Suche:2 sides

The members of short lived Palm Desert, CA stoner/desert rock trailblazers Kyuss went their separate ways in 1995 after only four genre defining albums with Josh Homme and Nick Oliveri forming Queens of the Stone Age, John Garcia founding groups Unida, Slo Burn, and Hermana, and Brant Bjork joining Fu Manchu. 2000 posthumous compilation Muchas Gracias: The Best of Kyuss gathered a selection of 15 rare tracks, B-sides and live cuts. Available for the first time on vinyl in the U.S., Run Out Groove offers up a colored 2LP pressing of the hard to find album with deluxe packaging.

Released in the summer of 1969, Syl Johnson's first full length outing compiles the fruits of his late '60s Twinight sides. Included are the seminal, and often sampled, hits "Come On Sock It To Me" and "Different Strokes." Issued on 150-gram vinyl and housed in a tip-on jacket, Dresses Too Short is the perfect entry point for any exploration of this soul titan's most fruitful years.

REPRESSED

Defending the 2014 titles for both DMC World DJ Championship and the Battle for World Supremacy. The only DJ in history to win the UK DJ Championsh and Battle for UK Supremacy 2 years running. Ritchie Ruftone brings a skip proof DJ battle tool.

Both sides of the vinyl contain the same scratch samples, one side is 4/4 at 100 bpm and the other utilizing 3/4 ultra-pitch. The 'go to tool' tool for all your scratching needs, regardless of bmp tempos. All samples land on 6 and 12 o'clock. Drop the needle anywhere and practice yo cuts!

"In the late 1960's, Decca was playing to its strengths – mass marketing classical and easy-listening recordings just as it had been doing since the late 1920's. In April of 1968, Decca entered into a venture that would see its repertoire prominently displayed by non-specialist retailers, and after much resistance, it moved into the world of budget releases, with the beginning of its much loved ‘The World Of’ series in 1968.

The first album set out the series’ stall perfectly, focusing on one of the label’s biggest-selling artists. Its whole raison d’être was to drive sales of the artist’s repertoire: inviting consumers to dip in here and discover more, while the rear sleeve clearly offered the catalogue numbers of the parent albums.

Later, the World Of ’s would also become treasure troves for rarities and one-offs.nitially, the series stayed in the ‘Easy’ territory and by the end of ’69, 54 titles were available. Unsurprisingly, given the label’s heritage, classical repertoire would also become a mainstay.

The first classical LP was one of the early issues:
The World of Johann Strauss. The series treated classical music much like pop: compiling the most popular pieces and presenting them across two sides.

• 180 GRAM HEAVYWEIGHT VINYL • CUT AT ABBEY ROAD STUDIOS
• NEWLY-COMPILED SELECTIONS FROM DECCA’S ILLUSTRIOUS CATALOGUE • Please note: The World of Nothern Soul - previous orders still stand.

(Obergman, Derek Carr, Baby Ford mixes)

Some 20 years on from its initial release, it's amazing how fresh and current 'Praise' by Leigh Dickson sounds, every bit as reinvigorating as a swim in an icy mountain stream. Sushitech imprint Pariter have opted to remaster the lush original mix in its full glory, adding the already well known and much loved Baby Ford Heavenly Circuit remix alongside a new, unreleased 'alternative remix' and new mixes by Pariter's own Ogerman and Derek Carr. All four sides are eminently playable in the deep house/techno framework, as you'd imagine, with varying levels of the original's bewitching instrumentation retained.

For this uniquely personal retrospective spread over twelve vinyl discs, Sven Väth takes us back to the early days of his DJ career. On What I Used To Play we meet great pioneers of electronic music, gifted percussionists, obscure wave bands, and innovative producers of a bygone 'new electronic' era. Rough beats and irresistible grooves from the identification stage of house, techno, and acid remind us not just how far electronic music has evolved over the past four decades, but how great it was to dance to EBM, techno, and house for the very first time.

If there is one protagonist of the electronic music scene who has remained curious, innovative and at the very cutting edge of music for over four decades, it's Sven Väth. His multi-layered artist albums and Sound of the Season mix compilations have been defining the genre for over two decades, and even today, he is constantly on the lookout for the next top tune to add to the highlights of his next set. At least, that's the case when he's not producing them himself as an artist or remixer. "Actually, it's always been part of my DNA to think ahead," and nothing had been further from his mind than looking back at his past, but when in spring of 2020 the international DJ circuit had to be scaled down to virtually zero, the 'restless traveler' suddenly had time. Time to stop and reflect on "how it actually was back then, at the very beginning of my career..."

"It was a great trip and with every track, beautiful memories came flooding back".
In the London apartment, he had just moved into, Sven has set up a "little music room", where he cocooned himself for several days, "to look way back for the first time and review my musical journey through the eighties, so to speak."

The interim result was six thematically oriented playlists with a grand total of 120 tracks from 'early 80s' to 'Balearic late 80s', together with excursions into afrobeat, European new wave, and EBM sounds and a few epochal techno/house tracks from the USA in between. From these 'Best of Sven Väth's favorites', the project What I Used To Play crystallized. Sven remembers how the Cocoon team reacted to his proposal: "They found the idea of making a compilation out of it MEGA from the beginning and everyone said 'Sven, go for it', but then, of course, the work really started, namely, to clear the rights and to get clean sounding masters of the up to 40-year-old tracks. There was also disappointment, of course. We couldn't clear certain titles because the rights holders in the USA had fallen out with each other or simply disappeared from the scene. In short, it wasn't easy, but now I can safely say we got the most important tracks."

Finally, after two years of research, curation, design, and administrative fine-tuning, the "little retrospective" from 1981 to 1990 is available. The exquisitely packaged, and three-kilo heavy box set is not only physically impressive, WIUTP is also the definitive record of Sven Väth's musical development. On each of the twenty-four sides of vinyl, you can trace track by track, what influenced him during which phase, and how he took off as a DJ from his parents' Queen's Pub straight into the spotlight at Dorian Gray. There and at Vogue (later OMEN), Sven became the style-defining player in the DJ booth that he still is today.




1981 - 1990: Future Sounds of Now

In the early eighties, the crowd in clubs like Vogue and Dorian Gray danced to what nowadays we call 'dance classics' - mainly disco, funk, soul, and chart pop. It was up to a new generation of DJs, including Sven Väth, the youngest protagonist in the Rhine-Main area at the time, to create their own club-ready music mix. Good new tracks and potential floor-fillers were rarities that had to be sought out and found, in order to prove oneself worthy.
Without MP3s, internet streaming, or other digital download possibilities, music didn't just gravitate to the DJ, instead, it had to be tracked down. In well-stocked record stores in Frankfurt and Wiesbaden or even in Amsterdam, London, or New York, Sven and friends sourced the material for countless magical nights. On WIUTP we can follow Sven's very personal journey through this wild, innovative era in which synth-pop, funk, hip-hop, and disco were successively replaced as 'club music' by house, techno, acid, and breakbeat. By the end of the decade, it was clear to see that these once exotic 'fringe' phenomena would soon become 'mass' phenomena.



