soul, boogie, reggae, dancefloor jazz etc., developed in parallel all over the world. It is foolish to perpetually discuss where they originated from and who were the creators of all these fiery dance floor genres – being obvious that they directly or indirectly originate from the African continent and its people who were as well, over the centuries, influenced by disturbing socio-cultural factors of colonialism. However, no one can enslave the soul. The seeds of free and uninhibited dance and rhythm, true to their original form, initially first sprouted onto the USA’s fertile fields of clubbing and popular music while later evolving in other parts of the world.

The disco funk club culture manifested itself as a phenomenal explosion of artists and grooves in the second half of the 70s in the USA. Shortly it spread around the world continually reigning over charts in its various forms – to this day. Clubs emerged where the DJ is an almighty shaman and the dancers are a tribe united under one roof. This urban ritual had and still has a single goal: togetherness, freedom, and love. Clubs have evolved into temples where we free ourselves from the burden of a consumerist lifestyle and suppressed emotions – a place where we receive love and give love – to be who we really are.

Disco funk clubbing was such an influential global phenomenon that its influence can be observed in various other genres from the disco funk era i.e. progressive rock, which mutated by layering complex rock arrangements with a disco funk groove resulting in hybrids, highly sought by today’s diggers, producers and collectors. The profit-hungry music industry of the 80s very quickly commercialized the original disco funk sound by amputating of its original Afro groove to be able to easily ‘sell’ it globally. So, the original disco funk groove became underground again, and it has remained so until this day. Today, for a DJ to unearth that ravishing groove that will lead the dancers to the stars, he must dig passionately like a true musical archaeologist in search of that groove that picks you up after just a few initial beats. That groove which forces the atoms in your body to vibrate, that groove which unites the body and releases the burden.

The AfroMagic compilation series is created as a tool for real DJs who stick to the aesthetics and essence of clubbing.

This continuation of the Afromagic compilation by DJ Borovich was created in a private jam session which served as an escape route from intense and complex love problems.

Unconsciously driven by intuition and emotion and following a live mix tape framework where many tunes are arranged instantaneously, Borovich narrates his story with a strong rhythm that cuts loose even the most blocked off energy nodes and restores happiness to the spirit and the body.

The musical experience of the groove is completed by the lyrics of the songs, which symbolically give DJ Borovich universal answers to his questions arising from questioning the boundaries, nuances and other forms of love.

When considering that Borovich’s selection was created to facilitate an escape from the burdens of reality through rhythm and dance, we can be sure that Afromagic Vol. 2 will have a 100% uplifting, energized and spaced-out effect on the listeners.

The intro to A1, “Feeling Happy” by the Apostles, introduces us to an experienced and slow, cool and irregularly tight groove containing a confidently sung chorus that instantly gives a sense of freedom and hints at the remainder of Afromagic Vol. 2: “I’m gonna feel happy, ´cause I know I’m gonna be myself.” After the anthemic song mantra of the Apostles, Aigbe Lebarty uncompromisingly continues with a dirty disco rhythm. Acidified by accented synths that elevate it to shamanic levels and held together by a female tribal choir, we embark on an uncompromising ritual disco journey. Without a moment to take a breather the prog funk band Mighty Flames and their Road Man launch a highly vicious and raw, thick funk groove spiced with acid synths and dirty RnR breaks, raising the bar for the A side. Jimi Hendrix himself would surely praise it given the ultimate freedom and virtuosity in the solo sections. With the last tune on A side DJ Borovich decides to burn the floor with Geraldo Pino’s psychedelic, acid furious groove and lyrics which describe this HEAVY part of love problems: “The way she walk, the way she talk, the way she does a funky dances, she is really really heavy – that woman”.

While the A side represents a compact intoxicating afro groove machine that separates us from reality and lifts us up to the stars in over 23 minutes, the B side is a treasure trove of proto sub-genres gems. This selection represents the mission of the Afromagic: to find singular events in African recorded discography of popular music from the 70s and 80s that give evidence to the birth of new modern genres on the Dark Continent even before they emerged in the U.S.A. or Europe. The beginnings of electronic music influenced genres are represented back to back with 80s synth jazzy pop, all painted in African colours.

The B side opens big with Jake Sollo and a huge reggae blues number singing about the humiliation of a man – goosebumps guaranteed! “You think I’m nobody that’s why, you don’t know the way for me, I’m somebody I know, I found myself at last”. Adolf Ahanotu then enters the scene with a hard sliding tackle at B2 and an exotic rare disco funk dancefloor napalm. A ‘Sensation’ that would ignite even the coldest of introverts. While we approach the end of the compilation the narrative revolves again and takes a different turn. No less and no more than to the proto-electro that Baad John Cross serves us in “Give Me Some Lovin´”. The fat and repetitive broken electro synth groove, championing many early 90s electro tracks, is presented here without hesitation and with constant tension accompanied by a mantric chorus “Gimme some, gimme some, gimme some looooovin’, EVERBODY!!!”. Finally, we’re guided to the end of Afromagic Vol. 2 by Eji Oyevole’s 80s synth pop style presented in an authentic afro manner, giving us a glimpse at yet another released Afromagic edition, as well as giving an answer to DJ Borovich’s love problems. A smoothly broken electronic rhythm resembling electrified highlife sounds, carried on the wings of a virtuoso dreamy saxophone on top of which Eji presents the most intimate parts of himself. Finalizing the track with a symbolic chorus, on the surface referring to the dancefloor and simply having fun, but in actuality referring to the skill and happiness of living: “I´m a dancer, I can dance”. So, get up and dance among the stars with DJ Borovich and Afromagic.

