Suche:add

As music continuously evolves, times change and new ideas and movements come & go. All of this functions in tandem with scientific, technological, social and political advancements in our society. The biggest component to that evolution is the people. There are creators and consumers. One cannot exist without the other. Throughout art, the audience defines quality, but artist has the power to introduce change and shift perception. Execution is key. The masses are always hungry for something fresh. Sometimes we're at the forefront of new trends and sometimes we find comfort innovating the past. No matter what, musicians have a responsibility to bridge the gap. Raw Poetic and Damu the Fudgemunk meet all of the above. Produced entirely by the artists, the new album "The Reflecting Sea" revisits sonic textures of yesteryear and combined with their own distinct ears for music, have created something uniquely foreign for the music world in our time. Speaking of the times, Raw Poetic's lyrical subject matter is nothing short of relevancy. Speaking from an observatory perspective in addition to his own personal experiences, the album's content is infinitely relatable. Although known primarily as hip hop acts, both Damu and Raw P stretched out to expand what the genre is known for. The combination of elements from the mix of live instrumentation, improvisation and sampling to the range of styles including jazz, fusion, rock, electronic and soul make The Reflecting Sea unlike anything else. Captured and recorded in it's rawest form, the album is honest expression. Masterminding the festival sounds is Damu the Fudgemunk. His voice is absent from the recordings, but his presence is immediately noticed throughout the 40 minute exhibition. Packed with tons of beats, tons of scratching, original compositions, upbeat and signature atmosphere, there's no question who's behind the boards. With the average tempo of over 100bpm, this is one of the most energetic releases in Redefinition's catalog. Raw P and the Fudgemunk aim to revitalize listeners of all types with their original sound. They call it "The Reflecting Sea: Welcome to a New Philosophy." Raw Poetic (MC), hails from the DMV area by way of Philadelphia. In addition to several collaborations with Damu the Fudgemunk, he's recorded 6 albums as a member of Panacea, 1 album with K-def, 1 album with Kev Brown and recent features with Brous One in which all have been met with critical acclaim. Damu the Fudgemunk (producer/DJ) is a DC native who co-owns and operates Redefinition Records. With several successful releases as a solo artist, his music has garnered a reputation in the last decade for it's consistent quality and conceptual structure.

RAWAX proudly welcomes Mr. Santonio Echols aka DJ Tone to the Family!
The man from Detroit presents his release from 1992 which originally came out on Vicious Music on our Motor City Edition Vol. 8. This remastered classic will be available on vinyl only!

(Disclaimer: release notes refer to the combined CD double-album release "Hot Flash: Best of The Voltags" on which all tracks appear together. "Electric Nightmare" and "Danger High Voltag" are released separately on vinyl format)

It does not happen that often any more that unreleased music from 40 years ago surfaces. Even more unlikely it is that the songs put on tape are such treasures. The Voltags were right at the forefront of the local Washington DC New Wave/Punk scene of the late 1970s. Influenced by Kraftwerk, Gary Numan, The Clash, and The B-52's, they have released only one 45rpm single during their existence. But during the time span of not even 18 months, they had recorded enough material for an entire album - but the songs remained in the can.

This is the story of The Voltags, a short-lived band which could have become famous and mentioned in the same breath as the aforementioned music legends of that era - if their songs had been released back in the day. Dive in and enjoy the sound of The Voltags, it is truly special. We here at Perfect Toy are thrilled to be label to finally release their work and we sincerely hope that they are finally getting the appreciation they so richly deserve.

Detailed information:
Dave Bennett and Hangnail Phillips grew up in Brookside Park, Newark, Delaware, USA, a small suburban college town nestled midway between Philadelphia and Baltimore. Their first band project evolved into Pump Productions (Pump) under which they released their only 45rpm single in 1970 (one of the two songs, "Pappy's Rug", can be heard on "Down & Wired 3", Perfect Toy Rec.). Soon after the recording of the single the two graduated from High School and disbanded Pump. Both moved on to form two new Newark bands. Dave was a founding member of "Snake Grinder & The Shredded Fieldmice" and Hangnail co-founded "Rudy Baker & The Vegetables".

In early 1979, two friends of Dave's, Nick Norris and Mike Fisher, became partners in a music production company, White Clay Productions. One of White Clay's first artists was Dave Bennett who had just written two excellent songs: "Electric Jungle" and "Son Of Sam". White Clay set up a recording session and Dave assembled a group of friends to record the songs. Before the recordings were even mixed, Dave asked Hangnail if he would join in a band to support the single and other songs he had written. When James Keesey (drums) and Rick Reid (bass) were added the line-up was complete. For a while they didn't have a name and then one day Nick Norris was looking at a photo of Dave standing next to a "Danger High Voltage" sign. Dave's head was in front of the E in Voltage and Nick laughed "Danger High Voltag" and so it was soon suggested that the band should be called "The Voltags" (pronounced Vol'-togs). After months of preparing a repertoire they were ready to play out. Their first gig was (October 20, 1979) at a gay disco in nearby Wilmington called The Backstage. On December 30, 1979, White Clay decided to put on a big show at the State Theater to celebrate the end of the Seventies ("The End Of The Decade Bash").

For the next year, with the help of White Clay, they recorded 19 songs, both studio and live recordings with White Clay's mobile unit. If not for these "off the board" recordings, many of their songs would have never been recorded. There was always talk of a second Voltags single but the strains of working so closely together were taking their toll on them and Dave decided to leave the group in December of 1980. The Voltags couldn't be The Voltags without Dave, and by the end of 1981, Hangnail, James and Rick, too, were ready to disband.


- all songs previously unreleased
- mastered from the original reel-to-reel tapes
- limited vinyl release

Two of Alkan's most bombastic reworks over one disc. His scene-defining cut of Justice's breakthrough club hit 'Waters Of Nazareth' adds a subtle Chicago drum edit to the original's notorious snarl, while the Australian band's 'Why Won't You Make Up Your Mind' psych-rock is blasted through with euphoric electro energy.

DOMINA TRXXX welcomes two legends to the Family. Mr Neil Landtsrumm and The Horrorist.
Both don't need any introdution. Their great collaboration comes around with an additional remix by Tobias Schmidt!

Inspired by a longstanding respect for the pioneering sounds of Cluster, Neu!, Harmonia & John Foxx, the legendary K. Leimer fuses tape loops, Moog tones and a variety of real and imagined instruments into an immersive journey brimming with electronic emotion throughout this homage, 'Mitteltöner.'

A key figure in America's musical avant garde, Leimer's experiments with tape manipulation, fractal loops and textured ambience have been well documented in recent times, with RVNG and VOD both offering excellent and exhaustive retrospectives of the artist's seventies and eighties output. Tracing Leimer's discography from 1979's 'Translucent: / Memory' to 1983's 'Installation View', via the dislocated rhythms of the Savant project, these archival releases detail a move from the pastoral synthesis of kosmische into more angular, experimental territories. Simultaneously looking to the past and the future, this Origin Peoples release is both a return to Leimer's earliest stylistic explorations, and his first vinyl release of original work in twenty five years.

