Cerca:beats

The story of how Transatlantyk came to be is, in many ways, one typical of our times. We've grown accustomed to being isolated, even stranded, in recent months, and Technology has become our means of overcoming these aspects of quarantine.

For Lübeck-based producer David Hanke, a.k.a. Keno, and Los Angeles-based musician Tristan de Liège, their intercontinental relationship began long before the days of lockdowns and social distancing. The pair 'met' on-line through mutual friends back in 2018 and quickly realised they were, in a musical sense, kindred spirits. Their shared tastes meant that what started out as a single track quickly morphed into an EP, and finally the full length album that you're enjoying right now.

Tristan's experience as a neo-classical musician was the ideal foil for Hanke's skills with a sample and production expertise. Both shared a love of the more lush and cinematic end of instrumental Hip-Hop and Downtempo music. This sound partnership is evident throughout the album, but particularly on tracks like Nkosi, and the title track, where luscious string sections dance playfully with fractured, programmed beats; or the melancholic opener, Kouyou, where more laid back drums underpin muted horns and joyous harps.

The pair's perfectly formed fusion isn't the end of the story though, as French chanteuse Elodie Rama is on hand to provide not only some impeccable vocals, but also irresistible melodies to this already mellifluous long-player. Speak The Language sees this brilliant vocalist drift seamlessly between euphonious song and spoken word whilst delivering one of the ariose moments of the whole album. Elsewhere, on Dancing In The Dark, Elodie gives a slightly more sombre performance, combining with lavish strings and driving rhythms to a tee; and on To Find A Way offers up an even more emotional and almost heart-breaking performance, aided by wistful and forlorn instrumentation.

Transatlantyk is a body of work from an amalgamation of rare talents who combine beautifully to take us through myriad emotions; from the urgent and compelling Off The Mark via the pensive Forever We Were, and finally find their Way Across thanks to a shared love of graceful and refined musicality and a good song.

To this day the three have never actually met in person, but here's a last hopeful thought that one day soon, as we emerge out of the darkness, they can finally join together in a physical, as well as a musical, embrace.

"...while I like to think that creations are a 'moment in time', this, for me, is much more than just a moment."

Truenoys 2020

"Depression is not just for those with painful traumas but it can lurk in everyone who is willing to live in truth... this album can be a cure or a helping hand...soundwise and lyrically."

Amos 2020

A/T/O/S, pronounced 'A Taste Of Struggle' is a project by Amos & Truenoys.

Introduced by a mutual friend, A/T/O/S started creating music together. Their first creation, 'A Taste Of Struggle' was quickly picked up by dubstep pioneer Mala, who signed them to his label DEEP MEDi. Their debut release received an early spin by BBC 6 Music's Mary Anne Hobbs and impressive remixes by Skream and Commodo.

Their upcoming album 'waterman', is the 3rd on DEEP MEDi, following their self-titled debut 'A/T/O/S' and the follow-up 'Outboxed'.

'waterman' once again sees A/T/O/S exploring new territories with their formula of exciting beats and powerful vocals, accompanied by Michiel De Malsche (@MIDM) on the keys as their 'secret, not so secret' member in the studio & on stage.

Ocean Moon is a solo project from Jon Tye of Seahawks. A long time explorer of the sounds of spaciousness, having released the ambient classic LP iO in 1994 as MLO, Crystal Harmonics is a document of Jon’s latest discoveries. An ambient/new age/modern classical library suite for KPM, this is inter-dimensional music for mind, body and spirit.

Island Visions, the recent collection of music from Seahawks for KPM, touched on the deeper, more spatial side of music and led to Jon exploring this territory in greater depth, again for KPM, under his Ocean Moon alter ego. This time he brought along some of today’s most visionary musicians: Jon Brooks (The Advisory Circle / Ghostbox) for his intuitive melodic mastery, Seaming To (Graham Massey’s Toolshed) for her extraordinary vocal talents, Steve Moore (Zombi) for his sophisticated and inventive rhythmic sensibility and Richard Norris (The Grid) for his sensitive and deeply resonant ambience. The initial recordings were made at The Centre Of Sound in Cornwall, with the collaborators various contributions coming from London, Derbyshire and the US.

The supremely serene electronic flute and bells of “Crystal Drift” ease us into our journey and we take our next steps with “Rainbow Ripples” as it gently folds space with arpeggiated synth swells and delicate machine beats. Light vocal tones, bells and breath FX on “And Breathe” keep us going, accompanied by synth drones and billows of electric piano.

We travel through the synth-space-surf haze of “Lost Oceans”, with soft bass and warm ambience, to reach the “New Infinity” of revolving melody, spacious pads and light electronic beats. The celestial tone floats of “White Mirror” close out the first side.

Temple bells ring out to running water flowing together with deep resonant vocal tones as the second side opens with “Peace Bells”. “Revolving and Evolving” follows, a tranquil electronic meadow of lush pastoral synth tones where we rest for a while for “Mountain Dreaming”, a light rhythmic dance of zither and birdsong.

The undulating “Forest Motion” ripples with synth arpeggios, dreamy Solina strings and percussive modular electronics before allowing the crackling ambience and Cantonese whispers of “Sleep Golden” to wash over us. Finally we find ourselves on “The Long Path”, its warm temple ambience of drones and chants guiding us home.