Acid Mothers Temple brand new mind-bending psychedelic LP "Holy Black Mountain Side". This limited-edition record features three, brand new, mind-bending psychedelic tracks, including a traditional piece woven into their signature sound, this release is a captivating journey through the realms of the Acid Mothers Temple landscape. Mastered by and featuring Taigen Kawabe of Bo Ningen, these tracks were recorded across 2021 and 2023 at the Acid Mothers Temple, Japan and expertly produced, engineered & mixed by Kawabata Makoto. The sleeve compliments brilliantly the musical voyage with a one-of-a-kind artwork created by the acclaimed artist Kashiwagi Ten, adding a visual dimension to the release. This pressing is on a 180g heavyweight ECO MIX vinyl, which allows for great quality of sound. With no one knowing what their vinyl will look like until it's opened, each one will be as individual as the next.

Toolbox is very proud to introduce you to this exceptional record !
This release was planned to be Killit17, on Kill Out Recordings... In 1993 ! This is an Anniversary release : tunes are 20 years old and were never played neither on digital or vinyl or CD... Ever...
This limited 300 copies edition is a real BIG thing for all acid music lovers.

Reissue of early Japanese house outing by Junichi Soma, Shuji Wada and Katsuya Sayo. Comes with insert with liner notes.

All musical movements require a spark to set them alight; in the case of Japanese house music, that spark was provided by the forward-thinking resident DJs of The Bank in Roppongi, Tokyo. In 1989, to celebrate the ground-breaking club’s first birthday, the venue released a 12” EP featuring first-time productions from three of its DJs, Junichi Soma, Shuji Wada and Strong Katsuya AKS Katsuya Sayo.

Widely considered to be one of the first ever EP of house music produced in Japan, 1st Unit was never officially released. Instead, 500 of the 1000 copies pressed were given away at The Bank’s first birthday party, with the rest initially being sold not in local record stores, but rather the venue’s own in-house shop. Three decades on, the 12” is finally set to get its first worldwide release via Rush Hour’s Store JPN Series.

The record has its roots in The Bank’s willingness to give its ever-changing roster of DJs a free hand to play what they liked – at the time a rarity in Tokyo nightclubs, whose musical offerings usually revolved around strictly defined playlists. At The Bank in 1989, it was not only common to hear European body music and the kind of post-disco New York productions associated with Larry Levan’s sets at the Paradise Garage, but also acid house – something not offered at the time by other clubs in the city.

This cutting-edge blend of sounds, combined with the venue’s unique decor (it was modeled on the inside of a London bank, complete with a cashier’s window to take entrance fees), made The Bank a go-to spot for young party-goers, celebrities and forward-thinking Japanese musicians (Ryuichi Sakamoto was reportedly a weekly visitor).

When it came to celebrating the club’s birthday by cutting a unique record, it made sense for The Bank’s owners to turn to three of their most exciting resident DJs, who were assisted by Heigo Tani and Jun Ebi. The collective name, 1st Unit, was chosen to reflect the fact that all three resident DJs were debutants with no previous studio experience.

As this reissue proves, the music remains timeless, magical, and authentic to the sound of American house productions of the period – albeit with occasional twists,. Katsuya Sano’s EP opener, ‘I Need Love’, sounds like a twist on Larry Heard productions of the period – all jacking TR-909 drums, undulating analogue bass, dreamy JUNO synthesizer chords and evocative vocal samples.

The influence of Chicago acid house is also evident on Junichi Souma’s ‘Ubnormal Life’, whose unusual title contains what he says was an intentional misspelling. Driven forwards by restless drum machine handclaps, sweet chords and rising and falling melodic motifs, the track is an energetic and uplifting treat.

Perhaps the most influential of the three tracks at the time – within Japan at least – was Shuji Wada’s similarly misspelled ‘Endless Load’. Deeper and more melodic with a more expansive arrangement, the track’s combination of marimba-style lead lines, tribal drum patterns, dreamy chords and jazz-funk influenced bass offered a loose blueprint for the more successful and better-known Japanese deep house tracks that followed.