Early 80s

Dirty Talk by the Italian-American duo Klein & M.B.O. represents the most innovative phase of the Italo-disco genre in the early eighties like no other track. Mario Boncaldo (I) and Tony Carrasco relied entirely on the original synthetic drum and percussion sounds of the Roland TR-808, coupled with the raunchy vocals of Rossana Casale and guitar accents of Davide Piatto. Of course, other tracks from this period were also influential in style, most notably Unit by Logic System, which worked as the perfect soundtrack to the laser lighting system at the legendary Dorian Gray club. With stomping beats and robotic rap interludes, Bostich by Yello also belongs on Sven's eternal playlist - after all, it caught the attention of Afrikaa Bambaataa, who invited the Swiss duo to perform at the Roxy in New York in 1983.



EBM Wave - Mid 80s

From today's point of view, the almost ten-minute-long, downtempo track Giant by Matt Johnson's band project The The, would probably not be considered an obvious club classic. However, a closer (re)listen reveals the rhythmic intricacies of the percussion overdubs by JG Thirlwell (aka Foetus) on Johnson's composition, and it becomes clear why this exceptional piece of music is one of Sven's absolute favorites. Other classics from this phase include Kaw-Liga by the mysterious The Residents, the hypnotic-synthetic Our Darkness by Anne Clark (and David Harrow), and last but not least, the somber, monotonous anthem Where Are You? by 16Bit, one of Sven Väth's projects together with Michael Münzing, Luca Anzilotti from 1986.



US House - Late 80s

You certainly can't talk about Chicago house without mentioning Frankie Knuckles. The resident DJ at the Warehouse not only gave the name to an entire genre, but also produced epochal floor fillers on the Trax label like the timeless Your Love, sung (and moaned) by Jamie Principle. Acid house protagonists Phuture also hail from Chicago, and on We Are Phuture (also released on Trax) we hear the chirping acid sounds of the legendary Roland TB-303 in full effect. Another featured classic is No UFO's by Detroit's Model 500 aka Juan Atkins, who is rightly considered the 'Godfather of Techno' even if the genre-defining track from 1985 still breathes with the spirit of hip-hop and electro from the first breakdance era.





Afrobeat

Le Serpent, by Algerian-born Abdelmadjid Guemguem, is a track that sounds completely different from everything else on WIUTP. Made in 1978, it's a monumental, rousing groove created without bass or synths, just with five congas! Even though Guem sadly passed away in 2021, his immortal, acoustic beats are understood all over the world and will continue to enrich many thousands of DJ sets for years to come. Another classic that not only Sven appreciates beyond measure is Hugh Masekela's Don't Go Lose it, Baby. In addition to being one of the most important jazz pioneers, the trumpeter and freedom fighter from Johannesburg was very experimental, integrating electronic sounds into his music in later years, in a similar vein to Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock. Dutch jazz pianist Jasper van't Hof's afrobeat project Pili Pili has also aged well. The trance-like, almost sixteen-minute-long track of the same name, manages to fill a whole side on the seventh of twelve vinyl discs in the WIUTP box.



UK-US-Euro - Late 80s

Time for a change of scene, in the truest sense of the word, and from a musical perspective, this section is like landing on another planet. First up is Andrew Weatherall's classic remix of Primal Scream's Loaded, featuring the iconic Peter Fonda sample (lifted from the 1966 biker film Wild Angels) that came to personify the mood triggered by the British Second Summer of Love in the late eighties: "We wanna be free to do what we wanna do, and we wanna get loaded...". This period also saw the emergence of M/A/R/R/S whose only single, 1987's Pump Up The Volume, became a club classic with support from DJ legend CJ Mackintosh. In this most eclectic of sections, we also encounter New York house and reggae producer Bobby Konders and his seminal Nervous Acid.



Balearic - Late 80s

Those who know him, know that Sven had already lost his heart to the 'magic island' of Ibiza as a teenager, so with that in mind, the WIUTP project couldn't end without a Balearic chapter. Inspired by Manuel Göttsching's E2-E4, the immortal, eponymously titled Sueño Latino belongs in there without question. Equally popular on the island was, and still is Break 4 Love by Raze, which thinking about it, would also fit perfectly into the house chapter. Last, but not least, there's an overdue reunion with Sven Väth himself, in his role as frontman of the successful Frankfurt trio OFF. Together with Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilotti (later of Snap!) this 'Organization For Fun' created the off-the-wall club hit Electric Salsa in 1986 which incidentally turned into an international chart smash, putting Sven in the enviable position of having to decide between pop stardom and a DJ career. Well, we all know how that decision turned out and the rest, as they say, is history. A not insignificant part of his story is What I Used To Play. Enjoy!

Having spent the past few years supplying low notes as bass player for a who’s who of UK Soul and Jazz talent (including Tom Misch, LoyleCarner, Berwyn, Jordan Rakei, Poppy Ajudha, Jamie Isaac, Puma Blue, Jorja Smith, Alfa Mist & Charlotte Dos Santos) Rudi Creswick steps into the spotlight with his first full length solo offering ‘Different Forms’ on Alfa Mist’s Sekito imprint.

Hailing from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Rudi was immersed in club culture from a young age, the low end sonics of which guided his playing, and led him to discovering his own style In the years that followed, Rudi continued to hone his craft, melding the sub rattling sounds of Hip-Hop producers such as J Dilla, MF Doom and Knxwldge with the technical sensibilities of influential Jazz players such as Pino Palladino, Derrick Hodge and Thundercat.

With this record serving as a chance for Rudi to stretch his creative legs, the aim was to showcase the many musical sides of his creative spirit. The first single lifted from the project ‘Sometimes’ enlists the vocal talents of the incredible Emmavie - who dives into self-reflective and cutting, honest lyrics. She explains: “No one ever leads with “often temperamental, quick to anger and generally hot and cold” when describing themselves. Something about Rudi’s laidback production and bouncy singing bass line pulled this reflective and apologetic yet playful subject out of me. “

On the LP, Rudi says: ‘This whole project is thanks to Alfa , Barney Artist and the team at Sekito who’ve helped me realise my dream. They had faith in me for which I’ll always be grateful. The project’s kind of all over the place because there’s so many corners to anyone’s being, inspirations and their musicality, so I wanted Different Forms to reflect that’



Throughout the record, Rudi’s musical prowess and vast influences are laid bare for all to see. From the gliding melodies and twinkling keys and hazy fanfares of second single ‘Peace Of Mind’ (Feat. Manny & The Coloured Sound) through to the sparse and haunting tones of ‘Charlotte’ the LP traverses high peaks and deep valleys, channelling a sense of beauty of textured mystique throughout. Sporting an impressive roster of collaborators including Alfa Mist himself, Trumpeter Sheila Maurice Grey (Kokoroko), Chelsea Carmichael on Tenor Sax, Barrel Jones (Drummer for Nubya Garcia) and Vels Trio’s Jack Stephenson-Oliver (who played synth for the track ‘With Want You’). The lush instrumentation provides an incredible backdrop for esteemed performers such as Barney Artist to drop bars over the crisp drums and laid back strut of ‘Holding The Fence’, meanwhile Berwyn supplies sombre lyrics of the vast expanses of ‘96BPM’. An emotive and engaging listen from start to finish, ‘Different Forms’ is a truly stunning debut.