Crystal Harmonics is inspired by four particular albums from KPM’s catalogue. There’s The Electronic Light Orchestra by Adrian Wagner from 1975 and then Temple Of The Stars, Breath Of Life and finally Keith Mansfield’s Circles, these last three coming from KPM’s mid-1980s run of modern classical/New Age gems. For Jon, “making library music can be very liberating. I really enjoyed the additional focus it brought to the music working on different facets of composition with each collaborator”.

But Crystal Harmonics is no mere exercise in vulger pastiche. As the past, present and future sound of paradise, this fresh exploration of mid-90s ambient and original New Age sounds exists outside of our linear experience of time.

The cover started as a collage Jon made a couple of years ago, a different expression of the same impulses that guided the music. As a nod to the records that provided seeds of inspiration, the collage was framed by KPM’s house style of the 1980s for the finished sleeve by Richard Robinson.

Mastered for vinyl by Be With’s sonic shaman Simon Francis, cut by the legendary Pete Norman and pressed in the Netherlands by Record Industry, Ocean Moon’s Crystal Harmonics is the tranquil balm for these turbulent times.

180g clear marbled vinyl + stamped sleeve + inside out printed cover

Mood of departure presents the 50th release of ORNAMENTS. "Roadmap" LP is crossing borders,
forests, mountains and deep atmospheres on a trip of finest electronics from the past and today
combined with recordings of destructions.

Some Previous here

Resident Advisor

German label Ornaments Music is putting out its 50th release, Mood Of Departure's Roadmap.

The album comprises twelve tracks of melodic ambient and trip-hop, and is due out next month. The LP will be pressed up on marbled vinyl on November 6th, while the digital album is slated for November 23rd release.

This summer, Ornaments Music put out Assemblage, a dub techno collaborative project from Paul St. Hilaire and Rhauder.

Groove MAG

„Man soll die Feste feiern wie sie fallen.” Hachja – 2020 ist wirklich vieles anders. Sogar manche Lebensweisheiten treffen in diesem Jahr nicht mehr zu, wie sie das noch letztes taten. Zum Glück dürfen wir uns aber über eines umso mehr freuen, über tonnenweise neue Musik. So feiert unter anderem Ornaments Music Release-Jubiläum. Das Berliner Label bereichert seit 2008 mit Künstlern wie Marko Fürstenberg, The Analog Roland Orchestra und Rhauder die Dubtechno-Sparte mit maßgeblichen musikalischen Beiträgen. Mit dem 50. Release Roadmap beschreitet Ornaments nun neue Wege und veröffentlicht ein emotionales Album, dass sich irgendwo zwischen Ambient und Electronica wiederfindet.

Mood Of Departure heißt die Person, die dieses Werk vollbracht hat. Wer dahinter steckt bleibt vorerst geheim. Nur soviel sei gesagt. Es ist nicht ihr erstes. Oder seines? Weil es nur spärliche Informationen über den/die Künstler*in gibt, stehen die einzelnen Stücke ohne Personenkult oder seitenlange Lobeshymnen an erster Stelle. Und wenn man mal ehrlich ist, gibt es schon genug Ablenkung in der heutigen Zeit. Durch das Intro des Albums, durch „Scan”, wird sofort deutlich, dass es sich hier nicht wie gewohnt um ein klassisches Dancefloor-Album handelt. Die Stimme der Sängerin, die auch in einigen weiteren der insgesamt zwölf Stücke vorkommt, verleiht dem Track eher Band- statt Producer-Charakter. Ein sanfter Ambient-Teppich aus luftigen Flächen und wiederhalendem Gesang wird durch simple aber präzise Hip Hop-Beats fortgetragen, und man ist nach dieser Einführung gespannt, was noch folgt.

Faze MAG

Mit dem Debütalbum „Roadmap“ von Mood Of Departure veröffentlicht das Label Ornaments sein 50. Release!

2008 startete das Label, das bekannt ist für sein marmoriertes Vinyl, mit einer EP von Marko Fürstenberg, Acts wie youANDme, Sascha Dive, The Analog Roland Orchestra, Steve Bug oder zuletzt Rhauder & Paul St. Hilaire haben hier auch ihre Spuren hinterlassen.

Moses Boyd is at the forefront of the New British jazz scene having worked and recorded with like of Giles Peterson, Four Tet, Sons Of Kemet, Zara McFarlane and more. With 2 MOBO Awards to his name and Multiple Releases via his Label Exodus Records. Moses has established himself as one of the leaders in bringing the worlds of Jazz and Electronic music together.

This latest release is taken from the same sessions that brought us Rye Lane Shuffle. Displaced Diaspora is a collection of music from Moses Boyd recorded in 2015 that features some of the now leaders of the New British Jazz Scene Such as Theon Cross, Nubya Garcia and Nathaniel Cross. As well as the Iconic British Soul Vocalist Terri Walker, Saxophonist and Bata Player Kevin Haynes and his group, Grupo Eleggua and Rapper Louis VI. The music is a mix of Jazz, Yoruba chants with Hip Hop and electronica influenced beats.