Oddly for such a sonic outlier, 'Mitteltöner' (midrange to non teutophones) takes its conceptual cues from the idea that the midrange contains all the core information. Over ten tracks, Leimer employs subtlety and skill to navigate the emotional depth of the kosmische genre while maintaining the focus and detail which has remained constant in his work.

Opener 'Dunne Luft' owes as much to post rock as krautrock, evolving from chiming harmonics and understated rhythms into an optimistic roar of motorik percussion and towering guitars. From there, 'Webermelodie' dives into crystalline calm, tracing delicate arps around a processed groove before 'Anode' sends us skywards, drifting through glistening piano refrains and hypnotic sequences. Te dramatic 'As Long Ago As This' glides through a deserted city of metal and glass leaving the measured ambience of 'Entferntemusik ' to close out the side in a swell of static.

Leimer shifts tone as we move onto the flip, segueing the stomping, cybernetic Sturm Und Drang of 'German Defaults' into the propulsive electronics of 'London Interiors', a dynamic sample-topped suite in the tradition of Bill Nelson. The addition of graceful piano motifs and swathes of hazy synthesis lends a tranquillity to the pulsating bass of 'Auf Einem Fahrrad', while 'SHM' marries soothing melody and crunching rhythm into a thoroughly medicated experience. Finally, 'Café Florian' pays homage to Schneider or Fricke with a euphoric fusion of metallic percussion and esoteric energies.

Far from a simple homage to the electronic idols of his youth, 'Mitteltöner' finds K. Leimer reimagining their nuanced sonic framework through a lifetime of musical experience and experimentation.

Air Lows is the debut solo album by Silvia Kastel. The Italian artist has been a fixture of the underground since her precocious teens, clocking up many miles in Control Unit with Ninni Morgia ('It's like Catherine Deneuve dumped two cases of post-Repulsion psychiatric notes over Pere Ubu's Dub Housing, lit the fuse and, ahem, stood well back" - Julian Cope), including collaborations with the likes of Smegma, Factrix, Gary Smith, Aki Onda and Gate (Michael Morley of The Dead C). Both solo and in her work with others, Kastel has explored the outer limits and inner workings of no wave, industrial, dub, extreme electronics, free rock and improvisation. Air Lows is both her fullest and most refined offering to date, a work of vivid, isolationist electronics which draws deeply on her past experience but assuredly breaks new ground. Prompted by a late-flowering interest in techno and club music, Kastel sought to create something which combines a steady rhythmic pulse with the otherworldly sonorities of musique concrete, and avant-garde synth sounds inspired by Japanese minimalism and techno-pop (Haruomi Hosono's Philharmony being a particular favourite). The formal artifice of muzak / elevator music, the intros and outros of generic popular songs, the extreme light-heavy contrasts of jungle, the creative sampling of hardcore, and the very 'human' synths in the jazz of Herbie Hancock's Sextant and Sun Ra: all were touchstones for Air Lows' conception and composition, and all strains of music addressing - or complicating - the relationship between the human and the technological. By extension, visual inspirations also proved important: anime, and the avant-garde fashion of Rei Kawakubo. What does that shirt or dress sound like Though used sparingly, Kastel's voice remains her key instrument, whether subject to dissociative digital manipulations as on 'Bruell', delivering matter-of-fact spoken monologues, or providing splashes of pure tonal colour. Recorded between her expansive Italy studio and a more compact, ersatz set-up in Berlin, Air Lows gradually takes on some of the character of the German capital: you can hear the wide streets and uninhabited spaces, the seepage of never-ending nightlife, the loneliness. Air Lows is The Wizard of Oz in reverse: the glorious technicolour J-pop deconstructions of its first half leading inexorably to the icy noir of 'Spiderwebs' and 'Concrete Void'. These later tracks are reminiscent of 2015's magnificent 39 12', Kastel in the role of numbed, nihilistic chanteuse stalking dank, murky tunnels of reverb and sub-bass. But in fact there is contradiction and emotional ambiguity to Air Lows from the outset, and throughout - a sense of both infinite space and acute claustrophobia; energy and inertia; fluency and restraint.

Mellow Waves, Cornelius' first album in over 11 years will be available in a limited deluxe edition pop-up gatefold vinyl (including phenakistoscope animation insert), standard package on 180g, CD and cassette format on January 26, 2018. The album, released July 21, 2017, was previously a digital only release. Pre-orders for these formats are available now.

Cornelius announced eight North American tour dates for March 2018, including shows in Mexico City for the NRMAL Festival, New York's Irving Plaza, the Carnegie Music Hall at Pittsburgh's Andy Warhol Museum, and LA's Fonda Theater.

Filmed live at his record release shows at Tokyo's Liquid Room, Helix / Spiral' captures the Cornelius live experience, with its Kraftwerk-esque roboticism and immersive visuals meticulously synchronized with the performance from The Cornelius Group.

For the uninitiated, Cornelius is the brainchild of Japanese multi-instrumentalist Keigo Oyamada. A performing musician since his teens, Oyamada created his creative alter-ego (the name is an homage to the Planet of the Apes), in the early 1990s from the ashes of his previous project, Flipper's Guitar.

With the 1997 release of Fantasma, Cornelius gained international recognition for his cut and paste style reminiscent of American counterparts Beck and The Beastie Boys and was released internationally by Matador Records. Being called a "modern day Brian Wilson" for his orchestral-style arrangements and production techniques, Cornelius subsequently became one of the most sought after producer/remixers in the world, working with a wide range of artists including Blur, Beck, Bloc Party, MGMT, and James Brown.

With 2002's Point, Cornelius' music took a quantum shift, going from sampling found sounds' to looping organic elements and creating lush soundscapes. Using water drops as the rhythmic backbone of Drop' on his vocoder-infused cover of Brazil', the album dazed and amazed fans and set the path for the next phase of his career.

2007 brought this philosophy to an even higher level with the release of Sensuous. Cornelius' live shows are known around the world for spectacular visuals (all perfectly synchronized to the performance), custom lighting that doesn't simply augment the performance, but becomes another instrument within it, and a full band of equally talented and diverse players.

The companion piece to the album Sensurround + B Sides, earned the nomination for Best Surround Sound Album' at the 2009 GRAMMY Awards.

The summer of 2016 saw the release of Fantasma Remastered, on Lefse Records. The package, a 2LP reissue of his classic album, also included 4 additional outtakes and earned Pitchfork's Best New Reissue'.

Cornelius has recorded music for Edgar Wright's Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, scored the anime mega-film Ghost in the Shell Arise, performed as the backbone of Yoko Ono's reformed Plastic Ono Band, played the Hollywood Bowl with Yellow Magic Orchestra, and co-wrote and produced the Japanese artist salyu x salyu.