Repressed On translucent blue vinyl! Too many people sleep on Tougher Than Leather, Run-DMC’s fourth album. But hear us out as we plead the case for this amazing LP. By 1988 there was a lot more competition in the rap game – Public Enemy, Boogie Down Productions, Eric B. & Rakim, Ice-T and many more had given Hollis, Queens’ prodigal sons lots of competition. But Joe, Darryl and Jay were still at the top of their game, and hip-hop fans should never let this classic – chiefly produced by their Queens neighbor, DJ and multi-instrumentalist Davy DMX – get lost in their crates. For starters, the album’s first single, “Run’s House” b/w “Beats To The Rhyme” is arguably the most powerful one-two punch of the trio’s career, showing contenders to the rap throne that they could still destroy a beat, tag-teaming with power at any speed. Not to be lost in the shuffle, fans were also reminded on both sides that Jam-Master Jay remained one of the world’s best DJs, flexing the pinnacle of what would be called “turntablism” a decade later. Both songs show a musical telepathy between all three that has rarely been equaled. The second single, “Mary, Mary,” driven by an infectious Monkees sample, took a different approach, shrewdly ensuring that pop fans who jumped on the Raising Hell bandwagon had something to chew on. But, like “Walk This Way,” the song wasn’t just bubblegum – there was an edge to it, and the lyrical gymnastics were very real. It wasn’t selling out, it was allowing fans to buy in. “Papa Crazy,” driven in concept and by a sample from the Temptations’ “Papa Was A Rolling Stone,” followed a similar pop-leaning path. Overall, the lyrical content on the album was a step up from the group’s first three LPs. It’s easy to infer, looking back, that they were feeling the heat from their younger competitors in the rap game. The genre was changing fast, and they were up to the challenge. On cuts like “Radio Station” they bring substance to the grooves, by attacking Black Radio for its continual denigration of rap. “Tougher Than Leather” reminds the world that they were still the Kings of Rock, with hard guitars to drive the point home. And “They Call Us Run-DMC” and “Soul To Rock And Roll” both bring things back to their early days, with sure-fire park jam rhymes and killer cuts. Tougher Than Leather, which went platinum up against a lot of competition, perfectly bookends the ‘80s output of one of the decade’s most important groups. It encompasses the full range of the trio’s capabilities, and reminds us that Run-DMC should never be forgotten as both pioneers and party-rockers. And so, we say, long live Joe, Darryl and Jay! A1. Run's House A2. Mary, Mary A3. They Call Us Run DMC A4. Beats To The Rhyme A5. Radio Station A6. Papa Crazy B1. Tougher Than Leather B2. I'm Not Going Out Like That B3. How'd Ya Do It Dee B4. Miss Elaine B5. Soul To Rock And Roll B6. Ragtime

Born Aaron Livingston, GRAMMY Award winning Son Little unleashes his album Like Neptune never sounding stronger or more confident than now, showcasing his original vision of r&b, informed by his love for hip-hop imbued with tinges of funk, pop, and psychedelia
While Little's collaborations with The Roots and RJD2 had already helped him make a name for himself by that point in his adopted hometown of Philadelphia.
Critics on both sides of the pond were quick to recognize the unique power of Little's solo recordings, which stripped the past for parts that could be reconstituted into something wholly new and original. NPR hailed Little's "impeccably crafted songs" as "honest and unpretentious," while The Independent proclaimed him "a formidable talent," and Vice declared that he was "dissolving
the barrier between R&B and rock 'n' roll one tearjerker at a time."

Musical legends from opposite sides of the world come together on Hell Yeah's next EP as Japan's Calm and Finnish musician Jimi Tenor collaborate on big city takes. It features two new singles as well as remixes from the celebrated tapes and Belfast's best-kept secret, The Vendetta Suite.

This most satisfying of eps came together when the psychedelic space-jazz-funk king and noted musician, composer and producer Jimi Tenor was in tour in Japan. Label head Marco arranged for him to head into Calm's studio in Kawasaki, Tokyo, and real magic happened.

'Big City Takes' is gloriously lush, with serene chords, delicate flutes and organic percussion. Tenor's airy vocal brings the soul as an intimate and late-night groove emerges to melt your heart.

Then come two remixes from tapes. The first is powered by dusty old-school drum breaks. They're doused in subtle euphoria with a nimble bassline down low, while the second one is stripped right back to a pulsing rhythm and killer phased bass. Spread chords bring sunrise feelings to this most colourful of grooves.

On the flip side, Calm offers a version of 'Time & Space' that is nearly eight minutes of exquisitely blissed-out downtempo. Chords ripple like waves, flutes flutter like birds and the whole thing is filled with the joys of a new spring day. The remix comes from The Vendetta Suite, a label regular and under-the-radar talent who is defining his native Northern Irish scene with his fresh fusion sounds. His version brings a new age ambiance to post-rave Balearic comedown. It's one that douses you in life-affirming synths as drums gently persuade you to sway along.

Lady in Satin was released in 1958 on Columbia Records, catalogue CL 1157 in mono and CS 8048 in stereo. It is legendary singer Billie Holiday's penultimate album completed by the singer and released in her lifetime (her final album, Billie Holiday, being recorded in March 1959 and released just after her death).

AllMusic says: "The feeling and tension she manages to put into almost every track set this album as one of her finest achievements. 'You've Changed' and 'I Get Along Without You Very Well' are high art performances from the singer who saw life from the bottom up."

The song material for Lady in Satin derived from the usual sources for Holiday in her three-decade career, that of the Great American Songbook of classic pop. Unlike the bulk of Holiday's recordings, rather than in the setting of a jazz combo Holiday returns to the backdrop of full orchestral arrangements as done during her Decca years, this time in the contemporary vein of Frank Sinatra or Ella Fitzgerald on her Song Books series. The album consists of songs Holiday had never recorded before.

Bandleader Ray Ellis used a 40-piece orchestra, complete with horns, strings, reeds and even a three-piece choir. It would turn out to be Holiday's most expensive music production. Soloists on the album included Mel Davis, Urbie Green, and bebop trombone pioneer J. J. Johnson.

Now with our 45 RPM release, mastered from the original analogue tape by Bernie Grundman, and pressed by our own Quality Record Pressings, the best-sounding version of this historic album gives listeners an even richer sonic experience. The dead-quiet double-LP, with the music spread over four sides of vinyl, reduces distortion and high frequency loss as the wider-spaced grooves let your stereo cartridge track more accurately.

Original album produced by Irving Townsend, and engineered by Fred Plaut.

** 1st Time on 7"! Totally underrated Prog-Krautrock-Funk **

Taken from a self-released 33rpm record, both sides are superfunky jazz flute workouts similar to Tramp's previous 7" by Big Band Frank Pleyer ("Sally" b/w "Bubble And Squeak", Tramp TR-291).

2 LPs-set (3 sides)
Recorded in Paris, November 22 and December 17, 1958.
Original issues: LP Fontana 680.202 ML & EP Fontana 460.642 MR.


