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Since Outlaws in 2020, Ludivine Issambourg's flute has not cooled down. How could it have, when with that album of Hubert Laws covers, it had reached incandescence? Still panting, burning despite the lid of its case left wide open, it awaited the opportunity to continue the adventures that Master Laws himself had praised.

A continuation? Above The Laws isn't quite that.

Although his name still appears, Hubert L. is no longer the sole guide in exploring the vast galaxies of jazz-funk. Through covers but especially as an enhancer of her own compositions, Ludivine has invoked the spirit and intangible presence of Jeremy Steig, Ronald Sneijder, and Bobby Humphrey—the legends of the flute.

Guided by an unescapable groove, with a musical dial set to the late 70s and early 80s, Ludivine has enlisted the help of a brass section this time, a true propulsion engine for funk that can also shift to a soulful breath if the moment calls for it. Supporting the keyboards, there's a Moog laying down its rich layers or twisting tones.

The flutes are used like levers to stabilize the flight or, conversely, to make it soar even faster through the measures. The alto version, which Ludivine had previously used sparingly, adds the necessary velvety note when it’s time to embark on smoother destinations. Speeding up the tempo to make passengers rise from their seats as if danger were imminent; calming the atmosphere to put them in a reassuring cocoon where they can let their thoughts and spirits wander, the improvisations find their place in the compositions observed from the porthole. Detached from gravity, yet still very much in tune with the vibe of cities marked as hot spots on the current jazz scene radar, it's the scent of these streets that permeates some tracks of Above The Laws.

Directed from the control tower by Eric Legnini, Chassol, Alex Finkin, and Michaël Lecoq, Above The Laws benefits from a few stops along the way where precious connections are established. Nils Landgren and his trombone in the colors of the Swedish flag, Laurent De Wilde for a chase between flute and Fender Rhodes, Céline Bonacina’s saxophone for an Afrobeat detour.

But it's at the edge of a journey where organic intensity has continued to assert itself without losing power that Ludivine connected with Brian Jackson for a cover of "Angel Dust," a track from the era when he and his partner Gil Scott-Heron were creating soul masterpieces. One of them featured a flutist by the name of Hubert Laws.

The starting point of Ludivine's latest jazz-funk explorations also becomes the endpoint. Elevated by the ten tracks of Above The Laws, Ludivine Issambourg closes a loop where she has placed her flute and its flourishes in an undeniably leading role. Opening the doors to ambitious orchestrations, unexplored horizons, she weaves into her compositions the experiences, places, and encounters that have shaped her.

We Are Thrilled to Announce the Upcoming Release of Taelue's Highly Anticipated Ep, "Dark Worlds," Set to Drop on Phonogramme Records. This Exclusive, Limited Edition Marbled Vinyl Ep Is a Five-Track Masterpiece That Showcases Taelue's Exceptional Talent and Deep Connection to the Roots of House Music, Offering Listeners a Journey Through Rich, Immersive Soundscapes and Infectious Rhythms. "Dark Worlds" Is a Masterful Collection That Highlights Taelue's Signature Style, Blending Deep House Grooves With Soulful Undertones. Each Track on the Ep Stands as a Testament to His Skillful Production and Unique Artistic Vision. Among the Standout Tracks Is a Stunning Remix by the Renowned Artist Abacus, Adding a Fresh and Dynamic Layer to the Ep....

Marc Mac's Visioneers project returns after a long anticipated wait with a summary of everything we've loved about the project and more. The classic Hip Hop joints reimagined, BBOY bombs and the super-fly Jazz n' funky lounge originals have all become Visioneers trademarks. The record has you sitting back chilling and head nodding for one song and wanting to jump up and bust a move on another. The addition of guest musicians from all parts of the globe brings another dimension to the grooves and compositions. A very dope welcomed return for the Visioneers.

Available in 2 x 12" 180g Heavy Weight Vinyl and CD (with bonus tracks)

Home of The Good Groove Records would like to introduce Psalmist Shonda L. English, otherwise known as “The Gospel Diva”.
Every once in a while, an exceptional and incredible talent impacts the music industry and leaves an indelible impression. Shonda is one of those rapidly expanding outstanding musical virtuosos who has done just that in the gospel arena. Home of The Good Groove Records are more than jubilant to be able to announce that the label’s first release will also be Shonda’s first 7-inch vinyl single release.
Her incredible vocal capability transcends and mesmerizes gospel and soul music lovers alike!
Originally a native of Boston, Massachusetts, at a young age Shonda relocated to South Carolina where she grew up and currently lives today. Shonda began singing on the children’s choir at the tender age of three and began playing the piano by ear at the age of five. Not only is Shonda gifted with phenomenal vocal capabilities, Shonda is also a multi-faceted gospel recording artist, song writer, organist, percussionist, choral conductor, composer, radio personality and novelist. She also plays the congas, tambourine, xylophone and the flute. In addition, she is an extraordinary “actress” who has appeared for her 4th time on stage and her 3rd time in a leading role. Her extraordinary gifts and talents continue to revolutionize the gospel music industry.
Taken from Shonda’s digital album release, Travelin’ (from 2023), the 7-inch vinyl release A-side, 'There Wouldn’t Be a Me', is a delightful mid-pacer with a riveting vocal and an instantly catchy melody that grabs your attention and is guaranteed to get any dancefloor flowing. Flip the 7-inch over, and get ready to feel the shivers up your spine as Shonda’s beautiful vocal (and harmonies) create a wonderful soulful gospel groove in ‘Feels Good’ that will elevate the emotions. ….You will not be disappointed.
Shonda’s Motto: “If you never take a leap of faith, you’ll never know how high you can fly.”

Moodena’s London-based imprint Tropical Disco’s latest offering is a shimmering journey into the heart of the underground, blending nu-disco, classic house, and contemporary electronic funk in a way that feels both nostalgic and totally fresh. Featuring four standout tracks from Vagabundo Club Social, Scruscru, Da Lukas, and Fun Kool feat. vocals from Bcleo and Anna Dee Tee, — the EP is a testament to the evolving sound of the dancefloor, where groove meets grit, and melody flirts with sultry rhythm. This release channels the spirit of sweaty basement parties, neon-soaked nights, and a collective desire to get lost in the music.

Opening the record is Colombian duo Vagabundo Club Social, presenting Latin-soaked funk colliding with shimmering brass instrumentation, creating a deep, rolling pulse that invites movement from the first beat. 'Zumba Z' is a track that feels right at home in a DJ’s warm-up set or closing down an all-nighter, with a hypnotic flow and vocals that seep into your bones.

Scruscru’s story pushes things deeper into late-night, cosmic territory. 'Konyaalti' is a lush, sun-drenched production, utilising sublime sax, Scruscru delivers a cut that's both playful and distinctly driving.

Da Lukas adds a sophisticated touch, remixing Rosario Cristofaro, and taking you on a slick ride that leans into Italo-disco influences. Swooning synths and crisp percussion form the backbone while gliding melodies create a sense of elevation. It’s elegant yet laced with energy, ideal for a peak-time set where the vibe is euphoric but refined.

Rounding off the release is veteran DJ and producer Gerardo Cinquegrana, whose playful Fun Kool moniker belies the serious funk he delivers in his production. German-born, and now Italy-based, Fun Kool’s sharp, syncopated rhythms and sexy vocal lines from Anna Dee Tee bring an irresistible groove to the forefront, with the kind of bassline that takes over your entire body and mind.