New Flesh Records 19 Ever wonder what would happen at the first minuts of an Alien in-vasion Answer can be found on Geometric Vision', the debut EP of Hungarian electro don Norwell on French New Flesh Records. Real name Balázs Semsei, Norwell has turned out a steady stream of releases on labels like Dalmatia Daniel, Pinkman, Chabu Recor-dings, Seagrave and his own Farberwechsel imprint until now, always coming on strong with a personal artistic vision plus a sense of drama.

Across four craftily cuts on Umwelt's label, he revisits his own dystopian universe made of sonic frequencies fused into rich atmosphere with a strong array of emotions. From the haunting opener Geometric Vision' to the explosive final Conversation Patterns', Nor-well signs one of his best release to date.

Fascinating synth melodies supported by raw drums and insane electro textures compose this must have 12'' and an essential addition to the New Flesh catalog. Heavy electro darkness for serious heads, this is a soulful EP full of depth, impossible to ignore!

A first-ever collection of the highly sought after and largely previously unheard recordings of the one of Turkish pop and rocks best kept secrets - featuring the two rare has hen's teeth 1 Numara 7' singles (which fetch in excessive of £200 on certain internet auction sites) - including a previously unreleased extended version of Evren The missing component in the history of Turkish pop and one of the earliest exponents of Turkish electronic music alongside Ilhan Mimaroglu and Bülent Arel, Gökçen Kaynatan electrified the rock and roll scene of the late 50s/early 60s - sending teenagers wild with his custom built guitars and back lines - helping charge the climate for the birth of Anatolian rock. Then, from the sanctuary of his private studio, he revolutionised the industry with his pioneering use of electronics whilst hanging the sonic wallpaper in the living rooms of an entire generation of telly addicts as in house composer of choice for Turkey's first national television channel TRT 1. Despite having a modest discography of only four 7' singles to his name his influence is a major current that flows through over 50 years of Turkish pop culture. Compiled with unparalleled access to his private studio vault, Finders Keepers proudly presents the first-ever collection of Gökçen Kaynatan's pioneering early electronic works. Featuring a selection of his experimental pop and rock recordings dating from as early as the 1968 it features both of the highly sought after 1 Numara singles - including a never before heard extended version of Evren - as well as previously unheard archive material and songs recorded for and broadcast exclusively on TRT 1 - most of them never to be repeated. In helping Gökçen end his self-imposed 44-year exile from the record industry we can now share with you the first of these important recordings from a genuine maverick who helped shape the face of modern Turkish music, as well as shedding some light on the rise of one of Anatolian rock and pops must fruitful and experimental periods that began with the arrival (and subsequent explosion) of domestic synthesisers on the Turkish scene.

IMA (Intense Molecular Activity) is the duo of Don Hunerberg (synthesizers) and Andy Blinx (drums and percussion). Based in New York City and active between 1979 and 1982. Don, a studio Sound / music engineer and musician, Andy an electronic clothing designer, drummer and sound reinforcement engineer at downtown clubs like Max's Kansas City, Mudd Club and CBGB. In between doing sessions at Radio City Music Hall Studios for groups such as Ramones, Richard Hell, Sonic Youth, Liquid Liquid, John Zorn, Glenn Branca and many others, IMA took advantage of off hours to create their own music. As far as influences go, Don's background was in electronic music and Andy's in prog rock. To produce the songs, Don used his own method of creating patterns from 2-track tape loops and then edited them together on to a 24-track recorder adding more tracks of overdubs, In a very similar way that sequencers are used today. By 1980 the duo honed their own unique sound and version of Post Punk and No-Wave with the tools of the trade of the early 80s. Situated above the proscenium of the Radio City Music Hall stage, the studio was outfitted with a variety of orchestral instruments (timpani, bells, xylophone, etc). They self-released a 4-song EP titled 'IMA' on an 8' flexi-disc which was distributed by Ed Bahlman of 99 Records. The music bridges the wild psychedelic-rock of the 60s, the synth-punk of the late-70s and the elaborate constructions of progressive-rock. There are nods to the freak-outs of Chrome and the super neurosis of Suicide, but IMA takes a more clinical approach which also takes notice of Hawkwind and Pink Floyd's interstellar overdrive. We've added 4 bonus tracks recorded during the same studio sessions and included them here for the first time on vinyl. DJ Hell lifted elements of IMA's song "Blurb" virtually intact and uncredited for his electroclash club hit "Keep On Waiting" 20 years later. All songs have been remastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The record is housed in an exact replica of the original jacket featuring a spray painted IMA tag a top a red dashed 'Do Not Enter' sign. Each copy includes a double-sided postcard with notes. This Album Is dedicated to the memory of Andy (Blinx) George.

Quick run of remixes for Addison Groove's recently released 'Changa' — The white-label style series from Tony aka Headhunter aka Addison Grooove is now here, in it's fourth edition, coming with a series of Shango remixes from Ejeca, O'Flynn, Nan Kole, Amit and Subp Yao. You know the deal.....

'Subclubsciously' takes you on a trip through She's Drunk's subconscious mind which pushes him to elevate production accidents into obsessive club gimmicks and delusional rhythms. Coming back from a Europe Tour with 'Zebra Katz' he finished his debut EP for Through My Speakers where he is opening up to new musical horizons, letting melodies and emotions flow into his produc-tions. Particularly noteworthy is the collaboration with the highly talented South African artist Sho Madjozi on 'Amadoda", where she's spitting fire in Tsonga. - already played by Sarah Farina, Neana (Night Slugs), Addison Groove, Skinny Macho (Boiler Room), Strip Steve - airplay on Radar Radio, NTS Radio

Cryovac Recordings seeks out characters that give depth to the soundscape of Detroit's Underground. Cryovac individuals believe in their path and stand for their art. Ray7 is a multifaceted musical being surviving an ever evolving technosphere. He is an unknown hero that holds his own sonicly on any side of the planet. Ray7 provides the power needed for the Cryovac machine to hatch a new plot. Cryovac exists due to the efforts of craftsmen and artists that work together to make something unique
Side A starts with an ancient Zulu chant that provides protection as well as a funky sort of techno break pop. The next track grinds in to a ruff and gritty narration of ghetto mind-set under the influence of classic electro. A constant roll moves the last track into addition and subtraction inside of a spartan groove that breaks and turns with strength.
Side B opens with a busy 4/4 be-bop lackadaisically drifting with dreamy synth over the chatter of voice, hi-hats, and reverb broken down by a 303 buzzing. Track two is a dark and sloppy incomprehensible subliminal sing-a-long building and ebbing around a stark kick and clap.

Mastered and cut by Rashad Becker at Dubplates & Mastering in Berlin.

