Search:x ess

Manchester-based producer Lily Mumby, the creative force behind Lapalace, has chosen Lavender as her botanical muse for this sixth instalment. Like the aromatic herb that grows from tiny seeds to fragrant purple stalks, her compositions unfold with a similar patience and elegance. Her synthesisers breathe with a natural rhythm, creating textures that emerge and recede like morning dew on lavender buds waiting to bloom.

The standout track ‘new age night’ – a stunning love child of William Basinski's decaying tape loops and Aphex Twin's intricate programming—carries subtle lavender-inspired tones, balancing the plant's calming essence with hypnotic rhythms. Just as lavender requires thoughtful tending before rewarding the gardener with its distinctive aroma, Lapalace's landscapes reveal deeper complexities with each listen.

Much like gardening itself, Mumby demonstrates an innate understanding of when to intervene and when to allow natural development. This approach echoes throughout her career, from her debut EP "Ephemera" which caught the attention of Insult to Injury Records' Timothy Clerkin, through to her contributions to Chez De Milo's "So It Goes" Remix EP and Manchester label Skiptrace's various artists compilation.

Her work across BBC Introducing and fossil.radio reflects this same philosophy – creating environments where sound, space, and organic movement find their natural harmony. But this composition really feels that Mumby has come of age. "Music To Watch Seeds Grow By Vol. 6" represents the continued cultivation of Lapalace's distinctive sound and demonstrates the maturity of an artist way beyond her years. This music stands as a lighthouse through a thick fog of nostalgia, much like lavender standing tall amidst an English cottage garden.

Early DJ support including - Auntie Flo, Ruf Dug, Courtesy, Vladimir Ivkovic.

A new 4-track EP by one of Japan's top crate diggers, SOUTHPAW CHOP, is here!
A dope and timeless collection of beats that follows the true path of traditional sampling hip-hop - once you hear it, you can't stop nodding your head.

REVIEWS
"Utterly gorgeous. This magnificent album is the gift that keeps on giving. Downright essential"
Electronic Sound (No. 6 Album Of The Year 2022)
"A cosmic swoon that plays with closeness and distance in the realm of revelation"
Pitchfork - 7.6
"Gloriously introspective"
Sunday Times
2022 Album Of The Year
The Thin Air

Joe Fujinoki centered the compositions of his latest album Glass Torso round the idea of the fragility of the human body. Fujinoki described the narrative thread of the album as that of “holding the shape of a human body as if it might shatter like glass”. The precariousness of the body, the essence of the body as defined by Fujinoki as the torso, and the object relations between the boundaries of dialectical exercises pack themselves into his creative process.

Fujinoki recorded Glass Torso exclusively with analog synthesizers, stumbling in and out of structural loops to find space for accidental discoveries. The ten pieces of recorded material feel somewhere on the edge of typified form, feeling like a vascular system pumping in and out its undulating liquidities. Maybe this is the hollowed space held together by Fujinoki’s notion of the torso where you hear a microscopic world, dubby and generative. Fujinoki is adept at organizing this realm of subtle sound sources, giving proper considerations of shared tonal space. Seemingly, this handling of the precarity of sonic material elucidates Fujinoki’s mature attention to detail.

Ambient music genre tropes often affirm the listeners vessel for escape and dissociation. It provides an intoxicating allure by respite from an overwhelming exterior reality far outside the listeners controls. Here this space becomes apolitical, or its protest vocabulary softer and subtle. Fujinoki does not aim to tackle hyperobject topics on how to course correct the world, but he does something increasingly rarer to come across. On Glass Torso an alternative space is created not as shelter, but as a meditation on negotiation and compromise. This twenty eight minutes of audio lays down a foundation for imagination, for imagining how to negotiate the fragility of the self. Zoomed out, the implications of his negotiative sonics can be a playground for broader reflections on distributive care and attention.

Fujinoki says he feels “alert” to his physicality and placement in the world amidst vast digital cultures creating impositions on him and his surroundings. On Glass Torso he creates a concretized space on a vinyl record, where the virtual and the tangible antagonize one another that create the spectacle of the listening experience. This spectacle is a soft one, a considered one, and an utmost enjoyable one. Fujinoki juggles opposing forces brilliantly, and formulates an exquisite palette of soft passing music so he can also help the listener with the exquisite burden of their own Glass Torso.”