”I’ve never played for such an audience” declared Art Blakey in tears. lt was November 22nd, 1958, and he’d just come offstage after one of the “Jazz Wednesdays” concerts at the Paris Olympia. For a first appearance by the “Jazz Messengers”, they’d made quite an impression. Not content with pulling a huge crowd off the Boulevard des Capucines (the demand was so great that a second concert had to be staged on December 17th), they’d converted everybody to the “Hard Bop” religion in two sets where, united in a kind of exultant communion, jazzmen, jazzophiles and curious bystanders alike had been crushed together in high spirits, paying no attention to the presence of Brigitte Bardot escorted by Sacha Distel. That night Blues March had almost replaced the Marseillaise anthem (and Moanin’ the Oignons). Yet none of the Messengers had ever been to Paris. They’d get to that later, and then some, but for the moment they were perfect strangers. Not only strangers to the public, but unknown even to a sizeable group of jazz fans : the next issue of “Jazz Hot” magazine (most of it devoted to them) arrived like an invasion by the carabimeri… the blaze lit at the Olympia had gone out, of course, and Blakey had moved into the “Club St. Germain” to light others; there, each of his gigs could have been a remake of the famous cabin scene in the Marx Brothers’ “A Night At The Opera”…

Among the Messengers’ “greatest hits”, only Moanin’ came close to Blues March. Constructed in the manner of a gospel, with the piano in the role of the preacher, and the orchestra that of the congregation, punctuating the sermon with shouts of approval, the theme was by pianist Bobby Timmons, whose fiery spirit can be explained by his educayion: “… the fact I played rhythm ‘n’ blues had a great influence on my style, and for me, it’s the foundation of jazz.” Moanin’ had sent the Olympia fans Into transports of delight, and even excited the curiosity of Hugues Panassié, who chanced to be passing by (“Bop”, in any form, being hardly his cup of tea) : he was prompted to go backstage and ask what it was he’d heard… Decidedly, in 1958, the Jazz Messengers were miracle-workers!

 With ‘Resonanzen’ (Resonances), Johanna
Summer has extended her extraordinary art and
deepened the way she re-tells the music of
classical composers through improvisation.
 The album spans a wide range, starting with Bach,
Schubert, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Grieg and
Ravel and ending with Mompou, Ligeti and
Scriabin.
 Johanna Summer’s deep insights into the two
worlds of composition and improvisation are the
result of the particular path along which she has
developed as a musician. In her childhood and
youth, she solely studied classical music. Jazz and
improvisation came relatively late, but when they
did, it was with a powerful focus.
 Her classical grounding remained in place, and yet
there were many things that she needed to relearn for ‘Resonanzen’. As she says: “It was very
important that I should master the original pieces
first. That was particularly demanding for
‘Resonanzen’, because each of these very
contrasting compositions makes very different
demands on me as a player. At the same time,
improvisation is also an art which you have to keep
practising and developing, so that the music can
attain its own natural flow. To do justice to both of
these sides, and to find a balance between them,
these really are lifelong tasks for me.”

Konnichiwa! The Courettes go to the land of the rising sun – and they sing in Japanese! The “hardest working band in showbiz” took another step closer to world domination traveling around the globe and landing in Japan in October for a successful tour full of packed concerts, sushi and Japanese rock ‘n’ roll! Their new upcoming 7” single is an outstanding version in Japanese of ‘Daydream’. The English version, from their latest album Back in Mono B-sides & Outtakes, is also included on the flipside. On beautiful white vinyl with red labels (just like the Japanese flag) the record is due out on January 27th on Damaged Goods Records, shipping from the UK to all corners of the western world and beyond. The original release on Japanese label Target Earth / Naris Records sold out by the third day of the Japanese tour. The mix is of course by Japanese Spector aficionado Seiki Sato, who was responsible for the Back in Mono album’s Wall of Sound extravaganza. So, ladies and gentlemen, get ready for one more spit ‘n’ snarl wall-of-sound garage gem with Martin blending class and wildness on the drums and Flavia bursting out on top - in Japanese! Kampai!

Totó's music has been sampled and remixed by countless DJs and producers from Timbaland to Michel Cleis - indeed the trance-like grooves of her tambores and the majesty of her voice continues to be an irresistible formula.
The Garabato Sessions brings influences from Bristol to Bogotá, with new remixes of Totó's classic Adios Fulana. DJ, musician and remixer, Rob Smith (RSD), best known for making and playing breakbeat, drum & bass and dubstep, and as half of the duo Smith & Mighty (with Ray Mighty) provides the Bristol connection with his remixes.
Bogotá-based Richard Blair - from the band Sidestepper - retains the earthy Colombian sound of the traditional African-influenced drums and adds his own dub twist

Irresistibly groovy manoeuvres from Brazil's Gabriel Oliveria, who was introduced to the world via John Beltran's Sol Set LP. It's only right then, that both sides of this 7" single should effortlessly straddle the sensibilities of Latin and house, driven along by a subtly insistent four to the floor kick drum and a more off kilter double beat on the flip song Quem Sabe Quando. Brazil's bossa tradition is built on its musicians' ability to simultaneously balance the celebratory and the melancholy in their songs, and these two, perfect for sunset or end of season Balearic sets, do just that.

Barely heard in his lifetime (1961-2002) but hailed as an outsider hero of ur-punk since 2009’s ‘Cosmic Lightning’ compilation, J.T. IV strikes back!

15 unheard-of tracks found on an obscure cassette tape make the schizo split in his music - rabid rock & roll fantasy and cold-eyed acoustic introspection - an epic. ‘The Future’ is J.T. IV’s mad magnum opus.

The 2009 comp LP, ‘Cosmic Lightning’, cast his tragic silhouette up on the big screen
for all to see: the lost boy, alone in the world, standing before the mic and releasing
his inner star with glee and vengeance, his antisocial visions flying high atop a raging
funnel of distorted guitars and blunt rhythms. Or couched, childlike, within a heart
breaking billow of acoustic guitars - a schizophrenic split that only magnifies the
display of his deep emotions.
‘The Future’ goes even further, excavating fifteen recordings from a previously
unheard-of cassette entitled ‘The Best Of Johnny Zhivago Retrospective 1979–1993’,
and adding four more uncollected tracks from his slim (and impossible to find
anyway) discography.
Of these nineteen tracks, eight are covers - and J.T. IV’s picks, from Velvets to Mott
the Hoople, Roxy Music, Lee Hazlewood, The Kinks, Eno and Stephen Sondheim,
sharpen our image of the misfit adrift; on the outside looking in, but maybe just a few
steps away from his goal.
‘The Future’ unfolds like an epic, as both sides of J.T.’s persona - the street-smart,
damaged rocker and the heart struck poet of the scene - live on together in the best
performances of his short career.
A punk of the old order, John Henry Timmis IV was born in 1961 into a dysfunctional,
abusive and eventually broken family. By the mid-70s, he was desperate to get out,
running away from his mother’s home several times while still a teenager living in the
greater Chicagoland area. At wit’s end, she had him committed to the Menninger
Clinic for a year or so. Released on his own reconnaissance, he began his meteoric
ascent to the mythic level of self-aggrandizement in which he appears here. Inspired
by the underground, proto-punk sounds in the air (the likes of which any sharp-eyed
young thing might chance upon in the back pages of Creem, Crawdaddy, Trouser
Press, etc.) and desperate to be heard himself, J.T. presented like the scabby
younger brother of Bangs and Laughner: born only to rock, his musical conception a
rabid personality crisis of proselyte elitism and nihilist excess.
Now, 20 years on from his passing, ‘The Future’ is ever farther away from the world
in which he struggled so mightily - but his stinging iconoclasm, whether screamed
from Marshall amps or mic-ed up close, feels ever more powerfully infused with his
unique breadth of illness and essence.
These songs represent the two sides of J.T. - and while they emanate from the 80s,
they find themselves potently renewed in the polarized world of today, making ‘The
Future’ a worthwhile destination for everyone who ever had a heart touched by the
transgression and freedom promised by rock & roll.