Hana's first and self-titled LP was recorded in Autumn 2010 at Facta non Verba and consists out of 5 tracks which are techno oriented with disposal of experimental and abstract elements.

Reviews

OMG Vinyl
Hana s S/T LP is easily the best promo records we ve gotten in months. This Greek duo has somehow, almost entirely below the radar, released one of the most exciting electronic records of 2011. Their wobbly brand of techno sometimes chugs ahead at full-speed, other times easing back into a wider waver, almost resembling some weird, warped IDM. I will be shocked if this record doesn t get wider appreciation very soon. Whether that happens or not, we fully recommend it, track one down.

Cyclic Defrost by Oliver Laing
Granny Records duo Hana come correct with their first album, offering a refreshing take on techno and IDM variants in the vein of Jan Jelinek, Raime, Actress and hints of the mighty Chain Reaction label. Mastered at Berlin s Dubplates and Mastering by none other than Rashad Becker, a name that often appears in the run-out groove of artists who inhabit a curiously funky techno-not-techno netherworld Hana s debut self-titled release grows in stature and listening enjoyment with every spin. With a sense of fun and adventure inhabiting the grooves, Hana (who are also part of label-mates, Good Luck Mr Gorsky), explore experimental timbres and ghostly vocalisations with a lightness of touch that belies their recording credentials.

Starting off with an abstract, Clicks and Cuts style intro, Liv slowly finds the sweet spot between mutant Detroit electro funk, a hint of the indie/dance territory of Matthew Dear and the abstract, yet rhythmic 12 releases on the Beatservice label, by Norwegian duo Information from the mid 90s. Obermaier implies the groove to begin with, until a wrong-footed man-with-two-left-feet rhythm leads into minimal acidic flourishes. Album opener SM heads in a Ricardo Villalobos vs. Nonplace Urban Field direction, as the lopsided rhythm and sepulchral vocals add a haunted edge to proceedings. CR80 uses beautifully syncopated live drums and urgent female vocals, and adds a driving, belligerent synth riff falling somewhere in between DMZ and Gary Numan. Echoic, boingy sounds threaten to derail the beat, but somehow it manages to maintain, reminding me of Shed and A Made Up Sound; more in overall feel than in the specific sounds. For those that enjoy abstract electronics that work just as well on headphones as on the dance floor, Greece s Hana are a duo to watch.

Textura
Hana's self-titled debut album arrives saddled with a (literally) cheeky front cover one would more associate with a 70s band like Wild Cherry than a Greece-based techno outfit formed in Thessaloniki last summer. Recorded in fall 2010 at Facta non Verba, the five-cut release finds Good Luck Mr Gorsky members Thanasis Papadopoulos and Thanos Bantis hunkered down in their chemical lab concocting formulae to go along with their material's stripped-down techno beats. Using analogue synths, samplers, and sequencers, the duo brings a decidely experimental edge to their productions, sprinkling as they do liberal doses of burble and flutter over bass-heavy techno rhythms.
The opening track, Sm, sets the scene with a heavy low-end pulse thudding alongside a steady kick drum and joined by acidy synths and percussive effects that suggest a lighter being repeatedly flicked open. On a slightly more aggressive tip, the B-side's Cr80 adds truncated vocal yelps to its bleepy, elephantine throb. A dubby dimension emerges in the track, too, when echoing waves drift repeatedly across the huge bass that slithers across the track's underbelly. The album's most elaborate track comes last. Liv opens beatlessly with flickering shudders and what could pass for the amplified workings of an ant community but then progressively fills in the dots with an insistent beat pattern, voice fragments, and even the demented meander of accordion playing. Though Hana hardly rewrites the techno guidebook on the release, it's nevertheless a pleasurable listen, in part due to the multi-dimensional experience provided by the vinyl format and the always superb mastering work done by Rashad Becker at Berlin's Dubplates & Mastering.

Granny13 opens with Nicola Ratti's 'Odd Doubt'. With the use of a modular system and tape loops, a broken rhythm is obtained by parallelism between single sound signals as LFO one or processed tapes.On the second side, Giovanni Lami's 'Johnny Leech' is made with a small bunch of equipment, just a chaotic hand-made synth (cacophonator) and a memoryman, working mainly on static electricity and leakage current in the synth used without any kind of power supply.

Reviews

The Wire
''Two Italian mucisians share a split single of glitchy fun and everyone goes some happy. Lami s piece uses a defective unplugged synthesizer to make huzzing chitters that have a kind of rhythm in spots. Ratti s contribution is a bit more structured it sounds like a record of accordion miniatures broken into pieces, then glued back together with little pieces of felt stuck onto it. Which would definitely be a pretty hep thing to hear.''

Textura
''Some releases qualify as art objects as much as musical collections, a case in point this recent seven-inch vinyl outing featuring material by Nicola Ratti on one side and Giovanni Lami on the other. That shouldn't be interpreted to mean that the musical content isn't worthy of one's time, as it assuredly is, but more to emphasize how striking the sleeve artwork by Opora is and how effectively it complements the musical content.Mastered by Giuseppe Ielasi and issued in an edition of 150 copies, the release opens with Odd Doubt, a concise experimental setting by the Milan-born Ratti, who's issued material on labels such as Anticipate, Preservation, Die Schachtel, and Entr'acte and who's presently working with Ielasi in the project Bellows, with Attila Faravelli as Faravelliratti, and with Enrico Malatesta and Faravelli in ~Tilde. Though Ratti started out as a guitar player, his current focus is more on beat-analog experimentation and sound installation. In Odd Doubt, Ratti's modular system and tape loops generate broken rhythms that varyingly call to mind dub-techno, even if dub-techno of an extremely wonky variety. Off-beat chords, crackle, and snare strikes add to the dubwise flavour of the material, though ultimately it registers as more of an experimental exploration than straight-up dub exercise.The flip side features Johnny Leech by Lami, a one-time photographer now known as both a field recordist and a musician focusing on soundscaping and sound-ecology. In his contribution to the seven-inch, Lami's chaotic hand-made synth (cacophonator) and memoryman give birth to blustery smears of static electricity that ultimately mutate into an Oval-like array of ripples and scratches. Johnny Leech is so removed from anything conventionally musical, it makes Odd Doubt sound like a Top 40 pop song. Like Ratti's piece, Lami's is short, so short, in fact, it gives the impression of being an excerpt from a larger sound art work. Here's a release where the abstract nature of the musical content matches its visual presentation.December 2014''