Altogether, 'Tropical Disco Volume 28' encompasses a record that’s both familiar and exploratory—rooted in the timeless grooves of disco and house but pushing forward into new musical territory and picking up sonics from different continents along the way. Whether you’re looking for late-night celestial cosmosis, sophisticated Italo-inspired dubs, or straight-up, no-nonsense funk, this release has something for every dance floor.

The third outing from the Do It Now Recordings crew looks to Pigsie's 'Haunted'. It's a perfectly zoned-out slice dreamy and organic deep house for open-air dancing under the sun - the sort of thing that you'd hear at an All Day I Dream party. After that sublime original comes three remixes starting with DJ Jauche who adds some distinctive Afro-house flavours before J. Axel keeps the airy, light melodies and supple drums in place but brings some extra twinkling keys. Last of all is Mattias Vogt whose version is a hypnotic roller with pads smeared across the face of the tune and delightfully innocent melodies floating about the mix.

'Science, Art And Ritual' is a story of ‘process'. Growing up in Harrow (a then quiet suburb of London) in the 70’s and 80’s from the age of about 10, Kingsuk Biswas aka Bedouin Ascent's ears opened up to sound as he scanned the airwaves. The undeniable righteousness of 80’s dub via David Rodigan’s Roots Rockers shows was the first prominent influence he received, and with punk roots —and his burgeoning record collection— became exposed to the breathless post punk experimentation that followed in the early 80’s sweeping up free jazz, noise, dub and much more. Throughout though, he maintained his fascination with Indian Classical music which was a mainstay in his parent’s house and spoke with the same infinite space as Joy Division's 'Unknown Pleasures', and King Tubby’s Studio dispatches. Through those teens he assembled and de-assembled, knocking about with fellow travellers —punk bands, garage, space rock, noise. Something was happening. On-U Sound, ECM, Factory Records kept him plugged in and sane.

At that time Kingsuk's core studio setup revolved around his vintage Gretsch, Fender Jazz, Moog, TR-606 and rudimentary FX. He added congas, folk instruments, pipes, hand percussion, gongs, and jammed out shards of funk, noise, jazz fusion, electro and ambience into his hungry Tascam Portastudio. By 1987 these had morphed into what we’d now refer to broadly as techno, but the genre didn't exist beyond the reverberating walls of his bedsit, and he hadn’t yet plugged into the global conversation.

'Science, Art And Ritual' was released in 1994 by Rising High Records and was presented as Bedouin Ascent's debut album, although 'Music for Particles' (released in 1995, again on Rising High) was recorded even before —'SAR' sessions span from 1992-1993, whereas 'Music for Particles' were earlier from 1989-1992, with some older 4-track references from about 1986 too.

Weaved in throughout the album are subconscious references to music that Kingsuk heard in the past that still remained within sight as companions. The opening track "Ancient Ocean III", referencing the extinct ocean Tethis, unapologetically channels Tackhead, Colourbox, Mantronix and Lee Perry. The style was also deliberately juxtaposed to the prevailing sound in techno at the time, which had locked onto a rigid form of symmetrical kicks and light snare drums. Elsewhere 80’s soul and funk are frozen and captured in fragile glass lattices. Electric pianos resound throughout, such as in "He Is She", probably a half-memory of 70’s MOR radio from childhood sleepy night drives. A duel between kick drums from three generations of Roland drum machines —TR-808, TR-707 and R-8— is a central theme in "Transition-R", all in conversation, calling and responding. These were not just machines to Bedouin Ascent, but part of an extended family, with heart and soul.

Three decades after seeing the light, Lapsus is proud to present a special 30th anniversary reissue of this
left-field techno gem in a repackaged and redesigned edition. All pressed on a deluxe 3LP marbled vinyl and including a limited lithographic insert print of the original album cover. All tracks have been restored and remastered directly from the original DAT tapes, and the album also features previously unreleased tracks such as "In the Clouds" and "Thru Water" —regularly performed live at that time and produced in the same period as the album sessions in 1993.

'Science, Art And Ritual’ may refer to esoteric traditions in Indian philosophy, but equally embodies the collision of the science, the art and the ritual that is at the core of being immersed in a deep musical journey.

On its 14th album RAMZi addresses the Gremlin’s Paradox. Feeding the ‘World Fuzion Music’ frequencies, above every category and for all hearing ears, the beat-wielding imp meets each new quest with a sharp-toothed smile and a moon tan glow.

This new multi-quest pathfinder on FATi imprint was aided by Dave Biddle on sax, Loic Reeves-Blizzard on guitar and Zach Frempton on keyboard.

Releasing as a vinyl 45, Bad Night is the lead offering from The Cromagnon Band's new album Mode. This is the band's second LP and the first of theirs to be released on BBE Music. Mode itself is an album of cinematic and psychedelic dark Funk tinged and tinted with Nordic psych/jazz, classical, boom-bap Hip-Hop breaks and riff heavy rock. Bad Night is backed with Quadrant, a stand alone track that won't be on the album, thus making the vinyl single release a unique addition to the music lover's record collection. That said, these are are two tracks which give both a genuine flavour of the forthcoming album as well as the band's own musical influences and heritage as instrumentalists and producers. The Cromagnon Band's recording technique of taking breaks, riffs and melodies from favourite tracks and then improvising from there with completely live jam sessions in the studio allows them to record in their distinct and trademark 'reverse engineering' style. The trio of Drummer Tom Watt, Bassist Lenny Walker and multi-instrumentalist Bert Page work by making music as a team, playing for hours and united by a love of Hip-Hop breaks and psychedelic Jazz/Rock/Funk and classical music. They choose to record only instrumentals which allows space for Bert to weave intricate soundscape with Fender Rhodes, Moog, Sax and Clarinet over the beats and breaks they have written from their improvised jams. Bad Night b/w Quadrant are the lead releases from The Cromagnon Band's new album Mode. They will be released as a 7" vinyl and digitally.

We’re teaming up with ELUCID and Fat Possum for a limited edition of 300 copies of a Rush Hour black ice coloured edition.

E L U C I D, one half of the illustrious duo Armand Hammer, is here with the full-length follow-up to 'I Told Bessie'. Further experiments in the sonic, expanding on the 'live' side of music paired with the embracing of chaos. Something you haven't heard, or not so for a very long time. E L U C I D is here to reveal the bleakness of reality.



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''There is never time in the future in which we will work out our salvation. The challenge is in the moment; the time is always now.''
James Baldwin

A raw, crackling urgency runs through rapper-producer ELUCID’s new album REVELATOR like an underground power line. There is no space here for sepia-toned reminiscences or indulgent self-mythologizing. Intellectual rabbit holes have been filled in with concrete and rebar ; there is nowhere to hide and no off ramp from the audio Autobahn that ELUCID has fashioned—a renegade Robert Moses with gold fronts, bulldozing the homes of the powerful and the complicit. REVELATOR brims with the energy of now, with a refusal to look away. Carpe diem in a murder one mask.

Born in Jamaica, Queens, ELUCID has been on the cutting edge of New York’s underground scene since the mid-2000s. From the beginning, he has defied both convention and expectation. He ran with Okayplayer darlings Tanya Morgan, but his own music eschewed their throwback charm for glitchy noise experiments and bass-swamped culture jamming. His 2016 debut studio project Save Yourself (re-released in a deluxe edition last year) announced him in earnest. But in recent years, his Armand Hammer releases with partner-in-crime billy woods have received significant attention and acclaim. Serving as a followup to his last solo album—2022’s comparatively balmy I Told Bessie—ELUCID hoped to “re-distinguish” himself with REVELATOR, setting himself apart amidst the increasing attention around the music he and his friends are making together.