- Nick Klein, January 2026

The Suicide Handbook is Ryan Adams’ most elusive and mythic recordings. The album is a raw and intimate collection of songs that captures the songwriter at his most unguarded. Recorded at the beginning of his solo career and long circulating only through bootlegs, the album has earned a legendary status among die-hard fans and fans of the americana genre alike for its stark stripped-back beauty.
Acoustic arrangements and hushed, late-night vocals, these songs feel like private confessions set to tape. Adams leans into themes of heartbreak, isolation, and emotional vulnerability, delivering recordings that are as fragile as they are compelling. There’s an immediacy here that sets The Suicide Handbook apart from his studio releases. These are the original recordings in their rawest and un-touched form.
Released officially for the first time, experience the record as a cohesive piece, bringing warmth and depth to its lo-fi origins. The analogue format enhances every subtle nuance, from the quiet creak of strings to the tremble in Adams’ voice.
For longtime fans and collectors alike, The Suicide Handbook stands as a haunting, deeply personal snapshot of an artist laying everything bare—an essential addition to the Ryan Adams collection.

Breakbeat Paradise Recordings returns with another heavy dose of raw funk and breakbeat pressure in the ever-growing Toxic Funk series – this time bringing together two seasoned groove specialists: The Fritz & Funkanizer. On Toxic Funk Vol. 21 the duo delivers two party-starting cuts packed with vintage breaks, heavyweight basslines and undeniable dancefloor energy.

Opening the A-side, Big Crush rolls in with chunky drums, infectious funk guitars and a soulful groove that feels tailor-made for packed club floors and sweaty late-night sessions. Flipping over to the B-side, Respect 900 turns up the heat with crisp breaks, old-school attitude and a driving funk workout loaded with signature Toxic Funk flavor. Both tracks blend classic funk roots with modern breakbeat production, perfectly capturing the spirit of the series.

With Toxic Funk Vol. 21, The Fritz & Funkanizer continue the tradition of delivering timeless DJ weapons for funk heads, breakbeat lovers and vinyl collectors alike. Another essential 7-inch release from Breakbeat Paradise Recordings, guaranteed to keep the grooves spinning and the dancefloor moving.

ICE CASTLES, Larry Heard's downtempo ambient, deep house masterpiece available on vinyl again. After nearly three decades out of print, Larry Heard's Ice Castles is finally getting the reissue people have been asking for. Originally released in 1995 (as Sceneries Not Songs - Volume Tu), Ice Castles stands out as one of the most overlooked, but essential records in deep house and downtempo. A hazy, RnB, jazz-inflected suite of tracks from the genre's original architect. Forming a blueprint for his release in the decades to come. From the shimmering ''Crystal Fantasy'' to the aching title track, this is Heard at his most intimate: less dancefloor, more personal. Now, for the first time since 1998, it's back on vinyl. Remastered and expanded to a full double LP with all tracks.

Belfast meets Bradford for a showcase of haunted tribal trances, whirring drum-machine ragas and subsonic ambience. A monolithic face-off on wax. A speaker-troubling duel to the sonic death.

Black Bones and Miles J Paralysis delve into the foundations of Crying Outcast’s fourth transmission: the split EP Black Cross. A release that’s sure to worm its way deep into your musical psyche.

Weapons-grade DJ tools for the margin travellers. Certified. Essential.

DJ Deep and Traumer continue the Get-Rooted journey with a new four-track EP that once again reflects the label’s concept: two artists sharing their individual perspectives while complementing each other’s musical language.

The release opens with DJ Deep’s original version of “Come Get It”, a timeless House cut deeply inspired by the spirit of the early ’90s, with a subtle nod to the legendary sound of Murk. Traumer then delivers his own interpretation of the track, transforming it into a more contemporary and forward-looking production while preserving its original essence.

Bridging the two versions is a dedicated DJ Tool, designed to seamlessly transition from one interpretation to the other, or to be used creatively in the mix alongside other records.

The EP closes with “Le Coton”, an elegant and sophisticated House track whose timeless groove perfectly rounds off this third Get-Rooted release.

Drop the needle on this latest dispatch from the tape vaults, and we are back in Chicago at The Curtom Studios in 1977. For instalment number five in the "Hutson Sevens" series, Home of The Good Groove Records are so very honoured to deliver this previously unreleased cut from Leroy Hutson—a true titan of soul music and an absolute master of his craft.
"Betting On My Love" carries that signature smooth orchestration we have come to expect from Hutson’s finest hours. It moves with a wonderful, breezy optimism. Hutson’s joyful, velvet lead tones skip effortlessly across the groove, wrapped in lush backing harmonies that instantly evoke the feel of the Hutson II
classic, "I Think I’m Falling in Love".