Vital Weekly 951
''Granny Records is from Greece, but the two musicians here are from Italy, of which I don't I heard from Giovanni Lami before. His piece is called 'Johnny Leech' and he uses a hand-made synth known as the cacophonator and a memory man (a delay machine), 'working mainly on static electricity and leakage current in the synth used without any kind of power supply'. It makes up for a nice piece of chaotic lo-fi sound, which is put forward through methods of improvisation. Quite a nice piece and it fits the format very well. The crackling of vinyl surely adds an extra layer. Nicola Ratti uses a modular synth and tape loops, of what seems to be percussive material, but the rhythm is broken down and the whole thing has a nice gentle feel to it, even when it bumps, clicks and glides, but the synth makes it more subtle. Here too one could say this perfect for a 7": one doesn't have the idea that this is cut from a longer part as is not unusual with this kind music. Especially Ratti seems to have worked out his music as a composition, which is very nice. (FdW)''Vital Weekly 951''Granny Records is from Greece, but the two musicians here are from Italy, of which I don't I heard from Giovanni Lami before. His piece is called 'Johnny Leech' and he uses a hand-made synth known as the cacophonator and a memory man (a delay machine), 'working mainly on static electricity and leakage current in the synth used without any kind of power supply'. It makes up for a nice piece of chaotic lo-fi sound, which is put forward through methods of improvisation. Quite a nice piece and it fits the format very well. The crackling of vinyl surely adds an extra layer. Nicola Ratti uses a modular synth and tape loops, of what seems to be percussive material, but the rhythm is broken down and the whole thing has a nice gentle feel to it, even when it bumps, clicks and glides, but the synth makes it more subtle. Here too one could say this perfect for a 7": one doesn't have the idea that this is cut from a longer part as is not unusual with this kind music. Especially Ratti seems to have worked out his music as a composition, which is very nice. (FdW)''Vital Weekly 951''Granny Records is from Greece, but the two musicians here are from Italy, of which I don't I heard from Giovanni Lami before. His piece is called 'Johnny Leech' and he uses a hand-made synth known as the cacophonator and a memory man (a delay machine), 'working mainly on static electricity and leakage current in the synth used without any kind of power supply'. It makes up for a nice piece of chaotic lo-fi sound, which is put forward through methods of improvisation. Quite a nice piece and it fits the format very well. The crackling of vinyl surely adds an extra layer. Nicola Ratti uses a modular synth and tape loops, of what seems to be percussive material, but the rhythm is broken down and the whole thing has a nice gentle feel to it, even when it bumps, clicks and glides, but the synth makes it more subtle. Here too one could say this perfect for a 7": one doesn't have the idea that this is cut from a longer part as is not unusual with this kind music. Especially Ratti seems to have worked out his music as a composition, which is very nice. (FdW)''

'Afro Rock Vol. 1' is one of the most important compilations of heavy original '70s Afro funk and soul to be released in recent years. Originally surfacing on Duncan Brooker's indie Kona label in early 2001, the album single-handedly kick-started the thirst among jazz, funk and soul fans and 'diggers' to rediscover lost music from Africa made during the '60s and '70s from a time when many countries were gaining independence and celebrating a Pan-African identity within their music. The album was one of the first to reach a far different audience to the traditional 'world music' market and spawned many further projects and labels in its wake. A year later, the 'Nigeria 70' compilation surfaced on Strut and labels like Soundway and Analog Africa would continue to unearth amazing lost gems from the Motherland.The album is testament to the determined work of Brooker following several research trips, especially to East Africa - Kenya and Zaire. It brought to light East Africa's finest funk band, Air Fiesta Matata, led by the recently deceased Steele Beautttah, 'The Nigerian James Brown' Geraldo Pino from Port Harcourt in Nigeria, and the storming Afro jam 'Yuda' by Dackin Dackino, a previously unreleased gem from Zaire discovered on a discarded reel. The album has remained influential since its release with tracks appearing on other Afro compilations and on TV and the big screen - Jingo's 'Fever' featured in Kevin McDonald's 2006 hit film, 'Last King Of Scotland'.Out of print since 2015, the album is being reissued on Strut in its original form with the extra dynamite unreleased psychedelic cut by Kenya's Ishmael Jingo, 'Keep On Holding On' taken from the original master tape. The package features the original sleeve notes by Duncan Brooker along with new additional notes providing further background to the album and tracks.

For house heads of a certain persuasion, DJ Duke is a name that resonates for all the right reasons. The U.S. veteran has been responsible for some of the 90's most seminal moments, chiefly through tracks such as '12 Minutes to Do It' (under his Pleasure Dome alias), 'Party Time' and the Prosumer-endorsed deep house classic, 'Heard'. He returns here courtesy of emerging imprint Solo Werks, who host his latest EP, 'Green Pastures'. A momentous house-led workout, it compounds Duke's reputation as a producer of considerable panache while also acting as an auspicious start to life for the Dublin based label.

The title track is a grainy, old-school cut that bears all the hallmarks of a dusty analogue-jam and harks back to the days of vintage Chicago with the sort of zest you'd expect from a man of Duke's credentials. The other original, 'Skyscapes', is packed to the brim with industrial motifs and is characterised by the sort of effortlessly catchy baseline with which Duke has made his name. Mysterious and ethereal, it takes the listener on an uncompromising and throughly captivating house journey from the off.

On the flip side, we have two stunning remixes, the first of which arrives from New Jersey don, Ruben Candelario AKA Nicuri. A long-time favourite of NYC-based producers a la Joey Anderson, Nicuri turns 'Green Pastures' into a dreamy, acid-led space, adding layers of suspense and a glittering vocal intto the mix as he goes. Last but not least are Dublin-based producers Slowburn, who serve up a stunning version of "Skyscapes". A carefully construed voyage into the deep, it caps off a fine EP with some aplomb.

At a point in time when Johnny Winter had only recently recovered from past addictions and blues giant Muddy Waters had faced a decline in his career with illness and the collapse of Chess records in 1975, it was Steve Paul of Blue Sky records who would appear as saviour to both musicians. The results of his investment soon paid off and Winter's childhood dream to play alongside his hero Muddy waters was soon realised. Waters' comeback album was a return to his original Chicago sound. Its raw, expressive feel harked back to his Chess Records days, and the outstanding musicianship and intimate exuberance exceeded all expectations, earning Waters a Grammy in the process.
The Hard Again tour combined the respected powerhouse of Waters, Winter and Cotton with musicians from the Hard Again sessions. Hard Again cast a further four albums with Blue Sky before Waters would leave in 1983. Although this particular collaboration was short-lived, it has provided blues fans a rare opportunity to indulge in the work of two hugely important musical figures whose respect for each other is evidently unflinching.