The increasingly vital Jorkes makes a big step up to the acclaimed Live at Robert Johnson label with her standout Sweet Dreams EP. As with all Jorkes EPs, the artwork features photography shot by Daniel Rajcsanyi.

Jorkes has been making big and bold moves recently. She is the co-founder of the unique Freeride Millenium label which is a hotbed for queer dance music. German-born but Austria based, she has an influential residency at Radio 80000 alongside ParisBöhm and is a resident at Stuttgart's Romantica where she plays a thrilling mix of disco, house, techno and everything in between. She is someone who always serves to highlight the importance of the dance floor as a place of sexual and cultural liberation and this new EP is another innovative statement that comes as she rides a wave of high profile radio, DJ and media support for recent outings on her own label.

Opener 'You Will be Mine' is a song about obsessing after an unattainable stranger on the dance floor who disappears into the night. It's a silky disco house sound with chords that sing and a floating bassline that lifts you off your feet. The melodic motifs bring charm and cosmic energy and the whole track has a lush, musical feel. The equally excellent 'Robot Lover' muses on human detachment in this technological era of internet porn, dating apps and screen obsessions and how a robotic lover might be a better fit than a real life partner. It is another elastic and disco-tinged rhythm, with elegant chords and dancing keys over a suspensory bassline. Intimate vocal whispers bring tenderness to this timeless track.

On the flip side, 'Sweet Dreams' layers up infectious claps and tinny percussion over an irresistible deep house groove. It's a widescreen, symphonic sound that brings very real but subtle joy and closer 'CDEvaLo' is the name of a crossdressing male-to-female and sex-worker friend of Jorkes. She sings the introduction lyrics in Greek and they translate as "It was a very beautiful day, while we were sitting at the park we thought of going out for a coffee and realized we have no money and are absolutely broke. So we discussed about who is gonna put the wig on to "go and make a visit“ Greek slang for sex work so we'll have money again." It is a comment on the number of young people who arrived in Athens over the years to do cross-dressing sex work after being kicked out by their Orthodox Christian homes. The track flips the script with a more playful disco sound, characterful vocoder vocals and glossy synths over a jacked house beat.

This is an expansive EP that shows off the different sides to Jorkes's unique sound.

When the 60’s turned into the 70’s there was a musical crossroads. The American blues had had it’s run with teens on both sides of the Atlantic long enough so that the blues-offspring named rock’n’roll had to expand or die. It did not die, it expanded in all kinds of directions! And right there in the crossroads between blues-based rock and all the world’s other sub-genres of rock, something happened to the blues. The format got experimented with, expanded and almost made unrecognizable. But at the same time the roots to the original ’real’ blues was never lost. Where Peter Green left Fleetwood Mac in 1970 with the track «Green Manalishi», where Johnny Winter stretched his musical legs, where ZZ Top bought Marshall full stacks and shot from the hip, and last but not least where the legend himself, Muddy Waters, stretched the limits of that was ’legal’ with the album «Electric Mud». And not to forget Jimi Hendrix, Free, Canned Heat and the rest of the gang from the Woodstock-era. The result was a highly electric musical revolution, where e.g. the newly born genre hard rock walked hand in hand with traditional delta blues. It is out from this musical mud The Devil and the Almighty Blues have found their inspiration. Formed in 2010, their music is slow, heavy, melodic and raw, all without losing the almighty blues out of sight. Filled with a profound love for the old heroes of the blues walking hand in hand with rock, metal, country and last but not least punk.

When the 60’s turned into the 70’s there was a musical crossroads. The American blues had had it’s run with teens on both sides of the Atlantic long enough so that the blues-offspring named rock’n’roll had to expand or die. It did not die, it expanded in all kinds of directions! And right there in the crossroads between blues-based rock and all the world’s other sub-genres of rock, something happened to the blues. The format got experimented with, expanded and almost made unrecognizable. But at the same time the roots to the original ’real’ blues was never lost. Where Peter Green left Fleetwood Mac in 1970 with the track «Green Manalishi», where Johnny Winter stretched his musical legs, where ZZ Top bought Marshall full stacks and shot from the hip, and last but not least where the legend himself, Muddy Waters, stretched the limits of that was ’legal’ with the album «Electric Mud». And not to forget Jimi Hendrix, Free, Canned Heat and the rest of the gang from the Woodstock-era. The result was a highly electric musical revolution, where e.g. the newly born genre hard rock walked hand in hand with traditional delta blues. It is out from this musical mud The Devil and the Almighty Blues have found their inspiration. Formed in 2010, their music is slow, heavy, melodic and raw, all without losing the almighty blues out of sight. Filled with a profound love for the old heroes of the blues walking hand in hand with rock, metal, country and last but not least punk.

EP, black vinyl Death doom metal group Kuolemanlaakso's most recent album Kuusumu, released to much critical acclaim in March 2022, will be followed up by a limited three song EP Kuolleiden laulu in December. Both the album and the EP were recorded in the same studio session in 2021, both share lyrical themes and cover art based on art by Evelyn De Morgan (1855-1919). "We knew already when entering the studio that we're going to record more than an album, as we had plenty of material to work on. When all ten songs were done, it felt natural to compile the album of the heavier epic songs and put the more unusual and catchy tracks on the EP. These three songs have contagious hooks and clean vocals", comments guitarist-songwriter Laakso. The title track on the EP is the band's most radio friendly track to date with a smoother production and an infectious chorus plus guest female vocals by Lotta Ruutiainen, who also performed on the album. The slow and menacing second track "Juuret jalkojeni alla" is a more complex composition, whereas the EP closing number "Rautasiivet" pays a visit to the same melancholic but catchy territory that Kent and Katatonia also inhabit. "The three songs on Kuolleiden laulu differ from one another considerably, and they present new sides to the band. Lyrically all three songs are fictional stories based on the 10-year volcanic winter that begun in 535 and has been described by historical scholars as 'the worst time to be alive'", comments Laakso. Aleksi Munter (ex-Swallow The Sun and Insomnium) plays keyboards on the EP, and it was produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by V.Santura (Triptykon), the man responsible for producing everything Kuolemanlaakso has released thus far.

Art Blakey was an exceptional musician, but not only because he succeeded in recruiting the best players to join his Messengers. He also had the skill to blaze new trails through forms of jazz that continuously evolved. Beginning in the Forties with the big bands of Fletcher Henderson and Billy Eckstine, he went on to play with Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk and Dizzy Gillespie… And then Blakey met up with Horace Silver in the mid-Fifties to found the Jazz Messengers. It was with this band that Blakey would open his arms to all the best young musicians of this generation: he nurtured the likes of Hank Mobley, Jackie McLean, Lee Morgan,

Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard and many others. The first two sides of this album give an all too brief illustration of this aspect of the drummer, while sides three and four feature the inventiveness and rhythmical sense of a great percussionist who never renounced his African origins.