For ELUCID, this meant setting bold new challenges for himself. One of these was diving further into live instrumentation than ever before—”getting my Quincy Jones on,” as he puts it. The testing ground for this approach was Armand Hammer’s most recent project, 2023’s We Buy Diabetic Test Strips’ Möbius strip soundscapes, warmed with instrumental flourishes and skin-shedding beat progressions. With REVELATOR, though, ELUCID strove to create an atmosphere of chaos, embracing experimental electronics and atonal sample bursts. He worked on much of the album with co-producer Jon Nellen, who comes from a background in avant-garde and Indian classical music. “I wanted to get as freaky as I could at this moment. I wanted people to hear things, maybe for the first time, or in a way they haven’t for a long while,” the rapper explains.

ELUCID arrived at the studio with a collection of noise sources: non-referential samples, glitches and noises. Together he, Nellen, and others created forms out of them and, as ELUCID recalls, “just started playing drums with it.” Their fried, distorted sound was directly inspired by Miles Davis at his most uncompromising—specifically, the tone-clustering funk track “Rated X” from his 1974 double LP Get Up With It. At times, the pairing of rap with avant-fusion sounds also brings Emergency! from The Tony Williams Lifetime to mind, perhaps in an alternate timeline where the late drummer was listening to Ice Cube’s AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted.

“The World is Dog,” REVELATOR’s lead single, functions as the album’s aesthetic thesis statement. Like the Davis track, the textures are punishing, the tonality is in free-fall, and the driving breakbeat of a groove cuts in and out unceremoniously. Avant-jazz bassist Luke Stewart, who appears throughout the record, holds the whole thing together just long enough for ELUCID to tightwalk over the beat. This tension is exactly where REVELATOR sets itself apart; in a time of drumless loops, and safe soul samples, this is a high-wire act with no safety net. Similarly, the song announces the themes of the album within just a few phrases, evoking the way societies accept and adjust to new levels of debasement and brutality while suffocating under the weight of history: “Can’t clock the kill, all a mystery/Forced past will eating everyone eventually/The world is dog.”

Many of the songs on REVELATOR grapple obliquely with dissolution and disenfranchisement in America and across the world—the grim realities of our domestic sociopolitical climate and our involvement in foreign conflicts. “Much of my artistic and political sensibility comes from the Black arts movement here in New York,” ELUCID explains. “Recognizing the interconnected global struggles against oppression, artists and thinkers created works and actions in solidarity with freedom movements in South Africa and Palestine.” ELUCID cites intellectuals like Amiri Baraka, Kwame Nkrumah, Audre Lorde, Sonia Sanchez, and Nikki Giovanni among his heroes. (One track on the album is specifically inspired by Lorde’s work, “SKP,” citing the scholar’s paper “Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic As Power.”) Songs like REVELATOR’s insistent closer “ZIGZAGZIG,” find ELUCID applying up-to-the-minute messaging, making explicit reference to the conflict in Gaza: “Feed a war machine…from river to sea, in lieu of peace.”

Despite ELUCID’s preference for cacophonous system overload here, the rapper also provides moments of respite. Recorded at The Alchemist’s Los Angeles studio, the laid-back, wheezing “INSTANT TRANSFER” is a collaboration with billy woods, which crystallizes their shared sense of creative determination. “With much momentum behind us and even more on the horizon, I knew a purpose, and that every step was ordered to that purpose,” ELUCID said of the experience. Meanwhile, the jittery “HUSHPUPPIES” is a playful anomaly on the track list, providing a snapshot of ELUCID watching his grandparents in the kitchen while preparing for Friday night fish fry dinners.

“Love still rules over on this side,” ELUCID says. ”I’m raising a family. We are making meaning and finding joy in the midst of all the fucked up-ness of everything around us because the alternative is cowardice and slow death. We remain rooted. We celebrate our people and our wins. Struggle is necessary.”

“IKEBANA” is one of ELUCID’s strongest statements of purpose on the record, blending the record’s heaviest themes with its most hopeful sentiments. supported by a shoutalong refrain and an urgent prog-funk groove. Breaking away from images of dissolution and crumbling societal systems that populate REVELATOR, ELUCID notes that the only way to navigate life’s bleakest landscapes is to cling to love and believe in those around you—to look forward toward something better that may or may not be possible. For the rapper, one of the album’s most trenchant lines comes during a centerpiece of a beat drop: “Being alive/I must look up.”

“The lyric ‘being alive I must look up’ is important especially in the context of this album. Much of the album imagery is harsh and reflects the actual doom some of us experience. But still I/we exist,” ELUCID explains.

Every artist is, in one way or another, the product of their time, bound by life’s leaden gravity to operate within the space of that which is already known. But there are some who are able to shake free of these ties, to shape the culture as it unfolds, to make the present their own.
Revelation, as a concept, points to the scales falling from people’s eyes—something that has been hiding in plain sight becoming clear. “The revelator relates to things that have been talked about, things that have been forecasted,” ELUCID adds. “And now they’re really here, and everyone sees it. And there’s no escaping.” REVELATOR plays out with the unmitigated power of those storms, laying waste to any genre conventions in pursuit of a certain physicality. Here, ELUCID develops a wholly distinctive musical language to explore our fractured modernity.

REVELATOR's packaging was designed by longtime Armand Hammer / Backwoodz art director, Alexander Richter.

Michael Mayer albums don’t come round too often, which is one of many reasons why his fourth collection, The Floor Is Lava, is a genuine event. It’s been eight years since his last one, the collaborative & released on !K7; its predecessors, Mantasy (2012) and Touch (2004), took their sweet time, too. It’s no real surprise, given the many hats Mayer wears – globetrotting DJ, revered remixer, inveterate collaborator, and boss of both Kompakt and Imara – that his solo productions are relatively sparing. But this also speaks to their quality: Mayer’s name on a record sleeve is a sign of quality, of music that’s both looking to the future and calling back to the past, that balances the imperatives of the dancefloor and the loungeroom, that’s as exploratory as it is functional.

On The Floor Is Lava, Mayer seems to be taking the temperature of both the music that surrounds him (past and present), and the ides of the industry he works within. There’s that iconic album title, for a start. “The album’s mindset,” he says, reflecting on those four words together. For Mayer, it’s partly a critique of the way the industry boxes in both producer and listener, focuses them on genre, on market, on the next new thing: “Being a free minded spirit that transcends genres has become an uphill battle.” A battle worth fighting, though, and with The Floor Is Lava, the result is an album that’s varied, quixotic, idiosyncratic, charming, and deeply, addictively listenable.

Throughout, Mayer finds thrills in exploration and juxtaposition, allowing unexpected things to blossom and giving them their life, their platform, throwing the listener exciting curveballs: “It’s a DJ album by a DJ that’s easily bored.” Either easily bored, or endlessly curious, The Floor Is Lava is rich with ideas. It opens with “The Problem”, which looks back to look forward, embracing the rickety way early house productions threw samples together with gleeful abandon. Mayer mentions Pal Joey, and the scene around Rockers Hi-Fi and their Different Drummer imprint, as reference points, and you can hear that freewheeling spirit throughout.

It’s followed by “Vagus”, a slinky, sensual minimal house number that Mayer describes as his “musical catnip”. The flow of these two opening cuts defines the dynamic of The Floor Is Lava, defining the dialectical drive at its core: thesis and antithesis leads to synthesis, but with a welcome prickliness that means you’re always excited, always engaged. It’s also productive in the way it derives energy from rubbing genres and sounds against each other, in unexpected ways, for maximum musical frisson. There’s psychedelic techno on “Feuerstuhl”, more minimal techno with “Ardor” (Mayer mentions ‘Immer 1’ era 90s minimal as inspiration), slippery, Shepard-tone breakbeat through “Sycophant”, a lovely, lush vocal turn on the poppy “The Solution”.