Craig Charles has been a soul & funk fan since his teenage years in Liverpool, going to see local heroes The Real Thing live, and wearing out his shoe leather dancing in the city's many underground clubs. Craig has been sharing that passion for the music via his 6Music and BBC Radio 2 shows and DJ nights for nearly 20 years. His brand new 'Trunk Of Funk' compilation series, blends up-tempo club classics, with fresh music from the cream of the crop from the contemporary soul and funk scene, and will be Craigs very first vinyl release - a beautiful, double vinyl gatefold LP and he's certainly excited about it, stating; "I can't wait to bring you big beats, bass lines and booga-bloomin-loo! Presenting The Craig Charles Trunk Of Funk Volume 1 as my first ever vinyl release has put a proper wiggle in my walk!" This collection of 21st century disco, soul, funk & afro grooves from includes tracks from contemporary heroes of the scene such as Monophonics, Amp Fiddler and The James Taylor Quartet, it's also peppered with some old school classics and rare grooves from legends such as Roy Ayers, PP Arnold, Miriam Makeba and Patrice Rushen. Craig has personally selected and sequenced this collection to take the listener of a musical journey, the closest thing to having Craig visit and personally DJ for you in the comfort of your own home! It also includes two 'Trunk Of Funk Edits' that are 100% exclusive to this compilation and not available anywhere else.

2020 Repress!

After two self released EPs, Eterna joins the Modern Obscure Music family. In another musical life, Eterna is a drummer and a sound engineer. Here the Barcelona based artist presents a varied EP that features beautiful melodies backed by distinctive instrumentation and percussive arrangements. Remix duties fall to the wonderful LA based experimentalist DNTEL, aka Jimmy Tamborello. Regatta features choppy textured beats, a bold keyed melody and a smooth bassline groove. The “Jimmy Tamborello” Remix from DNTEL is composed of competing parts that fit together surprisingly well. A menacing bass, powerful stop start beats and spacey synths meet on this remix. 277 is the deepest cut, with emotional strings, almost steel drum sounding keys and layered percussion. A Day In The Life rounds off the EP with walking paced sturdy beats, modulating synths and a springy bassline. This is a truly versatile EP from Eterna.

With the indeed adventurous Aventure EP on Couldn’t Care More Harmonious Thelonious further explores the depths of his unique vision, merging African rhythms, European harmonies and American minimalism: The title track keeps the same yet ever-changing lighthearted melody effortlessly meandering back and forth over electrified beats while Some Blue Beats is more on the minimalist side, as controlled as eccentric. Ta Ta Ta keeps it darker, with hypnotic percussions, organ chords noir and a big bass. Advanced music. Play loud.

marbled blue & white vinyl

Mireia Records’ maritime-themed color-splash series “We'll Sea” hits edition number four. Gathered here we find an illustrious quartet of today’s most proficient captains of the night: Das Komplex (Steps, Love on the Rocks), Tecwaa (Höga Nord, Les Yeux Orange), Jacques Bon (Beats in Space, Mule, Smallville) and Achim Maerz (Don’t Be Afraid).
Hear satellites roaming the atmospheric edge of our planet as if it would be just another shore. Listen to breaking waves of light.
Stargaze while dipping toes in the sands of time.
Time to leave the planet - at least for the length of this record.

“Twee” is Tsepo’s debut mini-album. The beautiful 6-tracker strikes a balance between breaks, percussive house, and glitchy ambient. Tsepo has been around as a DJ for over 8 years. He played Trouw, Heidegluhen, Lowlands, Shelter, DGTL, Wildeburg, and more. On “Twee”, he combines emotive melodies with expertly produced beats. The diversity of the music is perhaps best expressed in how easily the glitchy ambient works "Dough" and "Max" go together with the resonating techno track "La Vaca Vega" and the uplifting title track "Twee". "Extebarri" (where a hard snare is the basis of a driving melody) and the downtempo "Tribeca" round off the release effortlessly. Tsepo knows what he's doing and his years of experience in the DJ booth echo on this wonderful, well-crafted debut.

Running the anything goes travelling warehouse rave "Fusion mes Couilles"
Emma DJ and Ishaq have created a unique situation with their party series in Paris. The two have been able to do what not many have, which is create a party environment strictly on their own terms, with no outside influence, no pandering to agents or the trends of the day and no outside money rearing its head trying to influence. This endeavor is no small feat considering the oversaturated and bland nitelife climate over the last years in the city. The result of their hard work, has been a large scale dedicated fanbase that trust them, hands down.

Over these years both Emma DJ and Ishaq had been working independently on their own productions as well, with Emma DJ recently releasing a slew of tapes in a hyperactive, machine gun manner, while Ishaq makes his first appearance on wax here.
On the "Fusion" split lp we get four tracks from Emma DJ on the a-side and four tracks from Ishaq on the b-side...both artists bring their unique takes on modern dance music on each side of the record from gnarled acid, to tweaked IDM, to broken techno, or ADD chopped guitar loop beats, this is a truly unique release documenting the sound of the top crew in the Paris underground.
Artwork licensed from NYC street photographer Richard Sandler

Selva Discos keeps broadening horizons. Its next release celebrates the start of a new series called Novaterra, this time focused on showcasing the music of contemporary Brazilian artists. First up is Zopelar, known not only for his work with the anarchic-techno-punk act Teto Preto but also for the project My Girlfriend and his solo LP, both on Apron Records.