Following the release of Synkro AKA Joe McBride collection of his formative early works earlier this year, Apollo Recordings is proud to present a brand new EP that draws on the rich heritage of library music. Despite having come up during the dubstep era McBride's music has always resisted easy classification - 'Hand In Hand' sees him shift his musical focus in a yet more cinematic direction. McBride explains : "The record was inspired and influenced by my love of electronic 80's UK library records like the Chappell AV series, Bruton, Soundstage & De Wolfe Music library. There's a lot of synth work that carries on from my album using my trusted Juno-6 / SH101 / JX8P combo with the addition of drum samples via an old akai S2800 I purchased recently. Most sounds I've made from scratch on hardware based on sounds used in the library records I mentioned above along with a few cheeky samples." Synkro's signature expansive atmospherics are still very much present, but now they have been burnished by soaring synth pads and pulsing drum tracks that call to mind the haunted melancholy of John Carpenter or contemporary such as Legowelt or Andy Stott. Rhythmically 'Hand In Hand' sees McBride moving somewhat away from his usual off kilter programming inspired by 2-step and garage, embracing the steady pulse of 4:4 which turns out to be an effortless fit.

Agoria's second outing on Sapiens presents some of his most uncompromising work to date. Boomerang manifests live percussion and analog pulse waves, rising through Shepard tone drama and succinct, minimalist form. Three additional solo performances accompany the title track - a clin d'oeil to the minimalist French synth pioneers of yesteryear. An exercise in humanity.

Just in time to warm up your winter, Hell Yeah revisit the peerless recent Tsuki album from ambient and Balearic masters Tempelhof & Gigi Masin. Two tracks from the album are included on this new package, as well as a remix from Jex Opolis. Trancendental and dreamy drums characterise the new age 'Corner Song', which is the sound of laying back on a boat and bobbing up and down on gentle seas at sunrise. It's organic and soothing to the max.
The other original is 'Flying Man', a suspensory film that feels like floating amongst the clouds on a humid afternoon.
Wordless vocals add a heavenly feel to the lush and all encompassing chords and pads and nothing sounds sweeter than being lost in this one. It is Corner Song that gets remixed by Good Timin' and Running Back man Jex Opolis.
Famous for his disco infused synth pop sound he is a master of his own musical world. His version is eight minutes of laid-back tropicalia. Slowly churning drums and knotted funk-bass prop it up as an eco-system of pops, clicks and hits add to the steamy and sensuous groove. It's grown up disco for cocktails on the terrace and will have you hugging anyone in earshot.
Support by Calm, Lexx, Leo Mas, Apiento, Zambon, Max Essa, Kito Jempere, Buena Onda Djs, Balearic Gabba Sound System...

Optimo Music don't generally do limited edition releases but when The Golden Filter did these extra mixes of 'End Of Times',

the A1 track off their recent EP we thought they were too good to remain in the digital domain so have pressed up a small run of 12' singles aimed specifically at DJs.
The original single version is a future synth classic. These new dub versions take it to the dancefloor and have been tried and tested around the world over the last few months. They are considerably extended, dubbed out and add extra dynamics & ecstatic synth power with hints of the original vocal. There is a slo mo version at 103 bpm and a faster version at 118bpm which means the track should work any time from warm up to peak set. There is also a Drone-Apella version included too.

"Good Morning Midnight" is the second studio album of French MC Biga*Ranx. Driven by the unstoppable flow of the artist, this album drags us into his special universe navigating between Reggae Digital, Hip Hop and Bass Music. As he says so well, Biga*Ranx wanted to "invent his own music". This album has 20 surprising songs from the artistic melting pot of Biga*Ranx. The proof is with the title Cumbia "Buck A Shot" which transports us directly to Colombia, or "Bad To The Bone" with Reggae-Trap influences. However the Reggae soul is still present on the entire record, as evidenced by "Boogie Man Skank" or "Confession". For the composition he used different talented beat-makers like the English of Vibronics or the Danish producers of Maffi. The French scene is also well represented by Manudigital, Tom Fire, Atili Bandalero or Barbés.D. Biga*Ranx loves to sing life simply, always in a personal approach. He approaches the themes of his generation by adding a touch of positivism and fighting spirit, approaching the original message of reggae.

Three track Lolita' EP by Lolina, written produced mixed, spending ££ in the city, not-record-label release. Mastering, additional mixing Amir Shoat. Limited edition 10" - TIP on this... don't sleep!

World excluding FR. Blackstrobe Records under exclusive licence to Because Music . LP with Printed Inner Sleeves. House music broke through in 1987, at the same time when AIDS arrived in France with the first contamination peak in gay and drug addict circles. In 1989, the founders of Act-Up Paris knew that both the fight against AIDS and triumphant house music should be joined together.

House music broke through in 1987, at the same time when AIDS arrived in France with the first contamination peak in gay and drug addict circles. In 1989, the founders of Act-Up Paris knew that both the fight against AIDS and triumphant house music should be joined together. From 1992 to 1995, the period covered by '120 BPM", house reached its most beautiful plateau even though techno was becoming dominant. '120 BPM' is a get-together moment through clubbing, this moment where fears are forgotten by dancing with one's friends, what we called 'the chosen family' at Act-Up. Boys and girls dancing in a club where the walls cannot be seen, flooded with simple light. This is their activist recess. Arnaud Rebotini, composing the soundtrack of Robin Campillo's previous film, 'Eastern Boys", is a recognized DJ, a composer and a kind man, which is for me the most important quality. Here, his work is marked by restraint of his love for house and after techno. I believe he deliberately withdrew himself in relation to the film's power and the AIDS theme. He accompanies and supports the image on the screen and even his remix of Small Town Boy by Bronski Beat is in a process marked by respect and almost intimidation (even if I would have

After 3 EPs on Don Williams a.r.t.less imprint munichs TRAP10 start their own label and the debut is a versatile dancefloor EP through and through. While unmistakably influenced by classic 1990ies era techno, the detroit schooled tunes resemble the duos flexibility - be ready for interesting yet effective dj cuts to add to your record collection. A1 'Flight 781 - straight rhythm action with dark chords and a mesmerising bassy melody. B1 'Shakem' - rumbling electro drums and broken beats complemented by a grimy vocal.

Aketi Ray are an all-acoustic dub-jazz group, playing original compositions grounded in the instrumental music of post-independence Jamaica -ska, rocksteady, reggae, rockers, dub -but drawing inspiration and influence from Ethiopian and US jazz, west African percussion traditions, all with the mind set of UK steppas. An outernational sound: Kingston to Chicago to Addis Ababa to Dakar to London.The sound of "From Ever Since" draws on the vibes and heritage of pre-electr(on)ic music, but gives that traditional sound new power through the use of dub techniques of reverb, delay and EQ manipulation.The Aketi Ray sound Band leader 'Mikus' Gorecki explains: At the time I was listening to a lot of tuff digital dub tunes, and much as I love that sound still, I thought there was a lack of dubwise music getting made that had that live feel of the 60s and 70s. At the same time I didn't want to just rehash the past - the best you can do is come close to replicating that sound, you definitely won't beat it. So I decided to try something different, and bring in other connected jazz and African influences to the mix. 'Sometimes when people fuse different music traditions it can sound a bit of a collage, the elements are all there but they don't actually fuse together. I think we have our own sound, and it's greater than the sum of its parts.The compositions are forward-looking, form-pushing, and although there are no vocals, they are message-driven, concerned with conditions of modern life, spirituality and politics. Mikus says The music definitely has a message. Each track has a very clear subject in mind when writing it, but it's down to the listener to tune in to that and take from that what they will. I find you can say more with the abstract language of music than you can in words.'