The album closes with the melancholy “Süßer Schlaf”, where Mayer sets a poem by Goethe to one of his most haunted, moving pieces of music yet, in abstract tribute to a lost friend. It’s one of the most affecting moments on The Floor Is Lava. There’s also an update on 2020’s wild Brainwave Technology EP, with the surrealist glitter-stomp of “Brainwave 2.0” (check out those handclaps!),where Mayer’s thinking about the socio-political precipice of the now: “I’m reading with great interest about this whole complex of how humanity is about to cross so many lines and the implications that the resulting financial and educational inequality will bring.”

That’s The Floor Is Lava: then and now, brainwaves and nerve structures, problems and solutions, genres on fire; the real, the unreal, and the surreal. An album for the easily bored and the endlessly curious. Mayer has the last word, telling us all you need to know about the album’s spirit: “Burning for the cause, being zealous, being addicted to the heat of the night, the exuberant powers of music.”

Michael Mayer veröffentlicht nicht oft Alben, was einer von vielen Gründen ist, warum ‘The Floor Is Lava’ ein echtes Ereignis ist. Es sind acht Jahre vergangen seit seinem letzten Werk, dem Kollaborationsalbum &, das auf !K7 erschien; seine Vorgänger, Mantasy (2012) und Touch (2004), ließen ebenfalls auf sich warten. Es überrascht nicht wirklich, da Mayer viele Rollen gleichzeitig erfüllt – weltreisender DJ, vielbeschäftigter Remixer, unermüdlicher Kollaborateur und Chef von sowohl Kompakt als auch Imara – weshalb seine Solo-Produktionen eher sparsam ausfallen. Doch das spricht auch für deren Qualität: Ein Album mit Mayers Namen auf dem Cover steht für Qualität, für Musik, die sowohl in die Zukunft blickt als auch auf die Vergangenheit verweist, die das Gleichgewicht zwischen den Anforderungen des Dancefloors und des Wohnzimmers hält, die genauso erforschend wie funktional ist.

Auf The Floor Is Lava scheint Mayer sowohl die Musik um ihn herum (vergangen und gegenwärtig) als auch die Strömungen der Branche, in der er arbeitet, zu reflektieren. Da wäre zunächst der ikonische Albumtitel. „Die Grundhaltung des Albums“, sagt er, drückt sich in diesen vier Worte aus. Für Mayer ist es teilweise eine Kritik daran, wie die Industrie sowohl Produzenten als auch Hörer in Schubladen steckt, sie auf Genres, auf den Markt und auf das nächste große Ding fokussiert: „Ein freier Geist zu sein, der Genres überschreitet, ist zu einem steinigen Weg geworden.“ Ein Kampf, der sich jedoch lohnt, und mit The Floor Is Lava ist das Ergebnis ein Album, das vielfältig, eigenwillig, charmant und tiefsinnig, aber auch süchtig machend ist.

Im gesamten Album findet Mayer Freude an der Erforschung und Gegenüberstellung von Stilen, lässt unerwartete Dinge erblühen und gibt ihnen Raum, überrascht den Hörer mit spannenden Wendungen: „Es ist ein DJ-Album von einem DJ, der sich schnell langweilt.“ Entweder langweilt er sich schnell oder er ist unendlich neugierig – The Floor Is Lava ist reich an Ideen. Es beginnt mit „The Problem“, das in die Vergangenheit blickt, um nach vorne zu schauen, und die wilde Art, wie frühe House-Produktionen Samples mit fröhlicher Unbekümmertheit zusammenwarfen, aufgreift. Mayer nennt Pal Joey und die Szene um Rockers Hi-Fi und ihr Label Different Drummer als Referenzpunkte, und dieser freie Geist zieht sich durch das gesamte Album.

Es folgt „Vagus“, eine sinnliche Minimal-House-Nummer, die Mayer als seine „musikalische Katzenminze“ beschreibt. Der Fluss dieser beiden Eröffnungstracks definiert die Dynamik von The Floor Is Lava und den dialektischen Antrieb im Kern: These und Antithese führen zu einer Synthese, jedoch mit einer willkommenen Schärfe, die dafür sorgt, dass man immer aufgeregt und engagiert bleibt. Zudem gewinnt das Album Energie, indem es Genres und Klänge auf unerwartete Weise aneinanderreibt, um maximalen musikalischen Nervenkitzel zu erzeugen. Es gibt psychedelischen Techno in „Feuerstuhl“, mehr Minimal Techno mit „Ardor“ (Mayer erwähnt ‘Immer’ Ära Minimal als Bezugspunkt), gleitenden Shepard-Ton-Breakbeat in „Sycophant“ und einen lieblichen, üppigen Vocal-Auftritt im poppigen „The Solution“.

Das Album schließt mit dem melancholischen „Süßer Schlaf“, in dem Mayer ein Gedicht von Goethe vertont und eine seiner bisher eindringlichsten und bewegendsten musikalischen Kompositionen schafft, als abstrakten Tribut an eine verschiedene Freundin. Es ist einer der ergreifendsten Momente auf The Floor Is Lava. Ebenfalls gibt es ein Update der wilden Brainwave Technology-EP von 2020, mit dem surrealistischen Glitzer-Stampfer „Brainwave 2.0“ (hör dir diese Handclaps an!), in dem Mayer über den sozio-politischen Abgrund der Gegenwart nachdenkt: „Ich lese mit großem Interesse über diesen ganzen Komplex, wie die Menschheit dabei ist, so viele Grenzen zu überschreiten und welche Auswirkungen die daraus resultierende finanzielle und bildungstechnische Ungleichheit haben wird.“

Das ist The Floor Is Lava: Damals und heute, Gehirnwellen und Nervengeflechte, Probleme und Lösungen, brennende Genres; das Reale, das Unreale und das Surreale. Ein Album für die schnell Gelangweilten und die unendlich Neugierigen. Mayer hat das letzte Wort und sagt uns alles, was wir über den Geist des Albums wissen müssen: „Brennen für die Sache, leidenschaftlich sein, süchtig nach der Hitze der Nacht, den überschwänglichen Kräften der Musik.“

After two collaborative releases on raum…musik — first with Federico Molinari and then Giuliano Lomonte — Alexis Cabrera steps into the spotlight for the 118th release of the label. "Dreaming Of A Silver Future" is a club-ready 3-track EP exploring various shades of Tech House, solidifying his talent for crafting fresh dancefloor groovers brimming with swag.

The title track, 'Dreaming Of A Silver Future' (A1), is the most colourful offer of the EP — a relentless groover immersed in organ chords, synth stabs, addicting vocal samples and a fully pumpin' bassline. 'Your Name On My Arm' (B1) puts its wicked bass and hypnotic vocal samples at the centre of the stage, creating an atmosphere of frantic, slightly wicked vibes drenched in hip-hop swagger. 'Do You Wanna Wonder' (B2) closes the EP in full swing, forefronting yet again its ominous-yet-hypnotic bassline between bouncy drums, shuffly rhythms and quirky vocal samples reminiscent of some sort of hypermodern pop.

"Dreaming Of A Silver Future" continues Cabrera's reputation for delivering groove-heavy music for the hottest dancefloors, showcasing his ability to navigate, with style, the infinite nuances of the Tech House spectrum, all while keeping things undeniably club-focused. And raum…musik, known for its refined curation of underground top-shelf dancefloor records, is the perfect home for this release.