Novaterra vol. 1 by Zopelar is a mini-LP featuring 6 tracks that range from the introversion to the extraversion. In one hand you have an A-side banger like "Be Together", with its addictive looped-sample, and in the other, you get the laidback interlude of "Modo Avião", which sounds like one of those MF Doom's instrumentals – and between both, you will find a whole spectrum of music where you can experience the duel between super crispy beats (a signature in Zopelar's work) and the richness of melodies and harmonies that he's able to knit stitch close to perfection.

The opener "Livre" has a great deep house vibe that makes you think of Prescription Records and Jazzanova, featuring a catchy bossa ad-lib. "NOX" is a Hammond-led tune with a groove bassline and lead that gets you going in no time as if Cesar Camargo Mariano and Larry Young toured together in the late 70's, like, a big, fat jazz-funk tune. "Dias Tensos" is a nervous drum workout led by an automat Tony Williams as if jamming in a 16-bit version of The Tony Williams Lifetime. And to wrap things up, "Boogie da Paz" is one of those perfect comedown tunes – a true tearjerker that works its melody line like a good pill works your serotonin, making it one of those tracks that you keep under your sleeve for those special 6 AM moments on a dancefloor.

The artwork is courtesy of Colletivo Design Studio in Sao Paulo.

" On July 29th of last year Ras G left this planet.

The only way to cope with this loss was to communicate with my friend through these beats

After recoup the Shorter family will receive all funds ❤️

Second release vinyl only for Recut Music! Recut is back with a personal House and modern Japanese Disco, this time a little bit acid, keep on making fire beats!

Marian Himburg, the artist known as Causa, believes that less is more, both in his productions and his release schedule. With a lean and heavy catalogue built from releases on labels like Crucial Recordings, Infernal Sounds, and Artikal Music UK, Causa is as focused on producing quality dubplate ammo as he is with proper releases. His second chapter for ZamZam is exactly what you’d hope: heavy 140 wares for dark dances- soon may they return!!

"Hiss" is nothing if not cinematic: a queasy melody circling in a dying orbit until it crashes into its first monstrous drop. Led by a squelching, lumbering single-note bassline that crushes like an unstoppable beast freed from its chains, no-nonsense kick-snare power and a steadily rising hum increase our fight-or-flight response until the very end.

Causa says the tune was created after “re-listening to my very first couple of beats and getting inspired by how little I cared about certain placements and how I worked drums at that time… I didn’t follow any rules - because I didn’t know any back then."

“Palms” is the perfect companion, another 140 stormer with drums seemingly built from white noise and distortion, funked-up by syncopated brush hats & an utterly swarming bassline. Add paranoid textures and a bizarre monosyllabic vocal pitched this way and that, and you have another dystopian side to fall in love with in the bunker or the ball.

Hailing from Brussels, Bandler Ching is a creation of musical ideas from composer and saxophonist Ambroos De Schepper. Flawlessly blending contemporary jazz, electronics, hip-hop, noise and global beats, the sound is based around the freedom of expression and improvisation and performed with dazzling conviction.

From the fertile electronic, post-folk depths of Colombian music, the tasty "Colombian Singles series" has emerged to cast light on a blooming, rapidly expanding scene. The series is envisioned as a showcase for the country’s growing number of producers who, drawing upon their Indigenous, African and European roots and cultures, are creating new approaches to electronic dance music. Hailing from the countryside near Bogotá, where the huge city reaches down into its more tropical surroundings, Los Bulldozer is the perfect combo to inaugurate this new musical adventure. Led by the unearthly guitarist Fabian Morales and his mind-bending experiments, Los Bulldozer have their own particular way of bringing international influences like Soukous, West-African blues and post-punk to the already exquisite musical diversity of key Colombian styles such as Currulao, Champeta, and Reggaeton. Partly produced by the German godfather of global beats Daniel Haaksman, highlights on this first volume include the heavy indie dance cut ‘Pepa’, emotive Pacific blues guitars and eerie haze of ‘Currulaomali’, and the industrial reggaeton ‘Commin Down’. And there’s (a lot) more... Not your usual sun-kissed summer vibe, but a deeper, moody interpretation of the dualities felt under equatorial latitudes.

Mental metallik acid shouter... or shower... Rainy bleeps and sub-terranean beats.

Massive!

Soulful selector and skateboarder extraordinaire Hugh Hardie is back with his latest EP, ‘Learning To Fly’, consisting of four sublime cuts, hot on the heels of his recent‘7 Tunes In 7 Days’ lockdown project. Produced from his home studio in Bristol, Hugh’s new release features collaborations with DJ Marky and singer/songwriter Cimone.

Named after the Indian mountain city in West Bengal, opening track ‘Darjeeling’ is a faultless embodiment of Hugh’s trademark jazz-inspired groove. Filled with transcendent piano chord progressions, rolling breaks and an enchanting upright bassline, ‘Darjeeling’ is a classic example of the soulful liquid beats the Bristol-based DJ has become known for.

‘Said & Done’ sees the commanding vocal talents of Cimone take the lead as Hugh Hardie and DJ Marky team up on the buttons to create a smile-inducing bouncer drenched in feel-good summer vibrations. Infectious descending bass wobbles lay the foundations below swinging piano licks and sharp-edged, shuffling percussions. With DJ Marky being an avid supporter of Hugh and Cimone’s initial link up on ‘Raindrops’, it only made sense for the trio to jump on a track together.