Now, a brief confession of pure, crate-digging indulgence: if tailored strictly for the dancefloor, the track arguably hits its logical peak and fade just past the three-minute mark. But to cut it there would strip away the raw human magic of the session. If you let the wax ride to the very end, the arrangement dissolves into a wonderful, lingering instrumental outro, culminating in the studio players purposely "clattering" their instruments in a moment of pure creative release. It is a brilliant, candid studio artifact that was fortunately preserved on the original master recording. Essential listening for the global soul family—do not sleep on this debut pressing.

For the flip we present Leroy Hutson’s 1979 cut “ So Nice”, a masterclass in late-70s soul music. A stand out track from the “Unforgettable” album and a vital reminder of Hutson’s unmatched ability to inject sophisticated romanticism into the bleeding edge of that disco era.

Slightly edited for the 7-inch pressing, up steps our remastering and editing maestro Mr Phil Ward. Phil always has the utmost respect when remastering and editing original content, ensuring that every second of the groove is fully respected and preserved. His stellar work here includes the studio recording of the three-count drum intro, never heard before now, leading into that meditative smooth groove layout.
It is an exquisite arrangement of simmering electric keys, nimble basslines courtesy of the legendary Keni Burke, and subtle bongo accents that collectively deliver a timeless masterpiece. Now available on 7-inch vinyl for the first time.

Rod Bartlett
Home of The Good Groove Records

r.hitect opens a new chapter with a refined vinyl release that signals both evolution and intention. Exploring subtle textures, intricate rhythms, and a deeper, more introspective sound, this record marks a shift toward a more personal sonic identity.

The release also introduces Croquis, a new label concept focused on capturing music in its purest form — raw, spontaneous, and essential. More than just a label, Croquis is a space for stripped-back expression and meaningful sound.

This vinyl sets the tone for what’s to come: minimal, emotional, and deeply authentic.

GRAMMY® Award-winning reggae icon Buju Banton returns to familiar ground with renewed purpose, setting the tone for a bold new era. Officially reunited with longtime partner VP Records, this full-circle moment reconnects one of Jamaica’s most influential voices with the label that helped define a pivotal chapter of his career. “Butterflies” serves as the first offering from his upcoming al bum, arriving Summer 2026. Produced by internationally acclaimed hitmaker Supa Dups (Rihanna, Drake, Bruno Mars), the track delivers a vibrant, feel-good sound anchored on a re-lick of the ‘Answer rhythm.’ Buju’s unmistakable cadence glides effortlessly across the track, blending classic dancehall energy with a modern sonic edge. The single exemplifies a confident return, one that bridges legacy with evolution while reintroducing the essence of dancehall to a new generation!

“Neither from here nor from there” is often used to describe migrant identities in territorial terms. In the case of Siete Catorce, it works better temporally: his music has always been so far ahead of its moment that it ultimately carved out a space of its own within both Latin American and global electronic music.

Born in Mexicali and shaped between the Bay Area and northern Mexico, his musical identity emerged through hip hop, dubstep, and the independent borderland scenes. After several years in Mexico City — without a clear place inside the local circuit — he created his own space through his music, developing a distinctive DJ/live set and a singular vision of contemporary Mexican electronic music, becoming a key figure within the city’s most forward-thinking underground.

In 2026, he releases El Valle, his first album in nearly three years. The record moves through different currents of electronic music — ambient, techno, cumbia, and tribal — filtered through a unique rhythmic language marked by syncopation, unpredictable breaks, and a constant tension between restraint and energy.

The album opens with “Mexicali,” alongside Andre Pereda, a tribal track stripped down to its percussive essence, evoking the genre through an ambient and synthetic approach. From there, “Aragón” and “El Rancho” progressively increase the tempo and intensity, combining cadenced phrases with minimalist tribal beats and unexpected turns.

In the second half of the album, now moving through territories of 140 BPM and beyond, tracks like “Montecarlo 1” and “Tierra Roja” drift between futuristic bass music and large-scale techno structures. This is followed by the 8-minute epic “East LA,” where Siete Catorce expands the energy of syncopated techno before releasing it into a pre-Hispanic tribal journey with flute and all the drums required for the occasion.