Modbox returns with a fresh release on his own label, Castanea Records, delivering the Cosmic Wind EP. This release moves through the realms of tech house, acid, neo trance, and broken beat, creating a textured sound that reflects Modbox’s forward-thinking approach to electronic music.

The EP opens with'Cosmic Wind,' where atmospheric layers float over a steady groove, setting a hypnotic, introspective tone. 'Acid Galaxy' follows, bringing sharp acid lines and raw energy to the forefront, offering a punchy, floor-focused experience.

On the B-side, Arno reworks 'Acid Galaxy' into a deeper, more hypnotic journey, adding subtle shifts in rhythm and expanding the track’s immersive qualities. 'Flow' rounds out the release with its broken beat structure, delivering a refreshing change in pace and a more experimental, layered vibe.

The Cosmic Wind EP showcases Modbox’s ability to blend rhythmic complexity with atmospheric depth, making it a versatile addition to any DJ’s collection.

After solidifying its presence in the electronic music scene, 'Anva' returns with its fourth release, featuring a collaborative effort from Tagir & Indigo Minds. Meditation Dance EP explores the balance between minimal house and tech house, offering four original tracks that traverse atmospheric soundscapes and punchy rhythms.

'Meditation Dance' opens the EP with a deep, rolling bassline that gradually unfolds into a hypnotic groove. Layered with subtle textures and rhythmic nuances, it invites dancers into a meditative state while keeping the energy moving forward. 'Bandit' shifts the momentum with tighter percussion and playful melodic accents, creating a steady groove that’s both engaging and dynamic.

On the B-side, 'Donut' introduces intricate sound design and spaced-out synth work, maintaining a relaxed yet detailed rhythm that adds depth to any set. Closing out the release, 'Jack' brings a bouncy and upbeat vibe, with sharp beats and a syncopated groove that injects playful energy into the dancefloor.

The Meditation Dance EP offers a versatile selection of tracks, perfect for DJs who seek to mix minimal precision with engaging rhythmic flow.

Fresh off a rework of Papa Levi with single Ribena, London’s jungle pioneers 4am Kru drop their highly anticipated debut album Incognito Rhythm featuring all the tracks that have cemented their reputation as the go-to act for raw, live jungle music.

Having already taken the 2024 festival circuit by storm with appearances at Outlook Origins, Boomtown, Boardmasters, Reading+ Leeds, The Blind Tiger, Parklife Waterworks, Boundary and a milestone Saturday night closing set at Glastonbury’s Temple Stage, 4am Kru continue to draw audiences into the madness of their raucous blend of 1993-1994 influenced jungle. First bursting onto the scene post-lockdown, the falling monitors and flying bodies of their shows were particularly thrilling for ravers who had turned 18 in isolation.

Originally developing their live sound in indie bands while sharing a studio in Tottenham, the duo quickly realized that the traditional DJ set couldn’t contain the energy of their act. They have since surrendered to the chaos of their incredibly physical performances, nursing chipped bones and back injuries, deep finger taping, chalking up and wearing shoes designed for skipping rope whilst rewiring what it meant to move their bodies. Their innovation extends to the equipment, with the duo reinventing a way to deliver their signature throbbing basslines with a Roland SPD SX drum pad as thick as a car tire. Their upcoming UK tour this October promises to further showcase their immersive, disruptive sound.

4am Kru’s latest single Ribena breathed new life into Papa Levi’s iconic British reggae classic Militancy following the release of hard-hitting Wutt this past July, setting the stage for their most ambitious project yet. Their debut album draws from a wide range of influences in addition to 4am Kru’s signature blend of 90s jungle flavours, from obscure slow jam R&B like Angela Bofill, Janet Jackson and Prince, early hardcore bands like Hüsker Dü, off kilter Scottish folk, and even classical music. The project is a snapshot of the incognito, nocturnal world that the duo have dwelled in for the past two years, a time capsule of well-worn songs played between midnight and 4am. An extraordinary debut, 4am Kru’s Incognito Rhythm is an immersive, razor sharp, face melting journey through their show-stopping live sound.

More brutal sounds from the thriving UK scum/noise rock underground.

LOUSE: purveyors of the finest cellar-dweller scum rock since 2020; a disgusting cocktail comprised of 4 parts Foot Hair (Box Records) and 2 parts The Shits (Rocket Recordings), served over a capsized cruise-liner.

Described as wielding “damp and sticky instruments”, being “rotten from the inside” and sonically “stinking drunk, shirtless with no shoes, crawling around in your head”, LOUSE gleefully pummel one riff into oblivion, deranged howls & punishing buzzsaw guitars growl over driving disco beats and slide bass. A carnival in an open sewer.

Creep Call – LOUSE’s debut LP, after various tapes, live recordings and a split 10” lathe cut with The Shits – is a true statement of intent. Presented by the magnificent Riot Season, the record is the result of a (wasted) life’s work honing and toning the platonic ideal of single-riff noise rock, all wrapped up in a grindhouse, Giallo-flick package.

Briefly elevated from the basement, Creep Call was recorded with James Atkinson at The Station House Studio in 2023 and mastered by S. Bishop, so the carnage has never sounded better. Perfectly balanced ugliness drenched in feedback, pumped up with Stooges keys and sax (honk honk) - the closest thing to experiencing the deafening, goofy, beer-soaked-undergarment chaos of a LOUSE show first hand.

Creep Call features wholesome ruminations on perpetual home invasion, road-side pornography addiction, perfecting a cannibalistic diet, and an unmistakable cowboy/line-dancing anthem. Do the wrong thing, and answer the call.

Robert and Lyric Hood deliver their acclaimed fourth studio album The Master’s Plan on vinyl. This one-of-a-kind pressing features gold foiling on the sleeve and contains two transparent, red-coloured records, loaded with the remaining tracks from the LP that have not yet seen wax. Spanning 14 crafted house and techno tracks, Robert and Lyric playfully juxtapose the light and dark of their signature sound, navigating a spectrum of genres and styles on the revered body of work. The father and daughter duo demonstrate their unparalleled outlook on electronic music, operating on a divine level of blood harmony with their generational gap only strengthening their breadth of musical inspiration. From the dreamy house soundscapes of single ‘Feel It’, to features from Detroit artists Dames Brown, Earthtone and Lowell Pye, The Master’s Plan is an album with its sound deeply rooted in Floorplan’s Motor City home. With Classic remaining the duo’s home for some time since their solo debut on the imprint in 2021, it seems only right that label-mate Honey Dijon would also feature, adding her signature allure to ‘Fake & Unholy’. Described by Robert as “an invitation to eternal salvation”, Floorplan’s faith remains at the forefront of what they do, cementing this special vinyl edition of The Master’s Plan as a must-have for house and techno lovers globally.

Occasionally an album comes along that seems to capture the mood of the time. "The K&D Sessions" was one. In the late 1990s no afterparty, smoking session or languid Sunday afternoon was complete without Kruder & Dorfmeister blasting from the Bang & Olufsen. Now approaching it"s 25th anniversary the lore around this iconic release, steeped in a silvery cloud of smoke, retains a star quality which only shines brighter as time hurtles on. With the original having sold well over a million copies by this point in time, it"s hard to imagine a mix or remix compilation being able to inform a movement like "The K&D Sessions" has. To celebrate this monumental milestone, we"ve created a limited boxset in 6LP and 3CD of "The K&D Sessions", mastered and cut by LA luminary Bernie Grundman for a luxurious listening experience, with newly designed inner sleeves using unseen photos from the original photo shoot. Inserted in the box is a forty-page booklet containing multitudes more never before seen photos from the same shoot and notes which recount humorous tales surrounding the duo and the people who spent time with them in this epoch. Included on the 6th LP is their legendary 11 minute shimmering remix of Madonna"s "Nothing Really Matters". The 6th LP also contains Peter Kruder"s Powercut Mix of Roni Size"s "Heroes" and K&D"s remix of U.F.O, "L.O.V.E.". In addition there are two cerebral alternate remixes of Lewis Taylor, one being completely dubbed and the other the using the vocal line for this beautiful gem, "Lucky" and a special remix of "Speechless" by Count Basic. These have been staples in K&D"s sets and now take their rightful place collected in the canon of "The Sessions".