After the success of their full-length LP earlier this year, Night Owls are back for more and ready to take the bar even higher! This first 45 from a new string of recording sessions features two heavy hitters in the funk/soul community; N'Dea Davenport from London's famed The Brand New Heavies and SoCal's own Trish Toledo (Now-Again Records, Silent Giant, Mango Hill).
Side A is the classic soul body mover "Cramp Your Style" (All the People) featuring N'Dea Davenport, which Hip-Hop heads will recognize as the foundation for Boogie Down Productions' "Still #1" and Cypress Hill's "Real Estate." Davenport's soulful delivery elevates Night Owls' flip, echoing the famous Studio One riddim "Greedy G" by Brentford Road All Stars and the quirks of the original. Side B follows up with Motown classic "Your Old Standby" by Mary Wells and features Latina Soul phenom Trish Toledo. Adding a little more bounce and groove to the original, Night Owls’ flip sets the backdrop for Toledo to shine brightly and deliver a vocal performance that perfectly echoes Mary Wells in her youth.
Both sides are must-haves, be it spinning at a party or slowing things down slightly while cruising around the neighborhood, just in time for the holiday season. Produced by Dan Ubick and Night Owls. Recorded and Mixed by Dan Ubick for DanUbe Productions at The Lions Den in Topanga, CA.

• Darrow Fletcher’s belated success in Europe - from the 70s onwards, but particularly in this century - has been very rewarding from him; he has been thrilled by the interest and admiration for his past work. These are two of his revered Jacklyn label sides; Jacklyn being owned by his father, who named the imprint after Darrow’s sister.

• This Repro coupling will be welcomed by collectors who cannot afford the high price of the originals – many of which are often found in poor condition as they were played the hell out of in 1960s Chicago.

Mastered from the original master tapes and pressed at RTI on dead-quiet 180g vinyl, Mobile Fidelity's numbered-edition 180g LP of Local Hero gives the beloved effort audiophile-grade sound on a par with the reference-quality sonics afforded Dire Straits' Mobile Fidelity reissues. In each arrangement, Knopfler's methodical guitar lines emerge with supreme transparency and multi-hued textural detail. The intricate notes, finger-picked passages, and cosmopolitan lines come across as if they're transmitted just feet away from you in real time.

Ditto the diverse accompaniment, including the Celtic-themed effects, supplemental jazz accents, and folk inflections. The keys to the nearly 44-minute effort's success and continuity relate not only to Knoplfer's laidback style and low-key approach, but his ear for uncanny melody and blues traces. Woven acoustically and electrically, his tapestries benefit from the newfound airiness, openness, and balance that live on this reissue. No matter the instrument or treatment, the music arrives with pinpoint imaging and vibrant liveliness. Close your eyes, and the Mobile Fidelity version of Local Hero projects movies in your head.

For instance, take the closing "Going Home," a cherished instrumental whose proud spirit resonates with English football fans and features saxophone playing by the late, great Michael Brecker. Heard before every Newcastle United F.C. home game, it has become an anthem on both sides of the Atlantic. Or, look to "The Ceilidh: Louis' Favorite Billy's Tune" on which Scottish-flavored vibes and dance tempos conjure a festive jig until a transition gives the number a more subdued, romantic feel. Then, the pattern repeats. Seeking to expand beyond the parameters of Dire Straits, Knoplfer taps into a global economy of structures and sounds, and takes anyone with a sense of adventure along for the ride.

Not that his hallmark six-string is absent from the proceedings. It frames the lovely tin-pan whistle motif of the aptly titled "Whistle Theme," acts as a beacon for the elegant, vibraphone-kissed "Smooching," and pushes forward the jovial, top-down momentum of "Freeway Flyer," among other highlights. Knopfler also receives assistance from session pros Mike Mainieri, Steve Jordan, and Terry Williams, as well as vocalist Gerry Rafferty on the set's sole vocal tune, "That's the Way It Always Starts."

Singer-songwriter Amos Lee draws inspiration from soul music, contemporary jazz and 1970s folk artists such as James Taylor. The Philadelphia native honed his song writing skills while waiting tables and bartending after graduating from the University of South Carolina with a degree in English. He eventually landed some high-profile gigs as an opening act, including an extended tour with pianist/vocalist Norah Jones, whose bassist, Lee Alexander, agreed to produce Lee's first album.

With Alexander's help, Amos Lee released his self-titled debut on Blue Note in 2005. The album won Lee a small following for his blend of acoustic funk, folk, and light jazz. Norah Jones herself plays the piano on two tracks; "Keep It Loose, Keep It Tight" and "Colors."

A notable debut like Amos Lee deserves the Analogue Productions reissue treatment. This beauty was cut by Bernie Grundman in Los Angeles from the master tape, and is now pressed at 45 RPM on two glorious sides of 180-gram vinyl by Quality Record Pressings, makers of the world's finest-sounding LPs. QRP is noted for deep-black backgrounds and pristine clarity. If you're already familiar with Amos Lee, get ready — you've never experienced it with such lifelike sonics and premium richness. This is how all vinyl should sound.

The songs on the album incorporate themes of folk, soul, gospel and jazz. Amos's style is a mix of Bill Withers, Arthur Lee, and James Taylor. Amos has recently toured with Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Elvis Costello, Van Morrison, Adele, Dave Matthews and many others.

"Circus has always had some kind of presence in my life. My grandmother grew up within a travelling circus in Denmark many years ago and a cousin of mine reputedly ran away with another travelling circus in Ibiza for a while in the 80s. Some years ago my mother sent me a few faded black and white photos of my grandmother dressed up for performance and they are amazing. There are apparently many more photos but they've been handed to a circus museum in Denmark. Perhaps some day, if I dare to, I'll go and visit... In the meantime, I give you The Circus Hunter: The soundtrack to an 80s horror circus flick that perhaps could have been. I hope you will enjoy its breezy upbeat fun as well as its dark sides." Martin Jensen (The Home Current). Martin Jensen is a Danish born, Luxembourg dwelling electronic musician. He has several previous releases across several labels including Castles In Space, Polytechnic Youth, Woodford Halse

Repress !


One of the first true moments of genius from saxophonist Nathan Davis - a mid 60s European session cut for the tiny SFP label - and a record that's even rarer than his early classics for MPS! The sound here is similar to the MPS sides - a mixture of soul jazz and modal jazz - served up with a bit more freedoms than Davis might have gotten on the US scene, and featuring a lineup that includes Woody Shaw on trumpet, Jean-Louis Chautemps on baritone sax, Rene Urtreger on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums. The tight rhythm of Woode and Clarke is a nice counterpoint to the modernism of Davis and Shaw - Davis works a bit on soprano, which sounds especially great!

2TUF4U Records are proud to present UNDENIABLE GROOVES PT.6, the long awaited and fresh segment from the new series of Hot Garage Vybes, consisting of previously unreleased material from the likes of GUNGO PEAS (Alex De Joncaire from Switzerland & Karl “Tuff Enuff” Brown), from Santiago Chile debuting his 1 st release on the label HITCH 93. Flipping over on the B-sides, TUFF JAM feat. Pepper Mashey Remixed by UK DUBZZ aka Karl Brown and rounding off with the Bournemouth talent of DYNAMIC ESSENCE, all built for Underground Garage consumption. Watch out for the next series of releases soon to follow.

Repress!

Uno Melodic was the brainchild of the legendary Roy Ayers. At the height of his career in the early 80s, Roy established Uno Melodic to explore working as a writer, musician, producer and record label owner with complete control over his creative ideas. Roy brought artists and musicians to the label invaluable to him at Polydor and in whom he saw potential to make more great records. Between 1980 and 1983 Uno Melodic released records that went onto become definitive of their time, classics that became much sought after. The label and its signature releases are part of the Roy Ayers legacy, the best of which Expansion have assembled here on remastered double LP.
Sylvia Striplin, Eighties Ladies and Ethel Beatty represent the soul, disco, two step and boogie sides of Uno Melodic, Bobbi Humphrey, Justo Almario and Roy himself the masters of jazz fusion at the label. The album concludes with the spoken words of Rick Holmes on one of the label's biggest ever release on the label.