The closing section arrives with “Tlatelolco,” accelerating into an epic cumbia infused with trance references, and “Los Pinos,” a direct and forceful finale sustained by some of the album’s most precise sound design.

More than genres, Siete Catorce’s work is defined by meticulous sound design and an exceptional rhythmic sensibility — qualities that have established him as one of the most respected drum programmers of his generation.

It’s one thing to edit a song; extending sections, taking parts out, even adding a kick. Karizma uses his Knevrm!nd moniker to completely re-imagine tracks, producing completely new music and re-arranging vocals to create something completely different.

After building up a substantial catalogue of these in demand cuts we thought it was time to make some available on vinyl for the first time.

Knevrm!nd Vol.1 comes blasting out of the gate with four essential jams from the vault.

Influential UK Jazz/Funk/Disco outfit THE COOL-NOTES' biggest hit 'Spend The Night', originally released in 1985, is back on Dafia Records with a set of brand new, never before released remixes by French Disco icon DIMITRI FROM PARIS.

The original, which reached #11 in the UK Top 40 in the Spring of 1985, is regarded as a mid-tempo UK classic by many since its first appearance. Known for his luxurious, groove-driven productions and remixes, Dimitri From Paris has reworked tracks for artists including Björk, Quincy Jones, Chic and New Order, while helping define the sound of modern disco and house music in a way only he can.

When he got the chance by Dafia label head Mannix to get his hands on the original multitrack tapes, he didn't hesitate to deliver two classic DFP revisions in the making. His Main version leaves all the essential elements of the timeless Original, highlights the parts that have deserved more exposure whilst adding crisp beats and nice effects to the game. The result is a greatly updated version that surely will have many fans within the Soul/Funk/Disco scene.

On his Dub Dimitri Form Paris delivers a spaced out stripped back version with great use of vocal snippets to great effect on any dancefloor.

Eine sorgfältig zusammengestellte Kollektion, die Desmond Dekkers Einfluss auf Ska, Rocksteady und
frühen Reggae unterstreicht. Mit herausragenden Titeln wie „Israelites“ und „007 (Shanty Town)“ fängt
sie jenen Sound ein, der dazu beitrug, jamaikanische Musik einem internationalen Publikum nahezubringen.
Dies ist eine kompaktere Version der „Essential Collection“ von 2023; sie erscheint anlässlich des National
Album Day 2026 (10. Oktober 2026) sowohl als Pressung auf schwarzem „Ecorecord“-Vinyl als auch
im Digisleeve-Format (1 CD) inklusive Booklet. Die Veröffentlichung bietet ein klares, warmes Klangbild
und dient als prägnanter Überblick über Dekkers wichtigste Aufnahmen – eine verlässliche Ergänzung für
Sammler und ein idealer Einstieg für alle, die den klassischen Reggae für sich entdecken möchten.

The Ron Trent Collection Vol. 2 continues the relaunch of the legendary Nite Grooves label, further exploring the deep house catalogue that helped shape New York’s underground sound.

Following the first volume, this second instalment highlights more productions and collaborations connected to house pioneer Ron Trent, featuring appearances from Carlton and DJ Roland Clark alongside Trent himself.

Including standout cuts such as Carlton’s Can’t Be Without (Damier & Trent’s Prescription Extended Mix) and DJ Roland Clark presents Urban Soul’s My Urban Soul (USG Club Mix), the release brings together a selection of timeless grooves and club-ready house productions.

With deep rhythms, soulful vocals and hypnotic arrangements, these tracks reflect the musical depth and dancefloor sensibility that has defined Ron Trent’s work across decades of house music.

As the second release in the relaunched Nite Grooves catalogue, this collection offers strong appeal for both deep house DJs and collectors of classic New York house.

Another essential chapter in the return of Nite Grooves and a strong catalogue addition for stores supporting deep and soulful house.

No Home is the new album by Lane Hartley, releasing October 23rd 2026 on Royal Oakie Records. Produced in collaboration with David Hartley of The War On Drugs & Adam McDaniel (Animal Collective, Angel Olsen, Geologist), the album was recorded at Drop of Sun Studios in Asheville and features contributions from North Carolina’s tight knit music community–including Mary Lattimore, Seth Kaufman of Floating Action & Dream Sitch, David Hartley, Jack Victor Johnson, and more.