There is the new release by acid jazz superstar rad. available, for which I’m happy to provide, attached the tools. The recordings feature no less than Tower Of Power Horns, David Garibaldi, Roger Troutman, Ray Obiedo, Bobby Vega and Michael Spiro…

vIt was the San Francisco Bay Area where Herbie Hancock founded his Headhunters. It was the San Francisco Bay Area where Prince recruited Sheila E., Rosie Gaines and Larry Graham.

Bands and artists such as Tower Of Power, Sly & The Family Stone, Meshell Ndegeocello and Santana came from the San Francisco Bay Area, and Rose Ann Dimalanta, or rad.for short,

also originated from the San Francisco Bay Area. A Heavy Dose Of Oakland Funk – rad. did what she promised. Her 2nd album “gotta be" (1994) had all the ingredients that made the funk heartbeat

faster and the legs fidget: razor-sharp breaks, excellent hooklines, staccato clavinet and organ licks, driving bass lines, forward oriented drum grooves and a voice tofall in love with.

For these remastered two songs, she back then recruited her colleagues from the Syncopated Funk Champions League. Guitarist Ray Obiedo played in Herbie Hancock's band and

with George Duke during the "Thrust" era. The percussionistMichael Spiro worked for Ella Fitzgerald, Bobby McFerrin and Carlos Santana, Bobby Vega played the base for BoDiddley, Booker T,

Santana, Tower of Power, Etta James, Sly Stone and Jefferson Starship to name a few. Beside thefuzz guitar solo of mega funk star Roger Troutman on Come My Way, it is David Garibaldi and the

Tower of Power Horns who add the undeniable quality of this two funk classics now pressed on 7“ vinyl for the first time ever…

Greg Wilson returns to Running Back with another special project.
Forty years on from the release of the groundbreaking ‘Street Sounds UK Electro’ LP, ‘Real Time’ (two versions of which opened the separate sides of the album), finally gets a 12” release. Despite its prominence on ‘UK Electro’, it was the only inclusion not to be issued on 12” back in 1984.
Zer-o, like Syncbeat and Forevereaction, were the same trio – Manchester musicians, Martin Jackson and Andy Connell, and DJ Greg Wilson, making his first foray into record production. They also teamed up with rappers, Kermit and Fiddz, for the Broken Glass
track, ‘Style Of The Street’, one of the early UK hip hop releases. Fictional production and songwriting credits were added by Street Sounds to suggest a thriving British electro scene, the music having blown-up in New York during ‘82/’83, with the ‘Street Sounds Electro’
series, launched in October ’83, documenting these developments and unlocking a significant youth market who’d religiously collect these compilations.
Featured here is a Greg Wilson edit of ‘Real Time’, the ‘retrospective dub’ (the ‘UK Electro opener, which was in fact the original demo version of the track), and a Gerd Janson bonus beats edit. Flip it over and you’ll find a pair of 2024 reworks – the retrospective
dub, and the more downtempo introspective dub – courtesy of Greg and Ché Wilson, whose recent collaborations have included remixes for Gabriels and Confidence Man.

An example of globalisation's ultra exoticisms: a Guinean hit that changed the perception of African music in European dance charts (selling over a million copies), covered by a Hongkongese pop star two years later, the perfect recipe for ensuring heavy frothing amongst diggers and collectors worldwide. Besides its aesthetic novelty, it's also highly effective on just about any dancefloor, a theme that sounds so familiar to many but then with the added unexpected surprised factor of the lyrics being sung in a female voice and in Cantonese -- a hard moment to forget on a well helmed club floor. Another generosity of this release amongst the other 3 tracks is a display of heavy Cantonese ballad prowess in the Adult Contemporary landscape, especially with a cover of Gamble & Huff's "When Will I See You Again", huge on the couples' slow dance scene, shameless drama.

We bring you one of the best unreleased tunes we have had the pleasure of uncovering. "Come Down" was made in the same sessions as Kong's massive "He Was a Friend" (reissued by DKR back in 2010), and never released until now. Pure uptempo digital fire.

*Update - Sept. 2024: Some may remember that the mixdown of the version side of this tune had the bass drop out early on and never come back. This was odd and maybe even a mistake in the mix? But none the less, due to a puritanical impulse, we didn't trouble it. For this second time around for this 45, thru the miracles of modern science, the bassline has been added back to ride thru the verison side.

Expansion’s most successful and longest running compilation series returns with its 2020 collection. It’s the 20th Anniversary edition. The concept remains, the tracks better than ever, fifteen must-have modern soul room gems telling the story of the past 12 months. Tracks here have topped UK soul charts including many that have not been available in all formats. Participants this year include Charlie Wilson (biggest dancefloor spin before lockdown), Tower of Power, Will Downing, Randy Hall, JB Rose The Weather Girls, and Sam Wills all prolific on soul radio through the summer with other artists delivering signature songs of 2020. Then there’s the biggest revival track of the year from Johnny Baker, “It’s Your Night”, the 300 copy limited edition 7” pressing now exchanging hands upwards of £50 a copy.

The first in a new compilation series, "How We Walk on the Moon," was selected and supervised by the project "VINYL GOES AROUND," which operates under the concept of "redefining record culture" in the era of subscription services.

The album is themed on "quiet nights." It is not too close to healing/easy listening, but has a beautiful tension and a pure, mellow mood, and the fantastic soundscape that makes you want to listen to it under the moonlight blends into the environment.

The selection of beautiful pieces is a woven ensemble of various genres, including not only ambient and jazz, but also soul, library, and alternative, and will serve as an introduction to the pop side of ambient music, which many people find intimidating. It is a must-listen for all music fans.

In addition, the LP comes with a completely new type of obi called "ORIGAMI" supervised by "VINYL GOES AROUND". It is a special design that further deepens the worldview of the album.

The tracks included are "Harmonica and...", a 7-inch only track by Sven Wonder, an up-and-coming artist who was nominated for the Jazz category of the 2024 Swedish Grammy Awards; "Clouds" by Gigi Masin, which has been cited by Namedaruma, Nujabes, and Bjork; and "Morning Sunrise", a popular song by Weldon Irvin that has been sampled in countless songs since the 2000s. The lineup is set apart from conventional healing/ambient compilations, and will be useful for DJs as well.

This is a record that will make spending an evening with you feel incredibly luxurious, as if your mind is being freed to go on a free-spirited journey.

*****

It is an honor to be included in this compilation alongside so many other talented artists who have been an important part of my musical journey and hold a special place in my heart. - SVEN WUNDER

Limited Edition! The "LaBush - Temple of House" Volume 2 Vinyl Box Set for the 30th Anniversary of the Legendary Club!

Barely six months after the phenomenal success of the first box set, La Bush - Temple of House makes history once again, celebrating its 30th anniversary with the release of Volume 2 in a limited edition 10x12" vinyl box set. A true must-have for collectors and electronic music enthusiasts!

This exclusive box set features no less than 35 tracks, an incredible number for a vinyl collection, offering unparalleled pressing quality that guarantees an exceptional listening experience, perfectly suited for any turntable. Each track has been meticulously remastered, preserving the essence of the original versions while enhancing every sonic detail.