James Taylor's best-selling record since 1970's hallmark Sweet Baby James, the triple-platinum JT takes its permanent place as one of the singer's most enduring albums — an affair that gorges on country, blues, and rock styles as well as incisive songwriting. As the pre-eminent singer-songwriter's Columbia debut, it catapulted Taylor back into the limelight and re-established his place as the era's leading-edge folk-rock troubadour.

Sourced from the original analog master tapes and pressed at RTI, Mobile Fidelity's numbered-edition 180g LP possesses a warmth, immediacy, and intimacy absent from other pressings. The singer's comforting voice, breath control, and enchanting guitar lines sound as if they pour right out of the studio control room. Similarly, the splendid array of backing instrumentation is balanced, vivid, and dynamic. Taylor should always sound this realistic, warm, and lively.

More than any other of his records, JT features all sides of Taylor's lyrical persona. Optimistic, content material fills half of the 1977 set while Taylor reveals a darker, moodier identity on a number of songs that keep the 12-track set alternating between shade and light, shadow and sun. He turns romantic and blissful on the touching ballad "There We Are," praises the power of love on "Your Smiling Face," and enchants with the graceful "Secret O'Life."

In addition to channeling domestic bliss, Taylor expresses surprise and cynicism on "Honey Don't Leave L.A.," delves into despair on "Another Grey Morning," and invites sardonic tones on "Bartender's Blues." The result is a complete picture of an extraordinary songwriter and an accurate sketch of the mixed emotions many of us feel when it comes to romance. Taylor's ability to capture deep-seated feelings and set them to lyrical and musical poetry explains why we relate to him on such a meta-level. It's also why his music, including JT, remains timeless.

Taylor doesn't do it all alone. JT benefits from an all-star support cast. Carly Simon and Linda Ronstadt supply background vocals, saxophone great David Sanborn plays the horn, Russ Kunkel mans the percussion, and arranger David Campbell oversees the strings and woodwinds. It's no wonder why many fans consider this gorgeous collection of Laurel Canyon pop-rock Taylor's finest.

Whether you've never heard this record or know it inside and out, this reissue will open your ears to previously hidden details ranging from pedal-steel guitar accents to honky-tonk tonalities. Taylor's funky rhythms, too, gain in stature, as does his command of pace and tempo.

"Now comes Analogue Productions' 180-gram double 45 RPM reissue sourced from the original Island master tapes sent over from the U.K., cut by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio, pressed at RTI and housed in a laminated gatefold "Tip on" jacket complete with "pop up" band. The packaging is exquisite! Only word for it. AP couldn't get permission to use the pink label so it uses the green Chrysalis one. ... if the goal was to duplicate the original pink label Island sound, this reissue misses that, which is good because this new double 45 reissue is far superior to the original in every possible way. The tape was in great shape, that's for sure. Clarity, transparency, high frequency extension and especially transient precision are all far superior to the original. Bass is honest, not hyped up and the mastering delivers full dynamics that are somewhat (but only slightly), compressed on the original. Ian Anderson's vocals are naturally present as if you are on the other side of the microphone. Most importantly, the overall timbral balance sounds honest and correct. But especially great is the transient clarity on top and bottom. ... Best of all, as the title suggests this album "stands up" to time. It hasn't lost a thing musically, lyrically or sonically. Highly recommended!" — Music = 9/11; Sound = 9/11 — Michael Fremer.

Jethro Tull's second album, Stand Up, marked an early turning point for the band with the addition of guitarist Martin Barre along with Ian Anderson's introduction of folk-rock influences to the group's blues-based sound.

Released in the summer of 1969, Stand Up rose quickly to the top of the U.K. Albums Chart, and eventually earned gold certification in the U.S.

Stand Up was the first album where Anderson controlled the music and lyrics, resulting in a group of diverse songs that ranged from the swirling blues of "A New Day Yesterday" and the mandolin-fueled rave-up of "Fat Man," to the group's spirited re-working of Johann Sebastian Bach's "Bouree in E Minor." In a recent interview, Anderson picked Stand Up as his favorite Jethro Tull album, "because that was my first album of first really original music. It has a special place in my heart."

Now with our 45 RPM release, plated at QRP and pressed at RTI, the best-sounding version of this historic album gives listeners an even richer sonic experience. The dead-quiet double-LP, with the music spread over four sides of vinyl, reduces distortion and high frequency loss as the wider-spaced grooves let your stereo cartridge track more accurately.

Clean, balanced, richly detailed. Just the way an Analogue Productions reissue should sound. You'll experience Jethro Tull classics such as "Bouree," "A New Day Yesterday," "Look Into The Sun," "We Used To Know," "Fat Man" and the rest with a new appreciation for the Grammy-winning progressive act's musical skill and innovation.

Repress of this 2014 single. First time that we have had this one. “City Heights” is a breezy walk through the neighborhood on a Summer’s day. Light and easy, the intro guitars give way to magnificent horns. Some sweet Soul Jazz at its finest. Reminiscent of George Benson meeting the Memphis Horns while Herbie Mann gets down, this side is soulful and funky at the same time. By the time the flute comes in and give way to more drums that knock, you’ve not just circled the neighborhood, you’ve walked the city and back nodding your head the whole way. This track is another winner from SFSE and a sure shot for Colemine Records. On point as usual, they are once again highlighting some of the newest and best bands out there. The flip, “Strollin’ Adams” picks up where “City Heights” left off. A little more jazzy, a little bit funkier but with that breezy feel still, this track brings you back to those mid 60’s early 70’s Blue Note / Prestige / Verve Soul Jazz moments. A time when the players clicked and gave us this genre that has wooed listeners for decades moving forward. The old sound is new again, and preserved just right. Aces high, this is a winner on both sides. - Flea Market Funk.

Repress of this 2014 single. First time that we have had this one. “City Heights” is a breezy walk through the neighborhood on a Summer’s day. Light and easy, the intro guitars give way to magnificent horns. Some sweet Soul Jazz at its finest. Reminiscent of George Benson meeting the Memphis Horns while Herbie Mann gets down, this side is soulful and funky at the same time. By the time the flute comes in and give way to more drums that knock, you’ve not just circled the neighborhood, you’ve walked the city and back nodding your head the whole way. This track is another winner from SFSE and a sure shot for Colemine Records. On point as usual, they are once again highlighting some of the newest and best bands out there. The flip, “Strollin’ Adams” picks up where “City Heights” left off. A little more jazzy, a little bit funkier but with that breezy feel still, this track brings you back to those mid 60’s early 70’s Blue Note / Prestige / Verve Soul Jazz moments. A time when the players clicked and gave us this genre that has wooed listeners for decades moving forward. The old sound is new again, and preserved just right. Aces high, this is a winner on both sides. - Flea Market Funk.

Pianist, drummer, composer and producer Hamish Balfour presents jazz funk, soul and electronic music, bridging the gap from classic Blue Note to Warp via Sonar Kollektiv on Running Colours, his electrifying debut album for London's Shapes of Rhythm Records.