After recording his debut album Naming Horses, Lane left Los Angeles and returned home to the Carolinas, eventually landing in Asheville. It wasn’t too long until the songs started flowing and Lane found himself reaching out to Adam McDaniel at Drop of Sun Studios–a vaunted space that’s been at the heart of indie-rock the past few years, bringing to life recent albums from MJ Lenderman, Wednesday, Fust, and more. McDaniel introduced Lane to David Hartley, and what originally started with discussions to record one song quickly turned into a plan to track a whole album live with a six piece band. Once in the studio, co-producer McDaniel encouraged the group to lean on intuition–“All of the players on this record really brought it to life in such a cosmic way. They instilled so much childlike wonder and fun into the making of the album. It inspired me to keep going” says Lane.


Lyrically the album is a collection of vignettes about people who’ve become alienated from their deepest desires of connection, belonging, intimacy, and autonomy–inspired both by Lane’s own life and the lives of people he’s loved. The unique character of the album emerged when Lane made the decision to pair the dark lyrical content with bright & lush arrangements, inspired by Gene Clark’s No Other, Neil Young’s After the Gold Rush, and Amen Dunes’ Love. In Lane’s words, “The content of the songs got way darker, and my reaction was to make the songs catchier, and to lean harder into the music that influenced me. I wanted each song to feel like a room in a haunted house, with a beautiful garden growing outside”.

Album opener “I Am Not Ashamed” was inspired by the anti-memoir of actress Barbara Peyton, a 1950’s Hollywood starlet who met an untimely end; “It’s about knowing that whatever you’ve done to survive, you still deserve love” says Lane. “Mother” pairs lyrics about ancestral trauma with the sunshine-pop influence of Colin Blunstone, featuring backing vocals from Lane’s sister Barrett Hartley. “It's about coming to terms with the fact that the people meant to protect us are dealing with their own trauma…”

Meanwhile, “All Of This Is Yours” and “Tone Poem” form the spiritual center of the album, an attempt to transmute anger & pain to bittersweet acceptance in the wake of a breakup. “I feel like on the surface this is essentially a breakup album, a lot of these songs are about mourning the end of a relationship and reflecting on what went down. I was falling in love and getting my heart broken, then waking up and driving across the country and doing it all over again.” “Love Is Not A Song” was inspired by Margo Guryan’s Love Songs, pairing bright piano with playful lyrics about an old man who’s been beaten down by life but still believes his greatest love is yet to come. Last but not least, title track “No Home” sums up the album’s key theme of alienation, “It all goes back to this feeling of wanting to belong to someone or somewhere, wanting to belong in your own body.”

Während West-Coast-Hip-Hop oft auf eine begrenzte Auswahl an Klängen und Stilen reduziert wird, war die Realität des kalifornischen Rap schon immer weitaus vielfältiger. Nirgendwo wird dies deutlicher als in Los Angeles, wo das ikonische G-Funk-Erbe neben einer florierenden Independent-Szene besteht, die den Hip-Hop in neue Richtungen treibt. Nur wenige Künstler verkörpern diese Schnittstelle so natürlich wie Blu. Seit langem von den charakteristischen Klängen seiner Heimatstadt inspiriert und zugleich verwurzelt in der Lyrik und dem Soul der L.A.-Underground-Szene, schlägt der gefeierte MC mühelos eine Brücke zwischen diesen Welten. Sein neues Projekt ,LA" ist eine prägnante Essenz dieser künstlerischen Identität, die den klassischen West-Coast-Sounds Tribut zollt und zugleich ein vielschichtiges Porträt des Lebens in der Stadt der Engel zeichnet. Um diese Vision zum Leben zu erwecken, tat sich Blu mit dem Produzenten Sndtrak aus Oakland zusammen, einem Mitglied von 9th Wonders Produktionskollektiv ,Soul Council", das für seine Arbeit mit Larry June, Rapsody und Smif-N-Wessun bekannt ist. Indem er klassische West-Coast-Grooves durch eine frische Perspektive neu interpretiert, schafft Sndtrak den idealen Hintergrund für Blus prägnante Texte und seine bodenständige Erzählkunst. Mit Beiträgen von Volume 10, Thurz, MED, Iman Omari, Trizz, ICECOLDBISHOP und weiteren Künstlern unterstreicht ,LA" die kreative Entwicklung in einer der dynamischsten Städte des Hip-Hop.