The deluxe packaging of this box set is a work of art in itself, designed to captivate the most discerning vinyl lovers. Moreover, with tracksfrom legendary artists like Paul Kalkbrenner, Paul van Dyk, David Guetta, Tomcraft, Oliver Lieb, Matthew Herbert, and La Bush resident Mr. Sam, this box set is an essential treasure.

For those who already own the first box set, this new volume is the perfect opportunity to complete your collection in the best possible way, adding a new centerpiece to your La Bush ensemble.

Don't miss this unique opportunity to add a masterpiece to your vinyl collection. Order now before it's too late!

Enigmatic producer bullet tooth makes Crosstown Rebels debut with ‘IF I CAN’T BE YOURS’. UKG meets melodic house on the four-track EP, featuring remixes from Enamour and SICARIA.

If you haven’t heard of bullet tooth yet, you soon will. Brimming with UKG, rave, and rap influences made deviously dark with heavy low-end basslines, this faceless newcomer’s captivating sound has seen him enjoy a meteoric rise since emerging on the scene in 2023. Graduating from Soundcloud bootlegs, the elusive artist made his Parklife debut this summer alongside rapper Capo Lee, with whom he produced ‘Keep It Rolling’. Featuring in sets for the likes of Sammy Virji, Main Phase, and Interplanetary Criminal, the aforementioned collab proved an instant hit, gracing BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra airwaves via Sarah Story, Jeremiah Asiamah, DJ Target and more. Add supporters such as Floating Points, Laurent Garnier and Bicep to the mix, and it’s easy to see why there’s so much hype and intrigue.

Concluding his summer with a bang, the UK artist joined Damian Lazarus for his Hï Ibiza residency alongside Black Coffee, and now the DJ/producer ventures into melodic landscapes via Lazarus’ Crosstown Rebels with ‘IF I CAN’T BE YOURS’. The four-track EP also features additional remixes from LA-based talent Enamour and London’s hotly sought-after Moroccan dubstep favourite SICARIA. Leading with the powerful, ‘IF I CAN’T BE YOURS’, bullet tooth takes his sound to the club, featuring nostalgic 90s-esque vocals over dubby bass that lean towards the dancefloor. Second up is the uniquely melancholic-euphoric ‘YOU THINK YOU CAN FIX ME’, where UKG-style rhythms journey deep into melodic realms with purpose and precision. On the b-side, California’s Enamour reworks ‘IF I CAN’T BE YOURS’, directing his energy into a high-energy remix destined for festival grounds. To close out the EP, SICARIA leans into breakbeats with a climbing rendition of her own, infusing the track with lingering afro-leaning flavours.

Adam Beyer shares his first collaboration with Brazilian superstar Vintage Culture, ‘Lift Me Up’ feat. Kyozo.The track has been brewing ever since the two artists crossed paths while touring and discussions soon turned to a potential collaboration. Passing ideas back and forward, ‘Lift Me Up’ took shape, before Kyozo’s signature vocals were added, with the British vocalist on their radar after link ups with Prof & Fitch, Aiken and Made by Pete. The final work is a pristine slice of dance music built for the summer festival season and reinforces Beyer’s continuing expansion and maturation of his sound palette, following the runaway success of his remix of Sharam’s PATT (Party All The Time) with Green Velvet and Layton Giordani and recent EP on Drumcode ‘Ghost Kiss’.‘Lift Me Up’ has soldered the relationship between Beyer and Vintage Culture, with the Drumcode boss playing the Brazilian’s So Track Boaevent earlier this year, with an anticipated B2B coming before the end of 2024.

Locked-In returns with its eighth vinyl release, showcasing the talents of DOTT in a four-track EP.

The A-side opens with "Shock FM", setting the EP's tone. DOTT's masterful sound design is fully displayed, building tension and release through intricate percussion. The track's progression is sure to captivate dancefloors and headphone listeners alike.

"The Helper Returns" follows, diving deeper into atmospheric territory. Swirling synths intertwine with a driving bassline, evoking vast, subaqueous landscapes. The track's subtle evolution reveals new sonic details with each listen.

Flipping to the B-side, "A Bit of Dis & Dat" presents a more stripped-back approach. Its minimalist structure allows each carefully placed element to shine, from crisp hi-hats to a rumbling low-end. This is DJ material to maintain energy while adding depth to their sets.

The EP closes with "Sine Bass Runs Deep." Here, undulating rhythms and shimmering top-end create a sense of constant motion, perfect for those early morning hours when the dancefloor is locked in a collective trance.

Rowan’s Event Horizon EP delivers a well-crafted blend of minimal deep house, progressive house, and acid elements across four tracks. 



A1, "Of Heavenly Things," opens with groovy basslines and ethereal pads, setting a perfect mood for an opening set. Mario Liberti’s remix adds punchy breakbeats and old-school hip-hop vocals, turning it into a dancefloor favorite. 


Rowan’s B1 original track explores progressive house and trance, creating a dreamy, transportive soundscape, while Marcos Coya closes with a peak-time acid roller, making this EP a versatile and dynamic release.


Limited run of 140 copies and a strict no repress clause make this record a true collectors item!

They still exist, these stories: A fresh newcomer project from Cologne sends their first demo to just one address. An A&R, who has a medically certified autotune allergy, listens to the demo, hears an autotune track and signs the band anyway. ‘Streetpoet’ by Mourad Kehailia & Sebastian Fischer aka 9OASES is as unusual as the genesis of this record. It’s a wild hybrid of raving breakbeats, a chord hook that would have done Underworld proud in their heyday and the aforementioned autotune rap. It is magical. Axel Boman is a remixer who can make the magic even more magical. His 8-minute version of ‘Streetpoet’ establishes a long overdue new genre: trancehall! With ‘New Ballad’, 9OASES show us that they really mean business with their plans for world conquest. This is great techno pop with heart and mind. We are very excited to see what the guys from Cologne will do next.

Es gibt sie noch, diese Geschichten: Ein frisches Kölner Newcomer-Projekt schickt ihr erstes Demo an nur eine Adresse. Ein A&R, der eine ärztlich bescheinigte Autotune Allergie hat, hört sich das Demo an, hört einen Autotune Track und signt die Band trotzdem vom Fleck weg. ‘Streetpoet’ von Mourad Kehailia & Sebastian Fischer aka 9OASES ist so ungewöhnlich, wie die Entstehungsgeschichte dieser Platte. Es ist ein wilder Hybrid aus ravigen Breakbeats, einem Chordhook, der Underworld zu ihren Glanzzeiten alle Ehre gemacht hätte und eben besagtem Autotune Rap. Es ist magisch. Mit Axel Boman wurde ein Remixer verpflichtet, der das Magische noch magischer machen kann. Seine 8 minütige Version von ‘Streetpoet’ begründet ein längst überfälliges, neues Genre: Trancehall! Mit ‘New Ballad’ zeigen uns 9OASES, dass sie es wirklich ernst meinen mit ihren Welteroberungsplänen. Das ist großer Technopop mit Herz und Verstand. Wir sind sehr gespannt, was die Kölschen Jungs als nächstes tun werden.

I Want to Die in New Orleans is the debut studio album by American hip hop duo Suicideboys, which was released on September 7, 2018. The album chronicles semi-autobiographical stories of the duo's encounters with depression, drug addiction and suicidal ideation. Released to critical acclaim in the underground rap scene, the album debuted at number 9 on the US Billboard 200 with 49,000 album-equivalent units in its first week sales. The album also reached the top 10 in Australia and Finland.