‘Learning To Fly’ with graceful strings and arpeggiated plucks, leads seamlessly into a crisp drum track and driving bassline. Hugh’s delicate yet powerful and uplifting pieces of music explore a broad range of emotions, taking the listener on a stimulating musical journey.

Drawing for original jungle sounds whilst staying true to his soul-heavy style, ‘Late Night Harp’ does exactly what it says on the tin as captivating harp melodies and acoustic guitar riffs are infused with fizzing sub-heavy basslines and steamrolling breakbeats generating a no-holds-barred banger.

His ‘Learning To Fly’ EP is the second project to emerge from Hugh Hardie in the 2020 lockdown. His previous ‘7 Tunes In 7 Days’ extended EP saw him create a track from scratch every day over the course of a week, and received support from DJs across the board including the legendary LTJ Bukem. With the success of both his ‘Shadows & Silhouettes’ and ‘Colourspace’ LPs under his belt, Hugh’s dedication to ensuring that soul remains the main ingredient in his productions is cementing him as a staple figure in the world of liquid drum & bass.

Tumultuous beats immersed with obscure ritualistic soundscapes. ‘Descending Void’ is a 5-track EP on Voidance Records (Berlin), marking the versatile character of Llimbs’ project. The opening tracks, ‘Oblivion’ and ‘Mass’, boldly pronounce Llimbs’ more abrasive aspect, carved through rhythmic broken beats, ominous chanting and sharp industrial textures. The following three tracks have a more experimental approach, with Side B composed of noisy ambiences and slow heavy rhythms. Voidance Records will be releasing a set of marbled vinyls and an exclusive bonus track for the first 100 limited edition copies of this release.

Five years after his critically acclaimed debut album Throwback, Glenn Astro returns with his deeply personal album Homespun.

Marking a change in course from his first release on Tartelet Records, Glenn Astro is set to showcase his sophomore album Homespun, a testament to a visionary artist who has come into his own. Made up of ten tracks spanning 45 minutes, the record twists and turns between electronic meditations, soulful vocals by Ajnascnet, and futuristic electro, carving out a world of spacey eclecticism that is as nostalgic as it is experimental.

“This album is in all facets different from the first one, which was a deliberate decision. No vintage sounds and references, no sampling, combined with futuristic sound design and song structures.I tried to keep it as current and intuitive as possible,” he says.

Known for his chunky beats and fuzzy textures, Glenn Astro has released on labels such as Ninja Tune and Apollo, leaving a distinctive signature on everything he touches.

But Glenn Astro has quietly been crafting a new sound for himself. Sometimes taking detours – morphing into his dark alter ego and experimenting with artist collaborations.

The sound of Homespun is a culmination of several years of reflection and artistic development – however, the album itself was produced in less than three months. “I set myself an ultimatum to finish the album within three months. If I didn’t make it, I’d
have to rethink my career path and keep music as a hobby, he says.

On the introspective first single and album title track “Homespun,” Ajnascent’s vocals lend a sincerity to the melancholic production. “It’s about the regret of not taking chances and giving in too much, but also about taking responsibility and being honest with yourself. Homespun is a nod to nostalgia and a desire for simplicity and prudence, being equally the culprit and the cure,” elaborates Ajnascent.

On “The Yancey,” an homage to J Dilla, Glenn Astro paints his vision of contemporary dance music with shimmering melodies, deep ambient soundscapes, and advanced drum programming. “Moreira” and “Look at You” feel like spaced-out electronic funk hybrids, while “Taking Care of Business” goes back to the future with Glenn Astro’s take on jungle. Other tracks such as “Mezzanine,” “Slow Poke Flange,” and “Viktor’s Meditation” provide the finest dubby electronics.

Repress / White Vinyl

French artist Franck Kartell returns with Alaska, his fourth full length release on UK imprint Bass Agenda Recordings. Critically acclaimed for his masterful blend of low bpm heavy beats and signature deep atmospheres Kartell moves from the fascination with the work of film maker Chris Marker's that powered his last two albums to the drama of Alaska. Like its geographical namesake the album spans ethereal beauty, drama, light and darkness and similarly provides a very individual landscape.

Nas has had a career of generally consistent excellence, punctuated with a few lulls. He’s an incredibly skilled rapper sometimes accused of having a tin ear when it comes to choosing beats – especially on albums (and the entirety of ‘Illmatic’ aside, obviously).

‘Made You Look’ was a shot in the arm for Nas at a time when he’d shed some of his core, street fanbase. After the unfocussed ‘Nastradamus’ and ‘I Am…’ albums he’d had a return to some kind of form with ‘Stillmatic’, but many felt he came off second best in the ensuing battle with Jay-Z.

This single, a club and street classic almost from the moment it dropped, is exactly what he needed to reconnect with his fans and to show he could still throw down. Lyrically, it’s hardcore bragging 101, delivered with panache and numerous quotables that themselves would go on to be sampled.

Key to it all, however, is that beat. Salaam Remi was no stranger to resurrections, having almost single-handedly turned The Fugees from forgettable also-rans to major-players. The beat here is deceptively simple, one of hundreds of records to chop up Incredible Bongo Band’s ‘Apache’ but doing so in a way that felt instantly fresh. Nearly 20 years later it still has the power to get a stationary crowd moving, an empty dancefloor to fill, a still head to nod.

This original version has never been on 7” before. It’s presented with full artwork.