Praised by Jazzwise for hissolo flourishes and sidestepping harmonies, Hamish Balfour should be a recognisable face to jazz addicts. The go-to keys player has performed and recorded alongside American jazz drumming legend Harvey Mason, Tenderlonious, The Temptations, Odyssey, Faze Action, Yolanda Charles' Project PH, Bassically, Nim Quartet and Yam Who. Popping up not only in the credits of many sought-after albums, but also Channel 4, ITV and BBCprogrammes for his compositions on various shows.

Over the course of eleven tracks, Balfour folds in and explores his influences, with a wide yet highly cohesive and strong palette of sounds, whilst interacting with high caliber guest vocalists such as spoken word artist and broken beat icon, Lyric L(Seiji,Nathan Haines), London Elektricity and Hospital Records' star vocalist Elsa Esmeralda, award-winning and chart-storming singer-songwriter Belle Humble (Freestylers, Paloma Faith) and soul and house mainstay Andre Espeut (Afriquoi,Simbad,Faze Action).

Responsible for all piano, synths, percussion and production on the album, Balfour's musicality shines through, a reminder of how overdue this debut album as leader is. However, in addition to the incredible vocalists, he's joined by some of the UK's finest jazz musicians: James Copus (trumpet), Pete Matin (bass), Laurie Lowe and Saleem Raman (drums) and Rob Updegraff (guitar).

Elsa Esmeralda implores us 'not to be afraid' on lead single and title track Running Colours. A perfect invitation to get stuck into this many layered album. Balfour compliments Esmeralda's soothing vocals with delicate piano intro before Lowe's bruk-easque drums and lead an irresistible groove bedded in warm synths and guitar licks.

Yes or No showcases Loose Lips legend Lyric L contemplating the uncertainty of love over a swinging mid-tempo jazz funk boogie groove propelled by tight drums and Hammond chords, closing with a flying trumpet solo from Copus, weaving around Balfour's nimble keys.

Wealth, featuring singer/songwriter Belle Humble, displays incredible depth and restraint. Humble delivers the enticing vocal with ease, as it slides over the intricate webs of jazz fusion and electronics.

Mogul is arguably Running Colours' curveball. An eastern-inspired whirlwind of all manner of synths and twisting drums which constantly morph throughout. Guitars and trumpets take turns to solo on a track that feels like a series of questions that we never quite get answers to.

Balfour's ability to merge free wheeling jazz and fusion with timeless electronic production and soulful compositions is also apparent on instrumental pieces such as Reflector 28. Here, we find the musicians upbeat, uplifting, progressive and playful, showcasing the keys whilst the bass underpins the groove.

South Of The Sun is Running Colours' laid-back moment with Roy Ayers-type vibrations as bass and drums sit in the pocket (at least to begin with), whilst a Rhodes weaves its magic. Like many of the album's tracks we take a few twists and turns before returning to our main feel-good motif.

Hamish's long awaited debut is sure to exceed the expectations of those who know him already, whilst introducing a whole new audience to his wealth of talent and originality.

You Always Will Be is the new album by artist Dylan Henner.

The follow up to 2020's well received 'The Invention of the Human', the new record touches on themes of nostalgia & longing for times passed; innocence yielding hardships and vice versa; ageing; the soul; life changes; parents and children; loss; love.

Dylan says:

"The piece tells the story of a single life, from birth to death. I've been thinking about the passage of life a lot recently as I lost all four of my grandparents but celebrated the birth of my daughter all within a short period of time. The brevity and preciousness of being really hit me."

The vinyl release consists of a ~ 40 min piece split across two sides, while the digital release features extended versions of the music in that piece, making up 10 individual tracks.

In 1997, after a lengthy hiatus, Echo & The Bunnymen returned to the fore with 'Evergreen', revealing the brighter side of the band, and standing up with any of their earlier work.The self-produced album was recorded at The Doghouse in Henley-On-Thames with additional strings, horns and vocal arrangements recorded at Abbey Road.

The album saw the band rightfully return to the UK album charts at #8, with 3 singles ('Nothing Lasts Forever', 'I Want to Be There When You Come' and 'Don't Let It Get You Down') entering the UK top 50. 'Nothing Lasts Forever' (with backing vocals and tambourine by Liam Gallagher) has grown to become one of the band's most enduring and well-loved songs - a UK Top 10 and a fan favourite to this day.

To celebrate its 25 year anniversary, London Records releases 'Evergreen' on vinyl for the very first time, with a limited first pressing in solid white vinyl. There is also a new remastered and expanded 2 CD edition, taking in studio b-sides, live and acoustic sessions and previously unreleased versions across 33 tracks.

With both sides as vibrant and colourful as a hot and sweaty street party, this latest 45 is the perfect afrobeat soundtrack to end your summer.

A side, Blue G. opens explosively and delivers all that it promises in the opening bars: beautifully orchestrated twists and turn that chug along instrumentally for half the track. South African singer Nongoma unexpectedly adds a vocal spin in English and Xhosa, and with the catchy lyrics of "all the children need love, peace and harmony", it's a delight to be swept up in this swirling, festive, solar energy.

The B side, That Good Thing, follows on at exactly the same tempo, weaving horns, guitars, keys and numerous percussions in and out of an equally infectious groove. A highly polished track, full of rises and falls in all the right places.

The Konkolo Orchestra is, for now, a Zürich studio project led by multi-instrumentalist Alexis Malefakis, but let's hope that changes soon because it feels rather criminal not to have these rich sounds live and in your face. Dexterous musicianship meets fine production and execution.

Módulo 1000 were not messing around when they made 'Não Fale Com Paredes’. It holds its own, not just as a raw, heavy, experimental “Brazilian” psychedelic rock album, but as a raw, heavy, experimental psychedelic rock album, full-stop!

Formed in Rio de Janeiro in 1969, Módulo 1000 honed their craft as the house band in clubs and resorts in São Paulo where they predominantly covered American artists such as Jimmy Hendrix as well as British giants, Led Zeppelin. After acquiring a taste for fame following the performance of one of their tracks at the Rio International Song Festival, the band focussed their attention on composing original material. Their manager, Marinaldo Guimarães, encouraged the band to explore their experimental and creative sides. This, in parallel with the explosion of experimental music in Brazil, resulted in the band performing alongside heavyweights such as O Têrço; there was a happening in the air.

Módulo 1000 recorded just one album. Released on Top Tape records in 1972, it featured Eduardo Leal on bass, Candido Faria on drums, Daniel Cardone on guitar, violin and vocals, and Luiz Paulo Simas on organ, piano, and vocals. 'Não Fale Com Paredes' was produced by the popular DJ, Ademir Lemos, and came housed in a fold-out cover featuring tripped-out artwork and design by Wander Borges. However, due the uncompromising nature of its wild, heavy psychedelic rock sound, the album was destined not to be played on the radio in Brazil. Rumours suggest that the label didn't understand the album, and as a result, it wasn't promoted or marketed. Thus, like many other underground cult classics, it was lost in the ether, only later to be rediscovered by a new audience at a different time.

One thing is certain, you definitely know when you've heard Módulo 1000. The sound is raw, heavy and at points quite aggressive, more Black Sabbath than Os Mutantes. It floats between psychedelic rock, prog rock, early metal, and dare we say, displays elements of proto-math-rock.

The band’s discography includes a 7" single, as well as their music being featured on several compilations for Odeon Records, additionally they released a 7" single under their alias 'Love Machine' for Top Tape Records. These compositions are included as bonus tracks on the CD version of our reissue.