Producer Tommy Cowans cut the first version of the 'Gone to Negril' rhythm for Devon Irons to voice the song 'Jerusalem' on. He then returned to the same rhythm for the follow to the pop hit 'Up Town Top Ranking' with Althea and Donna for 'Gone to Negril'.

Somewhere along the way, prompted by Bob Marley, Cowans took the tapes up to the Black Ark. Anyone who was coming from another planet who wanted to know what Lee Perry was about would be well advised to listen to the all out audio assault of 'Crazy Negril'.

Like a careering car that Perry just about maintains control of, 'Crazy Negril' screeches whirls and zooms from one side to the other of the musical track. Possibly because it was a 'mix' that he was asked to do for someone else from the outside, Perry throws caution to the wind and adds a simple rhythm box as well as whistles and a cow bell to amazing effect. It's an inspired version, and adds to the slightly commercial song on the A side. Although 'Gone to Negril' has its lyrical moments as well. Anyone who rhymes 'Adam and Eve, without their leaves' and 'Feminine gender, ranking agenda' is alright by us.

The 10' comes in a one off recycled sleeve, made from the cover of 'Life Goes in Circles', the Tommy Cowans compilation on Pressure Sounds.

Noplace is an improvised collaboration between Aidan Baker (Nadja / Caudal / B/B/S/), Simon Goff (Molecular, Bee & Flower) and Thor Harris (Swans, Shearwater, Thor & Friends).
Having known each other for a number of years and previously contributed to one another's recordings this trio finally came together as a whole on May 7th 2017 at Redrum Studios in Berlin. In a short, improvised session of just a few hours they set about laying down as much material as possible which was then subsequently edited and re-worked (without overdubs) to form this album.
The same evening the trio played together as part of a 9-piece Thor & Friends ensemble which also included Christopher Hefner (on musical saw) whose artwork graces the cover of the record and gave it its name.
Noplace is a hypnotic and deep listen. Kinetic rhythms pulsate throughout whilst the guitar and violin jostle and weave around the metronomic beats, creating a cathartic and all-encompassing experience. The very nature of the instrumental repetitions give it an immediate avant/krautrock feel but the whole record is coated in a wonderful psychedelic atmosphere that's both melodic, textured and innovative.
Without doubt a perfect marriage and the sum of its parts. You would be forgiven for thinking Noplace took years to craft but that's testament to three excellent musicians who have produced a real treat of a record. Broken down into seven pieces but very much best enjoyed as a thrilling whole, Noplace is a powerful and highly addictive album.

The Diabolical Liberties return with a new 5-track EP titled All Out For Love' touching on poetry, dissonance, dub, dance and Jazz wave. Nyasha (aka Nubya Garcia) guests on flute and sax and General Rubbish contributes additional words. Strictly limited edition 12' in a hand-stamped and hand-numbered sleeve. The preceding drops - Dancefloors Of England' and Omar's Deliverance' both sold out so don't sleep!!

Hertz Collision takes over the third release on Kwartz's label Order&Devotion. The Italian duo, whom have released on labels such as Frozen Border, deliver a moderated charming trip leaded by melodies. On the B side the label honcho and Polegroup affiliated, Kwartz, assumes the remix duties. Adding some electric sounds and increasing the intensity delivered by the original. Undoubtedly this two tracker shapes even more the already reputable sound signature of the imprint, with a prospect to the future.

This 2XLP album, EUROPA, is dedicated to and inspired by events in 2015 & 2016, which saw the spectre of global crisis come knocking at Europe's doorstep.During this time, more than a million migrants and refugees fled their homes in the Middle East, Northern Africa, sub-Saharan Africa and other conflict ravaged areas in search of a better life. For many, hopes of a future for themselves and their families lay in continental Europe.As already said about the preceding 12' single with the same name - One of the most well- trodden paths on this journey was the Balkan route, a trail leading through Turkey, Greece, and the former Yugoslavia.. This route was not without its dangers, and the dreams of thousands upon thousands were dashed by impassible security fences and discordant EU politics, as one by one they were turned away at borders, or worse, forcibly returned to their countries of origin.Europa was recorded during long jam sessions in Belgrade as the media spotlight started to dim. The city became the purgatorial destination for a large number of migrants, whose journeys had been cut short.
This double LP reflects the atmosphere of disillusionment and uncertainty about the future, which descended on the Serbian capital. Dark and melancholic saxophone playing on top of heavy kicks and Mediterranean percussions dominate the epic 17 minutes title track. The collaboration with Jerusalem in My heart continues the melancholic atmosphere, adding to it JIMH signature delayed baglama sounds, to create a 12 minute emotional journey, tearing away abstract concepts of 'longing' and 'home' with ever growing tension and magnitude. Genre-less, illusive and not easy to categorize, Tapan's debut album on Malka Tuti is an original soundtrack of a fragment in time and space, capturing a moment and transcending it musically for the rest of the world to experience.

Debut album of Manchester post-punk band."When I was first told about Duds, it came with the considered opinion that the guys were far from what you'd call 'careerists'. 'They don't take themselves too seriously' was another comment. I could have taken this as a warning that they weren't in it for the right reasons—but that couldn't be further from the truth. From my perspective Duds simply won't bend over backwards to 'get on'. They do what they do and you can take it or leave it. I took it—with both hands...with a vice-like grip. They have the invention and urgency of Edinburgh legends The Fire Engines. The Post-Punk ethic. Short songs, short sets = short album.They're one of the most thrilling bands I've seen in years—and the fact that they're releasing this brilliant piece of work on the Castle Face label adds the last piece of a perfect 'outsider' jigsaw puzzle. Duds sitting alongside Oh Sees, Ty Segall, White Fence, Useless Eaters, et al. There is a god!" —Marc Riley, June 2017

Drumcode returns with its 6th installment of the internationally celebrated A-Sides series. Renowned for fostering a shared space between industry tastemakers and rising talent alike, the careful curation that goes into each volume is a fine example of why Beyer's brand continues to go from strength to strength.

Techno titan Adam Beyer has grown Drumcode into a force to be reckoned with; the label has become synonymous with forward-thinking, functional techno and even after 20 years, Drumcode continues to find new boundaries to push, and ways to solidify its legacy as the world's number one techno label.

2017 is no exception, with Beyer's imprint hosting it's first stage at Tomorrowland, not to mention the expansion of the critically acclaimed Junction 2 where the Drumcode stage is the centrepiece and Adam plays the key role of festival director. The Drumcode phenomenon continues to grow each week, chiefly fuelled by Drumcode Radio, Adam's radio show that's broadcast in 57 countries via 86 stations and to a global audience of 16 million techno fans per week.