Repress

Vienna based artist jeånne maintaining ancient aesthetics on A side. fast pacing acid structures under aggressive beats, enveloped in melancholic strings and melodies.

DJ DISRESPECT aka Toni Moralez already proven his strong production skills on this and also other labels. He is now delivering two adrenaline kicking, schranz-like dancefloor destroyers out of the depths of Frankfurt am Main.

Outstanding and legendary Italian Library album out of the vaults of Cometa Edizioni Musicali featuring tones of mental Jazz-Funk and Psychedelic beats. The listener is constantly kept by the incredible music that swings between Psychedelic Funk, Esoteric Jazz and Cinematic/Love themes. Tracks like "Love For Sale", "Privacy", "Metropolis Notte" and "Dopping 2000" are simply timeless, with a stunning sound that perfectly plunges in the universe of great 1970s vibes and golden Italian library/film music of the time. Originally issued on Limited Edition serie for collectors, this gem has been repressed on 180gr. wax again with improved sound quality remastering from the original master tapes.

A vital voice in the modern discourse on depression, body positivity, and the LGBTQ community, her trailblazing influence has arguably never been more apparent and some of the key writers of the moment have teamed up to work with her. Alongside Rae Morris and Fryars, who co-penned the first single WHO I AM, co-writers include Jonny Lattimer (Ellie Goulding, James Bay, Rag ‘n’ Bone Man), Future Cut (Little Mix, Shakira, Lily Allen), Tom Neville (Dua Lipa, Kesha, Calvin Harris) and Shura. Among the tracks she releases here are the slinky, tropical-tinged Overload, a warning to a people getting on your nerves, and Escape, a broken beats-driven track about escaping everyday life. The summery Self Love owes a debt to Donna Summer, while Melanie’s love of Billie Eilish influenced the moody, intimate Nowhere to Run. Melanie and Billie’s admiration for one another was plain to see at this year’s BRIT Awards, where Melanie presented Billie with the Best International Female Solo Artist award after a long embrace. Who I Am and second single Blame It On Me have both set up the self-titled album and despite releasing during a global lockdown, she has performed to great acclaim on TV and online across the world on flagship shows such as The One Show in the UK, no less than 4 million plus German TV shows and James Corden’s Late Late show in the US where her performance is now the benchmark. With growing streaming support and A list radio support on both tracks in the UK, Australia, Latin America, SE Asia and Germany so far, it’s a global new chapter for Girl Power.

Tape / Cassette

The GTT series is a platform that hosts experimental projects & artists in sound art. It is dedicated to support sound as a genre of its own - beyond the boundaries of music theory and free of any expectation. Just art.

WOLFFRIEND is a collaboration project between Mischa Wolff (Von Abseits) and Daniel Harrison (Imaginary Friend). The two met each other in Berlin and discovered their mutual interest in beats, rap and sound art. When they moved in with each other last February they spent their first two weeks together in the studio. It resulted in an adventurous sound story called 'Computers' that brings listeners into a dimension of their own.

Hotly tipped newcomer Yulia Niko joins the Watergate collective, delivering an exciting label debut to mark the occasion. The Russian-born, Berlin-based artist has piqued the ears of heads with quality releases on Crosstown Rebels, Get Physical and her own TochnoTechno imprint. She steps up for Watergate Records with an inspiring maiden EP, augmented by remixes from YokoO and Francesco Mami. ‘Manifesto’ is the intriguing opener, as intergalactic synths rub shoulders with a chugging groove for an ultra-cool finish. ‘Passion’ is heavy on vibes, pairing an enchanting vocal with a colourful bed of percussion. YokoO contributes a subterranean ‘Defragmentation’ remix of ‘Manifesto’ on the minimal tip, before adding some warmth to the palette teaming up with Francesco Mami for a ‘Vegas Mix’ primed for the afterhours with its deep grooves and shuffling beats. ‘Hurts So Slow’ reinforces Niko’s versatility, imbuing a dusty house vibe primed for late night sessions.

Straight from the Mediterranean Sea, the Greek Duo Bonnie and Klein have landed at MM Discos to present “ROOF GARDEN”, an EP where the balearic beats and downtempo takes over the control and where the “2 Balearica devotes” invite us to enjoy an amazing trip from the Ionian coast thru the Aegean beaches until Myrtle Sea.
Bonnie & Klein are no longer unknown after being working the last 4 years for well renown labels as “Leng”, “Music for Dreams” and “Is It Balearic?” among others. Following their previous releases, B&K stay loyal to their own personal vision of “Chillout”.

Highly influenced by the architecture and culture from Greece, George & Thanasis build beat after beat an amazing work where their “Laid Back Style” will be the main character on this story, a long with haunting keys, wicked percussions, and sounds and melodies that will remind to “Far East”.

Songs for dancing, having fun, and vibing out, B. Bravo's latest project, the "Cosmic Mind" EP, brings listeners to the dancefloor by way of a healthy dose of talk-box, retro synths and irresistable boogie grooves.

Los Angeles producer, talk-boxer, remixer, DJ & instrumentalist, B. Bravo, has been flipping interstellar references and laying down galactic beats for over a decade. From 2009's Analog Starship to 2020's Cosmic Mind EP, the funk in him is alive and well. Born in California with roots in Japan, Bravo combines his love for jazz, soul, hip hop and electronics into his own signature sound of swinging grooves, melodic synths and bouncing analog basslines.