Audrey Powne's eagerly anticipated debut album has been met with widespread acclaim from a host of tastemakers and musicians. Garnering over 500 plays on UK radio, her music has reached an audience exceeding 2 million listeners. Many have touted her work as a strong contender for Jazz Album of the Year—a remarkable achievement for a debut release. This exceptional remix pack features a soulful interpretation from the illustrious DJ and producer Joe Claussell, profoundly inspired by the album cut "Souled Out." Claussell unveils three exquisite and spiritual remixes, each highlighting unique elements of Audrey's original production. Joaquin's Deep Version is quintessential Claussell, merging the bassy textures of a vintage King Tubby dub with vibrant percussion and dance-inducing beats. The "Sacred Rhythm Mix" is an essential for the dancefloor, weaving a seamless progression of expertly crafted sonic layers that culminate in a boogie-style crescendo, destined to be a summer anthem for DJs. The Cosmic Arts Interpretation Mix completes the trinity expertly with an enchanting downtempo mix expertly seasoned with orchestral and percussive elements which breathes even more magic into Audrey’s incredible vocal display on this track. True to Claussell's renowned craftsmanship, these remixes speak for themselves—listen and be transported. Adding to the allure of this remix pack are the superb renditions of "Feed The Fire'' by the legendary deep house producer Atjazz and the dynamic New York duo musclecars. Both remixes have garnered critical acclaim, elevating this package to an unprecedented level of excellence. Available for the first time on vinyl, these mixes are presented by BBE Music in a double pack, ensuring unparalleled sound quality that is spread out for maximum audio fidelity—a must-have for discerning DJs and vinyl aficionados who prize top-tier music pressed on wax. This release is not just a collection of tracks but a treasure trove of sonic brilliance, making it indispensable for enthusiasts of high-quality, heartfelt music.

A sense of destiny hangs over Sentir Que No Sabes, Mabe Fratti’s fourth solo-credited album released in a five year span. Her work has always possessed a finely tuned sense of drama capable of expressing a range of emotional states, and across this new album, she conveys the struggle to process various relationships or situations–and the actions that come next. Sentir Que No Sabes is urgent and clear, poppy, generous and approachable, while showcasing a considerable emotional hinterland. It is also, as Fratti is quick to mention, “groovy.”

Written and recorded with her partner, multi-instrumentalist, and co-composer Héctor Tosta (I.La Católica, Titanic), Sentir Que No Sabes is the result of an intense, detail-oriented process. Fueled by a new confidence gained in their collaborative project, Titanic, and its critically acclaimed 2023 LP, Vidrio, the two hunkered down in the familiarity of their studio (aka Tinho Studios) to bash out the initial sonic coordinates of her new record. “We talked and talked, and discussed ways of playing and recording, until things became inevitable,” Fratti explains. “We recorded a bunch of demos at our home studio and that meant we had a lot of time to re-edit and experiment. We really dug in. We were super focused on detail.” Tosta also took up the controls as producer and arranger-in-chief for all additional instruments. The album was later completed at Willem Twee Studios in Den Bosch in the Netherlands, and Pedro y el Lobo Studios and Soy Sauce Studios, in Mexico City.

For the final studio recordings, the pair were joined by drummer Gibran Andrade and trumpetist Jacob Wick to fill out and expand on Tosta’s percussion and brass arrangements. This small group of friends were able to work quickly and openly, and without fear: a testament to the exhaustive groundwork put in at Tinho Studios. This can be heard in three short, intermediary tracks that also manage to be the most aggressive on the record: “Kitana” (a scratch-laden instrumental that acts as a strange prelude for the last track, “Angel nuevo”) and a pair of two-minute instrumental interludes, “Elastica” I and II. None are throwaway mood pieces; rather they act as emotional cue cards, and hint at the way Fratti and Tosta created the overall atmosphere of Sentir Que No Sabes.

A strong sense of rhythm irrigates the sound from the jump, as heard on the glorious opening track, “Kravitz.” Here, the brilliant plucked cello line acts as a bassline and props up the steady thump of the kick drum. The cello’s growl serves as a conduit for a set of slightly paranoid lyrics that tell us “Quizás haya oídos en el techo” (“maybe there are ears in the ceiling”), while the song also introduces another staple of the record: the clever brass stabs, whistles, parps, and other interjections that paint a canvas of traffic in a city. It’s a postmodern, widescreen sound that for some might recall The Blue Nile’s Hats.

Sentir Que No Sabes is a record full to the brim with a modern pop sensibility, invoked by the sort of magpie spirit that ensnares anything it can find, repositioning sounds for the here and now. The keys and melody on the melancholy “Pantalla azul” (“Blue screen error”) transport us back to the glossy mid-1980s. “Oídos” (“Ears”) is a beautiful slice of contemporary, hybrid pop, in which Fratti’s vocal lines delicately spin themselves around the lean structures erected by the brass and drums, and the descending “plink” of a set of piano chords. Then we have a gloriously strong ending with the swell of “Angel nuevo” (“New angel”), another cinematic track full of gentle, instrument-rich swells and eddies that manages to be almost endless in its range–and yet intensely personal, as Fratti’s voice is close, almost whispering in your ear. A much needed lullaby for our fractious times.

The lyrics, for their part, have a stop-start quality to them, and hint at the small, incremental emotional taxes we pay through just living our lives. They circle around the music like birds waiting to swoop. There is something of the spiritual in all of Fratti’s work that expresses itself in a form of yearning: she looks to new horizons while personal dramas find themselves internalized, contextualized, and then dealt with through metaphor. Here, she was keen to mention Tosta’s constant encouragement in her finding a path to best sing or phrase her words to impart their maximum effect. “Hector was super inquisitive about my lyrics and asked me questions about what I meant, which sometimes is something you don't wonder so much about in isolation,” Fratti explains. “Besides, he is a great poet, and you can see that in what he did on the Titanic record. This made me go deeper into my lyric writing and definitely transformed it into something that I feel super happy about now.”

Take “Enfrente” (“In Front”), a track that initially comes across as a languid, glossy number, with plucked cello strings standing in for a bass line and brittle synth parts. Soon we catch on to a brilliant minor chord switch, which mirrors the fear and doubt expressed in the lyrics as someone “trembles up to the podium” in a “search for meaning.” There’s also the startling introduction of a vocoder in “Quieras o no” (“Whether you want it or not”); it comes precisely at the point Fratti sings “Quieras o no es un desastre” (“Whether you want it or not, it's a disaster”). Moments like these leave room for interpretation and, over time, create a strong bond between the listener and the record.

In fact, across Sentir Que No Sabes, each phrase–whether instrumental or vocal–becomes at some level emblematic of acts and moods that impart deep emotional significance. We see this best on “Intento fallido” (“Failed attempt”), which could be the score to feeling trapped in self-doubt, only to suddenly be sprung free by the song’s gloriously upbeat ending. On “Márgen del índice” (“Index margin”), the quicksilver switch between initial disharmony and a beautiful melody is breathtaking, all augmented by evocative arrangements, textured production, and the slightly playful, gnomic lyrics. The track’s emotional ecosystem allows another brilliant ending, which uses the simple repeated phrase, “Cómo lo va a ver?” (“How are you going to see it?”).

So what to make of Sentir Que No Sabes? High gloss Pastoralism? The sound of a city-bound, post-post modern soulscape? No matter the emotions evoked, it's the work of an artist coming into their own, and creating a benchmark record.

After a short hiatus LNTG is back with Vol 4 of his Soul Cut series, adding his magic touch to 3 classic cuts. A must have!