The A-Sides series acts as a perfect vignette of Drumcode's cutting-edge sound; functional yet inspired techno, all tracks tried and tested by Beyer himself. Vol. 6 continues this tradition with a collection of 16 multi-faceted cuts from a mixture of both emerging artists and experienced label friends.

The heart-throbbing bass in Amelie Lens' electrifying piece 'In Silence' sets the tone for the dark and dance-floor-ready energy that Vol.6 carries the whole way through. Other standouts include Mars Bill's rough'n'ready 'Mohave'. Pulsating and precise, 'Mohave' has highlighted many of Beyer's sets recently as has Wehbba's monster track 'Fake', which fans have been anticipating the release of all year.

Label-favourites Dense & Pika also feature on 'A-Sides' Vol. 6 with their hard-hitting 'Just a Beat' and a huge track from Beyer himself who has joined forces with Enrico Sangiuliano to bring us their undeniably infectious 'Preset Heaven'.

With many more notable selections from the likes of Julian Jewell, Timmo, Tiger Stripes and Pig&Dan, A-Sides Vol. 6 is another impressive addition to the label's prolific release roster and a testament to why Drumcode remains at the forefront of the electronic world.

The third instalment of the Bodybuilder Quartet has arrived, and once again label boss Nachtbraker adds an exciting name to the Quartet Series manifesto. Moscow native Kuzma Palkin previously released a double 10' and a double 12' on quality Russian imprint Gost Zvuk, but is also known for his productions under his Audiocad (Between Us) and Kausto (Shanti Records) noms de guerre. Make sure to check those out if you haven't already. Here, Kuzma serves up an EP as deep as they come, with greasy, industrial and glitchy sounds floating on steady beats. Title tune 'Macho Culture' is a peaktime roller for darker club spaces with its deep melodic stabs, slapping snares and a haunting synth. Also on the A is 'Muscle Mass Increase', which is cut from the same haunting cloth but comes with an edgy saw synth that will have the punters reach for the lazers. Flip over for 'Proper Sauna Chill', which comes with a thumping kick, beautifully crafted sound design details and an undeniable groove. Closing Kuzma's Quartet Series debut EP is 'Krepkiye Bitsepsky', another showcase of amazing sound design and warped stabs floating over a steady break beat and groovy bass line to round things off nicely.

On the Corner's DJ tool and eclectic favourite, Versus is back for a second instalment. There are some familiar faces occupying this tasty wax and some new comers pushing the needle further-out On the Corner.
As 2015's Versus sold-out we'd already acquired some fresh production talents and sent stems over to new and old friends alike.
Get your atlases out as we criss-cross the globe introducing you to artists from afar-afield as Nairobi, Manchester, Pune, Iringa, Detroit, and South London.
We kick off with Jinku, self-proclaimed space monkey hitting OtC wax for the first time. The producer is one-fifth of the East African Wave, a collective of young DJ Producers who are revolutionising the East African arts scene. As a 'sponge' of different influences, Jinku lays down a balearic reworking of fellow Nairobian, Makadem's 'Nyako'.
Of the returning artists none is quite as mysterious as the elusive and incomparable Black Classical - discordant-Ra-like organ meets Brazilian poly-rhythmic percussions bludgeoned with a heady slab of rave breaks make for 'Jeje': already a firm fave of Gilles Peterson.
Boundary pushing Contours brings a new swing to the 'Agama' groove, following the underground smash from Al Dobson Jr back where it all started with the release of Tamar Collocutor's first album in 2014.
Wonky psychedelic perambulations through the Traab al-Beidaan (Sahara) from Sam Jones who adds another construct to his mantle. Group as Salaam have a cassette release forthcoming and this construct comes from field recording sessions conducted during a feast out in the shadow of Africa's largest Windfarm by label head Pete OntheCorner. Vibes!
On the B-side, sprightly producer Daisho from the Indian hotbed of Pune brings a layered percussive heater hanging in the atmosphere with ominous synth b-lines and rightly tipped to be in the realms of and early Four Tet mover.
The release enters into a deeper shamanic dance territory in the final third: the beathead's elixir, M.I.X.G. and their massive xylophone (Embaire) are back and gets a heavy acid rerub as South London's FYI Chris appear OntheCorner wax again with
'Drop the beat'.
Peter Croce, head of Detroit's Rocksteady Disco brings it deep into the early hours for this euphoric 4am fix of OntheCorner's
afro-latin-electronic party experimentalists, Penya.

Native New Yorker Son Of Sound aka Henry Maldonado returns to Delusions of Grandeur with another fine EP including two floor-friendly originals plus a stripped back remix from Aroop Roy. For those too young to have been buying records in the early 90's Henry was a key figure, involved in seminal releases on Strictly Rhythm as House 2 House, Maxi Records as Deja Vu and MAW Records as Rhythm Section. To say this guy has history is something of an understatement having made an important contribution to the first wave of deep house with productions dating right back to '91. More recently he has created magic for Jus Ed's Underground Quality, Classic, Razor n Tape and Local Talk as well as establishing his own District30 imprint.
We kick off with NY Iz All I Know, a warm, soulful yet pumping slice of what can only be described as proper house music! Looped up vocal chops bounce around a classic disco groove until things breakdown into a new chord progression and saw wave bassline which add an interesting twist to the arrangement. Skin Tight drops next introducing a funk break underneath the solid four on the floor kick. One of Henry's trademark chord progressions emerges and the elements build up around to form another masterclass in sample-heavy house perfection.
Aroop Roy steps up for the remix following a run of fine edits and originals on the likes of Freestyle, Basic Fingers and House Of Disco. NY Iz All I Know gets stripped back and pumped up, taking the key elements and adding his own disco inspired groove and Moogy synth business for a floor- pleasing gem that we're sure will help find him new fans from across the house and disco spectrum.

The free will of Struments has led them to concentrate in one 12inch the encyclopedic knowledge of Marc Pinol, a duo of kids that present themselves as T.A.L., and the responsible for all that, Spastor, that appears in a remix signed by Florian Kupfer. Lliure Albir sounds as if Pinol was dazzled by the light of a lantern in a chill out while Paranoid London resound in the next room. In his remix, Palms Trax bet on tom toms and certain tribal groove, adding soft eighties keyboards, deep atmosphere, speeches and dub deliriums that perfectly fit in the freak universe of Pinol. Florian Kupfer remix made of Spastor's Death In La Paz: a hit made in the German musician style whose groove is created by a fold in the sound and the apparent imbalance it has with the bass drum. If after this dawn breaks, it will not be small thing. T.A.L. are guided by a retro-spatial pulse to open a fan of sounds that expands and contracts threateningly, and delicately form what looks like an EBM hit stripped of the hammers.