On August 21st rising DJ/producer Haider presents the ‘Endless Clouds’ EP on his own label Breaker Breaker, where pristine future electro meets high tech funk and raw, jacking house. This new release follows praise from a wide selection of world-class DJs and media for his past 12”s, not to mention achievements as label owner, party promoter, canny early spotter of talent and general proactive instigator. Now based in Berlin but originally from Sheffield via a stint in London, there’s a commonality throughout all of Haider Masroor’s music that links both thematically and geographically. His
productions recall both Steel City bleep and its distant younger cousin bassline, using only sparse elements, with beats and bass at the fore, to deadly effect. London is audible too via
the spiky energy of grime and the swinging shuffle of UK funky, and so is Berlin, evident in the sleek sheen and efficient precision.
On ‘Maracuja’ lush pads, pitched-up vocal snippets, bleeps and proper electro beats ride atop a deep, purring bassline that unfurls like giant waves, with sub bass punctuation adding further hefty depth.
The bouncy, punchy beats and pristine gleam of ‘I Came To Destroy’ are somewhere between celestial Miami bass and the aquatic grooves of Drexciya, again propelled by gigantic slo-mo bass tones.
A modern take on the cut-up samples of 90s house, on ‘Grove Street’ Haider mixes elements of classic French touch, Chicago rawness and low fi outsider grit, to create something very enticing indeed.

After setting the souls on fire with the exciting “Madera Negra EP” from Nina Simmons, Salgari Records is back on vinyl with Chalanga to dive yourself in the sea of emotions of “Paradisea EP”.

Afro Cosmic House surrounded by hypnotic beats and shamanic saxophones, organic grooves and ancestral flutes.

The wind of change is blowing strong again in late 2020. Wich statement fits such worldwide transformation? We don ́t know, but we keep blending & interacting different cultures. One 7“ vinyl, two sides of the story. El Mago from Greece is hooking up with south american native ceremonials. The Berlin/Thessaloniki based ritual master (down)beats all strains of cultural appropriation with smart style and groove straight outta subcultistan. Followed by Mettabbana from the divided states of America, editing sahrawi classic on liberation, hope & vision. Seductive repetitions, subtle as the saharan sands, riding on trance- inducing guitar loops, arabic percussion & harmonies. This vinyl will last longer & will survive our thoughts and needs. For any queries: the answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind.

Nick Pride & The Pimptones from Newcastle/UK are back with "Don't Turn Me Loose", a Northern Soul stomper and the first single from their new album "Ideology" coming out in September 2020.

The song captures classic soul vibes while driving home heavy beats, anthemic horn arrangements, screaming Hammond organ and a full-throttle gang vocal chorus. Nick Pride says "I had fun with the lyrics of this one. It's that moment in a relationship when you realise what an idiot you're being. The message is: 'Please bear with me, I'll be myself again soon'!" A tender love song of apology and reconciliation, wrapped up in three minutes.

In "Four Leaf Clover"the Pimptones showcase their pop sensibilities with a punchy slice of disco soul. This Chic inspired cut is made for the dancefloor, harmonically sophisticated without straying too far from the familiar.

Nick Pride explains the story told in the song: "The lyrics are inspired by how the overly filtered world of social media effects our expectations of love. We're chasing a dream, believing it's real, hoping we'll find someone measuring up to ideal. This time though the story has a happy ending, our hero finds her four leaf clover!"

A new project by Chicago-based drummer/producer Makaya McCraven. An addendum to his critically-acclaimed 2018 release Universal Beings, which The New York Times said "affirms the drummer and beatsmith's position as a major figure in creative music," Universal Beings E&F Sides presents fourteen new pieces of organic beat music cut from the original sessions, prepared and produced by Makaya as a soundtrack to the Universal Beings documentary film. Directed by Mark Pallman, the Universal Beings documentary follows Makaya to Los Angeles, Chicago, London and New York City for a behind the scenes look into the making of the artists breakthrough album, taking the viewer through the story of Makaya's life, his process and the community of musicians that helped bring this project to life. The Universal Beings documentary and Universal Beings E&F Sides album will be released on all DSPs this July 31st on International Anthem.

LIMITED COKE BOTTLE CLEAR VINYL + DL.

The lead-off and title track of Brock Van Wey's 38th bvdub album Wrath and Apathy establishes itself with a noir hued Rhodes piano and idly lurching beats that provide an intoxicating beginning, which is, fittingly obstructed by a resonant synth-line that paces the song to new heights.
Van Wey's fans have come to covet the ebb and flow between such sprawlingly emotive passages, and Wrath and Apathy has these in mass.
It takes its time, like most of Van Wey's works, to get where it's going, and his musi- cal style to the already initiated is that of intently watching the ocean waves, with each wave bringing its own unique shape, texture, and in this case, aural reward.
Wrath and Apathy is loosely based on the events of Haruki Murakami's novel Kafka on the Shore. Like most of Van Wey's recent n5MD works, comes in the form of four spaciously captivating and deeply immersive long-form journeys.

Tectonic is very proud to welcome Lamont to the team!

Bristol’s bendy-beats whizz kid is mainly known for dropping jaws with his releases on Swamp 81 and it’s various offshoots. This time, he’s been chipping away at 4 fine-cut gem, especially for Tectonic - bringing some darkside vibrations in addition to his usual bounce.