EIGHTEEN AND I LIKE IT… (MISC. COLOURED VINYL))if you survived trips 1-17 with one tiny speck of psychedelic sunshine intact, Brown Acid The 18th Trip will be your coming of age nightmare. Vintage underground '70s hard rock, coming at you from bizarre angles, local scene wasteland America when everybody was out for themselves and the drugs went bleak. The guitars kill, the attitude is twisted, even the sex is headed down the wrong road. Real people, no compromise, pure and potent. Get stoked, take the 18th Trip and know that the artists will get paid for pulverizing your soul! "People… are you ready?, 'cause the music now is getting so heavy"… Back Jack out of St. Louis, Missouri in 1974 launch our trip with "Bridge Waters Dynamite". It's an invocation to rock flashing on Mark Farner whooping up a Grand Funk crowd, then getting to the point quickly with berserk guitar assaults. Heavy riff with power chord stalks beneath as you take their advice… get loose and blow up the past. Smokin' Buku Band dropped my jaw with the audacious track "Hot Love" coming on like some fractured fever dream burlesque of Led Zep moves out of Hollywood in 1980. Swooping elongated vocals above, a total Zep chord move at the end of each verse. Writer/producer Steve Shauger aka Shag Stevens gets a brilliantly messed up sound quality here, the ideal polar opposite of slick. The extended guitar break is an epitome of serendipitously crude virtuosity, simply outrageous! Coming at you from way outta left field is "Moby Shark" by Atlantis, a hilarious and strange Baltimore pre-punk vibed dose of D.I.Y. meets hard rock. Lon Talbot is the mastermind, the flip side of this impossibly rare Mekon Records label single was featured in an obscure 1978 B-movie titled "The Alien Factor". Follow the lyrics closely, when the ominous jaws jaws jaws start coming after you you you… the song's big hook is so preposterously catchy the shark attack feels like good news. Inquiring minds should know that the band formerly known as Atlantis can now be found by searching for the Lon Talbot Group! Tommy Stuart and the Rubberband's "Peeking Through Your Window" from 1970 opens with a spooky organ riff, slips into a gushy fuzz/organ groove akin to "Mustache In Your Face” by Pretty. The singer creates downright creepy vibes, a stalker peeking through the girl's mind like a peeping Tom at the window up to no good. The lyrics evoke a disturbing scenario. Tommy Stuart also made a strange LP titled Hound Dog Man in 1977 and some terrific rare garage singles under the names Magnificent Seven and The Omen & Their Love in the mid '60s. Nothing better than an angry two chord guitar attack with cowbell to set the stage for this rant about getting "Ripped Off" by love. Taken from their rare 1977 LP on Dynamite Records, Chicago Triangle was Marvey Esparza, Dave Guereca, Jose 'Tarr' Perez and Robert Aguilera. They unleash such strong brain-scrubbing wah wah frenzy in the guitar break here that it seems to perversely mock it's own intensity! Like I said, Brown Acid the 18th Trip comes at you from all kinds of uncanny angles. Damnation of Adam Blessing out of Cleveland, Ohio unleashed a stone killer psychedelic hard rock classic "Cookbook" in the late '60s, this track "Nightmare" from 1973 has them cooking again at full power. A different singer, name change to Damnation and then Glory, unleashing a deadly dose of dark progressive heavy rock drama peaking when spooky 'oooo-wa-oooo' background vocals emerge during a bizarre spoken bit. It unfolds like a mini-epic and includes some remarkably brutal guitar and turbulent organ, too. "Swing your sword, all aboard… bid farewell to the dreamer" Dalquist exclaims. Cynical view of human nature, idealism is over, war is coming, it always does. Opens with a cold menacing riff and atmosphere reminiscent of "Synthezoid Heartbreak" by Maya. Mournful despondent vocals ride an insistent churning groove, gnarly guitar break moves into free noise territory. This rare track is from a local various artists benefit album titled Kangaroo Jam issued for the Waco Family Abuse Center in Texas circa 1980. The Pawnbrokers "Realize" is prime proto heavy rock emerging out of psychedelic garage roots in 1968 Fargo, North Dakota. Unusual arrangement, terrific sustain guitar tones like on the first Blue Cheer LP, even a rip on Hendrix "Manic Depression" with unison voice and guitar ascent near the end. They made three 45s and were active from '65 to '69. Hats off to Blake English, Kent Richey, Paul Rogne and Steve Harrison, you nailed it in just a hair over two minutes! As pure and creative as the original psychedelic garage hard rock gets. Parchment Farm from Union, Missouri gigged with the likes of ZZ Top and Foghat back in the day and unleashed the amazing "Songs Of The Dead" in 1971. Primitive riff/chord pattern dosed with some funky prog moves, sky turning black, 'is this heaven or hell' type disoriented confusion… may as well grab your guitar and sing songs to the dead. Robert 'Ace' Williams on bass, Paul Cockrum on guitar, Gary Reed on keys and Micky Waterman on drums, replacing Mike Dulany (R.I.P.) Cool that they use the Blue Cheer misspelling from Vincebus Eruptum for the band name! Ominous organ, thick minimalist fuzz riff, funky psychedelic wah wah flashes and freaky sex combine in one twisted dance titled "Rockin' Chair" by Brothers Of The Ghetto. Out of Chicago in 1975 with some Santana atmospherics and a delicious fuzz wah screamin' guitar break, the groove is highlighted by an off the wall vocal which sounds eerily detached in a subtly sleazy way. Rene Maxwell is the writer of this hard-rock boogie-down hybrid straight out of the twilight zone. It was issued on Ghetto, a subsidiary of the peculiar Kiderian label that released the Creme Soda LP. Now that your head is totally skewered, go Back Jack and play side one again! (Words by Paul Major)