‘Hold Dat’ runs at 135bpm, sitting in-between grime, dubstep and housey/techno/whatever that thing Lamont usually does! Charged with a disgusting, totally greasy bassline, this one drops hard and keeps going - quality moves for (now, mostly imaginary) dancefloors.

‘Push’ takes it down a notch, to 130 for a more heads-y work out, laden with crackling, fizzing sonics - and heavily punctuated by sub bass hits. The energy levels step back a touch, while building intensity.

‘Brain’ sees Lamont working more familiar territories - sending a pounding 4/4 kick drum out to hold together a series of collapsing percussive hits and warping melodies - as a ‘brain’ sample, simply haunts your brain.

The EP closes off with ‘Open Letter’, taking things into a dread-space; dub wise, deep and dangerous. The lurching bass hits take charge and push you through layers of echo’ed hits and micro-melodramas, to round off this great EP in fine style.

For anyone who can remember, Arca's &&&&& was a moment. Its 25-minute stretch of coiling, contorted grime and glitch; dub and hip hop dropped with the buzz of an impending co-production credit on Kanye West's Yeezus in 2013. It included cuts of sound and beats that were too weird for that pop project, while becoming a piece of experimental art that what would come to define what is by now broadly known as a `post-club' sound. It's music that is as visceral as it is experimental; made as much for the mind, as it is for the body. Released with no warning seven years ago, &&&&& became a bridge between Alejandra Ghersi's time partying and collaborating with her queer peers, while still living in New York to the next stage of her career releasing on Mute in London. She'd go from making beats for rapper Mykki Blanco and fashion label Hood By Air, posting lurching bass reworkings of pop hits on YouTube, and producing her first fluid mixtapes with DIS Magazine, to finishing off this seminal mixtape on the synths in Daniel Miller's studio. After dropping three impressive EPs the year before, &&&&& marked a transition. Continuations and extrapolations of material from Stretch 1 and Stretch 2 appeared in the mangled RnB sampling of "Century" and Arca's signature vocal layering in the pitched flow of "Waste". Along with the fluttering, muted heartbeat of "Obelisk", and the lumbering piano chords of "Mother", fourteen sonic sketches were elegantly woven together into a single, downloadable whole. As Alejandra's course turned toward moving to Europe from the United States, &&&&& became a remarkable challenge to the form of the mixtape, which was a relatively new trend taking hold of the online-oriented underground at the turn of the 2010s. But where many, if not most mixtapes where treated simply as a showcase of individual tracks presaging a more `official' release to come, &&&&& was a complete piece in its own right. "I wanted to make something that was my best work," Alejandra says about a record that has stood the test of time, "I listen to it very fondly today." This reissue of Arca's 2013 debut mixtape &&&&& features an etching on side B of the vinyl.

“Don´t go out there, you might get shot” was the warning from Donna Maya relatives when she visited Detroit two years ago. That makes her even more curious to explore the city. Disturbed by, as well as fascinated from the dystopian state of Detroit she recorded many places that made (industrial) history, including the Ford factory, the world’s tallest, now abandoned central station and the once magnificent Michigan Theater, that was brutally converted into a parking garage. Donna Maya transformed the sound recordings into artificial sound sculptures combined with electronic beats. Every track is dedicated to one of those places and makes it musically alive. With her theremin Donna Maya guides the listener deeply inside. The result of Donna Mayas 6 weeksstay in Detroit is her album “Lost Spaces -> Detroit". “Lost Spaces ? Detroit” is about how to handle crises, how individuals get along with it and the relationship of society to its culture. Donna Maya understands Detroit as a perfect example for what capitalism does when people give up cultural values. With “Lost Spaces ? Detroit” Donna Maya draws a musical picture of how she experienced Detroit that shows that not only a city got lost, but a living space for everyone: Pure urban experimental electronics with theremin.

Vinyl Edition Featuring New Art! Features Guest Verses From Cormega, N.O.R.E., Meyhem Lauren, Freddie Gibbs, And More Plus Guest Production From Alchemist, DJ Premier, Pete Rock, And More. Kool G Rap doesn’t let his legend status stop him from continuing to do what he loves. Last year, the Corona, Queens veteran dropped his ‘Return Of The Don’ album, and in 2018, he’s following up the solid effort with a collaborative album full of heavy hitters behind the boards and on the mic, alongside Rochester native 38 Spesh (aka $pesh), who linked with Griselda Records’ Benny the Butcher earlier this year for the well-received ‘Stabbed & Shot’ album. The album’s tracklisting boasts veteran features like Cormega and NORE, while also brandishing newer school spitters like Freddie Gibbs and Meyhem Lauren, and Griselda Records’ Benny The Butcher. Behind the boards, as mentioned, KGR summoned production akin to MCing prowess. Alchemist heads up “Land Mine” while DJ Premier and Pete Rock lay the beats for two tracks each. Album mainstays Midnite and 38 Spesh handle most of the rest of the production. Overall, the project is a lot of what you’d expect from Kool G Rap: grimy street rhymes full of stories of peril and the beats to match. On “Land Mine,” the duo of 38 Spesh and Ransom provide a rather introspective look-back on their troubled come up while a song like “Flow Gods” reminds everyone that G and his assembly are nothing to be taken lightly when it comes to witty wordplay and velvety smooth bars.